A True God possessed power sufficient to overturn heaven and earth.
And Leilin even had the divine skill of [Altering Reality]. Things like aptitude and talent were nothing but jokes in his eyes.
While Lens was still reeling from shock, a subtle change had already begun to take hold within him.
The young man had no time to express his thanks—after hearing Leilin's prophecy, he collapsed unconscious on the spot, sending a wave of commotion through the crowd.
Once the priests saw the mark Leilin had left, they quickly knew what to do regarding the events that followed.
"Once word arrives soon that the
Leilin stroked his chin.
A god's daily accumulation was tedious and complex. What he had just done was obviously a losing proposition. Had it not been for the fact that the Eric family needed to be destroyed and there happened to be a follower with this particular need, he would not have bothered manifesting his divine presence.
"Let the destruction of the Eric family herald my arrival!"
A trace of coldness flickered in Leilin's eyes.
Previously, through the introduction of the sea god Ambori, he had successfully established contact with the orcish divine pantheon.
Regarding his arrival, the orcish chief deity Gnush had naturally expressed support. In truth, the orcish pantheon would welcome anyone who wanted to help them stand against the two powers of great divinity. They turned no one away.
Unfortunately, when it came to their attitude toward the Hunt God—Mara—their stance became notably ambiguous.
Faced with the conflict between Leilin and Mara, Gnush could only express his regret with a helpless look, saying he was powerless to intervene, at most willing to stand aside and let them settle it themselves.
But Leilin had a subtle impression that in terms of actual relationships, those orcish gods were probably still closer to Mara.
This was very easy to understand.
After all, Mara was the god of beasts and half-orcs, sharing an innate basis for cooperation with those orcish deities. Having been allied for so long, he was far more reliable than Leilin, a newly ascended god.
It was a pity, though—they had all misunderstood Leilin's true purpose.
In Leilin's plans, the Hunt God Mara never even qualified as an enemy. At most, he was nothing more than prey—and not even the most important kind.
Leilin's gaze seemed to pierce through the obstruction of layered space, arriving directly at New Silvermoon City.
"Blind and ignorant mortals, daring to covet a god's possessions…"
In any church, the saintess's body and soul were the private property of the deity alone. Yet that Eric had been brazen enough to attempt to defile a saintess—it was nothing less than an insult to faith itself.
And Leilin had been searching for a suitable target to display his divine might. The man had practically charged headlong into it. Wasn't this simply courting his own death?
A mere duke's family—at most, backed by a few Legendary powerhouses—were still no different from ants in the eyes of a True God.
"Perfect. The preparations to draw in the
A smile hung on Leilin's face as he could already see the wretched future awaiting the Eric family.
…
Count Eric, utterly unaware that his death star was already rising on the horizon, was in an excellent mood.
Under his instigation and vigorous efforts, the paladin team led by Rafinia was striking out in all directions and achieving substantial results. At last, some of the frustration he had been holding was eased.
"It shouldn't be much longer before
Eric stroked his chin, a look of anticipation curling at the corner of his lips. He had long coveted that thorned rose of the Bane family.
"And it won't be long before… perhaps that saintess herself will come in person! I've never tasted the flavor of a saintess in all my life…"
In an instant, a fire seemed to kindle in Eric's heart, sending a warm current rising through his lower abdomen.
"Count Eric!"
Just as Eric was thinking about finding a few maidservants to vent his frustration, the old butler's voice reached him, bringing an impatient look to his face. "What is it? Speak quickly!"
If the butler was reporting something unimportant, Eric was fully prepared to teach him a lesson he would never forget.
Unfortunately, the old butler needed only a single sentence to cool Eric down, as though a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head.
"The Master has returned and is waiting for you in the study!"
Eric's grandfather—the Grand Duke and ruler of New Silvermoon City, as well as a powerful Legendary mage! He was even of the same generation as
There was no understating it: the old man was the pillar of the entire family. No matter how much Eric wielded power and influence in the outside world, before his grandfather he was nothing—a single word could cast him down into the dust.
"I… I'll go right away!"
Eric hurriedly straightened his clothes—the Grand Duke loathed unkempt, dissolute youngsters—and the fire in his belly vanished in an instant. He even forced himself to put on an ingratiating smile.
Soon, in the study, Eric met his grandfather, the Legendary Grand Duke.
The old man was seated behind a mahogany desk, his quill pen ceaselessly working through a mountain of documents.
"Eric…"
After waiting for more than ten minutes, until Eric felt his legs going numb, he finally heard his grandfather's voice.
The old duke's voice was not loud, yet it seemed to carry a peculiar force that made Eric straighten his posture instinctively.
"I hear… you've been having quite a wonderful time lately, haven't you? Getting very close to the paladins of the God of Justice in the process, and fawning over that Legendary female Paladin Captain in particular!"
A mocking gleam surfaced in the old duke's eyes.
"I'm sorry! Grandfather, it was merely for the sake of official duties…" Eric offered a weak defense.
"First of all, that 'Light of Hope,' Paladin Captain Rafinia, is a being of the same rank as me—not someone someone of your current standing can presume to reach. And furthermore… you've been targeting the Nien Trade Association recently?"
The old duke's voice rose, and cold sweat began to stream down Eric's face.
"You must understand, Grandfather… they're already wanted criminals of the Silvermoon Alliance. I was simply carrying out my official duties…"
"Regardless—stop. Now."
The old duke said abruptly.
"But why?" Eric felt a pang of grievance. Although targeting the Nien Trade Association did serve his own ambitions, it was also part of the family's expansion.
"Behind the Nien Trade Association stands the Church of the Great Serpent… a True God. No matter what, you must maintain your respect!"
The old duke clearly had no idea that Eric had been scheming to defile their saintess. Otherwise, he could never have spoken to Eric with such calm composure.
At the moment, all he felt was utter exhaustion. The heavy burden of governance had forced him to sacrifice much of his experimentation time, leaving his mage level stagnant.
"Under my hand, the family has already grown sufficiently large. What we need now is not expansion, but stability!"
The old duke rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Go and think this over carefully. Remember what I've said—never attempt to provoke any force backed by a True God! The outcome will certainly not be what you desire…"
"As you command, Grandfather!"
Eric bowed and slowly backed out of the study.
Only after returning to his own room did he let out a low, bestial roar.
"Why? Why is it always just when I'm about to succeed…"
"Count Eric! Count Eric!"
One of Eric's most favored maidservants rushed in, her face anxious. "What's wrong, my lord?"
"Who let you in?"
The next moment, the maidservant found herself staring into eyes like those of a wild beast—cold, savage, and brimming with killing intent.
A shrill cry for help echoed through the room, cutting off almost instantly, and everything returned to silence.
A long time passed. A hidden passage opened, and from within emerged the nominal master of the Black Moon Trade Association—Glover, the half-breed badger dog.
"My master…"
Removing his black robe to reveal his wrinkled, mixed bloodskin and thick layers of fat, Glover bowed respectfully to Eric, paying no heed to the corpse on the floor.
"Dispose of this quickly. Don't let it pollute my quarters…"
Eric kicked at the maidservant on the ground. Her once beautiful and supple body was already growing stiff.
"At once, my master!"
Glover agreed immediately, then a trace of hesitation crossed his face.
"Also… should the suppression of the Nien Trade Association continue?"
"Hmm?"
Eric's brow furrowed, and an ornamental vase hurtled straight into Glover's head, shattering on impact and sending shards and spatters of blood flying.
"Even you've gotten word of it, have you? How very loyal! Just don't forget whose dog you actually are!"
Eric roared furiously, and an expression of abject terror spread across Glover's face, though his heart was filled with sorrow.
No matter how much influence he wielded in the underworld, Glover knew full well that in his master's eyes, he was nothing more than a loyal hound to be discarded at any moment. If he ever earned his master's displeasure, the maidservant's fate would be his within minutes.
"No! How could I ever dare, Master? Your will is and always shall be my highest command!"
Glover lowered his head in卑微submission, his face full of fawning expression, nearly going so far as to lick Eric's boots with his thick tongue.
"Listen to me…"
Eric's breathing finally calmed. Compared to a maidservant who was little more than a decorative piece, he did place slightly more value on Glover.
"Our plan continues… but it must be kept from the others, until they are willing to submit. Understood?"
By now Glover understood exactly what the count meant. But refusing meant certain death right now, and compared to his own life, Glover readily agreed: "Your servant understands!"