Building harem town 9, p.40
Building Harem Town 9, page 40
“Good idea,” Aleia said as she eyed a nearby corpse. “It does not smell like a good place for Jack’s almighty celebration!”
“I’ll ask my people to set up a festival,” Verda said. “We’ll put together the most stunning feast to—”
The elf fell silent as her golden eyes widened, and I put a worried hand on her shoulder.
“Verda,” I said. “What is it?”
I thought that maybe she was having one of her visions that she had told me about as my stomach twisted with worry. Then I realized that all my women had gone quiet and rigid as their eyes widened, and my heart sank into the pit of my stomach. Something was wrong.
“Nicola!” I yelled as I grabbed the brunette. “What’s happening?”
Then all of the priestesses collapsed to the ground, and I harnessed my wind element control just in time to softly lower them. Their stiff bodies lay down on the filthy floor as my power made sure they were unharmed.
“What’s happening?” I shouted as I crouched down to hold Nieva’s shoulders. “Why are they doing this?”
The women were out cold as they lay on the ground, and a worried crowd began to gather. Olwen stood over Nieva with horror on his face at his fallen queen. Tobias knelt beside Celeste and felt her pulse as his face paled.
“They’re breathing okay,” he said. “Jack, maybe we need to find a medic. Is there anyone who knows medicine?”
Several witches hurried over as they inspected the priestesses and rummaged in their potion bags.
“Is it him?” I spat. “Did that asshole god lay some kind of curse to happen when he died? I swear I will go into the fucking afterlife and kill him all over again.”
“Jack,” one of the older witches said. “They all seem like they’re just sleeping. I don’t need to cast any breathing spells.”
Elred crouched by Verda, and he placed a hand on her forehead.
“She feels well,” he muttered. “My lord, I don’t know what this is. It does not feel like magic.”
“I agree,” the witch said. “There is nothing evil that I feel the need to cure.”
“Then what is happening?” I breathed as I cradled Aleia. “How do I stop this?”
The women all suddenly shot ten feet off the ground as Aleia slipped from my arms, and I stared at my beauties as they hovered in place. It was like they were standing on solid ground as their feet dangled gently. I wanted to grab them down, but I was terrified of hurting them somehow. My head spun as I stared at my devoted loves, and they suddenly began to move. They spun around in a circle even though none of the flying women moved their wings. My whole army stared up at the priestesses as their hanging limbs became a spinning blur as they moved faster and faster.
Then they slowed down once more into a still circle above my head. Their bodies glowed silver for a moment before they softly descended back down as a message popped up on my interface.
Priestesses have ascended to Goddess status
Goddesses may change form whenever required
A list of Goddess duties will be assigned to unlock new levels of power
I couldn’t believe what I was reading as the women woke up the moment their feet touched the ground. They were safe, and my whole body relaxed as they each opened their eyes.
Aleia let out a little squeak as I pulled her into my chest and buried my face in her hair.
“You’re okay,” I whispered. “You’re all safe.”
“Jack,” Nicola breathed as she looked down at her hands. “I feel different.”
“I feel incredible,” Nieva whispered. “What is this?”
“What just happened?” Verda asked. “We flew?”
“How could I fly?” Penelope asked in a fluster. “My lord! I don’t understand what just happened!”
The women crowded around me as I reached out to stroke all of their alarmed faces. My stomach did a flip as I knew I was about to change their lives forever with the news I was about to deliver.
“Congratulations,” I said gently. “You are no longer just my priestesses. You have now become goddesses.”
There was a moment of silence before pandemonium broke out, and I had never heard Penelope make a shriek like the one that escaped her mouth.
“Goddesses?” Tobias asked beside me. “Jack! Seriously?”
“Yup.” I grinned. “Looks like we’ve got some help with our godly duties.”
“About time,” Tobias chuckled.
The women screamed with happiness as they started to vanish into god form and reappear seconds later.
“We’re goddesses!” Aleia cried. “Is this real? Jack!”
“It’s real.” I smiled. “You have been my priestesses through it all, and now you’ve been rewarded.”
“With the most holy of gifts,” Penelope said through a stream of tears. “This is an honor I have never dreamed of, my lord! I never doubted my devotion to you! This is such a blessed day!”
“We’re fucking goddesses!” Celeste yelled as she punched the sky. “This is beyond amazing!”
The women all grabbed each other into a tear-stained hug as they laughed and cried at the same time.
It was almost too much to process at once. I was the almighty, and my women had just become goddesses. My head was spinning, but I was the happiest I had ever been in my entire existence. The power that pulsed through me was a constant reminder of what I had just achieved.
I looked out at the army around me with pride so strong it might burst out of my body.
“My friends!” I yelled in a voice that sounded like a megaphone.
I stopped with shock as I touched my throat, but it seemed that I was suddenly able to speak louder than ever when I needed to. There was no doubt I was going to find out a million little ways that my powers had advanced, and I couldn’t fucking wait. Tobias snorted as he slapped my back, and my whole army quieted down as they watched me eagerly.
“Your bravery today has changed the fate of the world,” I said. “You fought alongside each other with skill and honor. This is your victory as much as it is mine, and I cannot thank you enough for what you have done.”
The crowd cheered as more magic sparks filled the air, and there wasn’t a single face that wasn’t smiling. Even the wolves and panthers’ features were softened as they wagged their tails like puppies and kittens.
“You have just made me the almighty,” I said. “It’s time to celebrate. We’re going to throw open the gates of the Elven Empire for a party like no other!”
Chaos broke out again at the promise of a party, and I chuckled as people began to dance around fallen corpses.
“My people will head off to set things up,” Verda said as she slipped her hand into mine. “I’ll make sure someone is sent along to tell the water beings and sea monsters, too. The trench can be filled with water for them, and there is a beautiful lake near our land.”
“Perfect,” I said as I kissed the top of her head. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”
My whole army began to follow the elves out toward the slope as bodies crunched under our feet.
“Now that you’re almighty,” Aleia said. “Can we make this underground a bit less creepy?”
“I think so,” I chuckled. “What would you like to do with it instead?”
“We could turn it into a garden!” Penelope clapped. “Oh, yes! We could cover it with lush grass and plants to brighten it up, and species who want a quieter life could move down!”
“It would be totally transformed,” Aleia said eagerly. “Nicola could find the animals who need a new home, and Penelope could make sure the central lake is all safe!”
“Sounds like a job for my goddesses.” I grinned. “Making this realm beautiful is something you could do in your sleep. The whole world is going to need your help now that you’re goddesses, and I love that you’re already making plans to help others.”
The women excitedly started to discuss their redecoration plans, and Nicola kept switching forms and giggling manically. Tobias was by my side as we walked from the underground realm, and I looked back as we reached the top of the slope.
It was insane to think that my final holy battle had ended. I was sure there would still be occasional local disputes amongst people of the world, but the last godly war was over. It had been a hell of a location for it, and I grinned as I looked out over my new territory.
The crumbled dirt walls would probably make excellent flower beds for the women, and the corpses would no doubt be happily eaten by Nicola’s precious wolves.
I had to keep stopping myself from thinking of them as my priestesses, though. They were my goddesses now.
The excited buzz never faded as we marched the whole way back to the Empire. The tunnel boomed with noise and cheers as we made our way into the catacombs. Elves hurried ahead to start preparing for the party as we all spilled out into the palace.
There couldn’t have been a more hospitable species for my filth-encrusted army, and elves happily showed the other fighters around for places to bathe and clean up. Some of them were taken to rooms of the palace as others were shown to houses in the city.
I stepped out onto the palace steps with Tobias and my women as the golden sun began to set. Pink and purple filled the evening sky with barely a cloud to be seen. It really was the perfect day to become the almighty.
“What a view,” Penelope sighed. “And now we can enjoy sunsets from any angle! We can switch into goddess form whenever we please.”
“Traveling will be so fast,” Nicola said. “We’ll be able to see the whole world whenever we want to.”
“Where should we go first?” Celeste asked.
“It’s too big to even think about,” Aleia said as she threw her hands up. “We’ll need to make a plan of how to explore everything.”
I couldn’t remember ever feeling more excited about the future as my women discussed all their plans for their new status. There wasn’t a single worry in my mind for the first time since I had woken up as a god. It felt fucking incredible.
“I’m going to make sure my people are handling everything,” Verda said. “Then I might slip into a bath before I change. Sisters, do you care to join?”
“Good idea.” Nieva nodded as she ran a hand through her purple curls. “There is definitely corpse blood in my hair.”
“Eww,” Penelope said. “Yes, I think that my fingernails need a good scrub! Those horrible beasts really did insist on dying in very messy ways.”
“Enjoy.” I smiled. “I’ll be waiting. My goddesses.”
The women squealed with delight as they hurried back into the palace to clean up, and I turned back to face the city with a deep sigh. I rubbed my face and felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders.
Even though, ironically, the entire damn world was now mine.
“Holy shit,” Tobias said after a moment. “Jack, has this sunk in yet?”
“No,” I said. “It hasn’t. But I can check that message on my interface whenever I want. I have become the almighty. It’s official.”
“Let’s check the map!” Tobias urged, and I switched to my interface to look.
There were no longer different sections that were individually marked. All the land on the map was gold, and the seas were a deep silver. Above the whole picture was text that read Jack’s Domain.
A wave of reality hit me right then as I stared at the golden text. No divisions or borders to be seen anymore. The world that was once Earth was now mine entirely. Every mountain, lake, house, and rock belonged to me.
“We really did it,” I said as I turned back to Tobias. “We had one chance left to save the world, and we fucking did it.”
“I never doubted us,” he laughed. “It’s crazy to think back to those days when I helped you during your programming stage. You built this whole system and then won it. There really isn’t a better man for the job.”
“And my women,” I said. “They’re goddesses! I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“That gave me a fucking fright,” Tobias said. “When they fell down like that, but holy shit it was worth the reward.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” I said. “Seriously. Thanks, dude. You are the best fucking right-hand man I could ask for.”
Tobias grinned as he nudged me, and golden orbs started to fill the sky as the elves hurriedly set up food-laden tables all down the street. Delicious-smelling dishes were rushed out of the palace along with all the wine an army could need. I heard an almighty splash of water as elves filled the lakes with liquid, and the drawbridge was lowered to allow anyone to come and go as they pleased. Some panthers and wolves raced out of the city to stretch their legs, and I had no doubt that word would travel quickly about my new almighty status. The news of a dead god would always spread fast.
I decided to check my women’s stats to see how becoming goddesses had changed things. The tab that sorted their numbers was now labeled under Goddesses, and I felt another rush of pride as I opened it.
Nicola’s stats were first in line:
Strength: 10
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 7
Perception: 7
Agility: 9
Special Ability: Goddess of Animals Level 26
Every one of her stats had gone up, and she had now become goddess of her special skill. I was overwhelmed with pride, and I noticed another golden tab that I could open under her name. A huge list of endless tasks and quests appeared that all had to do with animals.
Tame the wild mountain lions
Learn underwater animal communication
The list was endless, and I knew that it meant she would become more powerful every time she mastered one of these tasks. It meant that my goddesses would continue to blossom into their new role with endless ways to improve their skills. This was so fucking exciting, and I couldn’t wait to check out Aleia’s stats:
Strength: 14
Endurance: 12
Intelligence: 9
Perception: 9
Agility: 8
Special Ability: Goddess of Alchemy Level 26
Her stats had also shot up all around, and it filled me with pride to see the fairy’s new title gleam with gold. The list of her tasks was also endless, and I chuckled when I spotted a task to build a whole city of gold. She was going to be so excited to get started with her new jobs, and I knew the people of the world would adore her.
Penelope was next:
Strength: 10
Endurance: 9
Intelligence: 8
Perception: 8
Agility: 8
Special Ability: Goddess of Water Level 26
The naiad’s impressive numbers filled me with joy, but not as much as her goddess status. I could just picture how eager to get to work she would be when I told her about her holy duties.
Bring water back to famished lands
Help the people of the swamps with a new water supply
She would be the most dutiful and devoted goddess, and I could just picture her being worshiped by those she helped.
I looked at Celeste next:
Strength: 10
Endurance: 8
Intelligence: 9
Perception: 9
Agility: 8
Special ability: Goddess of Flame Level 19
I thought back to when I first rescued the harpy and grinned. She was now a full-on fiery goddess with duties that she would be incredible at. Her work would include taming wildfires, showing less intelligent species how to create cooking fires, and a whole list of duties to increase her level. I knew she would rise to any challenge thrown at her.
Nieva was up next:
Strength: 11
Endurance: 11
Intelligence: 9
Perception: 10
Agility: 11
Special ability: Goddess of Dragons Level 21
The Dragon Queen had risen to a dragon goddess. Nieva was already adored by so many, and I just knew that the entire world would love their new leader of all the dragons.
I was stunned when I read her list to find there were a hell of a lot of new creatures waiting to be found.
Locate the steel dragons of the east and help rebuild their home
Stop the grass dragons of the far north from becoming extinct
She was going to have her work cut out for her, but she would fall in love with every one of the creatures she met.
Verda was last, and I felt high on life as I checked her high stats:
Strength: 30
Endurance: 33
Intelligence: 35
Perception: 32
Agility: 34
Special ability: Goddess of Runes Level 87
Holy shit. I had a rune goddess by my side, and I just knew her tasks were going to be insane.
Learn the runes of the ancients
Unlock the power of the hidden runes of the underground realm
Hidden runes? Holy shit. I couldn’t wait for her to get started, and I found myself dying to know everything that my women discovered about this world. We were going to explore it together and unlock so many secrets as we traveled.
“Hey,” Tobias said as his voice brought me back to reality. “Something good on your interface? Your face was staring into a whole other dimension there.”
“Just checking out the women’s stats,” I said. “They’re all goddesses of their special skills, and they have these endless lists of tasks to improve their power level.”
“Whoa!” Tobias chuckled. “Wait, I can see it! Holy shit, I have a whole new interface.”
“Really?” I asked. “What do you see?”
“There’s a section for just me,” Tobias said. “Then there’s one for your duties that I can see and help with!”
“Fucking awesome,” I said. “It really must have been a genius who designed this whole thing.”
“I hear it was mostly the sidekick’s doing…” Tobias ginned. “Apparently he’s incredibly muscular and good looking, too.”
“Yeah,” I snorted. “I heard the same thing.”
We stared out at the city for a moment as elf children started to dance along the street. They waved at me excitedly as they skipped around, and I chuckled as I waved back. Their little faces reminded me of the other new experience that would soon be coming my way. I was going to be a father, and I had a feeling that would keep me on my toes almost as much as being the almighty god of the world.
