They all call me an Outer God.

But at one moment, the person unconsciously opened his eyes halfway, his pale gold eyes mixed with a touch of evil and chaotic scarlet.

Gheros's consciousness had departed, but a trace of divine power remained. This aura, carrying destruction, chaos, and ferocity, was the best manifestation of the pure divine power that still existed.

It doesn't leave on its own; instead, it clings to Ria's spirit like a maggot to a bone. As long as this thing is still on Ria, Gherros can still find him quickly.

Of course, this is also an option; it is Seria's own choice not to completely expel them.

He needed to leave behind this divine power. After advancing to Meme II, it wouldn't be difficult for Ria to suppress it with his own will. Gherus didn't leave much divine power in the human world. Most of it came from the divine power of the Radiant Sun. This remaining little power belonged to Himself.

Without this reference, it would be difficult for people to sense the trajectory of Geherus's activities after his consciousness left. He might be able to find Ria by following this clue, but Ria could also use this divine power to monitor the calamity.

The faith of the Radiant Sun has now been given to Geherus, and he can still get a share of the pie by keeping His divine power. Even if he completely banishes this divine power, what is meant to come will come.

One day, the calamity will surely be fully revived, and no one will be spared from the apocalypse. But before that day comes, what's wrong with stealing Gherros's identity?

[To become the rising sun—to become a calamity]

A qualified actor should be able to fully portray anything, whether it be a human or a god.

"Awoooooo..."

Little Swarth stared at the sleeping Ria, its pupils shrinking to pinpoints. After a long while, it realized that the divine power had not caused any disturbance, so it slowly extended its tentacles, rolled up the blanket and covered its host, and then rolled Ria and the blanket together onto the bed.

After doing all that, it stared at Ria to make sure he was fast asleep before sneaking into the bathroom and starting to practice its emotions in front of the mirror.

Although it didn't understand why Ria practiced these things, it must have its own reasons. To remind Ria not to forget humanity in the future, Little Swarth would try to make itself more human than any mythical creature.

"Ow!"

It flashed a smile at the mirror, its mouth almost splitting to the back of its head, revealing a mouthful of throat and sharp teeth, with some scattered glowing eyes in its mouth.

very perfect!

Look at that perfect and kind smile, that healing expression—it's simply a masterpiece.

The mythical creature, watching all this, slowly narrowed its eyes and spun around playfully. Then, it turned to look in Ria's direction. The black mist around it writhed and absorbed all the light in the room; any light that came into contact with the black mist would disappear.

An ominous mist filled the room, enveloping Ria's entire body everywhere, allowing him to enjoy an absolutely tranquil sleep. Ria's fingers twitched slightly, and the warm and oppressive touch on his skin gave him a sense of déjà vu.

It's like returning to the womb, and it's also like...

His consciousness continued to sink.

When I woke up again, it was three days later in the morning. There was a sumptuous breakfast on the table. The bread was toasted until it was crispy and fragrant. On top of it were fried bacon, medium-rare pork chops and cherry tomatoes, and then a thick layer of cheese was sprinkled on top.

Next to it was a plate of fried potato chunks sprinkled with baked beans and a cup of steaming hot tea, along with a plate of black pudding made with pig's blood, flour, and pepper.

"Is this the breakfast delivered by the hotel?"

Ria got up, stretched, and then drew back the curtains to let the sunlight stream in. He felt better than ever before, while little Swarth, sitting at the table, confirmed Ria's earlier thought: those people knocked on the door every day to deliver food, and each time little Swarth would mimic Ria's voice and say he didn't need any.

Only today did it allow those people to bring the things in. Of course, it only allowed them to leave the things at the door. Perhaps the staff would notice something strange in the room, but without enough evidence, they couldn't say anything.

If necessary, Little Schwarz could even resolve all these troubles himself.

It solved several problems this morning.

"Goo."

Little Swarth extended a tentacle and pierced into his own head, then forcibly tore out a pure white mask without facial features.

"Is this Hephaestus' mask?"

Little Swarth nodded, then pointed towards the door. Ria opened the door and found a large pool of scarlet blood on the ground.

Without much thought, Ria probably knew what had happened.

The Hephaestus finally succumbed to Ria's words and chose to cooperate with him. The white mask they sent was a sign of their sincerity and showed that they had recognized Ria as one of their own.

Who knows, this group might even want to throw a grand welcome party for Ria, then wait outside the door in the early morning wearing party hats, only to have them all swallowed up by Little Swarth, crawl out the door, and be left on the roadside.

There was even a note hidden in the mask's lining. Ria fumbled for a moment, then pulled it out, unfolded it, and slowly scanned it—

“Dear Mr. Ria!”

It's very ugly and messy writing.

"Seeing this letter is like seeing us in person. I'm so glad that our cooperation can finally make substantial progress. God knows how long we've been waiting for this day. You're willing to stand with us through thick and thin. We have common ideals and goals, which is simply a wonderful thing."

Since you wish to see our true form, we are of course happy to help you fulfill your wish. As for the reward... we don't need any part of what you said about our true form; we need to know everything.

We yearn for everything He says and everything He wants to do.

We serve you, and you are willing to help us. This is a fair deal, Great Lord of Trade. This mask is a mysterious item that can shield you from the perception of the gods. Take it with you when you go to that country. It will automatically record everything, and you must bring it back intact.

Of course, this mask once belonged to the Faceless God, so it's most appropriate to give it to you. The natives will naturally be willing to help you when they see it. We wish you a safe journey. As for us... we won't go back with you. Everyone has their own life, their own wives, children, husbands, and lovers. We hope you can understand that.

To our best, best friend, Ria Kelcha.

Your friends and fanatics.

"What is this writing? So many wrong words and grammatical errors."

Ria couldn't help but mutter to herself. The contents of the letter were a mess at first glance, completely incomprehensible and incoherent. It was only after Ria painstakingly translated it that it was the result. These people seemed to be very keen to show off their mixed talents and cultural background in multiple languages, able to write a single sentence containing words from eight different countries.

(End of this chapter)