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Chapter 374: 374
Keles leaned back, her gaze steady. "Perhaps it’s not about what you can give, but what you’re willing to face. Understanding hope means confronting the void—the fear of failure, the pain of striving for something you may never achieve. Are you willing to bear that?"
Silence fell over the carriage as Phantom processed her words. His faces began to flicker once more, a chaotic dance of contemplation.
Phantom looked up, his ever-shifting face briefly revealing curiosity. "If I may ask, what do you think of the ratmen and their struggle?"
Ikenga’s smile deepened, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction at the question. "They are a reflection of all mortal things—fragile, determined, and full of contradictions. But their story is not yet finished, because you are about to play a major part in it."
Ikenga seemed intoxicated by his own power as he extended his hand to Keles. She accepted it, and together they danced across the carriage. "As I mentioned before, if the ratmen are left alone, their fate would not change. They will remain slaves and cannon fodder, expendable in wars."
"I may not know much about your siblings, the other cursed beings, but I know enough about you. You stand close—closer than ever—to touching a boundary even your predecessors, Osisi and Boros, have not yet reached."
"Which is why you find yourself in a state of confusion, with so many questions," Ikenga continued, his voice a mixture of persuasion and certainty. "The path I have planned for you will answer those questions and dissolve your doubts, leading you to the divine throne. You will perform and orchestrate a grand design befitting your name—the Spotlight Phantom."
Phantom’s shifting faces briefly revealed an expression of astonishment, followed by one of contemplation. "The divine throne..." he murmured, his voice barely audible over the rhythmic creaking of the carriage. His form seemed to ripple with uncertainty, the multitude of faces reflecting his inner conflict. "A design fitting for my name, yet I wonder—what will I become once I ascend? What will remain of me, the one who questions and observes?"
Ikenga and Keles continued their graceful, almost surreal dance, their movements harmonizing with the pulsing energy that emanated from the carriage itself. Ikenga’s voice boomed with conviction, his power undeniable. "You will become what you were always meant to be: a master of the ephemeral, a conductor of ambition and despair, a beacon that draws all eyes to your spectacle. But you must first learn to embrace every aspect of yourself—your curiosity, your doubts, your cruelty, and your compassion. Only then will you be ready to claim the stage that awaits you."
Keles chimed in, her voice lilting and serene. "The divine throne is not a place for the faint of heart, Phantom. It is a crucible that will forge you into something greater—or shatter you entirely. Your questions are not weaknesses; they are the seeds of your strength. Nurture them, and they will guide you."
Phantom tilted his head, his form briefly flickering as he absorbed their words. "And the ratmen? Will their story be merely another performance in my rise, or do they hold a greater purpose in this design?"
Ikenga’s smile turned enigmatic, and he gestured toward the ever-shifting landscape beyond the carriage windows. "The ratmen are players in this grand symphony, their struggles a vital part of the composition. Whether they rise to greatness or fall to despair depends on how you choose to guide them—or exploit them. Remember, every performer on the stage has their role to play, but the conductor decides how the music flows."
Phantom’s gaze lingered on the swirling abyss outside, his many faces settling into an expression of determination. "If I am to be a conductor, then I will ensure the symphony is one worth remembering. I will learn from their ambition and despair, shaping it into something... transcendent."
Ikenga clapped his hands, the booming sound reverberating through the carriage. "Spoken like one who is ready to begin their true journey."
With a snap of his fingers, something unexpected happened. Keles remained unfazed, as if she had anticipated it, but Vaegur and Phantom were visibly surprised. Before the carriage, a portal shimmered into existence, swirling with energy and opening the way to their destination: the city where the marked ratman resided.
"My lord, how?" Phantom asked, his many faces shifting in astonishment as he stared out of the carriage.
Ikenga sighed, rubbing his temples with a look of annoyance. "This is one of the perks of being a divine being," he muttered.
It had been only a few weeks since Ikenga first noticed the change. The weight of this world’s pressure on him had lessened considerably, and the restrictions on his power had eased. He didn’t have to search long to uncover the cause—it was as he had suspected.
The marked ratman.
The hand Ikenga had played in helping with the seal at the ratman’s core had produced an unintended consequence. Occasionally, in his dreams, the ratman saw Ikenga, and through some twist of fate, the constructs of Osisi and Boros had begun whispering Ikenga’s name to him. This revelation led the ratman to become aware of Ikenga’s existence—and, worse, to begin worshipping him.
Ikenga’s initial reaction wasn’t joy at gaining a new worshipper. Quite the opposite: he found it irritating beyond words. Were it not for the intricate plans he had for the ratman, he would have ended the creature’s life without hesitation.
Ikenga had no idea how far he and Keles were from their original world, or even if they were in the same universe. Yet the fact that he was receiving faith energy without an altar nearby was unsettling.
It was during this time that Ikenga fully understood Nana’s words about the differences between origin gods and ascended gods. Origin gods relied on altars to refine and harness faith energy, while ascended gods did not have that luxury.
If Ikenga were to describe the experience, it was like a never-ending whisper in his ear, persistent and grating. The whispering only ceased when the faith energy was refined, but that was impossible because the ratman had made it a routine to pray to Ikenga at every opportunity.
The ratman found solace in his prayers, but Ikenga cared nothing for that. He only wanted the whispers to stop.
Still, even amidst his irritation, Ikenga couldn’t deny the benefits. The faith energy, though unrefined and invasive, provided him with insight and possibilities. He drew his own conclusions, weighing the costs and advantages of this unforeseen connection.
Zarvok seemed to anticipate this development, indicating that such occurrences were common for gods who found themselves in new worlds that resisted their presence.
In these situations, all that was needed was the devout worship of a living being native to the new world. This worship gradually allowed the world to accept the foreign god’s presence. For Ikenga, the marked ratman—his sole believer—served this purpose. As someone imbued with a trace of Ikenga’s power, the ratman’s faith created a tether strong enough for Ikenga to open portals, though not freely or without limitation.
Phantom’s eyes widened as he stared at the swirling portal that had materialized in front of the carriage. The connection between Ikenga and the marked ratman became clearer to him. "So... his belief in you strengthened your connection to this world?" he asked, his tone a mix of awe and suspicion.
Ikenga sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "Belief is a double-edged blade. While it grants me certain privileges—like bypassing this world’s rejection of my presence—it also binds me to the incessant noise of his prayers. His constant faith... it’s like having someone tap on your shoulder every second of the day."
Keles smirked knowingly. "And yet, here you are, wielding that annoyance like a tool to further your plans. A true divine pragmatist, my lord."
Phantom tilted his head, one of his faces showing curiosity. "If it’s so irritating, why not sever the connection? Surely, you could crush his belief as easily as you fostered it." 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
Ikenga’s gaze darkened, the faint glow of his divine aura flickering. "His belief in me plays another role in determining how long we remain in this world. The sealed core that holds his race back is weakening faster as his faith in me grows. What should have taken years will now take only months, perhaps less."
Keles stepped forward, gesturing toward the portal. "Shall we proceed? Or do you intend to linger here, complaining about whispers in your divine ear?"
Ikenga chuckled, his annoyance fading. "You’re right. Enough chatter. We have work to do." He motioned for Phantom to step forward. "This journey will test you further. The marked ratman may be drawn to me, but it’s you who will shape his path. Observe him. Guide him. Use him."
Phantom nodded, his form solidifying into a determined shape. "I will not fail, my lord. What lies ahead?"
Ikenga’s expression turned contemplative as he gazed into the portal. "Keles and I will not accompany you. We’re returning to the Abyss. In a few months, when the seal wears off, I will sever my connection to his core entirely. If I don’t, I might kill him in my sleep and ruin everything."
