Chapter 440 - The Name Is Enough (2)

Somewhere in place out of reach for even the gods, The Immortal one was looking at his vassal with amusement dripping through his eyes. Along with him were his usual companions, his wife, Lady Parvati and his most loyal subject, Lord Nandi. It had become a habit for them to look at what the Immortal one's vassal was doing, as the time for the War was rapidly approaching them.

But for some reason, Shiva just couldn't stop smiling when he saw Arnold cursing the gods. His behaviour kind of confused the other two, after all by cursing all of the gods, Arnold was indirectly cursing him as well, and yet, Shiva was smiling as he had never been happier before. But then again, even after spending millenniums with Shiva, none of the two could figure what was going on through his mind.

"My Lord, forgive my impudent self for asking this," The lord of minotaurs asked Shiva, " but why are the mortal's curses seem to be amusing to you? I am aware that he isn't cursing you, but he hasn't mentioned the name of the god he is cursing either. Which meant he was cursing all of us equally."

"It's nothing, Nandi. He just reminds me of myself. The more Arnold tries to not be like me, the more he ends up becoming like me. I used to curse just like that without any reason all the time, just like he is doing now. Also, his actions only depict how simple-minded and goal-oriented he is, as peculiar as it sounds."

Shiva continued, "Moreover, him being simple-minded would only make him focus on the task straight ahead of him and there are going to be a lot of tasks he would need to take care of. Primary of which would be to not die." Shiva turned around to face Nandi, "And with Zeus and his counterparts plotting against him, he would need everything that he could get his hands on to remain alive. As if he dies, so would the last hope of the universe."

"My lord, since we know what those basta*ds are doing, shouldn't we put a stop to them? Or at least shouldn't we help your vassal to fight against them? Sending in Hercules to try and get rid of him was enough of a reason for us to kill them again!" Nandi slammed his battle hammer hard on the ashen ground. 

Nandi urged his lord to do something about Zeus and the ones who were conspiring with him, but Shiva only smiled. Nandi did not really care about Arnold that much if only it wasn't for the fact that Arnold was the last hope for Shiva's survival. So, through his worry for Arnold, Nandi was actually expressing the worries he had for Shiva. But his pleas fell on deaf ears. 

"We have already helped him enough." Shiva smiled once again, "Besides, I don't think there is enough for us to do anymore. He is the owner of his own fate. What does or does not happen to him, is the result of his own karma. Not mine or yours. Additionally, I think he is more than ready to take care of someone of Zeus' level. He only needs a bit of guidance that I will provide him once he ascends as a lesser god... well, I don't think he would become a lesser god. Rather, I have a hunch that he would turn into someone on the level of the One."

Both Nandi and Parvati gasped in shock at Shiva's bold statement. Arnold sure was powerful and may even be able to become a higher god someday, but comparing him with the 'One', was too much. After all, One, or in other terms, the One above all, was someone whom even Shiva couldn't defeat at his prime. Thus, in their eyes, Shiva was blowing things out of proportion.

But Shiva wasn't exaggerating anything. He was the only one in his knowledge to have fought against the one and lived, so he knew exactly what he was saying. There was something between Arnold and The Prime Creator that made Shiva say those words, and he knew if Arnold managed to survive the <War of the Worlds>, there was no one in this universe who could stop him from becoming as strong as the One. Although there was only a small chance of that happening... considering that most of the gods were plotting against him.

"Rather than wasting our time thinking about uncertain future. We should rather focus on the impending war."

"Why do we need to prepare for a war?" Lady Parvati finally overcame the shock and chimed in, "As far as I remember, it's been clearly stated in the rules that no god can interfere with the sanctity of the event."

"I wasn't talking about the war my Vassal would have to face. I was referring to the battle that would follow after..." Suddenly the smile on Shiva's face was replaced by sadness, "Arnold did not only manage to change his future when he broke free from my curse but his willpower altered the future of the ones around him as well... A storm will come, and it would swallow everything in its way and we, gods, wouldn't be an exception to that."

Lady Parvati and Nandi went quiet. They knew Shiva never used such words lightly and if he had said something like that... then it would most probably come true. You see, Arnold was the only person whose future not even Shiva's all-seeing eye could see. The same, however, did not apply to the people around him. By looking at the future of the ones around him, Shiva could roughly predict the future of Arnold as well and things were not looking good for the universe.

"It seems the more you try to run away from your destiny, the closer it gets to you..." Shiva mumbled before taking one last gaze at Arnold, "The path ahead of you is a tough one. I merely hope the universe does not suffer through a fate as dire as yours."