The Divine Summoner: Godson of Altima Read online

  The Divine Summoner:

  Godson of Altima

  By Antony W.F. Chow

  Kindle Edition. Copyright © 2021 by Antony W.F. Chow, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the author. Book cover designed by BRoseDesignz. Book formatted by Jesse Gordon at adarnedgoodbook.com. Certain character names and locations generated with fantasynamegenerators.com. All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters and events portrayed in this work are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Prologue

  Tsunka Heavensfell stared at the massive, dark hole in the distance and shivered. Undead invaders such as skeletons and zombies continuously poured through the portal like ants from an anthill. Boss monsters like death knights and liches made the newcomers line up away from the interdimensional gate. Ghostly apparitions and banshees happily danced above the undead army to buff the soldiers and enhanced their collective strength. By the observer's estimate, there were at least fifty million enemies invading his world of Zaleron!

  The Morninglory Kingdom learned about the portal connecting to the Netherverse far too late after the invaders established a beachhead. The Religious Wars between the humans, elves, beastmen, and demons weakened the protectors of Zaleron significantly, and the leadership from the undead world took advantage. Although the Divine Church of Light emerged victorious in this holy war and captured the elven homeland, its client human kingdom may soon follow the elven one and cease to exist.

  Nonetheless, the humans continued to fight with everything they had because losing meant the undead will wipe out all life in this world! Conscripted farmers hacked at the enemies with hoes, shovels, and other farming tools alongside professional knights and soldiers. These defenders averted their sight as the undead devoured comrades before their very eyes! The fighters hardened their resolve while ignoring pleas for help from the fallen. To stop now was to join the defeated.

  The army's task was to hold the line and prevent the undead invaders from marching further into the kingdom. Despite their best efforts, the enemies continued to pour through the portal. And for every skeleton or zombie defeated, two arose to replace them. The soldiers knew that they were losing and secretly wondered how long Tsunka will delay the inevitable, how many deaths would he demand before he committed to acting as the sacrifice.

  The duke was keenly aware of their inner turmoil because he shared their sentiments as well. Every second of his continued existence meant another brave soldier would die for his cowardice. Finally, the guilt overwhelmed his desire to live. Tsunka turned toward Pope Isaac Demetrius and said succinctly, "It's time."

  "Do you have any last words or requests?" asked the church leader in a solemn voice.

  "Please name my son 'Luka,' and tell Juliette that I'm sorry I won't be able to meet our child," the condemned man responded. The Heavensfell lineage only had male offspring.

  "On behalf of Zaleron, I thank you for your sacrifice. I guarantee that the Divine Church of Light will protect your widow and newborn, and I will treat Luka as my godson," the pope promised.

  Tsunka Heavensfell nodded his thanks. The nobleman closed his eyes and activated the unique power of his bloodline. Phew! A golden beam burst into the sky!

  The Goddess of Light, Altima, latched onto the brilliant ray and came down from heaven. The newcomer possessed bird-like, white angel wings and wore battle armor over a white dress. Sunlight bounced off her radiant, golden hair and created a blinding glare for the mortals below. The deity hovered above the battlefield for several seconds to acclimate to the air of the mortal realm before she finally landed before the divine summoner.

  As white feathers rained down from the sky, the living defenders stopped fighting and prostrated in her direction, while the undead soldiers fearfully backed away. The unlucky ones who stood within a hundred feet of her landing spot immediately turned to ashes as their undead bodies couldn't tolerate her holy presence.

  Altima stared at the Netherese armies and frowned. She glanced at the kingdom's soldiers and quickly understood that humanity lacked sufficient strength to repel these invaders and close the portal. After all, the undead outnumbered the living by a ten to one!

  The goddess was upset that Tsunka waited too long to seek her help. If the deity arrived sooner, she would have closed the portal before the invaders overwhelmed Zaleron's natives. But now wasn't the time for useless recriminations. Altima turned to face her summoner and held out her arms. "Are you ready?" she asked with a gentle smile.

  "Yes," Tsunka confirmed with a firm tone of voice and nodded.

  Altima wrapped her delicate arms around his back and pressed her soft body against him. She peered into his eyes and began to kiss him like an intimate lover.

  The mortal felt his lifeforce exit through his mouth and devoured by her. But he continued to embrace the goddess until Tsuka became dizzy and lost the strength to stand on his feet.

  Altima's tears fell on his face as the deity cradled his precious body in her arms. She turned around and yelled, "Holy Judgement!" The entire world suddenly lost color as everything became black and white! The native inhabitants were white; the invaders turned black. The world magic slowly erased the darkness from existence, including the portal connecting to the Netherverse. In a short period, she eliminated all enemies from Zaleron!

  Once the holy spell finished its work, Altima gently laid Tsunka's body on the ground. "Return my darling to his family for burial, and have your best healers attend to the widow while she gives birth. Luka Heavensfell must safely arrive in Zaleron, or else you are all doomed!" she warned.

  "The Divine Church of Light will obey, Goddess Altima!" the pope declared.

  Altima glanced one last time at the fallen Tsunka Heavensfell. She felt regret that he died before his son arrived in the world. The goddess secretly promised to protect Luka in his place. Her angel wings flapped hard, and a strong wind pushed the worshippers back. They watched in awe as their goddess ascended to the sky and eventually disappeared from the mortal realm.

  Chapter 1

  Death & Reincarnation

  Michael Bauer Junior stood in front of a simple grave at the cemetery belonging to Claire Baptiste Bauer. She died during labor eighteen years ago while giving birth to him in the delivery room. His mother was only twenty-five.

  The young man resembled her in many ways -- his straight, blonde hair to his pale-green eyes, the slightly crooked and teasing smile, and the silent but thoughtful personality. Claire's friends often marveled at their physical similarities during occasional visits to his home.

  His parents met during a party in college and felt an instant attraction to each other. They began dating and married after graduation. Michael Bauer Senior entered law school while his wife took an administrative job at a drug company to support the family. He gained legal employment with a six-figure salary after graduation, and she quit to start a family.

  However, Claire's heart suddenly gave out during labor, and the doctors manually took the baby out of her womb to save his life.

  Although the widowed father tried hard to raise the newborn as a single dad, Michael Sr. soon fell into depression. He turned to drugs and alcohol to drown out his sorrow. Claire's friends saw that the father couldn't properly care for the baby and offered to adopt him. However, Michael Sr. refused to relinquish his last remaining connection to his departed wife because his son physically resembled her.

  The younger Michael grew up in a broken household and quickly matured mentally. The child learned to cook, clean, and perform other dai
ly chores around the house while his dad slept late and awoke in the afternoon. The son felt guilty for trading lives with his mother and decided to leave home as soon as he became a legal adult.

  Michael recognized the need for money to achieve his goal. He took a part-time job at the local gas station and worked after school. The patrons were startled by his youthful appearance and took pity on the child by giving him generous tips. One elderly gentleman saw Michael working on Christmas Eve and gave the boy a hundred dollar bill.

  And now, Michael Bauer was here to see his mother one last time before leaving the state altogether. When he laid down a big bouquet of red roses, purchased with that generous hundred dollar tip, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew. The air current knocked the batch of flowers away, and Michael ran after it. Raindrops started pouring, and thunder roared high above. He caught up to the half-ruined bouquet and reached down to grab it when the sky flashed. CRACKLE-BOOM! His body jerked as electricity ran through his figure to reach the ground. The last thing Michael saw was his flowers burst into flames.

  * * *

  Michael regained consciousness and found himself floating in a black void! He checked himself and discovered that his body was missing! Before he could panic, a golden aura erupted before him and forced the newly formed spirit to turn away.

  When the light vanished, Michael saw a gorgeous woman standing before him! She wore a golden dress, which accentuated a slender figure and a full chest. He noticed a pair of beautiful, white angel wings attached to her back. She wore a tiara embedded with starry jewels, which framed her smooth, silky golden hair. But the newcomer's most attractive features were her eyes, which captured his attention and forced Michael to stare at her unabashedly.

  "Welcome to the afterlife, Michael Bauer Junior. I am Altima, the Goddess of Light," the beautiful woman introduced herself with a bright smile.

  "I died?" Michael felt mixed emotions because he worked very hard during his childhood years to gain financial independence. But in a cruel twist of fate, he lost everything! Michael quickly pushed aside his anger and focused on the present. "Why am I here?" he asked calmly.

  Altima nodded her approval at his emotional stability. "That's the right question, and I will answer you directly. I pulled your soul from the Earth Realm and brought you to the neutral zone. I want you to reincarnate in my world of Zaleron," the deity explained.

  "Why me?"

  "Your soul is compatible with me. I wish to share my divine essence with you and have you join the Heavensfell clan. It is a prestigious duke house, and its bloodline possesses the unique power of divine summoning and borrows our godly powers."

  "What's the catch?" Michael understood that a duke family had tremendous power in the kingdom and shared close ties with the royal family. But he felt very suspicious of his good fortune.

  "The inheritors serve as sacrificial lambs to protect Zaleron. Your predecessor, Tsunka Heavensfell, offered his life to fuel my Holy Judgement world spell. Consequently, my magic eliminated ten million invaders from the Netherverse and closed the big portal they used to enter Zaleron," Altima answered honestly.

  "How old was Tsunka when he died?"

  "31."

  "What happened to his wife?"

  "Her water just broke, and she's starting the process of labor. I need your consent to put your soul into her son's body. Yes or no? Tell me now!"

  Michael's secret wish in his previous life was to live with his mother. He saw an opportunity to realize his dream and took it! "Yes!" he agreed. Michael didn't mind sacrificing his adult life in exchange for a blessed childhood living with a new mother.

  The goddess smiled happily at his response.

  Suddenly, the soul was sucked into a new world and crashed into a physical body! Although Michael couldn't open his eyes, he felt a maternal warmth and knew that he was inside his mother's womb! The newly reincarnated person fervently memorized the experience of his birth and carved it deep inside his heart.

  "Keep pushing! The head is almost out!" an older, female voice encouraged.

  "YEARGH!" another female voice cried out painfully.

  "Waaah! Waah!"

  "Congratulations! It's a boy!"

  Michael couldn't control his body. But his eyes opened, and he saw the face of an exhausted but beautiful woman who panted weakly. The midwife placed the newborn baby in her arms. The younger woman gently kissed his forehead. "My beautiful darling, your name is Luka Heavensfell. Someday, you will be a hero like your dad," she shared her fervent wish with him, not realizing that Michael would remember it forever.

  Michael recognized her as his mother and felt content. He inwardly gave thanks to Altima for keeping her promise of reincarnating him to the Heavensfell duke family. The newborn baby smiled at the woman, and she smiled back. Michael closed his eyes and enjoyed the new beginning of his second life.

  But several hours later, he awoke in a bright chamber. An older adult in priestly garbs held Michael in his arms. The stranger had a long, white beard and wrinkly skin but gentle blue eyes. "Hello! I see you're awake. My name is Isaac Demetrius, and I'm your godfather. I knew your father, and he asked me to watch over you in his place."

  The man turned around and pointed at the statue of Altima. "We're here today to witness your baptism and officially name you before our Goddess of Light Altima." The priest gently placed the naked baby in a small basin and washed Luka to symbolically wipe away his sins.

  "Goddess Altima, I implore as your most loyal follower for a boon! Please recognize this newborn baby as Luka Heavensfell and bless him with health, wisdom, and long life as your cherished servant! Wipe away his sins as he follows your guidance! Let him live up to his vaunted name as the son of our great hero, Tsunka Heavensfell!"

  A gold light burst from the replica of Altima and enveloped Luka. At the same time, an unstoppable force whisked his soul away to the Divine Realm.

  Glom! Michael's head slammed against a soft chest!

  "You arrived safely!" Altima squealed in delight. The goddess twirled like a ballerina while hugging him tightly to her bosom. After a few rounds, the deity released her grip slightly and rubbed her cheek against his. The goddess sighed in content. "Unfortunately, your soul is too weak to remain here for long. I will send you back to the mortal realm now with a small gift." Altima grinned mischievously before evicting his soul.

  When Michael returned to the chapel, the golden aura had faded. But a heavy silence hung over the room because everyone was gone! Suddenly, he felt an urge to look down. Michael saw the priests and nuns lying prone on the ground. He acted like a baby and giggled at their behavior to hide his bewilderment.

  The church members finally raised their heads and saw that Altima had left.

  Demetrius returned to his feet with the assistance of a male helper. "This is a sign that Altima has blessed this child. From this day forth, we recognize Luka Heavensfell as the Godson of Altima!" he declared.

  Michael laughed and clapped. He didn't understand the significance of these words but thought everyone was acting too serious. Thus, the baby tried to lighten the mood by acting childishly.

  The servants took the baby out of the basin and wiped his body. They wrapped him in a golden blanket before Demetrius carefully carried Michael into a carriage. The baby became tired during the voyage and fell asleep.

  * * *

  Ever since his birth, Michael had tried his best to act like a baby. He slept a lot and nursed from his mother's delicious breasts. His body felt like an unresponsive robot because it lacked the muscle-coordination which Michael remembered having in his former life. He felt the awkwardness of having an eighteen-year-old mind trapped inside a newborn baby's body.

  He considered telling his mother about his memories of his previous life when he could talk. But Michael worried that he would be treated as a devil by the church and burned to death. Thus, he declined to reveal his secret unless this was necessary.

  Meanwhile, the reincarnated person tried to
learn as much about his new world as possible. Of course, being a baby made this task difficult because he slept roughly 16 hours per day as a newborn. But during the waking hours, Michael listened carefully to conversations around his crib and learned many things. For example, his mother was a magic swordswoman named Juliette Silverblade and nicknamed the "Ice Queen" for her ice magic and her frosty temperament. His father was, indeed, Tsunka Heavensfell, who perished during the recently ended Netherese War. The people also called him a war hero for sacrificing his life to destroy the invaders and the portal.

  King Joram Winfred Morninglory declared three days of mourning for all the deceased participants and their surviving families. He used this brief period to gather his advisers for post-war processing. During this war, several unfortunate aristocratic houses ended; the monarch confiscated their properties for redistribution to the war effort's most significant contributors. The king also made a surprising declaration regarding the Heavensfell dukedom: a poll tax holiday for the next five years to celebrate Luka Heavensfell's birth.

  Michael astutely recognized that this announcement served two purposes. First, it alleviated pressure on his mother to make annual tax payments to the royal treasury as she focused on recovery after childbirth. The widow must also use this time to solidify her control over the Heavensfell domain as its new feudal lord.

  Second, this news reassured the kingdom that the divine summoning lineage would continue after Tsunka Heavensfell's passing. Michael thought this was a smart move by the king, which also helped his mother immensely. The baby looked forward to meeting the wise monarch when he turned older.

  Meanwhile, Michael focused on the vital task of growing up healthy. When he started crawling at six months, Juliette hired a nanny named Lia to care for her son. The duchess was swamped with work and had less time to spend with her child. But the mother made sure to put Luka to bed every night while listening to Lia's report of his daily activities.