The Blood Kingdom of the Deep Sea

The scarlet sea of flowers swayed gently. Within the endless waves of blossoms, a figure opened her eyes, withdrawing her consciousness from a distant place.

The other Trilobite Symbiotes lifted their heads to gaze at the images playing across the sky. They watched as the King of Ghouls was utterly destroyed by the power of a divine being, and the counterfeit pyramid collapsed into ruins right along with him.

Among them, Alpens and Smerkel watched with the closest attention. As the two founding kings of Suinhor from its earliest generations, they were naturally concerned about the emergence of an evil race and a madman capable of swearing the Crown of Wisdom Covenant within their domain.

The Scarlet Goddess withdrew her power, and the images above the sea of flowers gradually faded.

Alpens stepped forward to address the divine being.

“Was it Xiao?” he asked. “Was he behind all of this?”

The Scarlet Goddess replied, “Xiao has already fallen into slumber. Besides, he has always been someone who acts with a clear purpose. This does not seem like his doing.”

“That said, many of the things that mortal used did originate from Xiao. They were likely inherited through Suero’s legacy.”

“From beginning to end, this was probably nothing more than two mortals who could not control their own greed.”

Smerkel asked, “Is that man truly dead?”

He had observed the entire sequence of events through the images, but seeing something through a projection always felt different from experiencing it firsthand.

He had an unsettling feeling he could not ignore. Something about Akmanmon’s death felt out of place, as if Akmanmon had anticipated his own demise.

Vivien did not respond directly. Instead, she shifted the conversation to another artifact.

“Are you familiar with the Divine Artifact known as The Destined Marionette?”

Without waiting for Smerkel to respond, she began to explain the artifact’s origin.

“An artifact of this kind was once created by Xiao’s servant, the Barrow bloodline. Barrow used his own Life Dream as the artifact’s core, his eldest son Camon as the Memory Threads, and his second son Shana as the Personality Puppet. They cycled through an endless loop of rebirth for generations, all for the sole purpose of fulfilling Barrow’s plan to resurrect himself.”

“The Silver Insect, created by the King of Ghouls, Akmanmon, was inspired by this very artifact. He anchored it within the Dream Realm. While the exact nature of its abilities remains unclear, it is certain to produce an existence similar to Camon or Shana.”

“In fact, it may directly create a new Akmanmon.”

The Scarlet Goddess paused briefly before continuing. “To put it more clearly, this artifact was created with the sole purpose of producing a new Akmanmon. He sought to achieve immortality through this method.”

“The teachings of the Church of Silver and White, which he established, convey this exact message.”

Smerkel was familiar with this artifact as well, and he could only describe it as deeply unsettling.

“So what you are saying is that there will be a King of Ghouls, an Akmanmon, who can never truly be killed?”

Vivien nodded. “This is essentially a way of obtaining a portion of a Wisdom Demigod’s power through clever means. While he does not possess the true strength of a Wisdom Demigod, he has managed to acquire a crude imitation of their immortality.”

“Wisdom Demigods have the Gate of Mythology, which grants them the ability to create vast numbers of servants.”

“As long as the Gate of Mythology remains intact and their servants are not completely eradicated, the Demigod can be resurrected.”

“To truly kill one, you must destroy their Gate of Mythology and eliminate every last one of their servants.”

“The power Akmanmon obtained through his method is much weaker. Destroying the artifact’s core would be enough to eliminate him. The problem is that the Dream Realm is far too vast, and we cannot locate the coordinates of his core.”

Smerkel said, “The ghouls have already started spreading across the Red Earth Territory and the southern regions. If we let this continue, the consequences will be severe.”

The Scarlet Goddess had, of course, already taken action personally.

She had put an end to Akmanmon’s pyramid ritual, and his true body had been destroyed by her own hand.

However, she could not personally hunt down every last ghoul across the world. That was a task others could manage just as effectively. Thankfully, she had already made the necessary preparations.

The Scarlet Goddess picked up Akmanmon’s skull. It was not like an ordinary skull. Its dark silver color gave it a unique appearance.

There was an artistic beauty to it, almost as if it were a crafted masterpiece. It was, after all, the skull of an Apostle.

The Scarlet Goddess then voiced her thoughts.

“The only way to resolve this problem directly is to locate the artifact. However, I do not have the ability to traverse the Dream Realm.”

“But there is another way.”

“We can seal him.”

Alpens asked, “How could we accomplish such a thing?”

The Scarlet Goddess answered, “We find the newly born King of Ghouls. We kill him using a specific method and then perform a ritual to guide his rebirth into a vessel of our own design.”

“This vessel would be a unique shell, one capable of imprisoning him for a thousand years, ten thousand years, or even an eternity.”

“If he cannot be killed, then we will seal him away forever.”

“We will prevent the birth of any other Akmanmon.”

“Once the King of Ghouls is sealed, the ordinary ghouls can be easily suppressed. They will no longer pose a significant threat.”

Alpens and Smerkel exchanged a glance. They had not anticipated that such a method could exist. It was truly ingenious.

The other Trilobite Symbiotes voiced their approval, breaking into cheers. “The plan is brilliant!”

“If it works, we can finally put an end to this problem!”

“Without the King of Ghouls, the temples and shrines can manage the suppression. The ghoul infestation will never grow beyond our control.”

It was only at this moment that everyone remembered the Scarlet Goddess, Vivien, was also known as the third-generation Sage of Truth.

Her talents might not have been the absolute best, but they were undoubtedly exceptional. Otherwise, Lan never would have chosen her.

Smerkel asked, “Who will carry this out?”

“Should we select someone from among us? Or should we choose a Trilobite Symbiote currently undergoing reincarnation in the mortal world?”

Alpens suggested, “Let Osis handle it. He is the king of this era.”

The Scarlet Goddess nodded in agreement. “Then let it be Osis.”

The Scarlet Goddess left the sea of flowers and began her journey to the Temple of Truth.

Smerkel, however, watched her departure closely as a question began to take shape in his mind.

“Was this method truly created with only Akmanmon in mind?”

“If this method can seal the King of Ghouls, could it not also be applied to seal a being of mythical power?”

And indeed, just as Smerkel suspected, the Scarlet Goddess was contemplating that very idea.

She had often wondered if there was a way to contend with a being of mythical power.

To truly kill such a being was an almost insurmountable challenge.

But if killing was not possible, could there be another way?

Perhaps sealing them away for all eternity could achieve the same result as ending the existence of a divine being.

The Scarlet Goddess ascended the steps one by one and beheld the interior of the Temple of Truth.

“A divine being that acts without restraint and can never truly die?”

“Can they truly act without restraint?”

“Can they truly… never die?”

The Scarlet Goddess appeared lost in thought, as if recalling something from a distant past. She was preparing to use Osis and the King of Ghouls as subjects for an experiment, one centered on the possibility of sealing a divine being.

At that same time, King Osis was leading his great army southward, toward the three southern territories.

The Lake Nymphs acted with far greater urgency than the unhurried Wood Nymphs.

They did not spend their days hosting tea parties or chatting about the weather and other trivial matters.

In just a few lakeside meetings, they had already decided on their next steps.

Soon after, they created their own Barter Dream, and a wide variety of trade offerings began to appear within it.

By this time, many had already completed their first exchanges, with some even conducting their second or third trades through the nymphs’ illusory dream.

The participants in these trades were not limited to gods, nymphs, spirits, and apostles. A growing number of Ability Users from different lands had begun to join, along with ordinary mortals.

Snake People, Winged People, Demon Spirits, and even Lizard People took part.

The Lake Nymphs’ Barter Dream revealed the true wonder and vibrancy of this world, showcasing the incredible diversity of races that called it home.

Moonlight Jungle, Within the Spirit Realm

The Wood Nymphs gathered beneath the Rainbow Tree, enjoying the latest season’s flower tea.

On the table was a stone basin filled with water, where a single leaf floated. The Wood Nymphs crowded around it, their eyes fixed on the gentle ripples.

One trade listing after another floated by, sparking lively conversations among them.

Even nymphs, it seemed, could not resist the charm of browsing and trading.

“Someone took my offering! I got the necklace artifact I wanted!” one nymph exclaimed with delight. A moment later, a bubble rose from the stone basin, revealing the very necklace she desired. It was one crafted by a servant of the god Iva.

“The Lake Nymphs took one of my dreams as payment,” she added. She then noticed a notification that one of her dreams had been collected.

“What kind of dream was it?” another nymph asked curiously.

“I don’t even remember,” she replied. A person could have many dreams in a single night, and most were forgotten by morning.

Then one particular nymph climbed right onto the table. She pressed her wide eyes close to the rippling surface of the stone basin, scrolling through the listings with frantic motions.

It was none other than the Storage Nymph. She had left her own spirit realm to visit the mortal world as a guest.

“What? Are you serious?”

“Everyone else got their stuff taken. You all got what you wanted.”

“So why isn’t anyone taking mine?”

The Storage Nymph, Saint Raphael, fumed indignantly. “I was one of the very first to list my offerings, and they’re some of the best ones up there!”

Several spirits from the spirit realm overheard her and immediately fluttered to her side.

They had seen Saint Raphael’s trade request long ago, but not a single one was willing to trade with her.

Bleh bleh bleh! The spirits stuck their tongues out at Saint Raphael.

“Saint Raphael doesn’t want to be a nymph. She wants to be a spirit! We’re not trading with you,” the little spirits said without the slightest tact.

“Nymph clothes aren’t even gold. We’d never want to become nymphs.” They circled around Saint Raphael in a flurry.

Saint Raphael immediately conjured a golden garment and draped it over herself.

“See? This is gold, isn’t it?”

The spirits hovered in the air. One of them lifted a corner of the golden robe and made a dismissive gesture.

“Conjured clothes? Spirits would never want those,” several spirits said in unison, nodding their heads together.

“A spirit’s garments are the ones they’re born with. Those are the best.” On this point, they were all in complete agreement.

The spirits then steered the conversation toward the nymph race as a whole. “Unlike nymphs, who are born without any clothes at all.”

The spirits burst into laughter. “How embarrassing!”

Saint Raphael and the spirits tumbled into a playful scuffle. The commotion drew the other Wood Nymphs, who gathered around to watch before dissolving into laughter themselves.

Meanwhile, in the sealed First Era Anho City hidden deep within the Moonlight Jungle, even the supreme divine beings were exploring the Lake Nymphs’ Barter Dream for anything that caught their interest.

The Dream Sovereign, Hila, browsed through the intriguing trade offerings. She occasionally traded for something unfamiliar and placed it on the table next to her.

“This piece of art is quite interesting. It would look wonderful hanging in the great hall.”

“Who wrote this book? A great poet from the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents? Let me have a look and see how well he writes.”

The Life Sovereign, Shelly, on the other hand, was quite different. She was puffing her cheeks in irritation at the reflection in Anho City’s fountain pool.

“What? They expect me to pay? Don’t they know everything on this island already belongs to the Great Shelly?”

Shelly had never paid for anything she took from her own domain.

The stingy and miserly Shelly stared at the listings for a long time before she finally closed the Barter Dream.

What was bartering? The great Life Sovereign did not barter.

The Life Sovereign only accepted offerings from her followers.

No, that was not quite right either. Everything her followers possessed came from the gods. It had always been hers from the very start.

Shelly decided that once she returned, she would visit the Lake Nymphs at their lake and show them exactly how the Life Sovereign “bartered.”

“Living on my Dream Continent and making me pay for things? Seriously?”

“If you don’t start paying rent, I’ll kick every single one of you out!”

But at that very moment, a phenomenon appeared in the sky beyond.

God’s Moon, the great crystalline manifestation of Divine Grace that orbited the world as the Source of Wisdom, revealed itself before all.

“What is that?”

The moment God’s Moon appeared, the Wood Nymphs in the spirit realm noticed it right away.

They paused their idle chatter, stepped through the gates of the spirit realm, and gazed up at the sky. The spirits followed closely behind, pouring out in a lively stream.

“God’s Moon,” everyone recognized instantly.

“Someone is swearing a Crown of Wisdom Covenant.” What followed was not immediately clear to everyone, but the nymphs understood it at once.

“Which race is making the oath? Is it an old race or a new one?” The nymphs were filled with curiosity.

The spirits flew over, their excitement palpable. Other spirits had already discovered the news by observing the changes on the Divine Cup, the supreme artifact of Dream Ability.

The complete details of Sequence Number 69, the Divine Artifact Silver Insect, had been revealed. They now understood the nature of the newly sworn oath.

“I know, I know!”

“It’s the ghoul race!”

“A race that uses insects to control dead bodies!”

The spirits were overwhelmed with excitement, gesturing animatedly as they tried to describe it.

“It’s so strange!”

“And really frightening!”

After listening to the spirits’ animated descriptions, the Wood Nymphs finally understood what ghouls were.

“Created by a king from the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents? Someone named Akmanmon?” They also learned the name of the King of Ghouls.

“Why would a Snake Person create such a terrifying race?” They found it very strange.

“They’re always fighting wars. It seems normal for them,” the Wood Nymphs concluded. From the birth of the ghouls, they sensed the mortal world was a frightening place and felt grateful for the protection of the Moonlight Jungle.

“Do mortals truly enjoy slaughtering one another so much?” Some of the Wood Nymphs struggled to understand the minds of intelligent races.

“Trilobite Men fight the People of the Abyss. Snake People fight Winged People. This race fights that race, and they even fight among their own kind,” one spirit said with complete confidence, wearing the expression of someone who had seen it all.

The Wood Nymphs shifted the conversation to the ghouls themselves.

“A race that comes back to life from corpses. How can something like that even exist?” They were both frightened and fascinated.

“A race that devours people and the dead. How terrifying.” Just thinking about it gave one of the nymphs goosebumps.

“If only someone would just wipe them out,” said a young First-Rank Wood Nymph who had only recently been born.

“We are the nymph race. We must not say such things. We must remain neutral,” an older nymph offered.

“But they eat corpses! That’s terrifying,” the younger nymph insisted.

The elder nymph replied, “Abyss Monsters are terrifying too, but they still exist, don’t they?”

“Should a race be destroyed simply because it poses a threat?”

“This world belongs to all living creatures, not just the Snake People.”

“Even if they deserve to be destroyed, that should be a consequence of the mortal world’s own natural order. It should not be influenced by the Divine Kingdom of Creation or by us, for we are the emissaries of the supreme divine beings.”

In contrast to the lively discussion among the Wood Nymphs, the atmosphere in Anho City was much quieter.

Shelly approached from the fountain pool and caught a glimpse of Yin Shen’s back. A goofy smile appeared on her face.

“Hey, God!”

“I just saw that…”

Before she could finish, she turned her head and gazed into the distance. In that moment, she grasped what had occurred.

“Ghouls?”

“They look so ugly.”

She expressed her thoughts, though she knew she was in no position to judge.

When she created the Winged People, she had used angels as her template. The final result, however, bore little resemblance to the original design.

Yin Shen, on the other hand, showed no reaction. He did not even glance up at God’s Moon.

Perhaps it was more accurate to say that everything already flowed through his mind.

As the number of races continued to grow, each one took its turn communicating with the Source through the Crown of Wisdom to swear their Race Covenant.

Yin Shen no longer involved Himself in every instance. He had entrusted the process to the Source of Wisdom, allowing it to make its own judgments.

As long as the requirements were fulfilled, any race could apply. The Crown of Wisdom would follow its own criteria to determine its response.

However, Yin Shen did notice one particular detail.

He spoke aloud. “The Silver Insect.”

“Is it a maggot?”

Yin Shen could not shake the feeling that everything from His memory was coming to life once more in this world. It was as if countless things were reshaping themselves to align with His thoughts.

“Ghouls, maggots… what will appear next?”

Yin Shen did not say, but within His mind, one shadow after another flickered into being, figures that had once existed only in imagination.

Dragons?

Titans?

Or perhaps vampires, or something else entirely.

Shelly heard Yin Shen’s words and asked, “Maggots? What are those?”

Yin Shen said, “A kind of insect that has not yet been born into this world.”

Shelly tilted her head. “If it hasn’t been born, how do You know it exists?”

She glanced at Yin Shen again and said with a grin, “Well, if You say it exists, God, then it must be true.”

As they continued their conversation, Shelly walked through the city with God Yinsai. Before long, she had already forgotten why she had sought him out in the first place.

The newly renamed Fire Protection Province was alive with activity as a great army gathered within its borders.

Military commanders from across the provinces arrived in quick succession. One territorial lord after another brought their knights and soldiers to join the assembly, pledging their forces under the command of King Osis of Suinhor.

They would march with the guidance of the gods, destroy the monsters ravaging the southwest, and punish those who dared to betray the divine.

Osis had put on his armor and armed himself for battle. His Proof of Blood Kinship, however, was no longer in his possession.

The Prime Minister, who had been entrusted with managing the nation in Osis’s absence, remained in the royal capital. Despite his responsibilities, an increasing sense of unease weighed heavily on him.

“My King, must you go in person?”

“They say the ghouls in the south have formed a massive army, and a King of Ghouls hides among them in secret.”

“He is a Fourth-Rank Apostle, they say, and extremely dangerous.”

King Osis climbed onto his land dragon and turned to address the Prime Minister.

“When a great army marches to war, its king must be there.”

“This is a battle I need to fight, and I need to fight it well.”

“If we win this battle, every other problem will resolve itself.”

Osis looked down at the Prime Minister from atop his land dragon and spoke with solemn sincerity.

“If I do nothing, Suinhor will eventually fall apart. I must accomplish everything within the time I have, because my time is running short.”

“I hope that even after I am gone, Suinhor will still be Suinhor.”

“Even if it no longer bears our name, I still want it to remain a whole and unified nation.”

“That is why I must do everything I can right now, without wasting a single moment.”

The Prime Minister did not fully grasp the king’s meaning. He spoke with urgency, “The next Divine Blessed One has not yet been born. If you go out there now…”

King Osis could tell the Prime Minister had not understood, so he continued, “There will be no next Divine Blessed One.”

The Prime Minister froze. “Then…”

King Osis’s words carried a deeper implication. “Do not worry. I have made all the necessary arrangements, and the Goddess has done the same.”

“Take care of this nation in my absence. My time to leave has come.”

King Osis led his great army to the border of Delanvos Territory. After a brief pause, they crossed into its heart.

What greeted them were scenes of unimaginable horror.

Ghouls swarmed across Delanvos Territory in overwhelming numbers. Villages and towns lay in ruins, transformed into ghostly remnants with no trace of life.

King Osis looked upon the shattered bodies of the dead and the once-thriving settlements, now eerily silent and desolate. His anger burned fiercely.

“Filthy monsters. Look what these ghouls have done to my kingdom.”

King Osis turned to his soldiers and gave his command with unwavering resolve.

“Kill every single ghoul. Let none survive.”

“They are not people. They are a blight on the mortal world, an existence that must be eradicated.”

King Osis pressed onward, leading his army in a relentless campaign to exterminate the ghouls.

It quickly became clear that in the short time since their emergence, many of the ghouls had developed intelligence.

They had started forming small groups and even organized legions of evil, using corpse-beasts to attack towns and military forces alike.

Delanvos Territory was unable to withstand their onslaught. Even the largest city in the territory was on the verge of collapse under the relentless siege of the ghoul swarm.

—

Outside the City of Delan

A massive horde of ghouls was assaulting the city, trying to smash through the gates and pour inside to devour everything within.

The ghoul at the head of the assault rode atop an enormous undead land dragon. Together, the two let out a shriek that no ordinary person could comprehend.

Yet the mindless, common ghouls seemed to understand it perfectly.

“Devour them. Consume this city.”

“Devour them, and you will gain wisdom. Devour them, and you will gain power.”

“Devour more, and you can continue to exist. Devour more, and you can obtain eternal life.”

At last, countless ghouls raised their voices together in a single cry.

“God of Silver and White!”

Within the city walls, every living soul trembled under the relentless howling of the ghoul army.

The siege began with a ferocity that shook the very foundations of the city.

In their desperation to avoid being devoured, every person fought with unwavering resolve. Men and women, young and old alike, took up arms to join the defense.

The ghouls, however, were even more relentless. They showed no fear of injury or death, and ordinary wounds could not stop them.

Just as the entire city seemed about to fall and despair gripped everyone, King Osis answered their call. He arrived at the head of his legions, accompanied by a great host of Divine Servants from the temples.

King Osis’s forces struck from the rear, their first wave of attack led by the land dragon cavalry charging alongside the Divine Servant corps.

At the forefront of the battle, King Osis rode atop his land dragon, wielding a blood-red lance as he struck down the commander of the ghoul legion.

With their leader defeated, the ghoul legion, which had organized itself into a semblance of a true army, fell apart instantly.

What had once been a structured and intelligent fighting force dissolved into a chaotic swarm of mindless beasts that scattered in every direction.

The soldiers, driven by the rage they had felt during their march, chased after the fleeing ghouls with unrelenting determination, cutting down every one they could catch.

They severed heads and hacked the creatures into pieces.

“Kill them!”

“Slay every single one of these monsters!”

“Do not let a single one get away!”

However, with so many ghouls scattering in all directions, rounding them all up proved to be a difficult task.

In the end, only a third were destroyed. The majority managed to flee and disappear without a trace.

As the battle subsided, the city gates creaked open.

The lord of Delanvos Territory stepped forward to meet King Osis. This time, he knelt on the ground in complete and genuine submission.

“My King, thank you for saving Delanvos.”

The lord was visibly shaken. The city had been on the very brink of collapse.

If the ghouls had breached the walls, the destruction would have been unimaginable, far surpassing anything seen in previous wars.

Ghouls did not take prisoners. To them, every Snake Person was nothing more than food.

King Osis urged his land dragon forward, stopping in front of the lord. He looked down and asked him a question.

“I heard you encountered the King of Ghouls, Akmanmon. Is this true?”

The lord of Delanvos Territory turned pale with fear, his terror rooted in the horrors he had witnessed in the Red Earth Territory.

When he first heard about the upheaval there, he had led his army in hopes of gaining an advantage. Instead, he found himself face-to-face with a ghoul legion of overwhelming strength. He barely escaped with his life, fleeing all alone.

“I did not face the King of Ghouls directly. However, I witnessed the strength of his legions.”

“In the Red Earth Territory, the ghouls have already organized into several legions. Their power is overwhelming, far greater than what we faced here.”

King Osis responded, “Now that I am here, their time is over.”

The lord of Delanvos Territory cautioned, “I have heard that Akmanmon cannot be killed.”

King Osis replied, “Is that so? Then we will find out for ourselves.”

Osis led part of his army into the city to rest and regroup.

The city had been under siege for many days. Much of it was in ruins, with numerous buildings dismantled to provide materials for the defense.

King Osis chose not to stay in the lord’s manor. He remained with his soldiers instead.

While washing his land dragon at a water basin within the city, he suddenly heard a sound that caught his attention.

“Hm?“

Osis set down his brush, his expression shifting from puzzlement to realization.

He followed the sound, leaving the basin behind and walking slowly through the battered streets.

Eventually, he arrived at the nearest shrine.

Removing his helmet, he stepped inside with deliberate care. There, he stood before the statue of the Scarlet Goddess.

It was the divine being who had called to him.