Against The True Gods

Jamie chuckled at the question. "Oh? You know my name, but you do not know what I do? How strange. I must admit, I don't know your name or occupation either, young man."

He folded one leg over the other, resting his interlocked hands on his thigh. "But I digress. What do I do? I am a merchant."

"I travel the countless plateaus and lands of our marvelous world, seeking to sell the treasures entrusted to me by the Merchant Association."

He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with passion. "I came here specifically to these Lands of Death to search for the corpses of the ancient gods."

Caine's serene expression did not falter. "The ancient gods?" he asked.

Jamie grinned, his excitement brimming as he spoke. "Yes! The gods who once walked upon the very earth we live on! The ones who held the skies aloft and ruled the heavens with divine authority!"

His voice rose as his fervor took over. "It is said these very gods, slain by the first Great Pope, were buried here in these accursed lands. This is why this place is so ominous! It is stained by the presence of weeping, fallen gods!"

Caine's lips curved into a faint smile. "Men of your age are rarely swayed by word of mouth, no? Unless, of course, the source is credible. It's fascinating that you're so confident you'll find the corpse of a god here."

Jamie scoffed, gesturing grandly. "Credible? Lad, my heart tells me the truth is right before us! Can you not feel it? The lingering divinity in the air? The fragments of godhood fused into the land? The divine blood falling as rain?"

His laughter filled the carriage, his passion so powerful that imperceptible waves of Will radiated from him.

Caine's brows furrowed ever so slightly. 'It's almost like the opposite of a heart demon. His love for his craft is so potent it's birthed a near-Will of its own. Strange.'

Jamie cleared his throat, regaining some composure. "But on a more serious note, I wasn't sent here on a whim. The Merchant Association tasked me with several objectives."

"Beyond searching for the remains of the gods, we were told strange happenings have been reported here recently. Strange, even for the Lands of Death." Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire

Caine tilted his head slightly. "So they sent you, a merchant, to investigate? You must be quite strong, then. The creatures here aren't weak."

Jamie laughed, his confidence unwavering.

"Me? Strong? No, no, lad. I am not powerful. But I am lucky." He pointed directly at Caine, his grin widening. "And now that I've met you, am I not safe?"

Caine shook his head as Jamie and the nobles burst into uproarious laughter.

***

The carriage continued its journey through the foggy forest, its ethereal glow cutting through the oppressive gloom. Soon, it arrived at a clearing surrounded by tall, ancient trees—a small sanctuary amidst the hellish wilderness.

The camp was alive with activity. Small tents dotted the wide expanse, and at the center burned a grand bonfire, radiating waves of soothing heat. Men and women clad in armor moved with purpose—some sparring, others sharpening their blades, while a few queued before tents marked with holy symbols, awaiting healing from the capital's holy healers.

Despite the bustling atmosphere, the arrival of Caine and Jamie drew little attention. The camp seemed accustomed to strange occurrences.

Jamie stepped down from the carriage first, followed by his retinue, then Caine and Soran.

Caine took a deep breath, allowing the fresh air to fill his lungs. For a moment, the calm of the camp was almost disorienting compared to the chaos he had just endured.

"That tent there will be yours," Jamie said, gesturing to a spacious tent a few meters away. "If you need anything, let me know, and it'll be handled immediately."

Jamie paused, glancing at the busy healers.

"Unfortunately, they're a bit occupied at the moment. It might take an hour or two before they can tend to you. Is that acceptable?"

Caine nodded silently.

"Excellent." Jamie waved as he made his way toward the bonfire. "Take your rest. You look like you could use it."

Caine chuckled softly as he turned toward his tent.

The tent was simple yet impressive, its frame held up by sturdy metallic bars and wrapped in strange, leathery fabric marked with intricate protective formations. Inside, the space was wide and accommodating, with a soft white fur carpet covering the floor.

A bed, a dining table, and a small heated bathtub occupied the corners, arranged around a cultivation mat engraved with complex runes.

'Decent,' Caine thought.

He turned to Soran. "Scout the surroundings. If possible, get close to their soldiers and gather any useful information."

Soran nodded, vanishing without a word.

Caine closed the tent's flaps and moved to the edge of the bed, sitting down with a groan as the ache from his wounds flared once more.

'If I can't heal myself, I doubt they'll be able to, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to try.' He groaned again, pushing himself off the bed and walking toward the cultivation mat at the tent's center.

Sitting cross-legged, he closed his eyes.

'Aside from healing, there are other things I wish to try.'

Ever since mastering runes, Caine had felt as though he'd completed the True Defiant Forgery Path, though he suspected there was more to uncover. His instincts told him further progress would require advancing his cultivation realm. Until then, he could only wait.

What intrigued him more was the lingering thought that had been with him ever since Laplace had unlocked his affinities—a thought tied to the Dao.

After forming the Dao Stars for each of his elements, Caine had fully grasped their individual paths. Yet something whispered in the back of his mind, urging him forward.

There was another step, one he hadn't yet taken.

'What am I missing?' he pondered, frustration bubbling beneath his calm.

His thoughts drifted to the first time he had touched upon intent, a moment when the world had transformed before his eyes. It had appeared as a vast tapestry of lines, runes, and shapes, each holding a fragment of universal truth.

That vision had been pivotal in comprehending his elements and building his path. But since then, it had never returned.

'Why didn't it return?' he wondered, his mind replaying the purity and beauty of that strange lens through which he had once seen the world.

WHOOOSH!

Suddenly, his vision darkened. Even the blurred colors and broken runes he had grown accustomed to seeing vanished.

Everything plunged into a pitch-black abyss.

And then…

BOOOOM!

An explosion of colors erupted, brighter and more vivid than anything he had ever seen before.