Abyss Devoured by Darkness
“What was that just now?”
Harun stared at Adel's back as he walked into the ruins, recalling the water droplet he'd burst moments earlier.
“Nothing special. Just a kind of lingering thought. A god abandoned by its followers can no longer maintain its form and leaves behind only these twisted remnants.”
“That thing... was a god's lingering thought?”
“You could call it their true nature in a way... but mostly, it's resentment.”
“Why?”
“A god can only exist through the ideologies of the followers who serve it. But if those followers are no longer around?”
“The god vanishes.”
Adel nodded at Kasla's response.
“Then... if vanished gods become these thought-forms, does that mean the thing chattering at us earlier was part of Abyss?”
“Of course, the nonsense they spout isn't necessarily the god's true heart. These thoughts are stronger than original intentions, so they act like vengeful spirits, hell-bent on harming others.”
“Even so, it feels kinda bitter. To think they can't exist without followers.”
“Exactly. That's why humans can worship gods, but gods can't look down on humans.”
[Be careful. Nothing's as venomous as a god abandoned by humans.]
'Forgot? No one's hunted more gods on this continent than me.'
[Indeed.]
Whoosh—!!!
At that moment, Garon's flames erupted. Makullan Hun and Daran Samakal, sensing the heat filling the ruins was far from ordinary, stared at him with tense faces.
“Daran.”
“...Y-yes, sir?!”
“Remember this well. A god can only exist if it has followers. So the way to awaken a sleeping god is surprisingly simple.”
“...You mean become its follower.”
“Right. From now on, you must become Abyss's contractor. But being a god's contractor is never easy. Especially a deep sea god—it'll keep gnawing at your mind.”
Adel fixed his gaze on him.
“But there's a bigger problem than that. You probably already know.”
“...Yes. I had a feeling. That's why I kept it from my sister.”
Daran looked resolute, as if steeling himself.
[Kiransha utterly despises Abyss. If she finds out there's an Abyss follower under her protection in the North Sea, she won't tolerate it.]
In short, he could no longer live in the North Sea.
[Adel, if she learns you have Kiransha's treasure, he might feel betrayed.]
Kalderet spoke cautiously.
[Why not just devour Abyss yourself? You can contract high gods no problem thanks to me.]
'Nah, I don't think so.'
But Adel responded calmly to the warning.
'It's not about the contract between Daran and Abyss. It's about unraveling the Ice Palace Lord's death qi.'
He continued.
'To do that, we need Kiransha to descend. As you know, we have to infuse divine power into the Heavenly Palace Stone to ignite the seven flames.'
[Hmm...]
When he'd first obtained the 【North Sea's Ice Crystal】 from the Archipelago King's report, Adel had only managed the third flame.
'That flame I lit back then was barely the third. Now, maybe I could reach the fifth.'
But the seventh was still far off.
'Even if I contract with Abyss and borrow his power, mastering the deep sea god's divine power perfectly would take a long time.'
His body already held Kalderet's blessing and Garon's—absorbing new divine power without backlash required gradual integration.
'Too late for that. The Ice Palace Lord's body won't hold out.'
But Daran wasn't a contractor yet. Pouring water into a full vessel drop by drop was different from emptying a whole jug into an empty one at once.
[A cruel path.]
'It's just one way to change a future.'
In his previous life, the Ice Palace Lord died, and Karin Samakal became mistress of the North Sea. But her reckless ruin delve cost the North Sea dearly.
'Bigger than any other future.'
It wasn't just about saving one person.
It was about altering the futures of tens—hundreds of thousands—in the North Sea.
'He needs that kind of resolve.'
Adel looked at Daran.
Even if it saved countless lives, he'd spend his days in the deep sea's abyss.
'That's why I trust you.'
He knew him better than anyone.
“......”
Leading the man who'd followed him in his past life down this path of hardship with his own hands was no easy thing.
This life, Daran might not even become his follower.
'Daran Samakal, I won't let you walk that path alone. I'm resolved to change your future too.'
Thud—thud—
Adel stepped deeper into the ruins with heavier footfalls.
Hummm...
Then it happened.
The Nazas in his hand began to tremble, as if issuing a warning.
“What the—?”
Adel, who hadn't used spirit power in his previous life, couldn't help but be startled by Nazas's sudden reaction.
Shoooaaa—!!
At the same time, wind spirits emerged from the seed ring, chattering noisily around him.
“Whoa, boss. You handle spirits too? As expected... amazing...”
“Quiet. You're distracting.”
“Ah, yes. Zipping it.”
Daran glanced at Makullan and sighed.
[Strange. This is clearly a god's ruin... Why are spirits so thick here?]
Even Kalderet seemed unable to grasp the situation easily.
[No way...]
Suddenly, as if recalling something.
[That damn Abyss touched the darkness? The foolhardy bastard...!]
'Darkness? What's that?'
[Like spirits, but different. Spirits are part of nature, but darkness is born from rifts.]
“Rifts... you mean the boundaries where gods are born? Spirits born from there?”
[Yes. The only beings that can corrupt gods. They carry the rift's condensed poison.]
Kalderet sniffed the air.
[Darkness is an impurity born when gods emerge. But over eons since primordial times, even those lowly things gained will.]
'Like spirit kings, then?'
[No. Worse. Unlike spirit kings, they seek to seize gods' bodies.]
Garon growled at the dark aura filling the ruins.
'Seize a god's body...'
[Gods without followers can only dissipate. They become empty shells. And darkness preys on that vulnerability relentlessly.]
'What happens if they take the body?'
[It's no longer a god.]
An uneasy aura hung in the air.
[Damn... If Abyss is consumed by darkness, isn't that dangerous? He's half a high god, after all.]
Garon ground his teeth.
[Don't underestimate a high god. Even if darkness targets him, he won't fall easily. Not that a mid god like you would know.]
[...Still ranking gods after all this? I should've killed Garuda back then and become a high god.]
Garon sounded exasperated at Kalderet's teasing.
[Not mocking you. Gods are like humans in that sense. No one wants to vanish. Gods are aspiration itself. High gods cling hardest.]
He turned ahead.
[Garon, you sense it too?]
[...Yeah. Thick as if we're inside a rift. It's eroded his mind too.]
Garon's flames flickered.
[But there's still a sea scent in the ruins. Means he hasn't vanished completely.]
A faint veil of flame formed around Adel.
[Light is darkness's natural enemy. This'll help a bit. But stay cautious. Darkness eats gods... and human minds.]
Kalderet warned.
[Watch for darkness attacks.]
Adel nodded.
'The problem isn't monsters—it's allies.'
Even if darkness was a rift spirit, it couldn't dominate Adel, contractor of an ancient god.
But his companions were another story.
[If dominated by darkness, they'll lose friend from foe and slaughter each other. Could you kill them?]
“Harun, Kasla, Heila.”
At Kalderet's question, Adel called their names softly.
“Listen up. This place is infested with something called darkness—an ancient spirit. It dominates human minds.”
They looked at him.
“But I trust you. Questioning a desert tribesman's mind is laughable.”
He met their eyes.
“Trust yourselves. Don't waver. You'll make it through.”
The three nodded and stepped into the ruins.
“Uh, what about us?”
Makullan pointed at himself awkwardly.
“You too—just keep one thing in mind.”
“Of course!”
His eyes gleamed at Adel's words.
“If you go mad and come at me, I'll cut you down without mercy.”
“......”
His face paled as he sidled away from Adel and into the ruins.
Thud—thud—thud—
They walked deep into the ruins for quite a while.
Makullan's chatter had stopped at some point, and Garon's fire around him had vanished.
[I sense their auras. They're probably with you. Darkness seems to be messing with your vision.]
Kalderet's voice rang out.
[The erosion has begun.]
True to an ancient god, his presence persisted even amid the darkness cloaking the ruins.
[Don't forget. You passed the void's trial.]
Adel walked deeper in silence.
Shooooaaa—!!!
Then, suddenly, unlike before, the salty sea air hit—and a torrent of water crashed toward him.
Clank—!!
Dragon's Gluttony
The armor covered his face.
Sizzle...!!
The splashing droplets burned against it, acrid smoke rising as the faceplate corroded.
[Who goes there.]
A man emerged from the darkness.
He gripped a spear gleaming golden, his silver armor revealing taut muscles beneath.
No need to ask who.
“God of the Deep Sea.”
Adel aimed Nazas.
The spirits choked on the foul dark aura, the wind sword's tip trembling.
“I need your help.”
Crunch—
But instead of reply, Abyss's eyes changed.
Pupils turned pitch black, the radiant spear blade darkening.
[Grrrrr...]
Like a beast, Abyss snarled, lips curling.
[Damn... Looks like it's fully eroded. He's no god anymore.]
“Figures?”
Thwack—!!!!!!
Adel smashed Abyss's head without hesitation.
“No need for talk, then.”