Chapter 505
A true villain. Before they've even met, he's already plotting to take lives. This ruthless attitude makes Mebius, who is least like a hero, feel comfortable. She hates those useless people who spout grand principles but then resort to trickery.
If you're going to be bad, be thoroughly bad; stop at nothing to achieve your goals.
Her snake-like eyes turned seductive as she licked her scarlet lips.
"I suddenly find you pleasing to the eye."
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you there's a temple specifically for those who aspire to godhood."
The next day, Yuki crushed the butterfly, and Moresa instantly appeared before him. Under Yuuki's gaze, a hint of apology finally appeared on her expressionless face.
"It doesn't matter, it's just sitting in several squares all day. Anyway, there's no night here, so I don't feel sleepy."
"Didn't you look around?"
"What's there to see in this godforsaken place?" Yuki made no attempt to hide his boredom, asking in return, "Want to know how I've felt all day?"
Moresa nodded slightly, her expression focused.
"A boring place, boring people, draped in a sacred cloak, yet they give me not a shred of glory. This place is nothing but a bunch of animals with their heads full of ambition, caring only about immortality. So-called gods are nothing more than this."
The very low-level comment made Moresa's eyes tremble slightly. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, clearly changing her question, "Judging from this, you disdain becoming a god?"
"No, no, no, this has nothing to do with morality. Do you know why 'we' participate in the trials but don't care about the outcome?"
"Why?" Moresa asked, her focus growing; this was a mystery to them as well.
The message was not to be revealed, but Yuki used a different method, telling the other party that there was no option to become a god in the main quest.
"Because we are immortal."
The two climbed the endless steps to the highest palace, and Moresa remained silent the entire way.
She was usually taciturn, but this time she was clearly thinking. Yuki hadn't exactly extended an olive branch, but through a question-and-answer session, he was telling her, or rather, the person behind her:
I have no irreconcilable conflict of interest with them.
After thinking all night about leaving the task of dealing with the players to Mebius, Yuki came to a simple conclusion:
The God of the Sky is a boss that must be dealt with. When I take out the Divine Torch to conduct the experiment, I can't just let a few big shots watch from the sidelines.
Furthermore, at every crucial juncture, the Reincarnation Game always tries to kill itself. In terms of dungeon theory, only the six main gods can do this.
Based on this logic, we first set the main god as the enemy. Since He is the enemy, no matter what He wants to do or why He does it, we cannot let Him have His way.
How to stop it? How to investigate?
Putting aside the emotional Yuki didn't want to drag Abyss Fortress into the mess, why would that cunning old fox step in himself to challenge the entire world single-handedly? Of course, he'd utilize every available force, and these awkwardly positioned outcasts are the perfect tools, aren't they?
It's impossible to convince outsiders to believe in you with just a few words and accomplish great things together, but you're going against the tide and are weak; all you need is a trigger—
They will naturally come to me for help.
They traveled in silence. Moresa was unaware that she had been completely manipulated. From her perspective, this Crown was fairly trustworthy.
He truly had no affection for the gods, much like himself, and was considered an outcast. More importantly, outsiders had no desire to become gods.
This provides a basis for cooperation, at least preventing them from becoming enemies. However, the specifics of how to proceed still need to be discussed and agreed upon by everyone to see if he is truly committed.
The endless staircase led deep into the clouds, but it eventually came to an end, and they arrived before a massive temple.
At the summit, it resembles a small town. At the entrance is a plaza covering hundreds of thousands of square meters. In the center of the plaza, six enormous statues hold bows, spears, or books in deep thought. One of them holds lightning, radiating a golden glow.
This is Sorion, the god of the sky, signifying that He has been in power for this millennium.
The silver gate gleamed under the eternal sun, and countless silver-armored guards stood in rows, their hundreds of spears chilling to the bone. As the two approached, the guards raised their spears, saying nothing, their eyes fixed intently on Moresa.
The goddess's expression was very unpleasant. As a third-class god with a divine name, this was truly an insult. As usual, the god of the sky did not want to see her.
There were no explanations, and I didn't want to hear any complaints. If you had any questions, go ask the god of the underworld yourself; whether the latter would answer or not was another matter entirely.
Yuki nodded slightly and walked forward alone, the crossed spears immediately separating.
He stepped across the ebony threshold, feeling the softness of the scarlet carpet beneath his feet. The dome was dazzlingly high, and light poured down from the skylight, reflecting flowing spots of light on the gray walls.
Yuki was too lazy to estimate the size of the palace; there were countless stone pillars densely packed together, each one engraved with exquisite pictures.
Whether commanding the wind and rain or charging into battle in a chariot, each painting exudes majesty and represents an epic tale.
Following the scarlet carpet forward, gradually entering the depths of the temple, bypassing the six-panel screen made of gold, and passing through the colonnade full of guards, Yuuki, somewhat impatient and wanting to run straight Yuki, arrived at another palace.
The room was slightly lower, and the walls on both sides were covered with golden furnaces, the flames inside never going out. Then, he saw Mebius in a white coat, whose style was completely out of place here. After jumping over her, there were six steps ahead.
These steps seem to have been built for Giant, each step being five or six meters high, with a small platform at the top, upon which hangs a curtain made entirely of amethyst.
Hundreds of thousands of crystal glass shards jingled, some kind of prop that blocked all detection capabilities. Even Yuki switched to his Devil's Vision, he could only see nothingness. However, he could see a huge phantom behind the curtain with his naked eye.
You can't see its face clearly, or rather, no matter how you look at it, you can only catch a glimpse of the Ikkaku the iceberg.
Gods should be majestic, indescribable, and omnipotent.
Yuki stopped and exchanged a glance with Mebius, who was so bored he was playing with his fingers. He sensed the authority, but how should he put it?
For a professional Godslaying player, there's only one thought on their mind.
Stepping onto the stairs, pulling down the curtain, and revealing Him—
Step on it.
Chapter Six: The Contradictions of the Times
Sorion, the god of the sky.
One of the six main gods of creation, the victor of the Great War, the lord of thunder and law, a god known for his majesty.
Players are, of course, outliers. They are not natives and are not influenced by myths. Epic-level players are even more knowledgeable, having seen the Five-Race Allied Fleet. It seems that this temple, apart from being a bit large, is nothing special.
Yuki has little sense of awe. To put it bluntly, no matter how high your status is, you're just a mobile reward point with a price tag. It's not just Yuki; I guess every player is thinking about how many specialization points the Sky God's head is worth and what rare materials it might drop when they pay homage to him.
In a sense, players are more blasphemous than demons, but also more rational.
'Thinking about it is one thing, but this guy is definitely strong. He's at least reached the threshold of Epic Tier IV, which is pretty much the pinnacle both inside and outside the dungeon after the Great Cataclysm.'
The palace was deathly silent. On the platform stood two deities, a man and a woman, dressed in white robes with gold trim, each with a halo behind their heads.
The man was a burly, imposing man with blond hair, like a lion; the woman had slightly curly white hair that reached her waist, and was as gentle and beautiful as water.
Both gods frowned, somewhat helpless. When it came to the greatest disrespect, these outsiders were the most formidable.
Yuki understood this dissatisfaction, thought for a moment, and then imitated Abyss Fortress by performing a chest-beating salute.
"Crown, the Ascended God, greets His Majesty the God of the Sky."
There was no answer. Yuki waited a while and then looked up, feeling a gaze sweeping down from above. Then the male god took a step forward.
"Crown, Immortal Snake, you have embarked on the path to godhood and qualified for the trials. Now, I, 'The Right Hand of the Sky' Tiberius you on the trials."
Without any pleasantries, they went straight to the point, and as Tiberius gestured, a long list appeared.
"For the first trial, each person will be accompanied by a thousand-strong Demon-Hunting Army. Under their witness, you must single-handedly wipe out a demon tribe to pass."
It's interesting that He used the word "follow" rather than "lead".
The mission, designed to prevent players from colluding with the demons, serves both as a checkpoint and a surveillance operation. It's a straightforward and direct quest that no normal player would refuse.
The simplest way to pass is to participate in the trials three times and then return. With the Demon-Hunting Army backing you up, the risk level is relatively low.
"But there are many names on the list."
"When you set out on your campaign, the god leading the army will tell you your objective."
Oh, it's a closed-book exam, so I don't have to check the answers beforehand.
Yuki nodded and then asked, "Will there be detailed information? The strength of each demon tribe varies, what should we do if we encounter a powerful opponent?"
"As instructed by the deity leading the army, rest assured, the Great Demon will not be stronger than a thousand-strong Demon-Hunting Army. We can guarantee absolute safety."
It sounds really simple, but conversely, if you encounter a true expert and the Demon-Hunting Army stand idly by, then it's dangerous.
Killing is what players excel at; in that sense, players are truly a formidable weapon.
"May I ask some questions that interest me?" Mebius interjected.
Is it related to the trial content?
"That's irrelevant; it's just some of my personal interests."
"Then my answer is 'no.' Before becoming gods, you have no right to ask questions." Tiberius turned his head back. Whether a god sitting on a cloud would listen to the voices of mortals depended on his mood.
Mebius's lips twitched slightly; he barely managed to suppress his anger.
"Any other related questions?" the majestic deity asked again, his voice echoing throughout the hall as both of them shook their heads.
"In that case, let us embark on the path of trial, watering our glory with blood and upholding Justice with strength."
"If you can do that, the path to immortality lies ahead."
Splash!
As the narration unfolded, it was as if a gentle breeze had lifted a beaded curtain, and the world seemed to be rewound. The throne, the hall, and the temple were rushing past, and when they came to their senses, they had already landed at the temple entrance.
"Spatial transfer, or some kind of rule?"
Yuki could sense that this power originated from the God of the Sky. He hadn't resisted it earlier and looked at Mebius with a slightly bewildered expression.
"That's it?"
"Otherwise, is it a question-and-answer game, or a casual chat?" Mebius shrugged casually, gazing at the magnificent palace. "For us, providing some assistance and specifying concrete goals is enough. A thousand words of nonsense are not as practical as a specialized point."
The answer was mercenary, yet irrefutable. Ordinary players don't care about background stories or dungeon Destiny; all they want are reward points. The previous impeccable order would actually hinder the main storyline.
Because their faction is destroyed and they won't be wiped out, players have complete freedom in this instance. What's the point of Justice and evil? Aren't they just a bunch of moving reward points?
"But he didn't say when the expedition would begin, nor did he mention the subsequent arrangements."
"Just wait and see. Grind up your reputation with the story characters, then look for other players to team up with. Let's all make a fortune together." Mebius yawned and casually asked, "Do you want to join us?"
"No, I prefer to act alone."
"Suit yourself, we're allies anyway." Mebius turned to leave, but after a few steps, he turned back, his golden snake eyes filled with danger. "If you're not stupid, don't get too close to those gods. I don't want to kill you."
She left after saying that. Of course, this was a pre-arranged script, but Mebius had a special talent for making people angry. Yuki go.
He was still considering whether or not to use Moresa. Theoretically, they were definitely enemies of the Sky God, and he could get many clues from them, but it was too dangerous. Who knew if the Sky God would turn against his own kind?
If a demon becomes a god, then it is a god. Not to mention that Moresa is a subordinate of the God of the Underworld. Even when beating a dog, one should consider its owner.
Is this arbitrary decision-making? That's incompatible with the 'democratic' model of governance by the six gods.
Yuki glanced behind him. He hadn't said a word to Sorion the whole time, but his intuition told him that some things just didn't make sense.
There must be a problem.
"Your Majesty, these are the last two outsiders."
Inside the palace, Tiberius, the 'Right Hand of the Sky,' bowed slightly. His attitude towards players and native ascendants was completely different. He didn't need to say much to the former; they would usually go off to carry out their missions in high spirits.
Killing people for reward points, with a large army protecting you—what's there to complain about?
The beaded curtain trembled slightly, but there was no sound, for God's answer echoed automatically in my mind, indistinguishable between male and female, and devoid of any particular tone.
These outsiders are the most useful weapons; they inherently enjoy killing. Even if I don't instigate the hunt, they will find ways to disrupt order and start a war.
The Sky God seems to understand players very well: 'Only fighting and plundering are undeniable'—this is the ironclad rule of the Reincarnation Game; no player grows up from peaceful dungeons.
"Their greed will eventually ignite conflict, but that will take time." The aloof female deity bowed, having remained silent until now as the Left Hand of Sora. "Your Majesty, there is bad news. It comes from the 'God of Judgment,' who has determined that the Fox Demon is not evil and has returned with his army."
As a servant of the 'God of Conflict', this being is known for fairness and Justice, seeing good as good and evil as evil, and prefers to investigate personally.
[Mars still doesn't understand. The existence of demons is the original sin. How will His subordinates react?]
"Very dissatisfied," the Left Hand of Sora replied. That was for sure; the people below didn't care about Justice or evil, they only wanted to undergo trials to become gods.
This is also an internal problem for the Divine Race. Apart from the Sky Pantheon, which is a united front, there are gods in other pantheons who do not agree with expanding the scope of the attack, but they do not understand His Majesty's good intentions.
The rules of the trial have reached their end; in the last millennium, only 20 people ascended to godhood, and countless heroes perished with the passage of time.
This is the last chance to ascend to godhood; to put it bluntly, it's like draining the pond to catch all the fish. Even if it means starting a war, we must eliminate the demon race and make a large number of heroes gods all at once.
Once the wheel of Destiny begins, it cannot be stopped. The demons are not fools. The first time can be excused as a mistake, but what about the second and third time? Since they will rebel sooner or later, they should either not do it at all or do it to the end.
[Regardless of them, most will answer for me. What's needed now is to ensure that the neutral faction, who are observing, obeys orders before the demons are ready, so that they have no further worries.]