He would become a slave to the demon in exchange for the gifts he will receive. History has shown rather vividly that it will not end well for him if he selects that option. Even if he had a chance of a blissful ending, he still won’t choose this option until he is desperate and at his wit’s end. He didn’t want to be someone’s slave after having enjoyed a life of luxury. To become the slave of a demon will be worse than having to live in a second-rate city
The third option is to spread faith in himself and become a god. As long as there are enough people who believe in him, he could become a god right now. He would also be able to enjoy eternal life unlike those on the path of perfection. It is just that Godhood is frowned upon on this plane. He would be hunted down if his information was leaked to the right people. This option appealed to him because he would finally have his sphere of influence, unlike the unreliable one that he got through his father. Plus things were not completely hopeless, he could go to the rebel nations and join the divine alliance.
He decided to choose the third option. So he sold off what he couldn’t carry and packed the rest for a trip to the divine alliance. He was optimistic because in any case, he still had the second option. He had a way out no matter the outcome.
Somewhere on the ancient battlefield.
Earlier today within the territory of the Ghastorix family. In a particular hidden space where four origin gods were chatting. It was more like one of them was chatting while the rest were listening. Only two of the rest could listen, the third one on the ground had lost the capacity to listen. He was even glowing strangely. It didn’t look right.
The two that were listening had resigned themselves to the fact that this ordeal won’t end for another decade or so until ancestor Guntur got bored with storytelling or found something interesting to do. It had only been a day since his arrival, but they were already bored, they couldn’t wait for the decade to be over.
The talking origin god is the only one wearing black simple robes and matching trousers. The other three were wearing blue robes with black stripes.
“So there I was, infuriated and overcome with righteous justice. The flames of inspiration lit up within me and a poem came to my mind unbidden. I’ll tell you about it later, it is one of my recent masterpieces….” Guntu’s voice was passionate. It was like he was back there when it happened but his two listeners didn’t share his enthusiasm. They groaned inwardly whenever he promised to tell them about something later, the story just kept piling up with no end in sight. They will be here for a century at this rate.
Then Elder Ghoto stopped. His face turned serious as he received a message from his communication talisman. It wasn’t the new type that was circulating throughout the realm of high heaven. This type of communication only allowed for soul-to-soul communication but it was unrestricted by distance. The message came from the original ancestor of the family, and it could be summarised in two words.
“Protect Hadrick.”
The message invigorated Guntu. It seems he might see some action. Something or someone is threatening their family. Now he has something even better to do than telling stories, he gets to create more stories. No matter how fun telling others about his experiences are, he preferred making the experiences even more.
The two listeners noticed the abrupt changes in the demeanor of ancestor Guntu. He was telling them some story about how he cheated another Origin god out of some money before he stopped all of a sudden. Then his face became serious, and he stood up. They could tell that something important had happened or is happening. They waited in silence for ancestor Guntu to inform them if it pertains to them.
“The Forefather just contacted me. I have a job to do back home.” Guntu said to them.
“You mean at the home plane?” One of them asked cautiously.
Guntu picked up his wine gourd and replied. “Yes, and I have to go immediately.”
“How come we weren’t told? What happened?” The two of them were confused. Things that happened in the plane were supposed to be reported to them first before it reaches the higher-ups. They were the acting patriarchs after all. How come the chain of command was skipped like that. It even reached the forefather without reaching them. Only a few individuals can do something like that and if the forefather responded, then it must be a serious matter.
“This matter concerns the ancient creeping dwarf. It is of the highest priority that’s why it evaded you guys.” Guntu replied before picking up the knocked-out origin god and carrying him over his shoulders. “He will go with me. He is a true man. Unlike you people that can’t embrace your fears. You won’t be able to create good stories that way.”
They were glad he didn’t pick any one of them. But they had a sense of responsibility and asked “Are you sure? Maybe you should let us two go instead.”
Guntu shook his head. “I have to go. The Forefather wanted someone strong and you guys are not.”
What he didn’t say is that the forefather wanted someone reliable but could only settle for Guntu because of his proximity to the plane. The forefather had said, “You may be fickle but you are strong. You must not fail.”
Guntu took the forefather’s words seriously. He wasn’t going to fail. His job isn’t difficult anyway, he is to standby at the main city and stall any enemy until reinforcements come.
“I can’t allow you to steal my spotlight. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about it when I return.”
Guntu said to the two Origin gods that were secretly sighing in relief. Then he bid farewell and began his journey to the home plane. The territory of the Ghastorix family is very close to the plane portal so it was a short journey. The neighbors of the Ghastorix family are other forces from the same plane, most of them are battle sage monkeys. The Ghastorix family acquired their territory through their strength, influence, and most importantly because they had the permission of the race council. This permission will only be granted after a thorough vetting of each force. The minimum requirement that must be met before a force requests permission is a verifiable identity. Identity can only be verified if it belongs to a traceable family line from ancient times. This and many other requirements will prevent the infiltration of nefarious forces. This matter is taken very seriously because it pertains to the safety of their entire home plane.
Guntu soon reached the main city.
Guntu didn’t take any detours and all obstacles were plowed through. He went through the danger zones in the plane with his aura flared up to warn off any animal or plant stupid enough to attack him.
When he got to the main city, he was swiftly received by the three sovereigns stationed there. Notice had been sent to all the relevant personnel of his impending arrival. The aim of his visit was hidden behind the guise of an inspection.
The sovereigns were the only ones that came to greet him, there was no use bringing others or a need for much fanfare. The three of them were like little chicks around a mother hen. Guntu is probably ten times older than them and a thousand times stronger. They surrounded him in the sky and escorted him towards the inner city. They also chose to ignore the origin god that he was carrying on his shoulder.
“Welcome back, great ancestor.” They chorused.
Guntu looked around and nodded his head. “Not bad. The city has prospered since I was last here.”
The three of them had only just come to the city a short while ago so they were not responsible for its growth, but it didn’t matter. They took care of the city too when they were titans and considering that the last time Guntu came to visit was 200 origin cycles ago, there was nothing wrong with taking credit for the prosperity of the city. Their past efforts counted after all.
“Thank you, Great ancestor. You’re so kind.”
“We appreciate the fact that you recognize our effort.”
“Follow us, Great ancestor. We have prepared for your visit.”
Guntu took another step and frowned. He realized that he failed to bend space. It is a feeling he was having problems getting used to.
“I don’t like being here. It is frustrating. How do people leave like this?” He complained.
The suppression of the plane has weakened him to abysmal levels.