Intermediate G.o.d

Levistus was actually extremely lucky. Perhaps because they were both at the level of G.o.ds in the end, Death’s Decree didn’t have full effect.

However, the ability had still stalled him for a moment, a moment long enough to determine his fate. By the time he recovered his senses, the sharp blade of Seven Sins was already at his neck.

[Beep! Host has killed Levistus. Gluttony’s Devouring has been activated, host has gained a new law… Comprehension of law of pride currently at 100%.]

*Hss!* The Nightmare Hydra hissed once more, another head materialising on its body. It absorbed the pride of the entire universe, turning it into the power of original sin.

[Beep! The law of pride has awakened a new ability in Seven Sins:

Prideguard: The armour of Seven Sins has been fortified, nullifying all physical and magical attacks at the legendary realm.]

“Remember this… The hatred of an Archdevil cannot be ignored!” Asmodeus said in his fury. However, the other lords had only sped up on witnessing Leylin kill Levistus, and he was helpless to do much more.

The light of Leylin’s divine kingdom didn’t stop at the Fourth h.e.l.l, instead spreading out to shroud the icy lands of Stygia as well.

“Alright… With the Fifth h.e.l.l in hand the devils won’t be able to turn the tides…” Leylin had possessed an advantage in power before, but now he’d become the absolute dominant force in Baator. With five of the Nine h.e.l.ls in hand, the remaining Archdevils wouldn’t be able to perform a miracle.

‘I need to return… There are many things to do, and many comprehensions to be had. I need to heal up as well, I should be at my best for the coming fights…’ Leylin seemed to be warning himself. He soothed Seven Sins down, and vanished into the void.

By this time, Kukulkan’s divine kingdom already covered the first five levels of Baator. The World Origin Force whistled as it was absorbed continuously, turning the five separate levels into one whole. Many devils wept and wailed as they scampered further below into the last four.

Those who couldn’t escape were given two options: They would either be sealed and killed, or they would become slaves as they pledged themselves to the G.o.d of Ma.s.sacre. They would then be turned into devil pet.i.tioners.

By the time Leylin returned to Whitejade Saint Mountain, his gigantic divine palace was giving off a very imposing aura. His wors.h.i.+ppers felt the effect of his increase in strength, causing them to kneel on the ground and pray from the bottom of their hearts.

“Kukulkan, my Lord, you are brighter than the stars in the sky. Your powers of ma.s.sacre and death maintain order, and our souls belong with you in your haven…”

Ma.s.sive amounts of faith surged forth, forming a golden whirlpool around Whitejade Saint Mountain. The entire divine kingdom cheered as Baator’s origin force gushed in as well.

‘Did the clone just advance? It makes sense, it added a lot to its portfolio and its divine kingdom advanced greatly as well…’ Although Leylin could govern the divine kingdom himself, he was unwilling to bind the power of faith to his body. Using a puppet clone was a much better choice. Even if faith in him collapsed, the most he would lose was an auxiliary A.I. Chip routine and some energy. As he was right now, he wasn’t afraid of such minute losses.

The power the Nightmare Hydra relied on was far more astonis.h.i.+ng than the power of faith. Each of his heads could absorb certain emotions across the astral plane, and its reach wasn’t limited to those who wors.h.i.+pped him. Even though the power of emotions was weaker than the power of faith head on, the sheer magnitude more than made up for the gap.

With the hydra already having six heads, Leylin no longer needed to rely on the power of faith. Divinity would at most be some additional support at this juncture, so it was important to adopt certain measures to help with that.

Leylin was happy at the thought of his clone becoming an intermediate G.o.d. After all, the auxiliary chip was under the direct control of the A.I. Chip in his soul. The clone only had a simulated G.o.dfire anyway, so even if the clone wasn’t a real divine body it wasn’t different from one given his control.

*Bzzt!* A special tremble rippled throughout the World of G.o.ds, the energy emanated as a lesser G.o.d advanced to become an intermediate G.o.d. It would be an event noticed by many powerful beings in the past, but now there were few with the time and energy to mind such things amongst the G.o.ds.

The origin force of multiple worlds gathered together, forming a faint, distant hymn. Petals of gold light fell to the ground as Leylin’s Magus body shut his eyes, feeling the benefits of the advancement.

With this clone not being a separate being like, Leylin could feel his advancement himself, to indescribable benefit. Immersed in the energy of the World of G.o.ds, he saw a bunch of notifications from the A.I. Chip.

[Beep! Clone has advanced, currently at rank 12. Cla.s.s rank increased to level 39. The mult.i.tude of divine domains have amplified the power of the clone: +4 to all stats.] [Clone body has undergone ma.s.sive changes. Recalculating stats…]

It wasn’t long before the A.I. Chip with new information.

[Divine Name: Kukulkan, G.o.d of Ma.s.sacre (Controlled by auxiliary A.I. Chip)

Race: Unknown (Intermediate G.o.d)

Alignment: Lawful Evil.

Divine Domains: Ma.s.sacre, Death

Divine Kingdom: First five levels of Baator (nameless).

Divine Rank: 12.

Wors.h.i.+ppers: Natives, Devils, Adventurers, Clerics.

Wors.h.i.+pper Alignments: True Neutral, Neutral Evil, Lawful Evil.

Domain Powers: Ma.s.sacre, Death, Devour

Arcanist Rank: 39. Strength: 33. Agility: 33. Vitality: 33. Spirit: 39. Arcane Energy: 390. Divine Force: 1000. Status: Normal.

Feats: Herculean Strength, Master of Knowledge, Epic Adaptability.

Divine Feats: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Art Amplification, Illusions.

Divine Abilities: Warp Reality, Simulate Reality, Supercomputing]

“Not bad. I still have most of the abilities, and the battle prowess only went up…” Leylin stroked his chin in appreciation.

The clone didn’t just inherit Kukulkan’s abilities and name. It gained two new sills of its own, namely Simulate Reality and Supercomputing. Of course there were also losses, most of his abilities had been transferred to his true body causing it to weaken.

‘Death and Ma.s.sacre, alongside four of the seven sins… I would’ve gotten to rank 17 immediately.But the laws were integrated into my path, it’s already great that I could push up all the way to rank 12…’ Leylin felt rather regretful, but he got over it quickly. Moving along on his own path was far more rewarding than becoming a peak intermediate G.o.d.

With these thoughts in mind, Leylin looked behind his back. The Nightmare Hydra had grown more solid than before, but there was still some illusory darkness around its neck. It seemed like as he walked further on the path of Original Sin, the power of evil from the path grew greater. Only that one part of his path seemed to be missing something.

‘So… l.u.s.t, sloth, and envy, huh?’ The most convenient way for Leylin to obtain the three sins was to steal them from the Archdevils. It was a matter of utmost importance to him.

After all, they were in the midst of a war. This was a precarious situation, and it was hard to say whether some furious G.o.ds or Magi would intentionally slay them to stall his advance. It would then take him up to tens of thousands of years to comprehend them, delaying his entry into the Final War until it ended without giving him any benefits.

He thus made up his mind. The outside world didn’t matter to him; his body would camp within his divine kingdom until he had Baator under control and absorbed the remaining Archdevils.

The outside world now would be facing complete disaster, and n.o.body would bother him at this time. Naturally, this was the best time for him!

“Glasya, Baalzebul, and Mephistopheles…” Leylin muttered the names of his targets, “That will finish off the seven sins, but I also need Asmodeus as well…”

Although the self-proclaimed Supreme of Baator didn’t actually have any laws to his name, he was in fact shrouded by them all, making him a true embodiment of evil. He was the core of Leylin’s path of Original Sin, so Leylin held him in high regard.

“My wors.h.i.+ppers…” the clone declared, “Pick up your weapons! Help me conquer Baator, turning the entire place into a true paradise…”

The clone was still trying to adapt to its current rank, but it didn’t sound different from before. Tiff, Phoenix, and even Isabel who was the closest to him didn’t feel anything changed.

With their Lord’s commands, the entire divine kingdom began to counterattack. Countless devil hunters surged into the Sixth h.e.l.l Malbolge, causing the devils to wail endlessly…