"She's lying to you, Liam." Hybris's cold voice echoed in Liam's mind, the words a chilling reminder of the gravity of the situation. That was all he needed to end this charade. "Prepare yourself, Midas," Liam said, his voice a resolute whisper of determination. As his words hung in the air, a crimson aura began to envelop him, radiating with an intensity that signaled his readiness for battle. Midas sighed, a resigned look crossing her face. "I wish it didn't have to come to this." She raised her gloved hands, which immediately glowed with a golden hue. The ground beneath her feet began to shimmer, the trees and leaves, even the cascading waterfall, transformed by her touch. Her authority turned everything to gold, creating an otherworldly, gilded landscape. Liam didn't wait for her to strike first. He launched himself at her, his speed blinding. Midas barely had time to react. She stomped her feet into the ground, causing it to sink and rise in uneven waves. The earth, where it l
Midas stomped the ground with force, causing it to sink and form a smooth slope. In the next instant, hundreds of golden tendrils shot out from the earth, homing in on Liam like guided missiles. Liam maneuvered in the air, blasting crimson flares that burned with fierce intensity at the golden tendrils, but their numbers were overwhelming. He soared higher, aiming to create more distance. Suddenly, a golden tendril lashed around his ankle. Without hesitation, Midas yanked him downward, smashing him into the slope. With a swift motion of her hands, Midas manipulated the golden earth to rise, forming thick walls that encircled Liam. Before he could react, she sealed the top, trapping him within. Midas began to bury the golden prison further into the ground, her intent clear: to entomb him. A county-level demigod could survive several days without oxygen, so trapping Liam for an hour or two wouldn't cause much harm. Just then, the ground trembled, as if a powerful force was bei
The golden forest occasionally trembled, its radiant leaves falling like gilded tears as two blurred silhouettes clashed at the speed of sound. One radiated a crimson glow, while the other shimmered with golden light. Their ceaseless battle caused sonic booms to erupt, shattering the tranquil beauty of the forest.With a thunderous crash, both figures plummeted into a small golden waterfall, which burst into a cascade of sparkling fragments. Midas tasted blood in her mouth, the metallic scent overwhelming her senses. Despite her formidable power, keeping up with Liam proved impossible. His occasional strikes that breached her defenses left her injured and desperate."Liam, they have a state-level blessed with them. We need to go, now," Hybris's voice echoed in Liam's mind.Crimson flames erupted from Liam, coursing through his body and into his blade. He thrust the fiery sword towards Midas.Midas clapped her hands, solidifying the air into gold. She used the golden barrier to defend
Liam shot through the sky like a comet, a crimson halo radiating from his body as he sped away. He was planning to detour around the area before heading back to Washington, D.C. It was the best way to avoid being followed or tracked by other demigods. But until then, he had to find a way to shake off Lilith. Lilith's expression was calm as she gave chase at a moderate speed. As a state-level blessed, she could easily catch up to Liam if she wanted to, but instead, she silently observed from a distance. Most would consider this lucky, but to Liam, it was just nerve-racking. "What the hell is she doing?" Liam questioned with a somber tone. Hybris flashed into reality, and in turn, Liam retracted his crimson sword. He needed to focus all his aura into flying faster. "She bears no killing intent towards you. It seems like she's more fascinated by how your blessing works. It could be the Hegemon sword or how you're able to fly without following the basic standards of Earth's blessed,"
Hazel and Mr. George arrived at the site of the battle swiftly, their car barely coming to a halt before they dashed into the golden forest. They moved with care, sidestepping the sharp, glittering leaves that littered the ground. They reached the spot where Midas had fallen, and there, lying peacefully on the ground, was a golden statue of her. Mr. George appeared indifferent to her plight, more concerned with Liam's fate and whether Lilith had managed to capture him. Hazel, however, was shattered. Her face went ashen as she knelt beside the golden statue of her friend. She gently caressed Midas's cold, lifeless face, her eyes filled with disbelief. She had never seen Midas like this before and feared she might never see her alive again. At that moment, Lilith materialized from afar, appearing before them in an instant. "I lost him," she said breathlessly. "His speed was alarmingly close to my own." Hazel remained silent, her shock too profound for words. Mr. George, however,
Meanwhile, back at the hideout, Liam descended onto the balcony like a crimson blur, the rain pouring with an intensity that threatened to drown the city. The storm's relentless fury mirrored the chaos that often surrounded him. Thunder rumbled in the distance, a deep, growling reminder of the tempest outside, while lightning sporadically illuminated the dark, stormy sky, casting fleeting shadows on the cityscape below.With a sweep of his divine sense, he confirmed the building was empty. "It seems like Jacky went out," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the drumming of the rain on the roof. He opened the glass door and stepped inside, the warmth of the interior contrasting sharply with the cold, wet exterior. With a burst of his aura, the water soaking his clothes turned to steam, filling the room with a transient mist that dissipated quickly, leaving the space cozy and dry.Liam stripped off his clothes, leaving them in a dry heap on the floor, and headed to the
Jacky opened his soaked umbrella and used it to shield himself from the relentless rain. The road was ghostly, with only a few vehicles passing by every minute or two.Jacky was preoccupied as he walked along the sidewalk, his intentions focused on returning to the hideout.Jacky had come to visit Ironfoot's Tavern, hoping to gather intel, which he did. Techon wasn’t being silent about Ghost, although they only intended to act after she appeared in any of the danger zones. The same could be said for Liam.Jacky paused for a moment and glanced up at the flickering streetlight. It reminded him of his own life, a flicker between existence and oblivion, a mortal playing a game of chess with gods and a weak mortal at that. Jacky sighed lightly and continued walking, his thoughts drifting back to the conversation with Ironfoot.The Techon Corporation had officially succeeded in crafting near-exact replicas of a god's divine aspect. This meant the world of the blessed would become even more
The next morning came quickly, probably because the trio spent the night coming up with their next plans, with Ghost preoccupied with the divine true-named almighty from Olympus, Nyx. They needed to proceed with helping Liam get to the nearest danger zone, conquer it, and assimilate the major piece of Hybris that fell there."The danger zone is located on the ocean, and to get there we need a boat... I have been surfing around, trying to find us a ride, but unfortunately, there are too many people going in and out of the danger zone, and we need to stay covert," Jacky said in a single breath, passing along a cup of coffee to Liam and to Hybris a cold bottle of alcohol."We can't risk the government coming for us, not to mention Olympus. Come to think of it... each time I use the God's ranking, I shouldn't stay in one place for too long, or Olympus will find a way to track me down," Liam said with his brows furrowed."So then what's the plan?" Hybris interjected after gulping down an e