Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain-Chapter 444 and so it begins

Knowing he couldn't change the law of jungle which was spreading like wildfire amongst the skies of Arcadia, Aelthar walked away from the battlefield. Leading a large crowd of mortals who believed his words and chose to follow him.

Not knowing in his decision to do so, he brought doom to both.

At first the gods were too busy fighting against each other to especially look for mortals. Even the tricksters, demons, or other sadistic beings only cared about tormenting their equals, – but with the shift Aelthar pulled, he brought the natives of Arcadia on the limelight.

Just cause Aelthar didn't want to fight, didn't mean others would let him go. Some saw his disregard to battle as an insult, some simply saw his cloud of fog and wanted to take it for themselves. While others just saw him smiling, while they fought in blood, sweat, and tears – and came to drag him down in hell they inhabited too.

Aelthar wasn't alone at this time, and he had found a few other gods who shared his ideals or at least believed in something similar _ They formed an alliance, and they all tried to teach the mortals to grow. To live. To protect.

And this was his second mistake.

By giving them enchanted weapons and encouraging words, Aelthar made mortals who were just collateral damage living and dying on the sidelines of divine aftershocks in silence, seem like soldiers being shaped for a war.

And as one can imagine, this led to even more wars and even higher casualties than ever before.

So Aelthar simply gave up.

Mortals could never stand up to the divine. They could never fight the gods.

And knowing as long as this war lasted, none would be safe. Aelthar went ahead and made his third mistake.

He spread his fog far and wide, and built a sanctuary just for the mortals to live in. With the features of fog , there were no more outside interferences.

Seeing his shell and knowing there was no way to get past it in a short time, many gave up and picked new opponents to fight against. And for those who didn't give up, Aelthar dealt with accordingly over time.

What followed next was a brief time of peace. Aelthar laid back and finally thought he did it.

He rescued the mortals and brought them far away from the danger.

With gods dying every now and then in this war, chances of everyone who knew about him or his location getting killed were also high.

And so he relaxed.

Let down his guard.

And started living life like he had done for all eternity back on his own world.

But alas fate had other plans.

In his struggles to put out the fire spreading outside, he forgot to notice the embers flying within.

And mortals did what mortals do best.

They betray.

In the last fight, Aelthar had trained a few soldiers himself. It wouldn't be wrong to call them his own disciples.

And these were the very people, who would later cast his doom.

Why?

For power of course.

In his compassion, Aelthar gave the mortals a taste of power. The thing which clouded their hearts and filled their minds with burning desires to have it all.

Aelthar was like the god who opened the gates of Eden to Adam and Eve, told them not to eat the apple, and sat back.

Though many people say Adam and Eve wouldn't have eaten the forbidden fruit if not for the snake – but they're wrong.

Like a seed, the desire to eat was planted in Adam's heart as soon as God forbade it. The serpent's words merely acted like water which hastened this process.

Aelthar's disciples too had grown to hate his compassion, terming it as another form of cowardice.

So when the serpent's (other god's) came to whisper their sharp lies – these people showed no hesitation and did the unthinkable.

And thus Aelthar fell in the very hands he freed.

Funny enough, he was one of the final gods to die before the world will stepped forward to put an end to the war of gods.

But sadly enough, even in his final moments, the foolish god didn't learn his lesson.

With many a sword and spears piercing his heart, he ignored his disciples blinded by desires, and looked up to see the clear sky, devoid of his mystical fog, and smiled in relief.

"Maybe now there will be peace," he whispered, before closing his eyes forever.

….

Rio remembered the full story as he watched the final drawing and then shook his head.

What followed next after Aelthar's death wasn't drawn on the walls but he knew it from the original novel as Apollo clearly explained it when Leon asked about it.

After Aelthar passed away, the sanctuary went into a brief period of disarray, which was calmed down by the force of the disciples.

Since the gods stopped fighting and disappeared in skies, the lands became free to govern by the mortals.

The sanctuary turned into a nation, which after going through eons of passing, would one day be known as Schilla.

"Heh," Rio chuckled remembering how the author described Leon's expressions when he came to learn this truth. Schilla's towers were the tombstones for it's savior.

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But unlike the hero who felt heartbroken about the history of his empire, Rio didn't even care.

History may glorify the victors, but it's always written by the survivors. Not the winners, not the losers, but the ones who live.

Ignoring his endless thoughts, he took a deep breath and steadied his racing heart before pushing the closed doors.

The heavy door which had been locked for eons, showered him in dust before budging even an inch. His muscles tensed and the veins popped up as he used all his strength to push through.

He didn't use mana as there was a barrier which would pop up and send him flying if he did so. Nor did he tried to search all over this temple for any other entrance method. – he just kept pushing, even though it showed no effect. (Courtesy of having future knowledge from the novel.)

It took a lot of effort but finally after his chest felt heavy and rolling sweat wet his clothes like he just came out of a shower – the door opened on it's own, making him almost lose balance and fall down face first.

"It seemed funny when I was reading it." Rio said while panting heavily and swiping sweat off his forehead.

After taking a couple of long breaths to regulate his flow, he dusted his pants and looked up at the statue of Aelthar.

Surprisingly the statue looked very similar to angel carvings he had seen back on earth outside the churches. The only difference would be that instead of spread out wings, Aelthar's statue had clouds floating over his shoulders in a circle, forming a halo-like structure.

Rio's gaze traced the cracks spiderwebbing across the statue's face, as if even stone could weep for what had been lost.

He knelt, fingertips brushing the cold pedestal inscribed with forgotten prayers in a language he couldn't read, and bowed his head.

"It's a shame I don't know much about you, God Aelthar, so forgive me if I make any mistakes in my prayers," he began, his voice soft but steady. "But know that I have the utmost respect for you and your ideals."

He paused, closing his eyes, as if searching for the right words.

"When others vowed to rule and reign, you chose to kneel yourself to pick us up. You became the courage which gave voice to our silent screams. Your light led the path we walk upon, even today."

"I apologise, not for myself, but for all my race, which paid grace with treachery. Forgive them as we are your subjects. Cause they still need you."

"I need you." Rio said and clenched his fists as if hesitating to speak further. But after a moment of looking at the statue, he bowed his head once more and continued.

"The gods who chose me sent me here to get your legacy. So that I can become stronger…Before coming here, I was excited to get it, willing to do everything in my power to pass any trial – but now, – now even if I fail, I have no regrets." He said with a relieved expression looked up with brightened eyes.

"For I have found something much better than power. I've found faith."

"I've had many doubts before, but not anymore. Kindness isn't weakness, it's a choice. And I choose it as my belief _willingly."

As Rio's words finished, a gust of wind stirred the dust at the statue's feet, swirling it into fleeting shapes, as if blessing him for what's to come.

The quiet sound of a mechanism activating echoed through the temple.

Turning toward the sound, Rio saw a wall slide sideways, revealing a dark hallway stretching before him, inviting him to enter.

Rio glanced at the statue and then at the hallway, before kneeling to the god one last time, before setting off.

His face pouring the expressions of reverence and excitement, while the inner him, literally puked himself, unable to reel in the cringe spewing from his mouth, and swore he'd never do something so embarrassing ever again.

[Kindness isn't weakness. It's a belief. It's my faith. — urmm umm – muhh– aha hahha- mmah]

Rio, who had just steeled himself to continue acting out the hero's part. Spouting the same bs he spoke in the novel, literally choked himself and broke the facade, as he saw the system recording his previous actions and barely holding it's laughter from breaking out.

'Delete that video.' Rio shouted in his mind, before a book floated in front of him, distracting him , or rather bringing him back to reality.

<The trial begins…>