Levistus was actually extremely lucky. Perhaps because they were both at the level of gods in the end, Deathâs Decree didnât 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. Gluttonyâs 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.]
âRemember this⊠The hatred of an Archdevil cannot be ignored!â 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 Leylinâs divine kingdom didnât stop at the Fourth Hell, instead spreading out to shroud the icy lands of Stygia as well.
âAlright⊠With the Fifth Hell in hand the devils wonât be able to turn the tidesâŠâ Leylin had possessed an advantage in power before, but now heâd become the absolute dominant force in Baator. With five of the Nine Hells in hand, the remaining Archdevils wouldnât be able to perform a miracle.
âI 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 fightsâŠâ Leylin seemed to be warning himself. He soothed Seven Sins down, and vanished into the void.
By this time, Kukulkanâs 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 couldnât 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.
âKukulkan, 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 havenâŠâ
Massive amounts of faith surged forth, forming a golden whirlpool around Whitejade Saint Mountain. The entire divine kingdom cheered as Baatorâs origin force gushed in as well.
âDid the clone just advance? It makes sense, it added a lot to its portfolio and its divine kingdom advanced greatly as wellâŠâ 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 wasnât 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 wasnât 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 wasnât a real divine body it wasnât 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 Leylinâs 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 statsâŠ]
It wasnât 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).
âNot bad. I still have most of the abilities, and the battle prowess only went upâŠâ Leylin stroked his chin in appreciation.
The clone didnât just inherit Kukulkanâs 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.
âDeath and Massacre, alongside four of the seven sins⊠I wouldâve gotten to rank 17 immediately.But the laws were integrated into my path, itâs already great that I could push up all the way to rank 12âŠâ 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.
âSo⊠Lust, sloth, and envy, huh?â 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 didnât 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!
âGlasya, Baalzebul, and MephistophelesâŠâ Leylin muttered the names of his targets, âThat will finish off the seven sins, but I also need Asmodeus as wellâŠâ
Although the self-proclaimed Supreme of Baator didnât 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 Leylinâs path of Original Sin, so Leylin held him in high regard.
âMy worshippersâŠâ the clone declared, âPick up your weapons! Help me conquer Baator, turning the entire place into a true paradiseâŠâ
The clone was still trying to adapt to its current rank, but it didnât sound different from before. Tiff, Phoenix, and even Isabel who was the closest to him didnât feel anything changed.
With their Lordâs commands, the entire divine kingdom began to counterattack. Countless devil hunters surged into the Sixth Hell Malbolge, causing the devils to wail endlesslyâŠ