Black venom swallowed the tome, but a brilliant light flared within it, pierced through the venom, and shone out.
The colossal spider hanging in the sky seemed enraged by the tome's defiance. It opened its mouth and spewed even more venom.
At the same time, the tome unleashed a brighter radiance. It collided with the venom, each side trying to corrupt or bring about Purification in the other, and they fell into a stalemate.
The God of Goodness was an exceptionally powerful True God of the Sevenfold Heavenly Mountain. Though he was not one of Heavenly Mountain's three giants, whose might awed the entire Multiverse, he was renowned among the gods.
Spider Lady was no less formidable. An Evil God whose name was known throughout the Multiverse, she had yet to reach the level of Greater Divine Power. Even so, with only Intermediate Divine Power, she had claimed the Underground World of the Main Plane and become its most widely worshipped Evil God. Her fighting strength rivaled that of any Greater Divine Power.
For a time, the two True Gods fought to a standstill.
Just then, countless bright, ball-shaped bolts of lightning rose in the distance.
Amid the lightning appeared a towering male god in finely wrought chainmail, with long reddish-brown hair and amber eyes. Sword in hand, he charged straight toward the battlefield.
It was Heroneous, God of Heroes, who wielded Authority over "Bravery," "Courage," and "Paladins"!
In the blink of an eye, Heroneous reached Spider Lady and brought his silver-white longsword down without hesitation.
Just as the blade was about to strike, a black-haired man appeared before Spider Lady. His skin was gray-black, and skull ornaments covered the scaled armor across his six arms.
It was Hextor, God of Terror and Cruelty, who wielded Authority over "Conflict," "Terror,"