Hitman with a Badass System - Chapter 1399

But before he could activate the travel rune and head to Larnia, Michael needed to make a pit stop. His armor, after that little... tussle with Agra and his... abomination of a chimera, was looking a little... worse for wear. Dented. Scratched. And his mask... well, that was definitely in need of some... repairs. He also needed to... upgrade Gaya's stealth armor. Now that she was a goddess, radiating celestial energy, the mortal-grade cloaking device wouldn't work. It would be like trying to hide a goddamn supernova behind a tissue paper.

He glanced over at Gaya, who was now holding court with her... constituents.

"So," she was saying, her voice a low rumble that echoed through the clearing, "which one of you... brave warriors... wants to tell me... exactly how those... assholes managed to clip your wings?"

She was lounging against a giant bear, using its thick, furry back as a... sofa, her crimson eyes gleaming with a predatory amusement. A half dozen dragons, their scales shimmering in the moonlight, formed a protective circle around her, their gazes fixed on the forest's edge, ever watchful. A pack of wolves sat at her feet, their ears twitching, their eyes narrowed, their bodies tense and ready to spring into action at her command.

"It was... those damn runes, my Goddess," a griffin said, its voice a mix of shame and... righteous fury. "They... they sapped our strength. Our magic. We couldn't... break free."

"And the horns, my lady?" Gaya asked, turning towards a unicorn, whose horn, though regrown, was still... smaller than the others. "They... sawed them off, didn't they? Those bastards."

"Yes, my Goddess," the unicorn whispered, trembling. "They... they laughed... while they... while they..."

Michael watched the scene unfold, a slow smile spreading across his face. She was magnificent, a true Goddess of Monsters and his badass wife.

"Fayeth," he called out, his voice a low murmur. "Go and... free the others. The... prisoners. In the temple."

Fayeth nodded, her gaze lingering on Gaya for a moment, a mix of awe and surprise in her eyes, before turning and heading towards the temple.

Sensing movement, the beasts tensed as the dragons turned their heads and the wolves let out low growls.

"Easy," Gaya said, raising a hand, her voice a calming rumble that soothed the beasts'... anxiety. "They're... friends."

A few minutes later, Fayeth emerged from the temple, followed by a group of Ava's worshippers. Their clothes were tattered, torn, barely clinging to their emaciated bodies. Many were half-naked, their skin bruised and scarred, but even those wounds, thanks to Ava's returning power, were already beginning to heal. Fayeth, ever the kind and compassionate one, had managed to find some spare robes to cover their indignities.

As they took in the transformed landscape, their eyes went wide with disbelief.

"The forest..." one of them whispered, his voice hoarse. "It's... green."

"The temple..." another murmured, her eyes fixed on the vines and flowers that now adorned Agra's monstrosity.

"What... what happened?"

"Where... where are Agra's followers?" a third asked, looking across the remains that still littered the ground. "Did... did they... leave?"

"Looks like someone had a little fun," another chuckled nervously, pointing towards a pile of body parts that had been scattered across the ground.

"Who... who did this?" another whispered with a mixture of awe and terror.

They looked at Gaya, Michael, and the beasts that now surrounded them, a protective circle of claws, fangs, and feathers.

"Is... is she...?"

Almost immediately, Michael felt a warmth spreading through him, a subtle but steady influx of power.

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[Worship Energy acquired: 30 units.]

[Worship Energy acquired: 80 units.]

[Worship Energy acquired: 150 units.]

The notifications continued, one after the other, the numbers steadily increasing as Ava's worshippers, their faith rekindled, their hope renewed, turned their devotion towards the God who had saved them. Within minutes, Michael's Worship Energy reserves, which had been... depleted... after his recent... expenditures, had replenished, surging past 6,000 units. He still had a long way to go before he reached the System's current cap of 10,000, but this was... a good start.

"You may rise," he said, his voice a low rumble that echoed through the clearing. He turned to Fayeth, his gaze meeting hers.

"Fayeth," he said, "bring other Ava's worshippers... home. To the Verdant Sanctuary. And... summon the other angels. The ones who... remained loyal. Tell them... this domain is under my... protection now."

Gaya, who'd been watching the exchange with a thoughtful frown, stepped forward.

"What about the Pantheon?" she asked with a hint of concern in her eyes. "They're not going to like this. You claiming another god's domain."

"The Pantheon has bigger problems right now, Goddess Gaya," Fayeth said, meeting Michael's gaze.

"They're at war with Andohr. He's their enemy now. And you, God of Darkness, you're his sworn enemy. Perhaps there's room for negotiation. The enemy of my enemy and all that."

"We'll see," Michael said, turning towards the assembled worshippers. "Now, if you'll excuse us..."

The worshippers, bowing their heads respectfully, retreated back towards the temple, eager to begin the process of reclaiming their sanctuary.

"Let's get this mess cleaned up," one of them said, wrinkling his nose at the stench of decay that still lingered in the air.

"Those... things..." another muttered, gesturing towards the remains of Agra's followers with a shudder. "We need to... dispose of them. Properly."

"Gaya," Michael said, once the worshippers were out of earshot, "what's the plan?"

"First," he said, "we go back to Sagespire. I need to fix my armor. And upgrade yours. That stealth suit of yours won't work now that you're a goddess. It'll be like trying to hide a goddamn lighthouse in a dark room."

He paused, his gaze turning thoughtful. "Then... we talk to Seshat. See if she can arrange a meeting. With the Pantheon."

"The Pantheon? Are you sure that's a good idea? They're not exactly going to be thrilled to see you, human. Not after you... you know... killed two of their own." Gaya raised an eyebrow.

"They're not thrilled with Andohr, either," Michael countered.

"He's declared war on them, Gaya. He's their enemy now. And like Fayeth said... the enemy of my enemy..." He grinned, a predatory gleam in his eyes.

"We have no allies in the realm of the Gods, Gaya. Andohr's little rebellion... it's given us an opportunity. A chance to negotiate. From a position of strength. We can worry about taking out those sanctimonious bastards later. For now... we need allies. We can't keep hiding in the shadows, relying on Seshat to clean up our messes."