Loki’s Successor System

"I, the Restorer, will have the systems myself. And I'll use them to restore the peace that was lost since the birth of mankind!"

—collected some century ago. 

***

This man was Midas. He was not the owner of a System. In fact, he had secretly existed before the Great Rendell was murdered and the world's suppressed magic was forever restored. So, he was neither a successor nor someone who possessed a restored ability. Much similar to the Wizard in this regard. 

Not all Gods had gone the route of having a successor take their roles through a system. Most Gods, mainly the less powerful ones who were not a part of the Titans of Norse or the Greek Olympians, simply visited Earth and chose whoever they wanted themselves without all the system mayhem. Midas, a bit more than a demigod but below a true god. was a bit different. He chose to not give up his power at all and walked the surface of the Earth in his own human body. 

Midas had been roaming the Earth for over a decade now, and he was having a hell of a time. Most feared Midas because of his large numbers of soldiers. However, attaining these men was no easy task for him. He had to work for this. He worked to become one of the richest and most powerful men in the world.

"You had me waiting," Midas said. He had a strange way with his words. Even after a decade, he hadn't lost his greek accent.

"I'm sorry, your golden highness," the Wizard wanted to bow but Midas gave him no room for that; their chests nearly touched. "I had no idea you were truly interested in this event I've hosted."

Midas clenched his teeth. "You've killed all of your men without a second of hesitation. How dare you must. I cannot, ahh, trust someone like you. For that, I'm going to have to have this place, ahhh, what do you ehh humans call deh ka-boom again? Nuked! I'll have this co-lon-ee of yours nuked today."

The Wizard was horror-struck. Nuked? He was going to nuke the colony. Was he serious. The Wizard's eyes remained gaped wide open. "N-nu...," he fumbled with his words, "nuked, you say?"

Midas simply stared into his eyes, nose looking down at the Wizard. Then, he held the end of his golden frame, and removed his glasses for the second time. His impenetrable, golden eyes that shined brightly, worth more than any gold, were thence revealed. 

The Wizard quailed. With those eyes, he was nothing short of serious. He was going to have the colony destroyed, and it was all the Wizard's fault. The Wizard quickly but his tongue and clenched his teeth. His face became stern. "Maybe—"

"Aye!" Midas thrust both his hands in the air. "I was just, ehhh, making a joke."

The Wizard's lips parted.

"Eh joke," Midas looked over his shoulders at his soldiers, "is a joke not what you call it?"

One of the soldiers nodded.

Midas looked at the Wizard again, and grinned widely. From there, his gold plated teeth were revealed. There was not a hint of white in his mouth— whatsoever. Only gold took presence. "I was only joking."

The Wizard grimaced. "So..." he trailed off, "you're not going to nuke the entire colony today?"

"No," Midas said, "not at all. This co-lon-ee is safe for now. I've just gotten a nice piece of entertainment from one of your skillful men. I even thought it was, ehhh, a skit. But after seeing the snapping of necks—I knew it was no skit."

The Wizard glimpsed at Alexandro, who stood in the distance at watch. "Yeah, he really showed them."

Midas raised a brow. "Were the guards not your men too? Why were they murdered?"

"They were strangely deviating," the Wizard looked down, "and I don't know why. They refused to open the gates. Perhaps they were scared, after all, the walls has been breached over three times recently. They were probably just doing their job, which is making sure no lunatics get in."

"That I am," Midas said.

"You're what?"

"A lunatic," Midas smirked.

The Wizard widened his eyes. "No-no-no, I didn't call you a lunatic. I would never."

Midas folded his arms behind his back and walked off. "Are you going to lead me to your kingdom of not, Wizard?"

The Wizard quickly rushed up to him. "I will do so now. But be warned that I do not own a kingdom at all. It's merely a governemnt house."

Midas glanced at the Wizard. "I don't know... I find you, ehhh, a bit clumsy." He looked ahead again.

"Sorry," the Wizard said, "I'm just a bit nervous is all. Besides, I'm walking alongside a God. I wish not to disappoint."

"Will there be more powerful guests like me?" Midas asked. "I know Vick was supposed to be coming today as well. I bet you do not even have, ehh, bed for royal and, ahh, bureacratic guests."

The Wizard smiled nervously. "Yes, there are more guests, I believe. I told Victor and he announced it to many others. That's how word got out to you. And the guest rooms... I would have that sorted out quite soon."

Midas smirked. "Have you any idea why I am here?"

The Wizard glanced at him. "Please, enlighten me."

"New soldiers," Midas said. "I'll place my irreversible bet on a few heads and recruit them should they emerge victorious."

The Wizard quailed. He figured this day would come. The day the higher-ups would take his successors themselves. Once they realize who these successors were, they would abduct them all. They always yearned for power, and they would snatch it up where and whenever they could.

Most foreigners were going to attend this tournament soley for a great profit. Sure, they would bring the Wizard riches, stocks, and farm yeild—but they would truly be there for the mass gambling that would take place alone. 

"Fine," the Wizard said, "but only if you win fairly."

"I do not cheat, Wizard," Midas said, "I just don't give up." In other words, he would attain the soldiers he didn't win some other way other than the gambling.

"If you say so," the Wizard said, "but your riches make me less inclined to believe that. You're most likely to win with all that gold. You have the most money with the ability you wield."

"That is true," Midas, "but my gold is a bit, ahh, different from normal gold. You see, my gold is the coldest gold can be. It's the gold created mileniums ago. The gold of Earth is, distinct and has been evolved thousands of times in the soil. Now, man do not recognize the gold of Gods so the Gold of Gods, ahh, virtually worths nothing."

The Wizard raised a brow. "Are you sure about that? How did you create that company then? The one that literally plated anything in gold for customers? How did you become the world's richest man with fake gold?"

"Dare not address my as gold fake, Wizard!" Midas snapped. "It is the purest of gold—the golden only the Gods know of. The gold of Earth was created with time. The gold of the Gods was created with divinity. I became rich through endeavoring. My ability allows me to also track any gold that holds an ounce of divinity. That's how I've found the gold of man myself.

"Not I am not using gold to win tomorrow. I am using yeild to make it fair for the others interested in the betting. Gold is barely worth much since paper money worths nothing in the apocalypse. Farm yeild—food and water—is worth most right now. I am also willing to put some of my greatest men on the line. But I am also here for the great entertainment."

The Wizard nodded in approval. "I see, I see." This time, he was only able to see the tip of the iceberg. Midas too had to work to get where he was. Just as he had to make sarcrifices to get the colony where it was now. He frowned. "I am sorry for offending you, great glimmering golden."

"Wizard?" Midas glimpsed. 

"Yes, great golden?"

"I am very interested. How many candidates are there for the tournament tomorrow?"

"Almost the entire village," the Wizard said, "nearly four hundred of them. The number might be expanded should the other politics bring men to partake in this event."

"And, Wizard?"

"Yes, great golden?"

"Have you thought of a reward for the, ahhh, triumphant folks in the tournament? You know medals, trophies, increase in, ahhh, rank."

"I," the Wizard scratched his head, "haven't."

"Wizard, you're a fool!" Midas snapped. "If you haven't gone thought of that—I'm willing to bet all my gold the tournament is far from perfect. Let us go to this, ehhh, 'Government House' of yours and establish the rewards. I have already," he smirked, "thought of one."

"Okay," the Wizard said, "let us go then."