CXVI

"Ha ha! Finally! I never thought that giving a gift, especially one of power, would be so difficult. That said, your reservations would perhaps be commendable if they weren't so infuriating; hold onto them, and perhaps you may be able to avoid some of the swindling and trickery which plague those incapable of seeing when anothering is attempting to take advantage of them.

"So good! Now we can begin! My gift consists of these four parts: that of a name, of power, of information, and of an item which you may find to be of assistance – well, in some circles. You shall see when we get to that. Now, I can't have that Lector stealing the power I bestow upon you as soon as I give it, that would ruin our little game before it has even fully started; thus, the name shall be first, and with it, freedom for you for essentially the first time in this world!"

[No need to sound so excited about it yourself; that's just weird.] "I'm ready when you are."

"Heh heh heh… it wouldn't do to have me name you before you ever get to see me, if you would wait just one second…"

Suddenly, the eyes begin to rise, alongside the black mass which fills the pit; then, before my eyes, it begins to shape itself, to form into an ever more distinguishable figure until…

Even with the best of my efforts, a gasp escapes my lips as I stare at this being of pure terror. I had expected something benign, perhaps a humanoid skeleton with red lights dancing in its sockets. This expectation had left me totally unprepared for what floats before me.

If I had to begin to describe it, I suppose I must start with the word 'mummy;' dried out, sickly skin of green, black, and brown is stretched so tightly over narrow pointy bones that it seems as though the creature must rip when it moves. The creature is certainly humanoid, but hunched and bent, contorted in an unnatural and unsettling manner. Spindly fingers, every bone visible through the deceased flesh hand from blackened palms and arms from which every tendon seems to bulge.

Despite its appearance like that of the dead, it has very visible, elevated veins, pumping black liquid throughout its body. While its gaping mouth holds only a handful of teeth stained black as ink, its eye sockets are both occupied; eyes composed of a sickly yellow, with splotches of red, and murky, clouded pupils of white, are contrasted with the sinister yet lively red that floats visibly beneath their surface.

Adding to the mummy-like appearance, its clothing consists of strands of linen cloth which wrap parts of it loosely, accompanied by rusty chains which stretch deep into the pit from which it emerged.

Yet, even this description, nay, its appearance itself, is insufficient to describe the irrational fear I feel towards the creature; to me, it seems that if I am a creature of wrath, this is a creature of fear.

Upon seeing my expression and hearing my gasp, Rahvert laughs. "It would seem that my appearance has had its intended effect, hmm? Still, while quite frightening to mortals, it hardly has a dignity appropriate to the situation; allow me…"

Suddenly, before my eyes his appearance begins to transform yet again.

His shriveled hunched appearance becomes that of the past as his body straightens. His skin takes on a lustrous quality, becoming pale and faintly luminous. The film falls from his eyes, revealing their menacing glory. His back grows ever straighter, and slim muscles emerge where flesh was once emaciated. The features of his face grow more refined, and hair grows from his head. Finally, once his preferred body has formed, a set of simple, black robes encompass his figure.

The overall impression he now gives off is now massively different than how it had been only a moment before. Where a moment ago he had been a picture of concentrated fear, now, while still awe-inspiring, he appears far more dignified than he had.

Still, his appearance is not as I had expected; he only appears to be in his early twenties, with a full head of somewhat messy black hair and a body that is quite slim, though still healthy. There is a mischievous twinkle that is apparent in even his opaque eyes of red, and, combined with his lopsided grin, he is far from the image of a skeletal ruler of the dead that I had always imagined him to be.

No, far from being skeletal, he hardly even appears fully matured. Yet, he is still majestic; even without the pressure of his aura to inform me, I would never even consider placing myself in opposition to him, such a behavior would be the peak of foolishness. Something in the way he carries himself and in his unnaturally refined appearances shows him to be a truly insurmountable foe – though perhaps I only think that way due to my understanding of his power.

"So, what do you think?" he asks proudly.

"Well, it certainly does convey a sense of majesty, yet without lacking a casual nature. Truly, a balanced appearance," I answer honestly.

"Heh heh. Yes, I spent quite some time on this appearance. I have one other mainstay which I have not yet shown you, a majestic look with an aura of unrestrained evil and an appearance so menacing that it has been known to make grown men scream and run and cry like babies as they felt their impending doom approach. However, of my three favorite humanoid appearances, this is the one I reserve for interactions with my allies. Though only Reishvart visits as of late, it would seem that Kairon and Karnash have forgotten about me… hmph. Perhaps next time I will greet them in all my splendor, let that show them the deteriorated state of our relationship!"

I am unsure whether he should be viewed as an indignant ruler or a pouting child in a time like this, so I refrain from judgment entirely.

"Where were we? Ahem. Yes, my perfect appearance. I figure that if I am to be your benefactor, there is no reason to deal with you in such a way that would leave you uncomfortable, now is there?"

[Like there'd be any avoidance of such a scenario…] "Well, I certainly thank you for your considerations."

"Ha ha ha! No need to be so formal, you are to soon be a great power in the world! Though I must warn you, you had better not disappoint me, your conflict with Lector and the whole of the world had best be legendary, else I may kill you before they can get around to it!"

"Well, I will certainly try to make you happy in that regard. That said, I really need to see what powers I'll have access to…"

"Heh heh, we'll get to that. First, however, your name. Blah blah blah, don't resist and all that, I'm sure you heard this from your great rival before he stole your freedom, just follow his advice this one last time. I, Rahvert, God of the Undead, Lord of Blackness, Lurker of Lincaernus, Member of the Dark Council, Co-Founder of the Dark Order, Benefactor of the Red Guard and of the Vaicar and of the Sleidrrh, Master of Sorcery, and Ruler of Death and of Time and of Space, do bestow upon you, Anetor, a new name; from today forth, thou shalt be known as Soron, and your current name shall no longer hold any sway over you."

As soon as he finishes talking, I feel that all too familiar wave wash over me; in the span of less than a second, I feel all inherent attachment to the name Anetor fade away as I take on a new name – Soron! Sounds a bit similar to… eh, nevermind, it's a good name.

"Oho! It has been a long time since I've bothered to name anyone, I had almost forgotten this staring feeling of 'responsibility' that comes inherently with it, as though I have power over you yet also obligations… still, I can certainly see the appeal of this method of domination, so easy and natural, especially with a willing target!"

Saying this he gives me a sly grin. "So, now for the moment of truth, will I bestow upon you great powers that shall allow you to further your goals? Or will I take you as a slave? Oh, I bet the anticipation is just killing you right now!"

Seeing how I only shrug in response, he pouts for a moment before smiling again. "Aw, you really are no fun… though perhaps it is simply the case that you are not a fool and possess enough intellect to comprehend the numerous reasons why it doesn't really benefit me to take you as a slave… no fun all the same. Though I do certainly hate fools! Don't you dare forget that!"

[Eccentric, perhaps? Egotistical? Narcissistic? Maniacal? Hmm… what makes this odd fellow tick?]

"Well, I figure that there's little point waiting in anxious anticipation for an event that will either unfold or not with nothing I can do to change the outcome."

"Yes, well said… I suppose. Now tell me, do you feel my power flowing through your veins? The last time that I bestowed a name upon someone, it was Reishvart, and look how powerful he turned out!"

"Hmm… yes, perhaps I do notice something." And that I do. Though neither my skills nor my writable proficiencies have increased, there does seem to be a certain power that has accompanied my new name.

"Soron…" I whisper under my breath, feeling a chill of recognition. Yes, deep down inside me, I do feel an indescribable well of power, power that is not naturally my own but has been conferred unto me by the powers of Rahvert.

"Good!" he responds. "Now, tell me, what level is your elemental manipulation skill at at the moment?"

For the first time in a while, I pull up my stat window.

Name: Soron

Level: 42

Race: Human

Class/Job: Adventurer

Skills: Moderate Pain Resistance Lvl. 5, Grandmaster Madness Lvl. 9, Moderate Sight Enhancement Lvl. 7, Moderate Hearing Enhancement Lvl. 2, Moderate Resistance Lvl. 2, Lesser Heat Resistance Lvl. 3, Lesser Cold Resistance Lvl. 4, Moderate Thirst Nullification Lvl. 7, Moderate Hunger Nullification Lvl. 9, Moderate Sleep Nullification Lvl. 2, Greater Swordsmanship Lvl. 9, Moderate Melee Magic Conduction Lvl. 1, Greater Magic Sensory Lvl. 2, Greater Elemental Manipulation Lvl. 2, Greater Chaos Lvl. 5, Lesser Analysis Lvl. 4, Greater Wrath Lvl. 9, Moderate Strength Lvl. 9, Moderate Speed Lvl. 9, Moderate Magical Exhaustion Resistance Lvl. 3, Greater Madness Resistance Lvl. 1, Moderate Alchemy Lvl. 7, {Special} Eye Laser, {Special} Gelatinous

[Nothing notable at all, other than the fact that my madness resistance has fallen in level once again. And I guess my magic sensory has broken into the 'greater' range again, though I had already noticed that] At least, this is what I think; verbally, I only respond to his question by saying "Greater level two."

"Mm, it will level in time, that is hardly a problem. Now, what is of more interest to me is what will happen when you employ this magic."

Immediately, I catch onto what he is implying; in fact I had considered it already. After all, if the power increase I experience after being named by Lector was so grand, how much more grand must it be to be gifted some of Rahvert's abundant power?

"How about a basic fireball?" I ask.

"What is your strongest element?"

"Wind."

"Well, we may as well see you use that, then. No point in hampering your power in a demonstration."

While I disagree, holding firmly to the belief that it is best to underestimate oneself at all times so as to avoid a devastating and humiliating fall, I still do as he recommends; after all, I am no longer in any position to question his wisdom.

I form an orb of wind above my hand, before compressing it to what degree it accepts – or, at least, such is my attempt; my energy is fully compacted into a space smaller than a cubic centimeter, a whirling ball of densely cutting wind, before I realize that my ability to condense magic has been enhanced such that my level of magical energy is no longer sufficient to produce even a single maximally charged attack.

Seeing my prepared orb, Rahvert laughs. "Yes, I very much would like to see how you turn out. Now, hit the floor with that attack, being sure to aim sufficiently far away from yourself, of course."

I do as he commands, shooting the orb at a spot perhaps fifteen meters away. Without even so much as an explosion, the orb drills deeply into the rock, too far for me to posit any estimations regarding how far.

However, this is hardly any real issue, as I soon see. Rahvert laughs at these results, before applauding in a somewhat exaggerated, and yet seemingly sincere, manner.

"I am able to observe all that occurs within this tiny realm of mine, that attack carved nearly fifty feet into solid stone, truly an impressive display. Of course, that is more a reflection upon me than upon you; it is just that the only other creature that I named after I already possessed such power was Reishvart, and, as he was already among the mightiest of dragons, the increase in power was much less drastic."

"Oh? In what way?" I ask, suspecting the answer already.

"Well, imagine for a moment that every individual in this world has a single number representing the full of their power. Now, imagine that being named by me increases one's power by one hundred points. Reishvart was, proverbially speaking already at 10000 points, an increase of a hundred is not noteworthy. However, you are, say, at about two hundred on your own merit. Increasing your power by a hundred is suddenly rather noteworthy in your condition, does that make sense?"

"Yes, I thought that as much might be the case. Though, I must ask, is Reishvart really so much more powerful than I? And, by the power of this scale, how would you estimate Lector's power?"

"Well, it was merely a simple analogy, it cannot take everything into account. Still, I suppose I could estimate Lector's power… yes, based on what you told me about him, assuming that that one sorcerer was being honest with you, and, of course, relying upon the veracity of Lector's own statements, I would estimate his power to be at perhaps three thousand points."

"Hmm… Drastically more powerful than myself, but that really makes me wonder, how strong is Reishvart? To be at ten thousand points upon meeting you…"

"Bah! Enough with this silly points system, using it would be the height of foolishness, it fails to properly convey nearly any important detail about an individual! Still, I suppose I could still describe my friend a bit…"

A small grin forms upon his face as he begins. "Yes, Reishvart… the Dragon of Death, a joint project between my draconic friend Karnash and the god of death responsible for this world, Ashtar, when he was feeling a bit naughty. The only Dragon of Death to ever grace the world, he is formally on the same level as Karnateth, the ice dragon of the North, and Kleisnat, the fire dragon who reigns as monarch of the draconic kingdom – all are creations of Karnash in some form, who is the only dragon to be above them in terms of power. Of course, all of that is only formal; Reishvart is the product of the schemes of two misbehaving gods, he has always held reasonably more power than the Mountain King – which is to say, Kliesnat – and greatly more than Karnateth who rarely engages in battle and instead rules over the north with her sheer majesty – and by the power of her frost giant creations, of course.

"Though this balance was upset when Kliesnat obtained the Armor of Gods, Reishvart's possession of the Sword of the Heavens shortly thereafter allowed him to reassert himself as the strongest among the second generation dragons and second strongest of all dragons, behind only Karnash.

"So, as to your question regarding how powerful he is, I can only say this: Reishvart is undoubtedly among the five strongest beings who are active in this world, competing with that blasted king of the elves and the mightiest demons. Of course, there are many beings who, if they so desired, could involve themselves with the world; in that case, Reishvart would be quickly drowned beneath them. Kairon, Karnash, and I are all a good deal stronger than him, and we are on the weak end of the gods who could choose to interfere with this world. We are quite strong compared to the remaining gods on this world, but compared to beings like Aenae, Zaerae, or even just the god of this planet, we are not much.

"So, I suppose, you should always keep in mind that there's always a bigger fish out there. Reishvart is strong, but there are many stronger; one must devote the whole of one's existence to obtaining the power necessary to join the ranks of these ever stronger groups.

"Take Kairon, for example. When he first invaded this world only a few millennia ago, he was among the weaker demons worthy of being considered a god; now, he is among the stronger ones. Actually, now that I think of it, his power is probably on a comparable level to that of the god of this world."

"Wow, there really are some incredibly powerful beings out there."

"Heh heh, and you don't even know the half of it. Those gods at the top, Aenae, Zaerae, Garinator, refuse to comment on how vast existence beyond them truly is. However, it is known that there are universes besides this one, with gods of their own, that only these three have seen. In fact, the god of time, Arcaenas, is, despite being considered on the same level as those three, actually in charge of time across all realities and universes; he is, realistically speaking, the most powerful god known to have ever had any dealings with this planet, when he hunted down those foolish humans who attempted to mess with time itself.

"Yet, there are likely other beings on his level, and perhaps even some above. For example, it is hypothesized by some, and hinted by the highest gods, that all of existence, the multiverse in its entirety, an infinite realm of time and space, is only a single speck floating in a great void ruled by a god of such. Though, of course, that is merely speculation."

"Wait, I thought Ishtaak was the god of the void?"

"Only in this universe, it is likely that there is a multiversal god of the void as well, and, as just mentioned, a god of the void on a level even among that."

"Actually, I have been wondering about something. How can there be numerous gods ruling over the same domain, the same thing or idea? Obviously in the case of gods who aren't actually gods of anything at all, it makes enough sense. However, how can there be multiple gods of the void, for example?"

To my surprise, he just shrugs. "Who knows? All we know for certain is that there can be many gods representing the same thing, across many different countries, species, planets, and even larger scales, such as universes. The prevailing theory is that worship of beings on a level of power comparable to gods, such as myself, makes true gods, which actually represent something. Though, of course, this is simply a theory, though seemingly a rather well backed one. However, now really isn't the time for such things to consume your focus, even with the power I am giving you alongside your motivation, the odds of ever needing to know this, which is to say, of becoming a god, are quite slim.

"Now, let's move on, we haven't got unlimited time, there are things to do! First, there is information that I actually intended to impart to you, not this useless nonsense you keep weasling out of me! Now, listen carefully, I'm only going to say this once! And no questions, either!