CH.670 SPEAKING ABOUT GODS, WITH A GOD

“... okay?” I walked up and faced the Demon God’s projection. “What do you want to talk about?”

I didn’t want to piss off a God, but at the same time, I didn’t want to bow before him either. He clearly isn’t an all-powerful, all knowing God, but instead someone closer to the Goddess. A manager of sorts. If he was all knowing, he would have known about the mind control wasps.

… fuck. I just realized something. The mind control wasps. Are they only being used here or are they being used outside of the demon world as well? I really need to check that when I get back, because if they are being used outside, it will cause massive problems. 

The good thing is that I haven’t heard any reports about imps breaking into a swarm of wasps, but it is possible that it just hasn’t been reported because the adventurers who ran across them had their minds taken over.

But then again, a mind controlled human should slowly build up the Mind Control Resistance skill, so they’d need more and more wasps controlling them. At least until they reach the critical mass required to control someone with level 10 Mind Control Resistance. Because at that point the skill can’t grow without a Limit Break, and I highly doubt the person being controlled will get to LV.99 and go through something that gives them the Limit Break skill.

But worrying about that will have to wait until later. I’m still in front of a God, so I need to worry about that first.

“I see you’ve gotten out of your own head.” The Demon God said through the speakers. 

“I’d ask if you can read my mind, but I think I’d be able to feel if you did.” I responded. “And this entire farce would have been unnecessary.”

“It already was.” He said. “I knew young Pioglitazone wasn’t guilty. But the demons have their own expectations.”

“What you get for making a system where a God can be questioned.”

“A God. An Emperor. A King. What is the difference, really?” He asked. 

“The perceived difference in power.” I answered. “A God is someone a mortal can never match, under any circumstances. A god is someone they might be able to reach in power. And both an emperor and a king are just people who are given authority by the people accepting them to fill that position. Or they got it because they had resources.”

“Then in a way, I am simply a King. The demons call me their God as I make their food, but anyone who could do that could challenge me for that title.” The Demon God said.

I considered that for a moment, but I really couldn’t agree. I know the Gods of this world really aren’t omnipotent Gods, but they still have qualities that make them God-like.

“I don’t think so.” I told him. “Even without the ability to turn the poisonous miasma into something edible, you still have other godly qualities. Like your appearance and how this room looks.”

“Ah. I see that is how you define a god-like being.” The Demon God said.

“I mean, I’m just trying to define it in a way that doesn’t make me a god, because admittedly I’m pretty close. But that is still something I cannot do, thus I’m not god.”

“Some might say you still are.” 

“A demigod maybe.” I admitted. “So, was there something more you needed?” 

By now I was very nonchalant with the Demon God, as he really does seem like a generally good guy. So I wasn’t going to beat around the bush any longer. I’ve already been in the demon world for some time, and I want to return home.

“Not much. I simply wish for you to use that magic again so I may study it.” The Demon God said. “The one that killed those bugs.”

“Not going to task me with dealing with them all? Kind of surprising.”

“Are the Gods you know still slave drivers to their Agent holders?” The Demon God asked.

“Yeah, but also no.” I answered. “Wait, Gods?”

“Yes. The Great God, the Divine Lord, The Goddess and The Lord of All.” He said. “They are still the active Gods, correct? Or has one of them given up their position or been overthrown?” 

Wait what? You can overthrow a God? And there are four Gods on the level of the Goddess?

“You didn’t know that, did you?” The Demon God asked. “Which of them do you know about?”

“... only the Goddess.” I admitted. “But tell me more. The stupid System assholes clearly don’t tell me anything.”

“There isn’t much to tell. How many continents do you know of?” He asked.

“... admittedly I’ve never gone all the way to space or explored the planet, but I’ve seen at least one on top of the one I already know. But if this is going where I think this is going, then there are four, right?”

“Correct. And each continent has its own God, similar to the Goddess.” 

“And these Gods can apparently be overthrown. How does that happen?” I asked.

“Yes, they can. But I won't tell you if you plan to overthrow her.” The Demon God said. “I do still owe the Goddess a favor for what she did when she came to power.”

“Came to power? When did she take over as the God of the … actually, what even is the name of that continent?”

“We call them by the God who rules them, so the Goddess’ continent. I know people used to have a different name for it, but I don’t follow your business outside of demon summonings.”

“Okay.” I said. “So coming to power? Can you tell me about that?”

"If you promise not to overthrow the Goddess." The Demon God responded.

"Alright. I promise not to overthrow her." I promised. "Unless she sucks at her job."

“... Good enough. Not like the Goddess can help me since her hands are full and I'm not bound by their rules.” The Demon God said. “The God before her was … old and lazy. So when the demon king ruled the continent and drove it closer to the edge, the ‘All-Mighty’ did nothing. And after those who took down the demon king gained the power to make a new God, the Goddess took over the position of God over that continent.”

“Oh. So … holy fuck. I knew the Hero’s party summoned the Goddess. I didn’t realize that they literally made her.” I muttered to myself. “How do you make a God?”

“I am sure you will learn it soon. You already know much, young demigod.”

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From there, I went on to explain how the Eradicating Aerosol works, but since it was a magic made using my card, even a God couldn’t replicate it.

But I promised the Demon God that I would make him both devices that will prevent the mind control of the flies, as well as Eradicating Aerosol cans that he can give to demons. They really shouldn’t be that difficult to make.

In return, I requested two things. First, the change of Hope’s name to Hope. The Demon God easily agreed to that, and while her old name would still be remembered, it would now be taboo to call her by that name. Or any nickname related to that name.

The second is the ability to ask for any skills, to myself or my fiancées, that I wanted. Any skills the demons can actually give that is.

The Demon God agreed that he would give me one common skill per anti-mind control device or can of Eradicating Aerosol, and rarer skills would be three. I feel like he underestimates how easy they will be to make, but also, eventually he won't need any more, so it isn't an unlimited skill factory.

And one last thing. I asked the Demon God about the favor he owes the Goddess. I just wanted to know about it, if he was willing to share.

He told me that at the time of the Goddess’ rise to power, he hadn’t been a god. Just a powerful demon. There was no Demon God at the time.

But the demon king’s actions had begun to affect this world, which caused the miasma in the world to turn poisonous. So he needed the help of someone, and the one who offered the solution was the newly risen Goddess. In return for the demon’s help in gaining the position as the continent's God, she gave him something that helped him turn the poisoned miasma into something that the demons could once again consume. That something being the miasma coins.

I wondered how the Goddess could make or have something like that. I almost asked the Demon God to see this thing he has, but I probably need some more positive reputation with him before I ask to see the literal source of his power.

Also, are demons immortal? Because he is. At least I think he is. He has lived for at least over 1300 years, since the Hero took down the demon king 1364 years ago, since that is when the calendar of the ‘Goddess’ continent’ began.

And not like he was a newborn back then. From what I figured based on his speech, he was already an old demon at that time.

It probably has something to do with the device he got from the Goddess. I’ll just grill her about it the next time we meet. She owes me a ton of answers, and getting an answer on that device should be easy.

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After our chat with the Demon God finished, he returned us to the park from which we were taken. And in that park was something new. A small cottage had been built there, and a sign that read ‘Property of Brian Wood’ was posted in front.

When did he have the time to make me a house? Do demons build that quickly? Or was Time Magic involved? Probably Time Magic.

Janina, Hope and I took a quick look at the inside of the cottage, but it really was just that, a small cottage. It had a small kitchen, a dining table and a bedroom with a queen sized bed. There was also a bathroom, but that is basically it. There was some space for some more furniture, but it really wasn’t much more than a place to cook food and sleep for the night.

There was a letter on the dining room table which explained that he gave me this house as a thanks for bringing the mind control to his attention, and that I could leave what I promised him in the storage shed in the back. 

I went there and checked it out, and it was exactly what it sounded like. A small wooden shed that looked like it would be used to store gardening tools and maybe a bit of firewood. It had some shelves I could place stuff on, nothing else.

And apparently unlike my house, which demons couldn’t enter without me inviting them, anyone could open the door to the shed. I learned that thanks to Hope after she couldn’t enter the cottage without me or Janina opening the door for her. Janina could enter just fine, but that might be because she is my fiancée, even if not officially yet.

Or maybe the rules of the demon world simply don’t affect her.

The two of us took Hope to her home, where there was also a letter from the Demon God. It was just an official paper that absolved her of the crimes she was accused of. The letter also contained sixteen miasma coins. 

Hope gave me four of them to study, after I asked for just one. I just wanted to know what they really were.

After that Janina and I returned to my new cottage, before she took our souls back to the regular world and we returned to our real bodies.

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After returning to my body, I quickly checked my status just to confirm that everything was fine. 

And yes, it was back to normal. Except for a title I apparently got.

Contract Keeper (Demon World) is an interesting title. With it, I can read any and every contract held between a demon and a person, including things like the cost. It will help me find anyone who has made a contract by sacrificing people, so it is really useful for that. 

Well, I’ll be able to know their name, and with a name, I can find a person. As proved when we found Hope.

I don’t know exactly why the Demon God gave me that skill, but I’m not complaining.