By the time Goliath reached Natalie, the total eclipse was in its full glory. The afternoon sun and the wandering moon coincided, forming an eerie ring of light. It hung over the world like a primordial cosmic eye.The tribal artists started playing a slow, earthly tune. Goliath stopped by Natalie but didn’t even bother looking at her. His focus was on the ancient well at the center of the summit.The old man raised his gaze to the eclipse, spreading his arms to the side. He spoke a few lines of unintelligible foreign words and raised them. As if on cue, the ground rumbled, and smoke rose from the ancient well. The virgins standing over the edge began screaming. That was because scalding heat escaped the well’s mouth, burning them. Hot lava bubbled at the bottom. The ancient well was a dormant volcano that came to life!Satisfied with the ritual’s progress, Goliath lowered his eyes to Natalie. She looked up at him with a mix of horror and disgust.The young woman’s extreme reaction t
Natalie's jaw dropped open in shock. "What are you talking about? Can you really change the futures of Dad and Tyler? Do you really know where my Mom is? No way! How is that possible? This place is in the middle of nowhere! You're lying again!"Clearly, Goliath had triggered an extreme emotional response from Natalie. Nancy Anderson abandoned her family when her daughter was young. It was public knowledge the woman was addicted to gambling and drugs, squandering the Anderson fortune. It was actually a blessing when she left, allowing Silas to raise his children in peace.To this date, Nancy's whereabouts were unknown. Silas still deposited a million dollars in his wife's account every month out of concern. The amount was exhausted quickly, which confirmed that she was still alive.Goliath chuckled and placed a finger on the trembling girl's forehead. "Do you think I am lying? Why don't you see for yourself."Natalie drew a sharp breath as if suddenly thrust into a rollercoaster ride.
All eyes turned to see what the follower was hollering about. Something airborne touched the ground at a fair distance from the volcano’s mouth. It was a young, athletic, tattooed woman who landed from a vertical leap.She was in a Mayan warrior attire and carried Gina in her arms. It was none other than Kat! The latter crouched and placed the victim on the ground. “Awake,” she said, casting a divine restoration spell on the beauty.Gina’s intoxication disappeared, and she opened her eyes as if waking from a dream. “What is happening? Where am I?”“Stay here,” Kat said with urgency. “Let me go and get your friend.”The goddess got into a feline jumping stance. Trent was still screaming in horror. His eyes fell on his attacker, and he barked in a fury. “You bitch! I’ll fuck you—”Swish! In a single horizontal leap, Kat traversed across yards within a second and landed a few feet ahead of Trent. The latter tried to turn back slowly. As he made the effort, a miserable croak escaped his m
“No!!” Gina and Britta exclaimed from a distance. If their savior was killed so easily, they would be recaptured and sacrificed. However, the girls’ frustration was unfounded. Kat reappeared like a levitating afterimage, and her body touched the ground again. She hissed at the Green Monk viciously.“Ah, I almost forgot!” Goliath observed. “Feline goddesses have nine lives, don’t they? I must end all of them to actually end your divinity!”Kat sprang into motion, circling the ancient well from a distance. A rapidly moving target was obviously more difficult to hit than a stationary one. She intended to find an opening and swoop in to rescue Natalie. That would complete the goddess’ mission, and she would no longer have to face Goliath in a head-on battle.“You landed a cheap shot!” Kat taunted him. “I won’t fall for the same trick again! Good luck killing me eight more times before I demolish your ritual place!”Goliath inhaled, making a deep guttural noise. His black pupils expanded,
Tyler Grant stood before Kat, defending her like a Greek hero of ages come to life. He held a golden trident in his hand, large enough to be a shield and long enough to be a weapon."Tyler!" Britta and Gina exclaimed from a distance. The girls had recently gone through a rollercoaster of emotions—from being saved by Kat to terrified of their rescuer's impending defeat.Seeing a familiar face, especially Tyler Grant, the girls felt such crushing relief that they were driven to tears. Who told him they were abducted, and how did he enter El Abyssium's barrier? Was it real, or were they dreaming?Natalie was too overwhelmed even to have teary eyes. Moments earlier, she had lost all hope, offering her body to Goliath in exchange for the happiness of her loved ones. Tyler's appearance was a healing sight for her sore eyes.A sudden realization came to the young woman. She had forgotten how powerful the Green Monk was, and that he predicted her boyfriend's death in his hands.Natalie turned
A flutter of confused murmurs spread throughout the crowd like wildfire. Tyler's revelation shocked the blind believers of the Green Monk's cult."Is this Lord Goliath's true identity?""Is he really a horseman of the apocalypse?""Does it mean he is here to destroy the world?""Have we been fooled all these years?""Are we being tricked into bringing the apocalypse to Earth?"A third of the Green Monk's followers gathered for the Hetacomb ritual appeared to have woken up from a trance. They broke into rebellion verbally.The apocalypse was a recurrent theme in most civilizations. Its coming was supposed to be the end of humanity. Who wouldn't get scandalized by its mention?Goliath gathered his goons over centuries, promising them eternal lives, magnificent riches, and high social and political positions. Many other rewards awaited his loyal followers in the reconstituted world. The ancient man was supposed to be a savior who'd reset the power hierarchy in human society.Tyler's reve
Gina frowned at the mystically repulsive object. "Why? What is that slimy ball? A bomb?"Britta shook her head. "Goliath wouldn't use any explosive or destructive attacks in the ritual location. If the well is damaged irreparably, it would throw a wrench into his plans."The young woman grabbed Gina by the arm and tried to drag her away. "That thing is troublesome! We need to get out of here right away!"Tyler was too far away to hear the conversation. Besides, he had trained his senses solely on his opponent. "Is he going to attack?" he mumbled to himself, readying Indra's Vajra for the worst kind of offense."Wait, let me see what he's doing—" Kat began, but the young man was in a hurry and cut her off.Tyler took a confident step forward. "I will not sit idly by while he launches another attack. Stay here while I deal with him."Suddenly, he felt a firm, clawed grip on his arm. Kat had grabbed him roughly, almost puncturing his skin. "Wait!" she warned in an urgent tone. "Don't rus
"Heed my words, my dearest moon. Give me your celestial testimony."A voice echoed in Tyler's head. It belonged to Kat, who was comfortably perched on his shoulders. Crack! Suddenly, the timefrost shattered like glass, releasing both of them free from its grasp.Tyler did not waste another second. He immediately launched Indra's Vajra in Goliath's direction. The latter was moments away from defiling Natalie.Splurge! The scorpion tail between his legs was chopped off like a vegetable.Aarghh! Goliath had already jumped back a few paces, sensing the danger. However, his member was still cut off by the powerful divine weapon."Impossible! How did you escape the Cyclops curse?" the villain demanded, groaning in agony. "It is the ruiner of destiny, and millions of blessed heroes have fallen to its power over millennia!"Tyler refused to entertain his opponent, mainly because he had no answer to offer. "How did you do it?" he asked his goddess wife. "You keep surprising me every time."Kat