Begin
'She got the remaining gods to completely exclude me…' Leylin grinned coldly within his divine kingdom, 'So that's her power? Indeed, with control of the Weave and the backing of the gods of magic she has allies aplenty…'
His grin only grew wider as he recalled what Mystra had whispered to him after being ousted from the Celestial Hall.
'She's threatening me to hand over Shar's location?' Leylin rubbed his chin in interest as he thought about Mystra's conditions, 'Seems like she's scared… She thinks Shar is hiding behind my back and scheming something… True, she would be an idiot if she did not not suspect anything after I demonstrated my ability to use the Shadow Weave…'
Leylin recalled the information he had at hand. Shar and Mystra had been rivals from before the dusk of the gods, their schemes against each other unending. Mystra had eventually been allowed to become the Goddess of the Weave, letting her advance to become a greater god.
'She's focused on Shar now, thinking I know her location…' Leylin found it extremely hilarious. 'However… Even if I told her that Shar was in the Shadow World of the astral plane, how would she exit the crystal sphere? And assuming she does, what'll she do about the Magi waiting right there to attack her from all sides?'
"Now that things have fallen to this stage, she'll most likely keep this up…" After some consideration, Leylin had rejected her conditions. His eyes flashed as one of his avatars appeared at the border of his divine kingdom.
*Rumble!* The power of magic surged violently at the borders of Baator, many wizard souls forming a large spell formation with the Weave. Each one of them had stern faces, casting different dazzling spells. An army of golems was beside them, their metal surfaces filled with runes as all their cannons and other weapons were aimed at Leylin's divine kingdom.
A goddess was standing at the front of this army of magic. She had an extremely exquisite face, looking so fragile that one breath could break her. Her snow-white skin and starry eyes combined with the dazzling light shining off her body to radiate divine dignity.
"Isn't ousting me from the Celestial Hall enough to quell your rage, Mystra?" the avatar asked.
"I cannot tolerate it anymore. Kukulkan, God of Massacre. Give me Shar's location immediately, or face my army of wizards." Mystra's expression turned icy, "Submit to me, and you will gain the friendship of a greater god."
The subordinates continued chanting after she spoke, the combined spell forming with a powerful flurry of energy. Each of them had the strength of a high-ranked wizard with the unlimited support of the Weave, the energy they consumed to cast spells immediately replenished by Mystra's divine force.
"A threat? This is your usual style…" Leylin was currently under extreme pressure. His faith in the prime material plane had suffered, and the worshippers he did have were being detained by Kelemvor. He'd also been at war with the devils for decades, and Mystra had just ousted him from the Celestial Hall. Even with all this, she immediately came knocking on his door to threaten him.
The Goddess of the Weave thought Leylin would submit quickly with the size of his divine kingdom, not costing much at all.
However, not everything worked according to this goddess' will. Leylin had prepared for this the moment he was kicked out of the Celestial Hall.
"SUBMIT!" "SUBMIT!" "SUBMIT TO THE LADY!"
Leylin only shook his head at Mystra and the chanting of her subordinates. "Mystra," he said sternly, "I ask sincerely, consider this once more. Do you really want to wage war with me? You won't be able to face the consequences."
'How?' Mystra's mighty will trembled th that instant, and she seemed to feel a scary omen.
However, she was a greater god! That fear was followed by utter disgrace, 'I actually fear a lesser god? Even if he's related to Shar and that legend of that Nightmare Serpent… Dammit!'
She had only hesitated for that one moment. Her thoughts moved towards her allies in Tyr, Kelemvor, and the others she'd made after the battle of the north. Her forces had almost doubled since then.
"Indeed. If you still continue to resist, then there can only be war!" Mystra waved her hands, and powerful spells surpassing even the legendary realm began to converge.
"In that case," Leylin's avatar slowly vanished. He appeared with his main body, carrying a strange circular disc.
"What are you trying to do?" Mystra grew extremely wary. After all, it was inconceivable for a god to step out of their divine kingdom with their true body. Furthermore, she felt a strange chill being emitted from that strange plate.
"If you want war… Then war it is…" Leylin Faulen smiled gently, but it looked extremely malevolent in Mystra's eyes.
...
Many Magi of laws had already gathered together outside the crystal sphere of the World of Gods.
"As was decided, Mother Core and Leylin will decide upon the first batch of Magi to descend. Is that alright?" Ignox looked at the surrounding Magi, a large bone timepiece in his hands.
It wasn't just the Magus World. Existences from the Purgatory World, Icy World, and many others were present here. This included the Nefarious Filthbird and Trial's Eye.
"No problem!" "I concur!"
The other Magi agreed. Leylin and Mother Core had been given exclusive rights to decide the first batch of Magi to descend, granting them a lot of benefits. Leylin's own aura had already become extremely hard to fathom, and nobody knew what his current strength was.
"It has begun… The destiny of billions of years… The final war with the gods…" many existences muttered to themselves, many emotions welling up within them.
It was at this moment that they saw a small hole opening on the crystal wall, intertwining with evil intent. Merciless roars sounded out as several of them launched themselves through.
...
"Then I shall fulfill your wish." Kukulkan was looking at Mystra with a faint trace of pity, "The Manderhawke Plate… Show your power to connect worlds!"
He tossed the strange plate in the air. Countless repairs and improvements had brought it to a new level of completion, and it dazzled in the air as milky white light formed a passage connecting the World of Gods to outside the crystal sphere.
All of the gods watched on incredulously as their eternal wall, the unbreakable wall fortified by the Overgod, slowly melted away to reveal a passage to the outside. Several overpowering auras rushed inside, carrying the power of evil.
"Haha… It's indeed the World of Gods!"
"I can smell the aura of the gods, and these souls… More beautiful than a skylark!"
"Kill… The divinity and ichor of the gods will fertilise my lands, until truth is found and eternity attained…"
...
"What's happening?" All the legendary beings of the world immediately shifted their gazes to this region. The mysterious evil aura seemed to dig ancient memories out of their minds.
"This magic… MAGI!" Oghma was the first to exclaim, "Heavens… the ancient dusk of the gods, is it about to happen again?"
The frightening news instantly echoed through all the divine kingdoms, alerting even the demons of the Abyss and the devils of Baator.
"Magus! You're a Magus!' Mystra was stumped when she saw Leylin's true rank 7 body standing behind his clone. Her following screams almost pierced through the skies.
[Beep! Host is a rank 35 arcanist.]
"In my name as a Magus…" Leylin walked forward, powerful origin force welling up within him as it carried the intent of the Magus World's World Will. Many Magi of laws roared out.
[Outer Weave 100% analysed, Inner Weave at 50%.]
"I announce…" The World Crystal covering the overgod's throne in the Celestial Hall began to tremble. The entire world seemed to roar out in grief.
The one that felt these changes the greatest was Mystra. She looked at Leylin's Magus body, and the fear she felt from that familiar aura almost caused her to turn around and run away.
However, it was too late.
[Beep! All conditions met, rank 12 arcane spell, Karsus' Avatar— Activated!]
"LET THE FINAL WAR BEGIN!"
Crumble
Karsus' Avatar had been launched! Leylin was going to take over the Weave, effective immediately!
He'd tried the spell he'd inherited from Distorted Shadow once before when he was in the Shadow World. Although there had been many side effects to it, he'd managed to get rid of Shar and obtain victory in one move. The A.I. Chip had been improving it ever since, and now it was as powerful as a rank 8 spell from the Magus World as it barrelled towards Mystra.
*Rumble!* The entire World of Gods trembled as the Weave materialised all around it, brimming with boundless energy.
"Mystra…" Leylin turned towards the goddess, proclaiming, "Your everything, is now mine."
'So he was the one I feared all this while, with strength that could claim my life at any time…' Mystra's enlightenment had come all too late, at her dying breaths. With control of the Weave shifting to Leylin, her true body revealed itself. Her face was filled with fear as the silverflame on her body raged out of control, engulfing her entirety.
...
"NO!" "HOW?" Gasps of exclamation were heard from the upper planes and even the underworld. Mystra's divine kingdom crumbled away, falling into the infinite void.
"Our Lady… why would the Lady…" Mystra's priests wept in the prime material plane, feeling the great agony of divine power being stripped from their bodies.
Even more shocking was the scene outside Leylin's divine kingdom. The petitioners in the place collapsed lifelessly, their auras waning as their bodies disintegrated. Several valiant spirits and holy spirits tried to resist, but with Leylin's control of the Weave they were wiped out immediately as well.
'The Weave of the World of Gods…' Despite prior experience with the World of Gods, Leylin felt an extreme burden on him the moment he took over the Weave. He felt like a little boy trying to use a large axe, about to hurt himself at any moment.
'The Weave is incompatible with my domain. Fusing with it by force will only taint my path…' Leylin concluded immediately after he wiped the army out, 'On top of that, there's still problems even if the A.I. Chip optimised the spell…'
At the same time, Leylin Farlier sneered as he felt a force of distortion congeal in the void.
"You want to control me to release your conscient? Dream on… Collapse!" With Karsus' Avatar giving him the Weave, Kukulkan ordered its destruction immediately. This wiped out the divine role of the Weave in itself, and explosions sounded out as the network of purple veins that covered the world broke apart. The sound of weeping travelled across multiple worlds.
*Boom!* An explosion rocked the Celestial Hall the moment the Weave was destroyed, coming from the Overgod's throne.
Many wizards were shocked by the destruction of the Weave. The construct that they'd used from the start had lost all connection to them, and any who were casting a spell at the time of collapse suffered from an explosive backlash that left them without a complete corpse. With the Weave gone, all of the wizards in the world had become worthless!
As for the gods, they roared in rage. They'd lost the channel they used to acquire faith and converse with their worshippers. The convenient Weave gone, it was a disaster to have to expend the divine force it took to contact or bless their worshippers directly.
The so-called strongest system of the World of Gods had disappeared just like that. Even the devastation it caused right away was only the surface, the heavy repercussions of this loss only to be felt much later.
Still, the most dangerous effect of the destruction of the Weave had revealed itself.
"Jeje…" "Hahaha…" The core of the Weave revealed itself, and the seal that the gods had built to trap the conscients of many fallen Magi was broken apart. Leylin opened the doors of this prison, allowing these hardened criminals to escape!
Mortals, Professionals, various creatures… They all raised their heads, only to see the sky swamped with darkness as the moon connected to the Weave shone brightly in the skies. The Weave continued to crumble apart, severing its connection to the moon as dozens of powerful evil laughs escaped into the prime material plane.
"The moon! The moon has changed!" The white moon turned a dark purple to the shock of the mortals. A large, vile eye opened up in the centre, seemingly watching over the World of Gods.
"So the conscients were sealed in the moon, huh?" Leylin looked at the now-black moon, grinning, "BREAK!"
*Rumble!* The eye on the moon shattered to the tune of Leylin's roar, several dark shadows immediately covering the world in darkness as they spread out.
"We may have been forgotten by the passage of time, but we shall never forget. VENGEANCE AGAINST THE GODS!" The fragment of a peak rank 8 Magus resurrected itself, turning into a great evil that caused the gods to turn green. The shattering Weave continued to affect the entire world, only abated by the sea of origin force doing its best to suppress the violent ripples of energy.
"The Overgod is acting? Pity, trying to stop the effects of the Weave breaking will only aggravate your wounds," Leylin said grimly.
The attack that should have destroyed more than half the world had been suppressed by the Celestial Hall. However, Leylin felt it more effective to deal the Overgod a serious injury than destroy some plains or kill a billions useless creatures.
"You… YOU DARE!" Kukulkan moved to encircled a power of distortion, causing a black figure to appear behind him and howl in rage.
"Distorted Shadow… You wished to make use of me and inserted a backdoor into Karsus' Avatar. Don't think I'm unaware of your wishes to escape the Weave." A golden net began to cover Leylin's clone, extending to the warped shadows nearby, "My path was never the path of the gods. Here, suffer the backlash of the Weave with me!"
Kukulkan laughed maniacally as several golden lights escaped from his body to be absorbed by the main body.
There was a serious flaw to Karsus' Avatar. Nobody in the astral plane could withstand an instant transfer of the Weave's authority to them, even Shar would need to spend ten thousand years adapting. On top of that, Leylin had destroyed the Weave after he gained control of it. The backlash from such an act was so devastating even the Overgod would be grievously injured. The spell was but a deathwish.
But now, Leylin's Magus body had begun to reap the fruits of his labour in the World of Gods. Although the clone perished together with Distorted Shadow under the backlash, he remained indifferent. He'd already made preparations to transfer what was important.
[Beep! Clone's comprehension of laws received— Massacre: 100%, Greed: 100%, Death: 100%.]
The killing of the greater god to obtain the Weave had pushed Kukulkan's law of death to completion. The clone would likely have added death to his portfolio, but as a Magus Leylin had no need for that.
"I was prepared to lose this clone ever since I named it Kukulkan…" When he'd sent the clone into the World of Gods, Leylin had been prepared to give up on it completely. The clone would have to bind its powers to faith and worshippers, something that disagreed with his roots. Even a greater god would die without faith, and Leylin considered that simply too sorrowful.
As a Magus, he was different. Every ounce of his strength belonged to him and him alone. Nobody could take it away!
The Path
Devouring, massacre, greed, and death… Various powerful laws converged in Leylin's body, causing him to grow without end. The path to becoming a rank 8 Magus was the control of several laws, and with three new laws added Leylin quickly broke through from the peak of rank 7.
Everything fell into place. Even just one of death or massacre could have brought him to rank 8, but with four different laws condensing together he broke through to a different realm entirely.
A terrifying phantom Targaryen appeared behind his back, hissing like an ancient ruler of beasts. Its body guarded by fine crimson scales covered the skies, and it flapped its devilish wings as its single horn radiated terror. The most intriguing of all was its third eye, the pupil within that was as large as a star containing a trace of cold-blooded indifference.
The Targaryen was a representation of the laws Leylin comprehended. Every scale contained the power of laws so strong that another Magus could comprehend some of a law just by looking at it. It was extremely precious for Magi ranked 4 to 8.
Now, even more laws were infused into these scales. Death, massacre, and greed converged in a whirlpool as the Targaryen continued to grow. The creature hissed as multiple bulges appeared at its neck.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Three loud explosions rang out at the Targaryen's neck as three more heads popped out, carrying the new laws Leylin had obtained. They were slightly smaller than the original, having neither the horn nor the third eye, but other than that they were identical.
Many more heads grew beside these four as well. However, they seemed illusory, as if they lacked something important that prevented them from materialising.
"A rank 8 Magus needs to comprehend multiple laws To reach the peak of rank 8 one needs to comprehend their own path, cultivating their own set of laws…" The serpent howled as Leylin's spoke, each note causing the astral plane to tremble.
"My path is the root of all evil. With dreamforce as the foundation I shall fuse gluttony, greed, and wrath, pride, lust, sloth, and envy. This shall couple with massacre and death, forming the path of original sin."
"Henceforth, I am the Lord of Original Sin!" Leylin's voice at this moment travelled across the entire astral plane. Dreamscape trembled with joy, it's origin force converging as Leylin unleashed a dark red dreamforce at the peak of its power.
With the Nightmare Absorbing Physique having sacrificed a Lord of Calamity to the world, Dreamscape gave Leylin the highest level of access to its origin force. Using it to fuse his laws would not be a problem.
*Hsss!* The four-headed Targaryen roared, using the law of devouring that mutated from devouring to fuse massacre, death, and greed. Crimson dreamforce catalysed the fusion, forming the basis of a perfect path.
An incomplete, seemingly weak light shone right into the phantom Targaryen. Leylin's path having materialised, the beast underwent a complete transformation. Crimson light covered its body during the act, before fading to reveal a massive and powerful figure in the Targaryen's place.
This creature had nine pairs of devilish wings, each wide enough to cover an entire world. The scales on its body were now black, interlaced with complicated crimson runes. Nine malevolent heads roared in different directions, four real and five illusory. The head in the centre, the one with the horn and third eye, was radiating an incredibly powerful aura.
This aura far surpassed rank 7, pointing towards a path that led to truth.
[Beep!] the A.I. Chip soudned out, [Host bloodline has advanced, approaching the limit of its roots. Retrieving stats… The Targaryen Serpent's genes have been transformed, reaching perfection. Analysing law runes…]
As if dictated by something like fate, the A.I. Chip returned with a truename for this nine-headed serpent, [Beep! Host bloodline's truename is now Nine-Headed Nightmare Hydra(incomplete).
Law of devouring has evolved under the influence of the bloodline— Devour is now an innate rank 8 spell.]
'Nine-Headed Nightmare Hydra?' Leylin looked over all the information provided by the A.I. Chip. His bloodline had been transformed, but it still lacked the necessary laws to reach completion. It would have to wait until he devoured the remaining Lords of Baator, clearing all obstacles to his breakthrough to rank 9.
"The seven sins are the basis of vile thoughts. These thoughts lead to violence, and violence causes death. The cycle is thus formed…" The Nightmare Hydra roared from behind Leylin at this moment. Every emotion of gluttony and greed, every murder, and every death was absorbed into a black fog that shrouded it, making it seem more sinister and darker than before.
The source of these emotions wasn't restricted to Leylin's divine kingdom. Nay, all of Baator, the prime material plane, indeed even the entire astral plane came under his control. Be it worshippers, friends, enemies, or even strangers, the sins of all beings in existence would be absorbed by him. With the foundation of dreamforce, Original Sin would cover the entire astral plane!
"As long as intelligent beings remain in this universe, I will never die," Leylin proclaimed.
The power of sin would become his strength, a power that nobody could escape from. Put bluntly, be it gods or Magi, nothing could ever kill him unless the entire astral plane was destroyed. Even if he was attacked and slain, he would revive from the sins of any being! Such was the might of dreamforce combined with original sin!
There were various paths that led to the truth, and thus there had been many peak rank 8s that had survived to this point. However, Leylin's path of original sin was at the top of the list, a result of every move of his being painstakingly planned out.
Leylin shifted his gaze towards his divine kingdom. Despite his god clone being devoured by the main body and a small part of it dying with Distorted Shadow, it had remained upright. This was extremely unfathomable to the World of Gods, breaking all known laws.
"Kukulkan, my Lord, you are a star in the skies, the Lord of the Natives, the Ruler of Devils… You have shown mercy on my soul, and are my only haven in death…" Many petitioners continued to pray in the divine kingdom, feeling nothing amiss. It was like Kukulkan's death hadn't affected them in the slightest.
[Experiment successful. Divine kingdom remains stable, and the power of faith is moving smoothly.] Another of Leylin's clones appeared within the divine kingdom, carrying the dignity of a god. However, its voice was the extremely monotonous tone of the A.I. Chip.
Indeed, this new 'clone' was being operated by the A.I. Chip, having fused with one of Kukulkan's avatars. Even as the true body fell, this clone took over everything just as Leylin had planned.
This was also a decision Leylin had made in the past. He didn't like how faith had so much of a hold over gods, but he didn't just want to toss his divine kingdom and petitioners away. He'd instead have the A.I. Chip take control of an avatar, becoming the god Kukulkan itself.
This would be downright impossible for a god, but with the A.I. Chip having fused with his soul Leylin could do it. The A.I. Chip at this point was another Leylin, even one that had passed the probe of the World of Gods as it took over his divine kingdom.
"Great!" Leylin nodded, and the Nightmare Hydra spat out an illusory divine spark that it inserted into the clone. Having gained control of the divine domain, alongside the fact that this auxilliary A.I. Chip was under the control of the central one within Leylin, Kukulkan was reborn once more.
Even though the divinity the Hydra gave the clone was only a simulation, it was just like a greater god authorising their subordinates to manage their divine kingdom. Despite Distorted Shadow's plans, Leylin hadn't suffered any repercussions at all!
Breakthrough
"I am Kukulkan, the God of Massacre!" The A.I. Chip clone released a powerful domain after getting the authority from the Nightmare Hydra, seeming just like the original.
[Faith channeled successfully, blessing system in order.] A lot of data appeared from the A.I. Chip.
The clone was but an intermediary. It allowed Leylin's Magus body to borrow the powers of his divine kingdom, using the divine domains he'd possessed as the god. Even as the A.I. Chip made its report he could feel his main body connecting to a massive sea of faith.
Kukulkan had accumulated decades upon decades of faith, and now it was all being absorbed by the Nightmare Hydra. It made Leylin feel stronger with each passing moment. Combined with the power of emotions he just absorbed, it pushed Leylin towards a higher realm.
[Beep! Emotion energy has been accumulated, beginning breakthrough to rank 8.] Leylin was a Warlock. It wasn't just laws that he had to worry about, his bloodline and power had to be accumulated as well. However, he'd spent all this time accumulating resources, and the fusion with the divine clone brought him up to standard. Advancing was only a matter of course now.
*Hssss—* The four physical heads of the hydra continued to spew out the energies of their respective laws. A perfect path of original sin took place, forming a phantom behind the Nightmare Hydra that repelled even the origin force of the World of Gods.
Time seemed to pass in an instant, but it also felt like a million years. By the time Leylin recovered his senses all the power inside his body had fused, forming an extremely powerful bloodline that filled each and every cell in his body with power. A black stream of energy appeared before him as he raised his hand, carrying traces of the Weave.
"The fusion of bloodline and laws, coupled with dreamforce… My power has already evolved, transforming my path into one that is completely my own. This strength, this path…" The feeling of extreme power caused Leylin to grin widely, "It shall henceforth be known as the power of Original Sin, something that can only be used by its Lord!"
The A.I. Chip had a lot of information as well.
[Beep! Host has advanced to rank 8, obtained the strength of Original Sin. The Nightmare Hydra bloodline has evolved the Devour skill; obtained innate skill— World Devour.
World Devour: The laws of devouring have reached their limits. With the support of other laws, host has gained the ability to devour worlds. The NIghtmare Hydra can devour all dimensions, semi-planes, and small worlds. I can absorb the bloodlines, emotions, and even laws of what it devours…]
"Even with a small world as the limit… What a frightening ability!" Leylin sighed. No matter how small a world in the astral plane was, it still had billions of lives within it. The origin force of any one could give birth to at least a rank 7 Magus! However, these small worlds were now an insignificant meal in Leylin's eyes.
[Beep! Host's stats have changed, recalculating… Changes have been detected in the world due to a shift of laws. Stats calculated on the basis of the World of Gods' standards.
Name: Leylin Farlier, Rank 8 Warlock.
Bloodline: Nine-Headed Nightmare Hydra (Incomplete Body)
Strength: 45. Agility: 50. Vitality: 65. Spiritual Force: 99.
Soul Status: Soul of Original Sin
Laws: Devouring (100%), Massacre (100%), Death (100%), Greed (100%)
Path: Original Sins
Innate Talent: Nine-Headed Nightmare Hydra! Devour World!
Abilities: Dreamscape Vision, Origin Force Detection, Illusions, Warp Reality, Epic Massacre, Death's Decree]
'It adjusted my stats since we're in the World of Gods?' Leylin looked at the stats of his Magus body. His lips curled upwards as he looked at most of his divine force being retained, "Even a greater god only has stats hovering around 50. I'm only a new rank 8 Warlock, but my stats already surpass so many of them…"
This was quite logical. The power of a god came from their divine kingdom, their power being distributed by faith unlike Magi whose power was their own. The gods were thus weaker overall, only able to contend with the Magi due to the buffs from their divine kingdoms.
Additionally, Leylin himself had overpowering strength. He'd formed his path before even approaching the peak of rank 8, ensuring that his path of advancement smooth and his battle prowess exceptional. He was almost a peak rank 8 fighter himself, so he was vastly different from other Magi.
"This power… I can determine the life and death of a divine being!" Leylin no longer bothered with the prime material plane after his advance. It had already turned into a land of screams, being ravaged by the Magi new and old. With Mystra's fall and the collapse of the Weave, the world had turned into a mess.
With Distorted Shadow and the Goddess of the Weave taken out, there remained nobody foolish enough to challenge Leylin outright. The region around his divine kingdom was actually relatively peaceful.
'"How can a Warlock's advance not be celebrated with blood?' Leylin smiled lightly. He took a step into the Fourth Hell, where the devils and devil hunters were still embroiled in war.
He looked at the armoured devils, only speaking two words, "Original Sin!"
*Hsss—* The phantom of the Nightmare Hydra appeared behind Leylin's back, seemingly turning into a black hole. The dark power of original sin that contained a trace of blood turned all the devils into ashes in an instant, even absorbing their souls.
Each of the four heads of the Nightmare Hydra had turned into a sinkhole, absorbing everything connected to original sin without end. As evil beings themselves, these devils would not be able to escape.
Phlegethos immediately turned silent, and only the six Lords of Baator showed themselves.
"Magus!" Asmodeus looked at Leylin with the greatest fear his daughter had ever seen on his face.
"The primordial contract states that even demons and devils must put aside their differences against the Magi, forming an alliance of blood. They must even join forces with the gods… For this is an apocalypse of multiple worlds!" Both of Asmodeus' hands trembled as he flipped to the last page of his book of contracts, "If the Magi are not stopped, that shall be the end…"
Devils were naturally lawful. Looking at Leylin's Magus body, every cell in their body radiated fear and rage, even their souls trembling. The lords showed themselves without the slightest reservation, all six putting aside their differences as they roared in unison, "More evil than the devils, and more chaotic than the demons… Magus, scram from Baator!"
Each Lord of Baator was a being of laws, and Asmodeus had inconceivable might. Even the gods dreaded their combined strength.
However, Leylin Farlier was not Kukulkan. Having advanced to rank 8, he feared nothing unless he was surrounded by a bunch of greater gods or was forced to fight in one's divine kingdom.
"Do you know why I brought my divine kingdom to Baator? Indeed I wanted to avoid the gods, but there's more to it… I wanted to collect your power…" A phantom hydra appeared behind Leylin, the ravenous manner in which the illusory heads looked over at them causing the Archdevils to feel fear.
"Your strength will define me. Be honoured to be a part of my path!" The void trembled with Leylin's proclamation, as an extremely sharp weapon descended from the skies.
The weapon was extremely strange. It seemed to possess the distinctive traits of all weapons at the same time, like an ancient beast of times past thirsting for blood. Dazzling origin force radiated around its body, cutting apart the very world without end.
Dazzling origin force radiated around its body, causing the void to be cut continuously. This was Leylin's origin force weapon, similar to the overgod weapon once attempted in the World of Gods. It had the power to kill gods, being the result of an ancient civilisation's research coupled with the A.I. Chip. This was something Leylin had taken several centuries of hard work to create!
*Hss—* The Nightmare Hydra roared, and the nine different heads each spit out a black gas that formed more runes atop the weapon, as though celebrating its birth.
"You are now my overgod weapon, the Seven Sins!"
Seven Sins
With the baptism of the Nightmare Hydra, Seven Sins let loose a terrifying buzz of origin force. It roared with power, thirsty for the blood of beings of law.
[Beep! Information on Seven Sins has been added to the database] the A.I. Chip reported.
[Seven Sins: Overgod Weapon(Origin Force Weapon).
Source Materials: World Crystals, Blood of Apollo, Dreamforce, Shadow Force, Mermaid Scales, Prophet's Bones.
Abilities:
Gluttony's Devouring: Seven Sins can devour the blood and souls of its enemies, obtaining their power.
Blessing of Greed: The weapon's greed boosts the user's powers.
Massacre Amplification: The souls of any beings of law killed by Seven Sins will be dispersed.
Silence In Death: Any existences killed by Seven Sins will be wiped from the passages of time, removing all chances of resurrection.
Further effects remain locked(Respective laws required).
This weapon is bound to the Lord of Original Sin. No other existence will be able to wield it.
]
The weapon that Leylin had devoted hundreds of years to finally reared its head, showing off its viciousness to the world.
"Haha… Good abilities, I like it!" Leylin grasped Seven Sins with both hands, and the weapon buzzed in harmony as it revealed a sword's blade.
"This… Overgod weapon!" The Archdevils gasped in fright, looking at the weapon's splendour with fear.
"Indeed. Your blood shall become its power!" Leylin's eyes were filled with indifference as he appeared before Samuel, the Lord of Wrath who ruled the Fourth Hell.
"Damn it… What have you done to my land?" Samuel roared in rage. His strength increased in the midst of his fury, flames howling forth from Phlegethos as a massive wave of origin force surged into him.
"You may be an Archdevil, but the origin force of just one level of Baator will not protect you from my weapon's terror." Leylin swung the massive sword without fear, the weapon buzzing violently as phantoms of Dreamscape and the Shadow World took form behind it. The rage of two large worlds immediately shattered the phantom of Phlegethos behind Samuel's back.
"Haha… Seven Sins was baptised with the origin force of two large worlds in its creation. What can a mere ninth of the origin force of Baator do to it?" Leylin was laughing like a maniac, the huge sword easily sweeping away the surging flames to sever Samuel's right hand. At the same time, it left a deep gash on his chest.
"ARGH… " Samuel screamed in agony, not daring to face Leylin directly anymore as he retreated. A being of law, an Archdevil, had been severely injured and sent into retreat in a single strike.
How would Leylin give up on such an opportunity? "Come back!" he howled, Seven Sins transforming into a bladed chain with a black hook at the end. It hooked onto Samuel, culling him back.
"Blessing of Greed!" Seven Sins transformed continually, becoming a horned hammer. With the Blessing of Greed and two large worlds backing it, it immediately crashed down Samuel's head.
The overwhelming attack caused Samuel to finally feel despair. He lost all confidence and dignity, beginnign to plead for help from the other lords, "QUICK, SAVE ME!"
"Stop him! He'll become harder to stop if he gets Samuel's powers!" Everything had happened too quickly. A Lord of Baator had been defeated in almost an instant, and even Asmodeus didn't have the time to react. By the time he moved together with the others to surround Leylin…
"A pity… It's too late!" Leylin laughed loudly, a layer of origin force melting off from Seven Sins to cover his entire body in armour. With that protection and his own might as a rank 8 Warlock, he had no fear of the devils' attacks.
"Cry, scream! Your resentment and anger shall become my power. Even Asmodeus won't be able to save you now…"
Asmodeus was indeed a crafty old devil. He was much more powerful than the rest, his blazing fists breaking through Leylin's defenses. However, Leylin was still a step ahead. Even if he was injured by hellfire the hammer continued to smash down.
*BOOM!* Phelegethos seemed to freeze in that moment. The other Archdevils cursed, screamed, and roared in rage as one of their own fell to Leylin in front of their eyes!
Leylin didn't care about all that, however. He was focused on the A.I. Chip's notifications.
[Beep! Host has killed Samuel. Seven Sins has activated Gluttony's Devouring, absorbing new law… Law of wrath currently at 100%.]
*Hss!* The Nightmare Hydra behind Leylin hissed loudly as another head materialised from its neck. It absorbed all of the fury in the astral plane, quickly healing itself of its injuries.
[Beep! Host has comprehended the law of wrath, Seven Sins has gained the Fury Amplification ability.
Fury Amplification: The user can double their stats by consuming the powers of wrath.]
'It really is great to battle devils! I can get stronger and gain more abilities as I kill them…' Leylin was extremely elated by the acquisition. He immediately activated the new ability.
*Rumble!* Asmodeus felt Leylin's strength doubling in an instant as it pulsed with fury. The Archdevils were immediately pushed back.
"Samuel's strength… You absorbed it so quickly?" Glasya cried out in shock. The other Archdevils, including even the haughty Levistus, turned pale. How could they deal with an enemy that got stronger the more he fought?
"No! He's only putting on a strong front. Even a greater god can't escape our combined attack without injuries, he's nothing!" Asmodeus was indeed a sly old devil. He saw through Leylin's disguise immediately, "Let's attack together! We'll be able to take him out."
"I am indeed injured…" Leylin's broken armour merged back to form Seven Sins, and the weapon grew in size. "But before I die, how many of you will pay the price and join me in death? Is it two of you? Maybe three?"
Leylin mocking gaze swept past Levistus, Mephistopheles and Baalzebul, causing their expressions to change. Even average humans would double guess themselves in a time of death, let alone these powerful devils.
Asmodeus almost vomited blood at this. Even now Leylin hadn't forgotten to pick at their natural disposition. With him and his daughter being together, the ones being sacrificed would most likely be the other three. They wouldn't want to die just like that.
The other lords began to have second thoughts, exposing the fatal flaw of their unreliable alliance. With this thought in the back of their minds as they faced powerful opponents, Leylin could even turn the tides and corner him instead!
"Damn it! Let's retreat!" Asmodeus said as he looked at the evident mistrust in the eyes of his 'allies.' He seethed with fury, but all his preparations had come to naught and he had no choice but to retreat.
The other Archdevils retreated as well. Seeing the divine light from Leylin's clone covering the entirety of Phlegethos, they felt extremely humiliated.
The Lords had spent decades and sacrificed countless life to besiege Leylin's kingdom. The result? They'd ended up suffering devastating losses. Forget conquering Leylin, they'd even given him the Fourth Hell now. Snot dripped from their noses as they cried in shame and agony.
"Leave now! It'll be too late when his divine kingdom covers this area!" Levistus transmitted to his subordinates. As the Lord of the Fifth Hell, he was the most affected by Leylin's actions. He would be Leylin's next target, and this Magus was more fearsome than Kukulkan, and much harder to deal with.
"Not you." Levistus had never thought a single sentence would crush all his hopes. He'd only been slower than the rest by a beat, but Leylin caught up to him immediately. The razor sharp blade of Seven Sins was pointed at him, carrying the power of death.
"Divine ability— Death's Decree!" Leylin didn't even attack him. Levistus' consciousness just… stopped in an instant.
Powered by the laws of death and massacre, Death's Decree was an ability that grew with its wielder. With Leylin now being a rank 8 Warlock, he was at the peak of intermediate gods, rank 17. Levistus was a peak lesser god at the most, and with the sheer difference in power he was incapacitated at once.
Intermediate God
Levistus was actually extremely lucky. Perhaps because they were both at the level of gods in the end, Death's Decree didn't have full effect.
However, the ability had still stalled him for a moment, a moment long enough to determine his fate. By the time he recovered his senses, the sharp blade of Seven Sins was already at his neck.
[Beep! Host has killed Levistus. Gluttony's Devouring has been activated, host has gained a new law… Comprehension of law of pride currently at 100%.]
*Hss!* The Nightmare Hydra hissed once more, another head materialising on its body. It absorbed the pride of the entire universe, turning it into the power of original sin.
[Beep! The law of pride has awakened a new ability in Seven Sins:
Prideguard: The armour of Seven Sins has been fortified, nullifying all physical and magical attacks at the legendary realm.]
"Remember this… The hatred of an Archdevil cannot be ignored!" Asmodeus said in his fury. However, the other lords had only sped up on witnessing Leylin kill Levistus, and he was helpless to do much more.
The light of Leylin's divine kingdom didn't stop at the Fourth Hell, instead spreading out to shroud the icy lands of Stygia as well.
"Alright… With the Fifth Hell in hand the devils won't be able to turn the tides…" Leylin had possessed an advantage in power before, but now he'd become the absolute dominant force in Baator. With five of the Nine Hells in hand, the remaining Archdevils wouldn't be able to perform a miracle.
'I need to return… There are many things to do, and many comprehensions to be had. I need to heal up as well, I should be at my best for the coming fights…' Leylin seemed to be warning himself. He soothed Seven Sins down, and vanished into the void.
By this time, Kukulkan's divine kingdom already covered the first five levels of Baator. The World Origin Force whistled as it was absorbed continuously, turning the five separate levels into one whole. Many devils wept and wailed as they scampered further below into the last four.
Those who couldn't escape were given two options: They would either be sealed and killed, or they would become slaves as they pledged themselves to the God of Massacre. They would then be turned into devil petitioners.
By the time Leylin returned to Whitejade Saint Mountain, his gigantic divine palace was giving off a very imposing aura. His worshippers felt the effect of his increase in strength, causing them to kneel on the ground and pray from the bottom of their hearts.
"Kukulkan, my Lord, you are brighter than the stars in the sky. Your powers of massacre and death maintain order, and our souls belong with you in your haven…"
Massive amounts of faith surged forth, forming a golden whirlpool around Whitejade Saint Mountain. The entire divine kingdom cheered as Baator's origin force gushed in as well.
'Did the clone just advance? It makes sense, it added a lot to its portfolio and its divine kingdom advanced greatly as well…' Although Leylin could govern the divine kingdom himself, he was unwilling to bind the power of faith to his body. Using a puppet clone was a much better choice. Even if faith in him collapsed, the most he would lose was an auxiliary A.I. Chip routine and some energy. As he was right now, he wasn't afraid of such minute losses.
The power the Nightmare Hydra relied on was far more astonishing than the power of faith. Each of his heads could absorb certain emotions across the astral plane, and its reach wasn't limited to those who worshipped him. Even though the power of emotions was weaker than the power of faith head on, the sheer magnitude more than made up for the gap.
With the hydra already having six heads, Leylin no longer needed to rely on the power of faith. Divinity would at most be some additional support at this juncture, so it was important to adopt certain measures to help with that.
Leylin was happy at the thought of his clone becoming an intermediate god. After all, the auxiliary chip was under the direct control of the A.I. Chip in his soul. The clone only had a simulated godfire anyway, so even if the clone wasn't a real divine body it wasn't different from one given his control.
*Bzzt!* A special tremble rippled throughout the World of Gods, the energy emanated as a lesser god advanced to become an intermediate god. It would be an event noticed by many powerful beings in the past, but now there were few with the time and energy to mind such things amongst the gods.
The origin force of multiple worlds gathered together, forming a faint, distant hymn. Petals of gold light fell to the ground as Leylin's Magus body shut his eyes, feeling the benefits of the advancement.
With this clone not being a separate being like, Leylin could feel his advancement himself, to indescribable benefit. Immersed in the energy of the World of Gods, he saw a bunch of notifications from the A.I. Chip.
[Beep! Clone has advanced, currently at rank 12. Class rank increased to level 39. The multitude of divine domains have amplified the power of the clone: +4 to all stats.] [Clone body has undergone massive changes. Recalculating stats…]
It wasn't long before the A.I. Chip with new information.
[Divine Name: Kukulkan, God of Massacre (Controlled by auxiliary A.I. Chip)
Race: Unknown (Intermediate god)
Alignment: Lawful Evil.
Divine Domains: Massacre, Death
Divine Kingdom: First five levels of Baator (nameless).
Divine Rank: 12.
Worshippers: Natives, Devils, Adventurers, Clerics.
Worshipper Alignments: True Neutral, Neutral Evil, Lawful Evil.
Domain Powers: Massacre, Death, Devour
Arcanist Rank: 39. Strength: 33. Agility: 33. Vitality: 33. Spirit: 39. Arcane Energy: 390. Divine Force: 1000. Status: Normal.
Feats: Herculean Strength, Master of Knowledge, Epic Adaptability.
Divine Feats: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Art Amplification, Illusions.
Divine Abilities: Warp Reality, Simulate Reality, Supercomputing]
"Not bad. I still have most of the abilities, and the battle prowess only went up…" Leylin stroked his chin in appreciation.
The clone didn't just inherit Kukulkan's abilities and name. It gained two new sills of its own, namely Simulate Reality and Supercomputing. Of course there were also losses, most of his abilities had been transferred to his true body causing it to weaken.
'Death and Massacre, alongside four of the seven sins… I would've gotten to rank 17 immediately.But the laws were integrated into my path, it's already great that I could push up all the way to rank 12…' Leylin felt rather regretful, but he got over it quickly. Moving along on his own path was far more rewarding than becoming a peak intermediate god.
With these thoughts in mind, Leylin looked behind his back. The Nightmare Hydra had grown more solid than before, but there was still some illusory darkness around its neck. It seemed like as he walked further on the path of Original Sin, the power of evil from the path grew greater. Only that one part of his path seemed to be missing something.
'So… Lust, sloth, and envy, huh?' The most convenient way for Leylin to obtain the three sins was to steal them from the Archdevils. It was a matter of utmost importance to him.
After all, they were in the midst of a war. This was a precarious situation, and it was hard to say whether some furious gods or Magi would intentionally slay them to stall his advance. It would then take him up to tens of thousands of years to comprehend them, delaying his entry into the Final War until it ended without giving him any benefits.
He thus made up his mind. The outside world didn't matter to him; his body would camp within his divine kingdom until he had Baator under control and absorbed the remaining Archdevils.
The outside world now would be facing complete disaster, and nobody would bother him at this time. Naturally, this was the best time for him!
"Glasya, Baalzebul, and Mephistopheles…" Leylin muttered the names of his targets, "That will finish off the seven sins, but I also need Asmodeus as well…"
Although the self-proclaimed Supreme of Baator didn't actually have any laws to his name, he was in fact shrouded by them all, making him a true embodiment of evil. He was the core of Leylin's path of Original Sin, so Leylin held him in high regard.
"My worshippers…" the clone declared, "Pick up your weapons! Help me conquer Baator, turning the entire place into a true paradise…"
The clone was still trying to adapt to its current rank, but it didn't sound different from before. Tiff, Phoenix, and even Isabel who was the closest to him didn't feel anything changed.
With their Lord's commands, the entire divine kingdom began to counterattack. Countless devil hunters surged into the Sixth Hell Malbolge, causing the devils to wail endlessly…
The Abyss
The Magi had appeared once more, and the Final War had resumed. There would be no news more terrifying to the gods, and Mystra would never in her dreams have thought that cornering Leylin would cause him to open up the World of Gods to the Magus threat, leading to her own death.
The chaos began at Baator, quickly spreading to the other planes. Calamity befell the prime material plane, and even the Abyss was affected…
The 45th to 47th floors of the Abyss, also known as Azzagrat, were covered entirely by a single palace that represented a power of order amongst the chaotic demons.
Furies circled the skies of this Triple Realm, with innumerable demons guarding on the ground. The Argent Palace was built from whitestone of the Celestial Planes, and rumour had it that its owner once tricked an entire city of celestials into entering the mountains and mining ore for him. They hadn't even known it was going to be transported to the Abyss.
The archfiend that guarded these three levels was named Graz'zt, nicknamed the Devilish Demon. In spite of being aligned to chaos, he possessed the wits to plan far ahead, his vast lands filled with so many elite demons they could frighten multiple worlds.
As one of the three Abyssal lords, Graz'zt's name had spread across the prime material plane. He had many worshippers, ruling from his proud throne within the Argent Palace.
Only after Leylin's actions did the peace this archfiend maintained in his realm get challenged. The Argent Palace was covered in flames, chaotic green energy spreading through its entirety.
Furies were crashing to the ground like airplanes, splattering blood as they hit the surface. Countless demons were decaying to death, wailing in agony as they were turned into a putrid liquid that eventually formed a river.
The sixty six ivory towers of the Argent Palace were collapsing one after the other, the attacker powerful enough to wreak chaos across Graz'zt's lands. Explosions sounded out as altars fell, eventually forcing someone out of the core of the Argent Palace.
7
The person looked quite human, the only differences in appearance being the small horn on his head and his six-fingered hands. However, the power of evil surrounding him easily gave away his identity. This was Graz'zt, the Dark Prince of the three Abyssal Lords!
"The scent of a Magus…" Graz'zt frowned. Even the Abyss knew of the dusk of the gods, and he'd feel nervous fighting the Magi that had caused the fall of countless gods regardless of his personal strength.
"Damn it… Why aren't the Magi attacking the Celestial Planes? It would be so much better for them there…" Graz'zt knew his complaints would not change reality. He pulled out his acid-drenched greatsword from the Argent Palace, slashing towards the skies.
An immense power of darkness swept across Azzagrat, dispelling the chaotic green energy from the skies. The green clouds parted, but as the sky brightened they revealed a green eye in the air that was filled with wisdom and greed.
"I am the chaos Lord of the astral plane. Graz'zt of the Abyss, your power and authority are mine!"
The Chaos Lord's conscient swept across the Triple Realm, causing Graz'zt's expression to darken. He'd detected power equivalent to a greater god from this Magus.
'Magi can even kill gods… They definitely aren't simple.' Graz'zt could not help but grasp the hilt of his sword more tightly.
"Ahh… This aura of chaos, I love it…" The Chaos Lord had chosen to attack the Abyss for two reasons. He'd made a pact with the other Magi that stopped him from going to the Celestial Planes, and the Abyss suited his laws and abilities better anyway.
Being at the peak of rank 8, the Chaos Lord wanted to try and use the power of the Abyss to comprehend the laws of space and time, moving towards rank 9. This was, naturally, the goal of every peak rank 8 that had started the Final War once more.
Green and black energies continued to fight each other, soon covering the entirety of Azzagrat. The demons of the other levels looked on at the Argent Palace in shock, witnessing an energy they'd never seen before suppress the Dark Price and cover the entirety of the Triple Realm.
"Don't think of asking for help. There aren't many archfiends like you in the Abyss, and they're mostly chaotic and selfish…" The green energy converged into the shape of a giant that could cover the sun. The Chaos Lord was dressed in large green robes, his face covered with eyes that swirled with the power of chaos. He'd grasped Graz'zt inside his palms, and the archfiend was trying to escape.
"What? Trying to ask Mommy for help?" The Chaos Lord mocked the Dark Prince trapped in his hands.
But then, the voice turned female, "Someone else has gone to deal with the Mother of Demons. Even if Pale Night isn't injured, she won't be able to come save you…"
...
*Boom!* Shockwave after shockwave carrying the power of origin force rocked the entire Abyss as the Chaos Lord spoke.
"The Endless Maze… That's Pale Night's bone castle…" Many demon lords diverted their attention to the 600th level of the Abyss. They soon saw a horrifying scene of disgusting filth drowning the Endless Maze, carrying the pollution of the entire astral plane.
A number of seals and spell formations activated within the core of the bone castle, helping it resist for a while. Pale Night's faint figure showed itself, but she was like a river fighting an entire ocean, soon overwhelmed.
"Filthy Evil Eye… So disgusting… You can't wash yourself of its odour for tens of thousands of years…" The Chaos Lord's face was riddled with disgust as she looked at the 600th floor.
"Gugu… Jiji…" On the contrary, the ocean of filth covering the Endless Maze let out a roar of delight.
"I should've known the Abyss would definitely attract that disgusting beast… Just my luck…" The Chaos Lord seemed extremely displeased as she reached her hands out. A ball of chaos burst forth, and one of the three Abyssal Lords was wiped out of existence just like that.
...
"Please awaken, my Lord. Your worshippers are lost sheep, and we require your guidance…" Cyric's pope was kneeling before his statue in the Palace of Shadows.
However, the God of Murder's madness had set in, and he completely ignored his pope's words. A layer of crimson energy covered the statue, causing it to look even more terrifying than normal. It only caused the pope to grow more frantic.
As a legendary being, the pope was vaguely aware of the changes happening in the World of Gods. He noticed all the other churches preparing for war, and it only caused him more despair.
"Please don't let me down, Merrick…" The pope gripped the hem of his robe tightly, praying with his utmost sincerity…
At the same time, Merrick had finally caught traces of Cyric within the Shadow Plane. Braving a perilous journey, the shadow thief finally handed his Lord the Book of Truth.
'I wonder why the Lord would leave his divine kingdom and come here…' the former merchant thought to himself.
The pope and his own sources had confirmed that the Lord's madness stemmed from the Book of Cyric. Once he read the Book of Truth, he would recover his sanity. The glory of saving a god and the blessings arising from it would definitely bring him to a whole new level!
Merrick yearned for this beautiful future, and he soon cast his gaze at the dark figure reading the Book of Truth.
'Please awaken, my Lord, and give me your blessings…' Merrick prayed sincerely.
"This… This… Argh…" However, things did not go to plan. Cyric only grew more manic as he read the Book of Truth, the holy light shrouding him beginning to flicker.
'How… How did it turn out like this?' His eyes almost popped out of his skull as he stared at his Lord in disbelief.
Distorted Shadow
"ARGH! Just who am I? Cyric… Distorted Shadow…" Terrifying divine force was launched in all directions with Cyric's screams, disintegrating Merrick's body and soul without pause. But then again, it might have been kind to this worshipper that he didn't have to see what happened next.
A faint red light enveloped Cyric's body. The Book of Truth transformed into astral light that ignited upon contact with the red light, forming faint red flames. Cyric's body abruptly split in two.
The new being was a hazy shadow that radiated the might of a Magus. "I'm back!" Distorted Shadow proclaimed, "The World of Gods, and that puny Magus… I've returned!"
Being at the peak of rank 8, Distorted Shadow wasn't someone who'd die so easily. How could resurrecting with the Weave's destruction be his only plan?
He'd inserted some of his power into Cyric's true body before, giving himself a chance for revival as he killed the god. Using the remaining pieces of his soul, he'd successfully fooled the pope of the Church of Murder and Merrick into bringing him the Book of Truth. Even if some of his conscient had been eliminated by Leylin, his thousands of years of bitter plots had finally succeeded!
Distorted Shadow immediately recovered to the peak of his power, having robbed everything from Cyric when he ascended to godhood. Even if there were some imperfections in his cultivation, he had an obvious advantage over the other ancient Magi who only had their conscients remaining.
"I…I shall not fail again!" he roared, his entire body shattering to form a shadow that covered the sky.
...
"How could this happen?" The pope looked at the shattered divine statue before him, sinking to the ground as if all his bones had been lost.
"So he revived using Cyric's body…" At the same time, Leylin got wind of these events as well. He'd felt a sinister intent envelop him along with Distorted Shadow's revival. With the damage he'd done to the ancient Magus' conscient, he definitely wouldn't let him off without issue.
"Heh… I don't want to let you go either. You've just revived yourself, so what if you're at the peak of rank 8?"
Leylin flicked a finger, and a golden sphere of light surged out from his divine kingdom. The expanding sphere caught hold of some shadows, and they occasionally shrieked as they fled far away.
"Damn it… He's already found a path, it won't be long before he's at the same level as me…" The shadow in the sky radiated endless rage, looking at a round eye that appeared in front of him.
"You seem to have some disagreements with someone of the Magus World," Mother Core said. The air in her surroundings froze in place, making her seem terrifyingly grand.
Both being at the peak of rank 8, Mother Core and Distorted Shadow should have been similar in power. However, Distorted Shadow had been sealed for several thousand years. Even if he'd recovered most of his power by sacrificing Cyric, he was still nowhere close to Mother Core.
"Jejeje… I don't need you to mediate," the black shadow yelled before exploding. Mother Core sighed, earthy yellow flames instantly sweeping across the sky and trying to eliminate Distorted Shadow, but the power of distortion had already faded from the sky.
"This is going to be troublesome…" One of Mother Core's clones made its way to Baator, entering Leylin's divine kingdom, "This brat really does bring a lot of surprises…"
"Mother Core!" Leylin greeted her in person, having felt the clone's arrival a while ago.
"I know everything already. Pity, Distorted Shadow didn't let me mediate in this. His crazy and cold personality is famous throughout the astral plane…" Mother Core's conscient emitted.
Following that, several vines dug their way out of Baator to embed themselves into the soil of Leylin's divine kingdom, as if completing some sort of interaction.
"Not bad!" Mother Core nodded. Leylin's rate of improvement had impressed her greatly, "You've gotten us into the World of Gods, and even found your own path. You'll definitely be something in the future."
"Everything is fated, Leylin. I'm starting to believe your existence will be the key to the battle between the Magi and the gods…" This was another reason why Mother Core wanted to help Leylin. With his rate of improvement, it wasn't far off from the Magus World having another peak rank 8. With her vast experience, Mother Core definitely felt something about him.
"No matter how the future turns out, I will always be a Magus. The Magus World is my home," Leylin promised.
"Good!" Mother Core replied. The two seemed to have reached an agreement.
The tendrils from the clone spread across Leylin's divine kingdom, penetrating deeper and deeper into Baator. The clone found and attacked all of the shadows in the area, making Leylin believe that Distorted Shadow would find it difficult to affect his life with her as a guardian.
*Bang!* A part of the earth erupted to reveal a distorted lay of light. It was being plucked out of the ground by Mother Core's plants.
"This is a seed of distortion," Mother Core explained calmly, "It's the usual kind of move Distorted Shadow makes…"
Leylin heaved a massive sigh of relief. Distorted Shadow had already been spying on his divine kingdom, something he could never have thought of. If he wasn't careful, he would've suffered major losses in the future.
"Even though divine kingdoms are powerful, they pose too many restrictions to their owner. Take now, for example. We've learnt from experience, and are attacking the prime material plane instead of the divine kingdoms…"
Leylin nodded at Mother Core's words. One would only be seeking death if they wished to fight a god in their divine kingdom. The smart thing to do was to attack their churches in the prime material plane, destroying the peoples' belief in them. It was easy for Magi to bring about disasters, inflicting damage and disease that even the Goddess of the Plague could not match.
This was similar to how Leylin had attacked Debanks Island before. The divine kingdoms would lose their source of faith in the prime material plane, some even falling from the Celestial Planes directly.
Such was the result of relying on faith. It left a big gap in one's defences, allowing them to suffer severe blows without any good way to prevent them. This was why Leylin decided not to become a god.
"Of course, it's best that we don't make our move at the beginning. We should wait and see how the others act…" Mother Core reminded him.
"I definitely don't plan to participate in the Final War before I've forged my path completely, breaking through to the peak of rank 8." Leylin naturally understood Mother Core's intentions. He followed the statement up with a request, "I hope you can protect this place well after I leave…"
*Boom!* Leylin instantly left his divine kingdoms, carrying Seven Sins in hand as he infiltrated the Sixth Hell with Mother Core protecting his base. There had been a huge army of devil hunters in this place, and Leylin's arrival caused all of the Lords of Baator to be alarmed and angered…
Of course, Leylin had pondered the consequences of having Mother Core protect him at home. He could rest assured that Mother Core didn't interact much with Distorted Shadow in the past, and that the two had some animosity between themselves. On top of that, he was from the same world as her.
But then, they also had a contract between them. This protection was also an exchange of sorts, and Leylin believed that what he brought to the table was enough for Mother Core to do her best to protect him.
'I don't have to worry about my divine kingdom. Be it Distorted Shadow or any gods, Mother Core will be able to stop them. Even if she fails there's the A.I. Chip clone there as well…' Undaunted by worries, Leylin moved to attack the rest of Baator to complete his path of Original Sin.
At the same time, Distorted Shadow let out a terrifying roar from within a secret dimension. "Damn it… Mother Core dares to defy me, the master of distortion who's annihilated three Magus alliances and five different worlds…"
Despite his anger, he felt somewhat helpless. Mother Core wasn't an existence he could provoke right now, and even Leylin himself wasn't easy to deal with. Having been enlightened on his own path, the Warlock was already at the threshold of the peak of rank 8.
On the other hand, he himself had just been revived. He'd suffered a severe loss in power, and if he tried to make a move he wouldn't have much of a chance of taking out a Leylin protected by Mother Core. Not to mention that all Magi were extremely crafty, and it was unknown how many trump cards each one held in their hands. It would be troublesome to annihilate them.
'I should deal with the other gods first to get back my powers. Moreover, I should definitely hinder him from completing his own path…' This so-called hindrance was an aim to stop Leylin from killing all of the Lords of Baator, preventing him from obtaining all the laws he needed. This would greatly decrease his opponent's rate of improvement.
Evacuation
Magi were a patient breed. Since he couldn't deal with Leylin directly right now, Distorted Shadow would instead wait at the side, recovering to full capacity. If Leylin did not increase in power himself by that time, he would have a chance for revenge!
...
The commoners of the prime material plane treated powerful existences like the gods and Magi like they came out of a fairytale. Regardless of what such powerful people did, all they cared about was earning a few more coppers for the next day. They just wanted bread to eat and beer to drink.
Doron was one such commoner. He came from a line of carpenters, having been forced into the job due to his background. However, his inheritance was lacklustre. In fact, he had to maintain the furniture of the regional lord for free a few times a year, including the mangers of the barn. He wouldn't even be given food.
Clearly, matters related to gods and devils were like the epics sung by bards to him. Such events did not have anything to do with him, and listening to them would only be treated as a pastime.
However, all of this changed one day. Seeing the purple moon explode as it formed an evil eye, he felt like his quiet life had come to an end.
The loss of the moon's light was a minor thing— after all, most normal families went to sleep early because they couldn't afford the oil for their lamps. There were many stars in the sky as well, so it didn't really affect the night much. The only exception were ladies who loved to admire the moon with a midnight drink.
No, the important issue was the revelation the moon's destruction brought about. Be it the moon turning into that eye or the terrifyingly large Weave shattering along with the moon, this was too similar to the work of demons and devils…
"The end is nigh. A powerful existence is about to destroy the world…" A few deranged minstrels in the town had changed from their usual waltz music, replacing it with a solemn prophecy that made Doron's heart feel heavier.
"The gods above… perhaps i'm thinking too much. I should head to the church more often and ask Priest Rockefeller for help…" Doron looked at the amount of money in his pocket. There were a few copper coins within, shining with how worn down they were. The edges were badly damaged as well…
'Damned Lady De Lise, she must've gotten that fat pig of hers to cut the coppers at the edges…' Doron couldn't help but complain to himself when he looked at the meagre salary he got for an entire day's work. Of course, he wouldn't dare to directly rebut his employer.
Having witnessed the strange phenomenon a few days ago, the uneasy Doron was considering making a trip to the local church, making a donation or something so he could ask for the Lord's protection.
The system of church and state ruled the World of Gods. With one controlling the people's faith and the other wielding authority over their lives, the poorest of commoners would still give one of the two all they could. Only the former may have been voluntary, but they exploited the commoners all the same.
"Doron!" A cheerful whistle sounded on the street, "You've finished up with Lady De Lise?"
Doron was familiar with the owner of this voice, turning around to face a young man wearing abnormally loose clothes. The freckled youth was called Mitch, and his eyes seemed to shine with brilliance.
"Mitch! Weren't you working at the Church of Magic? Why are you back now?" Doron asked in surprise.
The town Doron lived in was under the control of a feudal lord, and the man had built a Church to Ilmater in it. Royals greatly favoured this god, wishing to make all their followers his worshippers.
On the other hand, a church dedicated to Mystra was only available in a faraway town, requiring a day and a half of carriage travel. This was basically the distance between the ends of the world to Doron— he'd only been there once and had been deeply stunned by the bustling of the heavenly city.
He was extremely envious of Mitch's job. Even if he was only a lowly servant, the man was working at a church. He could one day awaken the power of magic, becoming a wizard respected by the rest.
Mitch grew crestfallen upon hearing this, waving his hands. "Sigh… Don't even mention it. I came back because the church closed down."
"The church… closed down?" Doron's mouth fell open. He clearly couldn't understand how these words were sharing a sentence.
Churches were overseen by their respective deities. Priests all controlled bizarre spells, and the fees of even the lowliest of churches could still make them quite a bit of wealth. How could such a place actually close down?
"It seems like you don't know… Most of the priests of the church faced a sudden death on the day of the black moon. The rest of them cried all day long…"
Having come back from the city, Mitch was full of conversation. He shuffled closer to Doron, hiding his mouth with his hands as he whispered, "I heard the Goddess of the Weave has fallen…"
"The Goddess of the Weave fell?" Doron didn't have much to say about this incident. It was far removed from him, and with Mystra not being the deity he worshipped he couldn't comprehend the stakes of the situation. Hearing that a true god had fallen, the only feeling he felt was a slight bit of schadenfreude just like when a king died.
"Mm, the wizards are out of luck…" A smile appeared on Mitch's face. It seemed like the bullying he'd faced from the priests and wizards wasn't just occasional. "A lot of wizards were already beaten to death by a mob of people…"
"What does this have to do with wizards? Couldn't they use magic to avoid being beaten to death by the commoners?" Doron was obviously suspicious of Mitch's 'secret.' Wizards to him were all superior individuals, people whom even the lords had to be respectful and courteous to.
Even the domineering Lady De Lise didn't dare to offend Wizard Holdman who stayed near their town.
"Hehe… The wizards lost their ability to cast spells once the Goddess of the Weave died… Say, would the lords and commoners they persecuted before let them off?"
Mitch revealed a sharp, toothy grin, "That's why I came back. I didn't have much chance to become an effort anyway, so I'm here to hide… Anyway, let's stop talking about this! We should head to Buck's Tavern to celebrate our reunion!"
"But…" Doron touched his cash-strapped purse, "I still want to visit the church once!"
"Church? Oh right! Some of the other churches seem to be busy all day, preparing to evacuate or something. Even businessmen and nobles can't have priests cast spells for them right now… The church here should be the same…" Mitch patted Doron's shoulder, his look telling the carpenter not to waste his time.
"No!" Doron's faith was more or less solid.
"Okay then," Mitch shrugged his shoulders in frustration, "I'll follow you."
The town church wasn't all that large, only the size of a few houses. A small fountain towered at its front, but unfortunately there was no spring water flowing out of it.
The shrine looked empty, with numerous items missing. Even the remaining servants gave off a languid air, with few people here to pray. Doron clearly noticed the change, but he still asked a servant, "Hello! I would like to see Priest Rockefeller!"
Doron still held a good impression of the kind and benevolent Rockefeller. Although the man could only cast a few low-grade spells, he could treat common injuries and had saved numerous lives in town. Doron had decided to donate to him, just in case he'd have to ask the man for something in the future.
"Priest Rockefeller…" the old fellow watching the door took a long time to react. He rubbed The sand out of his eyes, "He's already left. He took everything, only leaving a few piles of potatoes for this pitiful old baker…"
"Huh? Nobody took over either?" Doron was surprised. There were a considerable number of worshippers in town despite its small size, and no church would let go of a base where its foundation had already been laid. There should have been another priest coming over even if people were transferred.
Situations like this one were quite abnormal, and it caused a bad premonition to rise within Doron's heart.
"Why? Do you want to pray and confess? Perhaps I can help you!" Old Baker Tanner's eyes Were already aimed at Doron's purse.
"No! There's no need!" How could Doron not understand his intentions? He immediately grabbed his purse and ran away, Mitch following him.
Only after they'd left the town did Mitch turn around, fiercely laughing at his friend. "Haha…" he said between ragged breaths, "I'm right, aren't I?"
Feast
"Maybe… Maybe Priest Rockefeller had an emergency…" Doron tried to defend his stance, but that didn't last long under Mitch's bantering gaze. "Alright alright! Let's head to the bar, I'll pay…"
Once they arrived at the tavern, Doron and Mitch ordered some liquor and sat side by side, enjoying this flavour they didn't normally get to taste— even this cheap liquor was extravagant for the likes of them.
The bar was evidently a place where information flowed. An unending stream of news entered Doron's ears from all sides.
"All the wizards are finished… Hévíz, Arundel, and the city of Minaret; there were waves of wizards perishing everywhere…" a burly red-nosed man said. He looked like a mercenary, his voice so loud that it dropped dust from the tavern's ceiling.
"Hey Red-nose! Didn't you come back from outside a short while ago? Is there any news?" The world had no lack of curious people. A scrawny figure made a hand-gesture to the bartender, having him place a large cup of honey liquor in front of the red-nosed mercenary.
"Hehe… Whose news is more accurate than mine? My reputation is no joke…"
The mercenaries around the man began to mutter as he got to the point.
"The world outside is a mess right now. All the churches and soldiers are retreating, they've lost the ability to suppress the chaos. The wizards suffered the worst consequences…
"Losing their magic, those lofty mages are ordinary people like us, or even weaker…" Red nose chugged down a large cup of alcohol, and his whole face became red. "Think about it… Just by getting rid of an shivering old man would allow them to obtain everything of theirs… Beautiful slaves, fertile lands, huge gems and bright dazzling gold… All the commoners are going crazy, and even some aristocrats fell out with the wizards while thinking of how to take action…"
Power begets power, and influence begets wealth. The wealth of the powerful wizards of the prime material plane would definitely attract the jealousy of others.
Those who could use magic were high and mighty, enjoying the best treatment no matter where they went. Wizards no longer had magic with the Weave broken apart, and with no power anymore they were just fat sheep attracting greedy gazes.
Even the wizards who paid attention to their reputations had slaves, and they'd indoubtably rely on their power to bully them. Given the chance, those with ulterior motives kicked off a vandalous rebellion.
Once it was confirmed that the wizards had no power to resist, the aristocrats were the first ones to take action. They roused the masses into fighting the wizards. The peasants could take away the trinkets, but important assets like land and property would eventually fall into their hands. They could send their troops out at a later date, pressuring the mobs into giving up what they'd plundered.
All aristocrats were skilled at maintaining personable appearances on the outside, hiding a bellyful of evil tricks that allowed them to gain the greatest benefits with little effort.
Without any more power, the wizards could only sob as their families, their riches, and their lands were taken away. They themselves would suffer horrible punishments before death.
"Hey Red nose! Are you sure those wizards have lost their powers?" a burly man in a black cloak asked. He had a large scar on his face, and standing up he was two heads taller than average.
"Of course… It's just that I arrived late, else I would definitely be able to snatch those gems or even women full of life back… those wizards are all rich…" Red-nose patted his chest in assurance.
"If that's the case, what are we waiting for?" the imposing man laughed maliciously, "Isn't there still a Lord Holdman outside town?"
...
*Whoosh!* The cold winds caused Doron to shiver. He found that he'd unknowingly made his way to the house of the only wizard in town, Holdman. There were many people surrounding the residence, cursing loudly as sounds of things being smashed could be heard.
He looked upon himself in surprise, realising he was holding a sharp wooden stick that were stained with traces of blood. Several parts of his body were hurting, but he was unaware of how he was injured. Luckily he only had minor injuries, just some scraping of the skin.
He was still dazed by the alcohol, and it took him a while to remember what he'd done under the influence.
Affected by greed, they'd all fallen to become common thugs. Led by the burly man and the red-nosed mercenary, they'd arrived at Holdman's mansion outside town quickly. They broke through the building, merrily acting out their roles.
"Blegh…" He couldn't endure it anymore as he saw the corpse fallen at his feet, kneeling on the floor to vomit as he cried.
"Oh God… What have I exactly done…" He looked at the mob around him as he cried, seeing some of them even burning torches. This conduct was in stark contrast to the words of Ilmater, almost making him feel like a devil had invaded his body.
"Everyone take a look…" A man with a red beard and bright mottled clothes threw out a white-haired old man to the tune of applause. The old man's hands were like firewood, and he was hugging his head while his body shivered. It took Doron a lot of effort to connect this to that insufferably arrogant Holdman.
"This is the old fella… Not only did he instigate the noblemen to construct a wizard tower, he even wantonly looted our wealth and manpower… Take a look at this…" Red nose point towards the opened granary. Fragrant wheat filled the entire place, "We're all starving, and this old man hoards so much food and wealth through cruel exploitation…"
Those with wealth were what the mobs hated the most in time of famine. More and more eyes turned red as the mercenary spoke, and even Doron seemed to remember Holdman's butler kicking him and taking away some good wood from his home. Anger surged to his head.
"Kill him!" "Kill him!" "Kill him!" Numerous thugs cheered, their voices getting louder and louder. In contrast, Holdman seemed to have seen something as he struggled to climb towards a youth's corpse and started crying.
Sadly, his death throes couldn't wake up the thugs who were intoxicated with rage. Doron managed to clear his mind as he saw that weeping face, but then he saw Mitch climb out of a temporary tent as he buckled his belt. He gave him a glance any man would understand.
"This is a noble lady! Don't you feel like playing?" he asked.
A memory instantly emerged within Doron's mind. He'd once been summoned by Holdman to repair the furniture in his house, and he'd seen a beautiful noble lady in there. She'd been dressed in white, looking like an angel.
Of course he hadn't been paid for the job, and the dirty look in her eyes had etched itself into Doron's mind. He'd been deeply hurt, and was even depressed for a long time.
As if the devils felt that the stimulation was insufficient, two white jade legs with elegant curves stretched out of the tent. The purple daffodil on the toenails constantly aroused Doron's brain, and he couldn't help but release a bestial roar as he rushed forth…
...
Mystra's fall was only an opening. What was important was the destruction of the Weave. Wizards may have been the most hurt by its loss, but the gods had lost its convenience as well. The energy it took them to bestow divine spells increased greatly, making it impossible for them to cater to their worshippers as they came up with retreat strategies. This only exacerbated the corruption and the attacks on the wizards.
There hadn't been much centralised power in the World of Gods before, and a part of its management had been left to the churches. With the churches losing faith and authority, the power of the mobs was extremely terrifying.
Wizards without magic were just like guns without bullets. Other than those with enough scrolls and supplements or legendary wizards who'd managed to break away from the Weave, everyone suffered the calamity. The aristocrats pushed the simmering anger of the commoners into boiling point, laughing in secret as they toasted their new harvest.
When the riots ended, these mobs would only be executed or reduced to their previous, poor state. The nobles would take the greatest wealth, and almost every noble with power would gain something from this…
However, an epidemic hit the prime material at that exact time. The raging laughter was replaced by deathly wails, becoming the theme of the world.
Some said the Goddess of Plagues was hatching a scheme, others that this was a curse cast by the dead wizards. The only thing that stayed true? With the plague spreading continuously, the population of the prime material plane was dropping quick!
Consensus
The pantheon was in disarray, an imposing atmosphere shrouding the disorderly Celestial Hall. The gods were all seated respectfully on their pedestals, not one of them missing. None of them were even focused on comprehending their laws, their gazes instead focused on the central region around which the greater gods sat.
Two formidable greater gods were missing from their position. Cyric was ultimately an evil god, so the others didn't really miss him, but Mystra's loss had struck them hard. With the Weave destroyed, they were grieving the fact that numerous ancient Magi had escaped into the world. Although only a few had revealed their existences so far, it still caused a huge effect.
"Oghma! You are the wisest of us… Please, take a look at the future of the greater gods," one of them asked. He possessed strong divine force, being seated on a pedestal shrouded by morning light.
"Not good…" the God of Knowledge turned his gaze away from the greater gods, shaking his head.
"The Weave being destroyed hurt multiple worlds, and even triggered turbulence in the four elemental planes. Most of the prime material plane is destroyed as well… This was originally the combined power of the gods; nobody here can prevent harm… The Overgod tried to stop the damage from spreading, but I'm afraid he had to pay a large price…"
A feeling of unease spread around the room with Oghma's sigh. The gods secretly whispered amongst each other as they looked at the huge crack on the World Crystal. Their gazes were filled with worry. Of course, there were still a few with ambition glowing in their eyes.
"That damned God of Massacre… You should have listened to Mystra and attacked his divine kingdom!" Tyr was clearly flustered and exasperated. He'd lost an important ally with Mystra's fall, and more importantly the chaos that had erupted in the prime material plane was great cause for regret.
"It's all a conspiracy by the Magi! We didn't realise it in time…" The gods started to whisper. The word Magus had become a forbidden word in their circles, but they finally had to face this ten thousand year old threat. The Final War was already underway once more, and even the formidable powers couldn't guarantee their own safety.
*Ding!* A crisp bell ring echoed throughout the entire Celestial Hall, and the gazes of all the gods fell upon Kelemvor.
The God of Death coughed, looking around before speaking with a low, hoarse, voice, "I suggest we stop all current internal conflict, banding together as we prepare for the second dusk. We are to make an oath, the violators to be eliminated…"
"I agree!" Tyr was the first to express his approval, followed by the Morninglord, Lathander.
"I, as well." Surprisingly, the third person to approve was Gruumsh! The tall golden orc stood up, every strand of hair on his body erect as he spoke with a resounding voice, "The fight between the orcs and the north is only an internal conflict. Right now, we should focus our strengths against our common enemy. The Orc Kingdom will stop all attacks on the Silverymoon Alliance effective immediately, and the current line of control will be our border."
With their goddess dead and the Weave destroyed, the Silverymoon Alliance was on the brink of collapse. They were after all an alliance of wizards, and with a majority of them losing their abilities they suffered devastating damage. As long as the Orc Empire continued to attack, they would definitely be able to chase Alustriel out of the northern lands.
With Gruumsh proposing this right now, there was no need to suspect his sincerity. Oghma and the other intermediate gods expressed their stances as well, and the evil gods eventually decided that their hatred for the Magi was more important than short term goals. Everyone made an oath, the Styx being the witness.
"First we need to verify the number of Magi that invaded the world. Oghma should be able to take care of this…" Kelemvor initiated.
"Mm. My intelligence says those Magi are more cunning them before. Most of them have hidden themselves, leaving only a few revealed…" Golden divine force formed a screen that displayed the image of a different world. "The Filthy Evil Eye and the Chaos Lord are in the Abyss, while the God of Massacre Leylin is in Baator. There's also Distorted Shadow as well, and the latter two are confirmed to be related to the epidemic spreading around the prime material plane right now…
"And these are only the confirmed ones. Even more have hidden themselves…" Oghma raised his brows, deep in thought, "The prime material plane is the foundation of our faith. These Magi have grown smart, starting a massacre there instead of directly fighting us in our divine kingdoms…"
The many gods grew gloomy. The Magi had directly struck their weak spot this time. With the prime material plane being their biggest source of faith, the death of all its mortals would cause the fall of at least half the gods in the world.
"These despicable Magi, aiming directly for the mortals…" The gods roared in anger, their helpless voices seemingly piercing through the void of the Celestial Hall.
"Talona…" Oghma looked at a lady behind him, wrapped in layers of black gauze as she emitted a putrid smoke.
This was Talona, the Mistress of Disease. Her prestige within the prime material plane was such that some even linked the current epidemic to her. She was an expert in matters of disease.
The Mother of All Plagues stayed silent for a long time, however, before speaking with a hoarse voice, "I am a goddess of poison and disease, not cures. I can only say the Magi are using an interesting thing… It seems to be related to what Kukulkan used when conquering Debanks Island…"
How could the Lady of Poison not notice what Leylin had done on Debanks Island? His ambitions had been exposed early, or it wouldn't have been a problem for him to get a place in Talona's church.
The World of Gods and the Magus World were both of equal rank, possessing terrifying suppressive power. A majority of the Magi chose to stay low-profile, living quietly in seclusion as they accustomed themselves to the changed laws. It was unlikely for common bacteria and viruses to have such an effect after being suppressed, so the scale and damage of this plague caused everyone to think of Leylin's methods.
"You're saying Leylin did all this?" Tyr stared at Talona.
"No," Talona chuckled, "Well, not necessarily. They seem like an inferior imitation, perhaps the work of another Magus. Leylin is currently stuck in Baator, and he won't be able to come out without killing Asmodeus…"
Talona stole a subconscious glance at Umberlee. This intermediate god was unusually quiet, a repulsive aura being radiated from her as she clearly tried to avoid previous incidents.
"However, I have good news. Those Magi aren't working together, and there are conspiracies and fights amongst them. It's even scarier than our own conflicts…" Talona declared loudly.
"Silence!" Oghma saw the disorder in the Celestial Hall, and had to be loud to stop the gods from whispering in secret. "Since the Mistress of Disease does not have a good method, we can only rely on our priests…"
Helplessness surfaced on Oghma's face as he said this.
Originally, gods could bestow an inordinate number of divine spells as compared to demigods. A single Remove Disease would be able to eliminate any troublesome plague no matter the complexity. However, that was all in the past. With the Weave broken down, spell transmission took far more energy than before.
With a limited number of divine spells, the priests could only remain at a loss as huge swathes of innocent commoners died. The gods were losing their foundation.
Only now did Oghma realise the depth of Leylin's progress. The Weave's destruction had released the ancient Magi, yes, but it had also destroyed the strongest class of Professionals in the prime material plane. At the same time, the energy consumed in granting a divine spell had increased severalfold, rendering them unable to make an accurate and timely response.
Such deep cunning was terrifying, and it left the powerful gods feeling a chill of fright.