Surviving the Apocalypse With My Beloved | Pt.7

"Who told you, I wonder. Was it that bothersome thing that keeps sending you messages?"

"What is that thing you mentioned?" She wasn't sure if he meant Asier or the notification of the system, so she played dumb.

"Hmm..." His eyes squinted in thought. Everything was blinded with the golden hue. Tora could see nothing but those pair of eyes that were watching her. "Something familiar yet unfamiliar..."

The overbearing atmosphere disappeared, leaving behind a bone-chilling experience. It was the same feeling she felt every time Asier appeared for a brief second.

Is this what it's like to glimpse the presence of a God?

He stepped back, creating some space so that she felt comfortable. It was as if he knew what she was feeling.

"But why the incarnation of the God of Creation? What if it was Death instead?"

"If it were Death, this sword wouldn't resonate with your existence." Tora lifted the sword, showing him the purification it was trying to give her. Steam consistently rose from her burnt skin.

This sword is working too well. Even through those layers, it's doing its job.

"That's why you should give it to me." He turned around and walked off, gesturing for her to follow along. "We've delayed long enough. Let's quickly vow and take that off your hands."

Tora was surprised when he suddenly dashed off and disappeared. She quickly followed, catching up to him in an instant. The two sprinted with the aid of the wind.

"I'm here to pledge a vow of death." After a few knocks, the door opened to a middle-aged woman. She was dressed in a white top, pants, and boots. She was covered from her toe up to her neck. The shirt was sleeveless, revealing dark shadow-like ink covering her arms that occasionally shifted around.

"I shall bear witness." She led them in and sat them down on the floor. A few others dressed similarly joined and formed a circle around them.

"The eyes and ears of those that are here,

the presence of God shall make it disappear,

speak your vow for none shall hear,

the life you bet will be the thing you fear."

Tora watched as the tattoos crept up their faces, wrapping tightly around their mouth, eyes, and ears. A shadow crept from the soles of their heels, coloring the floor with darkness. All sounds had been silenced, only Percy's voice was heard as he said his vows.

"I stake my life as I pledge it for the vow of death. The heart and soul will be bound to the other party for an eternity. If I should betray my vow of loyalty, I shall die, never to be reincarnated."

"I bear witness." Tora felt her skin crawl in fear as an unknown voice announced itself. The pool of darkness around them slithered up their bodies. It was like a snake wrapping around its prey.

Tora and Percy watched as the shadow seeped into their souls, clenching tightly around it, marking its territory. Very quickly, everything reverted to what it was before.

Tora found the sensation lingering around her soul to be weird. She felt frightened and then comforted by the unknown power.

This is uncomfortable...

'Is it uncomfortable?'

Why do you always ask the weirdest questions? Was that you...that voice?

'Your imagination is interesting. Do you think that I'm a God? The God of Death?'

Before she could answer that question, her arm was grabbed and pulled. She stood up and followed Percy out of the building.

"Give me the sword." His tone of voice reflected the pursed lips and scrunched eyebrows.

"Alright." He took the sword from her and unclothed it. The radiant glow was blinding, lighting up the desolate and lonely night.

"What is it?" The sword formed a glowing tattoo on his hand and disappeared into it. Percy noticed the opening and closing of Tora's lips. Her slight apprehension showed in those clenched fists.

"Is it too personal to ask about...your God?"

A world with a God that chooses an incarnation certainly has its restrictions.

"I'll answer any questions you have. Although...I won't guarantee truthful answers." His earlier annoyance had been replaced with a playful grin.

Tora found it difficult to discern his personality. To her, Percy was like an unknown math equation. She couldn't figure him out and that scared her.

"How deep is your connection?"

"He can see everything that I see and feel everything that I feel." His eyes glowed yet again as he stepped in closer. His hands reached forward, gently tracing them along her lips. "When I say feel...that includes what I touch."

The whole atmosphere sent chills up her spine. This is insanity.

"Well then...please, don't touch me from now on." She slapped his hand away and stepped back. His soft chuckle irritated Tora. It felt like he saw her as a form of amusement. "Does that include feeling the pain of death? Because I'd gladly demonstrate."

"Let's not talk about something as unpleasant as Death." Tora didn't miss the slightly crooked smile and the tone of his voice when he mentioned death. "Regarding physical contact, I'll wait until you beg for it."

The glow in his eyes faded while the uneasiness in her heart grew. She disliked how those words sounded.

She wasn't sure how she should interpret those words. His tone was calm and patient, void of arrogance and mockery. It was blank as if he was stating a fact, almost like predicting the inevitable.

'What's the point of overthinking? I told you not to get caught up in it.'

You have a knack of showing up on time.

'Well, I am watching.'

That's creepy. Now that I think about it...ARE YOU WATCHING WHEN I SHOWER AND USE THE BATHROOM!?

'...'

Fucking—!

"I don't like it." Her hand that was clenched tightly around Asier's note was grabbed. "Are you going to shove it in your mouth again?" Before he could grab the note, it dissipated.

"Spare me the grievances, I'm leaving."

Without a moment to spare, she dashed off, disappearing into the night. Tora settled down on a tree outside of the base. Her thoughts ran wild and her heart felt about to explode.

I haven't shoved any notes in my mouth since waking up here. Again? What a load of bullshit.

Only two people she knew who had seen her do that, let alone seen the notes.

Asier and Liam...No, Vick was able to see the notes, too. Asier is the sender, so he's a different entity...

What do Vick, Liam, and Percy have in common? Other than occasional similar mannerisms and speech patterns, they don't have any commonality that I can think of. 

Is it the God of Creation? Is He watching me? Why are they watching me? Why me?

As she gazes into the abyss of the night, the uneasiness in her heart settles. She sat there for hours until the crack of dawn arrived. The gloomy night was infiltrated with the appearance of sunlight. The red horizon signified the beginning of the war. 

'What are you thinking of?'

Does it matter? I won't be asking any more questions, so watch diligently from now on.

It didn't matter what they wanted or why they chose to watch her. Tora no longer felt the need to find answers. Tora knew herself well.

She knew what she was capable of and what she wasn't. She didn't have the strength to go against Godly beings nor did she feel like wasting her time on it.

She had easily dealt with the problems in the last two worlds thanks to Vick and Liam's help. If using a God will help her achieve her goal, she'll gladly be their entertainment.

Julie felt excitement welling in her heart as she peered at the person who was once her sister. Her nerves danced in ecstasy, knowing that Nora came back for her.

"To think that I would be so blessed..." Julie mumbled. Her gaze moved towards Zack who was leaning against the car.

Zack gawked at Nora, enraptured by her deathly charm. Her lips were quirked up wickedly. Her feet dangled off the edge as she sat there watching them.

"Fuck. Why does it have to be a zombie?" He muttered under his breath.

[KING ZOMBIE: King zombies can control the infection and those infected as they please. They are capable of reasoning and are near immortal. Only one weakness is registered.

*It is advised not to aggravate them if you come into contact.]

"What is the weakness?"

[Ability 'Neutrality' is required]

[Neutrality: An ability that generates a force field the size of a 10-meter radius. All things within the force field will be reduced to neutral. Abilities will be unusable in the area of effect. 

*It is an ability that is classified as rare, only appearing once in a millennium. **The duration of effect is based on the user's tier.]

Tora spent her time recalling the novel while she walked back.

Right, they met again at the factory that produces canned goods. This is a week after they acquired the sword.

The only person capable of using Neutrality would stay behind while they leave. I should take their base while they're gone.

The battle between them and the zombies was overwhelming. Even with the Sword of Condemnation, Zack was still overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies.

"RETREAT! HEAD BACK TO THE BASE!" He shouted for everyone to return. The entire situation had already gone out of hand.

As he ran to the car, his eyes wandered to the roof. The sophisticated lonesome figure was standing tall, watching with great amusement. Her eyes continued to reflect the beautiful glow of carnage that decorated the streets below.

"Hm? A game of cat and mouse?" Her lips moved, speaking for the first time since her appearance. Her eyes squinted in thought as they drove away. "Should I give them a head start?"

[WARNING: A king zombie has shown interest in you. Possibility of 'Death' is 40%]

"Fuck." The corners of his lips threatened to form a smile. His eyes glowed in excitement, greatly anticipating the upcoming storm. He felt his body rushing with heat every time he remembered those eyes. "This boring-ass world is finally doing something interesting."

Julie didn't miss the glint in Zack's eyes. She knew what kind of person he was. The flush in his face and the hardness between his legs made her nauseous.

'If it weren't for his handsome looks and incredible strength, I would have killed him already.' 

"That was my sister." She said softly, quickly adjusting her facial expression to look pitiful. "She probably blames me for her death. I think she showed up to kill me. What should we do?"

"Your sister?"

"Yes, she tried to trade me off for food and safety..." Julie covered her face. Her voice quivered as soft sobs escaped her lips. "I was nearly assaulted by disgusting old men but managed to escape. Whe—when she found out, she came after me. We struggled and then a hoard of zombies attacked. That's when she—!"

"What a bad sister. Should I punish her for you?" He hugged the shaking shoulders, gently soothing her with a pat.

"You'd do that for me?" He went in for a kiss.

"Anything for you."

"I heard about the ability that can cancel even a zombie's abilities. As long as we tie her up and cover her mouth and nails, she wouldn't be able to infect or hurt anyone under the influence of that ability. We can do anything to her then."

The whispers were like that of the devil's, enticing, drowning him in his imagination. The image of the beautiful zombie tied up and gagged was mind-numbingly attractive.

"What is it you want done with her?"

"I want her played with, broken, begging for death, the same way she did to me."

.

.

.

"You're back!" Ruby was as quick as ever, jumping onto Tora when she stepped foot in the hall.

"Lord..." Although Tora's face didn't show it, the zombies could feel the gloom and anger brewing in her heart. "We did some training with the soldiers. We are ready for departure."

Tora nodded. She looked around, noticing that breakfast had just finished. "Where is Princeton?"

"I'm a little happy you're looking for me first." He always had a way of surprising her. Tora almost reflexively punched him in the face.

"Gather the people you need. We'll be leaving soon."

"Where are you going, Sister? Am I going, too?"

"It's a battlefield, so you can't go." She put Ruby down and gave her a pat on the head. "You'll follow later, okay?"

"...Okay." Ruby didn't like being separated from her saver, but she understood why she needed to stay behind. It's because I'm too weak, that's why Sister won't take me with her.

"Eat, sleep, and play all you want." She took out the bag filled with crystallized orbs and gave it to Ruby. "Take this and share it with the others." She ushered the child towards the group, giving Nathan and Belle a nod of greeting. "Kathy, let's go."

"Oh...okay." Kathy wasn't sure what Tora needed her for but followed along nonetheless. "Are you leaving soon?"

"Yes."

"How was the vow of death? I've never witnessed one, but I heard it's calming and scary. The spooky type of atmosphere, you know?"

"It was..." Tora found her thoughts drifting to that moment. She didn't have much time to think of it then. The power tightly hugging her soul was familiar, almost like she had come across it before. It was nostalgic, but she couldn't explain why. "Where is your mentor?"

"He's right over here." Kathy didn't pry. She noticed the quick change of topic and played along with it. "Teacher, how is your leg?"

The older man had his leg in a cast. The medical professionals had treated him after dinner last night. He looked more put together now than when she had first seen him.

"It should be fine after a month. I thought I fractured it, but it's only a slight bruise." The people around them had scattered the moment they noticed Tora. "But you're not here to hear about my injury. I heard from Professor Willow that you wanted to chat with me."

"As expected from an expert. You catch on quick, Professor Craven." Tora reached her hand forward for a handshake. The two exchange greetings. "What do you know about the two Gods? Please, start from the beginning." 

"Many theories exist, so it's difficult to narrow down which one is the truth, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. The people who know the truth are the magicians, but they are bound by the vow of death, unable to speak the truth of our existence."

He reached in his pocket for a small box that contained a ring. "This is a relic of the past. You must be wondering why I have this on me." The ring was ordinary. Nothing about it screamed importance. "Within this ring is the truth to whatever you seek, and only those permitted can seek the truth. It's a family heirloom." 

He took the ring out of the box and handed it to Tora. "It's been bugging me to give it to you since we met."

"What? Is it sentient?" The moment the ring touched her skin, it glowed a ray of red and black.

"Yes, it's a relic that belongs to the Gods."

This is getting annoying.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"It says that it belongs to you. Well, your soul." Tora felt uncomfortable by the gaze he gave her. "I don't quite understand myself so I won't pry. As you know, we are currently in the seventh turnover."

Tora wasn't sure what she should do with the ring. It would be inconvenient for her during battle if she wore it, but it was also dangerous to leave it somewhere.

I guess I'll wear it for now...

"The turnovers are events we associate with the Gods descending for a battle of dominance. From our understanding, the world begins with one God, the God of Creation. He ascended and birthed life into the dead world. We call this event Genesis Zero. It is where the God of Death originated from."

"So they were birthed at different times?"

"Yes, normally, Genesis is about the first turnover event, but there was an incident before that which is not discussed in history. Due to the absence of God, the people began worshiping a hero. The hero granted death and fear, an emotion and state of being that the immortal life given by the God of Creation lacked."

"Because our ancestors craved death instead of immortality, we worshiped death into existence? That's messed up. I want immortal life." It was the first time Kathy had ever heard something so absurd. Her mouth fell wide open, unable to process what she was hearing.

Tora felt her heart stir at the thought of that being the truth. She nodded in agreement with Kathy's statement. Who wants to die? Are those people idiots?

"Hahaha, wouldn't we all want that? It was the only period in which the God of Death held the world hostage. He was defeated when the God of Creation chose an incarnation and descended through him. That is the first turnover. Every turnover results in the birth of a new God. So far, we have eight Gods in written text, but proof of the other six existence is still up for debate."

"Do you believe in their existence?" Tora had already experienced the two original Gods. Their powers were fearsome.

"No, unlike Death and Beginnings, the other Churches can't create miracles. Other than written text and word of mouth, there is no proof of their existence."

"Interesting..." Tora had never cared about religion or the existence of Gods back in her world. Having experienced the power that can't be explained had captured her attention. "Can you tell me more about the Six Gods and the turnover events?"

"Let's start with Genesis, the first turnover. The world was consumed with the air of death, threatening to devour every living thing. It was written that God saw the darkness and was unhappy with it. He chose an incarnation and delivered light back into the world. Because the life he had created was stagnant, unable to create anything new, grow, or die, Death was able to overpower him. So he gifted those around him with the ability to create. That became the beginning of procreation and the birth of a new wave of life." 

"That's gross to think about." Tora felt nauseated at the thought of people discovering procreation. "You said earlier that Death had already taken the world hostage."

"Right, even now, we can still feel ourselves chained to Death. Although we can create and procreate now, the inevitable ending of Death still looms above our heads. The God of Creation took away our immortality and gave us something else. Either all life becomes Death, or new life blooms and ends with Death. The cycle of birth will never end, even if Death exists. That's why God took away our immortality."

You all are fucking crazy. And I mean all you Gods.

"The God of Death can descend in different forms, unlike the God of Creation, lesser forms don't affect much. But descending using his true form and voice could kill us if we weren't in the presence of a priest. Of course, this is true for all Gods. It's just that the God of death is capable of descending using non-humanoid forms without the need for incarnations."

'You would die in my presence. A second wouldn't hurt much.' Is that why Asier said that? 

"How does the incarnation of the God of Creation fight against Death? A formless being that's capable of roaming without having to pay a price is unbeatable." It honestly doesn't make sense. Why are they fighting?

"That's why the theory that the turnovers are events caused by Gods is flawed. How can we understand mysterious beings? If what Teacher said about the first turnover is true, the issue has already been solved. Why is there a need to continue through these cycles every millennium?"

Tora couldn't agree more with Kathy. The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it became. Why am I trying to reason and understand the world of a badly written novel? This is stupid and pointless. 

"That's why no one asks questions. The mind of a God is incomprehensible. Their reasonings might not be understandable to us, so it's best to not question anything we don't understand. From what I know, the God of Death plays fair enough by choosing an incarnation to rival the God of Creation. Maybe all of this is simply a game to those great beings."

This is a game world after all... 

This Craven guy is quite witty.

"Since we're amid a new turnover, there could already be an incarnation for both of the Gods." Professor Craven shrugged his shoulder. 

"Wait...earlier, you said that the God of Death also plays along with choosing an incarnation?" Tora hadn't thought of it before, but there was a character that was mentioned briefly at the end of the novel. 

Within the corner of the darkness was a pair of eyes watching the victory that the humans had attained over the zombies. Everybody was busy celebrating their victory, failing to notice the tall and well-built stature of a stranger.

It was a being that even the system had failed to detect. The shadows became its eyes and the darkness became its limbs. It had been watching since the beginning of the outbreak.

"Hm, is it another failure?" The words were soft, drifting through the loud chattering and disappearing before they reached Zack. 

This was the beginning of true hell. 

That character was revealed to be the main villain for the second book. Which doesn't exist. 

The novel doesn't mention Percy by name, but the system in the novel does mention the incarnations occasionally. 

It would be weird if they focused on anyone other than the main character. This is why the novel is so frustrating. 

"Forget about the incarnations. I want to know about the other Gods." 

"Genesis birthed the God of Smithing. After successfully crafting the Sword of Condemnation and the Sword of Ire, he ascended and became a lesser God. He will occasionally gift weapons to us humans." 

"Peace is the second turnover. This birthed the God of Ecstasy. It was the most peaceful era ever recorded. The apocalypse was a shortage of water, which was quickly resolved by someone who invented wine and alcoholic beverages. That someone had amazing abilities related to water, which then ascended and became the God of Ecstasy. No one knows whether the God of Ecstasy is a man or a women. It was also the period where people engaged in depravity and lived for ecstasy. Morality was not an issue of contention."

That's something new...

"Turmoil birthed the God of Heroes. After the boom and escalation of Peace, society was torn and hit with a plague of beastly creatures. The creatures are said to embody the depravity that they indulge in. For example, if it's lust, the beast will go around assaulting and devouring everything it sees. With each victim, it grew until it became a titan."

"UGH! THAT'S GROSS! I'm going to throw up." Kathy shivered as she imagined what it would be like. 

"There was no way of killing them. The world was in turmoil, struggling to survive amongst the titans that roamed every corner. But then, like a miracle, a hero emerged. He led the battle and won, freeing everyone from eventual extinction. He ascended and is known as the God of Heroes. His bloodline still lives on, birthing heroes that would help with future turnovers. They are kept hidden, even the magicians don't know where they are."

"Chaos birthed the God of Wars. This God is a bit special. He didn't ascend because he helped end the war, he ascended because he caused all the wars. It was a period where humanity struggled to rebuild after Turmoil ended. The people were all separated into factions, fighting for their share of land and power. They all came to an agreement, settling for a period of peace. That was until a new nation arose. One person singlehandedly swept up all the surrounding nations and conquered them all through war. The war was so deadly, it looked like an apocalypse had happened."

"That person must be insane."

"Couldn't agree more." Tora nodded. The more she learned about the origins of these Gods, the more she felt like she was the most sane person. Why is this boosting my ego? Everybody in these stupid novels is insane. 

"Folklore birthed the God of Origins. The world became prosperous after the combination of all the Kingdoms under the rule of the Empire. With prosperity came poverty. The separation of the rich and poor was evident in this period. To cope with the difficult times, those in poverty often sang songs about mysterious beings. These songs became folktales that breathed into reality. There were harmless beings as well as deadly ones. It's not clear what happened during this time other than the birth of the God of Origins." 

"Transcendence birthed the God of Immortals. It was like the world had reset after Folklore. There were no issues to stress about, no poverty, no overt prosperity, and no deadly dangers. The only thing people strive for is immortality and honor in life."

"That was until the apocalypse hit. The whites and blacks that colored good and evil decorated the plain canvas that was the world. The separation of those who followed the path of the demonic route and those who followed the immortal route became prevalent. The two factions fought for dominance over the world. The battle went on until a gifted mortal managed to transcend the binds of mortality and became immortal. The immortal ended the long battle and returned peace to the world. This is the origin of the God of Immortals." 

"That's how the six lessor Gods came to be. Whether this is the truth or simply fiction, we will never know." 

"Thanks, I'll take my leave now." Tora bounced to her feet and ran off. She didn't bother waiting for their response. The palpitations of her heart were enough to indicate that something was wrong.

Tora clenched her chest, not knowing if she was feeling excitement or panic at the realization she had just made. It didn't matter whether the lesser Gods were real or not, she only cared about the turnover details. 

What's this? Did I just hit the jackpot? 

Her whole body shook uncontrollably. 

I know the premise of those stories that the turnovers are based on. All those queries I rejected from Asier...

Fuck! All the novels are based on the turnovers. I should have known.

She remembered the title of one of the Novels. It had the same premise as the Transcendence turnover. 

Cultivation of the Immortal in Black...was it?