The rugged terrain of Aetherius was familiar to Ego now. For hours, he had roamed this jagged landscape, wiping out Void Beasts and steadily gaining levels. The thrill of his newfound strength was undeniable, but grinding alone wasn't enough. Ego knew that the real challenge lay not in the beasts or the world itself—but in the other players. Gods like him. That's what would truly test his mettle.
He checked his status again as he traversed the shadowy path leading toward a distant ridge. A divine aura—another player—was nearby.
---
[Ego, God of the Void]
Level: 3
Pantheon Rank: Mortal Deity
Followers: 1
Oracle: Elara
Divine Power (DP): 70/120
Faith Generation: +1 DP/min (per follower)
Attributes
Strength: 18
Agility: 20
Vitality: 15
Divine Power: 30
Intelligence: 22
Speed: 19
Skills:
Void's Embrace (Telekinesis – Lift and manipulate objects and enemies with the force of your will.)
Abyssal Rend (Tear in Reality – Create a rift that deals heavy damage to enemies caught in its wake.)
Summon Rift (Create a portal connecting two points for rapid travel.)
---
Satisfied with his progress, Ego smirked. He was getting stronger, faster, and his control over the Void was growing, but none of that would matter if he couldn't prove himself against other gods. He had been itching for a fight, and now was his chance.
He moved with predatory precision, using Void's Embrace to float silently over rocky obstacles, blending into the shadows. As he approached the ridge, the golden light of another god caught his eye. He squinted, focusing in on the player.
[Tauran, God of the Sun]
Level: 4
Attributes:
Strength: 22
Agility: 16
Vitality: 24
Divine Power: 35
Speed: 18
Tauran was physically stronger, but Ego had the edge in speed and intelligence. The gap wasn't so wide that it was unwinnable. Ego's fingers twitched, summoning his new ability, Abyssal Rend. This was going to be a challenge, but it was exactly what he had been waiting for.
Before Tauran could notice him, Ego tore open a rift in the air, black tendrils of void energy slashing toward the sun god with a crackle of energy. The tendrils hit their mark, striking Tauran squarely in the back. The radiant god stumbled forward, clearly not expecting the ambush.
Tauran turned, his eyes burning with fury. "Seriously? A sneak attack? You must be desperate, dude."
Ego stepped out from the shadows, a smirk on his face. "It's called strategy. You should try it sometime."
Tauran growled, summoning a spear of blinding light. "You think you can outplay me? Let's see how you handle this!"
With a quick flick of his wrist, Tauran hurled the spear at Ego, the radiant weapon sizzling through the air. Ego barely had time to react, instinctively using Void's Embrace to halt the spear mid-flight, wrenching it to the side and sending it crashing into a boulder.
Tauran's eyes widened. "Oh, so you're one of those players. Telekinesis spammer. Alright, let's dance."
Without hesitation, Tauran charged, moving faster than Ego expected. His fists glowed with solar energy as he closed the gap between them, launching a flurry of punches at Ego's midsection. Ego tried to dodge, but a few strikes landed, sending pain radiating through his torso.
"Not bad," Ego grunted, wiping the blood from his lip. "But you're about to see why they call me the God of the Void."
Ego summoned Void's Embrace again, telekinetically grabbing Tauran and lifting him into the air. Tauran struggled, thrashing in the invisible grip, but Ego held him fast, raising him higher.
"Cheap tricks won't save you forever!" Tauran spat, his body glowing brighter as he channeled more energy.
"Who needs forever?" Ego replied with a grin. He opened another Abyssal Rend, the black tear lashing across Tauran's torso, leaving deep gashes in his armor. Tauran screamed in frustration as the void energy gnawed at him, but he wasn't done yet.
With a roar, Tauran broke free of Ego's telekinetic hold, crashing to the ground in a brilliant burst of light. He summoned another spear, this one twice as large as the last. "Enough of this! Time to go full power!"
Tauran lunged forward, his spear crackling with divine energy. Ego barely had time to raise his hand, summoning a telekinetic shield to block the attack. The force of the impact sent him sliding backward, his DP draining fast from the strain.
"You really think that's going to hold?" Tauran shouted as he pressed the attack, his spear crashing into the shield over and over.
Ego's shield buckled, cracks forming as his DP dwindled. "Alright, alright. Let's try something else then."
Just as Tauran's spear broke through, Ego activated Summon Rift, opening a portal directly behind Tauran. He dodged backward through the portal, appearing behind Tauran before the sun god even realized what had happened.
"Surprise," Ego whispered.
He unleashed Abyssal Rend again, the rift tearing across Tauran's back. Tauran cried out in pain, dropping his spear as the void energy tore through his defenses.
But Tauran wasn't going down without a fight. He spun around, swinging wildly with his fists. Ego dodged, barely avoiding a haymaker that would've caved his skull in. He retaliated by using Void's Embrace to throw a large boulder at Tauran, but the sun god vaporized it with a blast of solar energy before it could reach him.
"You're tougher than I thought," Tauran admitted, panting. "But you're running out of tricks, aren't you?"
Ego smirked, despite his exhaustion. His DP was running low, but he had one more gambit left. "Maybe. But I don't need tricks to finish this."
With the last of his strength, Ego summoned the largest rift yet. The sky above them tore open, a massive void swirling overhead. Dark tendrils lashed out, wrapping around Tauran's limbs, pulling him upward into the swirling abyss.
"NO!" Tauran screamed, his radiant light flickering as the void consumed him.
As Tauran's light was extinguished, an orb of shimmering energy dropped from his body, falling to the ground where he had been moments ago. Ego approached it slowly, his breathing ragged.
---
Victory!
You have defeated Tauran, God of the Sun.
+500 Experience Points
+Rare Item: Sun Fragment
+Level Up!
---
Ego crouched down and touched the orb. Instantly, he felt a surge of energy rush through him as part of Tauran's strength flowed into his body.
---
[Experience Orb Absorbed]
+100 Experience Points
+2 Strength
+1 Agility
+1 Vitality
---
Ego's stats flashed in front of him, updating as he leveled up.
---
[Ego, God of the Void]
Level 4
Attributes:
Strength: 20
Agility: 21
Vitality: 16
Divine Power: 33
Intelligence: 24
Speed: 20
New Item Acquired: Sun Fragment
Description: A radiant shard of Tauran's divine power. Can be used to increase solar-based abilities or sold for high value.
---
Ego grinned as he stood over the fading remnants of his opponent. His victory had been hard-earned, but it had been worth it. He had grown stronger—and now, with Tauran's power coursing through him, the path to domination was clearer than ever.
More gods would fall. And he would be waiting.