Chapter 499: The Wild Gods: Dare to Call for a New Day!

The Eternal Desolation of the Scorched Hell.

This is a plane devoid of mercy, compassion, or pity.

It is the Furnace of Annihilation, a realm of quadruple volcanoes.

In the Scorched Hell, countless endless and peakless volcanoes float in an unimaginable infinite void. Each layer of the Scorched Hell is dominated by a central volcano, connecting billions of other volcanoes to form an endless mountainous hellscape. Except for the central volcano, the other volcanoes move according to unique patterns, floating and shifting in the void.

The volcanoes in the Scorched Hell are extremely steep and dangerous, with inclines of at least forty-five degrees.

Demons, devils, Formians, Githyanki, Mind Flayers, Vampires, and other lower-plane creatures live on the steep slopes of these volcanoes, building castles, fortresses, and caves as their homes.

Though not as infamous as the Abyss or the Nine Hells, the Scorched Hell is a well-known lower plane, home to many evil gods and malevolent entities.

The cloud giant god, who once faced the divine Garon in the Battle of Beastlands, was exiled to the Scorched Hell.

The Scorched Hell is divided into four layers:

The Crimson Mountains, the Fiery Mountains, the Ashen Mountains, and the Silent Mountains.

The Grandmaster of Mechanus leads a portion of the mechanical army in the Crimson Mountains to participate in the Blood War, the primary battlefield in the Scorched Hell, where countless demons and devils perish in battle.

Due to the Grandmaster's activities, Garon had some understanding of the Crimson Mountains.

However, his knowledge of the other three layers was superficial.

Three barely perceptible streams of light cut through the dark void, finally landing between towering volcanoes, the entire process silent and unnoticed by the intelligent species living between the volcanoes.

On the rugged, dry, and withered slopes, the dragon gods descended, concealing their true forms and appearing as local demons, suppressing their dragon and divine might, appearing like ordinary demons.

Garon, transformed into a berserk demon with horns, looked around, extending his senses.

There was no cool breeze, no sound, no erupting volcanoes. All the volcanoes were silent, like a dead forest under a night sky.

This was the fourth layer of the Scorched Hell, the Silent Mountains.

Compared to the nearly constant lava flows and billowing smoke of the other three layers, the Silent Mountains, true to their name, were quiet and dead. The volcanoes here were dormant, having not erupted for hundreds of thousands of years, with cold temperatures and desolate environments. Few intelligent creatures lived here, primarily skeletons, ghosts, liches, and other undead who did not require a hospitable environment.

"I once came to the Silent Mountains in an avatar to search for the demon's nest."

"However, without specific coordinates, the vast expanse of the Silent Mountains yielded no progress."

Karaxis, disguised as a flame demon, looked up at the imposing dormant volcano and spoke in a hoarse, low voice.

Karaxis had explored the Scorched Hell before, but found nothing.

Indeed

, the Wild Gods had been in hiding for many years, and their Soul Spirit Array was well hidden. If not for the Iron Queen being captured and revealing their plans, the dragon gods would not have known the exact location.

Actually, the Wild Gods did not want to share such important information with the reckless and impulsive Iron Queen. However, as a follower of the Terror Lord, her intel was necessary for the resurrection plans. They reluctantly allowed her to know, even casting a shielding spell on her to prevent leaks, but it was eventually broken.

Now, the dragon gods knew the exact location of the Soul Spirit Array.

However, to show their sincerity in cooperation and to avoid breaking the defensive barriers of the array and alerting other gods, they chose not to forcibly descend directly. Instead, they waited for the Wild Gods' emissary to arrive.

The seductive Tiamat, in the form of a succubus, swayed her body and said, "Let's wait here for a while. The Wild Gods' emissary will arrive soon."

"But even with the cooperation contract, stay vigilant."

After all, they were in the Wild Gods' territory, and only three dragon gods had descended. Although other dragon gods and the dragon god faction's strongmen were ready to support, they still needed to be cautious and alert to prevent any unexpected events.

The three dragons, disguised as demons, waited.

Time passed quietly.

After a while, the Wild Gods' emissary had not yet arrived, but a mindless little skeleton, holding a half-broken axe, stumbled and staggered past the three dragon gods.

Living creatures were scarce in the Silent Mountains. Although there were many undead, their overall number was still not high.

The dragon gods glanced at the little skeleton and then looked away, ignoring it.

However, that one glance made the little skeleton turn its head and stare at the three 'demons.'

The 'demons' looked back at it, unmoved.

The soul fire in the little skeleton's eye sockets flickered violently. It raised its axe and stumbled on the steep slope towards the dragon gods.

Even disguised as demons, the dragon gods were surprised that this lowly skeleton dared to attack them.

"Brave little one."

Garon extended a sharp demon finger and flicked it at the skeleton's forehead.

Because it was so weak, the little skeleton seemed somewhat endearing to Garon. Though it had offended a dragon god, Garon had no intention of killing it. With a flick that caused a mild temporal disturbance, the little skeleton was swept away, its fate unknown.

After this brief interruption, the Wild Gods' emissary arrived.

A black-robed figure arrived, humbly lowering its head before the dragon gods. Under their scrutinizing gaze, the figure introduced itself with humility, "Your Excellencies, I am Molyph, the Lord of the Silent Mountains' Lonely City. It is an honor to meet you."

"Please follow me to Lonely City."

Garon's gaze pierced through the black robe, revealing the form within.

He saw a gaunt humanoid figure with demonic horns and chaotic, evil patterns on its demon-like skin. Unlike most robust demons, its skin clung to its bones, making it appear frail and breakable.

"A lich transformed from a demon..."

Garon narrowed his eyes.

Despite its humble and polite demeanor, this lich emitted the aura of an intermediate god-like being, with weak extraordinary divine power, not a weak opponent.

Molyph was a name Garon had heard before.

At this moment, Karaxis looked at the lich with disdain, sparks flying from his nostrils as he spoke, "You, a Lich King, willing to serve the Wild Gods? What benefits did they offer you?"

The Lich King Molyph, also known as the Lich God, was said to be the first lich and the one who invented the lich transformation ritual, originally a demon.

Molyph's Lonely City was a stronghold of undead in the Silent Mountains, gathering many ancient liches and undead under its rule, studying the mysteries of life and death, with a variety of experimental subjects from ordinary humans to demons and devils.

"I am merely collaborating with the Wild Gods, as you are," Molyph replied with a fake smile. "As for the benefits, I cannot disclose them."

Sensing Garon's gaze, Molyph looked up, showing his courteous yet horrifying face.

"Garon, Your Excellency, I have heard much about you."

Molyph said, "I must apologize. One of my followers once angered you and deservedly died by your hand."

Though it had been a long time, Garon immediately thought of the lich Harris, who had once posed a deadly threat to him but was now long dead.

Facing the skin-deep smile of the Lich King (more accurately, it had no flesh beneath the skin), Garon remained silent, his expression indifferent.

Molyph led the way, and the dragon gods followed to Lonely City.

The city, standing on a raised slope, was built entirely of obsidian, pitch-black with no bright colors, filled with dense necromantic energy, and inhabited by various undead.

Moreover, Lonely City was not a fixed city.

It was a magical city that could move through different parts of the Silent Mountains, changing locations periodically.

Upon arrival, the three dragon gods and Molyph hovered in midair, concealing their presence. The many intelligent undead in the city below were unaware of the beings above.

Molyph extended his skeletal arm, his sharp fingers drawing mysterious runes in the air.

The runes formed and fell across Lonely City.

During this process, the dragon gods watched Molyph's actions, confirming that the runes were related to spatial transmission and ensuring no ambushes were present.

Even if there were ambushes, it was unrealistic to expect the dragon gods to be incapacitated quickly.

Moreover, although only three dragon gods were present, their every move was being monitored by other dragon gods, with more of the dragon god faction ready to intervene at any moment.

To endure the consequences of breaking the cooperation contract and attacking the dragon gods, inciting retaliation from the dragon god faction and attracting the gods' attention, the Wild Gods would have to be out of their minds.

Soon, an invisible spatial array formed above Lonely City, without causing any spatial ripples, the entire process very quiet.

"Please follow me."

Molyph entered the spatial array first.

The dragon gods calmly followed.

Deities could perform planar transmission, traveling across any space within the same plane in an instant. However, if the destination was shielded by dimensional barriers, they needed a connected spatial array.

The Terror Lord's lair was such a shielded place, preventing intruders.

The Soul Spirit Array was set up within the Terror Lord's lair.

In one step, the scenery around Garon changed.

He found himself in a vast space within a dormant volcano, enhanced by spatial magic, making the interior as large as an entire material world.

The space felt oppressive, terrifying, and dark, with an almost tangible pressure.

Ordinary mortals would quickly succumb to madness and death here.

This was the lair of the Terror Lord.

The Silent Mountains had many dormant volcanoes, making it difficult to locate this lair without specific coordinates.

Garon shifted his gaze to the lair's depths.

They had arrived at the very center of the lair.

In the deep darkness ahead, faint red light flickered. Observing closely, Garon saw a vast pool several hundred kilometers wide, filled with countless intersecting chains, binding legendary creatures and even god-like beings in vast numbers.

Following the chains to their center, Garon saw a massive, pitch-black axe, hundreds of meters in size, standing silent and menacing.

Just looking at it felt like a terrifying abyss severing the observer's spirit.

The axe had cracks emitting a familiar aura, akin to Bahamut and Tiamat's, belonging to the Nine-faced Dragon God Io.

The main god, revered by all true dragons, was loving and compassionate towards all dragonkind. From young dragons to ancient dragons, they felt the god's benevolence and naturally grew close.

Sensing Io's faint aura, Tiamat's spirit visibly lifted.

Though Tiamat was Io's evil aspect, she carried the belief of resurrecting the Nine-faced Dragon God, always troubling the Metal Dragon God to merge and revive Io, fusing both aspects into one body.

Reviving the Nine-faced Dragon God was not just for the third battle of the Warless Contract but a long-held wish of the dragon gods.

A pantheon without a main god, despite its overall strength, lacked a core leader, leading to insecurity in critical moments.

The Storm Lord killed his father to reunite the Giant Pantheon under a main god's leadership, but lacked Annam's influence, failing to gain loyalty due to patricide.

"With Io resurrected, winning the Warless Contract, eliminating potential threats like the Wild Gods, and restoring dominance, the main timeline will belong to the dragon clan."

"With such a stable stronghold, I can freely travel through time and space, exploring endless alternate timelines."

Garon thought silently.

He had no great ambitions or desire for responsibility.

Even if he became stronger than Io in millennia, he wouldn't seek the main god's position. As a Time Dragon, Garon yearned for endless timelines, and the main timeline alone couldn't satisfy his instincts.

"Woof!"

A fierce bark echoed.

Garon looked towards the sound.

Ahead, a monstrous dog-like creature glared at the dragon gods with blood-red eyes, drooling profusely.

It resembled a grotesque, malevolent bulldog with red eyes and a rat's tail, its fur crawling with maggots. These maggots moved over exposed muscles and bones, with pus-like flesh dripping from old wounds.

Its paws left burnt marks on the ground

, trailing to a pond of burning sludge behind it. Its sharp teeth gleamed like knives, exuding a repulsive, decaying aura.

Crunching sounds came from its mouth, chewing on a hand bone covered in bite marks and saliva.

Faint divine light emanated from the bone.

Staring at the dragon gods, it ground its teeth on the bone, its tongue licking and drooling.

"The Chaos Hound."

Garon was startled.

This creature was the Primordial Wild God who bit off Tyr's hand. Despite its simple mind, it possessed god-like power and was extremely vicious.

The Chaos Hound had been imprisoned by the Magic Goddess and Justice God, with Tyr losing his hand in the process. It later escaped due to some evil gods' machinations and disappeared.

Now, it guarded the Dark Black Axe, mingling with other Wild Gods.

"Tyr is in trouble."

Garon thought, seeing the hand bone in the hound's mouth.

This was Tyr's actual hand, linked to the Justice God.

When Garon met Tyr in Mount Celestia, the god's hand was still missing, unable to heal.

It wasn't that Tyr didn't want to heal it.

But even if he did, the Chaos Hound would bite it again, as the original hand was in its mouth. The hound could bite its marked target from afar.

Tyr had never given up searching for the Chaos Hound to reclaim his hand.

Feeling the constant bites and licks, Tyr could feel them clearly. The real danger was that if a skilled curser obtained the hand, Tyr would suffer greatly. The Chaos Hound couldn't curse, but many cunning Wild Gods could.

"Been a long time since I had dragon meat."

The Chaos Hound's eyes gleamed with cruelty as it eyed the dragon gods, breathing heavily and speaking in a beastly voice.

"Kozlov, these are our temporary guests. Don't bite them yet."

Kozlov, the Chaos Hound's name.

A vast black mist gathered and then dispersed.

A black sphere, darker than night, appeared before Garon.

Surrounded by dark mist, it had numerous slimy tentacles, venomous eyes, and gaping mouths. Eyes grew on tentacles, in the gaps between its jagged teeth. The overall form was unsettling, horrifying, and evil.

Seeing it brought a sinister whisper to the mind, tempting the will.

"The Primordial Sun God, Aheng."

Garon's expression darkened, staring at the black sphere.

Many eyes on its surface also stared at Garon with venomous hatred.

"Aheng, we brought the materials you needed."

"Prepare the Soul Spirit Array and separate the Terror Lord from the Nine-faced Dragon God in our presence."

The Immortal Dragon Queen spoke coldly.

They came to oversee the separation, preventing any tricks by the Wild Gods.

Aheng's many mouths opened, revealing layered laughter, "Boldly entering our territory with only three of you. I admire your courage."

"A worm in the shadows dares speak of courage? You're just weak and cowardly."

Garon retorted without hesitation.

Aheng initially didn't want to engage with Garon, having suffered a major loss to him when he first reached the legendary level.

Now, hearing Garon's taunt, Aheng's black mist roiled in agitation.

"Hmph."

Snorting coldly, Aheng did nothing rash. The contract was not just for show, and he knew more gods were likely prepared to intervene.

The Immortal Dragon Queen then inquired about the specific construction of the Soul Spirit Array, not handing over the materials directly.

Aheng did not hide anything.

The contract required the dragon gods to ensure the array had no hidden dangers.

Once confirmed, the prepared materials were taken out, and the array's completion began, separating the Terror Lord and the Nine-faced Dragon God.

More Wild Gods arrived, forming a ring around the Dark Black Axe with the dragon gods.

Separating the nearly fused true spirits of the two supreme beings required a substantial number of powerful entities.

Garon's vigilance increased as he saw the gathering Wild Gods.

The ancient sea god, the Primordial Sun God, the Chaos Hound, the Unfading Storm, the Blood Tyrant, the Tide Ruler, the Destroyer, the Shattered Wave—many of whom had fallen in ancient times, were now revived. Their presence indicated a significant resurgence, with more likely hidden.

The Wild Gods were now a formidable force.

Even if they openly fought the gods, they wouldn't be easily defeated.

More troubling was their newfound unity, bound by a shared goal of returning the multiverse to its primordial state, no longer acting individually.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] [www.p@treon.com/INNIT]