Chapter 1924: What Gods Truly Are
Chapter 1924: What Gods Truly Are
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“Hm… your Water Elemental Affinity exists, but it hasn’t developed sufficiently. The method I created was specifically tailored for her, just as the one I made for you is designed uniquely for you!” Armageddon said, her voice sharp with irritation. “Her method is built on the fluctuation of her emotions. She must tame her own rage as though it were a beast, cage it within herself, and draw on its power only when needed. Meanwhile, her calmness becomes a protective mantle that heals her and keeps her mind clear and cold.”
“Wow, you really thought deeply about that,” I said, genuinely impressed. “So does that mean it would split Aquarina’s emotions? Wouldn’t that make her feel like two different people at once?”
“No, you’re missing the point!” she sighed heavily. “It won’t split her into two people, and it won’t divide her emotions. It is purely a manifestation within her powers. Right now, her Water Elemental abilities are being misused. She isn’t even tapping into their full potential, she’s relying too heavily on the System Skills you shared with her. That’s not terrible, but now that she has reached such a high level, she needs to start Cultivating seriously.”
“Amazing. I didn’t realize you cared so much about her!” I said, feeling a rush of warmth. “Maybe you’re not so bad after all…”
“I only did this because she is your ally, and therefore my ally as well! I hold no grudges against her or anyone who fought me anymore,” Armageddon replied firmly. “She possesses incredible potential. I want to witness her blossom into the powerful warrior she is capable of becoming. Unlike us, she cannot ascend to become a God, but she has the strength to at least reach the level of a Divine Warrior, mortals powerful enough to stand against Gods.”
“There’s a difference?” I asked, curious. “Wouldn’t that just make her a Demigod? And why can’t mortals ever become gods?”
“So you still don’t understand,” Armageddon said patiently. “Gods are an entirely different species of entity from mortals. The reason WE can become Gods is because we are exceptional. You possess a powerful Divine Spirit Artifact fused with your soul, granting you Endless Mana, a Deathless Body, and a Curse potent enough to devour Gods. No one else can be like you. And I? I am a Great Spirit, created by Gods. My entire species can naturally ascend to godhood if given sufficient guidance and resources from the divinities. If anybody could become a god by trying hard enough there wouldn’t be anything special about it! Don’t you think?”
“Oh…” I finally grasped why no mortal had ever become a god throughout all of history. “So even though it’s impossible for a mortal to truly become a god—because it’s not an evolution but a completely different species and type of being—they can still grow strong enough to match the power of one, right?”
“The strength, yes,” Armageddon nodded. “But even then, it can never rival the chief gods. Still, once you fully ascend to godhood, you will be able to create Demigods with a mortal like her. You could build your own pantheon of demigods—your children—who could then ascend further to true gods through guidance, training, and resources.”
“W-Wha…?! Are you talking about having kids?!” I gasped, cheeks burning. “D-Don’t say that so casually!”
“What’s wrong with it? Isn’t it natural to pair with someone for the sake of reproduction?” she asked, genuinely puzzled. “Although I’m fairly certain you would need a male rather than a female, but that hardly matters once you become a God. You’ll be able to do it either way.”
“I-I won’t have a gender anymore?!” I exclaimed.
“No, you irritable little creature!” she groaned in exasperation. “You will have complete control over your existence. You know exactly what that means.”
“Ah…” My mind raced with thoughts I probably shouldn’t be entertaining. I sighed and nodded. “Okay… can you create a few more methods for me? The one you gave me is good, but maybe I could improve something else in the meantime.”
“Hmmm…” Armageddon floated around me in her tiny form, her sharp eyes scanning my entire being. “I can sense many things within your body! You have forged a completely Draconified Heart and fully assimilated it into your being. You have also refined your own blood into a metallic type, remarkable. I have never seen that cultivation method. Wait, no, it’s a Skill! I see… And your skin itself has been forged and reinforced like metal while gaining exceptional electrical conductivity.”
“Correct,” I nodded. “I can obtain Skills from quests. Sometimes they inherit the power of people or enemies I’ve fought. The Skills you mentioned came from that alien species of metallic beings whose blood is orichalcum, and the other was from robots.”
“How incredible. Your System can truly shape you into extraordinary things,” Armageddon said, nodding in approval. “Your System… perhaps that’s the key. Mortals may not be able to change species naturally, but your System—and the System Seeds you can share with certain individuals—defy logic. It is an astonishing self-duplicating artifact capable of completely altering the physiology of anything it attaches to… Ugh, now I want it even more! Why can’t I have it?”
“You’re too strong. System Seeds only accept weaker individuals with significant room to grow,” I explained. “That’s why mortals with little power are the System Seed’s preferred hosts.”
“How irritating…” she grumbled. “But I suppose I understand how it functions, given your explanation. For now, I insist that you master the method I already gave you first. Return to me once you’ve accomplished that, and I will provide more methods built around that foundation.”
“I guess that’s it then,” I said, nodding. “I understand. Thank you, Armageddon. I’ve got to go! I’ll summon you whenever we head out on a big adventure so you can have some fun with me and the girls.”
“Uugh, don’t do that!” she groaned as I left.
When I returned home, Aquarina was sitting on our bed waiting. “What took you so long?”
“Ah, so it’s as I thought, the time dilation doesn’t apply while I’m inside the dungeon?” I wondered aloud. “Huh, I guess I can’t take advantage of it then… Anyway, I was just discussing a few things with her. Shall we have breakfast? I think we should relax for a week before going anywhere. But I already have plans. The girls will all want to harvest materials from their respective dungeons, so we should go on a dungeon tour next week—collecting materials for everyone—before we head to the Dragon Tomb.”
“Sounds good! I’m in,” Aquarina agreed with a nod. “I’m starving… that tea and the cookies that bitch gave me weren’t nearly enough…”
“Yeah, let’s go cook something good,” I said, heading downstairs with her. We greeted the rest of our families and friends, who were already gathered for breakfast.
And there was a surprise.
“Good morning, Sylphy, Aquarina… waking up as late as ever, huh? I’ve heard you’ve given your father countless troubles while I was away. What would you do without me?”
A very familiar voice echoed from downstairs, and my eyes instantly filled with tears.
That voice…
It was her.
“Mom!”
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