Chapter 1132 Night's Final Act <TOC> Chapter 1134 The End Approaches
Translator: SumTLMan
Within the Void Obelisk, underground hall.
The statue’s wings unfolded slowly, yet with their spread came a great aura so immense it seemed boundlessly, gradually emanating from the statue.
Iadase had initially planned to step forward and stop Popoca’s actions, but found himself frozen in place.
This boundless aura was something he had only encountered in the most elite beings of the Abyss, and he hadn’t anticipated encountering it here!
As the statue’s wings fully unfurled, Iadase suddenly felt a suffocating sensation, a sense of insignificance as if being looked down upon by a superior being.
He saw it! The true face of the statue!
It was a small tailed demon with broad black wings. Its body was so petite that it was completely hidden when its wings enveloped it.
The demon’s appearance was rather ordinary, but there were two distinctive features that allowed Iadase to immediately recognize its identity.
Firstly, the demon’s tail was extremely long, like a hook, and it clutched numerous beautifully crafted books.
Secondly, the demon’s eyes, though icy cold, were filled with wisdom. That gaze, as ancient as the world itself, was free of fluctuations, yet left one feeling filthy in its silent depth.
That gaze, like a blasphemy to the gods, could only belong to a Demon God in the Abyss!
And of all the Demon Gods across all the Phase Planes in the Abyss, there was only one with such a form, or as humans would put it——
“Even if you don’t agree with it, you cannot deny the wisdom and knowledge of the Great Demon God——the Cruel Scholar!”
The appearance of the Cruel Scholar’s statue in the underground hall was indeed possible. After all, the runes of the Abyss were created by the Cruel Scholar itself, and all the runes originally on the Void Obelisk were drawn by the Scholar.
It was only natural for traces of it to remain here. However, what surprised Iadase was that the Cruel Scholar had chosen to project a strand of its own consciousness into this statue!
Yet, as unexpected as it was, Iadase felt relieved. With the attention of the Cruel Scholar, he did not believe that the intruder, who had unlawfully entered the Void Obelisk, would dare to continue.
But when Iadase looked in the direction of the “uninvited guest,” his pupils contracted.
During the unfolding of the Cruel Scholar’s wings, Popoca had paused under the immense aura. But when the Scholar revealed its true form by receding its aura, Popoca did not stop as Iadase had predicted. Instead, he continued to press down with his hand.
His movement was slower than before, but the determination in his expression was even deeper.
“I understand your goal,” came a whisper from the mouth of the Cruel Scholar, “You don’t need to completely destroy La Sutherland to achieve what you want.”
Unmoved as though deaf to the voice of the Cruel Scholar, Popoca remained inert.
The Cruel Scholar let out a hushed sigh, a fluctuation of peculiarity radiating outward from the statue.
As the fluctuation swept over Iadase, he felt an enhanced clarity in his thoughts, even the speed of cognition seemed marginally elevated.
The primary recipient of the fluctuation, Popoca, exhibited diminished madness in his eyes, replaced by a semblance of lucidity.
Once coherent, Popoca’s gaze finally fell upon the statue before him.
Looking at the statue, it was as if Popoca peered through its tranquil gaze into the depths of a bottomless abyss. An expansive and desolate world lay therein, at the center of which, there stood a library. An unspeakable entity, lifting its gaze from within the library, was silently casting its gaze across the expanse of time and space, holding a silent communion with him.
Popoca seemed to discern the identity of the statue before him. However, this didn’t impede his actions; instead, he quietly responded, “Only by acting thus, can I achieve what I desire.”
Though he spoke thus, a faint glint of defiance was visible in Popoca’s eyes, swiftly replaced by obstinate determination.
In order to rekindle the flames, the fire of the Laudsourcians would burn an endless future. The glory of his tribe will once again grace the world. Even if it meant plunging himself into the profound hellfire, it would be worth it!
The distant Iadase could never have imagined the steadfastness Popoca demonstrated before the exalted Great Demon God. What surprised it even more was that Popoca’s language wasn’t the Demonic Language but a common human tongue!
Could his initial judgement have been flawed? Could this gargantuan creature actually hail from the human world?
“So, you intend to go against my will?” The Cruel Scholar’s voice remained calm, yet the air within the underground hall seemed to stagnate in that moment.
Iadase quietly observed Popoca, who was caught under the terrifying pressure. Despite standing on the periphery, he could not help but submit. He was curious to know Popoca’s choice.
“Yes.” Popoca’s face showed no signs of struggle. Despite sweating profusely under the pressure exerted by the Cruel Scholar, he had no intention of changing his mind.
“Regrettably, to uphold my pact with the Gazing Abyssal Eye, I must obstruct you.” As the words of the Cruel Scholar echoed, the hall shuddered. Countless spikes penetrated the walls of the hall, densely filling the airspace.
One would realize, if they were to close their eyes and feel, that these sharp weapons were all embedded with runic patterns of light. Controlled by the light, their deadly tips all pointed towards Popoca.
At the same time, Popoca also felt the overwhelming pressure of the Cruel Scholar, as if he had fallen into a dazzling world where images kept flashing by.
Meanwhile, the pressure on Iadase suddenly vanished. Looking up in confusion towards the center, he noticed that Popoca was still under pressure, and only he had been relieved. As Iadase’s thought process shifted, he understood what this signified.
——Clearly, the Cruel Scholar intended to make him part of the execution.
He rose to his feet, liberating his true form. His bone armor was in full view, a chilling bone blade gripped in Iadase’s hand, poised unerringly at Popoca.
As Iadase lofted the bone blade high and countless spear tips aimed at Popoca’s vital points, Popoca remained paralyzed, still in the grip of the Cruel Scholar’s overwhelming pressure.
Iadase seemed to already witness the scene in the next second, Popoca’s skull would be cleaved by his blade, and a multitude of spear tips would tear Popoca into fragments.
The thrill of commanding another’s life made Iadase somewhat excited. The hand clutching the bone blade tightened even more, intent on delivering a fatal strike!
Whooosh——
The bone blade and the spear tips moved as one. Iadase’s speed was akin to a wisp of smoke, charging at Popoca.
In no time, Iadase reached Popoca and swung his blade directly at him! However, at the moment the blade was about to touch Popoca’s skin, it suddenly stopped.
Or, it should be said, not only Iadase’s attack but also the numerous spear tips, all paused mid-air.
As if, time itself had frozen in that instant.
“What happened, what’s going on?” Iadase’s mind was whirring, but his body was still frozen solid.
While Iadase was puzzled, the Cruel Scholar suddenly let out a long sigh.
This sigh contained many unknown emotions. Just as Iadase was about to delve into it, the chains on Popoca’s body began to move. With a flash of intense light, Iadase was repelled by a tremendous force.
Iadase was hurled heavily onto the wall of the underground hall, leaving a deep pit in his wake.
Clad in bone armor, Iadase was unscathed, yet still immobilized. Through the mouth of the pit, Iadase cast his gaze towards the statue.
He wanted to see, what had happened? Moreover, what did the Cruel Scholar’s sigh imply?
However, Iadase did not see Popoca, as he was shrouded by a dense black mist at this moment.
This black mist emanated from Popoca, and when it spread, a ring of light suddenly took shape at the center of the black mist…
The black mist and the ring of light fused perfectly, reminiscent of a “solar eclipse.”
When Iadase saw this “solar eclipse”, his throat clenched, and he began to grasp why he had been sent flying, and why the Cruel Scholar had sighed.
The symbol of this “solar eclipse” was not foreign to him, for it was precisely——the Profound Mark.
Full name: The True Mark of the Profound Lord.
And the Profound Lord was none other than a Supreme Demon God of the Abyss!
In the realm of the Demon Gods, there exists a hierarchy. The Profound Lord stands at the apex of this pyramid, whereas the Cruel Scholar is merely a Great Demon God, a rank lower than the Profound Lord.
Consequently, when the projection of the Cruel Scholar encounters the trace of the Profound Lord, it cannot help but sigh.
Iadase is filled with frustration at this moment, completely taken aback that two Demon Gods of the Abyss have chosen to manifest their consciousness here.
“So, this place is the battleground of The Demon God’s Game,” Iadase says, his gaze filled with melancholy. Given his strength, he could not possibly participate in this level of power struggle.
“As expected, you have appeared,” the Cruel Scholar utters softly.
An eerie laughter reverberates, accompanied by strange vibrations originating from the Profound Mark.
It seems as if the Cruel Scholar has deciphered something from these vibrations. “The Gazing Abyssal Eye has indeed left, but its consciousness had returned a thousand years ago, and its listeners remain here.”
For the first time, the Cruel Scholar turned its gaze towards Iadase.
Iadase could only feel a chill run down his spine. He had indeed received enlightenment from the Gazing Abyssal Eye. However, he hadn’t been able to interpret the true meaning behind that enlightenment.
The Profound Mark radiated vibrations once more.
“If you still intend to vie for its power, then I shall step aside,” the Cruel Scholar responds calmly.
With the Cruel Scholar’s pledge, an eerie laughter bellows from within the Profound Mark. Gradually, the black mist dissipated, and so did the “solar eclipse.”
All that remained were the manically-gazing Popoca and the statue of the Cruel Scholar, its wings slowly folding back to its form.
As the wings settled, it was evident that the Cruel Scholar was sincere about its promise of not obstructing Popoca any further.
However, as the wings of the statue were about to close completely, another fluctuation emanated from the Cruel Scholar. This fluctuation transformed Popoca’s maniacal gaze gradually back to a semblance of lucidity.
Feeling the return of rationality, Popoca looked at the Cruel Scholar with a touch of gratitude.
“Your choice ensures that clarity will be fleeting,” the Cruel Scholar paused before adding, “Actually, I… am quite interested in you. If you choose to abandon Him, you can come to my domain.”
Leaving behind these meaningful words, the Cruel Scholar was completely enveloped by its wings and vanished.
With the departure of the Cruel Scholar, there was no one left to prevent Popoca from pressing towards the master node of the runes.
But at this moment, Popoca, whose gaze had regained lucidity, hesitated for a bit. Eventually, after glancing at the chains on his body, he still pressed down towards the location of the master node.
Chapter 1132 Night's Final Act <TOC> Chapter 1134 The End Approaches