Reborn With the Infinite Gods System

Chapter 130 So this is what truly went wrong there?

Axel's body felt as though it was submerged in water, his skin damp with a sensation akin to drowning—yet he could still breathe perfectly. His chest heaved as his eyes fluttered open, immediately squinting against the overwhelming sensation.

He wasn't in pain, but the atmosphere around him caused his body to panic. His pulse quickened as the feeling of freefall swept through him, though he wasn't falling. That familiar, dreadful sensation of plummeting down from an unknown height stirred memories he'd long tried to bury.

**Falling.**

It carried so many meanings for him—too many. Usually, Axel would shove the thought aside, a defense mechanism he'd perfected over the years. But this time, the feeling demanded his attention. It gnawed at him, forcing him to confront something deeper.

*All my choices, my decisions up till now... were they really the best?* Axel wondered, slowly closing his eyes before opening them again. *No matter how strong I try to be—for my family, for myself—when I'm alone, I can't escape it. I'm a failure.* The admission hit him like a dagger. *I thought strength would solve everything, but it only brought more harm. To me...

to them.*

His mind spun, stuck in this cycle of regret and doubt. Why was he even thinking like this? Why now?

Suddenly, Axel snapped out of the haze. His eyes shot open, and he was back in the real world. The suffocating darkness of the night greeted him, only broken by a few sparse stars and the cold light of two moons hanging in the sky.

Axel's hands pushed against the hard, rocky ground beneath him, and he sat up slowly. In front of him, a bonfire crackled, its red flames casting a flickering light on the faces of those around it.

Josh and Loki sat nearby, upright but unnervingly silent. Their expressions were blank, though their postures suggested they were on edge. Just beyond the fire stood two figures: a humanoid creature that had kidnapped them, and beside it, a man—a human, draped in ragged clothes.

Axel's throat tightened. "What's going on?" he asked cautiously, keeping his voice low.

Josh and Loki turned to him, and for a brief moment, relief flashed in their eyes. But just as quickly, their expressions hardened, becoming unreadable once more.

"Our kidnapper," Josh began, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "was just explaining how he *isn't* really bad. And his friend here dragged us to this unknown place for a 'friendly chat.'" The emphasis he placed on the last two words made it clear just how pissed off he was.

Axel shot a glare at the humanoid creature. *Friendly chat?* he thought bitterly. They were nowhere near the facility they'd been taken from, kidnapped by beings they didn't know or trust. Calling it anything less than a hostile abduction was insulting.

"So," Josh continued, his voice laced with barely restrained anger, "please, explain yourself before I lose my patience."

The man standing beside the creature cleared his throat, as if preparing for a speech. "We have a very important mission to pass to your master," he said, his voice calm and measured.

Axel's frustration boiled over. "So *that's* why you kidnapped us? You couldn't have just *said* something? Maybe... I don't know... *said hello* first?" His voice rose with disbelief, arms flaring.

The man remained unfazed. "Would you have waved back at a Grade Three beast? Or would you have killed him and extracted his beast gem for your own reasons?" The question hung in the air like a dead weight.

A heavy silence fell over the group. They couldn't argue with him. The first thing they would've done was attack the humanoid, aiming to claim its beast gem. It was a harsh truth to swallow, but one they all knew was valid.

Josh clicked his tongue, his frustration evident. "Fine. Go on," he muttered through gritted teeth.

The man exhaled, clasping his hands together. "As I was saying, the mission we have is of utmost importance. We share the same goal—stopping the Voidwalkers."

Axel's brow furrowed. Voidwalkers. He'd heard whispers of them before—rumors that painted them as a looming threat, far worse than anything he had faced.

The man continued, "I can also solve your beast gem issue and provide you with all the gems you'll ever need."

Axel's eyes narrowed with suspicion. Something didn't add up. This stranger, who they had never met before, was now offering them an abundance of gems and help in their fight against the Voidwalkers. Why?

Josh seemed to share Axel's thoughts. "Why should we believe you? You're a stranger. If you're helping us, there's got to be more to it. What's your *real* reason?"

The man sighed, rubbing his temples as if he had anticipated this line of questioning. "I am a candidate," he began slowly.

Axel raised an eyebrow. A candidate? That wasn't a term he had heard before.

"If you don't know what that means," the man explained, "a candidate is someone chosen by a god to bear a portion of their power. I was made a candidate by my master, Hermes. I may look human, but I'm not. I'm a clone—a half-creation. The other half of me is composed of the energy emitted by this planet."

Josh's jaw dropped slightly, disbelief flashing across his face. "So, you're saying... you're some kind of... hybrid?"

The man nodded. "Yes. The creatures of this planet hold a vital energy that keeps them hidden from the Voidwalkers. Two other planets like this existed, but they were recently destroyed by the Fatek. This world is now one of the last refuges."

Loki crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. "That seems far too convenient to be a coincidence. Are you telling us the very first planet humans teleport to just happens to be the key to hiding from the Voidwalkers?"

The man gave a half-smile. "You're right. It's no coincidence. Portals in this universe only lead to three points. This planet, and two others like it, since portal technology was created using the energy from these planets."

Loki didn't look convinced. "Three? No. You're wrong. There are *four* planets like this," he said, his voice cold and certain.

The group turned to Loki, anxiety bubbling beneath the surface. It seemed like a bluff, but the gravity in his tone made it hard to dismiss.

"The fourth planet is Earth," Loki continued. "The Fatek attacked Earth because of our awakened abilities. They wanted to evolve themselves to be like us—to steal our powers. That's why Earth was attacked, not this planet."

Axel's eyes widened. "So that's why we can use beast weapons here."

Loki nodded. "Exactly. The Fatek wanted our abilities, but they couldn't access this planet because of its unique energy. Everything fits together now..."

Josh interjected, his voice heavy with suspicion. "But there's still something missing. If the Voidwalkers are repelled by us, why are they hunting us down in the first place?"

The group fell silent once again, the weight of Josh's question lingering. Something felt wrong, like they were still missing a piece of the puzzle. But none of them had an answer.

The man cleared his throat again, breaking the tension. "Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I'm Troy, candidate of Hermes."

Axel blinked. *Hermes?* The god of messengers and thieves?

Loki nodded curtly. "Loki."

"Josh," the other hunter added.

"Axel," he muttered, still processing everything.

"Ham," the humanoid creature added with a surprisingly human grin.

Josh leaned forward, fixing Troy with a cold glare. "So, Troy, what's your plan for stopping the Voidwalkers?"

Troy hesitated for a moment, then spoke. "There's a weapon. A legendary weapon once used to kill Voidwalkers in the past. It belonged to the God of War... and we need to find it."

"So that's the main reason you called out... I mean, kidnapped us, because of this weapon?" Josh Roark's voice carried an edge of sarcasm, but the frustration was evident. He leaned back slightly, crossing his arms, his eyes narrowing on Troy. "That makes sense... I guess."

Troy shifted uncomfortably under the sharp gaze, the flickering yellow flames of the bonfire casting deep shadows across his ragged face. "Making sense is different from surviving the journey," Loki added dryly, his voice low as if already anticipating the dangers ahead.

Axel, sitting silently, couldn't shake the unease creeping into his mind. "The God of War?" he muttered under his breath, then glanced up at Troy. "Uh, Troy... are you the only one looking for this weapon? Or is there more to this mission that you haven't shared yet?" His question hung in the air, thick with suspicion.

Troy met his gaze, his face illuminated by the bonfire's glow, the flames reflecting in his eyes. There was a slight hesitation before he nodded. "Oh yes, there's more. You see, the other God candidates from our universe are also on this mission. Each of us was tasked by our respective gods to find this weapon.

It's a collective effort, not just mine." His voice carried a strange blend of excitement and gravity, like someone carrying the weight of a great secret.

Axel's heart skipped a beat at the mention of other god candidates. His mind began to race. "Wait... other god candidates? How many of us are there?" His voice betrayed a mix of shock and curiosity. "Are we talking about a world of candidates?"

Troy gave a small, knowing smile. "There are more of us than you might think, Axel. We're scattered across worlds, each with a mission... and each with a god to serve. And now, this search for the War God's weapon has brought many of us together. We'll need all the help we can get if we're to face what's coming."