CH898

“Is this really it?” Abel complained. “Just wandering different cities all day?”

“Can’t help it, this is something the gods, and more importantly, my girlfriend, want done. If you’re bored, then you can run off and we can meet you later.”

“Mmh, no, I’ll stay,” She gave in, even if she still wasn’t as entertained as she would have liked while Ben worked through his tasks that day of going to as many of the major hospitals on the gate network he was able to, gifting knowledge to all of the overworked healers he could to make their work just a little easier as well as anyone else he passed along the way.

Which, for the most part, went smoothly. Sure, he got a few fearful looks from ones he’d dragged into his head for lessons in the past, back when it wasn’t just as simple as directly inserting knowledge into their brains, but with the subtlety he was currently working at, none even noticed him doing anything as he went, making it seem to their eyes that his presence was more of a coincidence than anything else that was followed with some quick levels to their various skills.

With the upgrade to deep connection making it so much easier. For whatever other effects there could have still been from child of chaos, the modification to his soul was the best, instantly increasing the range he could stretch it out by another half in all directions gave him so much more room to work with and getting put to use for every step of their outing.

Walking through some of the safer cities of the world could be crowded which meant at any one time there could be over a hundred people in his new range, all getting to benefit from the effects of connect and eldritch mind and more than paying off the cost of the attributes he’d gained for it.

Because gods are all a bunch of greedy fucks.

<Rude.>

I’m doing more for the people of this world than most of you lot up there and I can’t even be paid in a way that reflects that fact. I’ve changed my mind, it’s not enough for me to just stop helping after the war, I need to convert the majority of people to the wonders of atheism. Maybe costing every jerk up there some faith would make them reconsider how fairly they’re willing to treat mortals.

<Or or or, you could literally do your job and start converting some of them to me instead. That would focus a bunch of faith on a god you know does something, unless all of the blessings and skills I hand out mean nothing to you.>

Yeah, yeah, I know you’re a generous one but I’ve already spread your name more than anyone else. At this point, the majority of the planet has to have at least heard of you, right?

<Well, yes, all of the tools you print my name on have certainly helped word get around and gotten me a few converts.>

Which means anyone left is choosing not to convert to you and if you can’t have them, I say nobody else should get them either. Therefore, atheism.

<No, as great as any of your little tools can be, I’m sure there’s thousands of people out there who need a bit more than seeing my name on a band to make them want to give me more than an offhand prayer.>

Ugh, okay, fine. If we win and I live, I’ll start taking a deep dive into every mind I pass to see if anyone seems vulnerable enough to be converted, does that work?

<I mean, when you phrase it like that, no because it sounds evil.>

Fine, I’ll look for people who are perfectly content and satisfied in life and yet for some reason still want to completely upend their belief structure by converting away to someone else. Who knows, maybe I’ll find you a handful who fit the bill.

<Was the sarcasm really necessary?>

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I think it helped get the point across. Anyway, don’t stress so much because it doesn’t matter if it’s unethical, that’s literally what everyone trying to get converts is doing, they just don’t spell it out as such.

<Yeah, because it sounds pretty awful when you do.>

And? I’m not officially a god yet, I can be a little blunt.

“Can we stop for lunch soon, though?” Delair asked, pulling him away from the brief exchange with his god while his own hunger started to flare up.

“Yeah, sure thing kiddo, give me a moment and I’ll try to find us somewhere good.”