Chapter 169: Quarter God

"I am...the Sage of the Eight Godly Paths, Gaud."

The Enlightened One...Gaud said as he looked down on Desire.

The way that he looked down with his burning golden eyes truly looked...majestic and mesmerizing.

In fact, it was so mesmerizing that Desire...could feel his eyes literally get sucked in by Gaud's appearance alone.

After all, Gaud just looked that majestic.

Of course, with the way that the air and the place around them cracked, Gaud looked more...breathtaking.

It was like looking at a...blooming and completed flower in a broken and deserted land.

That was just how Gaud looked like right now to Desire.

It was then that Gaud spoke as he whipped his head here and there. It seems that he finally noticed that the Inner World became devasted after his transformation.

"Let's clean this up first." Gaud said as he moved his right hand.

Of course, his right hand was holding the staff that now only had the half-circle ring on top of it.

Well, the staff still looked beautiful even without the colorful rings that were attached to it before.

Anyway, Gaud moved his right hand, and it was so fast that Desire couldn't even see it!

Right, Desire couldn't see it and Gaud...had his right hand back to its previous position.

However, the effects of what Gaud did was...really easy to see for Desire as Desire's eyes...looked here and there.

He looked here and there, and what he saw was...the Inner World returned to its previous condition.

The air was no longer cracked, and the land didn't have any cracks in it.

There was no longer any strange pressure that was bearing on Desire and the land as well.

It was weird as hell, but Desire...just accepted it as the truth.

After all, who was the man in front of him?

It was The Enlightened One or Gaud. And Gaud is so illogical that he can make illogical as logical.

At least, that was how Desire viewed the man standing in front of him.

However, it seems that Desire didn't have to think about that anymore as Gaud spoke once more as he looked down on Desire.

"Ohh, distinguished one."

Gaud said. He then turned around his body to look at the door right in front of them.

Of course, Gaud's back was so conspicuous just by how there were rings of different colors, and they were all shining with some black rods on them.

In fact, it was amazing for Desire that he could look at these rings of lights now with no strain in his eyes when he remembered that it literally forced him to close his eyes before.

Incidentally, Desire's body was healed up now. He got healed up when Gaud healed the land and the sky of the Inner World.

Desire just didn't notice it as Desire was just taken aback by how Gaud looked like, and now...it seems like Desire couldn't even afford to get his attention taken by something else.

Why? It was because Gaud spoke once more.

"As I have said before, this door of Understanding of Power is yours."

"And the reason why you are in the Inner World is because you have opened this door purposely."

"Which means...you have opened this door yourself."

Gaud said with a peaceful tone of voice. Although it may not be obvious, the way he spoke those words was really different compared to the time he still...hasn't done his transformation.

Anyway, when Desire heard those words, he quickly became confused.

After all, he thought that they would talk about how Gaud had the title of Sage of the Eight Godly Paths or something like that.

He also thought that they would talk about what Gaud does to become the Sage of the Eight Godly Paths.

Of course, Desire didn't let it stay to his head as he knew that it didn't really matter.

"I understand that part, but...I'm not sure if I really opened it."

"I have no memories or I can't remember that I opened something like this."

"If I did, it would surely stay in my mind for years as this is just...huge."

Desire said as he looked at the Understanding of Power.

Of course, what Desire said was the truth. If Desire was able to open something like this, he would be able to remember it even if he didn't want to remember it.

After all, just opening this door would be a huge achievement for the current Desire.

It would mean that he now has the necessary strength to move it, and that is something that Desire wanted as well.

That was why Desire was sure that he was not the one who opened it.

However, it seems that Gaud was sure that Desire was the one who opened it as he spoke once more.

"Oho? The distinguished one keeps surprising me."

"Does that mean you are not aware of yourself?"

"Well, it's not really that weird considering that you are a mess."

"A huge mess that even I do not understand how you were born in this world."

Gaud said as his burning golden eyes flickered a little bit.

Gaud knew what kind of a...creature Desire was when they first met.

For Gaud, Desire was a mixture of different colors. However, what he could see the most was...black and white.

Those two combined to become what is Desire now, but the black and white were still....going strong.

They have not completely combined, and that was why Gaud described Desire as a mess.

After all, a human would be a human. A monster would be a monster. However, Gaud could only see a mess.

However, if there were something Gaud could certainly see in Desire, that was...he knew what the white part meant.

Gaud only knew the white part, but the other colors that were lying dormant or the black part...Gaud didn't know about them.

Anyway, when Desire heard what Gaud said, he quickly became interested.

After all, it was literally about himself.

That was why Desire wanted to ask what Gaud meant by those words.

'I might find a clue about myself!' Desire thought while feeling excited emotions in his heart.

This would be the first time that Desire met someone who knew at least a little bit about him.

That was why Desire was about to ask Gaud what he meant by that, but...he couldn't.

Why? It was because Gaud spoke once more before Desire could even speak.

It seems that Gaud was determined to finish this once and for all as Gaud's tone...quickly became grave and heavy.

It was definitely not like the peaceful tone that he had.

"Anyway, you have indeed opened this door. Whether you remember it or not, that is the truth."

"And that is also why the door is only half opened."

"It is because...you are the only one who opened it."

When Desire heard those words coming from Gaud's mouth, he quickly became confused once more.

He didn't understand a single thing about what Gaud said, and what was worse was that...

'I'm the only one who opened it?'

Am I supposed to open it with someone or something?

Desire thought as his face immediately turned into a frown.

However, it seems that Desire didn't have to think about it anymore as Gaud...spoke once more to explain himself.

"That's right. And that is only normal."

"A mortal would never be able to open even one of the Eight Godly Paths even if that mortal is a Quarter God."

"A God may be strong, but you...are only a Quarter God."

"There is no way you would be able to open this door by yourself."

It seems like Gaud was truly sure of what he said as he even nodded his head with satisfaction on his face.

Well, what he said was the truth. A Quarter God would never be capable of opening the Eight Godly Paths.

And to Gaud, Desire...was only a Quarter God.

Right, Desire was a Quarter God.

However, this was the first time Desire was hearing something like this, and that was why he was confused.

Well, Desire has always been confused ever since they started talking.

Anyway, Desire had his head tilted to the sides as he looked at Gaud.

His brain...tried to process what was happening, and what he just heard, but...it was useless.

Desire couldn't get a grip on what Gaud just said, and that was why...Desire spoke.

"A-A Quarter God?"

"What do you mean by that?"

Desire spoke with a shaking voice. It seems that he was really shocked.

Well, one would be shocked if a random person suddenly told you that you were a Quarter God. Especially more so if that random person was Gaud.

It was then that Gaud spoke as he looked back with a...shocked face.

It seems that Gaud didn't know that Desire didn't know that he was a Quarter God.

"Hmm? The distinguished one didn't know that he was a Quarter God?"

"That's unexpected..."

"Although you don't know your origins, you should know that you are a Quarter God."

"After all...a Quarter God may be a mortal, but you are still a God."