Volume 1 Chapter 681
by post_apiChapter 681: The Gods Are Fish and Meat, I Am the Butcher’s Blade!
After Lolth had relocated the four present maidens to a relatively safe zone,
three twisted entities at the "divine" level—one maddened, another scarcely different from madness, and the third utterly devoid of self-awareness—
took notice of each other.
Moreover, none among this trio harbored the slightest trace of "amicability" toward the others.
The Day of Revival’s "Distorted Avatar" had come expressly to devour, its grotesque mass of writhing flesh drawn here by the scent of potent magic.
As for the remaining two—the deranged Hell Demon God Nololante and the newly manifested Primordial Elemental Deity—their capacity for violence… remained equally formidable.
The Hell Demon God requires little elaboration; its infamy rivals even that of the Abyssal Demons. Their failure to fully invade the main plane stems not from restraint, but from lacking the stable plane channel technology required to mobilize legions.
Regarding elements…
Elemental magic and its alternate plane are universally acknowledged as among the most perilous and volatile dimensions!
Nine of ten elemental spells specialize in pure destruction—even those rare "gentle" incantations cannot disguise the fundamental truth: elemental forces embody chaos, not tranquility!
What manner of benign, peaceable deity could possibly emerge from such seething power?
Thus, precisely as Lolth had anticipated…
The moment these three supreme beings became mutually aware—
Divine warfare of the highest order erupted instantaneously.
"BOOM—!"
The recently stabilized magic environment shattered like glass. Within the Devoted Heart District, only three divine forces now held sway:
The corruptive distortion radiating from the Day of Revival’s avatar;
The nascent elemental divinity blending four primal forces into harmonious discord;
And the shadow-cloaked yet overtly dominant trickster essence of Hell Demon God Nololante.
The Holy Light permeating the Holy Capital became mere ornamentation to this triad. Not merely the Devoted Heart District—magical distortions rippled outward for kilometers, obliterating the Church of Light’s unbalanced yet stable mono-magical ecosystem. Now only the resonance of these three powers pulsed through the holy city.
The infant Elemental God and the clearly diminished Nololante found themselves immediately overwhelmed by the Revivalist’s twisted avatar, their divine essence being voraciously consumed. Yet this did not signal victory…
Though maddened, Nololante retained a Demon God’s instinct for survival. While the mindless Primordial Elemental lacked strategic intent, the Hell Demon God swiftly orchestrated temporary alliance against their common devourer.
Thus emerged a tripartite deadlock—three supreme forces locked in mutual annihilation.
Lolth observed the arcane battlefield with clinical focus, watching reality warp under clashing divine edicts. After a prolonged silence, she sighed.
"Primitives bludgeoning each other with artillery…"
"Then again—two lunatics and a newborn. What technique could one expect?"
"Regardless… now that they’re occupied…"
From dimensional storage, she produced a flask—slender-necked and wrought from translucent emerald crystal, filled to the brim with shimmering liquid.
A gentle shake sent iridescent bubbles dancing within.
Although largely unrecognized in this world, the packaging of this item could instantly spark recognition in any being sharing Lolth’s origin.
This was a special beverage.
Crafted primarily from barley and water through a special brewing and fermentation process…
Lolth flicked the glass bottle with her fingernail, bared her teeth, and clamped the metal cap between her molars.
"Hssst—"
A hiss of escaping air emanated from the bottle’s mouth as foam surged upward, releasing the intoxicating fragrance of fermented barley.
This was… a bottle of beer.
Brewed by Lolth’s own hands yet never consumed.
Her earlier abstinence stemmed from scarce but telling experiences – the slightest alcohol consumption would plunge her into blackout drunkenness.
Moreover, her behavior when drunk was notoriously poor.
Yet through recent dedicated study and contemplation, Lolth had uncovered a truth…
Alcohol itself served as transient conduit for reclaiming fragments of her past.
Memories… authority…
Vital pieces of her former self lay submerged within these hypnotic fermented depths.
The phenomenon intensified with higher alcohol content and superior flavor profiles.
Thus…
"Stronger spirits carry too many ‘side effects’ and uncertainties… beer is just perfect."
Declaring this, Lolth swirled the bottle before…
Draining the entire bottle in one swift motion.
Her practiced wrist rotation enabled consumption faster than mere pouring.
Immediately…
A delicate roseate hue bloomed across her skin.
Then… silent flames ignited.
Not the roaring inferno of before, but creeping tendrils of calm fire radiating outward.
Yet…
Within this divine battleground where three deities’ powers clashed, the flames’ serene advance bred deeper dread –
Like witnessing casual footsteps amid collapsing mountains and tsunami walls.
As Lolth exhaled, intricate sigils writhed across her glowing flesh.
Her perception of reality grew detached, coldly observational –
Mirroring that prophetic dream…
Where she ascended as an entity of superior stature.
She had transformed into… a deity.
No, she far surpassed mere divinity.
Her breath, her magic, her soul, her every gesture radiated a majesty beyond what any god could embody!
The three "divine" avatars before Lolth now resembled country bumpkins masquerading as socialites encountering a true royal heir, or like a twenty-dollar six-piece patchwork steak displayed beside premium ranch-sourced Wagyu.
"So this truly is the ‘critical state.’"
Lolth, sensing her "clear" thoughts and lingering awareness, couldn’t help but reveal an expression of pleasant surprise.
Though her memories felt distant and fragmented, her grasp on this power still tentative…
The crucial fact remained—she retained consciousness!
Even were she to lose awareness… it would hardly matter.
Her berserk self would inevitably clash with these three entities…
Though Janine Irene and the Lady of Light might struggle to contain the aftermath, their "Sacred Mandate" offering uncertain victory…
But conscious as she remained, the original scheme could proceed unimpeded.
Meaning… she’d weaken all three adversaries herself before letting the Lady of Light and Janine Irene deliver the final strikes!
This strategic nuance she’d deliberately withheld from the four maidens—
Primarily to spare Dorothy and Kanor unnecessary concern,
Secondarily because… however modestly phrased, the plan’s audacity bordered on hubris.
"Regardless… let commencement follow consciousness."
Lolth discarded her wine bottle with a casual flick.
Crossing then rotating her hands, she conjured circling flames that engulfed the Devotion District, coalescing into a colossal ring of fire.
As her palms parted vertically, the infernal circle bifurcated—twin blazing halos expanding heavenward and earthward.
Simultaneously, every Resonance Crystal in neighboring spatial folds thrummed to life, channeling Lolth’s magic to gradually pleat and isolate the area’s structure.
Fire became perimeter, space transformed to bulwark—the abandoned Devotion District now existed as a sealed realm.
Though rain still pierced the veil and magic currents flowed freely, no living being could cross these boundaries without Lolth’s explicit consent.
Then…
The flames began consuming the magic environment itself—despite its saturation with divine energies, concepts like "corruption," "decay," or "annihilation" proved impotent against this conflagration.
Even celestial power became mere kindling, no different from stray magic…
Her earlier explanation about "three-in-one" held truth,
Yet diverged crucially from the maidens’ assumptions.
When Lolth spoke of "culinary preparation" and "fusion," she meant precisely that—
These three would become ingredients. Whether projections or avatars within the main plane mattered not.
Through esoteric cookery, she’d blend these divine essences into something new… something usable.
The space serves as the furnace, divine power as the kindling…
Using divine incarnations as ingredients, she takes charge to cook a dish that refines three gods!
Secondly, there’s the portion Lolth concealed.
She personally believed the "weight" of these three deities descending here remained insufficient.
She needed to add her own spark to the flames!
Only then could it match the grand solemnity of the divine selection, only then become worthy of the papal coronation ceremony whose prestige resounds through the ages!
Only then could it honor… the old pope’s life pledged to this cause.
In the blink of an eye, flames consumed most of the sealed space, like preheated cauldrons and ovens.
At this moment, the three deities manifested an emotion exceedingly rare for gods – their instinct to "pursue gain and shun harm" finally surfaced.
The distorted flesh-avatar of the "Day of Revival" evil god; the insane shadow-mass that was Nolonati; the newborn elemental deity coalescing from high-level magical energies…
These three seemingly emotionless entities clearly displayed fear and wrath.
With perfect synchronization, they ceased fighting and scrambled toward the spatial boundaries, desperate to breach the confinement.
Yet… their efforts proved futile.
Lolth stood grounded, observing their struggles and wails. She gazed at these supposedly supreme beings worshipped by mortals, entities whose mere existence dictated thousands of fates, and smiled.
Though physically looking upward, her stance radiated condescension.
Like deities regarding mortals, or mortals contemplating ants.
No… not mere contempt.
While lacking reverence, Lolth’s expression held solemn respect.
Clasping her hands together, she announced:
"Three honorable ‘deities’, I regret to inform you…"
"Today I shall borrow portions of your divine power, authority, and incarnations to prepare a dish."
Her tone brimmed with sincerity.
As the world’s finest chef and gourmet,
she naturally harbored genuine respect for her ingredients.
Thank you for being such excellent, delectable offerings.
Thus…
I shall strive to cook you splendidly.
Such was Lolth’s "respect."
As her palms met, the already rampant flames surged violently.
They expanded like a cascading galaxy!
All touched by the conflagration became fuel, scorching the deities’ cores.
Their partitioned divinity and godhood from avatars…
These extensions of Divine Kingdoms were severed from their alternate-plane thrones like butchered meat.
Unwanted impurities and divine "attributes" were purged – scaled, boned, drained of blood and acid.
Then…
They transformed into pure power and concepts, gradually merging.
Under Lolth’s potent magic, consciousness and traits dissolved, leaving only pristine energy.
Pausing thoughtfully, Lolth selected the nascent "Elemental Primordial God’s" divine essence.
The elemental alternate plane’s Divine Throne remained intact. Accumulated primal divinity, mages’ elemental faith, and Philtes’ preparations all coalesced here.
Compared to veteran Hell Demon Gods and evil deities, this newborn elemental entity – a near-divine power conglomerate – proved far "purer."
Especially after her refinement…
Lolth fused all concepts around this core.
A new power amalgamation…
Slowly took shape under her control.
Finally came the last step.
"Huuu—wonder if there’ll be side effects."
Murmuring to herself…
Lolth stepped into the swirling "power!"