"Goddes… Goddess of Flowers?" Myrna couldn't help but glance at Nabu, her heart filled with shock.
Miss Nabu is the Goddess of Flowers?
Although it was surprising, it made sense. Lord Rukkhadevata is a goddess, and Lord Rukkhadevata's friend is also a goddess. It wasn't so strange after all.
"You know me?" Nabu looked at the middle-aged man without denying it.
"When I was young, because of your meeting with King Deshret, I had the chance to see you from afar once. I will never forget that day. Many years have passed, and I've become a middle-aged man, yet you remain as young as you were back then," the middle-aged man looked at Nabu with complex eyes, the emotions behind them unclear. "If I could, I really wouldn't want to face you like this."
The soldiers surrounding them, all holding blades, had serious expressions, but beads of sweat were already forming on their foreheads.
They knew that the person they were facing was a god.
Humans defying gods was considered an act of "rebelling against heaven's will."
"Are you planning to use the thing in the water to deal with the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?" Nabu's expression was calm as she questioned the middle-aged man.
"Yes," the middle-aged man replied. "That is the weapon we have prepared, a weapon capable of slaying gods. For the sake of King Deshret, we must do this."
"But King Deshret does not allow you to do this, right? That's why you are hiding in this remote desert underground for secret research," Nabu said.
"King Deshret is a merciful god. He does not wish to start conflict, which is why he formed an alliance with both the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and you. But some things cannot be avoided. As Goddess of Flowers, you should understand this better than us mere mortals. Thus, we as his subjects must share his burdens."
"Yes, I understand," Nabu's gaze shifted, no longer as gentle as before. Instead, there was an unwavering resolve in her eyes, as solid as a mountain.
"To achieve peace and prosperity often requires sacrifices, and those sacrifices may be far more painful than one can imagine," Nabu continued. "There will undoubtedly be casualties between King Deshret, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, and me. I cannot foresee how things will end, but at least for now, nothing is set in stone. There is still room for change. This is something my friend helped me realize."
After saying this, Nabu looked at Yu Xie, a gentle smile blooming on her face again.
Yu Xie paused for a moment, surprised that his words had led Nabu to think this way. His offhand comment had surprisingly taken root.
He smiled back at Nabu and took a step forward.
"Well then, that old man over there," Yu Xie began, "I may not be a subject of King Deshret, but I've met him before. My first impression of him was that he's 'a bit of a strange person.' I couldn't quite understand him. Of course, it's natural that mortals cannot comprehend gods, but tell me, is it possible that… you haven't understood King Deshret either? As a god, King Deshret certainly understands the current situation far better than you do. Do you really think he doesn't know what to do in these matters? Does he truly need you to help him do things he doesn't want to do?"
At that moment, the alarm stopped. All the workers in this secret research base had gathered on the other side, quietly watching the scene unfold.
Upon hearing Yu Xie's words, the middle-aged man let out a light laugh.
"I've been by King Deshret's side since I was a child. My entire life has been dedicated to King Deshret. Decades of my life, though they may be but a moment in the eyes of a god, are a large portion of a mortal's life. You've only met King Deshret once, and you speak so recklessly? Do you understand King Deshret better than I do?"
"A person who pretends to be asleep is the hardest to wake," Yu Xie sighed lightly.
"We stand on different sides. There is nothing more to talk about. Today, let's see what kind of power gods possess, Goddess of Flowers!" The middle-aged man's gaze hardened.
Myrna immediately moved in front of Nabu, shielding her.
"Wait, I have a question. I wonder if you can answer it for me," Nabu suddenly spoke again.
"It would be my honor to answer the Goddess's question," the middle-aged man replied.
"The weapon you've created to kill gods—what kind of energy does it use?" Nabu turned to look at the object submerged in the water.
Ever since she first saw it, Nabu had felt an inexplicable sense of discomfort. She had a strong sense of revulsion toward the thing.
"…Life," the middle-aged man replied. "To kill a god, a price must be paid. And that price is our lives. By using life as energy, we can create a force powerful enough to kill a god. This is the 'God Slayer Mechanism' we've created!"
Just as his words fell, a splash was heard, followed by a series of loud water splashes.
Yu Xie suddenly turned around. More than ten researchers, dressed in white lab coats, had already submerged themselves underwater and were swimming toward the round opening of the machine.
It was clear that they intended to activate the so-called "God Slayer Mechanism" at this moment, using it against Nabu.
To defeat a god, they had no choice but to take a desperate gamble.
The middle-aged man looked at Yu Xie and Nabu, his teeth clenched, his eyes filled with determination.
The machine was not yet fully completed, and there were still some difficult issues to resolve, but now they had no other option but to stake everything on this.
If they won the gamble, the research would continue.
In the blink of an eye, some of the researchers had already entered the massive machine through the round opening.
Soon after, the massive machine underwater began to emit a faint white glow.
"Goddess of Flowers, please take a good look... at the power of humanity!" The middle-aged man hissed in a low voice.
With a splash, Yu Xie jumped into the water.
The white glow emanating from the machine grew stronger, but he didn't stop. He swam toward the machine, increasing his speed.
Myrna immediately jumped in after him.
"Through our special adjustments, the 'God Slayer Mechanism' will not harm mortals, only gods. And once the 'God Slayer Mechanism' is activated, it will not stop until all its power is fully released!" The middle-aged man became increasingly excited at this point, as if he was eagerly anticipating the next moment.
"Yu Xie! Myrna!" Nabu called out, looking toward the water.
In the water, Yu Xie finally reached the massive machine. Up close, the machine was even larger than it had seemed from afar.
He didn't hesitate. He reached out his left hand and made contact with the machine.
"Goddess of Flowers, I'm sorry," the middle-aged man said triumphantly from the shore.
At this moment, Nabu gently raised her hands, and a soft, yet potent power began to gather in her palms.
She was not a god known for combat, and her powers were not as strong as those of other gods, but she still had things she could do.
But what happened next made her stop channeling her power.
The white light emitted by the massive machine in the water began to fade, as if its energy supply had been cut off, and it ceased functioning.
"What... what is happening?!" the middle-aged man shouted.
End of chapter
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