【 THE ETERNAL LORD’S SCHEME 】

—

“The Goddess is currently on the process of ascending to higher divine power?”

Upon hearing Alice’s words, Li Mu was momentarily stunned.

A trace of realization flickered across his expression as he murmured to himself,

“No wonder… no wonder the demons have seemingly gone mad trying to attack us. They must be doing this to prevent the Goddess from ascending, right?”

Li Mu felt as though he had found the answer, yet Alice responded by shaking her head once more.

“No. Her Grace’s situation remains a secret even to the demons. In fact… they firmly believe that the Goddess has already been sealed to another realm.”

“Another realm? You mean, Mindel? Was the news of the Goddess being sealed intentionally spread by Her Grace herself?”

Li Mu’s voice carried a note of astonishment.

“No. That is merely a feint devised by Her Grace, turning the situation to her advantage in order to safely prepare for her ascension,” Alice explained.

“In that case, why have the demons continued to target us so relentlessly?”

At last, Li Mu voiced the question that had troubled him the most.

Alice let out a soft sigh.

“Because most of the dimensional passageway to the world of Seigües remains closed. Aside from the demons, who have found some unknown means to open a passageway from the Abyss, only Her Grace can freely enter and leave Seigües by relying on the power of divine artifacts.”

“Currently, the planetary seal upon the world of Seigües is still active and within it, any true god capable of manifesting a domain is nearly invincible. Therefore, the Goddess holds the key to ending this war. Although our faction have developed rapidly in recent years, our foundations remain shallow…”

“So even if the demons eliminate other forces, the true gods behind them will still retain vast numbers of believers in other realms. However, if they eliminate us, Her Grace will lose her primary source of faith.”

“Thus, for a ‘newborn’ true god who is believed to have been ‘sealed,’ what does losing the source of faith imply? You should be able to infer the answer, Sir Li Mu.”

Alice looked at Li Mu meaningfully.

After hearing her explanation, Li Mu finally understood everything.

As one of the earliest Chosen Ones to enter this world, he was undoubtedly among the players who understood the Goddess best.

From the moment of her descent, the Goddess had consistently concealed her true identity, adopting the guise of a newly born deity brought into existence through elven faith.

Thus, for such a deity, losing the elves, who are her primary source of faith, would be no different from perishing.

At the very least, that was the image the Goddess had presented to the public.

In other words, from the demons’ perspective, eliminating the elves would effectively cut off the Goddess of Life’s last path of survival. So even if she were to break free from her seal, without the elves, she would face countless Abyssal myths without any source of power, leaving her powerless to reverse the situation.

Under such circumstances, it was only natural that they would prioritize attacking the territories of the Church of Life.

“Additionally…”

Alice paused, then let out another sigh.

“The Elven Forest possesses the highest concentration of mana in the entire world of Seigües. Such abundant magical power is, in itself, immensely attractive to the demons…”

Li Mu nodded after hearing her words.

“I understand now.”

Seeing that he had grasped the situation, Alice added a final reminder:

“Sir Li Mu, the Goddess’s condition must remain a secret. Even if only a single day remains before Her Grace’s return, it must not be disclosed ni matter what. Therefore…”

“—I understand. I will not reveal the truth to anyone. However, I will inform everyone that I have received news of Her Grace from you. As long as we hold out a little longer, the Goddess will take action. Would that be acceptable?”

Li Mu asked.

Alice nodded gently.

“That will suffice.”

“Then I will proceed with that. The demons’ next assault is likely to begin soon. I must rally everyone once more.”

Li Mu let out a breath of relief.

Alice, however, spoke with a hint of apology:

“You have my gratitude for your efforts, Sir Li Mu.”

After speaking, she took out a bone whistle from her robes.

“Sir Li Mu, there is one more matter. Please deliver this to the commander tasked with defending the Elven Forest.”

“What is this?”

Li Mu was momentarily puzzled.

“This is a divine artifact capable of summoning the Envoy of Death. Her Grace has an agreement with Lady Hela. Once it is used, that whistle can call forth a divine punishment of death capable of opposing mythical-rank beings. Any entity below the rank of intermediate divine power can be annihilated.”

Alice explained.

Li Mu’s expression brightened with delight.

He quickly accepted it and said eagerly,

“Excellent! With this, our chances of defending the Elven Forest will greatly increase!”

“Alas, it can only be used once. Therefore… it must be reserved for a critical moment,” Alice cautioned.

“I understand.”

Li Mu nodded solemnly.

༺⟐༻

Mindel Realm, New Rivendell.

Demacia stood upon the street, gazing at the newly constructed shops built by the local elves and half-elves, his face filled with pride.

“Heh, as expected of me. Once the war is over and this realm’s dimensional passageway reopens, I can begin doing business here immediately.”

Admiring the gilded text “Amway Merchant Group” displayed on the signboard, Demacia felt thoroughly pleased.

However, at that very moment, his thoughts were interrupted by a rapid series of notification sounds from his friend list.

“Who is it? Don’t they know I’m in the middle of an important special quest?”

He muttered under his breath.

“Hm? Brother Mu? And it’s a voice message!”

Seeing the sender, Demacia paused in slight surprise.

He tapped on the voice message sent by Li Mu, and a string of furious shouting immediately rang in his ears:

“Stop slacking off! Hurry up and respawn so you can come back and command the battle! The demons have already attacked the Elven Forest!”

Demacia: “…”

“Damn it! How did it happen so fast? Didn’t Brother Mu already go there? How did things get worse after he arrived?”

He froze for a moment.

Only after listening carefully to the rest of the message did he finally understand the seriousness of the situation:

“So the demons have opened up a second passageway…”

“Still, it’s not like they absolutely need me to take command, right?”

Demacia muttered to himself.

He hesitated slightly.

Although he knew that the world of Seigües was engulfed in war and facing a dire situation, he had always felt that his presence there would not make much difference.

Furthermore, compared to joining the chaos in the world of Seigües, he believed he might be able to play a greater role here in Mindel.

It was true that he had been taking things easy.

However, he had not neglected his missionary work.

Under his efforts, more and more believers had turned back from their former faiths and returned to the Goddess’s faith.

Yet just as Demacia continued muttering to himself, another message from Li Mu came through:

“Hurry back! Mirovia is in critical danger. All the shops and farms you established along the west coast have been destroyed by a tsunami! The demons are now wrecking the saplings you painstakingly transplanted from other regions!”

Demacia: “…”

“WHAT!? Damn those demons! wait for me! I’ll fight you all to the bitter end!”

With a furious curse, he pulled out a dagger and slit his own throat.

༺⟐༻

The Abyss, First Layer of Hell.

Countless winged angels, totem guardians, various Einherjars, and other divine envoys formed a vast holy army, clashing against the tide-like hordes of Abyssal creatures.

Brilliant divine spells illuminated the battlefield as immense waves of energy spells rose and fell. Meanwhile, indistinct figures concealed within the clouds gazed down coldly upon the fighting below.

By now, the Crusade against the demons had already lasted for more than half a year. At this moment, the battle upon the first layer of Hell had already reached its climax.

The armies of Einherjars under the parthenon gods had advanced steadily, finally reaching the inner regions of the First Layer of Hell.

Never before had they penetrated so deeply into Hell.

This progress had exceeded the expectations of every true god.

The primary reason was that, under the gods’ assault, the resistance within the First Layer of Hell had been surprisingly minimal.

Particularly, the demonic army of the Seventh Demon Lord, Azazel, seemed to have vanished entirely, offering no meaningful resistance.

No one knew to which Abyssal world they had retreated.

Another reason was that, after discovering that other layers had already prepared defenses and constructed fortifications, making them difficult to assault, the gods decisively abandoned those fronts and concentrated their forces on invading the First Layer of Hell.

This decision proved to be a wise one.

With the combined might of the gods’ armies, even a layer known for its numerous Abyssal brood nests could not withstand the assault, thereby gradually falling piece by piece.

However, despite the smooth progress, the dozen or so true gods who had descended into the sky wore solemn expressions.

Among them were Eternal Lord Etriōu, God of War and Destruction Lóðurr, and Guardian of the Stars, Rigdal.

Naturally, they had descended only in their incarnations.

The current stage of the war did not yet warrant the use of their true forms, so unless they were to confront the Demon Lords directly.

“Seems like the demon’s invasion of the world of Seigües has officially begun.”

Observing the battle below, Rigdal spoke in a gentle tone.

The Eternal Lord Etriōu gazed at the battlefield, his voice authoritative and devoid of emotion:

“I am well aware of the situation. In fact, the southern Fertile Plains have already fallen under their control, and the demons now appear to be advancing toward the Elven Forest.”

“Not only that.”

Rigdal shook his head.

“They somehow have already opened a second passageway within the Endless Ocean and have begun their invasion of the Elven Forest.”

At these words, the other true gods fell silent.

Only the distant roars of demons and the sacred hymns of Einherjars echoed from the battlefield below.

After a moment, the voice of the God of War and Destruction, Lóðurr, slowly broke the silence:

“How… did they manage to open a passageway?”

“Who knows.”

Etriōu shook his head.

He looked into the depths of the Abyss, his gaze profound.

“However… it was likely accomplished with the power of the Abyss itself.”

“I have always believed that the Abyss possesses its own will…”

“As the origin of all endings, perhaps it deemed the Demon’s progress too slow, and thus gave them a push from behind.”

Hearing the Eternal Lord’s words, the other gods fell into contemplation.

Lóðurr, frowned slightly.

“Lord Etriōu, the world of Seigües must not fall to the hands of the demons as it serves as the nexus which connects numerous realms.”

“I am aware.”

Etriōu nodded.

“However, the battle here in the Abyss is equally important. As it stands, we have already advanced deep into the heart of the First Layer of Hell. If we could somehow locate this layer’s hidden core, then there is a chance we could finally destroy this layer once and for all…”

“As for the situation in world of Seigües… it has not yet reached its most critical stage. Besides, aren’t there a mythical being stationed there which could protect it?”

Upon hearing his words, the other gods exchanged glances.

The God of Commerce and Trade could not help but speak:

“Your Supreme Lordship… I have received news that the Goddess of Life has already been sealed by Leviathan.”

“And what of it?”

Etriōu glanced at him.

Then, with a faint smile, he added:

“Do you know why I have consistently placed the Goddess of Life at the forefront, allowing her to remain in the world of Seigües as its caretaker?”

“Why?”

The God of Commerce asked curiously.

Etriōu narrowed his eyes and replied:

“She is, after all, the successor of Yggdrasill. Given the opportunity, she would undoubtedly revive the World Tree without hesitation.”

“Such an existence is best not allowed to exist in this world.”

“As it happens, the demon invasion happened. It is an opportunity for her to fulfill her greatest value.”

“Moreover, had she not been sealed, I imagine… Leviathan’s methods might have been directed at one of you instead.”

As he spoke, Etriōu swept his gaze across the assembled gods and smiled faintly.

Yet that smile sent a chill through their hearts.

The God of War and Destruction, Lóðurr, frowned.

“Etriōu, do you know what I dislike most about you?”

“What I detest is precisely this attitude of yours. As the ruler of the era, I believe that at critical moments, one should unite all forces that can be united.”

“Or do you truly not fear that the world of Seigües might fall into the hands of the Demons?”

“Do not forget, if the Demon Lords launches a full-scale invasion of Seigües, only true mythical beings can stop them.”

The God of War and Destruction spoke with undisguised sarcasm.

Yet Etriōu maintained his emotionless smile:

“How could that be?”

“Lord Lóðurr, do you truly believe that the Goddess of Life is the only one capable of opposing the Abyssal myths within the world of Seigües?”

Hearing this, Lóðurr’s expression hardened.

“You mean…”

Etriōu replied calmly:

“The Demons may be unaware of the situation on the Eastern Continent, but surely you are not?”

Lóðurr was briefly taken aback, then his expression turned serious.

“The Ancient Gods? Didn’t they all hole themselves up a thousand years ago?”

“There are always a few who oversleep.”

Etriōu shook his head.

He narrowed his eyes, speaking with quiet significance:

“With the rising concentration of mana in the world of Seigües… by all accounts, it is time for them to awaken.”

“But even if they awaken, how much power could they have possibly left?”

Lóðurr frowned.

“It will be sufficient, even if they have only just reawakened. For those slumbering Ancient Gods, safeguarding the world is also one of their duties. At the most critical moment, if there is no other choice… they will definitely act.”

Etriōu said.

Yet beneath his words lay a cold indifference.

The God of War and Destruction, Lóðurr, looked at him deeply:

“To send them into battle against abyssal myths immediately upon awakening? You are asking them to stake their lives against the Demons…”

“Is that not all the better?”

Etriōu smiled faintly.

“The Ancient Gods and we have never walked the same path… once they gain the power of faith, they would become far too dangerous.”

“Lord Lóðurr, the Platinum Dragon King, Reinhardt, is more than enough.”

“Alas, It’s just a pity… After this war, the Elven Forest may very well be reduced to ashes.”

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