Chương 20: Divine War

Atlas continued, his voice grave. "About the information Lucas shared, it seems like this whole ordeal was orchestrated by the gods and their human apostles. The man who killed us claimed to be an apostle of the God of War.

Lucas also mentioned something about Zeus's curse. I had heard of it before but never thought it was real. I didn't even believe in gods until now. It seems that one of Zeus's curses prevents gods from harming humans directly.

Thinking about it now, it makes sense. We've never seen or heard of an incident where a god descended or killed any human directly.

Even in the building where everything started, the creatures were awakened by a subordinate of a god, not the god himself. Even when Zetens died, it was by the hands of the god's apostle, not the god himself."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "So, gods need people like us to do their dirty work. But here's the confusing part: we aren't apostles. We're supposed to be blessed by the gods if we survive here. Why are they giving us power and asking nothing in return?

Apostles pray and sacrifice their lives to the gods. They believe what they do is right, they love the gods, and let Gods use them for their will. But we don't. They can't change our will. So, why are they blessing us? What's the point of this whole blessing ceremony?"

Dune interjected, "Either they want a big part of Zetens gone because of their potential to rival gods, or they need us for something greater. The god also said other gods would choose their blessed ones. If we survive, Atlas, you would probably be a god's favorite. And that means one thing..."

Atlas's eyes widened as he grasped Dune's implication. Dune continued, "It means that whoever chooses you will gain the most, and the other gods will hate you. Other gods will try their best to kill you.

Choosing a side means one god will support you while the other nine will be against you. I think this is the gods' way of challenging each other. Maybe I'm wrong, but from what we know so far I believe the chosen ten will eventually become enemies.

Think about it, if the continents knew there was someone blessed by a god, the higher-ups would probably want to kill them, while others would try to protect their greatest treasure."

Atlas nodded, the reality settling heavily on him. Dune pressed on, "We need to find Ned, Ezra, and Liam. Then, we survive until only ten people are left."

Nely, who had been listening intently, finally spoke. "So, it's a divine game, and we're the pieces. But why? What do they hope to achieve?"

Atlas looked at her, his expression serious. "Maybe the gods are testing us, challenging each other through us. They want to see whose chosen one will come out on top. It's a power struggle among the gods, and we're caught in the middle.

But we're not just pawns, we have our own wills, our own strengths. We have to survive, not just for ourselves, but to destroy their plans, to prove we're more than mere tools."

Atlas took out everything from the bags, starting with meat, water, and medicine, including bandages and more. He then pulled out a long white sword

and threw it to Dune. "Take this as my birthday gift for you," Atlas chuckled. Dune's eyes brightened as he examined the sword.

"Today is your birthday?" Nely shouted "why didn't you tell me!"

"It was actually few days ago, even i forgot"

"How can you forget your own birthday?"

"Its your fault for trying to catch a fish with your own Neba, how can you be this stupid, we almost died remember? How could i think of my birthday at that time?"

"Huuuh?… i was hungry and we didn't have any food, what was I supposed to do?"

Atlas covered his face with a hand, and interrupted them. "We have more important matters to worry about. This sword is also an artifact," Atlas explained. "It seems like noble families can be strong even without their own powers. This sword doesn't consume your own Neba; it consumes others' Nebas. It can also speed you up. And it's sharp, so be careful." Dune nodded appreciatively.

Atlas nodded in return and then turned to Nely. He took out a thread wound on a ring and handed it to her. "Inject your Neba into this. The thread becomes sharp and can cut through rock, skin, and bone like it's nothing. But it can't harm the wielder or anyone the wielder wishes not to harm."

Nely inspected thread, listening intently.

"But it's not my birthday today," she answered, looking in a different direction.

"Alright, I'll just give it to Dune then."

Nely snatched the gift quickly.

"Okay, I'll take it," she said, glaring at Dune.

Atlas took out one last item from the bag:

a small box containing five small, circle-shaped objects. Dune and Nely looked at them curiously. "I don't know what this is called, but let me show you how it works." Atlas handed one to Dune and one to Nely. "Put this in your ear."

"What?" Nely asked, puzzled.

"Just do it," Atlas insisted.

They complied and then heard Atlas's voice in their heads. Nely and Dune jumped in surprise. "What? I heard your voice," Nely exclaimed.

"This is a communication device that Lucas had," Atlas explained. "I think he had companions here. He used to talk to himself a lot, but it seems he was actually communicating with his companions.

They already knew about the gods' plan before it started. They were confident in surviving here. This device must be enhanced with very little of your Neba.

It can then send your thoughts, only when you wish to, and it sends to whoever is wearing the other circles.

We can communicate over long distances with this. Dune, you should be able to use it. It takes very little Neba. We need every advantage we can get. With these artifacts, we stand a better chance."

But then Dune asked, "Wouldn't Lucas's companions be able to hear our thoughts too?"

Atlas nodded. "Yeah, they probably will. That's why we shouldn't share sensitive information like our location, as that could put us in danger. It's a double-edged sword. But if used wisely, it can give us an edge. Let's only use these artifacts for critical information, and never when we're separated unless it's a dire emergency."

Nely tested the thread, feeling its power surge through her as she injected her Neba into it. She could sense its potential, the sharpness ready to cut through almost anything. Dune, on the other hand, swung the white sword experimentally, feeling its balance and the way it seemed to hum with latent energy.

"Let's not waste any more time," Atlas said. "We need to find Ned, Ezra, and Liam. I'm sure they are alive.

The gods have their plans, but we have ours."

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