Chương 29: An unexpected reaction

Chapter 29 – An unexpected reaction Joshua made sure that everything was in order before he could finally rest. Gaix and his party were now enjoying a well-deserved vacation. The massive dungeon island turned out to be just one of a long archipelago, and two other islands had been built on for those who wanted to spend their earnings and rest. The entire town on the secondary island was designed to cater to rich adventurers.

Tiki bars, restaurants, long, lovely beaches, and a whole lot of sun made it almost impossible to believe this place had been built next to the dangerous dungeon island. Bastion only accepted the place because he was given a ridiculous amount of crab and fish meat whenever he got hungry. Despite how rough the party had started off, their last fifteen runs had been ridiculously fat in loot.

With two powerful warlocks on their side, most fights had turned into a walk in the park, while encounters that had previously been considered deadly were now possible without anyone suffering major wounds. After selling off most of their loot, they could now take it easy for a few weeks in absolute luxury without even burning through a fourth of their earnings. Gaix had never imagined a place like this could exist, but he certainly wasn't about to complain.

Sweet, mildly alcoholic drinks served with summoned ice, fresh-caught giant crabs cooked with butter and sea salt, warm beaches, and nothing particularly dangerous trying to kill them… It was heaven. - - - - - - - - - Meanwhile, Wren was practically hopping from one foot to another as he returned books to the capital library's restricted section. He had received level-two access after registering as a magister apprentice, and the amount of knowledge he was discovering was amazing.

He had originally become a warlock for the power to help others, but with the knowledge he was gathering here, he realized he could do so much more than just kill monsters. His new goal was to learn, then travel to less advanced towns to spread his knowledge, help the poor, and protect them whenever danger threatened. Of course, he had never forgotten who had made all of this possible. He regularly prayed to his patron god, offering small tokens whenever he could. In secret, he was even carving a statue.

It was a two-meter-tall statue made from Rogan wood, and Wren had taken great care to keep it faithful to Joshua Steel's proportions. His father had been a woodcarver before he died, and Wren had spent much of his childhood helping him with his work. All of that had ended when the plague took both of his parents. Now, the god behind his salvation was finally getting a proper statue. - - - - - - - - - - Piur, meanwhile, had been named high priest, but the kobolds also needed a king.

The two copper dragons had made a nest on the other side of the caldera, with the female layed seven eggs she would not leave. The male, however, was far more interested in feeding his beloved than ruling over the kobolds, so the king would have to come from the new kobold tribe. The way they decided to choose their king was surprisingly simple. The fighters were only allowed to use the fighting moves Joshua Steel had used against the golden dragon.

A flat area was prepared with ropes around it, and one particularly enthusiastic kobold had even made a bell. How did they know how to make such an area? Piur had begged Joshua to teach him about that fight and explain how he had invented it. Joshua, seeing no harm in it, had granted him knowledge about wrestling. Soon, Piur was dressed in a black-and-white striped shirt, with a bone whistle hanging around his neck.

He stood proudly in the middle of the makeshift ring, looking far more official than any kobold had a right to look.

"Fight!" he shouted, his arm cutting downward. The two kobolds immediately walked towards each other, shouting insults and trash-talking as they prepared to prove which of them was worthy of becoming king. - - - - - - - - - - - Christmas inside Steel Castle was impressive, to say the least. Felix was not going to take any half measures and made sure that the entire castle was decorated for the occasion.

Since he knew Joshua didn't particularly care for gemstones, he had worked together with Aunka, the tengu accountant, to turn them all into usable cash and then use said cash to go shopping. And shopping he did, with the aid of Kate, as she was the only maid who had an illusion ring. The result was almost absurd.

Garlands, wreaths, ribbons, ornaments, candles, lights, and all manner of Christmas decorations appeared throughout the castle, transforming the normally grand but somewhat imposing halls into something considerably warmer and more festive. Felix had clearly decided that if they were going to celebrate Christmas, they were going to celebrate it properly. Invitations had been sent out to the US and Vatican agents, and everyone except Matteo Drake had accepted.

The guest wing finally got some use, as everyone was expected to stay for at least a few nights. For once, the massive collection of unused bedrooms wouldn't simply sit there gathering dust. Joshua even grew a fir tree himself for the occasion, which the maids enjoyed decorating immensely. They spent hours hanging ornaments and lights while Joshua watched from nearby, occasionally being dragged into helping whenever someone needed an especially tall person to reach a branch. Even the living armors joined in.

Uno, Dos, Tres, Quatro, and the others happily participated, joking about drinking eggnog that would only pour out through their feet and coming up with increasingly ridiculous ideas for Christmas decorations. Their lack of anatomy certainly wasn't stopping them from enjoying the festivities. For Luna, however, the decorations and presents weren't even the best part. She was simply happy that her father had once again put aside all his work and responsibilities for a few days.

No meetings, no divine matters, no worrying about other worlds, no trying to solve some new catastrophe. The two spent the days together without interruption. They played fighting games until they were both laughing at increasingly ridiculous matches, ate far too many sweets, and generally enjoyed each other's company. They even flew together over the snow-covered lands of Scotland, Joshua carrying Luna through the cold air before eventually letting her fly alongside him.

The castle looked beautiful from above, its windows glowing warmly against the white landscape. For those few days, Joshua wasn't a god dealing with souls, worlds, and other gods. He was simply a father spending Christmas with his daughter, and honestly, that was exactly how he wanted it. The tree inside the grand hall was impressive, but the sheer amount of gifts Joshua had prepared almost covered the tree up to chest height. Everyone was given a gift.

Even the living armors received something: matching red cloaks that could be snapped onto their shoulder plates. They immediately looked far more festive, and several of them began striking dramatic poses as if they were some kind of Christmas-themed royal guard. Luna, meanwhile, had an entire section of gifts dedicated to her. There were seventeen different sets of clothing, several video games, collectible figurines, toys, and plenty of other things Joshua knew she would enjoy.

She stared at the mountain of presents with growing disbelief before looking at her father.

"Dad... did you buy all of this for me?"

"Maybe," Josh said with a grin. The agents received personalized gifts as well, with each one carefully chosen to fit their individual tastes. Joshua had cheated a little by using his divine sense, but he considered it a perfectly acceptable use of his powers. After all, if he could know exactly what someone would love most, why wouldn't he use that knowledge? He had spent enough time around them to know their personalities, but divine sense gave him the final advantage.

Every gift had been selected specifically for the person receiving it, rather than simply being something expensive or impressive. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Joshua looked around the hall as everyone began opening their presents, the castle filled with laughter, surprised exclamations, and the occasional metallic clanking from one of the living armors. He couldn't help but smile.

He had never really been able to afford Christmas like this when he was human. Now he could give everyone around him the kind of Christmas he had always wanted. - - - - - - - - - - - With Christmas behind him and, thankfully, no world-ending or catastrophic scenarios landing on his lap, Joshua finally turned his attention to his last mass-soul card. The card depicted a bay city carved into the side of a massive cliff.

The moment he had sealed it, however, Joshua had realized that this was not going to be another simple population transfer. As far as he could puzzle out, the city was filled with powerful heroes and mages. Even a dragon was frozen somewhere among them, and all of them appeared to be attacking the god who had essentially just sealed the entire city away. Whether it had been done out of fear, desperation, or simply as a casual move, Josh couldn't tell.

What he could see was a huge number of magical objects inside the city, all aimed toward the location where the god had likely been floating. He wasn't about to test whether any of them could hurt him. Joshua knew that, despite all his rather ballsy moves, he was still just a newborn god. There could easily be things in other realities capable of wounding or even killing a god.

"I better be careful with this one," he muttered with a frown as he searched for a location that would match the city. There was nothing similar on his main continent, so he decided to simply make one. He found a massive bay and raised one side of it, carefully shaping the cliffs until they matched the city sealed inside the card. He didn't put the city into his world just yet, though.

"I'll start with only the dragon for now." Joshua floated toward another section of the bay and released the time-locked dragon. What he did not expect was that momentum had apparently been sealed as well. The dragon shot out of the card like a projectile and slammed straight into the water. SPLASH! A tall wave erupted from the impact and crashed against the rocky shore. The dragon surfaced moments later, looking thoroughly puzzled by what had just happened.

She turned around, claws extending and teeth bared as she prepared to rip apart whatever entity had been responsible for throwing her into the sea. Only to find a majestic, grey metallic dragon hovering behind her.

"Wha... Who are you?!" Her voice was equally unexpected. She was female, and her voice was majestic, carrying the refined tone of a noble woman rather than the rough, draconic grit Joshua had expected. Her scales were a beautiful blue, and her eyes were a lovely shade of purple, though unlike Joshua's, they were unmistakably draconic. - - - - - - - - - - - The world was burning… Towns, cities, entire kingdoms, and empires had all ceased to exist in the war against the seven gods.

Four had already fallen, and the united races had begun to see a glimmer of hope: perhaps the beings who had killed their original goddess could be killed as well. The invading gods had ambushed their goddess, Euna, when she was at her most vulnerable. She had been visiting her people in human form when all seven attacked at once. Since then, they had done everything they could to either kill, imprison, or convert the people of this world into their followers.

Extessia was the last bastion of hope, where all the strongest survivors had gathered.

"Lady Amistare." Knight Commander Iruoh bowed before her.

"They are coming. We blocked the teleportation abilities of the gods, but our location has been compromised." Lady Amistare was the last of her kind... the only living dragon in the entirety of the world called Eden. Her sapphire-colored hair looked like woven silk, moving gently in the light breeze. Her human form's skin was a rich mahogany, contrasted by deep purple eyes. The clothes she wore displayed her status as the Queen of Dragons, though now that title barely meant anything.

There were no other dragons left for her to rule over, nor a clutch of eggs that might save her kin from disappearing. Then again, all those thoughts had been pushed aside. She herself might very well die here today.

"Arm all the Void Spears and prepare all the ballistae. We either win or die today... as the last bastion of our resistance." She nodded with a stern expression.

"Our whole world is watching. Let's not shame ourselves!" She shouted the last sentence toward the walls, where soldiers slammed their fists against their armor, proud and ready to face death... or something worse. A griffon landed beside her, his armor battered, matted, and worn from countless battles.

"One last dance with death?" Kirus Nightazir, the second prince of Cloudreach, asked as he folded his wings.

"Might I suggest a red wine to go with god meat?" he chuckled.

"I'll get you the best vintage on this world if we manage to win and survive." Amistare let out a wry chuckle.

"What can I say... I have always had a good taste." Kirus tilted his head, making a goofy face that didn't match his position in the slightest.

"Aww..." He frowned when Amistare didn't react.

"Tough crowd... or just pre-war jitters?"

"I am not in the mood, Feathers." Amistare shook her head as she looked out toward the sea, where a massive dark cloud was gathering.

"I get that." Kirus nodded.

"Remember when we were just kids?"

"Like almost a hundred years ago?" the dragon queen asked.

"I was a princess and you were a pup."

"Right… We played in the rose garden all summer." Kirus's smile slowly faded.

"I hope... if we don't make it, we can meet in the afterlife in that same rose garden."

"And here I thought you believed in our victory." Amistare turned toward him.

"I might speak like an optimist, but I'm a hardcore realist..." Kirus shook his head, then winked.

"And apparently a fool, if my father was to be believed…"

"Oh, hush..." Amistare nudged him, a hint of a smile appearing on her cheek.

"A... aaa!" Kirus suddenly pointed at her face.

"I saw it..." - - - - - - - - - - The three surviving gods flew toward Extessia with staggering speed. Perhaps this was the only reason the defenders first attack had been so successful. The Void Bolt shot out, and the god with the crab-like torso couldn't avoid the hit. Shock was evident in his eyes, as they had believed all the Void weapons had been destroyed when the three of them ambushed the weapons depot.

"Watch it! If even we die, then there is no way to resurrect our brothers!" the goat-headed god shouted to his brother. The strongest among them, the bull-headed god called Tsura, dodged the next volley and grabbed one of the bolts out of the air, breaking the shaft in his hand.

"You will all die!" he shouted, and his negative roar literally tore at the willpower of the soldiers. The civilians who had only come to support the defenders fell to their knees, crying, their hope shattered by a single mental attack.

"Counter!" Lady Amistare shouted. The enchanted horns mounted along the wall were blown, sending a wave of positive energy across the defenders. Those who had been struggling to remain standing under the god's attack suddenly rose again, their spirits restored as they reloaded their weapons. Kirus and Amistare, now in her dragon form, flew out to meet the enemy. These gods were powerful, but this realm was not their creation, meaning their power was limited. That gave the defenders hope.

But hope did not make the battle easy. Amistare managed only to scratch Tsura with a combination of attacks before Kirus was stabbed through the ribs by a spear and sent flying into the wall, pinned there like a bloody decoration.

"KIRUS!" she shouted, only to be slammed backward herself.

"SHOOT!" she roared. Seventeen thick bolts shot toward the gods. What no one expected, however, was for Tsura to grab his own brother and pull him directly into the path of one of the incoming shots. The goat-headed god looked up in confusion as his body began turning black.

"W... why, brother?"

"I want to rule alone." Tsura grinned as he pulled out a thin metallic card.

"Simple, little brother." He released the now almost completely evaporated godling and aimed the silver card toward the city.

"I will kill you!" Amistare shouted, her claws extended in front of her as she shot toward the god, propelled forward by a powerful burst of wind magic. - - - - - - - - - - Amistare slammed into the water instead of a god and quickly shot back into the air. Teleportation was blocked, so how could the god have sent her into the water? Except there was no god in front of her, nor was Extessia behind her. Instead, there was a single silver dragon. A male one of that.

"Wha... who are you?" she asked, more than just confused. Was this an illusion? A trick? No. Tsura had never shown any power resembling illusions. So how could this be?

"I could offer some help explaining what happened." The silver dragon spoke, his voice similar to that of a noble dragon. It was smooth and elegant, warm yet carrying a certain sharpness to it.

"I am Joshua Steel, the god of this world, and I am afraid to say... you have been imprisoned in a metal card, outside of time, just like everyone from the cliff city you were next to."

"Wait. You are a god?" Amistare, still stunned, flew backward a little before trying to put the words together with what she was seeing.

"This is not Eden?"

"I am afraid not. This is New Terra. I created this world." Joshua gestured around them.

"Also, I only took you out so I could find out what happened. It looks like you were in the middle of a fight."

"I was." She looked down, her expression darkening.

"I lost my friend just before this. A griffon prince..." She gritted her teeth.

"Huh? The one nailed to the cliff face?" Joshua looked into the card.

"He is alive. Badly hurt, but I can easily save him."

"Please do!" she shouted. Then, without missing a beat, she added, "Also... please take me as your wife!"

"Err... what?" Joshua blinked several times.

"I am the Queen of Dragons where I am from. My lineage must continue! I will serve you with all my heart. Just let me bear your children." The blue dragoness practically begged. Of all the reactions Joshua had expected from a dragon freed from a time prison, asking to marry him had been among the last things on the list.