Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill

His lips slowly spread into a wide grin. In the next moment, he hooked an arm around Ray’s neck and pulled him close, laughing like he was hugging an old drinking buddy instead of his son.

“Hehehe… boy,” Ethan said slyly. “It seems my boy has grown up. So tell me, how far have things gone?”

Ray’s face heated up a little, but he quickly composed himself.

“Nothing much,” he said. “We’ve talked. That’s all.”

“That’s it?”

“I haven’t even confessed yet,” Ray admitted seriously. “I want to use this trip to get closer to her and then confess properly.”

Ethan’s smile softened.

“That’s… actually quite thoughtful.”

As he said that, memories surfaced in his mind.

Ray was nineteen now. Just one year older than Ethan had been when he married.

Thinking about it, all his children were growing up.

Soon Ray would marry. Then Miranda,Nera,Herion,Leo and others

Then would come grandchildren.

The realization made Ethan feel strange.

He was only in his forties, yet he was already standing at the edge of becoming a grandfather. Still, in this world, even two hundred years old was considered young if one was strong enough.

Ethan rubbed his nose, feeling a wave of nostalgia.

“Hearing this reminds me of my own time,” he said. “I was about sixteen when I met your mother.”

Ray’s eyes lit up instantly. “Oh?”

Everyone knew Ethan’s past. A servant who rose through sheer strength. Not someone who climbed by clinging to a noblewoman.

“So how did you confess?” Ray asked eagerly.

“Confess?” Ethan blinked.

“Yes. Confess.”

Ethan stared at him, then burst out laughing. “Haha! No, no. I didn’t confess.”

“Then how?”

Ethan’s smile stiffened for a split second.

“…I was threatened.”

“Threatened?”

“Yes.” Ethan nodded seriously. “Your mother told me to either marry her or get kicked out.”

“Really?” Ray stared at him in disbelief.

“Really!” Ethan said, sweating slightly. “Alright, enough of this.”

He pushed Ray toward the door.

“Go. Enjoy your trip. Get closer to her. Confess properly.”

Then he added sharply, “And come back quickly. Don’t make me wait for years.Things soon gonna become restless once Arcadia takes over.”

Ray smiled.

“Yes, Father.”

As the door closed, Ethan glanced back at the mountain of files and sighed.

“…I raised a monster.”

…….

TAP. TAP. TAP. TAP. TAP. TAP.

The sound of heavy rain striking the ground echoed endlessly, like countless fingers drumming on rotting flesh. The storm poured without mercy, washing over the battlefield as if trying to scrub the land clean.

But the rain could not wash everything away.

As the water flowed, it carried blood with it. Thick, dark red streams seeped out from beneath broken bodies, mixing with mud and broken soil.

The ground became slick and sticky, the rain turning it into a foul slurry. The blood did not disappear. It gathered. It pooled. It flowed together like small rivers, collecting in low places until shallow lakes of diluted gore formed.

The smell was unbearable.

Rotting flesh. Wet iron. Decay.

Ravens perched everywhere.

They clung to shattered armor, broken spears, and bloated corpses. Their beaks tore into soft flesh with sickening ease. Wet sounds echoed as they fed, pulling out strips of meat and dangling organs. Some birds fought over exposed eyes. Others dug deep into open stomachs, splashing blood as they worked.

CAW. CAW. CAWWWW.

Their cries cut through the rain like mockery.

At the center of it all, a man stood calmly.

He did not shield himself from the rain. He welcomed it.

Water streamed down his dark hair and pale face, dripping from his fingers as he slowly raised his hand, letting the rain collect in his palm. His dark eyes shone with quiet amusement as he looked up at the storm-filled sky.

“So,” he said softly, his voice almost drowned by the rain, “are you crying for the demise of the ignorant?”

He tilted his head slightly, listening to the thunder roll above.

“Or is this a cry of happiness?” he continued, smiling faintly. “A celebration for freeing the world of useless weight?”

The man lowered his gaze and spoke again, calmly.

“So which is it?”

A sudden movement swept through the ravens.

They screeched sharply and took flight all at once, wings flapping violently. They did not scatter far. Instead, they circled the man, forming a wide ring around him while crying out in alarm.

CAW! CAW! CAWWWWW!

The man glanced around at them and chuckled.

“Calm down. Calm down,” he said casually. “It’s one of ours.”

As if understanding his words, the ravens quieted and retreated, perching nearby.

A shadow descended from above.

It landed silently in the mud, its shape shifting before settling into a thin, husk-like figure wrapped in dark robes. The figure immediately dropped to one knee.

“Master,” it said, its voice hoarse. “We have news.”

The man did not turn. “What news?”

“The King of Ruthiana has been slain.”

“Slain?” The man raised a finger slightly, tapping it against his palm. “Even after dealing with the Infernal gang of the Abyssal Cult, he still lost?”

“Yes,” the figure replied. “Followers of the Great One clashed, and the nobles interfered. The collision ended when a Baron drew upon the power of the Goddess of Light.”

The man listened quietly. Then he nodded.

“Interesting,” he murmured. “Very interesting.”

A slow shiver ran through his body. He wrapped his arms around himself, trembling as if from excitement rather than cold.

“In such a monotonous world,” he said softly, “this is refreshing.”

Then his lips curled into a twisted, unsettling smile.

“But it’s not enough.”

His voice dropped.

“This much chaos is not enough.”

He lifted his head, rain running down his face like tears.

“The water needs to be muddied further. Much further.”

He turned slightly, ravens hopping closer and settling on his shoulders.

“So much so,” he continued, “that the lofty beings who watch over minor pawns like us will be forced to descend.”

“It’s for experts to play a bit..I am sure the other experts have the same thought.After relaxing for some long,we need to stretch our old bones.”

A low, breathy laugh escaped him.

“Yes…Forced.”

He looked down at the kneeling figure.

“Do one thing.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Spreas the poison on the borders of the Demon Lamd”

The figure hesitated. “Poison… you mean—”

“Yes,” the man interrupted calmly. “Go.”

“Yes.”

The shadow dissolved into the rain.

The man stepped forward, his boots sinking into the soft, stifling ground. He spread his arms wide and shouted.

“DEVOUR!”

Darkness surged.

Black mist poured out from the corpses, ripped from rotting flesh and shattered bones. It twisted and screamed as it converged toward him, sinking into his body.

BOOOM!

A crushing aura exploded outward. The rain seemed to recoil, the ravens screeching as the entire field was swallowed by oppressive darkness.