Divine Beings Are Just Powerful and Immortal Existences

In the headquarters of the Cannibal Cult

Akmanmon asked a question. "No matter how strong you become, can you be stronger than those Apostles?"

"Stronger than that witch who wields unimaginable power?"

Akmanmon had witnessed the Earth Witch's strength firsthand. He remembered that divine technique covering the sky above the city, a power so great it defied comprehension.

Even beings of the Apostle rank were already unimaginably powerful. What about those divine beings who stood high above?

"No matter how strong you become, can you be stronger than the gods?"

"If you do this, they won't simply stand by and watch."

Suero showed no concern. "So what?"

"Why must I be stronger than them? Why must I fight them?"

"As long as we move quickly enough, it will be too late by the time they react."

"Can they even follow me into the Abyss?"

"I may fear them," he admitted, "but I won't tremble under their power."

"And while I may not be strong enough now, I will definitely become stronger in the future. Who knows who will fear whom then?"

Suero spoke blasphemous words in front of Akmanmon. "Even gods..."

"They are nothing more than powerful and immortal beings."

"When we possess that kind of power, we need not fear them."

Suero's words were utterly reckless, truly bordering on arrogance.

Akmanmon did not speak. He understood Suero.

In his view, those with great courage might be fools. Those without courage, however, were nothing more than waste. A person in a high position might be a fool, but it was rare for them to be waste.

Suero's arrogance was not without reason. He truly possessed a talent that far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Akmanmon did not reject Suero's passionate invitation, but his response remained characteristically cold.

"I can assist you in carrying out this plan. I will ensure it moves forward smoothly and remains well-concealed."

Akmanmon was no longer the King of Ten Thousand Serpents he had once been. He had gained control over numerous high-ranking figures in the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents and Mooneclipse City.

Most of these individuals were marginal figures, with only a few holding real authority.

The nobility, however, formed a complex web of relationships. This network, when properly utilized, could accomplish many things.

Akmanmon left one of the Cannibal Cult's hidden stations and took a carriage toward the royal palace.

He sat cross-legged in the carriage, deep in thought.

Suero had lost his mind, pursuing a plan that bordered on insanity.

The plan, while seemingly achievable, was accompanied by fervent speeches and irreverent words that somehow managed to resonate within Akmanmon's heart.

But what of it?

"Fall into the Abyss?"

"Isn't that still being a prisoner?"

Suero and Akmanmon were entirely different. Both sought power, but their reasons could not have been more distinct.

Suero's pursuit of power was driven by his perverse and twisted desires. It stemmed from his need to prove himself superior to everyone around him.

Akmanmon was different.

What he wanted was to control his own destiny.

The royal palace was filled with music and dance, as many nobles had come to attend the ball today.

With the King of Ten Thousand Serpents having come of age and married into another family, many prohibitions and restrictions in the royal palace had been relaxed.

After Akmanmon and his nominal wife made their entrance together, they went their separate ways.

Akmanmon had married only recently.

Although he felt nothing for his wife, she did not like this weak and incompetent King of Ten Thousand Serpents either. She was merely a pawn sent by the High Executive Officer's faction to monitor and control him.

Their union was merely a political marriage. After a few cold encounters, they only maintained appearances in public.

Akmanmon deliberately kept it this way.

If he stayed too close to her, she might discover his secrets.

Looking at the frenzied woman at the ball, Akmanmon's eyes remained devoid of emotion. She was young as well, sent to monitor and control him. Akmanmon, however, had employed a few simple methods to make her lose herself in pleasure. This left her with no time or energy to concern herself with her unpleasant husband.

In a quiet corner of the long corridor, the old snake person scholar who served as the king's literary and historical tutor discreetly signaled to Akmanmon. Shortly after, the two met in the same secluded spot.

This room was nearly two stories high but not particularly large, giving it a conflicting sense of narrowness and grandeur.

The two began their secret discussion.

Suinhor had been providing considerable help lately. The Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents was gaining too much momentum, making Suinhor feel strongly threatened.

They were preparing to increase their efforts to help Akmanmon, this king who had been raised to be useless, regain power and squeeze out the threatening High Executive Officer.

"Things have been progressing well recently, with many encouraging signs."

"Most importantly, Your Majesty, the day you ascend to power is fast approaching."

The old snake person scholar seemed somewhat excited, like someone who had carefully nurtured a seed for a long time and was finally about to see it bloom and bear fruit.

"After the wedding, Your Majesty is no longer a child."

"Many families in the Royal Court are voicing their hopes for you to stand up again. They feel that you, as the King of Ten Thousand Serpents, should lead them to restore the glory that rightfully belongs to the true nobility."

"We have arranged a plan for you to begin regaining power."

If Akmanmon had heard this news before, he would have been thrilled.

However, after spending time with Suero and learning supernatural knowledge, he had slowly fallen under his influence.

His recklessness, his disregard for consequences, and his ideas that defied common sense were all deeply influencing Akmanmon.

Therefore, facing the old snake person scholar's excitement, his response seemed rather indifferent.

"I understand."

But the old snake person scholar thought of something else and seemed somewhat disappointed.

"Are you still unable to forget the daughter of the Yueyeh family?"

"Your Majesty, you must rally your spirits."

"To become a ruler, one must endure what others cannot..."

Akmanmon greatly disliked the old snake person mentioning her.

He suddenly raised his head, looking at the other with eyes like an eagle as he interrupted him.

"Stop telling me every day how a ruler must endure what others cannot. And do not let me hear her name from your mouth again."

Akmanmon's assertiveness startled the old snake person. He had never seen him display such firmness before.

Akmanmon's sharp gaze fixed on him, radiating an intense and unyielding pressure.

After a brief pause, Akmanmon lowered his eyes and began to fiddle with a cup resting on the table.

"Actually," Akmanmon said, his voice steady but filled with bitterness, "I don't just hate that she died. I hate even more how all of you turned me into a puppet, manipulating my every move."

"As king, I could do nothing. Everything about me was manipulated by you, everything was arranged by you."

"What meaning does this kingship have?"

Akmanmon's demeanor appeared calm, but his words were somewhat agitated.

"What kind of king am I?"

"Just a puppet sitting on the throne."

"A slave with nothing to call his own."

Akmanmon looked at the old snake person. "I want to control my own destiny. I want every choice to come from my own will."

"I will not be a puppet manipulated at your whim, a statue moved back and forth."

"I hope to walk in this world no longer bound by any constraints."

Akmanmon finally released his inner thoughts completely, without any concealment.

The old snake person scholar looked at Akmanmon, his expression constantly changing.

"Is this really what you think?"

Whether it was the governance of the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents or Suinhor's people, all wanted to constrain Akmanmon, to control this young King of Ten Thousand Serpents.

Akmanmon did not believe that Suinhor truly lacked the means to help him gain supernatural power. A king without any power, an entirely ordinary mortal, would naturally be much easier for them to manipulate.

The old snake person scholar shook his head, the corner of his mouth raised.

Perhaps it was in mockery, or perhaps he thought this young man before him was being fanciful, feeling the young man really could not stay patient.

"That is impossible."

"You are not a god."

"Mortals can only be controlled by others, influenced by others. No one can escape the constraints of order."

"And you are not an ordinary person. You are the King of Ten Thousand Serpents."

"Wherever you go, you will be watched by others. You can never escape their control."

The old snake person looked at Akmanmon. "And as a king, you should keep these words in your heart, not tell them to me."

"Once some words are spoken, the situation becomes completely different."

Akmanmon looked at the old snake person. "Then why do you think I would say them?"

The old snake person scholar was stunned for a moment.

He suddenly felt something was wrong and had a bad premonition.

He immediately stood up, grabbing for the door handle on the other side.

But a sudden gust of wind rose, binding the old snake person scholar in mid-air.

Now the old snake person was completely stunned. This situation was entirely beyond his expectations. The current Akmanmon seemed no longer the Akmanmon he once knew.

"Impossible!"

"A Second-Rank ability? How could you have such power?"

He wanted to shout out loud, but Akmanmon raised a finger to his lips, softly speaking two words.

"Divine Technique, Silence."

The old snake person could no longer make any sound. He could only look at Akmanmon with a complex gaze.

There was confusion, terror, and shock.

He discovered he had truly underestimated this young man who had been imprisoned in the palace, this seemingly silent and incompetent person, a king who had been raised to be useless.

Akmanmon did not avoid his gaze at all, his eyes showing only coldness.

"Why look at me like that?"

"Do you really think you are my teacher and I am your student?"

"You are just a pawn used by Suinhor to control me."

"A pawn used to turn me into Suinhor's pawn."

Then a light smoke blew over, and the old snake person scholar lost consciousness.

This was a potion formula that Akmanmon had learned.

Akmanmon seemed to have prepared all this long ago, planning from the beginning to deal with the old snake person.

Until the end, the other seemed to have disbelief in his eyes, unable to understand where Akmanmon got his power.

Akmanmon seized the old snake person by the neck, his grip firm as he lifted him from the ground.

He suddenly felt a shackle that had been binding him open, a feeling that brought an indescribable exhilaration.

"Hahahaha!"

The normally expressionless Akmanmon suddenly burst into laughter.

Before long, he quickly calmed down again.

"Suero was right."

"This city is just a shackle."

"The throne is merely a crown placed on mortals. For the strong, it is only chains."

"Only power is real."

"Authority and wealth are nothing more than illusions. Power is the only thing that truly belongs to oneself."

Akmanmon once more acknowledged Suero's ideas. However, it was clear he still resisted the notion of following Suero into the Abyss.

To him, that would simply mean trading one cage for another.

"Let's start from here!"

Akmanmon dragged the old snake person and opened a hidden door. He stepped into a concealed passage, the air inside heavy with secrecy.

A former ability user who once had power but lost it on the supernatural battlefield was excellent experimental material.

He planned to turn him into a Ghoul.

Next, he planned to use the identity of the literary and historical tutor as a crucial shield to protect himself.

Suero's plan was too crazy. He needed to make some backup preparations.

Recently, many Ghouls had been created in the headquarters of the Cannibal Cult, and the secret arts for creating them were constantly being perfected and improved.

Ghouls were also classified into several levels.

Ordinary Ghouls were immensely strong, but they were just monsters corrupted by supernatural power.

First-Rank Ghouls possessed supernatural power and could normally suppress it. Apart from details in their eyes and their pale skin, their changes were barely noticeable.

Second-Rank Ghouls, after modification, could begin to avoid the Plague Blood Curse's impact on the mind. They started to stabilize their intelligence, but the devouring desire stemming from the curse and their supernatural power still existed, often causing them to lose control.

As for higher ranks, there were no successful cases yet.

Undeniably, this was a practical and convenient servant.

Akmanmon now wanted to create a Second-Rank Ghoul.

He needed to maintain the other's rationality, as he still had use for him.

This secret room looked quite different from an ordinary supernatural laboratory.

Typically, a witch spirit's laboratory would contain stone slabs, scrolls, and various supernatural materials. In contrast, an alchemist's laboratory resembled a workshop, filled with bottles and alchemical tools of all kinds.

But this laboratory looked more like an operating room.

On the operating table, Akmanmon inserted an iron syringe into the old snake person's head, then injected something into it.

A powerful force surged from the other's body. The ability power that the old snake person had lost for many years returned, even becoming stronger.

Next, he conducted a series of rituals and surgical procedures to extract the other's Mythical Blood.

He then crafted the Plague Blood Curse, channeling his own mind to take control of the other.

After a series of complex experiments, Akmanmon stopped all actions.

"Did it succeed?"

"It should have."

He first questioned himself, then answered.

He had followed Suero through many experiments and was rather confident.

Additionally, materials for creating a Second-Rank Ghoul were very precious. Since Akmanmon and Suero could only gather a limited number of sets, each creation required meticulous care to ensure success.

Before long, the snake person on the operating table started to tremble uncontrollably. His body convulsed as if struggling against an unseen force.

Low growls escaped his throat, blending with strange cries that echoed through the room. The unsettling sounds reverberated against the walls.

However, the ritual array inscribed on the walls absorbed and silenced the cries, ensuring they did not escape the confines of the room.

Before long, the snake person who had been writhing in pain on the operating stone platform began to settle. As his movements stilled, Akmanmon released the bindings, allowing him to rise smoothly from the stone platform.

His eyes had completely changed, and even his skin had turned the color of limestone.

But as the supernatural power gradually subsided, the abnormal phenomena on his body began disappearing, the features on his skin and eyes slowly fading.

Finally, apart from his skin becoming paler and his body colder, there was little difference from his normal appearance.

Akmanmon had personally turned the old snake person into a Ghoul.

The other came down from the stone platform, knelt at Akmanmon's feet, and began to speak.

"Master."

Only his words had become cold and rigid, without the scholarly grace of the past. The change was quite significant.

Akmanmon studied him carefully, his gaze sharp and deliberate.

"You can pretend to be ill."

"Cough occasionally. That way, no one will notice."

Next, Akmanmon personally escorted him out. It appeared as though they had just concluded a literature lesson. As they walked, they continued discussing a particular classic work of art.

The old snake person thus left the palace, as if nothing had happened.

Akmanmon watched him leave.

This was his first real step toward controlling his own destiny.

From being controlled by others to controlling the destiny of others.

"Power."

"Immense power."

"Only with power can one truly control their own destiny."

Akmanmon gazed into the night. "What is it truly like to have the freedom to control one's own destiny?"

At this moment, Akmanmon suddenly recalled what the old snake person had said earlier.

"That is impossible."

"You are not a god."

"Mortals can only be controlled by others, influenced by others. No one can escape the constraints of order."

These words echoed in Akmanmon's ears as he stood in the cold wind on the steps below the palace.

The moon shone brightly in the night sky. Wisps of clouds drifted gently, their forms illuminated by the soft lunar glow.

Suddenly, Akmanmon saw a shadow appear in the clouds under the night. That shadow seemed to have wings, passing through the clouds before disappearing.

"What was that?"

Akmanmon looked over, his gaze following its form.

"A Wing Demon?"

"To fly freely in the sky without constraints... how wonderful!"

Akmanmon returned to his secret laboratory, tidying up everything inside.

Finally, he turned his gaze to a picture he had drawn.

Recently, he had been eagerly absorbing all kinds of knowledge. He was also revisiting and processing the supernatural books he had read in the past.

At that time, he was only reading books. He did not have the ability to learn or use the supernatural knowledge contained within them.

After gaining his ability, it was as if he had opened a great door. Various knowledge no longer presented insurmountable difficulties for him, and Suero was an excellent guide, able to answer his various doubts.

However, he still could not understand the meaning behind the content of this picture.

That form, one that only divine beings could possess, surely hid countless secrets.

This was a pattern he had recorded from that mysterious woman's clothes. After multiple confirmations, they determined it was a ritual. Its purpose, however, remained a mystery to him.

"A ritual?"

"What is this ritual for?"

Akmanmon had activated it before, but it had no effect.

This ritual was a method used by Apostles to transform into a divine form. For others, it did not serve much purpose. It could even be said to lack significant strength.

Recently, the plague situation outside had escalated into a significant crisis.

The entire city of Mooneclipse was in fear. People did not dare to casually interact with others when going out.

At first, it was only spreading in bustling, complex areas like the Begalei District, where workshops were clustered. Now, it had begun to spread to other parts of Mooneclipse City.

Many people in the city fell ill. At first, strange rashes appeared on their bodies.

Over time, their skin gradually hardened, taking on a texture similar to beast hide. The color of their skin also shifted, turning a dull gray.

As time passed, the patients became muddled, even starting to go berserk.

Finally, they succumbed to their frenzy and perished.

At first, people thought it was just a minor ailment. Now, the situation had escalated to the point where lives were being lost.

Mooneclipse City had specifically cleared out a Medical Fortress. They invited the renowned great physician Suero's team to treat these patients. However, the main purpose was to isolate these people and burn their bodies after they died to prevent the infection from spreading.

However, the plague situation was not contained but grew increasingly serious.

These incidents only created a commotion among the common people. So far, there had been no reports of significant individuals falling victim to the disease.

It seemed that with good protection, there was no problem.

As for what happened to those commoners, the important figures could not care less.

But of course, some people sensed something unusual and began to investigate this matter.

Various supernatural forces in the city were gathered and began to be questioned and investigated, while they also began to seek solutions.

However, they were currently limited to mutual accusations and avoidance, with no progress.

The Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents still maintained strong control over various regions. These supernatural forces, however, remained beyond their influence.

They were not directly managed by the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.

Long was a young man who had been deeply engrossed in these concerns lately.

Seeing more and more people getting sick, he watched as they were tortured into inhumanity by the disease.

Their families were also dragged into the abyss of pain, suffering alongside them.

He finally felt the sense of responsibility that Kiton had once mentioned to him.

Born as humans, having witnessed this scene, having come to this city, one must take action.

One cannot simply turn a blind eye!

Moreover, Long felt there was some unimaginable secret behind this, possibly related to the investigation into Kiton's death.

"No."

"This can't keep happening."

"Maybe we should give it a shot. That guy mentioned someone called Feathered Serpent... What if he really can fix this?"

Long thought of what the mysterious physician had told him earlier, that a person called Feathered Serpent would pass through the Great Serpent Road tomorrow on the way to Suinhor.

The Great Serpent Road was not far from Mooneclipse City.

He planned to wait for him on this inevitable path.

When Long set out, he was still wondering about that name.

"Feathered Serpent?"

"What a strange name."

This name felt unusual to the snake people. It described a snake with feathers, an image that seemed odd and out of place.

When he finally saw the other, the meaning behind the name became clear to him.

Long stood at the entrance of the Great Serpent Road. He was positioned on a high hill, scanning the horizon.

At first, he focused on the road below, convinced that the mysterious physician's words meant the other would appear there.

To Long's surprise, after waiting for most of the day, the figure he sought came soaring through the sky instead.

"So, Feathered Serpent is truly a snake with feathers?"

Long stared at the sky in astonishment.

It was an enormous creature with wings that were both elegant and beautiful. Long manes flowed down its back, adding to its majestic appearance.

Still, if one was not used to it, white wings growing on a great snake would feel strange.

But looking at it longer, it felt like a somewhat sacred existence.

A power originating from the Spirituality Origin emanated from its body, affecting the senses of everyone nearby.

Long used divine techniques to signal, attracting the other's attention.

Using divine techniques, he called out, "Feathered Serpent! Over here!"

"Can you stop for a moment?"

"I've been waiting for you."

"Someone told me you would pass through here today."

Feathered Serpent finally noticed Long and flew down from the sky.

From the ground, its size was already immense. Seeing it up close, however, was even more astonishing.

Long looked at the enormous creature coiled at the foot of the hill, its head raised watching him, and suddenly found his speech trembling.

This fellow, let alone the strong supernatural power surging throughout its body, could flatten him just by rolling once.

"Are you Feathered Serpent?"

Long was unsure if this creature could communicate with words.

The creature did not speak aloud, but a voice emerged from the depths of Long's consciousness.

The voice asked Long a question.

"How did you know my name is Feathered Serpent? What do you want from me?"

Long looked at Feathered Serpent and said, "Someone told me you would be passing through here today. They said you have the power to heal all kinds of illnesses, even those caused by supernatural forces."

"There is a strange plague spreading in Mooneclipse City. I was hoping you could help."

Feathered Serpent did not say it indeed possessed such power, nor did it intend to tell too much to someone it did not know at all.

Crossing the Great Serpent Road would take it into Suinhor. It was not far from home.

"I have important matters to attend to. I cannot afford to linger here."

"I apologize."

Long looked at this enormous creature, suddenly finding that all his prepared arguments were useless.

He could appeal to someone's emotions or offer various benefits.

However, the being before him was clearly not a person. It was a creature of immense power and an entirely different nature.

He did not know what to do and could only sigh.

"He said you were a person."

"I thought... maybe you really were. That way, I could..."

"Ah, forget it."

"I guess I was wrong."

Long watched this great snake with wings turn around, about to fly back into the sky.

But when Long said these words, Feathered Serpent suddenly stopped.

Feathered Serpent suddenly looked at Long, its eyes showing a different light.

"Who is this 'he' you speak of?"

Feathered Serpent's voice paused, then it asked again.

"Did he really say... I am a person?"

Long was caught off guard by Feathered Serpent's sudden question. He hesitated for a long time, unsure of how to respond.

He did not know why, but it seemed that being recognized as a person was Feathered Serpent's greatest wish.

Feathered Serpent stopped and looked at Long.

"I can help you. My power does have the ability to heal diseases and injuries."

"But I cannot guarantee it will be effective for the situation you described."

Long looked at the great winged serpent and said, "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"I wish I knew more about that person. He's... well, he's a mystery."

"But he told me days ago you would pass through here, and here you are."

"He said you could heal the plague in Mooneclipse City. I believe you can."

Feathered Serpent had seen quite a bit. It had witnessed the battle between the God of Knowledge and Truth, the Scarlet Goddess, and the Original Sin Evil God.

It had recently seen a being like Elena, the Master of Demon Spirits, even witnessing her become mythological.

It had a reverent heart for such beings. It felt that the being the other spoke of might be one of those gods.

"Many days ago, he already knew I would pass through here."

"Perhaps you encountered the guidance of some divine being."

Long was stunned for a moment.

He then recalled that mysterious physician. His strength was beyond comprehension, like staring into the depths of an endless ocean.

Despite appearing incredibly powerful, he seemed like an ordinary person in every way.

And that strange building, which seemed capable of traversing space and vanishing, made him feel as though he might have encountered an extraordinary being.

"A god?"

Long also recalled what his teacher had said to him when he had just left the wilderness.

"Have you ever seen what it is like when deities travel?"

"What you saw before was the manifestation of the divine realm."

"When deities truly walk in the mortal world, no one can see or know."

"Perhaps some random person you meet on the road could be a deity."

"Do not speak rashly of deities."

"And do not use your imagination to speculate about them."

In the wind on the hill, Long looked at the huge Feathered Serpent before him. The wind blew his robes and hair, and the young witch spirit suddenly developed a reverent heart for this world.

In this world, there seemed to truly exist fate.

When you speak of divine beings, the words you choose and the actions you take often seem to connect to what lies ahead.

They will be fulfilled at some point on the scale of time.

Only, Long did not know that not long ago, someone had just said that divine beings are merely powerful and immortal existences.

What they knew even less was that the difference between one divine being and another is sometimes greater than the difference between a divine being and a human.