Chapter 1157 – Resurrection
Resurrection
Several years went by in the blink of an eye. Many events came to pass, the most dazzling of which was the battle between the humans and orcs in the north.
Having suffered defeat in the divine war, the orcs retreated between several lost battles. They were eventually pushed all the way back to the Old Silverymoon, with even a natural leader like Saladin unable to reverse the situation.
Old Silverymoon had only survived the assault with its powerful fortifications aided by the Thunder God’s Hammer. Saladin had finally managed to repel Elminster and Alustriel, causing severe casualties to the Silverymoon Alliance and forcing them to withdraw in order to consolidate their strength once more.
However, the damage was already done and the orcs had to recuperate as well. Even if they were ready to fight to reclaim the lost land, they didn’t have the faculties to start another war. The north had thus been split in twain, entering an eerie, unstable tranquility.
Within the wastelands of the combined divine kingdom of the orc pantheon.
Mystra and Tyr had already retreated, but Gruumsh had already suffered. Yurtrus falling alone was more damage than losing a hundred thousand petitioners, even if they hadn’t been the ones to do it.
Leylin’s notoriety had spread amongst the gods once more, causing a new wave of fear and hate. He didn’t bother with that at all, however.
Right after the battle, he met with a person he was familiar with.
“It’s been a long time, Rafiniya,” he said from his throne as he looked down upon his new subordinate, his old friend.
“I’ve given up on my past name, my Lord. Please call me Phoenix— Hellfire Phoenix,” the former paladin said emotionlessly as she knelt before Leylin.
‘Phoenix’ had changed greatly with her fall. She’d grown even more captivating than before, her tender white skin shining with a milky lustre. A pair of beautiful wings sat comfortably on her back, making her look like a fallen angel. Hers was a unique beauty, representative of the aesthetics of the Nine Hells.
“Alright then, Phoenix. Tell me, what do fairness and justice mean?” Leylin asked with a puzzled gaze.
“That answer is my life’s goal,” Phoenix said as she lifted her head, her exquisite face filled with determination. “However, this corrupt, filthy world cannot give me that answer. Equality can only come when the entire world is destroyed and rebuilt from scratch; I shall use my hellfire to purge this dirty world clean!”
“Words of wisdom…” Although Leylin was praising her calmly on the surface, he rolled his eyes inwardly, ‘So now she’s an advocator of the purge? Rafiniya is Rafiniya, even if she’s changed…’ All that didn’t matter, however. Another legendary devil who worshipped him was worth it.
Leylin waved his hand once Phoenix left with a bow, a mirror appearing in his hands that was connected to the prime material plane. A legendary devil hunter appeared on the mirror’s surface, the same one that had travelled with the Neon Merchant Group to the Orc Empire. He greeted Leylin in respect.
“Kukulkan, my Lord, you are the Lord of Massacre, the Keeper of Order. You are the Ruler of Devils….
“I’ve done as you wished, my Lord. The paladins and priests apart from Rafiniya are already dead, their souls trapped in their burning skeletons. I can convert them once they’re transported to the kingdom…”
Leylin’s mirror showed the prayer and report, causing him to nod his head slightly. Rafiniya’s fall was something he’d orchestrated long ago, but a single paladin or priest would’ve been able to stop her from turning when she did. That was why he’d had his devil hunters focus on them, rendering them unable to assist the Lady of Hope. That was how he’d gained a new legendary erinyes in Phoenix.
“You did well. We’ve obtained all we could in the north, and now is the time to return. Leave the necessary information paths and priests, but bring Barbara and the other devil hunters back…” he decreed.
Leylin knew fully well that this incident had put him at odds with both Mystra’s alliance and the orcs. The suppression he would face would soon grow severalfold, and in such circumstances it was better to pull his elites back before he suffered unnecessary losses. If Mystra and Tyr mobilised their forces, he would definitely lose quite a few worshippers.
As a new god, Leylin didn’t have many legendary powerhouses or much wealth to his name. Every one he lost would bite him. Anyway, he’d gotten the law of death he was eyeing in the prime material plane so he didn’t have much he wanted from it now. The faith coming from Debanks Island in his divine kingdom would be enough to sustain him.
Leylin thus retracted his gaze from the prime material plane, racking his brains as he thought about his new law.
‘Massacre and death, a perfect match…’ Leylin had obtained a new level of enlightenment regarding his role as a god, ‘The power of the law of massacre is boosted by the deaths of the enemy… There needs to be a catalyst between all this… Either law can support a greater god, so if I turn this into a cycle…’
Leylin’s eyes flashed with wild ambition. His root was that of a Magus, and with the A.I. Chip and his comprehension of laws he instinctively knew the path he had to take. His future advancements had grown completely clear to him.
Magi started with cultivating spiritual force, before transforming the soul to let them comprehend laws. Even as a mere rank 7, Leylin already saw the silhouette of his path as a peak rank 8. This was an extremely alarming matter to the entire astral plane!
“Death domain…” A dark energy spread out from Leylin’s palace, entering the surroundings. He felt control over the life and death of everything within its increasing range, able to see every organism within.
‘Death is inseparable from the soul. Thankfully I have enough research into the soul that I’m not inferior to the gods…’ Leylin smiled, “A.I. Chip, what’s the progress on the simulation of the law of death?”
[Beep! Law of death comprehension at 50%. Beginning soul simulation with stored data…] the A.I. Chip intoned.
Another notification soon appeared on the Chip’s interface:
[Beep! The law of massacre has influenced the death domain, giving it the Death’s Decree ability.
Death’s Decree: The user of the domain can cause the death of any creature he wills. Those without divine power will lose their lives immediately, and the effects on divine beings depends on their divine rank.]
The A.I. Chip’s powerful calculative abilities had allowed it to derive a new ability immediately.
“The death domain is really powerful…” Leylin inhaled a sharp breath after seeing the results, “Legendary powerhouses without divinity would die immediately, and even their souls will cease to exist without exemption. Even demigods have a fifty-fifty chance of dying…”
Death’s Decree would be rendered useless when facing more powerful gods, but with Leylin’s strength it made for a powerful weapon against the other lesser gods. He had a chance to kill them directly, one that increased the weaker his opponent was. Even more terrifying was that this ability would grow with him, its effects growing more powerful over time!
‘Death’s Decree… What a magnificent ability, Kelemvor has it too huh?’ However, doubt soon filled Leylin’s mind, ‘Wait. I haven’t heard of such a thing about Kelemvor or any of the other gods of death…’
A possibility surfaced in Leylin’s mind, causing him to be elated. ‘Could it be… Only those gods of both massacre and death obtain it, or only if they fulfill some other conditions? If that’s the case, once I finish the law of death won’t I be able to…’