Death
A powerful spatial storm enveloped Whitejade Saint Mountain within Leylin’s divine kingdom, space being ripped apart as the silhouette of a flying city appeared within the chaotic region.
A cathedral atop the mountain radiated golden light that protected the surroundings, rendering them unaffected by the flying city.
“Kukulkan, my Lord, you are a star in the skies, the overlord of our souls…” The petitioners on the mountain knew Thultanthar to be their Lord’s mount, a sacred artifact of the Giant Serpent Church. They were not fazed by its appearance, instead kneeling down to pray.
“A.I. Chip, report Thultanthar’s status,” Leylin said as he opened his eyes, sitting in the main control room dressed in gold.
[Beep! Thultanthar has suffered 36.77% damage. Energy reserves depleted, Shadow Weave broken. Secondary spell formations are 22.5% damaged…] The report caused Leylin’s eyes to twitch. He remained silent for a long time.
“It’s been damaged so badly?” he finally sighed.
Gods really were the darlings of the world. Even Netheril at its peak, with all its research into the arcane, had still been reduced to rubble under their might. One had to pay a price to slay a deity, even if one was a Great Arcanist controlling a flying city.
Thultanthar had already been damaged in Leylin’s fight against Sekolah. It had been undergoing repairs in his divine kingdom, but it had been called out for this strike and damaged even more severely. It was a testament to Leylin’s ability that the flying city had even remained intact.
Leylin’s will pervaded the entire flying city, seeing through everything. There were many cracks on its silver-grey surface, and the primary cannons had suffered damage from overuse. Even the secondary core had been damaged, the city operating purely on its primary energy source. It was never easy to bear the brunt of a god’s death throes.
“Heh… It’s all worth it.” Leylin looked excitedly at the damaged crystal floating above his hands. “The divine domain of a God of Death…”
This was Leylin’s reward for slaying Yurtrus. He’d given up on searching the divine kingdom given how close it was to the other orcs’, having to flee the moment he killed the God of Death as he saw a raging Gruumsh rushing over alongside the other orc gods. If he’d tarried a moment longer, even if he could eventually escape Thultanthar would’ve been destroyed.
However, all these scenarios held no meaning whatsoever. Leylin knew that he has succeeded. and that was enough!
Leylin looked at the divine domain crystal ball and sniggered, “Kukulkan’s words will lose all credibility, and he’ll be labeled unscrupulous and crazy. When news of this spreads, there likely won’t be any more gods willing to ally with me…”
If he really was a being of the World of Gods, his actions just now would’ve led to his death. He’d be isolated by the other gods, having to hide himself in Baator forever.
However, he was a Magus. Even if he didn’t offend these gods none of them would wish to ally with him once his true body descended anyway. Even if he’d offended most of the gods and had his reputation raked through the mud, he’d managed to get what he wanted and that was enough. Baator and Thultanthar would be enough to sustain him until he had the chance to let his true body descend.
“Soon…” Leylin muttered, resolution flashing in his eyes as a phantom Targaryen appeared behind his back. The power of devouring enveloped the crystal, causing the mysterious power of death to reveal itself. He instantly felt a connection to the World Origin Force that allowed him to comprehend the captivating law of death.
The A.I. Chip flashed with notifications as well:
[Beep! Host has devoured a law crystal, absorbing divine domain…] [Beep! Transfer completed, host currently has 50% comprehension of the law of death.]
Unlike other Magi who spent tens of thousands years to comprehend laws without much success, they word skyrocketing wasn’t sufficient to describe Leylin’s comprehension. He’d managed to comprehend half of a law as powerful as the law of death at one go, and he still felt it wasn’t enough!
“A pity… Yurtrus is just an orc god and his law comprehension is 50% at most. He’s also a god of orcs, souls, and other things… If I devoured Kelemvor I’d most likely be able to achieve 100% immediately, generating a death domain that belongs to me alone…”
However, Leylin knew his place. He was at his limits scheming against a lesser god, and a greater god like Kelemvor was beyond his reach.
The A.I. Chip’s notifications continued:
[Beep! Host had comprehended 50% of the law of death! Activating death domain…] [Death Domain: The user becomes the ruler of death, governing all that has to do with it. Any being who perishes within the domain will lose their souls to the user, giving the domain priority.] [Beep! Host’s massacre domain complements the death domain, both domains will experience a boost in power.]
“A simple explanation…” Leylin stroked his chin, thinking of a devastating possibility. “A ruler of death… That is to say that any souls that perish in my domain are mine? And with the priority, I’ll have control even before the god they worship? If that’s true, then the worshippers of the other churches would be subjected to my control… If I spread the domain throughout the prime material plane, won’t it become a new underworld?”
However, this was all in the future. He still had to finish comprehending the law of death quickly, or it would all just be a grand illusion.
[Beep! Host status has changed, refreshing…] The A.I. Chip sent Leylin the latest stats.
[Name: Leylin Faulen.
Race: Human(Lesser God).
Divine Name: Kukulkan, the God of Massacre.
Alignment: Neutral Evil.
Domains: Massacre, Death
Divine Kingdom: Nameless, located at the first three Hells of Baator.
Divine Rank: 8.
Worshippers: Natives, Devils, Adventurers, Clerics.
Worshipper Alignments: True Neutral, Neutral Evil, Lawful Evil.
Arcanist Rank: 35. Strength: 29. Agility: 29. Vitality: 29. Spirit: 29. Arcane Energy: 350. Divine Force: 800. Status: Healthy.
Feats: Herculean Strength, Master of Knowledge, Dreamscape Vision, Epic Adaptability.
Divine Feats: Origin Force Detection, Arcane Art Amplification, Illusions.
Divine Abilities: Warp Reality, Epic Massacre]
‘The completely fused domain will come soon… My understanding of the law of death will improve, and it’ll only be a matter of time before I finish comprehending it… Death and Massacre, two extremely powerful roles that lean towards negative energy. What kind of effects will their fusion bring?’ Leylin’s face slowly brightened with anticipation.
……
The instant Leylin absorbed the law of death, a roar of fury rang out from the Fugue Plane, within a city filled with souls.
“Someone is eyeing my throne!” The voice was extremely loud, carrying the dignity of a god. Many of the dead souls here couldn’t help but kneel, their translucent bodies shivering in fear.
This was Kelemvor, the Greater God of Death who ruled the Fugue Plane! He was the one who’d managed to build a kingdom of peace for the dead, his impartial attitude allowing him to obtain the favour of the plane’s origin force and bringing him to the apex of the gods!
All Kelemvor had left to do was to weaken the remaining Gods of Death, obtaining primary control of the domain. He was actually happy to see Yurtrus fall, as it meant that there was one less God of Death in the world. Had Leylin offered to trade the domain crystal, he would’ve obtained the friendship of this greater god.
However, Leylin had used it for his own. The shift in death’s origin force couldn’t fool Kelemvor, and Leylin had henceforth made an enemy of another greater god.
However, Leylin had no plans to negotiate, or deviate from the path he’d set himself upon. There was nothing he could do about Kelemvor’s fury.
Of course, he still realised his position. Before his true body descended upon the World of Gods to initiate the Final War once more, he would sit inside his divine kingdom and not step out. With the protection of Baator’s origin force and his divine kingdom, he could still protect himself.
Kelemvor understood Leylin’s plans, and the only thing he could do was give Leylin some troubles with his dead worshippers and petitioners. He was left with no choice but to roar in rage.