Chapter 140 - Anti-Climax, Part 1

The Dragons razing Varolon... it was a sight every god had come to witness, with most of them rooting for the dragons themselves. That was why, the moment the dragons were discovered, the Dragon God made his presence known.

To push them into desperation. To force their hand—and make them attack Varolon.

The gods didn't care who won. All they wanted was for Varolia to lose her grip on power.

If the humans were wiped out, if the summoning circle was seized, her leverage would be gone. They'd inch closer to annulling the contract that bound them all to compliance.

There was Markia, the Seraphim. Varolia's daughter... true.

But either way, Varolia would lose influence.

And then, without warning, the dragons simply vanished.

As if there was...

[...a bug in the system,] Varolia muttered, blinking several times at the spectacle—or rather, the absence of one—through the orb that gave her sight into the world below.

But before she could sink into deeper contemplation, she spoke to herself again.

[Well... I should take advantage of this. I know for a fact none of the gods would ever plot something that lets me keep my power.] She smirked.

[But if I jump the gun and claim credit, they'll be suspicious... No. I should stay silent. Deny any involvement with what just happened to the dragon race. Smile and nod while they rage over it... Ahh, they'll naturally assume I orchestrated the whole thing.]

She smiled to herself, running her hands slowly down her cheeks as she chuckled—briefly caressing her breast in pleasure.

| As expected. You really are clever, Goddess. | Dauz spoke from beside her, lying on her grand bed.

"Ahh," she sighed deeply, gazing at the orb from her resting place. [I wonder if I should find whoever did this. Making such a move... Something like this—they're clearly beyond my strength; but not an enemy to be sure... If they aren't an enemy, I should get them on my side. Maybe even reward them. Or at least try to. Don't you think?]

|...| Dauz stayed silent, swallowing hard. | That might be a good idea... |

[Enough.]

Her sultry tone vanished in an instant, replaced by authority.

[Speak your mind. I hate it when you hide things from me, Dauz. Especially when you do it so poorly. Are you really that selfish? To make me notice and then force me to drag it out of you?!] She snarled.

Dauz swallowed again, then took a deep breath.

|...Could it be that... whoever did this... was Van Hellix?|

Varolia flinched.

| He wouldn't want the city destroyed either, right? |

She pressed her lips together.

[Van Hellix isn't anywhere near that strong. It's impossible. Even his skill... it only applies to things in his grasp. Things he physically touches; as we both saw all those years ago.] She exhaled.

[Those dragons weren't connected by a tether or anything. Their aura was severed from their god too. There was nothing for him to grab and... swing them all away. One dragon? Maybe. All of them, sure—if they were clumped together. That's the logic behind his skill.]

She sighed again, now exasperated, rising from the bed. She walked away naked, her long blonde hair cascading down and covering her back.

[Thank you, Dauz. For souring my mood with talk of that scourge.]

| I... I apologize, My— |

But she was already gone before he could finish. Barefoot, she stepped out onto the balcony of her vast chamber, the cold marble pressing against her feet as she walked to the edge. She leaned on the railing, resting her elbow against the smooth stone as her eyes swept over the city of Supremium—bathed in the quiet hush of night.

A sigh left her lips.

She couldn't help but recall Magus's words.

'He just wants to be happy, doesn't he…' She exhaled sharply, dragging her fingers through her hair with frustration.

'That's what you all are, really. Humans. Gods. Every one of my subordinates. Even my daughter, whether she admits it or not. Acting for the sake of eventual convenience… praying to me for your salvation and... happiness.'

The thought made her chuckle.

[Cruel people won't call themselves cruel. Hah. How laughable.] She murmured, lowering her gaze.

'...'

'That's only because they've never reflected on themselves.'

'I have,' she thought, burying her head between her arms.

'What else would I be... if not cruel?'

'Cruel for leaving you like this? For forgetting how you even looked?'

She stood and walked to the padded chair at the far end of the balcony, sinking into it. Her eyes drifted to the stars.

Sleep tugged at her limbs.

'My... baby boy…'

'Don't you worry.'

'Soon.'

She inhaled slowly.

'Soon, I'll be next to you.'

Her gaze sharpened.

'The time is nearly up. In one week's time, the stars will align.' She exhaled through her nose.

'Varolon will be sacrificed to the summoning circle. The portal will open... and I'll return. Markia ensures that it happens.'

Her eyes narrowed.

'And that's why Van Hellix must die.'

'Because there's no world where he doesn't interrupt this. No world where he lets me come home. I can already see him... Smug. Looking at me... Saying something along the lines of how it would 'Leave a bad taste' in his mouth while ruining everything...'

She clenched her teeth.

'He must die. I won't let anyone stand in my way—especially not some self-righteous fool clinging to his own twisted logic of justice.'

She clenched her fists, nails digging deep into her palms.

'I shall keep Markia close.'

'That way, everything will work out.'

--------------- ELSEWHERE -----------

"Before you take Bella," Alicia said, stopping Van as he reached the door. "Van..."

She folded her arms. "I want to go back to the Demonic Realm."

Van stood at the doorway, silent for a few moments. "...We talked about this."

"I know. The Gods might find us. We could be hunted. After you cut my connection with the Archdevil, I doubt I'll be welcomed by our God—or any of my kin... Well, part Varlog and my dearest cousin."

She stepped closer, slowly leaning against his back; soft, but heavy.

"...Then you need to kill them, Van."

"All of them."

Van took a breath.

"For our survival," she continued. "You understand that, right? That way, we can finally be free."

"..." Van said nothing.

'...I bet the humans thought the same about you, Alicia.'

He looked down at her arms, wrapped around him.

'That the only way they'd be free... was by slaying you.'

'And honestly... I get it.'

'I still don't know how strong a single God really is.'

'The only being close to that was... This Demi-God labeled by the system that I fought. A transmigrator, like me... and I nearly lost everything in that fight. I barely pulled through.'

'I might not have a choice but to kill them all, when the time comes.'

'No matter how hard I try... I'm not sure I'm strong enough to avoid it.'

His eyes narrowed.

'Especially you.'

'Varolia. Just... why do you want me dead?'

'And that Knight I saw all those years ago; the one who showed me Belial's secret skills...'

'I haven't seen him since.'

He sighed.

"Alright, Alicia. We'll talk about this when we get back."

He gently lifted her arms from around him, then stepped outside.

'I'll think about it later.'

"Daddy, come on!" a voice called from the open mountainside. "The day's nearly over!"

There stood Bella.

Van and Alicia's firstborn; hair as red as her mother's, but no visible horns.

And just like the dark ocean on a moonless night, like the sunlight rising over black water, so too did his pupils lift to meet her.

The sun returned to his eyes. A smile touched his lips.

"There you are," he whispered, walking toward her.

"Of course I AM!" she shouted, hands on hips, pouting as she bent toward him. "Were you stalling with Mommy!? You promised today was mine! And then this morning you disappeared for, like... forever!"

"I'm sorry," he said with a light chuckle. "You're right. Daddy had something to take care of... And I went back after those 'forever' four minutes, didn't I?"

He brushed her hair, then pulled her into an embrace.

"...Hmph." She looked away, still pouting. "I'm not forgiving you..! You have to stay with me the whole day now. Like you promised."

"Alright," he smiled. "I'm yours for today, like I promised."

She looked up at him.

"So boring. Say something clever."

"Doitsu No Kagaku No Sekai Ichiiii~," Van replied instantly.

"Doesn't COUNT!" she stomped, pulling away.

"...Anyway, stand still," she muttered, still pouting. "I need to cast that spell again, right?"Her voice dropped—quieter, more serious. "To make you look older..."

"Wait." Van raised a hand, stopping her just as her palm began to glow.

"Bella... is everything okay?"

She slowly lowered her hand, eyes shifting to the side as a subtle blush crept across her face.

"...?" Van tilted his head.

"Y–You don't really have to... uhm... use that spell, right? W-We could just... pretend that... you're... uhm... and I'm... uh... g–going out with you... or whatever..."

'Ah... I see what this is,' Van thought, watching her carefully.

'She's at that age, after all. Good thing Lilith warned me about this...'

--------------- A FEW DAYS EARLIER ----------------

"How's Cain?" Van asked, approaching Lilith...

...or as she was once known:

The Guardian of Wind. An A-Rank Summoned Spirit.

Lilith remained a familiar bound to Van by contract; sustained through Mana whenever she was summoned out in the material world. When his Mana reserves ran dry, she would draw on his life-force instead.

Fortunately for her, Van had 99,999 VIGOR; keeping her manifested in the material world, visible to others, was barely an inconvenience to him.

Even if he did die of exhaustion, he'd just revive soon after.

It was Van's idea to ask for her help in raising the children he had with Alicia.Alicia agreed immediately — relieved to pass that burden onto someone more capable.

And, surprisingly...

Lilith didn't resist.

She remained outside the spirit world for fourteen years straight; not once returning.

Van had asked her once if she needed a break.

She simply replied, "As long as my master's fine with it, so am I."

Her strength, after all, was tied directly to his reservoir.

In the end...

She didn't just accept the role.

She embraced it.

[Like a prince. He never cries when I hold him, so there's that,] she replied calmly as Van drew closer, eyes landing on the small bundle in her arms — his son, Cain.

Black hair. Tiny horns just beginning to form on his forehead. His little hands and feet flailed excitedly as Lilith held him close.

"Ohh... Having a crush at his age already? Hahaha. He's so grown up," Van cooed, tickling the boy's belly.

[Naturally. It's common for children his age to be attracted to their mothers or caretakers,] she said plainly.

"...Wait, I was joking. That's... actually a thing?" Van narrowed his eyes slightly.

[Yes. Speaking of which... Bella's showing signs of it too.]

"She... She is? But... She's a teenager." Van cleared his throat.

[Indeed. It's already evident. She's a teenager now, true... But her emotions are much more volatile at that age. And it certainly doesn't help that you look just a few years older than her and often act like it too. Can't you mature already?]

Van felt a sharp stab in his chest following her remark.

'I deserved that.'

"I... I see..."

[In any case, it's natural. She's at that stage where she can't yet distinguish admiration from romantic affection; especially with how she's beginning to see the opposite sex through the lens of arousal. Your role is to help her navigate that confusion without causing harm.]

"...Huh," Van murmured, processing her words.

Lilith glanced at him. [What is it?]

"I mean..." He scratched his head, trying to smile. "So this is normal for kids that age, right? There's nothing I need to be worried about?"

[If I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd be asking more questions; because you sound suspicious.]

[But since I've helped raise both Bella and Cain, and I know you and the mistress, I'll say this: no, Van. You don't need to worry.]

"...That's a relief," he exhaled.

She narrowed her eyes.

[Feelings for your daughter are not natural—]

"NONONONONO—!" He frantically waved his hands, flustered. "It's not like that! I didn't mean it that way!"

[Then explain your reaction. Or I stay suspicious... and gently steer Bella away from you.]

He looked away, scratching his arm.

"...Before I transmigrated, after my father had his second divorce... I lived with my stepmother. We weren't related, but... she raised me from the time I was small. And I guess I had similar feelings. I didn't know how to tell admiration apart from love. I thought maybe... I felt something romantic. But now I know it wasn't. It was admiration. I just... never had the clarity back then."

'I guess that's part of why I still see her in my head... Amoria. She really knew how to play the part, didn't she?'

He let out a chuckle; dry and a little bitter. He hadn't thought about her in a long time, but the feeling lingered, like a ghost in the corners of memory.

'Reminding me of her.'

Lilith paused, sensing the vulnerability in his tone.

[I see,] she said gently. [I'm sorry for assuming... And pushing.]

Then, after a beat:

[Is that why you have a mommy complex?]

"...."

[...That was a joke. I tried to lighten the mood. I failed. I apologize,] she added with a faint smirk.

"You don't look or sound sorry."

[You're very perceptive, Master.]

---------- PRESENT -------------

'...Alright. Cool. But what the hell am I supposed to say to that?' Van looked at Bella, her face turned away, flushed.

'I know I should guide her through this... But if I shut her down too bluntly, she'll just feel embarrassed. Maybe even humiliated.'

'And yeah... if my mom had ever done something like that to me at her age—Well, if I'd ever been as bold as Bella is now... I would've wanted the earth to swallow me whole.'

He swallowed.

'She must've worked up a lot of courage to say that, didn't she?'

He smiled softly.

'Alright, kiddo. I hear you.'

"So...? Do you still... want me to use the spell?" she asked quietly, still avoiding his eyes.

"...Alright. Let's skip it," Van said gently.

Bella blinked, her eyes flicking up — her face lighting with surprise.

"R-Really!? You... you mean it? You don't want to use it?"

Van stepped forward, resting a hand on her shoulder as he met her eyes with a calm smile.

"Mmhm. It'll be our little secret." She beamed.

"But since people might recognize me in the Capital, we can't go anywhere crowded. Got it?"

"It's okay," she replied, still smiling. "It's our secret, after all!"

Van sighed softly, relieved.

"Alright. Hang on tight."

He took her hand and raised his palm, readying his one and only active skill.

"Daddy," Bella murmured, watching his palm glow, "Can... can you teach me how to teleport like that?"

He turned to her.

"It's not something you can learn... and technically, it's not teleporting either."

"Then... what is it?"

"I'll tell you when we get there. Deal?"

"...Deal!"

"Hard Swing: Void Orbit."

And just like that, they vanished from sight.