Chapter 789: The Disgrace of Evil Gods
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 789: The Disgrace of Evil Gods
“……”
The atmosphere froze for a heartbeat.
Compared to the endless Holy Light unleashed by Fei’er, the sight of the dignified An using cold, hard steel to pulverize the remains of a savage, terrifying Evil God was… a bit of an unexpected gap moe?
“Whew~”
Paul couldn’t help but let out a flirtatious whistle. “Now that’s a lady with personality.”
“……”
An ignored him, simply manipulating the steel thorns to grind the remains once more.
Only then did Muen finally snap out of it.
He stared intently at the few charred scraps left after the combined assault of Holy Light and churning steel. Suddenly, he felt like the story was veering off-script.
He hadn't even made a move yet—how did the Love God just kick the bucket like that?
The first time the God appeared, it was heart-stopping.
The second time, it was a desperate, bloody battle.
The third time, they had been braced for the worst.
But now, Muen hadn't even fully drawn his blade before Little Ai was finished. The sense of dread the God projected was currently lower than that of a mother who starts vacuuming your room before you’ve even woken up.
Its "cool factor" was plummeting so fast it was about to hit rock bottom.
“Miss Fei’er… were you prepared for this?”
“I wouldn’t say prepared. In truth, this power was meant for something else. I simply happened to cross its trail. As a member of the Life Church, I naturally couldn't stand by and do nothing.”
Fei’er had closed her eyes again. Her face was pale; it seemed that even as a mere vessel for the Holy Light, squandering it to this extent was taking a toll on her.
In terms of Holy Light affinity, she was now completely incomparable to Liya, who had become the Saintess.
“I see. Quite a coincidence. Still, this creepy thing won't pull a 'back from the dead' stunt, will it?”
Muen rubbed his chin, using the tip of his blade to cautiously poke at the remains.
Even though it looked like charcoal, this was the cunning Love God after all. A low "cool factor" didn't diminish its bizarreness as an Evil God. Who knew if it had a trump card hidden away? One had to be careful.
Therefore…
“Go, Teacher Mela!”
“What are you doing?”
“Please, check it for me.”
“I can check it, certainly. But if you don't let go of me this instant…”
The loli-fied Mela, whose head was currently being held aloft by Muen, gave a very "loli-like" smile.
“I happen to be missing a sun lamp for my flower sea. My dear disciple happens to have a very fine head on his shoulders. Don't you agree?”
“……”
Tsk.
He’d been hoping for a chance to pinch that loli face.
Muen regretfully let go, and Mela’s head floated up on its own. Paul, who had noticed the mobile loli head long ago, widened his eyes and crept over, whispering:
“It’s only been a few months, and your tastes have become this unique? You won't even let a severed head go? I mean, it is a pretty cute head, but…”
“What 'tastes'? Do you really see me as some kind of pervert?” Muen rolled his eyes.
Paul didn't answer, but his gaze was filled with confusion—as if wondering how Muen could lack such basic self-awareness.
Muen’s mouth twitched. He secretly lamented how his reputation was being ruined by these rambling idiots.
He didn't argue, though. Instead, he suddenly threw an arm around Paul’s shoulder.
“You should be careful after saying something like that.”
“Careful? Of what?”
“That 'cute loli head' you mentioned might look like she has a good temper right now, but she’s actually incredibly petty. Who knows? When we get back, she might send a message to one of your long-lost elders… like a great-grandfather or something. And then…”
“And then?”
“And then you’ll get to experience the true meaning of 'elderly affection.'” Muen patted Paul’s shoulder, his eyes already brimming with the "affection" of a senior.
“……”
Paul was stunned for a good while before realizing Muen was hinting that the loli head had an extraordinary identity. His expression turned awkward.
“But didn't you just call her petty too?”
“It’s fine.”
Muen looked up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle. His eyes, still as a lake, were filled with the weary depth of someone who had seen through the vanity of the mortal world.
“At worst, my head gets hung in the sky as a lamp. You have to understand, among the hardships I’ve endured at Teacher Mela’s hands, that’s actually one of the milder ones.”
“……”
“It seems you’re quite dissatisfied with my gentleness.”
Mela’s head had floated back at some point.
She didn't spare Paul a single glance. In fact, from the very beginning, she hadn't cared about these youngsters at all, regardless of what they said or did.
She certainly wasn't going to go out of her way to give them a hard time.
She simply didn't care.
But her disciple was a different story.
“It seems my lovely disciple misses the taste of his master personally bathing him. I’ll be sure to satisfy you once we return~” Mela smiled with terrifying tenderness.
“……”
Muen’s heart skipped a beat.
Personally bathing him? She probably meant throwing him into a giant cauldron to boil, likely seasoned with a bunch of "potent ingredients" like Evil God fragments…
The soul-piercingly "refreshing" sensation seemed to resurface in his mind. That… is a big 'no thank you'…
“Alright, let’s talk business.”
Mela had no interest in continuing the "loving master and disciple" act in front of outsiders. Even though her comment about "personally bathing" Muen had drawn strange looks—An was even wondering if this was yet another "pest"—Mela didn't care. She brought the topic back to the point:
“It won't be coming back. At least, not here.”
“No hidden tricks? Is it really that much of a weakling?” Muen asked in surprise.
“It’s not that it’s a weakling. It’s that while the Love God is one of the Great Evil Gods, it possesses very little power of its own. Most of the strength it currently wields is stolen.”
Mela spoke with blatant disdain:
“The Love God relies on the corrupted ones it controls to gain power. While most Evil Gods gain believers through raw power and mental pollution, it can only exploit the loopholes in the human heart. Among all the Evil Gods, it is truly beneath contempt, both in terms of raw strength and the nature of its Authority. Just like now—the Love God was using that demon Crown Bearer’s body as a vessel. Once that body was destroyed, it was left helpless.”
“So that’s why it’s called the Disgrace of Evil Gods,” Muen remarked.
Though its first appearance had been full of gravitas, the more he dealt with Little Ai, the more the God seemed like a bit of a comedic character.
“You can't put it quite like that. While its power level is indeed pathetic, it is still an Evil God.”
Mela added, “Its Authority is still extremely disgusting. That power of pollution is fundamentally different from any other Evil God. It isn't affected by external power or the strength of the victim; it targets the heart alone.”
“Targets the heart?”
“Yes, the heart. The Love God’s pollution is unique. It can plant a seed in a person’s heart in advance. The planting process could be a single glance, a brief contact with one of its corrupted, or even touching an object related to it. Once the seed is planted, it hides in the deepest recesses of the soul. Under normal circumstances, it’s virtually impossible to detect.”
“That’s terrifying.” Muen frowned.
“Don't worry. This nearly unconditional method of sowing also means that a lone Seed of Love is useless. It won't affect your thoughts, nor can it influence your mind in the slightest. It’s more like a pre-placed marker. However…”
At this point, Mela’s small face grew solemn. “Conversely, once the conditions in the 'soil' of the heart are met, allowing that seed to sprout… then it’s over. No matter how strong you are, you will have given it the opening it needs.”
“I see…”
Muen’s gaze sharpened.
Indeed, whether it was Eluka at the beginning or the Saintess before the previous one, the reason they were corrupted by the Love God wasn't because their spirits were forcibly overwritten. It was because a crack had appeared in their hearts.
Twisted Love. This ambiguous Authority was exactly where the Love God’s bizarreness and repulsiveness lay.
To be honest, Muen still didn't know where the boundaries of this so-called "Twisted Love" were. What kind of love counted as twisted? To what degree did it have to go? He suspected most people didn't know either, which was why they remained blissfully unaware of the danger until the Love God had already set its sights on them.
“You’d better be careful. With how promiscuous you are, you might fall for it one day,” Mela said with a half-smile.
“What are you talking about?”
Muen replied with a straight face, “My love is very devoted and pure.”
“Heh… I hope so.”
Muen had no desire to debate the topic further with this "old loli" who was out of touch with the times and didn't understand true love. Once the talk of the Evil God concluded, he turned to the others.
“So, are you all staying here specifically to track the Love God?” Muen had met Paul and Reta in the room earlier. He had guessed then that Annie, who was inseparable from Reta, would be there, but he hadn't expected the other person to be Fei’er instead of Margarita.
Then again, Margarita was a princess; she couldn't just participate in such a dangerous mission deep into the Abyss.
“That was only one of the reasons. Most importantly, we need to help the female adventurers trapped here escape.”
Fei’er spoke up:
“We had already secretly led a third of the captives out. But… just now, some incredible mutation occurred within the Demon Race. All the demons died. To be safe, we are investigating the cause. Regarding this, Mr. Muen, do you know anything?”
Annie had already asked this, but Fei’er couldn't suppress her curiosity.
The entirety of Gutons Fortress—and possibly the entire Demon Race—had completely vanished from this world. The Abyss was no longer a forbidden zone for humanity; it had become a no man's land. Such an inconceivable event was enough to shake the entire continent. Compared to this, the war between the Empire and the Kingdom seemed trivial.
Furthermore, the chains that had filled the sky and the rainbow light that had pierced the heavens were impossible to ignore. They had even faintly heard a terrifying roar… like that of a legendary dragon.
“Well…”
Muen glanced at Mela.
“It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
Mela sighed and took over the conversation. “I will speak with that kid Hezekiah about this personally. You can ask him when you get back.”