Chapter 46
Chapter 46
“So a world is revolting against me?” Max asked.
“Not the world, just the other gods on it,” Jazzjak replied, motioning to the image displayed on the wall. “As you can see, it is the planet we named Naga Reef . Four gods and the lives you are responsible for are over 50% gone since yesterday.”
A few grunts came from his friends, who were all still dressed in their outfits from the party they had just left an hour ago.
“So you’re saying this is why most gods won’t be present on a world multiple other gods control after winning it,” Fowl asked. “This was the warning you gave years ago?”
Jazzjak nodded. “Exactly. Just because you win a world in the arena doesn’t mean you can hold on to it. Every time you acquire a new planet, you must face the dynamics of who else reigns there. Sometimes it might be a single god on that world, but most planets typically have two gods that join together for the sake of growth.”
“But they can’t come here,” Cordellia said. “That is a good thing.”
“It is.” Their helper nodded, pointing at the image of the world. “This one has more land than many other worlds, but these sections of seas are dangerous and covered with reefs and storms. From Max’s only visit, we found that four avian gods were similar to you all. The one who died by Kherbann or some other god’s hand was like them.” The vorpal rabbit paused, his padded fingers tapping against the table a few times before he sighed. “Every time you appear in the arena, other gods take notice. Depending on how the fight goes, they will make moves if they feel something is to be gained.”
“And they feel they can defeat me either through combat or by removing an entire race,” Max said quietly. “So what’s the plan?” Sog asked. “You going to go and fight?”
The demon’s question had been asked already by Fowl earlier, and Max had avoided answering it then, and frowned, still not wanting to make a decision.
“It’s just DP,” Tanila said. “You realize that. I can see you know that.”
“You’re right,” Max replied, doing what he could to not get frustrated at what was happening. “Still… people… some race… those who had no choice and are caught in the middle of this are being slaughtered. All so that someone can remove my claim and gain more DP for themselves.” He banged his fist against the table softly, making sure he didn’t break it. “I… Part of me wants to go there and ravage that world, but I don’t know what I’d be facing. Four other gods… the planet is a tier three, so it gives a good chunk of DP every day. Jazzjak said that means they’re strong and probably able to put up a good fight even if they aren’t tier five.”
“Wait, you’re thinking about taking on four gods at once?” Rakonath asked, his silver eyebrows raising. “That’s not a smart idea, even for you.”
“No, I’m not,” Max answered. “I asked Jazzjak what I could do to stop the slaughter of those under my name. The only way to do that is to relinquish my power and to shatter the core each of us has inside our special room.”
Max felt each of his friends sit back some in their chairs, shoulders rising at the mention of the shard he spoke of. His and Tanila’s were hidden deep inside a section of stone, far beneath Sunreach, near the magma that filled the center of their world. He had created a special box of stone. Getting to it wouldn’t be easy for anyone, even if they knew where to look.
A thread of disagreement came from Bob.
You still think we should fight…
I think you should destroy one of the other gods. With your speed, power, and our abilities, killing one and escaping before the others arrive should be possible.
Unless they are tier five gods. If they are, then we would find ourselves in a situation like the one we faced with Savantus. I’m not ready to be locked in another god’s domain and fight against them. We both know how the fight against Yukoreek went after he broke free from Eyorakoa’s domain. I’m not strong enough, and we both know it.
Which is why killing another god and taking their power would be a benefit to us. I understand your hesitation. Your helper is also correct in his assessment. Either way, we both know this next moment is not going to work out as you hope. Tanila’s expression tells you she knows it too.
Max steadied himself and gripped the table, doing his best not to be the next one to break it. “I’m going to surrender the claim. If I have to fight and there is no other option, I will fight, but I will attempt to flee if I am allowed,” he told Fowl. “What we did last night with our chosen means more than a world that I’ve only been on once and have become accustomed to the power it gives. Yet it is also the reason why I cannot sit here right now, knowing hundreds of thousands of living creatures will die because of me. Because of something I never knew would happen.”
“Does it matter, though?” Cordellia asked. “Think about it, Max. You and I… we know what pain is. We worked side by side to help those who were hurting. Everything you did before we defeated the tower was to acquire strength and protect those you love. Can you not for a moment just let these people—”
“No,” Max said, almost growling, his fingers snapping off a chunk of wood as he clenched his hands. He sighed, holding the broken piece, seeing the splinters that had flown in different directions. As everyone sat there in silence, he used his Wood Mastery to fix the broken spot and then stopped as two small splinters were waiting their turn to be added. With care, he grabbed the tiny pieces and held them up. “I’m like this table. I’ve been damaged, broken, beaten, and torn apart. Not always because someone was angry or upset, but because circumstances happened. And yet each time I was mended, made back to my original form, but sometimes… pieces are missing. Like these two. I’ll never be the naive guy who just wanted to bake. I’ll never be the man who wished he had never had to fight. This table didn’t get a choice of what it would be used for or its purpose when it was formed. I get to decide, though, what I’ll be used for. And right now, that part of me says I still have to fight for the innocents.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Max used his magic to float a splinter toward Sog. “Tell me, if your people were being slaughtered, and I knew it, should I come to try to stop it?”
His demonic friend nodded slowly, two large fingers grasping the wooden sliver before him. “I would expect nothing less from you.”
“But what if they were other demons? Not yours but perhaps demons created on another world? What if they were my demons and yet didn’t have the same attitude and outlook as yours do? Should I let them be slaughtered? Would you think less of me if I did so?”
Sog’s face shifted as he frowned and grimaced. “I… would expect you to go and help them. Anything else wouldn’t be you.”
“And what does Bob think?” Fowl asked.
Their dwarf’s sudden question made the room go silent, and Max turned to see his friend staring at him, frowning. “Do you really want to know?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t. Besides, I know others are probably wondering the same thing if I asked it,” Fowl replied. “I know you… I know what it feels like to have the burden you carry. Even worse, I know you well enough to know you carry more than you should. You’ve always told us that Bob cares about your survival more than anything else. So what did Bob say?”
A chuckle echoed inside his mind.
Common sense sometimes can come from the one you least expect it. Answer him.
Max sighed and nodded. “Bob said I should go and try to kill one of the gods on the world before departing. The possibility of what they might have would be a boon.”
“And you have a problem with that?” Batrire asked, putting her elbows on the table, resting her chin on them. “You don’t sound like you agree.”
“It’s not that simple,” Max replied, feeling the frustration of all the questions and opinions. “If one of them is a tier five god, and I pick a fight with them, I could find myself in a domain far worse than what Savantus had. I managed to escape a domain granted to an elf, not an actual domain from a true god.”
“So don’t go,” Batrire stated. “It’s that simple.”
Max could sense the frown on Tanila’s face and the slight bob of her head at their healer’s words.
“It’s not that simple,” Sog chimed in. “You’re talking about Max not being who he is. That would be like telling you not to heal someone sick or injured. Would you have told Max and Tanila no when it came to healing Miranna because you could get stronger or be safe by not doing so?”
“That’s not the same,” Batrire growled.
“It actually kind of is,” Rakonath said, holding up a hand between the demon and dwarf who were glaring at each other. “We’re asking Max to change. We’ve all changed since we met. Even since we started on this world forty years ago, we’ve changed. Am I not right, Jazzjak?”
Max watched as everyone’s attention turned toward their helper, whose head snapped back slightly.
“Uh… yes. Yes, you have,” Jazzjak replied. “I gave Max my honest opinion, and I’ll tell you the problem you all face.”
Before anyone could speak, the rabbit’s fingers were dancing along his tablet, tapping and swiping. Numbers appeared before them.
“Right now, Max gets 11,620 DP per day from this world we’re discussing. In a year that’s over four million DP. Giving up that much power, with roughly two hundred and fifty more years of protection left, means he’s giving up a billion DP. A little over half of the DP needed for tier 5.”
Some grunts came from his friends, and Max nodded, choosing to remain silent a little longer.
“I don’t like his odds against four gods,” their helper continued. “I also don’t like the fact that he is being pushed out of so much potential power, but now you see why those four are willing to do so. They stand to gain a substantial amount of DP in the coming time.”
“But why now?” Cordellia asked. “Why does this feel so… sudden? I mean, right after Miranna was affected the way she was, and Max’s interaction with one of the Nine. Surely if the god swore he wouldn’t interfere, he hasn’t broken it already.”
Jazzjak shook his head. “No, I don’t believe that Death is doing that. If you want my opinion… I think it’s happening because of Max’s fight in the arena. Or perhaps the better way of saying it is the lack of his fighting.”
“So he’s being attacked because he didn’t kill another god?” Cordellia asked, her eyes blinking rapidly. “What kind of stupidity is that?”
“It’s the law of nature,” Rakonath answered, giving her a hard look. “Those who do not attack or kill are sometimes seen as weak. The problem is that they often don’t realize they are wrong until it is too late, but they will test someone they think is weaker. It is like… those lions I read about in one of your books. A lion attacks whoever it wants, whenever it wants. Most do not attack the lion unless they think he is weak. Animals will only usually attack if they have larger numbers.”
“And that is what these gods are doing,” Jazzjak interjected. “You have four gods, all working together, seeing someone who didn’t fight, and they feel they can remove Max’s claim without any risk.”
A moment of silence passed before Fowl broke it. “So what is your plan?”
“I’ll go. Bob and I will use whatever skills I can to ensure that I stay alive, but my plan isn’t to fight.”
Max sensed his wife’s lips tighten for a moment before relaxing.
“Then go,” Tanila said. “I expect you home in a few hours.”