āMy Lordā¦ Iāve already done as you instructed, and completed the trade with the Neon Merchant Groupā¦ā Gara prayed before Malarās statue after sending the Neon Merchant Group away,
āGrrā¦ Roar!ā A golden light descended upon him, and the statue released a beastly growl. Malarās conscient had descended to pass a holy decree. The shaman would have to interpret this string of sounds accurately, but that was natural to him. Hara nodded his head from time to timeā¦
At the same time, several gods had gathered within Malarās divine kingdom.
āThe Giant Serpent Church is too arrogant,ā an orc god sneered, his body shrouded in a strangely tranquil darkness. It was Shargaas, the Orc God of Stealth.
āNot badā¦ A mere lesser god dares to ally with us orc godsā¦ā Another tall and mighty orc god smirked, giving off a rugged and barbaric aura. This was Ilneval, the Lesser God of Combat.
āROAR!ā Right at that moment, a series of roars and howls sprang forth from the divine kingdom.
āWe know, Malar, we knowā¦ The massacre domain will definitely come to you. Weāve worked together for so many years, canāt you have a little faith?ā The God of Death Yurtrus said from the side. His tone dripping with sarcasm caused Malar to want to rebuke, but the vengeful spirits around his body somehow did not take away from his calmness.
Although they were all lesser gods, most orc gods were suited to fighting. Their only greater god Gruumsh was busy preparing to fend off Mystra and Tyr, and since they only had to deal with another lesser god there was no need for him to be here personally.
āThe sacrifice of a godās avatarā¦ heheā¦ I canāt wait much longerā¦ā Several avatarsā gazes began to pierce through the horizon, and they peered into the Moonwood, where a massive sacrificial ceremony was being held by the Blackblood Tribe.
The tribe had consumed all the blood essence from the Neon Merchant Group, forming a river of blood in the ceremony site. Vengeful spirits seemed to be wailing in anguish on the surface of the river.
A powerful prisoner of another race was tied to the altar, their body filled with seals. The wounds littering it indicated the fierce battle it took for the werecreatures to cause it to submit, and the damage it had given to them before it lost.
As a God of Massacre, Malar blessed his worshippers for the deaths of powerful enemies. Heād even personally send his avatar down if they slayed a legendary expert.
The ritual being held by the Blackblood Tribe now was even larger than that. There were several legendary experts being used as sacrifice, alongside the blood essence of countless humans.
āThe Lord will definitely enjoy this ceremony. Heāll even give us his blessings, ranking us upā¦ā The shamans assisting the ceremony looked somewhat excited, their eyes filled with delight as they looked at the bound prisoners.
However, their leader Gara and several other legendary shamans didnāt seem as elated. There instead seemed to be a trace of worry in their expressions. Werecreatures had evolved from beasts, and they shouldnāt have held such emotions in the first place. That they were appearing now was a sign that the danger they were about to face was extremely terrifying, one that even legendaries would have no control of!
āMalar, my Lord, you are the Lord of Massacre, amongst the stars in the skies. You are our protector, your name forever sacred amongst our kind. You are the one true Lordā¦ā More and more of the werecreatures prayed fervently, and the ritual slowly reached a climax.
Several shamans draped in white robes held short black daggers in their jaws as they walked up amidst the prayers. āMalar, my Lord, you are the Devourer of Blood. The fear of your enemies gives you strength, their flesh and blood becoming your divine power. The blood of these legends shall be a source of your glory and strengthā¦ā
Even knowing their fate was sealed, the sacrifices began a futile struggle. There was even a legendary dragon amongst these prisoners, its spiritual force only inferior to the Great Dragons.
However, there were no traces of emotions on these shamans as they skilfully wielded their daggers, āOā Lordā¦ Please accept our offerings!ā
*Kacha!* The thick, sturdy scales of the dragon did not seem to have any resistance against the special black dagger, cut open mercilessly as fresh green blood poured forth from the wound.
*Sssii! Sssii!* The corrosive blood burnt a hole into the ground, but the dragonās eyes dimmed as they eventually lost their light.
āROAR!ā The werecreatures seemed to cheer louder than before at the scene. The shamans expertly dissected the dragonās body amidst the clamour, separating its limbs and tossing them into the river of blood.
The corrosive river began to boil, and a crimson glow was soon emanated from it as it absorbed all the flesh. A golden glow had settled around Malarās statue, indicating that the God of the Hunt had been summoned successfully. The roars and prayers only grew louder at the scene, so powerful that even the clouds in the sky were shattered apart.
As the last sacrifice, an elven prisoner, was tossed into the pool of blood, the glow around the statue strengthened. A golden ape descended upon the Moonwood amidst the werecreaturesā roars, and everyone knelt as they watched their lord with a fervent gaze.
Malar howled as he arrived at the river of blood. It was apparent that he enjoyed this offering, and couldnāt wait to indulge. His powerful claws stroked several shamans who were kneeling beside the blood, and golden beams of light descended upon the teary creatures.
āAn instant rank up!ā The onlookers could only be envious as they looked at the fortunate ones with red eyes.
āRoar!ā Malar unleashed a few more growls after rewarding his worshippers, jumping into the river of blood.
*Boom!* But just then, a strange event occurred. The crimson blood turned black, and the vengeful spirits within materialised as they climbed onto Malarās body. A strange black net appeared from the river of blood, trapping Malar within.
āWhatās happening?ā Several shamans were shocked as they looked upon their comrades, watching dumbly as the scene unfolded. Some of the wiser ones had already reacted, āThose slimy humans! Thereās something wrong with the blood essence this time!ā
It wasnāt until now that they suspected the Neon Merchant Group, but it was too late to do anything about it. The black net moved into the skies, and there seemed to be an invisible rope tightening it further.
āKukulkan, my Lordā¦ You are the Lord of Massacre, the Ruler of Devils. You are the one true Lord of the world!ā A portal opened up in the skies, and Leylin walked out amidst zealous hymns. He looked like a shrewd hunter, sapping Malarās energy through the large net. Once Malar expended all his energy, he would go in for the kill!
āHeās finally here!ā
*Rumble!* The skies roared. Dark clouds shrouded the Moonwood, and a silver serpent emerged from within. Multiple portals opened up as the avatars of several orc gods descended upon the Blackblood Tribe, the surge of divine aura leaving the werecreatures on the ground awestruck. God after god stepped out of the portals, causing great shock to reverberate in their hearts.
Only the peak of werecreature society had been aware of this, and they hastily put up defences as they retreated. They silently prayed for their side to be victorious, and for this divine battle not to spill over to them.
āKukulkanā¦ God of Massacre? Become an artifact for my divine palace!ā the god concealed in darkness struck first. A powerful pair of claws swiped out from the void, targeting Leylinās heart. Even a divine avatar would lose a great deal of power if they suffered such a critical injury!
āA stealth attack, and they can conceal themselves in the shadowsā¦ Shadow Realm! Itās the God of Stealth, Shargaas!ā Leylin instantly understood who the attacker was, but his expression remained as still as water.
Golden light surged around Leylinās body, indicating that a divine battle was about to begin!