Karma

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, MORTAL?" the Goddess thundered, her voice a resounding force that shook the very fabric of her Divine Realm. Every syllable was infused with the full weight of her divine power, but Ashok, standing before her, laughed—a deep, guttural cackle that echoed like the howl of a madman.

"HAHAHAH!"

The Goddess could feel the very fabric of her Divine Realm shifting, the change was undeniable. The Ancient symbol of the Ritual, once faint and dormant, now pulsed with a life of its own, expanding steadily as if it had a will beyond mortal comprehension. It grew relentlessly, its intricate patterns sprawling across the expanse of her Divine Realm, swallowing up the Black Lake in its wake.

The Divine Realm had been keeping her status as a Goddess in the mortal plane, preventing her from being reduced to a mere summoned entity. But now, with every passing moment, the Realm was faltering, its strength diminishing at an alarming rate. As the Ritual was continuously strengthening itself.

The Goddess, her heart heavy with the weight of the revelation, understood all too clearly that time was running out. If she didn't act now, she would be irrevocably forced to become the Soul Partner to a mere Mortal. And she knew becoming a Soul Partner was not as simple a bond as marriage. It was the binding of one soul to another, an unbreakable connection.

Though becoming a Soul Partner would not harm her in any way, the idea of being bound to a mortal was a deep insult to a being of her status—immortal, divine. It was an unthinkable disgrace, a restriction no divine being would ever willingly accept. With that, the Goddess decided to leave and return her main body but found herself unable to. 'My connection with the plane is being restricted' thought the Goddess, looking at the absurdity of the situation.

"There is no point in trying to leave," Ashok said, his voice exuding a calm and confident certainty. The reason for his composure lay in the third and final condition he had carefully inscribed into the Ritual.

'If for any reason the Ritual does not succeed after both parties agree and the Second Condition is fulfilled, the entire Karma of Failure shall be borne by the World alone.'

Ashok knew that if the Goddess truly decided to leave, there was nothing he could do to stop her. No matter how hard he struggled, no matter what methods he employed, he simply lacked the strength to restrain her. Even if he possessed the body of the Main character, the difference in their powers was insurmountable.

Ashok was weak but not a fool, and he understood the importance of strategy. Rather than relying on his own strength alone, he devised a plan that involved introducing a third party to the ritual - the World itself.

The Karma mentioned in this condition was not some magical restriction or an external force—it was the natural consequence of actions. Karma, in its essence, was the balance of cause and effect, the inevitable result of one's choices. However, in this particular situation, the consequences were far greater than the World could bear.

There were simply too many actions involved in this Ritual, each one triggering a series of inevitable reactions that would shake the World to its core:

A Sacrifice of a Divine Authority and a Soul,

A mortal not getting his wish, despite his sacrifice and unwavering commitment to the truth.

A Goddess going back against her words.

A Goddess running away with the sacrifices.

If the Karma were only tied to a mortal even if the soul was foreign, the World could perhaps find a way to balance the scales—an act of repentance. However, the situation became far more complicated when it came to matters of the Divine. Even more, when the Divine is older than the World itself.

Now arises the question: 'Why should the World bear the consequence of a ritual between Ashok and Goddess.' It never agreed to be a part of the Ritual. But sometimes, things do not require consent to unfold, they are forced.

Just like how Ashok never agreed to be brought to this World. If Ashok somehow succeeded in saving the World, would it not take the benefits of his actions? In the same way, if Ashok's actions led to destruction or imbalance, the World would also face the repercussions—whether it wanted to or not.

'Ha! Just what did this foreigner do to make the World do his bidding?' the question Goddess lingered as she understood the reason behind the restriction. The symbols had taken over the entire lake by now and she was standing on the Symbols. The 24 Ancient Symbols began to glow with an intensity that sent ripples through the air, the ritual was beginning in earnest.

Ashok stood firm, his body surrounded by a swirling aura of deep purple, tinged with the faintest hints of red that grew denser with each passing moment. On the Goddess's side, the air grew heavy, and thick with the force of her power. Her aura flared to life, pitch black, consuming all light around her.

Then, with an almost imperceptible hum, an intangible, ethereal purple chain shot out from the center of Ashok's chest, from his soul. Simultaneously, a portion of the Veil that covered the Goddess's chest seemed to unravel, parting like a curtain revealing, a small opening. From that small opening, a black chain shot out. Both chains were moving towards each other.

"There is no way my soul partner would be a mortal!" the Goddess declared; her voice filled with icy edge as she stood from her throne. The pride as a God interfered, if she could not escape, she would destroy him. She would have granted him anything he wished—power, wealth, even dominion over the World but there are limitations to everything.

'A bird should not dream of flying when it does not have any wings.'

The Goddess will get her desires fulfilled one way or another. She would take the answers she sought from him, force them out from his dead soul. The Goddess called "@#$%^".

The repulsive, chained black gate manifested behind Ashok, its form towering and dark, far more imposing than when it had consumed Adlet's soul. But before the gate could open something unexpected happened. A sudden surge of power coursed through the space, and 24 sets of thick, giant, gleaming chains shot out from each of the Ancient Symbols etched into the floor.

Ashok's gaze shifted between the forces surrounding him. His heart, the core of his being, was tethered to the Ritual by a glowing purple chain, its ethereal form stretching out towards the black chain emanating from the Goddess. He could feel a strong magnetic pull between his and her soul chain. While the two chains, one purple and one black, connected their souls in a delicate and powerful bond, twenty four chains which protected his future were breaking one after another.

'Faster, faster. If what's inside that gate comes for me, death would be the last thing I could wish for.

Just how powerful is she? Even the World itself cannot contain even a minor portion of her authority? I can't imagine what would she have done at her full power.

Did I really defeat her six times in the game? Was she holding back or was it all just a charade, a manipulation by the game itself, faking her death time and time again? Ha! I should have strengthened the first condition even more.' Thought Ashok as he started sweating, it was hard for him to remain composed when an eternity of torture was standing right behind him.

The number of chains tying the gate had already dwindled to five, when not even five entire seconds had passed, more of them were snapping one by one, their strength unable to withstand the immense force pulling them apart. Each chain that broke was a resounding reminder of the overwhelming power of the Ancient Goddess's Divinity.

SNAP!

SNAP!

SNAP!

The final chains, the last remnants of resistance, shattered with an ear-splitting crack, and the gate that had held back the never-ending Abyss, swung open. As it did, a torrent of black mist began to seep out, thick and suffocating, pouring into the air like the very essence of darkness. As the mist closed in, wrapping around Ashok like a shroud, a shout came from within.

[I WILL HAVE MY BODY BACK, YOU BASTARD]. Even without looking, Ashok knew who the owner of the voice was, it was Adlet. The previous owner had returned to claim his body back. The repulsion, disgust, and sheer hatred that radiated from the suffocating mist overwhelmed Ashok, pushing him to the brink of madness. A toxic force was gnawing at his mind with each passing second.

'Will I get a third chance?' thought Ashok as the gate started to suck his body as a whole. From behind, the air grew colder—unnatural, chilling. Ashok felt the unmistakable presence of Adlet, the soul now fully manifested. With a cruel, menacing force, the soul spread its arms wide. The atmosphere grew thick with malice as Adlet's hands twisted into grotesque, curved blades, each one gleaming with an eerie, unnatural light.

Adlet gave Ashok a nice bear hug from behind and sank those blades right into the body.

....

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