Cronus' system: Against the gods

Chapter 84 Unlock now..godhood Ascension

Lucius held the crystal in his hands, the energy from it causing it to vibrate slightly as he examined it. Truly, this thing's power was just too outrageous. He could sense immense energy from it that could rival or even surpass a demi-god.

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"What if I just eat the crystal right now!" Lucius thought. He was already a demi-god. Eating a crystal at a demi-god class should surely push him to a god rank right?

"Thou art a fool if you think the power of two demi-gods can rival a god!" A cold, hoarse voice spoke from behind him.

That voice! It was the man, his client!.

Lucius turned around to face the man who just as always was still hiding his face behind his hood. For a moment, he felt afraid just by seeing the shadows of the man. Just who was he really?.....well, it doesn't matter

"Here's your crystal!" Lucius said as he stretched it towards the man.

"Good! Good!" The man walked forward slowly, the shadows behind him growing thicker with each step he took. As he got closer to Lucius, he stretched his hand to receive it but surprisingly, Lucius retracted the crystal which mde him confused.

"You forgetting something?" Lucius said as he drew the crystal closer to himself.

" Something?" The man questioned.

"You promised me godhood in exchange for this crystal" Lucius replied, eyeing the man cautiously. Just from the aura this man exuded, he could tell that if he wanted, he could just take the crystal and go away without fulfilling his end of the deal.

"Oh....that!" The man chuckled. With a flick of his wrist, a dark ball of energy materialized in his right palm.

Lucius tightened his grip on the crystal, his eyes narrowing as the dark energy swirled ominously in the man's palm. It pulsed, emitting faint whispers like the murmurs of a thousand restless souls, each one clawing to escape. The room grew colder, shadows lengthening and curling unnaturally around the hooded figure.

The man chuckled softly, the sound like dry leaves scraping across stone. "Thou art bold to demand from me," he said, his tone both amused and condescending. "But boldness... I can respect."

Lucius tensed but kept his expression calm, masking the unease that crept through his veins. "A deal's a deal," he said, his voice steady despite the dark presence before him. "I did my part. Now it's your turn."

The man stepped closer, his hood tilting as if to study Lucius. "Indeed. I promised thee godhood, and godhood thou shalt have. But know this, mortal..." He extended his free hand, palm upward, as if to summon something from the very fabric of reality. "To ascend is to forsake. Thy humanity, thy limits, even thy soul, these shall be cast aside, leaving only power. Does thou truly accept this price?"

Lucius smirked, holding the crystal aloft. "You think I care about things like humanity? I've spent my life casting aside everything that held me back. I'll pay whatever price is necessary to transcend."

The hooded man tilted his head, his tone almost mocking. "Very well. Let it be known, then, that thou hast chosen willingly."

The shadows around him surged forward, enveloping Lucius in an icy cocoon of darkness. Lucius's hand began to vibrate violently, glowing with an intense red light as if resisting the process. The man raised the orb of dark energy and pressed it against Lucius' chest, merging them in a swirling vortex of chaos. Lucius gasped as the energy burst forth, tendrils of shadow piercing his chest and wrapping around his heart.

Pain unlike anything he had ever known tore through his body. It was as if his very essence was being unraveled and reformed, each thread of his being consumed by the overwhelming power of the Leviathan crystal. He fell to his knees, clutching at his chest as the shadows sank deeper, fusing with his soul.

The man's voice echoed around him, distant yet deafening. "Feel it, mortal. The weight of eternity. The burden of the divine. Thou art no longer bound by the shackles of flesh, no longer a mere speck in the cosmos. Rise, Lucius Noctis, as one who stands among gods!"

The pain abruptly ceased, replaced by a cold, infinite clarity. Lucius slowly rose to his feet, his body radiating an unholy aura. His once-human eyes now glowed with an otherworldly crimson light, and his veins pulsed with a mix of shadow and crimson energy. The air around him crackled, bending to his very presence.

The hooded man stepped back, observing his creation with a sense of satisfaction. "Thou art reborn, a god of shadow and ice, a being no mortal can oppose."

Lucius looked down at his hands, now cloaked in a shifting amalgam of frost and darkness. He clenched his fists, and the power within him surged, bending the very shadows in the room to his will. A dark smile crept across his face.

"This... this is beyond anything I imagined," Lucius said, his voice resonating with a deeper, colder tone. "I can feel it. The power to crush armies, to command the elements, to bend reality itself."

The man nodded. "But be warned, child of shadows. The path of godhood is treacherous. Others will seek thy throne, for no god's rule goes unchallenged. The power within thee is but a fragment of the abyss. Wield it wisely, or it shall consume thee."

Lucius tilted his head, his grin widening. "Let them come," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I welcome any fool brave enough to challenge me."

The man's chuckle was low and menacing. "As thou wishest. Thy ascension is complete.....but now! Thou must fulfill just one more request..." The man said as he collected the crystal from Lucius

"The Hydra has been defeated and hence I need you to revive it with this crystal!"

Lucius' grin faltered at the man's final request. He stared at the hooded figure, crimson light pulsing in his newly godlike veins. "You want me to what?" he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "Revive the Hydra? Do you take me for a fool?"

The man said nothing, his face obscured beneath the hood, but the shadows surrounding him pulsed ominously.

Lucius sneered. "No. I'm done taking orders. I've got what I need, your 'request' is unnecessary." He raised his hand, shadows surging around it like a living storm. "In fact, I think you're unnecessary too. Why share the stage when there's only room for one god?"

The man tilted his head slightly, as though amused by Lucius' audacity. "Thou thinkest thy newfound power can match mine?" His voice was calm, detached, almost bored.

Lucius lunged forward without another word, the air around him crackling with dark energy. He summoned jagged spears of shadow and hurled them at the hooded man with all the force he could muster. The spears screamed through the air, their edges gleaming with lethal intent.

The man didn't move. With a flick of his wrist, the shadows surrounding him expanded outward like a tidal wave. The spears disintegrated the moment they touched his barrier, reduced to harmless wisps of vapor.

Lucius gritted his teeth and charged, his godly aura flaring. He swung a blade of frozen darkness, aiming for the man's neck. "Bow to me!" he roared.

The man finally moved. With almost lazy precision, he sidestepped the attack, his cloak billowing as he moved with impossible speed. Before Lucius could recover, the man's hand shot out, gripping Lucius by the throat.

Lucius gasped, struggling against the iron grip that felt like it could crush him with a thought. The shadows around him surged in defiance, but the man's aura swallowed them whole, reducing them to nothingness.

"Pathetic," the man intoned. He lifted Lucius off the ground effortlessly, the godling's feet dangling as he clawed at the man's arm. "Thou art like a child who hath stolen a king's sword, thinking thyself invincible. Thou hast power, yes, but no control. No wisdom. And no chance against me."

With a flick of his wrist, the man hurled Lucius across the chamber. The self-proclaimed god crashed into a pillar, shattering it with the force of his impact. He slumped to the ground, coughing and struggling to rise, his aura flickering erratically.

The man advanced, his steps unhurried but impossibly heavy with authority. "Thou hast forgotten thy place, child. I granted thee godhood. I can strip it away just as easily."

Lucius staggered to his feet, glaring at the man with a mixture of rage and fear. "Fine!" he spat, his voice hoarse. "I'll do it. I'll revive your damned Hydra. But don't think for a second that I've forgotten this."

The man stopped, shadows receding slightly. "Good. Thou art learning," he said, his tone carrying an edge of mockery. He extended the crystal toward Lucius, its ominous red glow reflecting in his eyes. "Take it. Complete thy task."

Lucius hesitated, his pride warring with the cold realization that he couldn't win this battle. He snatched the crystal from the man's hand, his grip trembling with suppressed fury. "This isn't over," he growled.

The man chuckled, the sound sending chills down Lucius' spine. "Oh, I count on it, young god. Thou hast much yet to prove." He stepped back, his form fading into the swirling shadows that surrounded him. "Now, revive the Hydra and fulfill thy purpose. Let us see if thou art truly worthy of the power I have bestowed."

Lucius stood alone, the crystal pulsing in his hand. He stared at it, his jaw clenched tight. Reviving the Hydra would mean giving the man exactly what he wanted, but defiance had already cost him too much. He would play along for now.

"Damn him," Lucius muttered under his breath. His crimson eyes burned as he turned toward the task before him, shadows coiling around him like restless serpents. "Let's see how far you'll let me push this game, old man."