Too Stubborn to Die

What had started out as a necessity to keep the Death God from taking control had turned out to be an extraordinarily effective method for culling the living dead.

Every time he swung the aether-filled obelisk, it damaged the corrupted aether itself, and the aether shockwaves that blasted out of it killed dozens with every strike.

If anything, it was a peculiar tool to carry around. However, he had a feeling that it was related to the Death God’s rule-breaking. A means to get around the dungeon restrictions. And perhaps had he used his own power to open the wormhole, he’d have been found faster, or restricted more heavily.

Dungeons have to be beatable… Aaron thought about the admin’s words. Having a key that could both beat the undead and save himself was mighty convenient. But perhaps that was the condition for intervening. And the very reason the admin hadn’t kicked the entire undead army out.

There was another benefit, too. When Aaron killed the undead with the obelisk, his core didn’t absorb the corrupted aether. It was like the obelisk nullified the effect.

Back and forth he swung, batting away the horde as it collapsed onto him, shockwaves from his whacks sending dozens flying at a time.

“Better than Christmas cricket on the lawn!” Aaron grinned as he smacked away another wave of undead.

On top of all of that, the obelisk was also helping fuel his core with fresh aether. His soul felt fractured and weak, and while his body quickly recovered and his belly regained its hunger as he slipped bite-sized meals between swings, it needed a rest.

He had pushed himself too hard, but luckily the dungeon was drawing to a close. And each strike reverberating with aether was dwindling the horde down, and breathing new life into him.

“Cool and refreshing. This is better than a cold one on a hot day.”

Each wave of aether that poured out of the obelisk felt like aloe vera against a burn. Or water on a parched throat, and Aaron sighed as he beat the army back.

“It’s almost there. I can feel it.

The aether was curing his core, but after several more strikes and an ever weaker army of undead, he realized that it hadn’t entirely fixed him. There was an infection of corrupted aether deep within him, and while it had been beaten back, it hadn’t been completely removed.

If I… Hmm. It’s a risk.

The Death God’s voice was gone from his head, and Aaron had an opportunity to take advantage of it. But he was worried that his risky plan might just give the Death God power over him.

If my theory about the admins and the dungeon is correct, then this should work.

Aaron sighed. He had to take a risk. In his current state, the moment the obelisk ran out of aether, he was going to slowly revert back into a zombie, and then it would only be a matter of time before he became one of the Death God’s slaves.

“Bloody hell. I really hope this works,” Aaron said as he battered down the last few squads of undead, flailing as they pressed their final attack.

Then, the moment he had finished the last of them, he took the obelisk, drew on its power, and used it to crush his own head.

Cracks formed across the obelisk as a massive torrent of aether poured out, fusing with Aaron’s soul and body as he resurrected himself, his head rebuilding in a second. He could still feel a faint pull from the Death God the moment his soul split from his body, but the raw aether kept the meddling god at bay and gave him all the energy he needed to be shocked back to life with a satisfying gasp.

“Ahhh,” Aaron sighed and stretched. It hadn’t been long, but it still felt amazing to be back in his own skin. “Yep, that hit the spot. Woo.”

He could barely believe that he had somehow managed to survive the encounter with a god, even if the god hadn’t actually been in the dungeon. But he knew he had to be careful going forward. If not for the admins, he and everyone else in his party would have no doubt ended up dead. And based on what the admin had said, he also owed his life to other gods who had intervened.

I wonder if Yendal or Oozagh had anything to do with it? It could have been anyone’s patron gods, actually. Aaron thought, remembering that he was surrounded by elites now, and most, if not all, had blessings.

Experience rewarded for killing many undead creatures!

[ Precise Bombardier Pugilist ] has LEVELED UP!

124 → 133

Purchasable Skill Available!

Title Acquired: Divine Eviction

Evict a meddling god from one’s mind

Reward: Public Title “Death God’s Daddy”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Aaron blinked incredulously at the. "What's a Public Title? And Death God's Daddy? Huh? Is this some kind of payback from the admins?"

The admin did seem annoyed at the Death God interfering in their dungeon. And it didn't take him long to figure out how his new Title worked. His new Title was out on display for anybody to view, and he couldn't remove it.

"Oh. I'm sure that's going to make a bunch of friends. Oh well. Back to work,” he muttered to himself and turned toward where the undead had been fleeing, and blasted mana from his anchors, sending him hurtling through the sky at breakneck speed.

He had seen quite a few of the pesky undead escaping into the depths of the dungeon, and while he had found a cure for his own affliction from the corrupted aether, the others likely hadn’t.

Racing back through the dungeon floor, he found the chamber to the boss in moments, and slammed straight through a blockage of undead who were charging out through a passage, and into the following chamber, destroying them and sending bones and rotted limbs flying.

Inside, he used [ Pinpoint Accuracy ] and [ Gorgon’s Soul Vortex ] to greatly slow time, and get a read of everything that was happening, and where all of his companions were in a fraction of a second.

Elmira and Lord Draxas had set up a killzone at the entrance to the chamber supported by Zero, and Elmira’s ogre companion, who was on one knee, surrounded by undead, seconds away from being slain. It wasn’t just her, though; they were all struggling, he could tell. The corrupted aether was too much, and they were dangerously close to being overrun. And corrupted aether was thick and heavy near the entrance, and gradually defusing out into the rest of the chamber.

The others, who were locked in battle against a massive hydra and its minions, were dealing with the situation better, but it was still taking a toll on them. The boss was no weakling, and the corrupted aether starting to spread into the main chamber was weakening everybody.

Okay, deal with the undead, and then we take out that big bastard!

Hydra of Vorgesh Tia [ Level 199 ]

Titles: [ Exponential Regrowth ] [ Dungeon Lord ]

Aaron’s brow bent, and he blasted off with an incredible burst of energy, fueled by both his weakened body and the obelisk. It was time to turn the tide.

Lagora a couple minutes earlier…

Lagora had moved to aid in stemming the flow of undead moments earlier, taking on the vanguard as several of them had broken through, and when they had been destroyed in the main chamber, the energy that rippled out of them had weakened everybody.

That couldn’t be allowed. So now she stood between the relentless and mindless undead as they funneled into the chamber, helping slow them so that Elmira and Lord Draxas could take most of them out.

And even though the ogre was underpowered compared to the monstrous top-rankers she fought beside, she was sturdy and could take a hit. That was until the deathly energy bursting out of the dying undead got to her.

While slaying the first few dozen, she had gritted her teeth and bore the strain. Refusing to give an inch. But it was truly relentless. Every destroyed undead was like additional weights were being added to her, and she was slowing down and growing weaker by the second.

Can’t… give up…

If the undead were to get past her, they would surely fail. The boss was a tyrannical challenge as it was, and even Mo’han might fail to overpower it should more of the deathly energy foul up the main chamber.

Lagora swung her mighty club, crushing skeletons and zombies with every strike, and refusing to give in to the building weakness that was rattling her bones.

“Get back!”

She swung her club again, and the ground beneath it cracked, swallowing several undead and taking their deathly energy with them. But it wasn’t enough. More were already charging in and taking their places.

Blasts of energy from Elmira’s runes streaked by overhead, and several that passed her ran straight into one of Lord Draxas’ traps, disintegrating them in seconds.

A new wave of deathly energy struck her, suffocating her, and she struggled to raise her club again.

“Just a bit longer…”

Lagora dug deep, pulling on raw determination as she roared, refusing to back down. Refusing to fail her companions, and somehow, she raised enough strength to swing her club again, taking out a zombie and skeleton with one strike.

“Arrgh!” She moaned as more deathly energy struck her, forcing her down to one knee.

This was it. She would die here and now. But it didn’t matter. She wasn’t falling back. She had seen the true elites of their universe now, and she wanted nothing more than to prove that she deserved to stand amongst their ranks. Even if it ended in her death.

But desires meant little in the face of the cold, harsh multiverse. This was reality, and the undead cared little for her ambitions. Many had such lofty dreams, and many failed nonetheless.

She struggled to get back to her feet, but it was hopeless. More deathly energy struck her, and she fell back to her knees.

When she looked, crooked teeth and an underbite gritted, she spotted them. A new wave had burst through the entrance, and several dozen undead descended upon her.

She had fought well, at least. And perhaps, she had made the difference. Perhaps the time she had bought them would be the deciding factor in defeating the boss, and she could end her life proud.

But just as the undead were about to reach her, she felt something else. Tremendous power rushed toward her. Her eyes widened, and the next moment, the beholder of that power burst into the room, destroying several undead in an instant.

Like divine providence, it lingered over the battlefield for the briefest of moments. Its body was glistening in perfection as beads of sweat traced down its perfect thighs. It seemed to have no limit, and it raised a massive, pointed pillar over its head and swung down.

The moment its stone weapon hit the ground, a wave burst out of pure relief. It was like the boot that had been pressed against her throat, choking her, had suddenly been removed, and she gasped for air as she felt her body recover slightly.

It wasn’t done, though. She watched mesmerized as the figure swung again, entire waves of undead blasted away in an instant. And the cooling relief struck her again, filling her veins with energy and invigorating her.

Again it struck, wiping out the undead filling the left of the entrance in a single blow, and then taking out those on the right with another.

It had all happened so fast. One open, she had been staring death in the eyes, and now she felt like she was almost fully recovered from the deathly energy that was holding her down, and not only that, but she could feel the ripples of revitalizing energy stretching out, and into the main chamber where the boss fight was still going back and forth.

Within a second, the undead were completely wiped out, and the figure bounced straight back into the air, and sailed right past them into the boss chamber, and slammed its same pillar into one of the hydra heads, obliterating the head completely, and sending the beast hurtling into the wall.

But most importantly, the strike had driven back the deathly energy completely, and cured their party members of its corruptive power.

He… he is incredible.

She felt her heart thump, and she couldn’t look away. Lagora’s crooked teeth bent into an unsightly smile as her tongue wetted her lips.

He was perfection.

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