[Beep! Host has killed Baalzebul. Gluttony's Devouring activated, absorbing new law… Law of sloth currently at 100%.
Beep! Seven Sins has unlocked Sloth's Recovery.
Sloth's Recovery: User recovery is boosted by 500% when inactive. Seven Sins can now repair damage automatically.
Beep! Host has killed Mephistopheles. Gluttony's Devouring activated, absorbing new law… Law of envy currently at 100%.]
[Beep! Host has comprehended the law of envy, Seven Sins has unlocked Envy's Thief.
Envy's Thief: User can steal the divine weapons and laws of other beings.]
The multiple notifications put Leylin in a good mood. The Nightmare Hydra's body behind him materialised completely, each of its heads containing a different law. The power of sin across all intelligent beings was now absorbed by Leylin, forming a thick dark mist around his massive body.
At this moment, the A.I. Chip sent another notification, and Leylin grinned even wider than before. [Beep! Path of original sin completed, Nightmare Hydra bloodline has achieved complete form.]
In an instant he'd felt the power of his bloodline reach the limit, coming into contact with an extremely obscure door of sorts. The door was guarded by the power of spacetime, forming a mountain pass. Leylin knew fully well that it was the bottleneck to rank 9.
*Buzz…* The power of original sin thundered in his body as the dark mist grew even more black. The crimson energy became more animated, showing signs of life. Feeling the power of original sin as the river formed behind the Nightmare Hydra, Leylin felt like it was extremely picturesque.
He'd now completed his laws, opening his path up for further travel. However, there was something still missing.
"Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Pride, Envy, Sloth, Lust… The seven sins form original sin, combining with Massacre and Death to form a perfect cycle. However, all this lacks an embodiment of pure evil…" Leylin looked at Asmodeus who'd been sealed within the river. Once he extracted the essence of this devil, his path would be completed and allow him to become a peak rank immediately!
However, Leylin's incredible willpower stopped his urges. "Although I can wield dreamforce at its peak, it's still not perfect. I need to subjugate Dreamscape's World Will, and get it to hand over the essence of dreamforce so I can lay a perfect foundation for my advancement…"
Since he'd achieved everything he set out to, Leylin naturally intended to do things to perfection. Although peak dreamforce allowed him to harness the powers of spacetime, Leylin wanted more! He didn't just want to become rank 9, he wanted to be the absolute best of rank 9 Magi. That was a given on his quest for eternity!
Hence, this dreamforce that would even satisfy other peak 8 Magi and cause them to be envious of him was not enough in Leylin's eyes. The essence of Dreamscape's origin force was an evolved form of dreamforce known as nightmare force, and that was what he wanted!
"Just nice! I have the strength to execute my plans now…" Leylin did not give another looked at the broken Nessus as he vanished from Baator…
*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!* Three consecutive explosions reverberated across the many worlds. Be it gods, Archfiends, or even lich kings, everyone cast a look of shock towards Baator. A golden divine kingdom within was now shining brightly, rapidly swallowing up the last of the Nine Hells. Baator was one once more, radiating with holy light as its surging origin force was converted to the power of the divine kingdom. This place could cause even greater gods to be fearful now.
The Nine Hells having a new owner meant that the devils had been destroyed. The eight Lords of Baator had been a force to be reckoned with even for greater gods, never having lost an inch to the gods or demons and instead counterattacking all this while. Now, they'd been vanquished by a Magus. Baator was the first to bow out of the Final War, reminding the gods once again of fearsome memories they'd chosen to wipe from their minds.
The powerful energy of a god strengthening themselves travelled past many worlds, causing many powerful existences to frown.
""Kukulkan, my Lord! You are the guardian of our souls, the stars in the skies! You are a haven for my soul, the God of the Nine Hells. You are the keeper of strength, the God of Wrath and Order, the Ruler of Devils…"" Under Tiff's guidance, everyone in Leylin's divine kingdom was praying to him. The power of faith converged into a holy river, causing Baator to roar as powerful origin force entered Leylin's clone.
Mother Core chose to leave Baator on her own accord. There was in fact a trace of alarm in her eyes as she looked at the divine kingdom, feeling a powerful repulsive force.
"This isn't inferior to the divine kingdom of a greater god… With this as your base, you'll be able to hold for a long while even with multiple greater gods attacking you at once. Leylin… You really have found a good place within the World of Gods." Traces of complex emotions appeared in her eyes.
Having swallowed the Nine Hells and obtained new laws, Leylin grew quickly in power, shooting through the ranks to quickly reach rank 17. She felt like Leylin wanted his clone to advance to greater godhood!
However, the tides of faith soon dissipated, under the complicated congratulations of many powerful existences. Leylin's rank remained at 17.
However, even this was extremely inconceivable given his birth year in the World of Gods!
Atop the Whitejade Saint Mountain, the clone opened his glowing golden eyes. Lightning that could form and destroy entire worlds seemed to streak past its gaze.
[Beep! Clone currently at rank 17.] Blue light flashed in Leylin's eyes.
His old clone had been a part of his soul, but this one was under the full control of the A.I. Chip. With the two being originally one anyway, the auxiliary A.I. Chip could also receive faith in him, being controlled by the primary chip. He'd even managed to retrieve the split soul, so there were no longer any side-effects binding him to the power of faith.
Large streams of information flashed in the clone's eyes.
[All stats +5! Host's arcanist ranking has increased by 5, currently rank 40. Obtained divine domain— Fall of Seven Sins.]
The power of a domain stemmed from one's divinity, something a demigod did not possess. Every additional domain brought great boosts to one's strength. That is why gods focused on increasing their divine ranks, not paying much attention to other matters.
Leylin looked at his stats.
[Name: Leylin Faulen.
Divine Name: Kukulkan, the God of Massacre (Controlled by auxiliary A.I. Chip).
Race: Unknown
Alignment: Lawful Evil.
Divine Domain (Simulated): Massacre, Death, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Pride, Envy, Sloth, Lust
Divine Kingdom: Baator
Divine Rank: 17.
Worshippers: Natives, Devils, Adventurers, Priests.
Worshipper Alignments: True Neutral, Neutral Evil, Lawful Evil.
Domains: Massacre, Death, Devouring, Seven Sins
Arcanist Rank: 40. Strength: 38. Agility: 38. Vitality: 38. Spirit: 44. Arcane Energy: 440. Divine Force: 1500. Status: Healthy.
Feats: Herculean Strength, Master of Knowledge, Dreamscape Vision, Epic Adaptability.
Divine Feats: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Art Amplification, Illusions.
Divine Abilities: Warp Reality, Supercomputing, Simulate Reality, Fall of Seven Sins.]
"The increased divine rank gave me a new domain, huh…" Leylin's attention was drawn to his new ability, and the A.I. Chip showed information about it.
[Divine Ability— Fall of Seven Sins: As the Lord of Original Sin, the Host can use any negative emotions to affect the target's mind, inducing the power of nightmares to have the target turn. Applies to beings of law as well.]
"Even law existences can be affected if they are consumed by the emotions of original sin. I can then subjugate them into my slaves?" Leylin rubbed his chin and sighed. In the World of Gods, be it the Magi or the gods themselves they were consumed by their inner desires. Anyone could become his puppet.
Even peak rank 8s weren't devoid of emotions. However, they did have the ability to stem their desires once they manifested. However, how powerful was the strength of inner desires? As long as a peak rank 8 had flaws, they could be used by Leylin!
-x-X-x-
The power of dreams converged in the boundary between the real and the illusory, forming a boundless strange world. A Magus dressed in black robes stood at the corners of this world, his arrival causing the world to cheer as if a child had returned home. Dreamscape opened its doors up wide.
"It's still this desolate here…" Leylin stood in midair, absolved from the powers of the laws. His soul of original sin allowed him to survey most of the world at once.
Dreamscape was still as desolate as before, from when dreamforce was waning and the Lords of Calamity had to seal themselves.
Leylin was here in his true body, having left the World of Gods to enter the astral plane. With the Manderhawke Plate in hand and an intermediate god as a clone, the World of Gods was like a back garden that he could enter and leave as he pleased.
With all of Baator as his divine kingdom and the A.I. Chip managing things, he had no need to worry for the safety of his assets. Unless the gods could find another flying city from somewhere and have it explode on him, his defences were airtight like those of a greater god's divine kingdom. Leylin could leave and come to Dreamscape at ease.
'Dreamforce has been waning for thousands of years despite me killing a Lord of Calamity…' Leylin discovered the laws of dreamforce in an instant. The current state of dreamforce didn't make a difference to him, though. Having already grasped its laws, he could harness the peak power of dreamforce at any time.
"Those Lords of Calamity have indeed became much smarter…" Leylin smiled. A slight scan revealed that the Lords of Calamity had sealed themselves together this time, apparently cautious of his previous actions.
"Since that's the case, then let me greet them!" The crimson runes of dreamforce appeared on Leylin's body, opening up his third eye. His Nightmare Absorbing Physique peaked, and the entirety of Dreamscape rejoiced as powerful destructive lightning appeared in the skies.
Unlike before, Leylin didn't need to act stealthily. He spread his aura fearlessly to the edges of the world.
"It's the Nightmare Absorbing Physique!"
"The eternal nemesis of the Lords of Calamity— Nightmare Absorbing Physique!"
"Damn it… Ever since the Magus World opened the crystal sphere, I knew that the Nightmare King would return…"
The slumbering Lords of Calamity were like cats whose tails had been stepped on. They woke up immediately, unleashing their auras. A blizzard of destructive snow howled, but it was repelled by a crystal mountain.
A crystal exploded as one of the Lords of Calamity walked out, possessing devastating strength. This was the Eye Emissary, the protector of light and darkness, wielding both laws to be one of the stronger Lords of Calamity.
"Molina…" Another crystal broke as well to the Eye Emissary's voice, and a female thundergiant walked out.
"Nightmare King! No… Something more devious and inconceivable… the Nightmare Absorbing Physique has finally reappeared…" Molina roared. Her body darted like lightning towards Leylin.
The dark earth split open and a three-headed Lord of Calamity appeared. It had the head of a black goat, a green snake, and a mysterious human face. "Oh! Molina… You're mine…" it muttered as it turned into a black mist, chasing behind the female giant.
All of the Lords of Calamity in Dreamscape were soon awake, roaring and howling as destructive powers of calamity caused Dreamscape to tremble. The surviving creatures were pressed down to the ground, praying for these superior beings to be appeased.
"I never thought there were so many hidden experts in Dreamscape. Eighteen… No, nineteen Lords of Calamity, it's enough to crush the Purgatory World and Shadow World…" Leylin was surprised.
These Lords of Calamity had sealed themselves in due to waning dreamforce, not joining in on the attack on the World of Gods. This made them the largest force in the rest of the astral plane, strong enough to perhaps attack even the Magus World if dreamforce recovers.
"They're all hovering around rank 8, yet there isn't a peak rank 8 existence… Is this the suppression from the World Will?" Leylin's eyes flashed, and he was more confident in his plans than before.
"Nightmare Absorbing Physique… Die!" The Nightmare King was the eternal enemy of the Lords of Calamity, so one of them immediately attacked Leylin.
*Boom!* A powerful force of calamity struck down, alongside the face of a ghost that was large enough to blot out the sun rearing its bloody mouth at Leylin.
"Darned thing hiding in the shadows, come out!" Leylin's face turned violent as a longsword formed from Seven Sins slashed forward.
*Sssii!* A bright white light flashed, and the face was slashed apart before shattering, forming corrosive rain. A strange multifaced creature appeared, wailing as it was forced out of the void. Seven Sins slashed mercilessly into its body, containing even more domineering force.
Blessing of Greed! The power of original sin was unleashed, causing the figure with many faces to be destroyed immediately. A dark current appeared, and was absorbed by the Seven Sins. It seemed to be a taotie with endless power, devouring its opponents' strength.
"Darkface was taken out in one blow…" The other Lords of Calamity looked at the ghost faced creature who couldn't recover its body anymore. Its face filled with fear as it turned wary, stopping its attacks.
*Boom!* Leylin's dark path of original sin appeared behind him, alongside the Nightmare Hydra with the vertical pupil at its central head. A powerful web of original sin appeared and enshrouded Leylin within, giving him strength comparable to the peak of rank 8.
"The Nightmare Absorbing Physique!"
"Path of laws! Peak rank 8 Magus!'
"The powers of the ancient Nightmare King!"
The other Lords of Calamity stepped back unconsciously, looking at Leylin in fright. After swallowing the Lords of Baator, Leylin was now only one step away from peak rank 8, yet his own battle prowess had already entered this realm!
The ancient Nightmare King had the strength to slay more than half of the Lords of Calamity present. Leylin was even stronger, so it would simply be too easy to beat them all.
"So, now can you listen to what I have to say?" Leylin looked around him, at the Nightmare Eye, Eye Emissary, Molina, and the three-headed beast. These were the strongest Lords of Calamity.
"What do you want to say, inheritor of the Nightmare Absorbing Physique?" The Eye Emissary's eyes blinked continuously as it looked at Leylin. Unlike the others, he knew full well how powerful Leylin was. With this power before he even reached peak rank 8, when he advanced with the help of Dreamscape there would be no way for them to survive.
"I know… You all fear me, hate me…" Leylin looked arrogantly at the Lords of Calamity, as if he controlled their lives and deaths, "But my purpose for coming here this time is not to kill any of you. I want to give you and the World Will another way to go forward."
*Crack!* Leylin's words were earth-shattering news to the Lords of Calamity. They entered fervent discussion immediately, and even the World Will began to rage with lightning.
*Hiss!* The Nightmare Hydra roared, repelling the destructive snow.
"How is it? Do I look sincere enough?" Leylin smiled at these Lords of Calamity.
The many Lords stood staring at each other. It was the female thundergiant who spoke up eventually, "How do you want to do this?"
"The Lords of Calamity are like leeches feeding off the origin force of Dreamscape, causing the world to continuously regress. You put a heaven burden on it, so the World Will wants to reverse the tide and weaken your supply of dreamforce. That's why it gave birth to a Nightmare Absorbing Physique. All of this was just the beginning…"
Leylin spoke frankly yet with conviction.
"The origin force of Dreamscape is not endless, yet you lot feed off it without end, causing the world to deteriorate. Even you yourselves have to suffer the consequences… I wish to make a pact of the truesoul with all of you, the entire astral plane being the witness. Each of you will be given a fixed time to absorb origin force, and it has to be within the limits set by the world. On top of that, you have to find ways to make up for the World Will's losses.
"In return, the World Will will assure that you have an endless supply of peak dreamforce. There will be no more weakening, and you won't have to seal yourselves in…" Leylin's voice was extremely loud, the power of laws it carried causing the Lords of Calamity to ponder his proposal.
Although they were extremely unhappy at not being able to ceaselessly absorb the origin force, it seemed much better if dreamforce was not weakened. Moreover, they wouldn't have the threat of the Nightmare Absorbing Physique looming over their heads anymore!
-x-X-x-
"Agree to these conditions, and I won't aggress in the future. We can even explore the World of Gods together, the bounty you'll receive there is more than what you can accumulate here in ten million years…"
Even though Leylin's intention to tempt them with the World of Gods sounded easy, there were some difficulties he had to cross to get to them. The hardest was to showcase peak rank 8 might, suppressing all these rogues with the fear of death. He then had to deal with Dreamscape's World Will.
Molina looked at her peers, answering after a period of hesitation, "This matter… We have to discuss…"
"Of course, discuss away. I'll be here waiting." Leylin smiled and waved the Lords of Calamity on, watching their conscients converse.
These conscients conversed at the speed of thought, discussing a thousand years of information in but a second. It wasn't long before they gave Leylin a reply. The three-headed beast came forward, its goat head speaking as the human one showed a strange expression, "We accept, on the condition that you ensure the World Will honours its side."
"Of course!" Although he knew what this creature was scheming, Leylin still readily agreed.
"Very well… Upon our truesouls as beings of law, in the name of the astral plane…" The Lords of Calamity looked at each other and nodded their heads, making an oath with their truesouls. There was simply no pretense from the reverberation of the truesouls,, and they also could not mask themselves in front of Leylin's power of original sin anyway.
"Alright!" Leylin turned around and looked at the endless void.
"O' Mighty Dreamscape, I will need you to honour this agreement!"
*Rumble!* Boundless dreamforce gathered, forming a pair of furious eyes. The entire Dreamscape was seething in rage!
From the World Will's point of view, the successor of the Nightmare Absorbing Physique was supposed to kill these Lords of Calamity. Yet here he was, making agreements with them instead. This was blatant betrayal!
Purplish-gold lightning made of origin force converged in the area, possessing enough power to destroy beings of law. The crimson runes on Leylin's body writhed, as if wanting to break free.
*Rumble!* A mighty bolt of destruction crashed down, and the three-headed creature sniggered, "Haha… You're just a lackey reared by the World Will, and you actually want it to subjugate? The World Will is strong enough to take your bloodline back and not allow you to ever resurrect… Everyone, attack now! This Nightmare Absorbing Physique has a death wish!"
The human face of the creature guffawed. As for the green snake head, it opened its giant jaws and the laws of corrosion formed an acid rain.
"Don't you think I'm aware of your thoughts?" However, Leylin remained extremely calm under the double team of the lightning and rain, rendering the other Lords of Calamity uneasy, "I am different from the Nightmare King. All of my powers are of my own, and that is the same for dreamforce…"
He reached out, and a platinum barrier formed around him. The origin force armour that could repel World Wills showed its prowess, pushing Dreamscape back as the power of original sin rumbled behind his back. The Nightmare Hydra roared, continuous streams of attacks shooting forth from its nine heads to destroy the lightning in the skies.
"Don't think that you can control me like you did the Nightmare King!" Leylin had always enjoyed freedom, so how could he have been made an example of by the World Will?
Having obtained dreamforce at its peak, Leylin had constantly conducted research into absolving himself of the World Will, controlling the crests and troughs of the energy himself. With his power nearing the peak of rank 8 and his being within the World of Gods, Dreamscape had found out about it too late.
Right now, Leylin wished to suppress the Lords of Calamity and the World Will, becoming an arbitrator between the two parties. The power of original sin rumbled and repelled the dreamforce, causing the clouds in the skies to dissipate.
Having repelled the World Will, Leylin turned around and faced the three-headed beast.
"What are you trying to do? I...I...I…" The green snake head muttered, and the black goat head looked at Leylin in disbelief. It had never imagined that the Nightmare Absorbing Physique formed of dreamforce could repel the World Will itself!
"Impossible!" it raged silently, but it was too late.
"Watch, this is the outcome of betrayal." Prideguard was activated, forming a silver-white armour around Leylin's body strong enough to repel the attacks of some beings of law. Leylin moved through the corrosive rain unaffected, turning Seven Sins into a morning star that roared mightily as it landed on the creature.
Boosted by the Blessing of Greed and Fury Amplification, a mountainous force smashed the human head down in an instant, following up with the other two heads as well. Massacre Amplification and Death's Decree erased all traces of the creature's existence, completely removing any chances of its revival.
*Gulp!* *Gulp!* The Lords of Calamity just stared blankly as Leylin's mace devoured the flesh of the beast, augmented by Gluttony's Devouring and Sloth's Recovery. Even his armour was repairing itself.
What had they just seen? One of their strongest fighters had been killed by Leylin just like that?
"I don't feel any of the black goat's aura… It has three lives, and was supposed to be able to be reborn in filth…" The thundergiant grew extremely conflicted. Although she'd never liked that creature, she did acknowledge its power. However, it had died just like that! Its chances of revival were taken out, and it had been done in for good!
"So, who's next?" Having restored his peak dreamforce, Leylin looked around in satisfaction at the fearful faces of the Lords of Calamity.
"We will comply to your wishes, mighty Nightmare King!" The Eye Emissary yielded first, bowing towards Leylin with newfound sincerity.
"Don't call me the Nightmare King, I am the Lord of Original Sin, the controller of all evil across the astral plane." Leylin tossed the remaining carcass of the creature into the void, "Don't act like I'm bullying you, hurry and eat it."
The greatest difference of a World Will from a mortal was that it was an artificial intelligence, caring only about benefits. Seeing that it couldn't take Leylin down, and with something to gain from the agreement with the Lords of Calamity, it would acknowledge reality.
Space ground the body apart like a millstone, using the creature's energy to replenish the world.
'Giving your leftovers to send the World Will away, that's really…' the other Lords of Calamity criticised Leylin quietly, but they very soon changed their attitudes, "Mighty Lord of Original Sin, you are the arbitrator between us…"
"In my name of the Lord of Original Sin, I promise to bind both the Lords of Calamity and the World Will of Dreamscape together fairly, all for the sake of the world's development…" Leylin raised three fingers of his right hand and swore an oath. His voice was imposing yet dignified, and the dark path of original sin that had traces of blood rumbled behind him.
"With my path as a witness…"
*Rumble!* The entire Dreamscape trembled, as if excited upon seeing a new future, and it cheered...
Powerful dreamforce circled around Leylin, peaking with the support of the world. It turned denser in colour, as a sort of innate change occurred within it. It turned into a higher power, containing an indescribable strength. It was like all of the world's evil and dreams had been fused together, surging into Leylin's path of original sin and making it look even more perfect than before.
"Nightmare force!" The Eye Emissary exclaimed. This was the peak of the World Will's essence, something even the peak rank 8 Nightmare King hadn't been granted in the past…
Be it the Lords of Calamity or the Nightmare King, they had only a vague understanding that nightmare force was the essence of the world. Even if they were the spawn of the world, they could not receive the power of nightmare force. Leylin had instead obtained it through his own powers!
The Lords of Calamity stared at Leylin, each with different feelings…
...
Each of the Nine Hells in Leylin's divine kingdom had been separated up in an orderly manner, large groups of petitioners scurrying around the place performing their own tasks. Everything was being built up for the future, and this divine kingdom of epic proportions gave them the best protection. Disasters wrought havoc in the prime material plane, and the gods were restless, giving them valuable time to carry out their missions.
Leylin's clones walked out of the borders of his divine kingdom, where Mother Core's clone had been waiting for some time.
"This new power that you speak of is about to come?" Mother Core looked at Leylin.
"Of course, do wait and see…" The clone laughed in reply, opening a passage in the crystal sphere.
-x-X-x-
*Rumble!* The sheer number of rank 8 auras that appeared at that moment caused Mother Core to be startled. "The power of calamity… You managed to get the Lords of Calamity on your side?"
Leylin only smiled, shifting the conversation as several powerful figures passed the crystal sphere to enter the World of Gods.
"The World of Gods... A place of eternal obscurities and mysteries. The Final War has begun once more..." The Eye Emissary and Molina led six more Lords of Calamity into Baator, standing proudly in the void.
Just the gathering of such powers caused calamity to spread throughout their surroundings, causing space itself to wail. Having reached an agreement with the World Will, their powers had been restored. Free of their constraints, they no longer had to seal themselves in that jail of a world.
Leylin, the arbitrator of the contract, was someone neither side wanted to offend. He could suppress the World Will himself, and with nightmare force his power had only increased. The Lords of Calamity came along as free help.
"These eight are about as strong as intermediate evil gods. Combined, they have the power to topple an entire continent…" Leylin smiled.
Of course, he didn't oppress or exploit the Lords of Calamity. He was working together with them to gain more benefits. Dreamscape had given them a tremendous supply of energy to restore their powers, and now they had to go look for resources to replenish the world's origin force. What better a place to plunder than the World of Gods?
There were two other people here alongside the eight Lords of Calamity. One of them was a young lady with extremely fair skin, her face quite exquisite and impish. She surveyed the world around her, and eventually sighed, "The World of Gods… I've returned…"
This was Shar, the goddess-turned-Magus who had come to rule the Shadow World. She had become Leylin's subordinate after being forced into submission, being brought here for the war.
"Hmph…" Another young lady harrumphed from beside Shar. She had a bewitching expression on her face, looking more mature than her companion as each strand of her hair hissed quietly in the air.
"And the Snake Dowager!" Mother Core recognised this familiar face.
The Snake Dowager did not dare to be tardy when speaking to this peak rank 8 Magus, and she bowed slightly, "Mighty Protector of Earth! We meet once again…"
"Ten rank 8 Magi, together with your clone and Magus body…" Mother Core was now completely in shock.
This force could have helped them greatly in the last battle. Now, it was even more important to her, being able to influence the entire war.
"And you…. Your path is already perfect, and you can advance to the peak of rank 8 at any time you want…" Mother Core looked at Leylin with a complex expression. Although she'd regarded Leylin highly, she'd never thought he'd come to be of the same realm as her so quickly. His strength could not be ignored.
"Mm… The nightmare force completed my foundation. Now all I have to do is completely devour Asmodeus' essence, fusing all my laws together to form the perfect law of original sin…"Leylin didn't bother to conceal his path and plans, there was nothing now that could stop him. "I won't participate in the war before I'm at the peak of rank 8, and nor will they…"
Leylin pointed at the ten rank 8s following him, and none of them raised an objection. This surprised Mother Core even more; she'd originally thought they were just allies, but he had astonishing control over them so it couldn't be. With eleven rank 8 Magi now standing guard at Baator, even greater gods could do nothing about Leylin's advance.
This was an absolute confidence, garnered from the strength Leylin blatantly displayed. Each of these existences would be of great use to entire factions!
"I'm about to finish up with my preparations, how are things on your end?" Leylin looked at Mother Core.
"You can be at ease. I already called out to the World Will, it's slowly recovered over time and will be ready. The World of Gods was injured once again recently, so it'll be at a disadvantage." Mother Core's eyes reflected the depths of the Magus World, "We're in the process of preparing the spell formation to bring the will here. Five Magi of laws are standing guard, and we'll soon be able to bring the Magus World's will into the World of Gods immediately, changing the laws of this world…"
The few sentences that Mother Core spoke revealed a groundbreaking plan. The audacious Magi actually wanted to bring the Magus World's World Will into this world, destroying the Overgod in one blow!
"It's hard to predict success, but even in the worst case both parties will suffer grave injuries which will reduce the suppression on us."
Leylin naturally knew what these Magi were planning. Just like the gods, they didn't want their World Will to awaken completely. Even he wasn't willing to just let the World Will wake up and suppress him. He thus had no objections to their general plan.
"Alright. I'll enter a long period of seclusion now. I'll leave this to you…" A phantom of the Nightmare Hydra appeared, bringing Leylin's Magus body to the deepest parts of his divine kingdom.
"Let's go, everyone." The A.I. Chip's clone body had already reached the peak of intermediate godhood. Bringing the ten others, it shot into his divine kingdom like a shooting star. Even without the defence of a divine kingdom this lineup would put fear in the heart of any god.
'He'll most likely be peak rank 8 the next time he appears…' Mother Core looked at the divine kingdom, and light flashed in her eyes before she slowly vanished into the void.
All these events had been noticed by the gods. However, a force of eleven intermediate gods with the additional support of two greater gods and a divine kingdom derailed all their plans. Even Tyr and Lathander wouldn't dare to fight them within Leylin's divine kingdom.
As for Distorted Shadow, all traces of him had vanished. Nobody knew what he was scheming…
The plague in the prime material plane continued to spread, and the plans to move the worshippers into the divine kingdom had begun. The Filthy Evil Eye and the Chaos Lord stirred up even more havoc in the Abyss, joined by new beings of law as they headed deeper and deeper.
The aftershocks of dazzling fights lit up the skies of the various worlds, but Baator remained abnormally silent. Leylin immersed himself into finalising and perfecting his path of original sin, and the others had their own tasks to carry out. His clone managed everything else well.
...
Within the prime material plane, Doron struggled to bring the last of his belongings to a cart and tie them with a rope.
He felt like all the events of the recent past were a dream. Having expressed their rage, the burly man and Red Nose had disappeared. Farmers and even more thugs surrounded Old Holdman's villa, taking everything. Not even the door was left behind.
They'd plundered everything in sight before setting the house on fire, reducing it to nothing. Doron pitifully dragged himself back home, hiding in there endlessly in fear that guards would barge into his house and hang him at any moment.
After several days of silence, he had realised one fact. The lord had forgiven them, not arresting them at all. The event caused him to kneel on the ground and pray to the gods for their blessings.
However, everything in Old Holdman's house had been recovered a few days later. Doron then realised that his life hadn't changed in the slightest, the same as the rest of the thugs.
However, Doron was simply unable to comprehend it. That mountain of barley and grain, the gold and silver cutlery, that stack of gemstones… Where had they all gone?
He suddenly diverted all of his anger into a pawn shop in the town, but he didn't dare to take action. After all, the pawn shops were owned by a powerful lord.
Speaking of that lord, Doron remembered that villa that had been razed to the ground. Everything that Old Hoffman had owned now belonged to the him. Somehow, such a normal thing now angered him to no end.
"Those noble lords… They would rather watch the people die of hunger and sickness, and are not willing to even give a bronze coin away…" Normally, he would not harbour such treacherous thoughts, but it was different now...
-x-X-x-
Doron raised his head, looking at the murky dark skies. Crows were circling above his head, an omen of death.
A powerful plague had swept across their town once Old Holdman passed away. Some said it was a curse cast by the resentful wizard just before he died. No matter how much Doron was unwilling to believe it, it was true that the plague had caused many deaths. Even his best friend Mitch had fallen, and he was only saved from the brink of death due to Priest Rockefeller returning.
"Thank you, Lord Ilmater, for allowing Priest Rockefeller to return, and remove this curse from me…" he prayed piously.
If not for the village priest returning, he would've had to report to the underworld. He believed this had to be decreed by the Lord! If not for him, why would Priest Rockefeller to return to them and cleanse them of the plague for free?
However, he was extremely regretful that he had to leave this place of birth, his home.
"Listen, in the name of the churches… Everybody of Blackwood Village has to move to the county town and wait for further commands…" A knight ordered.
Doron looked around his cart. There were a few scattered villagers around, each carrying heavy bags like ants coming together.
This was the decree of the Lord, and the reason Priest Rockefeller had returned. All of Ilmater's worshippers were to be moved to the county town, an order that made Doron feel like the feudal lord had gone crazy when he first heard it. Were there enough homes there for them to live in?
Rockefeller had promised them that there were. As the plans for migration began, the members of the cities were given priority before the villagers.
"Wuu… My Lord, look at the wheat here first… They've grown so well… Let Old York reap them before leaving…" A farmer was carried out of the fields by a knight. He was holding onto the knight's thighs, begging him to be allowed to stay.
"No means no, do you want to disobey the Lord's order?" The armoured knight kicked the farmer away in annoyance.
Truth be told even the knight found the lord's orders odd. After all, his own manor and lands were located here as well. However, this had been decreed by both the church and the state, and they'd promised to compensate him for his losses. If not for that, he would not have complied.
'I should be given at least twice the lands I have now!' he thought with resolution. He grew louder and more violent with the villagers, scolding or even whipping them if he was unhappy.
"One by one, be inspected by the priest…" The end of the village road was swamped with carts containing the young, the old, and the disabled. Rockefeller had brought a batch of new priests and acolytes along, standing by the road and inspecting the health of every villager with a fever or bloody cough.
Those who had been diagnosed or suspected to have the plague were quarantined, and the people who passed were reportedly handed medicine that was said to repel any plagues.
The fear of the deadly plague was strong enough reason for the villagers to migrate. If some still wanted to stay of their own free will after all these rounds of intervention, the lords and the priests wouldn't bother with them anymore.
"The numbers are here, Father. Over a thousand out of the 4382 villagers have died, and the final number of those willing to migrate is 2900." An acolyte brought a parchment with a report on it to Rockefeller. He had round glasses on his face that seemed somewhat comical, but his report was given solemnly.
"Almost three thousand worshippers huh? Very well, continue!" Rockefeller nodded his head in appreciation. He looked at the snaking queue, making up his mind, 'These worshippers of our Lord must definitely be moved to a safe place!'
After the discussion in the Celestial Hall, the gods had all made it a priority for their churches to move their worshippers into their divine kingdoms. Separating the worshippers by god and moving them proved to be an extremely complicated process, troubling even the almighty gods themselves. Such big movements couldn't ever be completed without several hundred years.
The Magi wouldn't give them such time. Plague after plague struck the prime material plane, ravaging the lands and killing countless lives. Several rounds of discussion later, the gods had just decided to demarcate areas and move everyone within.
Towns like Blackwood Village with only one god were easy to move, which is why they were the first to be moved. Rockefeller had been sent back to the village to perform this task.
"Why, Priest Rockefeller, why… I am devoted to the Lord, but my son and daughter were taken from me… Why?" An old man in ragged clothing appeared at this instant, kneeling before Rockefeller as he cried.
"How dare you!" The priests and acolytes of the church grew furious. Saying such a thing in the open was blasphemy!
"Have faith… The almighty god of suffering wants us to push through this turbulent times…" Rockefeller waved the soldiers away, personally bringing the man to his feet, "Appropriate measures of agony are needed… Our Lord is kind and benevolent, he will forgive this small mistake of yours…"
Rockefeller was a complete priest, and held the highest position here. His word was law.
"Oh… God, I have sinned…" The white-haired old man weeped even louder than before, causing Doron to feel sorry for him from the side.
That small crooked body reminded him of something he'd tried to forget. He shook his head and managed to push his cart forward. Just then, Rockefeller's voice entered his ears.
"This tribulation is not something that the gods gave mankind. It is instead the beginning of the end."
"The end?" Doron was startled, and he halted unconsciously.
"Plague, war, famine, death… These are things long recorded in the prophecies of the church…" Light glowed from Rockefeller's face, causing him to look even more holy than before.
"The end of the world is fast approaching, and evils of foreign worlds have infiltrated our lands. Only the most pious of worshippers will receive salvation, obtaining eternal life in the divine kingdoms of the gods…"
Rockefeller's proclamation of the end of the world had been prepared by the church after a long period of work. The scenario it described frightened Doron out of his wits.
So the plague that they had experience was not the end, but just the beginning. Under such an influence of the proclamation, coupled with the threat of the plague and death, even the free spirits now obeyed orders and hurried along to the county town.
Rockefeller's proclamation continued, "These evils will infiltrate our earth and plunder everything we have. Life, flesh, and souls… These perpetrators of the end, these reapers of death… They are called Magi!"
After many millennia, the taboo of the Magi finally began to circulate around the World of Gods once more. The Second Dusk was fast approaching!
...
Black County Castle was only a day and a half of a horse ride from Blackwood Village. It was where Mitch had worked as a servant to Mystra's church, a place Doron had visited once before in his life. When he saw the tall limestone walls, Doron heaved a sigh of relief. He had never expected that this journey would feel this long.
He looked around apprehensively, noticing the tired and weary villagers. Some of them were even injured, and the group looked like refugees from a disaster.
This poorly formed procession of villagers would never cover much in a day of travel. Even Doron himself had tossed away many of his belongings. With the mess of this migration, many bandit groups had tried to rob them along the way. There were too few guards and priests to protect them completely.
A bandit had even charged up to Doron himself once, something the carpenter never wanted to experience again in his life.
"We can move to the divine kingdom of the Lord now that we're here, obtaining eternal life?" Doron's resolution had only lasted this far because of Rockefeller's constant boasting about the divine kingdom. However, very soon he discovered that he had been thinking too much.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!* There were large groups of troops around the city walls, all carrying spears that put great pressure on the villagers.
"Listen up! There's too many people coming over, so there will be a queue. Nobles will have priority, before villagers with an identity. As for the rest, wait outside the walls…" Many knights were shouting orders from horseback as they moved around the group.
There were simply far too many tents outside the city right now, making it seem like a massive refugee camp. Priests could be seen from time to time, casting spells or passing medicine on. Temporary church buildings glowed with a golden light, protecting the area around the city.
The churches protected the people from the plagues. If not for them, with the weak immunity of these refugees and the large numbers of people, the plague would reap all of them and ruin the gods' plans.
"Alright then… Nobles first…" The carriage of the lord slowly entered the city, as Doron watched on outside. He didn't know why, but the fires in his heart blazed even stronger.
-x-X-x-
Doron felt like there was an endless sea of people around him, more than he'd ever seen in his life. Villagers continued to stream in towards the city from the regions nearby, quickly forming a grave problem with law and order.
The food in the city was limited, so the villagers had to find ways to feed themselves. Almost every day there were some corpses being carried out of the refugee camps. In such harsh conditions, Doron waited another two weeks before it was his turn.
"Listen up! Across you is the divine kingdom of the Lord, Ilmater. Listen to the valiant spirits and petitioners when you enter…" A bishop was stood upon a platform, a large gate radiating golden light beside him. The church ordered the refugees into a line, having them make their way to the gates.
'Behind that gate is endless fertile soil, free from plagues and disaster…' Doron looked at the people ahead of him and the golden gate, eyes brimming with hope and longing. Finally, it was his turn.
'New life, here I come…' His eyes had grown wet. He sighed, preparing to bid farewell to his former life.
*Rumble!* It was then that a massive earthquake occurred.
"What's happening?" Doron was knocked to the ground. He looked on blankly as his surroundings turned dark. A winged serpent with nine heads blotted out the sun as it projected a shadow on the ground.
The entire prime material plane trembled, and the gods seethed in fury. It was at that moment that the connection between the Celestial Planes and the prime material plane was cut off.
Looking at the golden gate shatter, Doron cried out in utter despair, "NOOOOO!"
...
Some time ago, within Leylin's divine kingdom in the Nine Hells.
Shar slowly walked into Leylin's church, looking at the clone seated on his throne, "I'm done with the construction of the Shadow Weave. The wizards can only download rank 9 spells and below right now, but that should be enough…"
The impish girl handed over a ball of purple essence to Kukulkan. Even now, the fact that a mere clone wasn't weaker than her let her understand clearly just how freakishly strong Leylin was.
"The core of the Shadow Weave?" The clone took the orb with a half-smile on its face, staring at the former goddess.
Leylin had originally thought Shar would have some problems with a war against the gods, but it seemed like she didn't care much about that. Put another way, her one desire was conquest, and she was especially happy to receive the inheritance of her dead rival.
"You've done well…" Blue light flashed in the A.I. Chip clone's eyes, and the core was scanned in one glance. Then, under Shar's surprised expression, he tossed the core back to her.
"Finish rebuilding it, and have the Shadow Weave replace the original. You have more experience in this than me…" The clone smiled gently at Shar, "I'll leave the matter of recruiting the wizards to you as well."
"...." Shar cast a complicated gaze at Leylin.
He'd asked her to build the Shadow Weave once more and recruit wizards to their side! A few moments of thinking easily told her how much she could gain from such a thing.
Even if the Shadow Weave didn't grow to be as strong as the Weave that was shared amongst the gods, and the wizards would face a great loss, those who were left were still enough to support an intermediate god. Leylin had granted her such a thing so easily!
Shar remained silent for a while, finally asking, "You broke through?"
"The path of original sin does not confound me at all…" Leylin replied in a profound manner.
"Go… Take the remaining wizards under your wing… Careful with those who have too much faith. We don't want you becoming a god again…" Leylin warned.
Shar nodded and walked out expressionlessly, only leaving behind a divine clone that looked at the phantom in the sky. Given her abilities, it was easy for her to inherit Mystra's position and build a coalition of wizards. After all, she'd been a Goddess of Magic herself in the past, and she understood the World of Gods like the back of her hand. She'd be able to complete this task quite smoothly.
Furthermore, even if the wizards were useless for now their knowledge and wisdom remained intact. With experience in spellcasting, they also had a tremendous trove of knowledge. Being in dire straits, as long as Shar tossed a few bones down the alley they would pounce over like hungry mongrels.
These wizards still had their strengths, and once they had recovered their spell slots, they would regain their standing in the prime material plane. With Leylin's body advancing to the peak of rank 8, equivalent to greater gods, he needed to make preparations for war.
...
A loud hiss resounded within the depths of Baator, all negative emotions being consumed without end by the Nightmare Hydra. The power of emotions became a black mist that shrouded the space nearby.
The power of emotions condensed to a liquid form in the centre of the mist, encasing a black mountain made of crystal. Leylin's eyes opened up from within, his aura now more profound and unfathomable.
"The path of original sin represents all the evil in the world. Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Pride, Lust, Sloth and Envy… As long as intelligent life is present in the astral plane, these sins will never cease… The seven deadly sins will provoke massacre, resulting in death… This cycle shares its life with the very astral plane itself…"
Leylin felt something profound at that moment, the path of original sin appearing behind him with an explosion. It seemed to embody all the evil in the world, reaching a perfect form.
The Nightmare Hydra hissed once more, as amber light flew out of its jaws. The essence of Asmodeus was sealed within in the form of a bug, containing the root of all evil.
"The core of the seven sins, the last item of evil I need to fuse into my path of original sin… The Supreme of the Nine Hells, Asmodeus!" The path of original sin surged forward, devouring Asmodeus whole.
"NO!" Asmodeus let out one last roar as he was being devoured, but that was futile. The power of original sin completely dissolved and decomposed him, ridding him of impurities as a dark glow of light representing the essence of evil blended into Leylin's path.
[Beep!]
The path of original sin was now complete and flawless. Leylin's truesoul rejoiced, merging completely with his path.
"Now… Nightmare force, fuse!" The more powerful version of dreamforce shifted easily under Leylin's control, flooding into the river of original sin. It refined his main body, making him capable of resisting the attacks of origin force itself. The path of original sin was like the path of the very world!
"From this moment forth, I am Original Sin. As long as the power of the seven sins remains, I shall never perish!" A ringing filled the universe as the perfected path of original sin transformed into a giant Leylin with a tattoo of the Nightmare Hydra on its back. All of Leylin's laws came alive, his body filling up with their strength and causing many worlds to tremble.
[Beep! Host has perfected the path of original sin, advancing to peak rank 8…]
[Beep! Host's soul has undergone a transformation, system upgrade in progress…]
The A.I. Chip that was akin to Leylin's soul gave him some alerts before going silent. Leylin couldn't feel how much time had passed before it booted up once more, perhaps it was a day or perhaps it was several years.
[Beep! System upgrade complete. Law database completed, beginning research on laws of spacetime…
Host has advanced to peak rank 8. Stats have changed, recalculating…]
Leylin's stats were refreshed in an instant.
[Name: Leylin Farlier, Rank 8 Warlock (Limit).
Bloodline: Nine-Headed Nightmare Hydra (Complete)
Strength: 90. Agility: 100. Vitality: 130. Spiritual force: 200.
Soul Status: Soul of Original Sin (Peak).
Laws: Devouring (100%), Massacre (100%), Death (100%), Greed (100%), Wrath (100%), Pride (100%), Lust (100%), Sloth (100%), Envy (100%)
Path: Original Sin (Perfect)
Innate Talent: World Devouring.
Abilities: Dreamscape Vision, Origin Force Detection, Illusion Proficiency, Warp Reality, Epic Massacre, Death's Decree.]
Leylin took a quick glance at his stats. He was overweeningly powerful now, far surpassing even greater gods, but he was more concerned with the other information that was displayed. 'Almost everything says I'm at the peak… Does that mean I've walked to the end of my path as a Magus?'
-x-X-x-
The path of Magi was a path of truth, each and every step wrought with peril. Many, many worlds of all sizes and powers existed in the astral plane, but few could climb to the peak. A peak rank 8 had reached the limit of all aspects, leaving no more room to grow.
The only way to advance further was to use their own bodies to nurture the power of spacetime, successfully advancing to become rank 9 Grand Magi. Fail and one would be wiped from the sands of time completely, without even a chance to resurrect.
"My path shall not stop at the peak of rank 8. I WILL become a rank 9 Magus, an immortal being that transcends all existence!" Leylin's giant figure shrunk back down to the size of a normal human being. The dark mist turned into a regal robe that draped itself around him.
"The Lord of Original Sin!" Everyone congratulated Leylin upon his return. His advancement caused waves of energy to ripple throughout the astral plane, his proclamation as the Lord of Original Sin being heard by every being of laws. There was no pretense in the congratulations of Mother Core and the rest, only containing respect for truth and improvement.
"You've waited long enough," Leylin said with an apologetic face, seeing the suppressed killing intent in the Lords of Calamity, "But now, we may rejoice. The real battle is about to begin!"
Leylin had promised Mother Core that he would participate in the Final War once he advanced to the peak of rank 8. Now was the time to fulfill that promise!
*Boom!* The perfect power of original sin spread out from Leylin's arms, turning into a crimson-veined darkness.
The Lords of Calamity avoided his gaze with fervour. Seeing Leylin seemed to remind them of their worst nightmares. The same went even for Mother Core, her large eye shifting away as she didn't dare to make eye contact.
"Innate spell— Nine-Headed Nightmare Hydra Transformation!" Leylin's body was wrapped up by the power of original sin, expanding as it morphed into the physical form of the Nightmare Hydra. As the primogenitor of the entire bloodline, each piece of his flesh was incomparably real.
*Hiss!* The Nightmare hydra spread apart its nine pairs of wings, blotting out the entire world as it vanished from the divine kingdom. The black mist whizzed through the air, roaming freely around the lower planes as he reached the Barrens of Doom and Despair.
Leylin followed the oozing river, flying across the Fugue Plane before the gods could even react. He'd reached the end of the Barrens of Doom and Despair in an instant, arriving at a large door located at the Peaks of Flame.
The Nightmare Hydra roared as its nine serpent heads spat out the powers of laws, immediately blasting the large gate into bits. It continued moving all the while, not even stopping at the entrance.
...
The gods entered a frenzy the moment the Nightmare Hydra crossed the gates. It was like a calamity had befell them.
"It's the nightmare of the gods! The Night Serpent is here!" Many avatars arrived at the Celestial Hall, their eyes filled with worry.
"The final prophecy of the Goddess of Prophecy before her fall, the Serpent of the End… Are we at the end times?" Oghma clutched his beard in vexation.
"Forget why he knows about the secret in the Barrens of Doom and Despair, do we have the time to get there?" The Morninglord was someone who believed in action.
"No… That area is the end of all things. Teleporting there is impossible even for deities, and it's the same for the oozing river and the Fugue Plane…" another greater god answered.
"Then why could he traverse those lands so quickly?" Lathander frowned, and Tyr did as well.
"Because his speed already surpasses all of us. He represents the end of everything, containing the same essence as the Barrens of Doom and Despair. He won't be suppressed by the oozing river and the Fugue Plane…" Oghma collapsed to the ground in despair. "We can only hope that the final guardian will emerge victorious…"
All the gods cast their gazes behind the door, despair and more complicated emotions filling their faces.
...
*Boom!* Past the door was a land of unimaginable heat and blazing fires. A boundless ball of fire floated in front of Leylin, radiating large amounts of heat.
"The sun…" The Nightmare Hydra roared in indignation, activating the power of Prideguard. The heat that could melt all metals didn't affect Leylin one bit.
"Let's follow the prophecies of the gods then, and end the world!" The Nightmare Hydra roared and moved forward.
"Wait, Magus!" Just as Leylin was about to take action, another massive figure walked through the door and stopped him in his tracks.
This was evidently a god, yet he took on the figure of a beast like a gigantic monster. The golden light radiating from his body was at the peak of power, and he gave off an ancient, archaic aura.
"The Father of Dinosaurs, Creator of Chult, Ubtao! You've been missing for millennia from the Church of Nature… So this is where you were all this while…" Leylin's voice sounded from the hydra's central head.
"To stop the Serpent of the End and protect the world is my calling!" Even if this monstrous god looked extremely malevolent, he actually radiated the power of justice and hope.
"Guarding the sun and protecting the world may be righteous to you, I admit. But… Defeating the entire World of Gods and winning the war for the Magi is true righteousness for me…" Leylin had nothing much to say to someone who stood on the enemy side.
*HISS!* *ROAR!* Two massive figures collided in the void, the aftermath of their collision so strong even the sun had to avoid the energy.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Space was destroyed in their fight, disintegrating into the tiniest of pieces as multiple worlds rumbled and roared. They hadn't felt such destructive force since the dusk of the gods.
"You are indeed a powerful god of ancient times, but your time is over. You can't compare to me in any aspect, Ubtao…" The Nightmare Hydra roared, and under Leylin's powers of original sin Ubtao's body was riddled with holes. The peak of a path's power, replenished continuously from the beings of the entire astral plane, let Leylin exceed the peak of rank 8 in power. Even Distorted Shadow in his prime would have to give way to him!
"Protecting the world is the mission the overgod gave me." The powerful beast roared out, a raging aura forming at its jaws.
"Stubborn…" The Nightmare Hydra opened its jaws, chomping down hard on Ubtao. A crimson light appeared from the vertical pupil, entering Ubtao's head.
"Ubtao!" The fortified defences of Ubtao's soul were corroded away just like that, and Leylin appeared in front of him with Seven SIns in hand.
Leylin roared out, swinging a large battle axe down on Ubtao's truesoul. A forthright middle-aged man parried the attack, using a dinosaur claw that looked like a crossblade.
"Wrath!" Leylin shouted just one word in the moment of the collision. The head of wrath appeared behind him, causing Ubtao to lose his concentration. Although his soul could not be corrupted by Leylin, a momentary lapse of awareness was a fatal mistake in such a high-level fight.
*Boom!* Seven Sins broke the dinosaur claw apart, continuing downwards as it pierced into Ubtao's skull. It carried the powers of Death and Massacre, destroying everything.
*Boom! Boom!* Ubtao's truesoul was destroyed, followed by his body constructed with divine force. An ancient god fell just like that, causing multiple worlds to weep.
"No one, no thing can stop me!" The Nightmare Hydra howled out, heading above the sun.
The sun of the World of Gods was quite different from the other stars of the astral plane. It was extremely large and hot, almost as big as a world! It was projected into multiple different planes, providing a continuous stream of energy to the Celestial Planes and the prime material plane.
It was at this moment that a dark shadow appeared above it.
"Innate spell— World Devouring!" The Nightmare Hydra body grew incomparably large, and its nine heads formed into one huge maw, hissing as a terrifying stormy black hole appeared at the Devouring Serpent's head. Heat could not escape, nor could small particles, not even light could escape this!
The black hole grew larger and larger, growing into the maw of a beast that swallowed the entire sun whole!
*Boom!* Beings of multiple worlds saw a horrifying scene— A winged serpent which covered the skies had gulped the sun down!
-x-X-x-
The sun of the World of Gods represented the law of light, being the source of energy for most secondary planes. The prime material plane, the various outer planes, even the divine kingdoms of the gods had grown accustomed to harnessing its energy, making it a natural condition for many things to grow.
Such things were normally taken for granted. Only when it was lost would one experience true horror! Multiple worlds entered darkness when Leylin devoured the sun, causing many beings to weep and wail. They all prayed to the gods, but to no avail.
Lathander's face grew ashen in the Celestial Hall. He was the Morninglord, someone closely connected to the sun's glory. With the sun devoured, he suffered heavy injuries.
*Crash!* His pedestal shattered immediately as he fell down the ranks. He'd become a lesser god in an instant, about to fall if not for several other greater gods helping him.
"Argh… My sun! Dendar!" He roared in rage once his divine force stabilised, his expression contorting.
However, several evil gods looked at him in a different manner. The Morninglord was someone at odds with evil, and he offended them regularly. If not for the Magus infiltration uniting them all, they would definitely have attacked and killed him right away.
*Boom!* Multiple explosions sounded out in the Celestial Hall, as all the gods of the sun and light fell from grace. Lathander was actually lucky, several intermediate and lesser gods had just died immediately! It was like when the moon exploded, their fates extremely pitiable.
The gods in the Celestial Hall blanked out, unable to recover from the shock.
"Not good!" Oghma exclaimed, "Our plans to migrate our worshippers to our divine kingdoms… Even if we can create light and heat inside our divine kingdoms, we won't be able to fulfill the requirements… Our gates were built on the sun's energy, they'll need to be rebuilt!"
Divine kingdoms were supported by faith, but they also used several other energy sources as well. The sun was chief amongst them. Gods were extremely stingy beings, so they'd rather use convenient things like the sun and the Weave to reduce their consumption of divine force when they constructed their divine kingdoms.
With the ability to warp reality, gods could indeed create small suns in their divine kingdoms. However, this would consume divine force, a precious resource that came from the faith of their worshippers!
The prime material plane was wrought with disaster, and the Weave had been destroyed. The gods would have to struggle if they couldn't expend their resources at times like these, but Oghma had discovered that they were at a deadlock. They needed worshippers to win this war, but now they needed the power of faith to move their worshippers into their divine kingdoms… They didn't have the resources right now to do so, which meant their worshippers would dwindle as the prime material plane was wracked by disaster.
This vicious cycle was the root of Leylin's strategy, striking at the foundation of the gods and shattering it. His own divine kingdom was in Baator, and in the worst case he could just turn all his worshippers into devils. The worst that could happen was the loss of a puppet controlled by the A.I. Chip. On the other hand, the gods would have to give their very lives up!
...
Doron sat paralysed on the ground within the prime material plane, unable to bother about the belongings that meant the world to him. He was staring up at the sky, his mouth wide open.
What had he just seen? Nine heads had suddenly appeared in the sky, merging into one and swallowing the sun! And then?
Darkness! Darkness enveloped the world, causing him to strain his eyes to see anything at all. He almost felt like he was dreaming.
The camp had descended into chaos. Wailing and weeping resounded throughout the city, the end of the world that the priests had warned them off had actually arrived! The innate fear that caused was enough for a person to suffer a mental breakdown!
"Don't panic, be still!" Holy light radiated from the priests' hands, barely illuminating their surroundings. Doron saw only fear on the faces of the others, some of them scared silly. The sun being swallowed was like the skies collapsing!
"Check the teleportation gate!" the bishop ordered.
The priests went up quickly, but after several failed attempts they reported back helplessly, "Not good… The door to the divine kingdom has been destroyed. The Lord's divine kingdom has shifted as well, so we'll need to relocate."
"Then what are you waiting for?!" The bishop frowned, but very soon his expression changed again.
"The Lord has sent a decree! Stop all plans to shift the worshippers…" Fear shrouded the bishop's face as he spoke of the holy decree word by word.
"What?" The priests were shaken. All along they'd believed that the Lord's divine kingdom would save them even if the prime material plane lost the sun and headed for doom. However, the plans had been halted. It was like they'd been kicked off the ark that was supposed to shelter them from the apocalypse!
The news wasn't kept secret, spreading very quickly. The refugees quickly began to howl and clamour, with even the paladins and knights unable to maintain order anymore. They themselves could no longer determine their own future and fate! There were even some who joined the ranks of the refugees in their outburst.
"Everyone, quiet! We…" The bishop saw things go south, but it was already too late to fix the situation. The clamour grew louder and louder, eventually becoming a violent mob. Doron was caught up as well.
A wave of rioters surged forth, stomping, kicking, and cursing incessantly. Many were trampled to death under the stampede, grabbing the priests and night in despair as they used any and every weapon available to them to vent their resentment and despair. Some officials were even torn to shreds.
The mob finally lit a large fire, tossing everyone who couldn't escape inside it. The priests and knights were gobbled up by the fire as the rioters watched their struggles in happiness.
*Buzz!* Doron was at the outer perimeter of the rioters, still managing to maintain his rationality. It was at this moment that his ears picked up a large buzzing noise.
"Strange, what's that?" He raised his head, seeing a giant green bee in front of him. It opened its mouth, letting more bugs fall down.
"Argh!" The rioter closest to the fire had his face pierced by the vile bugs, each the size of a human head. Their sharp stings immediately pierced through his skin, causing him to leak blood profusely as he screamed in agony.
The wailing suddenly stopped. The bug had already pierced through his brain.
"Argh… Monster! MONSTER!" Screams resounded as everyone beat a retreat, clearing up the area quickly. Adventurers and soldiers moved forward, attacking the bodies of these bugs with sharp swords.
A corrosive green substance fell to the ground as the bugs died, but the few kills had no impact whatsoever. The bugs began to blot out the skies, with hundreds of thousands, even millions of them descending upon the prime material plane. Several Professionals were killed in a short time.
The buzzing continued to grow louder, coupling with the screams to form a sort of living hell.
"It's fire! They were attracted by the fire!" Doron's outstanding observational abilities led him to discover that there were more bugs gathered around the fire. He screamed out his discovery, dropping the torch in his hands as he ran into the darkness.
...
"Your Excellency Leylin, what do you think of this batch of Lightkiller Bugs?" A giant colony of hives had been erected within the marshlands of the prime material plane, giant green bugs swarming out from the hives.
Leylin was alongside Mother Core, looking at these bugs that blotted out the sky, destroying everything in their paths.
"This is a lower bound of the colony's strength. Once enough flesh and souls are harvested, it will evolve to produce stronger and stronger units comparable to Morning Stars and even Breaking Dawns… The strongest broodmothers could even become beings of law!" Mother Core seemed to be flaunting to Leylin.
"There's already forty different hives here. Our final target is to have them kill all the humans in the prime material plane…" she said indifferently. Even billions of lives were of no concern to an existence on her level.
"I really do have to thank you for your help." Mother Core was thankful for Leylin devouring the sun. Her innate speed couldn't let her enter the Barrens of Doom and Despair as fast or as easily as Leylin could from the Fugue Plane, so she'd only been able to watch on as Leylin completed the task.
"With you devouring the sun, our preparations are now complete…" Mother Core's massive figure appeared, and a killing intent emanated from her body. "In this Final War, we must destroy the glory of the gods!"
-x-X-x-
Darkness! Many worlds had been thrust into a sudden darkness.
The sun in the World of Gods was the core of many planes, and it was undoubtedly essential to the growth of many beings. Days after Leylin devoured it temperatures had plummeted down to 0 degrees in the various planes. The frigid cold seeped through the worlds, affecting the prime material plane greatest of all.
Without the radiance of the sun, life had entered a standstill. The gods lost a powerful source of energy, and were rendered unable to bring more worshippers into their divine kingdom. The survivors of the prime material plane would come to call this period the Dark Ages, a time ruled by death and solitude, famine and plague, a generation where all hope was lost.
Three days after the sun was devoured the prime material plane had turned into an icy hell. Large areas of growth withered within the month, dying without sunlight to nurture them. All food supplies were depleted by the year, as famine struck the world.
However, even the weakest and smallest of lives were astonishingly resilient. The creatures of the prime material plane were like cockroaches in the darkness, eking out an existence even as civilisation was replaced by savagery. Even the beloved humans turned into barbarians.
Year 5 of the Dark Ages, where Faulen Island had been located in the past.
A portal opened up from Baator, and Leylin's figure stepped out. Although this was just a clone, the might of a being of law was still enough to shake the lands.
"It's already become like this?" His mind scanned his family's lands in but a moment. The pearl of the south was now filled with death, the grey limestone walls dusty and about to break. Skeletons littered the ground, with absolutely no traces of human life in the vicinity. Even other creatures were few and far between.
*Chirp!* Several black figures scrambled out of a pile of bones, blinking their large green eyes. Their pupils were like two jade flames in the darkness as they looked around and hurriedly left the area.
"Rats?" Leylin expressed kindness and gentility to such weak creatures that would never be able to harm him. If not, a tiny bit of his Magus radiation would kill all life here.
"Adaptation to the environment is necessary, huh?" Leylin recorded the figures of those rats in his A.I. Chip. They were ten times as large as they were before the Dark Ages, the fur changing colour from black to more grey as it grew thicker to keep them warm.
"The mutation is too fast… just a few years. Is this happening under the influence of the laws in the world? The Overgod is still unwilling to see the prime material plane perish just like that…" Leylin sighed.
Evolution normally required tens or even hundreds of thousands of years, determined by the natural environment of the creature. However, even though it was sleeping, the World Will could bring about such changes much faster, giving the inhabitants of the world a chance to adapt to their surroundings. As the rats scurried away, the change was now more evident than before.
"So the animals had their genetics adjusted to the environment… But the humans seem to be a little bit slower…" The island told Leylin enough to extrapolate to the current situation of the world. "The gods are paying more attention, it seems like they still want to migrate their worshippers…"
Leylin's motive of devouring the sun wasn't just to destroy the prime material plane. The World of Gods had a unique system of laws to it, in which the sun had played an extremely important part. Its loss was like a building losing its foundation, causing many mysterious changes like the shift of spacetime coordinates.
This affected the divine kingdoms as well. The gods fumbled to find the new coordinates of their divine kingdoms, unable to attend to the changes in the prime material plane. It had taken them years to regain their bearing, stabilising their own camps in the prime material plane before beginning to launch a counterattack.
Leylin's clone came to the prime material plane under such circumstances, exploring the changes caused by the Dark Ages and the influence of the gods on the land.
"Desolate… Incomparably desolate…" The clone retracted all the radiance of its aura, looking just like a regular wizard as he made his way towards the continent.
Even the depths of the ocean had few creatures now. Even as the perpetrator, Leylin released a sigh as he saw these circumstances. Of course, there was a limit to his sympathy, it wasn't like he'd make a different decision if the events played out the same way. The only good gods to the Magi were those who'd fallen, so they would take all measures to weaken their opponents.
...
The disorderly survivors in the mainland were unaware of the events in the southern seas, and even if they did they wouldn't care one bit. Right now, they'd already grown completely numb to everything.
Surviving and fighting were their only concerns, civilisation forgotten as savagery took its place. The glory of the prime material plane was gone in a mere few years, onle leaving behind zombies in its wake.
"I'm going out!" Doron gripped the jacket and leather armour on his body. The dirty leather gave off a putrid stench, filled with traces of blood. However, despite the number of patches on it, he hugged his buffed jacket tightly, giving him a bit of warmth in the frigid cold.
"Come back safely!" a voice sounded from the short room behind him, a pair of beautiful eyes in the doorway. The eyes seemed to fill his body with vigour and strength, making him forget all regrets as he left the hut and strode forward.
The icy winds whistled, the walls of the city encased in a layer of ice that caused Doron's memories to switch to his warm hut. However, the hunger he felt right now reminded him of something; it wasn't just himself, the lady waiting for him back home would die of hunger if he couldn't find anything.
"Damn it!" Doron cursed, clenching the only valuable item he owned, a gleaming sword, and walking forward.
He'd been living this life ever since the Dark Ages, thinking many times that this was only a nightmare. However, this nightmare was so long it caused him to weep.
He'd only found the secret of the bugs by chance back in that camp, being able to escape because he was at the edge of the mob. He'd conveniently helped himself to a dead paladin's sword then, the same sword that was now his treasure.
However, all of his luck had been used up in his escape. There was still plenty of food. Even if crops couldn't be grown anymore, they already had abundant harvests. He'd roamed through an empty village, using its resources to feed himself for over a month.
However, those days did not last. Food ran out, plague spread once more, and the bugs stole the lives of the people. He tried to join several mercenary groups, but he couldn't last for more than a month. Either the plague or the hunger took them every time, leaving him alone behind. The bugs had gotten smarter as well, attacking the humans in groups.
What terrified him was that those green Lightkiller Bugs were the lowest life forms of the beasts. Their strength had grown continuously over the years, and Doron had met one the height of a two-storey building already. It seemed like a massive red bug that crunched a paladin in one of his parties into two pieces. Several close shaves with death later, Doron had settled himself in this area.
He looked around once more in caution. This place was a normal gathering point, seeming like an extremely large refugee camp, but there were specialities to it. The walls were extremely thick, and windows were small or nonexistent. Spears were laid around the circumference, making it look like a small fortress.
After the survivors had escaped from the first onslaught of the bugs, they had depended on these defences. Some of the huts even had bloodstains of the bugs on their roofs.
A distant warhorn sounded at this moment, and more warriors walked out of their rooms and converged into a large army. The atmosphere grew stifling, and all that could be heard was the cries of the women.