I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 127

CHAPTER 127

“Me?”

Though I looked foolish, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Am I the ingredient?”

Well, it’s no wonder. 

I’ve never thought of humans as ingredients. Especially not that I would become one.

“Shall I explain a bit more precisely?”

An unrealistically white hand pressed firmly against my chest.

“It’s your soul. A soul that has experienced hundreds of lives and deaths.”

The evil god’s lips curved into a smile.

“That’s the core ingredient of Nectar.”

It felt like I got a smack on the head from the evil god’s words.

But at the same time, my mind cleared.

Ah.

Now I understand. I get it now, for sure.

‘So that’s it.’

The realms of death and life were absolute domains even for the gods.

When the gods’ beloved children died one by one, even they couldn’t do anything.

The only deity who could make an impact was Deron, but Deron firmly drew the line there.

‘But isn’t illness different?’

Sure, death and birth are inevitable.

But disasters and illnesses, aren’t they different?

In my mind, countless deaths flashed, except for aging.

Me, who died of a cold at the age of three.

Me, who fought in tribal battles and died. 

Me, who raided human villages out of hunger and died.

I became a long-lived mermaid but died of illness, the same after becoming an elf.

What about when I was a dwarf? I drowned while digging in the ground.

Even though I had a contract with the Earth’s Spirit King at that time.

I drowned in water that surged without a single cry for help.

But honestly, isn’t it strange?

A dwarf drowning.

I was born as a long-lived species, but I kept getting sick and dying.

‘It was deliberate, wasn’t it?’

Every time Lionel almost caught me.

Every time I wanted to settle among normal families.

Every time I felt like living for ages would take too long.

The god deliberately brought me death.

‘And it makes sense that there has been no action so far.’

Since I declared a strike.

Normally, they would have tried to contact me by any means necessary.

But the gods hadn’t shown any sign of action until now.

“Ha…”

A long and deep breath trembled restlessly. 

I blinked my eyes a few times, then shifted my gaze to the evil god.

“How could you know this fact?”

“If I hadn’t properly awakened to the power of the gods when I was young.”

“….”

“The god intended to put me in your place and use me as an ingredient for Nectar.”

As if lamenting, the evil god finished speaking, saying I would later learn about it.

I burst into laughter at the idea of using his child as an ingredient.

This kid is insane.

But that doesn’t mean it’s any less insane that they used me as a substitute ingredient.

“If I had become the ingredient, well, wouldn’t the god be pleased, as it meant a more powerful Nectar with the power of the gods imbued?”

Ah.

“But that doesn’t mean you were inadequate.”

The evil god smiled broadly at me.

“Because you even created the Nectar to enter yourself. The god must have been satisfied.”

“….”

My lips curled upwards.

“What about it?”

The evil god, provoking my anger once more, whispered discreetly.

“Lottie Paeon.”

Sweetly calling my name, the evil god’s hand overlapped mine on the table.

“Won’t you hold hands with me?”

“With you?”

“Yes, our enemy is the same, isn’t it? The detestable gods.”

“Exactly.”

As I played along, the evil god’s violet pupils sparkled.

Moving even closer, she whispered into my ear again.

Like a snake whispering.

It was a sweet proposal.

“We could make quite the formidable partners, don’t you think?”

But at the same time, it contained poison.

“No.”

Pushing away the evil god’s shoulders with both hands, I grinned as I looked into her violet eyes.

“I refuse.”

“….?”

“I’m saying I won’t hold hands with you.”

Her eyes widened, seemingly not anticipating my rejection.

“Why?”

She straightened up.

“Why won’t you hold hands with me? It would be much easier to draw out the gods if we held hands.”

The evil god’s hand, which was on mine, tensed.

“You’re weak against things like this. You can’t stand to see children suffering, or sick people. You can’t stand it, can you?”

I felt a chill from the violet eyes that stared at me without blinking.

“I’m one of those people too. I’m fighting the same enemy as you. Why? Why can’t you do it? Why?”

“Yeah, I’m weak.”

Brushing off the evil god’s hand, I raised the corners of my mouth.

“I’m weak against children suffering, against the weak suffering. That’s what I’m weak against.”

Listening to such stories always made me think of the hardships I faced as a child.

Then I empathized, suffered alongside, and now that I have the ability, I help.

Honestly, isn’t everyone weak against that kind of thing?

“And I agree that if I held hands with you, it would be easier to draw out the gods.”

Over there was none other than the Lord of the divine realm.

A place even I find hard to reach.

If I had even one god on my side, things would be much easier.

So didn’t I come here to meet that god?

“Then why?”

“I pity you.”

I sincerely pity the days when she suffered when she lost her mother.

“But that’s that. This is this.”

I stared into the violet eyes that were looking at me blankly.

“You smell bad for holding hands with.”

At my words, the evil god licked its lips a few times.

“Is it because of Lionel? Your young lover?”

At the evil god’s question, I narrowed my eyes.

“Five years ago.”

“…?”

Her face suddenly showed confusion as to why I brought up something from five years ago.

“If you don’t know, I’ll tell you. When I held hands with Detmé and banished Kyres to the underground?”

If she doesn’t understand what I’m implying.

“Frankly, I thought it was all over there. Kyres isn’t a weak god, but still, he’s not the kind of god to fool Detmé and Deron’s eyes, right?”

Kyres wasn’t weak.

Fitting his title as the god of war, he was one of the stronger ones among the gods.

But he wasn’t strong enough to defeat Detmé and Deron.

“But how did Kyres come up to the surface?”

I stared into the violet eyes.

“How did he come up? How did a headless guy manage to block Deron’s sight and come up to the surface?”

“….”

“And he even managed to save his body appropriately? Because of the power embedded in the corpse, the methods I knew didn’t work properly.”

I raised the corners of my mouth in a smirk.

“Thanks to that, my brother got hurt. My little brother was dragged to the underworld.”

It was a dizzying time even now.

If I had been just a little late, even if I had wasted just a little more time to take a long breath.

Arkin would have died.

My beloved brother would have been buried in that deep ground, still and lifeless.

“….”

The evil god fell silent, and I raised the corners of my mouth.

“I mean, in this life, I finally got a somewhat proper family, you know?”

A squabble over the inheritance, an unfamiliar Empress Dowager, a former Empress who only seeks amusement.s

And even a father who doesn’t know that I’m a half-elf.

It’s a mess in many ways.

Well, everyone lives while dealing with these kinds of problems, don’t they?

Still, when you look back, isn’t the path connected all the way through?

“I finally found my disciple too.”

Didn’t I spend a long time looking for that young one?

I should treat them well. Hmm.

“So, I’m a bit obsessed with my people.”

I gently caressed the evil god’s cheek.

“You even deliberately brought up stories from the past to me. Were you expecting me to be swayed?”

Did she want me to sympathize with her, shed tears over her painful past, and overlook what she has done?

“To commit something worth forgiving and then ask for mercy?”

I wiped away the smile that hung on my lips.

It was a piece of laughter, too precious to show.

“You’ve already crossed the line.”

I stood up. There was no more conversation to be had with the evil god.

‘Let’s see.’

As I looked around, I felt the flow of mana through the old wooden door.

There’s the entrance.

“You received a gift.”

The evil god’s voice came from behind. 

As I turned my head, the evil god sitting in the chair also turned her head.

“But didn’t you also receive a gift from Deron?”

“Ha.”

I frowned.

“What does the gift Deron gave and you releasing Kyres have to do with each other?”

“….”

The evil god only twisted her face and couldn’t continue the conversation.

“Enough.”

I extended my hand.

“I understand how painful, miserable, and difficult your past was.”

“Then…!”

“But that doesn’t give you the right to arbitrarily wield it against others.”

Honestly, isn’t it absurd?

To be hurt by the gods and then go around hurting others in retaliation.

“So, I…”

As I opened the door, I stared at the evil god.

“I dislike you.”