On the floating island in the atrium, Lion and Asmodeus sat opposite each other.
For them now, everything outside of Hell was clearly visible, including Moya's sharp screams. However, on the other hand, the Demon Mother could not see through what was happening in the Nine Hells.
This was not because of any power gap between the two sides. In fact, the Abyss was the one that truly had the upper hand in terms of power. The root cause of all this was that Tartarus had no subjective consciousness of his own.
He didn't know to isolate himself from prying eyes, so in hell, beings with divine power could see everything outside without any cover. And he couldn't do two things at the same time, so even when a 'thief' came into his body without warning during the process of nurturing the Demon Mother and the six demon gods, Tartarus still turned a blind eye to it.
Therefore, for quite a long time in the past, the devils of Hell could travel through the abyss to the world, and the Nine Hells also constantly stole the power originally used to breed the devil. However, Asmodeus was still very clear that this situation would probably not last too long.
The Abyss had finally given birth to its own life, and when Moya woke up, Hell was forced to stop absorbing his essence. And as the last demon god opened his eyes, Tartarus finally responded to the "foreign object" in this body.
Then the chaotic ocean boiled, and countless layers of the world shook. He gave guidance to Moya and the demons, and he added his own power to the mother of demons. He himself also pressed down on hell with overwhelming malice, trying to wrap up this "foreign object" first, and then crush it with the life he nurtured.
But this is what a being without wisdom is like. It does not know how to conceal its intentions, nor does it know how to prioritize. So when the changes in the abyss were discovered, in terms of time and space, the location of the Nine Hells had already begun to slowly "float up".
Originally, the entrance to the first layer of hell was near the birthplace of Moya, and it used this to constantly steal Tartarus' power. But now, it kept passing through the abyss layers, and only slowly stopped at the outermost layer. If you look at it from another perspective, part of the Nine Hells has actually been explored outside the abyss, and only a few places are still intertwined with it.
But that's all, because the connection between Hell and the Abyss cannot be severed, they are one. So Asmodeus didn't want to escape from anything, he just needed a window to connect with the world, instead of being locked in Tartarus.
This was destined to be a long war. Even if they won this time, the absolute gap in power between the two sides would be difficult to change. Therefore, the connection with the outside world could not be terminated. Only in this way could the Nine Hells have a chance to win the final victory.
"So Ryan, how did the spirit world do it? From the past to the present, why have you never been treated like this by the living world?"
There was nothing unusual on the outside and Asmodeus seemed to be very normal, but only he himself knew how terrible the pressure he was facing at this moment.
As heavy as a mountain and as vast as the sea, in front of the abyss that has finally freed its hands, Hell can only wander in the cracks at this moment, with no room for resistance.
Therefore, Asmodeus was destined not to intervene in this battle from the beginning. The pressure of dealing with the abyss had exhausted him. If the other party had not been unconscious, this war could have been declared over before it even began.
This is not surprising, and it is within the expectations of the Lord of the Nine Hells. However, if he is like this, then the spirit world should be like this in the past. So the reason why Ryan did not encounter the same result may mean that he has some special coping methods.
If possible, Asmodeus was reluctant to use the previously agreed method to resolve his first confrontation with the abyss.
"Don't think too much. You can't do it. Because although you were once the God of Time and Space, you have never actually reached the true heights of the field of time and space."
"Even when the spirit world was just born, as long as I didn't want to, the original god couldn't lock onto me, and the living world couldn't detect me either. Nix once thought she could, because she could use the authority of destiny to determine the fate of the spirit world, but what she didn't know was that even if the living world really gave her all the source power of time and space, she still couldn't touch the time and space of the spirit world."
"As for the reason..."
His fingers tapped lightly on the table. In fact, even Ryan himself was not very clear about what the faint time and space divinity that came with his soul was, but there was no doubt that its essence existed with the world.
It is this power that allows him to resist the 'nothingness' outside of this world to a certain extent, and also allows him to close off the spiritual world so that no existence can touch it.
"As for the reason, it's probably innate. As the oldest god, I have to be a little special."
He explained casually that Ryan had already said something similar once. However, he also knew that Asmodeus did not want to pry into his secrets, but just wanted to express doubts about the feasibility of the original plan.
So Ryan didn't mind saying it again and giving him a cheer.
"Speaking of the matter itself, you don't need to worry so much - you can open up an interface in the abyss because He has no wisdom. And now, these children of His are the same."
Just as they had thought before, except for Moya, these first-generation demons did possess powerful strength, but at the same time, they also inherited the characteristics of the chaos of the abyss.
Therefore, their intelligence is very weak, at least compared to ordinary people. At most, they have more thinking ability than the Sun Devourers wandering in the spirit world, and know how to distinguish between enemies and friends, and measure the weak and the strong.
"Well... hopefully everything will be as normal."
The Lord of the Nine Hells nodded and stopped struggling. He just looked at the demons approaching from outside the world, and finally confirmed:
"We're going to win, right?"
"Of course, but at the end of the day, it depends on how you define 'win'."
Standing up, Ryan responded with a smile, and the next moment, the figure reflected in his consciousness slowly shattered.
The incarnation's thoughts returned and entangled with the original form of the atrium, and the two wheels of tomorrow also flickered.
"At least judging from the extent to which she still misses me, she really hates me to the core. In that case, I'll just have to suffer a little more and make a little sacrifice... Don't you agree?"
Ryan's voice gradually became inaudible, and as he regained consciousness, the atrium shook slightly.
A certain huge creature moved its stiff body, and as Asmodeus watched it all, his cheek twitched slightly.
Sacrifice... yes, but no matter how you look at it, it seems that the one being 'sacrificed' is not the other party.
But that's all… Shaking his head, the figure of the Lord of the Nine Hells disappeared.
As long as we can win, it doesn't matter what happens. After all, this is the most perfect solution.
The Abyss was not something they could defeat, and Moya possessed an immortal essence, so they were not enemies that could be truly resolved. So from the beginning of this war, he had no choice of goal.
······
The first layer of hell, [Noisy Sky Tunnel].
On the dim earth, the sound of air tearing and shaking never ceased. A dark blue storm streaked across the sky, then collided with a ball of fire, illuminating the sky.
This special scene did not occur in just one place, but in many places. It was not created by some kind of force, but was caused by the characteristics of this layer of interface itself.
Ever since the former Titan gods became its master, the God of Weather has injected his power as a god into this world. This has made it more powerful, but also inevitably modified its underlying rules.
From that day on, storms raged on the mountains and plains, and the noisy sound never stopped. The environment of the entire interface completely shifted in a certain direction, and even in the last few thousand years, it has undergone further changes.
The abyss absorbed the flames and frost, and thus gave rise to demons with corresponding powers, as well as some interfaces filled with magma and cold currents. Of course, Hell also got a share of it. In order to better resist the possible war, Asmodeus generously injected his profits into the first interface. As a result, Crius's power increased, and fire and frost flickered in the noisy tunnel.
So even though there is no sun in this world, it never lacks light sources. Sometimes flames spontaneously born from the void illuminate the entire world, and then they are either blown out by the storm or dance around with it. If you look down at this world from a higher perspective, you can see countless stars swirling and spinning, bringing warmth and light to this dim interface.
Of course, with the birth of fire and cold current, the storm naturally became more violent. The collision of cold and heat made the airflow more difficult to guess, and also made it so that only the underground in this world could bear traces of life.
Layers of tunnels and cavities were dug out, and then they made sharp sounds under the strong wind on the surface, which is one of the origins of the name of the Noisy Void Tunnel. But that was normal times, and there was no life in the first layer of hell at this moment.
Not long ago, the demons here evacuated to the upper world in an orderly manner under the order of the lord. Obviously, the collision between Tartarus and the Nine Hells was not something they could participate in. Even this time, they were not even qualified to be spectators.
Thus, the boundless interface became empty, and only at the highest point, Crius, holding a great sword, solemnly looked at this world that belonged to him.
This place is about to become a battlefield, and he is the only "warrior".
"Every time he is outnumbered, I don't know when he will be able to change this situation."
Although he didn't say it, Crius was somewhat speechless in his heart. Whether on the ground or underground, he seemed to have never experienced the feeling of being in a large number of people.
Fortunately, his power is stronger than before. Although at the beginning of his reincarnation, this Titan once lost his powerful divine power and could only rely on the blessing of the interface to maintain his original appearance, as Hell absorbed the power of the abyss for tens of thousands of years, he returned to his original realm with difficulty.
Even now, as a being with the characteristics of a regional god, Crius standing in the noisy tunnel is far better than before. The entire interface is integrated with him, and here, he feels that he can fight against more than one being of the same position.
The only not-so-good thing is that Crius suddenly discovered that not only were each of his future enemies no weaker than his current self, but there were even six of them.
As for his teammates...Crius looked at Mephisto beside him.
No matter how you look at it, the opponent doesn't seem to be very capable of fighting.
"Why are you here alone? Where is the god you took to hell? And that other guy, that... Hypnos? Where is he?"
Crius frowned, somewhat dissatisfied.
Although the two sides had not dealt with each other much, he had to admit that the power of the God of Sleep was indeed very strong, even stronger than his own. And according to the other party, that was after he lost the authority of [Dream]. Otherwise, he would have almost stood at the pinnacle of the realm of true gods.
This shocked Crius somewhat, because Hypnos had always been unknown in the world, but after thinking about it carefully, he did not find it strange.
After all, Chaos' world is like this. Although death is ridiculously weak, sleep has replaced it. Because in this world, the most terrible end of God is not death, but eternal sleep.
Therefore, the power of the God of Sleep is naturally strong - of course, perhaps it is precisely this power that leads to his confident resistance.
But no matter what the reason is, it has nothing to do with Crius. He is just dissatisfied with it because the other party seems to have no intention of cooperating at all.
"He doesn't think hiding in his own little world is useful, does he?" Crius sneered and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. "Or does he think the Lord of the Nine Hells won't punish him for his act of absconding?"
Before coming, Asmodeus told him clearly that the lord of the third level of hell would help him to restrain at least two demons, but now, he didn't even know where the person was.
"Don't worry, Crius. He must have come. As long as he wants to stay in Hell, he will not disobey the unanimous order of the two masters."
In the air beside him, Mephisto was not in a hurry.
"As for where... the greatest use of his authority is not in direct combat, but I think he will contribute."
Unlike Crius, who was nervous, Mephisto admired the unique scenery of the noisy tunnel. Behind the unique environment was the manifestation of the powerful power of this level of lords, which was exactly what he did not have.
Even though he became the great lord of hell, and was even temporarily granted jurisdiction over the second layer of hell because of the war, there was still a problem before him. Unlike Crius, who could be considered a partner who "brought in capital", Mephisto was just a high-level "worker". Everything he had now was because he could still create value for the Lord of the Nine Hells.
But no value is eternal. The most enduring value is to transform oneself into this value itself, like Crius and his meteorological origin.
"As expected, only disaster is the ladder to rise... The destruction of the human world has brought me today, and the invasion of the abyss is for our better tomorrow."
With a look of emotion on his face, Mephisto smiled and said:
"So let's look at the bright side. Maybe after today, the Noisy Sky Tunnel will become even more powerful with the nourishment of the demon's flesh and blood?"
"That only works if you're still alive tomorrow, human."
Responding coldly, Crius drew his greatsword.
"And I want you to remember, remnant of the Silver Age: I am immortal, but you are not."
Leaving behind a cold laugh, Crius leaped up under the hurricane. Behind him, watching his receding figure, Mephisto still smiled.
He knew that as an innate god, the other party had always looked down on him. In other words, almost all gods did not like to see mortals gradually standing shoulder to shoulder with them, which was a very normal thing.
But normal is normal, and there are many normal things in this world. Just like now, the key to determining the outcome of this war has never been in Crius's hands.
"Silver human...you are right."
Mephisto took out the silver mirror from the void and looked at the temporary artifact, and continued to wait. Until a certain moment, accompanied by a loud bang, a huge sound from the spatial level came from the sky, shaking the whole world.
"Boom——"
Looking up slightly, Mephistopheles knew that the gate of hell was opened.
·····
Chapter 256 Cannibalization
"Boom..."
"Boom——"
"Boom——"
In the chaotic space and time, there was originally no so-called "portal", but when the forces of the two worlds collided, it seemed to become clearly visible.
Born from the same source, yet opposed to each other, they attract each other behind their repulsion. So when the gate of hell was in front of him, Moya rushed in without hesitation.
"Boom!"
The dull sound of impact caused blood to splatter everywhere, but the slight pain instead aroused a certain "ferocity" in Moya.
It is difficult to say whether she was affected by the chaotic power of the abyss, but she did not seem to be a very smart god. In short, from the moment she saw her current situation, the Demon Mother had an endless desire for destruction in her heart.
She wanted to destroy something, whether the object of destruction was someone else or herself.
"Bang!!"
"Crack—"
She didn't remember how many collisions it was until one moment, Moya just felt as if she had broken something, passed through some kind of barrier, and came to another place.
The power of the Nine Hells began to suppress her, but the world was fighting the abyss with all its strength and could not spare much strength. This was more of a reminder to Moya that she had come in.
So she shook her body and regained some of her sanity. She began to observe the surrounding environment with the tiny pupils hidden under her indescribable body, and also sense the breath of the entire hell.
Looking down from the sky, in a dark world, thousands of 'light spots' kept flashing and whirling, giving the interface a magnificent color. Sharp or heavy whistling sounds were heard all the time, just like the poor performance of a band, which made Moya feel a little annoyed.
But this is not the most important thing... The Demon Mother looked towards the deeper level of time and space.
As the only being currently qualified to bear part of the power of the abyss, Moya temporarily received a little extra favor from Him. Although the conditions for using this favor were harsh and limited because she could not become the "king" of the abyss, and it only took effect when facing the enemies of Tartarus, it still allowed her to perceive the distribution of power in hell.
Apart from the world itself that is fighting against Tartarus, only the middle place has a power that can match her at the moment... As for other places, there are only a few one or two relatively powerful beings.
But this was meaningless, because there were more Abysses. So soon, even without much combat wisdom, Moya quickly determined the best way to deal with it - she would entangle the threatening existence, and then other demons would destroy the world.
Of course, the premise of all this is that this world can really support the fight between her and that strange being. So without hesitation, the Demon Mother stretched her body and let out a long and piercing cry.
"Ah~~…"
The voice echoed in the noisy tunnel and also spread beyond this interface. It was Moya calling out to the demons born with her.
These irrational beings cannot communicate normally, but fortunately Moya doesn't need to waste time talking to them.
There was only one thought in her voice: destroy everything in front of her!
"Bang!"
The next moment, without waiting for their response, Moya collided again and rushed into the deeper layer of the world. The first layer of the world was penetrated by her without any hindrance, but in the gap between the nine layers of the interface, a black shadow flashed by.
Without being able to react, Moya was hit back into the ground of the noisy tunnel. Even this force continued, causing her to pass through the ground until she fell out of the Nine Hells and hit the giant with eight arms and three heads.
Her flesh tore apart and healed again. Moya just shook her body and stood up again. At the end of her sight, she saw the person who attacked her.
Rising from nothingness, crawling in time and space, winding and coiling on a body of unknown length, a huge snake head poked out of the interface. Its scarlet eyes stared at the demons, not disguising the murderous intent in its eyes.
However, seeing this moment, Moya just let out a sharp laugh, without any anger at being attacked.
"Okay, very good—"
"Since you don't want to fight me inside, then come outside... Although no matter where you are, the result that awaits you will be the same!"
Fighting here would actually help her demonstrate her strength. As for whether it would cause damage to some levels in the abyss, neither Moya nor Tartarus really cared.
In comparison, the significance of the demon gods was greater. They at least represented the authority of a certain aspect of the abyss. If something went wrong with them, it would be a big deal. So there was no fancy tricks, and the Demon Mother didn't know any other means. She just rushed towards the opponent in the most primitive way, just like before.
Although this seemed a bit stupid, it was the most effective way. She didn't need to do anything else. From now on, Moya just had to make the other party unable to take care of other things.
······
The connection between the abyss and hell, the entrance to the first layer of hell.
Unlike the turmoil outside, this place seemed a little quiet. After all, even the demons that passed through here did not stay for long, but followed the induction in the dark and went to the depths of the world.
So now, the only one left here is a guy who wanted to hide somewhere but accidentally found a bomb.
"Hiss... It's really hard for me to understand..."
The body trembled slightly, and the gray wings behind it drooped down. Hypnos' figure, which was hidden at the entrance of the interface, seemed to have been hit by something very strong, and it was a little slow to react.
Therefore, he almost watched the first four demons conceived by the Demon Mother enter the Noisy Tunnel one after another in front of him without having time to make any response.
"My luck is really bad..."
The corners of his mouth twitched, and the God of Sleep didn't know how he should comment. In fact, even if he ran into an opponent he couldn't beat, it would be understandable, but the experience just now really made it difficult for him to comment.
After all, strictly speaking, he actually did nothing just now, he just looked at the huge life that broke into the Nine Hells with a curious mind. And now, he felt extremely regretful about it.
The flash of a giant object and the strong mental impact were not just indescribable appearance, but a conceptual definition. Hypnos had seen the goddess of beauty on Mount Olympus more than once in the dreams of the gods, and Aphrodite was indeed like her job. No matter who you are, whether you are a man or a woman, whether you hate her or not, you will be attracted by her beauty under the influence of her innate authority.
You may hate her character and question her ability, but you must admit that she is a being that makes you feel pleasing to the eye - just like the opposite of Moya. At this moment, Hypnos was very sure that this demon mother was most likely given some opposite power by the abyss, and it was very likely that it was strengthened.
Because she also had the natural aversion of order to chaos. In short, under various influences, the other party's figure seemed to have some mystical effect. Although it did not cause direct damage, it was far more terrifying than direct damage.
After just a moment's gaze, the God of Sleep felt that he would never forget her for the next ten thousand years. He had no doubt that if this disgusting thing didn't think of some way to cover itself up in the future, no one would be willing to communicate with her.
Well... Hypnos didn't know at this time that he was not the first victim. The demon god with all eyes saw the other party at the first moment of his birth, and then destroyed his own eyes directly. But until it grew a new batch, it still didn't make any sense.
The impact on the mind is naturally not affected by the body, so its instinctive reaction is futile.
"Huh—here it comes."
After a while, the god of sleep finally turned his attention back to serious matters.
Four have already been let go. If the next two also have problems, it would be a bit unreasonable.
In any case, he was now a "worker" living under someone else's roof, so Hypnos forced himself to be alert. Under his gaze, after a while, the void trembled slightly again, and dark blue mist seeped out from it.
Just like when it was born, the mist obscured the figure of the person coming, hiding the true form of the demon god and making it difficult for others to see its specific location. The seemingly beautiful mist actually contained extremely terrifying poison, enough to turn anyone who approached into dry bones.
This is a power that does not exist in Chaos' world. It comes from the source of frost power, the original spring in a certain country.
The original spring water, which was as famous as the Urd Spring and Mimir Spring, did not have much effect. Its most distinctive feature was its terrible toxicity. Now, this feature was obviously inherited by the demon god who carried its power, and became the best barrier around him.
"But there's no point... I wasn't planning on getting close to you anyway."
"Nothing with too much wisdom is easier to deal with."
He stretched out his hand and grasped it, and the deep purple flute fell into his hand. This artifact that accompanied him did not leave him when he fell into hell. Hypnos put it to his lips, and a melodious music sounded in the world of howling hurricanes.
The violent sound of the wind did not affect its effect, because the music of the god of sleep was not meant to be heard by the ears. His power was transmitted into the mist along with the melody without hindrance, and at the same time, gray feathers fell from his wings, crossing the void and floating to the other side.
It was visible to the naked eye that the originally moving blue mist slowly stopped, but the fog around it became thicker.
It seemed to have some kind of instinct to protect its own safety in this way while sleeping, but Hypnos had no intention of doing anything to it.
His strength is not an advantage in a frontal combat. Even though he can knock the opponent down with one move now, if a real fight breaks out, even if he can severely injure the opponent with the first move, the outcome is uncertain.
Compared to the native life that had been transformed by Hell, Hypnos was not enthusiastic about the power of the Abyss Demon. Instead of thinking about whether he could solve it once and for all, it would be more meaningful to control one more.
"Hmm... Crius, right? You are immortal anyway, so just fight two more."
"You were like this when you were on earth. Even in the starry sky, you always seemed to be the punching bag."
Looking at the void surging again, a shadow emerged from it, and Hypnos thought silently.
He had seen that scene in the dreams of a few Star Gods, the weather titan being beaten by the ancient sun god - that was the nightmare of many Star Gods. After all, they still remembered how many of their kind perished during that time, and it was sheer luck that they were able to survive until today.
Therefore, it can be imagined that Crius is very experienced in this regard.
"Shadows... make no difference."
Blowing the flute again, Hypnos easily stopped the last demon in place. He relaxed and even had time to observe this unique guy.
Not only is there a difference in appearance, the God of Sleep even felt that it was more rational than the previous ones - of course, this doesn't make any sense.
Being smart or dumb doesn't affect being controlled by his power. Once you fall into a deep sleep, it will not be easy to wake up.
"Lucky guy."
After observing for a while, Hypnos stopped thinking about it.
Even if he fell into hell, the god of sleep still looked like a young man. Appearing in such an environment with such an appearance inevitably gave people a feeling of a dark fairy tale.
Turning around, he looked deeper into the interface. Inside the noisy tunnel, the battle was also about to begin. After all, the demons that had entered were destroying the world without mercy, and the master here obviously could not tolerate such behavior.
Although their power is not enough to destroy the space-time that carries the world, they are not here for this purpose. When they clear out the life on this level, occupy the center of this level, and then use their power to infect the sky and the earth, this place will gradually be marked with the mark of the abyss.
When this marking is completed, Tartarus can use it as an anchor point to accurately deliver more power, rather than constantly playing hide-and-seek with the Nine Hells in terms of time and space.
The process of the battle between Hell and the Abyss is to erode little by little and finally decide the winner when the overall situation is about to be determined. Just like Chaos used a long time to wear down the resistance of the world of Hemenu, the collision between worlds cannot be resolved overnight.
"Devouring each other..."
"It's really original and beautiful."
Sitting in the void, the feathers behind him continued to fall and regenerate, Hypnos commented lightly.
Although he was here, the Born Evil God had no empathy. So now, he just completed his most basic task, and then waited here, watching this windy world burn bit by bit.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 257 Curse
To say that Hypnos 'watched the world burn' is not an exaggerated description; in fact, it is a very literal description of the first layer of Hell.
Although there was nothing that could be used as fuel in the noisy tunnel filled with wind and rocks, the extraordinary world did not obey the laws of physics. At this moment, with the entry of the demon god, the whole world began to riot.
This is the attraction and opposition between the origins, and the resonance of the power of Muspelheim, the Land of Fire. Therefore, the relevant laws in the interface are activated, and the endless hurricane is stained with a layer of red.
"Sizzle—"
The heavy sword made a harsh friction sound when it slashed across the phosphorus armor, but it was obvious that the attack failed to break this natural defense.
The attack was fruitless, and before he could take further action, Crius's face changed, and then he turned into invisible water vapor and spread into the surrounding void.
The next moment, a dark red light pierced through, turning the water vapor along the way into nothingness. It continued to move forward, and then fell on the ground behind. The soil and rocks centered on the landing point were almost visible to the naked eye, constantly disintegrating into the finest dust, and then disappeared without a trace with the wind.
The water vapor gathered, and Klios felt the slightly weakened divine body. He had no time to admire the power of the demon god, and immediately retreated again. The next moment, a bloated and fat multi-segmented insect jumped up from the ground, and the human face on top of it grinned greedily, and pounced towards the existence in the sky.
However, perhaps because of their huge bodies, or because of their lack of combat wisdom, or perhaps because of the difference in power, with Crius's avoidance, the two sides should have passed each other by - if his enemy had not had more.
However, there is no if in reality. In the distance, although there is an obvious crack on the translucent wings, the huge "moth" still spreads its wings, and thousands of eyes also open wide.
In an instant, ignoring the barriers of time and space, all kinds of chaotic emotions surged into Crius's heart.
Fear, panic, anger, jealousy, deception... they are combined in different proportions and contained in every 'eye' of the demon god with all kinds of vision and thoughts.
When they opened together, they mixed into billions of new emotions again, and then shone into Crius' heart together, causing the former Titan god to pause and his will to fall into some kind of confusion.
In an instant, the worm's body approached the target, and the expression on its human face became more and more ferocious. When the two sides touched, the human face seemed to take a deep breath, and then it could be seen that Crius's body suddenly shrank.
"Hiss—get away!"
A feeling of emptiness rose from the bottom of his heart, awakening Crius who was overwhelmed by emotions. He instinctively swung his sword and easily tore a huge wound in the worm's body.
But this didn't mean much, as the opponent's body was clearly recovering. At the same time, not only did the second ray of light with different powers break through the air, but the demon with flames all over his body also rushed towards him at high speed with a chain sword in hand.
"Damn it—"
Cursing angrily, Crius could only raise his sword and move forward. Although he was no match for the enemy, he would not be completely defeated for a while.
After all, for an immortal innate god, unless he burns himself like the ancient sun god, or is infected by a higher level of power, ordinary damage is not fatal to the god, and it does not take too long to slowly recover. As long as the power is not exhausted, even if he is attacked thousands of times, he can still recover as before.
brush--
After dodging the sharp sword and avoiding the incoming light again, Crius barely boosted his spirit by inflicting self-harm. He raised the giant sword and aimed it at the demon's head.
The phosphorus armor here is not that thick, and perhaps it can really cause some damage to the opponent... The best defense is offense. This is the experience he has summed up after participating in several wars between gods.
After slashing down with his sword, Crius was somewhat amused. At least he could finally hurt this demon surrounded by the fire of destruction. However, just as the thought came to his mind, the scene that followed made his eyes widen and his body retreat violently.
Perhaps it was because it realized that it was about to be hit, the demon god was not afraid, but instead had a stronger tyranny and murderous intent in its eyes. In the battle, its body had long been dominated by instinct, so it faced the sword and rushed forward.
The body began to disintegrate and the flesh and blood burned. The demon did not avoid the enemy's attack at all, but gathered into a ball, rushed forward, and then exploded beside the opponent in front of Crius' horrified eyes.
boom--
The self-explosion of a demon god directly caused a "sun" to rise in the dim and noisy tunnel. Endless light and heat illuminated the vast land, and the huge roar and tremor also shook the whole world.
As the explosion took place, all the tunnels and cavities that had been dug underground for tens of thousands of years vanished into thin air. Beneath the explosion, billions of tons of soil and rock turned into magma lakes, which were then evaporated the next moment… Even though Hypnos was far away at the edge of the interface, he couldn't help but feel frightened by this force, and then increased his power output, barely preventing the two demon gods from waking up from their sleep.
At the center of the explosion, even though Crius tried his best to dodge, only bones and a few fragments of internal organs were left on his divine body.
They were still evolving, and then ignited by the flames overflowing in the space, which made the former Titan gods feel like they were being tortured by thousands of cuts. He wanted to vent his pain with his voice, but Crius couldn't even make a sound now.
Facing the four demons alone, Crius knew that he was no match for them, so he just wanted to delay for enough time. Therefore, from the very beginning he chose to experience their power one by one.
The first opponent he chose was the demon god that symbolized the life and change of the abyss. However, just like its power, although the master of the noisy tunnel easily tore the worm's flesh and blood, his damage was meaningless.
This is normal. Except for a few powerful people, any existence would be at a loss when faced with something that is linked to life. Therefore, after just one encounter and several injuries, Crius decisively changed his target.
Since the first one was not suitable as an attack target, the second target he chose was the Ten Thousand Eyes Demon God. The opponent's aura was obviously weaker than the others, and the effect of this attack was barely acceptable - the opponent's body was very 'fragile' and did not recover that quickly. With just one sword, Crius left a scratch on its wings.
However, Crius soon changed his target again. He suddenly discovered that when the eyes on his body were destroyed, the demon god would burst into emotional disturbances that were several times more powerful, causing him to be unable to resist and freeze in place. This was thanks to the fact that there was a certain flaw in its power, otherwise it would not be as simple as being frozen for a while.
The Chaos gods have always lacked resistance to this kind of power. If the Ten Thousand Eyes Demon God only had enough "emotions" but lacked "spirit", then Crius's fate would be even worse. In this battle, he relied on authority and reason to preserve his strength as much as possible. This kind of "hard control" attack was undoubtedly the last thing he wanted to encounter.
So after some consideration, Crius decisively set his sights on the third demon, the giant with three heads and eight arms.
He had been observing his surroundings during the previous confrontation, and he once thought that he had finally found an easy target, because Crius discovered that the three heads of the demon seemed to have different thoughts and were equally confused.
They often interfere with each other and make contradictory moves. At most, they would shoot out a ray of light containing different powers from the pupils between the three eyebrows to attack the enemy. However, until the moment it is really about to be hurt, its three consciousnesses quickly and uniformly follow their own instincts and begin to fight the enemy regardless of the consequences.
So after suffering a few more losses, Crius changed his target again and looked at the demon with flames all over his body. As for the three-headed giant, it might be less threatening if he left it alone.
The last one was also the one that Crius least wanted to face. Because this demon god, whose appearance was closest to the later demons, not only had heavy phosphorus armor, but also a huge chain sword.
That was a real divine weapon, far from being comparable to the inferior one in Crius's hand. And the facts also proved that his fear was indeed so, because he did not dare to face the opponent's sword at all, but the demon's phosphorus armor could not be broken by him at all.
However, compared to the other three, Crius still felt that the one in front of him was more suitable for main attack. At least he could still exchange a few moves with the opponent, and the demon god obviously had no experience in using weapons - until this world-shaking explosion sounded, blowing him into his current state.
Looking at the demon god in the distance whose aura was obviously dropping, but still fierce and crazy, Crius had no doubt that if he dared to get close, the other party might reward him with another "self-destruction" at any time. If this was a one-on-one duel, he would never refuse to face this group attack method that obviously killed 800 enemies and lost 3,000 of his own, but now, he had four enemies.
"Damn Mephisto, where have you been again?!"
With a roar, he flew back - although one of the enemies had entered a weakened period after the 'ultimate move', it did not mean that the others would be affected.
It seems that a head-on battle is meaningless... So in the first layer of hell, even worse than when he faced Hyperion, Crius could only dodge everywhere and leave scars on his body.
He didn't know what the turning point was, but obviously, if he didn't want the demon to invade his interface at will and leave behind the power of the abyss that would be difficult to remove even after the war, then he would have to hold on a little longer.
But for a god-level being, this "while" is not a short period of time.
······
The human world, the Palace of Eleusis.
There was heavy snow.
At this moment, no one in the world knows what demons and devils are, and even the existence of Tartarus only exists in some kind of legend. People are immersed in the joy of harvest and enjoy the snow scene that they have never seen before.
This is a new phenomenon this year, which means that the concept of "winter" has been further solidified. Perhaps it is because of Demeter's previous anger, or perhaps it is because the time has really come. In short, the weather is changing again.
During this time, Demophon had been buried by the king and his wife on a hill far from the city. The king did not dare to bury him near the goddess, so he had no choice but to do this.
After this, Demophon's elder brother, Triptolemus, was also sent to the goddess by Creus again. But this time, no one dared to look up at Demeter. They all looked at the ground, showing their humility to the gods walking on earth.
That day, the king thought he would receive news of his eldest son's death again. Triptolemus thought the same thing, but in the face of the choice given by his father, he still chose the one who came. But unexpectedly, Demeter did not break her promise. She kept her promise and gave the child the glory of the nearest god.
In this place where the former king once lived, the goddess taught Triptolemus the secrets of farming, which were inherited and summarized by previous generations of humans, and also the process summarized by Demeter from the results. This knowledge is not only about the growth of grains and farming methods, but also involves the changes in astrology and geology, the cultivation and selection of grain seeds, the laws of climate, and other crystallizations of wisdom.
This knowledge is complex and profound, and even many of them are known but not understood. However, the vagueness of the goddess's narration was naturally misinterpreted by mortals. They thought that they just couldn't understand the wisdom of God, and after gradually studying the mystery behind it, they praised the greatness of God more devoutly. In addition, Demeter even granted Triptolemus the qualification to use holy power, and after he learned all the knowledge, he was canonized as her patriarch on earth.
Humans herd cattle and sheep for meat and milk, and gods herd humans for faith and pleasure. Therefore, the closest being to God among humans is naturally the chief shepherd who herds the "cattle and sheep" for God.
So from that day on, Eleusis, located on the edge of humanity, became the first country in the world to worship Demeter, and the only country to worship her. People built temples dedicated to the goddess everywhere, and regarded her as the main god of harvest and agriculture - because it was from that day on, with the help of the magic of priests headed by Triptolemus, Eleusis regained its harvest, and the country was reborn.
The goddess thus gained a high reputation among mortals, and because of Triptolemus' special status, there were no internal conflicts in the country. He was both the future king and the goddess' representative in the world, so the politics and religion here were integrated like Silvermoon City. Without power conflicts and with the gods nearby, it naturally embarked on the fast track of development again.
Everyone was immersed in joy, and even the king put aside his hatred while remembering his young son. In any case, now is always good, instead of fighting an invincible enemy and remembering him for the rest of his life, it is better to let him go for the time being.
This was a helpless act, but also the wisdom of the weak to survive. In short, the events of that night seemed to have passed just like that. No one in the palace mentioned him, and the people outside were even less likely to know what had happened. No one talked about the prince who died young, as if he had never existed. People just sang praises to the greatness of the goddess and enjoyed the harvest that had finally arrived.
Only Metaneira is not like this.
That night, Demeter's high judgment still haunted the queen's dreams, and the death of her young son was still vivid in her mind. Metaneira naturally could not let it go, and there was only a mortal's curse on the gods.
Unfortunately, in this world, a curse without power is nothing.
(End of this chapter)
Chapter 258: Poseidon, who was caught in the crossfire (ecstasy),
is in the palace of Eleusis, where the queen lives.
In the cold winter, snowflakes fell on the roof and the ground. The cold wind outside formed a convection with the burning fire inside, bringing gusts of breeze. Through the window, Metaneira could see the guards guarding outside.
They are all the elite of the kingdom, warriors who have reached the second level. Not only do they possess extraordinary physiques that are not afraid of cold or heat, they can also use the energy in their bodies to temporarily enhance themselves. They can also wear heavy armor and travel hundreds of miles, or fight and defeat ordinary beasts with their bare hands.
In this era, they can almost be regarded as the reserve force of the Eleusinian upper echelons, and after hundreds of years of development, this "upper echelons" may even be replaced by "nobles". Therefore, letting them serve as guards was originally a symbol of status, but the queen knew that they were not actually here to protect her.
On the contrary, they came to protect this thriving country from being destroyed by themselves. And all of this was because of Metaneira's complaint against the goddess of agriculture.
Everyone has 'forgotten' the existence of the little prince, or rather, most civilians don't know the whole story, but the queen is unwilling to 'forget'; everyone is grateful for the existence of the goddess, because she makes natural disasters no longer terrible, but the queen is also unwilling to be grateful.
Even when seeing the people of Eleusis being grateful to Demeter, Metaneira tried to tell them the truth behind it - she did not expect people to understand her, but at least they should remember that Demophon died because of this, and his name should not be unknown.
Then from that day on, the queen was taken back to the palace.
Obviously, although Demeter herself had put the dead child behind her and did not want to recall the failed work, others did not dare to let the goddess's "stain" spread. Even King Chrysostom gradually began to speculate about the whole story.
Although the goddess appears moody and regards mortals as ants, if the "ants" in her eyes do not hinder her business, Demeter will not do anything.
This is the contempt of the gods for humans, just as humans despise livestock. After thinking this through, the king's suppressed pain was not wiped out, but it inevitably made him put down his worries a little. At least he understood that as long as he obeyed the goddess's wishes in everything, the same disaster would not befall his eldest son again.
Under such circumstances, he would not allow any unexpected events to happen, nor would he allow Metaneira's remarks to affect the image of the gods in the eyes of the people, and thus shake the faith of the goddess. So even though he understood the queen's grief, he still indifferently locked her up in his palace.
He thought that time would smooth out everything, and the emphasis on the eldest son and family would gradually make Metaneira let go of unrealistic ideas. After all, the dead can no longer be saved, and the living must continue to live. But it is obvious that Chrysos didn't know that for some people, the status of the living can never beat the status of the dead.
So on this day, when night fell, the queen dismissed all the maids who came to "take care" of her, or simply prevented her from doing sacrilegious things. She covered the window with curtains and took out a box of fine perfume that she had tanned with her own hands.
It was the result of Metaneira's two months of hard work, and it was a spice made with a special recipe. Four parts of frankincense, two parts of benzoin, and two parts of incense. One part of cedar and ginger, with half a part of vetiver, cardamom, cinnamon, juniper berries, iris and cedarwood, plus seven dried raisins, a few drops of wine, honey and lotus incense. If she wasn't the queen, there would be no way she could have put all these ingredients together.
After getting the raw materials, she processed them according to different time sequences and rituals. She crushed the hay and left it in a sealed container for two weeks, then mixed it with essential oils, wine, grapes, etc. and left it again. After waiting for about a month, she finally made the finished product into incense sticks and stored it in a small box.
It is said that such incense can communicate with the gods - at least that is what the gods said. So now, Metaneira took it out and lit it carefully.
The fire flickered for a moment, and then a faint mist swirled around the room, but then disappeared after extending to a certain distance. It seemed to be transmitted to some unknown place with the queen's thoughts, carrying her will.
Time passed by, and the night became darker. Until midnight, when the incense was about to burn out, under Metaneira's expectant gaze, the void in front of her finally trembled slightly.
After a while, under the flickering candlelight, two beings that could be called "dwarfs" slowly emerged and solidified. They were two children who looked only ten years old, but when the queen looked at them, there was only concern and desire in her eyes.
"It looks like you're ready."
The boy spoke first, and the girl followed closely.
"It's up to you to choose one of us."
Looking at the mortals in front of them, Volos and Eros said calmly:
"So now... make your choice."
"This is your only chance in this life to take revenge on God."
······
In the queen's bedroom, the conversation is still going on.
This was not the first time the two sides met. In fact, Metaneira had seen these two child-like gods shortly after she was imprisoned in the palace.
In a simple demonstration, these two children, who were no more than ten years old, only shot a golden arrow, and a determined guard fell madly in love with a stone, considering it his only one. This thrilling scene chilled the queen's heart, but also made her believe in the other party's identity.
In the simple concept of Chaos people, influencing a person's mind is far more terrifying than killing a person's body. So without much doubt, Metaneira determined that the visitor was a god far more powerful than Demeter. After a brief conversation with the other party, the queen also understood what the other party meant.
They were willing to help her achieve her revenge and take vengeance on the goddess of agriculture - or rather, helping her achieve her revenge could achieve their goal, so they came for this reason.
A golden arrow can bring irresistible love; a lead arrow can create intolerable disgust. They put two arrows in front of the queen and let her choose one and then decide a target for it - of course, this target must be related to the object of her revenge.
"I want to know...can you bring Demophon back to life?"
In the smoke from the burning incense, the queen spoke with hope. Although she had thought about revenge on Demeter for a long time, she still wanted to bring her child back to life if possible.
This is far more meaningful than revenge. However, the two gods in front of her, who looked like young boys and girls, just shook their heads together and said one by one:
"Although I really want to say that we won't agree even if we can."
"Because we are not here to help you fulfill your wish."
"But in fact."
"We really can't do that."
It's like a telepathic connection. Even though each person speaks only one sentence, it sounds like there is no sense of separation at all.
Seeing the queen's eyes turn from expectation to despair, Volos and Eros continued:
"Because his soul died, too."
"At least he didn't return to the spirit world."
"Divine power can do that."
"And no one will hold her accountable for this individual case."
"Now, make your choice - this is your only chance."
The last sentence, the overlapping voices rang out in the room, bringing a slight echo. When the queen's hope was extinguished, the flame of hatred became even more intense.
In these days of imprisonment, Metaneira was also recalling everything that happened that night. Her child was killed. Maybe there was indeed a reason for her to disturb him, but the essence of the matter was the god's condescending attitude. Demeter had never really poured any affection into Demophon - even if she had, it was definitely not much.
She only regarded Demophon as her perfect work, and naturally wanted to destroy this flawed creation. Then the greatest punishment for such a being would naturally be to let her have an offspring that truly belonged to her and brought her eternal shame.
"I choose the golden arrow, Lord Volos."
Clenching her fists, the queen spoke word by word:
"I want you to shoot it into the ugliest being among the gods, so that he will develop possessive feelings towards Demeter."
"I want them to have an equally ugly child together..."
"There is no ugly true god, Metaneira. Even the most ordinary-looking true god can hardly be described as ugly."
Not knowing the existence of Hephaestus, Volos, carrying the golden arrow, denied the queen's statement.
"Then I will like the most bizarre and cruel god!"
Metaneira gritted her teeth and even looked at Eros who was standing beside her. Or to be more precise, at the lead arrow she was carrying.
"If I could shoot her with one more arrow, so that she would hate that god from the bottom of her heart..."
"This is impossible. You don't have the ability."
Eros denied it casually, looking a little nonchalant.
"Our arrows are powered by revenge, not by pure force. If you were a god, your hatred for killing your son would be enough to justify using two arrows, and their effects would be extraordinary."
"But unfortunately, you are only a mortal. So no matter how great your hatred is, it can only be effective on one branch, and the effect it brings will not be permanent."
"…"
After being rejected repeatedly, the queen finally calmed down a little.
She looked at the twins in front of her, and an inexplicable grief and anger arose in her heart. It was like this again, just like Demeter had looked down on her, and now, the two gods who came to "help" her were actually doing the same.
They just regarded themselves as tools... but perhaps they no longer cared about their own lives. So looking at them, Metaniera could not help but sneer:
"If that's the case, why do you appear in front of me? Do gods also need the assistance of mortals?"
"Oh--"
With a disdainful laugh, Eros ignored the queen's words. Boring mortals, meaningless emotions... Of course, it might have meaning to her, but Eros didn't want to understand.
She pulled out the golden arrow from behind her twin brother and threw it in front of the queen. She could sense the hatred in the other's heart, so she would never give up no matter what.
"We will satisfy you - soak this arrow with your blood, with a vengeance in your heart. When you have finished this, we will finish the second half."
"How about after that, I'll just be with you——"
laugh--
The golden arrow pierced her chest, but the queen did not seem to feel any pain. The blood gushing from her chest soaked the arrow, and the power contained in it seemed to be gradually awakened.
Intense hatred flashed through Metaneira's eyes, not only towards Demeter, but towards all the gods. However, the twins of love and desire who were watching all this opposite her were only shocked for a moment, and then ignored it.
She was determined to use her own life to show her hatred, or it could be that her husband and son knelt before the enemy, which made her give up hope in life. However, humans and gods do not share the same joys and sorrows, and they just thought her behavior was ridiculous.
Can she prove anything? No. Her behavior can do nothing except move herself and make her relatives sad.
Bang!
"Remember what you promised me..."
Falling to the ground, the queen's voice sounded intermittently, and finally disappeared. When the room became quiet again, Volos stepped forward to pick up the golden arrow, and then shook off the excess blood on it.
The twins saw clearly that when Metaneira lost her life, her soul left her body and went to the underworld. She would follow the Styx into the world of spirits, where her memory would be erased and she would be reincarnated.
This is why the twins find this ridiculous. After all, even such a fierce hatred is meaningless in the face of the laws of the world. When she followed the River of Oblivion to the Well of Samsara, those unforgettable memories had already disappeared with the wind.
"Hmm...So how about choosing Poseidon?"
Looking at Eros, who was not sure whether she was the elder sister or the younger sister, Volos suggested casually.
He had heard of this god's name before. It was said that his hobbies were a little different from those of normal gods. The spirit world had already received many souls of his descendants. And the forms of those descendants were all very unique.
This undoubtedly met Metaneira's requirements, so Volos thought of him first.
"I don't have any problem with that. She chose your arrow anyway."
"But then again...are you really planning on fulfilling her wish?"
She responded indifferently, but Eros was a little confused about another point.
Before coming, the guy who seemed to be their father god - or maybe not - told them what happened here and what they could get from Demeter based on this - but what he said seemed to be a 'threat' and did not let them take any action.
Therefore, although the queen had performed a lot before and showed her strong emotions, in fact, from the beginning, the twins had no intention of executing this agreement. They just needed an arrow that could deter Demeter, and as for the hatred of mortals, it didn't matter whether they took revenge or not.
After all, the reason they needed "revenge" was just because they were influenced by the laws of their birth. Because unlike the original trajectory of fate, the twins, whose bodies were directly shaped by the blood of the Father, were not only influenced by love and beauty, but also had some close connection with the power of the three goddesses of vengeance.
But after all, they are not goddesses of vengeance, so they don't have any obsession with helping others to take revenge.
As for breaking one's promise - unfortunately, Geminis just born don't have any moral values of keeping one's promise.
"Well, that's what we say, but Eros, can't we shoot him?"
Putting away the cleaner golden arrow, and feeling the power on it gradually "awakening" under the stimulation of hatred, Volos asked casually.
"It's just a 'suggestion'. We can threaten her, but it won't hurt to let her see the power first, right? Anyway, the goddess of agriculture doesn't know that I only have one golden arrow."
Opposite him, there was silence for a moment. Eros thought for a moment, then nodded decisively.
"You're right, it should be possible... Yes, that seems to be the case!"
It sounds interesting, so why refuse? You know, although they are lustful Geminis, they have just been born and have not seen what true passionate love is like. It would be nice to see it now.
As for what would happen to Poseidon and Demeter, Eros didn't care. Perhaps it was the residual influence of the original god's essence. Although the power was almost gone, a certain mentality still remained.
Just like how gods look at mortals, in Eros's eyes, there is no difference between Demeter and Poseidon. Even though they have great power, at best, the difference is the same as humans look at cattle and sheep and lions and tigers.
They are not of the same kind, and opinions that are not of the same kind can naturally be ignored.
"Then let's go!"
His attitude changed, and he even started to urge them. With a flash in the void, the twins' figures disappeared in the room.
The Queen's palace returned to silence, with only a slight smell of blood slowly spreading out. From beginning to end, they did not even glance at the Queen's body on the ground.
…
South China Sea, the palace of the Sea King.
Holding the merman beside him, who was his descendant for many generations, Poseidon took a sip of the wine in the glass and watched the singing and dancing in front of him.
He is in a very good mood now. The losses caused by the previous flood have finally been made up, and the human beings on the island are also developing well. Except that he still cannot defeat the Ocean God System, there seems to be nothing that makes him dissatisfied.
Although he could not compare with Zeus, the king of gods, Poseidon felt that his life was already very good compared to Hades, so gradually, the sea king also felt a little addicted to pleasure.
There were still many goals, but they could be discussed later. It wouldn't hurt to be happy for a day or two, so this kind of life lasted for a long time. Even though a premonition flashed through his mind, he still didn't realize it.