Chapter 619: Noah's Methods

"Noah..."

What Noah was doing now was more evil than anything any villain had ever done. Whether Orthodox Gods or evil gods, their goal was merely to control humanity.

Even the more extreme Outer Gods only wanted to erode this world; subjectively speaking, they didn't want to exterminate humanity.

But Noah, he genuinely wanted to, and truly would, bring about humanity's extinction.

To that end, he had considered many things. Those who had consumed the contaminated grain would all die simultaneously at a predetermined moment, with no chance to react, and no way to research a countermeasure.

It was only now that Loren truly saw the real Noah, that utterly inhuman madman who had abandoned all trace of conscience.

In the past, he would still consider others. Now, he didn't at all.

To him, humans were nothing more than tools to use against the Orthodox Gods.

If anyone else had done this, Loren would have killed him without hesitation, scattering his soul to the winds.

But it was Noah who was doing this.

Loren was well aware that he was a hypocrite.

If someone else killed innocent people out of misplaced anger, Loren would kill them; if that person were Loren himself, he would find it perfectly normal.

Loren cared deeply about ordinary lives, but if it truly came down to humans versus witches, then in Loren's eyes, human lives would become worthless as well.

Noah wasn't doing this just for his deceased lover, but also for Loren.

In fact, compared to Loren's previous plan, Noah's plan was actually a bit more humane.

After all, Noah would only exterminate humanity. The Child of Nature Loren planned to summon would directly restart the entire world.

When that happened, never mind humans, no other life would survive either.

"What about the witches then?"

Loren had no intention of stopping Noah's plan; he was merely concerned about the witches.

No matter how careful Loren was, the witches couldn't avoid eating.

As long as they ate, they could be affected. Being completely self-sufficient wasn't realistic either.

"Rest assured, this won't affect witches. It targets humans only."

Noah was telling the truth, and Loren breathed a sigh of relief.

That eased most of his concerns. This really was a last resort with no better alternative.

At the same time, this also proved one thing: Noah's loyalty to Loren had not changed.

He knew Loren loved the witches, so even when preparing to exterminate humanity, he specifically made sure to spare them.

"How long after eating crops affected by the fertilizer will they die?"

"Three years. That's my estimated timeframe. After three years, everyone will have consumed it, including the territory of the God of Confusion."

Mentioning the God of Confusion, Noah suddenly lost control of his emotions, tears streaming down his face involuntarily.

But even so, his tone didn't change in the slightest:

"My fertilizer has just been developed. I need to build its reputation first. Once word spreads, I'll introduce the second-generation fertilizer.

"The second-generation fertilizer will be much weaker in effect, but still potent. It will ensure every region uses it without causing grain surplus.

"The second-generation fertilizer will volatilize, spread through the air, and seep deep into the soil. Even if people refuse to eat grain, they won't be able to escape it."

Noah was both insane and composed, having accounted for every angle.

Just as Loren and Noah were conversing, the bound test subjects suddenly collapsed all at once.

Seeing this, Noah casually introduced them:

"These people were affected at different times. Some ate crops contaminated by the fertilizer, others merely inhaled the scent, but they all died simultaneously just now.

"The second-generation fertilizer is almost complete. It only needs a few more trials."

"Who were they?"

"Death Row Inmates. All guilty of serious crimes. Not innocent."

Even while conducting experiments, Noah remembered Loren's preferences. Loren didn't want innocent people harmed.

"Remember to research an antidote. Don't resort to exterminating humanity unless we reach a critical moment."

Loren was fully satisfied with everything Noah had done. He remained Loren's best slave.

In fact, Loren didn't even need to give orders; Noah had already done everything Loren hoped he would.

"Naturally. I'm already working on an antidote. It should be completed around the same time as the second-generation fertilizer."

Noah had once again acted before Loren could command him:

"I share your sentiments. This is merely a trump card to be used only when absolutely necessary. I'm also researching other things, such as nuclear bombs."

Hearing about nuclear bombs, Loren wasn't particularly surprised. In the original timeline, Noah had taken down the God of Confusion by detonating a nuclear bomb along with himself.

And that hadn't been an ordinary bomb either. That bomb's yield was likely far more terrifying than the Tsar Bomba.

So much so that Noah's fate became unknown afterward, and he vanished without a trace.

"Good. Have you found any trace of the Tarot cards?"

"Unfortunately, no. I've been searching constantly, but this kind of task isn't convenient to delegate to others..."

Loren wasn't surprised Noah hadn't found the Tarot cards. After all, half of them were already in Loren's possession, and there were very few scattered in the wild to begin with. Not finding them was only to be expected.

"Alright, you've done well enough."

When it came to Noah, Loren truly couldn't find a single fault.

Perhaps he was insane, perhaps he was obsessive, but that was exactly what Loren needed.

"Next, I need you to help me prepare the Severance Ritual..."

Most of the witches hadn't been recovered yet, and Loren was short on manpower, so he had to have Noah start preparing the Severance Ritual as well.

This was the primary task. Using the Severance Ritual to kill the Orthodox Gods caused the least harm to this world.

Whether it was Noah's fertilizer or Loren's summoning of the Child of Nature, both were merely fallback measures in case the Severance Ritual failed. The less they were needed, the better.

"Understood."

Noah nodded, continuing to work on his tasks without wasting a single moment.

"One last question.

"Are you absolutely loyal to me?"

Loren had already finished assigning the remaining tasks to Noah. Before leaving, he asked one final question.

"Yes."

Noah was telling the truth. The Sensitive Heart couldn't detect his emotions, but the Perpetual Observer's authority told Loren it was the truth.

"Good. I won't say anything more. You know what to do, and I trust you."

With that, Loren left the Church.

Loren gazed at the Rainbow Flags within the Church, feeling a touch of melancholy.

He no longer knew who was more cruel, him or the God of Plague.

Loren might be hypocritical, but he was self-aware. He would never think that the plan to exterminate humanity was Noah's doing and therefore had nothing to do with him.

He would never push his own faults or sins onto others. Perhaps he might say such things out loud to gain greater benefits, but in his heart, he would never believe it.

Soon enough, Loren let it go. He had never considered himself a good person. At most, modern education had given him a certain baseline of morality.

From beginning to end, Loren only ever wanted to protect the people he cared about.