I Became The Villain The Hero Is Obsessed With Chapter 361:

What I told Celeste was none other than the story of Phase 4 power increase.

A shocking tale of how all the able-bodied people in this world will beco much stronger than they are now.

"That's because the Sun God's descent is near?"

"Yes. I think so."

I said so with a shaless face.

…Actually, all of this was the result of Celeste's self-realization in the original story. All of a sudden, everyone's abilities beco stronger, and in the midst of the chaos, Celeste deduces the truth of what happened.

And that truth…the process of discovering that truth…is now in the form of telling her.

In other words, I'm "specifically" giving her this information.

And then…

"So, the Sun God himself told you this?"

"Yes, that's right, I was sitting idly by during the day, and all of a sudden, with a divine sense of the world coming alive, this information popped into my head, as if I was rembering sothing I had forgotten. I guess it was a divine revelation."

"Well… Well…"

Hearing that, Celeste's expression changed strangely.

…Naturally, the emotion was one of disappointnt.

To tell information that even she, a saint of the Sun God, wouldn't know about? Honestly, even the most pious person would feel frustrated here. Even clerics are human beings.

Of course, her faith wasn't weak enough to be easily shaken by sothing like this, so it was more likely to end up as ‘I'm not good enough, or god must an sothing'.

…If she can't be shaken easily, I can just stand here and shake her hard, right?

I took advantage of the montary pause in her self-consciousness and spoke up, warming to her.

"…Don't be so upset. Maybe God passed it on to because it might confuse you."

"What? Ha…Who said anything about being upset, it's not like that."

She responds with a cold glare, as if slightly stung by my words.

Even if you're not upset, when a third party decides that you look upset, it makes you think, "Am I upset?”

…Yes.

Like this, slowly, very slowly, I’ll create a rift between her and the Sun God, so that I can get between them, and intercept her.

"…Anyway, if you're right, this is a big deal."

She closed her eyes again for a mont, thinking, then opened them again, her golden eyes locked on mine.

"Yes. There would be a great disruption in society, a bunch of fearless brats who don't know any better, drunk on their own power."

I said with a villainous grin.

How I love a good villainous line like that.

…Actually, by fearless, I ant villains, not heroes, but that's just the way it is.

"…."

"Hmm…"

I looked at Celeste, who seed to be pondering my words for a mont, and subconsciously organized my plan.

The core of Phase 4 was the Power Inflation. This power inflation was only good for the powerful, and was a disaster for the general public. Weaker powers would beco stronger, and stronger powers would beco unstoppable, aning that Celeste, right in front of , would beco even stronger.

And in the midst of this chaos, this is what Celeste chose to do.

Power inflation made villains more nurous. A world where those who were too weak to terrorize beca stronger, and all of them awakened as villains.

In that world, Celeste proclaims herself to be a force to be reckoned with.

All villains must follow her.

Just as the heroes all belong to an association, so do the villains.

That was the true ergence of Cathedral.

…Since Cathedral was originally composed of the strongest n in a country, a Cathedral with all of them, made even stronger by the Power Inflation, was a disaster.

Rebellious villains are crushed, and the organization becos a vast coalition of villains, larger than the Association itself.

It's an event that was portrayed as a group that must be destroyed, and scales Stardus enemies to global proportions.

…By the end of Phase 4, the reader's assessnt was.

[No. But wasn't Cathedral actually not that bad after all?]

The logic goes sothing like this: the world was a chaotic ss of villains anyway, and Cathedral was the one who united them and brought order.

That's what happened in the original, but it's better now because and my friends are part of Cathedral, which ans I can manipulate things from within.

As I was thinking about it, the words of Celeste caught my attention.

"…I'll have to think about that."

She mumbles quietly as her eyes closed.

Then she opened her eyes again, and said to , with a slightly puzzled expression.

"Well…I guess I was going to find out anyway, but it's nice to know…thank you, Egostic."

I looked at Celeste, slightly averting my eyes and I was surprised.

Celeste is grateful. The sun is rising in the west.

…Still, she's opening up to a little bit, and that's a good thing. Though it was kind of funny to see myself getting all giddy over a thank you…I need to win her over to prevent the end of the world.

Anyway, that's enough for today.

I'll go now, and I'll approach Celeste again when her mind is clearer.

I was about to say goodbye when I thought to myself.

"Haha, since we're in the sa boat, of course I should let you know this right off the bat, so I'll be off…"

"Going where?"

Just as I was about to cry and get up, I heard a cold voice in my ear.

I turned my head, montarily flustered, to see Celeste, who seed to be flustered herself, coughing slightly and motioning for to sit back down.

"…Hmph. You're right, we're in the sa boat, believing in the sa god, and you're going to have to help figure out what to do. Sit back down."

"…Um, yes."

I sat back down just like that.

‘What is it?’

I didn't know what it was, but I didn't want to offend her now…

‘…Yeah, whatever. That's good.'

Maybe I should take this opportunity to give her my own idea for Cathedral expansion.

With that thought, I opened my mouth.

I wonder how much ti has passed since then.

"Let's do that, then."

"Okay."

It was decided that I would be in charge of the Asia branch of Cathedral.

‘…The Sun God's descent is near, and everyone's abilities will be strengthened…’

Listening to the words of Egostic in front of her, Celeste was silent in thought.

This was very important information. It could change the course of the world.

The more she thought about it, the more butterfly effects it would have in her mind.

Celeste, as the head of Cathedral, the world's most powerful villain organization, was naturally good at keeping track of the situation…so much so that all sorts of calculations were going on in her head at the sa ti.

"…I'll have to think about it."

So she muttered those words, lost in thought. What is the right thing to do in this situation? What should she do?

…Regardless, this information was invaluable, if it was true.

Though she wasn't sure why God had chosen to speak only to him and not to her…

‘You never ca to except to share your power with in the beginning…'

She felt a slight twinge of annoyance, which she suppressed at the thought of blasphemy, but she didn't know that if anyone who knew the truth about the Sun God had heard this, they would have burst into flas…The Sun God had never visited Egostic in the first place, nor was he in a position to do so.

Anyway, it was thanks to him that she knew.

Celeste wanted to thank him.

"Well…I was going to find out anyway, but it's nice to know. Hmmmm, thank you, Egostic."

…It was a bit awkward to say this, and the wording was a bit odd, but it was all she could do to convey her sincerity.

In fact, it was so out of character for her. For soone who had always been on top of the world, this was the first ti she'd ever had an equal relationship…they were both chosen by the sa Sun God.

If what he said was true, anyway…

That was when she thought to herself.

"Haha, since we're in the sa boat, of course I should let you know this right away, so I'll take my leave…"

That's what she heard.

And the mont she heard those words…she reflexively looked up and said, without realizing it.

"Where?"

The words ca out of her mouth unbidden and were so cold that even she felt embarrassed.

"…Hmph. Where are you going? We're on the sa boat, believing in the sa god, as you say. You'll have to help figure it out. Sit back down."

Even as she thought this, she felt her stomach churn.

She had always stood alone at the pinnacle of her power, and was the first person the Sun God had ever chosen.

Forgetting that she was too ashad to face him, she grabbed hold of him.

"What if we expanded Cathedral into an international alliance of villains, instead of just an information-sharing conference?"

She found herself nodding in agreent at his lingering idea.

…It was a good idea, one she would have co to the sa conclusion had she thought long enough.

‘…After all, it's useful…’

Celeste thought to herself, quietly.

‘Yes, it is. Perhaps, after all, Egostic was sent by the Sun God as a gift for her.

Unbeknownst to her, Celeste was beginning to believe him, a little…slowly, but surely.