Land of the Blood Demons (2)
Even for Dalen, who had played through hundreds of cycles, reaching the level of a transcendent being had happened fewer than ten times.
Of those, he had managed to recover three cycles so far.
Considering the speed at which the apocalypse was approaching, there were only two cycles left with any potential for recovery.
“If only I could secure the body from the final cycle…”
Unlike the others, whose locations he remembered, the endpoint of the last cycle was unknown, making it a moot point.
Fortunately, one of the two remaining cycles was as good as secured. The other was located in the Land of the Blood Demons.
Of course, he couldn’t just say that outright. Dalen paused before speaking.
“I heard a blood spirit has infiltrated the Pantheon.”
”…Dalen, what do you mean by that?” Lucia asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Dalen repeated himself, “Exactly what I said. The Pantheon’s main church has recognized the blood spirit as a new deity. It’s still an internal decision, but amidst the chaos of the holy war, they’ll find an excuse to announce it publicly.”
Crash!
The teacup shattered under the paladin’s grip, hot tea spilling everywhere.
”…I’m sorry,” Lucia apologized, her golden hair falling forward, but her face remained twisted with anger.
The others reacted similarly.
“Is that true? The Pantheon, who claimed to be humanity’s protectors?”
“How far are they willing to fall, beyond declaring a holy war?”
“Those bastards! So they were in league with demons all along!”
Parn and Felber muttered in disbelief, while across from them, Bjorn slammed the table with a loud thud.
Declaring a holy war could be understood, albeit grudgingly, given the Pantheon’s ties to the imperial family and the political motives involved.
But recognizing the blood spirit as a deity was a different matter entirely.
Everyone present knew that the blood spirit referred to the avatar of the evil god Temomron.
“So that’s why the expected Blood Demon War never happened. There were deals being made behind the scenes.”
[They were always puppets of the evil gods. It was only a matter of time before they showed their true colors.]
The only ones who remained calm were the Seer Aliat and the ancient dragon Bourbon.
Lucia, who had been trying to calm herself, looked up and asked, “Puppets of the evil gods?”
[Exactly.]
Bourbon nodded, and the dragon gestured to the white-haired Seer, who continued with a wry smile.
“The gods of the Pantheon aren’t true deities. They’re illusions created by the evil god Enaxagous, mere vessels for false gods.”
“The evil gods’ puppets…?”
Galleos Trading Company’s leader, Volkmann, finally spoke, his voice hollow with shock.
Seeing the dazed look on the merchant’s face, Dalen scratched his chin. It made sense; the man had believed in Sissela, the water god.
For merchants who traded via rivers and seas, the waterways were their lifelines. Most merchants were devotees of Sissela, the water deity.
It wasn’t particularly meaningful, akin to mercenaries believing in superstitions.
They’d carry a gold-plated religious artifact for show on their journeys or make regular donations to the Pantheon in Sissela’s name if they had the means.
“Yes, the Pantheon’s gods are false, created through necromancy, sorcery, and dark magic. Enaxagous set this up around 800 years ago when the Southern Empire was founded, and it’s been the state religion ever since.”
”…”
“The Pantheon’s main temple in the imperial capital hides the vessel, the true form of these false gods, in its sanctum.”
“But the capital is too obvious a target,” Dalen interjected.
“So, we’re planning to strike them from behind.”
The Pantheon’s holy war was a move prepared by the evil god Enaxagous in the latter stages of the apocalyptic journey.
It was a meticulous plan, infiltrating human history under the guise of religion for 800 years to prevent humanity from uniting before the end.
Even if they couldn’t completely conquer the labyrinth city in one invasion, they aimed to at least damage the bronze or silver districts.
“But the outcome we’ve created has deviated from their expectations. Having suffered a significant defeat at an unexpected time, they’ll try to retaliate by any means.”
“But the Pantheon’s power has waned in this battle, and they’ve already opened multiple fronts with the paladin order and neighboring countries…”
“Exactly. They’ll likely involve the power of the blood spirit, specifically the vampire count’s army.”
For the Pantheon, it was an opportune moment.
The Empire had suffered a major invasion by the vampire count 400 years ago.
The announcement by the Pantheon’s council to worship the vampires’ god as a deity would be seen as a betrayal by existing followers and citizens of the Empire.
Yet, the madness of war often makes people forget common sense.
If the Empire’s army, launched under the pretext of a holy war, falters significantly, and the vampire count’s army miraculously comes to their aid, what then?
Even if the inherent aversion to vampires couldn’t be completely overcome, at least the kind of conflict only seen in history books might be forgotten.
“How cunning. Using the chaos of war to introduce them as saviors…”
[The fact that they didn’t invade again when they had the chance is as good as a guarantee of their alliance.]
“Surrounded by enemies, anyone would be grateful. When someone is truly desperate, they’ll take any water offered, even if it’s muddy or tainted.”
The Seer nodded thoughtfully. Dalen tapped his fingers on the table as he continued.
“You mentioned earlier that you wondered why the second Blood Demon War didn’t happen.”
“Yes, I did. Now I understand. At some point, Temomron and Enaxagous decided to stop competing and start cooperating.”
“Exactly. And do you know what that means?”
Dalen grinned, his canines showing slightly.
“It means those damned evil gods see us as a threat.”
It wasn’t a lie.
With hundreds of thousands of imperial soldiers, the Pantheon’s fanatics, and the vampire army that could resurrect endlessly with just a corpse, it was a hellish collaboration.
Given the pureblood vampires’ mastery of necromancy, their army would grow like a snowball as they swept through weaker nations.
But for someone well-versed in the ways of the evil gods, this was also an unparalleled opportunity.
“Evil gods inherently see each other as competitors.”
The continent hadn’t been destroyed long ago for one reason: the evil gods, each possessing the immense power and authority of a great hell, were in extreme competition with one another.
It wasn’t a friendly rivalry for the same goal but a bloody competition between predators for a single prey.
While evil gods might engage in minimal transactions, they rarely cooperate fully.
“Even when the entire continent is burning and only the labyrinth city remains, they don’t hesitate to tear each other apart.”
Yet, two of these evil gods had joined forces.
The vampire count and the Empire’s Pantheon, each putting forth the plans they’d nurtured for centuries.
When was the last time the evil gods had united so completely? Aside from the final cycle, nothing came to mind.
“Of course, Enaxagous likely has other schemes in mind…”
But that wasn’t something to worry about right now.
“Bjorn.”
“What is it?”
“You promised at the Eclahim Palace, didn’t you? To kill the evil gods.”
”…I did.”
The dwarf’s eyes trembled slightly. Dalen slowly scanned the round table as he spoke.
“Now that they’ve officially declared the blood spirit, Temomron will descend directly into the land of the vampires in his avatar form.”
“Just like during the Blood Demon War 400 years ago…”
Felber murmured quietly. Dalen nodded.
“I will defeat the avatar that descends under the name of the blood spirit and use its corpse as a stepping stone to move forward.”
[And the next target?]
“To kill all the evil gods and destroy their great hells.”
He had confirmed it during his recent battle with Bukvan.
The sixth rank, known as the demigod level, was no longer an insurmountable wall.
The intimidation he felt when he first saw Charina or the pressure from facing Suum’s avatar had faded over time.
Having fought countless battles with transcendent beings over the past few months, Dalen had climbed a steep growth curve.
“Considering the abilities I’ve seen in the game, the odds are about fifty-fifty.”
It’s a mountain that must be climbed eventually. And Dalen’s instincts told him that the time was now.
Though he hadn’t yet reached the strength he had in the final cycle, where he faced all five evil gods united, the fact that two evil gods had allied was unprecedented, save for that one time.
“Very well. Then the labyrinth city will support you.”
The Seer Aliat, who had been listening quietly, stood up.
“We’re raising the City Alliance’s army to retaliate against the Empire’s invasion. March with us, and when the time is right, you can make your move.”
“Ha, old woman? Making such decisions without the Central Council’s approval…”
“Silence. Isn’t it you, Everon, who represents the council here? Your agreement is all we need.”
Everon, flustered, clutched the sleeve of the Seer, only for the young girl to coldly shake him off.
“Even for you, crossing the Empire’s border alone to reach the Vampire Count’s territory won’t be easy. We need something to distract the Pantheon.”
[Offering yourself as bait, are you? That’s quite different from the path the Golden Palace has taken so far.]
“To think the First Roar would be concerned. But with the river of fate twisting and overflowing like this, we can’t just stand still.”
The girl swept her long hair over her shoulder as she spoke.
“With the Empire’s recent invasion, the barrier’s restrictions have been significantly lifted. It’s time to let some of our comrades feel the outside breeze…”
Bang!
At that moment, the conference room door burst open, and someone rushed in.
Feathers fluttered down around the hallway and entrance. It was Sienna, the owner of the nest.
“Huff, huff…”
“I heard you were delayed by something urgent. The First Roar took your place, so you could have taken your time…”
“Huff. It’s because of that urgent matter. I had to speak before the meeting ended.”
The Seer tilted her head in curiosity, and Dalen raised an eyebrow.
Could there be something more pressing than the news of the Blood Spirit joining the Pantheon or the Golden Palace’s decision to counterattack?
Amidst the puzzled glances, Sienna caught her breath and spoke to Lucia in her usual calm tone.
“High Knight Castachald. The Holy Knights are under attack.”
“Are you talking about the Pantheon?”
“No, not the Pantheon.”
The informant, with dry lips, finally spoke.
“A dragon legion is emerging from the rift.”
Damn. I thought it was just the two of them, but now there’s a dragon god making it three.
[City Alliance Army Recruiting Mercenaries.]
[The Pantheon, corrupted by greed, has declared a holy war, and the Emperor, blinded by self-interest, supports this absurd tyranny against the free City Alliance…]
Rip!
Dalen tore one of the recruitment posters plastered in stacks on one side of the square and scanned it as he walked.
The top was half-torn, but it didn’t matter. The important part was always at the end.
[Compensation will be based on standard mercenary rates. Details to be negotiated with the recruitment officer.]
At the end of the recruitment notice, which elaborated on the justification and necessity of the counterattack, was a large seal.
The deepest and highest place in the Golden Palace.
The seal of the twenty-six halls where the transcendents who govern the city reside.
‘A seal you don’t see every day.’
It wasn’t something you’d easily spot, even beyond the monitor, unless it was the final stand.
With rumors and predictions of war buzzing through every alley, and a tense atmosphere among the seasoned mercenaries, it was no surprise.
‘The document with that seal states that the transcendents themselves will take action.’
Even though the Labyrinth City had stood for over a thousand years, it was rare for the transcendents of the Golden Palace to move.
Of course, the decision of the Labyrinth City to launch a massive counterattack was significant, but the stirrings of the transcendents were unprecedented news.
As Dalen skimmed the recruitment notice, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
There was a place he had to visit before leaving the city.
Clang—! Clang—!
Creak! Rumble!
A massive building filled with the constant sound of hammering and the noise of unknown machinery.
A forge that had expanded so much it was now the pride of the Bronze District.
[Mithril Foundry.]
Looking up at the large sign, Dalen reached into his pocket.
The realization left by the best blacksmith he knew touched his fingertips with a cold certainty.