Chapter 13: The Burden of the Evil God Candidate

Calamity Demons were undeniably the most terrifying monsters in this world, inspiring dread with merely a whisper of their name.

Within Starfall Palace, their numbers were truly countless. Beyond the ordinary Calamity Demons, there existed a myriad of other powerful and humanity-hating horrors.

There was no doubt that if these monsters from deep within Starfall Palace were ever unleashed upon the human world, they would bring about catastrophic ruin.

Xiamiya had arrived at this grim conclusion after learning the general state of Starfall Palace.

As You outlined the palace’s overall situation, he also revealed another horrifying truth that sent shivers down Xiamiya’s spine.

The truth was this: as a qualified candidate for the Evil God, Xiamiya herself was the very medium through which the Calamity Demons would descend from Starfall Palace into the human world.

The moment she grasped this dreadful reality, realizing she might unleash unimaginable disaster upon the world, Xiamiya was overcome with a desire to end her own life.

However, she quickly dismissed the thought.

The primary reason, she realized, was simply… fear of death. Having only just been reborn, Xiamiya absolutely refused to let her life end so abruptly.

‘To be a Saintess yet fear death… that truly made her quite an oddity.’

Furthermore, according to You, she was merely the 1,322nd acting Palace Lord of Starfall Palace. This indicated that her role as a medium was far from unique.

If she were to die, Starfall Palace would simply seek out a new medium. What if the next Palace Lord was precisely the kind of ruthless, ambitious individual You had alluded to?

In such a scenario, the terrifying power of Starfall Palace would be completely unleashed, leading to unthinkable consequences. Rather than risk that, it was better for her to manage these monsters herself, restraining them to the best of her ability.

After careful consideration, Xiamiya concluded that managing Starfall Palace was indeed a mission bestowed upon her by the Goddess of Creation.

After all, how could the Calamity Demons, who so utterly despised the Goddess of Creation, possibly choose a mere Saintess like herself to be the new Evil God candidate?

‘It had to be the Goddess’s doing, no matter how she thought about it.’

And what other purpose could the Goddess have had in doing so, if not to make her restrain these monsters?

‘Alas, taming these monsters was clearly no easy feat.’

‘Goddess of Creation, you… you truly think too highly of me, boohoohoo…’

By noon, Xiamiya lay slumped on a sofa in the Snow Lotus Palace hall. The multitude of Calamity Demons that had previously occupied the space had now receded.

The vast hall was left with only Xiamiya herself.

“Phew~, finally, I made it through…”

Xiamiya could no longer recall how she had managed to placate those murderous deities. She only knew that she had, once again, successfully bluffed her way through, maintaining the facade of a lofty Evil God who disdained the human world.

Therefore, now was the time to finally relax a little.

As the tension drained from her mind, the ‘Evil God’ unceremoniously sprawled across the sofa, propping her legs up as she gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling.

‘Enmm, well, even though I’m always called ‘Lord Evil God,’ Xiamiya knew perfectly well that she was merely a candidate, possessing the potential to officially become an Evil God, but this potential was by no means absolute.’

‘However, thanks to You, the Calamity Demons were unaware of this, instead believing her to be the reincarnation of the Evil God.’

‘As for why You wanted the Calamity Demons to be mistaken, Xiamiya didn’t know. She only knew that, thanks to this narrative, the monsters seemed more willing to obey her commands.’

Yet, to truly and completely control these Calamity Demons, she had to pass the Evil God’s assessment and officially inherit Starfall Palace.

‘But, an assessment? Heh… hehe… hehehe…’

Xiamiya let out a rather foolish, bitter laugh.

Just recalling the assessment criteria You had previously described, and what it took to become a qualified Evil God, filled Xiamiya with a sense of profound helplessness.

‘That kind of thing? How could I possibly do it…’

‘But if I don’t, it seems there’s no way to truly control Starfall Palace.’

‘What, then, should I do?’

The cherry-haired girl pouted her lips in vexation. Seizing the rare tranquility around her, Xiamiya began to ponder this dilemma.

Then, a spark of inspiration ignited in her mind, and a rather brilliant idea suddenly surfaced.

‘I’ve got it!’

‘If I can’t inherit Starfall Palace, then I’ll prepare a backup plan!’

‘Wouldn’t it be better to just eliminate those murderous deities who might threaten world peace?’

“Of course, she wouldn’t be the one to eliminate them; after all, she was just a small fry herself.”

‘Instead, I’ll have others do it—the world’s top powerhouses!’

” ‘Don’t these monsters always hate humans, especially those with powerful auras?’ ”

” ‘If that’s the case, then later, in the name of the Evil God, I’ll order them to individually hunt down some top powerhouses. Then, I’ll use the hands of those mighty figures to eliminate all these monsters? Wouldn’t that solve the problem?’ ”

‘Hehe~’

At this thought, Xiamiya felt as if she had found a lifeline. Her face instantly lit up with joy, and she excitedly sat up from the sofa, muttering proudly to herself.

” ‘I truly am too clever~’ ”

However, just as Xiamiya reveled in her self-congratulation, a faint, ethereal voice suddenly drifted into her ears.

– “Is that so? Then, my clever master, could you please memorize the original texts of those transcendent magic spells we discussed earlier?” –

“??!!”

“Eh?!!”

In an instant, Xiamiya flinched, startled, and tumbled from the sofa.

The girl scrambled to her feet, nervously glancing behind her. There, the elusive You floated silently behind the sofa, calmly adjusting the hall’s sheer curtains.

“You?!! You, how are you here?”

“This is the Snow Lotus Palace hall. Why wouldn’t I be here?”

The silver-haired soul-body youth slowly turned his gaze, calmly counter-questioning her.

As Xiamiya, with her slightly disheveled hair and clothes and a rather goofy expression, came into view, a rare hint of seriousness flickered in You’s eyes.

” ‘Improper attire, messy hair, overly silly expression, damaging the image of Lord Evil God. One point deducted.’ ”

“Eh?!!!”

Upon hearing this, Xiamiya immediately lost her composure, hastily interjecting in protest.

” ‘There’s no one else around here! You don’t have to be so strict!’ ”

” ‘Indeed, there is no one else nearby, but this is the Snow Lotus Palace hall, a public space. Damaging the Evil God’s image in a public place warrants a deduction.’ ”

You’s tone remained as placid as ever, yet it carried an undeniable, unyielding authority.

” ‘Master, this symbolic one-point deduction is merely a reminder. Even if no one is nearby, you must maintain your image, for one never knows if someone might be observing in secret.’ ”

” ‘Mhm.’ ”

In response, Xiamiya could only lower her head helplessly, pouting her lips in a vexed manner.

‘It’s too much. Can’t I even relax for a moment?’

‘Hmph!’

The cherry-haired girl couldn’t help but complain a few times internally. Then, Xiamiya, resigned to her fate, looked up at You, who was now tidying up.

” ‘Right, how many points do I have now?’ ”

” ’41.’ ”

” ‘Ah, alright then…’ ”

As the score reached her ears, Xiamiya let out a complex sigh, filled with mixed emotions.

Indeed, this score was directly tied to the Evil God’s assessment You had mentioned. By adhering to the Evil God’s precepts, continuously enhancing her power, and collecting souls, her score would gradually increase.

Upon reaching one hundred points, she would officially pass the assessment and gain complete control over Starfall Palace.

At that point, every monster within Starfall Palace would fall entirely under Xiamiya’s dominion. She would no longer have to fear any rebellion from them; all her instructions would be forcibly obeyed, even if she commanded them to die.

Conversely, if her score dropped below thirty points… she would apparently be directly annihilated by You.

A shiver ran down Xiamiya’s spine at the thought.

Nevertheless, considering You had only deducted one point this time, and her score wasn’t as pitifully low as when she first signed the contract, Xiamiya ultimately accepted her fate.

However, speaking of scores…

” ‘By the way, You, didn’t you mention before that once I reached a certain score, I would gain certain permissions?’ ”

” ‘Yes, Master.’ ”

” ‘Then, after reaching 40 points, I can apparently decide your appearance, right?’ ”

” ‘Yes, but to be precise, you first decide the object I will possess. The specific appearance and combat style are then determined by the individual after possession.’ ”

As he explained, You slowly turned his head to Xiamiya, speaking with a hint of curiosity.

” ‘So, Master, are you planning to find a body for me?’ ”

” ‘Mhm… yes… that’s right!’ ”

Xiamiya nodded emphatically.

‘Damn it, I absolutely have to find a body for this ghost-like guy!’

‘Otherwise, constantly phasing through walls and appearing out of nowhere all day long, I’ll be scared to death by him eventually!’

‘Besides, a new body, huh? Hehehe~’