Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain

Aelthar clawed at his throat, gagging as the ember of hellfire slithered down his gullet, scorching his insides like liquid iron.

His veins pulsed golden beneath his skin, divinity instinctively fighting the strange invasion, yet the flames did not merely burn—they corroded and consumed.

"Painful, isn't it?" Rio murmured, as a muffled scream tore through the god's throat. "Do you feel it crawling under your skin? Eating away at your heart?"

"That's what I feel too." Rio's words were matched with a similar burn as his palms pressed against the god's chest.

Aelthar thrashed, his body convulsing as golden blood trickled from his lips, evaporating into shimmering mist before it could even stain the ground.

His limbs quivered as he reached for his mangled stumps, grasping for power he no longer had.

His once proud and powerful form, now reduced to that of a wretch, trembling beneath Rio's feet.

Rio stepped back, watching the god slump onto the dirt, coughing up a mixture of molten ichor and his own pride.

But there was no respite.

Shadows coiled around Aelthar's body next second, winding like obsidian snakes before tightening—

SNAP.

A sickening crunch echoed through the battlefield as his remaining leg twisted backward at an unnatural angle.

(Arghhhh) Aelthar's cry split the silence, raw, agonized, hopeless.

His body flailed against the slithering restraints, but Rio merely crouched, eyeing him with the cold scrutiny of a butcher inspecting his meat.

"You're not screaming loud enough."

A tendril of darkness slithered toward the god's spine, coiling around the vertebrae before tightening.

Aelthar's breath hitched, eyes widening in realization— but before he could turn over…

CRACK.

His body arched violently as his spine fractured.

The sensation of bone grinding against bone, stabbing onto separate nerves, sent spasms of unbearable torment rippling through his system, but it was all just the beginning.

"You should've stayed there, let that sword pierce your heart. But instead you moved… try and move now, you bastard." Rio said with a scream as he kicked the god's crippled body.

Thrashing it like a ragdoll.

"You thought divinity made you untouchable." Rio whispered as he grabbed the god by his hair and forced him to look up.

"That even after death, relying on this puny stream of faith your soul could survive."

"Then I'll grant you survival."

His words surprising the god, until he heard the later half of the sentence which crushed all hopes and threw him to the abyss.

"Until the moment you beg me for death."

As Rio's words finished, he turned over his hand. And a cursed coin oozing the aura of nether appeared in his palms.

Aelthar's body began to spasm as he felt the threat from nether, especially in his current state, but Rio paid no heed to his struggles.

The coin floated freely over his fingers, and then under the god's reluctant gaze, it zoomed in towards his pupils, before blinding one of his eye and stabbing inside.

Aelthar's whole body immediately began to tremble. His true form flickering, as corrosion from hell and nether ate away at his remaining divinity.

The power of faith which was previously healing his injuries immediately seemed to disappear as the god felt the pain increase a dozen fold even though there were no new injuries.

Rio looked at the broken and battered god, staring into those scared and hopeless eyes. He could feel it now - The sheer, maddening terror of a being who had never known true pain for over an eternity, suddenly thrust into a nightmare with no escape.

But it still wasn't enough.

His anger hadn't calmed down yet.

His rage hadn't receded yet.

His thoughts still reminded him of everything which went wrong due to this bastard - The vision of the future where he saw the fall of his family and destruction of his city. - The arduous fight and accident which led to Katherine's death. - The trip down memory lane and the resurgence of his trauma. - And the attention from all the gods and even the world will, this idiot brought when he pulled his true form.

So many things, so much happened — and it was all because of this bastard.

So how could he give him an easy death.

No, the fucker should suffer.

And he'll make sure of it.

"You can't die just yet." Rio said, channeling his mana and healing the god a little, before pouring a perfect potion into his throat.

"If you die like this, you'll go through the veil and still survive for a little while….No, that's not good."

"I want you to die so bad, even the veil won't accept you."

His words and actions completely scaring the god. But then a different light shone in Aelthar's eyes.

(Yes, why didn't I think of that. If I die, I'll just go to the Veil.) Aelthar thought with a smile.

After suffering for so long, even the prospect of unknown and eternal erasure seemed much more entertaining to Aelthar, than living an extra second on this land.

Suddenly he felt the pain all over his body seemed to ease up and the god immediately used this chance to self explode.

"Die with me, mortal." The god screamed, as his body lit up in a golden hue. Energy gathering all over his form, distorting the air and space around them.

But even the bright explosion which destroyed the entirety of the dungeon. One whose shockwave even caused tremors in the outside world _ couldn't give Aelthar what he wished for.

The moment Rio mentioned the veil and saw Aelthar's reaction, he immediately understood the god's intention.

He could have stopped the explosion, interrupted it, and even trap the god then and there – but when he saw the light of hope in those hopeless eyes – he just smirked and backed away.

Crushing that flicker of hope would be much more painful than any torture he could inflict on his physical form.

And so he played along.

From the surprise, to the shock, to the final disappearing before the light – and just when the god's passing soul glanced at everything from above and was about to flicker towards the nothingness.

A whip came out of nowhere and wrapped around his ethereal form tightly.

The explosion had drained all of the god's remaining divinity and soul energy, leaving but a wisp of it behind. The final trace of life, which probably felt happy as it watched the carnage it caused from above and was willingly about to disappear after making sure he died too – was in for another shock.

One look at the whip and Aelthar remembered it immediately. It was the same thorny weapon which had previously hurt his soul badly.

But instead of draining his soul like last time, this time the whip wasn't lit up in hellfire, but shining with a bright glow of pure energy.

One which instantly began to heal his disappearing and dispersing soul, giving it a mild glow and enough power to still linger in this plane.

"You thought you could escape?" Rio's mocking words came from ahead, and Aelthar watched a square barrier of darkness disappear behind him as he stepped forward.

"The fun's just beginning."

"How?" The god muttered in utter disbelief as his soul fell to the ground. Looking frail and weak. Like a lamp which could be blown by a gust of wind.

But Rio chose to ignore the god's questions, he just swayed his whip. Sending it crashing over the god's soul.

"I told you _ a million times worse." Rio spoke as Aelthar screamed louder than ever before under the burning pain.

His true body was gone. His divinity was gone. And so was any skill or passive which gave him superiority or saved him from the pain.

Now he wasn't a god. He was even worse than a mortal.

And His soul…..His helpless soul – was his to play with.

For the next period of time, Rio kept thrashing the god with the soul burning whip. And anytime Aelthar was on the verge of collapse, he'd wave his palm and pour some power into the god.

Healing him and improving his condition further, before destroying it again.

The trick wasn't anything new. And every fantasy novel with a soul grandpa setting does the same thing. The difference was others do it heal _ and he does it for torture.

Injuries to the soul are much difficult to heal, but even more difficult is to bear the pain they cause. And poor Aelthar, was just about to learn this lesson.

—------

The gods watched one of their own getting tortured and butchered like a lamb onto the ground and couldn't help but frown.

Even the enemies of Aelthar, who heard the news of his survival and came to check the rumors, were surprised and hesitating if they should step forward.

Killing was one thing. But this blatant disregard and disrespect – and to this degree – it was simply a slap to their inflated egos and proud positions.

But despite their various thoughts, complaints, and anger - no one came forward to help.

Not because of the barrier, the followers of night had set up.

But because in front of that barrier stood a group of 3 very overpowered gods.

Nyx

Mara

And Odin.

There was no explanation needed for Nyx's presence, as for Mara, she came cause her own avatar, Katherine, was also trapped inside. And Odin, well, the one eyed god, simply came as a favor his avatar (Rio's maternal grandfather) had promised in return.

Aelthar's life wasn't precious enough for these people to risk antagonizing 3 completely different factions.

Not to mention various other gods who may also switch sides at critical moments or stab you in the back to earn the favor of others, or to get that mortal as their own in future.

Trust wasn't a thing they were best at.

Plus when even the world will of Arcadia itself didn't come forward to punish those who broke rules and let a mortal play power games – what else can they do or who else can they complain to.

So they all just stood in their places, watching Aelthar scream and howl in agony. As his soul was thrown into a cycle of unending torture.

"Daughter, how about you clear that remnant's mind and finish up our deal first, before playing other games?" Loki poked his daughter, telling her to stop fooling around.

"I think so too." Hela too saw the torture of Aelthar, and thought after she goes back today, she'll also punish the protagonist's grandpa like this and gather his secrets.

(It is a shame that the mortal didn't give this god's soul to me. But I guess, this is much more entertaining.) Loki thought with a smile, looking happily at Rio with a charming smile.

Hela noticed her father cover his face and giggle to himself, and couldn't help but shake her head.

"He's mine." She said with authority, curbing any indecent thoughts her dear father may hold or give birth to.

"Tsk, we can always share, you know." Loki chuckled and disappeared before her daughter could beat him for this shameless response.