Chapter 240 Chapter239-Chaos in the Abyss, The Exiled Mammon
Several months ago?
If John's memory served him right, wasn't that precisely when he had emerged from the Godslayer Temple?
That is to say, his act of slaying Devil Azazel triggered Azazel's Soul Seed in the Abyss to begin its automatic revival...
Suddenly, as if piecing together a puzzle, John asked with an air of utmost gravity, "So, you're saying that once Azazel's Soul Seed in the Abyss accumulates enough dark energy, it will revive?"
Mammon nodded emphatically, a mocking smile gracing his face.
"Exactly. Those sanctimonious deities have bungled their own plans by erasing Azazel. I don't know what they were thinking. They should know that Devils never truly die, yet they went ahead and committed this senseless act."
"This instead allows His Majesty Azazel to break free from the shackles of his sealing, to return to the embrace of darkness once more," Mammon continued.
John's face turned ashen, his inner turmoil akin to a tangled ball of yarn, unable to settle.
Yes, he knew about the existence of Soul Seeds for Devils, yet it never occurred to him that Azazel could be resurrected as well.
This meant that one day, he'd inevitably confront that imposing figure shrouded in darkness again.
Taking a deep breath, John suppressed the palpitations of his heart.
The countless deaths he had experienced in the Godslayer Temple were still painfully vivid memories he'd rather not revisit, even though he'd eventually grown strong enough to defeat the great Devil Azazel.
His recollection of Azazel was frozen at the stage where a mere glance would spell his doom.
John couldn't help but wonder: if he were to face a fully restored Azazel, unsealed after ten thousand years, would he be able to slay him once again, as he had in the Godslayer Temple?
By now, Mammon had also noticed John's unsettled demeanor and asked with a puzzled expression, "What's that look on your face? Have you not heard of the might of Azazel?"
Slowly shaking his head, John feigned indifference, "Of course, I have. It's precisely because Azazel's reputation is so illustrious that I find myself somewhat entranced."
A look of profound reverence appeared on Mammon's face as he snorted softly, "Naturally. His Majesty Azazel will forever be the nightmare of you so-called righteous and lawful beings. His renown is known to all, indisputable!"
"Had it not been for the treacherous ambush by the God of Holy Light and other sanctimonious deities, Father God would have already completed the conquest of the entire Godslayer realm..."
John rolled his eyes, visibly irked. "What's with the theatrics? If Azazel were truly capable of uniting the Godslayer realm, how could he have ended up sealed away by other deities, reduced to the state of utter oblivion he's in now?"
Mammon, sensing the mockery in John's tone, seethed with rage. His crimson eyes fixed on John as if they could bleed.
John remained unperturbed, kicking at the ground beneath Mammon. "Stick to the topic. I'm not interested in your Father God Azazel. Just tell me what's actually happened in the Abyss."
Mammon took several heavy breaths. Though enraged, he was compelled to hold his tongue, for he was under someone else's roof.
Forced to quell his boiling anger, Mammon continued, "Although His Majesty Azazel's Soul Seed has begun to draw upon dark energy, it will take at least a millennium to fully mature."
"And it's precisely at this juncture that my so-called brothers have begun entertaining dangerous ideas."
John's eyebrows knitted together. By 'brothers,' Mammon likely meant the other 72 devils.
"What sort of dangerous ideas?" John inquired, intrigued.
Fire rekindled in Mammon's eyes, his fury even more palpable than before.
"They dare to contemplate usurping Father God's position, aiming to become the ultimate rulers of the Abyss! How could they commit such heinous treachery?"
John's interest was piqued. "Are you saying that there's a civil war erupting in the Abyss right now?"
Inhaling sharply, Mammon's eyes were ablaze with hatred, almost taking a tangible form.
"Exactly, and leading the pack is that damned Bael. I used to hold him in such high regard, trusting him almost as much as Father God."
"Yet, he has rebelled, ascending to the Abyssal throne by force, rallying my other brothers to his cause!"
John fell silent.
Bael, first among the 72 devils of the Abyss, commander of sixty-six demon legions, wielding dominion over death and decay, was the most powerful among them.
From Mammon's account, had Bael now truly seized control of the Abyss?
"To be honest, I'm curious," John said, his tone casual. "If Bael aims to replace Azazel, he'd need the support of most of the Abyssal Devils. Especially now, as Azazel's soul fire is in a state of growth, why would these Devils choose to back Bael?"
Mammon hesitated briefly before explaining, "That's because Bael, with his silver tongue, has persuaded the majority of the Devils, my brothers included."
"He argues that the barrier between the Abyss and the Godslayer Continent is on the verge of breaking."
"War between the two realms is imminent, inevitable. The Abyss can no longer afford to wait for the revival of Lord Azazel; a new sovereign must be chosen to lead us in this war."
"There were some Devils who thought a mere thousand years was a period we could afford to wait. But then Bael unveiled the grand news of another world soon to emerge."
"He believes it will serve as our new hunting ground. For the sake of everlasting darkness, we must seize this opportune moment..."
John's eyes narrowed, his expression instantly turning grim.
Clearly, the 'new hunting ground' Bael spoke of was none other than the real world. Just as he had suspected.
The moment the two realms align, the Abyss would waste no time launching an invasion into the real world.
Pretending ignorance, John mused aloud, "Another world? What is that?"
A bloodthirsty grin spread across Mammon's face as he elaborated.
"Given your current level of understanding, you should be well aware that the Godslayer realm has always been adrift in the void, never fixed in place."
"This 'other world' is essentially a realm with attributes similar to our own. The two worlds are gradually converging and will soon merge into one."
"Though we don't yet know what sort of life exists in this other world, once the realms merge, the inhabitants will inevitably become our enemies. For us Devils, it would be the ultimate hunting ground!" Mammon's voice thrummed with anticipation and longing.
He seemed utterly oblivious to the icy chill hardening in John's eyes—a chill that was fast approaching the frigid aura of lethal intent.
"Go on," John's voice was cold as ice.
"Before hunting in this other world, Bael believes we should unify the Godslayer realm," Mammon continued.
"Only then can we adequately hunt new prey. Even if we can't conquer the Godslayer Continent entirely, we must wage a comprehensive war to weaken those sanctimonious deities. Otherwise, they will certainly become our most formidable rivals."
"In fact, I concur with Bael's viewpoint. Those self-righteous deities will undoubtedly covet this new realm for the spread of their faith. What I cannot accept, however, is Bael using this as an excuse to usurp the great Lord Azazel's throne!"
By now, John had a fairly clear understanding of what was transpiring in the Abyss.
After a moment's thought, he queried, "What about the injuries you initially had?"
A grimace, a rare expression, twisted Mammon's grotesque demon face into a bitter smile.
"There are a few like-minded dissenters within the Abyss. Bael probably saw our opposition as a challenge to his authority."
"He feigned inviting us for a discussion, only to lay an ambush. We were attacked unawares during the so-called 'negotiations' and were severely wounded as a result."
"Due to our shared heritage as demon royalty and the constraints of demon contracts, Bael couldn't outright kill us. So he exiled us to the Godslayer Continent as the vanguard for the Abyss's forthcoming invasion."
John stroked his chin, finally grasping why he had encountered such a formidable Devil like Mammon in this remote Thousand Streams Cave.
So, this creature had been exiled here...
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and his expression tightened. "You mean to say there are several other Devils who've also been cast down onto the Godslayer Continent?"
Mammon nodded strenuously.
A sinking feeling settled in John's heart.
This complicated matters considerably.
These Devils were essentially on par with deities in terms of power.
The average inhabitants of the Godslayer Continent stood no chance against them.
Moreover, the deities themselves were preoccupied with affairs in the void, leaving the Godslayer Continent vulnerable.
These suddenly appearing Devils would undoubtedly wreak havoc, unmatched and unchallenged.
However, upon second thought, John reminded himself that he was merely a player in this game.
There was no need to become overly involved.
The natives of the Godslayer Continent, the in-game NPCs, would naturally deal with their own problems.
So, he relaxed his features and casually inquired, "Where are the other Devils who've descended? Do you know?"
Shaking his head, Mammon responded with a trace of resignation, "I don't know. When we descended, it was through a vortex of spatial turbulence; there were no fixed coordinates."
"I chose this cave because I sensed the presence of the Aqua Blue Flower. This magical plant has greatly aided in the healing of my injuries."
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