Chapter 366: Justice

Alexei Ostapovich stood in the tournament ‘waiting cell’, remembering his conversation with a god.

He would have considered it the strangest experience of his life. But since the changing of the world, he seemed to have no understanding of what was ‘normal’ anymore. His life had become a series of events removed from the usual markers of sanity. He had lost his moral and intellectual bearings, operating only on what was in front of him to survive.

Then after the Nexus he had clicked his agreement to receive his ‘prestige class’ and vanished into nothingness—just another insane event in a world that normalized such things. But instead of the Maker Hall described by the others, Alex had found himself floating in golden light.

“Hello, Alexei,” said a being somehow brighter than the light itself.

“Hello,” Alex said in English, trying to treat this new madness with the same seriousness he treated all the others.

The brightest light watched him with eyes like the sun, white teeth visible in a smile.

“Do you know who I am?”

Alex didn’t. Of course he didn’t. And yet standing in that desert outside the Nexus, and the ancient temple—after calling on ‘divine’ magic to heal, to protect, since he’d entered this new hell—he knew his ‘power’ wasn’t his own. It had come from somewhere, from some

thing

. And he had felt the presence of that thing inside the Nexus. He had felt it from the ‘prophet’ they were protecting.

“You are Nephus,” he said, with no feeling towards the words except resignation.

“Some have called me that,” agreed the light. Then the gold dimmed and Alex felt his feet touch solid ground made of air, and the man made of light stepped beside him. “Walk with me.”

Alex had always liked walking. Every day in Nassau he walked the beautiful settlement in circles, usually alone, but sometimes with the woman he was seeing. She was too young and beautiful for him, and he tried not to think of her as permanent, as he tried not to think of anything as permanent.

“Life requires champions,” said Nephus after what felt like several minutes.

“Was Mason not your champion in the Nexus?” Alex said, using his native tongue now, though not sure why.

The light-god snorted.

“A man like that could never serve me. A man of violence. No, Alexei. I seek those who know what it is to heal. Who suffer and fail beside the weak. And yet endure.”

“Your sales pitch is shit,” Alex said. And a god laughed.

“I have few followers. But they are worthy.”

They walked in silence again, Alex feeling the same sense of resignation, of inevitability. It was like he understood this being, whatever it was, as if they spoke many words in the silence, both knowing words didn’t make much difference to anything.

“What do you want from me?” he finally asked.

“Me? I want nothing,” said the light. “Except what you have to give.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Not yet.” The light began to glow again, but somehow Alex’s eyes weren’t bothered.

“Go,” Nephus told him. “Protect those you deem worthy. Give life where you find death. Show the violent there is a cost. There is always a cost.”

“I’m no judge,” Alex said, hating the morally superior fools and liars that pretended to know right from wrong. The god smiled at him as if reading his mind.

“Reality requires no advocate, Alexei. Go with my blessing. Do only what you feel is good and true.”

He’d wanted to complain, to say he had no idea what was ‘good’ or even if there was such a thing as ‘good’. There was only survival. There was only enduring what the world and the universe threw at you, because what in the name of god else could you do?

Then he’d felt his body wrapping in iron links. Some kind of magical armor covered him from neck to knees, like a warm hug, or the sun’s rays after a rain. He closed his eyes as he watched his profile change, the words ‘Avatar of Nephus’ appearing under his prestige class before vanishing, as if only meant for him to see, replaced by ‘Sacred Pillar’.

[Receiving unique Prestige Class based on all available data. Implementing.]

Alex felt his body lock as energy coursed through him. But he didn’t try to resist.

[You have gained a Prestige Class! Sacred Pillar. +2 to all statistics.]

[Title gained: Pretty Prestigious: You have gained a prestige class before the vast majority of players. +1 to all statistics.]

[Power synergy discovered! Protective Barrier upgraded to Divine Shield: Nothing protects a man like faith. Except maybe a good shield.]

[Unique class power gained: Divine Justice: To every action, an opposite reaction. But some reactions are biblical.]

Despite the cryptic description of his new ‘Divine Justice’ power, he’d somehow known exactly how it worked. And despite everything, it felt right.

Just like that he’d been back in ‘reality’. Back with his new comrades and allies in the desert like the ancient Jews out of Egypt. He’d almost laughed thinking of what his father might say if he could have seen him standing there in his chain mail, if they’d have walked and talked about Alex’s conversation with a god.

Now here he was supposed to fight to the death, even if it was fake. But Alex had sworn an oath to himself after meeting ‘Nephus’. After thinking long and hard about right and wrong, good and evil. He had meant what he said about judgment. It wasn’t in his nature.

But he could decide what to do himself. And he had decided never to harm another living thing. Not personally. He would protect his friends, he would protect himself, but he wouldn’t raise a hand in violence. That would be his pact with ‘God’, whatever exactly that meant. And let the rest of it fall where it may.

So he’d risen up into a grassy field in his armor, looking up at the sun and thinking of life in a place that was meant for death.

The unfairness of life, he thought, without anger. He had never wanted to hurt, to destroy, not as a boy, not as a man. He wouldn’t change that because some alien overlord made it beneficial.

His opponent crossed the field after inspecting him, a young man with a pair of swords in his hands.

“You a support?” he called from about fifty paces.

Alex nodded, and the man shook his head.

“Shit, man.” He shrugged. “This fucking game, eh? You can just surrender, if you like. No need to play it out. You supports are so damn rare, I’d rather we be friends outside, you know? Name’s Benny.”

Alex smiled a little. It was perfectly reasonable, of course. Even kind. But there was a vast difference between choosing violence, and choosing to give up. Alex wasn’t a fool. And he wasn’t weak, either.

The idea that he’d somehow

give in

, after a lifetime of suffering and loss, after so many broken dreams and broken years. After Sebastian. After the Nexus. After

everything

.

He almost spasm’d with a desperate kind of laugh.

Give up? Because of what, fear of a little pain? A fake death? He had seen good men give up on life and waste away. Drink themselves into the grave as their families watched in broken silence.

No. Alexei thought not. All that had saved him from such a fate was some ridiculous notion, with no justification or reason, to never,

ever

quit. It was his one rebellion against the universe.

“Alex. And no,” he said, then shrugged. “Thank you.”

“Shit.” Benny looked back and forth and again at Alex. “You even have a weapon, buddy? I mean come on.”

Alex shook his head.

“Maybe you give up instead. Or we walk, and wait, we see what happens.”

Benny sighed and swung his blades around like he was in a comic book.

“Can’t do that,” he said. “There’s rules where I’m from. You know? Man made ones. Gotta win. There’s too much at stake.”

“There is always,” Alex said quietly, not expecting to convince the man.

“I’m ready when you are,” said the swordsman, and Alexei shook his head and put up his hands.

After another moment to build up his will, the swordsman came in swinging, probably to try and take Alex’s head in a single swipe.

Alex activated Divine Shield, but not quite entirely over his skin. Then he caught the blade. He winced as the sharp steel cut his flesh before his barrier stopped its force. His new power charged with blood. With hurt. With suffering.

The swordsman pulled away, obviously disturbed and confused.

“Maybe surrender,” Alex said, no trace of mockery. “Better, I think.”

The young man’s eyes narrowed, his face turning pink. He grit his teeth and came again, no more attempts to end things humanely.

He slashed at Alex’s throat, his legs, bouncing off the barrier. He stabbed forward with his shorter blade, and Alex again reached out and grabbed it, this time letting the blade cut his fingers deep.

He squeezed his hand and closed his eyes, watching Divine Justice charge as the duel-wielding warrior clenched his teeth and came again. Alex felt his blood sucking up into the wounds as he healed himself with Soothing Light.

He wasn’t in control of the power. Not really. It would go on as long as it had to.

He let his barrier drop in bits and pieces, letting his opponent slash his arm, his face, his armored chest. There was a deep gash in his bicep, blood running freely down his chin. He winced and withdrew, shaking his head to tell Benny not to follow.

He healed the cuts as he held off another round of the swordsman’s blows, this time taking a deep slash across his calf as he tried to move away. He groaned and limped off, still far away from needing to renew his mana with Divine Channel.

“Man what the fuck,” Benny said, pulling back with wild eyes. “Why make me do this? What’s the point? You like pain, or something?”

“No,” Alex said. “Please stop. We’ll walk. We’ll wait.”

“Shut the fuck

up

!”

Benny charged this time, slashing with a frenzy of blows. Alex let more bounce off his armor, took another stab deflecting off his chin, another his shin.

“What the fuck is the point of your useless shields,” Benny shouted as he cut. “Your armor. You have no fucking chance!”

“No,” Alex agreed. “No point. So stop.”

“

This is what we

’re here for

!” Benny yelled in increasing rage, slashing as Alex took more and more wounds, than healed them, watching his mana tick down and down.

After another round of furious cuts, Benny finally stepped back panting, watching Alex with incredulous eyes.

“You’re crazy,” he said. “Forget the friends part. I hope I never see you again. You’re a fucking lunatic.”

Alex took a deep breath, watching Divine Justice as it started to trigger, as if entirely out of his control. He was glad for that, though he would have stopped it if he could.

“Maybe,” he said. “And I am sorry.”

Light flared as Alex was forced to channel. His body locked as the incredible power flared around him, overtaking the world in golden light.

Benny’s eyes went wide as he stared. But he seemed to recognize a threat, and charged forward to unleash another series of blows.

Between the power activation, and the attacks, Alex’s mana quickly drained, down, and down, then gone. Benny’s sword broke through, piercing the shield but deflecting off Alex’s armor.

Then the channel finished.

Light diffused over everything in the area, then shot forward like it was sucked into a vacuum, straight at a now screaming Benny as he fell back slashing uselessly.

It ripped him apart. His hands, his arms, his legs. It stabbed his shoulder and chest with unstoppable rays of light, spraying blood in every direction as the young man cried out in pain and terror.

When it was finally over, Benny collapsed to his knees, red as a newborn as he stared at Alex. It was hard to look at him. But Alex came forward and knelt.

“I am sorry,” he said, desperately fighting the urge to heal the man, knowing it was far too late. Benny’s eyes blinked then rolled, and he collapsed to the ground to finish bleeding into the grass.

A trumpet blared. The robotic announcer congratulated him and assigned points and the world began to fade. Was it right? Was it wrong? Alex didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure he cared. The young man had made his choices, and he had paid the price. Whatever it was, it felt a bit like justice.