Chapter 527
"When the demon race is weak, most gods will observe from the sidelines. But when the demon race grows up and truly threatens their dominance, the gods will have to make a choice out of their survival instinct."
Froya's lips twitched. Yuki's words were cold, rational, and impeccable. Emotions can be swayed by interests; one only needs to put oneself in his shoes to understand.
If the demons were to truly rebel against the Heavenly Generals, no god could remain indifferent. This is determined by their status and interests. If the demons were to win, they would not be allowed to escape punishment simply because they had not shed blood.
"So, did I win or lose?"
Her expression was strange, as she basked in the embrace of those who had survived the ordeal, enjoyed the cheers of her subjects, and was simultaneously struck down by Yuki.
"We won, and we lost. We've focused all our energy on finding the 'Chaos Furnace Flame' and Morgas's past. Time is running out. I have a pretty good idea of what the Sky God wants to do." Yuki looked at the scorched earth and the corpses of gods and demons scattered everywhere, his tone gradually becoming firm.
"He wants to perish together with them, to completely destroy the order with their blood. If it's for the sake of winning, he will do anything to save these people, even if it means exposing his relationship with Morgas."
The idea of eliminating dissidents has reached a dead end, because Tiberius is the most loyal of the loyalists, and cannot be abandoned under any circumstances.
His original intention may not have been this, but as a fellow cunning old fox, he would have left behind countless contingency plans.
"Use survival to Isshin the Divine Race, use the lives of the direct descendants to dispel doubts. Since a slow and steady approach won't work, let's turn it into a raging fire. I can even guess what He's going to do next."
"What?" Froya felt her lips were chapped and her heart was racing.
"The Old Order still has one pillar. I've mentioned the strange things about Abyss Fortress before I investigated it. Why was it handled so quietly? It turns out it was to leave this loose end. It craves an even fiercer bloodbath, one in which both sides will suffer utter devastation, regardless of victory or defeat."
"Can you... get off me?!" Kalpas the Roar, having finally regained his ability to speak, but neither of the two people sitting on him moved, as if they were two blocks of ice.
Rivers of blood flowed, the heavens and earth changed color—what could possibly compel the Divine Race, forced to unite, to go even knowing it would result in bloodshed?
The answer is simple.
"The Abyss Grade, the Dragon Clan."
On the twenty-third day of the dungeon's start, Yuki returned to Abyss Fortress.
Unlike the 'Race Game' where you run around a lot, this instance had more breaks in between, but Yuki was busier than ever before.
There were too many things to do, too many complicated matters. Fortunately, Mebius and Kalpas were quite capable, otherwise even with three heads and six arms, he wouldn't be able to handle it all. Riding his celestial horse, he traveled back and forth across tens of thousands of kilometers, and his brain rarely had time to rest.
The 23 days were relatively comfortable except for the first week, after which we fought two major battles and cooperated with people from different factions.
The Fox Demon's current task is to hide. This battle was a lose-lose situation, and it's unknown whether there are any spies within the group. They must make the Limit 'Peach Blossom Spring'.
Yuki now has only one advantage: the Sky God is unaware that his little group is juggling three relationships, and Yuki is like a social butterfly, going from one group to another.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief when he returned safely to Abyss Fortress. The fortress was still under reconstruction, and he had not encountered any ambushes on the way, indicating that the Sky God was indeed unaware of the details of the battle in Peach Blossom Spring.
This could be considered... a counter-strategy turned into a counter-strategy?
Yuki didn't know what to say; it was perhaps the only consolation, because the Sky God's plan was too ingenious.
This is an open conspiracy with no solution; whether you see through it sooner or later, it's impossible to stop it.
Once a war starts, it's hard to stop. Yuki had a pretty good idea of the Sky God's purpose, but couldn't think of any solution.
He couldn't very well grab a megaphone, go to the gates of the City of Gods, and shout, "The God of the Sky wants to destroy both gods and demons, completely shatter the order, ignite the Chaos Furnace Flame, and become the creator of a new era himself," could he?
Who would believe that? The information about the Chaos Furnace Flame has long been erased. Even if clues could be found, they would only be from the Demon Clan.
"But the demons are the enemy, and nothing they say is credible. Using it as psychological warfare tactic is too crude."
Inside the large tent, Yuki, warming himself by the campfire, said with a self-deprecating tone.
Around him, Isaac, Dias, Elfi exchanged bewildered glances; even those who trusted Yuki implicitly were filled with doubt.
He went to cooperate with the Fox Demon to Godslaying. If it weren't for the merits he accumulated in the battle of Abyss Fortress, and if it weren't for constant guidance, he would have already turned against Yuki, because from a standpoint of perspective, Abyss Fortress and the demon race are mortal enemies.
Sea Demon are also demons; they nearly destroyed Abyss Fortress, while Fox Demon are allies, making them enemies.
"That explanation... isn't it a bit far-fetched? The Fox Demon is very cunning, are you sure you haven't been fooled?" Zhan Shuai stroked his thick beard, suddenly ducked to dodge Yuki's straight punch, and chuckled:
"Yes, yes, yes, you're the one who fools others, you can't be fooled by others."
Yuki's abilities went beyond trust; he knew this man couldn't be deceived, and upon reflection, there was some truth to it.
"The God of Time, the Goddess of Romance, the Goddess of Slumber—these are all renowned predecessors. Add to that Tiberius, the 'Right Hand of God,' and these deities are absolutely indispensable. The Demon-Hunting Army can be drawn from various city-states, but it's difficult to replenish the gods." Isaac scratched his face, knowing all too well the weight of these names.
"Logically, if you can open a spatial rift once, you should be able to open it a second time, even if it exposes your cooperation with Morgas. But the God of the Sky didn't do that. Tiberius, Tiberius is the most loyal of the loyalists, and his power over thunder is extremely strong. Even if he personally intervened, he could have saved them."
Tiberius was killed by Yuki, who then bestowed upon him the special ability 'Thunder Incarnation,' allowing him to transform into lightning, making him capable of both offense and defense.
He merged with the sleeping goddess who was killed at the same time, and they became the authority of the gods.
The Sky God is truly a transport captain; with this thing, Yuki can activate the Storm Dragon Spear without even using Soul Mimicry.
"No, that's right." Yuki glanced at his panel and paced back and forth. "It was Tiberius defeat, reversing the balance of power and turning what was supposed to be a hunt into a true war."
"Isaac, think about this carefully: why do most gods only show up for their jobs but not actually do anything?"
"Because this war was neither necessary, and there are many aspects that don't make sense."
"Yes, so no explanation is needed. Can you accept the Demon Clan winning the war and turning against the Heavenly Generals?"
Isaac hesitated for a moment, then shook his head along with the Zhan Shuai couple.
That's impossible. The demons are defeated enemies who have been suppressed for ten thousand years. If they could win, how could we possibly survive?
Everyone can question and criticize the Sky God's micro-management skills, but we all share the same fate, and even if we're going to settle scores later, we have to win first.
Moreover, there's another point: in a normal world, an incompetent ruler can be replaced, but something's gotten into the other five main gods, and even if the only sky god is a complete idiot, he'd have to hold his nose and follow him.
That... actually makes some sense.
The defeat at the Battle of Peach Blossom Spring was too crushing. Once the Fox Demon has digested the spoils and licked its wounds, the strength of the demon race will increase dramatically. And since the ordinary gods are unaware of Morgas's affairs, they see the demon race as a unified whole.
No matter how much you doubt it, or how much you want to slack off, it's not worth gambling with your life and fortune.
"But you have no evidence; everything is based on assumptions about that 'Chaos Furnace Flame.'" Lady Elfi, whose intelligence seemed to surpass hers, gently shook her head. "There's no record of that. If that description is wrong, there's no reason for the Sky God to cut off his own arms. Perhaps it really was just a mistake?"
But I still have the decisive evidence that 'No One Survives'.
Yuki moved his lips, but didn't speak, nor could he. He suddenly realized why the first warning was "[No disclosure of any warning content, violators will be eliminated]".
The Destruction Mission doesn't mean destroying all participating players, does it? No, to be precise, it means I, Mebius, and the others are all caught in the crossfire?
Thoughts wandered, then returned to their source amidst a questioning gaze.
"We can't rule out that possibility. These conjectures are a case of reasoning from effect to cause. We can't even be sure if Morgas opened the spatial rift." Yuki seemed to be contradicting himself, leaving the three of them at a loss. After talking for so long, it turns out you were just making wild guesses too?
"The matter of the Chaos Furnace Flame is already under investigation. I firmly believe that this sneak attack was a cover-up, after all, it's hard to explain why the Turtle Demon was the first one hunted."
"That is indeed strange, but it's not convincing at all." Zhan Shuai took a light breath. It wasn't that he didn't believe Yuki, but the trouble was too great for him to cooperate with the demons based on mere conjecture.
If a mistake is made, it will not only bring annihilation to Abyss Fortress, but will also be nailed to the pillar of shame.
Logic can only provide direction, but it cannot replace evidence. There are countless ways to interpret the same event. For example, the battle in the Peach Blossom Spring can be interpreted as either refusing to help when someone is dying, or it cannot be ruled out that the person was powerless to do anything about it.
We can only wait for news from the Chaos Furnace Flame. But really, it's meaningless. Any more news is just hearsay from the demons and doesn't count as evidence.
There's nothing you can do? Is the God of the Sky truly infallible? You know exactly what He wants to do, yet you're powerless to stop Him?
"No, there's still a way. Because of my intervention, I messed up His plan." Yuki stopped, his voice becoming firm and high-pitched. "Don't worry about what He says, just watch what He does next. The battle of Abyss Fortress was more significant than I imagined. It disrupted His overall plan, forcing Him to leave a loose end. The battle of Peach Blossom Spring was used by Him, but it was a helpless move!"
"A series of unexpected events will inevitably alert Him, accelerate His plans, and lead Him to make decisions that seem reasonable but are in fact foolish."
"So?" Zhan Shuai leaned forward, enjoying listening to Yuki's analysis, which made him feel like he was growing a brain.
"Therefore, you will receive orders that the Demon-Hunting Army will launch a general offensive against the Dragon Clan, Abyss Fortress must fully cooperate."
That's... unlikely.
It's no longer a matter of knowing yourself and your enemy. We don't even know the true state of the dragons or whether they were involved in the conspiracy. Before we can start a war, we need to investigate.
Before the three could object, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached. Looking outside the tent, a celestial horse landed, and a silver-armored knight dismounted and knelt on one knee.
"Oracle: Abyss Fortress, prepare for the final battle! His Majesty the God of the Sky will personally descend upon the Abyss Grade to eradicate the Dragon Clan."
There was complete silence. Zhan Shuai and the others did not obey the order, but all looked at Yuki.
They were all completely bewildered.
Chapter Nineteen: Forced onto the Pirate Ship
This is both a conjecture and an inevitability. Of course, Yuki doesn't have the ability to Prophet; he received the message from Mebius.
Kalpas is a traitor, a wicked demon, Yuki is a mysterious figure shrouded in enigma, whose role remains a mystery.
Compared to the other two, Mebius's character is much simpler.
A clever man who yearned for Justice and glory not only possessed great fighting prowess and repeatedly distinguished himself in battle, but also helped the gods uncover many spies and eliminate several treacherous outsiders.
Her reputation was very high; she passed five trials and, although she had not yet become a god, she was qualified to attend the highest council.
The God of the Sky broke his usual silence and took the initiative to convene a conference of all the gods. Faced with the long-suppressed complaints from the various pantheons, he even went so far as to issue a decree of self-reproach.
"This defeat is my responsibility. I underestimated these defeated opponents, which led to such heavy casualties."
"Now, I will face the questioning of the gods."
The enormous circular conference hall is divided into four concentric rings, each representing a different deity, and the exquisite sculptures and the hundred-meter-high dome that emits a faint light exude a sacred aura.
But at this moment, apart from Mebius, no one cared about this the Miracle building anymore.
In every link, there are many empty spaces. You may not notice it on ordinary days, but when everyone gets together, the feeling of shared sorrow is palpable.
This horrific war caused the fall of too many gods, and the seemingly unshakeable hegemony was shaken in just twenty days. Whenever I think back on it, I feel like I'm dreaming about these gods with their infinite lifespans.
Most terrifying of all is that at the center of the circle, five of the six enormous thrones are empty, with the only one remaining being that of the sky god Sorion.
The gods have mixed feelings about this emperor. You might say he's incompetent and foolish, but upon closer inspection, you can't really find fault with any of his decisions.
Take this battle against the Fox Demon, for example. Having finally captured these cunning foxes, of course we had to launch a sneak attack. If we could eradicate them completely, victory in this war would be assured.
But who knows how something so sure of success went wrong, with 20 deities being added to the mix.
"This is terrifying. They lost one-fifth of their power in one battle, and with those who had already fallen one after another, only about 70 gods remain."
"What's even more terrifying is that when gods fall, their authority is usurped, which means the power of the demon race expands several times over."
"This council of gods should have started long ago! Damn it, I must exorcise the demon and relieve His Majesty's burdens!"
"I think you want to seize back power and become a god yourself."
Beyond the fourth ring were the combat heroes in attendance. The trial could not continue; new rules now apply.
The demons usurped power, and whoever regains power will become a god. This is a good thing for the entire Demon-Hunting Army. It's much simpler and more brutal than the Seven Trials. They even hope that all those gossipy gods below will perish and take their place.
Ah, I really want to make a cup of coffee, grab some nuts, and watch a show.
Mebius yawned quietly, her snake-like eyes appreciating the world's myriad aspects with amusement, and she did indeed notice some details.
The God of the Sky is suspected by the other gods, but is absolutely supported by the Demon-Hunting Army. Whether it's Great Hunt or a war, it's all beneficial to mortals.
The Divine Race like a radish in a hole, each person in their own right, but they are immortal and ageless, blocking the path to advancement. The more Protoss members fall, the more vacant positions become, and with vacant positions, everyone can progress.
The absolute support of the Demon-Hunting Army, in turn, forced the gods to obey. As the saying goes, if you don't do it, someone else will. Initially, the gods of the five major pantheons disobeyed orders and even violently resisted arrest.
Before the Sky God could even make a move, the Demon-Hunting Army had already captured him. From then on, the gods could slack off, but dared not oppose him.
'Game of Thrones is really interesting, but it's a pity that the fat woman is too stupid; even if I learned it, it wouldn't be of any use.'
Mebius covered his mouth, actually yawned, and stood on tiptoe to look at the inner ring center in the distance, where the discussion was most heated.
The gods of the five pantheons were all talking at once, almost forgetting all decorum as they besieged the God of the Sky. No wonder the Demon-Hunting Army was itching to make a move.
They dare call themselves gods? They're nothing more than a group of creatures who have wielded immense power.
Remembering Yuki's instructions, she managed to concentrate and realized that the core problem was still the same:
What exactly happened to the five main gods? It was one thing before, but now that such a big thing has happened, why are they still silent?
The Divine Race's dominance may indeed be crumbling, but even though it seems precarious, everything will be alright as long as the six main gods join forces.
The god of the sky was forced to answer this question, and his answer was unexpected.
"This is precisely the reason for the Great Hunt. Do you really think I have to eliminate the demon race? Do you really think I have to open up a path for the world to ascend? No, the current rules have been in place for ten thousand years, and it's time to reconstruct them."
"Gods also have lifespans. The six main gods are like six pillars supporting the world. Whenever the old rules come to an end, the pillars will decay, and the world must be reshaped by new rules. This is why the demon race was left behind; their blood will establish a new era."
Silence fell. The God of the Sky revealed a shocking secret in a detached tone: the Divine Race, no, the chief gods, also have lifespans.
The gods fell into deep thought; the amount of information was too great, and some of them didn't even understand it.
"You mean, the other five emperors fell into a deep sleep because the existing rules had reached their limit?"
"Yes, to become a god means to bear the Destiny of the world. If this continues, I will also fall into an eternal slumber, and then it will be your turn. A new Divine Race will be born, but as for who they will be, I do not know." Sorion sighed, raised his head, and his gaze pierced through the dome and through the river of Destiny.