At Leo's command, a massive shadow spear wreathed in dark flames erupted from the ground between them and the godlings. At first, it seemed like it would miss, but just a few feet away from the twins, it split in two and dove for their heads.

  The godlings' eyes widened as they raised their bows to meet the technique head-on. Maybe it would have worked, too; after all, Nyx didn't even get that much time to prepare this sneak attack. Unfortunately for them, they weren't facing one monster.

  They were facing two.

  Essence exploded across Leo's entire body, the violet mass of Stormveil mixing with that of Ruination. Spectral Fury came alive, too, along with every other passive ability he possessed. Then, once Nyx's attack collided with the godling's bows, he made his first move.

  In a burst of Blink, he appeared at Artemis' side mid-swing. The goddess's eyes opened even wider, but she could do nothing when Leo released the technique building up in his blades.

  Obliterate. Eruption.

  Two arcs of raw destruction left his blades as he finished the swing. The red and black of Ruination raced alongside a cracking streak of violet plasma, both trying to outdo each other as they struck Artemis' head.

  The goddess couldn't even scream for help before the two elemental powers obliterated her upper body and continued barreling straight toward Apollo.

  To give credit where credit was due, the god of the sun tried to move, to escape out of the path of certain death. Yet, in doing so, he exposed himself to Nyx's continuous elemental assault. Her shadows slipped past his poor defense, coiling around his limbs and locking him in place.

  Leo's elements arrived a second later and, just as with Artemis, cut through the god like he was made out of paper. Headless, he dropped to the ground, joining his sister in a puddle of golden blood.

  Nyx snorted in their link. 'That was anticlimactic. I expected more from a pair of gods. Of sun and moon no less…'

  Leo remained silent at first, his gaze fixed on the bodies. He frowned and nudged the nearest corpse with his tail. Something was off here. The System still hadn't delivered any notifications, and his bloodlust still burned as if waiting for the battle to continue.

  Don't lower your guard just yet, he warned through the link. I don't think we are done here.

  'What do you—'

  Whatever Nyx had meant to say was lost as a golden and silver glow erupted from within the two corpses. The light expanded, swallowing their fallen forms until all that remained were two pulsing cocoons of pure energy.

  Then, with a loud crack, they both shattered, collapsing into countless tiny motes of light that swirled in the air. Within seconds, they were gone, racing back toward the sky.

  Leo sighed. "For once, I wish I was wrong…"

  A moment later, the entire realm shook, and a sudden gust of wind arrived next. At the same time, the skies above them flashed—one half filling with a massive silver outline of a goddess, the other with a golden silhouette of a familiar god.

  Even though the figures in the sky weren't real—just images painted across the heavens—Leo still felt the weight of their gaze. His shoulders tensed. The wind howled, and another flash of light split the sky, this time bringing rain with it.

  Only, it wasn't normal rain.

  Massive arrows, golden and silver, fell from the skies all across the realm, each the size of a javelin, capable of skewering a man alive. Leo and Nyx acted quickly, summoning their combined power to create a shield above their heads.

  What in the hell are they doing?

  Wherever the arrows fell, they exploded. The golden ones left behind small areas of eternal flames that didn't even harm the surroundings—the wave of heat that washed over the realm, though, couldn't be ignored. The silver arrows, in turn, were harder to figure out. Leo only understood their purpose when one struck the shield above him.

  His barrier cracked just a bit, but that wasn't all.

  A wave of weakness, one reminiscent of the darkness back in Athens, washed over him. However, just like back in the Tainted Wasteland, it failed to do more than slightly disrupt his Essence. Hell, he would argue it wasn't even half as annoying as the dark element had been.

  Leo shook his head. So that's what you meant—sun burns, moon weakens. I should have expected it to be something obvious. Still, what now? He glanced at Nyx. Any ideas this time?

  The feline scrunched her brow, her gaze sweeping across the landscape. Thanks to the relentless rain of arrows, half of the forest was now ablaze, while the other half was bathed in an eerie silver glow. No sight of the two godlings, though.

  'Maybe the temples?' Nyx suggested, tilting her head. 'Even if they aren't hiding there, maybe destroying them might lure them out.'

  Huh… Leo shrugged. Worth a try. Think you can do any real damage?

  The feline grinned. 'I will definitely try.'

  That got a chuckle out of him. Let's go then.

  With a nod at each other, they launched into the air, spreading their wings. The javelin-sized arrows continued to fall, but none came close to hitting them. Even their sheer numbers could not beat Leo's and Nyx's superior speed.

  Within a few seconds, they neared the two floating temples. Wasting no time, they summoned their respective affinities.

  Nyx began by circling the area, summoning more and more burning shadows that trailed behind her like a living wave. As she picked up speed, the swirling mass shifted, morphing into a full-fledged tornado of dark flames.

  Not to be outdone, Leo opened all the floodgates within his soul and allowed Stormveil to spill over his hand. The element wriggled as he fed it intent and slowly gave it shape. Once the newly formed orb could hold no more power, he hurled it skyward—straight above Apollo's temple.

  A clap of thunder washed over the realm, drowning out the constant explosions of the godlings' arrows. The orb exploded, filling the small part of the sky with a swarm of violet miasma.

  Nyx must have taken it as her cue.

  Her tornado of dark flames descended upon Artemis' temple, tearing into it like a wrecking ball. Walls cracked, roof tiles blasted apart in every direction, and within moments, the building crumbled under her assault. Either Leo had underestimated the power of her slowly combining elements, or the entire structure was weaker than he had thought.

  My turn then. He smirked, reaching out for the connection with his technique. Call of the Storm.

  Another thunderclap answered his call, jerking the cloud of miasma high above. It shifted, converged in a single point, and fired.

  A thick streak of plasma, the color of storm-lit dusk, split the sky as it descended upon Apollo's temple. What happened next put almost everything Leo had seen before to shame—except the destruction of the Supercluster Core.

  The divine flames burning across the temple's roof didn't stand a chance against the power of Stormveil. The violet streak brushed past them, obliterating everything in its way and storming inside. There, it finally exploded.

  Despite floating above the ground, the entire realm trembled as the temple came apart. Walls disintegrated, shattering into millions of pieces. The floor and the rest of the roof followed, bursting apart and joining the rain of arrows.

  Within a second, maybe two, nothing but a crackling cloud of lightning remained in the place of the temple. And soon, even that faded along with the golden and silver silhouettes in the sky.

  Their task came to an end. The temples were no more.

  The rain stopped.

  'This is it?' the feline asked as she came to a stop next to him. Her breath came out a bit ragged.

  Leo shook his head. No, but we are getting there.

  "You dare?!"

  Those two words washed over the realm, loud and booming, a combination of the godlings' voices.

  "You dare to desecrate our sacred land?!"

  Leo shared a look with Nyx, and they both rolled their eyes. What did these gods expect? For them to fold over and leave when the entire sky had turned against them?

  He chuckled wryly. "Should have faced us yourself instead of hiding behind clones! Come out, or your little forest will share the same fate as your temples."

  "As you wish."

  For a fleeting moment, Leo thought this would be it, that the duo would come out and face them like Balor and Ddraig did. But considering the lengths they had already gone just to make the Greek godlings speak, he really should have known better. Even if the two didn't seem too powerful, they definitely prepared their realm for war.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  And so, as every tree in the forest lit up and howls of different animals erupted across the realm, he could only sigh at Nyx's next statement.

  'This is going to take a while, isn't it?"

  Yeah…

  Leo growled as he cleaved through another wolf made out entirely of silver energy. Its form flickered out before reforming a few feet away, rejoining the battle alongside dozens of its kin. Other spectral animals also fought around him, most facing his Stormveil or shadow creations.

  Nyx? How is it going? He grabbed a stag made of golden energy before slicing through its neck. Because I swear, there are more of them now, not less.

  'I have another one in front of me. Just hold on.'

  He scowled, releasing an arc of Stormveil that cut through a couple of silver and golden animals. Of course, they again reformed after a moment.

  Easy for you to say. I'm the one facing an undead army and two annoying archers.

  As if summoned by his thoughts, two arrows descended on his position. Leo leaned out of the way of the silver one and cleaved the golden one in half with his blade. His tail, wreathed in Ruination, lashed out next, reducing another dozen constructs to nothing. Unfortunately, not even the power of the Void could stop them from reforming.

  'Stop complaining. They can't harm you anyway,' Nyx chided. 'And if they do, I will remind you about this till the day we die.'

  Rude… Leo grumbled but refocused on the battle. Just hurry up.

  'I'm going as fast as I can. This isn't easy on my Essence reserves. Moving in this form for so long… Also heads up! Another tree down in, three, two, one… Now!'

  On cue, Leo jumped high as several of the creatures beneath exploded. This time, though, they didn't reform.

  That's the sixth one, he thought to himself.

  Back when the forest first came alive and the silver and golden animals arrived, they had no idea how tedious the next stage of this fight would become. Really, how could they have predicted that the godlings had bound the lives of their creations to random trees scattered around the realm?

  If not for Nyx accidentally destroying one and noticing the creatures linked to it vanish permanently, they might have been stuck here for days. Or not, as at some point, Leo had seriously considered just carpet-bombing this entire place with Ruination and Call of the Storm.

  Nyx's discovery, however, stopped that idea from becoming reality. Which brought them to this moment, with the feline speeding around the forest in her smoke form, destroying every special tree on the way.

  Apollo and Artemis had tried to stop her, but thanks to her invulnerability, they quickly gave up. Instead, they focused on annoying Leo by shooting arrows at him from every possible direction.

  Now, that wouldn't be an issue if they showed themselves. But no, once again, they only appeared for a short moment before bursting into motes of light.

  More clones.

  Those two sure love their constructs… Leo growled and plunged his blades into the soil beneath him. In response, Stormveil erupted around him, surging out like a tidal wave and swallowing everything in its path.

  Every single construct died. Not for long, though.

  'Got two more here. In five.'

  This time around, Leo didn't beat around the bush and jumped with his wings extended. Over a dozen animals exploded beneath him, bringing their number below ten.

  Just to make himself feel better, he slammed back into the ground, releasing a shockwave of lightning from his wings. The blast obliterated the remaining constructs. Not that it mattered—not when the two archers decided to show themselves for the first time since this mess began.

  Leo didn't give them a chance to react.

  He vanished in a series of Blinks, the crackle of Stormveil following his every jump. He appeared right behind Apollo and cut the god in half. Before his body could fully disintegrate into motes of light, Artemis met the same fate.

  So bloody weak! He growled, and his bloodlust spiked in agreement.

  Flashing back into the middle of the remnants of the reforming swarm, he spun around, a wave of Stormveil following in his wake. The creatures vanished again, their light racing away from him to reform in the distance.

  If only Devour worked on you…

  He sliced through another barrage of arrows that came out of nowhere and retaliated with a bolt of violet miasma. It struck a tree instead of an enemy, but he still felt a flicker of satisfaction as the trunk crumbled into splinters.

  'Another one in sight. Now!'

  Leo barely had a second to throw up a wall of shadows between himself and the remaining constructs before they exploded. He activated his wings again and took to the skies. There were no more reforming constructs in sight.

  It's done, he called through the link. You can return.

  'Finally… What now? Do you see them anywhere?' Nyx said, exhaustion coating her every word.

  No… Leo shook his head even as his eyes darted in every possible direction. Don't worry about it, though. Come back and combine with me for a bit. Catch a breather.

  'With pleasure.'

  As their link quietened, his eyes finally found the two gods floating high in the sky. The wings on his back erupted in a surge of Essence, preparing to shoot forward the moment Nyx reached him.

  Only he never got the chance.

  The godlings disappeared just as the sun and the moon began to move across the sky. Instead of keeping their usual distance, this time they gilded toward each other, slowly meeting in the middle.

  The moon took its place before the sun, and an eclipse descended upon the realm.

  Leo's wings flickered out, snuffed like a candle in the wind. His other abilities faltered—not gone, but became sluggish, unresponsive. He clenched his fists, wrestling his Essence back under control, though it felt distant, like trying to move it through water.

  Only his bloodlust didn't change. If anything, it became even stronger.

  What now?

  Just then, the fires began.

  They erupted all over every remaining trees in the forest. However, this time, the inferno continued to spread, devouring the ground inch by inch. The temperature soared, the heatwave slamming into Leo harder than the disruption of his Essence.

  Shit. Not good.

  Thankfully, at that moment, Nyx arrived at his position. She curled around his body in her smoke form, connecting to his Essence reserves. He nudged their link.

  Think you can shield me from the heat? He asked.

  'I can try,' she answered, and shadows covered in dark flames erupted over his form. Despite that, the heat didn't get worse—quite the opposite.

  Thanks.

  "Heretics!" The familiar combination of voices boomed across the realm. "This is your final warning. Leave now, or perish under the celestial rain."

  Leo quirked a nonexistent eyebrow. Celestial rain? Nyx, I think they are getting serious.

  'Really now?' The feline grumbled. 'What gave you that idea?'

  Right, I forgot you get grumpy when you're tired.

  He could feel her scoff at his words. 'Need I remind you who was just complaining about facing a few poor animals?'

  Leo clicked his tongue. Point taken. You win this one.

  'Just focus and end this.'

  "As you wish," he muttered before shouting, "Are you coming out now?! Stop hiding like cowards. Face me!"

  "Soon, mortal."

  Just like that, the edges of the eclipse brightened, and the so-called celestial rain began.

  Instead of arrows, pure silver, and gold flames poured from the sky. They joined the inferno spreading from the trees, helping it claim more and more land.

  Leo took it as a cue and ran.

  The fires seemed to guide him, cutting off different paths while leaving others free. The godlings were obviously planning something, but he still took the bait and pushed onward. If jumping into their trap meant facing their true bodies, he would gladly agree to such a deal.

  And so he ran and ran until a familiar pond of crystal clear water appeared before him. The fires refused to touch it and instead formed a tight dome around the water. A dome Leo stepped into without a second thought.

  After all, Artemis and Apollo were standing in the middle of it, bows in hand.

  "One final dance," Leo muttered, placing his feet on the water. It didn't sink in. "Fancy…"

  The path behind him closed once he took the next step, the fires finally sealing off the dome, leaving no way out. Another wave of weakness washed over his body, but a roar of his bloodlust forced it away. Relentless Hunger reignited.

  "You know," he muttered softly, looking up to meet the eyes of the two godlings. "After all of this chasing, all those annoying little fights, I thought you would make it harder." He chuckled. "Really, if I wasn't so bored, I would be disappointed… Alas, it's time to end this. Rest in peace."

  Corrupted Night of Famine.

  Normally, Leo wouldn't monologue like a cheap ass villain, but with his Essence disrupted, he needed time. And time he received.

  Darkness, specked with crimson dots, exploded out of his body. It washed over the entire pond, all the way to the flame dome. It then rose up, leaving no space uncovered. The last thing Apollo and Artemis saw was the wide, toothy grin on his face.

  Blink.

  Before the godlings could even move or attempt to escape the deadly territory of his skill, Leo appeared in front of them. His blades, covered in a crackling layer of Stormveil, lashed out, sinking deep into their chests.

  Silent gasps escaped their throats, yet they still lived, still tried to save themselves.

  He didn't let them.

  Feeling the energy building up at the edges of his weapons, Leo yanked his arms up, golden blood splattering as divine flesh parted. The godlings fell to their knees, their upper bodies cleaved in two.

  Corrupted Night of Famine faded, revealing a realm without flames and the eclipse.

  "It's done," he muttered, watching the two corpses faceplant into the water.

  Bearers of Divine slain. Life force processed. Awarding experience. Please stand by…

  Nyx materialized next to him, her eyes staring blankly at the two lifeless forms. "All of this just to die in a second. Talk about anticlimactic…"

  Leo shrugged as he stabbed the bodies again and released Devour. No new notification arrived when they crumbled into dust. A shame.

  "As Naz'Tor said, they were glass cannons. Hit them hard once, and they break. Though honestly? I did not expect them to trap us inside a makeshift domain. What did they think would happen? They saw how fast I am…"

  "Maybe this 'celestial rain' had another phase?" Nyx suggested. "You just killed them too fast?"

  Leo snorted. "Again. Did they expect me to just watch? Either they thought the eclipse weakened me more than it did, or something went wrong."

  "Or both."

  He nodded. "Or both… Anyway, there it is…"

  Congratulations! You have reached level 100. Class and Racial attributes have been distributed.

  Well done, User, you have managed to absorb two Seeds of Divinity. Please choose one option to proceed.

  1. Extraction and manifestation. Divine crafting.

  2. Sacrifice. Lottery for a random reward.

  "One hundred." Leo smiled. "I can finally evolve. But first..."

  His gaze returned to the next notification, and he selected the first option, just as Naz'Tor had told him to.

  Acknowledged…

  A bright light flared right before him, slowly condensing into two tiny orbs. Leo extended his hand, and a moment later, the objects fell into his open palm. He chuckled. They almost looked like overgrown peanuts.

  Identify triggered, but all it revealed was a name. Seed of Divinity.

  He hummed and placed the items in his soulscape. That was it; his job was done. Now, all that remained was to evolve, return to Naz'Tor, and prepare for the journey into the Void. His time on Earth was running out.

  "Come on, Nyx. Let's get the hell out of here."

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