【 GODDESS OF LIFE 】

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“Impossible!”

Hearing the words spoken by the illusory phantom, the bull-headed demon and the black giant shook their heads vehemently, their expressions filled with disbelief.

“Gaspero, do you take us for fools?” the bull-headed demon snarled. “Do you truly believe that someone who has been a true god for only four years could advance to intermediate divine power? Wake up. This is no longer the late Twilight Era, where such absurdities were commonplace.”

The illusory figure let out a cold snort, its voice tinged with faint disdain.

“Indeed, it is difficult to believe,” it replied calmly. “But Diriel, Hagnit, have you forgotten whose divinity the Goddess of Life inherited?”

“While it is true that she only advanced into godhood four years ago, such a span is nothing more than a brief nap for beings like us,” the phantom continued. “Moreover, among the three divinities she possesses, two are major divine authorities.”

“Nature. Life. Either of these alone would be sufficient to elevate a god to greater divine power. Yet she holds both simultaneously. More importantly, the two reinforce and complement each other.”

“And that is not all,” the illusory phantom added, its tone growing heavier. “Who can say what kind of inheritance the fallen All-Divine Mother left behind for her? Do not forget that goddess was once an elf herself.”

“Was it not the same with Hela, the Goddess of Death?” it went on. “By relying on the legacy of the Primordial God of Death, she ascended to intermediate divine power in little more than a decade. Had it not been for the affairs of the Netherworld, Hela might already have reached greater divine power by now.”

“And compared to the Primordial God of Death,” the phantom said coldly, “the All-Divine Mother was vastly stronger.”

“Add to that the fact that unlike the All-Divine Mother, the Goddess of Life has fully utilized the power of faith, causing her divine strength to surge at an alarming rate…”

“Taking all of these factors into account,” the illusory figure concluded with a faint, mocking chuckle, “who can truly say how powerful she has become in merely four years? Intermediate divine power? Heh. In my view, it is far from impossible.”

As the illusory phantom finished speaking, the faint smiles on the faces of the bull-headed demon and the black giant gradually faded, replaced by silence and an unspoken unease.

There was no doubt that the illusory figure’s words had indeed jolted them awake, forcing the two Abyssal Mythical-rank beings to take the situation more seriously.

The bull-headed demon’s gaze flickered several times, before he finally spoke in a low, restrained voice.

“If you put it that way, then it is not entirely impossible,” he admitted reluctantly. “But even so, even if her rank has truly reached intermediate divine power, the Realm of Seigües still remains sealed to this day. Under such circumstances, how could the Goddess of Life possibly leave it?”

The black giant quickly echoed his doubts, nodding heavily.

“Exactly, exactly! The gods have not officially begun their war against us yet, so the Pantheon’s dimensional passageway has not been completely activated,” he said. “Moreover, even if the Goddess of Life could bypass the barrier and leave the world of Seigües, at most she would only be able to act outside through a demigod-rank incarnation.”

“Not to mention,” the giant continued, his brow furrowing, “that dark world, the Wasteland of Desolation, only sank recently but it has already plunged quite deep into the Abyss. So how could she have reached such a place so easily?”

As these words left their mouths, both Abyssal Mythical beings unconsciously fell silent.

“Could it be, that the elves somehow managed to open a dimensional passageway leading directly into the Abyss?”

Their expressions gradually shifted, as if an overlooked possibility had suddenly surfaced in their minds.

“Heh,” the illusory phantom let out a low chuckle. “The planetary barrier seal of Seigües has weakened to such an extent that even Lord Leviathan can secretly pry open a passageway. Do you truly believe the Goddess of Life would be incapable of doing the same?”

“And remember, before sinking into the Abyss, the Wasteland of Desolation itself was a realm once connected to Seigües,” the phantom continued. “Therefore, even if the planetary barrier of Seigües remains active, those old passageways have never truly ceased to exist.”

“Furthermore,” it added calmly, “those mutated elves hiding in the Wasteland of Desolation probably used those passageways to enter it thousands of years ago, so the Elves must have some records of them.”

The illusory phantom shook its head slightly.

“But… the Goddess of Life does not control any divinities that govern over the laws of space,” the bull-headed demon Diriel countered, his voice tight with incredulity.

“Even if it truly was her who took those mutated elves away, how could she have done so in the first place? Just imagine it. From Seigües to the Abyss… that kind of cross-dimensional travel would consume an enormous amount of divine power!”

As he spoke, Diriel’s mind raced, trying to roughly estimate the divine expenditure required. The more he calculated, the more his scalp tingled at the sheer audacity of the thought.

“That, I cannot say,” the illusory phantom finally admitted, its tone unchanging. “But if it truly was the Goddess of Life, then perhaps she has already gained control of some form of divine artifact capable of spatial travel.”

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the two Abyssal Myth beings gradually darkened. A tense silence hung between them as they exchanged uneasy glances.

Seeing their growing unease, the illusory figure offered a faint note of reassurance:

“However, you two need not worry excessively.”

“Where you are now is the third layer of the Underground region. As long as you remain careful and do not create disturbances that could alert those on the surface, the Goddess of Life will most likely never notice your presence…”

“Once the Gods begin their war, Lord Leviathan will naturally project the power of His domain here. At that time, everyone within this layer will be restricted to demigod-rank strength. Even if the Goddess of Life comes, she will gain no advantage over you.”

“My purpose in contacting you is mainly to remind you to keep a low profile for a while. This is a rare opportunity, so don’t let anything go wrong, understand?”

“When the great plan of Lord Leviathan succeeds, you two will be recognized as the greatest contributors amongst our peers.”

Hearing this, the eyes of the two Abyssal Myth beings flickered with a mix of apprehension and temptation.

“Alright, let us end our discussion here. I am still searching for Luria and Alissa. Remember, you both must remain careful.”

The two demons nodded.

Satisfied that his words had been taken to heart, the illusory phantom’s form began to dissolve, turning into a wisp of black mist that slipped silently into the spatial rift.

Once it vanished, the array formation hidden in the darkness emitted a faint glow once again, and the spatial rift in midair slowly closed, leaving only silence in its wake.

Only the bull-headed demon and the black giant were left, staring at each other.

The black giant swallowed, then reached his hand deep into the nearby lake area again, only to be struck away by the furious bull-headed demon:

“That is enough, you glutton who thinks of nothing but food! Stop eating those demonic whales!”

“Hmph. Who told your subordinates to take so long to deliver this lord’s food? Tch, I was getting a bit hungry again.”

The black giant muttered.

The two Abyssal Myth resumed their bickering, their voices echoing through the underground cavern, causing even the demons stationed in the distant fortress to tremble with fear.

Suddenly, at that very moment, a loud disturbance rippled through the far end of the underground lake.

Faint waves of magical fluctuation surged outward, carrying with them the sharp clang of blades and the distant, panicked screams of demons.

“What is going on?”

The two Abyssal Myth immediately stopped their quarrel, their eyes snapping toward the source of the disturbance.

Their divine senses spread outward, probing the entire third underground layer, while their consciousness instinctively focused on the source of the commotion.

There on the far side of the fortress, along the hidden path leading to the second layer of the underground region, a group of demons had gathered in a circle.

At the center lay several piles of armor, scattered and still stained with blood.

The sight was deeply unsettling, giving the impression that the demons who had worn the armor had vanished without a trace.

Adding to the eeriness of the scene, the surrounding ground bore clear signs of battle: scorch marks from magic spells marred the earth, and arrow shafts were driven diagonally into the earthen walls.

“What occurred here?”

Hagnit’s deep, commanding voice echoed through the area, and under the looming presence of the Black Giant, the demons trembled violently.

Finally, a Gold-rank demon king swallowed hard and stepped forward, lowering his head in fear and reverence.

“Lord Hagnit…”

“Earlier, several beings whom we suspected to be from the surface attempted to infiltrate our fortress. But worry not! We caught and killed every one of them!”

“…Beings from the surface?”

The Abyssal Myth froze, taken aback.

His expression hardened as he concentrated his senses, carefully detecting faint traces of unfamiliar auras lingering in the air.

“What kind of beings? Where are their bodies?”

The bull-headed demon demanded.

The demon king hesitated, clearly perplexed.

“Lord Diriel… you see, that is the confusing part. After we killed them, their bodies somehow… just vanished entirely.”

“Not only that, but the bodies of those slain by them also disappeared without a trace!”

Disappeared?

Hagnit’s heart skipped a beat.

His expression darkened as the gravity of the situation slowly dawned on him.

“Quick! What exactly did those beings look like?”

“T-They wore exquisite armor, their skin was pale, almost like marble! And… oh yes, their appearance resembled succubi… but their ears were pointed,” the demon king stammered.

Upon hearing this, the Black Giant Hagnit froze instantly.

A beautiful appearance…?

Pointed ears…?

And bodies that vanished mysteriously after death?

Vaguely, a certain name surfaced in his mind.

“Elven… Chosen Ones…”

Hagnit widened his eyes, his voice slipping out involuntarily.

“Elven Chosen Ones?”

Diriel was briefly stunned, then his expression changed sharply as well.

At that moment, he recalled the terrifying rumors he had heard earlier.

“Diriel…”

The black giant suddenly spoke.

Diriel turned his head to look at his companion and saw a flash of fear in the Black Giant’s eyes.

“I… I do not plan to take part in the war anymore!” Hagnit said hastily. “I just remembered I have matters to attend to, so I am returning to the Abyss. I will leave the guarding of the passageway to you…”

Without waiting for a response, he spun on his massive heels and ran toward the dimensional passageway.

But the bull-headed demon was faster. He lunged and grabbed Hagnit, pulling him back with a force that made the ground tremble.

“Hagnit, you fool! Calm down! They were just a few elves. It might not be what you think. Let us report this to Lord Leviathan first.”

“Nonsense! Stop lying!” Hagnit roared, shaking violently.

“Those are clearly the Elven Chosen Ones of the Goddess of Life! Do you know how many Abyssal demigods who recently encountered them have already fallen to her hands? If you want to die, then do it yourself, but do not drag me along with you!”

“You bastard! Weren’t you just saying you are not afraid of the Goddess of Life earlier!?”

“Idiot! If I claimed I wasn’t afraid of the Eternal Lord, would you have believed me too? Did you not hear what Gaspero said? That Goddess is a madman who slaughtered a fallen Ancient Titan god!”

The two Abyssal Myth beings continued hurling curses and insults at each other. But then, all of a sudden, a clear, melodious voice rang out behind them:

“…Oh? So this is how terrifying I am in your eyes?”

The voice was ethereal and melodious, flowing like a gentle breeze yet tinged with a mix of amusement and slight mockery.

Immediately upon hearing it, the two Mythical Demons trembled slightly.

They stiffly turned around, only to find that at some point, a triumphal arch gate had appeared atop the dimensional passageway leading to the Abyss.

Seated gracefully atop the gate was a figure of breathtaking beauty.

Her long, slender legs reached toward the ground, and the edge of her pristine white gown hung lightly in the air. Her silver hair fell straight, and her violet eyes looked directly at the two demons, with a faint, knowing smile etched upon her lips.

However, to those two demons, that smile carried no trace of friendliness at all. Instead, it held the cold, dangerous glint of someone observing an entertaining toy.

The scene was somewhat comical, since compared with the two massive Abyssal demons, she appeared like a petite and fragile elven girl. Yet the expressions of Hagnit and Diriel instantly turned to terror, as if they had come face to face with the most dreadful entity.

Mythical-rank beings possessed extraordinarily keen sensitivity to aura.

Thus, for someone to appear silently behind them could only mean one thing: the other party’s power far exceeded their own.

Seeing her distinctive appearance immediately brought a name to their mind.

“Goddess of Life…”

Without the slightest hesitation, the two Abyssal Myth activated their divine power and fled in opposite directions.

Meanwhile, still seated upon the triumphal arch gate, Evé let out a soft, almost exasperated sigh.

“Why is it that every one of you immediately runs away the moment you see me…?”

As the words left her lips, she snapped her fingers lightly.

Pale golden light spread outward behind her, quickly forming a radiant cage that bathed the entire area in an unearthly glow.

At the same time, green motes of light scattered through the air, shimmering like fireflies.

From the ground below, countless plants erupted into life—vines, shrubs, and flowering greenery—spreading rapidly across the third underground layer.

The sight was almost surreal for such a harsh, environment, yet it thrived under Eve’s power.

Within the demonic fortress, panic spread like wildfire.

Demons screamed as they discovered vines curling around their limbs, branches sprouting from their bodies, and flowers budding from noses and ears.

The fortress echoed with chaos, and before long, the demons were transformed into trees, one by one.

Meanwhile, the two fleeing Abyssal Mythical Demons collided violently with an invisible barrier at the boundary of the golden cage.

“A celestial domain!”

They shouted in shock, voices trembling with terror.

The bull-headed demon let out a furious roar, a flicker of madness flashing across his eyes.

Orange-red flames erupted along his massive body, a searing, malevolent energy that radiated outward. For a brief, violent moment, the inferno expanded in all directions, clashing with the golden cage and scorching the forest below.

“A pseudo domain?”

Eve’s voice carried a hint of surprise.

She snapped her fingers once more, reinforcing the laws of her domain.

With that motion, the raging flames immediately began to falter.

The bull-headed demon’s ferocious features slowly darkened into a deep purplish hue, his face twisting further as he released low, strained roars, struggling desperately to maintain the crumbling pseudo domain. Yet the swirling motes of light encroached steadily, extinguishing the fire as if doused by an invisible flood.

On the other side, the black giant also roared in fury. Faint black mist spread from his body, transforming into enormous gaping mouths that lunged at the surrounding motes of light.

Another pseudo domain.

However, after devouring the motes of light, the massive mouths formed of black mist began to tremble slightly.

Evé glanced at them casually.

They quivered, then shattered abruptly.

In the blink of an eye, the black mist conjured by the black giant was reduced to ashes amid a wash of golden light.

With their pseudo domains destroyed, the auras of both Abyssal Myth demons weakened drastically. The bull-headed demon coughed up a mouthful of dark purple blood that burned with flame, his body trembling with exhaustion and pain.

Their expressions were filled with dread as they looked at Evé, their eyes brimming with shock.

They were Abyssal Mythical Demons, supreme among demons and monsters and regarded by mortals as untouchable, forbidden beings, yet after encountering this Goddess, they were easily overpowered and reduced to nothing, like two feeble children…

“Tell me your secrets, and I can spare your lives,” she said with a gentle smile. “If you cooperate willingly, perhaps I might even grant each of you a magnificent demonic palace.”

But as they looked upon that serene, seemingly kind expression, a shiver ran through them.

In that moment, she seemed far more terrifying than the most fearsome demon lords.

Abyssal Myths who fell into the hands of the Goddess of Life….

—None of them ever met a good end.

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