Chapter 457: Never (4)

Perseus POV

As I drew upon their fading energies, I sensed their fierce resistance. Lucifer and Satan, despite their vessels crumbling into dust, fought against my absorption, their essence was like a wild storm within me. They really never yield...I'm a bit impressed.

The power I sought to assimilate clashed and writhed around like snakes, their unyielding spirits refusing to be subjugated, their strength manifesting as an obstinate force within my own being.

The essence of Lucifer and Satan resisted my control, an unwelcome turbulence within my newfound strength. It was as though their defiance persisted even as their forms turned to dust, continuing to challenge and resist my attempts to harness their powers.

Tsk, annoying pieces of shit...as long as it's not controlled and willing to become a part of me, using their power is not going to be a possibility, and the 11th star is going to stray further away...I need sleep, I need to calm these powers and fight them in a dream, a landscape where I'll have the absolute advantage.

*****

Ruka came home later with a certain piece of news, and it's that she knows that Zach is currently working with this soul merchant guy, or at least, he's cutting all ties with the soul merchant very recently after learning of what I did. Either way, she was pretty sure of it as she followed her pursuers back to their base and listened in.

My former disguises have also been exposed, Leilah came in later and confirmed this. On a side note, Phineas apparently dislikes Cain and there is a rift between them, Leilah has also spotted him plotting whether to work with the heroes temporarily to get rid of him, or at least put a bounty on him.

This is coming at a bad time, I need to sleep, to help stabilize the powers. As the remnants of Lucifer and Satan's powers continued to resist within me, the strain of absorbing their energies was taking its toll...the more urgent matter was helping Tanner.

Jerah apparently tried to intervene, but Tanner refused, saying that he doesn't need his dad to interfere with what he does or plans on doing, their meeting was not a positive experience, and Jerah thinks that if he saved him anyway, Tanner and that general would run back to their deaths, so I'm his other choice.

But...I'm going to need my sleep, and it's going to take a week at least...

"Can you still repay me if I just send Leilah and Ruka to do it in my stead? It's also a good reunion opportunity for them, and they'll probably have a more positive experience while also having a higher chance of success."

"Since, they're following your will anyway, yes." Jerah nodded, "It seems that it's urgent for you."

"Oh...how urgent?"

"If you can't control the powers within a month, they will consume you. Self-destruction...or you can think of it as a very brilliant firework show, Lucifer is the Lightbringer after all."

I was trapped in a desperate race against time, fighting to gain mastery over powers that resisted me at every turn. The prospect of self-annihilation gnawed at my mind, a constant reminder that failure meant oblivion.

The absurdity of my situation wasn't lost on me. Here I was, grappling with powers that threatened to tear me apart, and yet, in the grand scheme of things, I'm a protagonist with a lot of plot armor, I'm not gonna die.

 Protagonists always find a way out of these messes. But as I glanced at the swirling energies within, the remnant powers of Lucifer and Satan's resistance reverberating within me, that optimism wavered just a teeny tiny bit.

The truth was, being the protagonist didn't guarantee a happy ending, especially when facing forces beyond comprehension. but I have a harem, and harem protagonists always live on to tell the tale.

*****

I went back to the village and informed the chief and my grandfather that I wouldn't be available for at least a month, their expression was that of concern, I'm the best fighter after all, if I'm not here, we're basically doomed.

"You don't sound too optimistic, what are you planning to do?" the chief asked

"Oh, just a project."

"What will we get out of this?"

"If I succeed, I'll be the first ever person to surpass a mortal's limit and evolve into a celestial, the first ever person with the 11th star."

"And if you don't?"

"Self-destruction, firework show made from my dead body."

"Have you told your parents about this?" Grandpa Laker asked

"Um...no."

"How big will the explosion be?"

"Apparently, it's on the scale of an atomic bomb."

"I don't know what that is."

"Well, big enough to destroy the village and leave no traces behind."

"Your parents would kill you." Grandpa sighs, "You'll probably do it anyway, whether I stop you or not, but seriously...spend time with them when you return."

"I know, I'll just have Rosa fill in for now...everything's a mess right now, fighting with gods, finding out that your business partner is in some sort of slave trafficking ring..."

"That sounds a bit similar to the story of the demon lord." they both commented and Buddy also nodded in agreement.

"Well, worst case scenario, I'll bring him over to his victims and let them decide his fate, they'll know how to properly hurt him."

*****

I returned home and greeted my brother and Rosa, whom I called and already told her on the way here on what I planned to do, all I needed to do now was break it to my parents. but both of them already gave a disapproving look.

"You have that look." Mom Nyra commented, "You're going to tell us something and decide to do something dangerous."

"Told you so." Ruka grumbled, "She knows all your tricks."

"Don't worry, moms, I'm just going to go out and I'll be sure to return home safe and sound."

"Are you going to go out and return with another weirdly powerful woman?" mom Rylee asked

"No, I'm already quite covered in that department, I'm just going to go somewhere where I shouldn't have any effect on anyone else, okay?"

"I sometime want to slap you in the face for these kinds of things, but go ahead, I already know that we can't stop you from being reckless."