How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 165

Somehow, the more I listened to Kephri’s story, the stronger the feeling grew that gods and humans were similar.

 

Dividing the strong and the weak according to the power they possessed, the petty way they had framed mages to prevent the birth of a new god, and even the fact that those I had thought immortal would die once their divine power was exhausted.

 

‘They might even be worse than humans…’

 

The moment my thoughts reached that point, I hurriedly shook my head and cleared away the idle notions.

 

I had only then recalled that Kephri, sitting opposite me, could see straight through every one of them. I knew lying would be useless, yet to reduce even a little misunderstanding I glanced at his expression and cautiously opened my mouth.

 

“Um, that… the thought I just had was only from a human’s perspective! In human society…”

 

“The thought that the gods, who are selfish, self-centered, and whose moral sense you could search for with your eyes washed clean and still never find, are worse than the humans who live by cooperating with one another?”

 

“I, I didn’t think it that severely. It was only to the extent that the concepts of good and evil seemed less distinct compared to humans. Haha.”

 

I laughed awkwardly and made excuses.

 

Surprisingly, Kephri answered by giving a slight nod, as if agreeing with my opinion.

 

“To the eyes of humans who establish rules and live in communities, it would look that way. But most gods regard their own will as good itself.”

 

He said that gods generally considered their own choices to be both law and truth, and that when conflicts of opinion occasionally arose among them, the side with the stronger divine power was deemed correct.

 

“I see…”

 

Judging solely by the content, the heavens did not seem like the paradise humans imagined, but rather a lawless realm where the weak could not survive.

 

‘In a certain sense it might be more terrifying than the underworld.’

 

The underworld had been pitch-black throughout, yet the atmosphere itself had felt peaceful.

 

I was thinking it might be better than the heavens where one had to live watching the faces of the strong, when Kephri clicked his tongue lightly and resumed the interrupted explanation.

 

“Tsk. Anyway, to return to the main point: divine power is infinite and without limit, yet the divine power granted to a god is not infinite.”

 

Therefore, he said, if I continued absorbing divine power from Selene, Nanna would have no choice but to withdraw the blessing in order to avoid perishing.

 

“But when I’ve absorbed enough divine power for Lord Nanna to feel the crisis of extinction, are there any special side effects?”

 

Having nearly suffered hardship a few days ago when the divine power of Huluppu and Selene had flowed in all at once, I carefully checked every detail.

 

“Normally, if one absorbs more divine power than can be handled, the body may shatter, but you will be fine.”

 

The choice of words was rather chilling.

 

‘Not just something going wrong with the body, but the form itself collapsing?’

 

I had experienced a similar sensation myself, so I grew even more frightened for no reason.

 

“Before any strain reaches your body, the divine power will flow out through the god’s mark.”

 

“Will the god who gave me the blessing also be unharmed?”

 

“Well. I cannot say for certain, but it should not be particularly bad for your god either.”

 

Kephri answered that since divine power would be generated for the nameless god, it might actually be better.

 

“That’s a relief then. But is this only a temporary measure?”

 

Having listened silently to his claim, I grew puzzled and asked again whether it was truly only a temporary measure.

 

From every angle it had felt like a clean solution.

 

“Because after you die, Nanna might grant a blessing to another human again.”

 

It was a reasonable inference.

 

Unlike short-lived humans, gods could live eternally as long as they possessed divine power.

 

As he pointed out, even if Selene’s regressions ended for now, there was the possibility that after we had all died, another victim identical to Selene would appear.

 

‘Of course it has nothing to do with me, but it still feels a bit unsettling.’

 

It was a matter of the distant future that might or might not even happen, and I could not even guess who the target would be, yet it still bothered me.

 

That was because I had watched from up close the suffering that an ordinary human could not endure.

 

“Do not worry overmuch. In reality there is almost no room for something similar to occur.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

“Thanks to the warning the ruler of the underworld issued through you.”

 

While only question marks floated in my head at the words I could not easily understand, Kephri’s voice continued.

 

“You yourself proved that if Nanna grants a blessing to a human, she can grant one as well and interfere.”

 

Moreover, as long as the pact among the gods existed, Nanna would be unable to involve himself directly with the surface, so for the most part there was no need to worry, he added.

 

“Well, he could change methods and approach, of course.”

 

Was he telling me to feel at ease, or not to?

 

I stared at Kephri, who employed such ambiguous phrasing, with a dumbfounded look, when suddenly one important fact came to mind.

 

“Why didn’t the god who gave me the blessing tell me this important thing?”

 

“She probably did not know. I too only thought of this method after peeking at your memories here and now.”

 

He explained using the severed underworld as an example.

 

Because of her, who possessed an unknown power subtly different from divine power, the underworld had been completely cut off from the heavens, and as a result even the existing gods could not freely come and go.

 

That was why he had never expected that she, who had no divine power, would be able to absorb the divine power of another god.

 

In the first place, a human becoming a god was unprecedented, and that god then granting a blessing to a human again was also a first.

 

“I see.”

 

Once I organized the situation, it seemed she had truly played an outstanding gamble.

 

Thanks to going around causing events that neither the gods of the heavens nor even she who had brought me to this world had predicted, she had ultimately found a way to end Selene’s regressions.

 

For a moment I recalled her bright laughter, then quickly collected myself and asked Kephri once more to confirm.

 

“Anyway, in conclusion, there is no perfect solution to stop Lord Nanna, right?”

 

“There is.”

 

“…”

 

Because the answer returned so quickly, I could not be sure of what I had heard and asked again.

 

“Th-that… I think I just heard something wrong. You said there isn’t…”

 

“There is.”

 

“…”

 

It was so absurd that I lost my words and only moved my lips.

 

‘Could he be on Nanna’s side and have been hiding it? No. Then there would be no need to reveal it now. Why on earth…’

 

Before I could voice the questions that had sprung up in my mind, Kephri spoke first.

 

“I did not deliberately try to hide it. I simply did not mention it because it is something you cannot do.”

 

“Then who can do it?”

 

“I can.”

 

“Excuse meee?”

 

While I was wondering what kind of method would make it impossible for me yet possible for Kephri, his next words reached me.

 

“I return to Dilmun and directly restrain Nanna.”

 

Aside from Nanna, the other gods were indeed wary of the birth of a new god as I knew, so if Nanna’s schemes were exposed, he would receive a prohibition that would prevent even indirect involvement with the surface.

 

“Such an easy method…!”

 

It was a solution so clear and certain that admiration came out on its own.

 

Yet before I could feel joy, he poured cold water on it.

 

“However, I will not do it.”

 

“Why not!”

 

“I do not yet wish to discard the dragon’s body.”

 

“…”

 

I did not know what meaning living alone in a small cabin deep in the mountains held for him, yet I could not force someone who refused to return, so I was about to give up.

 

If only the words he had spoken earlier had not suddenly come to mind.

 

“Earlier you said you owed me a debt. Couldn’t that somehow work?”

 

“Quite shameless. You don’t even know what debt I owe you, yet.”

 

His voice without highs or lows was plain, yet the sense of pressure emanating from him grew one level stronger.

 

Neither wings had sprouted from his back, nor horns from his head, yet a tremendous aura as if facing the Demon King pressed down on me.

 

Even so, I was no longer afraid of him.

 

That was thanks to learning what my unique ability was.

 

‘I’m practically immortal too!’

 

Knowing that I would never die, I decided to push forward even more shamelessly.

 

“Whatever it is, the fact that Lord Kephri owes me a debt does not change.”

 

“Tsk. I shouldn’t have let you meet her.”

 

Kephri, whose irritated expression was plain, replied indifferently, yet contrary to expectation he quickly conceded.

 

“As you say, it is true that I owe you a debt, so I will grant one request. However, excluding returning to Dilmun.”

 

Firmness was settled in the vertically elongated pupils.

 

Even if the sky split in two he did not seem likely to retract the statement he had just made, so I decided not to force the matter any further.

 

“Understood. But nothing comes to mind right now. If something I need to request arises later, may I come find you?”

 

He looked at me with a gaze that seemed to say “what sort of human is this,” yet I believed my demand was justified and did not avoid his eyes.

 

“…Do as you please.”