The Earth Witch

"Byron!" he shouted, his voice thick with fury. "Your sins, your wrath, and your heart now belong to me."

The broken, charred corpse, its lower half completely gone, hung suspended in the dark world.

"Rest in peace!"

He held a sword in his right hand and a fiercely burning heart in his left.

Suddenly, the sword in his hand twisted.

Dark Moon used the blade to cut an opening in his own chest.

A corroded heart slipped out, falling into the flames where it was consumed and reduced to ashes.

Yet even this could not end his life. The power of the Divine Artifact, the Bronze Lamp of Greed, continued its relentless corrosion.

The lamp was devouring him while simultaneously sustaining his life force.

Dark Moon stared at the gaping hole in his chest as Byron's wrathful roar echoed in his ears.

"You heartless creature! You are nothing but a monster without humanity!"

Dark Moon chuckled softly. "It seems I no longer have a heart."

"And now, I have truly become a monster."

As his words faded, he stuffed the heart of wrath into his own chest.

Dark Moon hunched over, pressing a hand against the wound.

Overwhelming fire erupted from the heart and surged through his body.

Woo woo!

Roar!

Below, the countless Abyss monsters he had summoned knelt in submission, their terrifying howls echoing through the darkness.

They seemed to sense the birth of a new Abyss King.

A powerful force surged into Dark Moon's body, simultaneously pushing out the power of greed.

Dark Moon could feel this power resonating perfectly with him, and he could harness it with almost no familiarization.

His body, which had been consumed by the Divine Artifact, the Bronze Lamp of Greed, began to regenerate. In place of a snake tail, a pair of humanoid legs formed.

Yet, his appearance remained that of a charred corpse, seemingly the price for embracing the power of Wrath.

Excruciating pain flooded Dark Moon's body, burning every bit of his bones and blood, searing his consciousness and his spirit.

At the same time, the voices of thousands echoed in his ears.

"Dark Moon, why won't you die? What right do you have to live?"

"I will kill you! I will kill you!"

"Dark Moon, you will face retribution!"

"General Dark Moon, why did you do this?"

"We died for you, and this is how you treat us? This is how you treat us?!"

It was not only Byron's fury but also the wrath of thousands of other victims.

Scene after scene flashed before Dark Moon's eyes. Countless faces, twisted in pain and madness, filled his mind. He let out a piercing scream as the flames engulfed him.

He had consumed the wrath of everyone, along with their original sin.

This included Byron's wrath and Byron's sins.

"Yes!"

"That's right! That's right! I did it all!"

"I did it all!"

Hahahahaha!

"Curse me!"

"Damn me!"

"Hate me!"

Dark Moon collapsed to his knees within the flames, his screams echoing as he writhed in the relentless inferno.

He seemed to slowly adapt to the burning, his painful wails gradually transforming into maniacal laughter.

At last, he rose from the roaring flames, his sword held firmly in his grasp.

"Come on! All of you, come!"

"Your wrath, your hatred, your sins!"

"I will swallow it all!"

The charred, living corpse opened its mouth, swallowing the sea of fire, swallowing all the flames.

His face twisted with madness, his bloodshot eyes burning brighter than the inferno.

He had merged with all the power of wrath, becoming the new Son of Wrath.

He was just one step away.

One step away from ascending to his throne.

At the same time, the darkness beneath his feet continued to sink.

A mythological gate made of flesh and blood emerged from the darkness. Thousands of monsters fused into the gate, their agonized screams echoing unbearably.

Beneath the mythological gate, the ceramic doll appeared once again.

This time, the ceramic doll stood before the gate as if it were a divine being, gazing down at Dark Moon with an air of authority.

The ceramic figure seemed delighted, even smug, that Dark Moon had chosen to merge with the mythological heart of wrath.

Hahahahaha!

"I knew it! I knew you would choose this."

"Does it feel hateful? Do you feel like it can't end this way?"

"How does it feel to be played in the palm of another's hand? Doesn't it feel awful?"

The ceramic figure seemed to see through all of Dark Moon's thoughts, having apparently learned some of Xiao's habits and characteristics after following him for some time.

It mimicked Dark Moon's voice, shouting loudly.

"This corrupt world."

Then its expression changed. "Are you watching me?"

The painted face on the ceramic continuously shifted. "I will drag down all of you who toy with the world, all of you who stand above everyone else."

The ceramic figure danced about, its enormous face pressing down to reveal a creepy smile to Dark Moon.

"You are..."

"The true Wrath!"

The charred Dark Moon stood in the darkness atop the raging flames. He looked up at the being and asked, "Are you the God of Original Sin?"

The ceramic figure quickly denied it. "No, no, no! I am the messenger of the great Lord of the Abyss and the God of Original Sin."

"The God of Original Sin is very busy, so he entrusted me to select the Abyss Kings."

"You won."

"You have triumphed!"

"Dark Moon!" the ceramic figure exclaimed with a twisted grin. "You are the chosen one, the best, the number one!"

"You will become the third Abyss King under the divine throne."

It spread its arms, as if listening to something.

"Can you hear it?"

"The new Abyss King!"

"The entire Abyss cheers for you. The dark side of the world welcomes your arrival."

But Dark Moon said, "You are the winner."

"We are merely making choices without choice, all under the arrangement of the God of Original Sin."

The ceramic figure nodded, then asked Dark Moon.

"Do you want to become an Abyss King?"

"Do you want to challenge the gods, to challenge the true order of this world?"

"Are you ready?"

The ceramic figure stared at him, its eyes full of expectation, or perhaps malicious amusement.

"To become king," the ceramic figure said with a sinister grin, "you must pass the test of original sin."

Dark Moon suddenly raised his head, sensing something was wrong.

"What do you mean?"

"I've come this far, and I still haven't succeeded?"

The ceramic figure shook its head, the smile on its face growing increasingly exaggerated.

"No, no, no!"

"Just a little more. Your wrath needs to grow!"

"Dark Moon, your anger and hatred are still not enough!"

Dark Moon drew his sword and pointed it at the ceramic figure, his eyes bulging as he sensed what it intended to do.

"What are you trying to do?"

The ceramic figure rose, standing before the mythological gate.

"I am presenting you with the ultimate prize, the reward for your victory!"

"I will transform you into the embodiment of true Wrath!"

Dark Moon roared in fury, "It's over! Everything is over!"

"Byron is dead, and I've fallen into the Abyss. Everything has reached its conclusion!"

"Everything has unfolded as you wanted! What more are you dissatisfied with?"

The ceramic figure moved, and Dark Moon saw a vortex open beneath his feet, leading to Mooneclipse City.

"Satisfaction or dissatisfaction."

"That is not for you to decide. Only I decide."

"Only the god decides."

The ceramic figure's face suddenly extended from the mythological gate, growing so large it blocked the entire view, its smile insufferably malicious.

"Dark Moon!" the ceramic figure shouted with a twisted grin. "Fall into true wrath!"

"Destroy everything you've built with your own hands, then ascend to the throne in wrath."

"How about it?"

"This is my gift to you."

Dark Moon's expression shifted entirely. He had come to Fort Pence because he was deeply afraid that something might happen to Mooneclipse City, the new order he had poured everything into building.

His entire body erupted in fierce flames, transforming into a giant of fire. His sword expanded to dozens of meters as he swung it at the ceramic figure.

"Stop this right now!"

However, the ceramic figure and the mythological gate kept retreating, and Dark Moon fell.

He fell toward the vortex, toward the mortal world of Mooneclipse City.

The ceramic figure's exaggerated voice continued to echo in Dark Moon's ears.

"Do you hate it?"

"Do you feel helpless?"

"Don't you feel too weak? Don't you feel like you haven't changed anything?"

"Do you suddenly realize how fragile your new order is before true power?"

"Is this all you can do?"

"And you wanted to bind the gods?"

Hahahahaha!

In that laughter was endless mockery.

Dark Moon's power began to extend into the third layer of the Abyss, his mythological organ resonating with it.

This signified he was becoming the master of the third layer.

At the same time, he entered the test of original sin, a trial that would determine his fate and his ability to wield the power of wrath.

This test had been endured by the King of Pride, Yafuan, and also by the King of Lust, Melde.

Only by undergoing this step could one fully grasp the power of original sin and truly embody it in the mortal world.

Without going through this step, one could not fully embody the seven deadly sins. This was why Byron, and now Dark Moon, could remain in the mortal world instead of being completely consumed by the Abyss.

They were not yet fully integrated into the Abyss.

Dark Moon could feel himself being consumed by endless fury.

He lost control of his body, completely dominated by wrath, becoming a monster temporarily stripped of his reason.

However, Dark Moon understood the consequences of what was about to unfold.

In his state of unreason, he would follow the ceramic figure's plan.

He would destroy the entire Mooneclipse City.

Dark Moon turned his head, watching the outside world grow larger in the vortex, desperately trying to control himself.

But he was continuously drawn into the Abyss trial, walking toward his throne.

His consciousness gradually blurred, and his vision slowly sank into darkness.

"Stop it!"

"Stop this!"

"Stop!"

Behind Dark Moon's roars lay complete powerlessness.

Everything he had established with all his might was insignificant before this entity.

The reason for the destruction was simple: they did it because they had the power to.

Dark Moon fell into complete wrath as his ideals were about to be destroyed as well.

Darkness completely descended, swallowing Dark Moon's consciousness.

But just as Dark Moon completely lost consciousness, the ceramic figure's laughter came to an abrupt halt, its final chuckle replaced by a gasp of astonishment.

It seemed to have encountered some unexpected incident, letting out a cry of surprise.

"Damn it!"

"Yafuan!"

The ceramic figure's roar spread throughout the Abyss.

"What are you doing?"

"You've already lost, you failure!"

"Are you still trying to turn the tables?"

"Impossible!"

The scene shifted.

A boundless white light unfolded before Dark Moon's eyes. He stepped forward, moving deeper into the radiance.

He appeared in a training ground, holding a wooden sword.

His form was much shorter, that of his childhood self.

"Daydreaming again?"

"Focus your attention!"

A tall man suddenly appeared, striking Dark Moon hard with a sword.

He struck Dark Moon repeatedly, forcing him to retreat while shouting at him.

"Dark Moon!"

"The weak are useless. They can only be eliminated."

"The weak are enslaved, the weak are bullied, the weak are devoured."

"Dark Moon!" his father shouted, his voice sharp and commanding. "Do you want to remain weak?"

Dark Moon raised his sword to counterattack and shouted his questions.

"Weak?"

"What exactly is weakness?"

"Huh?"

"You tell me!"

"If not being the strongest means being weak, how strong must one be to avoid being devoured?"

The scene faded, and Dark Moon found himself suddenly in a castle.

The castle was littered with corpses.

This was his home, and now not a single living person could be seen.

His father had been killed, while his mother and siblings endured unimaginable humiliation before meeting their tragic end.

The young Dark Moon held a sword in his hand, only able to let out a heart-wrenching roar.

"Who did this?"

"Who was it?"

He collapsed onto the corpses, tears streaming down his face.

"Who killed you all?"

"Why? Why did this happen?"

The scene shifted, and he found himself soaring through the air.

He already knew who had done it, but it was useless.

The other party was far too powerful, and he stood no chance against them.

He fled from their relentless pursuit and eventually enlisted in the army, becoming a soldier.

At this moment, the chaotic era was reaching its peak.

The offspring of the King of Ten Thousand Serpents were killing each other, nobles were killing each other, and commoners were also killing each other.

They killed until blood flowed like rivers, until corpses piled up like mountains.

Dark Moon was no exception. Among these people, he was likely the one who had taken the most lives, his hands drenched in the blood of countless victims.

He had slain his enemies and rebels alike. He had taken the lives of countless innocent people. He had even turned his blade against his own companions.

No one felt safe. Everyone believed others would kill them, and the only way to survive was to kill first.

During a battle to suppress a rebellion, Dark Moon found himself forced to kill his own subordinates, soldiers who had loyally followed him for years.

They had once been simple young men, but in this mad world, on the battlefield, they had become madmen too.

He pulled his sword from his subordinate's body, furiously pushing the corpse to the ground.

"Drinking blood?"

"Eating people?"

"I'll let you drink! I'll let you eat!"

Everyone around him retreated, looking at him with terrified eyes.

He stood alone on the corpse-strewn battlefield, blood covering his entire body.

He lifted his head and opened his mouth, causing the blood scabs on his face to crack.

He was extremely thirsty. He licked his lips, tasting the blood at the corners of his mouth.

What did it feel like?

Was it sweet?

This feeling was both ridiculous and terrifying.

"Gone mad!"

"Truly gone mad."

"Everyone has gone mad, and I have gone mad too."

Dark Moon roared in fury, "Enough! Enough!"

"It's really enough."

"Revenge has no meaning. War has no meaning. None of this has any meaning at all."

"Nothing has changed. Nothing can be changed."

In his daze, he suddenly saw the corpses at his feet move, not just those he had just killed, but also those he had killed before.

His former dead companions, his family.

Now, these people slowly lifted their heads, their decayed faces turning toward Dark Moon.

Among them were his mother, his grandfather and grandmother, his brothers and sisters.

"Dark Moon!"

"Why? Why did we die? Why is the killing endless?"

"Who killed us? Who killed everyone?"

"Who is it, really?"

Dark Moon looked at these people and shook his head, his face suddenly turning pale.

"I don't know."

"I don't know."

All the corpses opened their mouths, questioning him in a creepy tone, "No!"

"You know."

Dark Moon's expression changed drastically. He screamed frantically, "What good does knowing do? Can it change anything?"

"It can't be changed!"

"It cannot be changed!"

His expression reached the peak of anger, his eyeballs turning red.

"Because what killed you is this chaotic world without order!"

The field of dead people persisted, following Dark Moon, even climbing beneath him and gripping him tightly.

"Then who caused this world to lack order? Who is responsible for all of this?"

Dark Moon thrashed amidst the corpses, twisting and turning in the overwhelming stench.

At last, he ceased all movement. He lay motionless on the ground, as though he had become one with the corpses around him.

He lay there, whispering softly to himself.

"This world's chaos and disorder is caused by those who are unbound, those who stand high above and do as they please."

"They can break order with impunity. They can destroy rules with impunity."

The corpses crawled up one by one, completely burying him.

"You knew all this, so why did you do nothing?"

"You did nothing? You just watched?"

"Go!"

"Go defeat them! Go kill them!"

"Go take revenge on them! Go take revenge on those who do as they please!"

Dark Moon's face was covered. From beneath the mountain of corpses, he spoke his last words.

"But I cannot!"

The scene returned to the beginning.

He was knocked to the ground by his father's sword, lying helplessly.

He lay on the ground, watching his father extend a hand to him, and asked that question again.

"Father!"

"How strong must one become to set the rules of this world?"

"How strong must one become..."

"To destroy this world of despair?"

Then, his father asked him.

"If you had such power, then what?"

"What would you want to do?"

"After destroying everything, what kind of world would you want to build?"

Dark Moon paused, a light flashing in his eyes.

He slowly raised his arm, firmly grasping his father's hand.

His lips trembled as he cried out from his hoarse throat.

"I want to create a world where no one can do as they please."

"Everyone..."

"A world where everyone is bound by constraints."

This time his father was no longer stern but laughed heartily, pulling him up from the ground with force.

A hand extended from the mountain of corpses.

Following it, a terrifying charred corpse crawled out.

He stood on the mountain of corpses as endless flames erupted from his body, setting all the corpses ablaze.

The sea of blood ignited like oil, instantly transforming into a towering inferno.

Dark Moon's body now erupted with infinite wrath as he looked up at the sky above.

"Yes!"

"I will drag down those gods who dare to do as they please from the clouds!"

"I will tear apart this world where the weak are devoured at will by the strong."

Meanwhile, on the other side, the giant of flame descended from the heavens, plummeting like a meteor toward Mooneclipse City.

At the same time, the scene shifted, penetrating through layers of the earth's crust to arrive deep within the ground.

This was a vast underground world.

Green carpets covered the earth, and plants emitting moonlight hung from the stone walls, illuminating the space.

Transparent jellyfish membranes stretched across the sky, with terrible tentacles twisting and writhing along the stone walls.

The water in this underground world seemed almost alive. It gathered into a pool on the ceiling, occasionally dripping down to create a gentle rain.

At the center of this underground world stood a towering altar, upon which rested a strange eyeball.

A brown-haired woman lay quietly at the foot of the altar, her body entwined with root-like growths that extended outward, merging with the earth around her.

She possessed God's Form, resting quietly on the steps with her eyes closed.

Layer upon layer of root-like growths extended from her body, continuously spreading outward into the earth.

Suddenly, the divine object on the altar, the Eye of Mutation, burst with an intense light that illuminated the entire underground world.

Much of the light was absorbed by forces from seven different directions, but some motes of light scattered downward.

The scattered motes descended and merged into another being.

They were absorbed by the woman lying at the foot of the altar.

Here, the Eye of Mutation repeatedly destroyed her body and then reconstructed it.

This altar was deadly poison to those with Wisdom Ability, but for those with Life Ability, it was a supreme treasure.

This Eye of Mutation was the key that allowed her to overcome the incredibly challenging threshold of transforming into a witch.

In the process of her body being repeatedly destroyed and reconstructed, the witch's power was gradually becoming complete.

At this moment, the witch's consciousness was slowly awakening.

Her eyebrows twitched slightly, and her fingers pressed against the edge of the altar.

Though she was in slumber, her consciousness was not completely asleep. In her dream, she hazily observed the changes on the earth's surface from a strange perspective.

Now, as her consciousness grew clearer, she saw what Dark Moon was doing.

For the first time in years, she spoke, her voice breaking the silence.

"Dark Moon!"

"What are you doing?"

"Stop! What are you doing?"

Suddenly, the witch's eyes opened. The eyes she had once lost had now grown back.

Her gray eyes penetrated the earth's crust, noticing the flaming meteor falling from the sky.

Mooneclipse City

At this moment, the sky was cloaked in darkness as night had settled in.

The strange phenomenon in the sky immediately drew the attention of the Ability Users throughout the city. The newly appointed High Executive Officer also noticed the vortex forming in the sky.

Outside the executive mansion, crowds surged.

"What's happening?"

"A hole has opened in the sky?"

"Something's not right!"

Many people were at a loss, but the High Executive Officer thought of something.

"That's not a hole. It's a Spirit Realm Gate."

"Quickly! Warn everyone to start evacuating!"

"Ring the bells! Hurry, ring the bells!"

Multiple Ability Users released divine techniques, creating enormous sounds.

They aimed to alert everyone in the city, and their efforts succeeded.

Thousands of people fled their homes, rushing outside to witness the flaming meteor descending from the opening in the sky.

The largest fireball was Dark Moon's flaming, charred corpse. Countless streams of fire followed him, crashing down toward Mooneclipse City.

Although the High Executive Officer reacted quickly, the opponent came even faster.

Many Ability Users exclaimed in shock as they discovered the falling object exceeded their imagination.

"How could it be?"

"So large?"

"Such a large meteor? It's enough to destroy the entire city!"

Looking at the size of the flaming meteor, it was completely incomparable to the one that had hit Fort Pence. That meteor had only been a seed, but this one had nearly reached completion.

If it fell, the entirety of Mooneclipse City would cease to exist.

"It's over!"

"It's no use. We're too late."

The High Executive Officer's face turned ashen as he imagined what would happen next.

Mooneclipse City would be completely erased, and the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents would utterly collapse.

The High Executive Officer wasn't afraid of death, but he had just taken over this country from Dark Moon, inheriting his ideals and wishes, only to face complete destruction.

How could he accept this?

His expression twisted. "Who is it!"

"Why do this?"

"Who is it that must destroy this country? Who is it that must crush us?"

The High Executive Officer roared at the fireball in the sky.

He did not yet know that this fireball was the former General Dark Moon.

In the city, people ran frantically, desperately trying to escape.

As the fireball grew larger and closer, covering half the sky with its blazing flames, many froze in place, unable to continue running.

Such a disaster.

It was not something one could escape by fleeing.

Many who had been fleeing gave up, letting out desperate screams.

"We're doomed! This is an even greater disaster than what happened in Fort Pence!" wailed someone who had survived the Fort Pence catastrophe.

"This is divine punishment," someone prostrated on the ground, awaiting death's arrival.

"The gods are punishing us," common people could imagine no other way to describe such a sight except as divine punishment.

"Why do disasters always befall the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents? Where are our gods? Why does no one protect us?" someone shouted loudly, unwilling to accept such a fate.

"We have been abandoned. We are destined to perish because we have no gods to protect us," someone said, tears streaming down their face.

As the fireball loomed over the sky, ready to crash into Mooneclipse City, an unexpected phenomenon occurred.

Thick, root-like tendrils emerged from beneath the ground, wrapping tightly around the city walls and stretching outward toward the rivers beyond.

A massive tree instantly broke through the ground, appearing in the southern open space of Mooneclipse City.

It grew at an angle, its enormous crown spreading to block the horizon.

Gray power extended outward, forming a barrier that covered Mooneclipse City and blocked the descending meteor.

Boom!

After the tremendous sound, everyone looked up, having survived the calamity.

Then, they stared in disbelief at the massive tree that had suddenly appeared, its towering form shielding them from the fiery destruction above.

"What?" People in the streets raised their heads, watching the layers of fire spread across the sky and looking at the tree crown protecting them.

"A tree... grew from the ground?" This tree was so large, so spectacular, and had appeared so timely that many people had not yet recovered their senses.

Meanwhile, those in the High Executive Officer's mansion also looked at the suddenly emerged tree with shocked expressions.

"Is this a tree?" The executive officer never imagined that when everyone had given up, such a thing would happen.

"How could there be such a large tree?" In the voices of others was the joy of having survived disaster.

"No, this must be a divine miracle," an Ability User shouted.

"Only the power of gods could accomplish such a thing. It is a god protecting us." Religious figures among the crowd thought the same, as only Ability Users truly understood how powerful and incredible this force was.

All the snake people in the city prostrated themselves, calling this tree the Divine Tree.

"Divine Tree!"

"This is divine protection."

"The gods have heard our calls!"

On the crown of the tree that covered the entire city sky, its branches intertwined and fused together, shaping into a human form.

Moreover, as this figure emerged, clothing formed naturally over her body.

She was a brown-haired woman with gray eyes, radiating the presence of God's Form, as if a goddess had descended to the mortal world.

The woman stood barefoot on the tree crown, raising her head to look at the fireball hovering in the sky.

Her gaze penetrated the flames, seeing the terrifying charred corpse at the center of the fireball.

The woman recognized him immediately, even though his current appearance made him almost unrecognizable.

The woman's pupils were filled with shock and disbelief.

"Dark Moon?"

"How did you become like this?"

The figure who emerged was once the prophet of the Snake Deity Temple.

Now, she stood as the Earth Witch.

The Earth Witch had signed a contract with the Ruhe Great God, the Burrowing Demon Worm, becoming this deity's apostle.

Unlike the former Moon Witch Nia, the Earth Witch had fully mastered the complete version of the Life Ability power, reaching the Fourth-Rank as a Life Ability apostle.

At the First-Rank, she gained the Life Ability power to merge with organs from other living beings. She chose to merge with the roots of a tree rooted in the earth.

At the Second-Rank, Life Ability Users possessed life blood energy, similar to the mental power of Wisdom Ability.

At the Third-Rank, she gained the power to merge with life templates. That great tree was her chosen life template, and now it was her true body.

At the Fourth-Rank, she received part of the Ruhe Great God's incomplete Ruhe Seal inheritance. The tree-form life template merged with the power of the Ruhe Great God, giving her the complete apostle form she currently had.

This explained the tree's peculiar and unsettling appearance.

It was half-plant, half-flesh, with roots that constantly writhed like living worms.

Under the influence of this power, eyes even grew on the tree.

The characteristics of the Burrowing Demon Worm were still very evident in her true form.

She called out Dark Moon's name loudly, trying to awaken him.

"Dark Moon!"

"Have you gone mad?"

"This is the capital you built, the country you reestablished."

"Why?"

"Why do you want to destroy it?"

At this moment, Dark Moon was entirely consumed by wrath and could not hear the Earth Witch's words.

The flaming, charred corpse waved its hand, sending countless fireballs raining down.

A terrifying field of fire spread from his body, transforming the sky into a realm of flames where the laws of fire bent and shifted under his control.

Roar!

The flaming, charred corpse charged downward with reckless abandon, aiming for the Earth Witch and the city she shielded.

In response, the branches of the tree beneath the Earth Witch shifted into writhing tentacles, reaching upward to ensnare the flaming, charred corpse.

The battle between the Abyss King and the Witch had begun.