"I still have a third of my divinity left," Jenkins thought. "That should be enough."
Just as voices echoed from beyond the forest clearing, he descended to the ground with the other five gods. While the others flew under their own power, he rode a unicorn, a fact that made him feel rather undignified.
They landed right in front of a half-ruined, abandoned church. The six gods waited for only a few monts before a boy, no older than five or six, burst out from the edge of the withered woods.
He was wrapped in a scrap of black cloth, and his exposed left arm was studded with a dense cluster of eyes. The eyes on his face were normal enough, but they held a savage ferocity that no child his age should have been able to express.
Following the boy, Nolan's local level-eight Enchanters erged from the woods, with large combat squads appearing behind them.
"Oh, gods!"
Once their view was unobstructed, the first thing they saw were six humanoid figures, each bathed in a pillar of pure white light. Though it was the middle of winter, the clearing before the church was carpeted in vibrant, blooming flowers. Though it was the dead of night, the space was as bright as day. And though they were in the midst of pursuing a malevolent being, every troubled heart among them abruptly found a sense of peace.
Then, a sacred chorus mixed with horrifying whispers jolted them back to their senses. Those who witnessed the divine beings clutched their heads and collapsed, while the reinforcents arriving behind them were overco by a sudden wave of nausea and a throbbing pressure in their skulls.
Only the level-eight Enchanters at the forefront fared slightly better, but even they could do nothing more than prostrate themselves on the ground, not daring to move a single muscle.
"Look, there he is."
The God of Flowers and Celebration pointed at the Evil God's Scion and spoke with a casual air. An expression of utter disbelief washed over the boy's face, and he imdiately spun around to flee.
"No, you cannot leave."
The God of Corpses and Sacrifices declared in a calm, gentle voice. The boy turned back around, his face a mask of terror, the movent clearly forced.
"This place is quite suitable. It's rare to find a church of the Lord in the material world these days."
As the God of Shadows and Stealth spoke, he gestured toward the darkened church. The ruined structure began to nd itself as if ti were flowing backward. Elegant bronze kerosene lamps on the walls and a grand crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the main hall burst into brilliant light.
"This is indeed a fine place."
The God of Flowers and Celebration agreed. With a wave of his arm, clusters of fresh flowers blood throughout the church, filling the doorways, decorating the crystal fixtures, and leaving a single crimson rose upon every pew before the pulpit.
"A ritual requires a formal setting, and this is certainly an important occasion."
The God of Mystery and Rituals tapped the air with a finger as pale as jade, and a red carpet unfurled from their feet, stretching all the way to the altar inside the church.
"Then let us begin."
The God of Music prompted, and as he spoke, solemn and stirring music filled the air around every mortal present. It was a lody composed by mortals, and like the restored church and the fresh flowers, it served only to enhance the atmosphere of the mont.
The boy walked into the church, his movents beyond his control. The six gods followed, strolling side by side through the main entrance. Light from the crystal chandelier bathed them in its glow, the flowers seed to cheer their arrival, and the small space overflowed with the radiance of divinity and an abundance of worldly spirit.
As he reached the altar, the boy suddenly spun around, attempting one last, desperate struggle. But the God of Lies flung a black spear that pierced through the child's heart, pinning him firmly to the stone slab. Then, the God of Corpses and Sacrifices rely raised a finger and flicked it through the air, instantly severing the boy's tongue and the tendons in his limbs.
The six gods strode before the altar. The God of Flowers and Celebration proposed,
"Since it is only the six of us here, why don't we each take one turn? We can leave what remains for the master of this place. That way, we cannot be accused of breaking the rules of the material world."
Jenkins had no idea what the god was talking about, but seeing that the other four deities had no objections, he simply nodded in agreent.
"Then I shall go first. I will take the fear."
The God of Flowers and Celebration declared. A serpent's head erged from the void and sank its fangs into the scion's neck. After sucking forcefully a few tis, it spat out more than a dozen Sin Coins and a few golden droplets.
"A pity."
He crushed the Sin Coins as if they were garbage and absorbed the divinity back into his own being.
"I will take the bones."
The God of Corpses and Sacrifices followed. He manipulated a silvery scalpel of pure energy, making several swift cuts in the air. The tongueless body let out a series of muffled groans as its bones extracted themselves, transforming into white, circular coins and droplets of divinity.
"A pity."
He echoed the sentint, absorbing the divinity and destroying the Sin Coins.
"I will take the greed."
The God of Music spoke third. Instantly, a sheen of moisture appeared on the altar. Water from an unknown source rapidly subrged the scion, yet not a single drop spilled onto the floor. When the water vanished, divinity and Sin Coins remained in its place.
"It seems my luck is no better."
But he did not appear disappointed.
"I will take the frenzy."
The God of Mystery and Rituals extended a hand, but the result was equally unsatisfactory.
"Then I shall take the arrogance."
The God of Shadows and Stealth spoke, and a sudden shadow enveloped the boy on the altar. Sounds of chewing and swallowing echoed from within the darkness. When the shadow dissipated, the god imdiately snatched sothing from the air, his face lighting up with ecstasy.
"My apologies. It seems the greatest prize this ti belongs to ."
He had obtained the only divine domain within the scion's body, which was also the primary reason the gods had gathered here: [Divine Domain: Vision].
Jenkins finally understood why fate had brought him here, but alas, it was not his destiny to acquire two divine domains in a single night. It was obvious now that the forr God of Lies—the current God of Shadows and Stealth—had orchestrated everything. This domain was what he had been scheming for all along. Although he had lost his domain of [Lies] in the process, he had successfully broken away from the faction of evil gods and claid another powerful domain for himself.
Unlike the pseudo-god known as the Five-Handed Stalker, who was closer to a [God of Theft], he was a true [God of Stealth]. Now, with the addition of this new divine domain, he would possess even greater power.
Seeing that he was the only one left, Jenkins stepped forward.
"I will take the blasphemy."
Vines shot out from the void and plunged into the scion's temples. After a sickening, gurgling slurp, they retreated, leaving behind thirteen Sin Coins and three drops of divinity for Jenkins.
The yield was clearly less than what the previous five had received, but as the weakest of the six gods—the newborn [God of Lies]—he was in no position to complain.
He retrieved his spoils and imdiately burned another drop of divinity to maintain his divine form. anwhile, the altar began to emit a faint black glow and, under the watchful gaze of the gods, slowly "swallowed" the remains of the scion.
The church before them began to turn translucent, its very "existence" fading away until the structure vanished completely from the material world.
Only the six gods remained in the forest clearing. They turned as one to face the mortals cowering at its edge.
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