Omniscient First-Person’s Viewpoint - Chapter 581



580 – Is that all there is to the Demon God?

“First, imagine this world as one large, colossal human…. No, that’s hard to visualize. Let’s simply think of an absolute deity that has defined the rules of this world.”

It’s a metaphor I don’t particularly like, but it can’t be helped. I continued my explanation.

“The great principles created by that deity constitute this world. They make water flow, ignite flames, strike down lightning, and move the world. And the Demon God is a human who possesses a part of that great principle as their unique magic.”

“Unique magic? Does that mean the power of the Demon God is unique magic?”

“Yes. Essentially, it’s no different from your unique magic. The only difference is one. Their unique magic resonates with the principles of this world. The principles you govern are only true around you. However, the Demon God has no such limitations. The unique magic of the Demon God belongs to the entire world.”

That’s why the world has been in turmoil since the birth of the Demon God. The unique magic of the Demon God is permitted to all. Of course, like all knowledge, the unique magic of the Demon God requires considerable effort and study to actually use.

“Is that why my cogwheel cannot become a Demon God?”

“Yes. Well, if you were to cover this entire land with cogwheels and hang the moon and stars from the sky on cogwheels to orbit them, then if cogwheels were part of the great rules that move the universe, you could become a Demon God too. If you could do that, that is.”

For a brief moment, Maximilian considered such a plan. As he calculated the number of cogwheels needed to cover the land, he soon realized that it was practically impossible.

“Then, is there no other way to become a Demon God?”

“You’ll have to search hard for a method. But if possible, I recommend a different path.”

“What is that?”

“Do you really have to become a Demon God? Is that all there is to it?”

Maximilian frowned, thinking I was mocking his dream. It’s true that I’m mocking him. However, it’s not mockery for the sake of mockery.

“Even if you call yourself a god, you’re still human. You stumbled upon fragments of a great rule while exploring the world, and made it your own unique way. You’re not that different from me. No, you might even be greater. Gods merely imitate and steal the world’s unique ways, after all.”

It’s up to you to decide whether to uncover the great principles hidden in the world or to walk your own path that no one can understand. No matter how I think about it, Maximilian seems to fit the latter, yet he himself does not believe so.

“Hm. That’s an impressive viewpoint. But, that’s not the direction I desire.”

“Do you still dream of being a god?”

“Yeah. I will cover the world with gears!”

The human named Maximilian is a gear. The only way for him to mesh with the world is by bringing gears into play. If the opponent is close to a gear, they will fit together; if not, his teeth will tear the opponent apart.

Maximilian’s desire is to make the world, and humanity, into gears. His true wish is to enable rational thinking and efficient exchanges of opinions.

“That won’t be possible.”

“But that’s not a reason for me to stop. Above all, it’s not like there’s truly no way.”

Maximilian looked at me over his monocle. Reading his thoughts, I crinkled my expression and replied.

“…Are you talking about the king of humans?”

“Of course. You said that changing the king of humans is pointless, but that’s not true, is it?”

“No. I’m only speaking the truth. Changing me would be of no use. Just like reality won’t change no matter how much you overlay and color the graph.”

“Hahaha! Is that so? Then why did you change? Why did you lose your power? How did the Holy Court change humanity!”

Tch. Everyone has only picked up bad habits. There’s no need to pursue the orthodox in everything, but there are tricks to tricks.

“I clearly warned you. That won’t work.”

“You can say that. Because you lost your power, you can’t rule humanity. But what about the soon-to-awaken king of humans!”

“…Even if he regains power and awakens, he won’t rule the world.”

“The world will want to be ruled!”

Laughing heartily, Maximilian lamented as he felt the faint tremor from the floor.

“Goodness, there’s not even a moment to rest!”

His intuition was spot on. A single petal blossomed from the floor, and from within the fully bloomed bud, Nebida emerged. Upon spotting me, Nebida clasped her hands and bowed her head.

“Your Highness, is there any discomfort in your stay?”

“Oh, no. The room is quite nice.”

“If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to let me know.”

Nebida, expressing her customary politeness, gestured to Maximilien. Reluctantly, Maximilien rose, clearly annoyed.

“Ah, I’ll be going! What now?”

“I’ll explain once I’m there.”

It seemed that reckless behavior wasn’t directed at me alone. That was a relief; it would have been unfair if it were just me.

Maximilien glanced at me with a hint of regret as he spoke.

“I’m sorry to leave when the conversation isn’t finished. It’s a pity, but I’m a bit busy. Let’s meet again next time!”

“There’s no need to apologize. I hope you stay busy. Let’s make this meeting the last if possible.”

At that moment, the thin voice of the Regressor floated through the air.

“Wait, Gu Byeong…!”

“What is it?”

Maximilien quickly turned around, seemingly pleased to hear his name called, eager to postpone his tasks.

“What are you doing here?”

“Is the question of what I’m doing, literally asking what role I’m playing?”

“Exactly. You, who handle the gears… must have no business at the Tree of Betrayal.”

“Hahaha! That’s the biggest misconception!”

Nevida urged Maximilien with a cold gaze, but it seemed that Maximilien, whose heart moved like a gear, felt no fear. Lightly dismissing Nevira’s terrifying stare, he spoke with vitality.

“This great and arrogant blind clockmaker creates everything but fails to make the very tools he needs. He conjures chimera beans, paper trees, and meat fruits, yet has not a single spring to use at this moment!”

“…Spring?”

“Yes. Just like in the military, I am here to create springs for them…”

“Shut your mouth.”

Nevira would not tolerate Maximilien spilling information. A bamboo shoot, thrusting upward and splitting the ground, passed threateningly close to him. As if summoned from somewhere in the dense forest, the sharply grown bamboo was so pointed that it could be used as a spear if broken.

Even Maximilien felt a bit of fear from this and closed his mouth, raising his arms. Having silenced Maximilien, Nevira warned the reincarnator.

“Your existence is solely at my discretion. If you do not wish to die, do not draw attention to yourself in my sight.”

Born in an age of barbarism, Nevira did not use words lightly. The harsh hand he wielded was one that could make even petty thugs hesitate. The warning that silenced Maximilien was chillingly terrifying.

Yet, the reincarnator merely scoffed in response.

“Go ahead, kill me.”

…Right. You’re not one to back down easily. Even with his arms immobilized, the reincarnator defiantly faced Nevira.

“Why not disregard your king’s orders and kill me? Go ahead, defy the human king you so loudly lament. Then I’ll die satisfied.”

Their gazes clashed. The confrontation was brief. Nevira turned coldly away. There was no need to test his loyalty by removing an already incapacitated opponent.

Instead, Nevira quietly warned the witch’s parrot.

“Hexia. It’s better not to speak with her.”

The parrot nodded.

[Is that a command?]

“No. I cannot command you. This is advice. The saint opposes not just me.”

[Hmm? Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.]

“That’s enough.”

Having finished the story, Nebida perched on a bamboo stalk with Maximilian and took off on a petal. In an instant, the petal curled up, and Nebida and Maximilian vanished from this place.

The returner let out a sigh, as if the tension had eased, and the parrot flew around the room with relief.

[Ah! The meddler is gone. A cogwheel, huh? I don’t like that. It’s cold and hard. I prefer something soft and fluffy. If that becomes a demon, the world will turn rigid.]

“Don’t worry, that won’t happen. To become a demon, one has to be at least like Tir.”

[I don’t want that either! Ah! Why Tirkanjaka! Why did it have to be him as a demon!]

The parrot’s question seemed to boil down to just one thing: why Tir became a demon instead of itself.

[Tirkanjaka was just a little brat swayed by his own power! All he had was an overwhelming strength and the talented people drawn to that power! No matter how you look at it, he wasn’t fit to be a demon, and if I kept studying this blood, I could have surpassed him and become the demon someday!]

“That’s just trying to snatch someone else’s achievements. Doesn’t that seem a bit selfish?”

[Anyway, Tirkanjaka had no intention of becoming a demon! He was just a revenge-seeker with nothing on his mind but vengeance! So, it’s fine if I become the demon! No problem!]

“There wouldn’t be a problem, but hasn’t it been just a few hundred years since you took Tir’s blood? If you haven’t made any progress in that time, it probably wouldn’t have worked anyway.”

[That’s the same for Tirkanjaka! For twelve hundred years, he didn’t even dream of becoming a demon, so why did he suddenly awaken as one? Why did he delve into his own power when he should have been the one to be taken down by the shrine? Who put that idea in his head….]

The grumbling parrot caught sight of me whistling while avoiding its gaze and immediately flew over.

[It’s you! You were the one who lured Tirkanjaka into becoming a demon!]

“I didn’t make him into a demon. Tir became a demon on his own.”

[You must have been the catalyst! Tirkanjaka wasn’t stupid… well, not entirely, but he didn’t care about such things. It’s all your fault!]

“A person who can be called a catalyst is quite remarkable. Meanwhile, you aimed to become a demon from the start but still couldn’t achieve it.”

[Hey!]

The parrot seemed ready to claw at my arms, flapping its wings. It looked like it intended to lift me into the sky and drop me.

“And shouldn’t you be focusing on something else right now? It’s more important to consider who helped Tir become a demon and how he became one.”

[Ah? Do you know?]

“I have a rough idea. I was nearby when Tir became a vampire.”

The parrot that had been pulling me abruptly halted in mid-air. Taking advantage of the moment, I briefly explained what had happened to Tir.

“Long story short, Tir fulfilled his desires and then lost his power. To be precise, he lost his dominion over blood. He went from being a powerful ruler over all the Yeilings, Ain, and Elders to just a girl with blood magic.”

[Really? Then there’s no need to avoid dominion with the doll ritual anymore. But?]

“Then some Elders plotted a rebellion. There were various reasons. Some were disappointed that the great progenitor Tirkanjaka had relinquished his power, while others wanted to seize that power for themselves. But above all, the most significant reason was that the loss of dominion made rebellion possible. Once something becomes possible, it’s human nature to want to pursue it.”

[Ha ha! Serves him right. I knew it from the start. Tirkanjaka was strong, but he wasn’t a leader worthy of respect like me!]

It’s amusing to hear someone who’s so socially awkward they possess a parrot talk about respect. I wish they would reflect on themselves in a mirror.

“So, Tir learned every power and technique he could to overcome the Elders’ rebellion. Those techniques included skills that the Elders had honed and cultivated for centuries. Even though he lost his dominion, the techniques they used originated from Tir. Tir absorbed all the powers and techniques of the Elders and became a vampire.”

If we’re talking about Elders, they are all powerful figures recorded in history. The knowledge and skills gained by the twelve strong ones as they developed their own blood magic were immense. Gathering all that knowledge that branched out in twelve directions was enough to make him a vampire.

[Ah! Look! In the end, it wasn’t achieved by Tirkanjaka’s own power! How cowardly!]

“It’s better than a cowardly vampire trying to steal someone else’s blood.”

[What was lacking for me? Hey. What is Tirkanjaka’s enlightenment?]

“Enlightenment?”

[The last missing piece to become a vampire. The enlightenment that led Tirkanjaka to become a vampire!]

Ah, that? It’s nothing grand. Tir already knew it. He just hadn’t had the opportunity to reflect on it.

“Being alive means, surprisingly, it’s not such a big deal.”