Read Novel Full Chapter 339: Who Decides Who Is a Hero?!
Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Who Decides Who Is a Hero?!
Chapter 339 – Who Decides Who Is a Hero?!
"I still have one question, though." Cassius said, urging his Innate to grow accustomed to the pressure of the Gate.
Marvela cocked her head slightly at him, looking at him with a curious expression. "Yes?"
Ananke also listened, sitting cross-legged on Cassius’s right side. She didn’t remember the last time she had talked with another being for so long.
She was deeply enjoying herself.
"What or who decides if someone is a Chosen Hero?" Cassius asked the question he wanted answered the most. "Because truth be told, it doesn’t make any sense. Anesthesia is inherently not the hero type. Let alone Love de Bayard or even, I daresay, Klaus, my friend. He is a good guy, don’t get me wrong. Better than me, I believe. But he would thrive more as a villain than a Hero."
"That’s a simple question." Marvela said, her lightless black eyes smiling. "It’s simply because the gods, entities, or Aspects who chose them are of the Hero Category."
"But then—!"
"Who decides that those gods belong to the Hero Category, you wanted to ask?" Marvela cut in smoothly, and Cassius nodded. "No one but themselves."
"What?" He exclaimed, startled.
"The gods decide their category by themselves." Marvela said. "Otherwise, why would those bitches Persephone and Aphrodite be in the Hero Category?"
’You do hate them, don’t you?’
"But it’s not that simple." Ananke added. "It’s true that the gods can choose for themselves. However, you still need to play your cards right."
"What does that mean?" Cassius asked.
"It means that you need to hide your foul, base, sinful secrets well enough that the Lightbringer Council doesn’t find out." Marvela clarified. "If you hide them well enough, and you aren’t known for doing horrible things, you are naturally accepted."
’Lightbringer? That brings back memories.’
"Is that all?" Cassius said, frowning. "Doesn’t that mean horrible gods who are good at deceit can be accepted?"
"Yes." Ananke said.
"That’s exactly the whole point." Marvela scoffed. "This is a Game, Adonis darling. They don’t care as long as you obey the rules, or you are smart enough to fool them without being discovered."
’This is just like the Academy.’ Cassius concluded, frowning. ’But on a wider, divine scale.’
Now he understood why some questionable people were Heroes.
It was not because their natures tended toward that, even though some of them were indeed good people like Meadow, but simply because the gods who chose them belonged to the Hero Category.
And considering the requirements, being in the Hero Category didn’t mean being a good-natured god.
"This is just crazy." Cassius said, passing a hand down his face. "And I am supposed to go against all of them?"
"Are you afraid?" Marvela said with a cocky smirk, leaning over, her face close to his own. "Why, Adonis darling, don’t be."
"You know how hated my family is. And you are telling me not to be afraid?"
"You just need to be strong." Marvela replied. "And gather a force just as strong as theirs."
"They are numerous."
"Then let’s not go for quantity." Ananke chimed in with a smile. "But instead for quality. You told us you wanted to create a Pantheon just a few minutes ago. That was a good idea, my beloved."
"That’s what you need." Sleeping Beauty said in turn. "If the gods want to kill your family, you just need to grow strong and gather gods to protect you. Contrary to what you think, not everyone hates the Desdemona."
She winked at him. "Some fear them, and so won’t act. Others still admire them, and some even worship them. Find those beings, gods, or whatever they may be, and then you will be able to protect them and yourself."
"How long will it take?"
"A lot of time." Marvela said.
"Too much time." Ananke added.
Cassius almost rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"But why such a hurry?" Marvela hugged him. "Time is all we have."
"I am a mortal, Marvela."
"Well, don’t tell me you plan to remain one forever?" She retorted. "And don’t forget that the more you rank up, the more your lifespan extends."
"The only thing you need to worry about is rushing things and creating unnecessary problems along the way." Ananke said, glaring at Cassius. "And lately, you have been rushing!"
She slapped the back of his head, making him yelp in pain. Marvela immediately shot Ananke a dark glare before hugging Cassius tighter like a protective mother. "Hey, don’t slap him."
"You did worse, so stay silent." Ananke retorted, silencing Marvela completely. She had no retort to that.
"You can’t blame me for rushing." Cassius said after easing the pain. "I have many things coming my way. I need the Second Blessing as soon as possible."
"Still, rushing is not the solution." The Queen of Fate was adamant.
"And I don’t even understand why you need a test to obtain a Blessing." Marvela said, smiling at him. "I can give you mine."
"Huh?" Cassius instantly exclaimed, looking at the goddess suspiciously. "You would do that?"
"Yes, why not?" Marvela shrugged. "I planned to bless Anesthesia, but that was before I knew you were back, Adonis darling. Of course I would choose you."
She looked at Ananke.
"You don’t mind, do you?" She said.
"As long as you don’t give him a True Blessing." Ananke stated her condition.
Cassius turned his head toward her. "Why?"
"Because a True Blessing is the god giving you a part of themselves. Literally. Do you know what that means?" Ananke asked.
Marvela answered rapidly. "It means there is a 97% chance that the god dies if the True Blessed dies. It’s a dangerous thing to do."
Sleeping Beauty smiled at Lady Ananke. "Yet you did it."
"What?!!" Cassius almost shouted.
Ananke said nothing to that, and Cassius simply stared at her, not knowing what to say.
If he died, then Ananke had a 97% chance of dying too?
The Last Born didn’t even know what to think about it, frozen on the spot, but that information suddenly reminded him of how heavy his life truly was.
Many things depended on it. Too many things.
"Why do you look worried?" Ananke chuckled, trying to ease the sudden tension. "You asked me to give you my strongest Blessing the first time we met. I simply obeyed."
"I...I didn’t expect this."
"I don’t actually mind." Ananke shrugged. "And you shouldn’t either, Cass."
"It’s easier said than done."
"I know it is, but I am safe as long as you do not die." Her eyes glowed. "You will not die, will you?"
Cassius remained silent at first before slowly shaking his head. "I won’t."
Ananke smiled and kissed him on the forehead. "Then that’s enough."
’So this is what a mother does.’ Marvela wondered, watching the scene intently.
Observing it, she realized that maybe being a mother was not so bad.
"I can, right?" She asked again, drawing their attention back to her.
"Are you sure?" Ananke asked. "Once you give your Blessing, there is no turning back."
"I never planned to do that." Marvela replied.
"Would my Second Blessing from Lady Luck still count then?" Cassius asked his most important question.
"Of course." Ananke said. "I might as well tell you right now: Luck is also a True Blessing. That’s why she was adamant about you completing her mission first."
She smiled, seeing Cassius’s eyes widen again. "After all, she doesn’t want to put her own life in horrible danger."
"Another True Blessing?" Marvela said, this time deeply startled.
Cassius didn’t even know what to say.
"Don’t worry about it." The Queen said. "Even though it’s a big risk to give you a True Blessing, we will also gain much more that way. High risk, high reward. Your own words."
"I guess, yes. I just don’t like...huh...being responsible for the life and death of other people, you know?" He smiled awkwardly. "It’s...well...quite burdensome."
Ananke smiled through hidden pain, her heart aching at the sight of that smile. Burdening Cassius was the last thing she wanted to do.
But sometimes, there was simply no other choice than the one choice you didn’t want to make.
So you made it and swallowed all the consequences that came with it.
And for Ananke, one of those consequences, and perhaps the most painful, was seeing Cassius shrink into himself as if the weight of the world rested upon him.
She sighed under her breath before pulling him into a hug.
"I am sorry." Ananke said. "I am sorry, Cass."
That was all she could say. And she hoped it would be enough to ease his heart, though she knew it wouldn’t.
"It’s alright." Cassius replied after a moment, slowly breaking the hug and looking at her with a warm smile. A forced, warm smile. "I just need to never let Vorn see even my shadow, right?"
He chuckled before turning his head toward Marvela, who was watching in silence. "I think I would appreciate your Blessing."
The goddess smiled. "I will give it to you, but I think I will give you a mission after all."
Cassius instantly frowned. "A mission?"
"Yes, a mission." Marvela said, grabbing his head and gently pulling it down onto her lap. "It’s an easy mission, darling. I just want you to sleep."
"Sleep?"
"Aye." She nodded. "Close your eyes and sleep. When you wake up, you will have one more Blessing inside you, darling."
Strangely, Cassius’s head started to grow drowsy, his consciousness slowly slipping away.
"Blessing...what Blessing?" He asked in a slurred, sleepy tone.
"What Blessing, huh?" Marvela smiled and whispered under her breath as Cassius’s eyes fully closed.
"Unwanted Slumber."
—End of Chapter 339—