NOVEL WEB CHAPTER 184: DIVINE CLONES
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"So? What's your decision?" Greg asked coldly, his voice echoing through the valley like rolling thunder. The pressure emanating from him thickened, pushing down on the gathered Titans like an invisible mountain. His aura was no longer something they could ignore—it was overwhelming, dominant, godlike.
The once-proud Titans stood in tense silence, their colossal frames stiff as they contemplated their next move. These were beings born of war, nurtured in the fires of battle, their pride towering as high as their massive forms. Bowing to another being, much less acknowledging one as their god, was a decision that clawed against their very nature. Yet, they couldn't deny it. Greg had shattered their pride, yes—but he had also ignited something new within them.
Respect.
He had defeated Zenith, the strongest among them, not through trickery or cowardice, but in a fair and brutal fight. That act alone was enough to earn their acknowledgment. And Titans, despite their arrogance, valued strength above all else. They were scientists and engineers, builders of marvels, yet at their core, they revered the powerful. Their logic bowed to instinct when it came to strength. Vindictive they were, yes—but only to those who slew without honor. Greg had done the opposite. He had conquered with undeniable force and honor.
"I, Zenith, pledge allegiance to you as my god," Zenith finally said, his deep voice breaking the silence as he fell to one knee. Dust swirled around him from the impact of his kneeling form.
The murmurs began. One by one, the Titans followed their champion.
"I, Tree, pledge my allegiance to you," declared the patrol captain, his head bowed in genuine reverence.
In a wave of resolution, the rest knelt. Thunderous voices echoed through the land as names were spoken and loyalty declared. In mere minutes, over a hundred Titans had surrendered their pride to something greater—Greg.
[Congratulations! 156 Titans have pledged their allegiance to you. You have received 156 divinity points.]
"Hmm, that's quite the haul," Greg muttered to himself with a pleased smirk. His tone was casual, but his eyes gleamed with the sharpness of a ruler building his army. Quality and quantity... it seems I don't have to choose between them after all.
"Listen up, all of you," he said, his voice firm, slicing through the renewed chants of loyalty. Instantly, the Titans silenced, hanging onto his every word. "I will be moving you all to my personal realm. Your entire settlement—everything—will be transferred. Prepare your structures, your resources, your people. I don't have time to waste, so I will leave a clone of myself to oversee the transition."
The Titans stiffened again. A clone? Was it really possible to replicate such power?
Greg continued, his tone cold and commanding. "This clone will be me in every way that matters. Heed his words as you would mine. Disobedience will not be tolerated. Treachery will be met with fire and punishment. But…" he paused, softening slightly, "loyalty and excellence will be rewarded. I will help you grow. I will bestow gifts to those who prove themselves worthy."
A thunderous cheer erupted from the Titans. Their warrior spirits had been acknowledged, their pride salvaged not by submission, but by transformation. They were no longer crushed—they were being reforged.
"Clone formation," Greg commanded, raising a hand. He felt a familiar tug from within, like pulling threads from the fabric of his soul. Energy surged, splitting from him in five directions. In a burst of radiant light, five figures emerged—identical in appearance, aura, and even bearing. Each wore his face, his armor, carried his bloodline and his skills, though at seventy percent of his full strength.
Greg blinked, adjusting to the strange but not unpleasant sensation. It was like sharing one brain across multiple bodies, but with no confusion—just harmony. He likened it to a main server distributing tasks to several computers, each processing independently but in sync.
"You will be Nemesis Red, Blue, Green, White, and Black," Greg said, assigning identifiers. "Red, head to the ant settlement and conquer them. Blue, you're going after the ogres. Green, the arachnids. White, you'll remain here with the Titans and ensure everything is ready for the transfer. Black, return to the town and set up the independent space."
He paused, his expression hardening. "You are to remain in the demon realm and secure more believers. As for me… it's time I returned to the human world. I have unfinished business. Alexander better have prepared what I ordered him to."
The clones nodded silently, then turned and dispersed like shadows, disappearing with bursts of light in their respective directions.
Greg watched them go, his heart steady. Everything was finally falling into place. Turning his gaze to the horizon, he spread his six wings—each a gleaming manifestation of his divine power—and launched into the sky with a mighty beat. The wind roared past him as he soared toward one of the locations Annabelle had marked on the map, a site where the barriers between realms were weakest.
He had a demon wave to meet… and enemies to crush.
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Meanwhile…
A different place. A different battlefield.
Cerberus: Level 75 (Hell Guardian)
Strength: 167
Speed: 174
Stamina: 187
Constitution: 201
Intelligence: 176
[The guardian of the hell gate. Summoned from the netherworld through the SSS-rank talent of a player. Prevents the punished dead from escaping to the human realm.]
Lilith stood before the three-headed hound, her violet eyes locked on its smoldering gaze. Cerberus's fur blazed like coals, and its growls sent ripples through the ground. The monster radiated ancient fury, each of its heads turning to regard her with wary curiosity.
A system prompt blinked in her vision.
[User is to drop her blood on Cerberus to form a contract.]
Without hesitation, Lilith sliced a shallow line across her palm. Her blood dripped onto Cerberus's central head, hissing as it made contact. The moment it touched, she felt a jolt—not pain, but a surge of connection deep within her soul. A bond forged by blood and power.
[Congratulations! You have formed a bond with Cerberus, the Guardian of Hell.]
Lilith grinned. It wasn't a smile of joy—it was satisfaction, deep and dark. "Perfect," she whispered.
She looked down at her bleeding palm, letting a second drop fall to the ground. "Might as well form the second contract while luck's still on my side," she murmured, anticipation bubbling in her voice.
"Summoning," she said aloud.
Another spatial tear ripped through the air with a screech. From within it, a small snake slithered out, shimmering with ethereal scales. It wound its way up her body, sliding from her ankle to her thigh, then curled around her shoulder.
[Congratulations! You have summoned the Ancient Viper, Petrifier.]
Petrifier: Level 75 (Ancient Viper)
Strength: 102
Speed: 174
Stamina: 135
Constitution: 167
Intelligence: 201
[A creature of the ancient viper race, whose gaze once petrified even gods. Hunted nearly to extinction by divine decree, it is one of the last of its kind.]
Lilith's eyes sparkled with excitement. She pressed a finger to the viper's scaled head, letting a droplet of blood slide from her fingertip. The connection was instant. Two contracts. Two ancient beings. One master.
She felt knowledge flood her mind—details of her talent's hidden capabilities. She could summon them anywhere, anytime. Even in death, they could be revived. There was a cooldown, sure—but that was a small price for such power.