Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 553: Vile Mortals! Gaze Upon Truth
As Bryant followed Paul to the entrance of the church, he couldn’t help but exclaim.
“This is the garbage dump we just passed by, for crying out loud!”
Paul navigated through the piles of trash and accurately found two inconspicuous wooden boards. He glanced around to ensure everything was safe before reaching out and lifting the two boards.
“Follow me, number 37.”
Bryant frowned. He no longer held any hope for this “Church of Truth.” He figured it was some insignificant cult, dreaming of a turnaround.
Paul glanced back at Bryant and smiled indifferently. “Our church’s conditions are limited at the moment, but trust me, once you experience the power of our Lord, you’ll find these hardships to be but a small puddle in front of success.”
Bryant remained noncommittal. He was genuinely curious what kind of impressive god could be born in a sewer.
Entering the sewer, Paul turned and sealed the entrance behind him, blocking out all light. He then took out a tinderbox, lit a torch he had prepared in advance, and led the way.
“Those five earlier were my old friends, and also the examiners for our Church of Truth. They specifically vet newcomers to the church. Of course, they have stopped accepting new members now. You’re the first one in the past week.” Paul explained as they walked, his voice warm and resonant, giving a sense of strength. It echoed clearly even in the empty city sewer.
Bryant looked around, carefully observing the surroundings. It was different from what he had imagined. The sewer wasn’t filled with garbage, nor did it have the foul smell of waste. On the contrary, the ground, apart from being a bit damp, seemed quite clean. A faint, fishy smell lingered in the air, not from blood, but from decaying plants and soil.
“What do you think? Surprised?” Paul seemed to know what Bryant was thinking. “Sol City is a border city with a small population, and we have people diligently cleaning every day. So, living in the sewer isn’t as miserable as you might imagine. That garbage dump outside is just a ruse to evade the enforcement team.”
Bryant nodded indifferently. He still had little confidence in the Church of Truth; ingrained impressions weren’t easily changed. Paul seemed to understand this and only made a couple of casual remarks before falling silent.
The two walked forward in silence until they heard the sound of “swishing” water. They arrived at a crossroads. The city’s sewage surged in the ditch before them. Bryant finally caught a scent that made him feel disgusted. Darkness stretched endlessly to the left and right, like the gaping maw of a beast ready to devour. Standing there, even as a Giant Dragon, he couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine.
Looking ahead, torches were planted on both sides of the tunnel, and there were signs of human activity on the ground. The slippery ferns had been deliberately cleared to the sides. The remains of a bonfire held scattered footprints that extended inward, disappearing into the dim light.
“We’re almost there,” Paul said with a relaxed smile, as if he were returning home.
They continued forward for about half an hour, arriving at a junction of pipes. The sewage channel was covered by artificial means, and thick blankets muffled the sound of the water, also masking the odor. In this approximately four-hundred-square-meter junction, more than a dozen simple tents had been set up. The only light came from the bonfires in front of the tents. People in black cloaks sat around the bonfires, greedily devouring plump rats skewered on wooden sticks.
Someone noticed Paul’s return. A cloaked figure stood up by the central bonfire. Judging by his shaky steps, he appeared to be an elder. As the man approached, Paul clasped his hands together, bowed slightly, and softly chanted, “Praise the Truth!”
“Praise the Truth! Praise the Lord!” The elder returned the greeting with clasped hands. His words were rapid, his voice hoarse, and his pronunciation unclear, giving the impression of chanting a spell.
“Number 11, who is with you?”
“This is number 37, our new companion. He hasn’t heard the Lord’s teachings yet.”
The elder scrutinized Bryant from head to toe and let out an eerie, sinister chuckle. “Not bad, a strong young man, kekeke… Follow me, and you’ll soon know the greatness of Truth.”
Without any preamble, they got straight to the point. The elder turned and walked towards the tents. Paul nudged Bryant, signaling him to follow. Bryant, relying on his strength as a Giant Dragon, gritted his teeth and persevered despite his prickling nerves.
They reached the front of a tent, and the elder went inside. Through the dim light, Bryant could see the tent filled with indistinct statues and various jars and bottles. Bryant felt over a hundred pairs of eyes fixed intently upon him. These gazes were filled with greed and destruction, like hungry beasts that hadn’t eaten in three days suddenly spotting a plump lamb.
Something was wrong! Very wrong! The dragon’s intuition set off alarm bells for Bryant. He tensed his body, ready to transform into his dragon form.
After a while, the old man emerged from the tent holding a statue and an ink bottle. “Our Lord is the great Alvasa! Gaze upon our Lord’s statue, and you shall receive the Truth’s gift!”
With that, he raised the statue high. Since Bryant was quite tall, he had to hold the statue up to bring it level with Bryant’s eyes. The surrounding light was dim, but the statue in the old man’s hand was strangely, abnormally clear. It depicted a colossal, headless, non-human creature with four massive tentacles extending from where its limbs should be. The creature had only a neck, with an opening at the top forming a gaping, toothless mouth. Just by looking at this statue, Bryant’s vision went black, and his mind exploded with a deafening “boom!”
He felt as if he saw a giant, identical to the statue, standing atop a mountain peak, amidst the clouds. It simply floated there, emitting an eerie yawn. This sound was like a scream, echoing in Bryant’s mind. It offered no rest, no comprehension, its origin unpredictable. Even covering his ears was useless. It was like gruesome, twisted claws shaking his very brain!
“Vile mortals, gaze upon Truth!” A grand voice echoed in his mind. The elder before Bryant’s eyes trembled, muttering incomprehensible incantations. These mutterings grew faster, gradually merging with the grand voice. All the followers stood up, their eyes vacant as they stared at the statue, their lips moving faster and faster, unnaturally, defying human muscle structure.
“Vile mortals! Gaze upon Truth!”
“Vile mortals! Gaze upon Truth!”
“Gaze upon Truth!”
“Gaze upon…”
“ROAR—!” Bryant couldn’t take it anymore. He let out a clear dragon’s roar and transformed into his dragon form, his bloodshot dragon eyes scanning the surroundings. With a flick of his dragon head, dense plasma dragon breath erupted. He had no time to witness the destruction caused by the dragon breath. The maddening incantations echoed in his mind like fleas clinging to a bone. Spreading his dragon wings, he disoriented himself and slammed into the sewer’s dome.
“BOOM—!” The force of his hundred-meter-long body was immense! But it didn’t break through with just one impact. “BOOM BOOM BOOM!” After hitting it more than ten times, Bryant shook the entire Sol City, causing the ground to tremble. With his frantic collisions, Bryant finally created a large opening in the sewer’s dome. Then, shaking his dazed head, he flapped his wings and soared upwards, fleeing madly towards the Wintery Empire without looking back.
***
In reality, the Elder Gods weren’t as powerful as they seemed. The Outer Gods were the truly troublesome ones. Many Elder Gods had combat power comparable to demonic deities. For example, this Alvasa and the previously encountered Saigya weren’t as strong, but they were highly corrupting. Coupled with their bizarre methods of invasion, they brought trouble and disasters to the continent. This explanation is provided in advance to avoid excessive comparisons of combat power, which is meaningless. Novel settings differ, and I am merely using the Elder Gods to establish a group of ultimate enemies. However, I will strive to restore the appearance, abilities, and followers of these Elder Gods.
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