After a wild night of drinking, I left all three girls and put them in Linsey's bed. I'm sure she wouldn't mind having these two with her.
I had three goals that I wanted to achieve before I left. The first is the protection of the earth. If this were the old me, I would have left this place without much concern. I made many painful and happy memories here, so losing this world would be a shame.
My second goal was power itself. I knew I had always had this as my goal, but this time I would go into uncharted territory.
I didn't know how many people were at Iris's level. There may be people even above me, and if there was an enemy Iris couldn't deal with, how am I supposed to do anything? So before I leave, I want to be at my best.
And my final goal was the protection of everyone that I was going to leave behind. If I somehow return to find out how one of these girls was harmed beyond return, I don't think I will be able to forgive myself for my incompetence.
With these three goals, I needed to use my time the best. I already knew what to do with the second goal. It was a cruel method but also the quickest.
Like the deadly disease I caused, I will remake it in a distant world. I don't want Agnus to nag at me for causing a disturbance.
I first went to the hub, picked a low-tier planet, and used that as a starting point. The cursed disease I created would not be lethal at this starting point.
I can't have the planet be in lockdown and start from scratch again. Now that was out of the way. I had to see Agnus.
Agnus was the most reliable person I have ever met. It may sound weird, but I look up to him as a father figure. I went to the IUC base and entered Agnus' office.
"Charles, I'm busy. Is there something you need?"
Even though he was busy, he made time for me. Since he didn't seem to mind, I told him what I needed.
"I will be leaving in a year. Due to an incident, I will be going to the eighth-rank world."
"..."
Agnus stared at me and stopped his work. It was rare for him to be shocked, and I can't blame him for hearing this.
"Explain."
"Due to an incident with one of my lovers, she was kidnapped, and I had to save her. My enemies summoned a goddess, and she took an interest in me."
"She gave me a year to prepare before I leave. I came here to tell you this. I also want news revolving around worlds at the sixth rank and above."
If there was one thing you could count on Agnus for, it was his knowledge. Being somewhere in the thousands would make anyone knowledgeable in one area. Being the big boss of a company, I expect him to know something.
"Help me with my work, and I will explain it to you when I'm done. I have a deadline that I need to finish."
He then gave me a share of his paperwork. I had never done the paperwork to this degree, but I could only sigh and assist. I copied his handwriting and wrote his signature on things that made sense. Three hours later, the final paperwork was finished.
"I finished quicker, thanks to your help. Now where were we?"
"You said you would give me information about worlds at the sixth and above. Besides, don't you have people to do this work for you?"
"Relax, I was joking. And some of the papers here are confidential. I don't want potential leaks. The last time that happened was a nightmare."
If he sighed like that, the results must have been a disaster. Even someone as charismatic as a leader like Agnus would get betrayed eventually.
"Now, for the sixth world and above, the gods and goddesses are locked in the sixth world and up due to circumstances. Their divinity alone would destroy the nature of the system, so a rule was created to lock them in place."
"You have already seen ways a god or goddess could be summoned, correct?"
The memories of Iris appear to have resurfaced in my mind. Those memories were unforgettable, and because of that, it led to this.
"Yes. The goddess I have met is someone called Iris. The goddess of blood."
"How do you think she was summoned?"
That was a no-brainer. The vampires used the blood of far too many to count. I can see why they would do so when you can summon a power like that.
"Upon summoning a goddess or a god, one would need an equivalent exchange. The price would be unimaginable since she was the goddess of blood. Killing should be the easiest way to summon that power."
"There is another method you can use. And it's to have a body container fitting for the gods or goddesses. In this instance, the probability of this happening is close to zero."
"God and Goddesses are too proud to use the body of a lower being. Not only that, but their power will dwindle a lot, and dying with those bodies will be harmful to the original body."
"There are other methods, but these are so far the easiest to come by."
Agnus had told me about the summoning methods, and I found them amusing. Unfortunately, I wasn't a god or a goddess, so summoning me was impossible.
"Now, onto the worlds above. Once you enter the sixth world and above, returning will be hard. As I said earlier, the lock involves not only the gods or goddesses but also the residents."
"I don't have much information about the worlds above, but there is one fact I do know."
"Gods that come from the sixth-ranked world are minor gods. Once they reach a higher realm, they ascend to the next realm."
"The gods could also have overlapping titles. Usually the weaker gods would be absorbed if they weren't too careful. What a cruel world."
So gods could absorb another god? I tried to imagine that and regretted it immediately. I wouldn't be surprised if anyone in that world would kill without mercy. This is why power was needed. Agnus looked at me and knew what I had thought.
"Let's have a spar. I haven't moved in a while."
Agnus took the words out of my mouth. The wall between us was getting shorter and shorter. I can see myself getting close to Agnus in terms of fighting abilities.
"Before we start, let's change the room."
I followed Agnus out of his office and went to the training room. It was only Agnus and me here, with no spectators.
"Make your move."
"Don't regret it."
Agnus gave me the first move, and I started strong with a purple dragon blast filled with curses.
This move of mine wasn't destructive in any way, but the curse made it deadly—filled with effects such as weakening and sickening. Most people who encounter my curse will be bedridden in seconds.
In the worst-case scenario, they would die in agony. Knowing he would survive this attack, I didn't hesitate to use it on Agnus.
Observing Agnus, this was the first time I saw him frown in a fight. Agnus created a barrier with his water magic, rendering my breath attack unable to harm him.
Of course, the water Agnus had created was turning purple and was being destroyed. I also learned one thing about my abilities.
The breath attack would not only hinder the movement of my enemies but also strengthen me. It was like I was living in my home field.
Since my affinity with curses is immeasurable, I would also power up from it if I made a field of curses.
"You have grown to a frightening degree, Charles."
"I aim to please."
Gaining momentum in the fight, I couldn't allow this chance to go to waste. I wasn't reckless enough to fight in close combat when Agnus could instantly turn this around.
I then used another range move to bypass his defense and lock him in place. The longer my breath attack lasted, the more trouble Agnus would be in.
"I didn't think I would need to do this, but you leave me no choice."
Hearing those words, the aura around Agnus changed. This was my first time feeling this oppressive aura.
Agnus' features started to change, and his size grew to something entirely different. His proper form was shown, and I knew I was fucked.
His dragon form was something the current me couldn't measure up to. He blew out the breath of the curse I made earlier and swatted me like a bug. I was done in a hit since he could bypass my skill. Who knew he had such strength...
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