"Boss, it's here. It's really here," Auston reported, his voice tinged with panic as he felt the oppressive presence descending from above—a force so overwhelming that it made his scales bristle involuntarily. Though he knew it was merely an avatar of the Evil God and not the deity's true form, the fear it evoked was no less real.
High above the blood-stained skies of a mountainous battlefield, where powerful beings clashed, a wisp of unassuming black mist appeared. Then came another, and another... Soon, the darkness spread, consuming all light and draining vitality from everything it touched.
"Save me!" Auston roared internally, though outwardly he maintained his fierce, defiant demeanor. The prideful red dragon would never let his terror show, refusing to disgrace himself—or Muria.
"Why are you panicking? I'm right here," Muria's voice rang out, a hint of amusement in his tone as he observed the dragon's outward bravado masking his inner dread.
"It's descending!" Auston said, his gaze fixed on the thickening darkness above. His fiery eyes burned brightly, unaffected by the lightless surroundings.
From the depths of the blackened sky, countless eyes began to appear—vast and grotesque, radiating destruction. These malignant orbs shimmered faintly, providing the only light in the engulfing darkness.
The moment the Evil God's avatar began its descent, the battle ceased. The storm giants, mounted on their giant eagles, formed a protective circle around Auston, while the surviving one-eyed giants prostrated themselves, awaiting the arrival of their master.
"Dragon God's servant," the disembodied voice of the Evil God's avatar echoed, its myriad eyes surveying the battlefield with cold detachment. Despite the massacre of its minions, it showed no visible emotion.
"Leave this place. I am willing to forgive all harm done to my followers," the avatar declared, its tone calm yet commanding.
"Forgive us? What a joke!" Auston scoffed, his heart pounding with fear but his exterior brimming with arrogance. He stared defiantly at the countless eyes above.
The Evil God's avatar hesitated. It sensed the presence of another divine being emanating from the red dragon and its allies—a being of comparable strength. This explained its uncharacteristic restraint.
"Does your master not teach you how to show respect to an equal deity?" the avatar asked, its voice reverberating with disapproval.
The oppressive darkness intensified, exerting immense pressure on Auston. The swirling shadows seemed to thicken, threatening to crush him under their weight.
"I know how to face a deity," Auston replied, raising his head defiantly. "But I see no reason to respect something like you. Do you know what we call creatures like you in my world? Evil scum."
The blatant insult provoked a chilling response.
"Such insolence cannot be tolerated. I will erase you, dragon, and your master will have no grounds to object," the avatar said coldly.
"Erase him, and I'll erase you from the void," a voice resounded, filled with calm authority.
From the horizon, a radiant golden light emerged, illuminating the darkness like a rising sun. Within this brilliance, the silhouette of a majestic titan took form, his presence towering and unyielding.
With each step the titan took, the golden light expanded, pushing back the encroaching darkness. The oppressive gloom was driven to its limits, revealing the hideous form of the Evil God's avatar: a massive, writhing mass of flesh covered with dozens of eyes of varying sizes. Each eye radiated a destructive glow, and grotesque features—fangs, spikes, and twisted tentacles—adorned its grotesque body.
But the light soon forced the darkness to envelop the avatar once more, hiding its nightmarish visage.
"Dragon God!" The avatar's countless eyes turned toward the approaching titan. "Your servant has insulted me by calling me a creature of evil. Such disrespect toward a god demands punishment."
"And why should I punish him when what he said is entirely accurate?" Muria retorted, his golden radiance growing stronger. The oppressive aura of the avatar began to waver, unable to withstand the titan's brilliance.
"Your arrogance blinds you, Dragon God. You lack the respect due to an equal," the avatar accused.
"Respect? Hah!" Muria scoffed. A colossal double-edged battle axe appeared in his hands, its weight bending the light around it. Without hesitation, the titan swung the axe toward the sky.
Slash!
The golden arc cleaved through the heavens, aiming straight for the Evil God's avatar.
The avatar reacted instinctively, summoning its tendrils to intercept the strike. But the hastily raised defense was futile. The golden axe tore through its appendages, severing them cleanly. Black, foul-smelling blood rained down like a waterfall, staining the sky itself.
"Your followers invaded my domain, slaughtered its inhabitants, and devoured their souls. Is this your so-called respect for me?" Muria demanded, his voice thunderous.
"My domain?" the avatar echoed, momentarily taken aback. Its wounds failed to heal, and the dark blood continued to flow.
"Yes, my domain," Muria replied with absolute certainty, his tone brooking no argument.
"But I sensed no mark of ownership, no sign of your presence here," the avatar protested weakly, trying to justify its actions.
"Foolishness!" Muria sneered. "Why would I need to leave a mark? I was the first to discover this world. It is mine by right."
"...If that is the case, then I admit my error. I will compensate you for all losses my followers have caused," the avatar conceded after a moment of deliberation, its tone surprisingly conciliatory.
The Evil God's willingness to yield wasn't out of genuine remorse—it was a calculated move. It had quickly deduced that Muria's avatar was powerful enough to suppress it. Confronting an equal or superior foe was a risk it was unwilling to take.
"Compensate me? Can you afford it?" Muria asked disdainfully. "Do you realize how much time and effort I've invested in this place? Your followers have nearly destroyed the foundation of my work. You've ruined my present gains and my future harvest."
Hearing this, the Evil God was struck by an unsettling realization. Based on Muria's words, it suspected it had stumbled upon something extraordinary: a shepherd civilization.
Some ancient entities, blessed with near-infinite lifespans, had developed a long-term strategy of cultivating civilizations. These beings would infiltrate worlds, subtly guiding their development while avoiding significant disruption. They would protect these civilizations, allowing them to grow and flourish, only to harvest them at their peak.
Such endeavors required immense patience and resources, but the rewards were unparalleled. The Evil God had only heard of such endeavors in rumors—never had it seen one in action. Until now.
Could this Dragon God truly be such a being? The thought filled it with unease.
If this world's inhabitants were indeed the Dragon God's "crop," then its invasion had likely jeopardized centuries—if not millennia—of meticulous work.
"I deeply regret my transgression," the avatar said, its tone laden with false humility. "If there is any way to make amends—"
"Amends? I doubt you can afford them," Muria interrupted coldly, his golden eyes piercing through the darkness. "Prepare yourself. I will collect my compensation from you directly."
With that, the radiant titan raised his battle axe once more, the brilliance of his strike illuminating the battlefield like the sun's wrath. The Evil God's avatar braced itself, its countless eyes widening in dread.
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