Chapter 82: Preparations for the Ritual

Chapter 82: Preparations for the Ritual

Blue Mountain Island, within a primeval forest.

Verdu Abraham, who had already completed his preparations, was worried that performing the ritual outside the city would draw the attention of official Beyonders. He therefore used a Sealed Artifact to Teleport away from Bayam and arrive at this rarely visited place.

Touching the ribs that had begun to ache again, Verdu removed his classical robe and placed it to one side.

He then arranged the altar, lit the candles, and burned the proper essential oils, hydrosols, herbal powders, and other materials.

Once the preliminaries were complete, Verdu stepped back twice, lowered his voice, and chanted in ancient Hermes:

“Great God of War;

“Symbol of iron and blood;

“Sovereign of turmoil and strife…”

A howling wind rose at once, echoing ceaselessly through the dim forest.

Amid the faint rustling of branches and leaves, two of the candles upon the altar suddenly crackled.

The flames corresponding to them surged in an instant, leaping from “saplings” into “towering trees.”

At the same time, their color shifted from orange-yellow to blazing white.

The wind sweeping through the forest grew fiercer. The two pillars of blazing white flame intertwined and twisted into a vague yet enormous figure.

At that instant, Verdu Abraham felt an indescribable gaze descend from high above and fall upon him.

He hastily lowered his head and said, “Great God of War, this humble believer wishes to request Your aid.”

As he spoke, Verdu kept adjusting his state of mind, striving to remain calm.

—From a certain family text, he had learned that the most important thing to do when praying to the God of War was to tell himself, Do not get angry.

The huge figure formed from blazing white flames constantly spewed streams of fire to either side. In a language Verdu could understand, yet could not identify, it said, “Lowly mortal, gods do not exist to fulfill your wishes.

“Speak. State your request. Whether I grant you aid will be decided by me.”

Verdu had long since drafted his words. After a brief recollection, he said, “Great God of War, how may I allow my ancestor, Mr. Door, Bethel Abraham, to return to the real world?”

“A ritual. A ritual sacrificing a Bizarro Sorcerer, a Secrets Sorcerer, and a Parasite. You should already be aware of this,” the flame giant said in a low, majestic voice.

The same answer as the one given by Dorian’s student… Verdu sighed inwardly and said, “Great God of War, if I wish to ask You to complete this ritual for me, what price must I pay?”

The flame giant looked down at the Astrologer.

“The corresponding price is not something you can pay. Your pale and insignificant soul does not even have the qualifications to become embers.”

Just as Verdu was overcome by disappointment and dejection, the flame giant continued, “But Mr. Door can.

“And besides, I am in a good mood today.

“Offer a portion of your blood to me as the mark of the contract. As for the corresponding price, I will claim it from Mr. Door.”

It can work like that? Verdu instinctively felt some suspicion, but after his thoughts turned, he felt there was nothing wrong with it.

Indeed, only the ancestor Bethel Abraham possessed the qualifications to transact with such a hidden existence as the God of War!

As for whether Mr. Door himself was willing to enter this bargain, Verdu never considered it. In his view, anyone who was exiled and sealed away would undoubtedly long to escape, even if doing so required paying a considerable price.

“Yes, Great God of War.” After a moment’s thought, Verdu’s head grew hot, and he agreed.

He immediately altered the ritual, adding the portions for sacrifice and bestowment. Then, with an iron dagger, he cut open his arm and released some dark-red blood.

When his blood transformed into red “pearls” and passed through the Door of Sacrifice and Bestowment, the space beyond became extremely dark, as though countless monsters were lurking within.

The next second, a mass of something was spat out from behind the illusory door.

It was a semi-transparent lump of flesh, covered in slippery tentacles. On the flesh, one twisted worm after another crawled in and out.

Merely seeing this thing made Verdu’s head swim, as though someone had poured a large amount of paste into his skull.

At that moment, a mote of fire descended and enveloped his body, staining his vision with a layer of crimson.

With the aid of that crimson, Verdu no longer suffered abnormalities from looking directly at the lump of flesh.

Immediately afterward, another mass was spat out by the Door of Sacrifice and Bestowment.

It was a bird with a deformed head. Each of its feathers shimmered with faint starlight, and across its body, worm-like streaks of brilliance burrowed inward and spread outward from time to time.

A Worm of Star… Is this a monster possessing the Beyonder characteristic of a Secrets Sorcerer? The previous one corresponded to a Bizarro Sorcerer… Indeed, “Secrets Sorcerer” and “Bizarro Sorcerer” are merely names of potions. They do not exclusively refer to humans. The same is true of the title “demigod,” unless it is specifically modified with “human”… Verdu had a relatively deep understanding of the pathway he belonged to, and through that, he grasped the current situation.

This meant that the ritual to help Mr. Door escape could use monster demigods corresponding to the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathways as sacrifices. Moreover, Verdu did not need to take action personally; the great God of War had already prepared everything.

This made it nearly impossible for Verdu to suppress the delight in his heart. With great anticipation, he watched the Door of Sacrifice and Bestowment, waiting for the third sacrifice to be spat out.

After only about a second, a mass flew out from the darkness behind the door and landed on the altar.

It was an unconscious crow—or rather, it only looked like a crow. Around its right eye was a black ring. Every feather on its body was almost transparent, and upon them were ring after ring.

“A monster corresponding to a Parasite…” Joy rose in Verdu’s heart, and he began sincerely praising the great God of War.

…

Within the Cathedral of Bones.

“Only divinity remains of you?” Klein asked in a low voice as he looked at the enormous cross ahead.

He believed that relying on a separated identity or personality to revive would inevitably come with certain problems. Even if that identity or personality possessed a true body, true Beyonder characteristics, and some degree of self-recognition, it would not approach perfection.

Adam’s various behaviors had deepened his suspicions on this point.

Seated beside him, dressed in a simple white robe, Adam’s expression did not change. He continued to maintain that sermon-like state.

“Yes.

“Only by becoming one with ‘True’ will I be complete.”

As expected… Klein sighed and said, “Although the True Creator is the embodiment of a negative personality and extreme emotions, He also inherited humanity because of that?”

“That is why He went mad,” Adam said, as though speaking of a stranger.

Klein thought for a moment. While deciphering the remaining contents of the second Blasphemy Slate, he asked, “If you truly become one, which of you will occupy the dominant position?”

“That is what we have been competing over ever since we awakened,” Adam said, releasing the silver cross pendant in His hand.

So that is why you used Amon to obtain the first Blasphemy Slate, hoping to seize the Chaos Sea through it and gain the initiative? Realization dawned in Klein. He gave a slight frown and nodded.

“In this matter, the two of you seem to have quite a tacit understanding. The True Creator has never used your identity as leverage or brought in outside forces to deal with you.”

“This is a matter between us,” Adam replied serenely.

Klein was silent for several seconds. Then he shifted his gaze to the Blasphemy Slate and said, “I keep feeling that the Red Angel’s death, as well as many matters of the Fourth Epoch, were not that simple.”

Klein had been asking and probing not only because he wished to understand more secrets and obtain more knowledge, but also because he was delaying for time, maintaining the current state of interaction.

Compared to being hypnotized by Adam and becoming muddleheaded, or simply falling asleep, he would rather remain conscious.

At this thought, Klein lowered his head again and glanced at the bloodstained wooden stake piercing his chest, feeling that the faint threads of pain it brought were so real.

“Why do you say that?” Adam asked instead of answering, looking as if He might begin praying at any moment.

Klein weighed his words before saying, “Before the Black Emperor’s return, the Solomon Empire only had the True Creator as a true god, as well as the Red Priest Uniqueness. The great nobles and powerful factions who supported Alista Tudor’s independence collectively held the Visionary, Door, Error, and Fool Uniquenesses. Even combined, and even if one includes Ouroboros, that King of Angels, they could not have stood against the six true gods such as Evernight. What’s more, those gods also held the Justiciar and other Uniquenesses…

“Under such circumstances, even if you had not plotted against the Red Angel, no one would have suspected you. Of course, a mad Blood Emperor may have been more useful to you.”

Adam looked at the enormous cross without any change in His gaze.

“You do not understand because you do not know enough.

“In the Fourth Epoch, aside from the three great empires and the true gods and Kings of Angels behind them, active upon the stage of history were also the Demoness Sect, the Moses Ascetic Order, the infiltration from the Abyss, the Artisans developing in secret, and Balam of the Southern Continent.

“Moreover, that was not all. There were quite a few additional factors that could be called crucial.”

Klein nodded thoughtfully.

“For example, the contradictions between the six gods?”

Adam smiled gently.

“More than that.”

Without waiting for Klein to ask again, Adam calmly added, “You should have been to Bansy.”

Klein’s heart stirred. He opened his mouth, yet no words came out.

Adam continued, “In addition, after my fall, the Outer Deities’ corruption of reality clearly deepened.”

…

Above the gray fog, within the ancient palace.

The prayer-point of light representing Bernadette, having received no response, had been swelling and contracting all this time, sending halos rippling outward.

This stimulated the vortex formed from transparent worms. It waved its slippery tentacles in madness, lashing at that spot.

After missing again and again, one of its tentacles finally touched the correct prayer-point of light.