novelraw Chapter 605: Why Not Go Ahead With It
Chapter 605: Why Not Go Ahead With It
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
Within the Gate of Carnal Desire, surrounded by pristine white sand and a pink atmosphere, as the violent tremors continuously affecting the entire Dynasty gradually calmed down, the doors to Cidi's fortress, which had been silent for who knows how long, uncontrollably and slowly opened. A terrifying aura of power leaked out from within like a tidal wave...
In the air, the scent of lust mixed with the odor of fear from those Little Demons and Demon Attendants was seized by the suddenly generated wisps of a light breeze and brought back to the front of Cidi's fortress, allowing the two figures who had just stepped out of the doorway to take a deep breath and experience the changes here.
The arrivals were precisely the two Demon Gods, Barbatos and Agreas, who had arrived here from the Surface via a Portal.
Agreas adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose, surveyed the surrounding environment, and then said to Barbatos,
"Cidi's soul has already left his true body; I don't smell the scent of his soul here."
"...Didn't you already know he had awakened the moment we were denied entry?"
"Hehe, then you're truly fortunate. That Fisher only likes ladies, not men. Otherwise, who knows what bad things Cidi might secretly do down here by not letting you in the door..."
"If you don't know how to speak, you can choose not to, Agreas."
"Hehe..."Barbatos' expression was rather unsightly; even when speaking with Agreas, there was a hint of gnashing one's teeth.
No matter who encountered a situation like this—where you want to rush home but your partner locks the door, preventing you from returning—anyone would likely suspect that something was wrong inside. This held true for humans and other races, and as a Demon God, Barbatos couldn't escape this simple line of thought either.
It was just that he at least knew of the relationship between Cidi and Eliog. If Eliog had awakened, then it was highly probable that he had been awakened by Eliog.
Barbatos also wanted to quickly find Cidi, but before that, he and Agreas had an even more important matter to handle...
That Fischer Benavides had definitely come here as well, it was just unknown for what purpose he had come.
"Where is he, the Gate of Victory?"
Hearing Agreas' question, Barbatos said nothing. However, an invisible breeze around him abruptly spread out. That wind, akin to a messenger, swiftly traversed the areas behind the various gates, sensing any suspicious movements.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~"
A few seconds later, Barbatos gently squeezed his hand, and a wind that had sensed something flew back into his grasp. It took a spiral shape within his palm, seemingly telling him something,
"No, he's not in the Gate of Victory, he's in the Gate of Expression... Oh, no, even after sensing our aura, he still isn't running away. Instead, he is heading towards us..."
"..."
Agreas didn't respond, merely tapping the ground lightly with his toes. Following that, his entire person floated towards the direction of the Gate of Expression, with Barbatos quickly following behind.
Neither of them was in a hurry, because after Barbatos reported Fisher's location, the two of them simultaneously sensed that Fisher had stopped at the location leading from the Gate of Carnal Desire to the Gate of Expression, seemingly waiting for them.
Yet even so, this little distance was merely a matter of a few steps for the two of them, Eighteenth Tier Demon Gods. Not long after, they crossed this lengthy distance and arrived at the edge of the Gate of Carnal Desire.
From afar, the figures of the two walking amidst the magma and reefs entered the vision of Fisher, who stood at the entrance of the Gate of Expression. Even though they were nearly a kilometer away and the figures of those two Demon Gods were almost reduced to two small dots, they firmly gripped Fisher's gaze, as if intending to devour everything around them.
Facing two Mythical entities head-on right now placed a pressure on Fisher no less than when he directly faced Tao Gong in the Tree Continent.
However, back then he could rely on the sigil on his chest from Renee to attempt mutual destruction with her; now, Fisher could only rely on himself.
"Mr. Fisher."
Agreas' voice traveled from afar. Fisher clearly saw him adjust his glasses, as if his eyes had double vision under the illumination of the frames. He stood with his hands behind his back, stopping several hundred meters away with Barbatos, and greeted,
"Last time, I merely had a Familiar subordinate give you a greeting. I didn't have the opportunity to meet you in person, but I didn't expect you to directly come to our home as a guest... Did you come through Eliog's Portal?"
"..."
Fisher didn't reply, nor were Agreas and Barbatos annoyed. The next moment, they had crossed the kilometer and were almost in front of him, separated by merely tens of meters, and the expression on Agreas' face grew increasingly curious.
He pointed a finger at Fisher's chest. The fiery light of the magma beside them cast profound shadows on his face, brimming with keen interest, rendering his quiet "human" face somewhat eerie,
"I am also particularly curious. You possess Baimon's sigil, and looking closely now, the aura of Eliog's sigil beneath Baimon's hasn't completely disappeared either. Both of them gave you their precious sigils; given Eliog's temper, didn't she beat you to death?"
Fisher remained silent for a moment before looking at Agreas and saying with a smile,
"Almost."
"..."
Both Agreas and Barbatos froze slightly. It was Agreas who broke first, bursting into laughter. He shook his head, looking at Fisher and said,
"I don't know if that Dragon Queen would die of anger if she knew about these things. However, seeing that she is currently besieged yet you disregard her to come here and find Eliog shows that you don't care much for her either... I also don't know how you got entangled with Eliog in Saint-Nazareth, and how you got mixed up with that fellow Baimon."
"...Eliog and I also can't figure out how you two could be so easily deceived by Baimon. The Base she uses cannot possibly save you from the Mother Goddess's seal. The freedom and promises she gave you are fake. It's truly rare for you to have laid low in the weak human world for so long."
"Is that so..."
Even after Fisher finished saying all this, there was no change in expression on the faces of Agreas and Barbatos, as if they were completely unmoved.
Barbatos, moreover, directly shook his head and said,
"You are stalling for time. Or perhaps, do you think you can defeat us with the meager magic you secretly carved?"
"..."
Fisher remained silent. But directly behind him, within the massive tunnel connecting the Gate of Carnal Desire and the Gate of Knowledge, streaks of viscous shadow were continuously swirling upon the walls, carving kaleidoscopic magic crests within.
And all those shadows were connected to Fisher standing before the tunnel right now. Clearly, those were several Mythic pieces of magic formed from the Black Mud extending from within his body.
Agreas, clicking his tongue in wonder, scrutinized those Black Mud extensions behind him. Shortly after, he began to smile, looking at Fisher and saying,
"Since you're so smart and understand Baimon so well, then you should know that our target is precisely that red Dragon-kin of yours. And the reason we have waited for so long without striking directly at the enemy's heart to capture and kill her is that we are waiting for an opportunity..."
Yes, Fisher had always known that Raphaela was the key to unlocking the World-Ending Prophecy, and they were just waiting for the time when that prophecy arrived.
It was just that they probably didn't know the World-Ending Prophecy. So what was the timing Helaire told them about?
Thinking of this, an ominous premonition suddenly arose in Fisher's heart. Because the next moment, Agreas spoke softly,
"The opportunity we are waiting for is now. Waiting for the Chaos within your body to thrive and grow strong enough to snatch away the Blessing of Fafnir borne by that Dragon-kin..."
"!"
Fisher's pupils contracted slightly, but at this very moment, his body leaped backward defensively, sensing an unprecedented crisis in advance. He subconsciously retreated violently for a long distance, panting as he fell back into the tunnel, only to discover that the ground around Agreas had entire begun to twist, sprouting flesh and tentacles as if coming alive.
"Come, let us take you back. I'll let you reunite with your Dragon-kin girlfriend, and then our business will be concluded. I've also stayed with those human dregs long enough; it's time to end everything."
The tongue in Agreas' mouth extended slenderly from his lips, licking the corner of his mouth, as if some power within his body was also repelling the Chaos within Fisher at this moment, generating a confrontation.
That was the power of Life Chaos.
"Be cautious. Remember Fafnir's end. Strike with full force, lest long nights bring many dreams..."
"...I know."
Barbatos spoke softly, reminding Agreas to be mindful of past lessons.
Of course they still remembered the scene when Fafnir, having participated in the Mythic War and been injured by the God of Destruction from the Ocean, faced the Soul Disaster upon returning to the Dragon Court.
Although his defeat was directly caused by the sheer power of the Chaos and his poor state due to injuries, they all knew that if the Dragon God had been more cautious and hadn't initially underestimated the disaster caused by a single transferred person, he would have had a high probability of surviving at least.
The death of the World Tree due to Chaos was widely known. However, Fafnir conceitedly believed it was because he had stolen its roots that led to her inability to match the Chaos. His conceit placed his own power foremost, thereby ignoring the power of Chaos itself.
So much so that later, when he heard Tao Gong could rival the Chain of Heaven by relying on that power, he paid it no mind, because when he went to the Tree Continent, Tao Gong had already been slain by a mysterious person using a strange power.
Repeated neglect finally subjected Fafnir to a heavy toll. Not only did he vanish into the long river of history because of it, but even everything his descendants had created was reduced to nothing.
Facing the thriving Chaos on Fisher at this moment, Agreas and Barbatos simultaneously assumed combat stances. Their completely unforgiving demeanor increased the pressure on Fisher significantly, as if being pursued once again by Hela's Death.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, yet he calmly retreated fiercely into the cave while simultaneously calling out urgently to Cupid in his mind, having the Black Mud return to his body while activating the carved Mythic magic.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz!"
"Self-created Mythic Magic, Dream and Soul Dual-Circle Head Lethal Magic Number One."
Inside the cave, as Fisher retreated, two dream-like Circle Heads abruptly exploded with a bang, violently swallowing everything outside akin to a black hole.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Fisher had already retreated fiercely all the way into the area of the Gate of Expression. Raising his eyes, the massive tunnel connecting the Gate of Carnal Desire to this place had been completely engulfed by multicolored Soul Clouds, constantly generating a terrifying suction force.
"Swoosh!"
But the very next second, an arrow wrapped in a storm forcefully pierced through all the magic, heading straight for Fisher's face.
The violent wind blew his black hair into a mess. He stomped fiercely on the ground, spinning seven hundred and twenty degrees mid-air like a top. Yet just as he turned around to face the ground, a terrifying shadow instantly appeared before him; it was precisely the grinning Agreas.
He still wore the seemingly bookish black-rimmed glasses, with a petite figure, but his two hands seemed spurred by the power of Life Chaos, turning fast as thunder. One high and one low, they targeted Fisher's spine and lower body.
And amidst the smoke and dust ahead, there was also Barbatos rushing over, wielding his bow and arrows.
They wanted to knock him unconscious, but didn't want to kill him outright.
Fisher read their intentions at this moment, because he could feel that they hadn't struck to kill with full force, unlike Tao Gong back then striking with all her might to guarantee their deaths.
This could be an opportunity to delay for more time.
In this split second, Fisher's brain also operated at its limit, his train of thought becoming extremely clear.
"Cupid!"
He was already accustomed to viewing the Black Mud within his mind as a separate entity. Although fundamentally it was a part of himself, Fisher discovered this helped him suppress the madness brought by the Black Mud. By temporarily separating it from himself, the one who was mad temporarily was it, not his present self who urgently needed rationality.
While he summoned the Consciousness Abyss within his body, wrapping it around his hands to block Agreas' attacks, simultaneously during combat, he also paid attention to another Mythic magic carved within the cave, using it to obstruct Barbatos' advance.
"Self-created Mythic Magic, Space and Time (Destiny) Dual-Circle Head Magic."
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Therefore, in the next second, the space and time in the cave over there began to twist, while mid-air, Fisher, wrapped in Black Mud, pushed back against Agreas.
Agreas practically instantly saw through the nature of that Black Mud. Knowing that thing would drain the souls of other entities, she naturally wouldn't foolishly make contact with it. Thus, beneath Fisher's astonished gaze, her arms instantly twisted, transforming into countless thick tentacles possessing Mythic attributes.
This was the power of Life Chaos!
"Thud, thud, thud!"
Those tentacles acted like spears, like whips, moving even faster than the Black Mud controlled by Fisher's consciousness. They fiercely bypassed it and whipped his body. In an instant, the sounds of bone fracturing and flesh and blood exploding erupted across Fisher's body.
That intense agony made even his soul tremble uncontrollably, yet his rationality instantly made the most sensible decision for him. He was seen wrapping his body in Black Mud instantly, then spinning away from Agreas' attack, tumbling several times mid-air before smashing against the edge of a cliff hundreds of meters away.
"Cough, cough!"
Fisher lay on the ground, his flesh having been whipped open by Agreas' tentacles forming bloody holes the size of bowls. He could only cover those wounds with Black Mud, subsequently raising his eyes to look in Agreas' direction.
She stood in place, her hands gradually returning from tentacles to their original form. After that, she swept a glance at Barbatos, who was slowly walking out of that Mythic magic behind her, and then smiled at Fisher, saying,
"Your train of thought is quite clear... How is it? Better than that human who stole the knowledge of the Treasure from me? She tried with all her might to obtain the method of entering the Mythic state using Life Chaos from me. I wonder if her wish was fulfilled before she died..."
Barbatos walked up to her side, smoothing down his robes that had been messed up by the Mythic magic. Looking at Fisher on the ground, he said,
"Hurry up, he shou—wait, your face..."
Before Barbatos could finish his words, his peripheral vision suddenly landed on Agreas' face. To his sudden surprise, she hadn't noticed at all that a tiny wisp of Black Mud was swelling on her skin.
It was only because that Black Mud hadn't extracted her soul that Agreas hadn't noticed it momentarily. Under Barbatos' slightly stunned gaze, that Black Mud on Agreas' face shaped into an extremely minuscule and miniature magic crest...
Barbatos turned to look at Fisher, only to see him gritting his teeth, seemingly doing his utmost to manipulate that Black Mud to form magic.
But Barbatos' warning came too late, because the moment he spoke, that Black Mud had already formed a Dual-Circle Head magic comprised of [Lightning] and [Destruction].
"Tenth-Circle Dual-Circle Head Magic, Killing Dragonspear!"
"Wha—"
Agreas looked at Barbatos. But the next second, a massive thunder spear capable of piercing the heavens ruptured fiercely from the tiny speck on her cheek, instantly engulfing her entire head and wiping it out completely.
"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"
Barbatos raised the robe on his arm and shielded himself from Agreas' exploding head and half of her torso. The fragments and bloody flesh splattered onto his clothes with a "pitter-patter," soaking his robes like rain...
"Thud!"
The next moment, Agreas, whose head had been blasted away by magic, collapsed powerlessly onto the ground, rendering Barbatos somewhat speechless as well.
"Cough, cough..."
Of course Fisher knew this couldn't kill Agreas, but he had to delay for time as much as possible. Yet as he lay prone on the ground, watching Barbatos make no further moves in the distance, while Agreas' mutilated corpse lying on the ground genuinely showed not the slightest bit of life left.
This scenario still caused Fisher to be momentarily stunned, subconsciously producing the illusion of "Did I really kill Agreas?"
But an illusion was an illusion after all. Because the very next second, he felt a sudden pang of pain at his neck.
He looked down, only to abruptly find that the area where his collarbone connected to his neck on his chest was swelling slightly, as if a tumor had grown in the subcutaneous blood vessels. Moreover, it was growing rapidly, increasing from less than a centimeter initially to twenty or thirty centimeters in an instant.
He clutched his neck in agony, yet it was still difficult to prevent the meaty tumor from growing larger and larger, until the next moment when not even flesh, blood, and skin could contain it...
"Ugh!"
"Bang!!"
Fisher's pupils contracted violently, and his eyes widened to an unprecedented degree, all displaying the agony he was enduring at this moment to the outside. Immediately after, the massive fleshy tumor on his neck swelled fiercely, bursting forth with a blood mist up to six or seven meters high, completely blowing apart half of Fisher's neck along with his right arm and lowers abdomen.
"Squish!"
He collapsed on the ground with a stiff expression. And on his body, that petite figure completely covered in his fresh blood burst from within his body like an alien. Sticking to his side, he stood there with a hint of a smile, looking down at Fisher lying motionless in a pool of blood with widened pupils.
"...Not a bad idea. If it were an Eighteenth Tier guy who was careless, they might have fallen for your trick. It's just a pity that being enemies with us is still too difficult for you. Let's go. We will take you to see your Dragon-kin girl again. Who knows if she'll feel a heart-wrenching sensation upon seeing your miserable state..."
"Rumble!"
Just at this moment, a dense scent of saltpeter rushed over violently. A bright crimson light akin to a meteor surged from a distance, crashing straight towards Agreas.
Agreas froze slightly. Sensing a barrage of punches and kicks coming from within that crimson meteor, he retreated while raising his hands, blocking an elbow strike horizontally with his left arm, and deflecting two kicks with his right, incidentally withdrawing from the area around Fisher.
"..."
Compared to the crimson meteor's attack, it seemed much more like Agreas had voluntarily retreated. However, his original expression carrying a bloody smile gradually receded with the arrival of the person before him until it turned into a mere smile.
Only to see standing before Fisher at this moment was precisely that Demon God Eliog, with swaying, explosive fireballs around her.
Agreas lowered his combat stance slightly, then patted the arm kicked by Eliog and said with a smile,
"If it were the true body of Eliog, I definitely wouldn't be able to defend against this attack infused with exquisite technique... It's just a pity that you are currently in an out-of-body state. Unable to support you in exerting your combat skills, it allows my eyes to keep up as well..."
Eliog, however, ignored Agreas. Instead, she cast a worried gaze back at Fisher collapsed in the pool of blood behind her. Unknown whether it was due to sensing Eliog's gaze, his body, originally stiff as iron, began trembling slightly bit by bit, proving he was still alive.
Eliog couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Only after exchanging a glance with him did she lower her combat stance, looking at Agreas and Barbatos whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
Agreas watched Eliog turn back to care for Fisher. In the end, he also couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating laugh, saying,
"It seems the one feeling heart-wrenching isn't that Dragon-kin, but rather my close friend..."
Barbatos also gently leaped to the front. Looking at Eliog blocking the way in front of Fisher, he pondered for a moment before speaking up,
"Don't be anxious, Eliog. We are not enemies, nor is he what we need... We only temporarily need him to help us seize the Blessing upon that Dragon-kin. After that, he will still be alive and still belong to you.
"Furthermore, after that Blessing is taken away, that Dragon-kin will also disappear as a result. Not only will you have one less entity standing between you and him, but we can all regain our freedom.
"Why not go ahead with it, Eliog?"