Girl Who Killed a God Remake - Chapter 4

Before Grace even finished speaking, Azaroth moved like lightning, snatching her wrist and turning her hand over. With her palm facing upward, he reached out and sliced open her flesh with a single swipe of his fingernail.

Pain flooded through her as the cut burned and tendrils of necrosis began eating away at her flesh. Half a breath later and Azaroth placed the obsidian gemstone into the wound and  

Something inside her shattered.

A force of some kind rushed through her. It cascaded in a tidal wave through her veins filling her with a strength beyond anything she’d ever known before. It was electric and sharp, yet warm and even after Azaroth had healed her injuries, this was far beyond anything she could imagine.

The aches and pains she’d been dealing with for the last six months of leaping over rooftops and racing through the city vanished. The small scars she’d picked up on her hands faded and then were erased in the space of a few heartbeats. The puckered scar she’d earned from knife training healed before her very eyes.

The petty wounds, accidents and inconveniences of mortality were removed as she suddenly transitioned to something not quite human any longer. Her instincts screamed loud in her mind that what she’d just become was more than mortal.

And from the glint in Azaroth’s dark eyes as he stared down at her, this was only a taste. This was the prelude to the true power he was offering her.

It was so euphoric it was damn near addicting.

In that instant, Grace knew every word the god had spoken to her had been the truth. This feeling was proof of that. He wouldn’t lie or manipulate her. He didn’t have to. A heartbeat after gaining this power and she was willing to follow the god into the seven hells if it meant this feeling would continue.

Grace allowed herself to bask in the warmth coursing through her for a single moment before taking a deep breath and shoving the pleasure of power into the far reaches of her psyche. After everything she’d gone through, Grace had become damn good at compartmentalization, and she quickly shut the door on the rush before it dug its claws any deeper.

As she let out the breath she’d been holding, Grace blinked her eyes and met the god’s gaze with a clear head.

Approval blossomed across his face and Grace knew her assessment had been spot on. The morsel of power was exactly what she’d described it as. An addiction. It had been another test. To see if she could resist or if she would succumb and surrender her control.

“Well done. So far, you’ve proven my judgement about you correct. I’m pleased.” He waved his hand absently in the air. “If you couldn’t withstand that much temptation, you’d never be able to handle the power of a god. It’d corrupt you. Your lust for power would consume you utterly, and if there is one universal truth, it’s that you can never trust an addict.”

Grace did her best to keep from snorting.

Me, resist temptation? He clearly doesn’t know me that well… or at least isn’t omniscient. I’ve got shite impulse control. It’s a character flaw, I admit.

Which honestly made her being able to resist the call of power such a surprise. Even Grace hadn’t known she had that kind of strength inside her.

It’s because of Levi, and mother and father. For my family, I can and will do anything.

Several shouts suddenly echoed from the street outside the house.

Well, maybe he is omniscient. He was certainly right about more guards… shite…

Not hesitating, she bound to her feet, amazed at how light her body felt and the smooth litheness with which she moved.

“And this is only the beginning, Grace,” Azaroth said. “Come, see what touching upon the divine has granted you.”

Her vision blurred a moment, and a red screen appeared that was partially translucent.

Before she could blink words began to appear before her.

[Stat Page]

Name: Grace Akem

Race: Human (Godblessed)

Age: 16

Core Tier: Nascent

Essence: 0/1000

Rank: Initiate

[Attributes]

Physical: 5→7

Mental: 2→4

Spiritual: 3→5

[Divine Revelation Received!]

One Quest Pending!

Quest: Prove Your Worth

You must kill the three Toran guards that are pursuing you. Slay them in my name, Grace Akem. This is your first task in my service. Prove yourself or perish in obscurity.

Reward: Initiate Ability

Failure: An unmarked Grave

“What… what is this?” Grace asked, reaching out towards the screen. Though her hand passed right through the image in front of her like it was a heat mirage.

Azaroth laughed, his shape changing before her eyes. He was no longer old, and his hair had grown out to a man of pure midnight. It was so dark, it made the shadows around them seem bright in comparison.

His body filled out, and he grew at least a foot taller.

Azaroth stood there, arms crossed and smiled down at her.

“You are part of the system now, allowing you to grow stronger. Think of it as a sieve, allowing the essence of the divine to flow through you. It helps acclimatize your body to the power of the divine and will allow you to grow without risk of damaging your body by trying to channel too much essence at once.”

Grace nodded. Though the system itself made little to no sense to her, at least she could understand what it was meant for. It was something put in place to help her. Or at least keep her from killing herself on accident by taking on too much of the divine at once.

She could work with that. It gave her something to go on while she worked to wrap her head around the actual system itself.

“What about the revelations? The quests?”

“They are you fulfilling your half of the bargain. I give you jobs, and you complete them. Succeed, and you will be rewarded.

Ignore them or fail and…” Azaroth gave a slight shrug. “I would suggest not failing me. I expect competency out of my agents, and I have never been known for my mercy.”

Shouts came again, this time only much closer.

“I’d suggest you win,” as he spoke, the man moved back into the shadow of the burnt building, fading away till he was almost gone. “Now is the time to impress me, Grace. Show me your worth and I will reward you. I’ll give you the world if you help give me the universe.”

“Oh, and sorry in advance for this,” he said before giving a slight wink. After he winked, he held up his hands and cupped them to his mouth. “She’s in here! Help! Help!”

The pounding of boots nearing snapped her out of the moment even as Azaroth laughed as he faded away. When he was gone, she snatched her stolen dagger free from the corpse it was currently sheathed in and stole the dead guards dagger while she was at it.

Dual wielding her twin blades, she spun towards the door just as three Toran guards in full plate rushed in with their swords drawn.

It took half a second for the massacre in front of them to register, but when it did, hatred filled their eyes and they locked on her.

“Kill her!” shouted the second one in.

Grace’s heart pounded in her chest, yet despite the fear clawing up her throat, she smiled as she raised her daggers. “Beg your god for mercy, because you’ll get none from me.”

The first guard through the door rushed her with the sheer confidence of a man who has his opponent completely outnumbered. It was clear from his sloppy stance that he didn’t consider her a threat worth taking seriously. Yet even with how fast the man moved due to his reckless abandon, and the speed at which he brought his sword down, Grace could follow his motions easily.

The dagger in her hand came up, blocking the guard’s overhead slash.

His eyes scrunched as he looked at her, confused, as if wondering how in the world she hadn’t dropped the sword or budged when they collided.

She controlled the bind easily, and turned his sword aside as the other guards entered the fray. Grace had no idea the extent of her new power, and she didn’t want to test it backed into a corner and outnumbered.

So, she shifted her hip forward and kicked the guard in front of her in the gut. The heavy thud of metal nearly drowned out the man’s wheeze as all the air was forced out of his lungs and he sailed back and crashed to the floor. Several boards broke under him and a groan escaped his lips along with a few flecks of blood.

The second guard suddenly hesitated at the sight of his partner lying on the floor in a heap. Likely seeing a sixteen-year-old girl drop a man twice her height and weight was shock enough to give him pause.

Allowing herself a smirk at what had just happened, Grace flowed forward, her daggers glinting in the rising light of the moon. The man’s hesitation allowed her to get close, and by the time he raised his sword to her, she was already well within his guard. Grace ducked under his awkward swing and punched her dagger into his side.

She caught his liver, and as the guard stumbled, she grinned and twisted before ripping her blade free in a spray of crimson. Blood bubbled up through the broken chainmail as the guard lurched, his hands going to his wound.

He looked at her with a conflicted expression across his face, as if he couldn’t understand what had just happened. He opened his mouth to speak, but his legs gave out and he sank to his knees and hit the ground a moment later.

Grace twirled the length of bloodied steel through her fingers as she approached the first guard she’d knocked down. As he tried to rise, Grace dropped and slammed her dagger to the hilt through his throat. There was a muffled thud as the tip of her knife sank into the wood beneath the guard and pinned him to the floorboards.

Instead of finishing him, she left him to choke on his own blood and rose to face the final guard left.

The remaining soldier paused in his approach, staring at the soon to be corpses of his two allies.

Grace just stood there, admiring her handiwork in a very clinical fashion. She should’ve been on her knees, screaming in horror at her actions. But there was only a cold sense of pride beating in her chest. After she’d accepted having to kill, there was nothing that would be gained by falling to pieces over what she’d just done. It wouldn’t change anything and would only weaken her. She needed resolve if she was going to see this through, and no matter how much it terrified her inside at just how easily it had been to snuff out the lives of multiple men in less than an hour, she couldn’t find the emotions enough to regret her actions.

It might’ve made her a monster, but she was okay with that. Grace was the product of her circumstances. She was what the gods forced her to be. She’d had no choice but to forge herself into a weapon. In her eyes, Grimdon couldn’t complain when she was wielded against him.

As the guard beside her choked to death on his own blood, Grace turned her dispassionate gaze to the last guard. She casually twirled her dagger through her fingers before flicking it up and catching it.

“Your move.”

The guard turned and bolted towards the door.

It’s far too late to be smart.

Grace took off after him, though she quickly stumbled, finding her steps driving her much farther than usual. It took a few steps to figure out how to run. The guard was already ten yards down the street and running in a direction that seemed to suggest he was heading for the nearest guard checkpoint.

Chasing after him, Grace caught up to the guard in mere moments. She pushed off her back foot and leapt forward, tackling him and driving him to the cobblestone street.  

Her dagger flew from her hand, and as they rolled on the ground, the guard ended up on top of her. He sneered, grabbing at his hip where his own dagger was.

As his hand snaked toward it, Grace reached out, caught the man's wrist and twisted. , Bones cracked and shattered, and the guard cried out in pain as his hand went limp.

“Wha… what are you…” the guard blubbered; his face drawing tight as he fought against the pain.

“Tired,” she muttered and hooked his leg before pivoting with her hips and rolling over atop him. She then grabbed the very dagger the guard was hunting for and held it up.

The guard whimpered, trying to catch his breath as he scooted back. “Stay… stay away please… I’ve got a family… please don’t.”

“I had a family too.”

She brought the knife down.

As soon as the dagger connected,

 a hand touched her shoulder.

Grace spun around, only to find Azaroth standing behind her.

He now wore an expertly tailored black suit with golden accents and a small solid gold pin at his lapel. His midnight hair was tied back out of his face, though even with his eyes clear, they were so deeply recessed shadows darkened them to a nearly pitch-black void. 

“Well done, Grace,” he said. “Very well done. You continue to exceed my expectations. Keep it up and you and I will go far in this life and beyond.”

Grace made the mistake of glancing down at the man she was sitting on. His face was gone, replaced by a fountain of crimson that poured around the knife splitting his skull. She held up her hands that were filthy with blood and gore.

So, this is what I’ve become. A killer. A murderer…

Yet even as the rush of adrenaline flooded out of her, Grace couldn’t find it within her to mourn the loss of part of her soul. Whether she’d given it away to Azaroth or consigned it to the void, it was gone. She’d stained her hands indelibly with blood. Had hacked away a piece of herself and no matter what she did from here on out, she could never get it back.

She was a killer now.

And she would likely have to kill again.

Fine. If that is what it takes…

Quickly, she stood from the dead man and wiped his blood away on her pants. She sighed as her hands shook from exhaustion and despite her new power, she was tired to the bone.

But a moment later, a new screen appeared in front of her face.

[You have slain a Toran Guard. A portion of his Essence has been stored inside your core!]

[You have slain a Toran Guard. A portion of his Essence has been stored inside your core!]

[You have slain a Toran Guard. A portion of his Essence has been stored inside your core!]

“What is this?”

“Power.” Azaroth smiled. “After all, power is a finite resource. To gain it, you must first deprive someone else of it. That is a fundamental law of nature. The system simply allows you to do that a little more efficiently.”

The god chuckled and nodded at the dead man. “By the way, congratulations are in order for completing your very first quest.”

A sound echoed in her skull, and a new window popped up.

[Quest Completed!]

You have proven your worth to Azaroth.

Reward: Choose one of the following Initiate Abilities

Heal (Rank 1): Heal yourself or others by a [Slight] amount.

Cost: 50 Mana

Cooldown: 1 Hour

Empower (Rank 1): Enhance your physicality to strengthen your strikes by a [Slight] amount for a [Brief] moment.

Cost: 100 Stamina

Cooldown: 1 Hour

Persuade (Rank 1): Infuse your speech with your spirit to manipulate others and make them more susceptible to your suggestions. Not all individuals will succumb to this ability and attempts at self-harm or death are more likely to be resisted. [Rank 1] skill works on those with Spirit of [3] or lower.

Cost: 50 Spirit

Cooldown: 3 Hours

Grace stared at the screen, reading through her options a few times. After going over them, she turned to Azaroth.

“What should I do?” she asked, waving her hand at the screen that filled part of her vision. “Which should I choose?”

Azaroth shook his head, running a hand through his immaculate beard. “That is not for me to decide. You are my agent, but only you can choose your path forward. Like I told you, I have no interest in a slave to obey my every command. What I need is a partner. So I won’t be influencing your choices in any way. You must walk your own path.”

Ignoring the Persuade skill completely, Grace quickly considered the Heal and Empower abilities. Having the ability to heal would be a boon, but the issue was with its limitations. Only a slight amount could mean anything from a scrape to a knife wound. Since it had a rank next to it, she imagined it could be increased, but the question how long would it take before it became powerful enough to be a lifesaving skill?

Likely longer than she’d have liked.

Which made her discount the skill for the time being.

After all, with her increased physical ability, she was likely to avoid minor injuries. Any wound she received now that she’d become an agent of Azaroth would likely be too serious for the skill to handle.

Which left the Empower skill—since Grace was anything but the diplomatic type. People in Toran believed that might made right, and Grace had learned to adapt. She would rather solve her problems with a solid fist to the face than try to talk it out.

Azaroth’s first quest had me kill three guards… I’m betting it won’t be the last time I’m forced to kill for him either. Which makes an offensive skill my best choice going forward.

It wasn’t a hard choice in her mind.

“I choose Empower.”

Unsure that would work as she spoke, the red box before her flickered a moment.

[Ability Granted!]

Empower (Rank 1): Enhance your physicality to strengthen your strikes by a [Slight] amount for a [Brief] moment.

Cost: 100 Stamina

Cooldown: 1 Hour

Essence Required to Rank Up: 500

A tingle brushed through her mind as Grace chose her ability, like an itch that made her squint momentarily.

There was a sudden indelible weight that settled in her body—it almost seemed to coalesce just above her navel. It was a strange, but not unwelcome sensation. It gave her a similar feeling when she first touched upon the divine.

She liked it.

As the skill settled in her mind, she nodded to Azaroth. “What now?”

“Now? You should loot the dead and get out of here. You have less than five minutes before another patrol arrives.” He chuckled. “As for what happens in the grander scheme of things, you’ll mostly be free to do as you please. So long as you complete the quests I assign you, I’ll not interfere in your life too much. Not until it’s time for you to leave your mortality behind for good.”

“It will likely be some time before we meet face to face again. But I’ll be keeping an eye on things to see if there are any interesting opportunities in the near future. Expect another quest soon.”

With that, Azaroth a step back and vanished into the shadows.

After he left, Grace didn’t want to stick around for the next patrol, but the past few months had taught her one thing: nothing should ever be wasted. Ignoring the blood, she started digging through the corpses, searching for coin purses or something that would be worth keeping.

She quickly collected a set of daggers that were clean, as well as the potions and coin purses from the dead.

Time was ticking down, and when she stepped out the door, the faint sound of armor on the wind told her she had to be quick.

Even with true night having fallen, she needed to hurry and get out of the area. Two full patrols of guards slaughtered would have the Justiciars here within the hour, and they would be thorough.

She needed to be well and truly away by then. Any hint of her and they would never stop hunting her, and even with her new power, she wasn’t confident she could take on the Justiciars.

So, Grace gathered up her loot and took off running down

the street along the edge of the buildings, bending down and staying low as she headed towards the place she called home.