Even he felt powerless in the face of the unstoppable changes of the times and the wheel of fate. Because the new gods of capital were indeed stronger than him now. Those bodhisattvas and supreme deities were powerful enough to reach out and move the moon, to colonize Mars. In comparison, cleaving a continent in two with a single sword stroke paled in comparison.
The Peacock King made some correct choices that allowed him to maintain his current aloof status, but that's only for now. He couldn't compete with the Bodhisattvas and deities at the pinnacle of this capitalist game, because he wasn't particularly adept at being a capitalist, and besides, he still had some conscience.
One day, perhaps a capitalist will win this competition and become the sole capitalist god. His wealth and resources will surpass the sum of all others. Before this absolute power, all gods, demons, and mortals will lose the possibility of resistance and can only become his property, to be exploited forever.
This is terrifying.
However, compared to the other crisis implied by the Peacock King, it may not be the most terrifying.
Thinking of this, everyone couldn't help but glance at Angela, who looked at them innocently.
追兵
The Peacock King repeated this phrase over and over, and everyone heard it.
So Hayden asked, "Your Highness, why are you so certain that you keep insisting there will be pursuers coming from outside the universe?"
Then the Peacock King glanced at Angela and said, "If that's not the case, what do you think she is? Did you really summon the Angel King from outside the universe with just a wish spell? That's absolutely impossible."
"Perhaps that cold-hearted god simply sent her to see the state of the world. It's not entirely impossible, but that god hates evil and has no mercy. Once He learns that the rebellious angel is still alive here, He will surely send down an army to exterminate them all."
The Peacock King gave another cold laugh as he finished speaking.
"Besides, even without fallen angels, this hell on earth is hardly clean. Think about it yourselves, if there really is a God who absolutely hates evil, wouldn't He be furious and destroy this world if He saw the ugly state of this capitalist hell now?"
Well, it's hard to say.
Hayden didn't actually say this aloud, but he still thought to himself that perhaps this god would only destroy the wicked—but then again, people's standards for "evil" have always been unstable and changeable. If there really is a non-human, alien, and foreign god, who knows what His standards for good and evil are?
The key point is that nobody actually knows anything.
Therefore, Hayden and Karen can now understand what the Peacock King is trying to express.
An existence from beyond the universe, capable of creating universes and therefore extremely powerful, and whose good and evil are unpredictable, is near.
Angela may be His vanguard or scout, and He is just outside the door, perhaps about to push it open and come in.
And nobody knows what He will do to the world after He arrives.
This feeling is definitely terrifying.
The feeling of powerlessness in the face of the unknown is truly terrifying.
...Even so, Hayden didn't sense that the Peacock King was truly afraid. His tone, on the contrary, carried a hint of schadenfreude.
Before Hayden could ask any further questions, Angela spoke up first: "Samael, do you really want this world to be destroyed?"
The Peacock King shook his head. He looked up at the sky, his gaze holding an indescribable expression.
“I’ve stopped thinking about it. I just want to see with my own eyes how humanity and this world will end. I just hope my family can live happily until the end—as for what the gods who are chasing after us will do, that’s no longer my concern.”
As he said this, he refocused his heavy gaze on Angela.
"Humanity in this world has defeated the devil and created its own hell on earth. Their childhood is long over; let them face the coming god on their own."
What a Peacock King! He's just lying down and waiting for the acceleration, eager to see what will happen to this world!
However, after hearing the Peacock King's confession, Angela seemed rather pleased: "Samael, you have grown a lot in this hell. This is the power of love, family, and being a parent."
These words startled the Peacock King.
Hayden rubbed his temples, a wry smile on his face. He had just been affected by the Peacock King's aura and felt a little scared and nervous, but he had calmed down again.
“Your Highness, I do not believe that Angela is a vanguard or scout destined to destroy the world.”
So he shook his head and spoke, addressing everyone present.
“I have a lot of circumstantial evidence, such as Angela’s attributes being too unsuitable for combat, and her healing abilities being too obviously geared towards healing, making her seem completely out of place for fighting. However, these are all just circumstantial evidence, so I won’t go into detail about them now. There is only one point I want to emphasize now.”
Hayden glanced around, looking at every god and demon present, before finally turning back to Angela. His tone was calm.
"Regardless of the evidence or not, I believe in Angela. I have already gone through the process of doubting her. I can stand here today because I trusted her yesterday."
"So I will believe her no matter what. No matter what others say or do. Do you understand what I mean?"
231: The End of Childhood
Regardless, Hayden would believe Angela.
As he uttered those words, Hayden felt all the fear and tension he had felt earlier vanish.
Hey, what does Hayden have to be afraid of? His current power, his current wealth, his happy life over the past three years, even this life that he died and came back to life, were almost all given to him by Angela, or at least almost all of them were orchestrated and given to him for free by Angela. Even excluding this time, in the past three years alone, Hayden has lost count of how many times Angela has saved him.
Now that Angela wants to take his life, Hayden has no face to complain.
As for the fate of the entire world, and the greater "god" that looms behind Angela, Hayden has a different perspective.
However, Hayden's words still surprised the Peacock King. He turned to look at Karen, then sized up Hayden and Angela before he finally realized what was happening: "Kalen, you and him aren't...?"
"No."
Karen answered expressionlessly.
“I’ve been telling you all, ‘He’s not my boyfriend!’ but you’ve never believed me.”
Even so, it was obvious to a fool that Karen looked somewhat depressed and helpless.
Looking at the three people, the Peacock King realized that this matter was more troublesome than he had originally anticipated.
Hayden knew he would have to talk to Karen again later, but he wouldn't talk about that now. He had some other thoughts to share first.
"To say that Angela is a vanguard of destructive power is an understatement; the attributes she has shown so far are far too mild. Even if you put her in the hand with a sword that can kill everything, she would look no different from someone holding a broom."
As he said this, he gestured to Angela and the [Heavenly Punishment Sword] in her hand. This ancient artifact, which annihilated life, was like a plastic toy in Angela's hands, utterly devoid of any killing intent.
Seeing his old artifact held in Angela's hands, the Peacock King frowned as expected.
This divine sword was the embodiment of the power of judgment and execution that he brought down from the upper realm, but it shattered not long after his fall from heaven because of his corruption.
Hecate has the means to collect its fragments and reforge it, that's one thing. Angela can simply hold it in her hand, that's another. Either this means Angela's attributes are completely opposite to its attributes of judgment and execution, thus canceling each other out. Or... it means Angela possesses higher and stronger authority, making the power of the [Heavenly Punishment Sword] utterly insignificant in comparison.
If it's the former, that's fine, but it doesn't prove that Angela isn't a scout for the Heavenly Army; if it's the latter, the situation is even more unpredictable and uncontrollable, which is the worst possible scenario.
And that's what Hayden wanted to talk about next.
“I have complete faith in Angela. Of course, if she is really just a messenger and scout from an unknown Outer God, then the significance of simply believing in her is very limited.”
Taking advantage of the Peacock King's focus on the sword, Hayden continued speaking.
"So, I will go on to learn more. I will study and understand Angela further, to explore her and the power behind her. I will search for... that god."
These words immediately sent chills down the spine of the Peacock King.
To explore and search for gods beyond the universe? What an audacious act!
But for Hayden, this was the right and responsible thing to do.
Yes, the pursuit of knowledge can be dangerous, but the lack of knowledge is also dangerous—perhaps far more dangerous than the pursuit of knowledge. If there truly is an unknown extraterrestrial force that could push open the door to this world at any moment, then even if humanity doesn't explore too much, it might not simply "walk away."
If Hayden truly desires the power to change the world, if he truly wants to advance further and interact with Angela as an equal... then he must naturally seek out the magnificent divine power behind Angela.
Hayden must be aware that he must actively explore the roots and mysteries of Angela without losing his prudence and using his wisdom, instead of lying down and giving up.
He is aware of this, and he understands this principle.
Karen probably understands too.
So, before the Peacock King could even begin to criticize Hayden, Karen interrupted.
“Father, Hayden’s words make sense.”
Karen said,
"As Hayden said, Angela has helped us so much so far. Regardless of her actual identity, or whether she seems kind only because she has amnesia, how can we be intimidated by vague possibilities and not value what she has already done for us?"
Her gaze towards Angela was complex, tinged with helplessness, yet unwavering. Like Hayden, Karen couldn't deny the various forms of assistance Angela had provided over the past two or three years; that wasn't her style, and besides, it was unjust.
Angela has helped them so much; it would be contrary to their principles to talk about resisting or even dealing with her when things are uncertain.
On the other hand, this does not mean that Karen would give her trust unconditionally; quite the opposite is true.
“Hayden, you said you wanted to investigate and explore the power behind Angela, that’s good, and I’m glad you’re finally willing to put your heart into it.”
Karen then turned her gaze back to Hayden. Her gaze softened.
“I have always believed that you have the power to change the world, just as I believe that you have the qualifications to be a prophet. Even without considering Angela’s part, you have already accomplished a great deal. If you can truly explore the outer reaches of the universe, and if that Outer God is not a destructive force, then I certainly believe that you will be able to connect with and guide that great power as a prophet to save all living beings.”
She spoke very gently to Hayden.
But Hayden knew that Karen hadn't finished speaking.
“...But on the other hand, I also need to ask you something first, Hayden,”
As her tone deepened, her eyes gradually became more wary.
"If your exploration and investigation ultimately yield unsatisfactory results, and if the force behind Angela is indeed a destructive force, what do you plan to do?"
Her meaning was clear. It wasn't really a question, but rather Karen questioning Hayden's fundamental idea. It was like two years earlier, when the Peacock King had questioned his daughter, "Can you do it (can you hold on)?"
Although Karen always trusted Hayden's abilities, she never fully endorsed all of his ideas.
So Hayden nodded: "If it is just an unjust force that wants to bring destruction without reason, I will never yield."
To outsiders, this might just be empty talk.
But for Karen, Hayden's answer was enough. No matter how many other people said, none of their answers would have been as convincing.
She rebuilt her trust in Hayden and turned back to her father.
"So this is the answer, Father. Rather than some ethereal, otherworldly god, we must first solve the real problems that exist in our world. We must create a better world than we have now, and end the suffering caused by this society. If there truly is an otherworldly god who comes to hunt us down and destroy us, we will defeat and drive him away just as well!"
Karen was always so resolute. She always utterly despised evil and actively sought to set things right and end injustice in society. If Angela and the god she represented were indeed evil forces, then Karen would naturally fight them to the very end!
As for the Peacock King, seeing his daughter like this, he couldn't help but feel as if he were seeing a younger and more dazzling version of himself.
This thought rekindled some joy and motivation in his originally tense and heavy heart.
He looked at Angela again, meeting the gaze of this mysterious being, only to find that Angela was also very happy, showing no anger at being suspected by Karen.
“Samael, take your sword and your little daughter back with you. You should protect the most precious treasure in the world yourself. As for the Sword of Death, it is useless to my master and me. It is more awkward in my hands than a broom.”
After saying that, Angela tossed the [Heavenly Punishment Sword] back to Samael. This greatly surprised the Peacock King.
Whatever she needs to do, this divine weapon will always be very useful. If a ruthless god wants to kill all the immortal fallen angels, he will certainly need to use this [Divine Punishment Sword].
Angela, however, casually returned the [Heavenly Punishment Sword] as if it were a broom she had found. This puzzled the Peacock King even more.
So the Peacock King took the [Heavenly Punishment Sword], which he had once lost, and raised it once more. A feeling of nostalgia immediately welled up in his heart. After so many years, he still felt a blood connection between his hand and the divine weapon, which surprised Samael even more. He had originally thought that after his long fall from grace, the [Heavenly Punishment Sword] might even reject him and resist him, instead of accepting him so harmoniously as it did now.
"This sword is actually not very useful to me now."
After pondering for a long time, the Peacock King spoke.
“But you’re right, the child is my most precious treasure. I will pass this sword on to Margaret from now on.”
These words immediately stunned Karen.
Why? It's not unusual for parents to give their children anything, but this artifact is sharp and powerful, so why isn't it very useful? Why pass it on to an unhatched egg?
“I am no longer the person I was five thousand years ago. I haven’t used this sword for five thousand years. I have spent years honing my supernatural powers as a sword, and I have long since reached the realm where having no sword is better than having a sword.”
The Peacock King immediately saw through his daughter's thoughts and shook his head, explaining...
"Actually, this thing is of little use to me now, and its attributes are even unsuitable. I am no longer the fiery dragon and serpent of five thousand years ago, but a five-colored bird. Why should I be attached to this old thing?"
These are all the truth.
After losing his sword over five thousand years ago, Samael fought solely using his divine power to create swords. The result of his continuous battles was a return to simplicity, reaching a higher realm. Ultimately, he discovered that the strongest swordsman is the one who doesn't need a divine sword at all.
Let alone bare hands, even with just a thought, the strongest sword god could cleave the continent in two with his sword intent, and could even fight against thousands of heavenly soldiers and generals until his energy was exhausted. Even with the [Heavenly Punishment Divine Sword], the Peacock King's record wouldn't be any better.
If the current Peacock King were to fight Samael from over 5,000 years ago with his bare hands, he would undoubtedly win.
...Perhaps even in a one-on-two situation, he would still win.
"As for why I didn't pass the [Heavenly Punishment Divine Sword] to you, it's for the same reason. You already have strength comparable to your mother, and one day you will surpass me. This is your own path, and your divine authority already has its own unique attributes. If I give you this sword, you may be able to use it even if you have to force it, but forcing it is not a good thing."
As the Peacock King spoke, his tone was calm, yet there was a subtle undercurrent of pride and emotion welling up from witnessing his child's growth.
“The situation will become even more turbulent in the future, and I won’t be able to help you suppress it. You will soon have to rely on yourself. The childhood in which your parents can protect you is coming to an end.”
“But I truly believe my daughter can forge a new path. A path that will be better than that of the bodhisattvas of four hundred years ago. The new gods are stronger than the old gods, humanity has already surpassed the fallen angels, and children will eventually surpass their parents. What I could not do, you will do from now on.”
Karen was taken aback by his words. This was indeed the recognition she had always longed for, but she hadn't expected her father to accept her so soon.
Her father believed that Karen had the potential to surpass Mitra in his time.