Chapter 61
The dark sky was the only thing visible no matter how far he tried to look ahead, it was as if he'd been stranded in space, stuck floating in a state of weightlessness.
Along with his body, his thoughts seemed to have wandered off somewhere as well, he couldn't think of anything other than admire how beautiful the stars around him shone, he simply hovered, motionless, not thinking of anything in particular while at the same time very aware of his surroundings.
'…Wait.'
Theodore's eyes widened as he suddenly straightened himself, he looked around frantically as he realized that he was in an unfamiliar space. "Is this the divine world?"
[Theodore.]
The feminine voice that called his name startled him, he turned all over to see who'd spoken, but to his surprise, no one was there.
The voice continued, and it was then that Theodore realized who it belonged to. [You don't have a domain in the divine world yet, so you've been taken somewhere random…]
"Apophis? Where exactly is this random place?"
[…Hm, I would guess that it's some sort of dumpster since it's so empty…But I think I know where this is. Stay there.]
Without a word of warning, the space around him began to warp out of proportion, it spun around and shifted until the scenery changed into something that Theodore could recognize.
It was Apophis' maze-like garden.
The owner of the space was standing in front of him with her arms akimbo, still wearing the same dress as when he'd met her for the first time.
She smiled at him softly as she greeted. "Welcome home honey~"
"I…" Theodore shook his head, he had a more important matter to focus on. "Thank you, anyway, you know why I'm here so take me—"
"Ah, be patient, child," Apophis cut him off, she gently took his hand before guiding him into the maze. "You should take your time and let your body get used to the divine powers first, you almost lost yourself on your way here, didn't you?"
Theodore didn't reply immediately. "…Okay."
"That's right, you can leave immediately after you're fully prepared," Soon, the two of them came to a stop in front of a wooden house, it wasn't small nor was it big enough to be called a mansion, it had a simple design like the ones often seen in a forest. "Do you want some cookies? I can bake you some~"
Theodore thought about denying it, but seeing the anticipated look on Apophis' face, he couldn't bring himself to say no and gave her a nod.
"Oh, Theo!" Lawrence's voice sounded from the house's front yard, the old man was sitting in a rocking chair with a book in his hand, next to him was a small table, where a cup of steaming coffee and a piece of strawberry cake were on.
"Hi dad," Theodore spoke sheepishly, he was half-expecting his father to be there, but it was still weird to see a dead person acting as if he was still alive, it gave him a bittersweet feeling.
"You two can catch up, I'll go get the cookies real quick~" Apophis told them before disappearing into the house, not even bothering to close the door behind her.
Theodore slowly took a seat next to the table where his dad was sitting, his chair then suddenly turned from a regular wooden chair to a comfortable sofa, making it stand out among the other nature-themed furniture around the place.
Lawrence laughed when he saw his son's dumbfounded expression. "Ariel—I mean Apophis is amazing isn't she? The seat will change to match your personal preference, she said."
"Haha…" Theodore laughed back with a hint of insincerity in his voice, he leaned back against his armchair before speaking. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, I'm glad."
Lawrence suddenly went quiet, he was looking at Theodore blankly with a soft smile on his face, eventually he would speak up. "…I heard from your mother what you're going to do…"
"Are you worried about me?" Theodore laughed, this time it was really because he found it funny. "I told you not to worry about me, I'll wrap up this mess quickly and—"
"I know, I know…" Lawrence sighed. "But I'm your father, Theo, how can a parent not worry about their kid?"
"He's right, you know?" Apophis came out of the door and once again prevented Theodore from saying anything first, she had a plate of cookies in her hand. "Even I'm anxious…You might have the advantage in terms of raw strength, but compared to an actual god…You're very lacking in experience."
Theodore's eyes followed Apophis' hands as she gently placed the dessert onto the table, silently wondering how one bakes a cookie in under five minutes, but he wouldn't dare to question a goddess. "Then you're going to teach me, right? That's why you told me to be patient."
Apophis smiled. "It is obvious, you have a lot to prepare for your fight…I'll at least help you unlock some of the powers you gained from me last time."
"It would be nice to get as much as possible."
"True, but it's too risky," Apophis shook her head. "Your mind was almost shattered when the information flooded your head, you were lucky, this time you might actually lose yourself."
"…" Theodore was disheartened, he didn't even realize how much of a power hoarder he'd become, most likely because Apophis kept spoiling him by granting him so many skills. "It's unfortunate, but I agree."
Apophis nodded. "Good, now then…I have a few ideas as to how you could strengthen yourself."
"How so?"
"The key here is your Bloodline Skill 'Great Cycle'." The goddess began. "If we can raise it to the highest level…then it's possible for you to reduce gods back to nothingness."
Theodore didn't know whether he should be feeling shock, confusion, or agreement. He'd already known how great of a power the 'Cycle' was, but to think that someone like him, who once was a regular high-school student, would turn into a god-killing machine, it was a lot for him to take in despite all that he'd been through.
"...Would the skill points that I have be enough?" Theodore kept a straight expression somehow.
"How much do you have exactly?"
"Twelve thousand."
"More than enough," Apophis gave him a nod. "Use it immediately, there's no need to think."
<
<
The moment Theodore transferred every skill point he had to level up his Bloodline Skill, he could feel something twist inside of him, as if it was responding to the sudden increase in power, he would soon realize that it was simply him feeling the authority of Chaos getting stronger.
[Hm, it seems like you've become more proficient with Chaos.] Ouroboros' voice rang out inside Theodore's head.
"Ah, good timing," Apophis spoke, looking straight ahead and passing her son's head as if she was talking to someone else. "I'm not an expert on this, so do tell me if there's something else that needs to be done."
[Apart from getting used to using it…Once one masters the power of the Great Cycle, they're more than qualified to be the God of Eternity.]
"Okay then, next…" Apophis narrowed her eyes, her gaze shifting towards Theodore and staring him up and down. "I think it's time I unlock 'that'...What's your opinion on this, Ouroboros?"
['That', huh…It's slightly riskier than if we were to teach him more abilities…but it's an extremely powerful skill…]
"...What are you two talking about?" Theodore felt a little bit concerned that he was being left out of the conversation, considering that he would be the one taking on the 'risks'.
"Weighing the pros and cons…I think giving you 'that' would be better than unlocking multiple abilities…It puts less burden on your mind and body too." Apophis crossed her arms as she muttered to herself, eventually she would look up at Theodore and give him a definite reply. "Right, we'll get started immediately, please hold on until it's finished."
"H-Huh? Wait! At least tell me—"
Theodore wouldn't get the chance to finish what he wanted to say, Apophis reached out her aura-engulfed hand and lightly tapped on his forehead, and in an instant, he lost consciousness, falling backwards and slumped against his armchair's backrest.
Lawrence took a sip of his still-hot drink, looking up at the goddess with a soft expression. "You shouldn't be so rough on our son, you know?"
"Oh Lawrence, this is nothing, Theo will do just fine," Apophis let out a light chuckle as she brushed a strand of the unconscious boy's hair away from his face. "He'd come this far, there's no way he would fall just because of this."
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.
.
Theodore once again found himself stranded in an unknown space, it was dark on all sides with nothing accompanying him but the sounds of his own breathing and his frustrated thoughts.
"Goddammit…Could've at least tell me what you're going to do," Theodore sighed before beginning to look around, trying to find the slightest of clues as to where he'd been taken.
He vaguely remembered fainting, it was sudden, as if a spell had been casted on him, though he couldn't exactly be sure since he couldn't feel anything at all from Apophis' hand when she touched him.
'Even though her hand was definitely surrounded by some sort of power…I couldn't sense it, what was that?'
[So we meet again.]
Theodore instantly turned towards the person who just spoke, finding himself staring face-to-face with…another him, he was mimicking his appearance perfectly, leaving for the fact that unlike the actual him, this Theodore didn't have a single speck of dust on his Pride's Royal Gown.
"...You're my subconscious?"
[Yes, hello me.] The other Theodore replied, smiling ever so slightly that it was barely detectable. [Let me fill you in…Mother has just unlocked something very frightening inside of us, it's going to take a while for us to process this…]
"What even is it? Apophis didn't even tell me."
[From the information…] Theodore the second crooked his neck to the side as he thought about it for a moment. [It seemed to be a skill—No, a spell…it's called 'Endless Change'.]
"...Endless…Change." The name suddenly sounded familiar to him, he guessed that it was the effect of Apophis unlocking the power and knowledge relating to this particular spell.
With that thought, a skill panel appeared.
< Rank: SS
Origin: Apophis' Wrath
Type: All-rounder
Cost: 14,720 MP
Cast Time: 5-30 Seconds
Cooldown: 48 Hours
Description: Fate isn't certain, and a person's story isn't pre-written…Using the God of Chaos and Order's authority, the spell 'Endless Change' will mess up a target's entire self, upsetting their Balance and causing their very identity to constantly shift and change, the effects are random depending on each individual, it can range from causing immense physical damage to shattering their psyche completely.>>
It sounded like a luck-based spell, but since every effect was amazing, it didn't really matter much in Theodore's point of view. 'Combining this with the Great Cycle…Doesn't that mean I can essentially power my way through everything?'
[Don't forget…The Scale is watching.] His other self warned in a serious tone. [This reality-shifting spell costs a lot of mana…and the cooldown makes it a one-time use during battle, so we should reserve this spell for later.]
Theodore nodded in understanding, he took a deep breath and brushed the System window away before looking around once more. "Well, if that's it then can I leave now?"
[Wait. We can use this time to get used to our powers before going out, after all, since this is a thoughtscape…Doesn't that mean we can make progress as fast as we can think?]
Theodore frowned. "...I don't think that's how it works but at the same time it sounds believable."
[Anyway, we should get to work, I'll stand watch to see if there's anything wrong.]
He let out a sigh before focusing on his powers, slowly releasing each of them and letting their powerful aura intertwine and clash with each other.
[The Ouroboros.]
[The Demon King of Pride.]
[The Serpent God of Chaos and Order.]
Theodore could feel that he'd gotten stronger than before after 'Endless Change' had been unlocked, the aura of Chaos could easily suppress the other two statuses with not much difficulty, though he didn't want one power to become dominant over the other.
His subconscious counterpart seemed to have the same idea. [Raise the other two more, your godly status is pressing on them too much.]
Like turning the handle of a faucet, Theodore did as he was told and let go of the power remaining powers of Pride and Ouroboros, and in almost an instant, his aura got a lot stronger than before, this time instead of Chaos one-sidedly dominate the contest of strength, every single one of his statuses could be felt within the aura surrounding his figure.
[Good…It shouldn't take long now…]
Right on queue, the System's voice rang out.
[Three divine statuses have successfully synchronized!]
[A new status has been created!]
[The three Unique Magic have been combined!]
[Skills relating to the three Unique Magic will be added to the spells of 'Eternity's Cycle!]
[The divine world has noticed the presence of 'The Demon God of Eternity'.]
Theodore slightly shuddered after hearing the latest notification, he could feel millions of eyes fixated on him from the darkness around him, it was nothing less than creepy. "…Is it hostile?"
[The divine world does not mingle with the affairs of its people.]
[The divine world happily greets its new inhabitant.]
He was relieved to hear that, after sighing, he swatted his hands at the multiple System windows to get rid of them before turning towards his doppelganger. "So is this what you meant by 'getting used to it'? Can I leave now?"
[If you're confident…] The double sighed. [But I already know that don't I…Fine, just don't underestimate your opponent and embarrass yourself.]
Theodore huffed. "If you're really me, then you know that I won't."
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Theodore jolted upright and startled his parents, who were leisurely chatting over a cup of tea, Apophis was the first to turn to him and spoke in a half-surprised tone. "Oh, you're back earlier than I anticipated…Did your mind go into the defense mechanism again?"
"…You meant talking to my own subconscious? Yeah." Theodore leaned back against his seat, bringing up his status window in the process.
< Species: The Ouroboros Serpent (70 Meters)
Titles: Demon God of Eternity. Odds Conqueror. God Eater.
Lvl: ■■
EXP: Incalculable
Skill Points: 0
HP: 7,000,000/7,000,000
MP: 60,000/60,000
DE: 25,000/25,000
Rank: ■■
Attack: 1,500 (S+)
Speed: 1,800 (SS)
Defense: 3,500 (■■)
Charm: 1,000 (S)
Intelligence: 1,600 (S+)
Magic: 2,500 (■■)
Elements: Ice. Fire. Draconic. Lightning. Divine.
Personal Attributes: Thermal Vision (Lvl.MAX). Tongue Receptor (Lvl.MAX). Deitify (Lvl.MAX). All-Speak (Lvl.MAX). Scales of the Serpent (Lvl.2). Asclepius' Guidance (Lvl.MAX). Final Desperation (Lvl.MAX). Hell's Master (Lvl.2). One-man Army (Lvl.2). Pro Alchemist (Lvl.4). Godspeed (Lvl.2). Deicide (Lvl. MAX).
Unique Magic: Frozen Disaster (Lvl.3). Immortal Flames (Lvl.3). Eternity's Cycle (Lvl.MAX)
Skills: Persistence (Lvl.3). Wild Thunder (Lvl.2). Asclepius' Secrets (Lvl.3). 13th's Knowledge (Lvl.MAX). Lord of Souls (Lvl.2). First Deceptor (Lvl.2). All Devourer (Lvl.MAX). Master of All Poison (Lvl.1). Caller of Ragnarok (Lvl. 1).
Bloodline Skills: Immortality (Lvl.MAX). Dragonkin (Lvl.MAX). Coldest Death (Lvl.4). Flaming Life (Lvl.4).>>
'…Do I get no say in naming myself? Demon God…I feel like an eighth grader.'
"How was it? Endless Change is my most powerful spell, it should synergise well with Great Cycle." Apophis spoke gleefully.
"The status window got a little less clunky." Theodore didn't look up from the panel in front of him, he'd noticed that Coldest Death and Flaming Life didn't get combined with Eternity's Cycle and assumed that they were more connected to his other two Unique Magic.
"Ah, actually," Theodore glanced at Apophis. "Do the spells that I made still consume Dragon Energy?"
Apophis nodded. "Yep! You can still create more too."
"That's good to know," Theodore thought about using that as a backup plan, if all of this preparation still wasn't enough, then he hoped to turn the tide by creating something that can help him push through. "I'll get going then…Where should I go from here?"
Apophis didn't reply immediately, instead she was looking at him with a solemn expression, as if she was sad that they would have to part ways here. "…After you leave my domain…go straight forward until you see a golden portal, it'll have greek-style structures surrounding it so you won't miss it."
"Okay," Theodore got up before turning towards his parents. "…Thank you, both of you, I'll finish this quickly."
Lawrence smiled. "I'm sure you'll do good, kid. Kick their asses!"
Seeing her husband all optimistic, Apophis couldn't help but chuckled and smiled at her son too. "If you die again…I don't think I can gather enough power to reincarnate a god."
Theodore rolled his eyes. "Of course I won't die. Have a little faith in me."
Apophis laughed. "Alright, alright…Now off you go."
With a snap of her figures, the goddess summoned a door behind Theodore, it was seemingly made of light with no frames. No one needed to be told twice that it was the exit, and after giving his parents a playful wave, Theodore walked on through.