Chapter 386: The Primordial

Chapter 386: The Primordial

Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the desolate and ruined city below, the remnants of a fallen civilization, and a figure that flickered repeatedly.

Soon, Luke halted his sprint.

A few hundred meters away, a grayish-white mist was suspended in the air.

This mist connected to the ground, extending endlessly to both sides, rising high into the sky without a discernible top.

This gray mist concealed the entire Western Continent from the other three continents, trapping the seven "Essences" out of the nine, excluding the Source Fortress and the Sea of Chaos, within its bounds. This prevented all true gods on Earth from ascending to the rank of Old Ones.

The entity responsible for the gray mist barrier was one of the three pillars of the Old Ones, known as the Master of Secrets, Sovereign of the Spirit Realm, Incarnation of the Source Fortress, Lord of Time and Space, Beacon of Fate, and the Heavenly Venerable of Prosperity and Primordial Yellow!

Over time, the seal of the Heavenly Venerable, like the initial barrier, began to weaken. As early as the Second Era, the power of the "Essences" started to leak.

However, only a leak occurred. The "Essences" themselves remained hidden within the Western Continent, controlled by the high-ranking beings on that continent, passing down the responsibility through generations at the cost of their lives.

After Luke became an angel and a solid vessel for divine descent, the borrowed power was enough for him to cross the weakening barrier of the Master of Secrets.

Luke did not specify this to the Goddess of the Night.

He subtly steered the conversation to focus on the critical moments of his ascension, so that other entities would also concentrate on the ritual of becoming a god.

Luke did not lie; the ascension ritual was indeed crucial.

With his true form being pursued by the Primordial Hunger and unable to use the "Invasion" to enter Earth, only by truly ascending and accommodating a compatible "Essence" could he allow the unsupported symbol of "Invasion" to grow, responding to the universal call, enabling his distant true form to traverse the stars and penetrate the initial barrier.

However, the critical moment of ascension did not mean that the "Essence" could only be accommodated after the ritual began.

Even before his ascension, although he could not fully and perfectly master the "Essence", it did not mean he could not absorb and digest a part of it, using the "Oneness of All" to completely integrate it during his ascension.

Moreover, by absorbing part of the "Essence" in advance, even if an Outer God intervened or a betrayal occurred, or unexpected situations arose, he could still handle them with ease!

With the seven true gods busy sealing the rifts in the Astral Plane and unable to manifest their true forms, and the Godforsaken Land being isolated and difficult to enter, this was the best opportunity.

As long as... he resolved one more issue.

Luke took a few steps forward, slowly approaching the mist, and extended his hand toward it. However, he did not immediately proceed to the next step. Instead, he looked calmly at the ground nearby.

"Come out."

The ground, covered with mutated plants and cracked, remained still.

Luke sneered, his fingers forming a loose grip, and a pair of lashless, cold, and ruthless eyes appeared in his hand.

Then, everything around him turned into "0" and "1", rapidly collapsing into chaotic destruction, except for the gray mist, which remained calm as if forgotten by time.

Rushing water sounds suddenly filled the air as the ground, which had begun to collapse into chaos, stopped. Seawater, encompassing all colors and possibilities, surged out, forming an endless ocean that engulfed everything on the ground.

One of the two "Essences" not confined to the Western Continent, the Sea of Chaos!

A soft, slightly amused female voice echoed.

"I have no intention of stopping you. How could I bear to?"

Ripples spread across the calm sea, and a figure emerged from the Sea of Chaos.

It was a woman, wearing a dress made of bone, with hair like toxic serpents, long, thick, and slippery, with snake heads or eyes with distinct black and white pupils at the ends.

Her beauty surpassed that of humans, reaching a conceptual level, where all living beings and things would be entranced by her every smile, filled with constant joy, and even the rules and concepts seemed reluctant to constrain her.

Luke floated in the air, keeping a distance from the sea that encompassed all colors, and softly recited the title of the newcomer:

"Source of all disasters, symbol of destruction and the end, the Witch who wields chaos."

"Primordial Witch" Chik!

A true deity, and one stronger than most deities!

The seawater, encompassing all colors, slowly dripped, licking every inch of her flawless, more perfect than jade, skin, making her breathtakingly beautiful face even more radiant.

Chik stood on the Sea of Chaos, smiling at Luke.

That smile was breathtakingly beautiful, with an irresistible allure, able to stir the most primitive and instinctual desires in the onlooker, instantly leading to a blissful heaven.

Even though Luke knew that the "Primordial Witch" was originally male, he could not help but be momentarily stunned.

Sensing a sign of betrayal from somewhere, Luke immediately transformed part of his body into an "information" state.

Luke was a man of principles. Even though the "Primordial Witch" wielded the power of "Enchantment", capable of bringing extreme pleasure, he firmly refused it.

"You know my sacred name by heart, so you must understand how I got in, right?"

Chic, like a lover who has yet to meet but is already deeply in love, chuckled softly, her tone flirtatious.

"Besides the entrance at the ruins of the divine war, which is guarded by the 'Dark Angel,' there are other ways to enter the Godforsaken Land."

"For example, using the 'Abyss' as a stepping stone, emerging from the hearts of the survivors, or by smuggling through the 'Sea of Chaos.'"

"For the 'Primordial Witch,' who wields the power of chaos, this isn't difficult. Especially in recent times."

She gently brushed her thick, black snake-like hair, her voice filled with an allure that could make one lose oneself.

"You should know how I found you, right?"

Luke, who knew that his ascension to certain Sequences would leak some information, spat out three words with a mix of disdain and indifference.

"Mirror Self."

For the Witch pathway, a corresponding "Mirror Self" is generated from Sequence 7 onward. He had experienced this when he consumed the Sequence 6 "Joyful Witch."

Due to his own status and the symbol of "Entropy", representing "change beyond change", "unfathomable unknown", and "the paradox of energy laws", the "Mirror Self" replication inevitably failed, but the remnants remained.

And the "Primordial Witch" was the sovereign of the "Mirror World."

"Yes, those remnants still maintain a connection with you."

Chic smiled gently, her eyes on the Uniqueness of the "Hermit" in Luke's hand.

"I should thank the one who made you use your full strength, probably the 'Hidden Sage.' Thanks to Its help, your concealment was weakened."

"Within the isolation of the Godforsaken Land, other deities still can't detect you, but I, who can harness the power of the 'Sea of Chaos' and possesses the remnants of the 'Mirror Self,' finally found some traces."

She smiled with satisfaction and pleasure, "It's a reasonable deduction. Since you can pass through the barrier of 'Primordial,' the barrier of the 'Master of Secrets' is no obstacle. In fact, I've been waiting for you here for a while."

"So, what are you planning to do by blocking me here?"

Luke looked at the "Primordial Witch" with disdain and contempt, as if she were a weed by the roadside.

Chic's eyes shimmered with a drowning allure, her long legs rubbing together, and she gave a pure, sincere smile.

"Don't be suspicious. How could I bear to hurt you? I only hope you can become Tudor."

Alistair Tudor, the previous "Red Priest", who had consumed the Sequence 1 "Red Angel" Medici and two other Sequence 1 archangels from the Einhorn and Sorren families, ascending to godhood, and the "Blood Emperor" in the "Battle of the Four Emperors."

The "Hunter" pathway and the "Witch" pathway are adjacent, representing the yin and yang aspects of the "Primordial" force. The "Primordial Witch" and the "Red Priest", standing at the top of their respective Sequences, naturally have various connections due to "Convergence."

However, Chic and Tudor, these two deities, did not fight to the death like other adjacent pathway deities. Instead, they chose to collaborate to explore the ascension to the Old Ones.

In their attempts, they triggered an incorrect ascension method in the Mirror World, which upset the arrangements of the two pillars, "God" and "Heavenly Venerable", resulting in the creation of the "Primordial Creator in the Mirror" with an extremely weak consciousness.

If the "Red Priest" and the "Primordial Witch", representing the yin and yang aspects of the "Primordial" force, merged with the "Primordial Creator in the Mirror", they might truly awaken its consciousness.

Because of this, Adam, sensing something amiss, guided the tides of the era, triggering the Battle of the Four Emperors, causing the fall of three Emperors, including Tudor, and ending their attempts.

Chic, however, did not give up. She sought out the victor of the Battle of the Four Emperors, the "Emperor of the Underworld", also known as the "Reaper" Salinger, to launch the "Pale Catastrophe" against the seven righteous deities, secretly hoping to revive Tudor from the "Emperor of the Underworld."

The seven scattered deities united and established the "Sacred Oath", ending the "Pale Catastrophe" through a righteous group assault. The "Reaper" Salinger fell on his way back to the Blythe Empire, causing a violent sea storm.

The "Primordial Witch" Chic went into hiding, waiting for a new opportunity, waiting for a new suitable candidate to become Tudor.

"I read some of your information from the remnants, noble and great 'Last Son.' You possess the status of the Old Ones, the symbol of 'Oneness of All,' and a special quality that can awaken the 'Primordial.' You are the most suitable candidate to become Tudor."

The "Primordial Witch" smiled sweetly, glancing at the barrier of the fog with a carefree look.

"Do you want to enter the Western Continent to obtain 'Essence'? Actually, there's no need for that. As long as you cooperate with me, the 'Primordial Creator in the Mirror' will truly awaken! We will become greater than the 'Old Ones,' becoming the half of the 'Primordial Creator.'"

"Of course, those 'Essences' can also serve as our foundation. As long as our plan goes smoothly, it won’t be the great beings from beyond the stars surrounding us, but rather us hunting them in return."

Kike's voice grew louder, and the long, slippery snake hair began to dance. The more He spoke, the more excited and mad He became, even opening His magnificent arms to Luke.

"Come, become Tudor, and join me..."

It was clear that this 'Primordial Witch' was quite insane, though He had always been mad. Now, He seemed even more so.

It was probably because of Luke.

The arrival of His true form had awakened the 'Primordial Creator,' and the 'Heavenly Venerable' and the 'Primordial God' were two aspects of the 'Primordial Creator.'

Though it was only a brief and slight awakening, it likely gave a strong boost to the will of the 'Heavenly Venerable' and the 'Primordial God,' causing the 'Essences' and the subsequent contingencies left behind to undergo some changes.

Luke gently rubbed his forehead, feeling a sense of helplessness towards the mad and eccentric. He then shook his head.

"I refuse."

Kike was taken aback. "Why? Just by joining forces with me, you can become the supreme being..."

Luke stroked his chin. "Your plan is too reckless, with too high a failure rate. Even if you survive, you'll go mad. The one who awakens won’t be you, but the 'Primordial.'"

"Besides, I can become the supreme being on my own."

What was a mere 'Primordial Creator' of a universe compared to him? He was Luke!

Luke showed a look of disbelief, spreading his hands in resignation. "And the idea of sharing my mind with all sorts of chaotic consciousness is disgusting. I only accept bantering with myself, discussing past and present."

"Of course... there’s the most important point."

Luke calmly said the most straightforward, crude, and harsh words to the 'Primordial Witch.'

"The process of merging requires copulation, and I don’t want to sleep with a man."

"Even if he used to be a man."

Kike, hearing these incomprehensible words, had a moment of blankness on His perfect face. After a while, He let out a soft sigh.

"You, a great being, actually care about such trivial matters. It seems you are truly mad, even more so than I am."

"But it doesn’t matter. Your madness makes us even more compatible."

"I will cure you."

A massive mirror appeared behind Him, and ripples spread across its surface. Three figures emerged one by one from the Mirror World.

The first was a beautiful woman identical to Kike, wearing a black bone skirt, with a look of displeasure but resigned acceptance.

The second was a young man with bright red hair, iron-black eyes, a high nose, and a sharp, handsome face. He wore white armor, looking cold and vacant.

The last was a full-figured woman in a black dress, with chestnut-colored, slightly curly long hair and blue eyes, resembling Bernadette in appearance.

Luke’s gaze swept over them, seeing through their origins.

The first two were the yin and yang aspects Kike and Tudor had merged with the 'Mirror Creator,' with power rivaling true deities and a status surpassing ordinary true deities. However, their consciousness was weak, and they did not particularly obey Kike.

The last one was the 'Mirror Emperor of Rossel,' the female reflection of Rossel, or the 'Empress Roselle.'

Kike’s face broke into a smile, and He stepped toward Luke, making everything around them turn pale.

"Don’t worry, I don’t look down on an Old One. So, I’ve brought everyone."

As He moved, the Sea of Chaos below began to change, the water, which contained all colors, becoming turbulent and dangerous.

"I anticipated this outcome, so I prepared."

Kike spoke softly, His voice gentle. "Did you anticipate this outcome?"

Luke suddenly emitted a dark, corrupt aura. He slowly removed the monocle from his left eye and put it on his right, speaking calmly.

"If I say I anticipated it, what would you do?"

A faint green light appeared in Luke’s hand, a message he had stored during his battle with the 'Hidden Sage,' the sound of the plains turning into mountains, the earth cracking into canyons, and the soil transforming into the sea.

Luke smiled, his fingers tightening, and he gently crushed the message.

Rumble—

The massive sound was like a tangible wave, continuous and echoing throughout the Godforsaken Land, bringing turmoil to this silent, dead land that had been quiet for countless years!

...

Deep in the Godforsaken Land, atop a mountain peak, a massive cross stood, with a faint, indistinct figure hanging upside down from it.

Suddenly, the figure opened its eyes.

...

In a cave shrouded in mist.

A wolf covered in dark short fur, with eight legs and standing about four to five meters tall, lifted its head. Its pupils were pure black, without a trace of impurity.

Without hesitation, it ran toward the source of the sound.

In the dark night, a velvet 'curtain' appeared faintly above the wolf's body.

...

In the distant desert, a figure walking leisurely stopped.

He was a young man in a classical black robe, wearing a pointed soft hat, with a broad forehead and a slender face.

He raised his hand to pinch the monocle on his right eye and slowly turned his head.

"Interesting."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end