The Struggle Between Divine Beings

The Abyss Core, upon the Flesh and Blood Star

The ceramic figurine stood on the table, watching. Someone was truly using the Abyss Sacrifice ritual to summon the Door of Original Sin from the Abyss into the mortal realm.

From the corner of the table, the ceramic figurine gazed at the endless black mud flowing into the mortal world, carried on the relentless black wind and rain.

The painted expression on the ceramic surface shifted to one of surprise, its mouth forming a perfect O-shape.

It suddenly discovered that existences who truly had the qualifications to become candidates for the Abyss King often made choices that exceeded its expectations. These lunatics could not be measured by common sense at all.

For a rare change, the ceramic figurine had refrained from arranging a tragic ending for Suero, expecting him to honestly become the King of Gluttony and then make the Crown of Wisdom Covenant.

This rare choice was the first to be praised by the Original Sin Evil God.

It had been fully expecting everything to proceed smoothly, even abandoning its twisted sense of humor for this.

However, instead of choosing the most normal option of devouring the entire Mooneclipse City with the sin of gluttony, this fellow Suero actually chose to summon the Door of Original Sin.

The ceramic figurine leaned forward from the table's edge, its gaze fixed on the mortal realm below.

"What could that fellow possibly be thinking?"

"Does he just want to experience the power of mythology before he dies?"

The ceramic figurine shouted, "What qualifications does a lowly mortal like him have to touch divine authority?"

"Arrogant!"

"Too arrogant."

The ceramic figurine understood even less how Suero could become an Abyss King if he could not devour enough power or pass the trial of gluttony.

One must understand that the Gluttony Stomach within Suero's body was not merely a mythological organ that granted him power, but also shackles bound to his body.

If he could not devour sufficient power, if he could not become an Abyss King, if he could not master the original sin of gluttony, then the Gluttony Stomach would turn on him and devour him instead.

This mythological organ would consume him until nothing remained.

The ceramic figurine felt the situation was now completely out of control. Cautiously, it lowered its head to face its master.

The ceramic figurine hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Great God of Original Sin, will he still make the Crown of Wisdom Covenant as we expected?"

The scene shifted, pulling away from the corner of the table to the heights above. It revealed the existence sitting upon the divine throne at the end of the skeletal long table.

The ceramic figurine, which had seemed rather large before, instantly became incomparably tiny.

God of Original Sin Xiao also watched the mortal realm. He observed Suero's power, his choices, and his transformations.

He thought to himself.

"The will of all spirits, combined with the channels of the Dream Realm, can achieve effects beyond imagination."

"Wisdom species are truly remarkable beings."

"The consciousness of wisdom races has the power to reshape reality. It can rise above reality itself."

"The curse of Purgatory is quite interesting."

God of Original Sin Xiao had not expected that the Lord of Purgatory could create such a thing.

"Indeed, in this world there are no truly useless people."

"There are only those who do not know how to use wisdom, who muddle through life without knowing how to develop their own limits."

God of Original Sin Xiao was also a Trilobite Man, a priest of the Temple of Truth. He too had grown up listening to the stories of God and the King of Wisdom.

"From the day wisdom was born, from the time the King of Wisdom granted us our bloodline, and from the moment we learned to master writing, we had already risen above all things in the world."

"Even within the most ordinary mortals, the most foolish commoners, and even those monsters, the light of wisdom also flickers in their consciousness."

"That is the power belonging to the Divine King."

"It is the Creator's gift."

"We are born with infinite potential. Every person may create unimaginable things. Every life has no limits."

The God of Original Sin looked at Suero, at the Lord of Purgatory, at every figure in the mortal realm.

Countless wisdom species could create countless miracles.

This was the bloodline left by Divine King Redlichia, the light brought to the mortal realm by the Creator.

The Original Sin Evil God stopped his observations and looked toward the ceramic figurine.

His single sentence stunned the ceramic figurine.

"He wants to devour a divine being."

The ceramic figurine did not understand. "Who?"

What it meant was, who wanted to devour a divine being?

However, the Original Sin Evil God answered who the "divine being" to be devoured was.

"The Lord of Purgatory."

"Suero wants to use the power of the Door of Original Sin to devour the source of curses, to devour the Lord of Purgatory, to devour all of Purgatory."

"Purgatory is not yet a myth. Under his temporary power enhancement, the Lord of Purgatory is no match for him."

"More troublesome is that Suero possesses the Cannibal's Curse, which can trace and lock onto the Lord of Purgatory deep within the Dream Realm. He has no way to hide or escape."

"The Lord of Purgatory has created an interesting thing."

"A toy he cannot control."

He showed no schadenfreude, only cold prediction.

However, when speaking of Suero, Xiao's eyes revealed an appreciative expression.

Suero and he were completely different people. Xiao pursued eternity, the ultimate he desired.

He possessed near-icy rationality. He knew what he wanted and cast aside everything else to pursue it.

But Suero was a thorough madman. In nearly every possible way, he challenged his own limits and that sliver of possibility.

Yet Suero's wild imagination was something Xiao greatly appreciated.

"Suero's plan is to use the power of the Door of Original Sin to devour the Lord of Purgatory."

"He wants to devour that divine being in his eyes. He believes that after devouring a divine being, he can rival divine beings."

The corner of Xiao's mouth rose.

"Then fall into the Abyss and compete with me for the position of Lord of the Abyss."

Xiao saw through Suero's intentions at a glance, not just his first step, but his second and third as well.

Suero's plan was simply a snake trying to swallow an elephant.

No, it was ten thousand times more insane than a snake swallowing an elephant.

Because he would use a mortal body to devour a divine being.

This could not be called merely insane. It was a madness that reached wild fantasy, a madness born of delusional obsession.

But it was precisely this unimaginable insanity, this madness that seemed impossible at first glance, that Suero was now attempting to achieve.

He truly wanted to defy fate, to transform from a plaything into a master, to create the miracle he desired.

If Xiao had not been able to see through Suero's plan from the beginning, and if the Lord of Purgatory were truly a myth, he might actually have succeeded.

The ceramic figurine asked, "Yafuan?"

"Can that fellow even be called a god?"

In the ceramic figurine's eyes, the Lord of Purgatory was Yafuan.

The evil god in tattered clothing answered carelessly, "At least in his own eyes, he is a god."

The ceramic figurine thought carefully and suddenly felt terrified.

Suero controlled so many ghouls and was devouring Mooneclipse City.

If he also devoured Purgatory, he truly might possess enough power to reach the threshold of mythology.

"No!" the ceramic figurine exclaimed, its voice trembling with urgency. "God, we absolutely cannot let him succeed!"

The Original Sin Evil God's gaze was not sharp. It always seemed unfocused, as if he were constantly thinking, which made his view of the outside world appear careless.

"Why can't we let him succeed? The Lord of Purgatory has not ascended to mythology himself. How will devouring Purgatory allow him to become a myth?"

"It's not that having enough divine blood makes one a myth."

"In this world, only two grimoires can create myths. One is the Path of Wisdom for becoming a demigod. The other is the grimoire for creating mythical artifacts, compiled by Anhofus, Immortal Form and Artificial Humans."

"His only possibility is to use the power of curses to become a mythological cursed spirit body, a dead thing without wisdom."

"Looking at his previous preparations, he probably intended to do this."

Xiao was most skilled at seeing through people's hearts.

"He is a madman. He would even abandon wisdom, even discard consciousness."

"He does it only to surpass everyone, only to devour those who once looked down upon him."

"He wants to destroy the mortal part of himself. He wants to erase every trace of his existence as a mortal. He wants to devour all those who once bullied and underestimated him."

"Then, he wants to become someone who is no longer a mortal."

Xiao looked toward the ceramic figurine.

The one who had stirred Suero's desire to devour a divine being was precisely this clown on the skeletal long table.

The ceramic figurine saw Xiao's gaze and suddenly felt guilty, but it still spoke.

"Curses are so sinister."

"A curse with mythological power is very dangerous."

"God, we can't just watch him succeed, can we?"

"We can't lend him the power of the Door of Original Sin."

The Original Sin Evil God was very calm, as if everything was already within his grasp.

"Doesn't he want to fall into the Abyss?"

"Then he must make a vow. He must pass the trial of the vow to become an Abyss King."

"But that is the Crown of Wisdom Covenant," the ceramic figurine said.

Xiao leaned back gently on his divine throne, clasping his hands.

"So, what will happen next?"

"Will he succeed, becoming a God of Races and opening a new path for me?"

"Or will he fail, letting me see what happens when a mortal directly gazes upon the source of God's Moon?"

Xiao's eyes rarely showed an expectant expression, "This is quite anticipating indeed."

In this short time, he could observe so much data and harvest so many results.

Although both were wisdom species, both existences with infinite potential, a mad fellow or a genius-like figure could create things that thousands or even generations of people could not compare to.

As Xiao and the ceramic figurine conversed, the Door of Original Sin gradually fell from the Abyss into the mortal realm.

And at this moment, the light of truth surged from the horizon, illuminating the scene with an undeniable brilliance.

The Original Sin Evil God looked into the distance. This time, his expression showed obvious emotion.

"Asai, you finally couldn't resist taking action."

God of Original Sin Xiao had once manipulated Asai's entire life. Asai later returned that manipulation in full.

Regrettably, hatred was not about borrowing objects or exchanging things. It was not a matter of equivalent exchange.

It was a plague, a virus.

It could not be offset.

Even if it was occasionally worn away, as long as the source remained, it would continue to grow endlessly.

God of Original Sin Xiao looked toward the horizon where the light of knowledge authority emerged. He observed the descent of that ancient and primordial mythological door, accompanied by the ethereal glow, onto the mortal soil of Mooneclipse City.

He seemed to see a young figure wearing a top hat and holding a cane.

It was not the appearance of his God's Form, but the appearance of a Trilobite Man.

It was this fellow who had caused his plans spanning two hundred and fifty million years to fail at the final moment.

It was this fellow who had made the efforts of the Barrow family of three through countless reincarnations ultimately amount to nothing.

It was this fellow who had caused him to lose the authority of spirituality and forced him to pursue another path.

The Kingdom of Knowledge above the sea of clouds

God of Knowledge and Truth Asai stood at the edge of the kingdom, overlooking the mortal realm.

"Has the Door of Truth collected enough information?"

The Ghost Polik stood beside Asai. In his hand, a symbol of God Asai floated, within which massive amounts of information could be seen constantly alternating and changing.

"The curse comes from the Lord of Purgatory. This is all the data on the curse."

"The Seed of Gluttony comes from the Abyss and has now become a mythological organ."

"The Abyss Sacrifice ritual connects to the Abyss and summons the Door of Original Sin. The Original Sin Evil God cannot leave the Abyss."

Asai merely glanced once and grasped the key point.

"It seems Xiao's target is Purgatory."

"Purgatory?" Ghost Polik asked. "How does he plan to deal with Purgatory?"

Asai replied, "It is not clear yet, but I can confirm that his target is definitely Purgatory."

"And this Suero must be Xiao's pawn."

Purgatory was the Abyss's weakness, and by extension, the Original Sin Evil God's weakness.

Perhaps one day in the future, this weakness would become the fatal strike against Xiao.

Asai understood that under no circumstances could he allow Xiao to reclaim this vulnerability.

Ghost Polik asked, "God Asai, what do You plan to do?"

Asai looked toward the distance. He could almost sense that Xiao, also in the distance, was searching for his traces.

"No rush."

"He wants to take things from within? We will make sure that not only does he get nothing, but he also cannot take back what he throws out."

Black wind and rain swept through the city, shrouding one side in darkness.

On the other side, the ethereal glow of an illusory light pushed back the shadows, creating a stark divide along the river.

One side of the river had been completely eroded and covered by the black rain and Abyss Black Mud. Everyone had become Abyss Monsters, clustering around Suero.

Altars continuously rose from beneath the ground.

Monsters rushed forth from within the black rain, arriving before the Door of Original Sin.

Suero stood upon the altar in the wind and rain, his back to the Door of Original Sin. He commanded the storm, the wind and rain bending to his will while the monsters knelt in submission before him.

At this moment, he was like an evil god in the mortal realm.

Suero looked at the city covered in black mud, at the world within the wind and rain. For some unknown reason, the wild laughter beneath his mask suddenly stopped.

He gazed at the world within the filthy mud and suddenly felt his heart being hollowed out. But the instant his heart disappeared, an indescribable sense of relief gradually surged into his mind.

He said softly.

"Gone."

"Look."

"They're all gone. The traces of existence, the people who knew you."

"All of them... have disappeared."

Then, he lowered his head.

He released a low laugh from behind his mask.

It was a suppressed kind of laughter. This was Suero's true laugh, the one that came after madness faded.

Suero laughed while crying.

Hehehehehehe!

Hahahahahaha!

"Disappear! All of you disappear!"

"I will eat you all! I will devour every one of you!"

The laughter transmitted through the wind and rain. The entire Mooneclipse City could hear it, including the survivors on the other side of the Shepherd's River.

The laughter was not loud, but it brought an even deeper sense of terror.

From this moment onward, no one in this world would know Suero's past.

Know that he was a butcher's son.

Know his lowly past.

Know his former fear and humility.

On the other side of the Shepherd's River, everything was completely shrouded by the illusory light emanating from the Door of Truth.

The entire riverbank and city seemed covered by mist. Nothing could be seen clearly.

Within the mist, light emanated from one place. An Apostle holding the Book of the Witch Spirit had preserved half of the city's remaining people.

This was the very heart of Mooneclipse City. It was the place Suero had chosen to devour first, the place where his home had once stood.

At this moment, Sukob looked across the Shepherd's River toward the other side. He saw a city where barely half the people remained, a city submerged by black mud and wind and rain.

He was an Avel person, but he was also a snake person, a descendant of the Snake Mother Sermos.

Watching so many people die before his eyes, the anger surging within Sukob's heart at this moment was genuine.

"Madman!"

"Fallen wretch!"

"You will inevitably suffer divine punishment and sink into the most painful and terrible darkness."

Suero did not care at all. After sacrificing half of Mooneclipse City, he seemed to become less mad.

He suddenly removed his mask, revealing that ordinary and plain face.

It was a face that would not be noticed by anyone if lost in a crowd.

Yet at this moment, he stood above all beings, manipulating divine authority and deciding the life and death of countless people.

"Darkness?"

"I was born in darkness. Your curse is useless, Apostle Sukob."

The madman on the altar threw away his mask. The mask fell from the suspended altar, blown into the distance by the strong wind.

"Only people like you believe light is normal, that falling into darkness is a punishment."

"No, this is not punishment."

"This is our birthright, our daily life."

Sukob had already taken action. His furious voice spread through the air, dispersing the black rain blowing toward the other side of the river.

"You think that because you suffered pain, you have the right to do as you please?"

"You think that because you have reasons, your madness need not pay a price?"

"Madman!"

"True divine beings watch over this world. The evil god behind you is imprisoned in darkness, not daring to take a single step."

"Today, you cannot win."

Sukob manipulated the Door of Truth and launched an attack toward Suero.

"Chapter of Truth."

The Door of Truth trembled, and light spread outward.

Countless ghostly shadows appeared in the sky, singing sacred hymns.

In the sky, they formed an unimaginably massive ritual array that blocked the entire city's sky.

The array descended from the sky. It was an intricate and elaborate composite Divine Technique. Countless Divine Techniques seemed to intertwine, merging into a colossal seal that fell from above.

The firmament was torn apart, the cloud layers dispersed.

The violent storm was instantly suppressed. The entire world was shrouded beneath the Chapter of Truth.

Suero looked at the Chapter of Truth.

"Doing as one pleases needs no reason. I do it only because I want to."

"As for the price of madness."

"I understand it better than you."

At this moment, Suero stood on the altar, looked up at the black rain being dispersed from the sky, and made his decision.

He raised his hand, as if summoning something.

"Plague Blood Curse."

"Laws of seal imprints gathered from curses."

"Become my body, become my domain, and also become my myth."

At this moment, Suero's form was transforming. With his call, a twisted darkness emerged behind him.

The Plague Blood Curses within the bodies of thousands of ghouls beneath the altar manifested, then rushed out from their bodies. All their divine blood and power were devoured by Suero.

The black shadow behind Suero struggled in the void, then opened its great maw.

In a single motion, it consumed Suero entirely.

Suero and the black shadow merged into one.

His entire body gradually became ethereal, transforming into a cursed shadow.

The black shadow rose from the ground, and under the enhancement of the Door of Original Sin, it broke through the clouds in the sky.

That terrifying shadow was large enough to block out the sky and sun.

Within Suero's body, the power of the mythological organ Gluttony Stomach continued to grow. It formed a black hole in the cursed shadow's abdomen, pulling everything around it into its endless void.

The Suero who had transformed into a terrifying black shadow rose toward the sky, colliding with the Chapter of Truth.

The two forces collided, unleashing a sudden and violent explosion that tore through the surroundings.

BOOM!

The Chapter of Truth shattered. Suero, who had transformed into a black shadow, was torn into countless pieces.

These cursed shadows, split into countless fragments, immediately began to reassemble.

Curses, being formless and elusive, were incredibly difficult to eliminate.

As long as their source was not destroyed, they would continue existing.

Sukob did not give up. He continued using the Door of Truth, intent on completely obliterating this madman and monster Suero.

Sukob once again employed another ability of the Door of Truth.

"Chains of Truth."

On the Door of Truth, countless chains crisscrossed, sealing this expanse of earth and sky.

A massive mythological barrier shrouded the location of Mooneclipse City. The crisscrossing iron chains continuously converged, climbing and entangling toward that cursed shadow.

Clatter clatter.

The entire world echoed with the sound of chains colliding and unfurling.

But at this moment, the Door of Original Sin behind Suero suddenly burst open.

The black shadow as tall as the mythological door turned its head at this moment.

The terrifying cursed black shadow turned around. It abandoned the battle with Sukob without hesitation. Suero did not spare Sukob even a single glance.

"Want to punish me?"

"If you have the courage, then follow me!"

The mythological giant door standing between heaven and earth opened its two panels. A monstrous black shadow reaching to the heavens passed through the door.

"Now, I have something else to do, Apostle Sukob."

On the other side of the Door of Original Sin, a mirror image of the depths of the Dream Realm appeared.

A flaming star continuously drew closer as the door opened.

The black shadow made a sound, speaking to that flaming star.

"Curse me?"

"Want to make me sink forever in a prison of flames?"

"I have come."

Suero's target had never been Sukob but another existence. Mooneclipse City was merely the first step of his plan.

What he truly wanted to do was something he had never shared with anyone, not even Akmanmon.

The Door of Original Sin also possessed the power to open passages to the Dream Realm. Those snake people sacrificed to the Abyss and assimilated into Abyss Monsters had already become part of the Abyss.

However, Suero had already set his sights on another existence he deemed even more worthy of devouring, one that surpassed all others in significance.

Purgatory and its master.

Having opened the passage to Purgatory, the terrifying black shadow that Suero had become plunged inside.

His voice carried fervor, just like a devoted believer going to see the divine being he believed in, or like someone who had received abundant grace going to see his benefactor.

"Lord of Purgatory!"

"Thank you for your continuous gifts, your endless bestowal."

"I have come... to thank you."

Only, Suero's way of giving thanks was rather unusual.

His way of showing gratitude was to consume everything the other party possessed.

The chains extending from the Door of Truth, piercing through the void and sky, fell upon empty space.

The opponent had already opened the Door of Original Sin and jumped to the other side of the Dream Realm before they arrived.

Sukob immediately stood up, wanting to open the Door of Truth to chase after him, but he hesitated.

What if it was a scheme?

Moreover, if he left, what about the remaining people of Mooneclipse City?

"Should I go?"

"Or should I stay?"

The opponent had just killed half of Mooneclipse City's people. Letting such a fellow escape was something Sukob could not accept.

So many people had lost their lives. Had their deaths been for nothing?

At this moment, his divine being sent down a divine oracle, stopping his next actions.

"Do not chase, Sukob."

"The Dream Realm has no coordinates and cannot be accurately positioned. Those who are not dream realm beings also cannot traverse it."

"He can position Purgatory's coordinates because of his own curse. But if you chase after him, you will become lost in the void, gaining nothing. You will ultimately only be able to return to your original position, having wasted your time."

At this point, the God of Knowledge and Truth's words took a turn.

"However, he cannot freely traverse the Dream Realm. He must use reality as a springboard. Suero is relying on the power of the Door of Original Sin, which provides him with only one coordinate and anchor point."

"This coordinate is the location from which he just departed, the place where the ghouls he created are situated."

"He will inevitably return to the mortal world later. Since he just left from here, he will still reappear at this location in the future."

God of Knowledge and Truth Asai said this because time was now precious. Sukob must immediately arrange another matter according to his instructions.

"Sukob, the Original Sin Evil God wants to use his pawn to devour Purgatory. You should take advantage of this opportunity to quietly open the Truth Seal."

"When the Door of Original Sin returns with everything, it will land right within the seal."

The voice of God Asai echoed in Sukob's ears, stretching longer and longer.

"We must prepare."

"Prepare to seal the Door of Original Sin."

After listening to the divine oracle of the God of Knowledge and Truth, Sukob suddenly felt cold all over and could not help but shiver.

He opened his mouth wide, feeling incomparably shocked.

Was this the struggle between divine beings?

The last time he experienced a divine war, he was still young. He could not truly comprehend the calculations involved. He could only feel the shock of the Shana and Camon families' generations of guardianship. It was a desperate and terrifying journey that spanned two hundred and fifty million years of reincarnation.

Regarding God of Original Sin Xiao and God of Knowledge and Truth Asai behind it all, he had not thought much about them.

As he grew older, he gradually began to recall just how terrifying divine beings like Xiao and Asai truly were. The more he thought about it, the more his entire body trembled.

And now, he felt that fear once again.

It was not just fear of the divine beings' power, but fear of that kind of wisdom that grasped everything and manipulated everything.

Everyone was just a chess piece. Each was merely one link in a chain of steps. It was believed that everything could be manipulated, yet all was being manipulated by another.

Looking up at the firmament, one could finally understand the vastness of this world and the awe it inspired for the divine beings.

He immediately dismissed the thought of following Suero and jumping into the Dream Realm.

He stayed where he was, focusing his efforts on preparing a Divine Technique. It was a technique that required significant time to activate but promised immense power, possibly the most formidable Divine Technique of the God of Knowledge and Truth.

This was also the most powerful strength and manifestation of the Witch Spirit and knowledge lineage.

Storage and sealing.

This grand and imposing battle seemed like a proxy war between two Apostles.

God Asai had not descended. It appeared as though he stayed in his divine kingdom, quietly watching the mortal realm from above.

In reality, both divine beings had already infused much of their power into the mortal realm. They had intricately woven their plans into every detail as they began this struggle, this contest of divine beings.

God Asai wanted to use this opportunity to seal the Door of Original Sin, making the Original Sin Evil God Xiao's efforts amount to nothing.

Meanwhile, the Original Sin Evil God fully supported Suero, enabling him to devour that flaming star deep within the Dream Realm.

To devour the Lord of Purgatory.