"What's the main difference between a human and a monster? Or rather, between a god and a beast?" Baal asked himself, sitting on the cave floor and staring at the damp ceiling in an eerie scene.
More than anything, at that moment he remembered his past.
The oil lamps continued to burn quietly, giving off their glow. However, they were now devoid of color.
Just like the cave walls, the rocks, and Baal's clothes, eyes and skin.
Everything was gray.
The world had been robbed of its colors.
But this was only the beginning.
Demonic roars reverberated through the cave, their bloodlust echoing in every scream. Claws and fangs scraped against the cave walls as the wraiths of the beasts cried out for blood and death.
Anyone who carelessly entered this cave would be killed by these creatures.
No matter what.
"Mindset and Aura," Baal answered his own question.
"Beasts were made to kill. Even after death, their only desire is to kill. Because only by killing can they grow stronger, and being the strongest is the only way to survive."
"Beasts don't need to develop a Beast Aura. They have one by simply eating stronger foes. The wraith of the former becomes its aura and It will kill the beast from the insides if It stops getting stronger."
"So every beast has an aura matching its level who constantly pushes it forward, a body several times stronger than its level, more energy, and a deep connection to more powerful authorities."
"Based on that, one could say they are supreme beings." But then he shook his head slowly.
"But no. No Beast has ever reached the peak. They're nothing but fodder for other, more powerful beings—beings without their body, aura, energy, or even their many authorities: the gods."
He then looked at the yellowish aura spreading across the cave walls, growling at him incessantly.
They had attacked him several times, but had retreated when they felt his spirit strike back.
They had even attacked their own creator.
They knew no respect.
If he was weak, he would die.
"Beasts constantly strive to become stronger. For them, emotions are weaknesses and distractions. Techniques and weapons are cheats not to be trusted. Everything is just a display of weakness."
"You can only trust yourself and your own body. power is everything to them. They need more power as fast as possible — that is exactly why they are weak. Why I was weak." He said this through clenched teeth, staring up at the cave ceiling.
"Their mindset is weak. This leads to an weak foundation. That is not the mindset one should have. But what other mindset are they allowed to have?"
"Don't you agree?" he said suddenly looking ahead, where two men lay writhing in a sea of endless pain.
Their souls, bodies, and even their wills were being assaulted from every side by beastly aura and beastly blood inside of them.
"AAAAAAH!" they screamed over and over, twisting like maddened beasts. The Falna of an ordinary god was gentle, but nothing like that could be expected from the Falna of a beast.
But why are they still alive? It didn't make sense. Even other beasts would die upon contact with this aura. Why were two ordinary humans surviving? However, he soon found the answer
Love
Family
Dreams
Determination
Baal had already made the necessary adjustments for the ritual to work properly, and had even created his own version of the Falna to ensure it would not alert Ouranos.
Even so, he could not guarantee their survival in any way—and in that exact moment, he realized his weakness.
He lacked humanity — something that was allowing them to survive against all odds.
Before, he would have killed the two without a second thought. He didn't even care about using them as lab rats.
He was strong, and the strong could do whatever they wanted.
When everything is ready, he would make them go against the strongest Familias and criminals to get knowledge for him.
However, Gods did not think that way.
"I was human, and I am human now, but do I still remember what it's like to be human? To act not out of necessity, but out of choice?" He chuckled, recalling his past. Zeus had reincarnated him as a pigeon in the divine realm—a being weaker than the grass of that world.
Even common grass could kill him.
Worse still, he couldn't even put up a fight.
Though human, how many inhuman things had he done during that time? And why had he done them?
Out of fear.
Fear of dying.
All beasts have fear—and only fear.
All their power is rooted in fear.
And nothing else.
They are weak.
Beasts only need to eat to grow stronger, so even though he had been weaker than grass, after feeding for just a few days he was already as strong as bears.
Then, in just a few millennia, he became comparable to Zeus, who had millions of years behind him.
He could oppose the god among the gods!
So he had more potential than Zeus? If he had time, would he be the most powerful?
No.
His power had been born from desperation. He lacked the foundation needed to move forward.
While Zeus had been weak for hundreds of thousands of years, only to one day become strong—and then the strongest.
How? How can someone so weak become the strongest over one night?
The answer is simple.
His master taught him to avoid any mistake that could cost him his future.
His wife gave him determination to defy death every day.
He counted on the help of others to gather the resources he needed.
Even the other gods helped him, giving time for him to grow strong — no beast or god would kill him before he achieved his full potential.
In the end.
His power was neither simple nor justifiable.
He was a god among gods.
While every beast always had the power of a beast. A beast was only what It was expected to be — the fodder to others grows stronger.
"Everything a beast considered a weakness, the gods considered a strength. What a funny thing to say." Baal chuckled with closed eyes.
"My lord, forgive this humble servant for disturbing you… but we have finished…" August spoke in a weak voice while kneeling before Baal. Yet now, a fierce glint was hidden in his eyes.
He was shirtless, his exposed skin covered in countless marks from his battle against the beastly aura. Baal didn't know what the aura had seen in him, but the only way for him to dominate it was through sheer force of will.
It had found strength within him—and recognized him for it.
He was compatible with it.
But of course, this was only temporary. If he didn't get stronger, he would be devoured from the inside out.
Baal let his gaze travel over their bodies and then, in silence, used his spirit to inspect their souls.
At last, he nodded in satisfaction.
"I thought you were gonna die — I underestimated you." he smiled. "But what makes you think there will be a second time?" He cast a sharp glance at Gregor, the strong man.
Above Gregor's head, a small holographic message appeared in red font:
[Gregor Lvl.1 (Rank I)]
"Smartass." Gregor snorted and stood up."I would give you more time and even give you a chance to serve me as thanks for all this power." Gregor said
"You beat me before, but even then it was barely. Now I'm stronger! much stronger! and I will not submit to someone as weak as you!" He could feel the new power flowing through all his body.
He knew how powerful he became.
"Oh, really?Do you want to play the crazy ex? Now you don't need me and I'm worthless? How original!" Baal couldn't help but chuckle. Gregor also had absorbed the nature of the beasts.
Without hesitation, Gregor roared and charged at Baal, both hands carrying enough strength to crush rocks effortlessly.
He was at least three times stronger now!
What could Baal possibly do against him now?
"Watch closely, August—and learn." Once again, Gregor heard the voice. But then, Baal vanished.
WOOSH SHING
"What—?" Suddenly, the ground was rushing up toward him, and for some reason, he couldn't react.
Tok, tok, tok
The ground and the ceiling swapped places several times. His head rolled slowly across the damp floor… until he saw Baal again, sword resting on his shoulder.
"I imagine you heard my reflection and thought I was weak."
BOOOM
He watched his own headless body collapse lifelessly to the ground.
His face twisted into a mask of horror.
"But I am not."
"Also... Battle-strength does not rely only on the body." Then Baal glanced at August with cold eyes. "But also on techniques like this. I call it blink."
WOOSH
He appeared suddenly in front of the small man with a gale, almost as if he had teleported. Under his piercing gaze, August simply stood there, sweating in silent shock.
Why?
Because he had been thinking the same as Gregor and had been planning to challenge Baal again.
He could've died.
[Gregor has died]
[Cause of death: Challenge to supreme authority]
The system notified him, but Baal quickly dismissed it, turning his gaze toward August.
"Do you also have something to say? Or are you going to be a good bitch?"August trembled in fear, but then, taking a deep breath, he lowered his head even further than before—in total reverence and respect.
[August Lvl.1 (Rank I)]
Baal's eyes moved back to the holographic message, which slowly shifted from yellow to green.
"That's what I thought, next time though, you better kill him before he attacks me or you'll be less than a bad bitch in my eyes." Then he smiled in satisfaction.
'As expected. They've absorbed part of the beasts' inherent nature—if I'm weaker than them, they'll kill me without a second thought. I can't be human with them… luckily, I was already a beast from the start '