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Death
“So the hidden thorn was taken care of!” Regardless of what others thought, Leylin was currently in an extremely jovial mood. Having killed Distorted Shadow, he felt like his soul of original sin had grown purer, bringing him closer to the threshold of space and time.
Having devoured three peak rank 8 experts, he’d felt an indiscernible upgrade to his truesoul.
“Everyone else wasn’t injured, and even if Mother Core has to nurse her injuries for a while she did have gains in the gorge…” Leylin rubbed his chin.
Mother Core’s battle was extremely maniacal this time. She’d given her all in order to stop Chauntea from fleeing, suffering severe injuries. It took Leylin’s assistance for her to kill the Earthmother and devour her powers.
This was going to be a great benefit. Once she healed, Mother Core would be a step closer to rank 9, able to try and use the powers of spacetime.
“It’s time,” Leylin sighed and walked out, “Let’s begin the true plan.”
The Underworld of the Gods currently stood opposed to him in the swamp, the vast Styx like a moat that stopped any Magus attacks. However, the Nightmare Hydra roared into the skies like thunder at this moment, charging in without the slightest hesitation whatsoever as it stirred up huge waves. The corrosion and attraction of the Underworld had no power over Leylin.
*Crash!* Leylin broke the defences of the Styx instantly, entering a land very similar to the Underworld.
“Lord of Original Sin!” A greater god surrounded by the laws of death walked out from his palace, shock in his eyes. This was Kelemvor, the opponent Leylin was guarding against.
His shock was not a pretense. Even if the Magi had obtained victory at Gale Gorde, they’d also suffered severe injuries. Rumour had it that Leylin blocked Chauntea’s final attack to protect Mother Core, or both the beings who used the power of the earth would have ended up dead. However, Leylin seemed to be in his peak form here, showing no signs of weakness.
“Die!” The Nightmare Hydra hissed, and a silver light shot out of its vertical eye as it carried the powers of illusion.
“Argh… Don’t dream about it!” Kelemvor tried to put up a final struggle, but a layer of shadow had appeared on his body. This shadow had the same face as Kelemvor, but it was filled with pride and envy, “Hehe… Arrogant God of Death. So you have always been jealous of Jergal’s power and might, and feel like a stray dog that could be left behind at any time?”
This was the influence of Leylin’s powers of emotions. He planted the seed of original sin within Kelemvor’s body, dealing with him like Distorted Shadow dealt with Cyric. He stole a large amount of Kelemvor’s divine force, binding his divine body.
*Boom!* Seven SIns turned into a silver arrow that pierced through Kelemvor’s skull, immediately causing the fall of this greater god. Leylin closed his eyes, feeling his weapon greedily absorb the law of death and nourish him.
Leylin’s powers had long since surpassed Kelemvor’s, and the only reason the god had still been alive was because Leylin was toying with him. Now that he was serious, the Greater God of Death was no match for him!
“Even Seven Sins has Sloth’s Recovery as an ability. Do you think the Lord of Original Sin, someone controlling the law of sloth, would take any time to recover from injuries?” Leylin looked over at where Kelemvor once stood, speaking in a tone of mockery.
However, Kelemvor was already wiped off the face of space and time, losing all traces of his existence. Without the assistance of a rank 9 he could not be resurrected.
*Hiss!* The Nightmare Hydra reared its heads and roared. Lightning, poison, acid, flames… All sorts of matter were spewed from its heads, the only common point being the powerful destructive properties. Kelemvor’s armies were devastated, the land ravaged as his divine palace and his petitioners and holy spirits within taken out.
After everything seemed to return to the beginning of the world, the figure of an ordinary old man dressed in linen appeared in the void. He stood there quietly, not emitting a trace of a powerful aura. The only distinct thing was his eyes, which seemed extremely bright.
“Jergal! I still thought you would help that student of yours!” The Nightmare Hydra shrunk under the mist, turning back into Leylin.
“Even a God of Death must die, such are the laws of the world,” Jergal said in a discerning tone.
Although this god had handed most of his divinity and divine force to Kelemvor in the past, Leylin didn’t dare be complacent in front of him. He sensed that this opponent would be more powerful than the elemental gods.
“You should know my goal by now, right?” Leylin waved his hands, and the powers of original sin sealed the area, creating an illusion that Jergal and Leylin were just staring at each other in confrontation.
“Of course, your search for truth and eternity… Even as a god, I’m influenced by your perseverance…” Jergal smiled gently, “This endless life allowed me to learn more than the rest. The Overgod and Magus Will are currently in the core of the Nirvana Battlefield, locked in battle. The turbulent currents of spacetime there will make it difficult even for existences like us to break in…
“You need my help, Magus.” Jergal looked at Leylin. This primordial God of Death evidently didn’t share the gods’ loyalty towards their World Will. He was instead similar to Leylin, wanting to ascend himself.
“Indeed.” This was Leylin’s purpose in coming here. For the sake of advancing to rank 9, he didn’t mind allying with a god.
“Very well, follow me!” Jergal parted the river with his arms, revealing a path to the core of this battlefield. The purging powers of the Styx had no effect on Leylin’s body of original sin, causing his face to change.
“The core of the Nirvana Battlefield is protected by the ultimate defences of the astral plane. Even having spent so much time, I’ve only managed to open up half the passageway…” The Styx brought the two to an empty void after a long journey. There were no conscients of beings of law here, only wild currents of spacetime with the power to destroy everything. The path of a peak rank 8 was the only way for one to protect themselves.
Leylin could feel two overweeningly powerful conscients in the centre of this void, infinitely close to comprehending the laws of spacetime yet stuck in a deadlock. The World Wills were in an extremely slow process of devouring each other, powered by the inhabitants of their worlds.
“I’m afraid that the victor of this battle will become a true rank 9…” From what Leylin could tell, these two conscients were halfway to rank 9. Only once they devoured their opponents could they break through the threshold, the true meaning of the prophecy of eternity.
“Although we’ll obtain their favour by aiding them, the leftovers from someone else will never compare to what you earn yourself…” Jergal exclaimed, “The combined origin force of the two worlds will definitely be taken by the victor, we won’t have much of a share at all. Eternity will be but a distant dream…”
“What do you want to do?” Leylin asked.
“Ally with me, and we’ll consume the powers of the Magus World and the World of Gods, causing their fight to come to a stalemate. A thousand years, ten thousand years, hundred thousand years, a million years… We will continuously weaken their forces, eventually consuming one of the wills each!”
A crazed expression appeared on Jergal’s face as he spoke of this blatant plan. He didn’t think Leylin had any better options, being the strongest in his own camp at this point. If they joined forces, they could even extend the Final War to a billion years, weakening the World Wills and attempting to devour them as they made for eternity.
“Not a bad plan, and the success rate is extremely high..” Leylin clapped his hands and looked at Jergal. “However, how will two broken worlds with extremely weak wills aid our advancement?”
“You have a better plan?” Wariness surfaced on Jergal’s face. Dense power of death circled around him, many black skeletons arising as his guards.
“These World WIlls are already quite weak! Once we devour them, we’ll be able to advance to rank 9!” Leylin laughed heartily, Seven Sins appearing in his hands.
*Bang!* A black tome of death appeared in Jergal’s hands, its writhing scriptures having recorded the end of all creatures. This was an overgod weapon as well.
“I knew our alliance would rupture eventually, but who knew it would only last this long…” Jergal sighed.
“You think too small, Jergal. Millennia of seclusion has caused you to lose your boldness and your sharp mind.” The Nightmare Hydra behind Leylin fixed its eyes on Jergal, as if staring at delicious prey…