Empire of Souls 97 False Demigods 1

Aleks cocked his head to the side and observed the Orc Shaman from head to toe as if he were studying an animal. His golden mask emitted a light glow and data flickered across his retina.

"It seems that you Orcs have hidden your trump card quite well. This is.. unexpected, but not surprising. It makes sense that only through significant strength could your kind thrive in such a dangerous place with so many powerful foes surrounding you. One Legendary being is hardly enough to keep your foes at bay."

As Aleks spoke, the tendrils he was standing upon began to recede, gently placing him on the ground in an elegant manner.

"Who are you?"

The Orc Shaman's voice was gruff and somewhat disembodied. It was more like a collection of voices merging as one.

"Who I am is not important. I think you should care more about why I've come."

"What are you? You are neither god, man, nor spirit, but something else entirely. Your existence is a conundrum. Leave now, or else suffer the consequences of your transgression."

Aleks chuckled while stepping closer to the Orc Shaman, "A bit intriguing. The gods have the ability to descend upon one of their vessels, namely those called saints. I didn't know that you Ancestral beings had the ability to do something similar. So, you could descend upon several vessels and create those equivalent to Legendary beings, or one vessel to empower one to the level of a Demigod. However, it appears nothing more than a cheap imitation. This Orc may have power equivalent to a Demigod, but it is not truly a Demigod after all. Suffer the consequences? You would need the power to make me do so."

"Insolence! We are sacred beings!" the many voices shouted in anger.

Aleks's posture grew sinister as he stood mere feet away from the Orc Shaman, "You wished to escape your fate and so you created this lie and even accepted the worship of millions. What arrogance, what pride! You are mere fools and I shall be your reaper!"

Aleks lifted his head to the sky and roared. His voice was projected outwards as the mask distorted once more into an enormous gaping maw. The fierce roar reverberated throughout the entire canyon, sending all who heard into a severe panic. Enormous 'Soul Tendrils' once more shot upwards, seemingly out of Aleks's body. These tendrils radiated with power and whipped up a fierce wind which blew Aleks's and the Shaman's robes violently. Aleks hair whipped in the wind created by the tendrils and the release of Aleks's aura and power.

The Shaman seemed rooted in place, but his body began to visibly expand. He no longer had the appearance of an old and decrepit Orc. The Orc planted the staff down into the ground at the center of its body while holding the top of the staff with both palms facing downward. His body grew muscles explosively and his posture became more erect, no longer crouching downward or showing any sign of old age. The Shamans fur vest became torn and ripped, falling off his body and he dropped the mantle which had previously been wrapped around his shoulders. The Shaman's torso was revealed and there were all manner of savage tattoos visible on his muscular body.

Anyone who came near would instantly be crushed by the aura of two powerful Demigod like beings who were no longer keeping their auras in control. Their auras violently burst from within them, creating an extremely oppressive sensation of power. Lenia and Nelay who had almost made their way towards the area where Aleks was, were caught at the fringes of this oppressive might and struggled to walk closer. Lariel continued to observe from the sky, she was the closest to the two but didn't seem too bothered by the might of their auras. She continued to hover high above them and only watched with her arms crossed and her wings beating steadily. A light smile touched her blood red lips and she held one finger against her lower lip as if she were enjoying the show.

Aleks ferociously began his attack, his 'Soul Tendrils' whipping outwards to strike at the Shaman who had become a hulking nine foot tall Orc. This was clearly some form of Shamanic magic. His body also glowed with the light of spells. With rapid movements, the Orc dodged the attack despite his large body. Each strike of Aleks's tendrils would drain Vitality and although the Orc did not know the actual effects of the tendrils, he could sense their potential danger. The staff in his hands began to glow brightly as the Orc muttered spells under his breath. Vicious beasts were summoned one after the other and rushed towards Aleks to attack.

"Your efforts shall be in vain, you are too weak!"

Aleks swatted away the beasts with his tendrils, which would have even forced Lenia to struggle against, like they were mere bugs and pressed his attack. The Shaman was not a simple foe however, and used his staff like a club as well as continuing to summon powerful beasts. Direbears, Direwolves, Firewyrms, and a variety of other powerful beasts appeared with every flash of the Orc's staff. The Orc himself had been empowered through several beneficial spells and his PHY ATK, PHY DEF, and AGI were greatly boosted. Even with all his spells and buffs, he was still at a disadvantage.

Aleks on the other hand was calm and collected, his tendrils doing all the work for him. It was a stark contrast, one which caused the Orc Shaman to roar in anger. This was costing Aleks significant 'Soul Potential', but with the thousands of deaths caused by the meteor strikes, he was also constantly replenishing the lost SP.

Realizing that the more the battle progressed, the greater his disadvantage grew, the Shaman slammed his staff into the ground releasing a powerful barrier. Aleks's tendrils whipped at the barrier violently, but the barrier held. It was visibly beginning to weaken, but it gave the Shaman a moment of reprieve.

"Fine! I will go all out. Even if I must die, I will take you with me vile creature!" the voices within the Shaman roared and the shaman began to cast several more spells.

The Shaman wasn't holding anything back anymore. He used his full power, the power that had been granted to him by the ancestral spirits which had pushed his strength to that of a Demigod. His strength once more increased with a variety of resistance enhancements and other strength inducing spells. He also cast curse type spells in hopes of weakening Aleks, but they had very little effect on him.

Several nature attack spells were flung at Aleks simultaneously as well, all of which were continuously deflected by Aleks's tendrils. His defense seemed to have no flaws that the Shaman could take advantage of. This increased the Shaman's frustration and with his determination set, he roared once more while slamming his staff into the earth. Pouring all his remaining magical power into the staff, the staff sent out a shockwave which pushed Aleks back.

"You have forced me to this point! Ancestral Spirits, I give my life to you! Use the last bit of my life and soul to carry out your will!"

Aleks's tendrils kept Aleks from falling to the ground and placed him safely upon his feet. He brushed off the dust from his robes and watched as the Orc Shaman's body began to expand even further, becoming a bulging herculean mass. He was no longer recognizable and as his body squirmed and expanded with bulges popping out all over his body, Aleks observed with some caution.
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"Truly interesting, but still inferior. A god's descent into the body of a Saint as a vessel is more frightening. It does depend on the vessel and if the vessel is a true Saint being or not, but this is just a cheap imitation. What a joke, so many ancestral spirits are inhabiting the body of the Orc Shaman but it is still too weak.

By this point, both Nelay and Lenia had shrugged off the effects that the auras initially had on them and were close enough to see both Aleks and the Shaman. They both witnessed as the Shaman's body continued to expand and grow, becoming a monstrous hulking being. There were looks of concern on both their beautiful faces. Although they both believed in their master's strength, they had never seen a battle on such a scale.

The area and caverns of the ancestral grounds had been smashed and everywhere were the signs of destruction from their battle. Aleks's tendrils had rampaged through the area and the shaman's summons and magic spells had also caused no small bit of devastation. The ground was upturned and the outside cavern face was smashed with rubble everywhere. It was a frightening battlefield that would leave one with a feeling of awe. Only Lariel remained unconcerned from her vantage point in the sky.

As the once Orc had become a monstrous being that could no longer be recognized, the disembodied voices of the Ancestral Spirits howled. Visible on the body of the naked, hulking being were twisted and contorted faces of totemic animals. It was as if the hulking mass were an amalgamation of a variety of beasts.

"You dare insult us? We are divine spirits worthy of worship and adulation. You are an abomination! We will destroy you and the world shall owe us a favor!"

Aleks chuckled once more, there was no fear present in his demeanor. It was as if the world were in the palm of his hand. The Ancestral Spirits inhabiting the body of the Orc Shaman were surprised at his lax behavior despite coming face to face with their incredible power. They could not fathom where his confidence came from.

"I am an abomination? What gall do you have to say such a shameless and ridiculous thing? If I am an abomination, than what are you? This hideous and disgusting being before my eyes, surely that is the only abomination here. I am something more, something you can not even hope to contend with. It is I who shall rid this world of falsehoods and return what was lost to its rightful place. This is a good opportunity to try out my new ability, 'Soul Flare'."

Chapter end