The God Contest Regina [Progression Fantasy, LitRPG-lite, Apocalypse]

"The evils of tyranny are rarely seen but by him who resists it."

John Hay, American writer (1838 – 1905)

"Shit, these fuckers are fast!" Becka cursed as her blade sliced through the wing of one of the imps. The creature hollered as it crashed to the ground, blood pouring from its severed limb. The three others circling above Becka grew enraged and dove for the woman. She barely managed to roll out of the way as razor talons raked across the floor where she once stood, leaving a deep groove in the wood.

Becka hopped to her feet and, before the injured imp could recover, plunged her blade into its back.

"You're the one who wanted to see some action," Bethany scolded, occupied with her two imps on the other side of the large dining hall. The monsters – the size of two-year-old toddlers – appeared harmless at first glance, until their sadistic grins revealed razor-sharp teeth and glowing orange eyes. Faint blue skin and bat-like wings rounded out their imp-like appearance, though they looked more like deformed babies than mythical creatures from the storybooks. Even their cries sounded like screaming children. "I was fine with all the empty rooms."

The first imp divebombed Bethany, talons aimed for her neck. She grabbed a nearby lamp – made of cheap metal painted gold – and hurled it at the creature. It squawked in surprise as the light bulb shattered against its forehead. In a rage, it turned its fury to the lamp and began ripping it to shreds. Its companion flittered around the ceiling, trying to decide whether to attack the lamp or the girl.

They're as dumb as toddlers too. It's useful… because I want the time.

Bethany called upon her hammer in its one-handed maul form, but she didn't move to attack either imp. She kept her back to the wall – the two imps in her periphery – as she studied Becka's battle.

She's fast. Faster than I am. That could be a problem. I'll need to increase my agility to keep up with her. She might be stronger than I am too. And she moves with confidence. I wonder how many battles she's fought against monsters these past few weeks. Not that Rocky, Emily, and I haven't been doing the same thing.

Her gaze fell on Becka's blade, its tip impaled though the imp's back.

Pane said her blade wasn't enchanted equipment. I think he's wrong, but I didn't want to press the issue. He freaked out at the mere suggestion that it could be. But I know it contains the shadow. It's the same feeling as the Shadowman's armor. Why would The New Order create such equipment, only to give it to a few chosen players in the God Contest? It's a big risk – what's the payoff?

Becka ripped her blade out of the imp's back and faced off against the remaining two with a hungry grin.

Wait… I see it! That's it!

Her Oracle Eye flared, and Bethany saw a small flash of light appear at the tip of Becka's blade as the imp died. It was quick, and only visible because of her Oracle Eye, but it was there.

And it was a light she recognized.

It's the same colour as the light in my void. The kaleidoscopic stream of life that flows across the darkness above – the power that sustains the gods! But that means… I need to see it again. Get a closer look.

The imp at the ceiling dove for Bethany. Bethany dodged at the last second, causing the imp to slam into the wall behind her. With a lazy backhand, Bethany crushed the imp's skull with her hammer, never taking her eyes off Becka.

Focus your Oracle Eye, Bethany. Follow the light. What are they hiding?

An imp sunk its razor teeth into Becka's shoulder. She gave an outraged howl as she ripped it free and threw it onto the ground. Its head slammed into the cheap floorboards, stunning it. Before it could recover, Becka stomped down with her foot, cracking its ribs and driving the fragments into its organs. She finished it off by driving her blade through its face.

And the flash of kaleidoscopic light appeared.

There it is! Follow the light! What else can you see?

The tiny spark of life – the magical soul of the imp – was drawn out of the creature's body and into the tip of the blade. It flowed down to the hilt and, as it reached the tiny black opal pommel, the light suddenly vanished.

And Bethany knew why Becka had been given the blade.

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All the energy collected in the God Contest – energy from battle and from our inevitable deaths – becomes part of the stream of life that feeds the gods. The Authority distributes the energy amongst the gods but keeps the lion's share for himself. It gives him the strength to rule over them with an iron fist – keeping them weak while fueling his strength.

But The New Order found a way around this. These weapons divert energy away from Authority before it enters the stream. Fuel for their rebellion. How many weapons have they seeded into the Contest? How much energy will they collect? Perhaps not much in the beginning, but, as we grow stronger, the amount of energy collected increases. How long until they have enough energy to move openly against The Authority?

"Bethany! Are you just going to stand there and gape? Help me!" Becka shouted, clutching her shoulder as her remaining two imps divebombed her.

"Sorry!" Bethany shouted back, saving the thought for later. She felt like she had only scratched the surface, but the middle of the battle wasn't the time for deep contemplation. It would have to wait until she was back in her void.

She rushed towards Becka, smacking the imp occupied with the lamp with a casual blow on the way by. The imp slammed into the wall and left a bloody streak as it fell to the floor.

Becka dodged her first attacker with a quick roll, but the second raked its talon across her forearm. She hissed in pain as the deep cut sent blood flowing down her arm. With an angry scream, she stabbed upward with her blade, skewering the offending imp before it flew away.

"Fucking motherfucker!" she shrieked in outrage. She flung the monster to the ground, still impaled on the blade, and stomped on its head over and over under its skull was crushed. "Do. You. Like. That. You. Fucking. Imp!"

Bethany – and the final surviving imp – gaped at the angry woman as if they were rubbernecking a multi-car collision.

Geez, I… I think it's dead, Becka. You can stop now. This woman has some serious issues.

The remaining imp decided it no longer wanted to focus on the woman with the blade and, with blinding speed, flew straight for Bethany's neck.

"Shit!" Bethany swore, raising her arms defensively as the imp's talon raked her arm.

The attack barely broke the skin. It was as if the imp had slashed her with a butterknife.

Bethany gaped at her arm in surprise. It felt like a papercut – a fleeting sting that was more annoying than painful.

It… barely scratched me. But the same attack cut open Becka's forearm.

"God, you were useless," Becka grumbled, shouldering past Becka and cutting down the remaining imp before it could flutter back up to the ceiling. Bethany saw the subtle flash as the imp died – another contribution for the rebel gods.

Becka stared at the small red scratch on Bethany's arm, clutching her own deep cut. "What the hell is your toughness?"

Toughness? Of course, the higher it is, the more damage I can resist.

"It's ten…," Bethany stammered, but her eyes grew wide as she stared down at her ring.

No, it's not! My ring increased it to twenty! Double what it was a few hours ago. Holy crap! My toughness was high enough to resist that creature's attack.

"Ten?" Becka frowned, looking at Bethany's injury. "Well, it must have been a glancing blow, because my toughness is a nine. You're fucking lucky."

Blood dripped down her forearm, splattering onto the floor beneath her, and her bloody shoulder was soaking into her shirt.

"Don't suppose you have a bandage?" Becka scowled, kicking an imp's corpse across the room in frustration.

"Umm… yah, hold on," Bethany said, her mind whirling. She pulled a first aid kit from her backpack and tossed it to Becka. "Here. Don't get blood all over it."

"Gee, thanks for your concern," Becka said, slumping down against the wall. She pulled out the gaze and began to wrap her wounds. "This is all your fault, by the way. You were useless in that fight. What happened to the woman who got so angry at the mere sight of me that she threw me to the ground to pummel me? Where was that Bethany when I needed her?"

"Sorry, I'm not as fast as you are," Bethany lied. "It was like trying to swat a hummingbird with a hammer. I did kill two of them… even if you got more."

And I didn't want to help you, Becka. I needed to know what I'm up against. You… and the gods pulling your strings. Do you even know about the war you've been drafted into?

Bethany sighed, trying to set aside her biases against the woman.

Hell, do I? Becka's not the only one whose strings are being pulled. How many of us are out there? Three sides – The Authority, The New Order, and Oracle's secret five. Authority wants to extend his life – by killing us. The New Order wants to overthrow him – by killing us. And Oracle? 'To the end of Eternity'? How can I be sure her option isn't worse than the others. At least I know about Becka now. Perhaps she'll lead me to an answer.

Becka gave a dissatisfied huff and threw back the first aid kit. "No excuses, Bethany. One bad fight is all it takes to end up lying dead in the streets. Trust me, I've seen it happen a dozen times over the past couple weeks."

Becka hopped to her feet, the bandages already stained red. "We'd better get back to the apartments soon. These wounds need a healer… though I think I'll ask Rocky or Priyanka to do it. Zee's hands like to wander whenever he heals me."

"Why'd you end up traveling with them anyway?" Bethany asked curiously.

Becka shrugged as she marched over to the steamer trunk against the wall. The imps had burst from the trunk when they'd found it, leaving the lip shattered. "I've got to travel with someone, don't I? Zee's playing the game for fun, and Abigail… well, she's like me. We both enjoy the fight… because it takes our mind off other things. They're as good as anyone to travel with. I mean, it's not like they're my forever crew. Not everyone is looking to find family in the apocalypse, Bethany. Some of us just want to die on our own terms."

She reached into the trunk and pulled out a silver Emporium coin and a can of baked beans.

"I swear, if this coin is for you…," Becka growled, flipping it over. A satisfied smirk etched across her face as she read her own name on the back and put it in her pocket. "Here—"

She tossed the baked beans to Bethany, who snatched them out of the air.

"—you can have the beans."

"Gee, thanks," Bethany said sarcastically, placing them in her pack. "You're so generous."

"Well, next time, step up to the fight," she says unsympathetically. "Now, let's go find the damn exit. My arm's going numb."