Strongest Necromancer Of Heaven's Gate Chapter 4 The Gamble Of The God Of Gamblers

Max twirled his beard while Lucien selected his option.

"Let me confirm once more," Max declared, his face etched with gravity. "You desire a random High-Tier Skill as your complimentary reward, right?"

"Yes." Lucien nodded firmly. "I select this one, Your Excellency."

The Angel, arms folded across her chest, arched an eyebrow upon hearing Lucien's selection. Evidently, she hadn't anticipated the youth picking that particular choice.

"Got it." Max grinned and clapped his hands three times.

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(A/N: I know a lot of you may be disappointed with his choice, but keep reading. A surprise is waiting in the next few chapters).

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All of a sudden, the form clutched in Lucien's hand ignited in flames. The glowing embers drifted toward the youth's chest and fused into his form. Yet Max had more in store.

The earlier completed form erupted into fire, its ashes soaring toward Lucien's body as well.

A warm sensation flooded the young man's frame as a mysterious force swelled inside his soul. While he lingered in the wondrous aftermath, he abruptly discovered himself suspended in the void, beneath the myriad galaxies he'd glimpsed before.

To his right stood Max, the God of Gamblers, and to his left loomed Himea, the snarky angel plagued by her irredeemably foul temperament.

"Lucien, do you understand why I picked you from the myriad souls across the multiverse to be the inaugural participant in the Heaven's Gate Project?" Max inquired, locking eyes with the youth.

"No," Lucien replied. He remained clueless about his selection for the Heaven's Gate Project.

Max grinned while slapping Lucien's shoulder. "Because you fought desperately to survive right up to the agonizing finale. You could've surrendered at any moment, yet you rejected the simple path of self-destruction."

Lucien regarded the elder with a grave look. "That's simply because I'm a coward. Death terrifies me, so I battled on until the last breath. Nothing heroic in that."

Max chuckled heartily, mussing the youth's hair. "You might be correct, but cowardice isn't your flaw. Survival demands bravery, and I hope you carry that boldness into your upcoming life."

Lucien gazed upward at the beaming elder. For the first time, someone urged him to endure.

In his past life, he'd constantly endured taunts like "You're nothing but dead weight. Just die already" or "You're an error. You never should've existed."

Those cruel barbs echoed endlessly. Reflecting now, moments arose when he yearned to terminate his torment by ending it all. But fear of death held him back.

Utter terror of death compelled him to cling to life until the brutal conclusion.

Lucien clenched his lip to stifle tears. Unsure if souls could weep, he'd be cursed before displaying such frailty.

Several minutes elapsed until composure returned. Then he lifted his gaze to the God of Gamblers, voicing the query burning since entering this enigmatic realm.

"Your Excellency, you haven't revealed the Heaven's Gate Project's objective yet," Lucien noted. "Would you kindly explain it?"

"Lucien, the Heaven's Gate Project aims to reshape a world's destiny. You're the elect to herald a fresh epoch, guiding it toward prosperity and radiance."

"I doubt I possess the caliber for such a monumental duty…"

"Gorgeous ladies await you there! With fortune, you might claim multiple wives!"

"Entrust it to me, Your Excellency!" His demeanor reversed instantly, and Lucien thumped his chest like a warrior marching to battle. "You've selected the perfect candidate. I'll dominate that world for you!"

"World Conquest? Absolutely! I grant permission! A true man dreams grandly! All or nothing, win big or weep! Hahahaha!"

The angel glowered at the pair of lecherous fools with disdain while conjuring a massive cannon. Her tolerance had reached its breaking point; she yearned to wrap up this assignment swiftly.

Spotting the Angel's glare, Max offered a wry smile and beckoned Lucien nearer.

"Approach, Lucien," Max commanded. "Your adventure commences now."

The God of Gamblers swept his hand, materializing a door before them. He flung it open, strode through, and hauled the youth inside.

The Angel trailed them, sealing the door. Their destination: the testing chamber housing the Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon.

—-

"Wow!" Lucien's eyes gleamed at the colossal cannon ahead. "T-This is incredible!"

Max burst into laughter, slapping the boy's shoulder, delighted by his enthusiasm.

"Building this beast wasn't cheap," Max remarked cheerfully. "Himea, darling, fire up the cannon and verify it's primed?"

"Okay," the Angel responded.

She advanced to the control console, pressing buttons to activate the cannon's warmup and energy accumulation. Meanwhile, Max regaled Lucien with the cannon's creation tale.

"This marvel is called the Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon, or SIMP for brevity," Max proclaimed. "Stunning, eh?"

"Um? Sir Max, shouldn't it abbreviate to HSMRC rather than SIMP?" Lucien questioned.

"Kid, ignore the trivialities. If I deem it the SIMP Cannon, that's what it is."

"O-Okay."

Himea rolled her eyes at the God of Gamblers' usual nonsense. Were it not for his lifelong guardianship since her inception, she might've abandoned him for saner deities without psychological baggage.

Having inspected the cannon, Himea confirmed all systems optimal.

"Your Excellency, cannon status is fully green," Himea announced. "Ready to launch whenever."

Max nodded, then tapped Lucien's shoulder to signal the moment's arrival.

"Lucien, prepared?" Max teased. "Your fresh odyssey launches shortly."

"I'm ready," Lucien affirmed.

"Excellent! Now, into the cannon you go."

"Uh, Sir, how exactly wi—aaahh!"

Lucien couldn't complete his sentence before Max seized his waist and soared to the cannon's muzzle.

"Fire in the hole!" Max bellowed, hurling Lucien into the barrel.

A resounding thump echoed, chased by an "Ouch!", prompting Max's roaring laughter.

"Boy, you alright?" Max called. "Hurting much?"

"I'm not alright!" Lucien yelled. He hadn't foreseen being flung like a projectile. "It hurts!"

"Glad you're intact. Final words?"

"F*ck you!"

Max smirked, signaling Himea to proceed.

"Heaven's Gate Project activated," Himea intoned, fingers flying over the control keys. "Locking coordinates…"

The SIMP Cannon swiveled rightward, targeting a distant purple galaxy.

With coordinates aligned, Himea unveiled the firing trigger's glass cover. "Sir, cannon primed for discharge!"

"Initiate countdown!" Max commanded.

Himea assented. "Countdown commencing. Ten, nine, eight, seven…

Three…

Two…

One…

"Hyper-Super-Mega-Rebirth-Cannon, fire!"

The stunning angel slammed the crimson button, unleashing the launch protocol.

Lucien morphed into a radiant orb, enveloped by thick strata of potent arcane energy.

Moments later, a massive energy sphere crowned the cannon's barrel. It amassed Divine essence to propel Lucien's soul through the multiverse.

Sparks crackled along the cannon's frame, smoke billowing from spots. This ominous portent filled the God of Gamblers and the angel with dread.

Confirming their worst fears, alarms blared throughout the testing zone, signaling critical cannon failure.

"Halt the launch immediately!" Max barked. He hadn't foreseen his treasured invention malfunctioning now. He extended his hand, channeling Divinity to shield Lucien's soul.

Yet before his power connected, the sequence finalized. A thunderous roar erupted as a magical beam lanced through the Celestial Realm, trailed by a deafening blast.

The cannon detonated, fragmenting into countless shards that sprayed wildly.

Max instantly warped before Himea, erecting a Divine barrier to safeguard them both.

Once turmoil subsided, the God of Gamblers surveyed the debris, then peered skyward.

High above, a azure comet hurtled toward the purple galaxy, trailing luminous wake.

"Status on Lucien?" Max demanded, eyeing the surviving monitors.

Himea keyed commands, displaying Lucien's soul data.

"No… impossible…," Max muttered in disbelief at the horrific readings.

Lucien's soul had sustained grievous harm mid-launch, teetering on collapse. Only Max's impromptu safety features prevented total dissolution.

"Y-Your Excellency, Lucien can't achieve standard rebirth like this," Himea fretted. "Worst case, his soul vanishes entirely."

Max inhaled deeply, acutely aware of the crisis. Yet intervention proved impossible. The destination world lay forsaken by divinities.

One ally remained: Eriol, the God of Games, Max's closest comrade.

"Himea, locate Eriol," Max instructed, ascending skyward. "Brief him on our plight. He'll handle it."

Himea noted the defeat in Max's expression, fueling her unease.

"Your Excellency, your destination?" Himea queried.

"My blunder," Max answered, amassing Divinity. "I'll at least guarantee Lucien's soul endures."

With those words, the God of Gamblers became a golden comet, streaking after the blue comet breaching the purple galaxy.

This desperate chase against the clock saw the God of Gamblers wager all to rescue his world-saving protégé.