Ultimate Level 1
Chapter 481: Questions Only a God Can Answer

Chapter 481 - Questions Only a God Can Answer

“How is she?”

Tanila just hugged him for a few more seconds.

“Cordellia is… hurting, but she is trying to be strong. She broke down once after waking up screaming. Batrire and I took turns being in there with her. I’m unsure how she will manage, but I know we can’t leave her alone.”

“Never again,” Max said quietly, gently stroking the gold hair that glowed. “Let’s give her a day or two, and then we’ll attempt to complete a tower floor. I need to work on a few items, and the next few days will be… messy.”

Loosening the embrace a little, Tanila looked at him and frowned.

“Messy? Things are already messy. If I didn’t want to keep myself from being flagged like you, I might cause some problems. Still… how are things with Bob?”

Sighing, Max shook his head.

“I got like fifty notifications that Consume is still locked. No stats, no skills. Part of me didn’t expect anything, but I did have a little hope that something might come through.”

“Behaving… for now. How long till I should expect something from your father?”

Chewing on her lip for a few seconds, Tanila’s gold eyes darted back and forth.

“If Atheila told him about you and me and our child… It won’t be long. He’ll have to act. I’m guessing he will reach out to Thuyja and have a quick conversation. Depending on how that goes…”

“Which is why I’m about to head to the temple myself. Phaius and I need to talk.”

Lying her head back against his shoulder, Max felt her squeeze a little tighter than normal.

“Tell me this is all worth it… you… You’re my everything, and suddenly it feels like the world… no, so many worlds and gods are against us. Even the tower.”

With learned practice, Max gently massaged her neck with his fingers, holding her tight.

“The day you told me you loved me, I swore to you that no matter what, I’d protect you. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. I'll find a way to destroy anyone or anything that stands in the way of that.”

Giving her a gentle kiss on her head, he grinned.

“Now then, if you don’t mind letting me go, I need to try and summon a god… or two.”

***

“Boy, you make my life difficult, do you know that?”

Max nodded at the older woman who sat beside him, eyes still closed but able to sense the wry smile on her lips.

“Mother–”

“Kathleen… please, hearing that from you sounds wrong.”

“Kathleen… I had considered trying to sneak my way inside the temple, but knew it wasn’t the best option either. As we already discussed, me suddenly appearing, this red glow around me would have caused a few people to overreact, and I’d rather not kill anyone I don’t have to.”

“Yes… Word has spread already. Many more than usual are coming to the temple, praying to Phaius. Everyone can sense the tension, and so many look to you as some kind of… savior?”

Sighing, Max opened an eye and studied the older woman. Her white hair seemed to shine and her blue eyes were locked on him.

“I’m no savior… I’m just a man who wants to protect the people he loves and everyone else who is innocent.”

“Which none of us are,” she replied after snorting. “You know that as well as anyone.”

Closing his eyes, Max shrugged.

“Children are… that for me is enough. Now tell me, do you have any advice for me?”

She shook her head.

“Don’t die. This world needs you.”

“I’m trying my best not to die. Still… I need Phaius to hurry up. Time isn’t something I have a lot of.”

Her laugh seemed strange to him, and Max could sense she was amused.

“Time? You’re talking to a woman old enough to have seen you live and die at least twice from old age. We’ve been here less than an hour, and you’re already anxious. Do not forget he has many worlds, and we cannot fathom what is happening across them all.”

Many worlds… and to think that Phaius is a small god… weaker than Ockrim… a lot weaker than Thuyja… what does it take to acquire all that he has?

“Kathleen… I have a question since you brought it up. Do you know how many worlds Phaius is part of?”

He could sense her frown, jaw muscles tightening as she kept looking at him, unaware that even with his eyes closed, he saw her better than with them open.

“No… I just know there are others. Those things are beyond my knowledge and scope. My task is to simply be the one who –”

She stopped speaking as a light appeared on the other side of the room and quickly dropped from the bench they were sitting on, putting her forehead to the stone floor.

“You can rise.”

Max opened both eyes and saw the god he had reached out to walk through the portal, an expression of displeasure etched upon Phaius’s face.

“It is an honor to serve. I shall leave you two.”

Kathleen stayed low, bent over, and made her way to the door, her head lifting upwards just enough for her to gaze upon the one she served.

Still sitting, Max tapped the bench next to him and smiled.

“I appreciate you coming. Part of me wasn’t sure.”

A low growl came from the god who pulled out a crystal chair and sat facing him.

“It was evident that you were reaching out from the amount of power she offered. While I appreciate that gift, you are not making my life easy. What have you been doing?”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“How am I causing problems? Are you talking about things outside of this world?”

Phaius closed both eyes and ran his hand down his face twice before grunting.

“You… I can sense the aura so I know you’ve passed the 60th floor. That means there are some things we can speak of now that I couldn’t before, but much is still off limits. The world you were a champion of… that is no longer the case, yet your name has spread across many worlds. I have been ‘ granted audiences ’ with gods who never knew my name. What you possess within you is no longer a secret, and rumors are spreading, alliances are being forme,d and chaos is–”

As if he had reached across the space and wrapped both hands around the god's neck, words suddenly stopped coming from Phaius.

Coughing once, the god frowned.

“I cannot speak on that. Now then, tell me… why am I here?”

“Let me give you the quick version.”

***

Phaius stared at the drink in his hand, having sipped it once and already commented on it being a lesser drink to him.

“So… another war with the elves. That would explain some of the problems with Thuyja… still Ockrim is with us last I spoke with him.”

“As I mentioned, he is next on my list of gods to hopefully visit with.”

Bobbing his head, Phaius tapped his leg with a few fingers.

“He should come. He knows how important you are.”

“You keep saying that but can’t expound upon it.”

“Rules… soon you shall find yourself bound by more rules than you can imagine. Had I known that so many would have been forced upon me, I might have instead chosen not to become what I am. Still, you already know what I’m going to say.”

“The tower… I need to keep going.”

“Power comes through it. It sets the stage for the future. You cannot imagine your potential because of… your skill.”

“Which you can’t talk about.”

Phaius nodded.

“I’m walking a fine line as it is. There is… a limit, and I can sense how close I am to stepping over it and experiencing the consequences for that. So instead, focus on what we can do right now. Thuyja… she is going to come for you…”

“Yet you said she cannot stop me.”

“Which is why it will be once again through your allies. This city provides them protection. Leave it, and the small amount it provides will be gone. Enter her domain, and I cannot assist there.”

“Would she intervene? I mean, if we were fighting inside the city?”

Spinning the cup slowly, Phaius stared at it momentarily, watching the caramel liquid move around in the glass.

“Possibly… it would take much for me to come to my city, but if someone like you were here, waging a war against my people… the choices would be limited. There are none strong enough here to stop you. Those two… part of me has often wondered if allowing them to continue ruling was wise. Now I am considering taking their life myself.”

“Now isn’t the time and we both know it.”

Smiling, Phaius nodded. “You are wise for someone so young. Perhaps you learned the lessons well from… Chromie, was it?”

“I don’t think he appreciates that name, but yes. The repercussions of that action would make the coming months harder on your people. Perhaps they will finally learn to rule as they should have been all along.

“But bloodlines… You cannot tell me more?”

“All I can do is confirm what you already said. You are on your way to acquiring one… much quicker than most and yet… as you stated, the way you have acquired them is unique.”

“And the bonus of your bloodline?”

“I cannot share that detail. It is something very helpful to the one who possesses it.”

“Not as powerful as the elves?” Max asked.

Wincing, Phaius shook his head. “Different. Each one is different. The two you mentioned are ones I’m not sure what they provide, but both would have great potential. I will try to ask around and see if I can acquire any knowledge of what you have done and what it might lead to. But again…”

He tapped his throat.

“Rules,” Max muttered.

“Rules.”

Both men sat there a moment in silence.

“What’s wrong? You’re not telling me something.”

Max’s thumbs rubbed against each other as his hands rested on his legs.

“My skill is locked… it did something, allowing me to take my dragon–”

“YOUR DRAGON?!”

The crystal chair fell over, bouncing off the stone floor, and Phaius was on his feet, eyes wide, staring at him.

“Oh… I guess I forgot to mention that. Surely, one of the other gods would have mentioned that. Yeah, I have one I’m bound to.”

Groaning, the god picked up his chair and stored it, pacing the room for a moment, muttering something under his breath.

“Having a dragon isn’t a bad thing, is it? Dagon seemed–”

“The dwarf king? That means… OCKRIM KNOWS?!”

Phaius’s voice shook the whole room, and Max wondered if others in the building could sense the vibration.

“Uh… maybe? I’m guessing that Dagon would mention it to Ockrim if they spoke.”

“I’m so going to stick my foot up…”

Taking a deep breath, it took a few more before Phaius could calm down.

“No… having a dragon isn’t bad at all… being bound to one… tells me I’ve been played for a fool. So many things now make sense, and there will be a conversation with another god and for once I might actually come out ahead.”

“Ahead?”

Waving off Max’s question, Phaius started to smile.

“You have no idea and won’t until you complete the tower. But returning to what you said before, your skill is locked?”

“Yeah… since it allowed my dragon to enter the tower with us, I can’t get skills anymore, and it says it’s locked.”

Max watched as a different kind of frown appeared on his current companion.

“That’s… not good. I can try to… no, actually I can’t. Doing so would bring attention to both of us in a way I doubt we want. Perhaps the one whom I’m guessing allowed you to bind yourself to a dragon can help.”

“You know him?”

Phaius grunted and nodded.

“Oh… I know him… but if what you say is true… I need to leave. There are so many pieces in play, and I cannot keep my eye on all of them.”

Pointing a finger at the corner of the room, Phaius snapped his fingers and pointed once more.

“Get in the tower. Get stronger. With what is coming, you need not delay.”

“I know… but I was going to visit Ockrim if possible.”

Shaking his head, the human god took a few steps backward, and a portal appeared behind him.

“No… I’ll deal with him. Get in the tower, Max. You need to complete it.”

With those words said, Phaius stepped through the portal, leaving him alone in the room.

Oh Bob… nothing’s ever easy, is it?

‎