Chapter 133: Aftermath

"So."

"So, indeed." Zelretch responded, tilting his head down and took a long sip of his tea.

"..."

"..."

"You magical vampire, what the fuck are you doing?" Najimi said, a few veins bulging around her face.

"Nothing. I did....absolutely nothing," He replied and let out a satisfied sigh, truly, the tea leaves he took from that 'cultivation' world had been truly worthwhile.

Unfortunately he didn't manage to get any booze from that so-called God of Booze, with him constantly drunk, making it impossible to negotiate exchange with any of his alcoholic products.

He did try to steal them, he wasn't some saint after all, but the guy was too powerful! How? He didn't understand either.

Armed with just his gourd filled with the best booze there is and just his hands and feet, he destroyed every spell Zelretch threw at him and somehow punched through all attacks and defenses he made using the Kaleidoscope!

'Cultivation is bullshit!' Zelretch thought with a deadpan.

"Zelretch!"

"Hm? Oh, right. Sorry about that. I was lost in thought for a brief moment there, old age is catching up to me. Unlike you," He softly chuckled at her irritated glare. After dealing with all kinds of bullshit in his long life, courtesy of a certain sore loser alien, he didn't fear death as much.

Did he want to die? Yes. He had been in this stage for a long, long, long time now. He wanted to rest. However, that didn't mean he wanted to die now though. He still has some....unfinished businesses that need to be taken care of.

Besides, Najimi wasn't as powerful as before when he first met her; with around 98% of all her power and skills being sealed. She could barely harm a chicken in her state! It was only thanks to a certain entity that she's here now.

"I did not lie, Anshin'in. It is true. You know me enough to understand, that I never lie. I don't need to."

Najimi scoffed, "Yeah, you don't lie. Just conveniently omit details that would get you into trouble."

Zelretch softly chuckled, 'Well, she isn't wrong.'

"You're not wrong. As I have said, to thank him for helping me achieve one of my many, many goals, Zenkichi Hitoyoshi will be given a reward of divine nature."

"Yeah, but what the heck is this? Demon God? Ancient Monster? Do you want him to become a Beast or something?" If her hands weren't literally screwed to her chest, she would've smacked the table between them to oblivion.

"What? I'm just helping him take his rightful place as the God of Demons, well, taking his first steps into becoming one that is. Isn't that of Divine Nature?" Zelretch's lips twitched indignantly as he saw her eyes turned purple with multiple rings around her pupils. He narrowed his eyes, feeling like they were familiar...

Is she trying to use Rinnegan?! How many bullshit skills does she have?!

Thankfully however, the damage she inflicted on him was a mild and short headache.

Well, that was a bit rude of her. Zelretch thought as he pinched his eyebrows. Women, no matter their identity, they will always be mysterious to him even after so many years.

He let out a cough and added, "Besides, this isn't entirely my fault. I merely put out the request for his reward to the "system". It's not my fault that he's dealing with this situation."

He raised an eyebrow, looking a bit confused. "Also, do you not like it when he overcomes dangerous situations with and grows stronger as a result? You do have a penchant for watching mortals surpassing their limits and achieving greatness, don't you?"

Najimi's eyes narrowed, her anger simmering beneath the surface. "I do enjoy seeing mortals rise above their circumstances, but Zenkichi is a special case. He is supposed to be at our world, deal with smaller problems first before tackling something of this magnitude."

"Simply put, I do not like him in other worlds and dealing with problems that isn't any of his business. I made that one exception because it was a "special" situation. This one, I'm letting you do this out of a favor I owed you. However, a favor has a limit." Despite looking immobile, the menacing black aura emanating from her body caused space around them to tremble.

Zelretch leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as he listened to Najimi's words. Her frustration was palpable, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for putting Zenkichi in such a precarious situation. Despite his nonchalant demeanor, he did care about the consequences of his actions, especially when it involved those he liked.

Anshin'in was so much more fun and mischievous back then, centuries back, but it seems like time had taken its toll, as it often did. The once lively and spirited Najimi was now cloaked in a shroud of coldness and restraint.

Was it because she was being restrained by the "system"? Or was it because she delved deeper into the "abyss"?

"I understand your concerns, Anshin'in," he began, his tone more serious now. "And I appreciate the favor you've extended by allowing this. But trust me when I say that I do not intend any ill will towards Zenkichi, in fact, I will personally interfere if things start to go awry. That includes if his existence starts being tied to this universe. My intention is to help him unlock his potential, not to put him in harm's way."

Najimi's expression softened slightly at Zelretch's earnest words. Despite her frustrations, she knew deep down that he wouldn't purposefully endanger Zenkichi. There was a long history between them, filled with both camaraderie and mischief.

"Fine," she relented, her voice softer now. "But don't think I won't hold you accountable if anything goes wrong."

Zelretch nodded solemnly. "I understand, and I accept that responsibility."

With a sigh, Najimi leaned back in her chair, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. Perhaps she had been too quick to judge Zelretch's motives. After all, he had always been an enigma, but he had also been a steadfast ally in times of need.

As they sat in silence, the atmosphere between them grew more relaxed, the weight of their conversation dissipating like morning mist.

....

[Quest: Become a Demon God!(1/7)]

[Quest Trial 1: Defeat the Ancient Monster of Gluttony - Zeb Completed!]

[Demon Bloodline has been stirred. Mastery of Flames of Gehenna has risen by one rank. New skills acquired: Monster Form(Gluttony), Evil Sense, Fear Inducement, Semi-Immortality]

[Ding! Compatibility between Reading Minds and Evil Sense is found! Fuse the two skills? Yes or No? Fusion will commencement in one minute]

[Compatibility between Fear Inducement and Devil Style is found! Fuse the two skills? Ding! Command overwritten, Devil Style is forcibly combing Fear Inducement into itself]

[Reading Mind and Evil Sense will begin Fusing... Ding! New Skill: Empathy - Not only can you read people's minds and emotions at a certain range but you can also project your own emotions onto others, influencing their feelings and actions.]

[New Titles Gained: Hero, Demon Slayer]

[Hero: Gain 150% increase of strength in the presence of friends and allies. 300% increase in overall stats when facing overwhelming enemies under dangerous circumstances.]

[Demon Slayer: Demon-type enemies strength and abilities are lowered by 70% and your strength is increased by 100%.]

'Ugh... What...? Where am I?' Zenkichi groggily opened his eyes, narrowing them as he saw the system screens flashing brightly before his eyes. Without reading them, he push the screens to the side and looked around the room he was in.

Simply put, it looked poor. The walls around him looked to be made out out of mud and...bricks? But it was neat and tidy. Guess he just too used to the modern house appearance.

"Where the heck am I? System?"

[Answer: User is in Uruk, the last bastion city of Mesopotamia]

'Uruk? How did I get here?! Last I remember was that I had defeated that Zeb monster and devoured him and....' He paused, narrowing his eyes in contemplation. The events leading up to his arrival in Uruk were still somewhat hazy in his mind, but one thing was clear: he had undergone a significant transformation.

As he rose from his makeshift bed, Zenkichi looked down at his left hand to see it covered in dark eerie shadows that seemed to rows of teeth hidden within. His gaze shifted to his right hand, where flickering dark-blue flames like the depths of the sea danced across his fingertips, casting a warm glow in the dimly lit room.

"Damn. Looks like I gained a bit of some muscle and bulk," Zenkichi whistled, looking down at his exposed ten-pack abs. Whoever brought him here had took off all of his clothes.

Standing at an impressive height of 6'7ft, he towered over most people, with a physique resembling a seasoned warrior. His muscles weren't at the level of body builders but were well-defined and toned, hinting at both strength and agility. Zenkichi flexed his arms experimentally, feeling the power coursing through his veins.

However, there was one more important thing to check.

"....Sweet." He grinned, placing both his hands on his hips as he slightly thrusted forward.

But it wasn't just his physical appearance that had changed; Zenkichi could sense a shift in his very essence. There was something primal and ancient stirring within him, a connection to powers beyond comprehension. His divinity connecting to the Sun had....diminished to say the least. But his demonic core seemed to be a bit larger and powerful than before.

Clenching his left hand and placing it over his heart, he narrowed his eyes. 'It feels similar to divinity somehow. Did devouring Zeb made me ascend to a Demon God?'

He asked the system but it didn't provide him any answer, surprising him. Ever since he got this feature, there had been a few things the system couldn't answer his questions.

'Whatever. I'll probably learn about it after I finish the quest.' Shrugging his shoulders, he looked around the room for clothes.

Swish

The door to his room creaked open and Brunhilde walked in, holding a plate of warm breakfast in her one hand. She widened her eyes upon seeing Zenkichi.

"Zenkichi?! You're awake! That's-....oh my." Her eyes widened even further upon seeing his wood standing up longer and girthier than she remembered. She licked her lips and locked the door behind her.

....

AN: Here's an extra chapter as an apology for last week! Next chapter's on the day after tomorrow!

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