Chapter 382 -: 381 Destiny’s religion.

Chapter 382: Chapter: 381 Destiny’s religion.

Destiny slowly rose from her chair, and almost immediately, the tea table and the two chairs began to fade away as though they had never existed in the first place.

The faint scent of tea disappeared along with them, leaving behind the familiar empty darkness that surrounded the two of them.

Julius stood silently across from Destiny, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. Their conversation had already revealed far more than he had expected, yet he had the distinct feeling that Destiny was still keeping several things to herself.

"So, I think it is about time you go," Destiny said, glancing toward the darkness around them.

"Inside the temple, I kept the gate open, so you can move directly to the capital city. I have already placed the coordinates in front of my son’s statue. Well, the statue wasn’t actually there when I arranged everything, but the area should still be crowded enough for you to find it without much trouble. Just be careful. Your identity is still something you should keep hidden."

She paused for a moment before looking directly at Julius.

"And this is the last time I will involve myself. From this point onward, everything is up to you and Rosalina."

Julius’s expression became slightly more serious. He had expected Destiny to interfere again eventually, especially considering how much she seemed to know, but hearing her say that she would no longer involve herself made the situation feel considerably more real.

Destiny continued before he could respond.

"Ah, and remember, I won’t pacify the time. Doing so would cause the future to move in a different direction than any of us intend. You already know that the future isn’t a single fixed road, so even something that seems insignificant can alter the chain of events. However, once you know what is meant to be known, everything will change. At that moment, all the seals will vanish. The gods will awaken alongside Fate, and the first thing they will do is come after you and my children and also, don’t delay anything, remember when a large-scale war starts it will be the hint you need, and once you get that hint don’t you dare delay!"

Julius’s brows furrowed.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Julius remained silent for several seconds, processing her words. He had already accepted that his path would be dangerous, but Destiny’s warning made one thing painfully clear: whatever was waiting for him beyond the seals wasn’t merely another enemy he could eventually defeat with enough preparation. There were forces powerful enough to consider his very existence a threat.

Destiny’s expression suddenly hardened.

"And keep one more thing in mind."

Julius looked at her.

"Do not believe in humans."

Her words carried such seriousness that Julius instinctively frowned.

"Humans?"

He pointed toward himself.

"Why? Aren’t I a human too? Shouldn’t they be my allies as well?"

Destiny shook her head.

"A few of them might be. But the majority won’t."

She folded her arms and looked at Julius as though she were trying to make him understand something that should have been obvious.

"Humans are naturally greedy, and they are afraid of the consequences of their actions. In this anchor world, there is a karmic cycle that connects all living creatures through karma. Humans know that their actions have consequences, and that knowledge frightens them. That is one of the reasons they worship gods. They hope that by offering their prayers, sacrifices, and devotion, they can somehow avoid the consequences waiting for them."

Destiny’s lips curled slightly.

"Most of their worship doesn’t even come from their hearts. It comes from fear. They don’t worship because they genuinely love the gods or understand them. They worship because they are afraid of what might happen if they don’t. Of course, that doesn’t mean every human is like that. There are good people among them, just as there are terrible people among every other race. But when you are deciding whether someone can be trusted, don’t assume that their worship, morality, or promises will stop them from choosing themselves when their own survival is threatened."

Julius remained quiet, listening carefully.

"Maybe some Zlycons won’t be trustworthy either," Destiny continued. "My son told them that the gods were evil, but even after hearing that, many of them still couldn’t comprehend what it truly meant. They don’t care about freedom, life, or choice in the way you might expect. They care about their own well-being first. That is why there are so many religions in this world, and even those religions eventually developed their own doctrines."

Destiny suddenly looked amused again.

"Actually, that reminds me. Many years ago, humans created a religion centered around me. They made all sorts of doctrines claiming that anyone who worshipped me would eventually reach heaven."

Julius blinked: "You had a religion?"

"I did."

Destiny’s smile widened.

"I don’t even know what heaven they were talking about. Unlike the other gods, I was always roaming around different worlds, so I never bothered creating a Domain of my own. Yet somehow they decided that I had this wonderful heaven waiting for my believers."

She shook her head, clearly entertained by the memory.

"I remember reading their doctrines. It was hilarious. Apparently, if you reached heaven, there would be beautiful fairies serving you, endless delicious wine, and all sorts of other things. I had no idea I had such an impressive imagination."

"You sound quite proud..." Julius commented.

"It’s your imagination."

Destiny waved her hand dismissively before continuing.

"Oh, and they killed people who didn’t believe in me or refused to worship me. Pretty idiotic, right?"

Julius nodded.

"Very."

Destiny nodded as though he had just confirmed something important.

"Speaking of which, I sometimes felt sorry for the women. The people who created those doctrines apparently had very different expectations for them. The men were promised all sorts of rewards in their version of heaven, while the women were expected to spend eternity serving their husbands. Many of them died while giving birth to who knows how many children, and some were even burned at the stake simply because they were considered witches or because they were better than men in certain aspects."

Her voice became quieter for a moment.

"For those women, I created a paradise of my own. I allowed them to torture the people who had tortured them while they were alive."

Destiny smiled innocently.

"I’m pretty kind, aren’t I?"

Julius stared at her for a long moment. "Your definition of kindness is terrifying."

She didn’t seem bothered in the slightest.

"Oh, and I even showed them my children once. Ahh, those were the days."

A nostalgic expression appeared on Destiny’s face as she looked somewhere beyond Julius.

"That guy would frown all the time whenever I dragged him around, but deep down, he was always pleased whenever we went somewhere together with the children. He just refused to admit it."

Julius raised an eyebrow.

"You really are capable of talking forever, aren’t you?"

Destiny ignored him.

"Hmm... What am I forgetting?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully.

"Oh, right. Earth."

Julius’s expression changed slightly.

"Earth?"

"These days, there seem to be wars happening there. Earth has become quite developed since the last time I paid attention to it."

She looked almost casually curious about the subject.

"If you want to visit, you should first reach the Infinite. Once you do, I’ll take you there myself."

Julius rubbed his forehead.

"Anything else?"

Destiny thought for another moment.

"No, I think that’s it."

Julius sighed inwardly.

’This chatterbox...’

He couldn’t help but feel a little pity for Ian. He had spent who knew how long dealing with this woman, and somehow had survived long enough to become the father of her children. Julius wasn’t sure whether that qualified as an achievement or a tragedy.

"So... should I return?"

Destiny blinked before giving a small laugh.

"Ahh, yes. I went a little overboard after missing... well, you know. This version of me is—"

"Ah, alright. I understand."

Julius hurriedly interrupted her before she could start another explanation.

"Then I’ll be going. Goodbye."

He closed his eyes before Destiny could find another topic to talk about. A soft whoosh echoed through the darkness.

The sensation of movement immediately followed, and within the next instant, the emptiness surrounding Julius vanished.

The air of the outside world brushed against his body, carrying with it the sounds and sensations he had almost forgotten during his conversation with Destiny.