Alaric saw through El's clumsy attempt at concealment almost at a glance.
For a man, being castrated was nearly the greatest possible pain, but an even greater pain was that his own wife had followed the very culprit who had castrated him.
Faced with such a double blow to both body and spirit, as a fellow man, Alaric could understand it.
However, even in the world of gods, there were not many sufferers like El.
The last such figure had been Uranus, the first god-king of the Olympian pantheon, he had not only been castrated by his son Cronus, but was also betrayed by his wife Gaia.
As for the severed part, it gave rise to the goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite.
Yet in this Type-Moon world, Uranus was merely the ultimate creation of a mechanical civilization, and the so-called Earth Mother Gaia existed only as a concept, the true Gaia was the Counter Force and would never intervene among the gods.
Thus, El's misery was likely unparalleled.
"What do you want?" After hesitating for a moment, El finally asked.
His hidden wound had been torn open once again. Bone-deep hatred and resentment gnawed at his heart like venomous snakes, forcing those words from his mouth.
"Then, how about making a deal?" Alaric asked.
"What are you planning?"
"I won't help you kill your enemies." Alaric produced a chair from nowhere and sat down casually.
"There's a saying, 'Even after nine generations, revenge may still be taken; even after a hundred generations, it is not too late.' It means that even if a hundred generations have passed, revenge can still be carried out.
And only the one who personally enacts revenge can savor the sweetest satisfaction.
So, what I can offer you is to make you stronger, to give you the ability to personally avenge your blood feud."
As he spoke, a ruthless glint flashed through his eyes, a cruelty that made El pause.
"…You humans are truly twisted," the god-king finally said in mockery after a long silence.
"Hatred is also a part of human emotion, it's perfectly normal." Alaric spread his hands.
"If a person cannot even achieve revenge, then in the eyes of others, he will surely be seen as weak, someone to be bullied.
And if that continues, more and more people will step forward to trample him."
"Think whatever you like. In the end, the one who regrets it will be you."
El turned his head away, not daring to meet Alaric's gaze from above.
Although Alaric's explanation sounded quite reasonable to him, he felt that there was something deeply unsettling hidden within the man's eyes.
"Really?" Alaric smiled. "I thought your ambitions as a god-king had already ended here."
"Wait." El turned back toward Alaric. "My ambitions as a god-king? Don't tell me you don't intend to, "
"Mm, you guessed correctly. I have no interest whatsoever in the Canaanite pantheon. If you're willing, I can even help you reclaim the throne of the god-king." Alaric explained. "You'll have to pay me in two ways. First, you must make your 'enemies' disappear. As for the second condition, I'll tell you after you become the god-king."
"How will you do it?"
"I have a method perfectly suited for making you stronger. Don't you possess the domain of omnipotence?
Though among gods, omnipotence often means mediocrity, and makes one excluded by other gods when competing for faith, under circumstances where true ether is absent and only the power of faith can sustain divine power, an omnipotent god has an absolute advantage in both combat and gathering faith, wouldn't you agree?
I will teach you a method similar to mine, to drag your enemies into a space where true ether does not exist. In that environment, you will be able to use your 'omnipotence' to easily defeat your opponents."
"I…"
El hesitated. Though he hated Baal, he had not yet reached the point of wanting to kill him.
"Think about it, dear god-king." Alaric stepped forward and whispered into his ear.
"While you're still hesitating about what to do, your Asherah has already gone off with Baal, the son who castrated you and stole your throne.
That rebellious god and your queen have become a pair. While you wallow in despair, they are embracing and kissing, my friend, they are loving each other, my friend."
"They will undoubtedly fulfill the sacred duty of male and female, merging their divine life forces completely.
Then Asherah will become a happy mother, they will form an even stronger bond, perhaps even giving birth to a new generation of gods.
And what about you? You'll remain alone, watching them live happily, fallen so low you're like a stray dog.
That goddess who once served you won't spare you a single glance anymore, because her heart is already filled with Baal."
Alaric's venomous words seeped into the god's mind and body.
Gripping the armrest of his chair, El raised his head. The sorrow on his face had already twisted into furious rage, and in his brown pupils flickered a predatory light.
"I will never allow this! The only one who can stay by Asherah's side is me!"
"You see, my friend, now we have the foundation for a deal." Seizing the moment, Alaric added another tempting condition.
"Think about it, when those gods disappear from this world forever, you can take their faith for yourself and grow even stronger.
Even if you're unwilling to kill them, for safety's sake, they must at least be sealed."
As he spoke, Alaric smiled and extended his hand.
"Shake on it. Where I come from, this is a sign of goodwill, people usually do this when they reach an agreement."
El immediately reached out and shook his hand, breathing heavily. "What do you need me to do for your second condition?"
"A small thing, something you won't refuse." Alaric smiled faintly. "When the time comes, you'll agree."
Alaric quickly explained the plan, and El expressed his willingness to cooperate.
In the end, the two agreed on a time to meet again. At that point, Alaric would bring El the method to use the power of faith to defeat other gods.
With the deal struck, Alaric snapped his fingers. The Sea of Chaos vanished instantly, and the grand divine palace of the god-king reappeared before them.
Declining El's attempt to keep him, Alaric simply left the palace with the two cats.
After stepping out of the palace gates, a mature and beautiful voice sounded in his mind, it was Bastet.
"What a terrifying human," Bastet said, her tone laced with amusement and admiration.
"Just now, I almost thought I was looking at Apophis. But even he couldn't make a god fall like that."
"Heh. In any era, men whose hearts are filled with hatred and ambition are all equally foolish."
Alaric waved his hand dismissively. "With just a little provocation, they fall into step with others, blindly trusting what they're told. Even gods are no exception."
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