Chapter 165: Chapter 164: Third Time’s The Charm Part 2

A smug smile spread across Gilgamesh’s lips that robbed Aegis of any hint of their own, Equinox however couldn’t have cared less about what he perceived as childish posturing.

“…I should actually thank you, if you had taken the chance to kill me instead, I would have never have been able to make my aura barrier immune to the rather unique curses you use.”

“Immune? huh, you are a man who favours bluntness, so let me be blunt; I would like to test that. I’ll make it simple, you succeed and I’ll give you a one month free reign to do as you please in our territory.”

“When you say free reign?…”

“I do mean you may come and go as you please, take who you wish, examine what you wish, you will essentially have the authority that any at this table do. Of course, no one at this table will seek vengeance against you for anything you do, or ask someone to do so on their behalf, or even allow someone to seek vengeance on their behalf.”

“A tempting offer, for sure…” Carl looked at Equinox, Aegis and Jupiterran. “…Can I have two minutes to confer with my people?”

“Why would someone immune be concerned?” Gilgamesh asked with annoyed impatience.

“Married men always need to be concerned, they find themselves in trouble for things they’ve done a thousand times, on a daily basis.”

Gilgamesh blinked, then erupted into laughter as hardy as that which Jupiterran had been in a moment before. “I see why Jupiterran has taken a liking to you. Fine, ask them all for their opinion of how much trouble you’ll be in.”

’Tiamutael, can you teleport just my soul-form? If you can pull that and my second mind, my body can be remade right?’

’Dad, I was born a month ago, how the hell should I know? I’ve never tried it before, I could accidentally rip you apart.’

’Buddy, just remember your mums are the disciplinarians before talking to them like that. Okay, so I either tank it or not…’

[ GROUP MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM CARL : HEY, I NEED PERMISSION, GILGAMESH HAS OFFERED A ONE MONTH PASS TO DO AS I PLEASE WITH NO CONSEQUENCES. I JUST NEED TO TANK ONE OF HIS CURSES, WHICH IS KIND OF A LIFE OR DEATH THING. ]

As Carl waited for a response he looked at Equinox and Aegis, getting their opinions telepathically, both of whom thought he had a good chance to defend it but not get permission.

It was only as time neared it’s end that he finally received a response.

[ PRIVATE MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM KYUBI : NERGAL IS WILLING TO STAKE HIS LIFE ON YOU SURVIVING, BUT IT DOES MEAN FULL INSPECTION WHEN YOU GET HOME AND YOU’LL BE COOKING DINNER. ONE CONDITION, THE MONTH BEGINS WHEN WE GET BACK FROM OUR TRIP. ]

“Okay, seems I’ll be able to survive surviving… They only made it clear that our honeymoon is happening, So that month will have to begin when we get back.”

“Convenient, considering I can’t tell when you get back…”

Carl sighed at the shear thoughtlessness of the situation. “Just put a month-long egg timer on the table or something, I’ll flip it when I get back.”

Gilgamesh looked back and everyone at the table either shrugged or nodded. “Fine, seems the variants all agree…”

Gilgamesh produced the contract, and each of them signed it, including Jupiterran and then it was passed over to Carl.

The moment it was in his hands he scanned it for tricks, of which it possessed multitudes of flaws and layers of false contracts to try and help them go unnoticed. “Do you want to waste time, or should I just destroy the divinity in all these nonsensical layers?”

Gilgamesh laughed again, though it was obviously fake. “Apologies, if you couldn’t see through something like that, you were just wasting our time. Correct it as you will.”

Carl used his the law of Divinity to destroy the multitude of loopholes and false layers then showed the correct contract to his companions.

“Excellent work, Master. Not bad for your first attempt at such at thing.”

“Indeed, it is well-balanced.”

Carl signed the correct contract and it became binding to all all of them, then Carl stood and readied his barrier, whilst his second self produced a second.

“Two barriers? Impressive, I see why you were confident at your level, even I can’t make two full barriers.”

“Benefit of inversion, the two minds are a strong asset, I can’t wait to meet Gemini and ask them to teach me how to fully get inversion under control.”

“I see…” Gilgamesh didn’t wait a second longer and the fiery halo blazed into renewed life as though doused in accelerant.

The power he controlled was undeniably vast, the entire room glowed red and the moisture in the air began to evaporate, the Yggdrasil wood table became scorched along the edge closest to him.

His eyes glowed gold at first and then a wave of black energy imploded into him and the glow in his eyes grew dark and the halo began burning black.

“uš!”

The word sounded ancient, archaic, but Carl didn’t have time to pay it any mind. The black force of Gilgamesh’s curse collided with Carl’s outer barrier, burning through it like embers on a sheet of paper.

“If that is all the might you can muster, your confidence was nothing but boastful bluster, boy.” Gilgamesh laughed as the outer barrier collapsed and the energy hammered into his inner barrier.

“Sorry Gilgamesh, just getting warmed up, I can’t afford to die here. I have a wife waiting at home, a fiancé who has already lost her family once and children who need a father… My life isn’t mine to throw away and I refuse to steal it from them.”

[ SIBLING BOND ACTIVATED ]

“Carl! What happened !?”

“You need to leave Sis! I wont let you get dragged into this!”

“Has your inversion kicked in?” Gilgamesh asked smugly as Carl’s inner barrier began to erode, then as a message appeared in front of Carl and Sis, Gilgamesh faltered by Carl’s renewed confidence.

[ UNDERSTANDING OF THE LAW OF DEVOTION INCREASED ]

A fraction of a second after, Carl’s barrier became immeasurably denser and then expanded away from him and another barrier formed around.

The result not only withstood the curse, but sent it flying back and dispersing around the room. Gilgamesh smiled, though his eyes were furious, forced to protect the variants from the reflected curse.

“Were you trying to mock me in the beginning? Playing fish out of water?” Gilgamesh asked with a dire tone.

“What? Why would I do that? I don’t lie or hold back, I always give my all. The simple truth is, all I had in the beginning was over-confidence. You simply opened my eyes to the power of devotion, the power of living for those you love.” Carl shrugged before stretching.

“Devotion? You expect me to believe that?”

“Gilgamesh, playing dumb is unbecoming. You looked at my system when I got here, why not look at it again?”

“Law of Devotion? What nonsensical law is that?”

“The kind that turned overstatement to understatement in an instant. Honestly, I have no reason to stay anymore, anything I intended to say or do will be better left until those who gave me strength are safe from reprisal.”

“You think you can just leave?” Gilgamesh’s voice had grown raspy again, the fury in his eyes burning consistently and then Carl passed the contract. “The sooner you stop underestimating us mere humans, the sooner you’ll realise we have our talents.”

“The signee, Carl and his factions, in its entirety will be protected under this contract from the time of its signing.” Gilgamesh growled, as he scrunched it up. “Why not simply have changed it to a permanent pact?”

“Simple, I’ll one day reach ten stars and become something connected to everything with human blood. My fate unfortunately made that an impossibility.”

Gilgamesh’s restrained fury reached new heights and then transformed into disbelief in an instant. “Hahahaha! Something? Fate? Impossibility? You speak of becoming the omnipotent god of humans as a dehumanising curse, one which leaves you to rot in a cell.”

Carl noticed Gilgamesh was about to continue speaking but stopped himself, then looked back. “Guys, let’s head back to SATS and collect the others…” In a moment of hesitation, Carl turned back. “…For what it’s worth Gilgamesh, I do truly wish to hear your story, I’ll knock for you when I come to turn the hourglass.”

“Don’t seek to placate me Carl, I won’t deny my ego, but I don’t let it be a weakness… Or at least I thought, but it seems I may need to discipline myself.”

“Well, for that at least, I’ll thank him.” Marsian practically blurted the words uncontrollably.

“It seems I have bred discontent in the process as well, I guess discipline is an all-round necessity…” Gilgamesh grunted back. “…Jupiterran, escort our guest back, it would be nice to see him leave the same way he came for a change. On your way, grab any dissidents you want, we don’t need them in our faction…”

Carl tensed for the first time…

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