Chapter 180: Chapter 31: Plundering Souls_3
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“The remaining few, to varying degrees, rely on force, but he never once used force. That’s why I sent him out and promised him that within a thousand years in the outside world, the more satisfactory the answers he could bring me, the higher the reward I would give him.”
He poured himself a cup of tea and then drank it all at once. The Lord of the Nine Hells felt that perhaps this beverage was no worse than nectar.
“He told me that humans understand humans best. Although he is from the Silver generation and not of the same kind as Bronze Humanity, I reluctantly believed his explanation.”
“Let’s see then, what kind of answers he can give me, and whether he can win half of the realm from my hands as he claimed.”
...
“You are not of the Deity Race.”
The initial shock of their meeting had subsided, and irritation gradually surged in Keto’s heart.
Though the farther one was from Mount Olympus, the weaker the Divine Power one could wield, once calmed, Keto still discerned the true nature of the being before her.
However, the result was surprising to her. The other party did indeed possess divinity, but it seemed not to come from authority. To her, this power felt somewhat like that of a territorial god.
But she was certain she had never seen this kind of territorial god—not a River God or Lake God, not a God of Stars or Mountain God, but an unfamiliar presence, considerably stronger than those, yet seemingly being subtly rejected by the present world.
This sensation was a bit like the time Keto had crossed the sea’s edge, beyond the long river encircling the world, to a place outside the jurisdiction of the present world.
It was an incongruity, while not being hard-pressed, many of the powers of the present world seemed to not function well there.
“Of course, lady, I am not of the Deity Race. I was not in the past, am not now, nor do I plan to be in the future.”
He turned back with a polite smile, but seeing Mephisto’s smile, Keto felt he was mocking her.
Not a god, yet with a few words he deceived her—did that make him self-satisfied?
Before she knew it, her anger had subsided. Although it seemed like she was easily led by the other’s casual remark before, Keto now felt a stir of curiosity and expectation.
Since he could see things so clearly, daring to call her here must mean that he indeed had a way to help her.
“So who’s behind you, that ‘Lord of the Nine Hells’?”
“Among the principal gods with great divine power in current times, I don’t recall such an entity.”
The circle of gods around Chaos was not vast; a hitherto unheard-of deity suddenly emerging was theoretically implausible. Moreover, Keto didn’t believe that mighty divine power alone could transform a non-deity into a deity.
As for the Primordial Gods, even though the title ‘Nine Hells’ reminded her of Tartarus, all gods knew that the Abyss did not possess wisdom.
“Heh, as for the greatness of the Lord of the Nine Hells, I shall elaborate later. But now, there’s something we can do together, if you are willing,” Mephisto said smilingly, making an inviting gesture.
“Bronze Humanity, you’ve heard of it, haven’t you?”
“Yes, it’s the mundane matter the Divine King has been greatly concerned with recently.”
Nodding, Keto wondered why he would bring up such a topic.
“Then come along with me, let me show you why the Divine King is so attentive to them, and what secrets humans harbor.”
Although dissatisfied with the way he only ever told half the story, Keto was no longer the same as she was thousands of years ago.
Now, her wild side was greatly suppressed, and she had become more like a deity.
Moreover, she had to admit that what this mysterious being called Mephisto had to say was indeed tempting. Who wouldn’t want to know the secrets of the Divine King?
“You had better not be deceiving me.”
“I will be watching you!”
Uttering a cold threat, Keto knew without looking that he didn’t take it to heart.
And so, the three of them rose into the air once again, speeding toward the East.