I’m the Madman of This Family

Chapter 302. The Secret of Birth (3)

At the moment Sephira faced the greatest crisis of her life, Keter was juggling evil gods.

Whoosh! Clang.

While he was doing well, one of the evil god’s orbs fell.

Thud!

Instead of being careful not to break it, Keter kicked it away. The orb didn’t go far and returned to its original spot. Completely unfazed.

Keter muttered with a disappointed expression.

“This is really boring.”

An hour. Just an hour had passed, and Keter was already feeling restless.

“Strange. Back when I was locked in a prison for a month, I was fine.”

As a child, he endured hunger and pain in a stinking prison for a month. So he thought a day would be fine, but the discomfort was stronger than expected.

After pondering, Keter flicked his finger.

“Back then, someone forced me in, so it was fun. Now, I came in voluntarily, so it’s different.”

There was also a big difference between staying still to rest and being forced to stay still.

“Watching others work while staying still is fun. Staying still in a space like this is just torture.”

In fact, Keter could escape this space if he wanted to. Using the method he used to escape the Three Thousand Worlds.

But he made a deal. In exchange for guarding this place for a day, he was promised an enormous gift. Plus, information about the enigmatic Akra.

Kron surely knew more than Basil.

“Feels like she’s close to a god.”

Bored, Keter naturally drifted into the realm of deduction.

What kind of being, no, existence, is Akra, his mother?

But no matter how much he pondered, he couldn’t guess Akra’s purpose.

“Sigh. It’s probably the destruction of the world. Weirdos always end up causing destruction.”

Even his parents were no exception.

Keter assumed Akra was doing all this for some destruction-like purpose.

“Damn, I should have thought more about it.”

A space without sunlight. A space where clocks stop. Physically, he couldn’t tell how much time had passed, but Keter always kept track of time in his mind, so he knew only 10 minutes had passed.

Keter clearly had more to worry about than Akra. Like Sephira, for instance.

But he wasn’t worried at all. Because Maknun was there.

Keter relies on Maknun. But he doesn’t depend on him, so he never doubts him.

“Maknun will do his job even if I suddenly disappear.”

Absorb Baydant, conquer the Southern Region. Use external forces drawn in to keep the Royal Palace in check while stabilizing.

Since he sowed discord between Rukan and Rakan, they couldn’t cooperate. Ultimately, all they could do was intimidate Sephira.

“Anis and Taragon should have returned by now.”

Anis and Taragon, sent to the front lines, were already under the protection of Ultima Merchant. If anything happened, Wyvern Riders were ordered to rescue them immediately.

“Must be sudden for my brothers.”

Keter had anticipated this and prepared, so it wasn’t a big deal for him, but it might be for his brothers. It could be too sudden for them to judge the situation.

“But it’s what must be done.”

The Lilian Kingdom won’t stop trying to kill Sephira. Especially since Lilian is gone.

“Nobles would have to respond in real-time, but thanks to Lerkin, things worked out well.”

Princes would want to conserve their troops, so they would surely attack Sephira through the nobles.

But back then, there was no guarantee the nobles would obey the princes. It was about 50-50.

However, the appearance and actions of Lerkin, the National Scholar, disrupted the balance among the nobles. Some nobles who supported Rukan and Rakan switched to Lerkin, creating a three-way standoff.

“With the three factions checking each other, they won’t touch Sephira first. Because Sephira won’t attack unless attacked.”

Theoretically, the three factions could unite to pressure and crush Sephira, but that won’t happen.

“The risk of betrayal is enormous. And, though unintended, Lerkin is on my side.”

Lerkin might believe he orchestrated all this.

“Whether he believes it or not doesn’t matter.”

A plan shouldn’t collapse just because one thing goes wrong. At least three safety nets are essential.

“The Grand Duke was a troublesome variable, but that’s being handled too.”

Akarir was hired as Sephira’s guardian deity, and additional measures could be taken immediately after leaving the Syndicate.

“Two hours have passed. 22 hours left.”

Just as he was wondering how to kill time again.

[Do you have a concern, child?]

The sealed evil god spoke, and Keter’s eyes lit up at the new toy.

*

The one who spoke, Turan.

The evil god who spoke to Keter introduced himself as such.

“Never heard of you.”

Keter spun the evil god’s orb. The evil god chuckled.

[Do you know the Necronomicon?]

“Of course.”

[The five books that make up the Necronomicon. Among them, the [Book of Creation] is me.]

“Wow, amazing.”

[You don’t believe me.]

“What changes if I believe? Just ‘whatever.'”

[I can bestow life and soul.]

“Impressive.”

[I can solve all your problems.]

“Then I’ll give you a problem to solve.”

[Hoho, trying to test me?]

“To create the Necronomicon, five books are needed. Two are the Book of Darkness and the Book of Creation. What are the other three?”

[Easy. [Book of Chaos], [Book of Death], and [Book of Prophecy].]

Keter didn’t expect Turan, self-proclaimed Book of Creation, to reveal this so easily, but he kept his composure.

Of course, this was Turan’s scheme to gain Keter’s trust by showing a good side.

“What happens if you gather all five books and create the Necronomicon?”

[You can become a creator. Erase everything and start anew. Or change only what you want. For example, if you dislike humans not being able to breathe underwater? I can give them gills. Want them to fly? I can give them wings.]

“All humans on the continent?”

[Every single one. Simultaneously.]

“That sounds like you could kill them all if you wanted?”

[Killing is easier than ‘transforming.’ If you wish, eternal annihilation is possible.]

“Even Transcendent Beings or Absolutes are no exception?”

[Hoho. Mortals can never resist the Necronomicon.]

Listening to Turan, it seemed like the world would face more than just destruction if the Necronomicon was completed.

But he didn’t imagine such a thing would happen.

“You were sealed by Kron, and you don’t know where the Book of Prophecy, Book of Death, or Book of Chaos are. And no madman would let someone monopolize all five books.”

The Five Great Treasures were the same.

Obtaining just one grants power close to a Transcendent Being. Could one person gather all five?

All Transcendent Beings and Absolutes in this world would surely step in to stop it. Such immense power couldn’t be monopolized by one person.

‘Unless someone appears who can defeat multiple Absolutes alone. Or an alliance of Absolutes… huh?’

Keter suddenly had this thought.

He knew the Syndicate had multiple Transcendent Beings. But he didn’t know there were more than two Absolutes beyond Transcendent Beings.

Alter or Kron. Those two aren’t the only ones. There could be more.

What if the Syndicate, with such powerful figures, aimed to gather one of the Five Great Treasures?

‘It makes sense to accept and help Ayrus, who’s gathering the Book of Darkness.’

A murder occurred in a village. The culprit was a young man known for his kindness.

People said the kind young man couldn’t have done it, but he was the culprit.

This means, even if the Syndicate has done good deeds so far, or hasn’t done bad deeds, they might just be biding their time.

‘Of course, it’s up to the wielder whether to use a knife to cut meat or humans. They might be hiding it, not seeking to use it.’

This was something he wouldn’t know without meeting the Syndicate’s leader.

“Well, even if they have such a goal. It’s none of my business.”

If the world’s destruction is imminent, surely someone would know and try to stop it.

Keter doesn’t care about the world’s safety.

“If it’s destined to be destroyed, then it should be destroyed.”

Just as humans eat animals, there are monsters that eat humans. And monsters that eat those monsters. Eventually, something goes extinct.

And extinction is natural. It disappears because it’s no longer needed in this world. That’s how Keter views life.

“Even if it’s me and Sephira.”

He would resist to the best of his ability, but if he ultimately loses, he would accept death. Just like in his past life.

“What else should I ask?”

Turan, who answered anything effortlessly.

Just as Keter was pondering his next question.

[Hohoho. Foolish Yaksha! I revealed this world’s secrets to steal your soul!]

The evil god’s orb trembled, and a white smoke enveloped Keter’s entire body.

The Book of Creation, which deals with life and soul. Turan, being that itself, has the power to dominate the body and soul of any human he touches.

Questions that can’t be easily answered consume causality. Turan consumed his causality to increase contact time and assimilation with Keter.

Of course, Keter was wary and immediately countered. Kron had lent his power precisely for this reason.

But, there was no need to use that power.

[Huh? T-this soul? W-wait!]

Crack.

The evil god’s orb, which hadn’t shown a single scratch no matter what Keter did, cracked.

Kwaaaaaa!

An uncontrollable, immense energy burst from the evil god’s orb.

This was an uncontrollable surge of power, even beyond Kron’s ability to stop.

Crack, crackle!

The orb containing Turan split and shattered.

Keter, fearing the seal might break, used all his power. Ain, Heavenly Power, Mandala, Toban, even Kron’s power, to try to stop the destruction-

[Ugh… aaaaaah!]

Turan couldn’t finish his words, leaving a human-like death cry-

Boom!

Followed by a grand explosion that momentarily lit up the infinite abyss. The orb sealing Turan had shattered.

Keter thought to himself.

‘We’re screwed.’

No matter how reckless Keter was, the unsealing of an evil god was a major incident that couldn’t be taken lightly.

But Turan wasn’t there.

Instead, a single book lay on the ground.