142 Life And Darkness (2/2)

”The system... What it's saying is impossible right?” Her mate asked, knowing that the system could only tell them the truth. The handsome drider's, a blue-skinned and powerful looking creature, voice trembled as he spoke.

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[Alert: Death, Overthrown

Althos, a young god who possesses power over life and death, has come into being. There was a period during which your corpses served him as undead monsters. Althos was fond of your bodies during that time and deployed you to battle his enemies, which were once many.

The god won decisive victory after decisive victory and steadily acquired greater and greater power. Recently he acquired power over both life and death. And in celebration of that, he chose to resurrect you and your mate. His schemes and ambitions are not limited to things like the acquisition of territory. No, as a god his goals are loftier.

Althos seeks to do more than just defeat death or conquer all of existence. Althos seeks to master all, to acquire every power in existence and become the one true god of all of reality, of every dark and loathsome corner of every single universe. And you have a role to play in those schemes.

Althos resurrected you to show that he could and because he plans to create a life cult dedicated to himself which you two shall lead. He figured that few figures would be better suited to leading a cult of life than creatures that he himself resurrected. Congratulations, not only are you alive once more, you are now the leaders of a soon to be established cult of life.]

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The two read the notifications and bowed their heads as they did so. I sensed their submission, and felt their hearts turn towards me as they read the words the system had shared with them.

I turned to Ava and grinned. ”My power grows... I can feel it deep within me, growing with every heart I turn towards me.” I told her, happily speaking honestly.

”Death is no obstacle to me. It is indeed... more or like a friend than a foe.” I told the dwarf, feeling my sinister power grow as the two driders lifted their heads up. It was at this point that the demon's finally began to react to the sight before them.

”Did... Did he just resurrect those driders?” One of them asked, stunned at the sight before him.

”Resurrections... Something even demon-lords were said to not be able to do.” Whispered a succubus.

”A higher-being who can perform resurrections, consorting and lording over demons.” Muttered an incubus.

I smugly smiled and turned to face the assortment of evil extraplanar beings who I had conjured and become the ruler of. ”I am a god. Do not compare me to creatures as weak as demon-lords. The powers I already possess can transform a dying mortal into one of your kind. And the powers I possess over evil are considerable.” I informed the assorted crowd of extraplanar entities.

”The powers I possess already can rend your minds to pieces. And I seek to grow in power. I could rip your souls out of your bodies and devour them.” I told the crowd of extraplanar monsters I had summoned to serve me. ”I could transform you into spider-like monsters, like them, and make you only desire to serve me.” I said to the demons, devils, and pain-bringers while pointing at the driders.

This was all true. I had enough power under my control, and the right domains and subdomains under my influence to be able to make my words a reality. I could easily mutate the extraplanars and warp their bodies into something truly monstrous while using something like the subdomain of fungi to leave them permanently enthralled if I had wanted too.

The extraplanars considered my words for a second, before suddenly realizing that they were probably true. That realization was enough to frighten them into willing obedience and stunned silence. I grinned darkly at them and leered, allowing my eyes to momentarily become a vivid shade of yellow. I turned back to Ava, satisfied with my display of power and curious to read her mood.

The dark dwarf was impressed, and also afraid. This only reinforced her impression of the terrifying powers I possessed and used regularly. Ava was used to seeing me as a lord of the swarm and as a necromancer, but the truth was that I was far more than that.

I was a healer and a corruptor, an entity who could touch souls and leave them darkened by ambition, desire, and more. I was a dream-walker who was at all times infiltrating dreams and spreading my darkness through nightmares and lurid dreams alike. I was a druid who possessed potent and eerie powers over untouched nature and agriculture alike. And my powers were growing. Every day more and more power became convinced of some aspect of my influence and turned their hearts towards me.

”Ava... Do you fear me?” I asked her, my eyes twinkling with amusement. She nodded at me, wisely telling the truth. She learned long ago of the perpetually active truth-ability that made mortals unable to lie in my presence.

”Good. My powers are dark. And that's why you want my help, isn't it?” I asked her, amused by this. I found it funny that a deity of healing and life could be considered evil, but here we were after all. Ava was silent, and she mulled over my words for a moment. And then she nodded at me, speaking once more.

”Yes it is. Are you ready for us to depart?” She asked me, curious and eager to get on with her dark task. I chuckled and shook my head.

”Patience, little one.” I told her, as I activated another of my abilities. This one wasn't a conventional divine ability but was instead a spell. As it activated my shadow expanded and in a matter of seconds was covering the entire floor of the chamber.

”I have to make you a few more gifts. And trust me... you'll like them.” I told the dwarf as I knelt down and reached my hand into my massively expanded shadow. I closed my fist around some of the darkness and yanked it out of the floor, grabbing and holding shadow-stuff as if it were a ball of solid matter. I still had to make Ava's equipment, otherwise, she'd just be challenging her heavily armed and armored ”sister” to battle with her own raw magical abilities, untested and untempered. She might well lose that battle. I wasn't about to let that happen.

I grinned as I prepared to activate a number of darkness domain powers.