Corwin Benedict

The Game Of The Gods Chapter 32

Added 2025-04-01 02:59:17 +0000 UTC

A/N:

Someone mentioned that having the <Blue Window> is disruptive while reading. I do this mainly because I like to use bold for other things, but I thought I'd ask and see what other people think. If it's bad enough, I can just live with bolding everything.

This one's a longer one, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 32

A wall of earth rises from the ground, covering the huddling group of people.

A small “eep” echoes out, and I look to my left to see the same attendant I’d tipped sitting behind a pedestal, outside of my protective dome. She quickly ducks out of sight.

Well damn. Please don’t show yourself and get yourself killed.

I look back to the other two Beta Testers who have their attention solely on me.

“Well hey there fellas. Fancy meeting you guys here.” I say, giving them my best winning smile.

“What the hell are you doing here?” The man with the shotgun asks, his gun pointing towards me.

“Would you believe me if I told you it was a coincidence? I’m a believable person, right?”

“What the fuck are you trying to pull?” The shotgun dude steps towards me menacingly.

“She’s stalling. Shoot her.” The girl next to him says.

“I wasn’t stalling, but that’s a pretty smart idea.” I give her a little wave.

The man raises his gun, ready to fire.

“[Unmatchable Speed]”

My speed barely saves me as I jump to the left. Behind where I’d been standing, a statue explodes, small shards of it cutting into my skin.

I jump forward, closing the distance in an instant. The woman with the dagger meets me, glowing with the same energy Isabelle used.

Her dagger meets my gloved fist, and I duck under another enhanced swipe of her dagger, before punching her in the chest. “[Force Of Many Blades]” a cut spreads across her stomach, but the energy surrounding her stops the cut from going too deep as she stumbles back.

I turn, only to find the end of a shotgun pointing at me.

Shit. is the only thought that goes through my mind as the trigger is pulled.

I manage to get one hand up to block my face, but holes open across my chest and shoulders as shrapnel pierces through me.

I’m sent flying backwards, and I roll across the floor, bloody lines staining the carpet behind me as I manage to land in a half-crouch.

I push myself to my feet, and cast “[You Better Heal Right Now]”

Shrapnel falls to the floor as my gloves work with my psi to heal the injuries across my body.

I’m not given a chance to rest as the woman appears next to me, her knife stabbing into my side.

I curse from pain, then grab the woman’s arm, holding her next to me as veins across my body turn black from the effects of her weapon.

I twist the psi in my root chakra as I hold her eyes.

“[Earth Spear]”

Geb Approves

A spear rises from the ground puncturing the woman’s back and lifting her off the floor as it pierces out of her stomach.

Her mouth opens in a silent scream as she releases her dagger.

I pull the damned thing out of my side, then stumble slightly.

My stumble saves me as the wall explodes behind me, more shrapnel piercing my arm.

A quick check of my psi tells me that I’m still a little above half. I cast my healing spell again, and the darkness of the dagger takes even more of my psi.

I find the man hurriedly placing rounds inside his shotgun, but I’m not going to give him the chance to finish.

“[Unmatchable Speed]” Takes me in front of him, and his eyes widen, as my fist punches towards him.

He casts a spell, and I feel the mana move as he disappears and reappears a few feet behind where he’d been standing, my fist punching through air. He raises his gun again, but I’m faster this time.

I roll under the shot, land on my feet, grab his gun, point it to the ceiling, and punch forward. “[Force Of Many Blades]”

I hold the man’s eyes as he falls to the floor, dead.

The only sound in the room is my breathing, deep breaths that come too quickly and leave too fast.

“Fuck!” I yell out. “Fuck all of you stupid fucking gods and your stupid fucking game!” My voice breaks at the end, and a sob escapes me before I push it away.

I fall to my knees, looking down at the dead Beta Testers. The weapons on the floor disappear, and Blue Windows beg for my attention, but I ignore them.

I can’t tear my gaze away from the eyes of the man I’d just killed. I’d looked both of them in the eyes in their last moments, I saw as they died.

I gasp for air, and slowly- ever so slowly, I get my breathing under control with deep breaths.

I put my hands together, and close my eyes, then I say a prayer for them. It’s not enough, but it’s what I can do.

“Elena?” A soft voice calls out from beside me. I look up, and meet Rose’s eyes. She sits next to me, her eyes only on me, only caring about me.

Gently, ever so gently, she pulls me towards her and holds me.

I scream into her shoulder, but she doesn’t care, and her grip just grows tighter.

After a long moment, I push myself up.

I look around at the mess. The attendant peeks from behind a pedestal, a phone in her hand. With a wave of my hand and a twist of my root chakra, I bring down the dome of earth, revealing the huddled attendees of the exhibit.

Then I turn my gaze to my notifications.

Quest: Protect The Treasures Of Tutankhamun

Quest Giver: Isis

Status: Completed

Experience and God Statue (Artifact) granted to all Beta Testers involved.

Congratulations! You have reached level 6! You gain a two percentage point increase to brilliance and physicality along with an increase of 20 points to the special attribute Psi.

You have killed another Beta Tester. All items and lands have gone to that Beta Tester’s Heir. Reward: 50 Gold, and Experience gained.

<Blue Window

You have killed another Beta Tester. All items and lands have gone to that Beta Tester’s Heir. 50 Gold, and Experience gained.

“Where’d you go?” I ask, dismissing the notifications.

“The boys got into some trouble.” She says.

I look up. My marks of protection on the two of them hadn’t told me anything, so it seems like she must’ve handled it.

“Are you alright?” I ask.

She nods, and I give her a kiss on the cheek before I can think too deeply about it.

I take a deep breath, then put on my best winning smile.

I turn to the attendant with her phone still up. “Are you alright?”

The attendant gives me a small nod.

“Wonderful!” I turn to the group of huddled people staring at us in shock. “Just so all of you know, when the police ask who the heroes that protected you were, tell them it was The Paladin,” I pat my chest, “and Dagger!” I point to Rose.

“We did not agree on that name.” Rose mumbles, but I ignore her.

Everyone else just keeps staring, not sure how to react to the blood covered Beta Tester talking to them.

I clear my throat, “And with that said, Toodaloo!” I wave goodbye to everyone and walk towards the exit.

Rose shakes her head as she follows me.

We make a quick exit, right as the sounds of sirens show up.

We change out of our clothes and remove our masks in a nearby building, then make our way to the car where both the boys are waiting.

***

Damien whistles at his phone. “Damn, you’re fast Elena.”

Blake leans over, looking at the phone. “Ouch.” He blinks, “Oh damn, how many views is that?”

We sit in the car, parked at a small park on the other side of town, all of us resting after the ordeal we’d been through. Rose leans against me with her eyes closed, while the boys look at the video the attendant had recorded of the event.

“It’s going up fast.” Damien says.

The boys continue to talk as they watch the surprisingly short video.

I pull out the item I’d gotten as a reward from the event, studying it. It’s a small wooden statue depicting a woman I know all too well.

Figure Of Isis (Mythic) (Upgradable)

Active:

When a significant danger is detected, or when the owner activates this artifact, a dome of protection surrounds an area equal to Owned Territory (Humble Abode), which lasts 48 hours.

Uses: 3

Passive:

When in Owned Territory (Humble Abode), this artifact provides an aura of anti-scry and healing

At least I get a useful trinket for my troubles. I place it back into my inventory,

I look down to the girl sleeping on my shoulder, then up to the boys.

“Blake?” I say in a quiet voice, trying not to disturb Rose.

“Hm?” He says, his eyes still on Damien’s phone.

“What happened while I was fighting those two?”

Blake looks back to me, his eyes flickering to Rose. “Damien, can you take this one?”

Damien looks up, “Oh, uh yeah. We were waiting outside the car when we saw a guy… He was carrying a nasty looking sword, which is a red flag. We texted you and Rose. You didn’t respond, but she came out to meet him.”

Oh, yeah, I’d kinda put my phone in my inventory.

I pull my phone out and look at it to see the message he is talking about.

Damien clears his throat, continuing in a quiet voice, “Anyway, I don’t know how, but the two of them seemed to know each other. They talked for a while before they started fighting. I didn’t see much after that, but Rose must’ve won, because the guy left.”

I look down at Rose who is fast asleep.

Who was that man? Did she meet him during the first event? Or somewhere else?

Damn, I’ve fallen for this girl hard. It’s barely been a week, and already I care too much.

“-Elena?” I turn my attention back to Damien.

“Sorry, what’d you say?” I ask in a whisper.

“He asked what those people were after.” Blake says, meeting my eyes.

“I don’t know. I know that it was important.” I answer.

“You don’t know El? Come on!” He keeps his voice low, but I notice the anger in his eyes. He points to the phone, “Jesus Elena, you nearly died out there, and you’re risking our lives too. You’ve got to have more than that.”

“I was told it was important.”

“By who?”

“Look, they showed up, didn’t they?” I respond, irritation leaking into my voice.

“I owe you a lot.” Blake says. “But you have to admit that we need more than that. You could be the one lying on the floor dead right now. And you don’t even know what we were fighting over?”

I open my mouth, a barb at the end of my tongue, but Rose shifts ever so slightly, and the words die in my throat.

Blake wasn’t there. He didn’t see the other Beta Testers turn on each other as soon as rewards were promised. He doesn’t understand that because our lives are at stake, we need every advantage we can get, that I can’t let the other Beta Testers get a hold of any kind of weapon.

He wasn’t stabbed through the chest by someone he trusted.

That’s right, he hasn’t experienced all of that. I can’t blame him for being angry at me, when he’s followed me so far because of his trust in me.

I close my eyes, and take three deep breaths, letting the situation calm.

“You’re right. I could be the one dead on the floor of that museum. You saw the video, that’s just how strong these other people have gotten in a week.” I say, my eyes turning to the trees outside the window of the car. “These people aren’t going to stop there. Every day, they are getting stronger. Do you know what their goal will be?” I ask, turning back to Blake. “It’ll be to kill me, and Rose. Because this is a bloody game, one where they won’t hesitate for the promise of a reward.”

The car is quiet after that. After a while, Blake turns on the car, and leaves the parking lot.

We make our way to my place, and with Rose leaning against me, and the two boys up front, I feel a strange sense of deja vu.

We pull up to my house, and Rose wakes up enough to climb onto my back and fall back asleep.

Blake rolls down his window, as I make sure I have everything from the car. “I’ll call you Elena, I just need some time to think. It’s been a long week.”

I pause for a long moment, then respond in a quiet voice, my body losing its usual energy. “You don’t have to call me, Blake. If you want… you can just keep going to school like normal.”

“Elena.” Damien leans over Blake, meeting my eyes. “If Blake did something like that, I’d kick his ass. You’re obviously in deeper than you should be. We won’t let you drown.”

Blake snorts then nods, “He’s right. I’m your friend, I’ve always got your back El.” He gives me a small smile.

There isn’t much to be said after that, and I watch as they pull away, leaving for home.

Once they’re out of sight, Rose whispers into my ear, “He’s a good guy. They both are.”

I adjust my grip, making it easier to hold her on my back. “That’s some serious praise. I don’t have any reason to be jealous, now do I?”

Rose lightly slaps my head, unamused by the joke, “Will it be alright with your parents if I take a nap at your house? I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“Of course. They shouldn’t be home.” If they are, I’ll be in some serious trouble for getting home before school’s out.

I unlock the door, then head upstairs and drop Rose off on my bed.

Once she’s back asleep, I pull the chair from my desk and watch her. Creepy, I know. But there’s something calming about the deep breaths she’s taking.

I smile as she snuggles into my blanket.

I think something happened during the Event that she hasn’t told me about. She’s good at hiding it, but her lack of sleep, and the slips in her expression are something I haven’t missed. Something’s on her mind.

I reach down and tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear.

I hope she’ll talk to me about it when she’s read. I’m worried, more than I should be, I think.

I know very little about her really. As much as can be known in a week of life and death experiences. What goes through her mind? I remember the look on her face when I saved her from Doss’s men. I was her savior. Does she even like me as much as I think she does? Maybe it’s just her instinct to find the best protection she can.

I hope not.

Dee lands on my shoulder with a plop, distracting me from my thoughts. She opens her mouth to speak, but I hold up a finger, stopping her.

I stand up and move out of the room, gliding the door shut behind me.

I look at the wall in my hallway with an interested eye. “What did you want to say, Dee?” I pull Isis’s statue out of my inventore.

“I was going to ask how your trip went?” She asks in a whisper.

“As well as could be expected.” I answer, opening my screen for the Humble Abode. I make a purchase of a couple gold, then close the screen. “I almost died.”

“You should stop doing that.” Dee says.

“Nah, I kinda like it.” I grin, then knock on the wall in front of me. The wall opens in front of me, revealing a small hole with a pedestal hidden in the wall. I put the artifact there, then close the hatch, the wall looking completely normal with it closed.

Dee hops off my shoulder, and floats in front of me, “I wonder if you’re joking”

“Probably not. I don’t joke about serious things after all.” I head down the stairs and walk to the kitchen for a snack.

“Hm.” Dee studies me with narrowed eyes.

“Have you ever been in love Dee?” I ask.

Dee sputters at the question, then blinks a few times before asking, “Why do you ask?”

“I’m just curious.” I grab an orange from the fruit-bowl.

Dee takes a surprising amount of time to think about my question, especially considering how quick she usually is. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in love, but I’ve felt very strongly attracted to some faeries.”

“Oh? I’m disappointed.” I cut my orange with my fingernail, then start to peel it.

“Love is something very important to me.” Dee says, floating over to the countertop and sitting down on it. “I don’t want to claim I’ve felt it when I haven’t.”

“What do you think of me?” I ask, placing a slice of orange in my mouth.

“I”m not in love with you.” She says immediately.

“Really? I thought we had something going there for a moment.” I grin at her cheekily.

“Uh-uh, I can say with one hundred percent confidence that I do not love you.” She returns my smile. “But I do like you.”

“Well that’s something at least.” My smile disappears as my eyes move to the spot in the ceiling where Rose is.

“I think she loves you.” Dee says. She flies up to my head and gives it a pat.

I shake my head, ignoring the imp as I finish my orange. I should visit Akiyama Sensei again soon. I’ve been too lax in my training.