The 11th God

Anomaly Of Abilities Arc: Illusion and Concealment

Death always has its own point and sense. It never was a dream of any, nor a desire. It has its own time and own way of coming into a person.

But what if that is the desire of a deity? What if death is the way to stop something you never prayed for to come? What if death is the only solution to resolve disputes between unexpected group of people? Would death be a valid reason to stop it? Would death be the only way to resolve something people not longed for?

Which is why I doubted each and every second I casted it.

Total suppression. A godly tiered skill that involves a lot of energy consumption. Total suppression is mythed to be the only skill which can surpass those of a god's. But have you ever realized, what if the god himself is the one who casted the skill? Would it be stronger than all of the powers of gods combined together? Would it be considered a skill that can deteriorate a whole city or kingdom in a blink?

The doubt inside me makes it all hard to happen. Every second I wish that everything must come to an end with death being the option, it just keeps on making me doubt that it isn't.

But this isn't the time for doubts.

I immediately gathered all my resolve to make sure my casting will be successful. I looked towards the Mirror of Desires and immediately commanded it for death.

But in just a mere second, the mirror broke.

My eyes widened in shock. The last trump card I ever had was broken by an unknown force of energy. The colors were random, they were changing every second— or millisecond if I would be more precise.

I felt a bunch or energies coming towards me, but the source was random. The three people teaming up against Diether and Elio were all the random presense that I could ever sense. Their energies have a distinctive feature that actually lets me distinguish it is theirs, but I have already distinguished what is theirs so where could this energy be coming from?

I heard a smirk in front of me. The mirror of desires left a few energy as it continues dissipating. I immediately focused on the three people in front of us and there I saw the source of the colorful energy dissipating around us.

It was from the person in the middle. He's smiling as his hands glow, with various colors of energy flowing around his arms.

"Art of Concealment: True Erasure." the person in the middle murmured.

He does not look like some sort of guy that is overwhelming powerful. He looks like one of those kinds of people wherein they're just quiet but they're actually very much good in doing something. It's like an introvert theory wherein people say some art introvert because they excel in something. Which is why people always thought that clever ones are actually those who are most likely quiet.

Judging from his words, I definitely knew what he just did. Concealment most likely is used as when something is hidden but this one seems different. With the words "concealment" and "erasure" combined together in a single clause, his affinity seems to be capable of erasing— no, deleting things. There is a difference between erasin and deleting. When you erase things, you may still write or place something new, or equal to what was erased. But deleting is referred to when something cannot be taken back anymore.

And that is exactly what I totally feel right now. The feeling of weakness, fear and doubt. The feeling of powerlessness inside me, getting stronger each second I see all three of them. The others beside him were just smiling along and doing nothing.

I noticed that because each if them has a unique trait of energy. There seems to be no energy coming out of them, thus simply staying out and relying on what the person in the middle might do.

"It's quite frustrating isn't it?" the person in the middle said.

"When you thought you'd win, when you thought you had the upper hand but ended up having no hope because when you feel like you are winning, the truth is you are just waiting for the opposite side to do something. When you feel the match is about to end, the truth is you're just waiting for someone to do something, to change something, to make you feel worthy." he continued.

There was an extreme tone of anger in his voice. The uniqueness of his tone makes it stand out in the open forest.

He stanced himself up again but this time the two people beside him stanced up too. Now all three of them were releasing their unique energies, a lot of energy pressure is spreading vastly around us. Due to the incompetent amount of energies, I can barely sense which one is attacking first.

I feel like giving up any moment now because it's just hard. But I have yet a mission to finish. I have a mission to accomplish and failing it will never give me peace.

I have Elio and Diether.

"You don't have to worry about us you know." Diether said.

I felt the energy of the two again back on track. I gave out a small smile and looked directly at the opponents.

"You take care of the middle, we'll take care of the others." Elio joined.

Then the two of them stood beside me and paced themselves up. As the people beside the person in the middle rushed, Elio and Diether rushed along too. Now they are in their own spaces fighting their own battles.

This might seem like a mature battle, but it is a matter of life and death. Greed can't simply win over resolve, but that doesn't change the fact that with the current state I am in, there is a high possibility that I will lose.

But forget losing, all that's there to do is fight and win.

So I must win.

"Art of Concealment: Hidden Knives!"

The opponent started casting first and he is wholeheartedly impressive. I know there is no time to be impressed over something, but the fact that he was able to summon something that I couldn't sense is a skill indeed.

"Art of Illusion: Multiverse Glass!"

The multiverse glass is a barely-concealed barrier that protects me from getting damaged over a small period of time. The thing it is cannot withstand all attacks, but it can last long enough to give me time to think about the current situation that I am in.

I continued moving backward as unseen knives projects at my barrier. There was no use trying to stand still as the pressure of the knives hitting my barrier was too strong. At some point, I stopped. The point where I got nowhere to step back from. I stopped in front of a tree while the guy with concealment affinity continues walking towards me along with his adamant smile. That devilish smirk that just seems to be capable of desiring someone's death.

But I did not give up. I got some energy inside me so with all my best I summoned my edgelights.

"Art of Illusion: Double Edgelights!"

The two edgelights appeared on my hands and I took a stance as if I am ready to stab him. His face got smaller as he saw me holding my swords.

"A duke?" he muttered.

I rushed towards him. He stepped backward which is what I predicted. I stopped at a certain point and as he tries to move backward, I throw my two edgelights towards him.

But he smiled again.

"Banish." he muttered as he snaps his fingers.

I was shocked when I saw my two edgelights disappear in mid-air. He cast some sort of cancellation skill that is capable of stopping and erasing my moving edgelights.

Remembering what I had learned, this should not be possible at all. Elio once said that "Our skills can only be manipulated by ourselves as it requires the energy of the caster and since each caster has their own unique energies, simply manipulating other's skills or spells is impossible. Not merely, but surely with a doubt."

So how have I come into this point where he was able to banish my own skills? How come, he with a different energy than mine is able to dissipate my edgelights in just a snap? Thinking theoretically and intelligently, in very aspect you'd find it so impossible to happen.

But what if he's not actually making it disappear?

I focused myself immediately to the energy flowing around me. For a few seconds, my energy was clearly stable, until moments after focusing, I immediately sensed my edgelights back on track.

The edgelights were both on the ground staying still. He did not make my edgelights disappear.

I found the trick in his affinity now.

His affinity is concealment not because he erases what was in front of us. It is called concealment because he's not actually hiding the objects, he's just removing my keen sense of energy, thus making my skills look like it disappeared when actually, it was just there and I wasn't just able to sense it.

I smirked immediately after finding out the trick to his affinity. So I tested it again.

I called two of my edgelights in both hands,.making the first two I summon disappear. He is still some distance off of me, so I should be able to throw it again.

"You have already seen that I made it disappear. You're going to do the same mistake?" he sarcastically asked.

I looked down and smirked. Then I gave off a little laugh.

"You know, this world if full of surprises. But the thing is, it is not as knowledgeable as I am." I said and then I threw my edgelights at him.

He smiled again and casted the banish spell again. As expected, my edgelights banished. I saw him move a little bit in order to dodge my 'disappeared' edgelights. However, it is just my state of mind that lets me forget the flow of energy of my edgelight, so what if, this whole time the edgelight was just a decoy?

"You lose." I told him.

His smile disappeared instantly as I told him he lost. He must've figured out by now, but I will go with what I think that he didn't notice at all. But the whole time that I was running, I was actually preparing a vast amount of edgelights.

His shock was a gift when he saw the edgelights above him. He knew he couldn't just dodge this dozens and dozens amount of edgelight.

"Art of Illusion: Multiplied Dance of a Thousand Swords!"

Then in just a blink, the edgelights are all over around him, with his whole body lying on the ground, feeling weak as if his last breath is today.

But I have no intention of killing him at all.

[Elio]

When Al immediately went away and Diether had his own space. I know immediately that we would lose this battle. We are just not experienced enough to fight real people in this situation where our bodies feel weak. Not to mention that they were able to slay that Lomocubus with pure magic even though it is believed to be immune against magics.

But there is just no hope in giving up. I continued summoning my fireflies as I gather myself up and think of what to do next. My fireflies were able to push him away as I stand still thinking of what to do. I am no strategist but the only way to win this is to strategize. Al and I did not think of this, but I guess I was just ready.

"Art of Wind: Blowing Clouds!"

My fireflies vanished in om simple skill. Bis area of damage seems to be big enough to blow away my swarm of fireflies. He looked at me and gave another blow, his hands facing at me. From that point, I realized he wants to push me and his plan succeeded. I was immensely blown away for some meters in front of him which led me to my knees. It felt weaker though as I felt the high pressure of wind push me.

I couldn't get up above my knees, but thinking of it like that would only make me lose. Losing is not my option, I have promised to him that I will come back for him. So death is not an option.

That means I have no choice, but to use it.

The thing is, my affinity is just no ordinary affinity. Affinities are actually divided into three rarities. The common, the rare, and the primordials. My affinity, art of moonlight is in the rare tier, which gives me more capabilities than those who uses common tier affinities. And my opponent is only using wind, a common affinity.

Each affinity in the rare tier has their own unique skillsets and ways to create your own spells. But we rare-tier holders are also given the skill to use Affinity Mask. Affinity mask is a spell wherein the caster will be able to mask itself witb his own affinity, thus giving me more capabilities and skills.

"Very well understood that you guys caught us weak." I said.

"But I guess there are really times just like your leader said, that when you feel like you're winning you're actually just waiting for the opposite side to do something." I continued.

"With your intelligence, I guess you are right after all." I said.

"Lost Magic's Privilege." I murmured

"Affinity Mask." I murmured again.

Then in just a few seconds, my energy was wrapping itself around me. Like an aura that gives me something to be useful of. Well, I guess that is another way to describe the affinity mask.

But here is what I like about my affinity mask. Is that it gives me the traits of those living creatures I mimic with just summoning spells.

"Art of Moonlight, Affinity Mask, Firefly Wings"

"Art of Moonlight, Affinity Mask, Ape Arms."

"Art of Moonlight, Affinity Mask, Jaguar speed."

With all the affinity masks I combined together, I immediately rushed towards him and flew with the purple wings attached to my back. He wasn't able to hit me from afar because that is his variety. His affinity maybe winds, but his variety only makes him capable of attacking nearby only

So I flew down all the way from above him and stanced my left arm with the ape arms, and once I got in the range, I went to his back and punched him with all my remaining energy.

He flew off away for some studs so I immediately followed him. And isn't it a coincidence that he ended up lying beside their leader? I glanced at Al and smiled at him.

"Good job!" I told him.

[Diether]

Yes, alright I am a kid, I am young which is why most people consider me as weak and fragile. But that is not the case. I am a cleric, a guardian summoned by the God of Light, Suthain for a specific purpose which I can not reckon what is.

That is exactly what this stupid person in front of me is saying. He is stupidly, idiotically, not thinking, mindlessly telling me that I am a kid and that he could beat me off easily.

"Art of the Devil Fire: Fearful Blaze!"

He casted without a doubt towards me and suddenly, a hot ball of invisible fire is projected towards me.

Devil Fire huh? I see.

"It is just stupid that you've moved without actually thinking." I told him.

He did not mind me though. He continued casting the invisible fire towards me.

But this is not even worthy of my time.

"Mark of Suthain, activate."

The ither thing that my mark of suthain can actually do is that it creates a holy barrier that protects me from negative energies that is related to darkness, demons, devils or reapers. I am basically a weapon created to destroy negative, dark and evil humans.

So his fireball dissipated immediately after reaching my barrier.

"This cannot be possible. You're a disciple of a god?!" he loudly shouted.

"Can you lower your voice down? You know people like you who judges people easily are a piece of crap and trash. You all deserve to be placed in a trashcan. And sleaking of trashcan." I told him.

This is one of my total suppression skills, "Total suppression, Art of Holy Light, Hands of Suthain!"

A glowing white hand appeared on my back. It immediately grabbed the guy and threw it away. In order for me to catch up, I used the hands to pull me towards where he was thrown and from there I saw Elio and Aljinn.

"What a coincidence, isn't it," I told them.

The two of them smiled at me.

[Aljinn]

The three of them ended up lying together with each other on the ground. Elio and Diether both looked so tired but they have a smile on their faces. I guess we won. We just won.

One of them started to move again and I realized it was the guy that I just beat up. He kneeled on the grounds and started begging, "Please spare us, we just want to increase our skills and be strong. Please please please spare us." along with his hands.

Killing someone has never been my actual go. The only goal I have is to survive and I am doing that. I walked towards him and touched his head. As soon as I touched it, my hands immediately glowed up.

Due to panic, I swiftly took it away from his head. Then I saw a sign on my right palm. It was a rather unique and odd symbol which after taking a few seconds of looking at it, I saw on the guy I just beat up's forehead.

"That's..." Diether said.

I glanced immediately at Diether.

"That's the disciple ritual for a god when he wants to make someone bis disciple. For that to happen, there must be a similarity in the God's and disciple's affinity." Diether explained.

"Does that mean, he's now my disciple?" I asked him.

"Pretty much yes. Since he is your disciple now, you can ask him to do a lot of things and he is obliged todo them as you summoned him." Diether said.

"But this is not what I actually want." I told him.

"No can do about it anymore. The least you can do is let him walk away." Diether explained.

I nodded at him as I pretty much understand his point.

"You're free to go." I told them.

The guy on his knees stood up and hugged me.

"I'll... I'll never forget this." He told me.

As he walk away, a few minutes later our screens popped up saying that the island is going to close now. In just a matter of blink, we immediately teleported back to Hergrinct.

There was a huge crowd in front of us and it was all looking at us adventurers in the portal. Beside us was like a leaderboard during the event and there, I saw our names, and a girl named Ella Enoch.

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[AUTHOR'S NOTE]

Hey guys! Eleganced here! I am very much sorry for the long delay of uploading a new chapter I have just been busy with a few things. I'm back on track now and will upload regularly again! Thank you for supporting The 11th God and I love you all!

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