Chapter 76: Would an Undead Dream of Electric Sheep?
“This is… my dream? I didn’t expect to see stars,” a voice came from Abyss’s right. It was Leona, holding his hand, looking around curiously, her gaze finally settling on the dark cloud in the distance.
“This is your dream, altered by the interference of an external force,” Abyss said, tilting his head slightly, gesturing towards the monstrous creature with his chin. “That’s the culprit. I used magic to induce sleep, and he naturally appeared in your dream. If you were an ordinary human, you might dream about this thing every night… My goodness, look at those tendrils, as dense as the villi on a small intestine.”
“Not appetizing at all…” Leona had already encountered the Lord of Submergence once, but that was in a void of nothingness.
“Should we call him over?” Flora asked softly, holding Abyss’s left hand.
“Of course, we can’t have a proper conversation if he doesn’t come closer,” Abyss nodded and turned to Leona. “Leona, call him.”
“Don’t order me around!” Leona retorted, then cleared her throat and shouted at the dark cloud, “Hey! Giant jellyfish! Over here!”
The dark cloud immediately sensed Leona’s call. It wriggled slightly and rapidly dissipated. As it vanished, a new dark cloud materialized near them—this was how it moved.
Only when it appeared before them did they realize how far away the monster had been. It hadn’t seemed particularly large, but as it approached, its true size became apparent.
Even saying it blotted out the sky would be an understatement. Their entire field of vision was filled with the writhing tendrils of the black cloud. Even though the Lord of Submergence was right in front of them, they could only see its edges from the side. Abyss estimated its diameter to be at least a thousand kilometers.
A voice, a mixture of thunder and rushing water, echoed in their ears. “Mortals… Submit to me… I will grant you power…”
The voice came from all directions, bypassing their ears and directly entering their minds, making Abyss’s head buzz.
How much power did this colossal monster possess?
Abyss couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if he hadn’t intervened in the Council of the Dead’s plan, if the Lord of Submergence had successfully crossed the world barrier and entered Haitville.
Perhaps the nine native gods, the guardians of this world, would have appeared to fight him. And the mortal realm? It would be a bloodbath. The Council of the Dead, empowered by their lord, would surely unleash their vengeance upon the Church, sacrificing countless souls to fuel their lord’s war.
Although Abyss was a necromancer himself, he had little hope for his fellow practitioners. They had abandoned the ancient tenets, twisting the original purpose of necromancy, becoming tools of selfishness and greed. Most necromancers had become something else, something that disgusted Abyss.
“You’re saying you want us to be your slaves? What will you give us in return?” Abyss asked loudly.
The dark cloud seemed surprised by the question. It paused, then repeated, “Submit to me… I will grant you power…”
“But we don’t lack power. We don’t need your measly offerings,” Abyss said, spreading his arms. “Standing before you are the most talented Divine Arts user, the most powerful Dou Warrior, and the most skilled necromancer on the entire continent. We can easily reach the pinnacle of this world without you.”
The Lord of Submergence was stunned.
He had never encountered such mortals. The ones he had met always craved power, eagerly submitting after hearing about the benefits of serving him, seeking the strength to dominate others. It was always a good deal. He would be satiated, and the mortals would rule, providing him with even more souls, a mutually beneficial cycle. As for the souls used in the exchange, they were just food to him. He didn’t care where they came from.
But these three weren’t tempted by his offer. The one who seemed to be their leader even arrogantly claimed that they didn’t need his power, that they could conquer the world without it?
How could he possibly make a deal with them?
“I can grant your other wishes…”
The Lord of Submergence struggled to come up with a new offer.
Abyss smiled, satisfied. “Yes, that’s what I’ve been waiting for. I want you to fulfill my wish.”
“State your wish… Become my servant… Accept my gift…”
“My wish is to eliminate the Creator God of this world and take his place.”
“…”
The Lord of Submergence fell silent again.
Abyss wasn’t in a hurry. He held the girls’ hands and waited patiently for the slow-witted monster to process this unprecedented request.
Leona yawned. She disliked dealing with those who were less intelligent than her—gods included.
Flora, ever diligent, kept her eyes on the giant monster, ready to wake up Abyss and Leona at any moment.
“I cannot defeat the Creator God for you…” the Lord of Submergence finally said. “He is of a higher rank than I. I cannot win…”
“Aren’t you a god too?” Abyss asked.
“The Creator God is the supreme deity, wielding the highest authority across multiple worlds,” the Lord of Submergence explained honestly. “My power is derived from him and can be revoked. Therefore, I cannot fight him…”
“He suddenly seems less impressive,” Leona whispered to Abyss. “He was acting all high and mighty, telling us to be his underlings, and now he’s backing down. I don’t think he understands how to negotiate.”
“That’s how simple-minded creatures are. They’re straightforward and don’t bluff,” Abyss whispered back.
After the initial disappointment, Abyss had an unexpected realization.
This Outer God was likely a ruler of another universe, similar to the Nine Gods of Haitville, but his mind was a chaotic mess, his intelligence lacking. Unlike the Nine Gods of Haitville, who were rational and experienced, this one seemed… incompetent.
Was he always like this, or had something happened to him?
“I can grant your other wishes…” the Lord of Submergence said again. He didn’t want to give up on the possibility of a deal. These three were powerful and could potentially provide him with an endless supply of food.
“Hmm… Actually, I have another wish. One that you can fulfill,” Abyss said, seemingly prepared.
“…What is it?” the Lord of Submergence asked eagerly.
“Simple. I want you to become my servant—or rather, the servant of this young lady beside me,” Abyss said, smiling and patting Leona’s shoulder. “You’re hungry, right? If you become her servant, you’ll have all the food you can eat, no more worries about your meals.”
“Eh? Me?” Leona exclaimed. “What? You want a god to be my underling?”
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