Chapter 899: Beelzebub

Even though the Wolf Curse said the being who'd killed Taros and occupied his body wasn't a Curse but a Taboo, Michael was still clueless. He asked multiple times what the difference between a Curse and a Taboo was, but his Curses didn't explain anything.

That irked him because he'd hoped his Curses would tell him more, but he still listened to everything else they said.

[Beelzebub is considered a god. An Infernal God, to be precise.]

Michael remembered the humans in the Tritan Alliance considering Eren and the others as "gods" but doubted his Curses spoke about the same thing. Gods weren't on the same level as ordinary Divine Lifeforms. At least, that was what Michael figured from the way his Curses talked about them.

"And how did a god - infernal or not - appear here? He killed Taros suddenly and occupied his body, just to disappear. That doesn't make any sense, does it?" [Eliminating a god has always been a little bit challenging. That is also why the people of the cosmos, such as the Primal, are used to sealing godly entities. The Primal has a primordial contract with the Will, making the sealing process much easier.]

Michael tilted his head as the World Serpent revealed some crucial information. He was getting closer to some truths and swallowed hard when he understood.

"So what you are trying to tell me is that Beelzebub was bound to the Glutton Soultrait - or that sealing him created the Soultrait Symbol in the first place?" [You are on the right track, but that is not everything.] The World Serpent hissed.

"Okay..." Michael waited, hoping the World Serpent of the Wolf would go into detail. Unfortunately, they didn't explain more about the sealing process of gods or how Beelzebub ended up in Taros' body. But that wasn't necessary. Michael recalled what Beelzebub said. That was enough to put the puzzle pieces together.

"So, Beelzebub was in a similar situation as the Wolf Curse?"

The Wolf Curse growled in anger and frustration, which Michael and the World Serpent ignored.

[it is not the same because Beelzebub is a Taboo and thus sealed more tightly, but the situation is similar, yes. To be precise, the same will happen to me once the Primal finds me. Well, not anymore since I'm here with you, and the Soultrait I'm bound to be permanently melded in your Soul Sphere as one of your two main Soultraits.]

That explained a lot. First of all, the World Serpent chose to seal itself inside Michael to avoid wasting thousands of years in "nothingness." Michael presumed the void of nothingness and the Chamber to be where the Will kept all Soultrait Symbols. Of course, he could be wrong, but given that both Beelzebug and the Wolf Curse had been bound to a Soultrait, Michael was certain to be on the right path.

The World Serpent has been watching him for a while now and picked him as the perfect vessel to avoid being enclosed and put away by the Primal. Although it might be tied to Michael, it retained enough freedom to observe the surroundings and participate in deadly fights.

Michael wasn't sure if that was worth it, but he guessed that running for centuries had been tiring. 'I don't know how I ended up summoning the World Serpent in the first place. Maybe it was already locked up somewhere by the Will?'

There were still many uncertain factors, but Michael was getting closer to the truth. That would have been great if there weren't hundreds of questions swirling through his mind.

"What was your plan? Did you pick the same vessel as your brother to do the same thing as Beelzebub? Are you planning to use my body as a battlefield with the winner obtaining control of my body, or what?"

[I am not going to tell you what our plan was, but we weren't planning to possess your body. We realized that you are perfect for something much better. Unfortunately, you didn't get me, Glutton, so I won't tell you what we've planned for you!]

Michael frowned, but the World Serpent's response was somewhat expected. It would have been weirder if the World Serpent had suddenly started revealing their deepest secrets.

"In that way, can you tell me if you and the Wolf are on my side or if I have to be careful of two gods wreaking havoc inside me in the future?"

[...] The Wolf Curse didn't utter a noise, but he sensed the Curse tensing.

'I was right. Fuck.'

[Our path might be the same, but our final goals may differ.]

That was also similar to what Michael expected to hear. The answer didn't reveal much, but the Wolf Curse exposed one fact.

'I have two Beast God Curses inside me.'

He'd known that the Fenrir bloodline was among the most powerful cursed bloodlines and also that Selena had an incredibly powerful Curse - one that wasn't stronger than either of his Curses. However, he never expected his Curses to be Beast Gods. In the first place, Michael hadn't even learned the proper explanation as to what a true god was.

All he knew was that gods seemed to be superior to most Divine Lifeforms. 'I guess you'll be a god after progressing to Tier-10?'

Michael was still far from advancing to a Divine Lifeform, let alone becoming a god. However, he had two Beast God Curses inside him and accidentally helped an Infernal God reclaim freedom. That was definitely not what he expected from an invasion of the Zentika Empire.

All he'd wanted was to take revenge and kill Senator Keltos and maybe Taros as well.

Taros was dead now, but Michael didn't consider it his doing. Beelzebub killed Taros even if Michael got the energy influx.

Other than that, Michael acquired the Red Dragon. He didn't even intend to tame the Red Dragon but wanted to help it reclaim freedom by acting against the powers used to subdue the Red Dragon.

Unfortunately, it looked like Unstoppable Taming had been too strong. Or the Red Dragon trusted him too much. Michael sincerely doubted it to be the latter, but the Red Dragon's voice resounded in his head...and it didn't sound unhappy.

[Is the bad guy dead? Am I finally free?] It inquired hopefully.

Michael groaned. He was already busy trying to figure out what the Beast God Curses were trying to do to him, yet another mythical creature had joined his pack. That wasn't even what he'd planned to do.

He used Cosmic Stride to teleport to the Red Dragon and smiled at the Red Dragon.

"Sorry about that. Taros is dead, but I tamed you. I can discharge the Taming, but that might hurt our souls a little. I don't know how much damage your Soul will-..."

[No, I'm fine. No need. I read your memories when you read mine. You are nice even though you suffered because of me. I like you!] Michael blinked several times, unsure what to say. Should he thank the Red Dragon for its trust, or was he supposed to call it naive? In the first place, how did it read his memories when he used Mind Reader? Or was the Taming connection at fault?