"So what exactly is this? I know you told me that I would get a gift when I moved up in ranking, but I thought it would be another skill or maybe even a new title, but this was the last thing I expected. You're allowing other gods to give me gifts? I thought you said they were pissed at you for only choosing one champion."
"Oh, they are. They're fucking pissed. Some of them even suggested that I should just kill you and start over again to pick new champions. Don't look so worried. If I wanted to kill you, then I would've killed you in those four years when you didn't have your powers. I waited for all those years because I trust you're the best person for me.
But about that key, it appears that the other gods have entered into a wager with me. You see, they still don't think that you are capable of being a sole champion. The power of a god is too much for any human to bear alone, and they think that the power will either drive you to madness or destroy your body because it cannot keep up.
"So I told them to bet on it, and they did. I entered a wager with some gods and I told them to set up challenges for you in their domain. These domains are of different types. Some gods have entire planets like the god of fire, and some other gods even have other dimensions like Thanatos who rules the underworld.
They will give you a challenge, and you will have some conditions placed on you before you can go into the challenge. If you are capable of defeating the challenge and coming out victorious, then they will buzz off, and they will stop pestering me about choosing only one champion."
Mark blinked in surprise and looked down at the key again. So, does that mean that this key was the key to another dimension? The underworld? That's pretty dope, actually. But the entire deal right now seemed pretty one-sided to Mark. Why would Sozin agree to a deal like that when they wouldn't be getting anything in return?
The other gods would get to test Mark and try to kill him, and all Mark and Sozin would get in exchange is acceptance. That is not a good deal at all.
Sozin could hear Mark's thoughts clearly, and a small smile appeared on Sozin's face as he heard what Mark was thinking. Once Mark saw that mischievous smile from his patron god, he immediately knew that they were in business! There is no way that Sozin would agree to a deal without getting something in return as well!
"That's why you're my champion! You and I think so alike that it really scares me! I don't think I could have picked someone else that would think about extorting the gods like you! Are you sure you're not really my son!?"
Sozin floated over to Mark's back and patted him on the back heavily while laughing loudly, and Mark stumbled forward in shock as he felt all the air leave his lungs! Fucking hell, that hurt! Sozin's hits seemed light, but there was a lot of weight behind them, and Mark couldn't even keep his balance once they hit!
Sozin laughed again and floated around as he started to talk animatedly!
"I allowed all the gods to test you however they wanted, but I also gave them some conditions that I wanted. The first one is that every test will have a necessary means to pass it. They cannot give you a test that will take a million years without you being able to find the solution or method to pass it. Knowing some of those gods, they are not above doing something like that.
I know I would do it if I was in their shoes. Secondly, they cannot give you a mission that is too far above your current abilities. Of course, that means that the monsters you will encounter will not be too much stronger than you, but that is also pretty ambiguous, so don't get too happy.
The concept of strength is skewed for we gods, so they could give a calamity-class monster to a D rank, and they wouldn't think it was a bad matchup because they know there is a method for the D rank to win. Finding it is another issue, though.
"And thirdly, they will all be mandated to give a gift that they believe is on par with the challenge set. I set this particular one in a tricky way. I'm pretty good at that, you know. The gods hate me and you, so they will definitely not set an easy challenge, but they are also a prideful bunch, and they wouldn't want to be looked down on by the other gods.
That means they will have to give a gift that is on par or better than the challenge just to save face.
"Now it's all on you, my champion. If you are capable of defeating these challenges, then what waits for you on the other side is more power and greater strength than you could have dreamed of. You have a chance to possess a gift from every god out there, all you have to do is reach out and grab it!"
Mark couldn't keep the excited grin off his face even if he wanted to! Sozin was the fucking best! He didn't even want the big-breasted goddess anymore! He would have chosen Sozin a thousand times over if he had a choice! He could kiss this fucking god!
This simple bet was a brilliant trick from Sozin, and it was also an amazing game that Sozin was playing! There really wasn't anyone else who deserved the title of the god of games!
"The god of trickery will have your head if he hears you saying stuff like that."
Mark chuckled as Sozin said this, and he looked down at the key again. The key no longer looked like a simple key to another dimension. It now seemed like a chance to become even stronger than he was as KING. Mark could gain a blessing from every god out there if he passes these missions. Mark knew that the missions would not be easy.
Since Sozin said that the gods were allowed to put any form of test in front of him, Mark was sure that they would all think of the most sinister and twisted things they could just to make sure he couldn't pass it no matter how hard he tried! But was that going to stop Mark?