Hitman with a Badass System

Before him stood the most mesmerizing woman he had ever seen, surpassing even the beauty of Gaya and Lailah Alden. Yet, despite her alluring appearance, Michael remained composed and unaffected, surprising Marli. As she moved closer, he simply conjured robes to cover her and addressed her calmly.

"Pleasure to meet you, Goddess Marli, I presume," Michael said, his demeanor unwavering. Marli's attempts at seduction seemed to have no effect on him, which only seemed to fuel her desire for him. She couldn't resist moving closer, her breath hot on his skin, and her intoxicating fragrance filling the air.

However, Michael gently stepped back, holding up his hand to reveal a wedding ring.

"You're a bit late for the seduction game, Marli. I am already married," he said, showing no hint of temptation. Marli felt a tinge of disappointment, but her desire for him remained unyielding.

"Let's not waste our time and discuss how you can help me reach the divine portals," Michael straightforwardly asked Marli.

In a seductive tone, Marli countered, "What do I get in return?"

"The rarest jewel of all, my friendship," Michael confidently replied.

Unfazed, Marli pushed further, "What if I said I want all of you or none of you?"

Michael couldn't help but snicker at her proposition. He exuded an air of arrogance backed by formidable power, which only seemed to draw her closer to him. There was an undeniable magnetism about him that piqued her interest like no other god she had encountered.

Unperturbed, Michael replied, "Then I will leave this forest and find my own way. Trust me, I'm no stranger to surviving in a new world all on my own. I've done it before, and I can do it again. But do you really want to be on my bad side?"

As a god, fear was an alien emotion to Michael, and he certainly felt none towards Marli. Though he sensed that she was a god of higher power, he remained composed and unafraid.

Unexpectedly, Michael reached out and pulled her closer, his hand wrapped around her waist.

"We both know there's something that draws you to me as much as I'm drawn to you. So let's cut the pretense and discuss how we can help each other," he said coldly before releasing her.

Marli moaned with delight, taking pleasure in asserting her dominance over him. Michael now understood why Nithroel had warned him not to get too close to Marli.

"So you seek my help in finding the divine portals. Let me guess, she also told you to go to Nimbosia first and witness the atrocities of Rainar, the god of rain," Marli said, amusement lacing her voice.

Curious, Michael pointed to the tree-shaped medallion hanging around his neck. "She gave me this medallion to suppress my god aura and hide my presence from the other gods. But you claim you forged it. What's your connection with Nithroel?"

"Let's take a walk through my domain and talk," Marli gestured, leading Michael beside her. The forest came alive as the fauna and vegetation gracefully moved aside to make way for them.

"In this part of the world, the divine portals are rare. There is one in the desert of Vikan, but you'll have to fight through monsters and ugly creatures roaming the desert. If they don't get you, the desert dwellers will," Marli warned.

"As a god, I believe I can handle a few monsters and whatever these dwellers are," Michael confidently asserted. Marli chuckled, amused by his naive bravado.

"Honey, this world is not very different from the one you came from. The people here are unaware of the existence of the world below them. The fortunate mortals who manage to break through the Celestial stage end up here, but their memories and powers are stripped away. They either become worshippers to the first god they encounter or go mad. A handful retain their memories, but they always strike some kind of deal with a god," Marli explained the intricacies of the realm of gods.

"My point is, dear, only a god will recognize another god. However, since you're wearing my medallion, they will see you as nothing more than a commoner in this world. But don't let being a god get to your head. There are creatures here that can take down even a god and consume their soul. Some of these creatures have lived here longer than any god," she warned as Michael calmly walked beside her, attentively listening to her words.

"Besides, if you use your god powers too much, the pantheon will sense you and find you, regardless of whether you wear my medallion or not. The medallion is for you to keep safe while you learn about this world and build your worshippers. The more devotees you have, the more power you will gain," said Marli. But with the system and the dark seeds, he kinda didn't need worshippers to level up his godhood. Yet, he had a feeling things might not be as simple as he thought.

"But won't building too many worshippers draw the pantheon's attention?" Michael asked.

"It certainly will. Did you expect your life to be easier here? That's why Nithroel prefers the mortal realm over the realm she was born in," Marli chuckled.

"Things are simple in the mortal realm, but here, everything is complex and messy, thanks to the pantheon. Now, let me tell you something that will complicate things even further for you. Since I assume you won't join a pantheon, you won't get your own kingdom. So, you have to poach worshippers from other gods. Trust me when I say this, gods do not like it when their worshippers are taken away. Piss them off too much, and they will send their angels to smite you," Marli warned Michael, relishing in the challenge she presented to him.

"But luckily for you, there is an opportunity you can exploit. The thunder god and rain god are not on friendly terms. If one of them were to die, you could potentially claim their kingdom if you plan your moves right. However, it will draw the attention of the pantheon. So whatever you do, it's impossible for you to survive here without crossing paths with the pantheon. My suggestion to you is to draw their attention and strike some kind of deal. They are all too focused on Dagon, so they might be willing to bring you to their side. Desperate times call for desperate measures, honey," Marli advised, enjoying the thrill of revealing the complexities of the realm of gods to Michael.

Marli suggested that Michael work with the pantheon rather than against them. However, she had no idea about his true plans to ally himself with Dagon and fight against the pantheon. As he listened to her explain the complexities of the world, Michael began to consider the idea of working with the pantheon, at least for the time being.

"I don't think the pantheon will welcome me with open arms, Marli. Apparently, the god of time and space has a bone to pick with me. And your God of War crashed my wedding," Michael said, watching Marli's reaction closely. As soon as she heard the name 'God of War,' her face drained of color, and she trembled in fear.

"You seem to have pissed off two of the most powerful gods in the pantheon. How did you do that?" asked Marli, clearly taken aback by the revelation.

Michael chose not to reveal too much and pretended to have no idea about the reasons behind the gods' enmity towards him. He didn't want to give away too many details to Marli, as he was still uncertain about her true intentions and allegiances.

"I don't know," Michael shrugged in response to Marli's question about Rudra's actions.

"But it's weird. Rudra doesn't just attack other gods on a whim. He's usually a pretty chill guy. If he decided to do what you said, he must have had a pretty good reason. Damn, I hate thinking too much. This is why I stay as far as possible from the pantheon and their bloody politics," Marli pouted, clearly frustrated with the complexities of the godly world.

As they continued walking through the forest, the silence between them lingered for a few moments before Marli finally spoke up.

"You can spend the night in my forest and we can talk more about this world," she offered.

"Thank you for your hospitality. But I need to ask you something, why are you helping me?" Michael inquired.

"Because I need your help, obviously. I told you about the war between the rain god and the thunder god. Many of my worshippers are getting caught in the middle, and they both don't care about the worshippers of another god. Since I cannot leave my domain, I want you to find a way to bring my worshippers here," Marli explained her reasons.

"And why can't you leave your domain?" Michael asked curiously.

"Not just me, honey. No god who has a kingdom can leave their domain. You'll have to ask the pantheon why," Marli responded with a hint of mystery in her voice.

The sudden revelation that no god could leave their domains opened up a world of possibilities for Michael to exploit. If he could somehow kill a god, there wouldn't be interference from another god. But to achieve such a feat, he needed to learn more about the god-killing arrows.

"Have you ever heard of the people who discovered Mazeroth, if you know Mazeroth in the mortal realm, that is?" Michael asked Marli.

But when Marli heard his question, she burst into laughter.

"I know them very well. They are no longer just people, darling. They are gods here and serve the pantheon," Marli said, surprising Michael with this unexpected twist.

"When did everyone become a god? I have the worst luck in the entire universe," Michael sighed inside.