Chapter 419: Chapter 417:Gone.
"Well, that’s... convenient." I couldn’t help muttering to myself as I read through the descriptions of my origins one last time, just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.
"This... that can’t be right." Shaia was, once again, dumbfounded.
"Devouring shouldn’t be able to do that."
"Well, you’re seeing that it can."
"No. This must be a mistake. It’s impossible for a concept all about acquisition and taking to do that."
"My love, you’ve watched me prove time and again that impossible isn’t something to be associated with me." I shrugged, "My whole existence right now is based on the impossible, so this should be just right," I retorted, eyes still fixed on my origin of devouring.
The others, Denial and Oblivion, were broken beyond hell, but the true caveat was undoubtedly Devouring and what it would mean for me and those around me.
"Hoo... now I’m excited to try it out."
"This... fine. Be like that." Shaia pouted, seeing as I was already moving past it.
"Now, where is that troublesome girl? I haven’t seen her since I woke up," I couldn’t help asking, as Elira had gone silent since I woke up.
"Well, she’s currently undergoing a fundamental change."
"A change? What change?"
"Your awakening, just like it did your first apostle, also affected her, so congratulations, you’re about to get another woman following you around." Her tone was judging.
"Hey. You say that like I’m some pervert that goes around collecting women or something."
"And you’re not?"
"Of course I’m not."
"You have more than eight women around you."
"More than ten actually, if we add you and Terra, but only a few out of those I had actively pursued," I defended myself.
"And how many have you rejected?"
"Hey, I can’t be a heartbreaker when there’s no need."
The look she gave me was one of pure disdain and contempt, but I didn’t care.
"So, ready to go meet your sisters?" I grinned shamelessly.
"I’d love to, but I cannot."
"Why?"
"Because they can’t see me. Their existence isn’t enough. They need to become conceptual beings first."
"But I—"
"You’re different. We’ve already established that. Do you think my being is truly present here, in this creation? No. I’m still within your soul space. The only reason we can be like this is because of your origins, you’re unconsciously denying the conceptual distance between me within your soul and your physical body, hence why we can be like this."
"Ahhh..." Well, when she put it like that, it made sense.
"But can’t you just make yourself present?"
"And become a beacon alerting all the outer-source beings that you live? Dante, right now, they only suspect, so they will not commit too much, after all, to invade another being’s creation forcefully takes a lot. So they can only send a few to confirm."
"I see."
"Yes. And with your specific origins, we can exploit that opening and grow. After all, whatever you devour, the entire existence of that being ceases, so their masters won’t know or won’t remember they had ever sent such a being out. That is our advantage."
"But if I were to be present physically? They would be able to sense my unique absence, especially my counterpart, the Presence, and they will surely throw caution to the wind and send their full force here."
"I suddenly don’t like this ’Presence’ you keep calling your counterpart."
"Teehee. Don’t worry, my love. When the time comes, you’ll have your time to devour them whole," she laughed softly. "I’ll be going now, my love, say hi to the girls for me." Her body turned translucent as her presence disappeared.
"Hmm." I nodded, somehow gratified, even if just a little bit.
"Now then..." I turned my head toward the distance, specifically at an ancient-looking tree where a tiny head was poking out, "Little man, you’re doing a pretty bad job at hiding." I smiled.
"EYYYYYYYY!!!!" Spooked that he was caught, Lucien immediately ducked.
"Hahahahahahahaha...." I couldn’t help laughing out at the antics of the kid.
"I’ve already caught you, little man, might as well stop hiding."
There was a beat of silence before he shuffled out of his hiding place.
"Big brother. Lucien didn’t disturb you, right? Right?" Looking at those purple eyes still filled with innocence, my shoulders subconsciously relaxed.
I picked up the little guy, placing him atop my head. "Not at all, little man. I was wondering where you were earlier, since I hadn’t seen you since I woke up."
"Well, big sis said big brother was going through something and Lucien needed to give big brother some space."
"And this is your idea of space? Hiding terribly behind a tree whilst poking your head out?" I raised an amused brow.
"Eyyy!!! Lucien was super good. Big brother just noticed because Lucien slipped up. Hmm. Hmm." He nodded his head vigorously, convinced that I hadn’t had a single idea he’d been stalking me all this while.
"But, big brother, are you fine now? You were suuuuuper scaaaaarrrry earlier. But also suuuuupeerrr coool... and... your eyes, they’re beautiful!!! Lucien wants a pair too. Gimme, gimme, gimme!!!"
The little man began ranting about my eyes, and I couldn’t help being curious.
"Hmm? My eyes? What happened to my eyes?" I hadn’t bothered with checking out my physical appearance for any changes since waking up, so his words surprised me.
"Eyyy!! Big brother! Your eyes are beautiful. Look! Look!! Look!!!" Holding out his hands, he conjured a mirror, my brows rising at the act, but for now, I focused on the reflection before me.
"Who... is that?" I couldn’t help asking out loud.
"Tehehehehehe... that’s you, silly; surprised, aren’t you?" Shaia’s teasing laughter sounded through my mind as I tried to reconcile myself with the being before me.
Beautiful.
No, in fact, beautiful was an insulting word.
I was already a specimen before, one that no one could compare with, I was sure. But now...
"Just what the hell even is this? How can one be this... this..." Words failed me.
Describing my epitome would be an insult to the face before me. And my eyes... "I see why you’re so excited now, little man." I smiled, the expression so perfect that if I were a woman, I’d probably have an underwear crisis.
But truly, my eyes had become something else.
Heterochromatic eyes.
One was an intense, blinding gold. The other was empty. No pupils, just a swirling darkness with a nebula of lights that seemed to represent the essence of creation itself.
Why creation in particular? I didn’t know, it just felt like the right word.
"It just became a million times more impossible for any woman to resist me." I smirked.
"And you say you’re not a pervert."
Once again, I used my right to remain silent.
"Alright, little man, let’s go meet the others." Saying so, I used spatial displacement as I appeared right behind an unsuspecting Khalifa that was in the middle of some fight with the other girls, my arms wrapped around her lithe waist as I pulled her in close, a cute yelp escaping her lips.
"Da.. Dante?"
"Mmhmm.. who else could be this handso—ugh." An elbow to the gut shut that thought down quite easily.
"Why????"
"Humph! That’ll teach you to scare me like that again." I could only stare at this woman in dumbfounded shock.
"Luc.. Lucien!! I told you not to disturb him!!" The demoness, Hope, chided softly.
"Hehehehehe..." The little man just giggled as I rubbed my sore gut with Khalifa’s butt. Yes, you heard me right.
"So... how are you feeling now?"
"You’re asking me this after nearly ruining my kidneys?"
"Humph! That and this are different."
I could only shake my head at her antics, yet a small smile had already appeared on my face.
I looked at the others, they were all present, even Aunt V, Dakota, and Clarissa. They seemed to have been infected by the Kaila virus, as the three were currently in beachwear.
Ignoring the stimulating view, I answered, "I’m fine. There’s no need to worry. Some things have changed, but I’m still me. That’s all that matters."
There was a moment of silence before, "That’s all we needed to know," Aunt V replied.
"Heh! And Shaia says hi."
"Shaia? Who’s that?" Clarissa.
"The woman you guys have been asking about."
"Oh? And she couldn’t come say hi in person?"
"Well, it’s complicated."
"Complicated how?"
"Simply put? You guys are a bit too weak, like a lot a bit." That did it.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Weak?"
"Us?"
The tension spiked.
Seems the ladies weren’t too keen on being called weak.
But before I could reply,
"Husband, there’s something I think you should see." Terra’s voice sounded across the skies.
"Husband?"
"What?"
I ignored the confused women. "What is it?"
"It’s the Land of the Damned and the Gate to the Abyss."
My expression sharpened. Not just mine. Clarissa, Dakota, and Aunt V all turned serious.
"What happened to them?" I asked.
"Well, they’re... gone."
...
...
"...What?"
******
A/N: And we’re back in business ladies and gentlemen. As always,
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