Chapter 276

Chapter 276: The Terrifying Political Skills of the Giant God

"Authority of the void…"

"Sigh…"

Barbatos massaged his temples.

"This is troublesome."

Now, he could no longer keep Gimmerly out of the core council.

To hold an authority meant having absolute control over a domain!

Though "authority" wasn’t unique—two deities could hold the same authority simultaneously—such cases were extremely rare.

In this "Quagmire Universe," it was utterly unprecedented!

Barbatos himself controlled an authority.

But his authority wasn’t over the void.

The authority of the void had remained unclaimed since the dawn of the Quagmire Universe, fragmented among countless Outer Gods from the Void, never unified.

Now, the sole wielder of the "authority of the void" had emerged!

She was the void’s sovereign. Once the authority was fully reclaimed, the Outer Gods from the Void would acknowledge Gimmerly as their "master," as they just had.

This allegiance wasn’t merely symbolic.

While the "God of Void Authority" might not impose strict constraints on the Outer Gods, Gimmerly could spend magic to compel their absolute obedience if needed!

This "authority magic" was absolute, unbreakable even by the formidable Outer Predator.

If Barbatos clung to Agareth’s death and barred her from the Chaos Council, Gimmerly could make all void-serving Outer Gods strike with a mere expenditure of magic!

Backed by the Outer Gods, Gimmerly no longer relied heavily on the Fantasy Tree of Subspace. Capturing or killing her would be nearly impossible!

She now monopolized what the Chaos Council desperately needed—the labor of the Outer Gods.

"Enough…"

"I’ll grant Lady Xidi this favor."

"That fool Agareth!"

Barbatos shook his head reluctantly. "Very well. I nominate Lady Gimmerly for the vacant Twelfth Seat."

"Let’s vote."

His words ignited an uproar among the core councilors.

"I object!"

Barbatos reacted most violently!

"How can this… this Fifty-Sixth Seat… ascend at once…"

"The void authority… it should be mine… mine…"

Barbatos nearly lost his mind.

He had always been the chaos god closest to the void authority. All believed he would grasp it and become the void’s master.

He believed the same.

Because Barbatos truly felt the call of the void; that authority was already flickering within his Soul, just barely beyond his grasp!

It was truly only a hair’s breadth away!

Thus Barbatos became the deity most attuned to the Outer Gods from the Void.

His ascension to the Eighth Seat of the Chaos Council largely stemmed from this capability.

But now…

Once again, those words…

"The authority of the void! My authority of the void!"

Gimmerly raised her massive, fierce head and cast a disdainful glance at Barbatos.

"Opposition?"

"To oppose the proposal of the First Demon God, the great Lord Bael—how utterly disrespectful!"

"Then allow me to impart a lesson on Lord Bael’s behalf!"

"Eee—!"

The queen of the void released another drawn-out cry!

"I am the master of the void’s authority!"

"Hereby, I proclaim the first decree!"

"All void-dwelling beings are forbidden from serving Barbatos!"

"So it is decreed!"

As Gimmerly’s words fell…

"As you command!"

"The master’s word is absolute!"

"Your order shapes my fate!"

…

Countless chaotic voices echoed through Barbatos’s lair.

They slowly ascended skyward, dissolving into smoky wisps that scattered with a low hum.

"Disastrous!"

"I’ve become a commander without an army!"

Barbatos stared wide-eyed in shock.

But dread swiftly followed!

He felt his unique Soul Network being severed; his former "terminals"—those subordinate officials—vanished from his senses one by one.

"You all…"

"Wait! Don’t leave!"

"Subordinate officials… my subordinate officials…"

Even as a god, Barbatos’s emotions showed clearly on his pretty face—pale and blank.

He slumped in his seat, gripping his hair with both hands.

"Gimmerly!"

He glared at the ruler of the authority of the void through gritted teeth.

But it was just helpless fury.

"Hmph…"

Gimmerly understood this and only gave a scornful snort, ending her first decree since taking the authority of the void.

"Now, everyone, vote!"

Against the resource monopolizer, everyone felt powerless.

Yet what shocked Barbatos most was Ms. Sotiko, who had just been recommended by Barbatos to join the Core Council of Chaos.

By logic, since Gimmerly stole his spot, Sotiko should hate Gimmerly deeply.

Barbatos expected "Blood God Sotiko" to cry out, "Twelfth Seat, my Twelfth Seat!" and weep in his arms.

But to all the gods’ surprise, Sotiko raised her hand with a silly grin, agreeing.

Not just that, she…

"Mm! Mm!"

She lifted her hand high, like a student eager to speak in class.

"What… is happening here…?"

"But…"

Barbatos remembered Sotiko’s foolish look and suddenly found it odd.

But what stunned him more was Lady Xidi’s response.

This former Twelfth Seat seemed unhappy about her sister taking her old position.

She just watched Gimmerly with amusement, not raising her hand.

"Anyway…"

"Ten votes agree, the proposal passes."

"Now the next topic."

"Ms. Sotiko, how about filling the Second Seat left empty by Agareth’s fall?"

As Barbatos moved the meeting along as usual, he glanced at Gimmerly, who had just become the Twelfth Seat under him. He noticed the "king of the void"’s gaze seemed strange.

"Bright red, bloodshot…"

"And greedy!?"

"Is she craving power?"

"No… If she coveted power, she should have been looking at me, not colleagues beneath her."

"This feeling wasn’t greed for authority… it seemed more like…"

"Appetite!?"

—-

"Haah… haah… haah…"

Gimmerly savored the Void Energy surging into her body, colliding within her, delivering immense power.

She relished yet another sensation—control!

"Heh heh heh…"

"I’ve not only joined the Chaos Council but surpassed my sister."

"Now…"

She watched colleagues raise hands helplessly, saw Barbatos seething with helpless fury, and spotted her sister—Xidi.

That ever-dependable sister offered no support.

Instead, Xidi observed her with an amused, mocking look.

"Sister? What’s wrong?"

"Aren’t you pleased I joined the Chaos Council?"

"Our own kin entered the Council, claimed the Twelfth Seat—shouldn’t you rejoice…"

As this thought crossed Gimmerly’s mind—

"Buzz—!"

Her Soul shuddered violently.

Xidi’s image materialized within her very Soul!

"Our own kin?"

Xidi kept scrutinizing Gimmerly with that playful, piercing gaze.

"Are you truly one of us?"

"Or have you… become another’s creature?"

"Some paths, once taken, permit no return."

Xidi’s figure vanished, leaving Gimmerly reeling from the words’ implications.

Understanding dawned quickly.

"Nggh—"

Hunger stabbed through her again!

"Buzz…"

The sensation radiated from the mark on her "stomach"!

Though weaker than previous assaults, barely endurable, it screamed its reminder—never forget the source of your power!

"Ha…"

"What… do you want me to do!?"

"Giant God!?"

—-

"Now I see."

Xidi caught Gimmerly’s expression.

"You made my incompetent sister slaughter countless Chaos Demon Gods and Outer Gods from the Void as a declaration of loyalty. Then you granted her the authority of the void, pushing Gimmerly into the core council—a sweet reward…"

"What a steep price you paid."

"As for choosing Gimmerly… it’s because she was once weak, needing you to grow strong."

"That dependence made her outwardly powerful, yet inside—especially before you—she remained fragile."

"You control her through that."

"What a masterful scheme."

"I’d thought you, the ‘Great Devourer,’ craved only destruction."

"But I was wrong."

"A destroyer would never wield power plays so skillfully."

"Fascinating."

"You seek not to end chaos, but to reshape it from within."

Xidi’s petite tongue flicked across her rosy lips.

"If you have designs brewing, I’d gladly join."

As Xidi drifted in thought…

"Very well. Nine ayes."

"Congratulations, Ms. Sotiko, on becoming the Second Seat of the Chaos Council."

Xidi glanced up.

She bore no true opposition to Sotiko—she’d simply been distracted.

Gimmerly likely withheld her vote for the same reason.

The sole dissenter was Barbatos.

"Hmph!"

He snorted coldly at Sotiko and turned to leave.

No wonder.

Sotiko’s actions reeked of betrayal!

Yet—

*Snap—!*

Sotiko seized Barbatos’s wrist.

"Kukuku…"

"A fading wind never stays silent, for winds belong to the sky."

"Now it seeks the flame to set it ablaze."

"Here, I offer this weary wind kindling!"

"Therefore…"

"Seal, release!"

The eccentric girl yanked off her eye-covering "calcite lens" and shoved it into Barbatos’s palm.

"Hmph—!"

Barbatos nearly hurled it away.

But—

"Huh!?"

He froze mid-motion!