Chapter 318: Descent (44K Bonus Update 105 106)

The city-state beneath the earth, where the gods descend.

The avatar of the god has descended.

More precisely, a vessel has been born, one that houses the god's will and power.

The snake-tailed, human-bodied divine avatar lightly clapped its palms, sighing in admiration: "Sivni, my most favored child, you've finally returned."

Sivni looked calmly at that figure, feeling no surprise in her heart.

She had long been prepared, well aware of what she would face after granting Stila salvation.

A god.

Sivni would face head-on the evil god who bore malice toward her!

This had long been within her expectations.

But what she had not anticipated was the familiar ripple emanating from the body of the God of Sinful Desire.

"This body... is it Stila's?"

Though Sivni furrowed her brow as she posed the question, her tone was one of certainty.

Although her sister had, not long ago, dissolved into a pool of blood right before her eyes, for this god, producing another body for her was hardly a difficult feat.

"Correct! This is her body. Truly worthy of being her sister, and worthy of being the divine favorite I hold in high regard."

The God of Sinful Desire smiled with pleasure, twirling lightly under Sivni's icy gaze, and boasted: "Well? Isn't it quite splendid?"

"Although it cannot last too long, for a mere favorite to serve as a temporary vessel for descent is already more than sufficient."

Just as Sivni had said before, once Stila was corrupted by the God of Sinful Desire, she was effectively already dead.

Whether alive or dead, her body would become a vessel for the god's descent.

A divine favorite? A believer blessed by the god?

In truth, for most gods, a divine favorite is nothing more than a special vessel capable of containing their own will.

Moreover, not just anyone possesses the qualification to remain a vessel for long; it demands considerable innate talent.

If only the will descends, without invoking divine power, it's manageable—one can possess the body for an extended period.

But if divine power and authority are invoked, the outcome is different.

Most divine favorites, after being possessed by a god to fight once or twice, will suffer soul collapse and bodily rupture.

Only those divine favorites possessing special talent have any chance of withstanding the god's will multiple times.

Stila was not one of those fortunate ones blessed with such talent.

From the moment she was chosen as a divine favorite, her fate was already sealed.

As for the price that would have to be paid in the future, Stila was completely aware of it from the very beginning.

The God of Sinful Desire savored Sivni's icy gaze, drew in a deep breath, and exhaled in satisfaction.

Ha~

Its vertical-pupiled eyes crinkled in a smile as it asked: "So much time has passed, and you've returned. Have you changed your mind?"

"This time, stop running away. Become my follower completely! I shall grant you the knowledge you crave! Let you truly glimpse into the domain of the gods!"

The evil god did not resort to violent intimidation, but instead graciously extended an olive branch to the dark elf archmage.

Herbert silently observed this scene, feeling somewhat surprised within.

"So this is the God of Sinful Desire?"

Though it was famous for its madness, in conversation it gave Herbert no sense of that depravity; it appeared remarkably rational and was actually capable of normal communication.

"This guy... how come they're oddly polite?"

Aren't you, old sir, an evil god?

Shouldn't your speech be booming and resonant, filling anyone's head with indescribable delirium the moment they hear it?

Shouldn't it be... oh, Nie Nasha also speaks like that, so never mind.

"Wait, what's the deal with the evil gods in this world? Why does it feel like none of them are all that serious? Not quite what I imagined... huh?"

As he muttered, he suddenly felt his hand tightly gripped. He turned his head to look at Elisha beside him, only to find her shrinking her neck with a tense expression.

Scared?

Isn't it just an avatar of an evil god?

What's there to be afraid of?

Elisha noticed the rather speechless gaze beside her, her teeth trembling slightly, and she lowered her voice: "Y-y-you, aren't you afraid?"

"Afraid of what? What's there to be afraid of?" Herbert blinked and raised a brow in bewilderment.

Such a small courage?

Didn't you always say that no god could judge you?

Big talk indeed, but in reality, you don't even need to see the god's true form—just encountering an avatar has already made you cower like this.

Cute you certainly are, but you really are a little devil, aren't you?

"Can't you feel it?"

Elisha, somewhat displeased by Herbert's gaze, forcibly suppressed the fear in her heart and pouted: "Tch, I'm just being interfered with by that kind of maddening domain. It's not that I'm actually scared!"

Domain? Oh!

Herbert came to a realization—the oath he had sworn had once again come to his aid.

Wait, is the Oath of Purity really this powerful?

It can even ignore an evil god's domain?

"... Oh?"

Lost in thought, Herbert stared at the evil god avatar's large tail, narrowing his eyes contemplatively.

On the other side, Nie Nasha's gaze swept over Miss Xie Shen's face, then glanced toward Herbert and the others nearby.

"……"

She was silent for a moment, not mentioning her sister's blood feud, and slowly said: "Miss Xie Shen, I can become your follower, but… you must let them leave."

Hmm?

Herbert, who had been thinking about how to break the deadlock, raised his brows and suddenly looked at Nie Nasha.

What is she trying to do?

Self-sacrifice?

And Miss Xie Shen, upon hearing this, was equally surprised — clearly stunned for a moment.

"Oh?"

She raised a finger to point at herself, her smile exceedingly strange: "You're negotiating with me?"

Negotiating with an evil god?

Now?

Nie Nasha did not answer, only gave Her a contemptuous smile.

The evil god laughed, laughing very happily.

"Nie Nasha, have you misunderstood something? Do you really think you have the qualifications to negotiate with me right now?"

Miss Xie Shen laughed, curling a finger lightly toward Nie Nasha.

The flesh and blood that had originally been occupied by Nie Nasha in that room instantly moved, transforming into sharp, razor-like flesh spikes that ruthlessly stabbed toward her body.

And that wasn't all!

In the next instant, not only Stila's room, but the entire Gao Ta sprouted countless flesh spikes, converging to slaughter toward the tower's peak.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In less than a single breath, that hundred-meter-tall tower completely vanished, replaced by a grotesque tower of flesh and blood — and the tower's peak was actually chewing furiously like a giant mouth.

"Nie Nasha!!!"

As the tower collapsed, Elisha's anxious cry rang out.

Although the vampire Young Lady didn't know why "Velanmeya" had become Nie Nasha, she still cared deeply about her friend's safety.

Epic power.

This power that had thoroughly stepped into the epic tier was already beyond their ability to resist, let alone that its wielder was a true deity.

Fortunately, Elisha quickly set her mind at ease, because neither Herbert nor Miss Xie Shen had spoken.

"Flesh avatar… Nie Nasha, you truly surprise me. I didn't expect you to actually take it this far."

Miss Xie Shen sighed emotionally, her gaze turning to the foot of the tower — where another perfectly intact Nie Nasha stood.

Flesh avatar.

"But even if you can do this, how many avatars can you make? Three? Or five?" Miss Xie Shen murmured with an expressionless face; She did not believe this mortal could escape from Her.

Perhaps next time, it would be over.

Nie Nasha, however, still said calmly: "Miss Xie Shen, perhaps I cannot defeat you right now, but I can certainly kill myself one step ahead of you."

"By that time, even if you can reincarnate my soul within your divine realm as a heroic spirit, I won't remember any of my research."

"No, you wouldn't do that at all."

"If you truly intended to do so, you could have killed me long ago, couldn't you?"

Nie Nasha's words plunged Miss Xie Shen into sudden silence — she had indeed seized the key point.

Killing others might be difficult, but for a legendary mage, killing oneself was simple.

What Miss Xie Shen needed was a scholar who could help Her complete the vessel research, not a legendary heroic spirit.

After the evil god fell silent, Nie Nasha turned her head to look at Herbert on the other side, smiling apologetically: "Mr. Herbert, I'm sorry — I've dragged you all into this."

She lowered her head lightly, her eyes full of helplessness.

"I had originally intended for you all to hide in the laboratory, but in the end, you really didn't listen to my suggestion… hehe."

"Mr. Herbert, you kept your promise with me, and we did indeed meet again, but this time I am the one who must break it."

"I hope there will come a day when we can meet again."

Another promise, but this time, Nie Nasha did not hold any hope for it.

"……"

Herbert listened to these words that sounded like a final farewell, did not reply, and only closed his eyes with tightly furrowed brows.

He whispered in his heart.

"Nie Nasha."

No response.

"Nie Nasha!"

The deity remained silent.

"……"

Herbert took a deep breath and said slowly in his heart:

"I'll count to three. If you don't come out, then don't ever come out again. As soon as I get back I'll confess everything to the Archbishop…"

Before Herbert could even begin counting — before he had even finished speaking — the Young Lady of the Jester God, who had been offline all this time, suddenly popped up.

【"Aiya! I just happened to wake up~ What's wrong? Were you looking for me?"】

She spoke extremely fast, not giving Herbert a chance to speak, rapidly pushing the topic forward.

【"Oh! In a situation like this, it's actually an evil god! Looks like you want to seek my help, right?"】

"…Nie Nasha, you've finally stopped pretending."

Although he had long suspected it, Herbert only became fully certain that She had already awoken after realizing that even Miss Xie Shen's domain could not affect him.

【"What do you mean 'pretending'? I don't get what you're saying! I already told you — I just happened to wake up~"】

Miss Xie Shen still talked tough, but the Holy Knight simply did not believe her.

"Mm, I've heard the excuse — where's the truth?"

【"The truth is — to let you truly experience what a real god is."】

Nie Nasha's explanation made Herbert narrow his eyes slightly.

【"Perhaps because of me, you've been underestimating the gods."】

【"No, you may be arrogant — you have the talent for it — but right now, you haven't yet earned the right to look down on the gods."】

The god spoke softly, laying out Her well-meaning intentions: 【"Only by facing the true might of a god head-on will you understand your own weakness."】

The mortal was silent, gave a small nod, and asked: "Alright, I've had my lesson — what should I do now?"

【"You want to save her?"】

"Of course."

Herbert answered without the slightest hesitation, and the god did not ask his reason.

She merely whispered: 【"Mortal, then pray to a god."】

【"You understand — only a god can stand against a god."】

"Nie Nasha, help me."

Nie Nasha: And then?

……Ah, that's it?

【"That's all? You're brushing me off with just that?"】

Hearing this perfunctory prayer, Miss Xie Shen gave a discontented little hum.

Herbert, deadpan, switched to a different approach:

"I'm going to report myself to the Archbishop — I knowingly broke the law, failed in my duty, didn't uphold a Holy Knight's bottom line, and became the protective umbrella for an evil god's dark forces……"

【"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Nie Nasha's great laughter cut off Herbert's rapid-fire chant.

【"Ahem, what you just said barely passes! Next time, you'd better pray properly, okay!"】

Honestly!

So impatient!

Stingy — can't even take a joke!

Sensing Nie Nasha's lightheartedness, he too relaxed a little.

"So, my dear god my lord — what do you plan to do?"

【"Since you've prayed to me so sincerely, then……"】

Nie Nasha gave a cheeky little laugh and said breezily: 【"A merciful god will, of course, answer you as you wish."】

That confident?

Herbert was curious — just what method Nie Nasha would use to grant him the power to stand against an epic-tier god's avatar.

She's going to log in through my body, right?

Am I going to turn into a tentacle monster covered in shadowy tentacles?

Just as he was thinking this, Herbert suddenly felt a tremor in the shadow beneath his feet.

"It really is tentacles……huh?"

Following his instincts, he lowered his head — and saw over a hundred jet-black feathers fly out from within.

【"Just happened to have borrowed some good stuff earlier~"】

Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

Those fallen-angel feathers burst violently from the shadows, circled Herbert once, then plunged into his back, merging into the holy scars that had suddenly appeared.

"Hsss……"

【"Good girl~ bear with it! It won't hurt much longer~"】

Nie Nasha teased him like an old rogue coaxing a little girl, admiring Herbert's contorted expression.

Ah, that feels good~

Herbert couldn't help but roll his eyes, feeling his body grow hotter and hotter, as if he had swallowed molten iron.

"……Ah!"

Under the searing pain, a cry of agony escaped Herbert's lips — and Elisa, who had been about to flee with her, whipped her head around in an instant.

"Herbert!!? What's wrong with you……ah!!!"

The young vampire lady let out a wail, both hands covering her eyes.

"You! Why are you so blinding! Wait — it's hot! So hot!"

This was no illusion on Elisa's part — a thin layer of smoke really did rise from her skin, leaving scorch marks.

It felt exactly like walking into sunlight without any barrier!?

What on earth is happening!!?

"Herbert, what did you even do? This……ah!!?"

The young vampire lady, scrambling to flee the dazzling light, squinted her eyes — but her mouth fell open wider and wider.

She wasn't the only one to see this.

At this moment, in the stunned eyes of every survivor in the city, a reflection appeared that had no business being here.

"What is that!?"

"My Lord above, is that... the sun?"

"That's the sun, isn't it?!"

"How could such a thing happen..."

The earlier descent of Miss Xie Shen had already been outrageous enough to plunge hearts into despair, but it still couldn't compare to the shock brought by the sight before their eyes.

Countless people were breathless, at a loss for words to describe just how absurd the scene before them truly was.

Above Malagas, this underground city that never saw the light of day, a dark-colored blazing sun had somehow appeared in the sky.

The God of Sinful Desire, who had been distracting and beguiling Svanne, came back to her senses, stared at the scene, and her eyes went wide.

Even a deity, at this moment, was utterly dumbfounded.

"What is going on!?"

That's not right — this is within my domain, no other deity should be able to channel their power in here!

And it's that most troublesome one of all!

"The Sun God!? How did His power descend!?"

And within the resplendent blazing sun, a white-haired angel clad in deep crimson, dazzling dark-red battle armor, with two pairs of blood-colored wings spread behind him and a long spear in hand, slowly raised his eyes.

He looked toward Miss Xie Shen, whose expression had completely changed, flashed her a brilliant, playful smile, then with a single beat of his wings behind him, burst violently toward her.

Since the incarnation of Miss Xie Shen descended, the Battle Angel who serves the Blazing Sun...

Has likewise descended here!

(End of this chapter)