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!"