Chapter 153 - Punishment And Retribution

One year later

Zeel woke up in his cozy apartment with two bodies wrapped around his own.

Over the past year, he had noticed that Elizabeth's appearance was taking a unique turn, after her Felian inheritance her eyes became a much brighter silver-golden.

Elizabeth's hair was now also becoming the color of her eyes with a few mix of colors near the root endings: purple –lightning, and blue –water; each color representing the elements she had become proficient at.

She now appeared as a young woman in her early 20's, which is good considering she was now 55, though it was much more appealing compared to her teenage appearance back on Lorien.

Alice, on the other hand, actually appeared to be younger than the youngest, which was Elizabeth.

Alice looked around 19 years of age, considering she was the oldest already 67 years old. Zeel once reminded Alice that she was older than himself by 2 years.

He later remarked that she had become a grandmother worthy of the title 'World Sexiest'.

This joke made him go sexless for an entire month, granting the girls adequate time to explore their Yuri nature due to lack of his presence in the bedroom.

Alice's appearance was still as vibrant as it was on Lorien but has recently gotten fierier as the divine spark she kept on her body at all times had somehow leaked energy into her body.

Over the past year, Zeel had been scouring the Multiversal currents from his MBeamer to find some way to upgrade the nanites.

However, Zeel soon found that the nanites upgrades required metals from at least a Prime Universe to upgrade.

Zeel was reluctant to accept the fact that his nanites would remain stagnant in development for several years to come, so he tried many experiments to enhance the nanites.

All ended in failure as Zeel almost managed to permanently damage the nanites.

Likewise, Zeel noted that Project Clone Resonance had also hit a dead end because he would often receive an unknown interference whenever he attempted to create clones.

On the upside, Zeel had managed to make progress with both Project Extinction and Project Improvements.

Project Extinction was mostly Zeel trying to uncover the mystery of the T-virus to further improve the Z-virus in his system.

Zeel had found a possible Universe where a stronger version of the T-Virus may exist, but he had yet to fully understand the true nature of the T-virus.

During his time studying it, Zeel has found that this Virus was highly adaptable and capable of learning.

The T-Virus was very ancient and this alone made Zeel very cautious of it. Zeel stored the coordinates of the Universe in his Mbeamer and forgot about the matter.

Project Improvements were progressing steadily as Zeel made cold weapons using Felian notes, Loric Runes, and rare metals.

The weapons were sturdy but Zeel was no talent in forging, so he doubted the weapons could hold for long in an actual battle.

Alice had begun to feel uncomfortable keeping the Divine Spark for much longer.

Zeel was considering making a new containment unit for the divine spark but found the longer they kept it, the more unstable it became.

So the trio together came up with the plan for Alice to consume the divine spark and begin her ascension to godhood, though this would serve as an experiment of sorts since it was the first time they would attempt such a feat.

"Ready? Remember you can't use your abilities for a couple of years and even then it is limited in what you can use since this is the first time we're attempting something like this," Zeel explained as he took the vial of blue-black flames from Alice.

Zeel reminded both Alice and Elizabeth that becoming a god for the first couple of years would leave them powerless since it would conflict with their Lorien granted abilities.

At first, a Divine spark is unstable and cannot be used, so most gods use their divine bodies to stay alive during this period.

This was also the reason why most beings skip godhood altogether unless absolutely necessary.

"Elizabeth, ready with the blockers?" Zeel asked slightly anxious since he didn't know what detriment godhood would bring along, but Lorien said the greatest burdens were prayers and being a slave to your divinity in the beginning stages.

So Zeel created calibrated the vibrational blockers to also block outside metaphysical energy layers – prayers and the like.

Elizabeth shrugged "I was born ready babe,"

"Okay let's go," Zeel said waving his hands as they were pulled into a nearby wormhole and exited at some location near Antarctica.

Zeel then had Alice kneel as he opened the vial and set the opened end at the center of her forehead.

The flame inside the vial sunk into her forehead, and soon the entire flame had disappeared from view, what followed next was very lackluster as nothing amazing occurred.

"That's it?" Alice asked a sentiment echoed by Elizabeth if her facial expressions were any indicator.

However, just as they were about to check again if everything had gone as Lorien indicated.

*Booom*

Alice's body began cracking as blue flames danced on the surface of her skin, her bone structure was completely changing, her hair becoming a mixture of blue, red, and black.

Alice's eyes became as dark as the abyss, lacking any pupils.

Soon her body could no longer handle the power of the divine spark and it began to crack little by little.

Alice's body was leaking blue flames between the cracks on her skin, even an idiot could tell that it was a precursor to an explosion.

"Elizabeth contain the power!" Zeel shouted as Elizabeth used her ice as a cocoon to suppress the overwhelming flames erupting from Alice's body.

Zeel made his way towards Alice, placing his hand on her shoulder, an action that immediately resulted in 3rd-degree burns, still, Zeel did not release her shoulder as he whispered loud enough for Alice to hear "Control, you have to show dominance. Your body can handle it, just show your mind can as well,"

Zeel was experiencing intense pain as the flames around Alice charred his skin and soul. Still, he stayed next to Alice and slowly calmed her down.

*AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH*

Alice yelled as a blue column of flame shot up into the skies, extending as far as space, sending a signal for all to witness the birth of an Ascending God.

A flame-like aurora covered the planet, a testament to the birth of an ascending, something not seen for possibly thousands of years in any world – known and unknown.

Everyone performing bad deeds at that moment was slightly burned by the flames that engulfed the skies.

Alice POV

After the wisp of flame sank into my forehead, I felt nothing other than an itch I couldn't scratch; however, things soon became too intense.

I began to feel subtle changes in my body till the transformation erupted to the surface.

I could feel myself burning, but it was not burning my skin at first but more like it was burning away my impurities – the sins I had committed.

Every decision I made, good or bad was being refined, my sins were burning… then after all my sins had burnt, the power began demanding more to burn, it was then I heard them – humans praying, all asking for something, beginning for something, pleading for others, some for themselves, others for greed.

And the thought struck my subconscious, I have an entire world to burn, Retribution and Vengeance must be carried out for those who could not.

It was a dangerous thought that I immediately suppressed – a suppression that made the pain intensify as I was not adhering to what my divinity demanded of me.

It was akin to denying myself and worst it felt like Zeel and Elizabeth had denied me also.

Just as I was about to erupt, I heard a soft whisper in my ear "Control, you have to show dominance. Your body can handle it, just show your mind can as well,"

My will once again fought back against the need for vengeance and retribution, I yelled in my mindscape 'You listen to me! You are a part of me but I am in control and always will be. You burn when I tell you to burn, or I will snuff your flames out,'

This threat immediately got a response as the flames simmered down and settled in my mindscape – no longer as intense as before, but more like a small flame that could be blown out at any moment.

Then I felt a change as if the flame was attempting to fit me better as if we were reaching a compromise… and that compromise left two distinct feelings that now dominated my mind – Retribution and Punishment.

'Guess it's a shy guy, huh?' I thought as I patted the flame-like animal, to which it responded eagerly for my approval and caress.

I also noticed it was too small at the moment, guess it needs time to mature and grow that's why ascending gods can't use their divinities right away.

I instinctively knew that growing a divinity was like raising a child – a child I have always wanted with Zeel.

I felt a bit downtrodden at losing my telekinetic abilities.

'Whatever' I thought 'I was badass way before these abilities ever became a thing, besides I kind of missed having to smash skulls the manual way,'

With that final thought, I blocked out as their prayers once again filled my mind.