Tower of Avarice: A LitRPG story

"We're stealing from a god?" Greg replied incredulously, shaking his head at the audacity of what Mathew was describing.

The four companions were gathered in a private room in Valdrith, a City known for its arcane wonders and towering spires of enchanted stone and winding streets lined with glowing, magical sigils. Magic hummed in the air around them, and everything within the city was fueled by mana.

Grand Tower of mage-lords loomed over the bustling markets, and the winding streets were filled with every type of wizard, warrior, and adventurer. Even the quieter outskirts, were normal people without the blessing of Mana lived, were still powered by magical items.

After arriving by the Elevator, the four had travelled the cobblestone streets to a dimly lit private dining room in order to discuss their plan.

"The Tower wants us to steal a Divine Object from the God of Terrestrial Impermanence. Apparently, the god has been causing trouble for several Demesnes, and the Tower has contracted us on their behalf. Its ordered us to break into the Terrestrial Temple, sneak past the guards and wards, and snatch the Object." Mathew explained.

"And what is the Object?" Rehn asked from where she was sitting at the end of the Table. She had a cup of tea in front of her that her fingers would lightly trace the rim as wisps of fragrant steam curled into the air.

In response, Mathew took off his silver wristband and gently placed it on the table. Tapping the surface with his finger, an image was projected above it.

The Divine Object of the god of Terrestrial Impermanence was a globe that constantly shifted between stone, metal and crystal. It never settled into a single form. Mathew's companions leaned in closer to look and they heard it hum with the ceaseless rhythm of creation and decay.

"The Evershifting Relic. Without it, the Aether accumulated in this world will be significantly decreased for a period of time." Mathew explained.

"Sounds like the other gods are sending a message." Alivia observed, and Greg nodded in response.

"Yeah, don't piss us off, or we'll take your stuff. It's held in the Grand Temple?" Greg asked, already turning away to open up the heavy wooden shutters on the window. With the sudden influx of light, the city outside was revealed, and, in the distance, the Grand Temple.

Nestled at the heart of Valdrith, the Grand Temple was a vast and ever-changing monument to the god of Terrestrial Impermanence. It was composed of stone that would rise and fall through the use of magic, giving it the appearance of a living, breathing entity.

It was surrounded by great archways of crumbling rock that would collapse and reform, with pillars of molten metal that would cool into jagged spires before melting again in a cycle. Pilgrims came from all over the world to leave offerings, like handfuls of soil from distant lands, relics from long ago or precious minerals.

Mathew came to the window and joined them while he explained the information the Tower had provided about the interior.

"The Temple is guarded by the Wardens of the Shifting Path. Each one of them are zealots bound to their god's will. They wear armour and wield weapons that change form, adapting to the circumstances. The Wardens don't follow a set patrol, instead, they choose to act randomly, so we won't be able to judge the best approach inside." Mathew explained.

"Beyond just the guards that patrol the grounds, the Temple itself has defence built into its walls and corridors. Bottomless chasms, walls that ripple and twist, and doorways that vanish, only to reappear in strange locations. The Temple can't provide any information about them at all." Mathew continued.

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"Great, sounds like fun." Alivia replied sarcastically, and Mathew gave a small smile in response.

"It gets worse. The final chamber, where the Relic is held, is guarded by a Demigod. Thal'Zir, the Unyielding Tide. His form shifts between all the elements, but apart from that, I don't know how he fights."

"Anything else? Will the Temple explode when we enter, or maybe the moon will fall out of the sky and crush us?" Alivia let out an angry huff, and Greg agreed with her. How the hell were they going to pull this off?

"One last thing. Thal'Zir is the god's son, so we can't kill him. None of us will make it out alive if we do." Mathew finished, and even Rehn felt as if they had been given an impossible task.

"But don't worry, I have a plan." Mathew assured them.

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The Plan, as it turns out, was simple.

Mathew would assault the front door, drawing the guards and the Demigod Thal'Zir away from the interior of the Temple. Meanwhile, Alivia, Greg and Rehn would enter and steal the Evershifting Relic.

The trio had argued with Mathew that his plan was insanity and that they should all work together, but he had assured them that it would work.

After spending a restless night at the Inn, the rising morning sun found Mathew standing in front of the entrance to the Grand Temple. He had heard from a passing Pilgram that it was named the Path of Passing Seasons.

The road itself was lined with towering trees whose leaves would shift through the full cycle of the seasons each day. In the morning, they would be the tender green shoots of spring, unfurl and grow to their full size at midday, turn gold in the afternoon and fall to the ground and cover the path in the evening.

Stretching his arms and neck, Mathew cycled the mana inside his body as he prepared for the coming conflict. He didn't want to hurt anyone; he just needed to buy time for the others to enter the Temple and take the Relic.

Mathew extended his hand, and his fingers slipped effortlessly into the shimmering fold in space that held his Inventory. The air around the rift shimmered and twisted in a silent vortex of shifting hues. His hand closed around the hilt of the Godslaying Blade of Wrath, and he felt a surge of power enter his body from the weapon.

As he pulled it free, the fold in space snapped shut and vanished as if it had never existed. The sword, glowing in the morning sun, let out a low, ominous hum as the sword thirsted for Divine blood.

"Not today." Mathew chastised, but the weapon's eagerness couldn't be stifled. He set off down the path toward the Temple.

With each step Mathew took down the Path of Passing Seasons, the very world seemed to tremble in recognition of his presence. The ground cracked beneath his boots, rippling outward in jagged fractures before mending themselves just as swiftly. The earth was caught in a cycle of destruction and renewal as the two powers competed against each other.

The sky above churned; clouds spiralled in unnatural formations as bolts of blue-white energy arced through the heavens. A heavy, crushing pressure descended upon the Temple ground.

Mathew's form expanded, and his muscles surged with divine strength as a brilliant halo of raw mana ignited around him. His eyes burned a brilliant blue, and the Godslaying Blade of Wrath pulsed in his hand.

Not satisfied by just doing this much, Mathew thought back to the Words of Power and how they had been capable of remaking the world around him. He needed a display to draw out every guardian in the Temple and the Demigod at its heart.

"A Starless Night."

Unlike when he had used the Words of Power, it was Mathew's own will imposing itself on his surroundings rather than communicating with the Song of Creation.

High above him, the sun flickered once before vanishing into an abyss of absolute darkness. The force Mathew had unleashed snuffed out the light of the sun like a dying ember, and a suffocating blackness swallowed the land, stretching out in all directions.

The great, shifting trees along the Path of Passing Seasons ceased their cycle of change, magical lights snuffed out, and fires sputtered and died. Every light in the city winked out, leaving the world blind.

But amid the endless darkness, there was a single source of light. The halo of power burning around Mathew flared even brighter, as if it were consuming all the world's luminance. It pulsed with raw energy, a storm of white and blue that crackled and hissed.

With a single motion, Mathew raised the Godslaying Blade of Wrath into the air and swung. A brilliant line of light erupted from the blade's edge, a searing arc of divine fury that cut through the endless dark. It streaked forward like a falling star and slammed against the Temple's magically reinforced walls.

Stone warped and split apart into a jagged wound that left its enchanted defences crumbling into dust. The light surged and expanded outward, leaving a glowing scar on the temple's surface.

When the light faded, the guards within rushed out to face him.