Chapter 70: Stop—Are You Pulling a Fast One on Me? (2)

When Keter fought Lillian in his previous life, he hadn’t prepared anything. Because of that, he had to start at a disadvantage from the very beginning.

This time, I’ll make it the opposite.

He would use every means at his disposal to kill Lillian. Even if he had to deal with forces he couldn’t fully control, he was determined to throw everything into ruining Lillian. Gyro standing before him was no exception. Though Gyro called him his boss, Keter had no expectations that he would fight sincerely for his sake. Believing that would be foolish to begin with; who would risk their life for someone else’s goals?

Even if he could coerce Gyro into fighting, he wouldn’t give his all. The only way to extract maximum potential was to make him fight willingly, out of his own desires.

Gyro’s circumstances and goals, which Keter had ignored in his previous life, now seemed incredibly useful. Keter was especially interested in the awakening of the Demon Sword that Gyro spoke of so confidently.

“Is it similar to amplifying the power of the Demon Sword through sacrifices?” Keter asked.

“It’s not about amplification. It’s about drawing out the true power of a cursed artifact. As you know, every cursed weapon has its own unique characteristics. My Obelisk’s symbol is absolute power. It destroys everything—whether physical, magical, or even aura-based.”

The absolute power Gyro was talking about was undoubtedly referring to Ein. Having wielded Demon Sword Apophis before, Keter knew that it also used Ein’s power. However, its usage was clearly limited. He came to the understanding that Obelisk, on the other hand, most likely had a much higher capacity.

“So, what happens if you draw out its true power?”

For Keter, the result mattered more than the method.

As if sharing a dark secret, Gyro lowered his voice and whispered, “You gain the power to kill even gods.”

“And the source of this information?”

“Aren’t you surprised? Gaining the power to kill gods... Or do you not believe me?”

“Oh, I believe you. But here’s the thing.”

Keter picked up a wooden fork. It was made from young iron birch, which was durable and antimicrobial. It had a steel core in the middle, giving it a satisfying weight.

“Could you kill someone with this fork? Sure, you could if you stab them until they die. What about an orc with tough skin? You could kill it too, maybe by stabbing its eyes. But what about a gargoyle with even tougher skin, including its eyes? If you stab its wound repeatedly until it dies, you could technically say the fork killed it.”

Even simple and straightforward words could conceal countless layers of meaning. It was deception and mockery—a game the gods particularly enjoyed.

Gyro fell silent. It was probably something he hadn’t considered, as he was focused on removing the constraints.

“Removing the restrictions gives you the power to kill gods. But who really benefits once those restrictions are gone? The wielder of the Demon Sword, or the sword itself?”

“Are you saying Obelisk is trying to use me?”

“Aren’t you using Obelisk too? It’s a mutual exploitation.”

Apophis had once begged Keter to destroy itself, promising to do anything in return. It had claimed that he could destroy it once Keter unlocked the power of Ein, but Keter didn’t trust that. How could a Demon Sword that relied on Ein’s power be unsealed by the very same power?

From afar, it sounded like a bad trick no one would fall for, but it was easy to believe it and move on when one was given the information from the source itself. It was a predictable but effective tactic.

Gyro glared at Obelisk as if asking whether Keter’s words were true.

But Obelisk remained silent. So, Keter decided to speak in its place.

“The information about the restrictions and awakening is likely true. And yes, the part about killing gods is probably true as well. But how you obtained that information and what exactly it entails is what matters. Now, why don’t you tell me the conditions for lifting those restrictions?”

Keter knew that information about Demon Swords was highly valuable, and he was certain that Gyro shared it because he wanted to gain something in return. However, Gyro likely had no intention of revealing the most critical pieces of information. That was why Keter acted first, giving Gyro a reason to speak. If he still refused to share, it would mean he didn’t trust Keter at all, or he was a smart guy who could handle things on his own.

Both despised both of those things, so this would make the decision on how to use Gyro quite easy—whether as a partner or as expendable material.

So, what will it be, Gyro?

“...Keter.”

He was calling Keter by his name, his voice calm and serious.

“I’ve killed countless people to obtain Obelisk and to discover a way to kill a god. I offered sacrifices without hesitation when needed.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Not just a few. I remember all of them. Three hundred seventy-two people. Among them, some deserved death, but not all of them. Some were entirely innocent. I’m a massacrist. The stench of blood never leaves my nose, and the wails of vengeful spirits echo in my ears. It’s so tormenting that I can’t last a single day without drinking. That’s the kind of knowledge I’ve gained. If you want to hear it, it means you’re willing to step into my filthy, ugly karma as well.”

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

“Heh,” Keter chuckled.

Gyro’s face twisted. He seemed to think Keter was mocking him.

Sorry, but I’m not sorry.

“Animals hunting and being hunted is a natural thing. So why assign meaning that only suffocates you? Those you killed were simply weaker than you. They failed to prepare; they failed to escape; they failed to change your mind. They were unlucky. Humans don’t even commit suicide alone—someone always gives them the trigger. Being killed is no different. The trigger is their own doing.

“That is why death was as natural as breathing. Those who died did something worthy of death, and those who lived did something worthy of life. Things like vengeful spirits or karma are nothing but meaningless restraints you’ve imposed on yourself.”

“...”

Gyro looked at Keter, and he stared back. Gyro was worn out, and his mind was broken. It had been like that since they first met. It seemed certain that, if left on his own, he was destined to die in battle eventually.

At the time, Keter was deep in studying poisons and made Gyro an offer, saying he would make things easier for him. Tired, Gyro asked what the price would be, but he didn’t really want anything from him. Besides, there didn’t seem to be anything he could get from him anyway, so Keter just told him to become his subordinate.

Keter tested a poison on Gyro—a poison capable of intoxicating even Master-level warriors, and it was successful. He thought the side effects would kill Gyro, as it was the first time he had used it on a human, but Gyro was lucky.

From then on, Gyro lived off of Keter’s poison as his subordinate; he lived without a purpose.

“Do you know what I’m certain of right now?” Gyro spoke without breaking his gaze.

Keter fist-bumped his chest and said, “The guy in front of you is ridiculously handsome no matter how many times I see him?”

“You may already know, truly and undoubtedly...”

Gyro paused, then finished with a voice filled with longing

“...How to kill a god.”

* * *

Joyray put the whole roasted pig and two glasses of dark beer on the table.

“What are two men whispering about? Get a room.”

Keter flicked gold coins toward Joyray.

After checking the coin, Joyray bowed deeply and said, “I hope you enjoy!”

Joyray even took all the empty dishes in a flash. Keter gulped down the beer and took a big bite of the freshly roasted whole pig.

“Honestly, these bastards are useless. Don’t you agree?” Keter asked, pointing to Amaranth on his right arm and Obelisk.

He had just learned from Gyro about the method to release the constraints, and it was incredibly complex and convoluted.

The first task was to uncover the true name of the weapon to break the constraints. Apparently, their current names were only fragments of their true names.

So how did one find a true name? Even knowing the true name didn’t automatically undo the seal. It seemed like each weapon had a different method for breaking its constraint.

In Obelisk’s case, there were supposedly five sealing sites across the continent. The seals had to be destroyed, but the problem was that it only knew three of the sites. The remaining two locations were a mystery—even to Obelisk itself. To make matters worse, the three known locations were absurd: it was the capital of the empire, an uncharted wilderness not on any map, and the spirit realm.

Gyro was strong. He was a four-star knight even without the Demon Sword. With Obelisk, he could easily defeat five-star masters and match the power of six-star grandmasters, who had transcended human limits.

Even so, destroying the three known sealing sites was an impossible task. There was a reason why Gyro had given up without even attempting it.

“Hey, Amaranth, do you happen to know the true names of the others? You’re a god like them, so you must’ve at least met them before, right?” Keter said to Amaranth after a long time.

Amaranth replied immediately.

—A true name is not just a series of words. It is a source of power and cannot be uttered without a tremendous sacrifice.

“Do you know anything about how to find a true name?”

—Do you seek information without offering anything in return?

“Don’t you want your constraints to be broken? I was going to help you if possible, but if you don’t, forget it.”

—Don’t try to deceive me. Unless you swear to dedicate your entire life to breaking my constraint, I won’t reveal anything.

“Got it. At least I know you know something. I’ll ask you again if I really get curious.”

—One thing I will tell you: it is true that breaking the constraint would allow one to kill a god. It is not just the idea of stabbing them repeatedly with a fork until they die. I swear on my name: if the constraint is broken, it will be possible to challenge a god, and if the opportunity arises, killing one won’t be too difficult.

“Don’t try to fool me, either. I can tell that just means you can resist a god once, not actually kill them.”

Of course, even that level of power was incredible, but Keter wasn’t looking for resistance—he wanted an absolute kill.

Keter turned to Gyro and said, “Give up on releasing the Demon Sword’s restraint to kill Lillian. Even if you somehow break the seals, there’s no guarantee you’ll win for sure.”

“I already gave up on that long ago.”

“Did you give up on killing Lillian, too?”

“That depends on you, Boss. Since you said you were going to kill a god, I believe you know how.”

“I do.”

“...!”

“Curious? Want to know?”

“Yes.”

“Willing to do anything to learn?”

“Yes!”

“Desperate?!”

“Yes!”

Gyro’s voice was so loud that Keter’s mana barrier trembled.

Keter pulled out a business card from his pocket and stamped the back of it with the seal of Akrah’s ring. This stamp allowed one to leave Liqueur, and this was what Oren used to take Keter out of here.

“Here, take this and head to Sefira.”

“...Are you saying that I can leave Liqueur, the place no one has ever escaped from, with just this business card?”

“Feels ridiculous, right? I thought so too. But it’s true.”

“I’ll trust you. But... telling me to go to Sefira... Does that mean you’re employed by them?”

“Nope. The head of Sefira is my father. I’m in the position of an illegitimate child.”

“Then... am I becoming a knight of the Sefira family?”

“Are you out of your mind? Why would I hand you over to the Sefira family? You’re my subordinate.”

“You have something in mind for me to do.”

“Yeah. I plan to make Sefira the strongest family on the continent, and you’re going to help with that.”

“You won’t tell me how to kill a god yet, will you?”

“I’ll tell you once you prove your worth in Sefira.”

“So, you want me to cooperate until then.”

“If you don’t like it, forget it.”

“When will you return?”

“As soon as I’m done with my business. Could be as early as tomorrow.”

“I’ll go.”

Gyro took the business card and stood up immediately.

“Before I go, could I have as much alcohol as possible? I don’t want to lose my mind and disgrace myself in your family’s house,” Gyro asked.

“Quit drinking.”

“I can’t handle it otherwise.”

“Were you seriously planning to kill Lillian with that kind of mindset?”

“I understand what you’re saying, but I’m certain I’ll go mad if I don’t drink.”

“Don’t hold back. Just go mad.”

“...?!”

“That’s how you enjoy this screwed-up world.”

“Ah...!”

Gyro understood Keter’s true meaning. Still, he had concerns.

“I’m going to cause trouble for your family.”

“I know.”

Keter gave a sly grin.

“That’s exactly why I’m sending you.”

It was a bright, innocent smile—one that showed what true madness looked like.