Translator: SumTLMan
In the not too distant past, Hai and Sineva had engaged in combat nearby, causing the Great Demon to flee the Void Obelisk and take refuge in obscurity.
Angel, who was observing from a distance, noticed the trace of these demons. Among them, there was a Great Demon, whose upper body appeared to be that of a well-dressed lady of high society, while beneath her voluminous skirt lurked a myriad of horrifying tentacles.
Could it be Nythotep?
Angel only provided a description and was planning to utilize illusionary magics to recreate the scene. But before he could bring forth his illusion, he received an affirmative response from Canaan.
“Yes, that’s Nythotep,” Canaan nodded, then continued in a somewhat uncertain tone, “However, I heard that the true form of Nythotep is not an octopus, but…”
“An Ocean Demon.” Fafnir interjected, “Even though it is an Ocean Demon, it does not imply it cannot manifest as an octopus.”
Canaan fell silent.
The manifestations of Ocean Demons are diverse: Nythotep’s true form appears as an octopus-like entity, while Canaan’s own form bears resemblance to a jellyfish… That, however, does not suggest that Canaan herself is a jellyfish.
But Canaan did not dare to argue with Fafnir. Let her be an octopus then, as long as they were talking about Nythotep.
“So Nythotep is an Ocean Demon? Why did she attack you then?” Angel turned to Canaan, “Could it be that she considered you, a half-demon, to be an insult to the bloodline of Ocean Demons?”
The land and sea demons of the Abyss are not universally congenial towards their half-demon offspring, as the native and lesser-demons are. The vast majority of demons, in fact, display distaste and repulsion towards half-blood demons, particularly if the mixed lineage reflects their own — a circumstance that exacerbates their disdain.
Take for example, a tale that Angel had heard earlier. Within the Immortal Brigade, there exists a sizable portion of half-demons. Among them, a Tomb Knight possessed traces of Bone Wing Demon lineage. This, however, drew the ire of countless Bone Wing Demons who, priding themselves on their pure-blood status, persecuted him. This was because the Tomb Knight’s blood was tainted with native lineage, which they perceived as a corruption that filled them with loathing.
Angel surmised that the attack on Canaan was motivated by similar prejudice, considering Canaan also bore the lineage of a Ocean Demon.
Canaan, however, shook her head in denial.
“No, I was actually wounded by mistake,” Canaan began but trailed off. Angel was tempted to inquire why it was an accidental injury, but seeing Canaan’s pale countenance and low spirits, he decided to let the matter rest.
“Regardless, you need to rest up now,” Angel gave Canaan a reassuring smile, “At least, within this shop, you are safe for the time being.”
Canaan nodded, leaning against a tree and sinking slowly to the ground, a vacant look in her eyes as though deep in thought.
Meanwhile, Angel returned to his task of maneuvering the scouting puppet to explore the surroundings. However, within the effective range of the puppet, Angel discovered nothing amiss, save for the peculiar Raincloud Cage. But since the scouting puppet could not penetrate it, he was left with no alternative but to let it be.
Apart from the vicinity of the Raincloud Cage, there remained only two territories that had eluded his exploration so far. One was the Hunting Museum, which, given that Lord Night was on the brink of ascending the throne, he didn’t feel appropriate to infiltrate at such a pivotal moment. The other was the heavens above.
Upon first glance, it seemed that aside from the floating iceberg, no demons inhabited the celestial realm. However, every time a scouting puppet attempted to ascend, a demon would emerge from nowhere, swiftly annihilating the puppet.
Now, with no other uncharted regions left to explore, Angel decided, steeling his nerves, to once again send a scouting puppet to the heavens.
A while later, Angel sported a disgruntled expression, “Destroyed again.”
“Shop owner, what seems to be the problem?” After returning to the shop, Canaan had been in a daze for a while, then began observing the situation within the premises. Fafnir was engaged in dining, her gaze fixed on a far-off, unknown destination; Angel, meanwhile, sat in the courtyard, eyes closed, absorbed in something — he would occasionally sigh or appear perplexed, all the while remaining perfectly still.
Only when he heard Canaan calling did Angel open his eyes, his tone laced with resignation, “Nothing much, my scouting puppet has been destroyed again. Crushed by a demon that came from nowhere. It’s puzzling how there’s not a single demon visible when I scout the ground, but as soon as I try to send a puppet into the sky, one appears.”
Scouting puppet? Canaan immediately understood, assuming he referred to the metallic spheres from earlier.
After a moment’s hesitation, Canaan ventured an explanation, “Lesser demons tend to hide underground, whereas mid-level demons and above seclude themselves in separate dimensions. That’s why you can’t find any traces of them on the surface.”
Separate dimensions. Angel contemplated this, surmising it probably resembled the Exile Space of wizards.
Still looking nonplussed, Angel responded, “Well, let them hide if they wish to. But why do they appear as soon as I send a scouting puppet into the sky?”
After ruminating on this predicament for a considerable period, Canaan responded with a voice as delicate as a mosquito’s hum, “Because it is paramount to ensure that the plan remains faultless.”
Angel didn’t initially anticipate a response from Canaan, his query was more of a cathartic outlet for the vexation he’d been nursing due to the consecutive loss of his reconnaissance puppets. Unexpectedly, however, it seemed as if Canaan was privy to some information.
Ensure the plan remains faultless?
“What plan? What are you implying?” Angel asked, confounded, staring at Canaan. “And, by the way, you said earlier that the other demons are hiding, why didn’t you do the same?”
Canaan bowed her head, rendering her expression unreadable to Angel, “I was wounded before the execution of the plan.”
Interpreting Canaan’s words, it seemed as though a particular plan had induced the shift in the entire region of La Sutherland? And it had led the demons to conceal themselves?
Angel had an inkling that this plan could potentially be of paramount significance.
Faced with Angel’s inquiries, Canaan hesitated for a moment, but eventually divulged, “It’s to disrupt the void and implement The Purge Plan for All Humanity.”
Even though the shopkeeper had never acknowledged it, Canaan was well aware that he was human. And it was very likely that he was affiliated with the humans in the sky. Therefore, Canaan had always been torn about whether or not to disclose this.
If the plan was unveiled and the news reached the human camp, it would inevitably cause a setback for the demon side. And Canaan herself would be branded a traitor among the demons.
Canaan’s previous hesitation was about whether to reveal this. But when push came to shove, Canaan found herself unburdened and disclosed the plan she’d heard about.
Even as she articulated her thoughts, Canaan was bereft of any significant guilt. Instead, a sense of relief, as though a massive burden had been lifted off her shoulders, permeated her very being.
Canaan’s perspective differed substantially from Prapa’s; while Prapa held humans in contempt, Canaan harbored little animosity towards mankind. Ironically, Canaan held a deeper grudge against her own kind, the demons.
Angel was indeed a human, yet he had managed to alter her own destiny with the Rhythm of the Ocean, simultaneously saving Canaan’s life. These two monumental acts of kindness left Canaan grappling with an immense debt of gratitude that she found challenging to repay.
Initially, Canaan decided to speak out in a bid to repay this debt. Yet, as she voiced her thoughts, she found herself unburdened, free of any baggage. This prompted a revelation——
The demon world, unlike the realms of humanity or native abyssal inhabitants, was not bound by moral norms or any semblance of legal order. In this chaotic, unregulated demon world, even the demons themselves prioritized self-interest over any grander cause. Astonishingly, Canaan, a half-demon, had been shackling herself with this very sense of greater purpose.
Upon this realization, Canaan felt a growing sense of liberation.
While the narrator spoke with an air of nonchalance, the listener, in contrast, found themselves increasingly astonished and tense as the narrative unfolded.
As Canaan narrated, Angel gradually began to understand the intricate web of events. Canaan’s injuries, it appeared, were also linked to this series of happenings.
At the time, Nythotep had just left the Void Obelisk, landing in a remote alleyway. As Nythotep and the stealthy demons accompanying her discussed their plans, Canaan happened to be eavesdropping nearby and overheard their strategy.
Truth be told, whether Canaan had chanced upon this plan or not was inconsequential to them. They had never intended to leak this plan to anyone else in the first place.
However, Nythotep detected her presence, misconstruing her for a human eavesdropper on their plans. Nythotep surreptitiously extended her tentacles into the earth, launching a surprise attack from below upon Canaan, piercing her chest and abdomen with one strike.
In the end, Nythotep discovered that the entity who overheard their plans was none other than Canaan.
As an Ocean Demon, Nythotep was no stranger to Canaan. She held no ill will or favoritism towards Canaan, but she was distinctly aware that Canaan should not be associated with the human camp. Injuring Canaan was an unintended casualty.
Nythotep did not proceed to finish off Canaan, nor did she rescue her, she simply left. For Nythotep, this was a trivial matter, quickly forgotten with a flip of the mind. However, for Canaan, this was a matter of life and death.
Luckily, Angel discovered Canaan and managed to save her. Consequently, he was able to learn the truth about the “human purge plan” from Canaan.
In truth, this plan originated from a unique characteristic of the Void Obelisk: the ability to stabilize spatial energy.
The spatial energy within the void is extremely chaotic. Spatial rifts appear from time to time, and on an unlucky day, even a spatial vortex might occur.
In such a harsh environment, La Sutherland’s ability to stand tall and unyielding throughout the ages surely depended on a method to stabilize spatial energy.
That method was the Void Obelisk.
Legend tells that the establishment of La Sutherland was actually related to an ancient, Supreme Demon God known as——Gazing Abyssal Eye.
According to Canaan, the Translayer Gates in the surface world was, in fact, erected by this Demon God himself.
Gazing Abyssal Eye, aspiring to make La Sutherland the axis of both the surface and inner layers, had meticulously planned for the establishment of the Void Obelisk since its inception. To construct this monument of the void, the Cruel Scholar was invited to design it.
Renowned in the Abyss for his lackless knowledge, the Cruel Scholar, a formidable Great Demon God, devised a series of projects for the Void Obelisk, including facilities to stabilize spatial energy.
Stabilizing spatial energy has a concrete function, but if this operation is reversed, it would lead to a large-scale chaotic energy, causing disturbances in the void.
If set and operated with precision, one could effortlessly designate the location of the floating iceberg in the sky as the zone for these void disturbances. Virtually all human wizards are aboard this iceberg, and being targeted in this way would inevitably lead to catastrophic damage.
This forms the heart of the plan for the eradication of humankind.