I Reborn as a God Within a Statue, And You Ask Me to Enslave All Gods?-Chapter 67 --Laying the Groundwork

When Thomas heard this, he immediately understood why Tommy was so furious. An entire family, as well as the children within Black Iron, were all treated by the nobles of the city as opportunities, as a way to curry favor with Dark Troll.

Such things—let alone Tommy—even he and other passionate villagers would never tolerate!

At the same time, Thomas carefully reflected on Tommy’s words. Though this incident was particularly vile, in an era where human lives were as insignificant as weeds, such events were not uncommon; they had long become accustomed to them.

So what had caused Tommy to undergo such a drastic transformation?

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Thomas. Looking at the unusually emotional Tommy, a hypothesis formed in his mind.

"Perhaps this incident was such a heavy blow to Tommy that it caused a massive emotional upheaval, leading to his transformation..."

Thomas murmured to himself. No matter what, Tommy’s change was exactly what Deus Initium wanted to see—this was undoubtedly a great thing.

Moreover, since Deus Initium had specifically mentioned this matter, it was evident that he himself had not undergone such a transformation, which left him somewhat disappointed.

However, if Tommy could experience such a change, then surely he could too!

With this thought, Thomas took a deep breath and then turned to Tommy, temporarily setting aside his other concerns.

"Tommy, if you have time, could you accompany me to Black Iron? I need to complete the procedures to upgrade our village into a town."

Although Thomas had some understanding of Black Iron, he was clearly not as familiar with its intricacies as Tommy, who had once been a trusted aide to the city lord.

Tommy agreed almost without hesitation.

Not only was he on the verge of becoming a B-rank devotee and thus bound to execute Deus Initium’s divine decrees with the utmost strictness, but also because his family had once been saved by Deus Initium. Such a great favor was worth repaying with his life.

Besides, this was not a difficult task for him.

Seeing Tommy nod, Thomas let out a small sigh of relief. Without Tommy’s help, transforming Annasi into a town would be far more challenging.

"Then I’ll leave it to you. Get ready—we’ll depart immediately!" Thomas said decisively.

Not long after, Thomas and Tommy left the village, having packed their belongings. They brought no one else along—both were tier-4 Awakeners, allowing them to travel at great speed.

"Thomas, there’s something we need to be particularly careful about on our way to Black Iron," Tommy suddenly warned in a serious tone as they traveled.

"Along the way, there is a castle. No one knows how long this castle has existed. Its owner enjoys welcoming travelers, inviting them inside to rest—but it’s a trap!"

"Anyone who enters the castle never comes out again!"

"Even a quasi-tier-5 Spellbeast that ventured in once disappeared without a trace!"

—

Inside the statue.

Hearing Tommy’s words, Owen suddenly became excited.

After all, this mansion was practically a textbook example of an Aberration.

With his prior experience dealing with the tentacle entity, Owen had developed a strong interest in Aberrations.

After all, eliminating Aberrations yielded valuable Order Fragments!

The more, the better. Not only were they highly versatile, but they were also crucial for him—if he wanted to bestow the Vassal God title in the future, he would need 200 Order Fragments to do so.

"I’ll have to see what kind of Aberration this castle harbors. If it’s no stronger than the tentacle entity from before, then don’t blame me for being ruthless!"

Owen was looking forward to it, as if he could already see the Order Fragments beckoning him.

Moreover, as the deity overseeing this region, he had an obligation to eliminate Aberrations that posed a threat to his devotees!

He could rightfully claim the title of Aberration Slayer!

—

"Thomas, there it is!"

After traveling for about an hour, Tommy suddenly stopped with a solemn expression as they reached a remote road.

From where they stood, they could already see the edge of the road where a grand and resplendent castle stood. It appeared to be made of brass, gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight, making it visible from afar.

At the entrance of the castle stood a plump man with an affable smile. His luxurious robes were stretched tight over his body, and he grinned at Tommy and Thomas, revealing a mouthful of large golden teeth—exuding an air of a nouveau riche.

The moment Tommy warned him, Thomas had already noticed the castle, particularly its owner at the entrance, who instantly captured his attention.

Although he couldn’t sense the fat man’s aura, the castle behind him gave Thomas an inexplicable sense of dread.

This castle was anything but simple!

"We should leave here as soon as possible. Based on previous cases, as long as we don’t enter the castle, we won’t encounter any danger," Tommy urged.

The longer they stayed, the stronger his unease grew.

From his research on Aberrations, he knew that as long as one did not violate their rules, they were generally safe. The castle’s rule was simple—don’t go inside, and there would be no danger.

Yet that fat man’s constant, foolish grin was unnerving.

Staring too long could even cause one’s soul to become dazed and drawn toward the castle.

However, just as Tommy was preparing to leave, he suddenly noticed a golden radiance emerge from Thomas’s body. Soon, a familiar divine presence spread through the air.

Watching in shock, Tommy saw Thomas gaze at the castle and murmur,

"Not bad. The Aberration level of this castle is similar to that of the tentacle entity from before—tier-4. Completely manageable."

A confident smile curled at Thomas’s lips.

Even though they were outside his domain, as long as Thomas activated Divine Descent, Owen could manifest here and eradicate the Aberration.

"So close to Annasi, and already there’s an Aberration... This world truly is filled with danger..." ƒreewebɳovel.com

Observing the castle through Thomas’s eyes, Owen spoke softly.

If not for his Godhood Rank reaching 1-Star Peak and his vast Divine Points, he wouldn’t dare provoke such Aberrations outside his domain.

Fortunately, as his Godhood Rank steadily increased, Aberrations—once threats that other gods avoided—became divine gifts for him!

Moreover, judging by the current situation, there were likely many more Aberrations and Spellbeasts around Black Iron. What he knew and saw was merely the surface.

These Aberrations, formed from the corruption of Order, would only continue to grow stronger if left unchecked.

They even wielded a portion of Order’s power. If they continued to thrive, even tier-5 Awakeners and Spellbeasts would be forced to flee for their lives.

Although this castle was currently at the tier-4 level, it had likely undergone significant reinforcement, making it powerful enough that even tier-5 beings would be entirely devoured upon entry!

After all, these Aberrations, infused with Order’s essence, could regenerate unless completely eradicated.

The best way to eliminate them was through divine purification using an immense amount of Divine Points.

Determined, Owen’s voice rang with authority in Thomas’s mind.

"Thomas, enter the castle and activate Divine Descent."

Right now, no other gods could handle these Aberrations, allowing him to rapidly increase his power.

When the Divine War began, he would stand invincible!

After all, Order Fragments could bestow Vassal God titles, which would be crucial in the coming war.

Other gods likely had no Order Fragments yet—he was far ahead of them!

By the time Annasi became a town and he amassed enough Divine Points, he could ascend to 2-Star Ancient God!

Then, he would widen the gap between himself and the other deities even further!

The only thing that made Owen wary was the scope of the Divine War—it might not be limited to just this realm!