1192 - 1200

Moving

Two streaks of lightning crashed down in the Abyss, flashing with resentment and unwillingness. The world rumbled as a few powerful gods escaped the place, cutting a sorry figure as they assembled before Silvanus.

"Chaos Lord… Deserving of the name…" Tyr looked at a laceration on his chest, filled with chaos energy as it spread throughout his body.

The other gods weren't much better, Gruumsh the most worse off. More than half his body had been corroded, revealing dark brown skin. Golden blood and internal organs were sticking out of his body.

It wasn't an easy task to kill two peak rank 8 Magi, and even these five formidable gods had to pay the price.

"I've consumed a lot of divine force. I'll need to enter slumber for a while, and looking at the state of my worshippers it will take longer than normal…" Oghma frowned.

"You've worked hard…" A layer of green light enveloped the greater gods' bodies. Their divine force was suddenly replenished, their expressions recovering as the injuries on their bodies healed.

"I've gathered enough faith over the millennia to replenish your powers…" Silvanus was brimming with gentle kindness. He'd always been nice to everyone he met, the sole exception being the Magi.

"Those Magi can watch on as two of their own fall. They really are sinister and crafty…" The other gods said in indignation, trying to come up with some sort of conspiracy.

Silvanus waved, and the elemental power of the four planes instantly isolated their location. Even Mother Core couldn't peer in on further conversation.

Mother Core spoke up without hurry after the image was cut off, "I cannot sense the two in the spacetime river… They've fallen completely, their truesouls destroyed. Without the intervention of a rank 9 it will be impossible for them to revive…"

Magi gained the ability to revive from a single drop of blood at rank 6, and Magi of laws were like cockroaches that would revive swiftly as long as a trace of their will remained. However, greater gods were at the same level of power. Leylin could stop the gods from resurrecting, and so, too, could the gods stop Magi.

No small number of Magi of laws had fallen in the Final War. Thinking of that point, even Leylin felt his heart go cold.

'The ability to stop a Magus' truesoul from entering the river of spacetime… Even Kelemvor should be unable to perform such feats,' Leylin's face grew imposing, 'There's only one possibility. Jergal has appeared once more! Is the Final War already at that stage?'

Jergal was an ancient God of Death, the oldest god alive. Legends spoke of his weariness of his job that led him to create Kelemvor to assume his position, letting him enter seclusion somewhere in the Ghost World.

Even the ancient dusk of the gods hadn't aroused Jergal. Any existences harbouring ill will towards him could only die miserably, and as time passed his name had become a taboo secret. However, this renowned god had exited seclusion right now, participating in the Final War at such an early stage. The turn of events surprised Leylin.

It wasn't hard for numerous greater gods to kill two peak rank 8 Magi. However, it was far more difficult to wipe their souls from the spacetime river, something only the ancient God of Death was proficient in. Leylin felt like the coming battle would be intense, determining victory or death.

However, these were all results he had to achieve. All obstructions on his path to truth and eternity would be crushed without hesitation, regardless of identity or power. A dull glow shone out of Leylin's eyes…

Starting with the fight in the Abyss, the gods completed adjusting their divine kingdoms quickly, beginning their counterattack against the Magi. All gods, regardless of rank and power, turned out in full strength to purge the Magi from their world.

Although Magi of laws were stronger on average, the gods had the home field advantage. They didn't hold back on their divine force at all, using everything in their arsenals to take the Magi out.

With the foundation of their divine kingdoms, they were not required to worry about the problem of their backyard catching fire. With numerous peak rank 8s stuck working on the two-world project, the gods were pressing forward step by step, eliminating several Magi in succession.

The flames of war spread across the astral plane, extinguishing millions of lives.

Information from ancient times was spread despite the unreasonable ancient races, speaking of the Magi, the dusk of the gods, and the road to eternity. It deeply stunned the entire world.

The actions of the gods were quick and violent, like predators stalking their prey as they aimed at the weakest points to launch fatal strikes. With several powerful gods overseeing them, the gods took control of the prime material plane once more.

Numerous priests were dispatched to aid the remaining survivors, bringing food and superior weapons. The World WIll adapted the prime material plane to a life without the sun, making new edible plants that were similar to oats and rice. Alongside the mushrooms and seeds brought up from the Underdark, the humans were finally satisfied.

Hive after hive of the Lightkiller Bugs was destroyed, ceasing their suppression of humanity. Survivors started to build tall walled cities once more, establishing new towns as well as civilisation was rebuilt. Everything seemed to be heading for a better future…

Sadly, in the eyes of certain existences like the Magi, these actions were pitiful death throes. Numerous peak rank 8 Magi had assembled outside the World of Gods, within the boundless astral plane. Leylin was standing at their core.

"The major preparations are finally complete. The rest will be in your hands, Lord Leylin…" The truesoul of the Darkness Lord was a lump of black smoke with fiery red flames for eyes, flickering with the cycle of life as it moved.

"That's not a problem!" Leylin looked behind him.

The silhouette of an extremely massive world was sitting there, a short distance away. It possessed the glory of the Magi, releasing energy waves that Leylin was familiar with. The Magi had actually brought the Magus World here from across the astral plane!

A massive world had been moved into the path of another equally large one. This had never happened in the history of the astral plane. This was the arduous project that the majority of peak rank 8 Magi had dedicated themselves to, combining their truesouls for a long time to complete.

*Bzzt!* A unique attractive forces was generated as the two worlds drew close. Numerous laws distorted as they fused, spreading endlessly to form a network that encompassed the whole area.

'The mutual attraction of the World Origin Forces…' Leylin sighed in admiration, 'When the World of Gods and Magus World fuse completely, the hidden path of eternity will show itself… A prophecy from ancient times verified by several Magi…'

"Right… Now is the time for everything to end!" A faint light shone within Mother Core's eyes as she arrived beside Leylin, looking at the disc in his hands.

The combined efforts of many Magi had finally repaired the Manderhawke Plate, revealing several strange and disorderly patterns that formed one harmonious entity with a mysterious glow.

"It's started!" The Manderhawke Plate in Leylin's hands floated up, emitting a warm radiance at the boundary of the World of Gods and the Magus World.

"The End! Eternity!" Numerous peak rank 8 Magi roared, the power of laws gathering to the extreme to form turbulent rivers that represented their paths. All of it poured into the Manderhawke Plate.

With the support of such great amounts of energy, the Manderhawke Plate grew larger and larger. White light melted a huge portion of the crystal sphere, revealing the World of Gods within.

This wasn't like the small-scaled attack Leylin used to enter before. It was a direct, violent confrontation, aimed to destroy the crystal sphere entirely! A terrifying sound spread across several worlds, causing the gods of the World of Gods to lose their heads in fear.

"The crystal sphere! It's been shattered!" They felt an impending sense of doom. It was impossible to measure the amount of damage they would take when the crystal sphere collapsed.

A Tale Of Two Worlds

In the underworld, within the palace of a certain God of Death. The person on the throne had the most ordinary of human faces, just that his eyes were full of vigour as they radiated wisdom.

The true identity of this god would definitely astonish everyone.

This was the ancient God of Death, Jergal! Even the Kelemvor had to greet him with respect, calling himself Jergal's student!

"The appearance of the Nightmare Serpent has declared the beginning of the end…" Jergal sighed slowly, a trace of light seeming to appear within his pitch black eyes. "And it is when the end arrives that the light of eternity appears."

...

*Rumble!* The crystal sphere shattered like a honeycomb, smashing apart as numerous Magi of laws rushed forth. The two worlds trembled and roared, and in the midst of the chaos SIlvanus led several strong existences to the border where both worlds met.

"Vile Magi! You will inevitably be punished by the gods, burning in raging flames for thousands, millions of years!" The four elemental gods roared, causing the elemental planes to reveal themselves as they released their powers in a torrent of energy that blocked the Magus invasion.

"The Final War cannot be avoided!" Numerous peak rank 8 Magi took action under Leylin's lead. Original sin, darkness, earth, life… All sorts of powerful paths combined in the astral plane, becoming a powerful force that pushed the fusion of the two worlds.

A massive fluctuation instantly spread throughout the World of Gods, overwhelming everything with terrifying earthquakes. The intense collision caused earth-shattering changes to every plane. Many life forms ran around lifelessly, seeing the beginning of the end.

The laws of the Magus World forcefully invaded the World of Gods, mixing with it in an intriguing change. The two biggest worlds of the astral plane complimented each other, agreeing to the fusion as they showed the path to eternity!

World of Gods, sea of origin force.

The World Crystal protecting the Overgod in the Celestial Hall shattered, causing an astonishingly strong existence to awaken with a terrifying roar.

"It's the Overgod! Their World Will awakened!" The expressions of the numerous peak rank 8 Magi tightened.

*Bang!* Almost instantly they saw a blurry figure wrapped in brilliant light appear before them, someone that represented everything in the World of Gods.

"Overgod…" the remaining gods saluted, "Please exercise your authority, and prevent the arrival of the end!"

The Overgod did indeed wish to merge with the Magus World to advance, However, that didn't mean it was willing to be devoured by the Magus World. There was a big difference in who had the dominant position, so despite being injured the Overgod chose to act without hesitation.

Leylin was a peak rank 8 Magus, only one step away from the ultimate realm of rank 9. Still, only after seeing the Overgod in person did he realise that all his supposed overestimations of rank 9 power were nothing. The power of space and time wasn't something he could comprehend.

A rank 9 used the power of their path to build a foundation with which they comprehended the laws of space and time, a realm the Overgod had clearly reached. Teleportation was sealed at the border of the two worlds, but the Overgod had appeared here instantly anyway. This clearly meant his comprehension of the laws of space and time were terrifying. A true rank 9 having revealed their hand, Leylin felt like all his speculations were just ridiculous.

The sea of origin force of the World of Gods rumbled with power, descending as it carried the power of the Celestial Hall. Space froze entirely, something even peak rank 8 Magi couldn't accurately describe.

Even many peak rank 8 Magi couldn't escape, and only those with the power of their own path could still maintain a stream of thought.

'Is this the strength of a rank 9? Existences below the peak of rank 8 don't even have the ability to think in his presence…' Leylin paid absolute attention to the Overgod, the A.I. Chip's light flickering frantically.

[Beep! Observed laws of space, attempting simulation…] The A.i. Chip recorded everything at lightspeed, trying to analyse the power of space from a rank 9 existence to build a path for Leylin to follow in the future.

However, the terror of the Overgod was only just showing itself. The invasion of the Magus World was put at a standstill with the stagnation of space, actually sealing off the Magus World itself!

Soon after, something even more terrifying happened.

"What's going on?" Leylin was stunned to see the invasion of the Magus World recede, the fused laws separating in what looked like a strange silent film in reverse…

'Just now… Why did my train of thought derail when the Overgod appeared… Unless…' Leylin focused on the A.I. Chip.

[Attempting to analyse law of space… Encountered unknown interference, analysis failed…

A portion of the power of space has been observed. Analyse?]

The unfamiliar information surfacing from the chip caused Leylin to feel cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

'Time reversal… Even an existence at my level was affected, my memories from a few moments ago erased…' An intense chill suddenly rose within Leylin's heart, 'This type of law… it can cause a peak rank 8 Magus to regress to their weakest state, before they even condense their own path… It can seal strength at the peak of rank 8!'

The terrifying laws of space and time were like the Sword of Damocles, hanging over them constantly.

'Peak rank 8s are proud of how they fused their truesouls with the river of space and time, giving themselves unlimited life.. However, the law of time can bring them back to their most vulnerable moment…' Leylin now began to understand why the Overgod and the Magus Will could lead numerous peak rank 8s without issue. Although wielding the power of spacetime wasn't exactly the same as holding the life and death of other Magi in their hands, it was essentially no different.

'The others didn't feel the time being reversed, they don't even remember!' Leylin sighed in secret. Even at the peak of original sin he could only vaguely sense this, and he'd needed the A.I. Chip to prove it.

'I can't deal with rank 9s right now… Let the other one handle it…' Leylin sneered in secret, sending out a signal.

The earth of the Magus World cracked open, revealing the seven levels of the subterranean world. The Magus Will in the darkest depths seemed to be provoked by the Overgod, awakening swiftly. Its power of spacetime finally freed the numerous peak rank 8s, allowing them to recover some of their mobility.

"Leylin! Come here quickly! The Overgod's powers exceed our imagination!" Mother Core screamed, "Hurry, activate the two-world plan!"

*Whoosh!* Leylin, Mother Core, Ignox and numerous Magi native to the Magus World gathered together.

""In my essence as a Magus, I call upon the will of magic!""

The entire Magus World rumbled, astonishing power shooting forth from its depths as the purple web around it was severed.

*Whoosh!* The two beings with the power of spacetime instantly broke through the spatial seal, descending at the point of contact.

"Magus!" "God!" With the two most formidable World Wills having come into contact, even without any words of instigation they would be unable to coexist.

Dazzling white light erupted, as the fabric of spacetime trembled. The two World Wills rammed into each other, the ripples from their combat able to instantly annihilate anyone below the peak of rank 8.

"Not good! Get out of here immediately!" Be it the Magi or the gods, everyone was a peasant in the face of this fight. They could only escape in panic when faced with this natural disaster.

The light grew brighter and brighter, able to blind even beings of laws. An explosion occurred when it could brighten no more, a raging torrent of energy sweeping across the borders of the two worlds to annihilate everything.

However, that mysterious radiance seemed to be doing something else as well, nurturing some sort of existence.

Battlefield

The two rank 9s were terrifyingly fast. They'd distanced themselves instantly during the explosion, patiently waiting for everything to end.

"What… is… this?" Leylin looked at the confluence of the two worlds, surprise flashing in his eyes. The merged area was devoured under his gaze, reaching a total standstill as the World of Gods and Magus World seemed to reach a perfect balance. They now looked like a dumbbell, the two worlds joined by this point of confluence.

He instantly moved to this new land. Everything here had originally been void, but a black continent had been formed after the blast.

"The laws of space and time have crystallised…" Scanning across the large continent, Leylin found that all kinds of laws had grown stable here, the earth more solid than magic alloy while the space was extremely stable. Even Breaking Dawns would find it difficult to fly here, forget breaking through space.

Leylin used the law of original sin to scan the entire continent, finding out its specific area. It was one tenth the size of the prime material plane, without the slightest hints of life in the rocky desert.

"Where did the Overgod and Magus Will go?" Leylin asked Mother Core who was beside him.

"This place is at the centre of the confluence between the two worlds, having a strange balance…" Mother Core truly was an existence that had survived the Final War. Her insight and abundant experience allowed her to make sense of the situation, "Although the Overgod suffered serious injuries with the destruction of the Weave, the fight between rank 9s exceeds the limit of my comprehension…

"Even if the Overgod is slightly weaker than the Magus WIll, I'm afraid they won't be able to determine a winner in a short period of time. They should currently be entangled in a dimension we cannot detect, leaving the task of the Final War to the beings of law…"

"You mean…" Leylin looked at the huge continent below them. Although it wasn't suitable for life, it did indeed serve well as a battlefield for beings of law.

"That's right… With the two worlds merging together, the devouring has reached a deadlock. The rest depends on the power of the beings of law…"

Mother Core pointed towards the mainland, "This is the final battlefield, a land of nirvana where the losers lose everything. If we can achieve a pivotal victory here, the Magus Will will be able to directly devour the Overgod… However, the opposite is true as well!"

"In other words," Leylin muttered, "The power of the World Wills are determined by their inhabitants. The victor of this battle here will determine final victory between the two beings of law…"

"Correct. With the two-world plan and our advantage of advancing first, we have a great advantage right now… Don't squander it!"

"I'm afraid beings of law aren't enough… We also need large amounts of cannon fodder," Leylin mused, "We need a regiment of Breaking Dawns led by an existence of laws to take out the lesser and intermediate gods…"

"Our reserves consist of all the Magi across the astral plane. We far exceed the opponent in numbers…"

"We'll gather our troops, mobilising them for war immediately…" numerous beings of law promised.

Leylin, on the other hand, was staring at the huge black continent. This would be the final battlefield, the land of the end. One could imagine how it would become a terrifying land of death in the near future.

...

On the other end of the battlefield, space trembled as numerous divine kingdoms descended. They formed a strange beehive-like structure, a sort of tight fortress. Numerous prayers sounded out as holy spirits prepared to defend the mainland. The gods had completely disregarded all notions of good and evil, fighting side by side.

Armies of elementals entered the battlefield, accompanied by demon lords led by the two Abyssal Lords. Massive demonic armies rushed forth.

"The divine kingdoms have descended, and all the races allied together… It seems like the gods are staking everything on this too…" Leylin sneered at the opponents' formation.

"The final battle is nigh… The scale of this war has already exceeded the peak of our past," Mother Core added.

"It seems so! We should begin with our arrangements too."

Numerous rules Magus roared. The power of laws fused with each other here, allowing them to unleash their full strength without the World War Armour.

The same held true for the gods. However, such 'fairness' wasn't actually fair.

"Our determination to forge forward… Everything we've struggled to obtain from the astral plane shall be displayed here today. The glory of the Magi will shroud everything!" The Magi roared out loud, opening the channels to world after world.

The Dark World, Purgatory, Icy World… A steady stream of troops marched out of every one, their faces flooded with bloodthirst and determination. The weakest was at the Morning Star realm, equivalent to legendaries in the World of Gods. And that was the cannon fodder!

For the sake of the truth, to advance their truesouls, these Magi set off without hesitation. Terrifying war drums echoed throughout the astral plane!

A large ghastly castle revealed itself in Leylin's assigned area, as if a living snake that released bloodthirsty roars.

""Father!"" Two young Warlocks appeared within the huge hall, and Leylin looked at them with a gentle smile on his face. "I only planned to use my accumulations in Dreamscape and my avatar's divine kingdom in this Final War. I didn't think you'd insist on coming, the Ouroboros Clan was too weak to help."

Standing in front of Leylin were his two oldest sons, Syre and Daniel. Both of them had inherited his bloodline, benefitting from the power of the Nightmare Hydra. They were close to the realm of laws, just like him when he was at the peak of rank 6.

The early stages of advancement for a Warlock depended almost solely on the strength of their bloodline. In this regard, what could exceed the bloodline of the Nightmare Hydra?

"Are you aware of how dangerous the Final War is? Even Breaking Dawns are still cannon fodder here… What do your mothers have to say about this?"Leylin looked at his two oldest sons. They were already a thousand years old, having become ancestral figures of the Ouroboros Clan with children and grandchildren of their own.

"The records of the ancient war in the library described it well enough…" Syre and Daniel looked at each other for a bit, before Daniel stood up and spoke, "We told Mother and Aunt before we left…"

"You…" Leylin sighed. He could see a shadow of his past self in the eyes of his children, holding an insatiable thirst for the truth.

Furthermore, it was difficult for a Breaking Dawn Magus to advance to rank 7. Even Leylin had relied on frantically plundering Dreamscape and the World of Gods to make the leap successfully.

Even though Syre and Daniel had a head start with their bloodlines, they still needed opportunities over a long period of time to bloom. The World of Gods was a shortcut to this. As long as they managed to kill a true god and seize a portion of their godfire or divinity, they would be able to obtain comprehension in laws directly.

None of the Magi in the astral plane could resist this temptation. It was the reason why so many low-ranked Magi had joined despite the shocking casualty rate.

"I respect your choices…" Leylin looked at his sons, traces of gentleness within his eyes. "However… since you have decided on this path, you will have to be prepared to undertake the responsibility of your choices, regardless of the result…"

""Yes sir!"" their excited voices rang out. They hadn't expected things to go so smoothly…

Leylin clapped his hands once both of them left. Two Lords of Calamity walked into the hall, bowing slightly towards him.

"Follow behind them and protect their lives. I'll raise your quota for a hundred years in exchange." The Lords of Calamity were happy with that exchange, and they bowed and retreated.

"The protection of two rank 8s, that shall be it…" Leylin shook his head. These kids couldn't understand the cruelty of the Final War. Even with the Lords of Calamity protecting them they could lose their lives if they were unlucky enough to meet a greater god or someone of that ilk.

However, Leylin decided not to care about it anymore. He'd given them prior warnings and sent guards. His obligations were fulfilled.

Discernment

The Final War had returned to the astral plane, this time occurring in a desolate land where the two large worlds converged. The dusk of the gods had returned, and legions of Magi and gods from various worlds fought with vigour. Morning Stars, Radiant Moons, Breaking Dawns, everyone died like great batches of ants.

Terrifying energy waves rocked the void practically every day, signifying the fall of beings of law. Numerous Magi were lucky enough to obtain the godfires of different gods, becoming beings of laws. The same went the other way, where those who killed beings of law turned into gods or advanced in rank.

The merciless war crushed all the laws of the world. Personal power was the only standard here, one that could determine everything.

...

Leylin's zone had become a land of marshes, the A.I. Chip clone and a large number of Lords of Calamity protecting it. They were joined by Shar's shadow wizards and the Snake Dowager's legion of serpents.

Numerous intermediate gods had fallen at their hands, setting a terrifying reputation for the Lord of Original Sin. He was praised and feared by Magi and gods alike.

Leylin himself was stood within the Targaryen Castle. The Nightmare Hydra was thundering, absorbing the near-solid power of sin surging in from everywhere.

"War really is the best time to absorb the power of sin…" Leylin sighed. The Nightmare Hydra behind him seemed to have traversed some sort of boundary of the world, encountering a more abstruse and terrifying domain. The essence of the entire astral plane was gathered here, the weakest fighters being in the Morning Star realm. The negative energy gathered here was frightening, only boosted by the darkness in the hearts of the weaker Magi and legendary fighters.

'What does even this much strength mean in front of the power of spacetime?' Leylin's expression darkened at this thought, memories of the two World Wills replaying in his mind.

[Beep! Simulation of the law of space is currently at 1.97%, insufficient data. Cannot simulate the law of time.]

The highest priority bracket had two incredibly eye-catching prompts.

"I need to acquire the power of spacetime to analyse it and grasp its laws…" Leylin stroked his chin, "The path of original sin was built upon the power of nightmares, and contain the strength of spacetime. However, how do I get some? Perhaps…"

He suddenly recalled that the World Wills, despite their earth-shattering might, weren't truly omniscient and omnipotent like the rank 9 Magi of legend were. He felt like something was off.

"Perhaps the Overgod and the Magus Will aren't actually at rank 9, only grasping a portion of the powers of spacetime like I had with rank 7…" All sorts of possibilities arose in Leylin's mind, causing him to brighten up slightly, "In that case…"

"Lord of Original Sin!" The power of the earth sent a message of invitation to Leylin's ears at this moment.

"Mother Core!" Leylin took a step forward, arriving underground in almost an instant. Mother Core's lava-like main body was lying there in wait, Ignox standing nearby.

His guide to the subterranean world finally seemed to have gained some benefits from the war, and advanced to rank 8.

"Congratulations, Ignox!" Leylin smiled as he greeted the being.

"It was just dumb luck. Mother Core helped me kill the elvish God of Hate, Piflas, and I obtained his divinity…" Ignox answered modestly.

Leylin gave him a long look. Whatever be the case, it took some decisiveness to choose a path of evil like the law of hatred. Still, the Magus World had its fair share of Magi like Ignox. The sigh of admiration didn't last long before Leylin shifted his attention elsewhere.

"Mother Core, is it the appointed time yet?"

"Yes, and I hope to get your help!" Mother Core's tone was very humble.

Leylin was her equal in strength, and he had the Lords of Calamity, Shar, the Snake Dowager, and others under him. He also had an intermediate god for a clone, alongside the outreach of a huge organisation that exceeded hers. He played an important role to the Magi, occupying a position of power. His suggestions were taken very seriously by the entire alliance.

"Please speak…" Since she'd been helping him all this while, Leylin didn't mind giving her some help to bind their alliance further.

"I wish for your help in killing the Earthmother, Chauntea." Mother Core spoke in a low voice ,but Leylin didn't look the least bit surprised.

Mother Core was already at the peak of rank 8, but her path was limiting her advance. It couldn't hold the power of spacetime.

Now, however, as long as she devoured the greater goddess Chauntea, she would be able to make up for the defects in her own path with the power of the earth. This would make her foundations perfect, and create a better basis upon which she could grow in strength.

The chance to compensate for the issues in one's path was incredibly rare for peak rank 8 Magi, something that couldn't be given up on. Any price was worth praying for it.

"Have you found traces of her yet?" Chauntea was a goddess on the same level as Silvanus. Divine rank held no meaning to them, because they already stood at the peak of the gods. They were only second to the Overgod himself. If he needed to deal with an existence like that, even Leylin had to be cautious.

"Of course. She's an important asset, so she needs to be at the most intense battlefields…" Mother Core waved a giant screen into existence, countless hills forming a general map of the battlefield.

"The green regions have the least intense battles, while red is places both sides are vying for. The darker the colour, the more intense the battle…"

Mother Core pointed at three areas that were almost purple on the map, "Gale Gorge, the Dark Cage, and your own swamp in the Blade Hills are the areas with the greatest amount of activity. My information says Chauntea is at Gale Gorge, and I've already applied to be stationed there…"

"Is that so…" Leylin stroked his chin, muttering to himself while looking at the map.

"I defend Blade Hills alongside another peak rank 8. We just taught the gods there a good lesson, so there shouldn't be any large battles in the near future. However, I have few troops I can assign… How about this? I'll give you a portion of my runes of sin. Call for me, and my true body will head for Gale Gorge immediately…"

Making a deal with Mother Core and discussing a few other issues of cooperation, Leylin's figure disappeared from the underground, leaving Ignox and Mother Core behind alone.

"You should make some preparations too…" Ignox respectfully bowed and left as he heard those words, the black ring on his body glistening even more intensely.

...

The divine kingdoms at the side of the gods were filled with greenery, birdsong, and the fragrance of flowers.

"I hope you understand your role, Chauntea…" Flowers bloomed into the face of Silvanus. Without his true body, he naturally had a better understanding of the path of nature, becoming the goddess' guide.

"Of course, tempting Mother Core and killing the Lord of Original Sin at the same time would be good…" Chauntea spoke up, radiating earthen divine force, "I'm interested in the core of her path as well…"

"Keep in mind that both of them are peak rank 8s from the Magus World… If we kill them, it'll be a huge blow…" Silvanus looked grim, "This mission is very important, so there will be other gods aiding you…"

"I understand…" Chauntea sounded serious as her true form melded into the earth.

It was not just the Magi that wanted to hunt the gods. The gods, too, were coveting the Magi's forces of laws, and battles filled with schemes and traps began to spread across the Gale Gorge.

...

The Nightmare Hydra hissed from atop the Targaryen Castle, absorbing the power of emotions from the astral plane and more importantly the nirvana battlefield. It was like a black fog, spreading across the battlefield to monitor everything.

"Hmm? A power of envy and greed is aimed at me…" The heads of greed and envy suddenly opened their eyes, the ice-cold pupils concealing threads of emotional force as they soon entered the heart of a certain someone.

"Hehe… so it's you…" Leylin snickered, and circled above the battlefield. The Nightmare Hydra that fed on the power of emotional force was like a spider queen in a large spider cave, not even the slightest of movements missing his attention… Even as an existence of laws, as long as there was a gap in one's soul, they would also be affected by the power of sins.

However, Leylin had always kept this secret well, using it as a final trump card that could turn the tables. Now was the time that he could make use of it.

"The Earth Goddess Chauntea, God of Nature, Silvanus, and…" Leylin stroked his chin, "How should I make use of this ambush? Or… perhaps I should do this. If this plan succeeds, there's hope for the Final War to end within a century!" An intricate plan began to form in Leylin's mind.

This was not all. He continued to manipulate the web of emotions and send certain complex feelings out. It began to affect the judgement of some beings of law.

With Leylin's current strength, even another God of Prophecy would only see a haze in his future.

Appearance

Violent winds swept across Gale Gorge constantly, forming a terrifying storm that possessed the power of laws. Even Magi of laws wouldn't be able to hold on for long in this place, making it a choke point where the armies of the Magi and the gods faced off from opposite ends of the canyon. Dazzling runes were emitting energy mid-air.

*Rumble!* The earth whistled at that moment, the entire land trembling as large chunks of black granite condensed to form a female voice in greeting.

"Mother Core! You're finally here…" a few beings of law flew out from the Magus camp, shockingly led by the Darkness Lord.

"Here, these belong to you now," the Darkness Lord had a grimacing expression as he passed her a seal, "Also… You need to give half of the production of Gale Gorge up to the alliance, everything else belongs to you…"

Although there were no traces of life within this land of death created by the two World Wills, there were in fact other treasures. The Magi and Gods realised that the place had an extremely high elemental density, producing veins of precious ores.

Of course, even the most precious of stones was of no value to beings of law. However, some items even a peak rank 8 couldn't let go of easily. Gale Gorge, for example, produced some sort of wind elemental crystals that could contain fragmented power of law. It could give one instant success in entering the realm of laws.

Leylin speculated that, as the origin of such large worlds, the two World Wills were overflowing with excess laws even if they were in slumber. They'd spread out these laws in crystallised form during fighting, something completely normal for them.

However, such a 'normal' thing was an unexpected surprise for the combatants. Even if a Magus couldn't utilise these crystals, they could hold onto them for future generations or exchange them with other beings.

There were even rumours that fragmented laws of spacetime were being produced in the depths of Gale Gorge, something that the peak rank 8 Magi were unable to resist!

Several investigations had revealed three possible locations of these spacetime fragments, the same three regions becoming the primary battlefield between the two sides. This was how Gale Gorge, the Dark Cage, and the Battle Hills became the Nirvana Battlefield.

However, despite being at the swamp of the Battle Hills, Leylin didn't have good luck. Although he'd mobilised all his subordinates, he'd yet to see even a shadow of spacetime laws, instead finding several fragmented laws of other domains. These were sadly of no use to him, only to be added to his treasure vault or exchanged with other Magi…

Mother Core had made several secret transactions in order to be allocated here, paying a huge price.

"I'm sure the Earthmother Chauntea is currently in the opposing camp here. The kind of divine force coming from there is not something normal gods can wield." Having known of Mother Core's target, the Darkness Lords voluntarily sold her a favour, "She seems to be fond of entering the Gale Whirlpools in search of crystals, attacking our men singlehandedly."

"…I see. Once again, I thank you for your assistance. The Magus World shall eternally remember the friendship of darkness…" Mother Core Guaranteed.

A huge core emerged from the earth, spreading its infinite roots out into the land. Despite being tougher than magic alloy, the ground couldn't stop MOther Core from taking root, spreading across the entire camp to put it under her control. The range of her detection tendrils spread out unceasingly…

"I sense a problem…" Ignox snorted from behind her, "Do the Gods treat us as fools with such an obvious trap?"

"Of course, I know that too, but I can't wait anymore…" Mother Core's huge eyes seems to be trembling slightly, "I need her divine force to make up for my lack of foundation. This is my only chance to advance to rank 9, nobody can stop me! Definitely not!"

"Alright! We need to call for reinforcements if things escalate…" Ignox shrugged his shoulders. "No matter what, we outnumber them. We should use our advantage and push forth steadily, making all schemes and tricks useless…"

"You're right!" Mother Core agreed, the fiery thirst unconcealable in her eyes as she looked towards Gale Gorge.

...

A dark web of negative emotions had spread throughout Targaryen Castle, allowing Leylin to absorb the essence of original sin without end. He grew stronger by the day, the Nightmare Hydra located at the core of the web seeming more and more unpredictable.

*HISS!* The central devouring head of the Nightmare Hydra suddenly opened its vertical eyes, showing a puzzled expression.

*Whoosh!* Large amount of black mist condensed as it transformed back into Leylin, emotional energy forming dark luxurious robes that draped across his body. The silhouette of the hydra flashed within his eyes, as numerous black hairs seemed to connect themselves to all the emotions in the world. Wielding the power of Shar's Shadow Weave, and having controlled Mystra's powers previously as well, Leylin was familiar with the architecture of energy networks.

Leylin's third eye opened up in the midst of his devilish eyebrows, the void twisting to form a rune.

"Save… save me…" A gust of weak emotional power was transmitted from within, carrying fear and urgency.

"Mother Core! To think she was trapped… in a Gale Whirlpool? They've finally decided to act?" Leylin sighed.

He'd been somewhat shocked by the amount of strength the gods had been able to display. Mother Core was a peak rank 8 existence, and it was ten times more difficult to trap someone than to kill them!

"Leylin?" A black secret imprint twisted behind Leylin's hands, "This is Ignox. Mother Core and I have been trapped within Gale Whirlpool. This was a trap! Chauntea and Silvanus have revealed their hands… Please contact the alliance as soon as possible, and save us. We can only last another thirty hour— Bzzt— Damn, they're interfering with the connection, it's going to—" The imprint suddenly shifted to static. The rune flickered a few times, before dying out completely.

"Damn it…" Leylin cursed, and had a clone appear within the Magus Conference. "Mother Core and Ignox fell into a trap, we need to send reinforcements!"

There were only a few figures present in the conference right now, seeming empty and lonely.

"Keke… Isn't this the Lord of Original Sin? You are here to request reinforcements? Unfortunately, the majority of other peak rank 8 Magi have been allocated missions. Of course, if you don't mind, my true body can always be dispatched…" Distorted Shadow appeared, clearly amused.

"Such a coincidence…" Leylin took a deep breath, and stared coldly at Distorted Shadow.

Magi always placed importance on their own interests. Regardless of their former relationship with Mother Core, if they lacked the strength to save her from her plight not many would be willing to take action. This was how they'd watched the Chaos Lord and Evil Filthy Eye fall.

Knowing this, Leylin stopped trying to get more reinforcements. He directly disappeared from the conference hall.

...

*Hiss!* Almost all the Magi near Targaryen Castle saw a marvellous scene. The silhouette of the terrifying Nightmare Hydra shot out from its abode, moving with determination as it instantly disappeared from the sky.

"Lord Leylin!" Most Magi identified their Lord, bowing respectfully. Few panicked.

"Keke… As expected, he has dispatched his true body…" Distorted Shadow's true body surfaced somewhere in the void.

"It's as you said, he's proud and arrogant…" Another black silhouette spoke out, golden light within his eyes.

"He's the Lord of Sin, of course his laws will influence him. The influence of the seven deadly sins isn't easily eliminated, not to mention I amplified it a thousandfold with my distortion power…"

Distorted Shadow snorted coldly, "We shouldn't underestimate him. I've suffered time and time again at his hands!"

"You can rest assured. Don't you know the forces we've dispatched this time?" the black shadow with golden eyes guaranteed.

"We've never underestimated the Lord of Original Sin. The power of a peak rank 8 combined with his prior feats… no god will take him easily…" There seemed to be a sadness within the black shadow's voice.

"On the other hand, for you to be willing to abandon the Magi and join us gods…" it looked at Distorted Shadow, "Once this operation succeeds we'll begin your ascension to become the God of Chaos. You'll be able to become a greater god easily…"

"Chaos? A spoil of war stripped off from the original Chaos Lord? Keke… I like the sound of it…" Distorted Shadow's owl-like voice resounded, as his silhouette disappeared.

A Show

The Magi at Gale Gorge had fallen into chaos with Mother Core and Ignox being ambushed.

The gods launched an attack on them, divine light shining down on the area as angelic holy spirits swarmed the skies, singing praise of their gods as a light of purity razed the Magus castles.

*Hiss!* The void split apart at that moment, revealing the figure of a Nightmare Hydra that covered the skies.

"It's the Lord of Original Sin!" The Magi rejoiced. On the other side, the petitioners and holy spirits showed fear in their eyes. After all, this existence that had once swallowed the sun was still burning in their memory. That fear was etched deep inside their hearts, and now it had grown into full fledged terror.

"Original Sin!" the Nightmare Hydra hissed, and dense clouds began to envelop the battlefield. Holy spirits, petitioners, even the beings still within the divine kingdoms found their expressions contorting, as the negative emotions in their hearts were magnified over ten million times. Their eyes grew bloodshot.

"Arghhh…" A holy spirit roared, and his body was split into two. A dark beast clawed its way out, possessing the power of hellfire.

"Servants of Original Sin! Attack!" Large numbers were turned in an instant, and the dense army of the divine actually turned around to greet their new Lord. It charged out under the command of the Nightmare Hydra, heading for its original camp.

Cries of anguish rang out, and the magnified emotions were absorbed by a rejoicing Leylin.

"Leylin, Lord of Original Sin!" "Leylin, Lord of Original Sin!" "Leylin, Lord of Original Sin!" A great number of Magi cheered, their voices heard above all other commotions.

The Nightmare Hydra didn't stop there. The third eye of the devouring head showed itself, looking towards a certain part of the sky.

*Kacha!* The law of devouring broke the void, revealing several flustered gods.

"Stay!" A sharp silver blade flew out of the snake's jaws, piercing through the middle of a god's eyebrows.

*Bang!* the god's eyes were full of shock, turning sluggish as his divine body fell down. Seven Sins had already destroyed his everything, wiping out all chances of his resurrection.

"Lathander!" Several gods seethed in fury, yet they did not tarry as they beat their retreat.

"Lathander? The Morninglord? Becoming a lesser god after the sun was extinguished, what useless trash…" Leylin didn't feel much joy for killing a former greater god. He instead shifted his glance towards a rank 7 Magus, pulling the man closer, "Where's Mother Core?"

Even as an existence of laws, the rank 7 felt fear seep through his entire body in the face of the Nightmare Hydra. "T–The Gale Whirlpools," he stuttered out, "H–Here's a map, my Lord!"

This old Magus had a cap of spikes on his head, and his beard was now quivering as if the Nightmare Hydra would gobble him up at any second. After all, he was just a rank 7 Magus, and this existence before him had killed a lesser god effortlessly just like that.

"Well done, I'll leave the remaining tasks to you!" The dark mist covered the map, and the Nightmare Hydra's figure vanished immediately before the old Magus, entering Gale Gorge. The blades of wind that could repel beings of law couldn't even create sparks on the Nightmare Hydra's scales.

"As expected of a peak rank 8 like Leylin Farlier, the most outstanding Magus in the astral plane…" The old Magus muttered, feeling extremely discouraged.

...

"Gale Gorge!" Feeling the ever-growing pressure within Gale Gorge, Leylin sighed.

The valley was littered with azure tornadoes that could swallow up beings of law. The boundless area seemed to contain multiple smaller planes, just like a giant maze. Even powerful beings would get lost here without a map, which Leylin fortunately possessed.

He stepped forth fearlessly, his current strength ensuring that there wasn't much in the world that could stop him. The Nightmare Hydra bulldozed through the region, crushing many smaller planes into pieces as it created an extremely safe straight path.

"Whirlpool 3, I'm here!" Leylin felt weightless as he jumped into a huge whirlpool. The eye of the storm was devoid of the frightening winds and thick walls that blocked all entry.

"Mother Core and Ignox!" Leylin immediately saw two large figures sealed in thick world crystals, surrounded by numerous gods with auras powerful just standing nearby could cause one to be frightened.

"Chauntea, Tempus, Tyr, and Silvanus…" The Nightmare Hydra howled, spitting out a horrifying amount of destructive power from its nine heads. The gods quickly retreated as it began to shrink, condensing into Leylin's normal form with Seven Sins in hand.

"Break!" Seven Sins whistled, its sharp blade ramming into the world crystals.

*Ka-cha! Ka-cha!* A web of cracks spread along the surface of the crystals, before they rumbled and exploded. Mother Core's true body burst out from within, accompanied by Ignox.

"You did well, Leylin!" Mother Core gazed at Leylin in delight. However, her eyes suddenly showed an intense emotion, "NOO!"

Right at the moment they were saved, Ignox's face was shrouded by a terrifying darkness. A power of distortion formed in his hands, revealing a spear as sharp as could be. The full power of a rank 8 Magus thrust it into Leylin's chest.

"Eicher's Thorn!" Mother Core cried out, the majestic power of earth pushing Ignox away as disbelief filled her eyes, "Why? Ignox, why are you doing this?"

"Keke… you're asking me why I'm doing this?" Ignox laughed maniacally, pulling off his black cloak to reveal the essence of distortion. The rings of power grew more and more terrifying, and his aura eventually shifted into another form.

"Distorted Shadow!" A phantom hydra snarled from behind Leylin, a few of its heads sinking down. His hands filled up with the power of sin as he pulled the dagger out, his eyes on Distorted Shadow, "Was Ignox a clone, or did you use your powers to consume him?"

His words revealed an astounding secret. The rank 7 wizard known as Ignox, always staying within the Magus World, was actually controlled by Distorted Shadow, perhaps even as a clone!

"Is there a difference?" Boundless distorted shadows filled the void as his true body descended. The black rings melded with Distorted Shadow, revealing that the two were of the same essence.

"All I know is that all of you shall fall here…" Fusing back with Ignox, Distorted Shadow became even more difficult to comprehend. He seemed on the verge of reaching peak rank 8 again.

He was initially an incomplete conscient. Even after devouring the God of Murder, Cyric, and making use of his essence to recover, he'd only temporarily regained his status as a peak rank 8. He was still a ways to go from true peak rank 8 power like Mother Core. Now, however, his might exceeded that of Mother Core, closing in on Leylin's peak prowess.

"Mother Core, and the Lord of Original Sin! The two extreme powers of the Magus World… I see the rise of the stars from your death!" With the four gods present as well, Leylin and Mother Core were heavily surrounded.

*Rumble!* Silvanus' will descended amidst a green light. The leader of the gods brought with him the power of the four elemental planes.

Wind, earth, water, and fire. The four elemental gods had descended, forming a terrifying seal once more as they broke off all chances of escape!

"Gods!" Mother Core gazed at DIstorted Shadow, seemingly in disbelief. "For the sake of internal conflict you're actually willing to betray us and side with the gods?"

The fight between Leylin and Distorted Shadow had only been a conflict of interest before. Now, however, Distorted Shadow joining the gods would make him the archenemy of all Magi.

"How can my tolerance and greatness be estimated by you…" Distorted Shadow laughed maniacally, "I will soon become the God of Chaos in the World of Gods, still retaining my powers as a Magus. I am the only one qualified to reach the end of the Final War, obtaining eternity!"

The distortions around Distorted Shadow's body began to go berserk, representing the agitation in his mind at this moment.

Killing

The four elemental planes surged, becoming the essence of a seal powered by the cries of the gods. Even then, Distorted Shadow's laughter was more piercing than everything else.

"Before this… Were you the one who revealed the two-world plan and caused the fall of the Chaos Lord and Evil Filthy Eye?" Struck by a powerful weapon like Eicher's Thorn, Leylin now looked rather pale. Still his eyes emanated a brilliant lustre, even as his truesoul of original sin was weakening and the phantom hydra behind him withering away.

"Yes," Distorted Shadow did not hesitate at all, "Who told the Chaos Lord to block my path? The law of chaos belongs to me!

"Besides, only the fall of two peak rank 8s could show my sincerity. I even tried to scheme against you, but…" Distorted Shadow glanced at Leylin, as if disappointed at his failure in doing Leylin harm.

"So, during the Magus Conference, did you use the power of distortion to cheat the oath?" Leylin deduced.

"That's right! Ask me if there's anything else you're unsure of, I'll tell you everything. Whatever it is, from hereon, all traces of your existence shall be completely wiped out. You shan't even exist in the river of space and time…"

"There's nothing else!" A smile appeared on Leylin's face, causing Distorted Shadow to suddenly have a bad premonition, "You lot heard this, right?"

"Yes, very clearly!" A couple of whistles sounded in the air, and another Nightmare Hydra came into the shattered space. Numerous peak rank 8 Magi made their way here, protected by the power of original sin.

The Darkness Lord, the Tree of Life, the Blood Knight… Even another Leylin appeared, seeming completely unharmed.

"You…" The appearance of so many peak rank 8 Magi seemed to destroy the gods' glory, and Distorted Shadow shouted in derangement.

"Did you think that just your powers of distortion could deceive the truesoul of a being of laws?" The Leylin next to Mother Core sneered furtively, his body dispersing and turning into a dark bloody mist of original sin. "Even if I specifically showed you this move, you failed to consider I might be using it…"

Leylin looked at Distorted Shadow like one would at a moron, and the Magus started to cry out in insanity, "Impossible! Why did it turn out this way? I already used the power of distortion to deceive your soul… NO! ORIGINAL SIN!"

"You finally noticed?" Leylin gazed at Distorted Shadow with pity in his eyes, "Your power of distortion lost to my power of original sin in the contest, and I fooled your truesoul…"

"How… how's that possible?" Distorted Shadow was most proficient at using the power of distortion to silently affect other beings. Planting a seed of distortion in Cyric, corroding and devouring Ignox, and his various setups for Leylin were all proof of this.

However, with Seven Sins supporting it, the power of original sin had extraordinary effect on the mind. In the clash of these two forces, Distorted Shadow had been defeated completely. He'd failed to deceive Leylin's soul, instead being trapped under an illusion himself to reveal all his schemes.

Being defeated in the area he was most proud of, and defecting in front of so many Magi, this was the greatest humiliation and blow Distorted Shadow ever had ever faced in his life.

"I will kill you, all of you…" Distorted Shadow had completely gone insane.

"I should be the one saying that! I shall be the one to judge you for your sins!" Leylin waved his hand.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* The eight Lords of Calamity appeared one after the other, followed by the A.I. Chip clone and the Snake Dowager. The number of rank 8 existences present caused the gods to turn grim. For the sake of victory, and his own safety, Leylin hadn't hesitated to give up his swamps and gather all his people here.

"In the name of the Allied Magus Conference, I hereby announce that Distorted Shadow has renounced the path of truth and given up on the glory of the Magi. He is no longer fit to be called a Magus!" The Darkness Lord announced, "From hereon, Distorted Shadow is a lapdog of the gods, and the enemy of the Magi!"

"The plan failed. Retreat!" Silvanus' conscient descended with green light, "Save your strength!"

"What are we waiting for? Now's the best time! If we take them out we'll save hundreds of years in the war!" Leylin leapt out and exclaimed, Seven Sins emanating a demonic luster.

"Everyone, act according to plan!" the clone bellowed, light flashing in its eyes. Although the Lords of Calamity were strong, they had to join forces to survive amidst peak rank 8s and greater gods.

"With the bloodline as a foundation!" The Snake Dowager opened her arms, and the ball of snakes that was her true body appeared, hissing and roaring as it surged with bloodline force.

"With the power of calamity as the structure!" The eight Lords of Calamity roared in range, forming eight different nodes of a formation as they balanced perfectly with the snakes.

"Bloodline Calamity!" The A.I. Chip clone was at the centre, using its terrifying computing abilities to tune the might of the nine beings of law. It synergised bloodline force and the powers of calamity, forming the ultimate killing move.

Crimson crystals fell from the sky like snow, immediately defending against the attacks of Tyr and Tempus. It created a unique space around it, possessing a trace of spacetime power that separated the two gods from Gale Gorge.

Leylin soon moved out, Seven Sins in the form of a crossblade. He guided the uncountable crystals in the sky, sending them hurling down on the gods like hail.

"Prideguard!" Seven Sins turned into an armour that deflected Tempus' final attack. Leylin then drove the crossblade that carried the power of blood and calamity through his forehead, destroying his truesoul. Silence in Death activated, ensuring no chance of Tempus ever resurrecting again.

"Vile Magus! You have killed yet another of our ranks. Even the Styx cannot wash you of your sins!" Tyr bellowed, but he continued to retreat. The only thing he was feeling now was regret. If he could go back in time, he swore he'd have given everything to kill Leylin at all costs.

However, Leylin did not give him this chance.

"Tyr, Mystra's ally… Today marks the end of our conflict!" Seven Sins morphed through its various forms, eventually settling to become a black horned hammer.

"Fury Amplification!" "Blessing Of Greed!" The hammer crushed down, carrying a power that could destroy everything. Tyr screamed like a damsel in distress, as he frantically fled backwards, but he couldn't escape the joint attack of ten rank 8s, countless crimson crystals sealing off his path causing him to accept his fate.

*Boom!* The divine weapon in Tyr's hands cracked in its clash with Seven Sins, unable to bear the burden. The hammer soon smashed Tyr's head in, and destructive force ravaged the God of justice.

*Bang!* Everything soon returned to normal, but there were no more signs of Tyr in this world. Seven Sins cried in victory, its whole body shuddering to make its satisfaction known. Gluttony's Devouring had absorbed the powers of two greater gods, actually making it feel bloated at the moment.

*Crash!* The barrier of spacetime broke apart, and Leylin moved out only to see a startled expression on Distorted Shadow's face. He was in the midst of trying to break the barrier, trying to assist the two greater gods.

"Why? Are you that surprised?" Seven Sins turned into a fine longsword in Leylin's hands, letting out a crisp ring.

"Tyr and Tempus, these two greater god actually died just like that…" It wasn't just Distorted Shadow. The other gods, even the Darkness Lord Leylin had brought along was dumbfounded.

Distorted Shadow reacted quickly, giving up on the fight to retreat immediately. However, Leylin would never give him this chance.

"Seven Sins absorbed too much energy, let's use this chance to unleash it!" The crimson barrier appeared once more, this time sealing Distorted Shadow. Leylin followed him in.

Seven Sins had a network of veins on its body right now, squirming with excess energy. Seeing Distorted Shadow ahead of it, it roared loudly.

"Energy release!"

...

The Battle of Gale Gorge would be passed down as an important turning point in the second Final War. The gods had lost Chauntea, Tyr, and Tempus, and their elemental gods were gravely injured. Their double agent had been hunted down and killed by Leylin as well, delivering a heavy blow.

From then on, the Magi used their various advantages to continue the war. As for Leylin, the main force in this battle, hymns of his prowess were passed down through the astral plane. His legend would not fade for millions of years.

Death

"So the hidden thorn was taken care of!" Regardless of what others thought, Leylin was currently in an extremely jovial mood. Having killed Distorted Shadow, he felt like his soul of original sin had grown purer, bringing him closer to the threshold of space and time.

Having devoured three peak rank 8 experts, he'd felt an indiscernible upgrade to his truesoul.

"Everyone else wasn't injured, and even if Mother Core has to nurse her injuries for a while she did have gains in the gorge…" Leylin rubbed his chin.

Mother Core's battle was extremely maniacal this time. She'd given her all in order to stop Chauntea from fleeing, suffering severe injuries. It took Leylin's assistance for her to kill the Earthmother and devour her powers.

This was going to be a great benefit. Once she healed, Mother Core would be a step closer to rank 9, able to try and use the powers of spacetime.

"It's time," Leylin sighed and walked out, "Let's begin the true plan."

The Underworld of the Gods currently stood opposed to him in the swamp, the vast Styx like a moat that stopped any Magus attacks. However, the Nightmare Hydra roared into the skies like thunder at this moment, charging in without the slightest hesitation whatsoever as it stirred up huge waves. The corrosion and attraction of the Underworld had no power over Leylin.

*Crash!* Leylin broke the defences of the Styx instantly, entering a land very similar to the Underworld.

"Lord of Original Sin!" A greater god surrounded by the laws of death walked out from his palace, shock in his eyes. This was Kelemvor, the opponent Leylin was guarding against.

His shock was not a pretense. Even if the Magi had obtained victory at Gale Gorde, they'd also suffered severe injuries. Rumour had it that Leylin blocked Chauntea's final attack to protect Mother Core, or both the beings who used the power of the earth would have ended up dead. However, Leylin seemed to be in his peak form here, showing no signs of weakness.

"Die!" The Nightmare Hydra hissed, and a silver light shot out of its vertical eye as it carried the powers of illusion.

"Argh… Don't dream about it!" Kelemvor tried to put up a final struggle, but a layer of shadow had appeared on his body. This shadow had the same face as Kelemvor, but it was filled with pride and envy, "Hehe… Arrogant God of Death. So you have always been jealous of Jergal's power and might, and feel like a stray dog that could be left behind at any time?"

This was the influence of Leylin's powers of emotions. He planted the seed of original sin within Kelemvor's body, dealing with him like Distorted Shadow dealt with Cyric. He stole a large amount of Kelemvor's divine force, binding his divine body.

*Boom!* Seven SIns turned into a silver arrow that pierced through Kelemvor's skull, immediately causing the fall of this greater god. Leylin closed his eyes, feeling his weapon greedily absorb the law of death and nourish him.

Leylin's powers had long since surpassed Kelemvor's, and the only reason the god had still been alive was because Leylin was toying with him. Now that he was serious, the Greater God of Death was no match for him!

"Even Seven Sins has Sloth's Recovery as an ability. Do you think the Lord of Original Sin, someone controlling the law of sloth, would take any time to recover from injuries?" Leylin looked over at where Kelemvor once stood, speaking in a tone of mockery.

However, Kelemvor was already wiped off the face of space and time, losing all traces of his existence. Without the assistance of a rank 9 he could not be resurrected.

*Hiss!* The Nightmare Hydra reared its heads and roared. Lightning, poison, acid, flames… All sorts of matter were spewed from its heads, the only common point being the powerful destructive properties. Kelemvor's armies were devastated, the land ravaged as his divine palace and his petitioners and holy spirits within taken out.

After everything seemed to return to the beginning of the world, the figure of an ordinary old man dressed in linen appeared in the void. He stood there quietly, not emitting a trace of a powerful aura. The only distinct thing was his eyes, which seemed extremely bright.

"Jergal! I still thought you would help that student of yours!" The Nightmare Hydra shrunk under the mist, turning back into Leylin.

"Even a God of Death must die, such are the laws of the world," Jergal said in a discerning tone.

Although this god had handed most of his divinity and divine force to Kelemvor in the past, Leylin didn't dare be complacent in front of him. He sensed that this opponent would be more powerful than the elemental gods.

"You should know my goal by now, right?" Leylin waved his hands, and the powers of original sin sealed the area, creating an illusion that Jergal and Leylin were just staring at each other in confrontation.

"Of course, your search for truth and eternity… Even as a god, I'm influenced by your perseverance…" Jergal smiled gently, "This endless life allowed me to learn more than the rest. The Overgod and Magus Will are currently in the core of the Nirvana Battlefield, locked in battle. The turbulent currents of spacetime there will make it difficult even for existences like us to break in…

"You need my help, Magus." Jergal looked at Leylin. This primordial God of Death evidently didn't share the gods' loyalty towards their World Will. He was instead similar to Leylin, wanting to ascend himself.

"Indeed." This was Leylin's purpose in coming here. For the sake of advancing to rank 9, he didn't mind allying with a god.

"Very well, follow me!" Jergal parted the river with his arms, revealing a path to the core of this battlefield. The purging powers of the Styx had no effect on Leylin's body of original sin, causing his face to change.

"The core of the Nirvana Battlefield is protected by the ultimate defences of the astral plane. Even having spent so much time, I've only managed to open up half the passageway…" The Styx brought the two to an empty void after a long journey. There were no conscients of beings of law here, only wild currents of spacetime with the power to destroy everything. The path of a peak rank 8 was the only way for one to protect themselves.

Leylin could feel two overweeningly powerful conscients in the centre of this void, infinitely close to comprehending the laws of spacetime yet stuck in a deadlock. The World Wills were in an extremely slow process of devouring each other, powered by the inhabitants of their worlds.

"I'm afraid that the victor of this battle will become a true rank 9…" From what Leylin could tell, these two conscients were halfway to rank 9. Only once they devoured their opponents could they break through the threshold, the true meaning of the prophecy of eternity.

"Although we'll obtain their favour by aiding them, the leftovers from someone else will never compare to what you earn yourself…" Jergal exclaimed, "The combined origin force of the two worlds will definitely be taken by the victor, we won't have much of a share at all. Eternity will be but a distant dream…"

"What do you want to do?" Leylin asked.

"Ally with me, and we'll consume the powers of the Magus World and the World of Gods, causing their fight to come to a stalemate. A thousand years, ten thousand years, hundred thousand years, a million years… We will continuously weaken their forces, eventually consuming one of the wills each!"

A crazed expression appeared on Jergal's face as he spoke of this blatant plan. He didn't think Leylin had any better options, being the strongest in his own camp at this point. If they joined forces, they could even extend the Final War to a billion years, weakening the World Wills and attempting to devour them as they made for eternity.

"Not a bad plan, and the success rate is extremely high.." Leylin clapped his hands and looked at Jergal. "However, how will two broken worlds with extremely weak wills aid our advancement?"

"You have a better plan?" Wariness surfaced on Jergal's face. Dense power of death circled around him, many black skeletons arising as his guards.

"These World WIlls are already quite weak! Once we devour them, we'll be able to advance to rank 9!" Leylin laughed heartily, Seven Sins appearing in his hands.

*Bang!* A black tome of death appeared in Jergal's hands, its writhing scriptures having recorded the end of all creatures. This was an overgod weapon as well.

"I knew our alliance would rupture eventually, but who knew it would only last this long…" Jergal sighed.

"You think too small, Jergal. Millennia of seclusion has caused you to lose your boldness and your sharp mind." The Nightmare Hydra behind Leylin fixed its eyes on Jergal, as if staring at delicious prey…

The Finale

The Nirvana Battlefield was a place created by two World Wills, the most stable land within the astral plane.

However, a terrifying earthquake suddenly rocked it in its entirety. Space trembled, thick and complicated chains of laws revealing themselves as they began to fall apart. The shackles that could confine Breaking Dawns broke all of a sudden, as the land that was more firm than magic alloy cracked. It was like the end of the world was nigh.

"What's going on?" "Why is this happening?"

The earthshaking changes immediately alarmed several existences. Be they greater gods or peak rank 8 Magi, everyone ignored their subordinates' injuries and rushed towards the epicenter. A strong sense of unease was spreading within their hearts.

The Nirvana Battlefield, the intersection of Gale Gorge, the Dark Cage, and the Battle Hills, was shaking, violent explosions rocking the lands as columns of fire soared into the sky. The heat could reduce anything to nothingness, leaving a huge dark pit that led to the core of the battlefield.

"Spacetime laws!" the Darkness Lord muttered in excitement, "Someone broke through into the fight between the World Wills. Who is it?"

The Magi and Gods looked at each other, immediately placing their suspicious on Leylin and Jergal. A majority of the dense fog of Leylin's original sin had dissipated in this earthquake, and given the absence of the strongest members of each side it was sufficient to explain several questions.

"The laws of space and time!" "Eternity!" "Let's go!" The Magi didn't hesitate in the slightest as they headed for the Nirvana Battlefield. It was instead the gods that hesitated, eventually following Silvanus and the four elemental gods into the deep pit.

"LEYLIN! LEYLIN!" The first thing everyone heard when they entered the Nirvana Battlefield was a voice full of resentment and unwillingness. All they managed to sea was the Nightmare Hydra roaring, filled with an aloofness despite the scales on its body being scattered around and some of its heads injured.

Leylin was wielding a longsword with both hands in the hydra's shadow, having pierced through Jergal's tome of death to directly behead him.

A strong devouring power exploded forth as the God of Death turned into black liquid, being greedily absorbed by Seven Sins. Absorbing the primordial laws of death, the hydra rapidly healed from its injuries, growing more and more powerful.

"An inexhaustible body, the ultimate inexhaustible body… Nobody below rank 9 can contend with the Lord of Original Sin…"

Silvanus and the Darkness Lord cried out involuntarily.

"Everyone is here… That's great! How could beings of law miss the passage of history?" Leylin looked around him with satisfaction.

"Lord of Original Sins, what exactly are you planning?" The Darkness Lord asked, a slight sense of excitement in his heart.

"Hmm?" Leylin turned back, releasing the power of original sin mixed with Jergal's laws of death. Seven Sins rumbled as it struck the barrier where the two World Wills were fighting, and it began to crack.

"It's obviously to pursue eternity and truth!" A terrifying aura exploded forth as Leylin shot forth with one final blow. Having been struck several times as Leylin guided Jergal's attacks in their battle, the barrier finally exploded with a huge bang. It caused the two frighteningly powerful World Wills to descend upon them, full of blazing ire!

The Overgod and Magus Will had expended much of each other's energy, but they weren't too weak yet. It was far too easy for them to suppress a group of peak rank 8s.

"Overgod!" Silvanus and a group of gods immediately knelt down.

"Mighty Magus Will!" Cold sweat dripped down Darkness Lord's forehead as he bowed alongside the other Magi.

Only Leylin stood tall in this atmosphere, looking at the glamour of the two World Wills in ernest.

"Indeed, only wills with this much power can satisfy my requirements and allow me to advance!" Leylin burst into a manic laughter, his Nightmare Hydra growing in size as the power of original sin was flaunted.

A violent fury emanated from the two wills, like giant dragons that had been challenged by ants. A seal of spacetime was formed once more. The Magus World gazed down at Leylin, about to mobilise the law of time to thoroughly exterminate this ant who dared to resist.

"The time has arrived!" However, Leylin revealed a strange smile at that moment.

...

A while ago, in the seventh subterranean level of the Magus World.

Leylin's A.I. Chip clone was present here, surrounding Mother Core alongside Shar, the Snake Dowager, and a host of Lords of Calamity.

"You know what we need, hand it over!" The A.I Chip clone stood out, looking at the seriously injured Mother Core, "I already helped you obtain Chauntea's powers. Live through this, and you'll be able to pry into the next realm…

"Now that we don't owe each other, will you surrender your will fragment or do you want to fall?"

Mother Core had been seriously injured in the battle with Chauntea, and all the other existences had rushed underground. There was nobody to come rescue her.

"Your actions make me lament…" A green light flew into Leylin's hands. When faced with survival and death, she'd decisively chosen the former.

"Great, let's begin!" Shar walked out in leisure from behind Leylin, sending a golden seed to Leylin's hands. This was why she hadn't appeared at Gale Gorge.

Once the green light and golden seed came into contact, a terrifying change occurred. The seed grew instantly, growing tender branches and soft green leaves as it became a lofty grand tree.

"Tree of Life Project, activate!" The clone laughed loudly, a myriad of threads hanging from the huge Tree of Life beginning to spread around the entire Magus World. The Tree of Life absorbed the nutrients of the Magus World, strengthening and growing. The injured Mother Core could only sigh sadly at the scene, leaving the range of the Magus World.

Leylin had been pondering one question ever since his return from the Shadow World, and that was on how to deal with the World Will. The Overgod and Magus Will would definitely become a hurdle on his path to rank 9, something that he couldn't overcome himself.

Leylin hadn't been able to think of a way to deal with these powerful existences until Shar's actions inspired him. Although the two World Wills were powerful, they were still the same as the World Will of the Shadow World. They were existences composed of the consciousness and thoughts of the entire world!

The Tree of Life project could thus be used the same way. With some analysis and modification, the A.I. Chip had refined the Tree of Life. It was already a huge tree of light that occupied the entire Magus World, and other than Mother Core and his family that had been shifted out beforehand nothing was spared.

Having been native to the Magus World, Leylin had long since initiated the mutations and implanted himself into the subconscious of the Magus World. He was even more thorough than Shar.

"The most difficult thing to complete the Tree of Life is existences like Mother Core," the clone muttered, "But I only need 50% of the authority to influence the World Will. Even if I don't occupy the entirety of the underground, Mother Core's portion makes up for the difference…"

Peak rank 8 existences formed a significant portion of the World Will. That was the reason Leylin had been so nice to Mother Core all this while, reinforcing her when she was in trouble. He intended for success in one fell swoop. With his methods, he'd already gained control of more than 90% of the Magus World!

"It has begun!" The chaos within the Nirvana Battlefield had been transmitted over at that moment. The clone entered the Tree of Life.

*Bang!* The glowing Tree of Life opened its crown, spreading through the World of Gods as well. and started spreading throughout the God's World.

Numerous fine lights similar to willows descended from the skies of the prime material plane. Every living creature, the mountains, the rivers, the consciousness of the land itself… It was all stripped, being assimilated into Leylin. The same went for Baator, the Abyss, and the Celestial Planes. Other than some of Leylin's subordinates within his divine kingdom, nobody was spared.

Indeed, Leylin had completed the Tree of Life Project in the Magus World, having tasked Shar to prepare for this a while prior. With the Overgod forcing mutations in the prime material plane to adapt it to the darkness, Leylin had been given the opportunity to take action there as well, initiating Project X.

Furthermore, Leylin had just swallowed the most powerful god of all, Jergal. With the fragments of some other divine forces, he held more than 80% of the authority there as well.

An omnipresent Tree of Life reverently descended above the dumbbell shaped fused world, releasing beautiful light into the astral plane.

...

*Kacha! Kacha!* The gods and Magi looked on in shock within the Nirvana Battlefield, as the original killing intent of the World Wills ground to a halt like machines without oil. Numerous roots from the Tree of Life slowly wrapped the two up, radiating lofty light as it took control of them.

"I still need the fragments of will from the surviving beings of law to completely control the World Wills…" Leylin's eyes swept over the gods one by one, and they started to flee in fright.

"Space Blockade!" he smiled indifferently, manipulating the Overgod into taking action. The frozen space cut off the hopes of the gods, even pulling out and caging a green figure.

"Overgod… Why?" Silvanus asked with teary eyes. Sadly, his calls had no effect on the World Will as Leylin's sword penetrated his head.

A small light flew out, increasing Leylin's control of the Overgod. The World Will's roar swept all the remaining gods away.

"What about you?" Leylin looked to the Magi native to the Magus World, "Will you hand control over voluntarily, or would you prefer I take it by force?" Seven Sins was dripping with blood.

The Magi understood the situation well, immediately handing over their portion of the will and increasing Leylin's control once more.

"More than 99.99% control…" Leylin's gaze flickered, "Fuse together!"

The two enormous World Wills slowly started to merge together within the Tree of Life, as if in the process of exchanging laws. The Overgod had its laws of space, while the Magus Will seemed to fluctuate in time.

"With my path as the lead, guided by the power of spacetime…" The Nightmare Hydra and the path of original sin appeared behind Leylin, merging with the Tree of Life.

"He's advancing! He's advancing to rank 9!" Tears appeared on the faces of the Darkness Lord and the other Magi. They wanted to kneel, but the frozen space prevented from moving. They just watched on at the birth of a rank 9, as if they were on a pilgrimage…

The most important requirement for one to advance to rank 9 was that their path support the laws of space and time. With peak nightmare force, Leylin completely met that requirement. The laws themselves? They would come from the merged World of Gods and Magus World.

The first thing he acquired was the Overgod's law of space. The blurry figure was wrapped up in nightmare force, integrated into the path of original sin.

[Beep! Host has devoured the Overgod. Comprehension of the law of space is currently at 100%…]

The same prompt followed for the Magus Will as well:

[Beep! Host has devoured the Magus Will. Comprehension of the law of time is currently at 100%…

Host path is compatible, spacetime laws perfected. Beginning advancement…]

*Bang!* A great pressure suddenly rocked the astral plane, sweeping the Darkness Lord and the rest into a random corner of the universe. Leylin's path of original sin grew larger and larger, expanding until it encased both the large worlds. The essence of the two started to merge with Leylin, as the lights of eternity gradually blossomed.

...

...

...

Leylin's conscient awoke after an unknown amount of time. "This is rank 9?" he asked himself, "All-knowing and omnipotent."

He sensed the locations of Syre and Daniel, Isabel, Shar, and the rest of his kith and kin. They were doing extremely well in a large world.

Right now, Leylin could learn of anything in the astral plane in an instant, performing any task he wished immediately. He was rank 9, the Magus of Magi, a god amongst gods! Nothing in the astral plane could deceive him, even the ancient Wisdom Tree hidden at its fringes. It had exuded a friendly aura, its posture humble and insignificant.

'So the ancient Wisdom Tree gave up on rank 9, allowing itself to roam across the universe. Even though its powers were close to that of the Magus Will, it couldn't intervene in the real world…' Leylin could now kill the tree with a mere thought.

However, he didn't have any conflict of interest with it, in fact having been done a favour in the past. He thus let it live in peace… Perhaps this was a form of wisdom shown by the tree itself.

Although he could meet his family with just a thought, Leylin still decided to scan his own body first.

"Eternity… Are rank 9s truly eternal?" Leylin knew he had unlimited life. Even if the Magus World and World of Gods were destroyed, he would not be affected at all.

However, this was only within his own universe. He now sensed many other beings outside the astral plane, possessing similar power to him. There was technology, supernatural abilities… All kinds of beings came before his mind.

"The more you know, the smaller you actually feel…" Leylin's will had surpassed the shackles of the astral plane, entering another region outside it. He detected another universe nearby, equal in power to his own. From it he detected a familiar scent of science and civilisation, and noticed the planet he'd lived on before his transmigration.

'I am close to eternity, but not truly there. With the laws of spacetime mastered, the next task is to create a law that surpasses all others, standing on the path of the truth… The larger the multiverse, the more there is for me to explore…'

Always on the pursuit of truth, Leylin found himself a new target. With a path ahead, a goal to achieve, he would never grow disheartened, never lose his motivation to forge ahead on his path.

"The future… it seems extremely interesting!" He looked over the astral plane, seeing through everything.

...

In a distant time, on a blue planet that relied heavily on science and technology. This world shone in its technology, almost every citizen having their own A.I. Chip that surpassed human ability.

*Rumble!* The skies slowly turned dark, revealing a terrifying black hole.

*Bzzzz—* Many strange, malevolent insects flew forth from the black hole, devouring everything in their path as they left behind a trail of death and terror.

"Not good, the A.I. Chip can't analyse them!"

"Teleportation isn't effective… What in the world are those things?"

"The starfleet and the fighters were all annihilated!"

"Bioweapons failed… The superhero team was defeated. Dimensional combat is ineffective, and the time machines have stopped functioning… The Federation is about to perish…" A lot of news was being spread through the A.I. Chips, causing despair to surface on the faces of this world's citizens.

They'd relied on their technology to conquer world after world, developing into an unimaginably powerful civilisation. How could they be so vulnerable to external attacks?

"You can't run away, Khail." A face of strange worms spoke out, like a god's decree. A sorry figure escaped from the black hole.

"This… Who are you?" a small boy asked, stunned.

"My name is Khail… I came here to escape someone. Sorry, I've brought you trouble!" An apologetic look surfaced on the silhouette's face.

"That thing that's about to destroy the world?" The small boy was flabbergasted, but the A.I. Chip in his brain told him this fellow wasn't lying. "Who is it?"

Khail smiled bitterly. "It's the Ultimate Destroyer, the Incarnation of Sin… The Seeker of Truth, travelling the endless multiverse… The Nightmare Hydra, Lord of Original Sin. The rank 9 Magus— Leylin Farlier!"

It's already been a year since last April, and Warlock of the Magus World is finally complete. I'm finally off the pressure of that terrifying release rate, and at the same time I haven't let down the expectations of the readers; it's a cause for celebration.

Honestly, this book has achieved far beyond my expectations; we were first in the fantasy ranking last year! This is something only possible because of all the subscriptions, monthly votes, and recommendations; a glory solely belonging to the collective group of readers that have supported me. A thousand thank yous to all of you, and a deep bow!

Thank you to all the friends who've subscribed to this novel. Without you, WMW wouldn't be where it is today. In specific thank you to the three sect masters Lanxi, roseme@ and Empty Mountain New Rain 2015, especially Lanxi for the support of a million fan points. My salute to you!

Thank you also to Myfault, *GGQ*, Silent Seas, Fate is Always Beside Me, Summer Tree⑨, Ultimate Treasure, and Quietly Gently Hehe, thank you for your support and encouragement! There are many others I wish to name for their contributions, but unfortunately, there is a limit to the number of words I have. I regret not being able to list you all.

Thank you to Big Yinyang, Skilful Fishing, Trickling Meander, as well as Single-Horned Sea Cucumber, whose suggestions were extremely incisive. The wealth of information gave me a lot of inspiration.

Finally, I thank the readers of the novel. Your views, recommendations, bookmarking, and subscriptions motivated me through all of this. Thank you!

My knowledge is limited and my writing unskilled; there were times when things were inappropriate and poorly constructed, as well as many other inadequacies in general. I'm extremely sorry for all of it, and thankful for your understanding and forgiveness of those parts.

Lastly, let us meet at my new book, Semi Martial Artist Hero! It's the legend of a martial artist of infinity, and I look forward to your participation in its writing. Here's to more recommendations, clicks, and bookmarks O(∩_∩)O~!