Novel Bin Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Truth and Reunion
This future to come signals the start of the Eternal War. With the assistance of the demons, the Ancient Elemental Gods, subordinates of the Goddess of Chaos, who have fought in the ancient wars gradually break away from their seals and bring the continent endless catastrophes.
Following the awakening of the Elemental Gods, the Fire Elemental Warlords, the Wind Elemental Governors, the Water Elemental Monarch and similar elemental beasts gradually become the first boss-class opponents of the gamers.
Not long later, sensing the arrival of a new order, the ambitious and idealists start to make their move. Among them, the most dangerous of all are those who hope to create an independent country, the cultists who welcome the descend of the Malevolent Gods, the Underground Lords who hopes to return back to the surface gloriously and the undead kingdoms who crave for slaughter and destruction.
Of course, the word prelude is a hint that these troublesome things mostly have the shadows of demons behind it. As the Elemental Gods descend one by one, even if it isn’t their real body but their manifestations, the elemental tide will gradually befall and the might of elemental magic becomes even more powerful and the advancement to become an expert becomes easier.
TL: Although I use the word manifestation, it is actually a split body of them.
The continent of Eich will finally reach a magic era where Liches are everywhere and legends are like dogs. Under the elemental tide, the Eich continent and other dimensions become more connected, causing travel between dimensions to be easier, resulting in frequent arrivals of foreign guests.
As the young generations on the surface are heading towards prosperity and the countries are positive about their future and even harboring ambitious thoughts of expanding their land, they didn’t expect that it was a ploy of the demons and the Malevolent Gods of Chaos. As the magic tide arrives and opened the doors between dimension, especially the one to the Abyss, swarms of demons would swarm to the mortal world. But before that, the world would have to survive through the waves of Undead Calamity.
The Alliance among the Underground Lords to invade the surface should be a content of the next installment “The Vulture of War”, which is supposed to be around 10 years from now. It is still a bit too early for it but if we were to think about it, it is to be expected.
After all, the Underground World is still extremely chaotic now and even if the Underground Autarchs were to reorganize the proud and aloof Underground Lords, it would take massive amount of time. Now should be the period in which they reorganize their troops and destroy the nonconformists.
The Sulfur Mountain City which we reside in is an obvious obstacle in their path. Or rather, we shouldn’t use such a description to describe to a human on these Underground Autarchs.
TL: The phrase the author used means that we were blocking a human’s path literally (though it shouldn’t be taken literally)
“It is said that the blood-related daughter of the Spider Queen, the High Priestess Kajah.Lorci, has united all of the Dark Elves and their targets are the surface Elves…”
“The Dragon Empress Molly, the leader of Red Dragons and Black Dragons, the accepted King of the Dragon Tribe by 7 Dragon Cities of the underground. Their goal is to return to the surface and if possible, get revenge on the Dragon God Bahamut who exiled them.”
“Ainsterna.Eduar, Black Mage, his race is arguably a human… His motives are unknown, his strength is unknown but he has command over 50 underground cities. If we just look at the size of a regular army, he isn’t inferior to any of the human kingdoms. He has superb ability in conducting warfare and is the future High Commander of the Underground Alliance in name.”
“Shou.Nuya, a Scorpion-tail Lion Beastman, the head of the Nuya tribe and the elected sovereign of more than hundreds of underground Beastman. Although the Beastman tribes are full of internal strife, their aptitude towards fighting is astounding. The talents of underground Beastman is much stronger than those of the surface Beastman. If we just look at the numbers of experts, they live up to the name gold are like dogs, legends are everywhere. Their motive… Surprisingly, it isn’t to exact revenge on the surface tribes but to return to the home of the Beastman, the legendary Blanuya Plains. But now, the plains belong to a strong empire of the humans, Saint Antonio, and it serves as their granary. That is to say, if they were to fight, it would be a level of battle which nations and tribes get destroyed…”
As the authority these 4 possess is a tier higher than that of other Underground Lords, they are acknowledged as the Underground Autarchs.
But the everyone understands the story where one monk has water to drink, two monks fetch water to drink, three monks don’t have water to drink. If there is only one Underground Autarch, they would have long unified the entire underground world and send troops to invade the surface. But now, there are four Underground Autarchs that is keeping each other in check, causing the underground world to be even more chaotic.
TL: Meaning the monk fight for water, the Autarchs fight for authority.
This time, just as how the history on the game walkthrough records, the Black Mage Einsterna and underground Beastman Sovereign Shou, sensing the opportunities from the arrival of a new era, have formed an alliance and they intend to send an invitation of Kajah and Molly, offering them great incentives to solidify the Underground Alliance. By gathering over 40% of the Underground Lords in the underground world, they would have created the greatest alliance army in history.
But I know that things aren’t that simple. From the ‘history’ in the game walkthrough, there is a third party interfering at the back of the Beastman and Black Mage… The figurehead behind the Black Mage is the cunning Devils and behind the Beastman is the chaotic and bloodthirsty Demons. Both of them intend to use them as a pocket to interfere and cause both of them to fall out. This is also the only way for the formation of the strong alliance army to fail.
Of course, the Spider Queen Lorci and the Black Dragons aren’t innocent and kind people either. They are also furthering their own motives.
“My head hurts. This isn’t a problem of quantity anymore.”
The signing of the Underground Alliance pact and the formation of the Alliance Army should be something recent. Even if I have the heart to interfere, but I don’t have the influence to alter the situation. The invasion of the Alliance Army to the surface is already fixed in stone.
“Those pigs on the surface can enjoy the warm sunlight and clean night breeze without doing anything. In comparison, if we don’t do anything, we can’t even differentiate day from night. We can only use the cold lingering light of the luminescent algae, drink the underground water which has strong sulfuric taste, live in fear of earthquakes and stampedes, a life without day or night, a life that isn’t even fit for dogs and pigs. Tell me, my brethren from the underground, do you all intend for your grandchildren and descendants to also live this kind of hellish lifestyle? We, the ones who have been exiled, why should we be inferior to others? Why do we have to bear the sins of our ancestors? Everyone should have the right to live under the sun, we are only getting back what that should belong to us.
Three years ago, this powerful inciting speech was shouted out by Ainsterna and very soon, it spread to the entire underground world.
Now, the invasion of the underground world back to the surface to enjoy true sunlight is the craving of every single life here. It is destined to be make history. (The underground world has no sun, but the ceiling of the rocks has many luminescent algae that provides some light)
Even I don’t intend to block such a strong tide with my weak arms. The Underground Alliance formed by countless underground cities cannot be stopped, but the internal betrayal in Sulfur Mountain City as a result of the movement cannot be spared.
“Councilor Welter, Councilor Kern…” These foolish councilors, they actually intend to bypass Sulfur Mountain City’s Internal Affairs Bureau and directly liaise with the other underground cities to form a pact and join in the future crusade to the surface.
As the current City Lord Adam of Sulfur Mountain City is hailed as a hero by the humans on the surface, despite not knowing why he has decided to live here for the past hundred years, from the start, the big figures from the surface ‘Hero’ Adam and ‘Saint’ Margaret is seen as an enemy by the Underground Alliance.
Following the progress of the Alliance, the Dark Elf-owned MorsBlight city willingly served the as the underling of the Spider Queen’s Supreme Priest Kajah, while the Gray Dwarf and underground Beastman’s Chrome City turned to the Beastman Sovereign Shou.
Sulfur Mountain City has been a pacifist all along, so it is impossible for them to wage a world war against the surface. Thus, from the start, Sulfur Mountain City has been a thorn in the eye for the Alliance.
But not everyone is unambitious like us… At least, quite a few ‘big figures’ in Sulfur Mountain City expressed interest in the land of the surface. Sulfur Mountain City might not have any nobles, but the surface and other underground cities have nobles…
Thus, when the two cities started exerting pressure on those foolish Councilors and offered them land on the surface, a portion of the self-interested people started formation factions, creating the ‘Alliance Faction’. Coincidentally, Adam was intending to pass on the seat of the City Lord, thus providing them a good opportunity.
The diplomatic team that came to Sulfur City, on the surface, they were to talk over the terms of trade, something that no one took it for real, while in the shadows, their true motive was to help these Councilors solidify their power. Those merchants who were assassinated, excluding those unlucky fellows who were used to pull wool over our eyes, most of them had a seat on the Council. As the obstacles were rooted one by one, the Alliance Faction were gradually gaining traction.
No one would be foolish to start a head-on conflict with the SemiGod class Adam. What they are waiting for as they accumulate power is for a fault to happen in Sulfur Mountain City’s inauguration of the new lord and an opportunity for them to stroke the flames of rebellion and take over as the new ruler.
The Dark Elf Town Security might be very efficient in dealing with criminals but due to their birth identity, they are condemned to the suspicion by a portion of the citizens. If they are pulled into such a scheme, if the Alliance Faction find them an obstacle to their motives, they might end up as fodder for this conflict.
Just by pondering over it a bit, I can think of dozens of dirty ways to destroy them, such as to incite public will by saying that they are the true culprits of the serial killings and they were only pushing the fault to the ambassador team. Then, they could force them to hand over ‘the true culprit’ and motivate the public to stand against them, blame them for theft and blaspheming the Holy Light. Afterwards, they could bring in the judgement by the church and force them to their death. Or, if they retaliate with force, hoho…
Cough, I better rein myself in a little. Those Councilors may not be as ‘wise’ as me, but as experts in internal strife, they may not be able to think of a dozen but one or two definitely isn’t a problem.
My reason for putting them out of the picture isn’t because I cherish them as Elisa said, but my instinctive ability to protect the weak.
Right, just protecting the weak. Who would like those silly lasses who always interfere with my work, like I would care about their deaths.
But they are now my underling’s underling, they are a member of my Sulfur Mountain City’s legal system alive, a ghost (undead) of my Lord Yongye dead. If they were to be killed for no apparent reason with so much grievances, isn’t that throwing my face.
Hearing the news that Elisa got out of Volk, it seems as though all of the problems were solved. However, I realized that there was still some things that weren’t logical.
“… Why are they so fixated on Sulfur Mountain City. This city, compared to the proportion of the entire underground world, isn’t even more than a dot.”
I am unlike those boastful councilors that think that the sky would fall without me. Even without Sulfur Mountain City joining in the alliance, the Underground Alliance still retains the power to sweep the surface.
“I seem to have heard Volk saying that there is a very powerful magic thing sealed here, and the Dragon Empress seems to be very interested in it. She even put up a very high price for it, that’s why he came here to try his luck.”
“Bullshit, I have been here for more than a hundred years. It is only a piece of barren land, what kind of strong magic thing would be sealed here…
Suddenly, as I remembered something, I stopped in my tracks.
“A strong magic thing? Seal? It can’t be so coincidental. Are they referring to me, Lord Yongye? That shouldn’t be, the news of me being here shouldn’t have leaked. After all, my true identity is only known by Adam, Margaret and Little Red and they aren’t people who would leak secrets… No, there is someone with a loose mouth.”
“That lad Adam dug a hole to trip me again?”
Propping up her gold-framed spectacles, Elisa seemingly nods her head bitterly, but I could tell that she was secretly laughing.
“A year ago, the Councilors invited the City Lord to a party and on the party, there was the strongest Beastman Eviscerate Beer… After drinking too much, the City Lord spent 3 hours describing how he defeated the strong demon lord and that he sealed him in the depths of hell. He didn’t specify which demon lord it is and most of the Councilors took it as a joke but apparently, someone took it for real.”
“Lord Yongye huh?” I seemed to have mumbled, but it is also a question just to see whether anyone would answer.
“It isn’t Lord Yongye. Based on the analysis of the Dragon Empress, the SemiGod Undead Emperor isn’t someone Adam could have dealt with then, needless to mention sealing him. It was more probable that he just got sick of fighting and left the continent.”
The new test subject seems to have acknowledged her situation and took the initiative to hand over valuable news that I wasn’t aware of.
“Furthermore, if Lord Yongye was really sealed here, then it isn’t a target that we could take control of. In the eyes of all living beings, he is a dangerous fellow that shouldn’t be released. Looking for Lord Yongye is just a false rumor that we created. Our true motive is the Ancient Fire Elemental God Arolaweiss.
My lie-detector ring also authenticated that it was the truth. Thinking of the unique traits of the fire element, realization struck me.
This is Sulfur Mountain City, just behind us lies the endless sulfur mountains and a thing like sulfur is easily found in the surroundings of a volcano. For such a large sulfur mountain to exist, it is obvious that it isn’t a product a nature.
“In that game, all of the Ancient Elemental Gods that descended were defeated and exiled in the long battles to come, but the only exception is the Fire Elemental God. Now that I think of it, it isn’t that he didn’t descend, but that the Fire Elemental was in the underground world from the start. After all, what kind of place would be more suited for a fire elemental to live in other than the sulfur mountains.”
“Underground? Within the sulfur mountains?”
“Yes. The Councilors in the Alliance Faction have already sold a portion of the rights to mine in the sulfur mines to us and our Gray Dwarves have found some remains that is very possibly the altar heading to where the Elemental God resides. Now, the few obstacles that remains is the leakage of news. We have to attain the rights to mine in the entire sulfur mountain. Those who are against the sale are also on the assassination list this time. The second is its guardian… The Dragon Empress guessed that Adam built this Sulfur Mountain City to keep watch on Arolaweiss and if we were to touch the seal, the guardian would definitely be alerted. But, against the SemiGod Adam, we might not win even if the Dragon Empress were to go against him personally.
I slapped my forehead. I feel the urge to cry but no tears flowed out.
“Adam, you really are my nemesis, you tripped me 130 years ago and now you are tripping me again. If you didn’t go around bragging, why would other people treat you as the guardian of the Elemental God, they also wouldn’t view this city as the thorn of their eyes. Now you even dragged me into this problem. Can’t you keep your mouth shut properly and stop causing me so much trouble every day.”
“If this is really the land where the Elemental God was sealed, the demons could even interfere here personally. Then, I really have to start preparing.”
Closing my eyes and thinking deeply, many thoughts floated around my mind and just as I vaguely felt like I was onto something, the door was suddenly bashed open. A reminiscent figure and voice made me instinctively lower my upper body and huddle together but I was still a step late.
“Hi, Uncle Bones! Long time no see, Annie has come today to play with you.”
Before flying out of the window, my final thoughts were the flash of pink then the continuously rotating world in my sight and the irrepressible wandering of my mind…
“She sure has grown, I could only fly 30 meters high then… Now, I can see the 300-meter-high rock ceiling and luminescent algae. Hey, mother vulture, you are here to hunt for food I see. Today’s weather isn’t bad huh.”
Although I was flying so high up just as in the past, unexpectedly, I wasn’t angry at all. The reason? While flying up in the sky, my brain kept rewinding the scene I just saw, the reason why my mind keeps popping up weird thoughts…
“Cough, its pink color. I have to remind her that ladies shouldn’t go around spreading their legs to kick other people, otherwise it is very easy for them to flash. Girls sure are mystical creatures, they change totally when they mature. To think that in such a short period of time, she turned from a little brat to a tall and elegant beauty.”
Yes, despite it being just seven to eight years, but in that instant, I saw clearly that the brat that used to stir trouble has grown into a cute young lady.
A fleshy bum and beautiful curves, full of liveliness. The young and innocent face coupled with a good figure and good personality, she is my ideal type.
“Why don’t I consider marriage after I revive? However, after rejecting Adam so many times, if I were to change my word now, isn’t that a little shameful.”
Do I have such a thing as shame? Looks like I don’t. Very quickly, I decided to test if Ann still remembers the Uncle Bones who dotes on her and often play with her, and her promise of marriage that I exchanged with a lollipop.
But just as I enjoying my imagination, a bunch of uninvited my guests arrives…
“Go away, you smelly bird. I am not your prey, I am the fearsome Lich. I am very scary, beware of my bite…”
A bunch of carnivorous vulture surrounds me. Bones seem to their favorite good…
“Go away, smelly birds!! I really will bite you. The touch of a Lich is scary, a Lich who only have its head remaining is also very powerful… Looks like before considering going through with the marriage, I have to first get rid of this bad habit of hers, teach her what can be kicked and what can’t be kicked!!”
Terminology may not be clear before but the world of Eich consists of one main world, and also the biggest piece of land – the Eich continent, the Abyss (where demons and devils roam) and other dimensions which can be considered to be part of Eich as well. Travel through different dimensions are normally difficult in normal times.
The MC comes from a world that is not part of the world of Eich or any of their dimensions. (Thus outside of the system)
Goddess of Chaos refers particularly to Cynthia, while Gods of Chaos refers to the gods under Cynthia’s faction.