Chapter 435: 435 Chapter Tyrant God_1
Aiden stared at Halo for a while, didnât argue with the otherâs mockery, and instead asked a question, "It seems youâre not the type to follow the rules of the game, what would you do in my place?"
"I would pretend to play the game with you, pretend to follow the rules, and then flip the board at the last moment and watch you get frustrated." Halo said with a twisted smile.
"That sounds like the tactic of a bully who picks on others," Aiden frowned slightly.
"Are you fantasizing that gods have their own pride, their own principles?" Halo retorted.
"Well, no, living with the goddess of conspiracy taught me one thing..." Aiden said, "You have overwhelming power over mortals, so you donât respect mortal rules."
"Exactly, youâre quite aware after all," Halo chuckled.
"But rulers are also ascended mortals, and everyone is different," Aiden added.
"Thatâs true, if you became a ruler, would you follow the moral rules of mortals?" Halo asked.
"I would, even with the power of authority, I wouldnât suddenly become someone else," Aiden responded.
"I believe youâre that stubborn. But you should also know that once you become stronger than the rules, external constraints disappear. From then on, you follow the rules not because you have to, but because you want to, and from a motivational standpoint, thatâs the same as me trampling over the rules... because we like it, because we choose to!" Halo said.
"But what if a ruler also wishes to follow the rules of the game?" Aiden said, "The rules are made by her, wouldnât breaking her own rules ruin the game experience for her?"
He felt that Melifilia followed the rules because they were set by herself. This conspiring goddess sealed herself away just for the sake of following rules on a whim.
"Wow, you really think sheâs your wife, huh? Do you even know how many scars and moles she has on her body?" Halo sneered with disdain.
"Can we not make such weird comparisons?" Aiden suggested with a wrinkled brow, for just imagining Melifilia sitting beside him was chilling.
"Get this straight, kid, she might not like flipping the table as directly as I doâthe scheming âbitchâ might indeed do it in a more âcivilizedâ way, but regardless, she has the ability to do it," Halo said, tone as if enlightening an oblivious student, "Once the rules lack intrinsic binding power, theyâre just a paper cover-up. From nations to individuals, itâs all the same. Great powers trample over the weak under civilized pretenses, rulers exploit their citizens with laws, bullies pick on the poor... When rulers face mortals, theyâre essentially the âbullies,â oppressing or treating kindly at their whim. Rulers come from mortals as well, some things inherently donât change, itâs just the extension of mortalâs law of the jungle."
"Therefore, rulers also have mortal weaknesses, the stronger they are, the fewer crises they have, and inevitably, the less sense of crisis," Aiden replied leisurely, "Of course, I constantly consider the possibility she might flip the table. Thatâs why Iâm always looking for a way to stop her from flipping the table while she still has no sense of crisis!"
Hearing this, Haloâs expression changed a bit.
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After thinking, a hint of admiration appeared on her face, "Oh, thatâs a valid point, the stronger you are, the easier it is to lose your sense of crisis. Haha, because thatâs how I am!"
"I can assure you, at least at first, youâd only have to contend with the âDesireâ authority. What do you think the odds are for the âBetrayalâ power?" Aiden picked up the question again.
"Seventy percent," Halo answered decisively.
"Not an even split? That high? With both being authorities, youâre that confident?"
"The âDesireâ power can manipulate someoneâs motives, thatâs a very detailed job. But âBetrayalâ is more straightforward, just turn positives into negatives. It takes effort to build blocks, but to smash them... extremely easy," Halo explained, "Itâs not that my power is stronger, at least my task is simpler than theirs."
"The âHatredâ authority actually has a restraining effect on âDesireâ?" Aiden was a bit surprised.
"But the premise is that the powers are equal. A saintâs âBetrayalâ power wouldnât be able to change desires manipulated by a ruler," Halo said with a meaningful smile, "If you want to use me as a balancing force, youâll have to let me take back my authority first, kid."
"I need to assess your danger level first, after you get your authority back youâre not going to turn on me, are you?"
Halo thought for a moment after hearing this and replied, "Hmm, I might endure it for a bit."
"You actually need to think about that?" Aiden shook his head.
"Would you believe me if I said Iâm grateful and want to repay the favor? Weâre using each other, as you yourself said earlier!" Halo burst into laughter.
It seems itâs hard to expect direct cooperation with someone whoâs completely lost their sense of morality, compared to that, the witchâs conclave might be slightly more trustworthy, even though those folks are ready to betray allies when it comes to their interests, but at least they pretend to have some dignity.
But at least, itâs a wild card in hand, if the âHatredâ authority could really restrain âDesireâ to some extent...
"Alright, since the mercenary group still flying the âTemple of Vengeanceâ flag is unlikely to be under Mr. Red Clothesâ control, thereâs no need to bother with them..." Aiden said.
The Temple of Vengeance was now implicated in Gistasâ political conspiracy of manipulating wars abroad, and Aiden naturally didnât want that mess.
"Why not bother? Theyâre mostly my devout followers I left in other regions, still preaching around for me. Now that Iâm back, their loyalty is still valid... I want to use them to rebuild the Temple of Vengeance," Halo stated, "But you, kid, surely wouldnât want to, would you?"
"Why wouldnât I? There will always be a chance to use these terrorists," Aiden replied coolly, "Once I find Mr. Red Clothes, why donât you have them strap on bomb vests and take themselves out with him?"
"Iâm suddenly finding our little chat surprisingly interesting, I feel like I understand a bit why that bitch holds you so dearly," Halo said with a teasing smile, "Kid, interested in becoming my follower?"
"No, thank you," Aiden answered without hesitation.