MMORPG : Rise of the Interstellar God

System: NPC [Themis, Goddess of Justice] killed. Gain 99,999,999 EXP and -1,000 Alignment.

System: Level 33 achieved.

System: Level 34 achieved.

System: Level 35 achieved.

Server Announcement: Congratulations to player "Apophis" for being the first to defeat a Rank S Divine NPC! A reward of 2 levels and 100 Skill Points have been awarded to him.

System: Level 36 achieved.

System: Level 37 achieved.

A distorted lightning bolt which cast color-inverting light appeared for a split second.

Then Themis's upper body simply disappeared as though it had never existed, while the remainder crumbled to the ground.

Apophis had, of course, just used his ~Universe Editor~ Skill.

The same power which had once wiped a whole continent from the face of a planet had now deleted the goddess Themis's upper body from reality.

The thousands of players staring at the scene couldn't believe it! Apophis hadn't even moved a finger, but somehow, the goddess was dead.

In Horus, most skills required some movement or action to activate them, or at least to direct them.

For example, Apophis's ~Firebending~ required him to use his fists to direct the flames, while ~Waterbending~ required him to use open-handed movements to direct the water.

But Apophis had done nothing here.

He hadn't even lifted a finger.

Even in the livestream, everyone had gone silent with awe. Despite the millions of spectators, not a single comment was made.

Apophis collapsed into the blood-clouded water below, the goddess's blade still impaling his chest.

A moment later, a player had arrived at Apophis's side and pulled him free of the water.

Apophis looked up weakly and found Ceasar smirking down at him.

"Another shitty fight," said Ceasar.

Apophis gave a wavering smile and replied, "Only victory counts. If I cared about artistry in combat, I'd have been a Warrior like you…"

Caesar laughed. "How about I give you ten minutes to heal and we can test whether Warrior is really an artsy class?"

Apophis wanted to give a confident retort, like usual… but he was the most exhausted he'd ever been in his life. Even the desperate skirmishes against nagas in the Messiah's Path dungeon had been nothing compared to this.

"Come on, man," he said. "Right now? I just…"

But Ceasar's grin stretched even further. "Just fucking with you." He released Apophis, letting him stand on his own.

Apophis laughed. "Thanks, man."

Ceasar replied, "I'll let you go this time, but don't expect it to happen again. In five months, to celebrate the new stellar century of 7100, the Holy Elven Empire is holding a huge PvP tournament. You'd better be there!"

Apophis nodded. "I promise. But you'd better get stronger, so that you're an actual challenge!"

By this time, Hulk and the rest of the Eclipse members had come down to wade through the bloody pond that Apophis had created in the crater. Hulk saluted him. "Welcome to Terra, Apophis!"

It was a relief to see familiar faces after all these harsh experiences. Apophis replied, "Thanks, Hulk. I'm glad you're all here..."

But then Apophis realized he was surrounded by thousands of unknown players.

There was, of course, Ceasar's squad which he'd killed on Cronos I, as well as some SuperGuild players, but most were complete strangers.

Suddenly, an unknown player began clapping, followed by another, then more and more players started to clap.

Eventually, the whole crowd had broken into applause.

Voices rang out above the noise.

"Yeah, Apophis, you're the best!"

"Big Brother, can I take a picture with you?"

"Long live the Espers!"

The forums burst into discussions about this event.

Apophis's attack was so cold and beautiful that it gained the nickname of the "Kiss of Death." Many people claimed that it was so powerful that it could easily kill any target, but that Apophis had only used it now to save his life because he was such an honorable fighter that he never used it in duels.

On Twitter, the #SupremeEsper tag started trending as many players called Apophis the Supreme Esper.

And, of course, more and more players became convinced that Apophis was simply a cheater.

However, the top journalists and MMORPG commentators dismissed this idea. It seemed illogical, they said, that someone who obtained such power and fame through cheating wouldn't have been banned by now.

It was far more likely, they said, that Apophis had found some secret technique or method of strengthening himself which nobody else had discovered yet.

Lucifer gained a slight increase in popularity as the media repeatedly interviewed him about his fight against Apophis.

It was not a kind of popularity which Lucifer particularly enjoyed.

***

Terra orbit—Imperial flagship

Azerof sat on his golden throne on the control deck. He'd just watched the incredible fight between Apophis and Themis using the ship's long-range visual sensors, and he was almost in shock.

Azerof had met Apophis after the Eternal had just barely gained the power of Ascension. That had only been months ago.

How could it possibly be that Apophis had gained the power to slay a goddess in that time? Despite his arrogance and confidence, Azerof was terrified.

Azerof turned to Hecate, who had been standing rigidly nearby while the Emperor watched the fight. "So, Hecate, your goddess just died pathetically at the hands of a mere mortal. Explain."

Hecate was in shock herself. "I... I... I think this is a mistake..."

Azerof snarled, "There's no fucking mistake! I delivered Apophis to you on a silver platter. In return, your goddess was supposed to help me pacify my new empire with the power of her pantheon and priest!"

Hecate's tone was one of embarrassment, which was quite rare for her. "Lord Azerof… The plans have not changed! The Pantheon of Justice will still take root in the Empire, as we helped you resurrect it during the space battle of Cronos I.

"You simply do not understand the full might of the gods. Even if Apophis destroyed my mistress's physical shell, it is only that—a physical shell. She will rebuild it, as she rebuilt yours."

Azerof was quite annoyed at this defensiveness. "Shut up! I delivered Apophis to you and I betrayed a very valuable potential ally. All for this bitch to crumple like a weakling in front of all my fleet… You have no credibility anymore, Hecate."

Azerof snapped his fingers and two Rank A demigods stepped forward. The Emperor said, "John, Yuor, take this woman to visit the void of space."

The two demigods replied, "Yes, Lord!"

Azerof was in a bad mood.

His plan to get rid of Apophis and gain respect for a religion that would unite the Empire had failed miserably. Now that the goddess Themis had lost, she would command nobody's respect.

Azerof needed another way to keep peace in his empire.

He'd considered using the Eternals as an elite peacekeeping force, but their unstable temperaments and the inability to execute them for treason made them impossible to control.

Before Azerof could consider any other alternatives, Admiral Hazh, who was also standing nearby, spoke up. "Milord, the Commander of the Coalition Forces, has requested she be allowed to board to sign the treaty with us."

Azerof waved his hand in irritation. "Let her come aboard."

Admiral Hazh seemed confused. "Good God, we're really going through with this? But are we still commanding our ground-based anti-aircraft batteries to destroy corvettes that enter the atmosphere?"

Azerof snapped, "No, you fool! Cancel that order!"

Admiral Hazh said, "Are you certain, Milord? Despite the threat they pose, we'll really let them all go?"

Azerof replied, "We don't have a choice. The cosmic crisis of the Eternals' continued presence is beyond our current capability to solve. It will be up to the Stellar High Council to solve this problem… later. For now, let's focus on getting the situation under control. That means canceling the order to attack approaching ships, Admiral!"

***

As Lotus, Lucifer, and Joker stepped into the hangar of the Imperial flagship, having exited their own craft, they found a row of armored soldiers forming an honor guard. At the front of these soldiers were John and Yuor, who wore insignias that marked them as the Emperor's personal bodyguards.

John stepped in front of Lotus and said, "Welcome aboard, Lord Lotus. Lord Azerof awaits you."

Lotus, Lucifer and Joker step forward, but Yuor raised a hand to indicate that they should stop. "Lord Azerof wishes only to speak to Lotus, not to anyone else."

Lucifer, who was quite arrogant—and supremely annoyed at all the discussion about him online at that time—said, "Step aside or I'll burn you to ashes, you son of a bitch!"

But Lotus turned back and gave the other players a look of warning. "That's enough. You stay here. It's alright."

Both players saw this as further abuse of authority. Without them present, there was nobody to hold Lotus accountable. She would have sole authority to negotiate on behalf of the Coalition… and she had already proved that she was willing to put her personal wishes above the greater good.

But neither Lucifer nor Joker were stupid.

They understood that if they didn't obey, the whole peace agreement would be canceled, and that would be disastrous… so they agreed to Lotus's request.

Before long, Lotus had been brought to the command deck, where the soldiers presented her to Emperor Azerof on his golden throne.

Lotus had met Azerof before, and she immediately noticed the huge burn on the right side of his face, which he had certainly not had during the last time she saw him. "Hello, Lord Azerof."

Azerof glared at her. "I've met you before, is that right?"

Lotus replied, "Yes, Lord, I was with Apophis at the Terra military parade."

Azerof nodded. "Yes, I remember! You're part of his clan! Does this confirm that Apophis is the leader of the Eternals?"

Lotus replied, "Things are complicated among our people. You made it very clear that Apophis is not part of this conversation, Lord Azerof. Ignore him, and speak with me, for I am the one who speaks for my people."

Azerof's scowl turned into a dark smile. "Perfect. As we discussed earlier, in order for me to let you through to Terra, I require some commitments from you.

"First, no new human territory will pass under the control of the Eternals. Your people will respect our territorial claims. Second, I require some Eternals for military missions and peacekeeping within the Empire. A minimum of 100,000 people per month."

Lotus replied, "I see nothing wrong with the second condition, and indeed, I think we will probably have many volunteers eager to serve a rising empire. However, what exactly do you mean by the first condition?"

Azerof replied, "No faction of the Eternals may attack or occupy any territory which the Empire captures… and this also extends to all territories which were formerly owned by the Federation, as they now rightfully belong to the Empire."

Lotus answered, "It is one thing to ask that we not attack those territories which you currently hold by military might. That is quite reasonable.

"However… It is impossible to demand that we refrain from taking territories which you do not currently control, simply because you believe you have a right to them."

Azerof replied, "The Imperium of Humanity is simply a regime change. In all other respects, we are the Federation of United Planets. Those territories already belong to us… though they may be infested with rebels who have other ideas."

Lotus shook her head. "I cannot accept these conditions. Even if I were willing to acknowledge your demands, I could never hold my fellow Eternals to them."

Azerof shrugged and leaned back on his throne. "Then your people will remain in the prisons of Terra."