{STEPHEN POV}
{REALM: THE SEA OF STARS}
{DEPTH 12}
As an astrologer with a PhD in the subject, Stephen wasn't the kind of man to really brag about his achievements. Sure, he graduated the top of his class during a year when there was stiff competition in terms of academics, and he might've casually discovered a few new things to add in his field while barely being a year into his studies, and he might've also invented his own brand of astrolabe that could be used to navigate in the modern day, but those were pretty much nothing compared to what he could really attain if he really pushed the boundaries of his skills. Seriously, the fact that he was also acting as Dean of Astronomy in Harvard was nothing compared to what he had in mind.
No, he wanted to name an entirely new star system all to himself.
There was nothing more he could ever want that would top that. Only then would his legacy be cemented and his name be plastered on every astronomy book that would ever be printed for the rest of time. Anything less than that would be nothing more than mere minor achievements, something that he already had tons of despite his efforts.
And then, he had a heart attack and died, something that he still couldn't believe even happened while he was dying on his death bed in some incompetent hospital. He almost thought that he'd die without ever achieving his dream right then, but through sheer divine will, he was somehow brought to life by the God of Space himself. It was as if destiny was truly telling him that his time had not yet come. That he still had more to achieve before he was finally put to rest.
"They're... they're just running away?"
Stephen's eyes narrowed as he watched the small speedboat he came across just casually float away from him. He would've guessed that they'd try to fight back with how aggressive they were in trying to find him, but now that they could actually see him, they were just... running away?
"You should take it easy there, my Champion," Astra casually stated from where he was currently lounging. The god was as laid back as anyone could get, something that the astrologer almost couldn't believe if not for the god just being that way. "They're not going anywhere, no?"
"I still don't get why you don't want me to just sink their ship," Stephen growled in annoyance. "They're not even doing anything. They're sitting ducks just waiting to get killed."
Being told that he had to win the Game of the Gods before he was truly revived was something that quickly stoked a fire in Stephen. He instantly knew that there was a catch to his revival, and if killing everyone else's dreams were the only way he could revive his, then that was what he would do. His life was cut far too short for his comfort, and he wanted all the accolades and fame. That was his one true wish.
"Little Nyx is a pretty chill girl, you know?" Astra lazily aired out with a casual wave of his hand. "She doesn't get to do much in the first place. Just let her have some fun, will you?"
"But I need to win to get my wish granted," Stephen gritted his teeth, doing his best not to raise his voice at the god that gave him this second chance. "Don't you want me to win this thing?"
"There's still a lot of time to do that anyway," the god chuckled. "Besides, I'm sure Nyx won't win even if she tried. She'll go far, I'm sure, but the others will probably stop her somewhere down the line."
Stephen hissed at the lackadaisical attitude of the God of Space. Truly, if he had his way, he would've just sunk these two Champions before they even knew what happened. But no, he had to restrain himself if he didn't want to upset his god too much. But then again...
"Your rule of noninterference doesn't mean that you can tell me what to do, correct?" Stephen reiterated with a feral smirk. "The opportunity to remove two Champions from the board is far too enticing to just ignore."
"Well, if that's what you wanna do, then by all means go for it," Astra shrugged. "I'm not telling you to stop, my Champion. I'm just telling you what I would've wanted to happen."
The God of Space lazily raised his hand, the glow of the universe faintly humming as their yacht finally began to move forward. Already, Stephen felt his veins thrum with anticipation as they slowly caught up to the small speedboat carrying his targets. Around him, the pre-made planets he had prepared began spinning faster as he exerted his power. For a brief moment, he thought about using his Trump on these poor Champions, but he didn't think that he'd even need such a powerful ability for mere pushovers. Granted, the small fire the woman caused on his ship gave him a bit of a scare, but a mere flex of his [Astral Low] quickly took care of such inconveniences.
"Can't this thing go any faster?" he impatiently stated at his god who was still lying down by the bridge of the yacht.
"What can I say? I'm just following the rules here," Astra coolly shrugged. "All of the Champions currently in my Realm all have ships that travel in the same speed."
Stephen sighed at the obvious answer given to him. He already asked that earlier, but perhaps it was foolish of him to think that time would change that rule.
No matter, his power was more than enough to push them forward anyway.
"[Astral Low]..."
Using his trusty astrolabe, Stephen flexed his power until two sizeable balls of gas materialized around him. Two gas giants with enough gravitational pull would be more than enough to speed them along. Letting them hover in front of the yacht, the waves around them began to grow larger as their speed increased drastically.
Truly, the power of the cosmos will never be topped. That was why he became obsessed with studying it in the first place, and having the power to create planets at will was more than enough power for him to win this Game.