Chapter 157: Make a Choice
Dreknar’s laugh echoed through the throne room again, but this time it was genuinely amused rather than mocking.
"Of course you do. Every mortal who stands before me wants something. Power. Knowledge. Salvation."
He leaned forward, his massive frame towering over Jack even from across the chamber. "And what makes you think I’d waste my time blessing a human who might not even survive long enough to make it worthwhile?"
"Because I’m not going to die," Jack said with more confidence than he felt.
"I’ve survived everything this tower has thrown at me so far. I killed Cho. I ended a battle between two demon armies. I consumed your sacred fruit and walked through Maurice’s test without dying."
His red eyes never left Dreknar’s gaze. "I’m not some weak mortal begging for scraps. I’m someone who can actually use your blessing."
The throne room fell silent again. Dreknar stared at Jack, his expression unreadable. The black flames flickered. The bone throne creaked. Seconds stretched into what felt like minutes.
Then Dreknar smiled.
"You have balls, little lamb. I’ll give you that." He settled back into his throne, one hand resting on the massive sword leaning against it.
"Most mortals grovel. They beg. They promise me their souls and firstborn children and whatever other meaningless offerings they think will sway me." His green eyes gleamed. "You just stated facts and demanded I acknowledge your worth."
"So you’ll give me your blessing?" Jack asked, not letting hope creep into his voice yet.
"No."
The word hit Jack like a punch to the gut. His frustration, which he’d been carefully controlling, flared hot in his chest.
"Why not?" Jack demanded, his voice sharper than he’d intended. "You just said I have what it takes. You acknowledged I’m not some groveling mortal. So why the fuck not?"
"Because it serves me no purpose," Dreknar said simply, his tone utterly unbothered by Jack’s anger.
"Blessing you would require effort. Energy. Divine power that I could be using for literally anything else. What do I gain from making you stronger? Entertainment? I have eternity. I’m never bored. Gratitude? I don’t care if you worship me or curse my name."
He waved one hand dismissively. "You’re asking me to invest in you, and you’ve given me absolutely no reason why that investment would benefit me."
Jack’s mind raced. Dreknar was right, from a purely transactional standpoint, there was no reason for a god to bless some random human descending the tower.
Gods operated on scales mortals couldn’t comprehend. Their goals, their motivations, their very existence was so far beyond human understanding that convincing one to help you was nearly impossible.
Nearly.
’Think,’ Jack urged himself. ’What does a demon god want? What could I possibly offer that would matter to something that powerful?’
Then it hit him.
"You said those demons outside are insects," Jack said slowly, an idea forming. "That their wars don’t matter to you. That they’re ants fighting over crumbs."
"I did say that, yes." Dreknar’s tone suggested he was wondering where this was going.
"But they still pray to you," Jack continued. "They still worship you. They invoke your name when they fight and kill each other. You said you allow it, which means on some level, their worship matters. Even if you don’t care about them individually, you care about being worshipped."
Dreknar’s expression didn’t change, but Jack caught something in those green flames. A flicker of interest that hadn’t been there before.
"So here’s what I’m offering," Jack pressed forward before he could lose that interest. "I’m going to end that war one way or another. I’m going to discover what’s really causing it and put a stop to the bloodshed. And when I do, when I prove myself to those demons, they’ll know I did it with your blessing."
He met Dreknar’s gaze steadily. "I’ll become a living symbol of your power. Proof that those who earn your favor become unstoppable."
The silence that followed was different from before. This wasn’t Dreknar dismissing him. This was genuine consideration.
"You’re promising to advertise me?" Dreknar’s tone was flat, but Jack caught the amusement underneath. "Like some kind of divine merchant?"
"I’m promising to prove your power is real," Jack corrected. "How many of those demons actually believe you care? How many think you’re just some distant figure they pray to out of tradition? I’ll show them what someone blessed by Dreknar the Black Flame can accomplish. And every demon I kill, every battle I win, every impossible task I complete will reinforce that your blessing means something."
Dreknar was quiet for several long moments. His clawed fingers drummed against the arm of his bone throne, a rhythmic tapping that echoed through the chamber. Those green flames studied Jack with an intensity that made his skin prickle.
Finally, the demon god spoke.
"Five tasks."
Jack’s heart skipped a beat. "What?"
"You want my blessing? Prove you’re worth the investment." Dreknar held up one massive hand, all five fingers extended.
"Complete five tasks for me. Succeed, and I’ll grant you a blessing powerful enough to control your transformation and make you a genuine threat in this tower." His smile returned, sharp and predatory. "Fail even one, and you can figure out your demon problem on your own."
Jack didn’t hesitate. "What tasks?"
"Eager, aren’t we?" Dreknar’s laugh was approving this time. "Good. I like mortals who don’t waste time." He leaned forward, his green eyes burning brighter. "Here’s your first task, little lamb. Bring me a heart."
"A demon heart?" Jack asked, confusion flickering across his face. "I have dozens..."
"Not just any demon heart," Dreknar interrupted, his voice taking on an edge that made Jack’s instincts scream danger.
"I want the heart of either the Aurion leader or the Thal’Gorin war chief. I don’t care which one. Kill one of them, rip out their heart, and bring it to me."
Jack stared at the demon god, shock rendering him momentarily speechless. Kill Seryth or Vok’thar? The leaders who’d just marked themselves with blood and agreed to a ceasefire? The commanders of armies who worshipped Dreknar?
"Why?" Jack asked, the word escaping before he could stop it. "They’re your worshippers. Why would you want me to kill them?"
Dreknar’s expression shifted into something that looked genuinely annoyed.
"Because they’re annoying pests who pray too much. Do you have any idea how irritating it is to have thousands of voices constantly begging for your attention? Asking for strength in battle, guidance in war, victory over their enemies?"
He waved one hand dismissively. "Those two leaders are the worst offenders. Their prayers are constant. Relentless. Kill one of them and bring me their heart as proof, and you’ll have completed your first task."
Jack’s mind raced. This was insane. He’d just established a ceasefire between the two clans. Killing one of their leaders would destroy any chance of ending the war peacefully.
It would make him an enemy of whichever clan he targeted, and possibly both if they decided to unite against him.
Also, he would fail the first quest he got right before he arrived here.
But refusing meant losing his chance at Dreknar’s blessing. Which meant losing control of his transformation. Which meant eventually becoming a full demon whether he wanted to or not.
’There’s no good choice here,’ Jack thought, frustration and anger warring in his chest. ’Either I become a murderer and destroy any hope of peace, or I lose myself to the demonic essence.’
He looked up at Dreknar, at those burning green eyes watching him with predatory interest.
The demon god was testing him. Seeing if Jack was willing to make the hard choices, the cruel choices, the choices that would prove he could survive in a world where mercy was weakness.
"Fine," Jack said, the word tasting like ash in his mouth. "I’ll bring you a heart."
Dreknar’s grin was triumphant. "Excellent. I look forward to seeing which one you choose, little lamb."
[DING!]
[New Quest Received: Dreknar’s Favor Part 1]
[Objective: Return with either Seryth’s heart or Vok’thar’s heart]
[Reward: +100 Skill Points, Demonbound]
[Time Limit: None]
[Accept Quest?]
Jack stared at the notification, his red eyes fixed on that final word.
Demonbound.
He had no idea what it meant. No context for what the reward would actually do. But something about it made his demonic essence pulse with anticipation, as if recognizing something important.
’Yes.’
[Quest Accepted!]
The notification faded, and Jack looked up to find Dreknar watching him with satisfaction written across his features.
"Good luck, little lamb," the demon god said, his voice carrying dark amusement. "Try not to die before completing your task. It would be terribly disappointing."
The throne room began to dissolve around Jack. The black stone walls faded like smoke. The bone throne blurred. Dreknar’s massive form became translucent, his green eyes the last thing to disappear.
Then Jack was falling again, but this time the descent was brief. He hit solid ground within seconds, stumbling slightly as his boots found solid ground on familiar stone.
He was back in the temple. The circular chamber with the altar and the tree. The female demon who’d guided him here stood exactly where she’d been before, as if no time had passed at all.
"The communion is complete," she said, her voice carrying that odd harmony. "Did the god grant you what you sought?"
Jack looked at her, his mind still processing everything that had just happened. The conversation with Dreknar.
The five tasks. The first impossible request that would force him to choose between two terrible options.
"Yeah," Jack said, his voice hollow. "He granted me exactly what I sought."
The female demon smiled, seemingly pleased. "Then you are free to leave, Soul Warden. May the Black Flame guide your path."
Jack walked past her without responding, his thoughts churning. Kyren was waiting outside the temple, his hollow eyes tracking his master’s movements as Jack descended the steps.
The streets of the Aurion city were less crowded now. News of the Soul Warden had spread, and demons gave him even more space than before.
They watched from windows and doorways, their luminescent forms casting soft glows in the evening darkness.
Jack barely noticed them. His mind was fixed on the impossible choice ahead.