Rogue Villain-Chapter 411: Sure
Karandiel hesitated. Ackster’s offer was as tempting as the power she could gain.
"Please do."
But Karandiel didn’t wish for the power of a god, especially not the one from Yillister. She had her own strength that proved she was already powerful enough. Even if she wanted to grow stronger, she didn’t feel it was the right path to follow in Yillister’s footsteps.
But more than that, Karandiel didn’t want to be associated with the God of Light.
Ackster nodded and, without saying another word, devoured Yillister’s power.
The other gods and angels looked on in shock.
Yillister, one of the more famous gods in the current era, had died just like that.
And he wasn’t alone.
The lava dome collapsed and revealed Mara and no one else. Even without being a Usurper, Mara had reduced Narake to his core, which she willingly handed over to Ackster.
Just like with Yillister’s power, Ackster devoured it.
"Do you want this guy, too?"
Shanshi held up the blue orb that remained of Hayut.
"Sure, why not?"
Ackster ate that one as well.
The intruders from the Celestial Realm looked on in abject horror. Even the twin god and goddess of Millmeria’s moons could no longer remain composed as their compatriots ended up inside Ackster’s stomach. The fools they thought would embarrass themselves didn’t just embarrass themselves and the entire Celestial Realm. They died after suffering an utter and complete loss at the hands of not even Ackster but his party members, none of whom was a god.
Retreat was the only logical option from here.
But wanting to retreat and being able to were two completely different things.
The remaining minor gods and angels tried to fly out of the world’s barrier. But they couldn’t get through. Just like they had been unable to enter without Ackster’s intervention, they were unable to exit.
<Leaving so soon?>
The twin god and goddess of the moons turned around in unison and looked at Ackster. Caution showed on their faces, but they still gave Ackster a stern look.
<If you take this any further, you will incur war with the entire Celestial Realm. The death of those three is still a great loss for us. But since they are partly to blame, even if your subordinates were heavy-handed, we can let this matter end here.>
<You’re saying I’m at fault when you all barged into my home, woke me up from my slumber, and threatened to kill me? Ridiculous. But if it’s war you want, it’s war you shall have.>
Ackster scoffed and waved his hand, opening the barrier again and letting them out.
<Go. Tell the rest that I will respond in kind to your actions today and tomorrow.>
With those words, Ackster pushed the gods and angels out of his world. When he was done, he closed the barrier and let out a deep breath.
He wasn’t scared of a fight with the Celestial Realm. But it would mean his retirement would be delayed. If he wasn’t careful, he would also endanger the world and the lives of his close ones.
Ackster sighed.
"Will that be alright?"
Shanshi covered his eyes as he looked toward the sky before turning to Ackster and asking his question. Dealing with Hayut might have been easy. But he wasn’t one of the chief gods of Millmeria’s pantheon. Besides, no one knew exactly how many gods and angels there were or how far the Celestial Realm had fostered its forces.
Shanshi might be fine. But would Millmeria and the rest of its inhabitants be?
"Yeah. We’ll just have to bring the fight to them if we’re worried about Millmeria."
Unlike his companions, Ackster wasn’t worried about the outcome of the battle. He wouldn’t lose to some shepherds and their chickens. Besides, it would probably take a while for the gods to decide on whether to continue today’s grievance or try and settle it. That would give Ackster the time he needed to further his recovery.
He might even be able to refine the cosmic power into his Ichor.
Ackster’s companions looked at him for a moment before shrugging. If Ackster said it was alright, it would be. He hadn’t lied in the past, and he had no reason to lie about this. He had only omitted information or used fewer words than necessary when talking about important things. But he had never lied outright. Well, except for his identity.
But as it turned out, not even Ackster knew his own name or who he was.
"Do you have a minute?"
Wilma was a little anxious.
Ackster’s apparel alone was enough to tell everyone else how little he liked being awoken, not to mention his few comments about it. They could guess he wanted to return and rest.
The odds were that he was still recovering from his battle with the Observer, too. Wilma didn’t want to interfere with that recovery.
"Sure."
But Ackster could tell that whatever Wilma wanted to say weighed on her heart. Sleeping a minute earlier wouldn’t change anything in the long run.
"...In private?"
Wilma looked around at the others. She wasn’t going to talk about anything that required privacy. But would feel more at ease since it was still slightly sensitive to her.
"Sure."
Ackster waved his hand and sent everyone except Mio to the ground again. They could only crane their necks to look at Ackster and Wilma without even being able to read their lips or hear the words that left them.
"What’s on your mind, Wilma?"
Since Wilma hesitated, Ackster started the conversation. Usually, he might have waited for her to utter the first word, but this time, he could sense that she wouldn’t get anywhere without his prompting.
"We...—Things aren’t going to go back to how they were before, right?"
"Probably not."
Wilma couldn’t overlook Ackster’s deceit regarding his plans with Kargas and the Land of Dragons, even if things turned out surprisingly well. It was a deep scar in their relationship. It had broken the trust Wilma thought she had built with Ackster despite his paranoia.
Wilma realized she didn’t like where this was going and that it hadn’t been the question she wanted to ask.
"Now that it’s over, can you tell me why you couldn’t tell me or anyone else anything before?"
"Sure."
Ackster nodded. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
"I was paranoid."
