Chapter 566.1: The Savior’s Scheme (1)

Glorious golden rays suffused the room.

Before the scepter, a young man wrapped in light locked eyes with another black-haired man. Neither of them looked surprised by the situation at all.

The Kingmaker and the Savior.

Two of the three people who held the greatest influence in the current era were gathered here today, but the scariest thing of all was that their meeting wasn’t a coincidence but a planned event.

What was my ancestor’s choice?

This was the one thing Roel had been trying to uncover throughout the Witness State, for it would spell the difference between success and failure. Two days ago, he collated all of the information he had gathered and came to a conclusion.

The original Kingmaker had been the Savior’s ally all along. In other words, he had betrayed the Mother Goddess, leading to Her eventual defeat.

It was not just once or twice that Roel had wondered why the Mother Goddess had shown such extreme animosity toward him in the real world even though he was the Kingmaker too. In fact, She was the one who had sent Shrouding Fog after him.

The answer was right here.

The Mother Goddess hated the Kingmaker because that was the child She had cared dearly for, only to be backstabbed by them at a crucial moment. There was no greater destructive force in this world than love turned into hatred. The deeper the love, the deeper the hatred.

Roel had been constantly questioning the original Kingmaker’s stance ever since he entered the Witness State, and his initial deduction was that the latter had a neutral stance that was slightly more favorable toward the Savior. However, his confidence in that deduction had wavered over time.

He was certain that the Death God had truly intended to take his life, but the resulting outcome showed that everything had been nothing more than an elaborate ruse.

The angels who intended to fetch Roel to safety were pawns. The Death God who had risked his life to assassinate Roel was a pawn. Even the Savior’s soldiers who had recently died on the battlefield were nothing but pawns.

It was all a game staged by the Kingmaker and the Savior. Everyone was nothing more than puppets dancing on their strings.

The truth was that the Savior and the Kingmaker were already in an alliance even before Roel entered the Witness State. The purpose behind this elaborate ruse was to curb the Mother Goddess, who might have been too strong for the Savior to handle.

Honestly speaking, when Roel first figured out the truth, he felt a strong sense of revulsion for his ancestor. He particularly hated those who hurt those who earnestly cared for them. However, when he thought deeper into it, he realized that there was more to the story than he thought.

In the first place, how had the ring that had brought him into this Witness State even come to be?

The only possibility was that the original Kingmaker regretted their decision and wanted to rewrite it, even if it was just in a parallel world. Roel’s job was to fulfill their dying wish.

However, that was easier said than done.

In the first place, Roel didn’t think that the Savior would trust the Kingmaker so much as to deliver him to the Mother Goddess’ side without preparing a hand. After all, the Savior must have been aware of the deep ties between the Kingmaker and the Mother Goddess.

He quickly ran through what he had deduced over the past two days before calmly assessing the suave young man standing before him.

The young man had the height and physique of an average man, but his exceptional disposition made it clear that he was no mortal. His white robes were typical of the gods living in this era, and he carried a glowing lantern. His black hair was slightly long, and his golden eyes gleamed with a brilliant light.

His body was like the morning sun, emanating a comfortable light that felt reminiscent of his gentle smile. Those basking in this light would feel a soothing warmth that incubated a feeling of intimacy toward him.

Such an atmosphere naturally disarmed others to the Savior. Even Roel had unwittingly let his guard down for a brief moment, but he was too guarded to allow such a feeling to linger in him. He quickly responded by channeling the Crown Origin Attribute.

His body glowed under the flow of mana, and his golden eyes lit up like candlelight. There were subtle changes in the Savior’s expression when He noticed these changes, but a nostalgic smile emerged on His lips as if He had met an old friend.

“It’s been a long time, my friend. The plan is going smoothly, but why do you look tense?” The Savior softly landed on the ground and looked at Roel with a concerned look. “You have worked hard. I hope that She hasn’t hurt you. Everyone is awaiting your return. Let’s quickly end this.”

“…”

After saying those words, the Savior turned His sight toward the scepter. In this room bathed in sunlight, the scepter was the only thing obstinately resisting the golden brilliance with its silvery shimmer. A buzz echoed ceaselessly in the room.

Even when it was faced with the sun, the scepter forged out of moonlight refused to be extinguished. If anything, it seemed to be growing stronger with time.

As the crystallization of the Mother Goddess’ power, the scepter was imbued with a unique ability that allowed it to grow stronger in proportion to the enemy’s power. It wielded the power to unconditionally absorb the power of the Six Calamities through the multicolored crystal pedestal. Not only was it impossible to destroy the scepter through brute force, but an extreme stimulus could risk the awakening of the Six Calamities too.

As if that were not bad enough, the Savior’s attribute happened to be the direct opposite of the scepter. That rendered Him completely helpless against the scepter, so He could only request the Kingmaker’s assistance.

To His surprise, Roel didn’t react much to His words.

“Lord Savior, please be assured that the Mother Goddess didn’t do anything to me. Before I make a move, I’d like to ask You a question… Are you truly Sia’s successor?”

“Of course.” There was not a sliver of hesitation in the Savior’s voice when He answered that question. With a warm smile and a composed tone, He continued, “As I have told you, Sia is neither a male nor a female but a supreme being who simultaneously embodies both genders. I am the one who inherited Sia’s paternal instincts.”

“What about Sia’s maternal instinct, then? Based on what I have observed, the Mother Goddess appears to have inherited Sia’s maternal instinct.”

“Sia’s maternal instinct was unfortunately destroyed during Sia’s downfall. That woman is an impostor. That’s evident in how She doesn’t possess Sia’s unique powers and even initiated a war.”

The Savior had a sorrowful look as if bemoaning the ongoing war.

“She is a brand new consciousness born in Sia’s remnant, a manifestation of malevolence. She has deceived far too many people, including you. You would have never asked such a question in the past.”

“That’s true. There is no doubt that the Kingmaker Clan will thrive under Your rule in terms of ideological difference.”

“Indeed.”

The Savior spread His arms wide open with a tender smile.

“My friend, don’t you think that we should be entitled to receive however much we have contributed? Think about the difficulties your clan has faced due to your bloodline. Think about how much you have done for the world. Yet, those dull-witted Scalemen and mindless Undead are able to receive the same amount of resources as you. Does this injustice not infuriate you?

“You have contributed far more than the other races. It’s only right for you to be granted special privileges. My previous self, the Genesis Goddess, was too attached to Her creations, unable to harden Her heart to enforce fairness. I’ll correct Her mistake.

“Trust me. I promise that your clan will receive what it deserves under the new order I shall be enforcing upon the world. Under My rule, the Kingmaker Clan will regain its previous honor and stand dignified before the world once more!”

The Savior looked at Roel with unwavering eyes as He grandiosely made His vow. His glowing body seemed to symbolize the brighter future awaiting the Kingmaker Clan. Even Roel couldn’t help but waver under His speech.

The Savior’s words had struck the Kingmaker Clan’s sore spot. He had provided the Kingmaker with both the justification and the motivation to side with Him. It was just a pity that Roel couldn’t be moved that easily.

“That is a moving proposition.”

“Of course. I bear the greatest sincerity toward your clan.”

“But I reject Your offer.”