By the end, Ben was resting his head against the pod that held the man he’d just done his best to save, conflict running deep in his as he did while Nare spoke up at the display.

<Ben, you did you’re best, I don’t->

“I succeeded,” Ben cut him off. “Mostly, I succeeded. It’s not to the point I would have liked but… Well, as things stand, I don’t know if I can do any better.”

<What? That’s wonderful but then why do you look so troubled?>

He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his bits of disappointment to himself no matter how it had felt. He’d been exposed to the other’s mind and he knew the quality of his work. Even as he held him for what warmth and comfort he could give, the truth was inescapable.

“I can save them. This is proof I can save all of them, but I can’t let them out yet,” He explained, pinching his brow as he did. “Unless I start snipping away even more, which I really don’t think would be a good idea, I’m pretty sure if he comes out and finds out that this world is currently being invaded then he’s going to have a genuine breakdown that he might not be able to recover from. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d decided to stop living then and there and while I won’t know how the others will react until I do them, I’d expect much of the same, especially considering how many of them are going to be the last of their kind. He’s better and now I’m confident that I can help everyone else too, but I can’t actually release them unless we win the war. Otherwise, everything I’ve just done will be for nothing.”

<Then that’s more than enough, Ben. That’s hope for their futures, something none of them would have had before now. Don’t hate yourself for not saving them to your standards when that’s more than I or any of the other gods could have done.>

“Ha, I’ve always had high standards for myself as a mortal, you won’t find godhood to have changed that in me.”

<No, I suppose not but this is far from as bad as you seem to feel. They’ll stay in here until the invasion ends? So be it. In that case, they’ll either be greeted with victory or death; either way it will be a release.>

“I’m significantly less for one of those options than the other.”

<Aren’t we all. So what now then? Will you do the rest?>

“Yeah, maybe I should be getting the permission of the other gods of the world like I did you but honestly, I think that gave me a good feel for it. Doing the rest will be quick.”

With connect at its ninth level, he was now able to access roughly ten meters of space in all directions and all of the prisoners had been efficiently packed. He could link his mind to dozens at once from where he stood and that very mind was equipped to go through all of them at once, examining each of their memories from thousands of different angles at speeds that could beat the gods. He could act with unnatural levels of care and it would still be quick as he walked through the building, each step healing and comforting a new mind.

<DESTRUCTION AFFINITY LEVEL INCREASED>

<MIND BREAK LEVEL INCREASED>

<ESOTERIC ACTUALIZATION LEVEL INCREASED>

He didn’t release any when he was finished, too sure that the fragile stability he’d helped build would come crashing down in the face of how much they’d need to learn in that new world and the dangers it held but it still weighed on him as he left, off to focus on some of his other work for the day.

He stopped by his research institute and left entire books of tests he wanted run and produced more soul tiles when he got back to the shop, with adding them to the rest of the church in Stonewall being only a small priority but one that would make his god happy for all of the new souls who would give him faith, with getting the other churches of Myriad covered on the list of chores as well.

Actually placing them would be for another day though as he next went through one of his newer gates, having different souls that needed to be placed as he went back to his factory, finding it to be a hub of activity compared to the last time he’d been through, the workers who were managing it finally arrived.

With his presence not going unnoticed. When he’d activated the gate and stepped through, a few eyes turned to him and some whispers went up, with one of them walking over.

“Mister Ben?” She asked, an older member of Nare’s race who eyed him up and down.

“I am. Don’t mind me, I’m just here to finish a few of the different bands that were made and to… Well, I’ll finish those first for now. Mind showing me where they’re piling up?”

“Of course, right this way,” She told him, leading him over to piles of crates that had been left there, filling the space and waiting for him to complete them so they could finally be shipped off.

Ugh, I guess I should be trying to come here once a week to get this done so it doesn’t pile up so much. I guess I can be doing that before or after I train Delair occasionally.

“Want these cracked then?” She asked him. “I can go grab a crowbar.”

“Don’t bother, I can finish them from here,” His material sense was telling him exactly where the rainbow mana crystals were in each case and the souls he’d materialize didn’t need to be by his side so with all of his new mana he added the final component they’d need, ensuring anyone who’d wear then would be empowered for it.

To a point that the ones I’d already been distributing are seriously obsolete. Maybe I should get the gods to try and institute a trade-in program when they distribute all of these new ones. I could replace the old souls with what I can do now, but… Mmh, no. If anyone important enough to need a better model gets it then the old can just be distributed to anyone who’s a lower priority. Since the bands themselves are being materialized, it’s not like there’s a limit on materials.

“Done,” He said after a moment, feeling his soul refill for the mana he’d spent and seeing that, to the woman’s credit, she wasn’t questioning if he’d really done anything. He hadn’t bothered probing her mind so he didn’t know what she’d been told about him but whatever it had been was enough for her to take his word. “I’ll try to be back once a week so these don’t build up too much but for now I’m going to use a bit of the extra space. You mind if I move things around a bit?”

“Be my guest. Is there any way I may assist?”

“No, don’t worry about it, I’ll be quick.”

More mana spent left different boxes and tables to be shuffled around the space, creating more room in the already large building. When Ben had first been given the place to build and design some enchanting factories his first step had been to use all he’d already known to improve the design but his understanding of enchantments and how to use them had grown exponentially, allowing him to pull of far greater achievements and making ideas he’d left before suddenly far more possible as materials were pulled from his rings and reshaped before they eyes of the surprised workers, enchantments placed and only needing the items those new factories would place their magics on as Ben spoke to the heavens above.

Hey Myriad, I made something.

<That’s true of most days, what with it being your job, hobby, and passion.>

Okay, a bigger something than usual then. Two new factories, one to produce gate enchantments and one to produce mini gates, you guys up there are just going to need to get some other groups to build the structures themselves to be enchanted on.

<…Okay, I don’t think you should be sounding so casual if you just permanently altered how the world will be able to create gates from this point out.>

Eh, it wasn’t exactly hard. With this new tool though, just do me a favour and make sure I’m paid well for it.

<Will you at least accept cash? You’re greed for strength is only going to make everyone up here uncomfortable, mister evil god.>

So genuinely hurtful that you’re all willing to be openly and blatantly racist against me.

<Evil gods aren’t some unified race; what you’re experiencing is run-of-the-mill prejudice.>

Not better and Myriad, what should I be doing with my riches at this point? Should I buy a medium-sized country just because I can? What would the money I’d get for this actually do for me?

<I don’t know, plenty of mortals seem to enjoy having it for the sake of having it.>

Sure, but I’m long past that point. I keep making new sources of income, plenty of which are going to keep paying out for years to come.

<If only you knew an immortal who would be able to benefit from the designs long after you’re dead.> Myriad said, the hint obvious but ignored as Ben thought it over.

Yeah, okay, I guess you’re right. I’m a god now which means I should be trying to think about wealth beyond my mortal lifespan. If I’m going to need a church of my own one day, I suppose I should secure permanent funding for it. Tell the others up there that I’ll be taking standard payment for gate construction for each regular one they decide to make and half of that for each mini one, in perpetuity.

<Wow, you really intend to profit off of this forever with no consideration for your beloved god.>

I mean, yeah, kind of. Now that I’ve reached godhood I’m actually going to need to rewrite my will; a large chunk of my fortune is going to need to be reserved to building my churches and getting me believers. I mean, I guess I could build myself a few churches before I die, just to get the ball rolling but with the sort of funds I’ve got I could support plenty of workshops as a generous patron so long as they choose to worship me for their first couple years of set up.

<I feel compelled to point out that as things stand, you aren’t going to be a crafting god when you die.>

And that is genuinely so hurtful to hear no matter how true it is but fine. This world has researchers and scientists, I could help fund their experiments in exchange for faith. Hell, I could even help them work through different problems too. So long as I keep up to date on different bits of study after I ascend, I’m sure I could do a great job of it.

<Interesting, it sounds like you’re talking about charity but why does it feel like you’re trying to invent a faith-based capitalism?>

I have no clue what you’re talking about. Still, never too soon to start preparing for my own godhood, I should start making my own soul tiles to worship me. Even if I won’t be able to use it yet, it would be nice to have it ready for when I need it.

<Hey now->

And I’ll still keep making yours too, don’t worry. He thought with a laugh. And I guess it’s not going to be a huge priority, it’s not like ascending will make the skills I currently hold disappear. I can always come down to the world after I die to make myself soul tiles too, although… How I make souls seems dependent on the condition of my own. I wonder how ascending might change things for me?

<Focus more on the fact that doing that would mean, in your own words, wearing a mortal like a suit. Aside from the hypocrisy of it, given how you react to the thought of any god doing it, you would still need to adjust to a given race enough first that it wouldn’t kill them meaning having a decent number of believers for a decent number of years, although I suppose given your status as the inventor of the resistance braces, you’ll likely get a few converts from the races who benefited from them.> Myriad said in the end, having an easy enough time imagining that. Third tiers almost always gained believers for their achievements in life, if the gods they worshiped didn’t just outright encourage a few of their believers to convert to them.

From that perspective, Myriad was left with the horrifying thought that Ben’s death might get him more believers when he ascended than Myriad himself had but Ben’s mind went to a different place, with how the powers he held in life would affect what he’d get next.

Okay, well two things. First, I’m a contender for hive mind so who’s to say I’ll be restricted in the same way as other gods when I can already use the bodies of anyone who enters my range?

<…Oh, I really don’t like that.>

And second. Ben went on, leaving Myriad to grapple with all of the implications of what he’d just dropped. You can descend onto believers or avatars but who says we can’t split the difference? I have all of these perfect… Nearly perfect clones of myself lying around down here and it would be a waste to just throw them out. Is there any reason to assume I couldn’t temporarily inhabit them in the same way?

<…I’m not sure I like this line of thought either.>

Doing such a thing would likely leave him vulnerable to true death, the same any god risked when they came down to the world but there’d be numerous benefits too. He’d have a body perfectly adapted to him in the event that hive mind would work like he’d hoped and he’d have multiple of them to access at once. If he could already ascend to a higher realm multiple times over then could he descend in the same way? If that were the case then it seemed likely killing even one Ben wouldn’t be enough to get rid of him and more importantly, it meant he’d be able to keep causing chaos in the mortal realm long after his death.

What can I say, godhood seems like a decent deal but I don’t want to have to go through the limits you guys seem to have for it. Better to start figuring out how to handle them now.

<And now you’ve given me one more reason to hope you live a long, happy life.>

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