Gods Aren't Perfect - OFFICIAL

Chapter Sixteen: An Illusion Of Success

Another stomp, and a clump of frozen spikes jutted out. As soon as Tronso's attack hit the blob of slime, it disappeared with a flash of light. A much larger blob flashed red as it touched the spikes, but continued bouncing towards the blond god. Before it could make it, though, Atticus stepped in and did some rapid-fire cussing, distracting it. Faceless finished it off with a Knife Rush, the blades effortlessly tearing through the slime. With a last Ice Burst from Tronso, the bigger slime disappeared in a flash of light.

"Oh boi. Illusion enemy number 9145. Cool." the Light Deity groaned up at the screen. "How many more rounds of this are there?"

"That was the last one. All enemies destroyed... thoroughly destroyed, too. You get to go on!"

"Good. That was taking forever," Tronso agreed. "Can we go now?" In response, one door in the corner slid open, revealing a long corridor.

After a long walk, the trio walked into the second-to-last test chamber. A screen stood to one side, beeping frantically. As soon as it detected them, the floor fell away to reveal a gas-like substance and several platforms.

"A simple platforming challenge. There's nothing rigged about this."

"If any of this is rigged you owe me a dollar," Faceless replied as Tronso attempted to cross a gap. Before the blond made it to the other side, the platform disappeared and he fell in, falling face-first on the floor. "Yep, it's rigged. Gimme a dollar."

"Aw man." After the sculpture's response, the gas began to expand, filled up the entire room and then disappeared. "Okay, I think I fixed it. And here's your dollar."

A single coin came out of a hatch in the ceiling, fell all the way down and hit Faceless's face. The Steel God picked it up. "We're not doing this joke AGAIN, are we? Do I have to say the thing?"

"Nah, let's just go on ahead." The trio did as Atticus said and continued on to the last chamber. As the last door opened, a bright flash of light presented them with the final test.

It appeared they weren't the first in there - Calandra, Ophelia and Nyx sat to one side, looking a little bruised-up but somewhat healed, and Farrah, Lizzy, and Rosaluma to another. Strange beams of light blocked the way - it appeared that they couldn't get through. A cage of beams divided their circular room into four quadrants, Calandra's group in one and Rosa's in another, with a large glass pillar in the center. They wouldn't be getting to the others anytime soon.

Suddenly, a door in the last empty quadrant slid open as June, Eleanor, and Koumei stumbled in, all three falling to the floor from how tired they were. Somehow, the Water Goddess managed to keep one hand up, holding a few blobs of water in the air. Eventually, she and June got up. Koumei didn't.

A few pokes later, it became clear that he was unconscious - the tests had tired him out far too much. June tried shocking him, but it didn't work. Giving up, the hoodied boy picked up the God of Wind, gently slinging him over one shoulder. He would've tried bridal-style carrying, but everyone else was watching.

Turning back to the others, Atticus raised a hand and found that they couldn't bend the odd light to their will. They then tried cussing and swearing at the light, but that didn't work, because after all, it was just light.

Just when they were about to give up on moving it, the light moved. All the lights moved - pointing towards the pillar in the middle. Slowly, it rose up like an elevator, an aperture in the ground closing up as one end came, leaving behind a short glass room sticking out the ceiling. In it sat all seven sculptures. The first one spoke up, dust rising into the air as they spoke.