YAZE22

Every thousand years, the gods descend to Earth for the Ascension Royale, a high-stakes competition broadcasted across the heavens. The rules are simple: each god is randomly assigned a human host. For one year, they must keep their mortal alive as monsters ravage the world. The last god standing wins divine glory—but for Luis Mendoza, a broke college accounting student, his assigned deity is Zyx, the God of Misfortune, a cosmic joke even among the divine.

Now, with monsters emerging worldwide and rival hosts hunting each other for power, Luis must survive a year of chaos—despite his own god’s unlucky influence.

THE GOD OF MISFORTUNE

(Day 9 of the Ascension Royale)

Luis stood atop the village's rickety watchtower, watching as Rico's team prepared for another hunt. The defenses were laughable—just wooden palisades and two towers with aging rifles. One good assault from a Silver-class monster or a guild raid, and the village would be overrun.

"We need better defenses," Luis muttered.

Zyx materialized, kicking his feet in midair. X

Luis ignored him, scrolling through his Engineer blueprints. The numbers didn't lie—he needed at least 15,000 Souls for a proper upgrade.

Rico called up to him. "Luis! We're heading northeast—scouts spotted a Rustfang Den. You in?"

Luis shook his head. "Not this time. The village needs walls before we need more kills."

Rico shrugged. "Suit yourself. Try not to die while we're gone."

As the team departed, Luis turned to Icon, who stood motionless beside him.

Icon's eyes glowed. "AFFIRMATIVE. I WILL PUNCH MANY THINGS."

For four hours, Luis and Icon patrolled a 10km radius around the village, slaughtering every monster in their path:

Rustfang Hare packs (5 Souls each)

A wounded Iron-class Boar (50 Souls)

By noon, Luis's Soul Essence blazed in his vision:

SOULESSENCE:18,720

New Ability Unlocked:

Fortress'sHeart (Area Buff)

Effect: All allied Hosts, summons, and structures gain +25% Defense/Resistance for 10 minutes.

Zyx whistled. "Look at you, General Luis. Next you'll be charging rent."

Luis didn't waste time. He activated Divine Blueprint, and the village transformed:

Reinforced Palisade (Cost: 8,000 Souls)

12-foot-tall walls of celestial brass-infused timber.

Gate Mechanism: A pulley-driven portcullis that could be dropped in seconds.

Iron Sentry Turrets x4 (Cost: 3,000 Souls Each)

Mounted atop towers, with 360-degree rotation.

Ammo: Self-replenishing soul-forged bullets (1 shot/3 seconds).

Priority Targeting: Automatically aims for weak points.

Rune-engraved bells that would ring automatically if monsters breached 100 meters.

As the last turret clicked into place, Luis activated Fortress's Heart. A pulse of blue energy rippled through the walls, reinforcing them with a shimmering barrier.

Villagers gathered, murmuring in awe. Even Old Man Dazo, who'd called Luis "that city boy" for years, gaped.

"Damn, Mendoza. You did something useful for once."

At dusk, Rico's hunting party returned - and froze at the village's new silhouette against the twilight sky.

"Holy shit," Mara breathed, her knives slipping forgotten to her sides.

Rico approached slowly, running a hand along the glowing brass filaments in the walls. When he turned to Luis, his usual smirk was replaced with genuine respect. "You did all this... alone?"

Luis shrugged, suddenly self-conscious under the gathering crowd's gaze. "Had some help." He nodded to Icon, who stood proudly beside a turret.

The village elder pushed forward, his gnarled hands trembling as he touched the walls. "These markings... they're like the old stories." Tears welled in his milky eyes. "The gods have truly blessed us."

Zyx snorted. "Yeah, yeah. Where's my statue?"

As the villagers celebrated, Rico pulled Luis aside. "You're full of surprises, Mendoza." He punched Luis's shoulder - harder than necessary. "Next time, warn me before you turn home into a fortress."

Luis grinned. "Where's the fun in that?"

Under the watchful glow of the new defenses, the village celebrated late into the night, their laughter echoing off walls that finally made them feel safe.

(CH22)FORTRESS RISING