【 ABYSSAL MYTH 】

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The revival of Gando and the other frost elves who perished beforehand naturally stirred fresh waves of shock and discussion.

The act of resurrecting the dead back to life, even in this universe wherein supernatural powers exist, was an event worthy of being called a divine miracle.

Although the existence of the Elven Chosen Ones who could revive endlessly had made such miracles seem less rare within recent years, a miracle was still a miracle.

Especially for those elves who had lost their loved ones, the mere fact that they could see their departed standing before them once more unleashed an emotional surge that words could scarcely describe.

As a result, the frost elves’ faith in the Goddess reached an entirely new heights, making the number of fanatical believers increased significantly.

The celebration that had originally been meant to just commemorate their return therefore grew even grander in scale.

Their guardian, Lady Aurora, personally proclaimed that from this day onward, the same date each year would be observed as a festival for the frost elves.

To express gratitude to the Goddess and to commemorate both the return of their people and the beginning of their new life, Aurora named this celebration the “Festival of Rebirth.”

From then on, at this time every year, the frost elves would hold festivities and offering rites no less grand than the Harvest Festival, celebrating their return, singing and dancing in praise of the great Goddess of Life, offering various tributes to her.

Evé naturally gave her full support to this decision.

With the precedent of the Harvest Festival, Evé had long realized that celebrations like these, which combined religious elements, were particularly effective at strengthening cohesion among her believers and deepening the intensity of their faith.

Holding such events in moderation was also beneficial to enhancing unity within the Elven Faction, while further reinforcing her racial divinity of Elvenkind.

After all, festivals were an integral part of elven culture.

For this reason, Evé even instructed Feynir to officially record the festival, intending to display minor divine miracles during the celebrations each year.

Performing miracles was the most effective way to increase the number of believers. And as long as they were not bestowed too freely and a sense of mystery was maintained, miracles possessed remarkable power amongst her faithful believers.

Overall, the celebrations in Mirovia lasted an entire week.

Evé even secretly assumed the appearance of “Féng”, her player incarnation, and spent several days quietly enjoying herself in this coastal city during the festivities.

However, on the final day of the celebration, Evé suddenly sensed something amiss…

Specifically, those several players she had issued a task to investigate the dimensional passageway within the underground region leading to the Abyss had all died.

Their signals vanished almost simultaneously, abrupt and without warning.

From her perception, they had not even managed to enter the passageway at all and something had intercepted them before they could reach their objective.

With a single thought, Evé returned to her divine kingdom and checked the memories of these players to see what they had seen just before their deaths.

“Hoh… interesting.”

When she saw the black fortress in their vision, along with the demon wearing a savage grin, she raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“A demon fortress?”

After a brief moment of contemplation, her figure flickered, and she vanished from Garden of Eden.

༺⟐༻

The third layer of the underground region beneath the Desert of Death.

As one of the deepest regions of the underground, and also the lowest layer of the entire realm of Seigües, this place was suffused with chaotic and restless mana far denser than anywhere else.

The violent fluctuations of magical energy made the environment inherently unstable, and as a result, creatures from the first and second layers rarely ventured this deep.

Scorching subterranean fire and flowing magma were the most common sights in this layer, spreading across vast caverns like veins of molten light. Food was scarce, and water was exceedingly rare, existing only in fleeting traces that vanished as quickly just as they appeared.

Ordinary sentient beings could scarcely survive in such an environment since prolonged exposure was enough to exhaust both body and mind, let alone the constant threat posed by extreme heat and volatile mana.

As such, only a few breeds of monsters and magical beasts were able to make their homes here…

—That was the usual case.

The area before them, however, was distinctly different, so much so that it felt almost detached from the surrounding third layer.

Remarkably, the vicinity contained neither searing magma nor blazing fire. The oppressive heat that would normally saturate every breath was also entirely absent, replaced instead by a cold, damp atmosphere.

What was even more unusual was that a lake had formed here, accompanied by an intricate underground water system that should not have existed at this depth.

Beneath it, large and small caverns were connected by interwoven waterways, forming a network that closely resembled the first layer of the underground.

Despite this resemblance, the area was not part of the first layer, but an authentic section of the third underground layer.

A closer examination revealed that the surrounding rock and terrain still bore traces of previous lava flows, clearly indicating that this underground lake had formed only recently.

Meanwhile, the ambient mana remained chaotic and restless, and a faint layer of black miasma lingered near the ground, serving as a clear indication of the abyss’s dissipating power.

The dark lake appeared bottomless, its surface absorbing what little light existed. From time to time, faint ripples disturbed its deathly stillness, as though something massive stirred underneath.

Suddenly, a grotesque-looking magical beast cautiously approached the shore to drink.

It appeared to be a common magical beast that inhabited the third underground layer, possessing the strength of an intermediate silver-rank.

Yet just as it took a single sip, an enormous and terrifying beast’s head suddenly emerged from the water.

The creature resembled a whale in form, but its entire body was covered in black scales that glistened faintly in the dim light. It opened its gaping maw, and the aura of a legendary-rank beast swept outward like a crushing tide.

The startled magical beast was swallowed with ease, vanishing without even a struggle. Afterward, the giant whale slowly sank back beneath the lake’s surface, as if nothing had happened.

The lake grew quiet once more, though a faint, indistinct shadow could still be seen moving beneath the water.

Suddenly, a gigantic hand wreathed in black flames descended from the sky, plunging into the water and lifting the whale-like monster out as easily as one might pick up a hapless chick.

The aquatic beast thrashed violently, but it was completely powerless to free itself.

The massive hand gradually withdrew, revealing that it belonged to a giant whose presence radiated an aura of unimaginable terror.

Black flames burned along his body, and he was clad in pitch-black demonic armor, from which waves of malevolent energy continuously emanated.

The giant lifted the creature effortlessly, then forced it into his mouth, delivering a single, savage bite that tore through nearly half of the whale’s massive body, swallowing it whole.

Dark red blood spurted outward as the monstrous whale convulsed violently, before falling utterly still.

Thin strands of black smoke rose from the remaining half of its body, corroding it rapidly as if some corrosive energy consumed it from within.

Unfazed, the giant continued to tear into the corpse, and the sharp cracking of bones echoed through the surroundings with each savage chew. A plume of black smoke burst from his grotesque nostrils, and a fleeting trace of grim enjoyment flickered in his dark yellow eyes.

At the same time, a dignified voice rang out from its side, tinged with displeasure:

“Hagnit, Lord Leviathan placed these demonic whale beasts on the lake to guard the Demon Fortress, not to serve as your food!”

The speaker was another giant, his entire body likewise covered in dark scales. From his head rose a pair of imposing bull-like horns, his face a blend of ox and human features, and a long, pointed tail extended behind him.

His demonic aura was no less imposing than that of the first black giant, and his crimson eyes fixed coldly on the one who had devoured the whale beast.

The first giant let out a satisfied belch, casually tossing the uneaten remains back into the water.

“Diriel, you coward! Don’t try to intimidate me with Leviathan, that damned demon lord of the third layer of Hell! I am not some pathetic demon king like you, who constantly pander to these demon lords,” he said in a mocking nonchalant tone.

“You—!”

The bull-headed demon flew into a rage.

He spewed forth a burst of searing flames as a warning and said, “Hagnit, remember your place! Who was it that rescued you from your seal back then? War is about to begin. If anything disrupts Lord Leviathan’s plans, you’ll be hunted down by all the demon lords without exception!”

“Hmph, I do not need you to remind me.”

The black giant, known as Hagnit, lifted his head and snorted arrogantly.

Then he added, “We’re merely guarding the gate. Besides, we are in the third layer of the underground, a well-hidden and remote location. Are you really worried that those insignificant pigs on the surface will discover it?”

“That is not necessarily the case,” the bull-headed demon replied in a low, measured voice. “The more Abyssal Beings we release from their seals, the higher the risk of our operations being exposed. Remember, the world of Seigües ultimately belongs to the gods, especially now that powerful Goddess of Life has appeared on the surface.”

As if recalling something, a trace of apprehension flickered in his eyes.

“Rumors say that Goddess is a ruthless one. Hell, even a god belonging to the God of War’s faction perished at her hands! What’s more, Lord Azazel, the Seventh Demon Lord, was easily resealed by her after he escaped his seal!”

As he spoke, the bull demon pointed upward.

“Right, don’t forget above us lies the Desert of Death. It is now within that Goddess of Life’s sphere of influence. So be very careful.”

Hearing the bull’s words, the black giant Hagnit burst into hysterical laughter.

“Hahahahaha!”

“Diriel, you pathetic bullcrap! you’re too much of a coward!”

“While I admit that Goddess of Life is indeed strong, in the end, she is still only a single god. Even if she could manifests a domain, what of it?”

“In this operation, you have me, Luria, Alissa, and even Anduria and Apophis as allies. Are the six of us really incapable of contending with a single god of relatively weaker divine power?”

“Luria, that damned scammer, may be more cowardly than you, but he was once the King of Angels. His domain is formidable in its own right.”

“And that’s not even counting our other allies stationed within Hell. Heh, our side have more than a dozen Abyssal Mythical Beings! Whether it’s this upstart Goddess of Life, or even Her Majesty, the Goddess of Death Hela herself, anyone who dares to contend with us would almost certainly fail!”

As he spoke, Hagnit thrust one hand back into the lake, seized another whale beast, and prepared to put it into his mouth.

“Hagnit, stop eating those whales! Is your head filled with nothing but food?!”

Diriel shouted angrily.

With that, he slapped the black giant’s arm, knocking the whale back into the water.

The massive creature dove into the lake like a startled rabbit and did not dare to surface again.

“Hmph, cheapskate.”

Hagnit muttered under his breath.

Then he turned around and shouted at the distance at the top of his lungs.

“Hey, you ugly lot over there! Hurry up and bring more food to this lord! The richer its magical core, the better!”

As his voice echoed outward, chaos immediately erupted inside the demon fortress located at the center of the underground lake.

Before long, several demon dukes hurried out of the fortress, followed closely by demons of all sizes.

“Hagnit, my subordinates are not yours to command!”

“Hmph, can you not be a little more generous? I need to eat my fill to properly guard the passageway. If something goes wrong, will you take responsibility?”

“Shameless pig!”

Thus, the two Abyssal Demons began hurling curses and insults at each other. After a moment, the black giant seemed to recall something and suddenly asked,

“Come to think of it… I have not seen those two scammers, Luria and that harlot, for several days already. They have not run off again, have they?”

“Run away? If they dare to flee, they can forget about ever returning to the Abyss! Without the replenishment of abyssal power, those two will sooner or later be sealed by the gods!”

Diriel snorted coldly.

“Hmm… that’s true, I suppose. Once the war begins, they will have nowhere left to go,” Hagnit admitted with a nod.

At that moment, a profound radiance suddenly materialized behind the two Abyssal Demons as a concealed pitch-black magical array flickered into life, carrying faint spatial fluctuations.

Space itself seemed to tear open, forming a rift, and an enormous phantom projection slowly emerged from it.

“Hagnit, Diriel, have you seen Luria and Alissa?”

The two mythical demons glanced at each other, shaking their heads.

“No.”

“What happened?”

The phantom remained silent for a moment before speaking.

“Apophis has fallen, and that fool Anduria has gone missing as well.”

“What?!”

The two abyssal demons widened their eyes in shock.

“When did this happen? Who did it!? Was it those backstabbing duo?!”

Diriel asked, his expression grave.

“I do not know who is responsible, but it should not have been Luria or Alissa, since they are missing as well. Most likely, they too joined the battle but fled when the situation turned unfavorable,” the phantom replied.

“Those two perform well when things go their way, but when the tide turns against them, they flee faster than an elemental projectile,” it added, shaking its head.

“What can be confirmed is that the one who killed Apophis was likely a true god who deliberately erased their own traces,” the phantom continued.

“However, after searching for clues, I discovered something on a particular world within the Abyss. There, I found some elven remains when I examined the area where their battle likely took place.”

“Interestingly, those remains appear to belong to that elven group we did not have time to eradicate. I checked the place where I last saw them, but their city seems to have been abandoned and they somehow ended up in a cliff hundred kilometers away.”

“A god? A true god dared to enter the Abyss alone? Wait… are you referring to that mutated elven group hiding on that world?”

Diriel froze slightly.

“A cliff hundred of kilometers away? How did they end up there?”

“That is precisely what is most puzzling. Not only did they somehow ended up on that cliff, but their traces vanished completely at a certain point. I suspect they were taken away by a mythical being afterwards,” the phantom said in a deep, measured voice.

It then turned its gaze toward the black giant.

“Hagnit, you are the most familiar with the mortal world. Which of the true gods do the elves currently worship?”

The black giant was taken aback for a moment, then replied, “Aside from the All-Divine Mother, that would be the Goddess of Life.”

“But the Goddess of Life is still confined within the realm of Seigües, so she should not be able to enter the Abyss…”

“The Goddess of Life…”

The phantom’s expression tightened slightly, and its voice lowered.

“Hagnit… now that you mention it, I suddenly recall traces of life energy lingering there in that cliff. Although the majority of it had been erased, I remember Apophis was fond of devouring life force. Hence, it would have been impossible for any life energy to remain wherever he was present.”

Hearing this, the black giant paused, then let out a scornful laugh.

“Haha, quit joking… are you suggesting the Goddess of Life did all this? She is still holed up there playing house in the Elven Forest! Can a god of weaker divine power really defeat four Abyssal Mythical-rank Beings all by herself!? At the very least, it would require a god of intermediate divine power, right?”

Yet after finishing his laughter, he noticed that the phantom’s expression remained unchanged.

Hagnit felt a chill run through him.

“Hey… did you receive some kind of news?” he asked uneasily.

The phantom fixed him with a deep, penetrating gaze.

“Hagnit, you have been stationed there for some time, so you may not be fully aware of what has been happening on the surface of Seigües…”

“Not long ago, the Goddess of Life personally intervened and killed a newly revived mythical being that had destroyed the Eternal Lord’s Angelic Legion.”

“A being suspected to be an Ancient Titan god—and it was killed instantly.”

“That Goddess of Life, named Evé, has very likely already advanced to intermediate divine power.”

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