The Stubborn Skill-Grinder In A Time Loop

Orodan rubbed his empty ring finger. He decided to leave his female book companion behind since he’d be fighting an Avatar. He wanted to respect her wishes to keep her away from Gods and felt it was better safe than sorry. He could retrieve her afterwards.

“So, you really intend to stand against the power of an Avatar?” Akelrim asked.

“They aren’t as strong as you think. I saw one get bullied rather harshly before the Tournament,” Orodan replied, thinking of how Kultuanir the Frozen Instant oppressed the Avatar of Ilyatana mercilessly.

“If we had more time, I’d even offer to teach you how to use that technique of mine,” Vespidia said. “But, knowing you, you’d refuse it on principle huh?”

“But of course. My pride as a warrior wouldn’t allow me to be satisfied with a cheap win,” Orodan answered. “Besides, should you be offering to train the enemy so freely? Won’t your teacher frown upon you?”

“Hmm, at the level of power that people like you and I possess, such political trifles can be ignored,” she replied. “Besides, Demosthenos isn’t as overbearing as you think. I’m in fact older than he is.”

“Wow… you really are an old hag on the inside,” Orodan casually replied as she gave him an annoyed glare. “But I heard something of the sort. They theorize that your past life wasn’t on Inuan.”

“They can theorize away then,” she replied, shutting the topic down. “Anyhow, I won’t deny you’re powerful, possibly at the level of a newly advanced triple-Grandmaster… but to challenge an Avatar without divine providence of your own? Do you really intend to go head-to-head against Othorion like you do everything else?”

Orodan simply smiled in return.

“Now, it’s time for the final match, the event we’ve all been waiting for! The divine showdown between two warriors empowered by the Gods themselves! Orodan Wainwright, the divine juggernaut of Bluefire versus Othorion Evertree the elven prodigy of Goldleaf!”

The cheers of the crowd thankfully drowned out the annoying commentary team near him.

Public opinion held Orodan as the favored combatant.

His showings in the Divine Tower were superior to everyone else’s, and he’d convincingly defeated Vespidia and Akelrim, both of whom were capable of fighting at the Grandmaster-level.

In contrast, Othorion was looked upon with some level of disdain. His reliance upon divine power when he was pushed to the brink was seen as a sign of weakness.

Especially when he needed it for a halfling that could jump only a single tier.

In contrast, Orodan had mostly sailed through the rounds by using his own strength.

The two times he used ‘divine power’ were against the Arch-Devil and Vespidia.

He had won in a more dominant manner than Othorion had.

But that didn’t mean this would be an easy fight. If anything, Othorion was likely holding back all this time.

The two stood looking at one another in the pre-fight face-off.

Long flowing blonde hair, pointed ears, and looks that would put many women to shame. Othorion Evertree looked much like a lot of the elves Orodan had seen.

“Orodan Wainwright, it’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance,” Othorion spoke, a serene smile on his face. “Given how shocking your strength is I’m surprised I haven’t heard of you sooner. Humble beginnings in the poor town of Ogdenborough, and all of a sudden, a meteoric rise in strength. The timing also coincides with the destruction of ten miles of the Aenechean Forest… how fascinating. I don’t suppose you’ll say what allowed you to suddenly become so strong?”

“You’ve done some extensive research into my background it seems,” Orodan remarked. “But I’m at a disadvantage as I don’t know the same about you. Although… you do look oddly familiar…”

“I don’t believe we’ve ever met before Mister Wainwright,” the elf replied. “Are you perhaps implying all us elves look the same?”

“Yes? Fair blonde hair seems to be a common trait among your folk,” Orodan honestly replied. “I’m sure there’s differences, but I can count on one hand how many elves I’ve met.”

“You… have not seen much of the world, have you? Blonde hair is a common trait among the Ethweni-blooded elves, a genealogy stretching very far back,” Othorion replied.

“How has this genealogy lasted all this time? Do you perhaps… have relations within the family?” Orodan attempted to politely ask.

“We do not engage in incest Mister Wainwright. Rather, all Ethweni-blooded elves originate from a common ancestral being whose magical Bloodline runs strong within us,” the elf replied with some indignation but then schooled himself. “We are getting off topic. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you face to face and having a proper conversation. How are you so powerful?”

“How are you able to call upon the power of a God so freely?” Orodan asked in return. “Besides, we’re about to fight soon, so I don’t think your God is too keen on continuing this conversation when they’ll take over.”

“Oh? You’re quite confident that you’ll force the God empowering me to fully take over,” Othorion replied. “But you needn’t worry. I never fully relinquish control to Faraine. One could almost say the divine obeys my will.”

Now that just sounded like a boastful claim to Orodan. What sort of God had such time and regard for a mortal that they’d happily allow their power to be used so freely without taking control?

Even if the elf had a phenomenal Bloodline which allowed him to indefinitely call upon divine power without harm to his body… it still didn’t answer why a God would allow such a state of affairs.

To claim that the divine obeyed his will just sounded arrogant at best and delusional at worst.

It didn’t quite add up.

“I can’t tell if you have some secret ability… but claiming a Goddess is at your beck and call can come across a bit arrogant, no?” Orodan asked. “Either way, divine power or not, I’ve been looking forward to this fight since this tournament started.”

“You speak as though you haven’t been using divine power yourself. Which God do you borrow from? I haven’t been able to get a read on it,” Othorion spoke. “But I will admit, we were always meant to meet one another… even the nearest competition in this tournament is far away from either of us. Today, I will prove my worth to my people.”

Further conversation was cut short as the signal came to move to their respective spots from where the final would start.

Words were unnecessary anyways.

Orodan much preferred to speak in a different way.

“Begin!”

The elf wasn’t playing around, and neither was he.

The instant the battle started, both Orodan and his opponent immediately rose to the heights of their power. Eternal Soul Reactor rose in tandem with all of his empowerment skills, and his weapons were drawn even if he fully expected them to be destroyed.

Orodan’s eyes were glowing with white luminosity.

Opposite him, Othorion’s eyes also immediately glowed, and the elf’s body began releasing blinding amounts of light. Goldleaf’s strongest had also decided to get immediately serious.

A Flash Strike was executed, and Orodan blasted towards his opponent.

Othorion’s glaive intercepted him midway, and the shockwave rocked the entire arena and caused the floor to shatter and the barrier to shimmer under duress.

A calamitous melee began.

Endless Blitz combined with All-Strikes met the Avatar’s attack. Sword and shield met glaive and it took all Orodan had to barely remain equal in the exchange.

The power of divine providence was quite strong.

The entire arena floor, reinforced to take Grandmaster-level attacks, immediately disintegrated.

The protective barrier around the audience strained horribly and the crowd screamed in both horror and exhilaration. To the public the exchange looked like a dazzling light show of white and blue. The less savvy among them didn’t know just how powerful the clashes were, being insulated behind the barrier.

But the stronger people and tournament staff were immediately quite alarmed.

Multiple Grandmasters of spatiomancy, warding and even one of chronomancy had to immediately act.

The battleground was temporarily stabilized and then some kind of intricate warding scheme was activated. It wasn’t mana powered either.

Orodan felt the very battleground they were fighting on begin to change…

…and soon he and his opponent were no longer in the Grand Arena of Marasthus.

“Amazing! I’m using the upper range of power I can call upon and you can still match me evenly? I don’t even see any damage on your body from the power… do you also have some method of channelling divine energy without harm?”

The elf’s voice boomed with divine prowess.

It was exceedingly strange. Usually when the roaring voice that could echo for miles took over, it meant that a God was inhabiting the Avatar directly.

But from the sound of it… Othorion might still be in control? It was still the elf’s voice, even if booming.

“I’ll let you in on something,” Orodan spoke as he now began utilizing Mana Black Hole and Vitality Black Hole in tandem to drain the elf. Othorion in Avatar state was strong enough that he couldn’t afford to hold some of his more dangerous skills back. “I’m not channelling any divine power.”

“What?”

Eternal Soul Reactor flared and Orodan truly went serious.

Othorion wasn’t skilled, despite his divine power. The downside of remaining in control even when using such a tremendous amount of divine energy, meant that the very mortal Othorion Evertree wasn’t able to match Orodan in terms of combat skill and instincts. An actual God would've been more skilled in combat.

Compared to the regal elf Othorion, undoubtedly spoiled at Goldleaf and used to relying on divine assistance, who was Orodan?

Someone who had the willpower and drive to die thousands of times to obtain a single skill. A man who allowed himself to be transformed into a draconic hybrid only to revert the changes with sheer will afterwards. The warrior who resisted the Eldritch Avatar for a whole year.

The new battleground they were upon was a desert, sand as far as the eye could see.

This sand turned to glass from the resulting devastation of the clash between divine power and warrior might.

Slowly, minutes passed…

…and barely, Orodan was beginning to come out on top.

A spoiled elf who relied on the divine couldn’t compare to the combat instincts of a warrior who had stared down death thousands of times.

Orodan was used to fighting opponents who were stronger than him. Thrashing like a rabid dog and struggling against impossible odds was his regular way of life.

How could Othorion compare when he was used to bullying opponents with his superior power?

The answer was that the elf couldn’t.

As the desert around them almost entirely turned to glass from the power of their exchanges, Othorion Evertree was being pushed back and struggling.

The elf was strong, shockingly so. But both the Death Roach and Arch-Devil Orodan had fought were stronger.

He hadn’t even been turned into a puddle yet.

“Is this it? I thought the power of a God would be more impressive,” Orodan remarked. “Then again, I admit you’re probably one of the weaker Avatars I’ve faced. I’ve felt the power of Chosen One Avatars, and you’re nowhere near it.”

“You… you’re just a mortal not even using divine power…!? How are you this strong?!” Othorion demanded and then schooled his outrage. “Tch… it matters not. Your strength is impressive, beyond even a standard Favored Avatar, but I have one more thing to show.”

Upon the utterance of those words, things changed.

The glowing blue eyes of Othorion Evertree turned green, and surprisingly his skin started cracking from the sheer amount of divine power. Even his vaunted Bloodline had limits it seemed.

But most importantly, Orodan now recognized him!

This… this was the elf who joined in at the last moment in his first attempt against the Eldritch Avatar!

“Oh, so you’re-”

Orodan’s words were cut off as the dynamic changed.

A torrent of attacks came his way. It was now he who was being overwhelmed.

He was minced by a glaive and peppered by arrows which ravaged his body with their divine power and blasted cleanly through him.

Othorion was now fighting both in melee and at range. He would slice Orodan apart with his glaive and then pepper him with arrows whenever he blasted Orodan away. Wind-based attacks would be interspersed in-between.

Of course, Warrior’s Reciprocity was a concern for any opponent of his, thus the Avatar was taking some serious damage of his own. Albeit the damage was being repaired constantly by the divine power.

Despite the rapid healing, the elf’s skin was constantly cracking and healing. He must’ve been under tremendous pressure and even the Bloodline couldn’t entirely prevent the damage.

“Is this what you wanted? To witness the power of Faraine in its full glory?” the elf asked with some contempt. “You should consider yourself lucky, few will ever get to see this.”

Orodan had to admit, Othorion was far stronger now.

The elf went from being weaker than the Death Roach, to now being stronger.

Orodan wasn’t on the level of the Death Roach, thus he couldn’t hope to yet match someone even stronger in a contest of power.

But what he could do…

…was survive.

Seconds added up to a minute.

His opponent madly continued hacking and shooting away. Wind blades empowered by divine energy flayed him to bits. Orodan was chopped into pieces and countless holes created from the arrows. At this point, he wasn’t even sure if any of the tournament officials could even safely stop this fight.

But Orodan refused to die. Harmony of Vitality was too strong.

The assault of the Death Roach was worse, even if this Avatar state elf was more powerful overall. The monster he fought in the energy well was more skilled and vicious. And it was possessed of a focused rage that even Orodan could respect.

In contrast Othorion was but a boy calling upon power that wasn’t his.

Furthermore, every attack Othorion delivered, was returned more than twofold. The wounds on the elven champion were horrifying, even if they healed at a rapid pace.

The elf was almost desperate, trying to end the fight quickly as he drew upon increasing amounts of divine power and continued hitting Orodan harder and harder. Even the grievous wounds the elf took weren’t stopping him now.

A madness came upon Othorion Evertree, he was desperate to destroy Orodan Wainwright.

But… even as Orodan was torn apart, his sword and shield destroyed… he wasn’t quite reduced to a puddle.

His weakness was that Othorion lacked skill.

Orodan doubted the elf was even a Combat Elite. No matter how much divine power he channelled, a low Combat Mastery skill effectively neutered him.

This was the problem with these coddled academy students. The problem that his first mentor Adeltaj had identified. When one was handed something as powerful as a Bloodline which could channel divine power near endlessly, it could lead to becoming spoiled and lazy.

Unassailable Fortress held the line, and Orodan barely began to withstand the assaults by utilizing his superior Combat Mastery. Draconic Mana Channelled Weapon Aura covered his fists, and he added an additional layer of defense which prevented entire limbs from being blown off whenever he clashed.

Minutes turned to half an hour.

“Why won’t you yield?! I’ve torn you asunder countless times now! You’ve lost virtually every exchange! Where does this endless energy come from?! You lie about not using divine providence!”

Orodan didn’t reply, and simply kept resisting and holding out.

It wasn’t as profound as the Arch-Devil…

…yet skill level gains could still be made.

Half an hour turned to a full one. And beyond that, in the second hour of endless combat, Orodan made some minor skill level gains.

The thing was, at higher levels, each level of a skill mattered far more. Going from 65 to 66 in a skill was less impactful than going from 80 to 81.

So, when a number of Orodan’s combat skills which were above level 80 each began gaining levels…

…the gap began to close.

Orodan began surviving the exchanges with more of himself intact. Othorion looked utterly maddened as his original goal of killing Orodan quickly slipped farther away.

Finally, as a drill composed of lethal winds blasted a hole in his body… Orodan gained an unexpected skill.

It was the culmination of all that self-inflicted torture from the lasso.

[New Skill (Exquisite) → Wind Resistance 1]

With the acquiring of the new skill, the pressure of the assault lessened. His work with the lasso had finally paid off.

“Monstrous! If you were using divine power, you should’ve been burnt to a husk many times over by now. Your power defies all reason, and you truly do deserve to win this tournament,” Othorion declared. “But no amount of unnatural talent and endless energy will allow you to bridge the gap between mortality and the divine! I have one more thing left to show you… survive this and I shall yield!”

“Yield? Do I look like I want the easy way out? Fight me to the brutal end till you can’t move any longer,” Orodan replied. “Hit me with this last surprise of yours, but I’m not satisfied until one of us can’t fight anymore.”

“A battle-lusted maniac as well. But this is not up for debate,” the elf spoke. “In surviving for so long you’ve already forced me to go beyond even my prodigious limits of how much divine power I can call upon. The outcome would be… undesirable if we were to continue past that.”

Orodan grumbled but accepted the elf’s tacit words of submission. The implication was that Othorion likely couldn’t fight past that point.

What the undesirable outcome was, Orodan didn’t know.

But this, would be the outcome they both staked their all upon.

The air trembled at the channelling of a truly colossal amount of divine power.

Othorion’s body looked as though it wasn’t able to sustain the damage it was receiving any longer and began almost falling apart. The glowing green color of the elf’s eyes turned even deeper, and the emotions within them changed.

Madness within the green orbs was all he saw. True, unfettered insanity.

This attack would be dangerous.

The elf glowed like a green star and rose high into the air…

…and then descended right towards Orodan.

All his defensive skills were stretched to the utmost limit. Every fiber of his being was poured into defense.

Simultaneously, he pushed Endless Blitz to the limit and quadrupled the action to send as many All-Strikes as possible towards the attack.

The power of the incoming attack was somewhat weakened, but it was almost to no avail.

His consciousness nearly departed, and he felt himself go through the process of becoming a puddle upon the ground.

Yet at the same time, a skill that had advanced incredibly throughout the course of this battle reached a qualitative threshold.

[Warrior’s Reciprocity 49 → Warrior’s Reciprocity 50]

Skill levels were more impactful at higher levels. But they also gained strong improvements at tier thresholds. This was true the higher the skill rarity was.

Going from 29 to 30 was a good boost in the skill… but going from 49 to 50, Orodan felt that his return of damage on Warrior’s Reciprocity was over threefold now.

Finally, as he was reduced to a mere smattering of cells upon the ground from this apocalyptic attack which almost levelled the entire desert around them, Orodan learned two interesting things.

One, Othorion had temporarily given control of himself over to someone else for this attack.

And for another…

…Warrior’s Reciprocity could target even Gods through the Avatar form.

A wail of pure horror rang out for many miles. The very noise caused damage to Orodan’s eardrums and nearly ruptured them.

It wasn’t the masculine voice of Othorion Evertree, but a starkly contrasting feminine voice.

“…pain… pain! I can feel once more…” the voice wailed. “Where am I? Someone… help me… my shackles are so heavy…”

What?

Othorion had accounted for Warrior’s Reciprocity by now, so Orodan knew there must have been some sort of countermeasure in place that the elf felt confident in.

But what his foe didn’t account for, was the more than threefold return thanks to the mid-battle skill level gain.

The countermeasure was a set of body enchantments which glowed brilliantly upon the Avatar’s body…

…but which promptly shattered into motes of light.

“Free? I can think… I can feel… who am I?”

This was Othorion no longer.

The female voice sounded mad and unhinged, but it didn’t even seem focused on him.

Before Orodan could say much, a portal opened in the air. Two elves burning with divine energy came out.

Chosen One Avatars.

One of them cast a dispelling wave that shattered every scrying eye in the surroundings. The other immediately followed by casting a complicated looking spell that caused flying runes of light to attach onto Othorion’s body.

Orodan recognized this as rune magic, an incredibly rare and difficult field to master. Less than a dozen known practitioners existed.

“No! I will not be chained again! You-”

Her words were cut short.

The rune magician Avatar cast a chronomancy field. This froze Othorion’s body in time but still allowed the runes to work. Using chronomancy upon an active Avatar, must’ve used an unfathomable amount of energy. Evident in how the rune magician Avatar’s skin cracked and his flesh fell apart at the turbulent amounts of divine power used in the act.

Slowly but surely, the divine power running through Othorion’s body faded out and the elf returned to normal. Another portal opened behind him, and out stepped Alcianne Rockwood and Heredin Aeronsul.

The chronomancy spell ended and Othorion fell unconscious.

The glowing eyes of all Avatars present vanished. This meant that the hosts were in control for the moment.

The atmosphere was tense. The Chosen of the Republic were staring down the two Chosen of the elves. Orodan was a mere spectator to such a high level standoff.

Alcianne decided to break the silence, however.

“Might I ask why you’ve decided to descend unto our continent without warning? We would not offend you by doing the same would we?” she asked… respectfully. Alcianne Rockwood was oddly subdued in her words, unlike her normal behavior.

Long blonde hair, and a gracefully aging female face. She must’ve been one of the Ethweni-blooded as Othorion explained before. This leading elf carried a curved great sword and was the one who replied. Perhaps she was the Avatar of superior power?

“We apologize for intruding without notice… but certain critical interventions had to be made since this little one hit our experiment slightly harder than expected,” she spoke. “Tell me, young human… what rarity is that skill? My Queen tells me it must be mythical, for there is no other way a Goddess could be harmed in the divine realm through her Avatar.”

He was about to speak, but Alcianne put a hand on his shoulder implying he shouldn’t.

“Respectfully, we ask that you not pry. You are on Inuan, where faith in the Prime Five holds true among the hearts of us humans who live here,” Alcianne Rockwood spoke with an oddly wary tone. Exceedingly strange coming from a woman who would otherwise speak so brashly. “The details of our young talent are our business.”

“Given his level of strength, we may very well opt to make it our business as well. The elven pantheon has much to offer for such a talented human. Such prowess at a young age…” the female elven Chosen spoke. “Surely, we can come to a mutual agreement to teach the child? Your continent is young and wild. Civilization upon this land is still growing since thirty-thousand years ago… when you humans greedily descended past the first gate and did not bother to kill the guardian from below that came out in response. Do you not think the three hundred-thousand years of knowledge and civilization we have on Eldiron can better promote his growth?”

“Our Gods will not stand for such interference from your kind,” Heredin Aeronsul spoke with some heat as the man interjected. “This boy is a talent beyond compare, and we are not willing to let you have him.”

It was surreal to hear the Chosen of Ilyatana, who he was on such bad terms with, speak protectively of him. But then again, continental and divine loyalty against outsiders seemed to supersede the grievances Orodan had with the Goddess of Fate.

“That is a bold claim you make Chosen of Ilyatana,” the elven Chosen replied. “Your willingness has little impact on the matter. If our God-Queen wishes it, the boy will come with us. How about you call your Gods down so we can discuss the matter in a civil manner.”

Nobody missed the challenge in those words.

To see Chosen Ones disregarded in such a manner… was unfathomable. The only person he’d seen bully an Avatar was the ancient dragon Kultuanir in Millennium Roost. But for this elven Chosen to also flippantly dismiss the hosts and call for the Gods they served?

First, it was Alcianne Rockwood’s uncharacteristically diplomatic approach. And now it was this elf’s arrogance. Was the power dynamic between continents different to what Orodan had read and learned?

He didn’t even know that Eldiron had civilization thrive for over three hundred-thousand years! None of the books he’d read mentioned that concrete number.

Another portal opened, and Arvayne Firesword, and two unknown people walked out. A man and a woman who Orodan hadn’t seen before but wearing Novarrian attire. Imperial Chosen.

The eyes of all human Avatars glowed with a subtle sheen as the Gods took over.

“Might I ask why you’ve barged onto our lands? It’s rather uncharacteristic of the elven four to descend onto this young continent.”

It was the male Novarrian Avatar who spoke. An aura of death surrounded him and Orodan almost felt a tingle in the Blessing he held which allowed him to end his own life. A greeting.

This was Malzim, the God of Death.

In response, the eyes of the elf also took on a glow.

“Malzim, this boy you have here is quite the profound talent. Let us take him,” a booming female voice spoke.

“You are quite insistent on this Cithrel… must you make so unreasonable a demand? Orodan Wainwright bears the Blessings of myself and Agathor. To give up such a talent would deprive us of power of our own,” the God of Death spoke. “But we need not come to conflict, how about after the matter of the Eldritch we reconvene on this topic?”

“No. Who knows where you will take him after this conversation? We wish to take him with us now,” Cithrel spoke. “We are willing to initiate a conflict over this. Perhaps the young Gods of Inuan require reminding of the difference between divinities who are less than a hundred-thousand years old… and those who have existed for far longer.”

“That is a hasty and unnecessary course of action,” Malzim replied. “While your Chosen Avatars may be superior individually, your hosts will burn out in attempting to fight us all. We have the advantage here.”

“Perhaps… but given the factional strife that has occurred between the five of you recently, what if I were to target Halor or yourself? You have only one Chosen each don’t you?” Cithrel asked. “How would the balance of power between your factions shift then? If you wish to avoid cataclysm, how about letting us guide this young one?”

“If you did such a thing… your buffer between Eldiron and the descending Eldritch threat would be that much weaker,” Malzim replied.

“Hmph… bold words for someone who plans to leave this world in two weeks if things go awry. Besides, we have plans in place to outlast that abomination and the foul divinities it serves… even if that thing is far stronger than we predicted,” Cithrel spoke. “Now then, make your choice lest we make it for you.”

“And what of my choice?” Orodan himself interjected, refusing to remain a mere spectator in a discussion that regarded him. “What if I say I’m interested but wish to resolve the matter of the Eldritch first?”

“Then I would question why the Prime Five would dare allow such a heaven-defying talent near that abomination,” Cithrel answered. “My decision to battle the inexperienced Gods of this land is given more justification, especially if it means protecting you from their foolishness.”

“I’m not some object to be molded, I make my own decisions,” Orodan replied. “I have business to attend to in the matter of this Eldritch Avatar’s descent. I’m not willing to go gallivanting in Eldiron while my home continent of Inuan is destroyed.”

“You’ll have as much freedom as you wish upon Eldiron. Anything you could want for would be yours: battle, fame, companionship and wealth,” Cithrel tried to persuade. “We would simply ensure your safety and grow you into a power worthy of joining us in Godhood.”

Orodan admittedly took a moment upon hearing the words of this Elven Goddess.

Cithrel was the Elven Goddess of Beauty, Happiness and Wealth. She was the God-Queen of the elven pantheon, their leader. He felt a deep sense of charm in her words and was almost certain a social skill was at play.

Yet, the usage of a social skill didn’t change the fact that her offer sounded very fair. And her desire to see Orodan reach Godhood was more than the Prime Five had ever offered.

Godhood was something none of the Gods of Inuan had even spoken of thus far.

Unfortunately, it didn’t change the premier fact…

…that Orodan’s home was at risk and that the Eldritch Avatar needed to be dealt with.

“No. Your offer is generous, but I refuse to leave the matter of the Eldritch unsettled,” Orodan replied. “I have long intended to face that thing upon Guzuhar when it descends, and your offer of tutelage, while intriguing, won’t change my goals.”

“A pity then, I didn’t want things to come to blows… but your talent and potential are simply too absurd,” Cithrel spoke. “I just cannot allow you to die a pointless death against the foul beast of the Eldritch. You can remain frozen while we discuss matters on our end.”

Orodan had to admit, Cithrel spoke politely, but it didn’t stop the titanic amount of chronomantic energy he felt surround him.

He felt the very world speed up around him, or perhaps it was Orodan who was being slowed.

Nonetheless, he refused to go quietly.

Eternal Soul Reactor flared with incredible power, and time began to return to normal for him.

In spite of that, the Avatar of Cithrel didn’t remain still. The Goddess still attempted to channel increasingly greater amounts of chronomantic energy into freezing Orodan.

Except, a battle of energy generation was one Orodan would never lose.

Time slowed and went back to normal in cycles as Orodan increased his power generation, and the elven Goddess attempted to overpower him and put him under the effects of a time freeze.

Finally… she was channelling enough divine energy that her Avatar’s body began to fall apart.

The Avatar suddenly stopped and took a step back.

Less than two seconds had passed in real time, and the Inuanan Avatars hadn’t even acted, content to sit back and watch.

“Such energy… how? It’s as though you’re a walking divinity… not even a God of Time could pay the price to manipulate you directly with chronomancy,” Cithrel spoke, astounded. “The price to contain you while fighting these weak Avatars, would be quite costly.”

“Now you see why we are so unwilling to give up this warrior?” Malzim asked. “We have affairs that must be settled first, then we may speak of this matter again.”

“This isn’t over… we’re not willing to allow such talent to die in a futile fight against the Eldritch,” Cithrel spoke. “Fighting that thing right upon its descent is when it will be strongest, especially in the Valley of Spires which is suffused with Eldritch energy to begin with. A foolhardy endeavor.”

“Well how else are we supposed to fight it? By engaging in a guerrilla war and using specialized tricks and tactics to slowly whittle it down? By utilizing forbidden arts which possibly target the connection between it and its divine Eldritch masters?”

“Yes, that is exactly what we intend to do. Perhaps you too can see the wisdom in this course of action?”

“Well… no. That sounds like a bunch of spineless and craven nonsense,” Orodan replied. “I’ll fight it on Guzuhar, or I’ll die trying.”

“I see you’ve chosen a good warrior to Bless, Agathor. He takes after you well. He truly is a bull-headed fool,” Cithrel spoke, and then suddenly froze. “Ridiculous… it can return even insults? A conceptual skill at such a young age…”

“Conceptual skill? Is that what they’re called?” Orodan asked. “I sensed the inklings of something more to this Mythical skill of mine… but what is it really?”

“I don’t want to explain too much lest I color your understandings a certain way, but conceptual skills are a category of skills that involve altering the world through a concept,” Cithrel explained. “Whatever that skill of yours is… it can bend reality itself to return attacks, what concept it uses to do this, is something only you know.”

“Can’t you explain a bit more? Can others share this concept? Is it unique to me?” Orodan asked.

“People will claim to touch upon similar concepts, but in the end, even if two people claim to follow a concept of the same name, their individual understandings of it are different,” the elven Goddess explained. “That is all I’ll say. Anymore and I risk potentially interfering with your own path in exploring your concept.”

“I see… thank you for that much at least,” Orodan replied. “But what about the impasse we find ourselves in? I refuse to go with you until I’ve dealt with the Eldritch threat, and I won’t come quietly if you force the matter.”

“I can see that. Rare is the mortal who would deny Cithrel the God-Queen of elvenkind what she wants… but I am not unreasonable,” she spoke. “I can see that you’re truly dead set on dying against the Eldritch. If you wish for me to allow this… then accept a Blessing of ours that will allow your soul to reincarnate safely upon death. Your talent simply cannot be wasted.”

“I refuse. I’ve had enough of these Blessings for now,” Orodan replied. “I’ve come to learn that relying on my own power is better in the long term.”

“You are being entirely unreasonable. Can you not see how powerful you are? Your endless potential? You could attain Godhood itself in time,” the God-Queen spoke in a frustrated tone, even as her host’s face was emotionless. “Just why do you insist on rushing to your own death?”

“He does not owe you the answer to that! You elv-”

“I’m in a time loop, one that goes above even the Gods, and nobody is aware of it.”

The booming voice of Agathor which attempted to intervene, was forced into silence at Orodan’s words.

There was pin drop silence in the desert as none of the Avatars spoke for a solid three seconds.

Agathor’s fist clenched, and the other Prime Five looked at him warily.

“…explain,” was all Cithrel said.

“Every time I die, I wake up on the same day, which is six months ago during the Novarrian attempt to utilize the ancient war machine under Mount Castarian. There seems to be no limit to how many times I can come back in time, and everything except my own skills resets,” Orodan explained. “I’ve died over ten thousand times by now. My physical age is seventeen but I’m probably in my twenties due to how long I’ve been in the loop.”

“And your current strength? How long, how many loops did it take you to reach this level?”

“When I started, I was but a Sword Apprentice in the poorest town of the Republic… I was bullied by a weak, bottom-of-the-barrel Adept in my first set of deaths until I grew strong enough to face him,” Orodan explained. “Over time and many deaths, I became able to fight Masters, then Grandmasters, and now I can fight an Avatar as you saw.”

“And you reached this level in ten years spent within the time loops?”

“Life and death battles are quite the advantage in gaining skill levels,” Orodan replied. “Especially when I need not care about the death.”

“A time loop, one that encapsulates even the Gods… it sounds utterly ridiculous and farcical, yet your strength does not lie. Suddenly everything has become clearer.”

“You now have your answer, will you let me go now?”

“We have many things to discuss and verify first, but conditionally… yes,” she replied. “I was intent on not letting either of these Prime Five leave with you today, but against all expectations you’ve said something that has interested me.”

Agathor didn’t exactly look happy, if the way the Avatar’s fist trembled was any indication.

But this had always been Orodan’s way.

To approach things bluntly and in a straightforward manner.

***

The conversation had lasted more than an hour.

The God-Queen had catechized him about each and every aspect of the time loops, his lives, his skills, and how he’d acquired them. It was probably one of the most exhaustive interrogations he’d had to go through, but at the end of it all, he doubted either of the Prime Five or the two elven Gods before him had any more questions.

Cithrel of course, didn’t initially believe him fully when he made his initial claim. But by the end of the questioning, she almost certainly did. She asked many questions of him regarding the Quests he had, and some of his titles. She’d asked about their exact wording and how he had acquired them.

By the time they finished, the sun stood tall in the sky, it was noon. To people low in skill levels, the heat of the now glassed desert would be intense. In fact, there were travel advisories aimed towards the public who sought to traverse the deserts of the Aswarthian Peninsula during daytime.

Regardless, the conversation ended. And while Orodan explained much about his circumstances to Cithrel and her fellow elven God Athandelu, she in turn also gave him a bounty of information about where he could potentially go in future loops. One of these places being Eldiron.

The offer was a tempting one, and Orodan did make a mental note to try venturing south-east towards the land of the elves, but that would be for later.

As for their involvement, the elven pantheon’s stance hadn’t changed, and they weren’t suddenly clamoring to join Orodan in the fight against the Eldritch. Cithrel explained that the elven pantheon had been planning to fight a slow battle of attrition against the Eldritch Avatar for thirty-thousand years since it was a Void Horror sent into the void between stars. They had plenty of plans, countermeasures and secret weapons in place to stall it and eventually kill it, rest of the world be damned.

His claim of being in a time loop didn’t suddenly upend their own plans. Plus, perhaps they thought that earning the ire of a time looper of his caliber might be a foolish thing to do, even for Gods.

If he wasn’t in a time loop, Orodan might’ve been offended at their refusal to help. But all their non-interference meant, was that the satisfaction of finally killing it would be Orodan’s alone when the loop came.

In any case, the conversation had ended on a civil note. The God-Queen had offered Orodan an open invitation to travel to Eldiron in a future loop and had given him some quick methods to get in direct contact with her.

She was quite pleasant, and seemed to almost avoid offending him once she ascertained his time loop story.

The elven Avatars departed via portal after that.

Orodan had not bothered asking about the words of whichever divinity took over Othorion’s body near the end of their fight. That was business to look into for a later loop. Although he did make a mental note to research the matter of the ‘first gate’ that the divinity spoke of underground. The implication was that the Void Horror’s ascent thirty-thousand years ago was tied to this.

The ubiquitous monsters of the desert were entirely absent. If Orodan and Othorion’s desert-glassing battle hadn’t frightened them, then the presence of the Avatars certainly did.

The desert was now silent as Orodan and the Avatars of the Prime Five remained.

Malzim and Halor had extensively participated in the conversation, and while Ilyatana was oft outraged and expressed indignation at his retellings of how she was a problem for him in his early loops, she grudgingly admitted that she might have come across a bit strong.

It was likely the closest he’d ever get to an actual apology.

But the one God who said nothing… was Agathor.

“Did you think it wise to reveal your situation to the elves?”

It was the first time God of War had spoken since the conversation about the time loop started.

“I was simply being straightforward and cutting to the heart of the matter,” Orodan replied. “Knowing you, I thought you’d approve of it, no?”

“Do not presume to know what I would or would not approve of. Those elven divinities are quite ancient and powerful, for your own safety I had not broached the idea of you learning under them,” the God of War replied. “You are powerful, but yet young. Being taken advantage of and being used for their own designs is a real possibility. You need not look further than that experiment you fought and bested.”

“Similar to how you wish to use me for your own ends? Like how you’re using my mentor Arvayne Firesword as a puppet?” Orodan pointedly asked. “Is the man he used to be still in there?”

“I shall ignore your pointed questions for your anger is without a doubt still fresh,” Agathor spoke. “But… you’ve displayed such power recently; beyond what I saw the last time you fought my Chosen. Will you truly not consider accepting a third Blessing from me?”

“I’ve seen what happens to Chosen Ones. The old man couldn’t regain control of his body even if he wanted to now, could he?” Orodan asked. “My answer remains no.”

“It need not be such a relationship. Arvayne Firesword lacks potential and talent. But you, Orodan Wainwright… could truly become a God,” Agathor tried to persuade. “Why not work with me and attain Godhood together? You’re in a time loop, if it works as you say, then everything will simply reset upon your death. Why not test the waters for once?”

“No. If I am to ever attain godhood down the line, it will be through my own work and not the assistance borrowed from another.”

“Hmph… short-sighted. In time you will come to realize what you could have had by working with me.”

The glow in Arvayne Firesword’s eyes intensified, and the Avatar of Agathor blazed off into the skies through another portal which took him elsewhere.

Orodan’s fist clenched.

He truly wanted to challenge the War God… but not yet. He wasn’t strong enough at this time. He wasn’t ready.

For now… it was time to convene with the tournament officials.

Yes, he had won the tournament. But he couldn’t care less about the dumb competition for the moment.

Standing in front of an audience as his name was bandied about sounded boring. While he wanted to see Mahari, it just wouldn’t be worth it.

He had too many other things of import to do.

“I don’t suppose I could trouble one of you to create a portal out of here?”

***

He was of course, declared the winner of the tournament. Not that he’d bothered to stick around to celebrate.

He also received a letter from Vespidia, warning him to beware all of the Gods and wishing him luck in his upcoming battle against the Eldritch. She wrote that she’d be comfortably hiding on Eldiron while he marched to his death.

The reincarnator seemed to know more than she let on.

Regardless, he had work to do and many loose ends to follow up on.

He briefly met with Master Gormir Eltros of the school of enchanting in Bluefire, and realized how woefully far away he was in being able to create soul energy enchantments. Eastern soul energy enchantments were strong, but they also required a high-level Enchanting skill to create. Gormir told him that the lowest level enchanter who’d created a soul energy enchantment, was an Elite, and even then, the woman had a high rarity enchanting related skill.

His Enchanting skill of 41 wasn’t enough to work miracles, and he didn’t have any special skills related to the craft. He consequently understood that Enchanting wouldn’t be something he could get results in within a single loop.

As for alchemy, Orodan’s goal of finding experts who could make potions to last across loops was a bust. Not even dragon alchemists knew of potions that could grant buffs permanently recognized by the System. He’d need to spend more loops on the matter.

His Woodworking and Blacksmithing too were slow. Orodan simply accepted the fact that his crafting skills would take many more loops to reach the Elite-level where he might start to truly craft powerful things to amplify his own combat effectiveness.

Now, he sat across from Akelrim Vedharna in a chamber in Bluefire Academy.

“From what Altaj said, Mahari wasn’t pleased with your decision to not return to the arena. I believe she wanted to congratulate you on your victory.”

“I wasn’t aware you spoke to them,” Orodan replied. “The way Mahari talks about you, it’s as if you’re the king of Arch-Devils himself.”

“A fair judgement. I was not kind to her; to either of them until I saw the error of my ways,” Akelrim replied. “I often talk to Altaj via amulet at night, and he keeps me abreast of affairs.”

“Oh? You two speak? Altaj never actually admitted to this in the time I’ve known him,” Orodan remarked.

“He would not. If his sister knew, I don’t think she would be overly happy.”

“What did you even do to make her despise you so much?” Orodan asked. “Humiliate her? Beat her up?”

“…both. The young Akelrim Vedharna was a true menace. He mercilessly enjoyed oppressing those weaker than he and had a sadistic predilection towards lording his status over others,” Akelrim spoke, but as though emotionlessly narrating a tale. “Mahari in particular was forced to grow up faster than she should’ve thanks to my constant bullying. Especially after her mother, my aunt passed away. The boy Akelrim should’ve been there for her, instead he ruthlessly took out on her his frustrations for his own father dying in the attempt to cure Mahari’s mother of her sickness.”

Orodan felt it slightly strange how the man could be so dissociated from his past misdeeds while also admitting that they were wrong.

“I… see,” Orodan gingerly replied. There was a lot to unpack there, but Akelrim seemed to have moved past it well enough. “People can change. And while I can’t say she deserved it; her experiences have made her strong. She developed the Elemental Fist skill during the course of the tournament, legendary rarity. Might be a part of why she really wanted to see me afterwards. I just didn’t want to deal with the crowds any longer.”

“Yes, Altaj was saying something to that effect. Hmm…” Akelrim hummed and gave Orodan a somewhat serious look. “What are your intentions towards her Orodan? Altaj tells me she acts a little too differently around you for it to be mere friendship.”

What? Mahari?!

“Huh?”

“You look surprised? Well, that is good at least,” Akelrim replied. “She despises me, but the girl is still my cousin and consequently family. While having one as powerful as you join House Vedharna through marriage would be a good thing, I must also express my concern at the sheer power gap between the two of you. No man would wish to see his sister entangled in an affair with one much stronger than her. There are some unfortunate incidents that occur in romances with such a power gap.”

Orodan shook his head and raised a hand to stop Akelrim.

“Firstly, I truly don’t see Mahari like that. She’s a nice girl, but more of an annoying little sister to me than she is a potential partner,” Orodan replied. “Besides… right now I have another tryst who I haven’t spoken to in a long while.”

“Ah yes, with the widowed woman from a minor noble house in Volarbury County, correct?”

“How do you even know about that? Actually, how do you even know of Volarbury County?” Orodan asked.

“Orodan… you are the reason most of Inuan now knows of Ogdenborough and Volarbury County. A no-name youth rising from the poorest town in the Republic of Aden is bound to draw attention to where he came from,” Akelrim replied. “As for the widow, everyone talks about who you’re sleeping with too. Did you think that verbal spat you had with her son at Bluefire wasn’t noticed? You gave that boy no face whatsoever!”

“Alright, alright, enough about my affairs… what’s this face thing you keep talking about?”

At that, Akelrim became a bit more subdued and almost guarded.

“Ah, you know? It’s like not letting someone have any dignity. It’s a saying in the Eastern Kingdoms,” the man spoke.

Whatever. Orodan wouldn’t pry.

“Sure. Anyways, I still can’t wrap my head around this strange sword light technique you’ve shown me,” Orodan remarked. “I’m trying to conceptualize the very meaning of the sword… but it just isn’t coming to me.”

“Hmm, perhaps the sword isn’t your true calling? How do you normally fight?”

“I use a sword and shield… what do you mean?” Orodan asked.

“Yes, but in the very worst battles you’ve ever been in, what did you rely on?” Akelrim asked, and Orodan had to take a moment. “What is your d-... your path Orodan Wainwright? What defines you?”

His sword and shield were immediately ruled out. While a centerpiece of his fighting, the second the battle got too serious, his weapons and clothing all exited the picture.

His fists? While an integral part of him, and probably the thing he used the most… it just wasn’t something he could conceptualize in his head as being him.

“I actually don’t know what exactly I relied on,” Orodan answered. “My willpower is definitely a centerpiece, as is my lust for battle, but what is my defining characteristic?”

Was it perhaps…

…the warrior?

Orodan tried once more.

“Hit me, use an attack on me.”

Akelrim didn’t need to be told twice, such a request was rather common among martial students. He drew his sword and sent a basic sword light towards Orodan’s arm.

As the attack hit and was reciprocated, Orodan tried to focus on that feeling… that spirit within.

Who was the warrior?

What was this idea within which allowed him to essentially bend reality to his will?

He couldn’t consciously summon this idea elsewhere… but what if he could?

Akelrim and he had been training for almost a week now. From what the Rubywater prodigy told him, finding the concept of what was true to oneself was incredibly difficult and could take a very long time. Orodan had no success during this time, and he doubted he’d make any progress without truly pushing himself in battle.

When asked, Akelrim didn’t elaborate on how long either.

But now he perhaps understood the correct direction to aim in regards to uncovering the secrets of the concept of the warrior.

***

“I most likely won’t be coming back from this venture,” Orodan spoke. “I know we’ve been together for a little while now, but I just wanted to let you know. Is there any place you want me to place you? Can you independently move about very far?”

“If you want to die against some Eldritch horror descending from the void, then who am I to stop the mighty Orodan Wainwright who can send even Avatars running?” she spoke snarkily. “I’ll be fine. In fact, it’s for the best if we part ways here and now. I can find another warded vault to sequester myself within.”

Well at least this woman wasn’t sentimental. Not that he could tell when she was stuck in the form of a book.

“Hmm… well I’m glad you’re taking this well. Some time in a dusty vault sounds fitting for an old granny like you,” Orodan replied.

“I’m far past the point where comments about my age bother me boy,” she replied. “Now begone.”

He wanted to, and he was about to. But something made Orodan stop for a moment and speak once more.

“Say… what do you want? Your life’s desire.”

“What are you prattling on about now?” she asked with some annoyance.

“As in, hypothetically, if you had all the power in the world, would you want a new body? A new life?” Orodan asked.

“Do I look like I enjoy being a dusty old tome with a phylactery inside? Do you think I like having snobby curse-breakers think they can destroy me?” she asked pointedly. “Of course, I’d love a new body if I could manage it. But give me a hundred-thousand more years and my power will be fully recovered! I can get a new body then!”

A hundred-thousand more years? This book really was an old hag.

She had helped him. He owed her for all the training, and the assistance in learning Draconic Fireball. Thus, Orodan mentally made a promise to himself, to help this arrogant being get a new body one of these loops.

“Alright, now tell me a secret nobody else would know about you,” Orodan remarked. “I’m, probably not coming back, so it should be safe, right?”

“Bah! And who do you think you are that I’d tell you any of my secrets? We’ve known each other for less than a few months!” she exclaimed. “But tell you what, I used to quite enjoy the delicacy of a mixed bowl of fish and fruit back when I had a body. That pathetic bit of trivia is all you’ll get from me.”

Such an attitude she had, but Orodan smiled all the same.

Hunting her down would be one of his first priorities in the loops moving forward.

***

“You didn’t even come back to Marasthus after your fight! I haven’t seen you in a week!”

“Yes Mahari, that tends to be the case when I’m busy,” Orodan dryly replied.

“You could’ve at least sent me a message…”

“With what communications amulet? I don’t think mine’s even attuned to yours,” Orodan spoke. “Besides, shouldn’t you be training with your new Elemental Fist skill? Does your House know of its rarity? I doubt they can look down on you now.”

“Ah, yes. They were almost insistent upon Altaj and I transferring to Rubywater for next year,” Mahari spoke with a sneer. “It’s almost sickening how their tone changed once they learned I acquired a legendary skill.”

“You’ll be going back then? That’s great!” Orodan replied. “From what you’ve told me, you always wanted to go back home, no?”

“I did when I started the year… but I think both Altaj and I have come to the consensus that Bluefire’s a rather nice academy, and we have friends here now,” she replied. “Altaj mainly since he’s in his last year. But I’ve made friends too!”

“Indeed, I hope I’m one of them,” Orodan said with a smile.

Mahari however didn’t reply to that. Rather, her face suddenly took on a nervous look.

“Well… the annual dance is coming up in a month…” she spoke. “I was maybe hoping you’d like to attend?”

“In a group?” Orodan asked in a deflection attempt.

“N-no… I mean, would you like to attend alongside me specifically?” she shyly asked, getting straight to the point.

This was what Orodan was hoping to avoid. Especially since Akelrim brought it to his attention.

It wasn’t a matter of attraction, because Mahari was pretty.

But it was the fact that she was eighteen years old, and Orodan was mentally in his later twenties. And he had a preference for older women. Even then, the age gap wasn’t insurmountable… but the power gap was a different story.

Katareya Eldragon was a mere tryst. He hadn’t even bothered to pay the Elite-diviner a visit all this time, unlike Mahari, who he had specifically come to see. It would be accurate to say then, that Orodan cared more for Mahari than he did Katareya.

He knew himself. None of his lovers were at risk due to the uneven power dynamics at play. But he had come to genuinely like Mahari and wouldn’t dare subject her to a relationship where she would potentially be at the mercy of someone far stronger than her. Even if it was himself.

Those reasons were chiefly why Orodan didn’t want to return Mahari’s interest. However, the main one was…

“I don’t think I can attend the annual dance Mahari… I might not be here for that,” Orodan replied solemnly. The dance was in a month, and the Eldritch Avatar would be descending in a week. “You’re a beautiful girl though, surely every boy in your year is jumping at the chance to have a dance with you?”

Mahari’s face slightly fell, but she didn’t appear distraught.

“That’s fine… I understand. You’re not exactly a normal student who goes to dances and hangs out at the Helmward Hall for drinks Orodan,” Mahari replied. “I figured I’d at least ask though. Besides, you act as if you aren’t in my year either. We’re both first-year students! Why do you talk like you’re some old man?”

“That’s because I am!” Orodan cheerfully quipped back. “Mentally, anyways.”

Not entirely accurate, even in terms of his mental age. But he exaggerated it to lighten the mood. He was glad to see she didn’t have all her hopes staked on it like some lovestruck youth. Now that would have been awkward.

She rolled her eyes at him.

“Why can’t you attend the dance anyways? Somewhere to be?” she asked.

“You could say that… I’ll be going somewhere in a week. Bit of travel involved,” he replied.

Upon hearing this, her face turned grim.

“Orodan… are you headed up north to Guzuhar?”

“Yes? How did you know?” he asked.

“Because… the ancestor of my house will also be traveling to Guzuhar in a week, alongside the benevolent Sarastuga, our World Guardian,” she spoke with barely concealed concern in her voice. “The elders of our house haven’t released any details, but the ancestor came by and lovingly spent time with everyone. Someone only does that if…”

“…if they’re going to war?” Orodan finished.

“Y-yes…” she muttered. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me why you’re coincidentally headed to Guzuhar at the same time my ancestor is? Especially when astronomers and diviners of the Cathedral have been predicting that a comet will be landing around that time?”

“How about you tell me what your prediction is? You seem to have an idea in your head already.”

“I’m not stupid, I know the Eldritch have always invaded our world by descending from the stars,” Mahari spoke. “For you, the ancestor and our World Guardian to depart for Guzuhar at such a time… it’s an invading Eldritch champion, isn’t it?”

“You’re surprisingly well informed for a first-year academy student,” Orodan remarked. “Is it the fact that you’re from a noble house?”

“Answer my question.”

“Yes,” Orodan answered. “We’ll be fighting the Eldritch in Guzuhar. I’d recommend keeping the knowledge to yourself unless you want to cause a mass panic and be silenced.”

Mahari was perceptive, and she’d asked the right series of questions to come upon the answer. And Orodan was rather prone to directly blurting things out when asked, as was his nature.

The descent of the comet was public knowledge, but not everyone knew what it was and that individuals of strength were marshalling to move towards Guzuhar. Members of the nobility who were privy to this could put two and two together like Mahari just had.

“Are you not afraid of death? I know you’re this almighty warrior of legend that can fight an Avatar, everyone talks about you like you’re a God,” Mahari spoke. “But how can you not be even a bit terrified about what’s coming? The stories I heard about the Eldritch gave me nightmares when I was a child.”

“The stories likely aren’t exaggerating,” Orodan replied. “The Eldritch is every bit as terrifying as you can imagine.”

“Y-you’ve fought them before. Where? How?”

“Up north, a while ago,” Orodan replied. “It didn’t go very well. So, I’m trying to do better this time.”

“You really are a weird person Orodan,” Mahari spoke. “Most people would be scared and maybe bear some scars from fighting something which inspires terror. Instead, you double down and want to throw yourself into it again.”

And again, and again. Over and over, till he finally won one of these loops.

This was his lot in life.

Most would argue a time loop under such circumstances was a curse. Endless torture against an insurmountable wall.

How could a mere man hope to fight against a horror that was already strong enough to end civilization on the continent. And for it to then be empowered and become the Avatar of three separate Eldritch Gods?

Madness.

Madness for anyone else but Orodan Wainwright.

He would endure.

If a mountain was in front, going around was not an option.

He would break it with his head, and maybe gain skill levels along the way.

Even if his head broke from time to time, that was fine.

Because he was stubborn.

***

Alastaia, the world.

It held within it the three main continents of Inuan, Eldiron, and Guzuhar. Many parts of Alastaia were still unknown and uncharted. But for the most part, scholars believed that all major landmasses had been discovered. Even if circling the globe to reach them from the other side was impossible due to the incredibly powerful creatures that dwelled in the deep oceans, and the monster swarms surrounding deep ocean energy wells.

The name Alastaia wasn’t something the denizens of mortal nations had come up with. Rather, it was a name contained in ancient records from preceding civilizations. Furthermore, the elves and dragons, who were among the oldest known species, also used the name.

The biggest argument in favor of the name… was that dimensional invaders of the world also referred to it so. Such as the Arch-Devils of the hells until they were wiped out five-thousand years ago. The devils supposedly reported seeing the name Alastaia on their System.

It had been commonly held since.

And upon Alastaia, on the continent of Guzuhar, lay the Valley of Spires.

This was the preferred landing for all the champions of the Eldritch descending from the void of space since the beginning of recorded history.

The Eldritch Gods had been attempting to conquer the world for over one hundred thousand years. Alastaia was under constant threat from these invading dimensional divinities from beyond the stars.

Where they came from, not even the Gods knew.

The creatures they sent down throughout the millennia were foul enough, but the Gods and inhabitants of Alastaia had managed to beat them back each time.

This time however… something of native stock was being returned to sender.

A Void Horror from the Abyssal depths, thrown out into the space between stars, only to be returned.

It was now twisted, mutated. It had nine Blessings and was the Avatar of three separate Eldritch Gods.

A power beyond fathoming.

An apocalypse coming for the world of Alastaia and all who dwelled upon it.

The journey had been nothing more than a portal created directly to the Valley of Spires. With a single step, Orodan crossed many thousands of miles and arrived where he needed to.

Alongside him, were the Avatars of all the Prime Five.

Waiting for them upon arrival, were the Avatars of the Gods of Guzuhar. And a familiar face he hadn’t seen in a while stepped forward.

“Sarastuga spoke true… the Prime Five of Inuan truly have changed their minds. To what do we owe this pleasure?”

Urusun Iron-Bear’s eyes were glowing. Ozgaric, the Guzuharan God of Trickery and Deception was present in Avatar form within the Grandmaster of Clan Iron-Bear.

Behind the Avatar, Orodan saw some other familiar faces, such as Agatha Ingamiris, another of the clan’s Grandmasters. Sarastuga the Blazing Light, the majestic lion and World Guardian who roamed the Eastern Kingdoms, protecting its people. And Elydia the Returning Fire, the fiery phoenix that roamed the skies above the Dokuhan Mountains in the south of Inuan. Additionally, the House Vedharna ancestor with the shield stood beside the lion.

There was one more missing, but Orodan saw him shortly…

…in the form of a massive dragon that smashed into the ground in front of him.

“So, this is the human whelp who dares take the Quest of the world from me?” Cyvrosdyr the Eternal Winter asked in a dangerous tone. “How… puny.”

“Rosvedir said the same thing, and I proved him otherwise,” Orodan replied. “We can fight here and now if you want me to show you how much I’ve grown since the last loop I saw you.”

The dragon stared him down dangerously for a few seconds, but then its gaze softened.

“There will be no need for that. The old lizard Kultuanir told me of his conversation with you. About your re-telling of how I gave you the Quest in a previous time,” Cyvrosdyr spoke and then inclined his head, and spoke with a mutter. “…thank you.”

The draconic World Guardian didn’t bother to remain before Orodan after those words, and instead immediately took off to the sky. Whether due to embarrassment or not feeling a need to converse further, Orodan didn’t know.

There were no demands to verify his tale either. Whatever Cyvrosdyr heard from Kultuanir, must’ve been enough for the wintry dragon to believe the matter of the time loops.

But if Cyvrosdyr knew…

…then so did the others.

And as the Avatar of Ozgaric approached, Orodan was glad to see the familiar God of Trickery once more. He owed Ozgaric for doing him a good turn.

“Orodan Wainwright… if there is something that confirms your tale it is my Blessing upon your soul,” Ozgaric spoke. “I can sense it from here, blazing like a beacon.”

“Ozgaric… it is good to see you again,” Orodan spoke. “The Blessing you gave me has helped me immeasurably over the course of my journey.”

“It would’ve been foolish of me to pass up the opportunity to do a favor for one that continually travels through time,” Ozgaric replied. “My alternate self from your past loop would agree that having you indebted to me can only be a good thing.”

Orodan hummed and nodded.

“It wasn’t like this the last time, but now we have five more Avatars standing beside us,” Orodan spoke, gesturing towards the five Chosen Ones with him.

Alcianne Rockwood, Chosen of Halor.

Arvayne Firesword, Chosen of Agathor.

Heredin Aeronsul, Chosen of Ilyatana.

And two more Imperial Chosen Ones: Cruxamar Aetholion, the Chosen of Eximus and Rodistan Deathmarrow the Chosen of Malzim. From what he was told, the Republic of Aden and the Empire of Novarria had temporarily agreed to set aside their differences in order to face the Eldritch threat.

But in Orodan’s opinion, the Chosen Ones had no choice in the matter to begin with. Whatever their Gods wanted, they would follow. So, he felt that this was an official statement and not one that reflected reality.

In the distance, Orodan could even see the dwarven Avatar who joined in nearer to the end last time. Due to Orodan’s actions and the warnings received, this Avatar would be assisting right from the get-go this time.

There were two more Avatars of Guzuharan Gods present, but Orodan instinctively felt that these were mere Favored Avatars. Like last time, they would likely be wiped from existence by the first serious attack from the Eldritch foe.

He didn’t see Othorion present, however. Orodan wasn’t sure if the Ethweni-blooded elf would show up this time given his defeat in the tournament finals.

They had an hour before the comet would land.

The Prime Five refused to come in any earlier as they didn’t trust the Gods of Guzuhar enough to bide their time for an extended period. An hour before landing was the sweet spot.

The Valley of Spires.

The ground was suffused with a certain amount of Eldritch energy from all the past attempts at invasions the Eldritch Gods had attempted. The Valley was the preferred landing spot for almost all Eldritch invasions and where the influence of the Gods of Alastaia was the weakest.

Rather than ganging up and attempting to blast the comet, the battle plan was more refined in this loop and took advantage of Orodan’s knowledge of its abilities.

Every single participant had anti-psionic items on their person. There were also a large number of psionic mages brought in by all sides. Mainly to help counter psionic attacks upon the minds of any combatants who weren’t as well-versed in mental defenses. Especially if the enchanted anti-psionic items failed.

There were also a lot more backup combatants and support personnel nearby who could switch in and out with exhausted or slain individuals or resupply them with potions.

The dwarven Avatar’s side had multiple batteries of some experimental magical artillery cannon. Orodan had no doubt that those could hurt a Grandmaster, and the dwarf had brought multiple.

Similarly, Orodan’s own side, the group headed by the Prime Five, had ferried along multiple Grandmaster-level healers whose sole job was to patch up any injured and keep them fighting.

Perhaps the Eldritch Avatar had been slightly underestimated last time by all sides. Maybe there wasn’t a driving force bringing all factions together. But this time, they would not lose due to a lack of commitment and preparation.

As per his warnings, Cyvrosdyr was firmly behind Sarastuga. The lion was a massively superior melee combatant and would prevent the wintry dragon from being slaughtered almost immediately like he was last time. Elydia the phoenix World Guardian was also in the back rank, providing ranged support and protected by the Vedharna ancestor.

This time, even if they lost, the Eldritch Avatar would be forced to reveal more of its strength.

The seconds turned to minutes, and slowly the hour approached.

It was a bright night with a clear sky, and so Orodan could now see it himself once more.

A strange purple object which looked incredibly distant among the stars, but slowly looked as though it was drawing closer and closer.

With ten minutes remaining till the landing, the nostalgic sight of rocks rising into the air and certain stone spires disappearing and reappearing occurred.

He felt the inklings of an attempted psionic assault try to slither into his mind, but Orodan almost contemptuously brushed it off with casual ease.

He had grown, and such a probing psionic attack was no longer a threat to him.

The comet drew closer, and it was as gigantic as he remembered. Being larger than any other object he’d ever seen.

Eerie and familiar Eldritch growths jutted out of it, and looking at them caused the feeling of a slight assault upon Orodan’s mind and soul which he again casually brushed off.

Five minutes remained, and now every Chosen entered their full Avatar state, and together, a ludicrous barrage of divine and magical power was launched towards the descending comet.

It was far beyond the attack that was attempted last time.

The many batteries of the dwarves absolutely roared with fury. Dangerous magical artillery shots spewed out and towards the comet.

Sarastuga, Cyvrosdyr and Elydia combined their energies to release a terrifying beam. Simultaneously, the Prime Five worked together to launch their own which connected at the same time. All this occurred as the Avatars of Guzuhar also launched their divine assaults of energy.

The corrupted shell was blasted apart completely, and the comet stripped of all the rock it had.

Only the exposed form of the Eldritch Avatar was descending now, no rock or shell protecting it as it took the brunt of an incredibly powerful assault.

A massive explosion occurred, and a cloud of debris, divine energy and magical discharge obscured the descending object.

Yet, Orodan knew it wasn’t over. Now it was his turn.

Orodan Wainwright stood absolutely no chance against the Eldritch Avatar as he was currently.

But what he could do…

…was take its attacks.

A Flash Strike carried him upwards.

A claw met Orodan and utterly obliterated him as it travelled downwards.

Yet this was exactly what Orodan wanted. Even as he was reduced to but a few cells of matter, he survived. And the Eldritch Avatar roared in pain and fury.

“Foul abomination! Which one is responsible for such a vile skill that would harm us directly?!”

Its roar was pure terror incarnate, but it was also in pain.

“This world shall know the touch of truth!”

The battle against the Eldritch Avatar had now truly begun.

Orodan reformed and continued attempting to get in the way of its attacks.

Sarastuga the Blazing Light, the shield wielding Vedharna, the Avatars of Agathor and Halor, and the dwarven Avatar all instantly closed the distance and engaged it in a furious melee.

It was large enough that the supporting ranged combatants could still bombard it safely, which is what they did.

All of this in combination with Orodan returning the damage of its own attacks to it… was doing a serious number on the Eldritch Avatar.

Previously, he only saw surface level damage being dealt against this freakish creature. But this time, it was taking some decent wounds, courtesy of its own attacks being returned.

Orodan’s own attacks were utterly pitiful in hurting it. But incredibly, Warrior’s Reciprocity meant that he was contributing the most against the Eldritch Avatar! It was the strongest combatant present, so of course its own attacks returned more than threefold would do some serious damage.

All Orodan had to do was survive, and eventually even this insurmountable foe would fall.

“Press it further! We can slay it here and now!” Ozgaric roared as his Avatar continued savaging the foe with divinely empowered dual daggers.

There were no friendly casualties at all yet.

It was going incredibly well.

Which was why Orodan knew they were screwed.

The first sign that something was wrong…

…was when the entirety of the dwarven battery disappeared. Along with the entirety of the battleground they were fighting upon. Eradicated in a single attack.

Orodan himself suffered some serious damage and was reduced to meat chunks by what was a wide area attack composed purely of Eldritch energy. For it to do that much damage to him despite his Eldritch Resistance, meant that the power was truly unfathomable.

In the distance, the sea all the way to the horizon was covered with the familiar disgusting grayish purple of Eldritch corruption.

The entirety of the supporting forces had died; a good majority of the entire continent of Guzuhar had also probably died too.

Only the strongest of the Avatars now remained.

Sarastuga, the dwarven Avatar and the shield wielding Vedharna were still alive. The Prime Five had also joined together into a combined defensive spell which saved them. The weaker Guzuharan Gods however, had perished.

It was looking as cataclysmic as last time.

The Eldritch Avatar however… looked far more damaged than it had ever been.

Orodan could make a Lightning Depths Salamander, a species capable of naturally producing lightning, suffer damage from its own lightning attacks via Warrior’s Reciprocity.

This was simply that on a larger scale.

“Lies! Falsehoods! The truth cannot harm us! How has this occurred?! Which foul pest among you is capable of harming us with the truth we spread?!”

It sounded utterly enraged, which was a far cry from the calm butchery it carried out in the last fight. Its eyes then finally turned towards Orodan, recognizing for the first time in this battle, the pest which was responsible for returning damage more than threefold.

Pure rage filled the white pupil-less eyes of the mountain-sized Eldritch Avatar.

A massive hand enveloped him in its grasp and squeezed.

It wasn’t merely physical, but also contained Eldritch and divine energies. His resistances partially helped.

Eternal Soul Reactor flared to the absolute maximum to empower Harmony of Vitality. His Fate Disconnect shield immediately broke due to how much soul energy he was generating. But even then Orodan barely stayed alive. He was almost instantly being destroyed and reforming multiple times in a tenth of a second.

Oddly enough, it was fantastic training for his Harmony of Vitality and Body Tempering.

But it didn’t help the fact that Orodan was dying, even as the Eldritch Avatar’s screams of pure agony rang through the air for miles in recompense for mauling Orodan.

Was this how the dwarven Avatar felt as it was crushed into a meatball the last time? He was caught and being ground into paste with no escape. His only solace was that Warrior’s Reciprocity was returning the damage.

His desperate struggle for survival continued for another thirty seconds, until finally a glowing ball composed of numerous divine energies drilled into the palm of the monster’s hand.

Within the ball… were the Avatars of the Prime Five.

It might have seemed as though they were rescuing him, but Orodan’s eyes could only widen.

He attempted to call upon a certain Blessing, but his soul dangerously vibrated, and he was prevented from doing so. The source of the vibration? The spot within his soul that contained the two Blessings of Agathor.

“Agathor, what are you doing?” Malzim asked.

“Ensuring our survival my old friend, worry not,” the War God replied.

His Fate Disconnect shield was down…

…which could only mean one thing in this situation.

[Agathor, God of War, smiles upon you]

[Received Blessing → Warrior’s Servant - Increased affinity with Agathor and easier ability to channel his divine energy]

[Ilyatana, Goddess of Fate, smiles upon you]

[Received Blessing → Fate’s Servant - Increased affinity with Ilyatana and easier ability to channel her divine energy]

[Eximus, God of Time, smiles upon you]

[Received Blessing → Time’s Servant - Increased affinity with Eximus and easier ability to channel his divine energy]

Orodan…

…was no more.

But the divine coalescence of Agathor, Eximus and Ilyatana, came into existence.

“Excellent, now this is a host worthy of our divine providence! Three Gods of Inuan descended unto a host, against the abominable Avatar of three Gods of the Eldritch. Now let us do battle and see if such foul divines can invade our world!”

The divine amalgamation, fuelled by the endless soul of its heroic host, erupted with power.

The two brothers, Halor and Malzim, cast to the side looked on in horror as the divine gathering of three waged battle against the foul Eldritch invader. Once the Eldritch was destroyed, the union would then ensure its two brothers also joined. By force in needed.

“They say imitation is the finest form of flattery… have you Gods of Alastaia decided to give us such praise by joining yourselves into one? Let us see whose truth reigns supreme.”

Guzuhar, was turned to rubble and ruin. The continent became lifeless as the holy amalgamation of Inuan waged a battle for the ages against the invading union of the Eldritch.

The mortal protested as it failed some meagre Quest it was given, but such a thing was beneath the concerns of the divine union.

The host body was almost destroyed multiple times from the sheer amount of divine energy coursing through it, but the mortal had some incredible skills such as Harmony of Vitality which allowed it to survive.

Its soul was also possessed of incredible strength.

Two months of battle passed. Guzuhar had long since sunk into the sea as heroic human might empowered by divine aid, faced the full force of the Eldritch. All other Avatars had either fled or been killed in the resulting divine clash.

The divine congregation would prevail!

The union’s only concern was the growing voice of the mortal.

The unstoppable will of this Orodan Wainwright.

“Siblings… our union is threatened by the growing will of our heroic host… what shall we do? Against all odds, this mortal’s willpower can resist even us. Our Blessings should ease him into the role!”

“But… if we cannot hold onto the mortal’s body… how will we enter the time loops without successfully possessing Orodan Wainwright?”

The argument continued among the divine coalescence for another month. Throughout this time, the battle between them and the Eldritch fusion continued.

Until finally…

…three months later.

Orodan Wainwright was whole again.

[Incorruptible Being 1 → Incorruptible Being 47]

That was among the many messages for skill gains he received upon coming to.

He wasn’t Agathor, he wasn’t Ilyatana, and he wasn’t Eximus.

These three Gods could go to the hells.

Orodan swore then and there that he would brutally kill all three eventually.

“You dare reject our gift and take control yourself?!” his own mouth uttered. It was such an alien and violating feeling that Orodan never wanted to experience it again after this.

So far, the three Gods had managed to bypass Warrior’s Reciprocity by tricking him into mentally accepting that it wasn’t an attack, but a Blessing. Which was possible since he'd been relying on Blessings for a while now. A weakness he would be addressing moving forward.

Orodan’s first order of business then…

…was to consider these three backstabbing divinities within him, to be enemies. And their possession, an attack.

The following mental attack that came from them… was returned almost fourfold due to the increased power of Warrior’s Reciprocity at its new level of 63

“Sacrilege! You would harm your divine benefactors?! But we are not without mercy… join us! Become a God and rule the time loops alongside us Orodan Wainwright! We shall teach you all the secrets of the cosmos, the worlds… the System itself!”

It was a seductive offer.

Right from the beginning, these three Gods had never intended on defeating the Eldritch Avatar in this loop. Instead, their goal was to Bless Orodan and take over his body. To turn him into some freakish holy warrior possessed by three Gods. The counterpart to the Eldritch Avatar.

But Orodan didn’t want this…

…he had taken enough abuse from these Gods.

It was time for a contest. One he was rather good at.

“If you want to take over my body, how about we play a little game,” Orodan spoke. “In the dragon flights they have a contest called the trial of abundance. Would you like to compete and see which of us can generate more energy? You three in your attempts to heal my body… or me, in destroying myself?”

Orodan almost felt the alarm in the three divine consciousnesses inhabiting him.

Eternal Soul Reactor flared to the absolute maximum, beyond even what would kill him.

But the divine energies running through him sought to keep him alive.

“Let’s see if a warrior can generate more power than the Gods…” Orodan muttered as his will, all of his minds went towards generating as much energy as possible.

The Eldritch Avatar didn’t stop attacking him, but Orodan allowed it as that would only speed up his goal of death.

He had already failed the second Quest due to the complete sinking of Guzuhar into the sea. He couldn’t do such a destructive feat himself… but when his world-shaking skills were paired with divine power, then it was a different matter.

Three days passed, and Orodan was already beginning to overtake them.

A week passed, and Orodan was on his way towards death at last.

Eternal Soul Reactor levelled up a few times from the sheer strain his soul was under. But his will was eternal and would not allow the slightest deviation in the structure of it. No matter how painful it was, no matter how it felt like he would explode and destroy an entire continent… Orodan never once allowed his focus to waver.

But most astonishingly, the Gods inhabiting his body…

…were running out of energy to provide.

His body was on the verge of death, and the Eldritch Avatar finally saw this as its chance to truly kill Orodan once and for all. Which was in line with his own goal of ending this wretched loop.

“Finally, the mutant aberration quails… we shall deliver our most powerful argument to close this debate once and for all. The truth of the three eldest shall always prevail.”

Orodan simply looked upwards as he prepared an All-Strike. The Gods within him were now almost impotent. He beat them in a contest of energy generation, and he would die in the next two seconds from his own soul energy once their divine powers ran out.

But for now, his Eternal Soul Reactor was churning at a level he could never reach otherwise with his current body.

Before him, stood the mountain-sized Eldritch Avatar.

There was no life around him.

It was him against the monster. Man against mountain. Warrior against the Gods.

And he was alone.

He would never see the same people again. It would all be reset shortly.

These time loops were so very lonely.

The curiously melancholy feelings within were pushed to the side, and Orodan prepared an All-Strike to receive the apocalyptic attack coming for him.

The two clashed.

Orodan’s attack hit the Eldritch Avatar, and its attack hit him.

He dealt a horrific amount of damage to it, not enough to kill it, but enough to give it a serious wound.

Its own attack killed him of course.

As the blackness of death finally took him and he was completely annihilated with not a cell left… Orodan pondered about the loop.

He would never see the same Mahari again. He would never experience the same friendships this way once more.

And he once theorized that Warrior’s Reciprocity could in fact return a blow that had enough power to kill him. Even if he died.

That theory was correct.

[New Title → Avatar Slayer]

How ironic that the first Avatar he killed ended up being the strongest one he’d ever seen.

His own attack empowered was enough to weaken it. And then its strongest attack, with the current level of Warrior’s Reciprocity, was enough to kill it with the almost fourfold backlash.

How… ridiculous.

***

A keening wail ringing in the night sky awoke him.

An instant later his room was bathed in white light, and he died.

He spent a dozen loops bringing his Eternal Soul Reactor back under control to below fatal levels before he could finally relax.

As the light finally dimmed, he laid his head back and just… took a moment.

He was back in Ogdenborough, a day before the awakening of the ancient war machine, and a whole six months before the descent of the Eldritch Avatar.

His emotions still felt heavy with the thought that the people he knew and everything he’d done was reset.

But he also felt light-hearted at the thought that a familiar old man would have a chance to live once more.

He thus summoned his Status.

Name: Orodan Wainwright

Age: 17

Title 1: Grandmaster Slayer

Title 2: One Who Has Experienced Death

Title 3: Wielder Of A Mythical Skill

Available Titles:

Avatar Slayer

Wielder Of A Mythical Skill

One Who Has Experienced Death

Grandmaster Slayer

Combat Elite

Sword Elite

Shield Elite

Physical Elite

Unarmed Combat Elite

Wrestling Elite

Woodworking Adept

Alchemy Adept

Cleaning Apprentice

Enchanting Apprentice

Laboring Apprentice

Blacksmithing Apprentice

Rewards:

Permanent +3 Action Increase

Skills:

Eternal Soul Reactor 89 (Elite - Mythical)

Warrior’s Reciprocity 63 (Adept - Mythical)

Eldritch Resistance 52 (Adept - Mythical)

Incorruptible Being 47 (Apprentice -Mythical)

All-Strike 80 (Elite - Legendary)

Unassailable Fortress 80 (Elite - Legendary)

Mana Black Hole 79 (Elite - Legendary)

Vitality Black Hole 79 (Elite - Legendary)

Harmony of Vitality 79 (Elite - Legendary)

Bulwark Physical Resistance 77 (Elite - Legendary)

Endless Blitz 72 (Elite - Legendary)

Mana Resistance 62 (Adept - Legendary)

Wood Communion 48 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Body Tempering 44 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Fate Disconnect 40 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Soul Strengthening 31 (Apprentice - Legendary)

Draconic Fireball 6 (Initiate - Legendary)

Death Rage 84 (Elite - Exquisite)

Iron Body 79 (Elite - Exquisite)

Psionic Resistance 75 (Elite - Exquisite)

Flash Strike 65 (Adept - Exquisite)

Draconic Mana Channelling 45 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Vitality Destruction 39 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Whirlpool Whirlwind 38 (Apprentice - Exquisite)

Fire Resistance 24 (Initiate - Exquisite)

Lightning Resistance 18 (Initiate - Exquisite)

Wind Resistance 3 (Initiate - Exquisite)

Weapon Aura 84 (Elite - Rare)

Soul Manipulation 83 (Elite - Rare)

Soul Defense 51 (Adept - Rare)

War Cry 35 (Apprentice - Rare)

Dying Struggle 82 (Elite - Uncommon)

Shield Throw 68 (Adept - Uncommon)

Power Strike 61 (Adept - Uncommon)

Mana Manipulation 54 (Adept - Uncommon)

Fate Reading 31 (Apprentice - Uncommon)

Pain Resistance 88 (Elite)

Unarmed Combat Mastery 86 (Elite)

Physical Fitness 85 (Elite)

Combat Mastery 83 (Elite)

Sword Mastery 81 (Elite)

Wrestling 80 (Elite)

Shield Mastery 78 (Elite)

Tool Mastery 58 (Adept)

Woodworking 54 (Adept)

Alchemy 53 (Adept)

Surprise Attack 45 (Apprentice)

Enchanting 41 (Apprentice)

Cleaning 40 (Apprentice)

Sprinting 39 (Apprentice)

Blacksmithing 34 (Apprentice)

Laboring 31 (Apprentice)

Flare 24 (Initiate)

Construction 21 (Initiate)

Maintenance 21 (Initiate)

Repair 21 (Initiate)

Magical Rituals 18 (Initiate)

Club Mastery 15 (Initiate)

Lumberjacking 11 (Initiate)

Parkour 11 (Initiate)

Intimidation 10 (Initiate)

Observe 9 (Initiate)

Pathfinding 8 (Initiate)

Thievery 6 (Initiate)

Identify 5 (Initiate)

Deception 4 (Initiate)

Blessings:

Warrior’s Heart - Increased talent and learning rate for all warrior related skills as determined by Agathor.

Warrior’s Quarry - Once you see your target they cannot flee. Your attacks will land on fleeing or evading foes and destiny will bend to ensure you find your mark.

Death’s Call - Whenever you will it, Death takes you.

Trickster’s Veil - Your Status, fate and soul are impossible to peer into unless you will it.

Warrior’s Servant - Increased affinity with Agathor and easier ability to channel his divine energy.

Fate’s Servant - Increased affinity with Ilyatana and easier ability to channel her divine energy.

Time’s Servant - Increased affinity with Eximus and easier ability to channel his divine energy.

The re-organized Status looked far nicer.

Even if it did extend on for a bit.

It was still the height of ludicrousness that he had managed to actually kill the Eldritch Avatar. In spite of the fact that it was with divine assistance that allowed him to hit harder than he ever had. And the fact that his Warrior’s Reciprocity hit almost four times as hard.

Yet now Orodan faced a new problem altogether.

He was a Chosen of Agathor now. The God of War, if he detected Orodan in any way, might just attempt to descend unto him once more. It was a similar case for Ilyatana and Eximus who piggybacked the connection Agathor had in the last loop, taking advantage of the fact that Orodan’s body and soul could take all three Gods.

If any of these three Gods sensed Orodan, it might just end up in a repeat of the last loop.

Anyone smart would have run, sought allies, schemed and planned.

But to Orodan, the thought of fighting off divine possession attempts each loop just sounded fun.

He might even get a skill out of it!

He had so many possible options and goals for his loops ahead of him.

Learning new skills, mastering his crafts, meeting new people and fighting new foes.

Finding a method of getting rid of Blessings. Delving the abyssal depths and challenging himself against its terrifying denizens. Discovering the secrets of the ‘gates’ deep within the depths. Looking into the matter of the tortured Goddess Othorion called upon… and just plain old exploration and experiencing the various parts of Alastaia!

The world was Orodan’s oyster!

But for now, he was in Ogdenborough in the middle of the night once more.

His familiar sword and shield that he’d missed so much since they were destroyed, were at his bedside.

And most importantly…

…this hovel of his was way too dirty! It was time to return to the basics.

It was time for some Cleaning.

An ancient war machine beneath the mountain. Divine foes who would undoubtedly track him. An Eldritch Avatar descending from the stars. And a whole world of skills to work on.

Everything he could want.

After all, Orodan Wainwright…

…was the stubborn skill-grinder in a time loop.