Chương 28: Birth of a Chaos Demon

DING

[The primordial Goddess of ancient Mesopotamia, Tiamat, extended you a contract from the cosmos' depth. Upon signing it, she promises support and guidance. In return, she asks you to rid the universe of the parasites and impersonators gnawing at her dominion.]

[Note: This decision is permanent and can't be voided by anyone but Tiamat herself. Accept. YES/NO.]

He grinned at the prompt, a rush of adrenaline causing his blood to boil in his veins and his eyes to spark.

He knew Tiamat's story ran deeper than how RPGS portrayed her. She had said it herself, she created the cosmos. More than a chaotic goddess or a terrifying dragon of cosmic proportion, she was the mother of all the other gods of her pantheon, Ishtar included!

Tucking his fingers around his chin, he inferred she wasn't an evil deity and cast his doubts aside.

Hand blurring, he smashed his index finger on yes, his heart racing in anticipation.

[Hahaha. A decisive imp. I can't say I dislike that...]

"Let's proceed without waiting."

Like an ice sculpture, he froze as her voice echoed in his ears. Then, his eyes enlarged as a mass of swirling saltwater, filling the air with its scent, rumbled before him.

From it, a slender leg emerged, forcing a nervous gulp down his throat.

'Is she descending in this realm?!'

"Hahaha. How do you want me to alter your evolution path if I don't?"

She stepped out, revealing her human form in all its glory before his constricting pupils.

And what a form!

He observed her embroidered white dress mounted with a light blue ribbon at the waist, the divide in her sleeves at the shoulders, and exquisite jewellery.

Then, he watched the Draconic horns protruding proudly from her head and lilac hair, each strand like silk, swirl behind her as the saltwater disappeared.

Amidst the grand entrance, his face turned solemn in confusion as a single thought echoed in his mind.

'Why is she a child?!'

No matter how he looked at her, she was no taller than him, an imp!

"How rude!"

Tiamat pointed her finger at him, an unpleasant snort echoing.

"Did you think you would see my true form after those bastards divided it to create the realms?"

'She reads my thoughts!'

His torso jerked back in shock as dread wrapped around his heart.

'Wow! What an amazing presence and... grandeur, power, beauty. Truly the best goddess.'

"Shut up with the empty compliments and listen, brat. For each realm you conquer or each part of my body you retrieve, I'll reward you with something you desire. Even that little king you had your eyes on isn't out of the limit."

DING

[The primordial goddess Tiamat issued you a chain quest: 1. Retrieve one of her body parts.]

[Reward: Uruk's golden standard.]

[Failure: You'll probably die trying, so...]

His eyes almost rolled in their socket. The grand heroic king who relentlessly sought immortality, who battled monstrous creatures, who had the favors of many gods, a minor king?

Still, she could help him summon that significant figure!

"Humph. If you understand I'm not playing in the same field as those imposters or mythological heroes, stop wasting time and sit before me. We'll start with the affinity, then the evolution path."

With a wave of her hand, water surged from behind. Its fresh touch wetted his robes and pushed him to her.

An icy shudder jolted him now that he was this close. Therefore, he sat in the blink of an eye, unwilling to annoy the powerful Tiamat.

Before his mind could wander, a sharp pain assaulted his back as a metallic taste filled his throat, then mouth.

Vomiting blood, he peered down at the bloodied hand piercing through his back and leaving from his chest in pure terror.

"What?!"

"Don't move. I'm altering your demonic veins and organs with chaotic energy. What? You thought I could do it from the outside?"

Her voice trailed off.

"Well, I could if I had all my powers. Hahaha."

As her words hung heavy in the air and pain assaulted his body, he felt her fingers touch his organs and essence.

A flood of chaotic energy followed, dissolving them in the blink of an eye.

'This is ridiculous! I have no chance of survival!'

An inner scream thundered in his mind as his conscience slipped away, blurring under the ferocious pain and failing organs.

But he felt it a moment later: a soothing stream of fresh, chaotic water altering and mending his body in a mythical dance.

First, his heart was reconstructed, pulsing with a miniaturised sea of demonic essence and chaotic water irrigating his system. His organs followed, taking barely noticeable Draconic traits.

His veins firmed and enlarged, becoming better at transporting his essence.

Finally, Tiamat retrieved her hand and slapped his back as the gaping hole in his chest mended, causing his fiery green hair to flutter and turn a deep shade of dark.

"All done! See? It wasn't that terrible. Your demonic essence has salt water and chaos properties now! I also opened up the chaotic, demonic draconian evolutionary path for you."

Through his bloodshot eyes, he saw the hint of excitement flashing in her starry blue eyes, forcing a terrifying question to rumble in his mind.

'Does she have any idea about what she's doing?'

"Nop. But who cares? I can create anything I want. But I must say I'm curious about the result. Hehehe."

He gripped his head, despair crawling into his heart.

'I just became a Frankenstein's monster...'

"Pff. You know nothing, brat. Anyway, time to unlock your system."

DING

[Choose a class among the following ones.]

Chaos Demonic Knight: Passive energy manipulation and weapon mastery have no secrets for you.

Passive stat boost: +15 in the three physical stats. Basic familiarity with all weapons.

Chaos Warlock: As a master of demons and the deep sea, you can summon those two types of creatures to fight for you, including terrible existences like Balors and Krakens.

Passive stat boost: +15 in chaotic, demonic essence. Instinctive knowledge of basic summoning contracts.

Chaos Druid: A unique class for a demon. As a chaotic druid, natural chaos is your ally. You're both physically and magically powerful, allowing you to turn peaceful weather into a storm of saltwater and fire.

Passive stat boost: +7 in the three physical stats, +7 in chaotic, demonic essence. Instinctive perception of natural forces.

[Note: The passives increase each time you tier up.]