Detesting The System: Sundering Fate

After that rather lengthy monologue, the God — or devil, not really sure at this point — began to laugh hysterically as if nothing could possibly go wrong. But all the while I just stared at him, thinking what a monumental idiot he was. I really should have kept quiet as there was no use in stooping as low as the idiot before me. But, given that I have nothing to lose, I happily projected what I considered to be my last act of defiance, almost sure of myself that I'd die or experience something worse a couple seconds later.

All smiles whilst wearing my heart on my sleeve, I laughed back as I said to the God, "Really? And what if I refuse? I'm already dead? What can you leverage against someone like me? Someone who has nothing!"

As if my words were his kryptonite, the god stopped as he frowned, and the white world around us turned a deep shade of red, evidently growing hotter as he said, "What'll I do? How about I start with your friends and family on earth? I can kill all of them too? If that isn't enough to get you working, how about I just end Earth itself? You seem to care for those worthless mortals, so not complying would only be a disservice to the..."

Before he could finish his sentence, I rather loudly interjected. My face clad in a grin that threatened to split my face as I said, "Do it. Why would I even trust that you haven't already done so to begin with? You plan to use me as a sacrifice after I myself become a god, but you'll stick through with your side of the deal if I accept? Bullshit!"

The god seemed a bit shocked by my words, he even sounded a bit impressed as he said, "Wowzers, you know what kid? You're a pretty savage guy… Even the threat of your race's extinction won't get you to act? I guess we can only turn this back into a personal issue."

Very deliberately, the god lifted me up by my shirt with the nails of his left hand and propped me over his right hand. Then just mere inches away from the lower limit of my body, a green flame started to lick the sole of my feet, sending a pain that was infinitely worse than anything I had thus far experienced in my life — or death — throughout my body.

After leaving me to roast for a couple seconds, the god pulled me just over the point where the fire could no longer touch my feet and said, "These are Immortal Sin Tribulation Flames. Now that you've had a taste for what it's like to have your skin be grazed by the flames, I'll present you with a choice. Either pick your three f.u.c.k.i.n.g wishes and start your journey to godhood right away, or I'll let you sit knee deep in the flames for say… one minute."

Hearing the god continue pestering me to take my wishes or whatever, the faint shine of insanity crept across my eyes as I said, "Can you even afford to damage me, you prized vessel, to such an extent? Won't you lose your Goldfinger or whatever if you keep damaging me like this?"

"Ah, I see you're not yet convinced!" As he exclaimed meekly, as a child who was eager to receive praise would, the God once more lowered me back into the torturous flames as he said, "The only thing I can't risk damaging is your true soul. The rest of your soul, or most of it to be quite frank, can be tortured or even destroyed if I so wish for that to be the case. However, damaging your soul would only delay your rise to godhood, so I guess we can only go for more..." His words cut out from my mind registering them as yet another wave of pain hit me as if I were at the epicenter of a nuclear detonation.

This time… the pain was somehow even worse than what I described as infinitely worse just a few moments prior, and it only further intensified the lower the god dipped me into the green flames. He said it would only last for one minute, but in that mere minute of time elapsed I felt like someone who had been cut up by a thousand swords

Miraculously, even after being pulled out of that literal hellhole, I could see the burned skin on my body, spiritual body? In any case, my burned legs healed as if they were never burned to begin with.

Taking in my obviously distressed expressions and the sight of me taking large gulps of air, the god spoke once more, saying, "I will only continue dipping you deeper and for longer periods of time until you comply. So I'd suggest you just pick your f.u.c.k.i.n.g wishes and get the show started."

"Huh? ...I couldn't... hear you. There was a bit... too much... bullshit... passing through... my ears. You know... your little flames... or whatever… They're not so bad… Once you get used… to them..." Still out of breath, the insanity that was bred earlier on heightened as I felt like nothing this worthless god threw at me would break my spirit. Pain was just a psychological effect, and now that I knew I wouldn't be erased — erased being the only thing I could think would happen if I were to die even after already being dead — that madness within felt like it had a good chance at beating… a deity…

For a couple more rounds, the god and I tested the limits of my tolerance for pain. But the outcome was obvious from the get-go. I myself am surprised by how long I lasted, as the pain truly was suicide-inducing, but give that my opponent was the patience of a god — something that I can only imagine would last for an eternity — I obviously gave up soon after having my madness ironically cooled off by being tortured in the god's flames.