Hero of Darkness

Chapter 1171: A Hero or a Tyrant?

The Next Day... In an empire far away from the Abyss Forest, a quiet and serene temple came into sight.

The tall peaks and waterfall behind the temple added a symphony of tranquility as well as mysteriousness to this revered place.

Thousands of people in red robes and armor, while wielding all sorts of weapons, were now kneeling in front of a man who had arrived a few minutes ago from his voyage.

”We greet the sun and the moon of our great empire, the Hero of Sentience!” shouted one of the generals.

”We greet the cult leader!!” shouted all the kneeling warriors with zeal and reverence.

It was then...

”We congratulate the cult leader on his safe return!” shouted one of the many generals.

BOOM!!

An insurmountable pressure was released by the leader, forcing everyone to feel dread. And the very next moment...

Splat!

The general who just spoke, his body popped like a balloon, and his flesh scattered in all directions just from the pressure of this cult leader.

”My safe return? Who the hell can even harm me?” asked the Hero of Sentience with visible anger in his tone.

The general’s bones and bits and pieces of his flesh now spread over the other generals and their underlings. Their entire being shivered; yet none dared to make a noise, knowing that their leader was displeased at the moment.

”Is she awake?” asked the Hero to a follower, as he turned his head around.

”Yes, your majesty.” replied the advisor while bowing his head.

5 minutes later... the Cult Leader arrived at the innermost and secretive area of the temple, surrounded by darkness, but at the centre, rose a wild and bustling dark blue flame.

The massive flame itself rose 20 meters and had a radius of over 30 meters.

And despite the blistering heat, an old woman who wore a white and red hanbok was seated just a few meters away from a dark blue fire. But her body was chained and tied to four different pillars around her.

”I have returned, High Priestess.” said the Hero of Sentience in a cold tone.

The High Priestess of the Temple of Sentience had a white blindfold over her eyes. She was indeed blind.

”You knew I wouldn’t find Sleipnir there in this timeline as well. Yet you sent me there anyway.

Why?” asked the Hero, unconcerned after seeing the old woman in chains.

Meanwhile... the High Priestess was chained but praying to the Holy Fire.

After finishing her chants and rites, she finally spoke...

”You monster... the bloodshed you’ve caused in this empire after returning from the Conclave of Heroes; tell me... was that something you always planned?” asked the old lady with white blindfolds over her eyes.

She herself was a 7th-stage saint, but currently had her ability to use the world energy sealed by those chains.

”Yes. But not because I’m some bloodthirsty maniac who thrives on the sufferings of others.

I’m just the necessary evil.” he replied with a cold tone.

”Even killing 300 million people wasn’t enough for you. You wouldn’t even let their corpse find peace.

Your new dynasty is hanging and harvesting their blood for your rituals, like those aren’t people but just cattle in the slaughterhouse.” she said with great contempt in her voice.

”I wondered why I had these powers despite the Seer class having limits on how far we could look into the future. Even allow our god to send his message through those visions.

He showed me how you would fail to find Sleipnir in the original timeline. And how you would end up becoming enemies with the Hero of Darkness.

The visions were clear about one fact. That after dealing with the Hero of Time, he was coming for you.

And I’m confident that he was going to be the end of you.” replied the priestess with a sardonic smile.

”After what you’ve done, I sent you there to find Sleipnir, knowing that you chose to be an enemy of the Hero of Darkness of this timeline too.

If that Hero of Time hadn’t returned to the past... You would have eventually died at the hands of Kahn Salvatore sooner or later anyway.

Now, you have two choices: swallow that disgusting pride of yours and try to avoid him, or follow the path set by destiny and meet an end at his hands.

It is an unavoidable fate. And I hope he finishes what he intended to do in this timeline.” revealed the priestess, in a contemptuous tone.

The Hero of Sentience, with his red iris and cold expression, suddenly revealed an insidious smirk.

”No need to rile me up, old hag. You have already seen my future, haven’t you?

That even if you intentionally want us to be enemies... I will choose to hunt and kill him despite knowing the truth.

Since when have I run away from a challenge?

I conquered the world I came from, killing its strongest warriors, wiping out sects, dynasties, and empires that stood tall for thousands of years.

If the whole world couldn’t stop me... what’s a mere hero of a god going to do?” he asked with a sinister smile.

”Despite the timelines, he has what I want and need the most. So he shall pay for his transgression, even if he doesn’t know about my existence yet.

Not only he, but everyone he loves, considers friends and allies... those who chose to follow him; they all must die.

That is the only way I’ll ever feel satisfied after I quell my thirst for revenge and then take Sleipnir out of his mangled corpse.” declared the Hero of Sentience.

His black and red fluttered while a black sword on his waist trembled with a malicious aura.

”I only wish our god had chosen someone else, instead of a monster like you.” said the priestess with a regretful tone.

”Oh, you naive woman. Do you think that the God of Sentience didn’t know what kind of man I was before he chose me?

Do you think I had no reason to overthrow the imperial rule and kill everyone after returning from the Conclave of Heroes?

Open your eyes, you foolish bitch! It was his will that I acted upon!” exclaimed the hero with a devilish smile, his eyes and mouth curling up like a demon.

”Liar! Our god would never tell you to do something like that!

It’s your heinous desire to kill and conquer that made you do this. Don’t you dare besmirch our beloved god’s name to hide your unforgivable crimes!” shouted the priestess back at the hero, her body quivering from rage, but the chains stopped her movements.

”Ha ha ha! Impetuous as always.

Why are you under the impression that the God of Sentience cares about right and wrong?

Portraying him to be a merciful and benevolent god is just you people projecting your own expectations on him.

He guided this empire till now because the ruling powers had their uses. The people of this empire have always been a tool for him.

But he no longer needed this useless dynasty, which hindered his goals instead.” revealed the Hero of Sentience.

”When he chose me the first time, he didn’t reveal that reason, thinking I needed to earn my right to enact his will first.

But after I proved myself during the Trial of the Gods in the peninsula within Hesperides, he revealed his true intentions and why he chose me in the first place.” iterated the hero with a smirk.

”Do you think he doesn’t know how the previous 3 Heroes and Heroines never managed to reach their full potential and even got entangled in matters that impeded their growth?

The royals, the nobles, the loyalists, those alliances... they all got my predecessors involved in their power struggles.

The previous Hero of Sentience was also brainwashed by the Temple itself into helping them start a rebellion and take over the dynasty.

But before he could do that... his friend, the 8th Hero of Darkness himself, killed my predecessor.” said the Hero of Sentience in a stern voice.

”Even the man whom he acknowledged betrayed him despite sharing the same goal.

And God of Sentience saw that he could have survived the fight, if he hadn’t been wasting his time in these pesky political warfares.” spoke the Hero of Sentience in a cynical tone.

”He no longer needs a righteous warrior or a virtuous savior. No, he needed a merciless and farsighted ruler who would bring an end to this nonsense power struggle.” iterated the hero proudly.

”He cares more about efficiency and is willing to sacrifice everyone and everything as long as I can get the job done.

And to be honest... I like that idea far more than being a toy thrown around by these people, grasping at every opportunity to take control over this dynasty.

I lived as the absolute leader of millions of people in my original world. No way I would be turned into puppets of people weaker than me.” said the Hero with unshakable pride.

”The God of Sentience only flipped the switch on the reckoning of what was inevitable to begin with.

With his support and now both the Apples of Eden in my possession... I alone shall lead this crusade.

The Hero of Darkness you speak so zealously of, despite serving me, is just another stepping stone in my grand ascension.

I will slay the Demon God. I will achieve world domination like I once did. Those dragons, archangels, godbeasts, and the sovereigns... they all shall grovel at my feet one day.” declared the Hero of Sentience with a prideful smile.

”So stay here, chained and praying to a God whose wish does not align with your beliefs.

I will keep getting stronger and surpass everyone who came before me. And when I make everyone submit to me...” said the hero and leaned towards the high priestess’ face.

He grabbed the old woman’s chin and said with a cold and grim voice.

”Even a blind woman like you would see the sea of death I leave behind.”