Beyond the Apocalypse
Chapter 351: Acceptance

Chapter 351: Acceptance

Overlord’s voice was sharp and fearless, not even an iota of dread at the idea of destruction, as its survival was not part of its directives. "The goal of my existence is the protection and progress of the Xaos civilization, and I will do all I must to ensure that!"

Jormungandr and Ouroboros’ eyes widened as they heard those words, sensing something they had never perceived before. Overlord had always used a tone full of wisdom and sagacity to simulate human behavior.

Still, the Depravitas knew it was just a disguise since the entity was, in fact, an Artificial Intelligence. Yet now, they heard it—the tone of emotion! It was fleeting and barely perceptible but undeniably present. The small yellow cat and white wolf glanced at each other, but neither uttered a word.

Vlad might have noticed it, too, were it not for the blinding rage that clouded his mind. "A theocracy is not progress!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the chamber. "You want me to send them back to the dark ages of superstition, ignorance, and fear. No!"

His eyes were resolute, burning with conviction. While Vlad had only lived less than forty years in Terra, he had millions of years of memories that belonged to his past lives.

The Depravita of Wrath had seen how hundreds of thousands of worlds had fallen to faith and religion, making them the core of their identity. Every single time, it led to civilization’s stagnation in the best of cases and a nightmarish hell in the worst, where those in power used faith as an excuse to prey on the weak.

Overlord shared the same memories as Vlad since everything was recorded in the A.I. Chip, so he understood the fear of the Depravita of Wrath but was not bound by it. With a calm yet firm tone, he replied, "What you fear is faith’s nature as a chain—a bond that weakens those bound to it—but that’s because you only see it through the eyes of an emotional life form. Religion can be a stairway, a path to greatness where the only limit is the god you follow. Faith was never meant to bind one to the Divine but to chase it, emulate it, and keep rising as the god you follow rises even higher."

Jormungandr, Ouroboros, and the Royal Guards couldn’t help but glance at each other as they absorbed Overlord’s words and his perspective on religion and faith. The way he described it seemed truly impressive—an ideal that made perfect sense and could genuinely improve a civilization. For a moment, they were captivated by the vision he presented.

However, Vlad did not lose himself and carried on. "Hmph, who’s being the naive one now?" he retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Those are nice words, but everybody always starts with good intentions. In the end, they all fail. They grow into deformed versions of themselves, and the ideals that formed their foundations are forgotten or twisted to help those in power!"

Overlord was not surprised by those words, and they held truth. Faith often began as something beautiful until it degraded into a horrible version of itself, but he was prepared. "I am immortal and impervious to the fear of death. Emotions will never cloud my pragmatic judgment. The Xaos Faith will never shatter or be corrupted because I will never deviate from my goal. The only way it could fall is by your hands, Prime Master."

Vlad’s eyes widened as he heard those words. No matter how enraged he was, he understood they were true. The fear of death and the desire for wealth and power were the two core factors that made faith so dangerous, but Overlord was impervious to them. Even if the A.I. Chip Clone were to awaken emotions someday, that would still not change his prime directives or the goal of his existence.

He clenched his left fist as a myriad of emotions crossed his face—anger, frustration, resignation. His left hand’s knuckles turned white under the strain, and the air around him seemed to crackle with suppressed energy. Finally, he released a long sigh, and the ball of fire and lightning in his right hand vanished, dissipating into harmless sparks.

The Depravita of Wrath took several deep breaths, closing his eyes to calm his raging emotions. The tension in his muscles eased as he focused on regaining control. When he opened his eyes again, they were sharp and cold, reflecting a steely determination.

"I know that I cannot erase the seed of faith," Vlad admitted quietly, his voice steady but heavy with the weight of his realization. "Even if I forbid it, they would just pray in their homes, away from sight. Suppressing it would only lead to problems that I cannot handle right now."

He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "And I also know that taking you down would be the same as killing the entire Xaos Kingdom. Without you, our chances of success against the Leviathans will be null. So you will remain in your position and with all your functions. However, once all this is over, and we have won the war, you and I will have a serious conversation about your future."

"That is acceptable, Prime Master," Overlord answered without any hint of fear or hesitation. The potential issues after the war were not something he would compute right now; his complete focus was on the imminent danger they were currently facing.

Jormungandr, perched on Vlad’s shoulder, let out a soft sigh of relief. "Well, that could have gone worse," he murmured. The small yellow cat understood that this was not easy for Vlad, but the path the young man chose was the best one, given their current circumstances.

The Royal Guards exchanged glances, visibly relaxing as they felt the charged atmosphere dissipate. One of them stepped forward tentatively. "Your Majesty, is everything... settled?" he asked cautiously.

Vlad turned to face them, offering a slight nod.