It had been a mutually beneficial relationship. One that had helped them both greatly to accomplish their respective goals, yet throughout it all, they’d kept each other at arm’s length. It wasn’t that out of the ordinary, though, as two beings recognized as supreme geniuses tended to each have quite the ego, but this had still been different.
Ell’Hakan and Yip of Yore hadn’t respected each other like the Malefic Viper and Jake. They hadn’t considered each other close from the very beginning but merely used the other as a useful tool to further their own interests. Everything was transactional, Ell’hakan playing the role Yip wanted while reaping the rewards of his actions.
One of the primary reasons their relationship could never grow beyond this was due to their limited interactions. They never spoke when it wasn’t purely about business, and the number of times they had met in person could be counted on one’s fingers.
The cause of this was an emotion far more simple than respect... fear. Something that made their relationship doomed from the start.
Ell’Hakan was afraid of Yip of Yore because he knew the god would discard or even gladly kill him if he believed that would be of benefit to him. At one point, he even felt as if Yip of Yore was floating the idea of killing Ell’Hakan and framing it as if the Viper had it secretly done as a way to further justify his crusade against the Primordial.
At the same time, the mere fact that Ell’Hakan knew this was something that made Yip of Yore apprehensive. It was an odd concept for a god to hold some level of fear of his own Chosen, but it was nevertheless the truth. His Bloodline was fundamentally dangerous, even to gods, and Yip of Yore recognized this.
Sure, they had many methods to ensure they weren’t manipulated by it, but there were no guarantees, especially not if exposed for a prolonged period, and that in itself was a scary thought. If an extremely subtle sentiment was planted and amplified by a fraction with every meeting, not even gods could say they hadn’t been affected in some fashion at the end of it, and any kind of uncertainty, even if it was minuscule, was too much for most gods to accept.
Even assuming any kind of manipulation he did was impossible, that didn’t remove his ability to read emotions perfectly. Again, gods could try to hide their emotions, something many of them did most of the time anyway, but they would need to use different methods than normal against Ell’Hakan. Perfect control of outward expression or even one’s soul simply wasn’t enough, as against Ell’Hakan one didn’t need to hide one’s emotions but fully control and not have them in the first place to fool him. That required a certain kind of mindset and focus, one it would be hard to find many people with, even among gods, as it simply wasn’t a skill they had ever needed to learn.
Someone like Valdemar could be read like an open book by Ell’Hakan. So could many others who thought they had him fooled. Yet he knew the emotions they tried to hide, the truths they wanted no one to know... which was also why he had the feeling something was off for a long time.
No, more than feeling... for a long time now, Ell’Hakan had felt a high level of certainty that his own Patron wasn’t as in control as he believed and thus began to make his own preparations accordingly.Oh, and as for the question if a small planted sentiment was possible to implement in a god... well, at least it appeared to have when it came to affecting a god’s subconscious decision-making in their final moments before death.
Ell’Hakan breathed calmly as the ritual around him was ready to activate at any moment, humming with energy. It had a level of complexity beyond his understanding, but that didn’t matter as he wasn’t even the one to operate it, only benefit from it.
The ones in charge of the ritual were people he’d trusted and vetted himself, and those he knew wouldn’t dare cause him harm as that wasn’t what their higher-ups wanted. In many ways, the fact that the universe had been cut off was a great boon, as it allowed Ell’Hakan to speak more with the Holy Church and put his plans into motion, which was how he ended up standing within a massive magic circle constructed by the single-largest faction in the multiverse.
Considering how massive the Holy Church was, they naturally also had insight into rituals to usurp other gods, though it wasn’t anything they would “officially” do. Ell’Hakan had heard some whispers of defector gods being slain and their prior blessed or even Chosen to end up usurping their Path happening a few times, but that was purely coincidentally, of course.
As he still stood waiting within the ritual, waiting to either hear that the seemingly impossible had happened and that his Patron had won or of the god’s death, Ell’Hakan didn’t feel any nervousness, though there was a hint of impatience for learning the outcome. He also couldn’t help but consider how things had even ended up like this.
In truth, this hadn’t been the plan for that long. For the longest time, he’d genuinely believed in Yip of Yore and that he would defeat the Malefic Viper and become the first Primordial Slayer. Ell’Hakan had seen his Patron as someone worthy of that title and a presence in his life that would only lead to further greatness as he would be the Chosen of a truly great being.
He’d gone along with everything Yip of Yore asked of him without questioning anything, as why would he question someone he genuinely believed was the most powerful person in the multiverse – or at least had the potential to soon be the most powerful?
But, slowly, cracks began to form, and then... Nevermore. More accurately, what happened during the Colosseum of Mortals in Nevermore.
Ell’Hakan had done well there and pulled on his experience as a warrior even before the system arrived. He’d risen through the gladiator ranks and swiftly defeated many top gods in their mortal forms, even if some of them proved quite tricky before he finally ended up before Valdemar. The Grand Champion.
Perhaps it was vanity, or maybe doubt had already begun to sprout in his heart then, but Ell’Hakan couldn’t help but try and take advantage of the fact that Valdemar seemed to have full knowledge of the multiverse up until not that long before the integration.
So, he’d asked him some questions, all of which Valdemar had naturally not answered... but he didn’t have to. Even if the system didn’t allow him to answer, it couldn’t stop his emotions from confirming or denying his words.
When Ell’Hakan said that the god Yip of Yore was aiming to kill the Malefic Viper, the god didn’t react much... but his emotions were clear. At first, he didn’t believe the Viper was back, but once he was convinced of that... he found the sentiment absolutely hilarious. As if Yip killing the Malefic would be the biggest joke ever told.
He confirmed this time and time again as he reframed his questions with every life he spent against the War God, confirming things more and more, all the way up to the fight where he finally earned the god’s recognition.
Walking out of that Challenge Dungeon, Ell’Hakan was full of doubt and began to question many things and look for clues to confirm these doubts. He began to make backup plans in case Yip of Yore was indeed simply a fool being played by the Primordial, and luckily, he already had an easy in with the Holy Church, who he was already working with at the time for Nevermore.
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One might ask... why didn’t Ell’Hakan warn Yip of Yore if he was his Chosen? He could have told him so many times. Voiced his doubt that maybe Yip was making a mistake. Shared what he’d learned from Valdemar.
But he couldn’t. This all harkened back to the fact they had never truly trusted one another. Perhaps Ell’Hakan warning Yip would have made the god reconsider what he was doing or changed the strategy in some way. Maybe it would just make him double and triple-check some things himself, leading to the conclusion that he either wanted to back off or continue according to plan.
However, far more likely, the second Ell’Hakan voiced his doubt would be the same day he signed his own death sentence. Yip of Yore was too deep into his own story. He had become a slave to the legend he was forging. At least, he seemed to think that way. If his own Chosen began to show signs of doubt, Ell’Hakan believed he would only have viewed that as a weakness that had to be cut off.
No... it would have been far too risky.
So, Ell’Hakan had done what he believed safest and hedged his bets by doing so that both outcomes of the confrontation between gods would end up beneficial to him... and as part of that preparation, he’d planted a small seed that took advantage of Yip’s obsession. A single emotion and thought that would only appear in his final moments:
Indignation... and a desire for someone to carry on his Legacy. To not let his legend die, even after perishing. It wasn’t hard to do either, as he only very subtly amplified the strong emotions Yip already had.
It was all part of a gamble that very soon had its time to prove if it would pay off.
Despite it not really being something that should come as a surprise, Ell’Hakan still found himself a little shocked when he felt it happen.
When his Patron died.
The connection he’d shared with his Patron for so many years was severed in an instant, but right before he could fall to his knees from the backlash, the formation all around him came to life.
Complex magic activated and grasped unto the remnants of Ell’Hakan’s connection with Yip of Yore and his Records, and the moment it got a grip, it yanked hard. As it did, Ell’Hakan felt his connection with Yip of Yore’s Legacy strengthen but felt very different from usual, as a rush of Records streamed down toward him.
He also instantly knew that his small planted emotion in Yip had worked... or perhaps Yip had already known what Ell’Hakan was planning and viewed this as a valid backup. Either way, despite being a Usurper in the making, he didn’t truly have to usurp much as the Records more than gladly came to him.
The more than a thousand members of the Holy Church helping with the ritual had a slightly easier time due to this, but they still strained themselves as Ell’Hakan bathed in the stream of energy and Records. Light began to envelop him as a pillar formed all around, the rush of energy only intensifying as it combined with the Records.
Ell’Hakan smiled as the first level arrived, and shortly after, one of his skills upgraded. The entire scenario reminded him of when one picked a skill upon reaching a level milestone. Instinctual knowledge of how a skill worked would enter one’s mind, making the person aware of how to use the skill while still leaving plenty of room for future improvements.
Right now the same was happening to Ell’Hakan. The Records of Yip of Yore were funneled into his former Chosen, improving and empowering the Records of all the dead god’s Legacy skills, and with the help of the ritual below, a constant stream of energy entered Ell’Hakan to support the entire process, making it as if he was repeatedly consuming high-quality treasures.
Knowledge flooded his mind as he began to understand more and more of his Legacy skills. His passive skills – which were the main part of what Yip of Yore had mainly given him - also got better as he used them to amplify his other core skills.
Hours passed as the ritual went on, the members of the Holy Church occasionally being switched out with ones who had sufficient energy remaining. Ell’Hakan kept pushing the ritual further and further, even if he could only claim a few scraps toward the end.
As the ritual eventually winded down, a final fragment of Records came and entered Ell’Hakan... one that felt different than any prior. Usually, the Records were scrambled and just puzzle pieces that could help make a greater whole, but this final part wasn’t like that.
It was something Ell’Hakan didn’t even know could exist, and despite feeling a bit apprehensive, he absorbed it into himself. It was a full puzzle in itself. Rather than help upgrade a skill or anything like that, Ell’Hakan saw something way more interesting when he absorbed it.
Memories... more put together than anything Ell’Hakan had ever experienced before and more than understandable. For a moment, he felt as if he wasn’t even in his own body but instead trapped inside someone else’s. It was like his own skin had become a prison, and his insides were boiling, making him want to scream out in pain, but he couldn’t, for he no longer had a mouth.
All his limbs were also gone, and all that was left was soul-searing pain that permeated every part of his being. He felt the Viper’s presence, the hopelessness of being utterly suppressed by a superior being, and then... clarity. Everything became calm as Ell’Hakan heard a familiar voice in his head echo.
“Listen, my Chosen, to the final ode of a fallen fool...”
Ell’Hakan listened, unable to do anything else, and despite the final words of Yip of Yore not actually being an ode at all, his former Chosen still took in everything, his eyes wide as he learned things he wasn’t sure he wanted or needed to know as a mortal. Things with implications he wasn’t sure he could handle.
As the knowledge stopped flooding his mind, the ritual around him also came to an end, and Ell’Hakan fell down on one knee. The entire magic circle cracked as the ground shattered all around him, several hundred high-level C-grade mages and priests being sent flying back with severe internal injuries from the backlash of the ritual stopping so abruptly.
Breathing heavily, Ell’Hakan stood up. The ritual had not broken apart because anything had gone wrong. There had just never been any considerations for a safe way to end it without the parties performing it taking damage... one of the sacrifices that had to be made when cutting corners and having C-grades perform a Usurper Ritual.
While still basking in the feeling of being reborn, he saw the human approach with steady steps, turning his head to see him. “Augur... you’re here, huh?”
Should Ell’Hakan be surprised? Perhaps... he’d chosen a small, unassuming planet in the galaxy – one not even a part of the alliance initially – to perform this ritual on and only brought the most necessary people there. Despite the ones making and performing the ritual being from the Church, they weren’t neccecarily in the Augur’s camp.
The Holy Church was not a monolith, especially not in a new universe, and quite a few smaller competing factions were constantly opposing one another. However, even so, it was a fact that the Augur was a special existence within the faction with influence wherever he wanted it.
“I wouldn’t have missed it,” the Augur answered with a light smile, observing the broken ritual. “These kinds of things are... rare. Once-in-a-lifetime kind of rare, if not more so. Your Path has been solidified to a frightening extent, and I feel as if a burden has been lifted from your shoulders and shackles removed from your ankles.”
Ell’Hakan looked at the Augur for a moment, knowing what the Augur said was the truth. He did feel as if he had been freed from Yip. Freed from his plots and schemes. Smiling, Ell’Hakan nodded.
“The help from the Church won’t be forgotten, and our deal honored,” he said, turning a bit more serious as he rolled his shoulders a bit.
“I would be disappointed if it was... now, if I may, would you share some insight into the ritual? As I said, this is not something one has the chance to encounter often,” the Augur asked.
Ell’Hakan was more than happy to share his accomplishments and make sure the Augur understood just how much he’d gained. He knew he had to raise his own value in the eyes of the Holy Church and make them view him as more than just his Bloodline. Far more.
So he spoke of everything he didn’t see as something he shouldn’t share. The Augur engaged throughout and asked several questions, as all around them, the mages and priests were helping each other recover from the aftermath of the ritual.
After a good while, they had covered mostly everything and Ell’Hakan sighed.
“Oh well, I guess we should get to work. Things can’t be stable once the news of Yip’s death spreads throughout the alliance.”
“They most certainly are not,” the Augur nodded. “Especially not after they initiated their counterattack.”
“What counterattack?” Ell’Hakan asked with confusion.
“The one happening right now,” the Augur just shrugged.
Ell’Hakan was still confused as he hurried away from the ritual site, where a large formation had been overlaid across it to cut them off from the outside world for further protection. The second he got out of it, he was flooded with messages from his allies across the galaxy. His eyes opened wide as he read the many reports, and in anger, he turned toward the Augur.
“You knew?”
“Naturally,” the human nodded.
“And yet you saw the need to...” Ell’Hakan said before shaking his head. “Why didn’t you tell me right away?”
“You didn’t ask,” the Augur just shrugged, a sly smile on his lips as Ell’Hakan really wanted to just put a trident through the human’s neck, but knew it would be a waste of time as he instead turned and headed toward the teleporters, leaving the still-smiling Augur behind.