Will of chaos

Pov Urak:

Hours earlier.

“Aarrhhh!!!” (me)

“Calm down, Urak!!!” (Mavor)

“Easy to say! But this thing still… hhaaaa!!!” (me)

“I understand, but it’s better this way than the alternative… just try to suppress the pain and resist it like I do.” (Mavor)

“(You won’t resist and you know it… let me out… all the pain will end… your power will be our power… let me out… let me out!!!)”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!” (me)

“Urak!” (Mavor)

“I KNOW!!” (me)

Sigh

“I know… but it’s not as easy for me as it was for you.” (me)

“You only have to deal with this thing’s emotions and instincts, but I have to deal with its mind and will all the time!” (me)

“Do you prefer the alternative?” (Mavor)

“Do you want to become like Vecna?” (Mavor)

“…” (me)

“No, but if things continue like this, we won’t last more than a few years. I doubt we’ll even make it a decade in this state.” (me)

“At least it’s time, something we wouldn’t have otherwise.” (Mavor)

“…” (me)

“…” (Mavor)

Mavor and I had a choice: just reach half a step to level 5 by unlocking our ninth wing. We could feel Vecna’s influence growing in the bond of Ascendant Laws we created. It was emitting a presence characteristic of the Entity’s power called Concept. Ch+e%ck My Vir.t&ua&l$ L^i&brary Em*p+i#r*e (!*)% for the lates*t^ upda.t!e!s.*

Knowing that Vecna had been compromised was difficult for us. We also couldn’t sense this influence spreading, and we tried to use the other Ascended as a temporary shield in the bond of Laws we created, so this power would have to pass through all the Ascended before reaching us.

This was before something protected them. Something marked them with the same kind of power, but it was different, more familiar to us. Even though it was so different, we still recognized the signature of presence as that damned false Goddess. She marked all the Ascended and kept Vecna’s presence from reaching them, which made us the only targets.

Being only half a step away from becoming Level 5 Ascended, we had no ability to resist Vecna, who was already in this state and still growing stronger. The same mark of that Goddess reached us both and yet remained dormant, without performing the same protective effect. That disgrace didn’t even serve that purpose.

We were forced to do something stupid. We didn’t want to be enslaved like Vecna seems to be by an Entity, nor did we want to be in the service of that despicable Goddess. So Mavor and I made a bet, splitting ourselves in two, and assimilating the rest of the Anomalous Armor into our bodies, along with the curse the Chaos Bringer had placed on the Anomalous Armor.

The curse was even more alive than we thought. We realized this too late. Even sealing it within us still required us to divide our minds, will, instincts, and emotions, creating multiple seals on our bodies to maintain control. But even this was only a temporary solution, as the curse would still corrupt us over time.

But thanks to this, Vecna’s influence spread without truly reaching any Ascended, including us both. Even the mark of that Goddess was undone, devoured by the curse. In a way, we managed to stop two problems by afflicting ourselves with only one, and what we did could not be undone.

This thing was much more intelligent than we thought. While we were refining the Anomalous Armor in the past, this curse was refining us as well. With each interaction, this curse learned more about us, learning from our memories, the power of the Law, our emotions, our Will, and even our bodies, thus further developing its own ego.

With the other problems resolved, we had time to focus on this one issue and began working with a specific focus: curses.

As Ascended, we’ve used curses for thousands of years, and we have extensive knowledge on the subject. In the process, we realized that it was the Curse Entity who poisoned Vecna. This led us to theorize several things, one of which was the infighting between the Entities in our universe.

Even an Entity wouldn’t do things without reason or without gaining something, excluding the other Entities. We began to consider what Curse would gain by being in our universe, but we couldn’t come up with any conceivable purpose until it controlled abnormalities in the ancient Flow of Laws caused by intense concentrations of the curse.

With further and desperate study, we marked a planet and realized that all its readings were consistent and no curses were found on the planet. However, the abnormalities in the Law’s energy flow could only be explained by high levels of cursed power, which left only one explanation: the truth was being hidden.

We sent a few groups of Ascended to explore, and when they didn’t return, we realized the truth, which rejoiced us. The reason for our desperation was also an opportunity. We could use this place to rid ourselves of the Curse of the Chaos Bringer within us. It was clear that the Curse Entity was at work here, and we could use it to purge this parasite from within us, or at least weaken it enough to fully address this problem.

Knowing that an Avatar might be here, we used our entire arsenal, bringing our most powerful warriors with the capabilities to combat curses. But saying all this while this parasite stirred within us was endless agony, especially for me, who constantly heard my own voice inside my head.

“How should we attack?” (Mavor)

“Directly, we have to lure them out. I’m not going down to this planet without knowing what they’re doing there!” (me)

“Trying to rid ourselves of this parasite is worth the risk of facing an Avatar, but it’s not worth our lives. I’m not going to throw myself in there without reason.” (me)

“You are…” (Mavor)

“Control your killing intent!” (me)

“(Look who’s talking, you can’t even control yourself…)”

“(You can’t fight me, you can’t kill what isn’t alive… let me out… let me out… let me out…)”

“Emotions are always unstable, emotional restraints don’t work well.” (Mavor)

“At least you have a way to ease your burden!!” (me)

“I have to bear it alone since mental restraints don’t work!” (me)

“[Lady Urak, we’ve detected something leaving the planet and flying toward us.]” (Christian)

“[It has numerous signs of life, but its size and shape are that of a medium-sized humanoid.]” (Christian)

“…” (me/Mavor)

The screen shows an image of someone approaching. As soon as I laid eyes on it, I felt like I was being caught in a mental curse.

“An Avatar.” (me)

“They noticed us faster than I expected, but that’s good.” (Mavor)

“I’ll command the army, and you control the Universal Golem.” (Mavor)

“Get ready, we’ll have to take a few hits to test if the purge is possible. We have no other way to test it other than ourselves.” (me)

“Yes, I hope the power of his Concept works.” (Mavor)

——————–

Pov Zenos:

“< Triple Cursed Ritual of Origin: Divine Collapse >” (Raakoy)

When my mind became clear again and my body was free of those worms, Raakoy already had the staff in her hand. Each of those hearts pulsed, sending waves of energy through the thin tentacles that made up the staff. A magic circle twice the size of this entire city formed in the sky, composed of thousands of spells combined into so many techniques that I couldn’t recognize how it worked.

That was when a strong pressure fell upon me. Particles of cursed energy were sucked into the magic circle, which then shrank and deformed until it became a heart that melted toward me.

“<Die for your insolence, Bringer of Chaos.>” (Curse)

“(I knew she would appear… I wish I was wrong…)” (me)

Suddenly, the pressure on me increased tenfold as the liquid energy that fell into my body seemed to decompose my Divine power and tear my body apart, rotting my flesh, fragmenting my bones, and attempting to seal my Soul.

My body was becoming pieces, but even so, I struggled to rise. My Will burned alongside the Starfire, my body transforming into an ethereal form with a wave of starfire spreading in all directions.

All my power seemed to be spent as my ethereal body reformed before returning to its corporeal form. I felt weaker, my power largely spent as the price to rebuild my body, but at least I protected my Soul from being touched by this cursed power.

I looked at Raakoy, or what once was him, but now the Curse Entity itself had descended into his body. This has always been my fear when facing an Avatar; they are vessels for their Entities, beings that transcend imagination and are truly eternal.

I don’t like the idea of fighting such a being. I don’t see myself defeating an Entity, but fortunately, I don’t need to defeat the Entity, just kill its vessel, and for that I’ve been waiting.

“I don’t want to fight you, Curse.” (me)

“<No matter what you say, don’t try to hide your intentions from me, Bringer of Chaos.>” (Curse)

“<It seems everyone underestimates me. Pride thinks he can stop me, and you’re fooling yourself into thinking you still have a chance of killing my Avatar.>” (Curse)

“<I will skin you and then use you to refine a Creature of Origin, a new Bringer that will be an offshoot of my Curse!>” (Curse)

“(Raakoy’s power hasn’t increased, so she can’t actually use her power and only use his, which is a relief.)” (me)

Fortunately, the rules established at the meeting are in effect, which prevent the Entities from using their power directly in this universe while the dispute is ongoing; they can only use the power of their Avatars, as well as the power they granted their Avatars by taking their bodies.

If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t even attempt to face an Avatar in the first place.

“(Now I need to go all out.)” (me)

“< Eclipse Law: Dagger of the Threshold >” (me)

“< Star Sword: Awakening of the Path >” (me)

“< Dagger of the Threshold: Ascension of the Path >” (me)