I am Gideon. An Arch Divine serving the loving, warm and beautiful Goddess of Fertility. My liege.
I have been task with watching over a mortal that has caught the Goddess' interests.
It is a mortal filled with misfortunes in his previous incarnations.
A victim of a God.
Something unheard of since time immemorial.
And being the ever loving mother of those with life, my liege was terribly devastated and heart broken to the point of breaking down in tears on her knees.
Since gaining awareness of my existence, I had never seen the Goddess with such despair.
I recon it because she blamed herself for not ever noticing the abnormal troubles and unfair retributions that child of hers faced alone.
As the ever loving mother of all with life, the Goddess must've been utterly devastated at her 'incompetence' in caring for that mortal.
But in my opinion, the Goddess did not ever do anything wrong for her to blame herself like so.
There was no precedent of such an event ever happening since time immemorial after all. So no one would've ever foretell of it ever happening at all.
The Goddess. My liege. Is just that kind and loving to all.
So then, as a form of 'compensation' to wane the self infliction of guilt she imposed onto herself which I still thought as unreasonable, my liege sent me here to become the protector of this mortal.
To get a name with just this small task is very generous of my liege.
The mortal is currently getting inside an edifice after sneaking out of his abode.
He is on his way of his first attempt to progressing the halted advancement of this world in accordance to the deal with the Goddess.
Yet as he got inside the edifice I started to notice a foreboding anomaly and my instincts are telling me that something wrong might happend.
Because of this I stayed vigilant while the mortal progressed deeper and deeper into the halls. But he was able to find his destination faster than I thought.
I breathe a small sigh in relief. And let my vigilance go down.
Now, all that he needs to do is to trace his steps backward to get out of there.
And yet as if fate is telling me what's supposed to happen will hapenen regardless, the mortal is suddenly attacked by two other older mortals.
I jerked in action but stopped myself.
No.
I am not supposed to expose myself. I have to find an opportunity to help him secretly.
And so I watched as the mortal ran away all over the place from his persuers. He ran and ran into empty halls then climbed up a staircase into the higher floors of the edifice then hid inside a dark room muffling himself of any sound in the process.
I sneer.
How pathetic. You are someone with the great favor of the Goddess herself and this is how you act in the face of danger? Without any dignity at all that you're suppose to have having the favor of the Goddess. Weak and pathetic, cowering and shivering in a corner like a chicken.
I snort at the absurdity of his actions.
How could he? Having been favored he should have used it wisely so he can be dignified in any kinds of situations, flaunting to all the Goddess' grace.
Absurd. This is absurd!
While I was having such thought the two older mortals found his little refuge and started attacking him using magic. And likewise he retaliated using magic.
Yet his usage is too reckless. He is wasting too much magic power in that single attack.
It is a given since he has not started practicing in the field of magic at all since his baptism. While others would normally try out and practice their newfound power to get a better feeling and understanding of it, he chose not to and this is the result.
The attack appeared strong because of the excessive amount of magic power used and yet since it lacked practice the amount of magic power wasted is more than the amount being actually put into use. As a result, it was easily countered by the more experienced enemy mortal.
I keep watching waiting for the perfect opportunity to help him without being noticed.
He should be able to protect himself from a few attracts with the other skill he bought from the Divine apparatus from the Goddess. So I focus my attention on the two enemy mortals.
One of them rushed to the favored one with a dagger in hand. He should be able to take care of himself with his other new defensive skill.
I'll deal with the other one while they are occupied with one anoth---
*SPLASH!!!*
...
"Guh---kuaah!"
Suddenly from the peripheral of my vision I saw the favored one spitting out a mouthful of blood.
In a bout of panic I whip my head to the direction of the favored one. The sight sent my head into a nervous wreck.
No.
He's laid to the cold floor with his own blood.
No... Why didn't he defend himself with his other skill?
The other two mortals left the dark room immediately and bolted off to get out of this edifice.
I... To make such a blunder... Me?
...This...
I scramble on to his immobile body. I summoned my power to try and quickly heal his wound.
His heart had been stabbed directly. This kind of wound is very fatal. It wouldn't be strange at all to die almost instantly but...
NO!
You have been entrusted to me by my Goddess! You won't die on me!
I use an enormous amount of my power to heal him faster. I even used my divine power to make sure his soul doesn't escape this place.
If he had really died already, his soul would automatically travel into the realm of the Goddess of Death to determine whether they would be sent into heaven or hell and back into the cycle by reincarnation.
But if that happens, I am sure the Goddess would immediately find out. As my liege is close with the Goddess of Death, it wouldn't be strange if she informs the Goddess of his death as she too would surely know the Goddess greatly favors him. Spreading light of my blunder.
I have never failed ever. Since the time I gained my consciousness in the Divine realm and been made the Goddess' servant, I have never failed her.
I refuse to fail her now! Work!
Bringing the soul back into the body after death and bringing them back to life again is way outside the capabilities of my divinity.
I may be an Arch Divine but only a High Divine could do such a feat. And only they have the authority to do so, the punishment for attempting to is to wash away one's consciousness for several millenia. Nothing is more terrifying for us the Divines but...
The thought of disappointing the Goddess is more terrifying for me.
So please work!
The favored one's chest wound has closed and his body shouldnt have anymore. But he isn't waking up. His body should still be naturally recovering.
I checked whether his soul has left his body earlier and it turned out it didn't. But any later and it would've surely.
I heave a sigh of relief.
For me to make such an amateurish mistake... How embarrassing. So unbefitting of an Arch Divine.
As I reproach myself while wallowing on my own embarrassment the sudden thought of the two mortals crossed my mind.
That's right. I still have to take care of them. The Goddess told me to protect the favored one after all.
If those two finds out that he is still alive they might come again to try and harm him. So I have to nip the bud to its roots.
I stood up to follow the two mortals but stopped on my tracks.
I can't leave the favored one here while he is so vulnerable like this. I won't make such an elementary mistake again.
But I have to search for those two mortals now less they get away further.
How to go about this?
Then a sudden idea came to me. That's right, that way I could bring the body and also follow the two mortals.
I gathered all of my power inside me and condensed them together with my divinity. I made them as thin and as small as possible, almost negligible as to not harm the physical body of the favored one.
As Divines do not have a physical body to interact normally with the mortals, I cannot just bring him with me like carrying his unconscious body around.
Then an idea came to me. I could just occupy his body as a host to interact normally in this earthly planes of the mortals.
Like how the High Divines create a vessel to make as an avatar if they wish to interact with the lower world.
A vessel is a body with no soul that a Divine could decent to and occupy while in the mortal realm to make as an avatar.
While the favored one's surely isn't a body with no soul since he is occupying it, there should be no problem for me borrowing his body for a bit while he is unconscious though it'll be a bit cramped inside.
A mortal body could only handle one soul normally. The reason being, a mortal's body is just too fragile. And it having two consciousness in one would result to the repelling force of these two. With the stronger one taking over the body by purging or eating up the other.
This should be no problem however if the other consciousness is not active or asleep. As the soul would have no idea that its body have another in it so it would not take action to fight it over dominance of the body.
After making my entire existence as small as possible I entered through the forehead of the favored one's body straight into the brain to take over control.
With a pang of nausea because of the sudden unfamiliar sensations, I groggily stood up on my feet. I shake my head to get the sick feeling out of my system and finally start checking the body for any abnormality.
I nod in satisfaction. The favored one's consciousness is still sleeping at the corner of this body's mind.
Done with checking the state of the favored one, both body and soul, I start to slowly summon back my powers.
I release them little by little while taking note of the condition of the body. Once the body is filled and can no longer take anymore divine power I stop.
This amount is just about one percent of my divinity. But it should be enough to strengthen this body.
I check the body again, very careful as to not miss anything wrong.
Maybe because of the divinity, the hair of the body turned silver white. A symbol of divinity. Like the empty white space of the divine realm.
Since injecting my divinity into the body, every senses of it heightened astronomically. The eyes can see upto the tinies bumps on the surface of wall across the hall. The ears can hear all the noises inside this edifice and outside of it. The skin can feel the most subtle movement of air. The nose can determine and differentiate among all the scents in and out of the edifice. The tongue can even taste the bitter taste of the lingering air.
I start to refill the empty reserve of magic power of this body with my own and formed a rune of transportation magic. This must be the reason why he wasn't able to use his new defensive skill to protect himself.
Once I determined the location of the two mortals through my newfound senses I transfered near them.
After leaving behind the corpse of that nosey brat we immediately left the building, skillfully coursing through the alleys.
We finally arrived at the park where not many people go to. We parked our car there. A perfect and efficient spot.
I smirk at my cleverness.
We get into the car leisurely so as to not draw attention to the few other people present. Joking here and there at the success of this job.
There might've been a little mishap with that brat but it's perfect nonetheless.
With this the commission is done and we can finally get the money.
I am salivating just from the thought of the after 'party' tonight.
"Hehehe~." I laugh in a good mood as we drive away.
"Brother how should we party tonight?"
Looks like we are thinking the same thing. This guy is really my sworn brother.
"I found I new bar in the city. Why don't we g---"
*BANG!* *SCREECH!!!*
"Whoa-Whoooaaah!!"
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*
"B-brother! D-do-dodge! DODGE!"
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEECCCCHH!!!*
"Haah... Haah... Haah..."
"W-what's h-happening?"
My brother echoed my mind out.
That right! What's the heck is happening?!
Rocks! No. Boulders! Boulders are falling from the sky!
Are they meteors?! Are meteors falling from the sky right now?!
We got out of the car and took a look around.
Looking up, there are no flaming balls of rocks descending from the sky.
Confused. I look closely onto the boulders that almost crashed us to death.
They did not seem like meteorites alright. They just look like ordinary boulders. No flames anywhere. Even the craters they formed on the ground indicated that they didn't fall from very high.
This made me more confused.
"What the heck is this?"
Then as if to answer my muttering, a voice rang out and a figure walked out from behind one of the boulders.
"It seems you are fairly skilled at manipulating this metal apparatus. I give you praise for surving thus far."
A handsome guy with long flowing silver hair and golden eyes revealed himself, walking toward our direction.
Me and my brother felt extreme blood lust from the person and immediately ready to fight.
Who is he? Is he from boss' enemy faction? Those bunch of lessers? Did they hire a hitman? So they noticed us!
"Tsk." I click my tongue in annoyance.
Those bunch of lessers are really getting in my last nerves.
This hitman, he is strong. I don't dare take him lightly.
Using my magic to heighten my senses I can feel as if his magic power is never ending.
And continuing to gauge him further made me shiver like an ant facing a giant.
An illusion.
I'm sure it is. It could only be that. So it's a void magic user.
Those lots love to play tricks like this.
Thinking I would fall for such an obvious illusion? Brat! Only a God can possibly have this enormous and never ending flow of magic power! You dare trick me like this!?
"Brother this guy is looking down on us so much! I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
My brother is always thinking so alike me.
He conjured water and turned them into an ice sword. An advanced usage of water magic.
I smirk as I look at his enthusiasm.
I also conjured strong winds and transform them to produce electric sparks. An advanced usage of wind magic.
You dare underestimate us brothers, coming alone while without knowing we are advanced magic users? Ha! You must be panicking so much inside now brat! Go on shake in fear!
My brother rashed up to him with his ice blades and I send my electric currents his way as well.
I smirk as the current explodes at him with a direct hit rousing up a cloud of dust. With my brother following up to secure the kill.
I'm sure he's dead.
"Huu..." I breath as I relax my muscles dispersing my magic in conjuction.
"Let's go brother. We gotta report this to boss and ask him more money for this disturbance."
Ha! I'll use this event nicely and make him cough up more money.
I walk over to the car but did not sense anyone following.
I turn around in wonder. Is he playing around again?
"Hey brother---!!! "
*SWISH!* *BOOOOOOOOM!!!*
"Argh!" I flew from the impact and rolled onto the ground.
A flash of light and a slashing wave of flame flew and exploded the car on impact. Sending the surroundings aflame.
Including me.
"Aaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
I roll around on the ground in a panic to put off the fire. Finally, I used my magic to conjure a very strong gust of wind to blew it off.
"Haa... Haaaa... Haaaaa..."
I stare in horror as the previous cloud of dust cleared out and the burned to a crisp corpse of my sworn brother showed up. He has his arms up as if to attack, but was burned alive before his attack could even connect.
"H-hiiiiiiiiik!"
I screech in terror as the silver haired guy suddenly appeared in front of me on the blink of an eye.
"I-I won't go after t-those lessers anymore j-just spare me! SPARE ME!"
He lifted me up in the air with his hand on my neck in a choke hold.
"S-s-spa---- aaaak... guuuk!"
I was forced to looked straight to his face as he watch the life dwindle in my eyes.
I start to notice a creeping fact as I looked at his face.
Th-this guy! Isn't h-he the brat we k-killed earlier?
"H-H-how.....!?"
That question is left unanswered as I felt my vision turn red and I took my final breath.