977 - 985

Back to The North

Leylin observed the trace conscient of a peak rank 8 existence. "Your goal is to revive yourself, right? What does that have to do with the Weave?"

"There are three layers to the Weave. The outermost layer is the channel for all spell slots. The inner Weave is a network of faith and divine force for the gods. Lastly, there's the core, which is the ultimate seal where the gods have sealed conscients like me inside. That's also the largest hindrance to us reviving…"

Distorted Shadow sent a spiritual undulation.

"Seal at the core? Conscient fragments? So that's what's at the heart of the Weave…"

Leylin's eyes narrowed, "In that case, there should be many other conscients sealed inside…"

...

*Boom!*

After goodness knew how long, Distorted Shadow automatically dissipated, and the beast hide spell scroll also completely vanished.

This was just a dead conscient, and after showing himself, he could not maintain himself for long.

The seal on the floating city was released, and Leylin sank into deep thought, "Revival? This seems to be getting more serious…"

Now, he felt that he had made contact with the greatest secret of the ancient gods' battle that led to its dusk.

From what was known in the Magus World, the World of Gods had buried numerously mighty ancient Magi of laws, causing huge damage to Magi organisations and leaving them no choice but to withdraw from the World of Gods.

If those rank 7 gods already had the possibility of revival after falling, then this was even more possible for ancient Magi of laws.

Rank 8 and peak rank 8 existences were already beginning to attempt at containing the laws of space and time in their bodies. Even if they were to fall, their truesoul could still sleep in the long river of time and space, and wait for a chance of revival. They would leave behind many conscients and make arrangements to give themselves another way out.

In the World of Gods, which was the battlefield of a large war, this would definitely happen.

Hence, the gods had worked together to develop the Weave. Using power of the entire world, they had gathered all the conscients of the fallen Magi and sealed them at the deepest parts of the Weave, and even formed the Weave Goddess to guard over it.

However, even though the gods had done their best to scour through the world, there were definitely still some that had escaped. Distorted Shadow was the largest one that had gotten away.

Now, after tens of thousands of years, Distorted Shadow had finally found a Magus suitable to deal with this situation. That would be making use of Leylin, who had used Alternate World Reincarnation and arrived in the World of Gods!

The moment he used Calcas' Avatar, the Weave Goddess would immediately fall. Making use of his temporary hold over the weave, Leylin could destroy the seal of the gods and let out the conscients of the ancient existences of laws.

"Dying here in ancient times and still leaving conscients behind in wait for a chance at revival… These are all at least rank 7 Magi of laws…"

Leylin stroked his chin, clicking his tongue as he imagined this.

"While they're a bunch of dead people who are powerless, the mystery of Magi can't be easily understood by the gods. They can probably regain much of their strength in a short time or even completely revive. That would mean the reappearance of the ancient final war…"

"His plan is great, and he seems to have something planned not just in the floating city…"

Leylin's lips quirked in a smile, "Unfortunately… he met me…"

Initially, with Distorted Shadow's laws, he could entirely cast the power of distortion by making use of the conscient and energy in the scroll. That would cause Leylin to unknowingly walk the path that Distorted Shadow had determined.

It was a pity that even the peak rank 8 ancient Magus, Distorted Shadow, knew nothing about the existence of Leylin's A.I. Chip. His main body had reached an unimaginable level and could discover the Magus and even expel him, therefore allowing him to have the upper hand.

Now, the key to starting the final war once again and letting out the conscients of numerous existences of laws were all in Leylin's hands.

The main body of Distorted Shadows had already fallen, and much of his conscients were sealed in the core of the Weave. With Leylin, he could only try to make a trade and entice him to doing what he wanted.

It was a pity that Leylin had no intentions of letting them out.

"I'm too weak… my main body is only a semi-rank 7 Warlock. When it comes to battle might, I'm only comparable to a rank 7 Magus of laws, and I'd find escaping from a rank 8 existence to difficult, much less those peak rank 8s…"

Leylin evidently knew himself well.

The World of Gods was like a playground for him now. Why would he divide it and hand it over to others?

In addition, these methods of causing a life and death struggle would definitely result in an all out counterattack from the gods. Leylin wasn't so eager to please the Magi that he would do this.

"But if I don't do anything, those ancient Magi might do something desperate, so I need to give them some hope…"

Leylin's eyes darted around as he came up with a plan. Having this Calcas' Avatar was an important deterrence and meant that he could turn the tables at any moment!

Even if his identity was found out or leaked, then he could just move on. When faced with a threat like this, it was probably the gods who were more fearful.

"But this is only in the worst case scenario… I have to focus on becoming a god first…"

Leylin pondered inside. He knew clearly what his path was. While he was merely a semi-rank 7 Warlock, successfully becoming a god and receiving his main body to descend here would definitely allow him to advance to a whole new level.

"I've made all the theoretical preparations. I just have to wait for energy to be poured in."

Leylin sighed, "Looks like I'll have to go to the north and spread faith in me as well as prepare to get priests. That's the priority now…"

Trying to become a god as a Legend without help from any god could be said to be insane.

However, after getting the Shade City, Leylin now had the confidence to say this!

The fusion between a great arcanist and a floating city would even cause a true god to tremble!

"Things are dire now, so there's no need to return to the outer sea. I'll go to the north then…" Leylin's eyes flashed and he transmitted a few orders.

The Shade City that was in a spatial turbulence rumbled and, like a huge warship that was ten thousand tons heavy in the sea, split the waves at both sides and pushed the elemental turbulence aside. It began to move at what appeared to be slow but was actually quick pace in a certain direction.

...

The north, at the edges of Sabu Valley.

Noble cavalry with the flag of a viscount unhurriedly moved along, protecting a noble couple within.

There were green wheat fields at the sides. The ears of wheat were being extracted, and farmers caressed them with their two hands lovingly as if watching one's lover, elated at the harvest.

For refugees from the north, obtaining life as it was now had been difficult.

Just surviving from the orc disaster three years ago meant needing protection from the Goddess of Luck, and very few were lucky enough to arrive at human territories. The others either starved to death or were killed by bandits or orc soldiers, and even became rations.

The refugees that survived had no guarantee that they could settle down, as there were far too many of them from the north. This resulted in great pressure for the master of the territories.

Those who had gotten the distributed territories could only weep at the difficulty in dealing with the disaster.

In comparison, the benevolence of this master of the land was enough for these victims to pray to him sincerely.

"The harvests from the newly plowed farmlands aren't half bad. Looks like we'll be able to get through winter…"

The viscount mistress spoke reservedly, glancing past the farmer that had bowed towards her. Only a few lucky ones were fortunate enough to be acknowledged by her by the nod of her head, and she had the air of an arrogant noble lady. Now, she watched her husband.

When it came to her husband, she wasn't satisfied nor dissatisfied. This was a mere transaction.

Thankfully, the people in the organisation had not lied to her and gotten her to marry some old man at death's door. That was something lucky for her.

The Viscount mistress looked at Tiff, who seemed like a middle-aged man, and could not help but sigh deeply.

Recalling what had happened to the north, she could not help but shiver. Those fierce and violent orcs had killed her family and slaves, and she herself had almost fallen into their devilish palms.

While she had been fortunate enough to escape, she had then met a few greedy pigs. Thankfully, with some quick-wittedness and luck, she had managed to keep her family's name and territories. However, almost half of it was gone, but the pitiful lady did not dare hope for more.

"Next… I'll have to give birth to a few children…"

She watched her husband as well as the few cowering maids behind him, looking hostile.

Only the mistress of the territories who gave birth to a male successor had the most secure position. There were already many girls wanting to climb into the bed of the master and get a better life, many of whom had once been nobles in the north.

"Indeed… while we spent a lot, we've finally we've finally settled this batch of refugees…"

Tiff had changed his appearance. He was now nearly two metres tall with bushy eyebrows and large eyes and seemed very masculine. His silver hair was slightly curled but combed neatly, and looked exactly like a traditional middle-aged noble in the north. The poor mistress had no clue that in terms of his real age, Tiff was probably even older than her father. However, if his age was to be considered in comparison with the average for Legends, Tiff was rather young.

However, nobles never cared about age, did they?

"What's wrong, darling?"

She found that her husband looked lost in thought.

"Oh, it's nothing. You can return first. I've gotten someone to call the jewel merchant and tailor to come over. They're going to pick the most beautiful and luxurious gown for you…"

Tiff planted a kiss on his lady's hand and sent her away.

Education

Although she knew her husband was hiding something from her, Tiff's mistress still listened to him. Tiff had great power backing him, which caused her to feel slightly afraid.

With the ability to forcefully snatch something from the northern nobility, he wasn't someone she could spy on.

"Let's go to the village office!" After she left, Tiff brought his soldiers to a building near to the village.

This was the village office, the building Tiff provided for public use. He could take orphans in here, many of which were refugees. It made him look like a benevolent man.

These kids were so young they couldn't work, and they were destined to die of hunger quickly. Usually, nobody outside of the churches would take them in, and the disaster in the north had created an uncountable number of them. The few churches alone wouldn't be able to take them all in.

A black-robed person with a silver mask was standing in front of the village office's wooden door. The moment he saw this person, he greeted him without hesitation.

If anyone else saw the viscount calling someone 'Master,' they would definitely gape in shock. Someone with the authority to have a viscount bend the knee in a bow was a great noble, at least a marquis!

However, the knights behind Tiff did not even blink as they did the same, "Master!"

Most of them were trusted aides that had personally battled with Leylin before. There were also a number of subdued devil worshippers, so they obviously knew who Leylin was.

"You're doing well, Tiff!"

The person who had arrived here was obviously Leylin. Through the astounding speed at which Shade City had moved in the spatial turbulence, he arrived in the north quickly and arrived at his base.

From all he had seen and heard on the way, he was rather pleased with Tiff's recent work.

"Everything is going as per Master's instructions…" Tiff answered humbly.

"Let's enter together! I want to see what you've achieved…"

Leylin waved his arms, entering the office with Tiff.

On the way, there were children, teachers and nannies around bowing towards Tiff. By the looks of it, he had amassed a great reputation.

In private, Tiff continued to transmit to Leylin, "In order to avoid the priests and reduce expenditure, we only have five village offices like this. We've taken in almost a thousand children, and the average age is from 9 to 12, which is the prime time to educate them…"

Tiff now brought Leylin to a window, through which many yellow wooden desks and chairs could be seen. Tens of young girls listened attentively as a scholar taught. There were simple letterings on the black board, which meant this was a class to teach them how to read. This scene immediately had Leylin recalling the schools in his previous world.

"In addition, after seeing that we're giving them an education, some peasants have gotten their children to come and listen as well. I've agreed to that…"

Leylin listened closely, nodding occasionally as he saw the glint in the children's eyes within the classroom. That was hope!

"After studying for a while, the children who are believed to have the aptitude and perseverence will enter the higher-grade…"

Tiff brought Leylin deeper into the office. Nearby, Leylin could sense undulations from powerful beings monitoring the area, which meant security was tight.

"Divine studies… is a class about the gods. Here, I would like to introduce you all to a god, whose godly name is Kukulkan…"

...

"Praying and meditation are compulsory courses for priests…"

The things being taught here were somewhat immoral, which was why the students were all orphans who had been trialled and would stay here. They used something like primary school education as a model.

The scholars who passed down the information all wore black uniforms, and there was something about their aura that was contradictory to their roles.

After seeing Leylin, they immediately trembled and made to greet him, but Leylin waved his arms to stop them.

Exactly. These people who were instructing children with aptitude to become priests had all been devil followers, and had high priest rankings!

With Tiff's help, Leylin had long since subdued all followers of gluttony in the north.

He then did a round of selections and allowed only those who had gone through several trials and were truly loyal to nurture the future reliable priests!

Yes, all of those village offices and the education provided was all a pretense! In actuality, this was about selecting children and nurturing numerous priests. These would be the people providing Leylin with energy to become a god!

Something like this was far too sensitive, which was why Leylin had no intentions of doing this in the outer seas on his own territories. Here, there was no issue.

Firstly, due to the invasion of the orcs in the north, many refugees had lost their homes. The situation was very complicated and could be said to be a disaster. That had resulted in a large number of orphans, and turned into the best natural circumstances for Leylin.

Tiff being a Legend, those teaching the advanced parts being devil followers Leylin had subdued and the place where all this happened being Tiff's land, Leylin could do anything and create layers of seals that made it difficult for information to spread.

Most importantly, even if discovered, Leylin could just abandon this place. He could just cut off all ties easily, but there would be no damage to his foundation!

By the looks of it, Tiff was doing very well.

"We're limited by the qualified teachers we have as well as secrecy. This is the limits of what we can do…"

Tiff looked a little ashamed, evidently because he was unable to do more for the feathered serpent god, Kukulkan.

"That's alright. You're already doing very well…"

For the gods, the faith from priests was an essential part. They were beings that would be the prime mode of communication with followers, which was why they were very important. Outstanding priests had to be learned scholars and even needed to have some grace. Whether it was the peasants at the bottom of the hierarchy or nobles who were all about poise, they needed to be able to deal with all these people well.

These were all seeds!

Once the church stopped being in the shadows and came to the light, the other students might not become priests, but they could also be workers at the church. They would be the core strength of the church.

In this age, it was not so easy to have elites who possessed knowledge. If loyalty was required as well, then there was no way but to nurture them the whole way.

The inverted image of the Targaryen appeared in Leylin's eyes, causing Tiff to kneel reverently.

"My divine class has been expanding and is beginning to touch upon the domain of slaughtering. The prayers should also change slightly, including information to do with killing…"

Leylin now looked very much like a oracle, like some powerful being had possessed him.

"Understood, my master! You are the stars in the sky, and the serpent of the world that will devour everything. Murder shall be your sharpest sword…"

Tiff had lived for many years after all, and with just a moment, he managed to come up with a prayer.

This was obviously something temporary. There would need to be divine scholars and high-ranked priests to discuss and refine it, before leaving it to Leylin to make a decision.

After all, this was something important and could even change a god's factiond domain, as well as the start of a godly war.

However, Leylin was now doing something very sneaky anyway, so he couldn't really care less.

"Mm, notify me once everything's confirmed. Also, prepare a quiet room for me and then summarise all the information gathered regarding the north…"

"Understood!"

Tiff respectfully withdrew, though his eyes now showed his excitement, "Is he finally making a move?"

He had always been the most enthusiastic about expanding the feathered god, Kukulkan's organisation.

While he had tried his best to hide it, taking in a thousand children and providing them with the chance at an education was astounding. With some hidden context, the nobles of the north were now fearful.

In the shadows, there was already a powerful resistance both in the shadows and in the open. Tiff knew that it was impossible if he wanted to expand here. The only method would be to force the way through!

Leylin's actions pointed to making a huge ruckus, which caused the hot-bloodedness in Tiff to rise.

...

"Hm, looks like the orc empire and werecreature tribes reconciled…"

Tiff moved quickly. After enjoying a great dinner that was made with the style of the north, Leylin quietly skimmed through intel regarding the north in his study room with the rays from magic lights.

With the A.I. Chip's help, he could read the documents incredibly quickly. With a slight glance, he could practically read ten lines and did not need any rest.

It was only after he put down the last piece of parchment that Leylin closed his eyes slightly, the information forming a network and showing him what had happened after he left vividly.

The largest change to the north was obviously the orc empire, formed from the remains of the Silverymoon Alliance.

Under Emperor Saladin's lead, the orcs stepped into the human's northern district that their ancestors never had the ability to do, and formed an empire of their own. Saladin's reputation amongst the orcs shot through the roof, and he could possibly become a god.

While the orc empire worked hard, the orc gods had also obtained immense benefits, especially the orc god Gruumsh. It was said that he had advanced in the path of the greater gods, and there were a few other orc gods who had increased their rank, becoming a lesser god to an intermediate god, which boosted the orc gods' strength by a large extent.

On the other hand, the resistance that the orc gods had also increased.

Not only did the greater gods, Weave Goddess and Tyr become their arch enemies, there were also the human gods who believed that the orcs were powerful enough that they needed to be kept under control.

Benedict

The orcs were the ones who'd instigated the war, and on top of that they'd committed such a huge atrocity afterwards. The elven and halfling gods would not support them much. They thought the orcs too ruthless, and developed a desire to contain them.

This put the orc gods in a predicament. If it continued without end, they would likely only be able to find allies from the abyss or the hells.

This was why the orcish gods went all out in their search for new blood, especially the Blackblood Tribe in the Moonwood and the God of the Hunt, Malar. Orcs and werecreatures weren't much different, and they even looked rather similar.

On top of that, Malar's original form was that of a huge ape-like monster, so there was a high chance of him joining their side. With their tough situation, the orc gods would be relentless in their pursuit of this chance.

The decision from up above ensured that the orc empire tried to befriend Blackblood Tribe. They'd only be making a din in the dark forest at most, and with the territories that the orc empire now had, it wouldn't be too much trouble to give them that land.

While orcs were the majority, there were still an astounding number of humans left in the north. After all, only the human race could measure up to them in terms of their rate of reproduction. The effects of the humans' reign over so many years were not so easily removed.

In reality, despite the establishment of an orc empire many places weren't under their control. There were even a few armies hidden in the corners of the north, giving Saladin a headache.

With all the racial conflict, these rebel armies received the support of multiple organisations both in public and in the shadows. They'd won a few battles and liberated some cities, leaving the orcish armies up to the ears in work.

"While there's a revolt from the humans in the north, this is all guerrilla warfare, and there isn't a real leader and flag. This makes Alustriel key…"

Leylin finally understood why the church of justice would begin a plan to reclaim the kingdom now. Some time ago, the orc empire's strength had been concentrated and been difficult to deal with. Things were different now though, since taking over land and completely occupying it were very different things.

They were now scattered across the northern lands, making the orc army thin out. It was no wonder that just a guerrilla band could achieve victory so easily.

Tens of years later, the people of the north might succumb under the government of the orcs and completely forget about Alustriel. After all, the adaptability of humans was fairly terrifying.

Having seen this all, Leylin could not help but shake his head.

'Tsk tsk… Even though they've grasped a good opportunity, it'll be difficult to completely reclaim the kingdom.' Based on his deductions, Alustriel being able to establish a few bases to go against the orc empire was already rather impressive.

"The church of justice will recruit legendary beings, probably not just to deal with Saladin but also the avatars of the orc gods…"

Leylin's eyes glinted as he quickly went through the pros and cons.

"I now have too little information, so I can only consider working with them after meeting Rafiniya and other Legends…"

Rubbing at his temples, Leylin pondered over his next course of action before leaving the room.

"Master…"

Next to the door, there were two pretty maids that had been waiting for a long while who quickly knelt down.

Leylin could smell the scent of a purebred Pleasure Devil on them. However, their eyes were now filled with adoration and reverence for him.

After all, Leylin's soul essence was practically like half a devil archduke.

All devils who sensed his abstruse and dark strength would naturally do all they could to get close to him. This was an instinct of devils at all times, imprinted deeply into their genes.

"Hm, not bad!"

Leylin had no plans of being a saint now and placed his arms around the beautiful female devils who were like sisters, and entered the bedroom…

The next day, having removed his other appearance and regained his looks as a wizard, Leylin entered the outer parts of Yorkshire's church of justice.

"I'm here to see Rafiniya. This is the token she gave me."

Leylin passed a n emblem that was gold on one side over. On the base that was like a shield, there was a cross sword and image of a rose.

"Please wait a moment. I will pass on the message for you!"

The church guard's eyes widened. Leylin's aura immediately made him feel like he was seeing someone important like the king. He was also in wizard robes, and the power that signified more than shocked him. Hence, he presented himself politely.

The guard who went in returned very quickly, though this time, he bowed so deeply that his nose practically touched the ground, "Welcome, esteemed wizard Leylin! Paladin Rafiniya is now away, but we have already informed her. We believe she will return soon… Many apologies for this. Please take a short rest in the church…"

The guard was actually trembling inside in fear. This was a legend! The pinnacle of strength in the continent, and even a legendary wizard at that!

As the youngest legend, and one that had become one in the most difficult path of a wizard, Leylin's reputation had long since spread in the continent. However, there were few who had actually met him.

"Fine. Lead the way."

Leylin entered alongside the guard, and upon entering through the doors, a few people hastened over, evidently to receive hi.

"Oh, Leylin, my friend! We finally meet…"

Next to the white-robed bishop of the God of Justice, Leylin saw another noble. His astounding memory caused Leylin to freeze for a second, and then put on a smile while going forward.

"Marquis Lancet! Long time no see…"

The noble who had come along with the bishop to meet Leylin was the one who held power over Yorkshire, and the one that had split the territories of a few unlucky noble families, Lancet.

"After hearing the beautiful birdsong from skylarks this morning, I knew something great was going to happen. I didn't expect it would be your arrival…"

Lancet now had a sincere smile on his face. He had a vivid memory of this kid who had gotten a position as a viscount during the feast of the dividing of lands in the north. Tiff, who he was helping, seemed to be doing something strange, but that wasn't important!

Leylin was now a legend! It was impossible to go wrong with improving their relationship. Actually, Marquis Lancet was already regretting not giving Leylin more.

"But… who would have known that he would become a legend in a few years?"

Lancet observed Leylin's young face, removing the jealousy deep in his heart with some difficulty and then smiling brightly.

"Also… this is a bishop of the God of Justice, Scholar Benedict, who's also a friend of mine…"

"I express my deepest gratitude for Sire's determination in offering yourself in the name of righteousness… The refugees suffering in the north will never forget your contributions…"

Benedict's voice was kind and resolute, and there was a glint in his eyes unique to those willing to die for their cause.

Leylin had no qualms that if Benedict were to be told that his death would save the lives of all commoners of the north, he would kill himself without hesitation.

It was pity that the people who were the most resolute were also the most troublesome…

"I'm only here because of a promise with Rafiniya. Whether I'll make my move at the end and when I do it is my freedom…"

Leylin had no plans of being careless with this and answered, causing the atmosphere to turn cold in an instant.

"Uh… haha… Whatever it is, having Sire Leylin coming all the way here is already enough… It must have been difficult to come so far. Please get some rest, and you can meet the other comrades later tonight…"

Lancet's mind moved quickly and immediately dispelled the awkward atmosphere.

"Even though he's the youngest legendary, has he already been corroded by reputation and power?"

After Leylin left, great resentment shone in Benedict's eyes. In his eyes, all legends on the continent were the same. They only wished for power and enjoyment, and never did what they should.

There were few willing to sacrifice themselves in the name of justice, and now this seemed to also go for the youngest to become a legend.

"But of course! He became a legendary with much difficulty and reached the peak in the continent. There are countless things for him to enjoy, so what right do you have to make him die for your sake?"

Lancet snickered inside while maintaining a smile on his face, "Sire Leylin just has yet to come to terms with what's going on yet. I'm sure with time, he'll change his mind…"

"Sigh… I hope so! The refugees of the north can't wait for long…"

Bishop Benedict sighed, looking as if he were bemoaning the state of the universe.

"The paladins and priests of the god of justice are all lunatics…"

While already mentally prepared, Leylin had honestly been scared by his naivety. If the bishop was like this, then he could guess at what the clerics were like. They were definitely not people Leylin would like.

"But only a church with such a zealous ambience would attract Rafiniya and have her treat this as her final home…"

Secret Meeting

Leylin sighed inside. A member of the clergy guided him to the back of the church.

Golden sunlight streamed into the room through the windows, showing the motes of dust in the air. Furniture and all other decorations were simple, as was customary in the church of justice.

"If you have any needs, please press the doorbell here. We will await any orders… Also, the meeting with the other lords will be after dinner. Paladin Rafiniya will arrive very soon." The servant that had brought Leylin in withdrew and closed the door.

Rafiniya came quickly. After all, Leylin was a legendary, and it was necessary to show him the required respect. Unfortunately for such a moronic paladin, Leylin had no common topic to discuss with her.

After enjoying a simple dinner, Leylin was guided to a small drawing room. A few masters with powerful auras were lying in wait.

'Are these the other legendaries?' Leylin nodded and headed inside.

The room was rather small. There was a bright red fur rug on the ground as well as a fireplace that was blazing brightly. However, there was no scent of smoke in the air. While this was the north, the room was still as warm as if it were spring.

"You… You must be the rumoured wizard from the outer seas. Leylin, right? You really are very young!"

Leylin's entrance immediately gathered their attention. A long-haired woman wrapped in a red mink fur coat stood up with a kind smile on her face.

"Besides us old geezers of the north, you arrived quite quickly."

She was evidently a legendary, and from the elemental domain power around her, she was a legendary wizard!

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lillian, and next to me here is the paladin of the god of justice, Sire Patrick. Next to the fireplace is the protector of the north, the legendary druid, Alegor."

There were very few legends in the room, numbering only three.

The Queen Alustriel of Silverymoon and her chief scholar, Blu were not around. They were people that Leylin had wished to meet, and this left him slightly disappointed.

"Greetings…"

Of course, Leylin presented himself humbly on the surface and greeted the three of them politely while judging them.

Lillian was a traditional wizard. Undulations from magic items and scrolls were emitted from her body, and there even seemed to be some hidden aura there, likely some legendary item sh had with her. Her battle might was not to be underestimated.

Patrick, on the other hand, was a man of few words and looked rather cold. This actually had Leylin snickering inside. Recalling the legendary paladin that had died at his hands, who had been said to be a judge or something like that, he was sure that the god of justice's church must have been dealt a great blow.

The last one was the legendary druid, Alegor, who was dressed in an interesting manner.

He was a burly man over three metres tall and with a thick brown beard. Next to his fuzzy ears was a pair of large forked horns like that of elks, with some leaves appearing at the tip. This druid did not wear much, and only had some beast hide and leaves that had been used to make an apron. This revealed a hairy and broad chest, which made him seem rather wild.

"Initially, as the protector of nature, I should not participate in these activities. However, those orcs are destroying nature to a terrifying degree, which goes against the most fundamental cycle and harmony here…"

Alegor now looked solemn, giving Leylin all the information he needed in a few sentences.

In general, all druids took on the responsibility of protecting nature. They were strongly against any actions taken to destroy it, and there was even the rise of radicals against this.

After occupying the north, the orcs were doing more damage to the environment in order to obtain more resources and materials.

The queen of Silverymoon had a great relationship with druids, which was why they began reminiscing about the time when she had been in power. It was understandable why they were hard at work here.

"Eye of the North… Protector of nature, as well as a paladin who is comparable to the judge from before…"

Leylin estimated the power they had.

With these the four of them, it was impossible to turn the orc empire upside down, but it was possible to affect the successes or failures of a few campaigns!

In addition, they were only the first batch that had arrived. The true trump cards were still hidden.

'What a pity… Even so, it's not possible to sway the orcs' power in the north. At the most, we can crack their foundations as a kingdom, but unless all the human gods band together, it's impossible to chase them out and restore our power. However, is that plausible?'

While having all sorts of complicated emotions inside, Leylin walked out of the church and into Yorkshire, where it was now night.

While it was late, this place was still rather boisterous. From the dazzling rays from various churches, there were also large oil lamps in front of shops. Some citizens strolled around after dinner, melodious holy songs and prayers sounding in the background. It was leisurely and relaxing.

"But… seems like the effects from the refugees of the north are yet to disappear…"

Leylin found that there was a very high frequency of patrolling, as well as occasional thievery, and he could not help but shake his head.

The surge of residents of the north was the greatest challenge for security. The huge increase in population, as well as entrance of nobility from the north, had increased the price of daily necessities and resulted in many citizens unable to voice their unhappiness.

Actually, the people of Yorkshire did not think well of these refugees. All believed that they had not only stolen their jobs, but were also a huge burden.

Perhaps they knew of a legend's senses and that sending people to monitor him would be useless unless a legendary thief or assassin were dispatched. Leylin strolled around and found that there were no people following him nor any magic for that.

"Of course, perhaps they have assured themselves that with the gods support, I wouldn't be able to do anything against them…"

Leylin shook his head and could not help but laugh, before then turned into a dimly lit alley.

Streams of dark red fog appeared by him, concealing his original aura. It was as if he had turned into a whole other person.

The people around him were all in a flurry, and none discovered this abnormality.

"With dreamforce concealing me, anything monitoring me will be rendered useless…"

Leylin stepped out of the alley that had an illusion hidden within and, as his figure flashed a few times, disappeared from the road.

With Leylin's legendary strength as well as boost from the illusions of dreamforce, it was just too easy to prevent any spying on him.

Light fluctuated, and the next time Leylin appeared, he had arrived in a secret room.

The black fog in the surroundings seemed to be like a huge beast that devoured everything. There was only a yellow light in the centre that emitted bright rays.

A few figures with powerful auras were dressed in black robes, waiting by the light.

"You're early…"

One of the black-robed people spoke to Leylin in a crisp, female voice.

"I never thought you'd have arrangements here in Yorkshire too…"

Leylin watched the female wizard before him. Under the light, she had removed her disguise and revealed her original appearance. This was the legendary wizard he had just seen, Lillian!

"Why did you transmit a message to me right before leaving… and there's these people…"

Leylin looked suspicious.

While this legendary wizard had looked normal during the meeting before, she had suddenly sent him an address at the end, wanting him to come here alone. There were also other powerful beings, and every one of them was a legend.

A gathering like this was definitely not for some sort of banquet.

"I've already set up multiple isolating spell formations. Even if its a god, none can discover our conversation unless their true body were to descend."

Lillian spoke with a smile, eyes seeming to burn, "Do you still not know the reason why we legends have gathered?"

What great plans could there be when a group of legends had sneakily gathered?

If profits were the largest priority, then what could attract these exemplary beings would be ascension to godhood.

Leylin knew this full well and smiled, "Well then, you haven't introduced me to them yet…"

"Keke… Is a little brat who just entered our domain capable of plotting with us?"

At this moment, a black-robed person standing next to Lilian snickered, sounding like an ghostly owl in the night, causing hair to stand on end.

*Boom!*

A tremendous and cold deathly aura with great pressure attacked Leylin in the next instant, like raging waves. There were even cries from maligned souls as well as powerful negative energy, corrosive auras.

The rest of the black-robed beings did not move as they watched on with smiles.

"Is this a probe? As expected, in circles like this in the dark, power is everything!"

With a thought, Leylin's body did not move and allowed the deathly aura to go past him. Many undulations rippled on the wall behind him, but he was completely unharmed.

"What a dense deathly aura… And you are?"

Leylin then smiled at the stunned black-robed person and asked.

"You're capable!" He declared, but did not make any more movements. Evidently, he found Leylin worthy.

Malar

"This is the necromancer, Mallister! He is a powerful death wizard who gained fame 1200 years ago, and has already entered the ranks of a high-ranked legend. It's even said that he's on equal grounds with the lich, Ilyo…"

Lilian introduced him to Leylin, looking astonished, "While that was a slight probe, Wizard Leylin being able to take on the attack so easily means he must have quite a number of secrets…"

"Alright! Since everyone's here, let's begin."

Mallister urged, sounding enthusiastic. The great desire in his tone shocked Leylin slightly.

As Leylin was right now, he had become more sensitive to emotional force. From the excitement of this old wizard coupled with the situation in the north, it was evident that they had huge plans.

"The reason we're gathered here is obviously for the eternity that gods have…"

Lilian spoke softly, sounding just as eager.

Even if they were necromancers, Legends like them who did not turn into liches or spirits could only live for at most a few thousand years. This was a stark difference from the mighty gods in the skies.

As legends, they felt that they did not have any less talent or invest less effort than the gods did. The only thing they lost out in was that they were born too late, which meant they had no opportunities by then.

In this situation, which legend would feel content with staring at the gods up high and in eternal glory?

Basically every single one of them had the ambition to ascend and become a god!

While there were agreements between the legends on the continent as well as rules of churches or organisations, private gatherings like these still happened.

After all, godly roles and positions were all accounted for. To successfully become a god, one or perhaps even a few had to be pulled down!

Even if many legends were to gather, they could at most only beat up an avatar. The true forms of gods in their godly realms were practically invincible.

Hence, it was necessary to wait for a battle between gods! Only when they began attacking each other did the legends have a single chance at obtaining divinity, godspark or even a godly role!

The legends all knew of this possibility, which was why they had gathered.

"I'm sure all of you know the situation with the north. The Weave Goddess and God of Justice have made a deal, so the decision to support Queen Alustriel in regaining her kingdom won't change. There'll definitely be a battle against the orc gods. Based on my intel, other human gods aren't going to do much about this…"

Lilian now looked extremely zealous and ready to make a gamble, "The Weave Goddess and God of Justice are greater gods, while the orc god only has a greater god, Gruumsh. However, he's supported by intermediate and lesser gods. The battle with the two greater gods will soon arrive, which will be an opportunity for us…"

Leylin finally knew why the legends had gathered here. They were counting on the gods getting injured in battle, which would give them the opportunity to obtain divinity or a divine spark.

However, even the weakest true god was not something a legend could deal with. This was not much less difficult than pulling chestnuts out of fire.

However, this matched well with Leylin's goal.

Hence, his lips quirked in a smile, "A good choice… Well then, may I know what your targets are?"

"We obviously won't put any hope on the three greater gods. Wizard Mallister is only interested in divinity and divine roles that have to do with death. He's only requesting the divine force amassed from the avatars as well as any divine weapons that might appear…"

Lilian did a brief explanation and then looked at him, "How about Sire Leylin? Do you have any goals?"

"Me?"

Leylin rubbed his nose, "As I am now, I don't think I can ask for much. I'll go along with what you do. All I want is a trace of the divine force from a true god…"

"For ordinary legends, that is a very good choice…"

Mallister gave Leylin a long look.

For most legends that wanted to become gods, they first needed to amass followers and faith, and then attempt at comprehending a law. By combining that with faith, divine force would be formed.

It was a pity that this was the most difficult part!

Even in the Magus World, Morning Star Magi could not get past the hurdle of laws. Only after becoming a rank 6 Breaking Dawn Magus and after a soul became completely positive could one start to comprehend laws.

In the World of Gods, while there was the power of faith as a cheat, actually getting past the hurdle was very difficult.

However, stealing a trace of divine force would be able to solve this problem, allowing one to get past the threshold of laws. This was a huge temptation for legends.

"Then… which god are you aiming for?"

Lilian asked.

"Probably Malar…" Leylin brought up the name of this unlucky person. This was one of the gods that had been mentioned in the discussions before.

"Mm, that matches up with our original plan. There aren't any conflicts either. After I get back, I can use my influence and have you join in the operation to attack Malar's avatar. Of course, you'll have to mention your interest here…"

She nodded.

The God of Hunt, Malar, was a very good choice considering the plan.

There was no other reason than that Malar was but a lesser god and the weakest of all. This was the most important, because the legends were not that confident that they could take down the avatar of a greater god.

Secondly, Malar was not an orc god and merely an ally. He would not have too many reinforcements with him.

Thirdly, and also most importantly, he was an evil god! There were no risks of tarnishing of one's reputation for eliminating him, and might even get a good name of being righteous and all that.

In addition, the faith in him was underwhelming. Besides the werecreatures, there were only a few intellectual beasts. He had few powerful beings he could truly make use of.

With all these factored in, the tragedy that Malar would become was obvious.

Leylin had been eyeing Malar's divine force for a long time.

Initially, with his strength, the scale of the followers and his comprehension of the law of Devour, he should have been able to produce a trace of divinity of gluttony or devour.

Unfortunately, these two were too obvious in that he could easily be associated with Beezlebub.

Beezlebub had only just fallen into a deep sleep, and if Leylin were to suddenly appear, the gods would definitely start making associations. Gods were no fools and, on the contrary, were extremely intelligent. It was just that they were sometimes influenced by their godly roles and the emotions from it.

"Beezlebub and the other archdukes in hell are all targets for me to kill in the future, but not now…"

Leylin stroked his chin as he pondered.

Besides this choice, he had few others. After all, this also had to be compatible with the path as a rank 8 Magus that he would take.

"My path must contain emotional force and the vileness of all living things. With dreamforce being used as the base, I will then contain the law of space and time…"

"With this foundation, the only thing compatible with the might of devils can only be massacre and death…"

"The temptations of devils will definitely give rise to massacre and death. After fusing them, it will form the most basic sin!"

He had a number of things restricting him due to his goal, and he therefore had little choice. The only two paths possible for him were massacre and death.

These two godly duties were very powerful, and it was not advisable to provoke gods who grasped these roles.

The one controlling death was the greater death god Kelemvor, as well as the god who had relations with both massacre and death, the God of Murder, Cyric. They were both greater gods.

If Leylin had plans to go against these two's divinity, Leylin felt he would be better off looking for a better method in death.

Besides these two, there was only Malar, with the role of hunt, that somewhat had relations with the law of massacre.

If it was said that a full godly role meant having 100% comprehension of a law, then there would only be at most 10% of divinity. For the godly role of hunt, this obviously included 'pursue', 'slaughter' and many others that would make up around 80%, as well as other miscellaneous laws.

On this basis, even powerful intermediate gods could easily obtain the divinity of massacre and pursuit from his avatar.

While Leylin's ranking in terms of strength was slightly lacking, he was still a Magus of laws. It wasn't that troublesome to separate and change the power of divinity that he required.

"If I really have to form a trace of divinity for massacre, it'll still take me a decade even with prayers from my followers…"

Leylin sighed.

It would take a decade just to obtain divinity, much less ignite his godflame and obtain a godly role or becoming a true god.

While this speed would otherwise be astonishing, Leylin was still unsatisfied.

Ever since he met Distorted Shadow, he had been feeling very nervous.

Since Distorted Shadow wished to revive himself and had his conscient survive for tens of thousands of years, he definitely had more up his sleeves than just the taboo arcane spell Leylin had. There had to be other pawns.

The moment he did not make a move quick enough, Distorted Shadow would definitely show his trump card.

Distorted Shadow was an ancient peak rank 8 Magus! In comparison, Leylin was like an ant and the passive party.

Hence, it was necessary that he come to the north and obtain a trace of massacre divinity.

After obtaining it, legends could become more sensitive to one's followers' prayers, and the speed at which faith and divine force was amassed would quicken.

"From divinity… and then igniting godflames to become a demigod… And lastly getting a divine role to ascend and become a true god!"

The system of advancement in the World of Gods was clear.

Trap

Dark forests blocked the sky, hindering all light. All sorts of twisted branches lay on the ground, the dried out old bark black as if they were the arms of devils and demons. It caused the forest to seem sinister and frightening.

This was a famous area in the north, the Moonwood. After the orcish empire was established, the Blackblood Tribe took this place over. All intruders were killed upon entry.

However, a black-robed wizard was now walking indifferently through the forest, and the werecreatures and mutated beasts didn't even seem to see him as they walked straight past him.

"Moonwood, Blackblood Tribe… It's been a long time." Leylin observed the familiar terrain as scenes of his time at Silverymoon appeared vividly in his mind. Still, it was but a tiny section of his long life, and he regained his indifference once more.

Making his way to a cave, Leylin seemed to walk through some barrier to disappear inside. He then heard an impatient voice ringing by his ear, "You're late."

Two figures showed themselves from within the darkness. These were legendaries he'd seen before, the druid Alegor and Lillian. The Paladin Patrick was around as well. Surprisingly, the four of them had taken on a mission together since they'd met, as if something like fate was pulling the strings.

"My apologies… I needed some time to make preparations…" Leylin answered apologetically, "We're dealing with a true god. While this is only an avatar, we need to be ready…"

The others did not retort, evidently accepting his explanation.

"If your side is done, what's next is Patrick's side…" Lillian continued, as if implying something.

Indeed, this group of legendaries had planned to kill the God of the Hunt, Malar. After their secret meeting, a few of the other legendaries who 'wished for justice' had been called in. They had joined in on this project, which included many faces Leylin had seen in the secret meeting.

Although they knew these legendaries weren't pure of mind, the church of justice and Queen of Silverymoon still accepted them. After all, Alustriel lacked the power to rebuild her kingdom and was in urgent need of help from these powerful beings.

As for their motives? Mystra and Try may have known what was going on, but they did not pay much attention. After all, even gods had to reward legendaries if they ordered them around. Most of them kept one eye closed to legendaries coveting divinity or divine spark. After all, these gods were using their power for their own gain as well.

It wasn't as if there were no legendaries with divine force on the continent, but it was only a minor boost to their strength. They wouldn't ascend to godhood even in hundreds or thousands of years.

Divinity was just the first step on the path to becoming a true god. They had to ignite their godfire, obtain a divine domain. All this was even more difficult. Besides, the avatars of gods were not so easily dealt with. Leylin and the rest would have to be amazingly lucky to get even a thread of Malar's divinity.

In general, the two greater gods were more at ease even with Leylin and the other legendaries plotting against them. However, they had no clue about the kind of terrifying thing that had entered this group, definitely becoming a huge variable in their plans.

"Good. Once we set up the greater isolation array, even a god's avatar will lose a part of its strength. The trap has been set, what's next is to wait for the prey to walk in…" Lillian spoke softly.

The gods were very powerful. Even mere demigods were immune to spells, and even Leylin's Timestop spell would be useless against them. The same could be said for lower-ranked spells. What they would face now was just an avatar, but they still held a trace of the might of the gods. They were immune to spells below rank 7, maybe even rank 9. They also possessed all sorts of unimaginable buffs to their bodies and regeneration.

Even with all their traps and plans, Leylin and the rest would be facing a terrifying peak legendary monster!

"Is it alright at Patrick's side? Are you sure Malar would be so enraged as to send his avatar down?" Leylin frowned.

A god's avatar was basically their most powerful body in the prime material plane. Avatars and true bodies were also closely related, and the avatar's elimination would damage the true body itself to a degree. He was honestly rather skeptical of whether the prey could be lured out.

'Come to think of it, Malar is quite unlucky. Legendaries like us are coveting his power, but on top of that even the church of justice won't stand his existence…' As a lesser god allied with the orcish gods, Malar was a huge target. Even without Lillian pushing for it the church of justice had determined that he was to be eliminated.

At the start of time, it was very common to weaken an opposing god through a battle of their avatars. Leylin had his eye on Malar's divinity, so he naturally didn't hesitate to join in on this mission. Rafiniya was rather gratified, thinking that Leylin had separated himself from some sort of vulgar interests and made his mind up to join the mighty project of saving the north.

"There's no problem. The Blackblood Tribe should be holding a legendary hunting ceremony right now to please Malar… Records state that this ritual is very important to him. If it's interrupted, he will immediately become enraged… And if his followers and subordinates fail to find the person who caused this, then there's a large possibility of him sending his avatar down…" Lillian did not hesitate when mentioning Malar's name, not even trying to avoiding it.

They now had two powerful greater gods on their side, which was enough to shield them from Malar's senses. This would allow him to enter the trap without having his guard up.

*Roar!* *Rumble!* Meanwhile, large sounds and violent tremors could be felt through the boundaries. Even with the great distance and layers of weakening, there was still a huge ruckus in the cave. Leylin and the others immediately twitched.

"It's begun." Chaos reigned as the cries of werecreatures closed in. Evidently Patrick had succeeded in stopping the ceremony, and he was now being pursued.

"Get to your spots and make sure the connection is good so you can hear my commands." Lillian's eyes glinted as her body turned into a soil puppet that soon crumbled. Her true body had already left.

"The time to get rid of the disharmony in the dark forest has arrived…" The legendary druid Alegor muttered and left, his large beast body as agile as an elf in the trees.

"What a spectacle! Looks like Patrick really riled up these werecreatures quite a bit…" After opening up the teleportation gate, Leylin narrowed his eyes, watching the werecreatures that filled the grounds. These beings that were very similar to the orcs now had reddened eyes as they pursued a white streak of light.

*Roar!* At the moment, there was a black ape-like creature over five metres tall in front of the werecreature team. Its scales reflected a metallic luster, and claws with rough, long nails ruthlessly pushed apart everything in its way.

*Swish!* It was as if the air was cut and pushed away, creating an intense blast.

"Hah! Holy Light Protection!" The figure amidst the ray of light suddenly turned back, a large sword that seemed to be made of crystal emitting holy light to form a large wall. A large figure seemed to clash against the pursuers.

*Boom!* The trees and soil were shaved off, sending numerous weaker werecreatures flying. Making use of this opportunity, the paladin darted to Leylin's side and took a breath, "Be careful, they're coming…"

"You even lured out a legendary Hunter. What did you do?" Leylin was rather curious about how the paladin had achieved this effect. He instantly recognised that the monster following right behind the paladin in a crazed state was something mutated by Malar, a guard of his divine kingdom. It was a Hunter!

Unlike the previous monsters, though, this one had already become legendary. Even Leylin himself would find it difficult to take this being down.down.

"Hehe… I just stole all of the legendary blood that the Blackblood Tribe has amassed. There's this too!" The paladin Patrick tossed a large ape head away. This was obviously a legendary hunter as well.

Seeing this, the werecreature soldiers grew more fervent in their pursuit. They roared as they pounced, like they'd seen a mortal enemy. Which was the case anyway. Since the ceremony had been interrupted, Malar was now enraged and had even devoured a few high-ranked priests. Those were people he usually liked a lot….

If they could not capture these sinners and sacrifice them, there was a possibility that Malar would give up on all the werecreatures here. After all, what did anyone have to say to someone who was half a beast?

"If we wipe out all these soldiers, he'd probably send his avatar down, right?" Leylin nodded in approval, and then unhesitatingly cast a spell.

Blazing rings of fire immediately lit up around him, causing the skies in this region to darken. Traces of red emerged from dark clouds, as lava fell like raindrops.

Legendary spell, Skyfire Rain!

Bait

*Drip! Drip!* Droplets of lava the size of human heads fell from the sky, bringing with them the burning power of fire. Under their glamour and beauty, they hid a terrifying might.

The earth kept rumbling, and each contact between the lava and the ground caused explosions that formed huge pits. The surrounding forest was also set aflame, resulting in a horrifying sea of fire.

The werecreatures seemed tiny in this fire. Even if they'd only been touched by a bit of it, their oily skin lit up like they were torches.

The wails of the werecreatures resounded as an overpowering charred smell permeated the air. Paired with the vast sea of fire, it was as if this was the end of the world.

"The destructive power of a legendary spell really is immense. It's no wonder that the legendary council on the continent made it taboo…" The paladin Patrick was obviously shocked as well. While he could easily kill a legendary Hunter, his area of effect was nowhere as terrifying as this was.

Thousands of werecreatures were burnt to ashes in a single attack, and many more suffered grievous burns. With no priests to heal them, their contaminated wounds would lead to certain death.

"Now isn't the time to watch." Leylin pointed his finger. A few black figures that overcame the flames soon arrived before them.

Leading them was the legendary Hunter, but it was evident that Leylin had focused quite a bit on it. The Skyfire Rain had been aimed at it, and much of its scales and fur had been burnt. Bones were jutting out of some parts of its body, creating a terrifying sight.

Behind the Hunter were a few werecreatures who looked just as pitiful. The fur and beards on their faces were mostly burnt off, and they were now watching Leylin and the paladin with vigilance.

One of them, evidently an older priest, stood out and stared straight at Leylin. Its gaze contained a hatred that was etched into the bones, "Legendary wizard of the outer world, we of the Blackblood Tribe don't seem to have dealt with you. Why do you suddenly hinder our holy sacrifice, and even harm our people?"

Patrick had been ignored. With the difference in their factions, the two groups were natural enemies anyway, so what more was there to be said?

"I used to work for Silverymoon," Leylin answered. He was smiling slightly, but felt a twinge of pity inside him. Even with the bonus of being an arcanist and his other skills, large-scale legendary magic still didn't cause much damage to the truly powerful.

Blue light shone in Leylin's eyes, 'This is just a ranged attack after all. A single target spell would've taken one of them down forever…'

"So you're one of Alustriel's people!" the old werecreature exclaimed. The Blackblood Tribe had stood on the side of the orcish empire, so they were now the arch nemeses with Silverymoon. The werecreatures had all heard that the Queen of Silverymoon was preparing to reclaim her lands, so there was no need for discussion anymore.

"So that's why you're against us. Indeed, that conflict can't be settled…" the old priest muttered, his eyes turning bloodthirsty, "But while you did interrupt our holy ritual, you've provided us with even better sacrifices. The lives of two legendaries should be enough to appease our master. Get them!"

The priest roared, and the legendary Hunter finally had an outlet for its impatience. It leapt out, leaving a large pit on the ground. Cracks spread like spider webs in all directions as the creature barrelled towards Patrick like a cannonball, its terrifying poisonous claws striking down on the paladin's head.

"We need to show overpowering might. If not, it'll just be more powerful werecreatures…" At this moment, Lillian's voice sounded by Leylin's ear. It seemed like she and the druid were still concealed, as if the most patient of predators waiting for their prey.

"That's what I like!" Lowering his eyes, Leylin exuded a murderous aura.

Banshee's Wail! A piercing shriek that seemed to emerge from the very soul burst forth, the sound spreading in all directions to freeze everyone's thoughts for a moment.

"Now's the time. Greater Binding!" Leylin's hands moved like he was a professional bard, constantly pulling at the strings that were the elements in the Weave. Dazzling spell rays emanated from his body.

*Roar!* The legendary Hunter seemed to be bound by some invisible force in mid-air, and it was left stuck in that position.

"All evil shall be persecuted, Divine Trial!" The paladin had finally gotten his chance. He'd arrived in front of the Hunter with his crystal sword enveloped in holy white light. His eyes burned with platinum flames.

Clean Break! The legendary Hunter's scales and energy defences were split apart by the paladin's sword like it was a hot knife slicing through butter. Blood spurted in all directions as a giant head fell to the ground.

Their proficient techniques and teamwork allowed Leylin and Patrick to instantly take care of the legendary creature. This amount of strength evidently surpassed the imaginations of the higher-ups amongst the werecreatures, and the legendary priest resolutely placed his hands in his bosom, as if about to pick out something.

[Beep! Based on energy undulations and judgment of shape, chances of opponent taking out sacrificial dagger are 99.99%. Divine force sacrifice will begin in 0.27s.] The A.I. Chip's robotic voice sounded, and the prediction caused Leylin to move quickly.

A mysterious light swept forth from his hand, disregarding all defence in an attempt to strike the old priest head on.

The priest stared at his hand blankly. The gorgeous dagger that had once been there had cracked apart, to the point that there wasn't even a handle left.

Legendary arcane spell, Great Disjunction! Even a divine weapon would suffer the wrath of this arcane spell, much less normal items of the mortal world. That was not all. The old priest's necklace, his staff filled with divine force, his beast teeth, and all sorts of magic artifacts that were brushed with exemplary strength were all broken apart.

'As expected of an arcanist legacy. Even just Great Disjunction and Timestop can allow me to do whatever I wish amongst legendaries…'

Although Leylin had a few standard legendary spells, they couldn't compare to the arcanist legacy he held. He had even gotten himself a floating city! He had all the arcanist secrets and spell models he wanted.

"This strength…" It wasn't just the werecreatures that were surprised by Leylin's strength. Even his allies in Patrick, Lillian, and Alegor were shocked in secret.

'How can he have so many high-ranked and legendary spell slots? Could he be a lover of the Goddess of the Weave? No, that's not it. There's another possibility… Arcane spells!' Lilian's eyes burnt with fervour, 'His attainments in arcane spells far exceeds my expectations. It's already at an inconceivable level…'

As a legendary wizard, she too had performed research on arcane spells and obtained a few low-ranked arcane spell models. She definitely knew that this would allow her to cast more spells.

It was a pity that there were few she had seen who had obtained and could use legendary arcane spells easily. They were all old freaks who had lived for thousands of years, none as young as Leylin!

'No wonder he advanced so quickly. So he's already grasped some secrets of the ancient arcanists?' Lillian pondered inside, thinking she'd unraveled Leylin's secrets.

Leylin had expected this, though. He paid little mind to it, for the leak of information was intentional. After all, it wasn't taboo for legendary wizards to perform research on arcane arts, and he was just skirting the line slightly. The more strength he revealed, the more he could do.

"Why are you still standing there? Go!" Like now, for instance. The dazed paladin listened to Leylin's commands subconsciously, charging towards the few remaining powerful werecreatures, who were at a loss.

Meteor Explosion! Bigby's Crushing Hand! With the paladin attacking, Leylin used his terrifying control over spells and took care of the situation in an instant.

By the end, Patrick's mind seemed to crash as he saw Leylin rendering the last of the werecreatures to dust. 'Such a violent yet refined method of battle, as well as that last fight, is even more crazy than a berserker… Is he really a wizard?'

"Be prepared. Now's the true test!" Leylin reminded him with a serious expression.

The paladin turned grim as he glanced at the Blackblood Tribe. A terrifying roar resounded in the area, containing great amounts of fury. Seeing so many of his subordinates dead, Malar could no longer take it. He sent his avatar to take the stage!

Malar's Avatar

Howls and roars echoed in the area. Many high-ranked werecreatures had gathered around a central altar in the Blackblood Tribe's lands, chanting hymns of praise to Malar. Group after group of high-ranked captives were slaughtered before the altar, their fresh blood dripping into the pool of blood at the center.

Prior experience told these priests that a large-scale blood sacrifice would soothe the God of the Hunt. He would even bestow great divine grace on them.

Now, however, Malar's fury did not cease. He only grew more violent with every blood sacrifice, like a distant cloud of volcanic ash brewing to its peak.

A terrifying roar rang out, and an avatar rose abruptly from the altar. A powerful suppressive pressure originated from its soul, which made the priests prostrate themselves on the ground. They prayed for Malar's fury to swiftly be quelled.

It was a great pity that the God of the Hunt did not listen to the prayers of his worshippers. More roars reverberated through the altar, and the blood pool rippled violently as if in a storm. It immediately engulfed the trembling captives and priests.

"It's our Lord! Our Lord's avatar is about to descend…" The other priests who had fortunately been spared from the wave fell to their knees in succession. They began to chant prayers to their god.

A foot stepped out of the central altar at this moment, clad in golden fur. The atmosphere seemed to freeze in that moment, and the air was charged with a stifling and oppressive feeling.

The golden figure slowly walked out into the full view of the worshippers. It was an enormous and powerful monster that stood over ten metres tall, looking like a cross of man and ape. Its body was covered in swathes of scales and hair, and fierce claws grew from its hands.

Its body glowed with a faint golden aura, making the enormous ape creature look like the darling of the entire world. It seemed to be an existence at the core of the world!

This was an avatar of the Lesser God of the Hunt, the protector of hunters and werecreatures. It was an avatar of Malar the Blackblood Beast, completing its descent into the prime material plane.

It possessed divine grace as boundless as the sea, divine might as stifling as a prison cell. All the werecreatures' minds froze, and their bodies acted mechanical in their loud chants of Malar's name.

Malar's avatar did not pay the worshippers the slightest attention. After all, they were all like ants to him. With a divine domain in hunting, he easily obtained news of his prey from the undulations in the atmosphere.

*Whoosh!* Malar's figure disappeared in a flash, chasing after those hateful and lowborn thieves who had disturbed the legendary blood sacrifice.

He had already decided to tear out the souls of these blasphemers, and have them wail in terror for a thousand years within his divine realm.

...

'It's coming! Even from such a great distance I can feel its might. As expected of a true god,' Leylin was inwardly apprehensive about Malar's power, but this was only an avatar after all.

'However, Malar's true body is equal to a rank 7 Magus, I can still take this on. I wonder what power he could show if we fought within his divine realm,' Leylin's eyes were filled with expectation.

"I discovered Malar's avatar. It's heading our way right now… The epic isolation matrix is working well, it won't be a problem no matter how much energy it has to contain!" Lillian's voice floated over to him. He could sense the anxiety in her voice, they were about to battle a god after all.

Only legendary mortals could accomplish such a magnificent feat as slaying a god!

Right at that moment, the A.I. Chip flashed a prompt in a blood-red window, mapping out several exit routes. [Beep! Powerful energy undulations are approaching this location at high speed, danger level is extremely high. Suggestion: Leave the vicinity immediately!]

'He's fast!' Leylin's eyes narrowed as he caught a glimpse of the monstrous golden figure. 'No! When did it get here?' Fortunately, he had heeded the A.I. Chip's prompt and dodged into safety. In the end, he had only escaped the beast's claws by a hair's breadth.

While he'd dodged, the layers of Mage Armour on Leylin's body immediately collapsed. It was clear that the beast's claws had also launched a wind attack, and even Mage Armour II could not withstand the beast's power!

'Terrifying! Is this the power of a god's avatar? At the very least, it has the strength of a peak Breaking Dawn…' After Leylin regained his senses, he found out that he had already retreated by several hundred metres. Patrick himself stood a distance away from him, miserable with his face incomparably white. The paladin had lost an arm, and fresh blood poured out of the injury.

Evidently, this paladin was unable to escape Malar's sneak attack and lost an arm in the process. His prowess was reduced considerably.

*Swish!* "AAHH!" Only now did the angered cries of Patrick travelled through the air, which was in an extreme disorder to the senses.

'I was able to see him injured before hearing his cries. Does this mean that the speed has already exceeded the speed of sound?'

Leylin sweated nervously. 'An agility like this, it's most likely over 40!'

As a wizard, he could understand Malar's attack. The god had used some method to exceed the speed of sound, and put in a vivid manner if Patrick had been killed Leylin would still only have seen the corpse before the sound of the battle.

'Only death awaits if you're reflexes cannot keep up with this…' Leylin sighed inwardly as he looked at the golden ape the size of a mountain. "This is the avatar of a god? And for a lesser one at that?"

"What happened just now?" Lillian's enraged voice sounded beside Leylin's and Patrick's ear.

"Patrick is injured. We need to move our plans forward, execute them right away. Malar's strength had greatly exceeded our expectations!" Leylin rubbed his temples. His voice was incomparably calm, and he seemed not the slightest bit frightened.

"No… No problem! Before that evil is vanquished, I will not fall!" Patrick snorted, and milky white light glowed on his injury. His stem cells began to regrow his flesh, and the bleeding soon stopped.

Malar's avatar merely watched the process mockingly, as if savouring the fear of his prey.

'Playing mind games and only striking when the enemy suffers a mental breakdown? Fool, this is just a good chance for me!' Faint blue light flashed in Leylin's eyes. 'A.I. Chip, scan target!'

[Beep! Mission established, beginning scan…] The A.I. Chip duly carried out Leylin's commands. Soon after, a 3-D hologram was projected in front of Leylin's eyes, with a large amount of data on the side.

[God of the Hunt – Malar (Avatar). Estimated Stats: Strength: 30 – 45, Agility: 40 – 42, Vitality: 30 – 31, Spirit: 24 -27. Feats: 1. Epic Damage Reduction: All physical damage below the legendary rank is negated. 2. Epic Magic Resistance: With divine protection and divine force, an avatar has great magic resistance. All magical damage below the legendary realm is negated. Note: Legendary arcane spells such as Timestop will not work on the target. Divine Strength: Lesser God. Alignment: Chaotic Evil. Domains: Murder, Hunting, Pursuit. Weapons Owned: Beast Claw. This legendary weapon has great attacking power, being fashioned after Malar's original.]

'Epic damage reduction and magic resistance. This means that without legendaries, the battle cannot be won with mere numbers…' Leylin inhaled a deep breath upon seeing the stats of the avatar.

"If we cannot get rid of the domain, our chances of winning today are extremely low…" Leylin questioned himself. If it was a one versus one battle with him and Malar's avatar, he would definitely perish if he did not summon the floating city.

Even with the added support and some traps prepared, he was not more confident.

'I need to use the floating city at the end and get rid of Malar…' A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Leylin's eyes.

Back then, he had used the appearance of Kukulkan to steal the floating city. While this had alerted the powerful factions that there was a rising powerhouse and even fooled the gods, they did not know his identity. If he were to use it now, he would be admitting his identity.

However, if he was forced to the edge, what other choice did he have?

"Wait for me, I'll activate the array and support you again immediately!" Lillian too, wanted to seize this rare opportunity. She placed her bets like a gambler.

[Beep! Sealed formation activating! Beginning in….] the A.I. Chip's voice intoned, but Leylin could not longer pay any heed to it.

Just as Lillian activated the formation, Malar's senses told him the situation had become dangerous. He immediately charged towards Leylin. Although he was no longer faster than sound, he could still deal Leylin a fatal blow.

"Roar!"

At this moment, Leylin was forced to reveal one of his smallest trump cards. The dazzling wizard robes were shredded into pieces, revealing a legendary dragon armour. A draconic staff found its way into his hands.

Legendary Dragon Breath! Soulburn!

Ice Age

A phantom dragon appeared, roaring out with legendary might. Leylin had ignited the red dragon's soul without a single thought to the consequences, conferring unimaginable power to the dragon. A mighty draconic aura almost fully materialised, and dazzling crimson light dyed the skies red.

*Boom!* A river of magma flowed into Leylin's position, with Malar's towering avatar at the centre. Having borne the brunt of a legendary attack, his skin was now charred. It was the first injury he'd sustained today.

Leylin's figure appeared beside a tree across him. The dragonscale armour had three long gashes in its breastplate, inflicted by Malar's attack.

"Damn it, isn't it ready yet?" Just as Leylin began to curse, the pleasant voice of the A.I. Chip finally rang out. [Beep! All preparations have been completed, epic spell formation activated.]

Golden threads began to float in the air, engulfing their surroundings. Malar felt the imminent danger, and bellowed in rage. Many of the golden threads began to converge into chains as they coiled around the avatar.

At this moment, Leylin could see Malar's feats of epic damage reduction and magic resistance weaken, and finally disappeared. He heaved a sigh of relief.

The ambient temperature fell drastically, and hexagonal snowflakes sparkled as they drifted down from the sky.

Summon— Giant Frost Sprite! The snow converged into an icy white giant. Each of the giant's movements added a layer of frost to its surroundings.

"Apologies for the delay!" Lillian said as she sat on the shoulder of the frost sprite, "Malar's resistance was too high, but it's been negated by the spell formation…"

The several legendaries present heaved a sigh of relief as they looked on. They weren't about to give the avatar any breathing room.

"Roar!" A legendary roar sounded once more, but this time much stronger than that of Leylin's phantom dragon. A black shadow covered Malar.

Accompanying the deafening roar was a red-scaled dragon that dived to attack the avatar. Its razor sharp claws met his, causing blood to spurt out.

'A legendary dragon? No! There seem to be a trace of ancient dragons…' Ahead of Leylin was a legendary dragon. An ancient aura radiated from its body, and its dazzling crimson scales glowed like mesmerising rubies.

"Well done, Alegor!" Lillian's eyes widened as she charged forward with her frost sprite.

'Alegor? The druid… So this is legendary Transfiguration.' The crimson dragon seemed incomparably authentic to Leylin's eyes. Nobody would have been able to tell that it was a druid.

Malar's speed had been reduced by the frost sprite, and he'd suffered from the melee against the dragon. The avatar was now in bad shape. Drops of dazzling golden ichor spurted from it, rising off the ground as steam.

"Die!" Patrick seized the opportunity, and radiant light shone from behind his body. A holy figure appeared, restoring him to full strength immediately and wreathing his crystal sword in flames.

*Shlick!* The holy sword stabbed into the avatar's thigh, almost breaking the bone.

Malar who had suffered some injuries howled loudly, "AH… TYR, you deformed thing! I'll never let you get away with this…"

'Tyr struck as well?' Leylin turned to the holy figure behind Patrick with some apprehension. It was obvious that a hand was missing from his body, and legend had it that the God of Justice had been injured while trying to seal Cerberus.

'Avatars are indeed the best counter to their kind… I should be more cautious of them in the future…' Leylin lowered his head slightly as he gripped tightly onto an ancient purple-gold coin.

"Argh…!" The injury to the thigh caused a lasting effect on Malar's body. His damage resistance had dropped, and even his hair charred. It made him look miserable.

Having been pushed to the edge, Malar finally decided to use his other powers. All this while he'd only engaged in melee, but how could a god not have any spells at hand? After one last roar, the avatar disappeared into the void. Neither the dragon, the frost sprite, or the paladin could detect any traces of him.

'Is this Absolute Stealth? It's rumoured to be the most powerful stealth technique for rogues…' Leylin turned serious. This skill allowed his opponent to completely conceal himself, and rendered him immune to all attacks. However, the body was still in the prime material plane, and he could launch a sneak attack at any time. It was worthy of being called the ultimate rogue skill.

"Be careful, he's still inside the array!" These legendaries weren't less experienced than Leylin himself. After all, they'd reached this peak from a mountain of bloody corpses. Once Malar's avatar disappeared, the other legendaries immediately began to attack as a defensive measure.

It was a pity though. It was all a child's game against the God of the Hunt. Just as Patrick had sheathed his sword, the enormous figure of Malar's avatar appeared before him. A shadow sprung forth from his terrifyingly omnipotent body, engulfing the paladin completely.

"Help! Save me!" The other three legendaries all understood the importance of working together, and even Leylin began to act.

It was a shame that Leylin suddenly perceived a tremendous evil intent in the atmosphere at this moment. He immediately activated all the defences of his dragonscale armour, and the Red Dragon Staff thundered as it launched a Dragon Breath in the danger's direction.

"Aah…" A momentary hiss sounded, and an illusory shadow seemed to disappear in a blazing tower of flames.

"This must be… When did they prepare a Phantasmal Killer?" Leylin began to think at lightning speed. This was the advantage of being a god— even such a high-ranked skill could be used as long as one had sufficient divine force.

"Get lost, you abomination!" Lillian and Alegor had also been blocked by Phantasmal Killers, and were both delayed from acting.

In this short span of time, Patrick's fate had been sealed.

"Aah! Chaotic evil, why can't you disappear from this world?" Before death had its grasp on him, Patrick displayed his peak legendary strength. The burning crystal sword widened in a flash, immediately becoming a broadsword that was over five metres long. It clashed fiercely with the bestial claws of Malar's avatar, who radiated divine force even more fiercely. Malar seemed to be on the verge of possessing the paladin.

*Snap! Crack!* Faint shattering sounded from the points where the claws clashed with the sword. The special ability of the claws was Shatter!

Patrick could only watch with a dumbstruck expression as Malar's avatar snapped his longsword with its claws. The giant claws covered in golden fur snatched the knight up immediately.

"Ah…" Powerful divine force imprisoned Patrick, and he could only frantically howl in response. Nothing he did managed to harm a single hair on his opponent. His surging qi began to wane.

In the end, all Patrick saw was an enormous smelly mouth clustered with sharp teeth that stood straight like pikes.

Leylin and the others saw Malar's avatar toss the legendary paladin directly into his maw and chew him up. Patrick's defences were useless against Malar's teeth, and a crunching sound made everyone's hair stand on end as a great amount of blood and bones fell from the corner of Malar's mouth, trickling down his fur.

Four great legendaries had surrounded Malar's avatar. Of them, the paladin Patrick had now fallen.

"Damn, should we retreat?" For the first time, Lillian felt that she was not prepared. Even just the avatar of a god possessed unimaginable strength. She hesitantly glanced at the legendary druid beside her, who was still in his red dragon form.

"It's just an avatar, and its divine force reserves should be running low… It used up a lot against the paladin earlier, now is our best chance!"

'A.I. Chip! Calculate the avatar's trajectory!'

[Beep! Mission established! Avatar's coordinates have been input… Simulation established!] The A.I. Chip loyally executed Leylin's task.

Afterwards, Leylin's eyes glowed as he cast a legendary spell that he had long prepared— Greater Disjunction!

*Snap! Crack!* Malar's bestial claws were still only a high-ranked legendary weapon in the end, and not a divine weapon. They had sustained some damage fighting the paladin, and Leylin's Greater Disjunction caused them to finally crack.

"Now's our chance!" Lillian and Alegor's eyes lit up with hope as they advanced, revealing their own greatest trump cards.

"Legendary spell— Ice Age!" Lillian chanted in a high voice, and the surrounding air seemed to turn into a blizzard. The trees, and even rocks around them all turned into sparkling ice, as if the entire world had returned to the Ice Age.