Chapter 65: The Nine Outer Gods
Abyss raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“But we, the Council of the Dead, are different. We just want to survive, we just want more power to protect ourselves. We discovered that we could use the language bestowed by the Lord of Submergence to wield Divine Arts, to fight against the Church. A small gift from our lord could save a weak necromancer from the blades of mercenaries… Hehe, can you understand that feeling of hope?” Dallan asked, his gaze fixed on Abyss.
Abyss wasn’t moved by Dallan’s words. He shook his head and sighed. “But when you take the lives of others, organize cultists to sacrifice innocent people, just to increase your own power, have you considered the victims?”
Dallan was momentarily speechless. After a pause, he said, “Hahaha… Because people have wronged us in the past, this is just atonement for their actions…”
“I will stop you,” Abyss said, closing his eyes. “Although I don’t believe in repaying kindness with kindness, I firmly believe that evil should be punished. But are your actions truly punishing evil? Innocent necromancers are killed by the world, and then other angry necromancers retaliate against unrelated people. Then, the loved ones of those innocent people seek revenge, and the cycle continues…”
Flora added, “This will never end, until one side is completely annihilated, or both sides are reduced to dust. Just like the world your Lord of Submergence came from, as you said.”
“You’re just making excuses for your own desires,” Leona said coldly, glancing at Dallan. “If a group of people constantly hypnotize themselves with excuses, they’ll eventually believe them wholeheartedly, even treating them as truth. You might spout noble-sounding words, and perhaps the first person who sought power from that giant jellyfish truly believed them, but you, hmph, are just a bunch of selfish and self-righteous fools.”
Abyss nodded slightly. Although Leona had little experience with society, she had grown up in the noble circle, where people were adept at using flowery language to deceive themselves. She understood this phenomenon deeply.
Dallan sighed softly. “You might be… right… I don’t even know if what I’ve been pursuing since I was an apprentice has changed, if I’ve strayed from the path… Hehe… I should thank you for reminding me…”
“Does the Council of the Dead have any other plans? You can’t be their last resort, can you?” Abyss asked.
“Hehehe, of course there are more… The Council first discovered the Lord of Submergence over a hundred years ago. Since then, they’ve been gathering information on other Outer Gods. The Council has now established connections with many factions. You might not know this, but including the Lord of Submergence, there are nine Outer Gods on this continent. They haven’t arrived yet, but each faction is eager for their power… They’re all similar, coming from destroyed worlds. Some are cunning and deceitful, others are ignorant and foolish. But their goal is the same: to survive in this new world. And they’ll try anything to achieve that.”
“Nine deities… Do you know any specific details?” Abyss asked, his expression unchanged, but Flora could see a glimmer of excitement in his eyes.
“I am a Bishop serving the Lord of Submergence. I must be loyal to one master and am not allowed to know too much about other deities. But I… Hehe… Can tell you that all Outer Gods connect to this world through ‘artifacts.’ These artifacts carry their power. They guide mortals to worship them, gradually increasing their influence in this world, gathering various forms of nourishment as a source of power. When they accumulate enough power, they can break through the world’s barrier…” Dallan’s voice slowed down. “The Lord of Submergence feeds on souls offered to him. He should have patiently waited for us to gather more souls, but he was eager to arrive, attempting to enter this world through possession. In the end, he encountered you, the unexpected variable.”
“That guy’s brain is indeed not very functional. He’s powerful, but he’s just an embodiment of chaos. Even his own thoughts are chaotic,” Leona nodded in agreement.
“There’s bound to be conflict between him and me. It’s not a coincidence,” Abyss said with a smile, spreading his arms. “The Creator God of this world will be dethroned sooner or later, and I’ll take his place. Honestly, I don’t welcome any deities from other worlds coming here to freeload.”
“Hehehe… You’re even crazier than us,” Dallan said, a twisted smile on his face. “And if you’re going after the Council of the Dead, I hope you’ll spare the innocent. There are many necromancers in the Council who simply want a reliable organization to belong to.”
“I don’t kill,” Abyss shook his head. “Their future will be determined by their past actions.”
“Like me? Can you let me commit suicide now?”
“If you don’t want to live anymore, go ahead. But if you try to run, I’ll have the people you killed come and have a chat with you. If you can convince them, you’re free to go.”
“I can’t atone for my sins, nor can I convince them,” Dallan laughed maniacally. “Hehehe, I’m a ninth-tier necromancer. Humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, dragonkin… I’ve personally killed hundreds, if not thousands, of intelligent beings.”
Abyss turned away in disgust and said to Flora, “Flora, release him. Let him end it.”
Dallan didn’t hesitate when he used magic to detonate his own heart. He didn’t regret killing so many intelligent beings, only that he had followed the wrong god. In his eyes, it seemed natural for necromancers to toy with the lives of the living. His soul, no longer bound to the Lord of Submergence, didn’t become his nourishment but dissipated naturally, weakening as his spirit faded, until it vanished completely. Abyss could see some souls rushing towards him, perhaps the souls of those he had killed, seeking revenge in the realm of the dead. Abyss didn’t bother using magic to observe them. It was pointless now.
“You just let him die like that?” Leona frowned at Abyss. “You haven’t even asked him where the Council of the Dead’s headquarters is.”
“No need to ask. I already know,” Abyss shook his head.
“Where?” Leona asked, puzzled.
“The Shadowblight,” Abyss said, pointing at Dallan’s mangled body. “I smell the dirt on his soles. A pungent mix of sulfur and bitter almonds. Only the soil in the Shadowblight has that smell.”
“The Shadowblight?!” Leona exclaimed, shocked. “Is the Council of the Dead insane? Why would they establish their headquarters in that place?”
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