Linde stood in the shadow of the Radiant Cathedral, the light flowing around him like a newborn pulse, strong and stable.
The vitality that the holy city of Vanderbilt has gained because of his success is almost within reach. The joy of the believers and the awe of the higher-ups are like invisible threads, weaving a web of power, and he now stands at the center of this web.
However, the galaxy-like vision in his purple eyes had subsided, replaced by a deeper calm that revealed his understanding of the gap between himself and the universe.
"The God of Magic, Tiolantis..." Lind murmured the name in his heart, his fingertips unconsciously brushing across his palm—where the fragments of the God-Slaying Spear were hidden, a cold testament to the God of Magic's ambition.
A fleeting surge of cold fighting spirit was quickly suppressed by his powerful rationality.
Now is far too early.
He clearly realized that although he had successfully analyzed and "reconstructed" the light veins and become the de facto master of the light veins, it was more like raising a flag again on a desolate and silent ruin.
This power is immense, yet still somewhat immature, like someone who has inherited a huge fortune but hasn't yet fully learned how to transform it into the most powerful force.
The God of Magic was an ancient being who had lived for countless eons, possessed a complete divine kingdom, controlled the rules of magic, and successfully planned and partially carried out a god-slaying feat.
His power is deeply rooted and permeates the network of laws throughout the multiverse. To challenge Him in his current state is tantamount to using a newly forged sword to cleave through millennia-old iron; the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
His gaze involuntarily fell once more upon his feet, as if it could penetrate the thick foundation and rock layers to see the sealed place of the fallen saint, and then look into the deeper, more distant place—the Shadow Abyss, which is two sides of the same coin as the Light Vein and coexists with it.
Lucios, Lord of the Light Veins; Nocturnus, Lord of the Shadow Abyss. The twins of creation, the cornerstone of the continent of Til. One symbolizes creation, order, light, and life. The other symbolizes end, chaos, darkness, and nothingness.
According to his analysis of the truth, these two were originally one, the two most fundamental poles constituting the world.
The tragedy of ancient times was that the elder brother killed his younger brother with the "prototype" born from the origin of the world... The secrets and contradictions in this story gave Lind a thrilling sense of destiny.
After Nocturnus died, his remains and dissipated essence transformed into the Abyss, which devours all things. The desolate and noisy "ocean" located beneath the Howling Abyss is the place where he fell, forming a mirror-like opposition to the place where Lucius perished.
"Light and shadow... creation and end..." Lind murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with an intense longing.
If only we could grasp the ultimate secrets of the Shadow Abyss just as we did with the Light Veins…
If one could merge the power of these two creator gods into one and incorporate it into one's own body...
What kind of realm would that be?
Beyond the limitations of a single deity, touching upon the ultimate laws of the world's origin?
By then, the god of magic, Tiolantis, may no longer be someone he needs to look up to, but merely a stumbling block or a step on his path to a higher divine throne.
Once this thought arose, it was like an inextinguishable flame igniting in his core, fiery and dangerous, yet filled with unparalleled allure.
The path is now clear.
The next target is no longer the distant, unprepared war of the gods, but the one that is close at hand, the same as, yet completely opposite to, the place where Nocturnus fell in the depths of the Abyss, where his newfound power originated.
But he did not set off immediately.
Impulsiveness is a weakness of mortals, not a characteristic of gods.
The Shadow Abyss is far more dangerous than the Light Veins. The Light Veins are at least essentially about "order" and "life," and even when they are dormant, they are relatively "stable."
The essence of Shadow Abyss is "chaos" and "death," pure devouring and nothingness, with its ferocity and danger increasing exponentially.
If he were to venture too far, even with his current strength, he would most likely be assimilated and devoured by that endless chaos.
He needs... a ship to cross that sea deep in the Shadow Abyss.
For example, the Steel Sky.
At the same time, he sent several high-level commands to the distant Steel Sky through the magic network:
"Aster, activate Project 'Echoes of the Abyss' with the highest priority. Gather all data related to the Howling Abyss Rift, the Weiss lifeform, and all previous Shadow Abyss energy contact experiments. I need the most comprehensive Shadow Abyss environment simulation and anti-corrosion material design plan."
"Narosh, lead your Shadowbinders into the outer safe zone of the Howling Abyss Rift for routine monitoring. Record all energy tidal fluctuations, especially any abnormal signals related to the 'Sea of Death.' Be careful, and do not venture deeper."
The massive war machine and research fortress of Steel Sky is once again operating efficiently for Linde's new goals.
Countless researchers and engineers, unaware of the full picture, began their all-out effort to overcome the challenges in response to the lord's orders.
After doing all this, Lin De turned his attention back to the solidified sea of light and the enormous divine remains.
His eyes sharpened, and he began to search consciously.
Since the fragments of the God-Slaying Spear can react to the remains of the Lord of the Light Vein, is it possible that something... capable of resonating with the Lord of the Shadow Abyss exists in this place of holy death?
Light and shadow are twins, their struggle has lasted for countless years, and they are deeply intertwined.
He recalled the crazy sketches in the Pope's notes, including the idea of using the power of the Shadow Abyss to stimulate the light veins.
Although the Pope failed, his approach may not have been entirely wrong.
His mental energy was like the most precise comb, meticulously examining every inch of this area, focusing on points where energy reactions were abnormal or where there was some kind of "contradiction" or "incoordination".
Time passed in silent exploration.
Finally, his mental energy detected a faint fluctuation in the shadows below the heart of the divine skeleton, hidden by a huge glass skeleton. This fluctuation was completely out of place with the surrounding pure light veins and deathly stillness.
The fluctuations were extremely subtle, cold, and empty, carrying a hint of... a familiar sense of being devoured.
Linde carefully manipulated the crystalline body to move away the several huge, vitrified bone fragments.
The next moment, his "breath" almost stopped.
Right below the heart of the Lord of Light's remains, close to the bone, was a small, tiny, black fragment, no bigger than a fingernail, resembling charcoal!
It emits no light whatsoever; instead, it seems to be constantly devouring the faint light around it. Its very existence is like a miniature absolute black hole!
It forms an extreme and eerie contrast with the magnificent divine remains and the solidified sea of light.
What's even more unsettling is that Linde sensed an aura from it that was of the same origin as the fragments of the Godslayer Spear, yet even more ancient, purer, and more inclined toward "nothingness" and "the end"!
This is... a part of Noctoos?! A fragment that was torn apart by the God-Slaying Protomorph in the final battle, splashed here, and deeply embedded in the body of Lucius?!
Linde's heart began to pound violently.
He found it! He found the other key to the ultimate mystery of the Shadow Abyss!
The remnants of light and shadow are intertwined and intertwined in such a cruel and intimate way for countless millennia!
Linde carefully enveloped his palm with highly concentrated light vein power, as if picking up a fragile bubble, and gently removed the small, charred fragment of the Lord of the Shadow Abyss.
The fragments were icy cold to the touch, as if they could freeze one's soul, and the void power they contained even began to instinctively erode Lind's light vein power.
But Lind was not surprised, but rather pleased.
That's it!
With it, along with the fragments of the Godslayer Spear, and a thorough understanding of the Light Veins as a reference...
His confidence in exploring and ultimately controlling the Shadow Abyss suddenly increased by several times!
Linde slowly clenched his fist, and the power of the light veins and the energy of the crystal fragments formed multiple seals, bringing this dangerous fragment under his control.
He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of barriers, and saw the ultimate sea, silent yet clamorous, located on the other side of the world.
“Noctoos…” Lind’s voice echoed softly in the sacred tomb, carrying a cold expectation.
"Your brother has rested in peace, and his legacy is now at my disposal."
"Now, it's your turn."
"Once I have mastered the power of light and shadow... Tiolantis, we will settle our score slowly."
Deep within the sacred treasury, the new Lord of the Light Veins closed his eyes and began his more perilous and protracted journey to digest the second legacy of creation.
And because of his choice, the wheel of fate of the world quietly turned once again in an unknown and profound direction.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com