He stood in the midst of the trees and flexed his fingers, his eyes rolling up into his head. He rolled his neck, shifting on his feet as he tasted the mana in the air. The words bounced around in his head. He let out a shaky breath. Why did it bother him so much? Was it because they came from someone he couldn’t help but respect? There was a weight of truth to the words, it was like it was impossible for them to be a lie or something. The thought sent a chill up his spine and he grit his teeth.

  Humanity is resilient.

  He opened his eyes and they lit up with a blue glow as he took a few more shaky breaths.

  Humans don’t need gods.

  He ched his fists, “It’s not enough. I o be more.” He thought, “She just doesn’t get it, she doesn’t uand what a god is. What I could be to everyone,” His lip curled, “Before the end.”

  He held out his hand and with a flex of his item cheat a golden sword appeared. It glowed brightly with an off-yellow light as he swung it about. “A sword?” He scoffed and shoved it into the ground, leaving it there for a moment as he stalked bad forth and called up the he used to add to the illusion of his made-up power. “A ?” He ched it in his fist and tossed it over to hang off of the hilt of the sword. “A few item cheats, immunity, anonymity,” He spat, “Maxing out my stats,” He rumbled, “But are they really the max?”

  He held out his hands and activated the cheat, feeling strength rush through his body. He exhaled and mist boiled from his lips. His defenses, his self-regeion, his health, his physical power. He glowered at his hands, “Are they really enough?” He flexed his fingers and examined his hands, “What if I…” He spat on the ground. “...but I’m perfect!” He decred, “This power is perfect! It’s supposed to be! Isn’t it?” He ran his fihrough his hair, “I haven’t doubted myself until I heard her voice…”

  Ishtar.

  He spun on his heel and stopped, “Odysseus had tle, humans are resilient after all,” He reasoned, “He worked hard to reach the end of his story,” He muttered and looked over at the . He stared at it for a long time, thoughts boung around in his head as they tried to settle into something cohesive. He bore his teeth and tilted his head forward, his fists g tighter, blood dripping from them. He savored the pain for a moment, he let it give him focus, crity, he took a deep breath. “I le too, don’t I? To be the hero of the story. Yeah, that’s right,” He murmured, “Yeah…”

  He opened his palm and stared as the wounds began to close, his lip curling in disgust as blood dripped off of it and onto the ground. “Humans don’t need gods, mm? We’ll see about that. I admire you, Miss ovna, but you’re wrong there. I’ll make humanity need me and then…” His scowl broke into a wide smile as he threw his head back with a giggle, “...and then. I’ll end the story forever,” He said, “So I’ll get stronger, I’ll work hard. I’ll ‘train’ myself. I’ll increase my caps, I’ll find new cheats, and…”

  He let his head fall to the left and his shoulders went a little sck as he stared into the trees around him, “Since my first two pnned Heralds turned out to be idiots, I’ll have to repce them,” He said numbly as the rest of his body turo follow his gaze, “If I ’t t on aing character to serve my purposes, maybe I should make them myself? Yeah, I’ll ize my party. That’ll work…”

  He waved his hand and dismissed the sword and as he stalked into the trees, Ollie. Your power is useful to me. But if you think you hide things from me, you’re wrong. My eyes alone might not be able to see through your little act, but your profile speaks volumes. You’re still loyal to Miss ovna over me. Those notes didn’t tell me anything useful. Not really. He thought darkly as he moved through the trees, only the blue glow of his eyes visible to anyone else in the dark.

  I o keep an eye on him, figure out what his real weakness is, and pull on it. I ’t let him slip out of my grip, so I’ll have to take a carrot and stick approach. I’ll break him if I have to. He growled only to stop as he sensed something nearby. He turned his head sloeered through the trees. There, hidie tree, he spotted a young woman crouched down with her hands clutched around one side of her head. She was on a phone. He narrowed his eyes and silently slipped through the brush, getting closer. What’s this, what’s this, what is this?

  He willed his guide to appear, a profile o it.

  Jessica. The ice on thing. I remember her. Right, right. I never bothered to read her profile because she seemed so bor- oh? He stopped in his walk, Oh now this is juicy. He chuckled and his smile spread wider. He slipped into the brush and made his way forward, watg as she tio murmur something on her little phone. An ASTA Phone? She’d get caught if it was a normal phone, I suppose. Useful. He thought as she gnced around and put the phone away. She got to her feet and the instant he had her by the throat, her body pressed up against the tree. He jammed his fingers against her abdomen like cws.

  “Move and die,” He hissed, looking up at her with amusement on his face.

  She choked, her eyes going wide as she looked down at him, “Ma-”

  “Shhh, quiet, I o grab something real quick,” He snickered and activated his item cheat, this time targeting a particur item rather than just making ohe moment she let out a cry of pain and seized up, twitg in his grip as something bloody appeared in his hand. He ughed and crushed it in his palm before pressing his palm against her waist again. Another cheat and her body rexed, her eyes rolling to the side. He let go of her and she fell to the ground at his feet. “Wakey wakey little traitor,” He crowed, “e on now! Time to wake,” He reared his foot back, “Up!” He kicked her in the ribs. She let out a croaking groan and coughed, her eyes going wide as she looked up at him and then pat down at her waist.

  He crouched, “I took the bomb out,” He snickered, “Did you know it was there?” He asked.

  She stared at him, horrified, “N-no,” She stammered.

  “Looks like Liberty doesn’t trust you,” He hissed.

  Her eyes went wider, “I d-don’t.”

  “Don’t lie to me!” He snarled and grabbed her by the face, “I know,” He ughed, “Oh it feels good saying that. Eat shit Ishtar,” He cackled and tilted his head before pulling her close with his strength, he looked her in the eyes, “Here is what’s going to happen. Yoing to keep ag as you have been. Keep rep back. All normal. But yoing to tell me everything you know, everything you see, and everything you hear from home. You work for me now, little mole,” He whispered with a desding tone, “Do a good job for me and I’ll make you into someone important iure,” He was o h her now, “Fail?” He looked her in the eyes, “And I make things hurt you didn’t even know could hurt.”

  Yes, I’ve been so caught up in this little act, pying the trainee hero, I fot what my goal was. What I should be doing. I’m so gd the side quests came up. He thought as a new one appeared, Jessica, the Herald, huh? Okay. Sounds fun! He chuckled as all the strength left her arms and eyes.

  There was a rustling irees behind him as he got to his feet a go of her. He didn’t turn his body back, just gnced over his shoulder. And there he is. Looks like he noticed a ge in my threads or something. He must be able to turn it on without toug people. Sneaky little shit. He broke into a wide grin as Ollie peered through the leaves.

  “M-marc?” Ollie called, “That you over there?”

  Otis sneered behind his shoulder as he gestured sneakily for Jessica to get on her feet and make herself presentable. He turned his back to her, “It’s me, Ollie! Gd you swung by, though I’m curious how you found me!” He ughed, “Doesn’t matter, I was hoping to see you!” He said with his frie smile, “We have a lot to talk about!”