Chapter 372 - 372: War with the Native Gods (iii)

Back in the grand colosseum, Aegir, Ignis-Vael, and Skysu watched their grand host evaporate through the scrying pool.

"Physical warfare is futile against that fortified grid," Skysu stated. He clenched his fists.

"Then we break his mind," Ignis-Vael growled. "We project our divine essence directly into his sanctum. We will crush his fragile human willpower and force him to surrender the continent to us."

The three ancient gods formed a triangular formation around the scrying pool. They chanted a forgotten incantation. Ancient magic flared around their bodies. They forcefully tore a dimensional rift straight into the coordinates of the orbital sanctuary.

They expected to find a trembling player hiding behind a digital console. They planned to loom over him and demand total submission.

The dimensional tear deposited them inside the sleek, cosmic architecture of the orbital sanctuary. The three native gods manifested as towering avatars of water, magma, and storm. They raised their heads to unleash a terrifying roar.

The roar died in their throats.

Rubedo sat calmly on his obsidian throne. He wore a tailored black suit paired with a crimson tie. He casually stroked the silver fur of Glitch. The six-legged Void-Weaver fox rested its head on his lap and let out a content chirp.

Down on the polished floor, ten-year-old Eon threw a violent tantrum. The boy gnawed on his dented tungsten-alloy ring and kicked his heels against the stone.

"This toy is boring!" Eon yelled.

The child waved his hand in frustration. A localized black hole popped into existence near the corner of the room. The spatial anomaly swallowed a decorative marble pillar before snapping shut. Eon simply huffed and went back to chewing on the metal ring.

Aegir stared at the child casually destroying the fabric of reality. He shifted his gaze back to Rubedo.

"Kneel, interloper!" Aegir bellowed to regain his composure.

The three native gods unleashed their ancient, crushing divine pressure. They directed the spiritual interference straight at the throne, attempting to paralyze Rubedo with the sheer weight of their presence.

Rubedo did not even blink. He tapped a glowing rune on his crystal console. He activated his Rank 19 Absolute Faction Tether. The systemic authority instantly canceled the hostile spiritual interference. The terrifying aura fizzled into a shower of harmless sparks before it could even touch the desk.

"You broke into my private office," Rubedo said smoothly. He adjusted his suit jacket. "That is incredibly rude."

He swiped his finger across the S-Rank Modular Geography interface. He targeted the spatial coordinates occupying the invading avatars.

"Let us adjust your perspective," Rubedo noted.

The spatial geometry around the towering gods collapsed inward. Aegir, Ignis-Vael, and Skysu shrieked as the system forcibly compressed their divine forms. Their towering avatars shrank rapidly.

Within three seconds, the transformation finished. The three ancient deities stood on the edge of Rubedo's holographic desk. They were now the exact size of tiny action figures.

Aegir brandished his miniature trident. "What is the meaning of this trickery? Restore my stature at once!"

His once booming voice now sounded like a high-pitched, squeaking chirp.

Rubedo leaned forward and rested his chin on his knuckles. He stared down at the squeaking toys running across his desk. Glitch hopped onto the console and batted a velvet paw at Ignis-Vael, knocking the tiny magma god flat onto his back.

"You requested a parley," Rubedo said. A cold smile stretched across his face. "I am listening."

Ignis-Vael scrambled to his feet while magma dripped from his shoulders to sizzle against the obsidian console. He pointed a tiny finger at Rubedo and shouted threats in a squeaky pitch. Gathering his magic, Ignis-Vael hurled a miniature fireball directly at Rubedo's hand. The projectile hit Rubedo's knuckle and dissipated like a warm spark from a dying campfire.

Rubedo calmly extended his index finger and flicked the magma deity. Ignis-Vael tumbled backward across the crystal surface and crashed into Skysu to send both of them sprawling across the digital map interface.

Eon heard the squeaking noises and stopped chewing on his tungsten ring. The ten-year-old boy waddled over to the throne and hoisted himself up to peer over the edge of the console. Cosmic pools of shifting light swirled in his eyes as he spotted the three miniature deities struggling to stand.

"New toys," Eon announced with a wide grin.

He reached a glowing hand toward Aegir. Aegir thrust his miniature trident directly into Eon's thumb to defend himself. The enchanted coral weapon shattered into pieces against the child's compressed physical skin. Eon giggled at the tickling sensation and pinched Aegir by the waist to lift him high into the room.

Aegir kicked his tiny legs and demanded an immediate release. Eon ignored the protests and examined the squirming water deity closely, poking Aegir in the stomach with his free hand.

"Put him down, Eon," Rubedo instructed gently. "Those are diplomats, so we must treat them with a baseline level of courtesy."

Eon pouted and dropped Aegir back onto the desk. Aegir hit the glass interface with a wet thud and rolled next to Skysu. Skysu summoned a miniature raincloud to obscure their retreat, hoping to fly off the edge of the desk. Glitch simply leaned forward and inhaled the vapor with a single sniff. The six-legged fox nudged Skysu with a velvet nose to knock the storm deity flat onto his back.

Rubedo rested his elbows on the console and leaned closer to the three disoriented beings.

"You invaded my sanctuary to break my willpower," Rubedo stated. "You threatened my maritime borders and demanded an artifact you failed to secure yourselves. Now you sit on my desk as novelties."

Ignis-Vael pushed himself up and glared at the giant sitting before them. "You manipulate the server geometry to humiliate us. Return us to our proper stature, and we will depart your realm."

Rubedo tapped a key on his interface. Three golden holographic contracts materialized directly in front of the miniature gods. The parchment glowed with the binding authority of the system.

"You will depart my realm after you sign these documents," Rubedo corrected him. "The Weaver of Tides accepted the exact same terms. You will surrender your domains, your remaining armies, and your eternal servitude to the Red Spiral. If you refuse, I will let Eon keep you in his toy box."

Eon clapped his hands together and created a tiny spatial rift that swallowed a loose stylus on the desk. He looked at the three gods with eager anticipation, waiting for Rubedo to hand them over.

Aegir looked at the void-child and shuddered visibly. Aegir pressed his wet palm against the golden parchment without another word of protest. The contract dissolved into a shower of light to bind his physical form to Rubedo's empire.

Skysu sighed in defeat and signed his document. Ignis-Vael crossed his arms and refused to touch the glowing parchment.

"I am the Scourge of the Twelfth Continent," Ignis-Vael squeaked angrily. "I will not serve a player."

Rubedo picked up the miniature magma god between his thumb and forefinger. He held Ignis-Vael out toward Glitch. The Void-Weaver fox opened its jaws to reveal a swirling anti-mana vacuum ready to consume the digital code.

Ignis-Vael frantically waved his tiny arms. "I yield! I will sign the parchment!"

Rubedo placed him back on the desk. Ignis-Vael slapped his hand against the contract to seal his fate. The document vanished into his chest to formalize the subjugation.

"A wise decision," Rubedo noted. He swiped his hand across the interface to restore their original spatial coordinates.

The three native gods vanished from the desk in a flash of violet light, teleporting back to their grand colosseum in their proper sizes. They were now permanent vassals of the Red Spiral.

Rubedo closed the diplomatic window and opened the territorial map. The western oceans and the neighboring hemispheres glowed with the violet hue of his faction. He had secured the entire western front without deploying a single Vanguard infantryman off the continent.

He turned his attention back to the eastern canyon. The twenty-four-hour deadline in the physical world approached quickly, and he expected Connor and the other teenagers to deliver the surrender of their rival classmates very soon.