Chapter Forty-Three: Dealing with the Evil Deity

Arriving at the heart of the ruins, they found a conspicuous clearing. After Aer removed the debris, Artanis and Vorazun could barely discern that this place was once a plaza.

Aer strode to the center of the plaza, extended his right hand, and drew it downward. A spatial rift opened, revealing beyond it the faint outline of a city shrouded in moss—the city of R’lyeh.

Aer led the two through the rift, which sealed behind them as they entered. His voice echoed, “Stay vigilant, Templar. This city is infested with the servants of the dark gods. Corrupted by their vile influence, they have become immortal monsters. Your task is to destroy as many of them as possible.”

“We obey your command,” Artanis and Vorazun bowed respectfully, and Aer vanished in a flicker.

‘Artanis, what should we do?’ Vorazun glanced at him. Though the operation had not been explicitly outlined, it was clear Artanis would take the lead. Aer had called for him specifically, and his psionic abilities surpassed all others.

‘We must consider carefully how to kill an immortal monster,’ Artanis gazed toward the city ahead. Though they stood outside the walls of R’lyeh, the thick, lingering aura of evil within made it clear that these undying abominations were numerous.

‘We won’t reach any conclusions by mere speculation. Better to capture one and test it,’ Vorazun drew her psionic blade, its green edge glinting coldly.

Artanis nodded, ‘You are right, Vorazun. Only through action do we find truth. Before we discover how to kill them, we must secure a physical specimen. And we must conceal ourselves as much as possible. If we’re pursued by a horde of immortal monsters, we’ll be in grave danger.’

‘Leave it to me. Dark Templar know how to use shadows for concealment,’ Vorazun replied. Though Artanis, as a Twilight adept, could also cloak himself, he could not match the Dark Templar’s mastery.

‘Very well, Vorazun. I await your success,’ Artanis said, knowing full well her capabilities. With his approval, Vorazun immediately melted into the shadows.

Artanis gazed at the city, shrouding himself in a mist to mask his presence. Here he would wait for Vorazun’s return.

Meanwhile, after assigning tasks to his two companions, Aer made his way alone to the rear of R’lyeh, where a modest mountain range rose. R’lyeh was nestled beside both water and hills, which should have made for a scenic view. Alas, the mountain harbored a slumbering god, and the waters flowed from a source of evil.

Indeed, behind R’lyeh lay the sealed true form of the ocean god Cthulhu. Every water source within the city stemmed from the viscous fluids of Cthulhu’s body. In truth, the entire city of R’lyeh was built in the embrace of Cthulhu and saturated by its presence.

If someone of weak will ventured into R’lyeh, they would likely be infected by the pervasive aura of the dark god, becoming a follower of Cthulhu—perhaps even transformed directly into one of its minions: a Deep One.

The immortal monsters Aer had mentioned were precisely these Deep Ones. Recrafted by Cthulhu, neither their flesh nor their souls belonged to themselves anymore; they had become playthings in Cthulhu’s grasp. Yet, severing their connection to the god would destroy them utterly. Thus, Aer was not concerned that Artanis and Vorazun would fail to find a way to kill them.

Now, however, Aer planned to reinforce the slumbering god’s seal. He had no intention of letting Cthulhu’s true form roam Midgard unbound. Should the dark god risk all to annihilate Midgard, none could stand in its way. One must never reason with such entities; they are capable of anything, even self-destruction.

Aer traversed the void, ascending the mountain step by step. Golden runes gathered in his right hand, while the earth below began to tremble—the slumbering god sensed danger and was about to awaken.

“It is not yet your time to rise. As the god of sleep, you shall continue to slumber,” Aer said, expressionless, gazing at the mountain beneath him. Had the true form of this evil god not been sealed here, he would have obliterated it without hesitation. Nothing irked him more than being manipulated.

He pressed his hand downward. The golden orb transformed into a vast celestial net, enveloping the entire mountain range. The land shook violently, as if struggling to break free. As golden runes flickered across the net, chains of gold extended downward, intensifying the tremors.

Aer had anticipated this. He produced the small bell projection he had forged during the battle in New York—a fragment imbued with the essence of the true bell, his own avatar. Aer rang the bell, its resonant hum echoing through the mountains. Instantly, the tremors ceased.

Aer retrieved the bell, and the golden runes faded. The countless chains merged with the surrounding rock—Cthulhu’s flesh—ensnaring the slumbering god completely.

After all, this evil god was merely a true deity, and its designer only a newly ascended principal god. Neither could challenge Aer.

Yet Aer took no pride in such triumphs. This was but one among countless schemes the god of darkness had laid across the universe. If he could not resolve even this fractional plot with ease, he might as well surrender; there would be no hope of victory.

Thus, after completing his task, Aer turned his attention to Artanis and Vorazun. The resistance against the tide of darkness would ultimately rest in the hands of mortals. His avatar possessed only demi-god strength, while his true self battled the invasion of the god of darkness in the void. Whether the plot was foiled in reality or the world fell into ruin, the cunning and obsessive god of darkness would reveal himself at last. The final battle was inevitable.

While Aer busied himself with Cthulhu, Vorazun skillfully captured a Deep One. Before it could cry out, she sealed its space, successfully bringing the prisoner before Artanis—all without alerting any other Deep Ones.