The echo of a digital chime faded into the oppressive silence of the void.
[Achievement Unlocked: One with Death]
[Title Created: Sovereign of Death]
[You have returned to the moment of your death.]
~Back to Life~
Doom, in his towering god form, turned with a languid grace, a smirk playing on his impossibly perfect features. His golden eyes, usually radiating power, now held a flicker of boredom. "I confess," his voice rumbled, laced with a theatrical sigh, "I already find myself missing Hazel's… exquisite despair. It clung to him like a shroud, a truly vintage vintage."
He continued his leisurely stroll, his polished boots clicking softly against the unseen surface. "The others… their terror will be so pedestrian, so utterly lacking in that potent blend of defiance and hopelessness. Annihilating them will be akin to swatting flies."
Suddenly, the air behind him cracked with the raw force of dark energy. A shockwave slammed into Doom's back, halting him mid-step. He whirled around, his divine visage contorted in genuine surprise as he witnessed the impossible. Hazel floated in the air, no longer broken and defeated, but radiating a malevolent power. A churning vortex of obsidian aura spiraled around him, tendrils of darkness lashing out like hungry whips. The very air seemed to crackle with the intensity of his transformation.
Hazel's voice, once tinged with fear and desperation, now resonated with an icy authority that sent a shiver down Doom's spine, a sensation he hadn't experienced in centuries. "Lay one more finger," the words dripped with venomous intent, each syllable echoing with newfound strength, "on those under my protection, and you will not find oblivion, not even in the deepest abyss of death."
"How?" Doom stammered, a knot of disbelief tightening in his chest. His golden eyes darted across Hazel's levitating form, trying to comprehend the impossible. "You… you should be nothing more than dust! Dead!" The sheer force of Hazel's aura pressed against him, a tangible weight that stirred a primal unease within his godlike being.
"I command the very essence of cessation," Hazel stated, his tone glacial, each word a shard of ice. "The cessation of life, the transition to what lies beyond… it bends to my will. Death itself cowers before me. I am the Sovereign of Death."
The transformation completed its grotesque yet awe-inspiring metamorphosis. Hazel's tattered clothes dissolved, replaced by a flowing robe of pure, light-absorbing black, the fabric seeming to writhe and shift like liquid night. And his face… the transformation was horrifyingly complete. The flesh had receded, the skin taut and grey, revealing the stark contours of his skull beneath. Empty sockets glowed with an inner, malevolent light, and his jaw hung slightly open, as if in a silent, eternal scream.
"Enough of this macabre jest," Doom spat, attempting to mask the tremor in his voice with a dismissive wave. Yet, a seed of doubt had been planted, a disquieting whisper in the back of his mind.
He gathered his divine energy, focusing his intent. He lunged, employing his signature speed, a skill that had felled countless foes. He blurred, the air shimmering where he once stood, aiming to exploit Hazel's apparent stillness. He reappeared behind the levitating figure, his fist clenched, ready to deliver a blow that had crushed mountains.
His fist connected. He felt the impact, the slight resistance. A grim satisfaction flickered within him. Still vulnerable, he thought. But then he saw Hazel, still floating serenely, unmoved. A wave of confusion washed over him. His perception wavered. Had his attack even landed?
Then he saw it. A viscous, black substance, like solidified shadow given form, had erupted exactly where his fist made contact. It pulsed with a faint, inner light, completely encasing his hand and forearm, preventing any force from reaching Hazel. It felt cold, alien, and… hungry.
"Wait… what in the void?" Doom's perfect features contorted in bewilderment. He yanked his arm back, a strange resistance clinging to him. He unleashed a furious barrage of punches, each aimed at a different point on the black barrier, each meeting the same unyielding resistance. The black substance rippled but held firm. Then, the horrifying realization struck him. "A… a barrier of pure death!"
~Hazel's Notifications~
[Old skills, tied to your previous mortal existence, have been overwritten and rendered unusable. Only skills derived from your ascended title, 'Sovereign of Death,' can now be accessed and utilized.]
[New Skill Acquired: Death Barrier – A formidable barrier composed of solidified death energy. Any attack that makes contact is instantly negated and begins to decay.]
[As the newly instated Sovereign, you are granted a single, crucial question to pose to the System. The veracity of the answer is absolute and guaranteed.]
~End of Notifications~
"This… this is an affront!" Doom roared, his disbelief bordering on outrage. "Impossible! I have scoured this realm for millennia! I am the apex! The sole Sovereign within these borders! This cannot be!" His golden aura flared momentarily, a sign of his mounting fury. Exhausted and frustrated by his futile assault, he finally propelled himself backward, creating a significant distance between himself and the unnerving figure of Hazel.
"System," Doom commanded, his voice strained with a mixture of anger and a dawning sense of dread, "I invoke my right as a Sovereign. Answer me truthfully: How many Sovereigns currently exist within this… this insignificant country?"
Thank the cosmic currents I hadn't squandered this boon on some triviality, Doom thought grimly, his mind racing to comprehend this unforeseen development.
~Doom's Reply from the System~
[Analysis complete. There are currently a total of ten Sovereigns active within the designated territory, with the potential for more to emerge.]
"Ten?!" Doom's exclamation ripped through the silent void. His golden eyes widened in utter shock.
"Ten? How… how is such a thing even conceivable?"
[Query limit reached. Thank you for your inquiry.]
A wave of pure, unadulterated frustration washed over Doom, eclipsing his earlier disbelief. "I will tear you apart, you… you usurper!" he bellowed, his voice thick with rage. "And when I am finished with you, every other so-called Sovereign in this pathetic land will suffer the same fate!" He gathered his remaining energy, his form crackling with golden light, and launched himself towards Hazel once more, a desperate, furious assault.
"I believe," Hazel said, his skeletal face betraying no emotion, his voice a chilling monotone, "I have indulged your tantrum for long enough. Now… now you will face the true meaning of power."
[Using Skill: Dominance of Death – Your inherent authority over all beings weaker than yourself compels immediate and absolute subservience.]
[Please input an activation word for this skill: _____]
[Activation word 'Kneel' has been successfully registered.]
Hazel raised a gaunt hand towards the onrushing Doom. "Kneel," he commanded, the single word resonating with the absolute power of his new dominion.
The effect was instantaneous and devastating. Mid-lunge, Doom's body locked. An invisible force slammed into him, driving him downward with irresistible pressure. His divine muscles strained, his golden aura flickering as he fought against the unseen weight. But it was futile. His knees slammed against the unseen floor, the impact jarring his very essence. He was forced to kneel, his proud form bowed against his will.
"It is time," Hazel stated, his form flickering again, this time appearing directly before the kneeling god, his skeletal face inches from Doom's. The stench of death and raw power emanated from him, a tangible wave of terror that finally broke through Doom's arrogance.
"Wait!" Doom choked out, his voice a desperate rasp. "Don't… don't extinguish me! I will serve you! I swear it! Slaying me will not restore your fallen… your comrades. Let me be your weapon! I possess power far greater than theirs!" Tears of pure fear welled in his golden eyes.
"Do not mistake my purpose," Hazel said, his gaze unwavering, his empty sockets seeming to pierce Doom's very soul. "They were never truly lost to the void. As I have declared, I am the master of death. The embrace of oblivion cannot hold those who are bound to me." He turned his back on the defeated god, extending his skeletal hands towards the still forms of his friends. "Arise," he intoned, his voice resonating with the power of his sovereignty, "leave the shadow of the grave. Your master calls you back to the realm of the living."
Even as Hazel spoke the words of resurrection, Doom, in a final act of desperation, tried to lash out, to seize any advantage. But the oppressive force remained absolute, his limbs heavy as lead. This time, the pressure intensified, forcing his head to bow until his forehead touched the unseen ground in complete, involuntary submission.
[You have utilized the skill of the Sovereign of Death: Dead Recall – This skill draws back the souls of those who have recently departed, restoring them to their previous state of life. Activation word: 'Come, leave the land of the dead, your master calls for you.']
In a series of soft sighs, the still forms of Alexa, Ashton, Mia, and Oscar began to stir. Color returned to their faces, the pallor of death receding. Their eyes fluttered open, confusion giving way to dawning recognition. Simultaneously, each received a silent notification from the System.
[The Sovereign of Death has called for your return. You have been drawn back from the embrace of the departed to answer your master's summons. The vital essence of life now flows anew within you.]
[You are now bound as loyal servants to the Sovereign of Death.]
[Your current power level is insufficient to effectively serve your Sovereign.]
[You cannot fully fulfill your duties without reaching the Sovereign level.]
[The Sovereign of Death has overridden the restrictions preventing your ascension. You are now eligible for Sovereignhood.]
[This act of overriding restrictions can only be performed once.]
~End of System Notifications~
Then, with gasps and disoriented blinks, Alexa, Ashton, Mia, and Oscar were fully back in the land of the living, their gazes locking onto the terrifying yet undeniably powerful figure of Hazel. Doom, still kneeling and utterly defeated, could only stare at their returning feet, his golden eyes wide with a terror that finally eclipsed his godlike arrogance, a primal fear that resonated deep within his immortal core.