Molten stone flowed in rivers of lava outside Somnus's barrier. It was cooling down quickly and hardening already in some places, but that did not lessen the visual impact of this now h.e.l.lish landscape.

This kind of scenery is not something new to Somnus. He had seen this kind of thing all too often. He was even the creator of quite a few. The death count was just a tiny drop in the ocean of death Somnus had witnessed and caused. He didn't consider this a terrible tragedy. It was a good start.

But why destroy the entire city and the inhabitants, if Somnus was the target? Surely, there was a better way to do this. Why even send the a.s.sa.s.sins, if this was what followed?

Somnus made his way back towards the still-standing inn. It had been spared from destruction because it was within Somnus's barrier.

Lod stood over the unconscious Gemma, sword drawn and ready to protect the human. When he realized who entered the inn, the goblin relaxed.

"Master, what happen?" Lod asked. "Lod not saying he afraid. But Lod also not say he is not afraid."

Before Somnus could answer, the window exploded into shards of gla.s.s and wooden framing as a masked figure crashed through it.

"Lod!" It was Det. "Det think Lod wives come to collect debt! We screwed!"

Lod sneered at Det's words.

"Lod not taking Det down with him!" Det complained. "Det too young to die."

"Idiot. If this Lod's wives, then we in afterlife, because we already dead," Lod replied.

Lod tilted his head and then looked out the broken window. "It does look like h.e.l.l…"

"Idiot. h.e.l.l much cozier than this," Lod said.

"How Lod know? Lod never go to h.e.l.l," Det said. "Det wish Lod go to h.e.l.l right now, for exploiting good and handsome friend, Det."

As Lod was about to respond, Somnus interrupted them. "Why are you here?"

"Master? What you mean? Det loyal subject. Det come to save Master!" the disguised goblin replied.

"Rephrased Query: How did you survive?"

Det straightened up a bit, "Oh."

The goblin puffed up his chest and smiled. "Det cast barrier and save Duke."

"Define barrier." Somnus said.

Det emitted a proud chuckle and said. "Det invoke the power of Somnus!"

"Rephrase input," Somnus requested.

"Huh? Somnus Goblin G.o.d. Goblin invoke Somnus. Somnus protect."

"Det? Invoke Somnus? How?" Lod asked, making it sound like invoking Somnus wasn't a strange thing at all.

"Det just that good. Det dedicated subject. That why Det High Priest," Det replied.

Lod choked at those words, coughing and wheezing. "High Priest!?" he managed to ask.

This surprised Somnus. He knew he was a Divinity, but he had little to no intention of using this to his advantage, unless the aspect of religion allowed him greater control over his subjects. The monsters were already dedicated to him, so playing into the religion aspect was entirely unnecessary.

Somnus did not know how the faith related magic worked, but he was fairly certain that a cult with no members could not invoke any divine powers. At least, that is how he thought it functioned and would explain why G.o.ds were so protective of their domains.

"Status of Cult," Somnus said out loud, but the words weren't meant for those around him.

"Well, Det not take too much credit, but Det tell everyone about Somnus, the Savior. Det make sure every goblin wors.h.i.+p."

Cult Status

Corrupted Great Cult

Progress until Cult status improves to Temple: 38,846/50,000

Supreme Priest:

Emily, Sword of Twilight

High Priests:

Hashmal, Wyrm of the Void Sea

Hadron, the Boundless Hunger

Gemma, the Voice of the End

Kaiza, the Ashborn Queen

s.h.i.+non, the Herald of Ash

Det, Thrice-d.a.m.ned Cataclysm

The information from Aeon's systems baffled Somnus. Not only was the brainless Hadron a High Priest, but Emily was the Supreme Priestess!

How did this happen? Why did Somnus not receive notifications about receiving new followers, like he did with Gemma?

Was it because he didn't witness it? That theory could explain a few mysteries. The primary example was Aeon's skills and jobs. Because he did not witness the actual moment they merged, he only later realized that he had new abilities.

Excluding Emily, the lack of other human High Priests suggested how the Cult expanded. Mostly monsters seemed to follow Somnus as a deity. However, the almost forty thousand followers suggested that not all of them were monsters. Could it be that the civilized people of Gram also believed in Somnus as a Divinity? Was Emily their leader?

The door to the inn swung open. "My Liege!"

Somnus turned around and saw Duke Peron, surrounded by soldiers and robed individuals. The people in robes constantly chanted spells that fed a persistent barrier around them, protecting them from the h.e.l.lish environment.

"You are safe?" Duke Peron asked, giving Somnus a veteran's glance that instantly a.s.sessed his physical condition. "Thank the Triarchy, you seem unharmed."

The Triarchy, the three G.o.ds that were patrons of humanity. Somnus killed one of them—Heptia—but he was aware that an unknown G.o.d ascended to the rank.

"My Liege, we must leave immediately. Please come with us," Duke Peron said.

Somnus tilted his head. Leave? Why? Things were just getting to the good part!

"Negative," Somnus said.

"My Liege, I received a report that a large Imperial army is approaching. They are using Gateways," the Duke said. "They will be upon us in the morning. We must depa—"

"I know," Somnus said. "We are staying."

"Your Majesty…? We can't…" the Duke insisted.

Somnus knew that the probability of an army approaching was very high. The destruction of Silversh.o.r.e was certainly an attempt at Somnus's life, but Somnus also reasoned that should that attempt fail, it was designed to take away his fortifications at the same time.

That is how he would have done things and what OPCOM would have suggested.

In fact, Somnus approved of the enemy's strategy, even though the result of it put him in the greatest disadvantage.

"Your Majesty… we cannot stay here. We will die before the army even reaches us. We have to go," the Duke said.

"We are going, but not home," Somnus said.

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"Where else could we go!?" Peron was losing his patience.

"Towards the enemy," Somnus replied.

Peron blinked and then chuckled. After a moment, his face became pale. "Your Majesty, I thought you were joking. You are joking, yes?"

Somnus sighed. A broken enemy is a defeated enemy. Even though the Empire's strategy was not effective on Somnus, it was on Peron. The duke was already convinced of their impending defeat.

"Very well, Duke Peron. Take what is left of the army, and head home."

Peron sighed in relief. "My Liege, I am so glad you decided to see reason." The duke stepped out of the way and gestured to the door. "After you, your Majesty."

Somnus shook his head. "You are going home."

"I am not going home without you!" Duke Peron shouted. He was suppressing it so well, but there was no hiding it anymore—he was furious. "You want to fight the Empire? Fine! You go home, and I will face them in battle."

"Negativ—"

"This is not a negotiation, your Majesty," Peron interrupted Somnus. No one ever interrupted Somnus.

"Disobedience is grounds for termination," Somnus said.

"Then kill me," the Duke said. "But all those men? None of them are going to that battlefield with you. We will happily give up our lives if it means you will survive."

Somnus turned to fully face Peron. "Why would you do that?"

"Why?" Peron echoed. "You are our King!"

"You still adhere to that nonsense?" Somnus asked.

Peron laughed. "The Law of n.o.blesse Oblige? I am not afraid of what might happen if you die, my King. I am afraid the world will lose the only True King it will ever know."

Somnus blinked. The words took him by surprise. He never really paid attention to what his subjects really thought of him, not to mention the people.

"You have done so much for us—for everyone. You have brought so many good things upon us with your reforms. So I beg of you," the duke said, as he fell to his knees. "Please, you must survive."

"Stand up," Somnus said, his usual level tone warped. Peron's words moved his cold heart. He did not think the Duke, or anyone else, would hold him in such a high regard. Somnus always a.s.sumed that he was the absolute enemy, or an evil they have to put up with, to everyone.

"We will fight the Empire, together, and we will win that fight," Somnus said.

"How?" Peron asked, remaining on his knees. "They have Pillars on their side. Like Aurora. She is an Emerald-level adventurer. She can end an entire country by herself. Look!" The Duke gestured to the scenery outside the inn.

"They have Pillars? We have Particles; Hadron, Baryon and Photon. They have G.o.ds? We have Hashmal. We have Heralds. We have Deathbringers. We even have G.o.ds on our side," Somnus said. "How can we lose?"

"My Liege… no G.o.d is on our side." Peron said.

"I am," Somnus said.

Peron's eyes widened. "You are…"

"It doesn't matter what I am. We are fighting the Empire to end the age of Fable and end the reign of G.o.ds," Somnus said. "Do you understand? Believe in humanity; believe in yourself."

Peron closed his eyes and pressed a fist to his heart. "My Liege, I believe… whether G.o.d or Devil, I believe in my King."