Chapter 403: What Reward Does Athena Want?
“My unseen friend, neither of us can escape the trajectory of fate!” Athena mimicked the First Jie Luo’s tone. The words made Qin Chu frown. What had gotten into the First Jie Luo?
Had something happened? Had he realized something?
The previous soul fragments had mostly detailed the Second Jie Luo’s actions, laced with mockery. But this one was filled with self-loathing and a deep-seated hatred for Moirae, the Goddess of Fate, the one who had summoned him to this world.
It seemed Moirae had known that his summoning would be intercepted, that he would be replaced and his body taken over. Yet, she had done it anyway.
It had been a deliberate act. But… why?
What was her purpose? What did she gain from turning the original Hero into a tool of the Evil Gods?
And she had apparently summoned many other Earthlings to this world, all of whom had been killed by the Second Jie Luo and his companions. And according to the First Jie Luo, Moirae had known their fate.
What was the point?
A chilling thought crossed Qin Chu’s mind.
Casting a wide net, hoping to catch a big fish?
Was she summoning multiple Heroes, hoping to find the most suitable one, unconcerned about their deaths?
Or perhaps they were merely bait, meant to distract the Second Jie Luo and the Evil Gods, concealing her true target.
And that target might have been him.
Or perhaps even he was just bait, distracting the beings in the Void, giving another, true savior time to grow stronger.
If the First Jie Luo’s words were true, then either scenario was terrifying.
A being capable of manipulating fate… that was truly frightening.
Athena continued, her voice still flat and emotionless:
“I don’t know who you are, or where you come from, but one thing is certain: we’re both pawns in her game.”
“She knows everything that happened to me, and everything that will happen to you. Damn it, even me telling you this might be part of her plan.”
“But she doesn’t care. She deliberately left a sliver of my consciousness behind, so I could give you this information. Damn it, is that all I’m good for?”
The First Jie Luo’s voice was filled with anger and frustration, on the verge of collapse.
He had been intercepted, replaced, and destroyed before he even arrived in this world. He had initially thought it was just bad luck.
Now, realizing it had been orchestrated, that he was merely a pawn… it was unbearable.
“That bitch even manipulated the Second Jie Luo.”
“She’s a terrifying woman. Because of her influence, he’s actually trying to break free from the Evil Gods’ control.”
“She seems to want to turn him into a weapon against them.”
Qin Chu’s eyes narrowed.
So, the Second Jie Luo’s rebellion was also orchestrated by the Goddess of Fate.
“My friend, she’s dangerous. I want to encourage you to fight, to break free, but I also fear… this might be her intention.”
“Damn it, what should I do?”
“I don’t know how to escape fate. Perhaps only a power of equal or greater strength can resist it.”
His frustration and helplessness were palpable. Facing a being capable of manipulating fate, how could he be certain his actions weren’t predetermined?
The fragment contained more information, but it was mostly just the First Jie Luo ranting.
Athena stopped, her face still impassive.
Qin Chu leaned back in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, a habit Athena recognized as a sign of deep thought.
The information was limited, but crucial.
Moirae, the Goddess of Fate.
According to the Fire God, her predictions were never wrong. Even he, who disliked her cryptic pronouncements, had acknowledged her power. It was because of their trust in her that the gods had launched their suicidal attack on the Eighth Evil God.
And according to Zimmerman, the gods’ blood had created the Demon Beasts.
The Heavenly Continent had been without divine guidance for a thousand years, until the recent Demon Beast attacks forced humanity to summon Heroes. Had Moirae foreseen all of this?
How much of his own fate had she manipulated?
His actions in the first loop, his single-minded focus on defeating the Demon King, his own death… had he been a pawn in her game?
Had she known about Shaye’s time reversal ability?
Had she foreseen this second loop, the existence of two Shayes?
How much of his current life had been influenced by her?
His encounters with the beings in the Void, with the Goddess of Holy Light… were they all part of her plan? Was even this second loop her creation?
Had she foreseen that this was the only way to save the Heavenly Continent?
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
Facing such a manipulative, almost terrifying goddess… it was impossible not to overthink.
Only an equal, or greater, power could resist fate… Did his Authorities and Divinities qualify? Did the Evil God’s heart?
“Master,” Athena asked, sensing his unease, “what are you going to do?”
He shook his head, a cold smile on his face.
Regardless of Moirae’s intentions, the thought of his fate being manipulated was irritating.
“Nothing. We’ll continue as planned. Nothing changes.”
“I see.” She lowered her gaze. “Then my task is complete. You should rest, Master.”
She nodded and turned to leave.
“Athena.” He stopped her.
She turned, her face puzzled: “Is there something else, Master?”
He smiled, his gaze sweeping over her alluring figure: “I forgot to mention… you look beautiful tonight.”
Her face flushed, her eyes darting around nervously.
“Do… do I?”
“Of course. You’re always beautiful, but tonight, you’re especially captivating.” He nodded. “You’ve worked hard deciphering the soul fragment. What reward do you desire?”
Her eyes flickered: “Serving you is my duty, Master.”
Liar.
She seemed strangely attached to this master-servant dynamic.
“No, as your master, I believe in rewards and punishments,” he said, his smile widening. Why had she dressed up so meticulously? And why the initial coldness, the feigned indifference? He wasn’t completely oblivious to such things. He had simply found her reaction… amusing.
“How about this? I’ll give you another treatment. You still have six statues in your soul. Perhaps we can destroy another one?” he suggested, raising an eyebrow.
Her face flushed even deeper.
The memory of their last “treatment” was still vivid. The thought made her feel weak and strangely aroused.
She hated her own weakness. She had been so angry earlier, but now, her anger had vanished.
“But Master, you’re still weak…”
“No, no, my body is weak, but my spirit is willing. So, the active participation will have to come from you.”
“Are you… willing to try?”
He stretched, then lay down on the bed.
Chapter 404: Little Shaye’s Irritation
Athena was incredibly shy.
Although they had been intimate before, Qin Chu had always taken the lead. Athena had even used the excuse of him semi-forcing himself on her to alleviate her guilt.
As for taking the initiative… she had never done it before.
But perhaps because she now knew the truth about Jie Luo’s feelings for her, the guilt had vanished.
And the strange yearning, the stirring within her… she finally gave in, glancing at Qin Chu lying motionless on the bed. He clearly wasn’t planning on exerting himself tonight.
Of course, she still found a justification for her actions: this was for the treatment. She simply wanted to be free from the Evil Gods’ influence. That was all.
…
Meanwhile, back at the Residence.
Little Shaye was still awake.
Sleep wasn’t necessary for her. She sat on the windowsill, her slender figure practically weightless, gazing at the night sky.
She hadn’t forgotten the feeling of being watched by the beings in the Void.
It was the first time she had felt true fear. Not even the other Witches, the Demon King, or the trap in the Imperial City, had frightened her so much.
She hadn’t forgotten the goosebumps that had erupted on her skin.
Don’t look into the Void.
That warning had echoed in her mind since her birth.
Having experienced their gaze, she now understood their power. She should stay as far away from them as possible.
But sometimes, the more you feared something, the more curious you became, the stronger the urge to look, to understand, despite the potential consequences.
She smiled wryly.
Her other self had explained the nature of the blood Wadsworth had given Qin Chu, the possibility of another soul residing within Nagath, their sinister plot.
But she didn’t care.
As long as she had the resources for her experiments, she was content. And the Demon King’s Palace provided her with everything she needed.
Any ingredient, no matter how rare, was delivered to her laboratory upon request.
Or so it should be. She didn’t know why she was still here, at the Hero’s Residence.
Her other self had kept her promise, abstaining from any activities with Qin Chu, which had reassured her.
But she still felt a strange emptiness.
Suddenly, she tilted her head, her ears twitching.
She heard a faint sound from upstairs, from Qin Chu’s bedroom. It was Athena’s voice, initially muffled, then growing louder, more unrestrained.
Little Shaye’s face flushed, her mind conjuring images.
She had once made similar sounds.
Her crimson eyes glistened.
She had thought she had forgotten, had moved on.
But Athena’s cries reawakened the memories, the sensations.
She hadn’t forgotten.
A chaotic mix of emotions surged within her.
After a long while, silence returned. She leaned against the window, her breath coming in short gasps, her eyes slightly unfocused.
She had never felt so restless.
She wanted to leave, to escape, yet she hesitated.
She traced the windowsill with her finger. What… what did it feel like?
…
Qin Chu rarely relinquished control, but occasionally, it was a different kind of pleasure.
His consciousness was within Athena’s soul world.
Having been here before, he quickly navigated the desert-like landscape, finding his target.
The altar, Athena’s soul bound by chains.
The shattered remains of the Lord of Pleasure’s statue remained, unchanged, which reassured him slightly. It hadn’t regenerated.
He glanced at the remaining six statues: the grotesque toad, the sinister face in the flames, the skeletal throne, the sphere with countless eyes, the rotting flesh with writhing tentacles, the crimson mist with its gaping maw…
They were as repulsive as ever.
Athena’s soul, still bound to the altar, looked like a sacrificial offering.
He had exhausted himself during her previous treatment, damaging her soul, but she seemed to have recovered.
She noticed his presence, a faint smile on her face, as if welcoming him.
While he couldn’t communicate with her directly, he could sense her emotions.
He nodded, his consciousness drifting above the altar, searching for his next target.
He chose the rotting flesh with tentacles.
No particular reason. He simply found it repulsive.
His consciousness surged towards it.
This time, he didn’t use Holy Light, but the Gluttony Divinity and the Devourer.
The Gluttony Divinity’s Hungry Wriggling and the Greed Ability’s Devourer were similar in some ways, both absorbing energy, but there were differences.
The Devourer could only absorb the energy and abilities of living beings, its effectiveness limited against stronger opponents.
Hungry Wriggling, however, converted anything it consumed into usable energy, its efficiency far surpassing the Devourer’s. But this energy was temporary, vanishing after use, and abilities were simply consumed, not absorbed. However, theoretically, it could devour anything: a tree, a river, a mountain… even poison or weapons or magic.
Even a god.
Whether he could digest it was another matter.
The Devourer, being a mere Ability-granted talent, was inherently weaker than the Gluttony Divinity.
If it were the Authority of Greed, not just the Ability, its power might have rivaled Hungry Wriggling.
As he pondered this, Hungry Wriggling had already taken a bite out of the statue’s head.
Its effect was even greater than he had anticipated.
The statue shuddered, its chains rattling, as if sensing the threat.
Qin Chu felt as if the other five statues were now watching him, their gazes unsettling.
His consciousness flickered, threatening to collapse.
He quickly regained control. He didn’t have much time. The Goddess of Holy Light was weak, the Evil Gods’ influence growing stronger. If he accidentally drew their attention to Athena’s soul world, it would be disastrous.
He pushed the Gluttony Divinity to its limits, Hungry Wriggling devouring the statue, chunk by chunk.
Then, the Devourer appeared, wrapping around the damaged statue, seeping into it.
Having absorbed the Lord of Pleasure’s statue, he knew these statues contained fragments of divinity, a valuable supplement, which he didn’t want the Gluttony Divinity to consume.
Thanks to Hungry Wriggling’s damage, the Devourer’s penetration was much easier. It quickly reached the statue’s core, and its powerful suction force activated.
Crunch, crunch, crunch…
A faint, grey thread was pulled from the statue.
Qin Chu’s consciousness surged forward, absorbing it.
The Authority of Decomposition!
Decomposition Divinity!
