Chapter 556: Three Worlds: World 1
Three Battlefront Worlds.
Each was a stage with decisive battles for Arthur to partake in so the Demons would honour their agreement—one which would pretty much help him build his godslayer Army in the Valmone Universe.
Older Progenitors all possessed inter-universal influence, and Arthur needed to reach that level. He couldn’t afford to slack off and had to start building his power as soon as possible, with the Valmone Universe as his starting point.
Three days after the Annual Interstellar Summit ended, the DKs finalized the list of the worlds in question.
World 1 was Olrerth.
The dominant races in this world were the Humans and gods. Unlike Aramis, the Humans had once been in fierce conflict with the gods and were much more powerful, enough to defeat and drive them underground.
However, when the Gozonian invasion began, the humans, who had long ruled the surface, were the first to suffer. Faced with overwhelming odds, they were forced to seek a truce with the gods, enlisting their aid in the fight.
Although the gods had mixed feelings, they didn’t have much choice as if the Gozonian Demons were going to enslave the humans of that world, then the gods would all be killed.
The god and demon races had deep enmity, after all.
From what Jamie told Arthur, the final war was in full swing, with the decisive battle imminent.
World 2 was Hollora.
Here, Elves and Dragons were dominant. Unlike the conflict-ridden Olrerth, Hollora enjoyed a peaceful balance, with Elves and Dragons living in a symbiotic relationship.
This peace, however, was not without challenges. Hollora was a High-Level world where a Dimensional Rift leading to the Infernal Dimension—the home dimension of the Devil Race in Valmone—had opened up and from this rift, Abyssal monsters which constantly threatened the balance of power emerged.
When Gozon set their sights on Hollora, they put the Abyssal monsters under their control and using Mimic Demons like Jabberwocky who served Alvey, they sowed discord and distrust amongst the Elves and Dragons, fraying their alliance.
Some Dragons, weary of endless battles, retreated to the highest peaks and deepest caves, leaving the Elves to fend for themselves. The Elves, desperate and isolated, turned to forbidden magics, risking everything to repel the invaders.
Now, the final war loomed and Hollora was on the brink of defeat.
The Elves and Dragons could either rekindle their alliance or face the demons and Abyssal monsters alone.
World 3 was Toverus.
This world was the one that got Arthur the most interested.
Ruling this world was the Angel Race, the direct enemies of the Demon Race across the Cosmos. Even the Progenitor Demon, Astrel and the Progenitor Angel, Syndra have hated each other since then.
When was then? However many billions of years ago they both came into existence.
The Angels ruled every other race in this world, Elves, Dwarves, Celestials, Humans and many others.
But it wasn’t their hegemony on Toverus that attracted Arthur’s attention, but an artifact they possessed.
The angels of Toverus had a Book of Truth.
It was an artifact exclusive to the Angel Race, a powerful tool that recorded the true names of their most powerful enemies.
Once a name was inscribed within its pages, the book would gradually perceive that individual’s true name whenever they engaged with any angel, regardless of the enemy’s strength. Once the entire true name was recorded, the Angels could use this knowledge to either banish the individual from the planet or obliterate their very existence.
The true name of any being is the closest thing to their soul and touching their true name means touching their soul—the root of one’s existence.
Arthur didn’t know this before, but after discovering the existence of Cosmic energy, he understood why the Book of Truth was so powerful.
It was a Cosmic Artifact!
One created by the Progenitor of the Angel race.
Now then, the Book of Truth on Toverus was only a ’Replica’, and due it this nature, it could only work on mortals.
If it were the genuine article, the Angel Kings of the Universe would have seized it long ago to combat the Demon Kings.
However, since the conflict on Toverus involved mortals, the Book proved invaluable, and many Demon Generals had been expelled from the Planet by it.
The Book of Truth was particularly effective on Demons, after all, it was created to be used on them.
Arthur had Jamie add this world to the list precisely because of it.
From Lostvayne and translated by Celestia, this Book of Truth Replica was proof that the Progenitor Angel had been in the Valmone Universe before, as only she could create these things.
Even the Replica was created by her, most likely for an experiment or whatever reason, and she had either abandoned it or purposely left it here.
Lostvayne’s theory of the Progenitor Angel’s presence was backed by the proof of the Progenitor Demon’s presence—the statue of the man in front of Gozon’s Interstellar Citadel.
So, the two Progenitors most likely had a conflict in this Universe some aeons ago.
One of the items they left behind was this Book of Truth Replica and Arthur wanted it.
As for Why, it was rather simple: It contained the Progenitor Angel’s power and Arthur wanted to steal that power.
Though the Titan god’s Divine Spark in Iklaque held enough energy to get Arthur to the Mid-Tier Deity Realm, he could not absorb it until he at least reached the Half-Deity Realm.
Thus, he was on the lookout for other sources of power, even ones that may not be immediately usable.
Even if he couldn’t use it now, he’d eventually reach the level of power where he could use it so it was best to have it around.
◇ ◇ ◇
Unnamed Penthouse
Imperium Astra
Gozon
July 10th
Year 1054
"So, you wanna come along?"
"..."
Evan blinked, taking a moment to process Arthur’s question. Invade another world? Arthur said it like he was inviting him to grab lunch, not to cross the void of space and wreak havoc on planets that had nothing to do with them.
But Arthur’s nonchalance was infectious. Without much thought, Evan found himself shrugging.
"You know what? Screw it. Let’s go."
He got to his feet, and grabbed a pair of sunglasses from the desk beside him, sliding them on with a flair that matched the unexpectedness of the situation. It was as if they were about to go for a casual stroll, not a full-blown interplanetary invasion.
Arthur chuckled at Evan’s quick shift in attitude, nodding approvingly.
"That’s the spirit."
And just like that, they were set. No elaborate planning, no deep contemplation—just a pair of teenagers deciding to join three planetary invasions on a whim.
Well, not exactly a whim, per se. Arthur had a deal with Gozon’s Rulers, and as for Evan, he’d already helped Gozon to fuck up Aramis and even killed one of the planet’s Heroes, so what was another three planets on his list?
The boy had pretty much given up on bothering with things like this.
Space rippled and Jamie’s figure appeared in the room, his gaze shifting between the two as he asked.
"Off to another world just like that?"
Arthur, unbothered, leaned back in his chair, his demeanour relaxed as he answered.
"Pretty much. We might as well. And I’ve got to fulfil my part of the deal"
Evan, leaning against the desk, nodded in agreement.
"He’s got his deal.
For me, it’s because Aramis is going to be calm for a while. Both sides are gearing up for the final war, so I’ve got some time. I could use the extra EXP; Getting to level 799 is still the goal."
Jamie silently processed their words which nonchalantly discussed taking part in an interplanetary invasion. After a moment of silence, he simply shrugged.
"Seems legit."
With that, the room settled into a strange, almost surreal calm. It was as if the most absurd decision had been rationalized in the simplest terms.
Realising how strange the situation was, Evan laughed a bit, a hint of nostalgia crossing his eyes as he muttered under his breath.
"If Eliza heard this, she’d probably hit me in the back of the head."
Arthur laughed, nodding in agreement as he thought of his childhood friend back in Hell.
"Layla might do the same."
Jamie chimed in with a small smile, recalling his lover back in his home Universe.
"Don’t know about you two, but Mira would probably join me for the fun of it."
A brief silence fell over the room as the three of them exchanged glances, each one having realised the commonality in their words.
Arthur was the first to break the silence, raising an eyebrow.
"Eliza? Mira?"
Evan shrugged, adjusting his sunglasses with a nonchalant air.
"I don’t know who this ’Layla’ is, nor do I care, but doesn’t it seem like the Author has a thing for names ending in ’A’?"
Arthur paused, considering the observation with a raised eyebrow.
"You might be onto something there."
"Eliza, Layla, Mira.
We got Artemisia, Idrilla and many others we’ve encountered."
Evan added after Arthur spoke, and Jamie chuckled softly and spoke.
"It’s like it’s a theme."
Despite the heavy decision they had just made, the three found themselves caught up in a strange meta-discussion about the odd patterns they’d noticed in the names of people they knew.
"Well, whatever the reason, let’s just hope it’s not some grand cosmic joke."
"If it is, at least we’re in on it."
Evan responded to Arthur’s words and Jamie nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, you guys are ready to go, right?"
Jamie returned the focus of the conversation to the matter of the three worlds and waved his hands, creating a spatial gate that led directly to Moon #37, where the Dimensional Gate leading to Olrerth was.
The moment they went through the gate, Jamie’s demeanour changed and he released his energy, alerting every existence on the planet-sized moon that one of their rulers was here.
Within seconds, Half-Deity Realms blitzed over at hypersonic speed, dropping down on their knees right in front of him.
""We Greet Your Excellency!""
Jamie acknowledged them with a nod as he stepped forward, looking at the giant Dimensional Gate before them. Just like the one on Aramis, they converted this artificial dimensional rift into a functional gate with mechanical apparatus and cables connected to it at the edges, rounding the gate into a circle.
"Power it up."
The technicians were already in motion before he finished speaking, swiftly releasing the gate’s security locks and beginning the complex activation process.
As they waited, Arthur handed Evan a document containing a brief overview of Olrerth and the ongoing war.
"So, we’re just there to take part in the decisive battles, huh? That’s fine with me."
"Both sides are kind of even, so Gozon needs a little something that’d tip the scales in their favour."
Arthur replied, his gaze drifting to the now-powered Dimensional Gate, glowing with energy and ready for their passage.
"When you get over there, you’d meet with the Four-Star Generals there and discuss your plan of attack.
There’s a lot of anticipation on the Intergalactic Stage for your performance, Arthur. Don’t let us down."
Arthur responded to Jamie with a silent nod before leaping into the Gate. The familiar, disorienting sensation hit him as he travelled through the dimensional rift.
When they emerged on the other side, they were greeted by five demons who looked tense and impatient, their unease palpable. Still, they forced themselves to offer formal greetings.
Before any of them could speak further, Arthur held up a hand, cutting them off as his eyes narrowed, turning westward. Suddenly, a powerful wave of magic washed over the entire building, causing Arthur to curse aloud.
"Fucking hell... they’ve already begun."
Everyone could feel the intense clash of transcendental magic and demonic energy erupting in the distance and sensing this, Evan shook his head.
"Well, that’s a battlefield I want no part of."
"You’re a Legendary now, Evan. You can sink entire islands, and as my Aide, you’re expected to sink one or two."
"You say that like it’s a drink from a vending machine. One or two colas."
Evan laughed, shaking his head and Arthur only chuckled at the comparison but didn’t miss a beat as he turned his attention back to the demons in front of them.
"We’re going up ahead. Tell your generals reinforcements are coming from the sky."
With those words, Arthur opened a Cosmic Gate, and without hesitation, he jumped into it, Evan following right behind him.
Where the gate led to, however, was not the theatre of the decisive battle below—but the sky above.
