Chapter 813: The Craziest and Psychotic Are the Best.
"And Uno," Thanatos said.
"Damn! You weren't kidding when you said you were good," Victor growled.
"I warned you," Thanatos sighed.
"This is what happens when a god has too much time on their hands," Aphrodite raised an eyebrow while looking at Thanatos.
"You've basically become a pro."
"I'm a professional in various games, not just this one," Thanatos shrugged.
"Really? But how did you become so good at it? Did you train by playing with your friends?" Aphrodite asked curiously.
"... Friends are for the weak, death doesn't need that."
"..." Aphrodite felt like she had triggered a trap she shouldn't have when she saw Thanatos's slightly gloomy face.
"Well, no use dwelling on that. Let's play another game," Victor waved his hand, and a video game console appeared.
"How in the seven hells can you create that?"
"Woman, I can create a mini sun and a mini planet. Making a console isn't that hard."
"I mean, creating a planet and a sun is quite simple if you have power; they're not as complex as an electronic device. Your mastery of creation should allow you to create things you understand, shouldn't it?"
"That's correct and a bit incorrect. Thanks to my eyes, I can see the essence of the item and just create something similar. I don't need to fully comprehend it."
"... How? I think even the gods of creation don't have that! They need to understand what they're creating, or it will fail."
"Dragon eyes."
"... Are you always going to use that excuse?" Aphrodite raised an eyebrow.
Victor shrugged. "It's the truth. Like I said, I just need a glance to understand most things."
"Hmm..." While Aphrodite pondered this.
Thanatos was curious. "Your Majesty."
"Hmm?" Victor looked at Thanatos as he created a mini generator to power the TV and console.
"What's the name of your race now? After all, you're not a complete dragon, not a full vampire, but a perfect blend of both."
"... That's... a good question." Victor sat down and put his hand on his chin. "Since I'm a new race, I need a new name... Hmm, how about 'vampiric dragons'?"
"Not bad, but it sounds a bit cliché, doesn't it? You just combined the two races and put it in your name."
"I mean, it's not untrue... But if you have better ideas, I'm all ears." Victor spoke.
"Dragons of Aphrodite? How about that?" Aphrodite suggested.
"Denied." Victor wasted no time in responding.
Aphrodite pouted while huffing.
Victor rolled his eyes. He would never put his race's name as something silly like that; his descendants would curse him to death if he did.
"How about Overlord?"
"... I'm not a Lich, and even though I have death as my subordinate, I'm not exactly an Overlord."
"I mean, Overlord isn't just that. It also means a being above all, dominating all, a supreme ruler."
"Since you're not only the leader of demons and gods but also a completely new and broken race, I think that name is appropriate, considering that in the future, you'll have various other races under your command."
"Hmm..." Victor was really considering it now.
"Dragon Overlord then?" Aphrodite suggested.
"Where's the vampire in the name? We shouldn't forget our origins when coming up with a new name for a race, okay?" Thanatos said.
"I think keeping the name simple is a good option. We don't want to be like those cultivation novels where the man's name is 'Celestial Chaos Emperor of the One Hundred and Fourth Flying Island of the Ancient Apocalypse,'" Aphrodite made a good point.
"... What do apocalypse and ancient have to do with each other?" Thanatos asked.
"Well, they always like to throw in ancient, chaos, and emperor in the name," Aphrodite shrugged.
"I think it's best to stick with Vampiric Dragon. After all, that's the name of my race, not a title like Demon King."
"Your Majesty is right. You don't need a pompous name to demonstrate your grandeur; your actions speak for themselves."
"Hmm, you're right. So, my race's name will be Vampiric Dragon, and in the future, maybe my title will change to Overlord or Emperor. Who knows?"
Aphrodite narrowed her eyes at Thanatos. "You're quite the bootlicker, huh?"
"It's not bootlicking if it's true, and I consider myself a man of honor. I won't grovel at another man's feet."
"I'd rather die than do that."
"How does Death kill itself?" Aphrodite asked sarcastically.
"I'm not Death itself. Just like all the gods from the Pantheons, we are merely users of the concept of death."
"Only one being can be called The Death. He is the very concept of Death and End, True Death, and the being from which the beasts of END draw their power. I am nothing before him." Thanatos explained.
"... True death, huh..." Victor touched his chin, thinking about this primordial being. From his memories of his past victims, Victor knew that this primordial being rarely appeared before others. He usually just observed everything and waited for the end of existence.
He only intervened when The Owner of Limbo couldn't handle the threat... At least, that's what Diablo deduced in the past.
"Anyway, Thanatos, are you interested in a project?"
"... What kind of project?" Thanatos asked curiously.
"Creating a notebook," Victor smiled.
"A notebook...? Huh?"
"Not just any notebook, Thanatos. A Death Note."
"... Victor, are you trying to get sued!?"
"It's okay. I'm not copying that anime; I'm just taking the concept of the notebook. Actually, it doesn't even have to be a notebook. How about a death smartphone?"
"... Now you're getting a bit too innovative!... But actually, it's a good idea," Aphrodite spoke and then provided more ideas.
"Instead of a smartphone, how about a hologram? Or an Orb? Something very advanced and technological from a futuristic story."
"Hmm, that's a good idea too."
"Wait, wait. Your Majesty, what do you need this notebook? Smartphone? Hologram, or whatever you want to create for."
"Oh... I didn't explain, huh." Victor touched his chin and began to speak: "As you know, I have a religion for myself on Earth. This religion is the second most popular religion on Earth, with most of its members being women."
"I wanted to give an artifact to this religion and claim that you are my 'Subordinate God.' This way, my religion will become even more popular."
"Hmm... I'm not against it." In fact, he couldn't really refuse. When Victor asked something, it wasn't a matter of whether or not he could do it but WHEN he would do it.
Thanatos knew his position very well. You can't deny the king's words; those ignorant of the king's words only face one fate, the complete destruction of their souls.
They might be talking calmly now, but without a doubt, the dragon in front of him is a Tyrant.
"Well, at least he's better than Zeus and Hades," Thanatos thought.
"So, what's the property of the artifact?"
"Manipulating aspects of death, except death itself. After all, we can't give the power of death properly because there are many pantheons out there, and many of them have a death god, so this artifact can be denied by that god."
"Hmm, so you want something like a Lich artifact that controls souls on a smaller scale."
"Basically."
"I don't understand. What's the use of that?"
Victor looked at Thanatos with a look that said: "Seriously, man?"
But since he had nothing else to do, he decided to explain to the clueless god: "As you know, many mortals died in the war of the demons. So, if I give an artifact that can summon an echo of the past to soothe the minds of mortals, my religion will gain their eternal loyalty. After all, for ignorant mortals, 'death' is something unknown and absolute. And a being that wields that aspect is a terrifying being."
"But at the same time, a 'kind' being who lent its power to calm mortal minds."
Victor used many flowery words, but Thanatos understood the harsh reality:
"... Propaganda, huh."
"Oh? You get it."
"Are you trying to create a cult?"
"Thanatos, he already has a cult," Aphrodite recalled the Dark Elf who practically worshiped a tree with love and devotion, to the point of being unsettling.
"... Hmm, that's possible, but summoning an echo of the past is quite difficult, you know?"
"That's true, but I don't intend to let this echo exist for very long. Ten minutes is enough, and only those who are truly dedicated to the religion will have this privilege."
"I see... You're using it as something they must earn, not something accessible to everyone."
"What you achieve through your effort and hard work, you value more than something you got 'for free.' That mentality applies to all beings. Therefore, an organization and society that judges individuals by their own worth is necessary."
"Of course, I have to keep an eye on it so it doesn't go too far. Excess in anything is not good; balance is necessary."
Just as a human can die from drinking too much water, something considered good for the body, Victor understands that not all rules are perfect, so balance is necessary.
He did the same in Hell; the lesser demons that were only meant to be subordinates or food for the greater demons now have their own worth as long as they strive for it, and if they deserve it, Victor will reward them.
Thanatos stared at Victor, and his earlier thoughts couldn't help but come back to his mind. 'He's actually better than Hades and Zeus.'
"So, summoning an echo of the past and manipulating the souls of the dead on a smaller scale, right?"
"Yes, I don't want a too powerful artifact in human hands. I just want the High Priest to have the appearance of controlling death, although that won't be the truth."
"I see... So, what form will the artifact take?"
"I was thinking of a Staff."
'And what happened to the Death Note and the smartphone?' Thanatos thought, but he didn't ask.
"Okay, and about the core? We need a core that contains a lot of energy and can recover on its own."
"What are you talking about? The core is right behind you."
Thanatos fell silent and simply looked at the Underworld's core.
"... Are you insane?" He couldn't help but say that; he even forgot his respectful tone, as what he heard was so absurd.
"Hahahaha, don't worry, it will just be a small fragment." Victor laughed. "Besides, this is the best possible core; it has a direct connection to the system."
Victor raised his hand towards the core, and in the next moment, white energy flowed from the core to Victor's hand. Slowly, an orb the size of a baseball appeared in his hand.
Victor gazed at the energy in his hand and then blew on it. White flames erupted from his mouth, and in the next moment, the energy crystallized.
"Here." Victor tossed the orb to Thanatos.
"W-W-Wait." Thanatos quickly stood up and caught the orb with the utmost care; he nearly stumbled to the ground with Victor's sudden movement.
As he held the orb and inspected it with his divine senses, he couldn't help but open his mouth in shock, looking at Victor with a disbelieving gaze.
'Did he just do that casually? This man is a monster!' What Victor had just accomplished required an incredibly precise control of the soul, and any mistake could result in an explosion that could damage a person's soul. Even Thanatos didn't have the courage to do something like that; after all, damaging the soul meant it would take several years for it to recover unless, of course, you had a god specialized in such matters.
No one else had the privilege that Victor did of having a world tree within him, protecting and nourishing his soul.
The damage Victor's soul sustained from the project of bringing back Adonis's past echo had already been repaired by Roxanne.
"Victor... You accessed the system only once, and you already know how to manipulate it?"
"I didn't find it that difficult once I knew where I was going and what to do to avoid the system's countermeasures."
"Not to mention, everything I'm doing has been allowed by the system itself and the primordial beings."
"... What are you talking about? What do you mean it's allowed?"
"When Roxanne said the System is the realm of primordial beings, she wasn't lying. The moment I accessed the system, I felt several beings observing me. They clearly wanted me to know they were watching to ensure I didn't do anything against balance or the system itself."
"Victor... Haah. I told you to take a break from meddling with creation. You're not listening to me!"
Victor gently smiled at Aphrodite and stroked her hair. "Don't worry, I'm only going to make this Staff, and I won't meddle with the system anymore... Not until I get stronger."
"... You want to get even stronger!?" Thanatos exclaimed.
"Of course, the power I have now isn't enough to stand against all the pantheons alone."
".... " Thanatos couldn't believe what he was hearing. This man was already capable of dealing with three primordial gods on his own, not to mention he became even more powerful when he turned into a dragon, and he still wants more power!?
"Only those who are strong are truly free beings. Thanatos, you wouldn't be pestering me if you were strong. I can't fathom how you don't understand something so simple."
"... I mean, I understand that, but you have to realize that getting stronger at our power level isn't easy."
"I call that making excuses." Victor rolled his eyes.
"Yes, it's not easy, but it's not impossible. The path still exists; it's just filled with thorns and is too narrow, but it still exists."
"Anyway, how are we going to make this Staff?" Thanatos just wanted to change the topic, or he felt he might go insane.
Victor just smiled when he saw Thanatos's obvious change of subject. "We need Hephaestus to create a refined material that can contain this core using the new forge I gave him. It should be a straightforward task."
"That's true... I think no one in all the pantheons has a forge made with dragon fire, especially not from a dragon of your level."
"Well, the Norse dwarves have the fire produced by a star. I suppose that should be quite good too," Aphrodite chimed in.
"It's good, but the properties aren't as good as my fire." Victor blew several times into the air, and flames of various colors started appearing.
"How can you create water fire? Does that even exist? Aren't they opposing properties?" Thanatos suddenly realized once again just how broken the dragon progenitor was.
Victor blew again, and this time all the flames vanished. He explained, "The fire I put into Hephaestus's forge is my personal fire and the strongest one among them. It combines the aspects of destruction and soul."
"What does that mean?"
"Any artifact created with that fire can kill a god or immortal beings..." Aphrodite said as she and Thanatos widened their eyes.
"Exactly, and you know the best part? These weapons can't harm me or my family. After all, they were created with my fire, and like Junketsu, fire is a part of me."
"... You... You're unbelievable." Aphrodite sank onto a cushion, staring at the television with a myriad of thoughts in her head.
Victor laughed; he loved seeing people's surprised and shocked faces.
"Hmm?" Victor looked at Adonis, Violet, Persephone, and Agnes, talking without arguing.
Victor hadn't lied when he said he'd give them privacy. He tried his best not to eavesdrop on their conversation. After all, he could imagine how it would end—because, in a way, he was Adonis too.
"Seems like everything is going well... Hmm, I'll go back to my games."
"Let's play Street Fighter, Thanatos."
"Yes... Your Majesty." For some reason, Thanatos thought he would sigh a lot when being around this man; he also felt he would get involved in many messes because of him.
"I'll go with this woman who seems crazy... Hmm, her name is Juri, right." Victor, always true to himself, chose the woman who seemed the craziest and most psychotic.
Aphrodite looked at Victor with a lifeless gaze as she saw him pick Juri. This expression only made Victor smile in satisfaction and kiss her cheek.
Aphrodite pouted and hugged him, clearly jealous that he was giving attention to the 'other woman,' even if it was just a game.
'I should have suggested playing chess or something.' She thought.
"... I can tell your taste when you pick someone based on how crazy they are."
"Boy, you don't know anything. Only women like that have the potential to become a perfect Yandere, and you know Yanderes are the best women." Victor smiled at Thanatos with an experienced look.
Thanatos snorted at being called 'Boy': "Who needs a woman? It's just too much work and stress. I'll go with this man called Ryu."
...
[Victor Weismann: Yes, I skipped the Adonis, Agnes, and Persephone chapter. Why? I'm still not into the melancholic, sentimental vibe. I felt like I wouldn't do a good job of portraying the characters' feelings the way I want to. Because of that, I made some changes and moved a chapter forward. But don't worry. In the next chapter, I will show this development correctly. Trust your favorite author, Umu.]
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