Chapter 100: 90. Impossibly Powerful Force

There was no escape. Jay had tried to seek one out for everyone. A barrier surrounded them, trapping them in the forest outside of the kiddie campsite. Trapping them with the Godling of Challenge and Change.

There was no mercy. They could rest when YoAnna incapacitated them. But that respite came and went like the blink of an eye.

There was no further explanation. Just simple truth. YoAnna would kick their asses again and again. All they could do was delay it somehow. Or win against an impossibly powerful force.

YoAnna knew how to hit hard and effectively without killing. She broke bones. She rendered flesh. She gave concussions, drilled fear into their hearts, or incited such rage that fooled Champions to abandon needed defense. Only to suffer more punishment and bring doom to other Champions.

YoAnna was methodical.

YoAnna was cruel.

Jay found levels of hate inside him he’d never known he could harbor. Everyone found new levels of hate. YoAnna cultivated their hate eagerly.

She was beyond relentless.

Every time she’d beaten down all twelve of her Champions and Gatanna, she’d heal the [Mediums] first. Then insert a countdown for Brit and Emily to heal the others and prepare for another round. She summoned magical beasts for Emily to use Feast of Flowing Life on, providing just enough to get everybody back to their feet.

And no more.

Dennis begged not to get healed. To avoid YoAnna’s attacks by staying injured. Most of the Champions shared the same sentiment. Even Brit was daunted. Without personal willpower, Conviction would fail. Her Conviction cracked. Emily followed Brit’s example.

“Do not stop,” Jay muttered. “Or she’d make it worse.”

Casey, Frank, Lilith, and Rick agreed.

They were the least daunted of the Champions depending on if Tim would rise to the occasion or falter. If the Endless [Fighter] rose to the occasion, then you could include him as another dauntless madman.

Sometimes Rick would get too incited by rage and lose control, especially when Tim got hurt. But the O'Kelly Twins were better daredevils than cautious tacticians, anyway. They just had to stay motivated.

Jay spat blood to the side and gave his patented madlad grin. He held his insanity close like a friend. It kept him going.

Casey was downright too stubborn to quit. All she saw was a challenge. She got a hard-on when trying to claim a new standard of excellence. She was bat-shit insane.

Lilith was royally pissed from the start and grew more incited with Gatanna’s repeat beatings. That anger fueled Lilith better than most. Kept her focused.

Frank was petty. That was more than enough for him. He competed against Jay for first dibs on healing.

They would not stay down.

Brit saw this and found her faith again. Her Holy Affinity alighted everyone with a little more Conviction.

So, everyone kept going. Even Dennis.

Out of everyone, Macy had it the hardest. She’d left behind almost everything that would’ve made her more effective. All of her Skills were geared toward making stuff or fixing things already made of magic or tech.

For hours, the best Macy could do was swing her mallet around and hope for a lucky hit. Eventually, she started running off at the beginning of every engagement, building whatever she could in the forest sectioned in with them.

Hailey had it a little easier. YoAnna would fall for some of her illusive tricks. But the tricky [Mage] still needed time to etch and cast her rituals. The debuffs and curses seemed to barely help if they landed.

Mike was out in the open, but he wouldn’t let that deter him as long as he had protection. He tossed aside the use of wands or magical tools. He became mana incarnate, blasting out supercharged magic in blue waves or strings of mana-focused lightning. At the height of his power, his eyes glowed with such brilliant sapphire light that he looked like a Mortal Kombat character come to life.

Other than the [Mediums] trying to assist, sometimes poorly, most of the fights against YoAnna relied heavily on the [Fighters]. And Jay.

They suffered the most and went down the fastest. But they didn’t have a choice. They had to stay up at the front. No matter how cold, merciless, and brutal YoAnna would get. No matter how scared or frustrated the [Fighters] felt, they had to fight.

Rick was the greatest example of having fear and anger burning inside while pitching yourself against the impossible challenge of holding off a monster like YoAnna. The same went for Tim since he couldn’t sit back and pelt YoAnna with magic arrows or she would break through a gap in the [Fighters] and lay waste to their backline.

Tim’s new Skill [Aura of the Wolf] gave nearby allies Agility boosts and better coordination, too. Thus, Tim fought while stabbing his arrows at YoAnna’s divine form up close.

Frank sought every advantage he could find with a slash of his flaming katana.

Casey danced, deflected hits with her shield, and whirled into positions to punish with ripostes.

And Dennis swung hard and fast and nonstop. His Skill [Aura of the Strong] slammed down with all of his Strength plus more.

Their efforts were barely enough to keep YoAnna pinned.

Jay helped with all of his Skills and Talents and Titles and tricks. He implemented ideas he’d already theory-crafted with Kleo and ideas he formulated on the spot with each desperate round against YoAnna.

Kleo stayed inside her master to keep herself safe. Or YoAnna would surely target her.

And still, even when the Champions found equilibrium, even when they found moments pressing YoAnna backward, even when victory looked close at hand with Macy jumping in with a magically enhanced mini-catapult, Lilith transmuting viper poison and [Yogatzilla] blood into a super paralytic inhalant, Hailey using a ritual to empower Mike to strike with a giant blue thunderbolt, and both [Mediums] casting some of their most damaging incantations at full-power, the freaking Godling of Challenge and Change found a gap to exploit the Champions couldn’t account for.

She slipped away from Gatanna and the [Fighters] with a temporary retreat. She abused that weak link until the entire chain fell apart. Casey and Frank crashed into each other. Dennis’s sword hacked off Emily’s arm while the Red [Fighter’s] axe cleaved into the back of Brit’s leg by accident. Lilith got shoved into Gatanna’s mouth and had her legs chopped off due to an involuntary bite. Nobody came to Mike and Hailey’s defense in time. Macy got crushed under a tree with her mini-catapult dismantled. Rick got kicked into the air. Tim was buried upside down in the dirt. And Dennis completely gave up before getting pummeled and knocked out.

Jay could barely hang by himself as everyone fell around him. He did okay for a few seconds. This only worked with Kleo inside of his chest. She could share a small portion of her Talents and Titles with him that way. The combination of everything they had together made him light up, his chest a dark purple aura while his face was a bright neon sign of silver-gold light. And each time Jay found himself standing alone, he barely managed to catch YoAnna by surprise. He pushed harder than before. He nearly bit YoAnna’s neck a few times, too. He got so, so close.

Then YoAnna’s knee strike made Jay feel like his stomach was exiting through his back. A backhand followed up, dislocating his jaw. His Health blared with warning as it plummeted quickly. Then YoAnna landed an incapacitating hit, and Jay fell briefly unconscious. The System understood the difference between killing blows and subduing blows, which helped and hurt a lot. By forcing Champions to pass out. The nightmare restarted when they got woken up and healed.

“Your coordination and improvisation are improving,” YoAnna commented on dawn the next day. “I think it’s time I start adding a few curses and evocations. As Rank 2’s nearing Rank 3, expect more magic. Expect more disadvantages. I hope you’ve been paying Poise some attention.”

Jay both laughed and cried. He didn’t know it could get worse. YoAnna unleashing physical attacks, incantation debuffs, and magical blasts was like facing an apocalyptic monster with no weakness. Again, when everyone had fallen, Jay would find himself lasting a little longer by himself. But he’d meet a frustrating end just the same.

When Tuesday evening rolled around, something inside of Jay snapped. But not in the usual manner. Jay was already a madlad.

The break was in his usual daredevil, throwing caution to the wind approach. It wouldn’t work. YoAnna wouldn’t let it. She was entertaining him by letting him think he could be the solo hero. But then she’d stomp him again and again.

No, no, no.

Fuck that.

He had to remember what made gravity a special fundamental power. It was not always the strength of its force that held rule over the universe. It was the wide reach of its influence. The effect came from other bodies in motion, large and small. With energy. With mass. Everything had gravity. Everything was affected by gravity. Everything caused a curve in space-time and had to adhere to other curves.

All of his Champions were bodies with mass and energy curving space-time. And that was his seat of power.

“Mike, go with Macy,” Jay said as Brit healed his arms. “Let her discover and build. You help adjust.” Jay grunted as his arms snapped back in place. “Hailey with me. We get behind the [Fighters] and focus on assisting them and disrupting YoAnna’s attempts at magic. Brit, Emily, you two protect Lilith and support Gatanna with everything you got. [Fighters], don’t let YoAnna get an easy hit on Gatanna. Work with our Adaptive [Yogatzilla].”

Jay suffered a massive headache from his biggest use of graven voice ever. It rang across the entire forest and held sway on all the Champions with various levels of success.

“Who died and made you king?” Casey spat, resisting the compulsion to fall into Jay’s orbit more than anyone else.

“My ego,” Jay said.

Casey prepared to duke it out with Jay at long last. She would rather fight him and get pummeled by YoAnna than accept his command.

The [Freak] almost welcomed it. But he swallowed his pride and looked away from Casey. His eyes landed on YoAnna.

The accursed Godling of Challenge and Change stood on a boulder coated with Gatanna’s blood. The scarred side of her face leered at them. It mocked them.

Jay’s hate became denser and more massive.

Casey’s hate for YoAnna became like a roaring tiger.

All of their hate rose out of them. The atmosphere. The resolve. Everything grew denser. More complete. More together.

“Truce,” Casey said softly, accepting Jay’s graven voice command.

“Cool,” Jay said.

Their Chance Status rose.

But they failed at Jay's commands.

They failed him many times.

He failed them, too.

But they kept trying. And they kept seeing small results. Small benefits. It built up over time. So, they kept trying.

Hours later, deep into the dark morning of the next day, a Good Quality magic snare made by Macy and improved by Mike caught YoAnna by the toe. The ridiculous simplicity and outrageous likelihood of getting caught in such a way by a primitive trap stunned YoAnna for a tiny fraction of a second.

She lost focus on the punch she’d thrown at Gatanna’s ankle that would’ve broken it.

Casey deflected YoAnna’s attack wide and slashed her neck.

Rick cleaved his axe into the side of YoAnna’s skull.

Tim punched an arrow each into YoAnna’s eyes.

Frank put a sword through YoAnna’s back, sliding hilt-deep as if she was a flesh sheathe.

Jay ordered everyone to back off and leave Frank. They listened instantly.

“[Weapon’s Conflagration], bitch!” Frank roared.

He burned YoAnna like a witch on the stake. He poured everything into it. His staple of a Skill. His Dragon Affinity. His [Dragon Boon]. His [Dragon’s Pride], which boosted offensive damage and fiery attacks against enemies who wronged Frank greatly. And all the pettiness he could conjure up from the ocean of hate deep in the depths of his soul.

Such damage would've killed a Rank 2 anything. But not YoAnna. Good thing the paralytic poison Lilith had kept feeding YoAnna would stun-lock a heavily damaged foe who refused to die. And for this one rare occasion, they had YoAnna caught where they wanted her. Frank would burn himself to near death rather than let the opportunity go.

He had a lot of hate, after all. But even that couldn’t compensate for the hate every Champion felt.

“[Mana Hype],” Mike planted on Frank. Mike had [Owl Boon], which would grant him boosted magical efficiency for him and his friends affected by Mike's magic. That way, Frank could keep burning YoAnna for longer. That fiery power was a costly one, though. Mike would feel it.

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“Kleo, [Orbital Mastery] and [Manasinger] on Mike,” Jay ordered. His [Faerie] flew out of her master’s chest for the first time since this thing started. With those Skills combined, Mike’s mana costs would reduce while his mana regen rose.

“Mana Field,” Hailey cast after etching a ritual at Mike’s feet. The spell would serve as a mana sinkhole. More mana would gather in the area near the ritual. Mike’s mana regen grew further, which allowed Frank to burn hotter and remain consistent.

“She could burn a little easier with this: [Witch Slaying Crescent]!” Dennis shouted, slashing the air at an angle in front of him.

A curved line of blue magic rimmed by gold flew forward. He aimed low to strike YoAnna’s legs, applying damage, magic capacity debuff, and Poise reduction. He landed that a few more times to drop YoAnna’s Poise as much as possible.

“This might hurt you a little, Frank, but it’s for the greater good,” Lilith grouched, brewing something quick in her alchemist cauldron. She had [Dimensional Storage] as a Skill unlike Macy, so she was never without her usual tools or ingredients. Adding a dash of Adaptive [Yogatzilla] blood and some of Rick’s blood completed the mixture.

The concoction bubbled dangerously.

Lilith poured some into a vial and tossed it into the fire. Her Alchemy Affinity triggered the vial to break with a flex of magic. At the same time, Rick called out his Skill [Ignite the Blood].

The flames grew larger, hotter, greater! The nearest tree branches smoldered. Leaves fell in blackened crisps without even being close to the fire. The humidity in the air steamed as the ground popped and turned to slag.

“Frank’s gonna run out of Stamina from the sheer effort,” Brit said. “But how about we [Encourage] him to keep going!”

Brit used a Skill for improving physical abilities and Stamina Status. It had a good Stamina regen boost that should keep Frank’s physical energy topped off.

“Feast of Flowing Life,” Emily repeated, drawing health from any summoned beast her [Spooky Friends] and [Scary Handy Skeletons] caught and injured. She hurled red healing globs at Frank to mitigate the damage he suffered from burning so hot.

And if that didn’t seem excessive already, all the Champions other than Jay had [Status Overflow]. The Talent they had earned from the Yoroachian Battles. When activated, the Talent greatly boosted the regen for one selected Status for a limited duration. It had the potential of adding more to that Status than the base limit would normally allow. So throw in a combination of Champions triggering their [Status Overflow] for more oomph, and YoAnna’s barbecue kept blazing hotter for longer. Those who used it for the Mana Status knew they could pack more mana into their individual endeavors to magic up Frank’s fire. In return, Frank packed all his magic into the flames since he had so much mana to spare.

Macy catapulted rocks with her mini-catapult Mk.5 at YoAnna’s head as the rest of the Champions watched from a distance due to the sheer heat. They were akin to savages staring lustfully into the fire. Macy's efforts were mainly pointless compared to the flames, but nobody would stop Macy from getting extra licks in. As long as it didn't stop the fire from burning.

It was excessive. But it was grossly satisfying. And they were all crazy enough to have Frank burn at his hottest to see YoAnna burn more than she had ever. Regardless of the differences and issues between Dennis, Brit, Frank, the Allen Sisters, the O'Kelly Twins, the Childhood Trio, and their monsters, overcoming this great challenge with a big bonfire was a joy for all.

It didn’t stop until Wednesday dawn. Only because Frank’s sword melted. The fire katana couldn’t endure the heat any longer.

The Champions crept to the edge of the black and molten epicenter.

Frank walked up with slow shaky steps.

He was barely recognizable. He practically self-immolated just to keep YoAnna burning. He had put himself in the blaze’s center regardless of the excruciating pain he suffered.

“Frank,” Jay said in amazement. “What kept you going?”

“Pride,” Frank muttered.

He didn’t stay on his feet for long. Gatanna snatched him up and gave out a bunch of gator kisses. He’d delivered the most damage anyone had ever achieved on YoAnna.

Brit healed his burns except for a badass mark that stayed permanently on Frank’s hand. The price he had to pay as the Champions’ kindle.

At the center of the melted crater, YoAnna’s blackened, skeletal form stood. She was a horrific sight to gaze upon when she was normally a visage of divine beauty.

Jay wanted to whack her with a big stick until she crumpled to ash. He could feel everyone having dark and malicious feelings toward YoAnna’s burnt form.

YoAnna coughed.

She tilted her charred skull.

“Better,” she said. “More than adequate, even. I’m proud of your quick improvements, my Champions.”

You’ve accomplished an incredibly brutal but necessary training (?) session against the Patheon Leader:

…

Jay waited until everyone confirmed they’d received the same message. Then he collapsed against the nearest body.

Casey of all people. She didn’t shove him away. She hooked an arm under his shoulder and held him up.

She smiled at him. It was a beautiful smile.

Jay smiled back.

They did it. They freaking overcame an impossibly powerful force. They had no idea how powerful YoAnna truly was, but that fight felt like something greater than any Rank 2 should ever fight. Or hell, was that a fight above a Rank 3's capabilities? Rank 3 ranged from Level 31 to Level 60. Beyond that was Rank 4, which ranged from Level 61 to Level 100.

"We were fighting a Rank 4," Jay said. "Close to Level 70."

"Yes and no," YoAnna said, her black and burnt skull tilting in the other direction. "I was cheating. If I hadn't the time to make preparations before springing this upon you, you would've been met with an easier fight. When I'm at low divinity and I'm unprepared, I'm the equivalent of a high Rank 3. This is the work of Chance weakening me when I'm in certain combative situations involving others with Systems. But I've made preparations. I've manipulated causality. I've opened my channels to siphon a safe but consistent stream of power from my high divinity self to keep you engaged. At many points during our bout, my power levels ranged somewhere between Level 55 to Level 65 in equivalence. In the end, you've pushed me to Level 75 before defeating me."

Everybody was too tired, spiteful, or uncertain to react to that strongly or speak with her right now. Even the Allens regarded YoAnna with animalistic instincts to either flee or fight as if they couldn't look at her as their High School Queen anymore. Maybe that was for the best. They were beyond high school now. They were playing on a bigger stage. YoAnna's cruelty in the training session reflected what they could face in the Multiverse.

Jay pushed aside his negative feelings since this was a learning opportunity. Lilith was too busy nuzzling with Gatanna to ask the big questions. Mike was almost braindead from the constant cycle of Mana rushing out of him to feed that fire. Jay stepped up to be the big brain Champion.

"YoAnna, how strong are you when you're at full divinity?" Jay asked.

"I'm a Stage 1 Challenge and Change [Low Godling] of the Multiverse Diety racial type," YoAnna said, her voice ringing out which planted a Systemized ideal in their heads. It was as if she was sharing more of what she was with them now. She wasn't just a godling or Godling to them anymore. She was a [Godling]. "With enough time and preparation, I can destroy all of Texas without too much assistance from outside forces or other sources of magic. This is regardless of the power I can use as a System Guide. And this has nothing to do with being Pantheon Leader. This is my power at its most fundamental high."

"This is now," Jay said softly, feeling incredulous. "What about prior to absorbing the cores?"

"I was the same even prior. Since birth, I've always been strong enough to demolish all of Texas if I was motivated enough. I'm using Texas as a reference, of course, since such wanton destruction would spell the end of Earthlife as you know it, which makes me an apocalyptic entity living among you, I suppose." YoAnna paused to hum in thought. "The use of cores is to help make myself more efficient. Make it so I can access certain powers easier and provide for your System updates. Though, I suppose having easier access to my higher powers does make me more powerful, in a different sense." YoAnna touched a finger to her charred chin. "And before you ask, no, other deities aren't normally this strong while so young. Most if not all [Godlings] and lesser gods at the Stage 1 stature are far weaker than me. I'm... an exception."

"Why are you an exception?" Frank asked with a smoldering rumble.

Curiosity was winning over the Champions. They've been wanting to know this for a while. Jay leaned forward eagerly just like the rest. It was scary that YoAnna could do so much damage, but that was to be expected, too. Now they knew her limits. But what of the origins of such?

"I will not say. Not yet," YoAnna said. "Please forgive me."

"You're asking for a lot," Frank muttered. Before YoAnna could speak further, he cut her off. "Whatever. That was a solid training session. I'll give it a 10/10. I worked out a lot of anger burning the shit out of you. What's next?"

And just like that, Frank helped the Champions move forward a little better. They were all shaky. All wild. All a little uncertain. But they were getting back to their regular senses now. If Frank could move forward despite how petty and prideful he could be, certainly the rest could do the same.

Jay would have to look for another time to ask YoAnna out on a date. She broke his arms a few too many times for Jay to ask today. He should be good to go to ask her tomorrow, though. By then, these horrible two days would be water under the bridge for him.

YoAnna waved her hand over herself. She returned to her usual glory. As if none of their work to burn her had been real. She smiled like it had been good, innocent fun.

Macy broke into a fit of tears, encapsulating what everyone felt inside and would have to ponder later. It sucked to fight the truly divine, especially one that was an exception among [Godlings]. It gave perspective on the incredibility of Jay and Kleo scarring YoAnna’s face.

“Now that you know how strong I can be, you all should be impressed with yourselves. I'm happy to say you’ve pushed past the limitations of [Omen Bearer of the Apocalypse],” YoAnna said merrily. “It was a good Title to get you started on. But you must become greater and more violent than such a basic prop.”

She positioned her hands behind the small of her back.

“Now onto other matters of importance. The next dungeon incursion is known in form. We may speculate its exact origins today depending on how viscous the System Admins wish to be. The truth will come out next week otherwise.”

She paced to the left.

“I can update your Systems soon. And without the ceremony rock, too. I can do it with mere will now.” She sounded very pleased with her progress. “You may all find the new features useful.”

She stopped and looked over at the kiddie camp. They’d been cheering the Champions on day and night.

“Gatanna. The kiddies. They are of my blood. Know that something like this is unprecedented. We may have inadvertently caused irreversible changes to the Pre-Apocalypse, too. Pantheon agents are tracking the changes as we speak.”

YoAnna glanced at Gatanna and gave the creature a nod.

The super monster nodded back respectfully.

With a few long strides, YoAnna stopped in front of Jay and Casey.

“My [Freak], come forth,” their [Godling] requested.

Casey released him like dropping the trash.

Jay stumbled forward, tripped, and fell to his knees at YoAnna’s feet. He’d been here before. Back then, he mustered all of his pride and willpower to bounce back up.

For this once, he didn’t mind being down here at the feet of a Stage 1 [Godling] who could destroy all of Texas. He was too bone tired to make himself bigger or more special or anything. YoAnna could have her ego-stroked if she liked him kneeling. At least Jay had a new angle to enjoy the view. He might ask her out tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow.

YoAnna reached down and helped Jay to his feet. She turned him around to face the other Champions.

“Everyone, I’d like you to meet Jay Luckrun,” she reintroduced.

YoAnna’s arms crossed in front of his chest. She hugged him close. Jay was too tired not to lean back against her. He could sleep for eternity like this. Okay, maybe he would ask her out once they had a private moment together.

“Jay Luckrun is to be your new commander," YoAnna added.

Jay tore away from YoAnna’s grasp, his heart in his throat. He was about to shout no when someone else did it for him.

“No!” Casey stepped forward without anything else to say. For this once, Jay would side with Casey. He could feel the meta-g of what official command would require of him.

It was fucking scary. It was way too much responsibility. It had broken a man like Steele and turned him into a cartoonish villain. Jay should stay untethered like a comedic hero.

It should be Frank carrying the burden of command, Jay wanted to say.

But YoAnna silenced Jay with a divine look. And for this once, Jay couldn’t break his way through. Especially with YoAnna having revealed the extent of her power, having improved her efficiency as a [Godling], and was now holding the center stage of everyone's attention. He could feel her manipulating the gravity of the situation, and she was doing it so artfully that her skills had Jay's head spinning. Now a new reckoning would sweep in that Jay was not ready for regardless of the narrative.

He gave YoAnna a pleading look for mercy.

YoAnna’s eyes glimmered with golden amusement as if his request for such a thing from her was laughable to the [Godling] of Challenge and Change. She was at her most monstrous and alien outside of combat, somehow. As if to decide their fates and move pieces where she wanted was the true height of divinity. Jay might not ask for a date until a few days passed to get over this new horrific experience, especially if he became Champion Commander.

“I figured there will be a challenge to Jay’s selection,” YoAnna said with a booming and godly chuckle. “Who else is against it? And who supports the motion of Jay becoming commander?”