A Core Ship From The Start Chapter 995

Chapter 995: Chapter 687: Meeting of the Gods Chapter 995: Chapter 687: Meeting of the Gods Duanmu Huai looked at the figures before him with a very calm demeanor. He certainly knew who they were and why they had come here.

“Greetings, Faelun gods.”

Duanmu Huai nodded to the figures before him, as a form of greeting.

“If possible, I would have liked to invite you all with a grand banquet, but unfortunately, your time in the prime material plane is limited, so let's get straight to the point.”

As he spoke, Duanmu Huai spread his hands apart.

“You may be wondering why I am here, so let me tell you directly. Simply put, some ancient evil gods are awakening, and they have discovered this world. The Tribunal, as the vanguard against these evil gods, has come here.”

“Ancient evil gods?”

A Sacred Knight, who had lost his right hand and whose hair and beard were white with dignity and maturity, had a slightly condensed expression.

“How ancient are they?”

“Believe me, they existed before your world was born. In fact, from a certain perspective, they are one of the roots of this world's existence. Their strength is far older and more powerful than yours. To put it bluntly…”

As he spoke, Duanmu Huai glanced at the shadows writhing incessantly on the ground.

“Even AO is but an infant before them, and you all… well, you understand.”

“So, you're telling us that an ancient evil god has set its sights on our world?”

A middle-aged, robust woman holding a scythe blinked and fixed her gaze on Duanmu Huai.

“Not just one; there are four in total. Fortunately, because of the Crystal Barrier, they haven't yet found a way to enter this world. But given the power of those evil gods, since they've discovered this world, invading it is only a matter of time.”

“So, you have called us here to seek an alliance?”

A girl who seemed as ethereal as a ghost, with hair and pupils as dark as the night, wearing a moonlight-colored gown, asked in a soft voice.

“No, although according to legends or fairy tales, everyone should unite against a common enemy at this time and form a defensive alliance. However, an alliance with ulterior motives means nothing to me. I am simply informing you of the horror and terror of these evil gods and how the Tribunal will fight them. Whether you choose to ally with each other for mutual protection or simply look out for your own interests, that's your own choice. The Tribunal will not force you to do anything.”

As he spoke, Duanmu Huai spread his hands apart again.

“What I can tell you is that this Lost Ground is the Tribunal's frontline fortress against the evil gods. When the minions of the evil gods break through the Crystal Barrier and enter this planet, this will become the first line of defense and the battleground. The Tribunal will spare no expense to protect humanity and eradicate the evil gods and their minions.”

At this point, Duanmu Huai's expression also became solemn.

“What I hate most are those who only speak half-truths, and those idiots who treat gossip as a closely-guarded secret. So next, I will try to tell you everything about the evil gods in the simplest and clearest way possible. How you use this information is up to you.”

Then, Duanmu Huai quickly disclosed all the information about the evil gods to the incarnations of the gods, explaining how they were born, how they existed, and how they would influence and destroy the world.

After hearing Duanmu Huai's narrative, the incarnations of the gods were all serious.

“So you're saying… these ancient evil gods… are the personifications of the will of all creatures in the world?”

A beautiful goddess with flaming red hair, draped in a translucent veil, also lost her smile and looked uneasy.

“Exactly.”

Duanmu Huai nodded.

“They each represent the duality of all creatures in the world. Cunning Deception is a sly and cruel conspirator, but it also represents progress, hope, and change. Without it, there would be no deception, no one to save from dire situations, nothing would ever get done, and everything would fall into perpetual stagnation.”

“This…”

Mistra frowned slightly and fell silent.

“Corrupted Foil is an ugly, decadent idiot, full of filth and stench, cycling eternally between life and death, representing stagnation, and the cycle of everlasting rot and rebirth. Yet it also signifies recovery, awakening, and the unity to face an unsettling inevitability. Without it, there is no continuity, no safety, no birth, no death. All decay and renewal are a part of life, and thus Corrupted Foil is also a deity of nature and life.”

Changtia gazed at the scythe in her hands, unsure of what to say.

“Brutal Wrath is a heartless, mindless brute who only knows slaughter, yet it also stands for another concept–survival of the fittest. Strength and skill are what Brutal Wrath values most. It also embodies justice, vengeance, and glory. Hence, Brutal Wrath never resorts to trickery; it will confront you directly, to the point of being unrecognizable even by your own mother. Without it, there would be no honesty and no power to resist evil.”

“I can't even imagine.”

Tyler sighed lightly and shook his head.

“Obsessive Sin is a cruel, torture-loving demon that enjoys breaking everything that is believed in, then reveling in the resultant pain. But at the same time, it also embodies joy, freedom, delight, and pleasure. Without it, there could be no happiness or understanding what happiness means through sadness.”

“It's like a terrifying nightmare.”

Shuna closed her eyes, looking as if she couldn't bear to look.

“So now you all know.”

Duanmu Huai spread his hands again.

“These ancient evil gods are not as simple as you might think. This is not a struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, nor is your faith simply the opposite of theirs. On the contrary, the beliefs you hold are also what shaped and became part of their source of strength.”

“So, how do we defeat them?”

Suren looked uneasy.

“According to what you say, they are almost impossible to defeat.”

“The possibility of defeating them is very small, but it is not zero.”

Duanmu Huai shrugged his shoulders.

“However, the simplest method to defeat them is still to take preventative measures beforehand, and that's the reason I've called you all here — for them to interfere with the real world is not an easy task. First, they have to blur the barrier between Subspace and the real world, and only then can they interfere with this world. They've already tried it once before, with the plague of Neverwinter City being one of the instances. I think some of you have already heard reports from your followers.”

Tyler nodded.

“Indeed, that was a terrible plague, and the betrayal of the Heim Believers was truly unexpected…”

“I don't find it that unexpected.”

Duanmu Huai huffed coldly.

“You're not afraid of god-like opponents, but of pig-like teammates; by now, I suppose all of you must understand the danger of these Evil Gods. Their nature is also hidden within your doctrines, which means that among your followers, there could also be those who, in pursuit of fanatical faith, are bewitched by the Evil Gods and become lapdogs of the Evil Gods, just like that idiot Dessel.”

Having said this, Duanmu Huai turned to look at Shuna.

“Especially you, Miss Shuna. I know your followers always like to hold hedonistic festivals in the name of love and beauty, and I must remind you that this is very likely to attract the attention of the Obsessive Sin. Hmm… I remember someone who, like yourself, loved love and beauty and held to an elegant demeanor, seeking perfection, was later corrupted by Obsessive Sin, and has now become a pervert who likes to be slapped with a Chainsaw Axe, claiming the desire to explore the limits of sensual pleasure for self-enlightenment…”

Upon hearing Duanmu Huai's words, Shuna's face turned pale.

“Furthermore, I hope all of you will try to expand your influence as much as possible, attract more followers — the majority of the power of the Chaos Evil Gods comes from souls. If the souls of those killed by them do not make their way to the realms of their Gods of Faith, then they will be taken by the Evil Gods.”

“What about the unbelievers, then?”

At this moment, another warrior, who had been silent by the side, suddenly asked, and Duanmu Huai glanced at him and snapped his fingers.

“I'll arrange a time to speak with Kelanwo. The Wall of Unbelievers will also be a target for the Chaos Evil Gods. The Tribunal will certainly not let them succeed. If worse comes to worst, it would be better to take all those souls of the unbelievers to the Tribunal to burn them rather than let them be corrupted and become lapdogs of Chaos Evil.”

“In that case, why can't we purify those Ancient Gods?”

It was then that Rosanda spoke up.

“According to you, these Evil Gods also have kind and beautiful aspects, not just evil ones. If we can draw out this side…”

“Theoretically it is possible, but in practice, it is impossible.”

Duanmu Huai spread his hands.

“I've already mentioned, the vast negative emotions that constitute these Evil Gods come from a great ancient war that lasted for millions of years. In that war, more people died than the combined total of lives on over a million Toriel Planets. Do you think you have that ability?”

No one spoke; perhaps they had already thought of the answer.

After all, they hadn't been gods for very long, and relative to the entire Universe, they were just infants.

“Of course, I'm not just speaking to you all.”

Once again, Duanmu Huai looked towards the sinister dark shadows swirling below him.

“As I said, this isn't a war of justice against evil, light against darkness. The Evil Gods are fair; they corrupt everything, twist everything, erode everything. They'll transform you into something you can't even imagine. Of course, if anyone among you prefers a challenging thrill, you might try it out, but I can guarantee that the Tribunal will come to exterminate you the next moment.”

“So, your previous annihilation of Rose was for this reason?”

“Oh, not really, that was simply because Rose posed a threat to humans.”

In response to Tyler's inquiry, Duanmu Huai replied indifferently.

“This is the purpose for which I've summoned you all.”

Duanmu Huai checked the time, then once again looked at the deities before him and spoke.

“The objectives of the Tribunal have been clarified, as well as the purpose of coming here and the threats posed by the Evil Gods, and the Tribunal's style of conduct. As for what you decide to do, that's your business, and the Tribunal doesn't intend to provide guidance. Of course, if you wish for more experience in combating the Evil Gods, you're welcome to seek me out at any time. However, I hope you will not interfere with the actions of the Tribunal by any means — after all, the principles of the Tribunal are clear: anyone who interferes with our actions will be considered potential heretics and Evil God Cultists and be eliminated.”

With that, Duanmu Huai settled back into his chair.

“So, that's it. Meeting adjourned.”

The next moment, the light dissipated, and the radiant figures that had once been there vanished without a trace.

Only on the ground in front of Duanmu Huai lay dozens of priests and high-ranking priests scattered about.

“Ah… I forgot to tell them to pick up their own trash before leaving. It seems the quality of Faelun's gods could use some improvement.”

Duanmu Huai shook his head in resignation, then gave an order.

“Take these guys out.”

Chapter end

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