Chapter 267
Chapter 267
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The Nefarious Filthbird and the Trial’s Eye were eternal enemies. Since the Snake Dowager had allied herself with the Trial’s Eye, it was normal for her to be a target of the Nefarious Filthbird’s resistance and hostility. Hence, Leylin advised Freya to rely on the Nefarious Filthbird’s support, using its chaos power to conceal herself and gain greater benefits.
Now, the Nefarious Filthbird saw Freya taking yet another step towards success, hence it increased investment in her was very much understandable.
But Freya being aware of the existence that Leylin is, as well as his unavoidable enmity against Nefarious Filthbird because of their conflicting personal intrest, she had never placed her trust on the Nefarious Filthbird.
From the beginning, She never relied completely on the Nefarious Filthbird. After all, not even counting Leylin into the picture, this powerful being is a treacherous and mighty dignitary from another world. When she came to the Purgatory World, she always hidden her most important abilities and trump cards, and had never revealed a single part of any of them.
‘A.I. Chip! Initiate counter chaos protocol!’ Freya began to communicate with the A.I. Chip in secret and used one of the pre-install commands.
[Beep! Mission established, opening the counter spell formation.] Dark runes mixed with chaos power appeared on the walls and fence after the A.I. Chip’s voice sounded, before they disappeared completely.
These were Leylin’s own preparations created beforehand, given to Freya for disabling the chaotic corruption. Apart from their concealment effects, they had all been arranged for this moment.
[Beep! Hybrid spell formation has been completed. Operating at 100% capacity, No signs of rejection.] The A.I. Chip loyally transmitted the information.
‘With this spell formation, all the spying elements that the Nefarious Filthbird could have left behind would be exposed’ Freya thought while checking the notification and information from A. I. Chip
Only now could it be said that this apartment truly belonged to her.
‘I have enough time, with all this done as well as Aegnis backing me, there is no trouble here. All I need to do is focus on advancing as much as I possibly can.’ Freya sighed and walked inside a seperate room, with her hands stroking her lustrous hair.
While Freya was engrossed in her business, trouble brewed outside Holy City as various Imperial Bodyguards solemnly investigated a serious case.
Although the scene looked like a typical tussle among giant creatures but the intent left behind by the creature, especially its intense hunger for food left them frowning.
This level of food craving surpassed normal biological limits. Although Creatures of nature, including serpents devour each other, will always leave some traces of their meal, either blood, scales or any other remains. However, there’s none of that here. There’s nothing left. It seemed that the winning creature was under the control of a powerful evil existence instead of its own instincts.
Which indicated towards the possibility of contamination by a different kind of energy, This can only be done by a dignitary and even then it was odd that anyone dare reach out to the Serpent Plains! Everyone clearly knew that it was Matriarch’s forbidden land.
Taking the various similar incident into account these traces, this case was considered pretty much connected to the violent occurrences in Central.
Meaning that the contamination has already spread all the way here! This horrifying speed left the patrolling guards stunned and extremely worried.
It’s seem that now it was only a matter of time before the contamination spreads to the holy city!
This type of contamination spreads quickly, and from the reports could affect intelligent rank 4 and 5 snake tribes. It was a serious threat to those giant serpents in the wild.
….
‘The storm is knocking on the door, and the disturbance is increasing day by day in the holy city.’ Freya was sitting in her room inside a complex formation as she opened her eyes looking outside the villa at the sky. The sound of a piercing alarm could be heard, but she ultimately ignored it continuing her meditation.
This problem was definitely germinated by Freya who used the gluttony imprints acquired by Leylin in the past to allure Beelzebub using the Purgatory World and the Allsnake Plains as bait, and as predicted those serpents contaminated by gluttony reached this place leaving the guards helpless but it was good too, less for Freya to worry about. With Aegnis occupied and Thomas unable to try anything funny in her turf, Freya had only Belinda and Sophie who would disturb her occasionally but it was still not much of a hassle. In general, Freya had great freedom without much interruption and trouble she quite liked this moment of peace.
‘Snake Dowager won’t sit still either.’ Freya was unhurried, busying herself with her own matters.
In reality, with all the time that had passed gluttony had already permeated the Serpent Plains. This epidemic wouldn’t disappear unless the plains were completely destroyed. This step can be considered as the first important event of this grand plan.
With a little push on her end, the original power of gluttony on the plains had become unstoppable. The large amount of giant high-energy snakes, combined with this terrifying power that made use of food intake to break through, created a horrifying effect that exceeded even anyone’s expectations.
With this speed, perhaps even those rank 5 or 6 creatures won’t be able to avoid being contaminated by the power of gluttony.
Even a rank 6 snake nest on the plains had no choice but to run away or be consumed by their gluttonous desires, and ultimately consume others or become fodder. There was no other way out.
As for the Snake Dowager? She might an incredibly powerful rank 8 being, and the dignitary who ruled over the Hail Continent, but the Sovereign King of Gluttony, Beelzebub, was no pushover either. As a being who was equally at rank 8 and someone who had grasped the laws of gluttony, he ended up discovering the Purgatory World and making use of his power to take over the whole plains.
Now, it was too late even if Beelzebub decided he wanted to halt the war with the Snake Dowager. After all, as an invader, how could he give up such a huge, splendid area in the Hail Continent?
Consequently, unless the Snake Dowager were to abandon the entire holy city and hand over the Serpent Plains, the two of them would not be able to come to an agreement.
If she chose to give in and gave up the plains, it would be an invitation to share rule over the Hail Continent. This was equivalent to slowly committing suicide, which was obviously unacceptable. It was foreseeable that the conflict between them could only increase in intensity. This is why Freya was so certain of this outcome and subsequent results because beings at that lofty level would not let their authority and profit be compromised.
The earth trembled, sending pebbled jumping around on the ground. A ball of coiled snakes that was like a star rose above the skies of the holy city.
“It’s the Matriarch! The mighty Holy Mother!” In that moment, the residents of the holy city all began to pray. Freya’s body shook as she immediately destroyed the formation and appeared to be doing the same, but on the inside she was raising all of her defences.
Freya knew that as soon as the trouble raged in Holy City, Snake Dowager would not sit still and act hence she made all counter preparation beforehand, more importantly before the threat of this level finding Freya was no longer remotely near the top priority of Snake Dowager. Obviously Snake Dowager would have an inkling that this is probably attached to her and her handiwork but she would be too busy to care about an ant.
*Rumble* Like an earthquake or an erupting volcano, a conscient that was extremely terrifying began to spread in all directions, with the sculpture at the very centre of it all. Everyone could sense the Snake Dowager’s immense fury from the terrifying wave. The other free residents could only lie on the ground, trembling.
Freya seemed to react the same way as her surrounding neighbours, even looking more devout than some of them. However, she was inwardly attempting to trace the source of the Snake Dowager’s laws through her conscient’s undulations.
‘I cannot seem to understand them much, is it because of my lack of understanding with laws, From what I understand her laws seems to be the mix of a few. There’s also a trace of darkness.’ Although Freya knowledge was not bad but it was still far from enough, fortunately with the astounding knowledge and tremendous database of A.I. Chip’s, it allowed her to somewhat identify these laws.
‘This is an ancient existence at an unbelievable realm, The Snake Dowager is truly terrifying. It seems she not only grasped multiple laws, but she has already begun to refine her comprehension of her laws and fuse it with the law of shadows to form an entirely new law……This is the very peak of the glorious Ancient times.’The realm of rank 8 was naturally superior to rank 7, where only one law had been grasped.
From this wave, Freya had tried to pry into the path that she had probably taken, thankfully Leylin has already told her a bit about these things so she wasn’t completely in the dark.
Rank 7 Magi have to grasp the powers of a single law, but in order to grasp multiple laws, rank 8 beings have to attempt refining them.
There seems to be a cover separating Freya from understanding the true extent of this path. Although she knew she couldn’t understand as if she was deprived from touching it’s existence.
‘Well it’s not something I can understand just yet, if not for Leylin I would not even have the ability to know about it, for now Snake Dowager looks very enraged, she must have found about the contamination, would the two Titans clash?’ Freya watched the battle from the shadows.
“I am the Snake Dowager, source of all snake bloodlines.” The ball of snakes uncoiled, revealing the charming face of the mother of all snakes. Every strand of hair represented an astounding amount of power that caused the air to distort.
While she was transmitting her will, Freya abruptly felt the Snake Dowager launch a probing force even more powerful than before.
“Purify!” The eyes of the Snake Dowager held benevolence and compassion as she spread her arms. Holy golden rays of light rained down in every direction, with the holy city at the heart of it all.
Bits of a dark red liquid were repelled from the roots, water sources and even pores of some giant snakes, and then neutralised by the golden rays, turning into pure water droplets.
‘Unbelievable…The Snake Dowager of the Shadow World has such knowledge on light-type purification spells? She truly doesn’t have much weakness!’ Freya pupils shrank as the the A.I. Chip recorded the information, trying to simulate the limits of her power.
While the A.I. Chip couldn’t really tell how much power an existence like the Snake Dowager had, just having a vague idea was still helpful for her and her plans.
Under the golden holy light, the region around the holy city was completely purified. The area continued to expand all the way to the depths of the Serpentes Plains.
Watching what should be a worrisome scene, Freya eyes still with indifference.
Although Snake Dowager methods were good but It’s a pity. It was not a mere Rank 5 like Freya behind this event, just a few purification processes by the Snake Dowager wouldn’t save the Serpentes Plains. This is the work of an extremely formidable existence who lords over the power of gluttony.
At this very moment, a strange happening occurred with a loud crash!
Large amounts of the dark red contaminated liquid that should have disappeared began to boil. The red motes of light converged and formed a huge ball of red light that soared into the air like a bloody moon.
“Hail to master Beelzebub! You are the Sovereign King of Gluttony, the child of original power, the master of everything in this world.” A resonant praise that held traces of insanity began to echo in the holy city, striking the Snake Dowager’s holy light display.
“This feeling… you’re…” The Snake Dowager’s enraged voice was heard from within the holy light, before it was drowned out by large amounts of crimson lightning.
The crimson lightning looked like long lines that danced in the air, tearing out cracks and revealing huge terrifying spatial rifts.
Two webbed hands with seven fingers each pressed on the side of a rift, causing it to roar as it expanded. There seemed to be a terrifying existence at the other end of the spatial crack trying to squeeze in.
Beelzebub! It was definitely him, as predicted he can’t endure it anymore! That makes sense too– a place where the World Will is this chaotic must be heaven for someone like him.
With the temptation of a huge world lacking a will, Beelzebub would definitely choose to take the risk. Even if this wasn’t his real body, it was at least a clone with 50% of the strength of the real body.
For Beelzebub, the losses incurred if he were to fail would cause his main body to be severely injured and enter a deep sleep, or he could possibly die. It made obvious his intentions.
“You dare trespass on my territory? Do you attach any importance at all to the treaty of alliance, which has been in place since time immemorial?” If Beelzebub was full of determination, then the Snake Dowager was full of fury. After all, anyone would be in a foul mood if they were relaxing at home and someone else just decided to barge in.
While the Snake Dowager fired her questions, the golden holy light seemed to transform. A layer of darkness appeared like a huge web, vast and layered, dispelling the crimson lightning out of the holy city.
After being challenged by someone of the same rank, the Snake Dowager finally showed her true strength.
Snake Dowager was someone capable of taking over the Shadow World, it was clear how great her comprehension of the power of shadows was. As expected, the moment the power of shadows appeared, it replaced the purifying holy light from earlier. Even the crimson lightning and spatial storm’s destructive power could not affect it, and it remained as steady as a rock.
“Allsnake Devour!” The dark power of shadows transformed to form numerous giant snakes, revealing their fangs to the huge monstrous palm opposing them.
“Hah! The doors to a new world shall be opened by me!” A multitude of terrifying grey snakes hissed at the owner of this voice. Alabaster Devilsnakes, Giant Kemoyin Serpents and practically all of the Dowager’s descendants could be found amongst the shadow snakes.
Terrifying and tremendous force, backed by the corrosive power of shadows, immediately left lacerations on the monstrous hand.
However, Beelzebub paid no mind at all. His skin and muscle was completely shredded, with dark red blood falling like raindrops, but he still resolutely endured the pain. The two huge hands abruptly spread out, using their strength to completely tear apart the spatial crack.
A streak of black light suddenly darted out from the crack, fusing with the crimson moon in mid air.
The ball of light squirmed and then formed an enormous phantom figure. A pair of enormous wings made of membranous meat, riddled with holes, were attached to arms with seven-fingered hands. Black muscle tied everything together; the many compound eyes on the face formed a soul spiral; the flames of the Devil King blazed around him, showing off his might and power.
Beelzebub, the powerful Devil King, child of the power of gluttony, had descended into the Purgatory World! In that moment, it seemed as if the whole world was suffocating. Numerous terrifying conscients focused on this place from afar.
It was obviously a clone, Freya observed Beelzebub with an interested gaze. From traversing worlds and the attack from the Snake Dowager, he seemed to be in a rather miserable state, especially with those two devilish arms that were now heavily injured. He also had numerous terrifying injuries from his travel through space.
However, this did not deter the spread of his power or the feeling of evil. Even the air seemed to be polluted as it spread.
The main body was obviously too powerful and he can’t bring it over, so he chose to separate his soul from his body and move over with his soul.
Compared to moving physical materials over, the consumption of having just the soul travel over is much lower. Even so, he was gravely injured from moving between worlds… Of course, if this weren’t the Purgatory World, he would probably just die.
The resistance that Beelzebub experienced in travelling to the Purgatory World was minimal due to the muddled chaotic world will. If he dared to enter the Magus World, the suppression from the World Will and the spatial storms combined would kill even his soul.
The more powerful one was, the easier it was to get suppressed by the World Will. Beelzebub could place clones at Morning Star or Radiant Moon in the Magus World, but separating his truesoul like this was far too powerful, and he would easily be suppressed.
And if he were to find some small world, where the World Will could do nothing against his descent, it could just self-destruct and make things backfire on him.
Hence, as he could not go to high-ranked worlds nor smaller ones, the discovery of the Purgatory World was like that of a precious treasure!
He didn’t hesitate to split his truesoul to reach this place.
‘With only a clone even if it’s his truesoul, it’s not a match for Snake Dowager but she on the other hand also have the disability of the waned dreamforce decreasing her prowess. It won’t end today! ‘ Even as the residents of the holy city were quivering in fear, Freya thoughts moved further. As someone with an object capable of connecting to dreamscape she knew better than anyone about the situation in dreamscape and it’s nidar state.
For now even if Beelzebub is weakened, with his power as the Sovereign King of Gluttony, finding a body is very simple. As long as he has enough food, he can regain his strength. Also, with him around, it won’t be so easy for the Snake Dowager to purify the Serpent Plains.
Though Beelzebub could not do much against the Snake Dowager now, she might not be able to defeat him. This was the truesoul of a rank 8, which meant they were at the same level!
“The power of Gluttony shall rule this place henceforth!” As he soared in the skies, Beelzebub’s numerous compound eyes surveyed the Snake Dowager without fear, though his body was gradually becoming more transparent.
Whether in terms of the grasp of laws and flawless wisdom for a rank 8 existence, Beelzebub immediately chose to leave after realising he would not be gaining benefits from the Snake Dowager today.
Similarly, she would not let go of a chance that was so difficult to come by.
“Shadow Cage!” A circle of shadows spread from her body, and instantly turned into a cage formed of numerous shadow snakes that enveloped the whole holy city. Terrifying shadow chains were like agile snakes, twining around Beelzebub’s truesoul.
“It’s no use! I am the personification of laws, and I cannot die in the presence of gluttony. I will not be destroyed…” Along with his voice, that was like an announcement, his body exploded.
A large amount of energy spread, but it did not harm the shadow cage around it. Once the explosion ended, there was nothing left in the chains.
“Damn it, he even found this world…” A few tremendous conscients that carried the will of the dignitaries conversed above the holy city. Immediately after, the Snake Dowager’s face turned extremely grim.
Along with loud explosions, the shadow cage disappeared. Finally, a purple moonlight shone down, making the last battles feel like a mere illusion.
However, the slight spatial storms in the surroundings as well as the wrecked regions around the holy city were hard proof of what had happened.
Freya brightened up, ‘So far so good, it seems all is falling in place.’
‘Now, with Beelzebub around, the Snake Dowager won’t place too much emphasis on a weak little mortal like me…’ Freya immediately felt heaved a sigh of relief, for someone like her defying her proginator is definitely a tall order. If not for Leylin she would have never dared even think of standing against her. This isn’t because she is weak minded or anything it’s just her upbringing as a Warlock to accept their shackles subconsciously and pray to their superiors. The heart of a rebel is not to be cultivated but to possess, fundamentally Freya isn’t doing this mainly for her freedom but rather her love.