"What brings Sir Commander into this lowly village?" the village chief said politely and respectfully, not daring to get on the bad side of the commander.
"Nothing much, just chasing some lead I got against some anti-Empire cult members. And it led me here, although it seems they are pretty good and have hidden their tracks well," the commander said calmly, confidence laced in his voice.
"I'm willing to help in any way I can, Commander," the village chief said, his demeanor shifting from fawning to seriousness.
The commander nodded, acknowledging the loyalty and dedication of the village chief toward the Empire.
"None for now. I see 'foreigners' appear in your village too," the commander said, briefly staring at Brian.
"It is indeed so, my lord. There's no explanation for it, though," the village chief said.
"I understand. Well, help them in the best way you can. They might become the strength that the Empire needs to survive the brewing storm," John said. "I've taken this genius under my wing and decided to be his mentor, guiding him to the greatness and top I believe he'll achieve. See to it that he's well taken care of. Also, when he's ready, give him this letter of recommendation. He's to find me in the Empire capital after he's ready. I believe your assistance will be highly needed if he's to succeed," John said, throwing a proud smile toward Brian—the Sword God.
"I'll see to it that he's well taken care of," the village chief said meekly while collecting the letter of recommendation meant for Brian at the right time.
"Hmm, I'm counting on you. He should be ready soon, I believe," John said before turning around and preparing to leave. Of course, he gave Brian some words of encouragement before leaving the tent and vanishing—the speed at which he moved creating the illusion of disappearance, though all he did was run at full speed. His speed surpassed what could be followed by the newbies, creating a blur.
"To be favored by Commander John speaks loudly of your luck and abilities. Ensure you don't let the opportunity slip away, young adventurer," the village chief said before excusing himself.
Brian smiled, believing this was finally the opportunity he had been waiting for to even the field with that monstrous Nemesis. Brian had been the best player in every game he had played, his techniques and skills unmatched, so it came as a huge blow to know there was someone far ahead of him in the game. With a huge smile on his face, Brian walked out of the tent, planning to level up quickly and leave the village. He deeply believed that the faster he left the village, the faster he could catch up with Nemesis.
He was walking happily when he froze immediately, the system announcement pouring cold water on his dreams.
[World Announcement]
[Congratulations to player Nemesis and Scarlett for achieving an impossible feat and becoming the gods of Leviathans and all sea creatures.]
'What the heck is this? Another impossible feat? Gods already? How did he even accomplish these feats? Or is he really using a cheat? No, there's definitely no way such a high-level game would accommodate a cheater or possess a bug that could be exploited,' Brian thought, his mind racing. With a defeated face, he headed toward the forest to grind and level up.
---
************
"My Lord, the foreigners have brought two mythical beasts under their heels. Don't you think it's best to nip the bud?" Agares, the Demon Lord, said to the Demon God with utmost respect.
"You see, that's where you get it wrong. You see them as a threat, a thorn that should be destroyed on time, but I see them as plants growing well, waiting for me to harvest them. They're exactly what I need to gain an upper hand against the damn Celestial King. Devouring them with their divinity will definitely push me to become the strongest. Ruling the whole world would no longer be a daunting task. Keep tabs on them. I shall wait a little longer before harvesting such delicious fruits," Baal, the Demon God, said with a cruel smile etched on his face, unaware that even if he acted now, it would only result in his own embarrassment.
---
************
Nemesis and Scarlett turned off the system notification, finding its announcement bothersome and a pain. Nemesis had shared his talent with Leviathan and shared her bloodline, granting both him and his sister the bloodline of two mythical beasts. Their strength had greatly risen. Nemesis and Scarlett checked their stats to see the improvements made.
User: Nemesis
Title: God of Dragons and Sea Creatures
Job: N/A
Level: 20 (1000/2000 EXP)
Health: 70,000
Strength: 36
Speed: 25
Stamina: 40
Intelligence: 51
Constitution: 60
Divinity: 20
Free Attribute Points: 0
Talent:
EX Rank - 100% Absolute
S Rank - Talent Share
Dodge Rate
??? Rank - Death
EX Rank Talent: God of Wealth
Bloodline: Primordial Dragon
Bloodline: Primordial Sea Dragon
---
User: Scarlett
Title: N/A
Job: N/A
Level: 15
Health: 60,000
Strength: 25
Speed: 21
Stamina: 35
Intelligence: 75
Constitution: 50
Talent:
EX Rank Talent: Goddess of Wealth
EX Rank - 100% Absolute
??? Rank - Death
Bloodline: Primordial Dragon Bloodline
Bloodline: Primordial Sea Dragon Bloodline
Their stats had undergone a massive upgrade, with intelligence and constitution gaining the most for obvious reasons.
Nemesis clicked on the Primordial Sea Dragon Bloodline to see its perks.
[Primordial Sea Dragon Bloodline]
Bloodline: Primordial Dragon
The bloodline of the first sea dragon.
Physical and Magical Immunity:
As the bearer of the Primordial Dragon Bloodline, a creature of the universe, you are 60% immune to physical and magical attacks.
Creature of the Deep:
You're favored by the deep. You gain the ability to breathe underwater, resist the pressure of the deep, and your movements and abilities are not impeded by water.
Dragon Tongue:
You can use the dragon tongue to shape the fabric of reality through words enforced by mana.
Dragonification:
You can transform into a full dragon at will, gaining wings for flight at twice your speed stat while consuming very little stamina. You can release great water waves through your dragon lungs and have strong, reinforced limbs and a dragon heart, which increases your mana capacity.
Water Control:
Your control over the element of water is second to none. Water in every form will answer your beck and call.
Primordial Wave: (Locked)
Nemesis was pleased with the acquired bloodline. He noticed subtle clashes between the two bloodlines and suppressed them as best as he could, firmly believing that the Golden Lion Bloodline was the last bloodline he needed to gain something truly unique. The thought of it caused him to smile sheepishly.
He checked the new title he had earned quietly:
[Title Earned: God of All Sea Creatures and Creatures of the Deep]
As the God of Leviathan, ruler of all sea creatures and creatures of the deep, you are the god of all sea creatures and creatures of the deep. The loyalty of all sea creatures and creatures of the deep remains 100% at all times. The user is unable to hunt any sea creatures or creatures of the deep to gain experience or loot.
All sea creatures will obey your call and words irrespective of level (locked).
Greg was impressed. With this title, he now had command over both air beasts and ocean beasts, slowly amassing an army that would not fall behind those of the Demon God or the Celestial King—absolute powerhouses. The only thing he lacked at the moment was true divinity.
"Brother, isn't this going to be troublesome? We might be unable to level up from beasts if we proceed with your plans," Annabelle asked, clearly worried.
"Silly girl, there are many ways to level up. Demons, for instance—I'll gladly kill them to grind," Greg said, his face resembling that of an evil villain.
He checked his divinity and was pleased to see it had risen again. His divinity could have been quadrupled or more if he had chosen to be the sole god of Leviathan and Drakonix, but how could he not offer his sister some benefits? Shaking his head, he turned to Leviathan, who was smiling like a child since gaining Greg's talent.
"Now it's time to get the final target—the Golden Lion."
Leviathan and Drakonix became super excited upon hearing Greg's statement. The thought of finally putting the damn lion in its place was welcome.
Greg, seeing their reaction, was speechless. "Wait, it can't be that you guys were beaten by the Golden Lion, right?" he asked suspiciously.
Leviathan and Drakonix bowed their heads in shame at Greg's words.
"He's just too strong. He beats the hell out of us if we dare annoy him. And he's a crazy guy who doesn't hesitate to hit you if you look at him the wrong way," Leviathan said dejectedly, before hurling curses at the Golden Lion.
Greg was fascinated by this discovery. To think the Golden Lion could defeat them outright without dragging the fight out was intriguing.
"Very well then, we set off to capture the last prey."
The sibling duo mounted the mythical beasts, and the journey to add the final member to their team began.