Chapter 1984: Making an Example

Another day passed.

Linda was walking back to the throne room after a meeting in the war room with Sizhad and the native officers. Master placed Sizhad in Themisphere to help Linda deal with governing issues.

Linda never liked the guy and his men. They were valuable as expendable mercenaries, but that was the extent of their value. Now, his thugs went around the capital acting like they owned the place. Even the native guards didn't dare do anything about them, considering their connection with Master. As for the demon guards, they were instead happy with the disturbance those players caused.

While walking, Linda thought about how to persuade Master to tell Sizhad and his men to tone their attitudes down. She was still lost in thoughts when she entered the throne room. Only when she was close to the throne did she notice someone sitting there.

"My-My Lord! When did you return?" Linda asked.

"Only recently. I can see that you are occupied," Master replied.

"... Governing is indeed a busy occupation," Linda said.

Master smiled at the remark. He was silent after that. Linda felt uneasy with the silence. She had thought about several topics to speak with Master when he returned. But at this moment, she couldn't recall any of them. When Master was still a mortal, she had no problem talking as she wished. She didn't expect the situation would be so drastic now that Master was a God. The presence she felt from Master prevented her from treating Master the same as in the past. Her inner instinct kept making her feel like she was on edge. One wrong move, and she could fall and die. This made her unable to think properly.

After a while of uncomfortable silence, Master finally spoke, "You know... You never asked me about Jonn."

"... What about him?" Linda asked in return.

"Our deal is that I will bring you to him once I get what I want. I have gotten what I want, but you never brought the subject up."

"... I am going to be frank with you. I have looked for him using World Maker's resources in the past. I never found a trace of him. I know you are capable, but I am sure you don't have any secret place hidden from me. From those findings, I can only come to one conclusion. He is not in this world."

Master grinned at her words.

Seeing Master's reaction, Linda asked, "Am I right?"

"Hehe. I will also be frank with you. I was sincere when I said I would bring you to him once I fulfill my dream. I thought I could access everything after becoming a God. The truth is, I am unable to enter the place he is in."

"Where is he...?" Linda asked.

"If I can't reach him, you won't as well, no matter how you try. However, don't worry about it. I will fulfill my promise. My divine power will continue to grow. One day, I will breach that place, and you will be reunited with your son. That, of course, if you are still loyal to me."

"... You know I am," Linda said while bowing.

"Hehe," Master chuckled. "By the way, how is the progress of the reconstruction force? When can they depart?"

"I was just from a meeting about that matter. We have put out the announcement. Considering it is to help rebuild the ruined settlements, many volunteers. I am confident we can depart in..."

"Volunteer?" Master cut Linda's speech. "Perhaps you have misheard my command. If I want them to go, they go. Whether they are willing or not doesn't matter. Every native soldier, every player, and every faction member must join this reconstruction force. Only civilians may stay. No need to worry about the security of the country. The demon soldiers will take care of it."

"That is... I'm afraid that will be too extreme," Linda said.

"There is nothing extreme about my will! It is either I will it or not!!" Master boomed while standing up. Darkness covered the entire room. Linda shivered as she felt the temperature drop sharply.

"Un... Understood," Linda said. "I will revise the announcement right away."

"No need. I will announce it myself. I will also give them an example of what happens if they dare to defy me."

"An example...?" Linda didn't like the sound of this.

Master showed a sinister grin before vanishing. Linda was still in bewilderment when she heard Master's voice thundering from the outside.

"Warriors of the Council of Virtus! Your God demands your presence...!!!"

*

Outside, Master was floating in the sky above the Sanctuary for Courage. The majestic building was the new base for the Council of Virtus. Inside this building was a main hall with an altar worshipping the God of Courage. Most of the faction members were inside this hall, diligently praying for the return of their God.

Master's thundering voice disrupted their prayers. They all stood up. They knew whose voice called them just now. It was not their God. They knew the owner of that voice. They knew the purpose of such a provocation. Even so, there was no fear in their faces. Pallas was the first to walk toward the exit. The others followed behind him.

Master waited in the sky. He was smiling while the members of the Council of Virtus came out of the building. The Forctis Lion also showed itself and perched atop the building. When the faction members flew to the sky, the Forctis Lion followed. They went into formation between Master and the Sanctuary for Courage.

After all the faction members were in position, Master said, "Kneel to your God."

"You are not our God! We will never bow to you!" Pallas exclaimed.

This so-called God before them was the same man responsible for the destruction of their original headquarters, the Daminos Square Garden. They were already restraining themselves by not looking for him when they learned he made Thereath palace his base. Now, he demanded they kneel to him? Unthinkable!

"Hehe, so be it," Master uttered. He was not surprised by the answer. He pointed his hand

into the sky.

"For Courage!!!" Pallas thundered.

"For Courage...!!!" The other members echoed the roar. The loudest came from the Forctis

Lion.

They all charged toward Master in the sky. When they were halfway, a blinding light came down from heaven where Master was pointing. This light bathed the charging warriors. As the light touched them, they disintegrated. All members of the Council of Virtus and the Forctis Lion turned into dust. There was no exception.

The blinding light continued down and bathed over the Sanctuary for Courage. The building slowly melted until it was nothing but a pile of melted stone and metal. The light didn't damage the people or buildings around the Sanctuary for Courage. The destruction was confined to the divine faction.

Almost all the citizens outside after hearing Master's voice, so they witnessed what happened. They were shocked and terrified by the incident. This was a divine faction they were talking about, and it was gone in the blink of an eye.

The whole capital was silent. No one dared to make a sound.

Master vanished and reappeared in the sky on another side of the capital. A different majestic building was below him. The inhabitants of this building were also outside. They had witnessed the destruction from afar. Now, the bearer of the disaster was on their doorstep.

Talia watched Master with trepidation. She looked at her members and the Joy's Recreational Hub behind them. They had just rebuilt their faction not long ago. They didn't expect a

calamity to fall again so soon.

"Kneel."

Master's voice wasn't loud, but everyone within the capital could hear it.

Talia looked again at her faction members and nodded. There was much at stake here than

their pride. They chose to bear the shame and kneel on the ground.

"Heh," Master sneered. He said, "Good choice. I will spare your lives. However, no one may worship another God but me!"

When he finished his words, an earthquake occurred. The large building that was Joy's Recreational Hub collapsed to the ground. The earth swallowed the building and left no trace

of it.

Talia watched the scene without being able to do anything. She chose to bear the shame to keep the altar safe. It was the place where Joy's essence could grow from their daily worship. Destroying the altar meant they were back in square one.

She didn't realize that this was Master's real motive. Making an example was just an excuse. He knew the divine essence of a God could reform. The deceased Gods could return with sufficient prayers. Although this process took centuries, he preferred to nip the bud before it

blossomed.

"You bastards...!!!" Talia screamed. She charged toward Master. The other faction members

did the same.

"Hehe," Master grinned savagely before clenching his fist.

Talia and all the members of the Council of Charites stopped in their tracks. Their bodies lose

color and then burst into dust.

"People of this world...!!" Master boomed. "This is what happens when you defy my will! By tomorrow morning, I want everyone with a level above 30 to gather outside the capital! You will obey my followers' instructions and do as you are told! Anyone who fails to do so will

suffer my wrath!!"