As the battle between Michael and Valorix raged on, a sudden surge of power coursed through Michael, bolstering his strength. This newfound energy, while not as potent as the surge he experienced when Fayeth prayed to him, was still significant. The system's notifications confirmed his suspicion:
[The host has gained 700 Worship Energy]
[The host has gained 200 Worship Energy]
...
These alerts validated the boost in power Michael felt. The influx of worship energy from Elrion and Lysandra totaled 900, a substantial amount, though it fell short of the thousand worship energy he had received from Fayeth's prayers. Intriguingly, Michael sensed that the larger portion of this energy, seven hundred to be exact, emanated from Lysandra, marking only a three hundred shortfall from Fayeth's contribution.
"This is why you never build your entire plan on how someone might act, Valorix. People change, that belongs to the gods too," Michael declared, halting his movements amidst the ongoing battle.
Shrouded in pitch darkness, Valorix was unable to visually locate Michael. Nonetheless, Michael's voice enveloped him, seeming to emerge directly from the surrounding shadows.
"This battle would have been gone in your way if you had put more thoughts to your plans," Michael continued, his words echoing in the dark.
"Don't lecture me, you fucking bastard!" Valorix retorted, his voice tinged with disbelief and shock, particularly after realizing Michael's willingness to sacrifice the adventurers.
"System, lock down the area and prevent him from using any teleportation," Michael silently commanded the system.
[The System would require two million badass points to create a barrier around the castle. Do you wish to proceed host?] queried the system, to which Michael readily consented.
As soon as Michael initiated the command, Valorix, who had secretly counted on a teleportation scroll for his escape, felt a sudden, unnerving chill.
"What did you do?!" Valorix exclaimed in desperation.
"I am not going to let you escape, Valorix. After all, it's obvious you have some sort of stolen goods that will let you teleport away," Michael responded with a chuckle, his words sending a wave of shock through Valorix.
The immense amount of badass points required to erect the barrier underscored the gravity of the situation, highlighting how Valorix would have undoubtedly fled if Michael hadn't intervened.
!
"Now that I have my worship energy, let's end this, shall we?" Michael proposed, his tone suggesting finality.
Despite the total being only 900 worship energy, Michael deemed it valuable, given the rarity of such energy. It was time to conclude the confrontation with Valorix. Stealthily, Michael positioned himself behind Valorix amidst the darkness. Valorix, reacting on instinct, swung his spear and halberd backward in defense. Nevertheless, Michael effortlessly caught both weapons, wrenching them from Valorix's grip.
In this moment of tension, Michael had no energy to spar with the system's attitude. His attention was solely on Rin, assessing her every move and intent.
"It's nice to meet you, Goddess of Monsters, in person..." Rin's words were directed at Gaya, her smile broadening with apparent delight. Meanwhile, Gaya, repulsed by the palpable scent of blood Rin carried with her, couldn't hide her distaste.
"Can't say the same..." Gaya began retorting, only for Michael to glance over his shoulder, a silent plea to avoid provoking Rin further.
For Michael, the priority was clear: to exit the dungeon without further incident. With Rin now in possession of Vedora's remains, confronting her directly wasn't an option—at least, not without a strategic advantage.
"Thank you for killing some of those seal bearers and making a way into the realm of gods for my good friend, Zariel," Rin continued, her grin taking on a sinister quality. At the mention of Zariel, Gaya's fists tightened reflexively. The memories of Zariel's atrocities, particularly the possession and subsequent death of Cindy, were painful reminders of her own losses and the strife it caused with Nithroel, the Goddess of the Hunt.
"And before I forget, I need to thank you for freeing all those souls Valorix has kept over the years...Xyloth will have a great time consuming them," Rin added, her chuckle resonating with malevolence.
As the realization dawned on Michael why Rin was present, frustration swelled within him. Over the decades, Valorix had managed to prevent his complete degradation by consuming souls he had pilfered. Now, however, his extensive collection of souls had fallen into Rin's hands.
"Damn it," Michael silently cursed, the situation growing increasingly dire.
"What do you want, Rin?" he inquired, opting for a direct approach.
"Direct to the point, huh? I like that about you...as much as I'd like to skin you all alive and see what's behind those fair skins of yours, I'm ordered not to," Rin responded, her disappointment evident as she pouted.
"So I'd settle for a finger...finger of Lysandra here..." she continued, her lips curling into a sinister smile.
"Why?" Michael pressed, hoping to glean more from her, but Rin's only reply was a punch to his gut, forceful enough to make him cough out blood.
"Fucking-" Gaya reacted instinctively, her protective instincts kicking in. She launched her fist towards Rin, momentarily forgetting about Lysandra, Elrion, and Jin in her arms.
However, Rin's speed outmatched Gaya's, and with a swift movement, she sent Gaya flying with a powerful punch.
"Oh...how I'd love to murder you two..." Rin mused, her desire for violence barely contained.
In the meantime, Michael, feigning greater injury to buy time, watched as Rin savored the moment before cutting off Lysandra's finger. The anticipation of the system's teleportation was his only solace in the face of Rin's cruelty.
"Do not play around...bring it to me now!" A commanding voice suddenly filled the hall, causing Rin to halt in her tracks. Her body tensed, and the malicious joy vanished from her face.
"Yes, father," she complied, then swiftly disappeared with Vedora's remains, leaving the group in the crumbling castle.
Once Rin was gone, Michael let out a deep breath, relief mingling with concern. The voice that had commanded Rin, and her immediate obedience, lingered ominously in his thoughts.
"Xyloth...what are you up to?" he pondered aloud as the castle's continued collapse, adding urgency to their predicament.
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