Regressing as the Reincarnated Bastard of the Sword Clan

Chapter 197

The God of Causality.

Theo thought they—whether they were a “he” or a “she”—were remarkably peculiar among the many gods of the Pantheon.

Even during his ascent of the White Tower, the God of Causality had occasionally displayed behavior that could only be described as clueless.

And now, they were acting just the same.

"If what Ashin said is true, and all the messages I’ve seen so far were created by this god... it’s such a stark contradiction."

The messages Theo had encountered up to this point were so mechanical—delivered with an emotionless bluntness that only stated facts.

Even quest penalties always ended in death.

It was hard to imagine such a personality being behind trials so merciless.

"More than that, they’ve consistently shown favor toward me, even back in the White Tower."

This disconnect made it impossible for Theo to reconcile the messages with the God of Causality.

"Kerto."

『Yes, my lord.』

"What do you know about this?"

『I’m merely a messenger conveying the will of the Pantheon, my lord. Nothing more.』

"...."

『However, I can confirm one thing: the 'system' you refer to—the messages—it is indeed the creation of the God of Causality. They also manage it personally.』

So, it really was all the work of the God of Causality?

Theo’s thoughts paused as he caught a slip in Kertosucus’s words.

"Just because they created and manage the system doesn’t mean they’re the ones using it."

『That is correct. Utilizing the system is a completely different matter.』

That meant the deity issuing quests to Theo wasn’t necessarily the God of Causality.

"Then who is this user?"

『All of them.』

"All of them?"

『The gods of the Pantheon. They are all watching you, my lord. And each holds a different level of expectation for you. Some harbor great goodwill toward you.』

Theo’s gaze instinctively turned toward the system messages.

[The Administrator seems startled, as though their eyes met yours.]

[The Administrator quickly glances around, trying to hide out of embarrassment.]

『On the other hand, some hold no particular expectations at all.』

[A deity of ■■ is observing you.]

『And then, there are those who harbor hostility toward you.』

"Hostility? Toward me?"

Theo struggled to understand Kertosucus’s statement.

He was fighting on the front lines against the Nameless Sovereign for their sake. How could they be indifferent, let alone hostile?

『Primarily, they are gods who believe someone else should have been chosen as the Chosen One. Or, they have friendly ties with the Outer Gods.』

It initially baffled Theo to think a god could be friendly with Outer Gods, but he soon understood, nodding to himself.

It was no different from human societies. There could be spies or individuals who, regardless of affiliation, found kinship with those outside their faction.

Everyone’s stance differed depending on their political circumstances.

Why would gods be any different?

In a strange way, Theo felt relieved.

Even gods, supposedly transcendent beings, were ultimately just another form of life.

『Some also wish to test you further, my lord.』

[An unnamed god is scrutinizing your every decision and action.]

[An unnamed god hopes to see you achieve something more extraordinary.]

Theo had a hunch about this god’s identity.

Sigurd Ragnar.

If it was the progenitor he had glimpsed before, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to take a deep interest in the descendant who had succeeded them as Lodbrok’s companion.

Ashin’s faces dissolved rapidly, not in pain but in gleeful anticipation of a future reunion.

Crack!

When the last fragment of Ashin’s head shattered, the chaos finally subsided.

"Hoo...!"

"That thing just wouldn’t die, would it?"

"In some ways, worse than the Nameless Sovereign."

The Heroic Spirits sighed deeply as they gazed at the pulverized remains of Ashin, their exhaustion evident.

The surrounding forest had been completely obliterated, leaving no trace of its former self.

"But, descendant, why do you still look like that?"

One of the Heroic Spirits tilted their head as they noticed Theo still surveying the area with a grim expression.

"It’s not over yet."

"What do you mean?"

Before Theo could elaborate on the absence of messages confirming the virus’s destruction or quest completion—

BOOM!

From beneath the ground, a colossal Ashin burst forth, its gaping maw descending toward Theo.

"Haha! Surprise! I wasn’t completely gone yet!"

"Sorry, but you’re not the one I’ve been looking for."

With an icy, mocking gaze, Theo smirked.

Before Ashin could respond, a black lightning bolt descended from the sky, splitting its body apart.

Boom! Crackle!

Amid the settling dust, a man slowly rose to his feet.

"That face...?"

"It looks so much like our descendant!"

"Then is he one of our kin?"

"But why does he reek of the Nameless Sovereign?"

The Heroic Spirits glared at the black-haired man, whose presence exuded the stench of the Sacred Demon Cult.

The dragons, too, bared their hostility.

Ashin, now split in two, scrambled to retreat but soon merged back together, its rotating head howling in anguish.

"What’s the meaning of this, Fifth Apostle? Did ■■■ teach you to interfere like this?"

Seemingly annoyed at being interrupted during its “game,” Ashin stomped its feet furiously.

The man, however, merely smirked, dismissing the notion with a wave of his hand.

"Don’t mistake me for the other apostles. I stand as an equal to the Nameless Sovereign, bound only by mutual contract. And..."

As he stepped forward, black miasma and madness surged from his body, devouring the remnants of Ashin’s flesh scattered throughout the area.

These fragments, meant to be raw material for Ashin’s revival, were now utterly eradicated.

The absorbed divine energy from Ashin further strengthened the man’s overwhelming presence.

"This was my playground from the start. That child was my guest. And you had the nerve to disrupt us?"

With a casual gesture, the miasma and madness around the man took the form of dragons, devouring Ashin’s body entirely.

Crack! Crack!

"I’ll go for now! But next time, I’ll play properly! Promise me! Play with me again next time! Promise!!"

Ashin let out a bizarre cry before vanishing completely.

"Hoo. Finally, the uninvited guest is gone."

The Heroic Spirits and dragons, exhausted from their earlier struggles, now turned wary eyes toward the man who had effortlessly consumed Ashin’s avatar.

"A Ragnar who is also an Apostle...? What in the world is that thing?"

To their eyes, the man seemed neither fully Ragnar nor fully a zealot of the Sacred Demon Cult.

He was a hybrid. A monstrosity.

Yet the man paid no attention to their wary stares. His gaze was fixed on Theo.

And in his eyes, there was no madness, no malice—only warmth.

"I didn’t expect us to meet like this, but it’s good to see you, grandson."

The Dragon Emperor smiled.