Chapter 64: The Fish-Men’s Master
The illusory statue on the ground gradually disappeared. In its place, where the statue’s knee had been, where the fish-man leader had instructed Abyss to touch, a single remnant remained – a tooth, seemingly a canine from a large predator, white and sharp. It shifted in the water currents, occasionally clinking against the floor with a sound between metal and ceramic.
Abyss didn’t touch the tooth. He had caught a fleeting glint of malice in the fish-man leader’s eyes when he had instructed him to touch the statue’s knee – the creature, perhaps newly transformed, hadn’t realized its dog-like face allowed one eye to be seen even when turned slightly.
“This tooth… is it something your worshipped god gave you?” Abyss asked slowly. Though shorter and seemingly weaker than the fish-men, his aura subtly dominated them.
“Are you kidding me?” The fish-man leader abandoned his peaceful facade, his true colors showing. He glared at Abyss, snarling in his sharp, unpleasant voice, “Don’t you realize you’re in our territory? You can’t escape now, even if you had wings!”
“Who said we’re running?” Abyss coldly regarded the fish-man leader’s ugly, forced grimace. “Can you answer my question now?”
“You’re courting death!”
“I’m asking you a question!” Abyss’s voice sharpened. “That tooth, is it something your Lord gave you? Is it his artifact? Is your Lord’s name the Lord of Bullying? Answer me!”
The fish-men were stunned. They hadn’t expected Abyss to be so imposing even while surrounded. Some even took a step back, intimidated by his outburst.
They didn’t consider themselves cowards, but Abyss’s anger filled them with an instinctive fear, like wild animals encountering a predator. Their limbs stiffened, their hearts clutched by an invisible force. It was as if… their very being was suppressed by a presence far more powerful than any mortal.
Some fish-men tried to avert their gaze from Abyss, looking instead at the two girls beside him. But it was futile. Even though the girls, one cute and the other beautiful, were stunning, the oppressive feeling persisted, especially from Leona. Her hostile expression radiated a terrifying pressure.
“Yes! Our Lord is the Lord of Bullying, Ghanakleba!” The fish-man leader, after a long silence, seemed to have reached a decision. He roared, louder than Abyss, “He is the true god who should rule this world! What I told you to touch was a part of his great power! I pity you, for you have lost your only chance to be accepted by my Lord! You will soon die here, just like the weaklings in that room behind you!”
“Ghanakleba…” Abyss narrowed his eyes. “So it’s him. That explains everything…”
The Lord of Bullying, Ghanakleba. Abyss was very familiar with the name. His artifact – a scimitar – had been obtained and sealed by the Church. When Abyss had visited the Church headquarters searching for Kohler, the Lord of Nightmares’ minion, he had learned the scimitar was missing.
Furthermore, the Lord of Bullying was the one who had corrupted the Lord of Submergence, turning him into an Outer God. In Leona’s dream where she had interacted with the Twin Goddesses, Ghanakleba’s scimitar had appeared in the visions of world destruction, along with his massive, teeth-covered form after his successful descent.
This Outer God, having destroyed multiple worlds, wasted no time influencing this one upon his release. Granting animals magic was part of his plan.
The resulting ecological disaster wasn’t Ghanakleba’s true goal. He intended to exploit humanity’s greed for power, letting them destroy themselves!
By killing animals and consuming the crystals in their brains, anyone could gain power. No training, no oversight from the Church or state, just instant superhuman abilities. Based on Abyss’s rudimentary understanding of human nature, the ensuing events would likely be brutal and bloody.
How many illegal organizations would rise to power? What kind of power struggles would erupt among the continent’s rulers? These conflicts would quickly escalate into an arms race, everyone vying for the most powerful individuals, tirelessly seeking more crystals to enhance their forces…
The world’s power balance would be reshuffled. Any disruption, or even a threat to the bipolar standoff between the Eastern and Western Empires, could trigger large-scale war and devastation.
What a cunning Lord of Bullying! He played the game of survival of the fittest with such mastery!
“You damned Druid, I don’t know how you got here, but now that you’re here, you’re not leaving. Haven’t you noticed that all the magic around you has been drained? This is our territory; we can do as we please!” The fish-man leader grinned ferociously. “I’ll give you a choice. If you agree to be our spy, under our surveillance, and return to your pathetic Druid Council, I might consider sparing your life… Otherwise, I might just disembowel the two beauties beside you right in front of you, then kill you.”
Abyss indeed felt the surrounding magic depleted. The fish-men seemed to have discreetly erected a barrier, sealing the area.
“He seems to have misunderstood the situation. He thinks you’re weak,” Abyss turned to Leona and Flora, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “Frankly, I’m not happy he’s using you to threaten me.”
“I don’t care; it’s just bullshit,” Leona scoffed.
Flora, however, apologized shamefacedly. “I am weak… I’m sorry…”
“Then you shall die!” The fish-man leader, enraged by Abyss’s lack of response, opened his mouth, unleashing a lightning bolt as thick as a man’s thigh towards Abyss!
Thud!
Before the bolt could reach him, Abyss dodged and punched the fish-man leader, knocking him unconscious.
“That’s it?” Abyss flexed his wrist. “Whether I can use magic or not, you’re no match for me. Now, my other fish-men friends, I have some more questions. Your leader doesn’t seem very bright; I hope you’re not like him.”
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