Flickers of light danced in the air, brief and intense, like the points of singularities. As the light faded, six formidable figures materialized in their place, each one more awe-inspiring than the last.
The first to catch Kallen's eye was a bull-headed, muscle-bound behemoth of a being, barbaric in appearance with bulging muscles that rippled with every movement.
A massive axe was slung over his back, its blade almost as wide as he was, and his every step seemed to shake the very ground.
Next was a dragon-headed warrior, sleek and athletic, his body covered in shimmering scales that ran up his powerful arms.
He carried a spear that crackled with energy, the sharp tip gleaming menacingly in the low light. His draconic eyes gleamed with a fierce intelligence, and the very air around him seemed to sizzle with latent power.
Then there was a figure that Kallen couldn't quite categorize, a stunningly beautiful being who seemed to blur the lines of gender.
Its body was decorated in ornate, prestigious attire that shimmered like a peacock's plumage.
The visage of a peacock overlapped with theirs, giving it an otherworldly elegance. Snake-like curves adorned their waist and hips, and mouthwatering scales glistened down their sides.
The figure held a dagger, its blade thin and sharp, which it twirled with a graceful, almost playful ease.
A blinding golden light drew Kallen's gaze next. A man, if one could call him that, with the head of a roc, stood tall and imposing. His body was cloaked in radiant golden feathers that shifted like the light of a setting sun.
Between his ribs and arms, web-like gliders stretched, and on each arm, he wore five golden rings or bracelets that glimmered with an ethereal light, as if they held the power of the sun itself.
Beside him was a snake-man with the head of a fox, his mischievous eyes sparkling with a cunning intelligence.
His athletic torso was well-built, and he wielded a bow and arrows, each tipped with an otherworldly glow. His very presence radiated a sense of danger, as if he was always on the edge of striking at any moment.
Finally, there was a figure that, at first glance, appeared almost human. But as Kallen looked closer, the differences became stark.
His skin was an unsettlingly pale whitish-grey, almost translucent under the dim light.
His silver hair was long, spiky, and flowed like a deadly cascade, the edges sharp enough to cut through the very air. It swept close to the ground, shimmering with a dangerous, almost lethal light.
They looked like they had stepped straight out of some kind of cosmic battlefield, their attire and weapons marked with signs of battle or hunting.
Each one carried an air of primal strength and raw power, and Kallen couldn't help but feel like he was standing before beings who were far beyond the apex of existence—beings that defied the very essence of life itself.
"Okay, since the house is full, let's redo the introductions," the badger spoke with an air of authority, his voice deep and resonant.
"I am Pashupati, the Lord of animals, beasts, and monsters." He paused, his gaze shifting to the figure beside him.
"And this," he continued, pointing at the embarrassed Samaelas, "is the Demiurge, Samaelas. Together with these fine specimens, who form his swords and shield, they're called the Archons."
Pashupati's gaze turned to the bull-headed muscleman. "This one here," he said with a nod, "is Iao."
Next, he pointed at the dragonborn, who stood with his spear at the ready. "The dragonborn is Sabay," Pashupati announced, as Sabay's serpentine eyes fixated on him, his scales shimmering.
The badger's clawed hand then gestured to the golden roc man, who looked every bit as majestic as his feathers suggested. "The golden roc man is Adonois,".
He moved on to the fox-headed naga, who gave a sly grin as Pashupati introduced him. "This cunning fellow is Ailoein."
Pashupati pointed to the peacock-snake hybrid, whose elegance was almost unnerving. "The peacock snake man is Astaphanos,"
Finally, Pashupati's gaze landed on the last figure, who looked deceptively human. "And Horaios," he said with a smirk, "is the porcupine."
Kallen looked at the assembled beings, amazement flickering in his eyes. However, he quickly regained his bearings, his expression hardening. "Why have you called me here?" he asked, his voice steady despite the situation.
Samaelas stepped forward, taking the lead. "Do you want power?" he asked, his tone smooth and enticing. "Would you like to have one of us as your sponsor?"
Kallen's expression shifted, adopting a thoughtful posture, his eyes narrowing in contemplation.
"What's the catch?" he finally asked, his tone flat, leaving no0 room for friendly banter.
"Smart! I like you, kid," Ailoein said, stepping closer and giving Kallen a pat on the shoulder.
Kallen tensed, his eyes narrowing further, every sense on high alert. He knew he was out of his depth here... if they wanted to, any one of these beings could erase him from existence with a mere thought, but that didn't mean he'd let himself die easily though.
Pashupati leaned in, his presence commanding attention.
"Well, to be more specific, who would you want to contract with? Samaelas, or me?"
Kallen kept his guard up, his eyes darting between the two beings. "What's the catch?" he repeated, not willing to be swayed by the vague promises of power.
Samaelas stepped forward again, his voice dropping as he delivered the crucial detail. "You'll be our priest," he said, his words heavy with implication. "Our priest and spokesperson in the new world you're about to enter."
Kallen blinked, taken aback by the proposition. But after a moment of processing, he shook his head.
"You met the wrong person" he replied firmly. "I'm not charismatic, and that doesn't align with my way of doing things."
"Walk with me," Samaelas answered him, not even waiting for a response as he began to stroll at a slow, deliberate pace. "Let me tell you a story."
Kallen hesitated but followed, curious despite himself.
Samaelas didn't miss a beat, launching into an explanation. "Apex lifeforms have orders and tiers of power. Primordials are at the top, the most powerful beings, birthed from the very fabric of the universe during its creation.
"Then there are the archaic lifeforms, born or begotten from primordial lifeforms, each possessing dominion over a universal law. Not every apex lifeform born of a primordial is archaic; some are even primordials themselves.
"Olden lifeforms like me come next in line. We were born just before the Great Cosmic War, which split the universe into the celestial and mortal realms.
"After that war, no matter how powerful an apex lifeform was, none of their children could be apex lifeforms from birth. They became either pseudo-apex lifeforms, the peak of mortal existence, or demi-apex lifeforms, just a rank below.
"It looked the universe would not see a new god... that was until the first cosmic baptism, where a pseudo-apex lifeform underwent apexification, otherwise known as cosmic superiority, to become an apex lifeform.
"These new deities, are called new generation of apex lifeforms."
Listening intently, he asked intrigued. "So, what about you? You said you're the lord of mimicry, the personification of a copycat... But if you can clone or recreate anything with your divinity, why aren't you an archaic or even a primordial lifeform?"
Samaelas paused, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "Exactly. That's why I decided to prove them wrong. I tried to clone creation itself, and I succeeded—sort of.
"I started making my own worlds, my own realms within the universe. They were all deficient, sure, but it was something. But I was still bound by universal laws, limited in what I could do.
"Nothing can be created out of nothing. To create one thing, another had to be used, or broken down fundamentally.
"Extreme creation brings about destruction, and vice versa. In the end, I ended up destroying mortal worlds to create these deficient, uninhabitable planets.
"The universe, in its anger, nearly wiped me out of existence. I lost all my followers and became a weak deity. But in my madness, I managed to create three things of my own—my most priceless creations, not mere mimicries.
"The first was a system, like the 'Existential Compendium' all mortals in awakened worlds, and new generation lifeforms use.
" 'Existential Compendium'?"
"You'll know about it soon"
"Okay, and the other two?"
Samaelas continued, his voice steady, tinged with the faintest hint of pride.
"The second were my brothers, each imbued with the essence of the seven deadly sins. Iao, born from wrath; Sabay, from envy; Astaphanos, from lust and desire; Adonois, from greed; Ailoein, from trickery and gluttony; Horaios, from sloth; and myself, imbued with the power and essence of pride and of the soul."
Although amazed, Kallen was not entirely shocked. He had already anticipated that these apex lifeforms could do things that didn't make sense, so the fact that Samaelas created these beings was not that much of a surprise
"And lastly," Samaelas said, his tone growing darker, more intense, "I forged one of the most powerful weapons in existence, what enabled me to keep my status and even contend with archaic lifeforms alongside my brothers.
"I made Infinity's Edge, the Quill of the Curator. Its base form is a quill, and it can transform into a myriad of weapons. I forged it during my tribulation, using the universe's annihilation, destruction, and obliteration energy."
"Obliteration..." Kallen muttered, his eyes glazing over for a moment as though trying to catch unto something elusive, and failing.
"Of course," Samaelas replied, nodding with pride and a touch of arrogance. Clearly not noticing what happened.
"How else do you think I survived?"
Pashupati, who had been silent until now, chuckled softly. "He's a crazy fella, alright."
Samaelas ignored the jab, his focus entirely on Kallen.
"But it's not enough," he said, his voice dropping to a low, persuasive tone. "If you agree to be contracted by me, I'll give you the system and Infinity's Edge.
"In the end, they're just external items and can't compare to the internal strength, divinity, and power that comes from the worship of followers. So, would you?"
Kallen remained silent for a while too long the others became uncomfortable. This offer was enticing, but power came with a price, one that might be too high to pay.
And the fact that Samaelas has still not given him a straight answer as to what the price of this power is, was a big red flag. Clearly the catch couldn't just to merely become a priest. That was clear subterfuge.
The fact that they were trying so hard to hide it, made it very dangerous for him.