Reincarnated as the Baron's son: My Infinite Card Upgrade System-Chapter 115: Devourer god.

(Flashback.)

"In exchange for a single condition for you leaving the Zone, you wish to have two of your own?"

The goddess creator asked, back to her chained position as she looked at Alaric, who was standing in front of her.

"Yes," he replied.

"And why would you allow that?"

"Because as much as you want me safe, you also want the Devourer God dead. You won’t tell me who I am or how you ended up enslaved in this place, but I know one thing: the Devourer God is linked to it all, and once he is gone, your problems will drastically reduce, am I right?"

The goddess went dead silent, terrified? Perhaps unsure whether to trust the words coming from his mouth. Either way, he hit the nail on the head.

"You always find a way to make me love you more than I already do. Quite the talent you have there..." said the goddess with a small giggle leaving her mouth.

She wasn’t mocking him; rather, she was intrigued at how such a small human could be trying to work the mind of a goddess like herself.

"So, what are these conditions you need..."

Alaric raised two fingers upon hearing that question, to which he put down a single finger to state the first condition...

"One," he began, "you will allow me to do whatever I want for the next two hours, without spying on me or trying to understand what I’m doing."

"How do I know you aren’t going to plan something behind my back?"

"How do I know your deal for me to keep coming back here isn’t just you waiting to trap me one day?"

There was silence.

A silence that seemed to stretch further to eternity.

"Very well," the goddess creator replied, "and for your second?"

"Once I’ve successfully wiped out 80% of humanity, you are not to interfere, no matter what happens." Alaric dropped his second finger.

The goddess glared intensely.

"If you think of doing anything... I’ll pull you back into the Zone without a second thought," she said ever so dramatically.

Alaric, calm and collected, waited for her reply to his condition. He didn’t care for whatever she wanted to say; all he needed was her approval to set the pact in motion.

A pact.

A form of agreement formed between a god and a human; most people don’t know about it because most of the gods of this world had been destroyed a long time ago.

But Alaric knew a thing or two about it, especially from his former world.

Once an agreement had been made between a god and a human, it can never be broken. The world itself will make sure of that.

Sighing heavily, the goddess raised her head, "You really do love making me worry, don’t you?"

Finally, she gave her response.

"Very well, I accept your terms. I shouldn’t be worrying so much; I know how much you value your life, you wouldn’t do anything reckless."

A sad smile played on Alaric’s face, though he hid it well, before storming out of the Zone.

Flashback ends!

...

In less than a few minutes, almost everyone who had heard the cries of the demon lords had been turned into shattering glass.

Kika, Rashin, Dergen, who was on the verge of defeating Meren, and even the soldiers fighting to conquer the world.

Everyone was faced with the ruthlessness of chaos.

Born and manifested in the form of 18 massive demon lords.

The end of the world was right before them.

And yet...

Still, there were people who didn’t give up.

Leaping onto the horse’s reins, Ava, Hina, and Erica rode their horses as fast as they could, heading straight to where Alaric was.

They could already see him, hovering above the sky with 18 glowing shards dancing around him.

’How long has it been?’

Alaric whispered to himself.

Every second that passed felt like his soul took yet another sharp pain.

Cough!

Blood spewed from his mouth.

’I need more time... I’m... almost done... I can feel it.’

He looked to the sky, as if waiting for someone.

Alaric could feel the goddess’s angry gaze on him; she knew what Alaric was doing, but in terms of their pact, there was nothing she could do to pull him back into the Zone.

One by one, Alaric’s summons appeared behind him, each one carrying a worried look on their faces.

"Master..." they called out.

"Are you also here... to lecture me..." Alaric smiled, one that showed how deeply injured he was, "Kinda... late for that."

"There are some humans that have not been affected by the demons’ scream... what shall we do about them?" asked Laura.

Since the whole thing began, not once has any of the summons questioned why Alaric was doing any of the stuff he did.

They supported him, often giving him motivation when it seemed like he needed it.

Despite the fact they knew he was dying more than anyone else, they still stood by his side.

As long as it was what he wanted, they were more than willing to do it. For he is their master, and he can never be wrong, at least not in the sense they understand.

"Let them be. We have generated enough Yin energy already."

Alaric faced the sky, watching as a dark hole began to grow, like a malfunction in the world, trying to push itself in.

Everyone who saw it was halted, frozen in fear, unable to understand what was happening next.

Except those who already knew what to expect from it.

The Devourer God had arrived to claim what he wanted.

Alaric lowered his head, taking a second to himself. He knew what he needed to do.

"Laura. Aurora. Auzure," he called out to them one by one, "my final order to you... live without my orders from this moment on. You are your own person. Just like everyone else, you... can make your own happiness. All I ask... is that you... make sure the demons all have the same privilege."

Even as he spoke, Aurora and Laura couldn’t help but tear up; Auzure was barely holding on.

"The things... I do for you people..."

That was his final word before he hovered toward the growing dark hole, the body of the Devourer God already slipping out of it.

All the summons could do was watch as he moved, their tears getting lost in the flowing wind.

"Alaric!!!" Ava called out as she leaped down from her horse, her gaze trying to follow where he could be in the sky.

Meanwhile, Alaric had already found himself in front of the growing black hole.

Waiting... and dying.

Finally, the Devourer God showed himself.

Though it was only his head, it was still bigger than all of Alaric’s body.

It was dark; the god’s entire body was made of darkness and nothing else. Eyes so empty they could suck up the entire galaxy.

As he arrived, the first thing he saw was Alaric, casually waiting for him.

He then looked around, and demons, destruction, death awaited his every gaze.

There was nothing.

Nothing worth eating.

"You did this," said the Devourer God.

"Yes... I did," Alaric replied.

"I hate you."

"I know."

"You... take everything..."

"That... I do not know... but I do know one thing... I don’t blame you for wanting to be alive. You did as you must to survive; I did as I must to protect." Alaric’s eyes were barely open, "One cannot exist without the other. Isn’t... that our... relationship?"

Creek!

A part of the god’s head cracked, falling to the ground with a loud thud.

"The one who protects," said the god, as another part of his face fell off, "you die too..."

"See you in hell."

The Devourer God broke into tiny pieces, falling to the earth like a dying meteor.

And following after was Alaric, his body speeding toward the earth.

"There, brother!" Erica pointed at the sky, terrified.

Following her finger, they could see Alaric, his body falling fast.

Ava didn’t waste any time; she began to run as fast as she could, tripping and picking herself up as many times as possible.

"Alaric!"

She cried. She knew what to expect, and yet, still had hope, hope that she could save him.

Alas, she couldn’t reach him.

Baam!

His body collided with the ground.

Reaching where he landed, Ava was surprised to find that Laura and Aurora were close by, and Auzure had set a web to keep Alaric from crashing directly onto the ground.

"Alaric!"

Ava ran, her knees sliding against the ground as she got close, immediately picking him up and placing her ear on his chest.

She had done this once before, once in the cave, and his heart did beat. He was alive then...

Then...

Not now...

Now, he was dead.

Alaric Montclair, the man who changed the world around him, was no longer alive to see the world he built.

Hina collapsed to the ground, breaking down as she cried her heart out.

...