Making sure that the emissaries understood what he was saying, Leylin confiscated all the riches that they had brought. He then showed them their chief who was still alive, and chased them out of the warship.
"Do you see this? There are riches all over this island, and the natives managing all this wealth are so cowardly and ignorant…" Leylin stepped on the gold, watching the greedy eyes of his men. He grinned, "Half of this gold and everything we get in the future will be yours. Divide it amongst yourselves…"
The pirates erupted into cheers.
Although the gold seemed to be a lot when piled up, how much would one person get when it was divided amongst three thousand? Still, this display served to increase their greed, and gave them a deeper impression of Debanks Island's wealth. It would motivate them to fight!
Many of the pirates were now zealous, eager to take over the entirety of Debanks Island and willfully plunder its wealth.
If he asked people to believe in him without any benefits, they would not advance wave after wave in the face of death, at least not now. Leylin needed to show them profits, and the sparkle of gold was the best of them all.
"Will they really do it?" Isabel ignored the clamouring crowd behind her, standing on deck to watch the canoes leave. "Angodub is related to them by marriage, no? Their great relationship is what lets them govern this region together…"
"That depends. We aren't natives, and don't know how they think. Besides, how is it possible for two tribes to live so close to each other without friction?" Tiff brought up an opposing opinion.
"Mm. Besides, even if they don't do it we can help. For example, we can spread news of them preparing to attack Angodub, or just pretend to be natives and attack a nearby village…" Leylin's eyes glinted with intelligence. "Once seeds of doubt are planted, they're not so easily removed. There will definitely be a war!"
Isabel now understood Leylin's plan, and had to admit it's feasibility. "Once both tribes are tired out, we can wipe them out with minimal cost, bridging our way into Debanks Island."
Still, she frowned soon. She continued asking, "What happens if the Sakartes Empire finds out. This is a large operation after all. Considering our current strength, we'll be chased away once they step in…"
Debanks Island was the size of several kingdoms, with the Sakartes Empire at its heart. A few tribes surrounded it. Although Leylin enacted his schemes in an isolated area, this was still a single island. There was no ocean to blockade it off, so news would spread quickly.
"Don't worry. They'll be too busy to bother with us soon…" Leylin smiled and shook his head, the hidden meaning causing Isabel and Tiff to shiver in fear.
...
Time passed quickly. Soon enough, the two tribes Leylin had chosen were immersed in war, without Leylin even needing to step in. After all, they were both occupying the same lands. How could there be true friendships between rivals for resources?
On top of that, the totem spirits of the tribes wanted to devour each other to strengthen themselves. With all sorts of factors favouring it, it was natural for war to break out.
To show his sincerity, Leylin's fleet did not stop by the continent and instead sent away many of the ships. Some of those that were left kept away from the warzone, as if this had nothing to do with them.
Leylin even bought slaves from both tribes. They were sturdy, courageous natives, great for regular slave work at the Chihuahua Islands or as soldiers. He wasn't stupid enough to pay in precious materials like gold or silver, instead providing weapons and ammunition.
These arms caused the natives to grow more powerful, and the selling of slaves continued. To avoid falling behind, the opponents had no choice but to do business with Leylin, which created a vicious cycle that caused both tribes to shed blood. Leylin's side had a great harvest.
Amidst the flurry of activity, Leylin stayed holed up inside his lab. The trade was taken care of by his men, who had prior experience in capturing slaves from piracy. His own task now was extremely important, and that was to prevent the Sakartes Empire from meddling in his affairs.
He looked at a petri dish under dim light, at a half-rotten piece of meat. His eyes flashed with light as the A.I. Chip performed a scan.
'Has it been nurtured to this state already?' The piece of flesh in the petri dish was from a native's body. Continuous experiments allowed Leylin to roughly understand the structure of their DNA, and create a toxin that would be extremely lethal to them.
[Beep! Number 2's infection is stable, beginning extraction of data...] The A.I. Chip sent a large amount of information to Leylin, which left him nodding his head.
"Very well…" Using a pair of tiny tweezers, Leylin clipped the piece of flesh and placed it in a test tube with clear liquid.
[Beginning experiment 17642, recording data…] the A.I. Chip's voice intoned. Leylin looked at the piece of flesh dissolve, shaping up like a tentacle before bubbling up.
'Alright, the fission is stable. The chances of success this time are extremely large!' Leylin nodded his head, and spells glowed forth from his hand on occasion, using the radioactive energy to catalyse the reaction.
Once the violent reaction ended, Leylin smiled at the test tube, which itself was now red as blood.
[Beep! The lethal virus has been completed. Name?]
"Pathogen 1," Leylin named it nonchalantly.
[Beep! Name recorded, storing data...] The A.I. Chip carried out Leylin's instructions, before displaying the data in front of his eyes.
[Pathogen 1: It is a genetic weapon that is extremely contagious. Can thrive in extreme weathers and lives for a hundred hours. Spread through the respiratory tract, with 90% infection and 90% lethality. No cure available, capable of two degrees of transmission. Note: The pathogen is extremely effective against the specific specimen, namely the first set of natives stored in the database.]
This pathogen only infected natives, and was highly contagious and lethal. It was like smallpox combined with the flu, and Leylin did not doubt for a moment that once it was released it would strike more fear than even devils or demons could.
Even the 10% chance of survival was not Leylin's kindness. Were all the natives to die, there would just be nobody left to give him power of faith.
'Although I can't let all of them die, I don't need a large population of worshippers either. The survivors will provide enough power for me to ascend to godhood…' Leylin pondered as he stroked his chin.
Had the same pathogen been unleashed on the natives of his previous world, the people would have been wiped out completely. However, the rules of this world were different. Taking into consideration the existence of gods and extraordinary abilities, the 10% chance Leylin had given would leave a small number of survivors.
'Once I release the plague, I need to make special medicine and vaccines…' Although nobody was immune to this plague, Leylin had still left a backdoor open for external immunisation. Having died wave after wave, how would they see the 'cleansing' of the disease by Kukulkan? The vaccines could grant them the ability to survive, and they would be none the wiser about it.
It would already be a blessing for those totems and demigods to protect the nobles. There simply weren't enough spells to go around saving the commoners. Leylin was quite sure that this situation would be a great harvest of the power of faith.
'The death of their worshippers will cause the power of the totem spirits to drop. Even demigods won't be able to do a thing about it, much less the earth-bound spirits. The huge drop in strength will be checkmate!' Brilliance flashed in Leylin's eyes. With a simple wave of his hands, he could now determine the life and death of several million natives. The word evil could not begin to describe his current actions.
If he were to filter this power of faith, he could turn into a god of plagues or biological lives, immediately usurping the throne of the Goddess of Plagues. But he wasn't interested in that at all.
'Although I shouldn't absorb faith in the domains of plague and disease, there is one domain I cannot miss… Death!' Leylin's plans were always multi-layered. On one hand, the plague and vaccine would allow him to conquer the entirety of Debanks Island quickly without expending much energy. On the other hand, the sheer amount of death would allow him to comprehend the death domain.
Massacre and death were two powerful domains that suited Leylin's needs, and he coveted the latter now. With the millions of lives lost, the power of death would definitely reach a frightening level. At that point, it wouldn't be impossible to comprehend the death domain.
Compared to this, the other trivial matters could be neglected. Leylin believed peace only followed chaos. After a period of suffering, the people of Debanks Island would choose his rule, welcoming the revolution he would bring about.
-x-X-x-
In Leylin's opinion, the famed big shots whether in his past life or the current one all had something in common. Once they determined their target, they would advance with fortitude, possessing absolute faith in their path. Since they'd long since marked their path, they feared nothing, and would be unscrupulous.
In his pursuit of eternity and freedom, Leylin cared not for the lives of the natives.
'All I pursue in this life is eternity. Even if I collapse halfway through and face the backlash from my actions, I'll have no regrets…' A tough glint flashed in Leylin's eyes, proof of his staunch resolution. With such motivation, killing humans, burning cities, and wiping out hundreds of people was a mere sacrifice on his higher path.
...
The battle between the tribes grew increasingly intense. It had been a long time since anyone came to care for the chief that Leylin had captive. The two sides were blinded by battle, their primary goal to take out their opponent.
People who started battles did not normally know how to end them. During the war, they would slowly forget their initial goals, leading to tragedy.
The Sakartes Empire seemed to have found out about the situation, dispatching a ten thousand strong army to interfere alongside a large group of clerics. It was likely that mediating wasn't their only goal. Precautionary measures or wiping outsiders like Leylin out would be high on their list.
Sadly, the empire's interference ended quickly, having accomplished nothing much. There was no battle, but the grim reaper had descended on them.
En route to the warring tribes, a plague broke out without warning amongst their ranks. It was infectious, and the rate of death was terrifying. In a few days' time, it had spread across the whole army.
With how crowded their army was, and the lack of hygiene amongst the natives, it was difficult to survive the disease without divine healing. The members of the clergy were hard-pressed and overworked, only able to save some of the officers and elites. They had no choice but to watch the ordinary soldiers fester and die. With their limited number of divine spells, what they'd been able to do was already amazing.
In an era of cold weapons, a casualty rate of over 30% was terrifying. This time, the plague had brought an additional psychological pressure with it. Under the threat of death, the army soon forgot its goal. Some even tried to desert!
With more than half the soldiers dead, the army could do little about the runaways. The officers shouted themselves hoarse trying to bring the defectors back and behead them. Truth be told, even a few officers themselves had fled in fear of the plague.
Soon enough, the army completely broke down. The soldiers spread everywhere, bringing the bacteria in their bodies to even further places and spreading the plague more. The natives died in batches, leaving fields overgrown with weeds. The fowl had wandered off.
The plague had reduced the entirety of Debanks Island to tears. It worried the upper class of the empire out of their minds. Still, there was nothing they could do to stop the spread of the plague. As for the intruders, they weren't a priority.
Taking care of the external interferences, Leylin began completely annihilating the two tribes that had fought each other. Many of them had been infected by the plague in the chaos of war. 60% of them had died out, including almost all of the healthy young men.
Small as the two tribes were, their totem spirits were merely divine beings. They were greatly weakened by the loss of worshippers, and weren't able to obstruct Leylin's attacks anymore. Absorbing their divine force, Leylin sensed the massacre divinity in his body greatly increasing in strength. He was getting ever closer to the threshold of being able to ignite his godfire.
After he got rid of what the two tribes believed in, it was natural for Leylin to take them over. The remaining members were gathered to establish a whole new town, complete with a large new Targaryen statue.
The natives abandoned their old faith. Being baptised by prayer and holy water in front of the statue— in actuality just potions and vaccines— they sensed their suffering and ailments vanish without a trace. It immediately triggered a zealous wave of faith.
The infectious power of faith generated by providing those who were on the verge of death help was something even Leylin hadn't expected. Many who had been at their last breaths, their bodies decaying, became fervent worshippers of the Winged Serpent God after being 'saved'. It allowed his strength to increase.
Soon enough, the surrounding tribes got word of a god's abilities to heal the disease. Getting blessed, they brought their entire families over with their wealth, requesting to join the town.
While the priests of the totem spirits could use divine spells to remove the sickness, they had a limited amount of divine force and spell slots. They could only save those of status, able to do nothing about the commoners who fled for their lives. Even if they couldn't get a single divine spell from the Winged Serpent God, it was already enough to wipe out faith in the rest.
Knowing this well, Leylin dispatched his own priests everywhere, bringing holy water and the like to surrounding tribes and displaying his abilities and achievements. It had a very favourable response.
In the face of death, the authorities could do little to stop them. Groups of natives came and prayed for blessings from Leylin, soon enough filling the town up.
Leylin named the town that had been built upon the two tribes Hope Stronghold, denoting new hope. It was the beginning of his conquest of Debanks Island. Making use of his ability to heal the plague, Leylin had acquired the faith of the natives as well as an army. With the method of the carrot and stick, his organisation began to expand rapidly...
A year had passed, this winter especially chilly. Snow fell even on the southern seas, coating the islands in white.
This applied to Debanks Island as well. The gods seemed to be lamenting the loss of lives, showing their sorrow. The snow on the continent was extremely thick, the older generations unable to remember something so terrifying. Many of the natives that hadn't prepared for this froze to death.
Though the cold weather somewhat curbed the spread of the plague, it could not halt the footsteps of the reaper. Debanks Island had become a hell for the natives in the past year, the horrifying plague spreading unceasingly around the island.
Whole populations were wiped out. There was even a dead city now, one that was completely empty. The corpses of natives filled it, and many rats and crows roamed about the houses and the streets, gnawing at everything. The eyes of the wild dogs on the road had grown bloodshot from eating too much human flesh.
In this land swarming with starved people, Hope Stronghold and the rumoured Winged Serpent God by the sea were their hopes, able to do anything.
Information had spread that this god possessed the powers of massacre and healing. All faith would be treated with kindness, and even if someone was infected by the plague they could still be healed.
Now that these 'rumours' had spread, huge batches of natives fled towards Hope Stronghold. No matter what the bigwigs did to stop them, it was pointless…
East of Hope Stronghold, near a mountain of the Sakartes Empire.
A surge of natives wearing thick fur coats trudged on in the snow with much difficulty. One of them was a young girl, who was encouraging her little brother. "Hah… push ahead. We'll reach the area near Hope Stronghold soon…"
"Will we be saved once we get there, Sister Aya?" The young boy next to this Aya looked about fourteen or fifteen years of age, and he wore a thick fur coat as well. However, his face was almost purple from the cold, and he was cringing as he spoke.
"Yes… The totem spirit there is a huge serpent that governs all life. It can remove the sickness…" Aya kept encouraging her little brother and helped him along, afraid that he would slip in the midst of the crowd. However, as she mindlessly followed the procession up ahead, she sank deep into thought.
The events a year ago had been like a nightmare; a plague had appeared without any warning whatsoever. The infected first saw greenish-black spots on their bodies, like sesame seeds. They were followed by low fevers, and eventually devolved into comas where even divine spells could not help.
At the end, the flesh of the infected would rot and fall off bit by bit. Aya had seen this once, and it had left her unable to eat for quite a few days.
The plague had arrived fiercely. At the beginning, it had just been rumours at the borders of the empire, but in a few sunsets' time, it had spread to the larger cities. The high-ranking priests and nobles hid at the altars and prayed hard with blood sacrifices, but it seemed to have no effect.
The other shamans could do nothing, and soon enough the plague had affected their city. She lost all her relatives to them, the only one left alive her little brother. She followed the stream of people escaping the town to head south. Unsure of what to do, she rushed towards Hope Stronghold.
Although this rumour could be a lie, it was her last hope!
"I'll definitely bring my brother there safely…" Aya kept telling herself as she prayed, "Oh Winged Serpent God in Hope Stronghold. If you truly can cure the plague, then please descend and help us! I am willing to give up everything…"
-x-X-x-
There were many people like Aya, all fleeing for their lives, but she was lucky in that they had enough food. With nearly half the empire dead, the stored up food was more than enough.
Many times, Aya had to muster up her courage and enter dead villages to clear up some land. She then could enter the homes and find food, one of the primary reasons for staying within this group. After all, making contact with bodies and going into the houses of dead people was very dangerous. Few were willing to do this.
However, once all the reserves of grain disappeared, the famine that would follow would be a huge issue. There were no longer any farmers planting crops, the plague this time had caused immense damage to Sakartes' societal order.
Of course, few of the natives considered this. They only hoped to live past the day.
"AH! Alosasner! Alosasner is here..." At this moment, there was an uproar at the front of the group. Aya could not help but grab her little brother's arm, the two of them freezing upon hearing the word.
These people did not worry about the pursuit of the imperial army or dangers from outside the city. What truly worried them were attacks of the plague!
In the natives' language, Alosasner meant 'the devil unable to be fathomed and found everywhere.' It also implied a bout of serious illness.
"Is there someone in front who's gotten the plague?" Aya had seen quite a number of healthy people who'd just been walking suddenly cough out black blood and collapse by the road. It was the arrival of death.
The siblings passed the watching crowd and only vaguely saw a little figure falling into the snow. People avoided the figure like it was booby-trapped.
"It's Adodole! I was just playing with him a few days ago…" Aya's brother exclaimed with shock, and then lowered his head.
When sickness occurred, life seemed so very fragile. Aya could only hug her brother's head and console him tenderly. These people were already numbed to death, and after moving away from the corpse the large group began to move along more slowly.
Aya recalled the figure that had fallen and sighed inside, 'I hope we reach Hope Stronghold soon… It's too much of a waste to fall here…
'I definitely won't let that happen to my brother. Once we're past this mountain, we'll have reached the territory of Hope Stronghold…' she tried to encourage herself.
At this moment, another ruckus sounded from the back of the group. Voices began to spread, resulting in even more confusion.
"Did someone collapse? No, it's…" Aya's pupils shrank.
"The imperial army! Those darned things… Turn around and run!" A burly native stood out, brandishing a fish fork as other strong natives grasped their weapons. While the men were hard at work, the old and weak quickly dispersed and fled. Aya took her brother and ran with all her might as well, getting away from the army's pursuit.
None of the bigwigs could tolerate losing citizens, even with the plague. They ordered the troops of each military base to stop these refugees. Of course, they couldn't be bothered to worry about how to save these people who were stuck.
Originally, even the troops of the native empire weren't willing to carry out such orders. They, too, were afraid of the spread of the plague. However, a divine order sounded and all the guardian and totem spirits joined hands to stop the refugees from entering the region of Hope Stronghold.
"GO…" The sounds of fighting could be heard behind her, causing Aya's heart to clench. She could only pull at her brother and try to escape.
However, she felt a tug on her arm at this moment, and the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the snow.
"What happened? Did you fall? Get up…
"AAH!" Aya had turned back to find her little brother in the snow. She immediately turned him over, but soon found that her brother had lost consciousness. The traces of black blood stung her eyes.
'He's been taken by the sickness too…' The instant that that thought flashed across her mind, two unstoppable streams of tears began to fall from her eyes. Aya did not care for the possibility of infection as she took him into her arms. "Please save him… Someone, please save him…"
The sounds of battle drew closer, but what Aya saw was hope, "The army has a priest. He'll definitely be able to use divine spells to save him…"
"Be careful, he's infected!" Soon enough, the imperial army had reached them. They watched the siblings on the ground, and didn't dare to draw close. The infection was obvious, and it caused fear to arise on their faces.
"Please, save my brother!" Aya unconsciously went forward, but was forced backwards by numerous lances.
"Don't come over…" Countless soldiers circled her, as if defending against a monster.
"Get the priest and officer. There's a source of infection here!" This iciness and resolution in that voice immediately caused the girl's heart to sink.
Horses trotted along, and an officer and priest wearing bright feathers arrived quickly. Seeing the black bloodstains on the ground and Aya's unconscious brother, the two of them immediately frowned.
"Kill them quickly! Toss dried wood here and then burn it!" Aya's last hopes were dashed ruthlessly.
"Brother… I'm sorry…" The girl's tears fell on her brother's cheek and neck one by one, and she then closed her eyes.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!* The sounds of arrows being shot could be heard, but there was strangely no pain.
Aya quickly opened her eyes, and then saw that there was an arrow in the officer's neck. The tail of the arrow was still vibrating, like a little snake trying to dig into the ground.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!" Sounds of fighting could be heard again, and numerous figures emerged from the surrounding jungle.
"It's the army of that foreign god…" The priest's expression quickly changed, and he urged his horse along to leave. The rest of the natives quickly abandoned the lances in their hands, looking like they were about to fall apart.
'It's people from Hope Stronghold!' Aya held her little brother and headed towards the group of priests that had just arrived, "Kind… and benevolent ones… please save…"
*Thud!* Having expended too much stamina, Aya who'd also been infected fell.
Right before everything went dark, she could hear distant voices, "It's a pair of commoners! Saintess Barbara…"
...
Warmth spread through Aya's body, allowing her to feel some strength in her limbs. She slowly opened her eyes to see a warm bonfire, a huge tent blocking the cold air.
"What's your name? How do you feel?" A native woman sat by her bed. She had long black hair and black pupils, with a golden mark on her forehead. She was radiating a sacred light.
"My name is Aya. Thank you for saving me!" Aya expressed her gratitude while blushing, but her expression quickly changed, "What about my brother? Where is he?"
"Don't worry, he's here as well. He was just infected for a longer time, so he'll need more healing…" Saintess Barbara stopped Aya from struggling further, "This is Hope Stronghold… you are safe…"
Three days later, Aya, who had regained much of her strength, elatedly walked out of the tent her brother was in. Gazing at the large Targaryen sculpture in the town, she could not help but kneel down sincerely and begin to pray.
"O great god, thank you for saving my brother. I am your devout follower from now…"
Similar things like this happened in every corner of Hope Stronghold. Waves of resolute and zealous power of faith unceasingly entered Leylin's grasp.
'The number of worshippers has increased again! Looks like sending the army to the surrounding regions to rescue the refugees was a good choice!' A divine will was extracted from the threads of faith, allowing Leylin to see the general situation.
Due to the hope to be cured as well as gains from various areas, the region with Hope Stronghold at the heart gathered a population of over 300 000 natives. And since he was their 'saviour', the faith these people provided, and their gratitude, were all true.
Tiff and his acolytes had put in a lot of work as well, to solidify these threads of faith and have them become devout worshippers who would pray to him regularly.
'Seeing the situation, it won't be a problem to ignite my godfire as long as we take care of all these people. It might even be enough for me to ascend to godhood…' Leylin looked agitated.
With the expansion of Hope Stronghold, and especially with the tribes nearby dying away, Leylin had managed obtain the divinity of quite a few totem spirits. With their help, the power of massacres in his body had risen to its peak, to the point that he felt like he was on the verge of igniting his godfire.
Anyone could see the divine golden lustre on his body. This power of divinity had completely fused with his body and grown to the extreme.
That was not all. With the deaths of nearly a million natives, Leylin had now made contact with the domain of death. While he had only obtained some information about it, and the A.I. Chip could not analyse it yet, it was already quite fast.
'The phase of taking in refugees is done. Next is the war…'
-x-X-x-
The plague had cut the population of the Sakartes Empire in half, and their military power had sharply declined as well. Leylin's Hope Stronghold continually absorbed the nutrients of Debanks Island and grew ever more prosperous. However, he estimated that a new wave of power would soon arise.
'The earth-bound spirits and totem spirits should be planning something massive…' Leylin stroked his chin and pondered. The spirits of Debanks Island were in fact borne of the wandering spirits of the various regions. Their strength was somewhat limited to the area they came from and the knowledge they possessed.
Leylin had only slain the spirits of small tribes thus far, even the strongest among the totems containing a shred of divinity. Even if such a spirit possessed a domain, Leylin did not fear it in the least.
However, the Sakartes Empire had several powerful spirits with strength approaching the level of demigods. In their own domains, their powers would be amplified to put them on par with true gods! Put bluntly, if Leylin stepped into the boundaries of the Sakartes Empire he would be mobbed to death by godlike spirits.
On the contrary, if those spirits dared to venture out from their domains, they would at most have the strength of demigods. Their strength would even deteriorate in the vicinity of Hope Stronghold.
Due to these conditions, Leylin was not eager to challenge them. Instead, he would continually weaken them and erode their forces. To him, these spirits were like caged beasts. He could weaken them easily with the power of faith and mortal armies, so there was no need to hurry.
With the aid of the plague, Leylin's forces grew without any resistance, slicing through their opponents like hot knives through butter.
There were even occasional natives who had thrown off their faith in their totem spirits and requested entry into the stronghold. One tribe's nobles themselves had abandoned their beliefs to come seek shelter.
After all, Hope Stronghold represented life to the mere mortals. Outside of it, one could only wait for death. Under such immense pressure, only the most zealous worshippers of the totems would be unwilling to convert.
The spirits did not have any solution to Leylin's plan at all. Given their powers, the priests and clerics they had nurtured would at most be able to save a small part of the nobility. The commoners would be left to die. What was even more shameless was that Leylin's pathogen could infect a person even after they had been healed previously!
Debanks Island had now turned into an island of plague. The natives who didn't comply with Leylin could only hide in their city corners or altars, waiting for the inevitable plague to strike. Once most of them had abandoned their faith, the totem spirits and earth-bound spirits would be a bunch of sitting ducks.
A demigod couldn't sustain their divine force on the backs of zealots, priests, and nobles. Their holy magic would decrease, causing more people to die. It was a vicious cycle. As their control over their worshippers dwindled, so did the domain of their powers.
Right now, Leylin's influence had spread to almost a quarter of the island. Although it started at the corner of a region, the totem spirits of the empire were unable to do anything about it. Meanwhile, Leylin's influence only grew more as each day passed. Leylin felt like he didn't even need to personally attack them. The regional spirits would go extinct purely due to a lack of worshippers.
On the other hand, it wasn't as if these spirits lacked countermeasures against him. Although large scale battles were impossible since the inception of the plague, they had passed down oracles with a strategy to stop the natives from moving over to Leylin. They were spreading rumours that it was Leylin himself who had spread the plague, which ironically was the truth.
"The giant serpent from the west cruelly dug out the hearts of our people, using their fresh blood to make a sacrifice to evil. That is how this devil of a plague was born…"
"The fair-skinned devils never came with good intentions. They covet our wealth and fertile lands, and are even prepared to use our lives in doing the bidding of their gods…" Such rumours were very prevalent on Debanks Island, some even making their rounds within Hope Stronghold.
However, it was precisely from these actions that Leylin detected something abnormal.
'Life and reproduction are the most primordial desires of living beings. The strength of this desire leaves even gods in awe…' He looked at the bustling Hope Stronghold and grinned widely.
'And the desire to live is far greater than the desire to reproduce… Even if I proclaim that I am indeed killing the natives and using their flesh and blood for sacrificial rites, they still have a strong will to live. As long as they are able to undergo my baptism and get rid of the plague, there will still be many natives who come over… Before the gods find an antidote to this plague, this situation will be irreversible. As for the rumours, they can at most increase the workload of Tiff and the church.'
The pathogen Leylin had devised was backed by his ability as a Magus, and the power of bloodlines from another world. In addition, it was only effective on the natives. It was almost impossible for those gods to find a cure for it.
"Almighty Lord… You are the colossal snake which will devour the world, the torchbearer of massacre. One day, you will turn into the stars in the sky…" Tiff entered from a large door behind Leylin, dressed in pristine white robes.
In this vast and boundless world, Leylin had finally established a church with a proper schedule. Constant battle and conquest had given him a great number of worshippers, and the acolytes had undergone a baptism as well. They were now equipped to carry out his bidding.
He had given Tiff a group of clerics, and placed a member of his own family in charge of administration, leading to immense gratitude from both parties. Apart from that, he had a foundation of zealots in huge numbers and a church. Everything else would just fall into place.
Leylin had named it the Colossal Serpent Church, with an image of a Targaryen as the insignia. Tiff was taking care of the holy scriptures and the like. Given that he'd been infused with Leylin's soulforce and was the second legendary of the church, he had naturally been appointed as the pope.
With Tiff's contributions in nurturing the acolytes, the position was his anyway. This was in line with Leylin's plans, and Isabel would never fight over this position.
"What is it?" Leylin turned around, the occasional imposing aura radiating from his body.
"We have already captured a few suspects spreading rumours to taint your reputation," While Tiff had an inkling of the greater ploy at play, neither him nor Leylin would openly admit to it. In cases like this, unless they caught the perpetrator himself in the act of spreading the pathogen, what evidence would suffice?
As for the cure and holy water, they could justify it by saying that Leylin's divine force countered the pathogen. He had not cultivated the domains and godhoods of plague and disease anyway, so he wasn't afraid of an investigation.
Truth be told, if the gods did try to get to the bottom of this, the Goddess of Plagues would become a scapegoat for Leylin. Who asked her to enjoy doing malicious things like spreading plagues and diseases in the first place?
An epidemic not backed by divine powers was unheard of in the World of Gods, where such a thing entailed ascending to godhood in that very domain. After all, what Leylin had done came from another world.
"Almighty Lord, should we punish them?" Tiff asked in a low voice.
The punishment would naturally be their life. After all, Tiff had originally been from the dark world, and had done countless things like this. Even the purest of good gods had people in the church carry out their dirty deeds.
"Tiff…" Leylin's voice was extremely gentle, but it carried a dignity that could not be opposed. Tiff stiffened and listened earnestly. "The church is open and above board. We will grant a fair trial even to those vile rats from the darkness, especially in such matters…"
"I understand…" Tiff put on his best thinking face and left respectfully. Leylin's meaning was for him to convict them of their crimes immediately, only publicly. He could not fool the sages and intelligent people, but so what? In every era the commoners made up the largest part of the population.
Making the Arrest official, and substantiating it with some proof, Leylin could use his rulership to convict them. He and the church needed a white cloth to cover themselves in, and if they disposed of people on the sly it would only lead to more rumours. However, if his prestige and reputation were to pick up, those people who could see past his ploys could no longer overcome this surging wave.
Sometimes, superficiality was extremely important. With his troves of data and memories, Leylin was way ahead of the gods of Debanks Island in controlling the hearts of others.
Several days later, the trial began under the watchful eyes of the people, who bustled to watch the scene.
Tiff did not press them to admit their crimes, instead charging them for 'smearing the holy name and causing distrust amongst the worshippers.' It caused a huge buzz amongst the gathered people.
-x-X-x-
Hope Stronghold and the baptism of its god was the only salvation of the natives of Debanks Island. Only where the light of the Winged Serpent God shone could they avoid the plague. They could even continue living healthily, unafraid of suddenly vomiting blood and ending up dead by the roadside.
Once Tiff exposed these suspects of their crimes, it immediately drew public outrage. The masses jeered and shouted, and if not for the peacekeeping troops on standby these convicts would long since have been ripped into shreds.
These unlucky suspects were adjudged guilty. Not only did they spread rumours and dig for information on Leylin's background, they were even looking for the origins of the holy water, an extremely important mission. Each and every one of these acts was an attempt to smear the reputation of the church.
As expected of the holy protectors, these suspects whom the natives had seen on a daily basis were quickly captured. All evidence pointed towards their guilt. Although they wanted to deny these alleged crimes and confess to their other wrongdoings, they discovered that nobody would believe them.
The stereotype that bad people committed more misdeeds was a prevalent one, and the truths they spoke were dismissed. Very soon, Tiff righteously announced the crimes of these spies, and sent them to burn at the stake. This was accompanied by jubilant cheers from the public. The rumours floating around were very soon suppressed by this event.
Leylin had less and less interest in the dealings of mortals these days.The natives only had two choices anyway; they could either convert to his faith or die from the plague. With the only options offered death and salvation, it was extremely easy to conquer Debanks Island.
Having lost their worshippers, the totem spirits had turned into a thing of the past. They had no more chances to turn the tide.
However, these spirits were no fools. With their existences threatened, they would choose to gamble with their lives…
The very night Tiff ordered the execution of the criminals. The sky was bright and clear, with not a single cloud blocking the vast river of stars and the silver moon. Moonlight and starlight dimly shone upon Hope Stronghold, giving everything they touched a silver glow.
Tiff and Isabel had just ended their daily duties. Suddenly, they felt their hearts constrict and palpitate, as if some prehistoric beast was drawing towards them from the distance. A nervousness made their hair stand on end as they made their way to the windows.
"This is…" they gaped.
A trail of fire lit up the sky, its dazzling rays lighting up the horizon and basking Hope Stronghold in its radiance. At the end of this golden light were several figures with monstrous auras that left the two of them somewhat suffocated.
"The tribal gods! They came here directly…" Tiff cried hoarsely.
These totem spirits weren't foolish enough to let Leylin chop them apart. With the immense pressure he put on them, they decided to band together in a ferocious counterattack. Their sources had confirmed that Leylin was the one behind all this. If Leylin's main body was killed in a holy war, then everything would be over.
"God…" Tiff clenched his crest subconsciously, with apprehension in his eyes.
Even if those spirits had left their strongholds, they were still demigods. Although their powers had waned, they planned to overcome Leylin with sheer numbers. Although Tiff knew he couldn't lose his grip in such times, his heart still skipped a beat.
"It's the Flaming Guardian!" "Almighty Akaban, the sun god…"
The phenomenon in the skies had alerted the natives, and when many of them looked up into the skies they saw the demigods they had forsaken. They cried out in fear, calling the names of the gods they used to worship.
"There is no need to fear, children…" A voice sounded from the Targaryen statue, travelling to the depths of each worshipper's soul. It seemed to come to life, the voice carrying a soothing energy which calmed them down immediately.
*Hss!* A phantom Targaryen appeared in midair, facing the enemies.
"Leave this to me. Focus on the natives' fight on the other side…" Leylin transmitted into Tiff's and Isabel's minds. Done with that, he raised his head and sized up what would be the most powerful opponents he'd faced since his arrival in the World of Gods.
'Once I eliminate them, the entire Debanks Empire will fall into my hands…' Leylin's eyes reddened as the Nightmare Eye appeared on his forehead. Splendid golden rays lit up his body, seemingly on the verge of burning up. The powerful aura caused a few opposing totem spirits to change their expressions.
*Ooo—* Few totem spirits had come in the first place, they likely knew that divine beings could do little to him. The ones here were all demigods, blazing with their unique godfires.
At the middle was a gigantic flaming chariot with a half-naked native on top. He wielded a golden lance and had a grave face, emitting the distinct aura of a king as his eyes glinted with wisdom.
What was more surprising to Leylin was that the blazing horse that pulled his chariot was also a demigod, yet it stayed under the native and allowed itself to be used as a mount. On the sides of the flaming chariot were a double-headed lion with golden fur standing on end as well as a scorpion that seemed to be made of pure gold.
'Four demigods… Is this all the hidden divine power of Debanks Island?' Leylin met their gazes without weakness nor fear.
"Intruder, undo this sickness! I, the founding emperor of the Sakartes Empire, the Sun God and King of All Kings, Controller of All Flames, Mountains and Rivers, Akaban, can grant you a dignified death if you comply!" the demigod on the war chariot exclaimed in his tongue, holding onto the reins of the blazing horse. Since demigods could comprehend all languages and writings, there wasn't an issue with communication.
'Hm? His mind isn't corroded by the faith of the natives?' Leylin was slightly surprised, 'Is it because he was a native soul who merged with the faith of the empire, becoming a valiant soul after death?'
As Leylin pondered over Akaban's threats, the demigod lion and scorpion snarled terrifyingly. Scanning him more closely, Leylin could not help but feel great pity. 'What a pity… While you're doing all you can to comprehend godhood, you're too ambitious. That won't help you break through the restraints of the natives and become a true god…'
Akaban was obviously very wise in strengthening his domain, but he was still unable to become a true god. It showed how tedious this path was. Leylin conjectured that there were two plausible reasons for the failure. Firstly, there were the flaws with the natives' souls. On the other hand, Akaban himself might be too ambitious.
The domains of the sun and moon could actually contend against greater gods, but Akaban still wasn't satisfied with them. He wanted to spread over into other roles, becoming an overlord. Pitifully, the meagre bit of faith the natives could provide wasn't enough to do so. It left him stuck as a demigod.
Had Akaban chosen domains related to the natives or savagery, he might long since have become a true god. If that were the case, Leylin would have had nothing to do with Debanks Island.
'Akaban… your misfortune is my greatest fortune!' Having thought this through, Leylin seemed to hold the pearl of wisdom. The look of absolute confidence he had evidently stabbed at Akaban's ego.
"What can a mere divine being of another race, someone who isn't even a demigod, do to resist attacks from all sides?" Given that he was a founding emperor, there were no such words as modesty or consideration in Akaban's vocabulary. He looked at convenience and benefits.
With a wave of his hands, the double-headed lion and golden scorpion surrounded Leylin. Akaban himself rode the chariot to roam the battlefield, bundles of golden flames splashing everywhere and forming a resplendent scene in the night.
The blazing horse, itself a demigod, whinnied, and a shadow of a sun rose up behind Akaban. The imposing aura curbed much of Leylin's energy, and Akaban prepared to deal Leylin the final blow.
*Chik! Chik!* The golden scorpion cried out without end. Its tail shot forth, containing toxins within that were much more potent that the wizards' Finger of Death. The double-headed lion roared as well, using its innate skills. One head spat out flames, while the other spat out blue lightning.
Most importantly, their domains rippled out, beginning the process of crushing Leylin.
-x-X-x-
"Surrender. You will lose in a mere contest between domains." Akaban's voice echoed throughout the battlefield. He was circling Leylin leisurely, aside from the two demigods in combat.
He had the valiant spirit of an emperor, and before becoming a demigod he had clearly been a tactician. His words were designed to affect Leylin's mind. Sadly, Leylin's own hardships had given him a will that was harder than diamond. Such challenges were pointless, only revealing Akaban's lack of confidence to him.
'Are you worried about any trump cards that I have? Or is it my background on the mainland?' The gears in Leylin's mind whirred, and he soon understood what the other party was thinking. Akaban seemed to know a little about the gods on the mainland, which was why he was guessing at Leylin's identity.
Unfortunately, Leylin was now completely alone. Even if he were to be killed here, nobody would cause trouble for Akaban… Besides his main Warlock body, that is.
'I can wipe out all four of them easily if I use the floating city, but then it won't be a secret anymore…' Leylin looked deep in thought. He had amassed a tremendous number of cards up his sleeves, and the jaws of the other gods would probably drop if they found out about it.
The floating city had shifted to the area outside Debanks Island, awaiting his next commands. At its peak performance, the floating city could contest against true gods! Taking care of a few demigods was like playing around.
Unfortunately, such power would be sensed by the other gods, making things difficult for him in the future.
"Massacre domain!" Leylin chose to fight it out with his own strength. The dark red domain burst forth from him, allowing him to get a huge boost in strength. He was now on home ground, after all.
The dark red domain that held the power of tyrannical bloodlust abruptly expanded, and even pushed the domains of the two demigods away. They were now on equal ground.
'Such pure bloodlust, and the strength of this domain…' Watching from the sidelines, Akaban immediately seemed to be put deep in thought, as if he'd gotten some inspiration from Leylin's domain.
'Is it the purity? I was too greedy in the past… To become a true god, I'll need to completely grasp at least one aspect.' This inspiration seemed to change Akaban's body, making his divine form more solid. This was the most terrifying part about him, he could learn and improve even in battle!
If Akaban could walk out of this battle, then he would be able to get rid of the heterogenous elements in his domain and obtain a divine domain. That would make him a true god!
'Unfortunately… you won't get that chance!' Leylin laughed wildly, the legendary spell in his hands seemingly cast instantaneously.
Meteor Explosion! Crushing Palm!
A dazzling explosion and a large palm drowned out the two demigods fighting him. Enraged howls sounded out amongst the bright spell lights as Leylin used Dimensional Leap to arrive in front of Akaban. A golden staff appeared in his hands.
*Chiu! Chiu!* Lights flickered, and a flaming golden bird came into existence. Its gigantic wings flapped out flames like they were petals as its large beak began to peck at Akaban.
"A divine being's soul? Is that what you're counting on? How naive!" Facing such an attack, Akaban merely frowned slightly. The horse in front of the chariot abruptly snorted, absorbing all the scattered flames.
"Seeing that you gave me pointers on my path, let me send your truesoul to the astral plane!" The golden lance in Akaban's hand pierced forward, striking the beak of the large flaming bird.
A crisp shattering sound rang out, and the flaming bird's beak began to fragment like glass, revealing the goldens staff underneath. The beak of the bird had actually been the staff's tip.
"Be it the strength of your domain or your accumulation of divine force, you cannot match up to me…" Akaban seemed to sigh, his golden lance mercilessly striking the crystal at the top of the staff.
*Chiu! Chiu!* The large flaming bird soul in the crystal emitted a miserable cry, and the core that held a slight hint of gold shattered. However, Akaban felt that something was off.
"Haha… Thank you very much, you helped me take care of the last bit of resistance. I would have found it rather difficult to tame it!" Light flickered, and Leylin's figure quickly left. The flaming bird at the tip of the staff exploded, and reformed.
However, unlike before it seemed to lack intelligence, looking rather stiff. Bundles of flames enveloped the staff, and energy undulations with more than legendary might rippled out.
All this happened in what seemed to be the blink of an eye. Leylin had made use of Akaban's strength and completely subdued the flaming bird, even refining the Red Dragon Staff once more.
"The name Red Dragon Staff now no longer suits you. Let's call you the Blazing Sceptre!" Leylin sized up his work in satisfaction. As he had used the soul of a divine being and had help from a demigod, even if it wasn't a divine weapon yet the Blazing Sceptre was much stronger than other legendary items.
'A divine weapon needs the flesh and divine force of a god to be completed…' Leylin sighed in thought.
Meanwhile, Akaban was thoroughly enraged in front of him. "Wretched sinner! How dare you make a fool of me!"
His fury was like that of a regent, and a large hole opened up in the night skies. Blue lightning, each bolt as thick as a human arm, fell continuously. Akaban felt the ultimate humiliation in being made use of to refine a weapon, and teased by a mere divine being.
The wrath from such disrespect could only be eased with the fresh blood and soul of the sinner!
"I will show you the sin you have committed!" The warhorse snarled, and the flaming chariot charged forth. Akaban's lance danced as the lightning in the skies gathered at its tip.
*Roar!* *Chik! Chik!* Meanwhile, the two demigods Leylin had occupied for a while pounced over as well. Although they looked a little pitiful, there weren't any injuries. The joint attack of the four demigods pushed the air out of the region, forming a strange vacuum.
The pressure on Leylin rose rapidly, and the force that surged towards him from all directions seemed to want to tear him apart.
"As expected, a divine being trying to fight a demigod will lose…" Leylin could only smile wryly, and then began to look resolute.
"Did you only just notice? It's too late! Your body shall be placed under my golden throne to be used as an eternal decoration…" Akaban roared. Along with the other three demigods, his attacks soon drowned Leylin out.
Lightning, flames, poison… All sorts of forces mixed in with the power of divine force. The domains formed a colourful, spotted, and chaotic region of energy. Leylin's aura quickly weakened within, to the point that it completely disappeared.
"Even I won't be able to deal with the attacks from four demigods…" Akaban withdrew the golden lance in his hands, "It's a pity that I didn't get the method to undo the plague, but I now know that becoming a true god is possible… Hm? Wait!"
Akaban's expression quickly changed, as he sensed the descent of powerful World Origin Force.
*Whoosh!* The skies quickly darkened, and the stars and silver moon quickly hid their luster. It was as if a berserk dragon was travelling through the dark clouds, and compared to it Akaban's lightning was like that of a kid playing house.
"The descent of World Origin Force… This is the appointment of a demigod!" Akaban had experienced this once before, and naturally would not get this wrong.
Just as he was about to do all he could to interrupt the process, an absolute and powerful strength burst forth. Traces of the conscient of the World Will sent him and the three other demigods flying.
The gods truly were the darlings of the world, and when they advanced they naturally caught the attention of the World Origin Force. The isolating energy that came was not something four demigods could deal with.
The World Origin Force that had come roaring in immediately attracted the attention of a few powerful gods. While the advancement of a demigod was nothing much, there were a few existences who still noticed him.
"This… it feels like a demigod, and the location is at the the south of the south seas, the natives' territories. Has a totem spirit or natural spirit advanced?" To the gods, the totems of the natives were like a group of useless things. They were weak and could not leave their respective areas, which was why they were not worthy of attention. Several streaks of godly conscients gathered in the skies, and then dissipated like this had nothing to do with them.
However, no matter how careful Leylin was, his reputation of being the youngest legendary wizard was sound, and he had caught the attention of some existences.
Golden light flickered on Faulen Island, within Waukeen's church. It turned into a woman dressed in luxurious golden robes.
'I could never be wrong. This aura is that of the wizard! Has he become a demigod?' Waukeen's eyes crinkled in a smile, 'Interesting! His name as a genius will probably resound through the continent once more…'
At this thought, Waukeen called out sternly. "My servants!"
"Mistress!" A few priests of wealth knelt and listened to the goddess' commands.
-x-X-x-
Leylin had no time to care about the events outside. He was currently immersed in an extremely peculiar state.
Becoming a demigod was as difficult as scaling into the skies, but it was no issue for Leylin. He'd amassed enough divine force a while ago, but he'd lacked a turning point. That turning point appeared today. The immense pressure of four great demigods allowed him to break past his limits, and pushed the ignition of his godfire.
Becoming a demigod required cooperation with the laws of the world. It was a very valuable experience for Leylin.
'In the moment of becoming a demigod, one is shrouded in World Origin Force and laws. It is probably the safest place…' Leylin did not worry about the events outside, immersing himself in his senses. This was just him becoming a demigod. When he attempted to become a true god with a divine kingdom, even a greater god would not dare attempt anything on him that moment.
The gods usually waited for the process to complete, attacking the new god at their weakest. Compared to their eternal life, a period of patience was minuscule. Just the same, Akaban's group chose to watch on, keeping some distance so as not to infuriate the World Origin Force.
"The sea of origin force has descended…" A golden light glinted in Akaban's eyes as he saw a large sea of origin force that was even greater than the Weave. It surged forth and whistled, forming songs of praise.
'Based on the current situation, the chances of his success are high…' Akaban frowned, sensing that he now had another impressive enemy. But then, he laughed involuntarily.
Unlike him, the three beasts did not have many worries. 'Even if that divine being successfully becomes a demigod, he's still a newbie who can't control divine force properly yet. How could he be a match for the four of us combined?'
They only felt an instinctual fear right now, unable to help growing intoxicated from studying the process in the hope of benefits. It was a rare opportunity to watch the sea of World Origin Force surrounding the ascent of a new god, and no god would let it pass them by.
'These fellows…' Akaban shook his head, shutting his own eyes and using his divine vision to observe the web of origin force. This gushing sea of energy represented everything in the World of Gods, showing Akaban its secrets from behind the veil.
However, this intoxication only lasted for a moment. Akaban's eyes widened in shock as he turned in Leylin's direction.The origin force had already formed a spiral like a black hole, its might leaving his heart thumping in fear.
'What a huge tide of origin force… This is already comparable to a true god… Does that mean his accumulations far surpass my own?' The strength of Leylin's ascent was several times greater than his own. The implications left Akaban in no mood to appreciate the World Origin Force further.
Few in the history of the World of Gods could have drawn such a tremendous sea of origin force as a mere divine being. Although Akaban did not know what this meant exactly, his expression turned dark.
However, no matter how complicated his feelings were now, he could only watch the whistling origin force surge and roll, before being sucked into the black hole with Leylin at the centre.
...
[Beep! Unknown energy detected, host's soul has experienced a transition. Secondary system updating…] The A.I. Chip went to sleep.
Legendaries of the World of Gods were equivalent to Morning Stars of the Magus World. High-ranked legendaries were comparable to Radiant Moons, while divine beings were at the Breaking Dawn realm. A demigod was close to rank 7!
In other words, Leylin's clone was now as strong as his main body in the Magus World. It was quite natural for the accumulated energy to allow the A.I. Chip to upgrade itself.
Leylin was already beginning to anticipate the day he could return this upgraded secondary system to the original. When they combined, they would surely possess terrifying abilities!
Originally, the powerful cheat that had helped him become a Magus, the A.I. Chip, was all-powerful amongst those below rank 7. However, beings of laws had thinking speeds that did not lose out to the supercomputers of his previous world.
A series of inexplicable changes occurred as they traversed through space and time, and the A.I. Chip had fused with Leylin's soul It could now develop with him. The chances of such an event were so small it would likely never occur again in the multiverse.
This miraculous property had allowed the A.I. Chip to upgrade itself multiple times, assisting Leylin. It could give him the upper hand at decisive moments during battles with other beings of laws!
'It's good for the A.I. Chip to sleep for a while anyway. I want my main body to feel the power of laws again…' Leylin slowly withdrew his divine conscient. The golden lustre on his body had grown even more dazzling, causing him to seemingly turn into a god made of gold. It made each and every action of his seem holy.
Lights converged, and began to blaze underneath the sea of origin force. Leylin had taken in Beelzebub's worshippers from the mainland, and established a base in the outer seas. Just the faith from that could support a demigod.
But he wasn't satisfied with just that. He'd crossed the seas to occupy a portion of Debanks Island, and he now had over 300,000 native worshippers! They were indebted to him for saving them from the brink of death, so their faith was very enthusiastic. Even with the flaws in their souls, the power of this faith was still massive, more than enough to support a new god!
All these things combined, Leylin's accumulations could be said to have reached the limits of a demigod. His massacre divinity had condensed to a point unprecedented in history.
A regular divine being would just explode, unable to contain so much power. However, Leylin was different. His main body was near rank 7, and a Warlock at that. His previous experience allowed his divine will to reach all parts of his body, controlling everything.
At this moment, all the followers that worshipped Leylin felt a surge of desire in their hearts. In this state of intense longing, all of them set aside what they were doing. They faced the holy radiance in their hands, a statue in the church, or even just the skies as they began to pray.
"Our Lord, Kukulkan… You are the world serpent that devours all. With the sharp blades of your massacres, even the stars in the sky lose all their lustre before you…" An exceptionally strong wave of faith rushed forth, immediately giving rise to an even more intense change.
*Rumble!* The divinity on Leylin's body was now completely visible. It burnt off all his clothing, leaving him in his birthday suit. Amidst this surge of faith, he was like a huge fire in a pool of gasoline!
*Rumble!* Golden flames immediately appeared on his body, glowing with a sacred lustre. With the amassed power of faith and the massacre divinity, Leylin's own fleshly body fueled the resplendent glow of the flames.
*Drip! Drip!* Leylin closed his eyes, each and every action following that of the World Origin Force. Under the illumination of flames, his perfect body melted like wax into the flames.
The powerful aura fell silent as everything condensed down, including the golden flames. The godfire shrank to the size of a soybean but the power that bean gave off was horrifying.
This was the foundation of a god, the godfire~ Once it was ignited, divine beings would become demigods, truly demarcating themselves from mortals. They had reached the realm of the gods!
The godfire seemed to be a condensation of all laws, and it kept shrinking and growing. It was like the flames were breathing in faith, transforming it into a pure divine force.
Only with divine force were gods able to bestow divine spells upon their followers. It was what qualified them to be gods. This godfire was what allowed the power of faith to be transformed into divine force.
While Leylin had amassed a large amount of faith with the unceasing prayers, his pitiful priests had not one divine spell. They could only spread his faith through word of mouth, and if not for the 'holy water' that could cure the plague, he could probably die trying to spread his faith on Debanks Island. Doing the same in the continent would render far worse results.
The golden threads of divine force sketched an outline of a human figure, forming first the golden bones, then the flesh, veins, and the skin. This was followed by his eyes and other features, as a god's body made of divine force took form. This was a process all demigods had to go through, their lives themselves experiencing a qualitative change as their souls were refined to a higher level.
The golden divine force vanished, to reveal the divine body's true features. Muscles bulged to form elegant and beautiful lines, holding a trace of laws as if the body itself represented the origin force of some will. His facial features were distinct, and filled with a masculine beauty. Although Leylin's appearance had not changed, he now had a tremendously imposing aura to him.
-x-X-x-
"Is this the feeling of being a demigod?" Leylin muttered under his breath, sensing the ever more sturdy threads of faith as well as the terrifying origin force in his body coming from the godfire. He extended his right hand, and a trace of golden power appeared in the veins on his palm.
This power was something unique to him. His will could transform it into all sorts of energy, be it qi, magic, or something else.
"Divine force?" The tremendous power of faith had been transformed by the godfire, becoming a large amount of divine force that filled up Leylin's body. He felt like he could tear the very world apart.
[Beep! Upgrade complete!] the A.I. Chip's voice sounded at this moment. With Leylin's own soul advancing into the divine, the A.I. Chip had also reaped unknown rewards. Having resumed operation, it began the tedious work of updating Leylin's hugely changed stats.
[Beep! Host has ignited his godfire, becoming a demigod. All stats +5.]
[Host's arcanist rank has risen. Now rank 27.]
[Beep! Host's stats have all reached 20 points. Intermediate Perfect Body has advanced with the bonus of becoming a demigod, and is now Divine Body.]
[Beep! Secondary system has been upgraded, computational power increased. Analysis of levels 8 and 9 of the Weave are at 100%/. Host has obtained all spell models, and will no longer forget any spells. No materials required to cast spells.]
This was evidently the boost the godfire had given to his stats. However, even Leylin himself found the extent of the increase terrifying. Because of the restrictive laws of the World of Gods, it was very difficult to increase one's stats. Once they reached a threshold, each point would grow more and more difficult to attain, and at the same time increased one's might greatly.
This stat increase of 5 points each wasn't small at all. It was a huge increase in his power, over tenfold!
[Beep! Host's stats and data have changed greatly. Recalculating…] Almost at the instant this prompt showed, the A.I. Chip showed his stats on a screen.
[Leylin Faulen. Race: Human (Demigod), Rank 27 Arcanist (Legendary). Strength: 21. Agility: 21. Vitality: 21. Spirit: 27. Arcane Energy: 270. Divine Force: ??? Status: Healthy. Feats: Legendary Sturdiness, Well-Versed, Dreamscape Vision, Extreme Adaptability, Divine Body. Specialties: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Amplification, Illusions.]
[The outer Weave has been analysed completely. Beginning analysis of the inner Weave.]
"With the outer Weave done, I need to begin on the divine spells and web of faith in the inner Weave. I'm already a demigod, so I have the right to use a part of the inner Weave anyway…" Leylin muttered to himself before looking at the description of Divine Body.
[Divine Body. A god's true form is made entirely out of divine force, and can change in any way. Grants peak tolerance to all environments as well as the ability to travel to the outer planes. Grants the permanent ability to understand all languages, as well as Epic Damage Reduction and Epic Magic Resistance. Grants immunity to all spells below rank 9, as well as other spells like Timestop.]
'Divine Body? So that's where the true strength of a demigod lies!' Leylin sighed in awe as he read through the information relating to the feat. The defence the divine body provided him ensured that few beings in the mortal world could harm him. Regular and arcane spells imbued with divine force would now become his best weapons.
'But I can't see my divine force statistic yet. I'll need to determine units for it, and then find the patterns and rules behind it myself…
'Most importantly, I can finally bestow divine spells on my priests. But that's only up to rank 5…' As was instinctual to a god, Leylin immediately knew what divine spells he could bestow.
'In general, they're all blessings and cures. There's also Devil Detection and Massacre Blessing.' A large number of divine spells appeared before him, along with general descriptions. There were rank 1 spells like Blessing, Cure Light Wounds, and Command; then there were rank 2 spells like Bear's Endurance and Bull's Strength. It went up to the rank 5 Cure Light Wounds (Mass) spell and Summon Monster. There was huge variety.
The two specific spell models he named left Leylin in deep thought. The divine spells priests could cast were all virtually the same, but sometimes there were unique ones characteristic of the god that bestowed them.
These two were Leylin's. He was proficient at identifying devils and his domain was the massacre domain. It gave his priests spells like Devil Detection and Massacre Blessing.
'Having acquired divine force, demigods can establish churches. It gives them a chance to eventually compete in the mainland… After all, there isn't much of a difference other than the lower level divine spells. In fact, the time of a church's establishment is the best time to join, the first worshippers will be offered the greatest perks…
Most demigods only established their churches after igniting their godfires. Leylin, however, seemed to be ahead of the pack. If not for his astonishing capabilities and the devil worshippers and natives aiding him, he couldn't have done it so easily.
Now, his church finally had a sturdy foundation, which gave him a shot at competing with other gods for faith.
There was a special title for such demigods in the World of Gods. They were called false gods. They could bestow holy spells and reply to their worshippers' prayers, but weren't true gods yet. They were often repressed by Helm, the God of Protection.
However, Leylin's church was located on Debanks Island, so he wouldn't have to fend that off. The churches on the mainland would wind up in a worse state, so much so that they would have to cease their operations and hide in the abyss. This caused originally good demigods to shift to evil as well…
The transformation ended. What seemed to be a long while to Leylin was only minutes for the four demigods.
"He's out!" Once the tidal surge of forces died out, Akaban looked solemnly at the figure that emerged. Leylin had put on an illusory white robe now, and although his features weren't different he possessed an imposing aura. This was the authentic aura of a demigod!
"You've gathered a lot of faith!" Akaban looked Leylin deep in the eye, his expression betraying his jealous thoughts. The two-headed lion, the golden scorpion, and the blazing horse had similar reactions.
"I am the devouring serpent, the ruler of massacres, the monarch of the devils… The Winged Serpent, Kukulkan!" Divine force streaked past Leylin's eyes. He did not pay any attention to the four demigods, instead letting out a divine decree. A giant half-bodied phantom appeared above Hope Stronghold, declaring Leylin's authority and might.
Having advanced to become a demigod, he could finally get rid of the constraints that held him back when he was weak. He could now connect with his worshippers in his true form.
"Almighty lord, you are the saviour of my soul, the salvation of the mortal world…" Many clerics found after a prayer now that multiple divine spells were inside their bodies. They were like normal magic spells, and could be cast if they were willed.
Even the most foolish would realised that the Winged Serpent God had advanced and grown stronger. They immediately cheered. The large group of priests felt like they'd gotten power which could suppress everything.
Although holy spells were not as efficient as regular spells, clerics trained much faster than wizards, not to mention the number of people who would be training at the same time.
The holy spells were extremely effective at shocking the natives. No matter what plans Akaban had made, they'd now failed completely. The numerous cheers and the tidal surge of faith formed an astonishing current beside Leylin.
"Not good! Now that he's a demigod, this is his domain. Retreat!" As a regional spirit, Akaban had the same weakness as totem spirits. The power of faith he possessed waned if he left his lands, and another divine domain would suppress him.
Before Leylin had advanced, it hadn't been at evidence. Now that he had, though, the suppression was one of equal levels, and it had a frightening effect. Akaban had originally dreamed of crushing Leylin with numbers, but after seeing Leylin's true might, but this founding emperor of Sakartes shuddered in fear.
"First you taint my domain, then you want to leave? Isn't it too late for that?" The massacre domain stretched out, covering the entire sky in crimson. It had already been strong, but Leylin's advancement had maximised its potential.
"I control massacre itself! The ichor of gods will provide me strength, their wails giving me energy. Your bones will form my sceptre, and your eyes will be turned into jewels…"
These words sounded like a song of legends, and the decree of a curse. Leylin instantly appeared before the two-headed lion.
*Roar!* The demigod knew that it was in danger, and let out a crazed roar from the depths of its soul. Immense divine force appeared from its jaws.
-x-X-x-
[Beep! Host is under attack, activating divine forcefield!] A formless, contorted forcefield appeared after the A.I. Chip's notification, halving the two-headed lion's might. What remained had no more effect on Leylin's divine body, not even affecting his robes.
'Divine forcefield? So in a battle between gods, the focus is now on divine force, divinity, and their domains?' Leylin's eyes flashed as he ignored the lion's attack. He had a way to negate it, but now that he had the powers of the divine forcefield, he could do even less.
The lion roared with rage, and Akaban and the other two demigods saw an unforgettable scene.
"Let it out…" Ignoring the lion's attack, Leylin jumped on its back and ripped through his skin and flesh. Ichor splattered across the sky.
*Shing!* Even as cries of anguish sounded, he pulled out the lion's spine.
Such a thing would cause severe injuries even to a demigod with a divine body. After all, the divine body took an immense amount of divine force to build. Leylin had used the World Origin Force to make it the first time, but such a thing could only happen once.
"Your blood will give me strength." Leylin's chant reverberated in the massacre domain, as if the best of musical accompaniment.
"Your bones will form my sceptre, and your eyes will be turned into jewels!" The chant reached a high note, and the severely injured lion shuddered. Four grotesque claws appeared from the void, stabbing the two-headed lion's four eyes.
These claws were a murky green, the skin as dry as the bark of an ancient tree. Strange curse runes were all over them, more intricate even than the runes carved by arcanists.
The four claws pressed on the lion, causing it to cry out in extreme pain. Soon, each of its four eyeballs had been forcefully extracted from their sockets, and they flew to Leylin's palm.
"And your soul… will become the pool of energy for my divine weapon!" Leylin looked at the lion and spat out the final line in this sacrificial rite.
*Boom!* Golden flames filled the sky, melting the lion's spine to form a short staff. The eyeballs shrank continuously in midair, finally embedding themselves into the crown, becoming four differently coloured jewels.
Once Leylin spoke the last line, the world itself had seemingly stopped. Formless power restrained the lion, bringing its body in front of Leylin.
"Incinerate!" A wisp of black flame began to engulf the lion. One could see the shape of the totem spirit within, forcefully being extracted from its body and transferred into the staff. The flames licked at the corpse until they reached the godfire.
*Bang!* The golden flames dimmed after the lion's death. It extinguished itself on its own, the power it had contained leaving Leylin cautious.
*Crackle!* White lightning streaked across the sky, as if sending off this fallen demigod. Only then did Akaban and his party regain their senses.
These demigods only wished to leave this dreamy state. What had they just seen? A demigod perished! He was on the same level as Leylin, but he was slaughtered like a lamb and turned into a divine weapon.
It had happened too quickly. By the time they regained their senses and wanted to help the lion demigod, it was already dead.
Leylin ignored the other demigods, and looked at the staff embedded with with four jewels. 'Hmm… Although it's a weapon made from a demigod, it's an incomplete divine weapon, at most at the same level. Still, it should be enough as the sacred item of the church in the mortal world…'
"What's next… is you guys…" Leylin's eyes slanted to one side as he glared, emanating an incomparably murderous aura.
*Chik!* The golden scorpion chirped, turning into a black gust of wind as it disappeared. The speed at which it fled made Akaban's expression turn even darker. His trustworthy comrade had actually been scared away from just a glare.
"This isn't the strength of a demigod. Who are you?" Akaban asked, teeth clenched. He knew that the void had locked in on him, so he instead chose to ask the wise question.
"Me? I am the Winged Serpent Kukulkan! The serpent which devours everything and controls all massacre. Of course, you can address me as Leylin!" Leylin grinned, and walked over to Akaban. The increasingly pressing aura left even the demigod's horse neighing in unrest.
Although they were both demigods, Akaban could only feel fear in front of Leylin!
"Are you mocking me? How could an ordinary demigod have a strength such as yours?" Akaban howled, his eyes turning red.
"You just watched me advance…" Leylin replied honestly, but it made Akaban want to puke blood. If he knew that Leylin would be this powerful after advancing, he would have killed Leylin at all costs the moment he appeared on Debanks Island. However, it was too late for regrets now.
Leylin laughed inwardly as he saw Akaban in a state of bewilderment. Although he had accumulated many trump cards, he was ultimately only a demigod. To really crush others on the same level was impossible. However, he didn't just have one body. There was an even more powerful Warlock, nearing rank 7, in the Magus World!
Once Leylin advanced in the World of Gods, the injuries to Leylin's main body had recovered. They did share the same soul, after all. He could now provide even more strength to the clone inside the World of Gods. Hence, fighting Leylin right now was like fighting a demigod and a near rank 7 Warlock at the same time!
Furthermore, a long period of research, along with the appearance of the World Origin Force and laws, had enlightened Leylin in many areas. It allowed him to transfer Magus spells over to this world. The claws from before, the ones that butchered the two-headed lion, were an amalgamation of his learning.
However, he still wasn't very familiar with the laws of the world. He could only cast Magus spells every once in a while, and even he hadn't expected such good results. It had only been theorized before.
The extremely powerful Magus spell had killed a demigod and scared away another. Leylin could not have asked for a better result. Of course, Leylin would not reveal these secrets to Akaban, only creating a fearsome image which would be imprinted in Akaban's mind.
"Even if you are an evil god from the main continent, don't ever dream of controlling my empire…" A holy war between gods was based on the power of faith, which was the most raw and resolute of battles. There wasn't an inch for negotiation. Akaban's gaze was resolute, as golden rays radiated from his body.
*Neigh!* As if understanding his determination, the blazing horse in front of the chariot neighed loudly, as a light golden domain was opened.
"Conquest domain, huh? And with such a combination…" The A.I. Chip's light flashed in Leylin's eyes, but he was not one bit unafraid.
'That's great, it's about time to test units for divine force. A.I. Chip, begin recording!'
[Beep! Mission established. Collecting host data, monitoring divine force] the A.I. Chip's voice intoned.
"Hah!" Akaban was riding the flaming chariot now, waving his golden lance about. The sun runes on his body were even more visible than before, as the shadow of the sun behind him grew even more radiant and searing.
"A tribal demigod is indeed just that. There's no technique at all," Leylin said in disgust, a wave of divine force welling in his hands.
"Divine force transformation— Absolute Break!" With divine force as the source of his power, this legendary arcane spell had obtained even more power than before. A dark light instantaneously hit the tip of Akaban's lance.
A crack soon spread from the tip of the lance, looking like a spiderweb. A moment later, the lance turned into dust. The same came into effect on Akaban's chariot, and his blazing horse's armour. Akaban stared in disbelief as he separated from the flaming horse.
This Absolute Break spell had obtained an unimaginable victory for Leylin.
"However, the native demigods really are destitute. Apart from the weapon and the chariot, there weren't any other artifacts…" Leylin waved his hand, and the golden light of divine force formed a palm.
Shattering Fist! The golden first grew larger and larger, the runes on it as clear as water. This fist seemed to be made of flesh and blood, and carried a massive amount of power as it sent Akaban flying with a trail of blood.
"This is the strongest demigod on Debanks Island? What a disappointment…" Leylin waved his hand again, and this time an incomparably large Mage Sword appeared, shining with divine force. He chose not to control this one with his spirit, instead grabbing it by the hilt.
"Die!" The Mage Sword slashed downwards, and golden light filled the spot where Akaban was struck. The immense power even split a mountain behind the demigod into two.