A Chronometric Defect

I was bored with everything. That was two days ago, wasn't it? Now my Shridenia owns the continent and is chaperoned by a god. Quite the dramatic change.

"Your highness, we've received another report regarding losses in the former Empire territories we've captured."

This, however, is beyond disturbing. Report after report of millions dropping dead, then vanishing. Everywhere. It's concentrated in the former Empire— but it's happened everywhere. The phenomenon is worldwide.

Tens of millions have fallen in my original Shridenian lands. This is to say nothing of the Empire's capital, which is officially a ghost metropolis. We took the capital with not a single skirmish.

Instead, we've taken in a few hundred survivors, all of whom are grievously mentally scarred by their experiences. A few hundred survived in a capital city with a former population in the tens of millions.

I've been struggling to keep the fearful populous under control. They're afraid it's some kind of magical disease that's still spreading rapidly. The deaths have stopped, sure, but the common person doesn't know that. We've announced it, but they don't believe anything we've said.

I hear a familiar voice.

"King Shridenia, I must inform you of what just occurred."

Ah, exactly the dragon I needed.

"Lord Chronomet, thank you. I was worrying over this matter not a moment ago."

He freezes.

"You won't thank me when you hear the explanation. I too am still coming to terms with it all."

He makes a rickety wooden chair and sits down.

*creeeeak-eek*

Eh?

Where's his throne?

He asks me the same.

"Do you want to sit on your throne, king?"

Something isn't right here.

"No, I'm fine staying in my study."

"Then, the short version. Former Emperor Thaddeus and former Viceroyal Garne hijacked one of my abilities. Their life's goal was to create a monster which could kill the gods, but I killed the bulb— the monster they were cultivating. So, they used my own ability to force-feed me one point three billion people and roughly ninety-three billion non-sapients instead. That ability interacted with another ability of mine, which increased the power I gained countless times over."

I stare at him blankly.

"I'm going to need a moment to process that?"

*creeeakak*

"Take your time."

I look down at my desk.

I know Chronomet can eat literally anything. I saw it myself. So how did they hijack this ability? No, that's unimportant. If he wanted to kill, he wouldn't bother to take such a meandering route. He would've openly blasted Shridenia without evacuating anybody. As he says, has no reason to bother with tricks.

Though, if that was a long-cast spell, was he buying time to cast it unhindered?

No. I doubt his 'eating' is a casted spell. It wouldn't matter even if it were; he's too strong for it to matter. That was true before he ate Shridenia and it's even more true now. Who could've stopped him from casting?

Moreover, given how big he became back then, he could probably eat the planet within a few bites. No spell needed.

Thankfully he doesn't seem to want to do that.

I look up at him again.

"I presume you're sitting in that chair because you're upset about your responsibility in this?"

His eyes show clear surprise.

"Am I really so transparent?"

"Chromomet, you don't try to hide yourself."

"My draconic pride won't allow it."

"So you'll kill the gods?"

"I already ate one."

This dragon never ceases to amaze.

"May I ask how?"

"The Centrail of Oplenthiom sacrificed his body to the god, but then he realized the god was a scumbag, so he partially retook his own body. I did the rest."

"A... Scumbag... A god?"

"He wanted to erase all life on this planet."

I pause for a moment.

Hm. Scumbag indeed.

"I hope this isn't a calculus I must make often, but I propose that Thaddeus and Garne made the right decision."

"I didn't need their help."

"Do you know this for sure?"

He looks very surprised. Not a look I've ever seen on him. Nor am I sure how I can tell what 'surprise' looks like on a dragon's face. Oh well.

"King. If they hadn't done what they did, then the god wouldn't have descended at all. He was refusing the Centrail's summon until the... Until my mass murder."

"You're thinking too narrowly. You said they put their entire lives toward this goal. They must've thought the gods were a bigger threat to humanity than anything else."

"Right, they absolutely did."

"Have you considered why?"

"Indeed, Garne explained in depth. The gods were taking the stats of all living species for themselves. So, if a human ascended like the Dragon God did, all of humanity would be sciolated just like the dragons."

"Sorry, sciolated?"

"Rendered mindless. Still sapient, but unable to access any of their higher intellect."

I feel chills across my whole body. That's horrifying.

"Dragons were once intelligent?"

"Within your lifespan, King. Your memories were erased."

As if to confirm his words, my mind tries but fails to access some long-lost memory. I instantly feel a visceral anger toward this so-called 'god' we've been worshipping. We revere them as gods, but as Shridenia's king, I know there's solely one representative god. This ingrate took MY memories?! MINE?! And just how many of my people did they harm?!

All of them?!

Scumbaggery is one term for such behavior. I have a few choice words of my own.

Except, that fact alone shouldn't drive a man to sacrifice over a billion others; some his own kin.

"Do you think that's sufficient reason to kill the gods? Thaddeus and Garne were evil men, but they weren't stupid."

"I suppose you're right. I've integrated their memories, but matters surrounding the gods are difficult to parse."

Memories, hmm? He can eat memories as well. I though as much, but it's surprising to hear him admit thus in a conversation where his enemy did the same. Which means he's different from those so-called gods.

He wouldn't admit anything if he intended on acting hypocritically. As a king, I know how hypocrites behave all too well.

Aha! I know what to say.

"Let's simplify. What's the most dangerous reason to kill?"

"Not caring about life."

I nod my head regally.

He answered without an iota of hesitation. Admirable.

"The gods treat us as stats and playthings. Do they care about our lives?"

"No, but I—... Roh."

"Right. If they don't care, they may kill whenever. The gods, in Thaddeus' and Garne's estimation, are like Mana bombs with a random timer. Perhaps if you hadn't ascended— perhaps if nobody ever ascended, the gods would kill us all anyway."

"Thank you. You've helped me a lot."

His rickety wooden chair morphs into his golden dragon throne. Well, huh. Is he making those chairs from nothing?

Godly indeed.

"I take it you feel better?"

"Hragh, no. I merely realize that what happened, horrific though it was, likely prevented a much worse outcome. Regarding the memories of the god I've eaten— he would've sciolated humanity regardless of why he was summoned, because you all kept pestering him."

He nods his head to the side a bit, then continues speaking.

"Humans without their intellect are little more than prey for monsters. Which means, when that god upped his judgement to 'execution,' my inability to save some people didn't make the situation worse. I must take pride in my accomplishments even as I lick my wounds. Else, I'm doing a disservice to those who gave their lives for our cause."

He grimaces, then corrects himself in a somber tone.

"My cause. Me. They gave themselves to me. Even if it wasn't their choice, I'd best carry them forward."

I close my eyes for a moment in relief. Prey for monsters? True, but intimidating to hear him say it. Talking to this dragon is inordinately nerve-wracking.

Thankfully, he means well.

"You saved my daughter. Now we're even."

"Rawh. Certainly, certainly. Have you any other questions?"

"Yes. Just how strong are you?"

I see a status screen pop up. It's not my own.

Name: Chronometric Dragon God

Stats:

Str: 791t (791,018,730,739,527,562,551,023)[78.6t]

Sta: 790t (790,527,630,651,036,029,536,838)[78.5t]

Int: 807t (807,526,918,298,495,663,667,925)[79.6t]

Wis: 804t (804,730,871,006,930,166,777,624)[79.3t]

That's a lot of numbers. What is this?

"Lord Chronomet, I don't understand."

"The numbers in the first set of brackets are my stats relative to an average kaizen newborn."

My eyes nearly pop out of my skull.

"HAH?! How— you have stats in the— how much IS that?!"

"Sextillions, also known as trilliards."

I've not heard that silly-sounding number since I was young.

"No, wait— why kaizen?!"

I need to calm down. He is a god, after all.

"Before I evolved, I was a kaizen."

"How is that... Possible?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"That you do."

Ah, time god.

I bow my head.

"Lord Chronomet."