As Ashok stood there, watching the final remnants of the Divine Authority being consumed, a twisted sense of satisfaction swirled within him. The moment the last traces of the Authority were swallowed by the veil, he couldn't help but feel a surge of inner happiness.
'Well, her grudge does run deep against those Heavenly Gods. Strengthening your own Divine Authority by absorbing the Authority of Others... and that Authority belongs to an entirely different faction. Not every god could do that. That veil already granted complete immunity to everything, It's hard to predict what more it will do after strengthening itself.
Wait a second, didn't I just create a big butterfly effect right now?
...
Meh! Who cares? As long as I get what I want, this world can go fuck itself.'
"I have to say, Foreigner, you are the first one I have seen to be loved that much by gods of different factions. To think there is another Divine Authority inside you that belongs to some Outer. Though extremely weak compared to the one you just sacrificed, it probably protected your soul from getting merged with the original soul of that body, preventing you from turning into a chimera." Said the being hiding an important fact from Ashok.
Ashok's mind swirled with confusion and disbelief as the being's words sank in. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, struggling to make sense of the new revelation.
'One more?!
I thought I was finally free after I sacrificed the System... or should I call it Divine Authority, and Adlet... but now another one? And it protected me.
Wait... did she say our soul getting merged? That kind of thing is possible? I thought the System said 'Memory Assimilation,' not 'Soul Assimilation. I was saved by another Divine Authority and not by my efforts' Ashok was dejected hearing that.
All his effort, his planning, the manipulation of the System—he had believed that he was the one in control. But now learning, that he was saved not by his own cunning or strength, but by some external Divine Authority.
It felt like a punch to his gut.
'What should I do with this Second Authority now? Do I sacrifice it as well? But it saved my soul from becoming a chimera.
Uhh! What should I do? Unknown and Uncertainty are two things that I hate the most. Anything could happen with matters regarding the Divine. What if the Outer who gave me this Divine Authority decides to show up and demand a payment for saving my soul? And then what? I wouldn't even have the option to refuse. I'd be stuck in some debt I never intended to create. Great.'
Ashok stood amid his inner turmoil, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts about the Second Authority. He had already sacrificed the System and Adlet, and each decision had come with its own set of consequences.
Ashok took a deep breath, pushing his worries aside for the moment. He had made his decision. 'I'll just leave it for now,' he thought. 'Unlike the System or Adlet, it hasn't harmed me. In fact, it's been beneficial so far. It's doing no damage, so there's no need to rush into a decision.'
"Looks like you sorted your thoughts, Foreigner. And it seems you've decided to keep the Second Authority. Why don't you sacrifice that as well? I will increase the amount of blessing you should receive" said the being, it was hard for Ashok to guess the intention behind her words because of the cold voice.
"It's fine! Goddess, sacrificing everything is not always the answer. And talking about blessings, I think I have already reached the peak of sacrifice when it comes to that," Ashok said, his tone unwavering.
"Oh! The peak. How so?" asked the goddess.
"Sacrificing a Manifestation of a Divine Authority means The God of Fate loses a substantial portion of their Divinity in the process. Divinity is the core essence used to bestow blessings. With the sacrifice of something as potent as that Divine Authority alone, I would already be entitled to receive a blessing of the highest caliber.
But that's only the beginning. Next comes the soul of the original owner of this body—the soul of a living being is one of the most valuable sacrifices, especially to entities from the depths of Hell. A living soul with its memories intact can be used in countless ways: for the creation of vessels, black magic, or countless other dark rituals. It is an incredibly versatile and potent offering, one that holds immense value.
Finally, there is the matter of the value of the sacrifice itself. Given the deep and undeniable grudge your Highness has shown towards the Heavenly, the sacrifice of something tied to their Divinity—something so fundamentally connected to their power—would undoubtedly resonate with great significance." Explained Ashok.
SILENCE
SILENCE
'Umm! What? Why did she go silent all of a sudden? Did I say something wrong?' Ashok thought, his mind racing while maintaining a calm, composed expression.
The goddess, however, remained eerily quiet. Ashok could feel her gaze on him, unwavering and intense as if she were carefully weighing his every word.
After the moment of heavy silence, the Goddess finally spoke "Tell me, Foreigner, are gods common where you come from?
'Ah, so that's what it was,' Ashok thought, finally grasping the true reason behind the goddess's question. 'She's surprised by my extensive knowledge of the Divine and my calm demeanor. It's hard to understand her true intentions with that cold, emotionless voice of hers.'
He answered, "Gods do exist in the world I come from, but gods are not the source of my knowledge. I learned a few things about this world before I was brought here." His voice was calm, devoid of any arrogance, and carefully composed to convey the information without revealing too much.
"What is the blessing that you seek from me, Foreigner?" asked the Goddess, her voice carrying a subtle weight as the ritual neared its end.
.....
Happy New Year, 🎊 🎊 Dear Readers