Chapter 57
I must be the unluckiest bastard alive.
Whenever happiness seems within reach, it slips away just as quickly.
Whenever things start looking up, they take a nosedive soon after.
That’s how it’s always been for me.
By now, I don’t even have the energy to be angry anymore.
I just… accept it.
When the goddess declared she would cast me into hell.
When she said she would destroy my soul—along with the power inside it.
My first thought was: Well, I guess it was bound to happen.
Yeah.
Who was I kidding? Did I think I was some kind of isekai harem king?
I had no talent, no intelligence, and was a clueless idiot who always ended up getting the short end of the stick.
Someone like me? Getting a happy ending? What a joke.
And when I thought back to what the previous owner of this power had done with it—the horrors I had seen through the goddess’s vision…
Maybe disappearing was for the best.
For Erfa.
For Iomene.
For Almeine.
Wouldn’t it be better that way?
It was a short-lived dream of being a harem king.
But even that was more than enough for me.
Someone like me would never get to live so extravagantly again, surrounded by three women like that.
A few days of happiness was enough.
“Hurry up and destroy my soul before I change my mind!!”
But still… this felt unfair.
Seriously, what kind of cruel joke was this?
I had just started to enjoy myself. Why the hell was everything crumbling now…?
Tears welled up in my eyes before I even realized it.
I broke down, sobbing, begging for my soul to be destroyed.
Soul destruction?
I wasn’t scared.
Maybe for those who belonged to this world, it would be terrifying—but for me?
Destroying my soul would just be a one-way ticket back to Korea.
This was the right choice.
If my power was only going to bring misery to everyone around me, then it was better for me to suffer alone and end it here.
Iomene, Almeine, Erfa…
They had suffered enough already.
If my power kept feeding on faith and spiraled out of control, if this world turned into the horrific nightmare I had glimpsed…
I didn’t want that.
I’d rather just go back to Korea.
So that’s how it ends.
My twenty years of life in another world—long, yet short—coming to a meaningless, painfully dull ending.
It pissed me off, but this was the best option.
“Now! Just do it! Destroy me right now!!”
I screamed through my tears.
But the goddess remained silent for a long time.
…What?
Didn’t you say you were going to throw me into hell? Didn’t you say you were going to wipe out my soul and my power together?
Then do it! Right now!
“I can’t do that right now, Amael.“
Her words left me stunned.
“What? You’re just going to let me live in fear, never knowing when I’ll be dragged into hell?
That’s cruel! Wouldn’t it be easier for you to just get rid of me now?! So just do it!”
At my outburst, the goddess let out a deep sigh.
“I’m wounded, Amael.“
“What?”
“Three hundred years ago, as you just saw, the Celestial Realm, Hell, and the Abyssal Gods clashed in war. The wounds I sustained back then have yet to heal. Because of that, I cannot destroy your soul right now.“
…What the fuck?
So what you’re saying is…
You can’t kill me right now?
And instead, you’re just going to leave me on earth, making me live in constant fear until I die, only to be thrown into hell afterward?
What kind of twisted nonsense was that?
You call yourself a goddess? You’re acting more like a demon!!
“I… I fucking hate you.”
“I resent you so much!”
“I never asked for this power! I don’t even know why it’s inside me!”
“And because of it… I…”
My voice broke. My body trembled as I choked back sobs.
Tears burned down my face.
Then, I rose to my feet.
“If you won’t do it, then I will.”
Fine.
If the goddess couldn’t do it, I’d take matters into my own hands.
A high-tier curse.
They said getting hit by one would obliterate a soul, right?
I’d just take the hit and shatter my own soul.
“I hate you. I resent you more than anything.”
“But for your sake, for the gods of the Pantheon, for the people of this world… and for the women I love.”
I clenched my fists.
This wasn’t the ending I wanted.
But now that I knew the truth about my power…
Now that I understood it grew stronger by consuming worship and faith…
I had no choice.
I had to destroy my soul and leave this world.
That was the only way.
I was planning to return to Korea anyway.
The only difference now was my reason for doing it.
This time, it wasn’t just for me.
It was for the women I loved.
For the countless people who had suffered, the ones I had healed.
I refused to bring them even greater pain.
“I’ll be a martyr.”
“If my death will end this… then so be it.”
I let out a bitter laugh as I muttered those words.
***
The Evil God felt like he was about to die of sheer frustration.
This isn’t how it was supposed to go!
Martyrdom?
Did he just say he’s going to sacrifice himself?
Was that really the response he was supposed to give?
There was no doubt in the Evil God’s mind—this guy was definitely missing a few screws.
Otherwise, there was no way those words could’ve come out of his mouth in this situation.
Shouldn’t he be cursing the goddess instead?
He finally had people he loved, he was finally on the verge of happiness, and yet, the goddess herself had cursed him—damning him to never truly be happy.
He should be filled with hatred, resentment. He should be breaking, twisting, falling into corruption.
That was the normal reaction.
And yet…
“What the hell is wrong with this guy? How the hell does his brain work?!”
The situation was so absurd that the Evil God found himself momentarily speechless.
He frantically racked his brain.
Think. My goal is to make the benevolent gods of the Pantheon and the demons of Hell clash over this fool. But this idiot, who’s barely intelligent enough to string two thoughts together, just said he’s willing to sacrifice himself. How can I use that to my advantage?
After desperately searching for a solution, the Evil God finally came up with an idea.
“If that’s your decision, then allow me to assist you.“
He lowered his voice, mimicking the tone of the goddess.
“An Evil God’s power alone cannot destroy your soul. You already know that from experience.“
Amael lowered his head in dejection.
“Yeah… When a fragment of an Evil God entered my body, it just got destroyed and disappeared.”
“That’s because the infernal power within you is far stronger. But that doesn’t mean destruction is impossible. Anything can be destroyed in the place where it was created.“
“Meaning…?”
“Not with the curses of an Evil God, but with infernal power. With powerful black magic and sorcery, it is possible to destroy both your power and your soul together. So if you are truly determined to sacrifice yourself for the good of all… there are two things you must do.“
The Evil God raised two fingers.
“First. You must ensure that your power does not grow any stronger. Leave those who worship you. Whether it be Hell, the Abyss, or the Pantheon—divine beings gain strength by feeding on faith and devotion. Your power is no different. So you must avoid it at all costs.“
It was true—power grew by consuming faith.
And the Evil God had every reason to stop Asmodeus’s power from growing too strong.
Moreover, this naive, self-sacrificing idiot couldn’t be allowed to recklessly strengthen the gods of the Pantheon through an explosion of faith.
And if he severed himself from the Pantheon’s influence, it would be easier to dispose of him when the time came.
That was why he proposed it.
“Second. You must find demon worshippers powerful enough to destroy your soul and the power within it. Seek out their black magic and sorcery, and do whatever it takes to obliterate your soul. That way, you will have fulfilled your martyrdom—for humanity, for me, and for the gods of the Pantheon.“
He was asking him to die.
For the sake of gods and humans he had never even met.
Any rational person would be furious.
They would be filled with rage and hatred.
But instead—
“I was already preparing to leave… I guess it’s finally time.”
“Alright. I’ll leave those who worship me. And I’ll try to find a way to destroy my soul through black magic and sorcery.”
—This fool just nodded with a sorrowful expression and agreed to his own execution.
The absurdity of it all made the Evil God let out a breathless chuckle.
What kind of guy is this?
Even with all the variety among humans, wasn’t this level of selflessness just downright abnormal?
Was he so unbelievably stupid that it just looked noble?
Or was he truly so pure and kind-hearted that he would actually go through with this?
Even the Evil God couldn’t tell anymore.
As he stood there in stunned disbelief, he suddenly felt an intense presence trying to force its way into his domain from the outside.
The benevolent gods of the Pantheon.
Even knowing how much of a wreck the Celestial Realm was right now, they were still willing to burn their strength just to interfere.
The Evil God felt a surge of irritation.
The aftermath of the Celestial War was still weighing heavily on him.
He was far from his prime.
Had he been at full power, he could’ve easily brainwashed Amael or directly peered into his soul. But in his current state, all he could do was speak to him like this.
And naturally, he wouldn’t be able to withstand the interference of the benevolent gods for long.
The conversation was over.
He was just about to leave when—
“Goddess. Are you really saying you can’t destroy my soul right now? No matter how I think about it, waiting around for me to sacrifice myself seems unnecessarily complicated. Wouldn’t it be faster if you just took care of me now?”
—That brain-dead fool spat out one last sentence that made the Evil God want to die of frustration.
At this point, even he wanted to kill the guy.
The original plan was to manipulate him into provoking a war between the Pantheon and the Demon Lords of Hell. That was how he was supposed to be useful.
But if this naive idiot was just going to sit there like a lamb to the slaughter, selflessly offering up his own life… who knew what kind of unexpected variables he might create?
Maybe it would be better to just take this opportunity to erase one of Hell’s infernal powers forever.
But—
“Damn those Pantheon bastards!”
Like he said earlier, the Celestial War had left him crippled.
If he was struggling to fend off the interference of the Pantheon gods, then there was no way he had the strength to permanently erase a demonic power.
“As I said, I am currently wounded. That means I cannot erase your soul or your power. I had planned to recover over time and then cast you into hell. But if you are offering yourself up for martyrdom, well... that certainly takes a burden off my shoulders. So go ahead. Die for me.“
The Evil God delivered his final provocation.
It was an utterly selfish statement, to the point where calling it shameless would be an understatement.
“Die for me.”
If any other saint, hero, or holy warrior had heard that, they would have unleashed a torrent of curses at Lilia, fallen into despair, and succumbed to darkness and corruption.
The Evil God prayed—prayed that Amael would finally break, just like all the others before him.
But this brainless fool betrayed his expectations to the very end.
“Alright. I’ll do that.”
With a bitter, self-deprecating smile, Amael accepted his fate.
The Evil God felt a visceral urge to crack open this human’s skull and peer inside.
But he knew better. If he attempted something so reckless, he might end up destroyed by the Demon King’s power lurking inside Amael.
“Then go forth, martyr yourself. For all of humanity. For every god of the Pantheon.“
With those parting words, the Evil God withdrew from Amael’s consciousness.
And as he departed, he seethed with rage—never in his existence had he encountered a fool this stupid, this ignorant.
As he emerged, his gaze turned skyward, where the gods of the Pantheon were looking down upon him from above.
“You wretched bastard!! What the hell did you say to our most precious treasure?! If the Celestial Realm wasn’t in such a goddamn mess, and if we could interfere in the human world more freely, I would’ve torn you apart with my own hands and licked your blood and entrails clean!! You abyssal filth!!“
Among the gods, the one shouting the loudest—as always—was Dulanier, one of the few deities still in relatively good shape. He had even gone so far as to send a newly chosen champion down to the mortal world.
“One day, the hammer of justice will fall upon your head, worm of the Abyss.“
Rophus, the God of Justice, declared with a cold, unwavering voice, standing beneath a radiant halo that shone like the sun.
And then—one by one—the rest of the gods joined in, each throwing curses and venom at the Evil God.
It was nothing new.
He had seen this scene countless times before.
“Idiots.“
Did they even realize that the one amplifying their divine faith—their most precious source of power—was none other than a host of the Demon King of Lust’s authority?
Of course not.
Even the Evil God himself had only realized it after losing a fragment of himself inside Amael.
It was obvious why they hadn’t figured it out yet.
The power of Lust, combined with Amael’s bafflingly pure heart, made it almost impossible for the gods to discern the truth.
Almost.
There were only two gods in the entire Pantheon who might have realized it.
The Evil God’s gaze shifted toward them.
The Goddess of Grace, Lilia—soaked in blood, so gravely injured that her divine essence was barely holding together.
And the god standing quietly beside her, supporting her weak frame.
The God of Fate, Lupiel .
Lupiel.
He was dangerous.
If anyone had figured out the truth about the power inside Amael, it was Lupiel .
“Amael will die soon. That means your precious source of divine faith will vanish. Serves you right, you worthless whores and gigolos. I laid my trap out in the open, and yet, because of your ruined Celestial Realm, you couldn’t even interfere properly in the human world. What a fucking joke!“
“I’LL FLAY THAT BASTARD ALIVE AND DEVOUR HIM!! I’LL RIP OUT HIS LIVER AND SUCK THE MARROW FROM HIS BONES!!“
Dulanier let out a thunderous roar that shook the heavens, but the Evil God only cackled, mocking them all.
“Oh, Lupiel. I have you to thank for this.“
“Your prophecy was the reason all of this happened. Amael was afraid. And I simply nudged that fear in the right direction. That fool won’t last much longer. You will never gain anything from this. What a spectacular misstep! Hahaha!!“
At those words, the god who had been supporting Lilia—the God of Fate, Lupiel —stepped forward.
As always, he wore an indecipherable smile.
And he simply looked at the Evil God.
“Oh? Is that so?“
A quiet, almost lazy voice.
But that stillness only made it all the more terrifying.
Lupiel , the God of Fate.
He had always been an enigma—a god whose thoughts were impossible to read.
“Watch closely, you wretched parasites that scurry across the sky. You gods, reveling in your arrogance. You demons, wallowing in your filth.“
“One day, all of you will cease to exist.“
“And I—only I—will remain.“
“I will consume everything.“
“The Abyss will always be waiting for you.“
The Evil God let out a final chuckle before vanishing into his domain.
And one by one, the gods of the Pantheon also disappeared, retreating to their own realms.
Only one god remained.
Lupiel.
He stood there alone, watching the retreating back of the Evil God.
And all the while, his mysterious smile never once wavered.
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