Battle for the tomb: divine intervention

The chamber changed, the statue disappeared along with everything else, only the blood and the hearts of the people remained visible. Suddenly, the blood began to tremble and took on a new form. From the blood and the hearts rose a creature made of hundreds of snakes, hissing as it moved towards Mortis. The voice of Osmirnis sounded again and said: "You have fought bravely. That's why I'm giving you a special gift. I'm sure it will make you happy. After all, my gifts are to die for."

Suddenly Mortis heard the voice of his system: "Disturbance heard. I have been forbidden to assist you in the ensuing battle. So you will also be denied my assistance. Good luck."

Mortis was a little surprised, but it seemed that Osmirnis had found out where some of his power came from. However, Mortis had adjusted to not relying solely on his system and had mastered his abilities himself. This included feeding his mana with his abilities. So he confidently reached for his scythe and confronted the tangle of snakes.

Mortis wanted to end the confrontation quickly and charged towards the monster. Although it was anchored in a fixed position, the snakes were of different sizes and lengths and snapped at him with lightning speed or shot him with poisonous fangs that flew at him like projectiles. Mortis suffered a quick jolt and tried to collect himself and analyze the monster.

The different snakes used different techniques and spells, making it hard to stay calm or approach the creature. The attacks were varied, but Mortis realized with a little time that the snakes followed certain patterns. He dared to approach the creature again and dispatched the lightning-fast snakes that reached for him and inflicted venomous bites.

To his detriment, the snakes he stopped were quickly replaced by new ones, and it seemed as if the snakes were adapting to Mortis. Mortis, however, became faster and faster, trying to destroy as many snakes as possible without being poisoned or otherwise harmed. His stamina steadily diminished, however, while the snakes managed to multiply seemingly endlessly, regardless of his efforts to decimate their numbers.

Mortis was growing weary of the fight and was now determined to end it. His scythe glowed darkly, and blades of wind appeared with each swing of his scythe. Faster and faster, he created a doppelganger, and both circled the snake knot, slashing wildly at it. Just before the doppelganger disappeared, he flung Mortis upwards. He hacked into the wall with his scythe, looked down, sighed and released the scythe, which glowed in all kinds of colors.

He dropped onto the snake knot, turned and swung his scythe, trailing a silver veil behind him. When he hit the snake knot, his scythe sliced through everything. When it touched the ground, an explosion occurred, crushing the snakes into powder. The room shook and collapsed, and Mortis found himself back in the familiar surroundings where the ugly statue of Osmirnis adorned the room.

With a grim smile, Mortis approached the statue and said, "I will free this continent from your clutches as well, and one day you will taste for yourself the atrocities you have committed. Wait and see, you won't be able to stop me, especially not with tricks like this." Then he swung wide and smashed the statue of Osmirnis.

The system's voice came back. "I'm back again. That was a first class fight. It's time, it seems, to move on so you can learn some new skills." Mortis smiled and was just making his way out when a hand grabbed his shoulder. Primus had not only changed the tomb, but appeared himself to take the maltreated souls himself. Together, they stepped out of the tomb and looked around, where the slaves had been freed and some of them had taken it upon themselves to judge a criminal.

Many were shocked by the burial site, which had blossomed like new, carefully buried the dead and provided the prisoners with food and clothing. Especially when a silver light came from the tomb Mortis had entered minutes ago. As Primus stepped out, her white wings spread and her silver armor shone. The souls gathered around her, and they knew where their place was.

The humans and the beastmen fell to their knees and realized that a goddess stood before them. Primus looked with sorrow at the victims and the tormented souls who had been so violently torn from life. Her hatred of Osmirnis and his followers grew ever greater. She ignored the thieves and criminals, they existed in every world, but she made short work of the bad ones and detached their souls from their bodies. She sent them to hell, where they would suffer for their deeds.

However, there were some followers who did nothing, who doubted and did not practice this inhuman slaughter, but were afraid to step out of the whole thing. Most notably, a disciple named Thomas who threw himself before his friends and begged Primus for forgiveness. He begged them to spare his friends; he himself would suffer for their sins, but he didn't want to see his friends die. Primus raised an eyebrow and scrutinized the young man. Then she spoke.

"I see you are not a bad person. But still, you let yourself be seduced. It's commendable that you want to sacrifice yourself, but how does that help the Remnant or this world?" Thomas looked up, not knowing what to say. Then Primus continued.

"I like your courage, boy. I want you to join me and build a temple here for me. I will send a priest and a guardian to train you to walk the right path of souls and thus serve the people helpfully to wash away your sins and guilt." Thomas knelt far down, pressed his forehead to the ground with his friends and thanked them for their kindness. Then Primus turned and spoke to the souls.

"Come home, my children, to a place where you will forget the harm this world has done to you." She opened a portal and stepped through. The souls on the tomb rushed to her and followed her into the realm of death. A few souls turned around once more, the burden lifted from them, and said goodbye to their families and friends. Then they too disappeared.