The Achievement Junkie

"Kylon…" Perchet softly asked, "Are you having trouble remembering things?"

The Storm Goddess nodded slowly, gradually shaking less and less as she realized how pitiful she was in front of her fellow god.

"Do you want help?"

"I…"

"Kylon, do you want help?" repeated Perchet. "If you don't, then I'll forget this ever happened. I won't expect you to do the same, but I will ask that you give me some time to flee as a courtesy to our long time as friendly acquaintances… So, do you want help?"

"But… How can I get help?" Kylon asked. "I… This problem is mine, it's not like--"

"You do realize that there's a god specialized in the mind, right?"

"You mean… No! Perchet, I can't--"

"Do you want help or not?" insisted Perchet. "If you want help, Eedaj and the leisure gods are your best bet, correct? You tried to tell Halmut but you were ultimately ignored. Why not ask Eedaj? You respect him as much as I do. He may even agree to evaluate your situation in secret, without the other leisure gods knowing."

"If…"

Kylon bit her lip, stopping herself from admitting to her desire for help. For as long as she had lived, that was the one thing she hated most, feeling weak and unable to solve her own problems. That was why she hesitated in contacting Skaryn, which allowed Halmut to force her into the worst contract possible.

"Kylon… It's not that you're weak," stated Perchet, stealing her attention again. "Everyone has problems that need help sometimes. For example, how do you think all of us legendary gods will reach Glacier Keep without you? We need to rely on your ability to locate and enter Glacier Reef so that we can teleport to your side.

"That's the same reason why getting Eedaj's help now would be best. He's the most knowledgeable and capable when it comes to the mind, making him your only chance at discovering the problems with your memory." Perchet added, "Who knows, maybe he'll be able to help you with your nightmares as well."

Little by little, Kylon's ears were perking up. Mentioning the nightmares was like the straw that broke the camel's back."

"I… want help…"

Perchet immediately retrieved a contact crystal and commented. "I'll ask him to meet us in Fulken. That way, it will be fast and unknown to all. Okay?"

"... Okay…" Hesitantly nodding, Kylon took a deep breath. "But I'm not rebelling, like you. I still might give you up if push comes to shove."

"Go right ahead. I just want you to get the help you need." As the crystal connected and dimly glowed, Perchet stated, "We need to speak, now."

*****

"No one is Halmut's ally, not even his own race. It wouldn't surprise me if he ate his own child in order to strengthen his own bloodline strength."

"What do you mean?!"

The volume of Jack's voice abruptly increased, catching Moranti off guard. The God of Space continued to speak, feeling that Jack's reply was a bit more passion-filled than expected, "That… is an ancient way to increase the potency of a dragon's bloodline. Many experiments have been done to test draconic bloodlines but a dragon consuming their unborn child is the most effective. Our children share our blood, which is the most compatible with ours. If a parent consumed their child's bloodline, something we Spectral Dragons banned long before the race was wiped out, then there's a chance that parent would experience a mild transformation of their bloodline strength.

"It's a minor event but for Halmut it might mean a breakthrough, maybe. He's been at lv. 99 for so long now… I don't know why, but it feels like breaking through lv. 99 takes more than just leveling up."

Jack clenched his fists, taking in a sharp breath as he tried to calm his mind. "Thank you for telling me this… It's more important than you know."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll explain it later. For now, we need to let Estonya and Trodar celebrate," Jack stated as he turned to face the lively city in the distance. "After we publicly announce victory and let them spread the news with a celebration, we'll meet up and discuss what's next."

"Okay… Then I'll gather the others."

Moranti could sense that something was off, especially after his remark about Halmut's insatiable greed. But he understood that Jack would tell them soon or when the time was best. After spending five hundred years chained up, Moranti had become more patient than he would admit.

Jack took his time to walk toward the Estonya city walls. The surviving military forces of the Leisure Guild trickled in behind him with the gods taking the lead.

As the army capable of flattening the entire capital neared the city, the guards began to cheer. After a few moments, however, their cheers slowed and died down. They too could sense the somber mood of the army and recognize that the victory was still a great loss of life.

Once there, Jack and the other gods walked through the air to step atop the city wall.

"PEOPLE OF ESTONYA!!!"

That booming voice stilled the hearts of the elves within the city. They had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions and opinions and were still on an emotional high. Within twenty-four hours, the people of Estonya had their chief abandon their old gods, were then threatened by those same gods, and defended by the newly accepted gods despite the lack of public support the elves showed to Trodar. Right now, they were quite sensitive to Jack's words and showed him their complete attention.

A few seconds passed as the city's cheers stopped and all-eyes found Jack on the city wall.

"From now on, you're one of us!" Jack shouted, lifting one arm to the sky. "No matter your thoughts or ideals against us or other species, Korten will remain under Trodar's banner of protection! Today, Trodar has resoundingly defeated Halmut's gods of old, who only seek obedience through oppression! From now on, YOU'RE FREE! As a part of Trodar, every person, no matter their species, is free from the oppression of Halmut and his tyranny!"