Chapter 197

The God of Causality.

Theo thought they—whether they were a “he” or a “she”—were remarkably peculiar among the many gods of the Pantheon.

Even during his ascent of the White Tower, the God of Causality had occasionally displayed behavior that could only be described as clueless.

And now, they were acting just the same.

"If what Ashin said is true, and all the messages I’ve seen so far were created by this god... it’s such a stark contradiction."

The messages Theo had encountered up to this point were so mechanical—delivered with an emotionless bluntness that only stated facts.

Even quest penalties always ended in death.

It was hard to imagine such a personality being behind trials so merciless.

"More than that, they’ve consistently shown favor toward me, even back in the White Tower."

This disconnect made it impossible for Theo to reconcile the messages with the God of Causality.

"Kerto."

『Yes, my lord.』

"What do you know about this?"

『I’m merely a messenger conveying the will of the Pantheon, my lord. Nothing more.』

"...."

『However, I can confirm one thing: the 'system' you refer to—the messages—it is indeed the creation of the God of Causality. They also manage it personally.』

So, it really was all the work of the God of Causality?

Theo’s thoughts paused as he caught a slip in Kertosucus’s words.

"Just because they created and manage the system doesn’t mean they’re the ones using it."

『That is correct. Utilizing the system is a completely different matter.』

That meant the deity issuing quests to Theo wasn’t necessarily the God of Causality.

"Then who is this user?"

『All of them.』

"All of them?"

『The gods of the Pantheon. They are all watching you, my lord. And each holds a different level of expectation for you. Some harbor great goodwill toward you.』

Theo’s gaze instinctively turned toward the system messages.

[The Administrator seems startled, as though their eyes met yours.]

[The Administrator quickly glances around, trying to hide out of embarrassment.]

『On the other hand, some hold no particular expectations at all.』

[A deity of ■■ is observing you.]

『And then, there are those who harbor hostility toward you.』

"Hostility? Toward me?"

Theo struggled to understand Kertosucus’s statement.

He was fighting on the front lines against the Nameless Sovereign for their sake. How could they be indifferent, let alone hostile?

『Primarily, they are gods who believe someone else should have been chosen as the Chosen One. Or, they have friendly ties with the Outer Gods.』

It initially baffled Theo to think a god could be friendly with Outer Gods, but he soon understood, nodding to himself.

It was no different from human societies. There could be spies or individuals who, regardless of affiliation, found kinship with those outside their faction.

Everyone’s stance differed depending on their political circumstances.

Why would gods be any different?

In a strange way, Theo felt relieved.

Even gods, supposedly transcendent beings, were ultimately just another form of life.

『Some also wish to test you further, my lord.』

[An unnamed god is scrutinizing your every decision and action.]

[An unnamed god hopes to see you achieve something more extraordinary.]

Theo had a hunch about this god’s identity.

Sigurd Ragnar.

If it was the progenitor he had glimpsed before, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to take a deep interest in the descendant who had succeeded them as Lodbrok’s companion.

"So, the system is essentially the will or test of the Pantheon gods, moderated by the God of Causality?"

『Precisely. The God of Causality adjusts and balances it accordingly.』

At last, Theo understood why the difficulty of the quests had been so inconsistent and why they sometimes seemed disjointed.

"Then the rewards also come from the gods of the Pantheon."

While he felt a sense of clarity from uncovering this truth, Theo couldn’t shake his irritation.

"In the end, they see me as nothing more than a convenient puppet, don’t they?"

The idea of mortal beings being used at the whims of these gods deeply unsettled him.

Sure, the quests had allowed him to grow stronger at a rapid pace.

Yes, Theo had actively leveraged the system to his advantage.

But that didn’t make the notion any less infuriating.

It was like how humans might casually regard ants as insignificant creatures to be dealt with as they pleased.

Theo now had a clearer understanding of how gods viewed humanity.

"I think I’m starting to understand why Father holds such contempt for Lodbrok and the Dragon Emperor."

Lodbrok, as the emissary of the Pantheon, was essentially a god of this world.

The Dragon Emperor, on the other hand, had succumbed to madness, surrendering his soul and sanity to the Outer Gods.

The hatred of the Chosen Ones likely stemmed from a similar reason—their divine ability to manipulate time itself robbed humanity of free will.

[The Administrator nervously assures you that not all gods are like that.]

Theo adjusted his grip on the Dragon Slayer and Dragon Fang Blades.

Regardless of what the God of Causality or the Pantheon might say, his trust in gods and transcendents was beginning to wither.

He had no immediate intention of rebelling against their will, of course.

But respect? That was now out of the question.

And then—

"To make that absolutely clear, I’ll have to completely destroy that thing."

Theo’s gaze fixed on the writhing pieces of Ashin’s flesh, scattering through the air and sprouting tentacles.

The fragments connected, forming grotesque, inverted human faces.

"Kyaahaha!"

"So much fun! Truly, this is so much fun!"

"This is my first time playing such a thrilling game! My first time!"

"Let’s play more! More!"

"And then I’ll eat you!!"

It wasn’t over yet.

Theo clenched his fist.

Blazing sparks erupted, summoning a storm of lightning bolts that rained down like a relentless barrage.

Boom! Crash! Boom!

The bolts struck the pieces of flesh, incinerating them, while the flames rising from the scorched ground burned the remaining fragments to ash.

Behind Theo, a massive iron gate swung open, and a legion of dragons emerged.

This time, however, the legion was slightly different.

At the base of each dragon’s feet, a chronograph spun rapidly in reverse, and atop their bodies, the forms of swordsmen began to materialize.

[The region is saturated with the power of dragons.]

[The conditions for activating have been met. Spell activated.]

[Heroic Spirits are emerging.]

- The Dragon Phalanx!!

Heroic Spirits of the spectral blades began descending.

- Outer God? I don’t care what it is! Let’s sweep it all away!

- Charge!!

- Forward!!

The 299 Heroic Spirits began erasing Ashin’s fragments with terrifying speed.

[‘Charm of Fortune’ has been added to the attributes of the Heroic Spirits. Antivirus program activated.]

[The virus is being deleted at a rapid pace.]

[Some parts of the virus fiercely resist.]

The Heroic Spirits exuded a powerful aura, reminiscent of their peak days when they had driven the Nameless Sovereign into the abyss.

Meanwhile, the dragons fought with unmatched vigor, their morale bolstered by fury over Nessie’s death.

"Aah...!"

"I wanted to play more..."

"What a shame..."

"I wanted to eat you, too. Sigh!"

"But! But you’ll play with me next time, right? Won’t you? Promise meee!"

Ashin’s faces dissolved rapidly, not in pain but in gleeful anticipation of a future reunion.

Crack!

When the last fragment of Ashin’s head shattered, the chaos finally subsided.

"Hoo...!"

"That thing just wouldn’t die, would it?"

"In some ways, worse than the Nameless Sovereign."

The Heroic Spirits sighed deeply as they gazed at the pulverized remains of Ashin, their exhaustion evident.

The surrounding forest had been completely obliterated, leaving no trace of its former self.

"But, descendant, why do you still look like that?"

One of the Heroic Spirits tilted their head as they noticed Theo still surveying the area with a grim expression.

"It’s not over yet."

"What do you mean?"

Before Theo could elaborate on the absence of messages confirming the virus’s destruction or quest completion—

BOOM!

From beneath the ground, a colossal Ashin burst forth, its gaping maw descending toward Theo.

"Haha! Surprise! I wasn’t completely gone yet!"

"Sorry, but you’re not the one I’ve been looking for."

With an icy, mocking gaze, Theo smirked.

Before Ashin could respond, a black lightning bolt descended from the sky, splitting its body apart.

Boom! Crackle!

Amid the settling dust, a man slowly rose to his feet.

"That face...?"

"It looks so much like our descendant!"

"Then is he one of our kin?"

"But why does he reek of the Nameless Sovereign?"

The Heroic Spirits glared at the black-haired man, whose presence exuded the stench of the Sacred Demon Cult.

The dragons, too, bared their hostility.

Ashin, now split in two, scrambled to retreat but soon merged back together, its rotating head howling in anguish.

"What’s the meaning of this, Fifth Apostle? Did ■■■ teach you to interfere like this?"

Seemingly annoyed at being interrupted during its “game,” Ashin stomped its feet furiously.

The man, however, merely smirked, dismissing the notion with a wave of his hand.

"Don’t mistake me for the other apostles. I stand as an equal to the Nameless Sovereign, bound only by mutual contract. And..."

As he stepped forward, black miasma and madness surged from his body, devouring the remnants of Ashin’s flesh scattered throughout the area.

These fragments, meant to be raw material for Ashin’s revival, were now utterly eradicated.

The absorbed divine energy from Ashin further strengthened the man’s overwhelming presence.

"This was my playground from the start. That child was my guest. And you had the nerve to disrupt us?"

With a casual gesture, the miasma and madness around the man took the form of dragons, devouring Ashin’s body entirely.

Crack! Crack!

"I’ll go for now! But next time, I’ll play properly! Promise me! Play with me again next time! Promise!!"

Ashin let out a bizarre cry before vanishing completely.

"Hoo. Finally, the uninvited guest is gone."

The Heroic Spirits and dragons, exhausted from their earlier struggles, now turned wary eyes toward the man who had effortlessly consumed Ashin’s avatar.

"A Ragnar who is also an Apostle...? What in the world is that thing?"

To their eyes, the man seemed neither fully Ragnar nor fully a zealot of the Sacred Demon Cult.

He was a hybrid. A monstrosity.

Yet the man paid no attention to their wary stares. His gaze was fixed on Theo.

And in his eyes, there was no madness, no malice—only warmth.

"I didn’t expect us to meet like this, but it’s good to see you, grandson."

The Dragon Emperor smiled.