The Guardian gods-Chapter 249

Looking at Murmur, Ikenga said, "You should think carefully about every action you take from now on. Will it benefit you in the long run?"

"There might be a chance that we make it back. By then, you will have amassed another origin god who will see you as an enemy," Ikenga said, staring at Murmur.

Murmur stayed silent before pointing at Ikenga. "Is that god you?"

Ikenga gave no answer, instead keeping his stare. There were a few moments of silence before Murmur spoke up. "While it may seem I have a hand in deciding which Abyss layer you find yourselves in, that is a misconception."

"Because of the nature through which you are going to the Abyss, the element of choice is gone. All you can hope for now is to land in a layer that hasn’t been conquered yet," Murmur said, looking at the two gods.

"Because of our relationship, it works best for me if you both land in a conquered layer. It gives me great satisfaction and a playground I can use to my advantage."

Ikenga’s eyes narrowed at Murmur, his displeasure evident. "So, you are hoping for our demise or, at the very least, our capture."

Murmur chuckled, his laughter barely restrained. "Not hoping, just anticipating. There is a difference. This scenario benefits me in ways you can’t begin to imagine."

Keles, having heard enough, interjected, her voice sharp and cold. "And what exactly do you gain from this, Murmur? Enlighten us."

Murmur leaned forward, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Influence, dear Keles. Influence and leverage. Should you both fall, I gain favor with the Abyss Lords. If you survive, it will take time for you to return. By then, I will have gained much. Either way, I win."

Ikenga’s fists clenched, his frustration growing. "You play a dangerous game, Murmur."

"And you are all pieces on the board," Murmur replied smoothly. "But do not misunderstand me, Ikenga. This is not personal. This is merely survival."

Keles shook her head, her eyes full of disdain. "Your ’strategy’ is a gamble with our lives."

"True," Murmur acknowledged with a shrug. "But then again, isn’t every action we take in this existence a gamble? You two are no strangers to risk."

Ikenga stopped pacing and faced Murmur, his expression hard. "We will return, Murmur. And when we do, there will be consequences for your actions."

Murmur’s eyes flashed with a mixture of excitement and challenge. "I look forward to it. Now, shall we proceed?"

With a final glance at each other, Ikenga and Keles nodded. Murmur began the incantation for the reverse summoning, his hands weaving intricate patterns in the air. The air around them crackled with energy, and a dark portal began to form, its swirling depths heavy with dark energy.

As the portal stabilized, Murmur’s voice took on a more serious tone. "Remember, once you land in the Abyss, forget every notion of normality you have known. In the Abyss, weirdness is the norm and the very place that opposite cause is the rule."

The portal, like a huge mouth, swallowed both gods before disappearing. The golden cage flickered before dissipating, the humans in charge of holding the cage all turning to dust, leaving only their souls behind.

Seeing those souls, Murmur opened his mouth, and they were sucked in. Closing his eyes to savor the taste of the souls and feeling himself recover, Murmur raised his bony hand to see flesh growing out bit by bit.

Murmur could hardly hold himself back as he began cackling loudly in his underground palace. Wardenwild, in the spirit realm, noticed the few souls missing. He wasn’t fast enough to recover them.

Wardenwild stood up, sighing. He knew he wouldn’t be able to enjoy sleeping for a long time. With Keles gone, he would be working overtime. As for Murmur, Wardenwild would inform the gods so they could keep an eye on his behavior.

A week had passed since the situation in Eldric territory. This time, the incident couldn’t be hidden any longer from the people. Thankfully, Erik was prepared for that as he used a device he built to record everything that happened inside Eldric territory.

Three days after the incident, Erik, with the help of his council members, released the video record to all territories. For a time, there was a nationwide broadcast of the incident.

Everyone was silent watching the tape, seeing their loved ones and friends turning into monsters. This confirmed for those doubtful about the royal family’s claim of a deadly disease spreading throughout their kingdom.

The scene of Erik and his men fighting off the parasites wasn’t shown. Instead, the video changed to show Erik on his throne, where he began addressing them.

The hall was filled with an uneasy silence, a thick tension hanging in the air as Erik’s image flickered onto the screens of every territory under the kingdom’s rule. His expression was stern, eyes reflecting the weight of the revelation he was about to share.

"People of the Humanity Kingdom," Erik began, his voice steady yet carrying the gravitas of the situation, "what you have witnessed is but a fraction of the horror that has been unleashed upon us. The monstrosities you saw were once our loved ones, our friends, our family. They were victims, not of a disease, but of a sinister plot orchestrated by a single entity—Silas."

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd as Erik continued, "For too long, we have fought among ourselves, doubting each other, and even questioning the integrity of our own kingdom. This discord has only served to weaken us, playing right into Silas’s hands. His parasitic creations were designed not just to destroy us physically, but to erode the very fabric of our unity."

Erik paused, allowing his words to sink in. He knew the next part would be the hardest for his people to hear. "The quarantine zones we established were a desperate measure. We sought to contain the threat, to protect the uninfected. But the truth is, we could find no cure. Those taken by the parasites were beyond our help. It was a decision born of necessity and the desire to prevent further spread of this insidious plague."

The silence grew heavier, the reality of Erik’s words settling like a shroud over the viewers. Erik took a deep breath and pressed on, his voice filled with a resolute determination. "But now, we must turn our grief and our anger towards the true enemy. Silas has shown us his hand, and it is time we respond with our own. We cannot afford to let his machinations divide us any longer. Together, we are stronger than any parasite, stronger than any fear he can sow among us."

Erik’s gaze swept across the faces of those gathered before him, as if he could see each and every one of his subjects through the lens. "I call upon you now, not just as your king, but as a fellow citizen of the Humanity Kingdom. Stand with me. Stand with each other. Let us root out the parasites that have infiltrated our lands and show Silas that we will not be broken."

Erik’s speech gave those mourning hope; they were given someone to blame and take their anger out on. It also confirmed to the people of humanity that they were about to face a big war.

Erik took this opportunity to release a conscription request, which came after the extermination of those infected. The number of his army was affected and, most importantly, he had firsthand experience of what the war and the army they would face would be like.

People were eager to register after the order was released. At the same time, older members of Erik’s army were taken aback when Erik made an appearance at the barracks, claiming to take over their training and leadership.

Before, it was known that their king had never paid much attention to his army and let them take care of themselves. So seeing this new behavior boosted everyone’s morale.

Erik was happy to see this. Lately, due to his setbacks with Silas, he had been looking at his new life and situation differently, and he appreciated the changes he was experiencing.

Of course, Erik’s action of taking over the army training had another purpose. After Erik figured out what type of enemy they would face, he knew that defeat was waiting for them if they treated this like a normal war.

Using his last world as a lesson, Erik decided to start training his army in a formation that had emerged out of desperation when they were facing off against the demons in his former world.

If they had had this formation earlier, they might not have won, but the demons wouldn’t have had such an easy time winning against them. This gave Erik a glimpse of victory for his people, as Silas doesn’t have an abyss gate open where uncountable numbers of demons pour out from. Silas’s army is limited, which is the opposite of what the formation was created for: to hold off an uncountable number of enemies for a long time.