Dense darkness descended upon the "Frozen Fortress" and the "Sea of Acid," like stage curtains framing the newly ascended Demon Prince — the "Dark Lord." The surrounding void still echoed with screams of pain, rage, hatred, and bloodlust, as if a chaotic melody of slaughter had been composed from the "Dark Sacred Words," cheering and worshiping as Goenheim ascended to the throne.
On another layer of the Abyss, in the center of a wasteland where countless strange undead lay fallen, rose a palace constructed from enormous bones. Above the palace, a phantom creature draped in a black cloak floated silently, gazing toward the "Sea of Acid." On its withered, skeletal face — as if covered by nothing more than a single layer of skin — two pale, hollow eyes burned with a faint, empty flame.
The "Blood Plains" and the "Abyssal Stomach" gradually separated, and the "Dark Lord" Goenheim took no further action. To it, fighting Lucian, Natasha, and Marfalio at this moment was meaningless. It had just devoured the former Demon Prince's "Core," receiving the Abyss's favor and "Feedback," successfully advancing to the peak of the Legendary realm — now was the time it needed to consolidate its gains. Rashly starting a battle would only hand opportunities to the other Demon Lords who were watching with covetous eyes.
Seeing that it had already ascended, Lucian had no intention of charging into the "Frozen Fortress." Setting aside the fact that the "Dark Lord" was near Quasi-god level in its own "home ground," the things hidden behind this matter alone made him unwilling to be careless. Moreover, the change of "Demon Prince" did not yet pose a danger to the Council — unless the Elven Empress truly sided completely with the Abyss, which even a fool could see was impossible. Temporary cooperation and exploitation were one thing, but as for a long-term alliance, anyone would worry about betrayal from the bloodthirsty, chaotic demons.
The cold, dark ocean and the frozen fortress covering everything vanished from the sky, and the "Blood Plains" returned to normal — save for the shattered, burning demon corpses.
Marfalio looked at the "Blood Lord" before him, the one who had been unable to mount an effective defense due to the impact of the "Sword of Truth's" attack, and at the remains it had left behind, saying nothing at all as he sank into deep silence. The "Arrow of Nature" that had suddenly launched from the "Nature Altar" had made him understand many things, and his heart was exceedingly conflicted.
"So it was the 'Dark Lord' pulling the strings behind the scenes — who knows how it earned the Demon Prince's trust." Natasha put away the Shield of Truth, whose surface had developed cracks, and gazed at the azure sky now that the dust had been cleared by the "Eternal Blazing Sun." Pure, radiant sunlight poured down, exceptionally warm and languid.
Lucian shook his head and said with some amusement: "I certainly can't simulate the thoughts of chaotic demons. Perhaps Goenheim found a weakness in the Demon Prince's heart. But what truly deserves our vigilance are the things hidden behind this matter. It seems Viken has indeed been secretly distributing the method of becoming a Quasi-god, spreading it through the hands of one Legendary figure after another, each carefully chosen. With that, one can imagine the fierce battles to come — the situation will become extraordinarily complex, with untold plots and slaughter brewing in full."
Perhaps even within the Council, there were Legendary mages who had received it!
The two of them no longer communicated through their mental link but spoke openly aloud, taking the opportunity to relay this information to Marfalio as well.
"That's right — the arrangement of the Nature Altar, the corruption of the Elf Tree, the demonic transformation of the elves — it's quite similar to the state-transformation Magic Circle within the 'World of Gates.' But heh heh, perhaps it wasn't Pope Viken? Monster Viken is also a possibility." Natasha said with a smile, having learned everything about what had transpired inside the World of Gates from Lucian.
After a long silence, Marfalio suddenly spoke: "You mean — Her Majesty the Empress cooperated with the Dark Lord, plotted against the Demon Prince, and used its arrangement to undergo a state transformation?"
"That should be the case." Lucian nodded slightly, saying nothing more. Seeing that most of the Blood Lord and Demon Prince's remains had lost their vitality and vigor under the "Eternal Blazing Sun," he picked out only a few pieces that could still serve as experimental materials and stored them away.
On the way back through the Abyssal rift, Natasha used their mental link to say: "The Elven Empress is definitely plotting a path to Quasi-godhood. Will it pose a danger to the Council and the Kingdom?"
If there was danger, then they should crush it in its bud as soon as possible!
"The Elven Empress should have already successfully transformed her state and grasped its secrets. But Viken's method of becoming a Quasi-god still requires the accumulation of Faith Power. Given the numbers of the elven race, she can only expand outward. However, with the aid of 'Nature Feedback' and 'Nature Divine Arts,' she is closer to her own essence and more likely to succeed. Add to that the Council's strength and the Sea Races' relative weakness, and she won't find it difficult to choose her direction of expansion." Lucian analyzed.
Natasha nodded gently: "The Sea Races have one Legendary peak powerhouse, while the Council has four. As long as the Elven Empress hasn't been blinded by negative emotions, she will certainly make the right choice. Besides, the ocean is also a part of nature — a very large part. But once the Elven Empress truly becomes a Quasi-god, will she still maintain a good cooperative relationship with us?"
"Setting aside the success rate and hidden dangers of that path, by the time she accumulates enough Faith Power to advance, the development of Arcane Science will surely be able to support another path — a true Quasi-god path without hidden dangers!" Lucian's tone was calm yet brimming with confidence.
Natasha laughed twice, not pressing further, then adopted a serious expression: "In such an era of conflict and rapid development, I can't settle for merely becoming an Epic Knight — I need to push myself even harder!"
Then she clenched her fist in a symbolic gesture: "I will definitely catch up to you and put our dominant-submissive relationship back on track!"
Lucian glanced at her with a smile, the implied challenge self-evident.
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