Chapter 103: Abyssal Pattern (Part 1)
2015-10-27
Author: Floating Tower
At the deepest part of the Bottomless Abyss.
Suddenly, a terrifying force erupted within a narrow plane unknown to mortals and gods alike.
A horrific aura spread outwards, causing the entire plane to tremble under this force. A rift in space opened, and a fearsome beast, large in size yet with visible bones resembling a creature both alive and undead, emerged amidst the tearing power of the plane. Its appearance shook the entire Bottomless Abyss. An irresistible power reverberated through the connected planes, as if releasing the anger sealed for thousands of years. The beast, resembling a wolf, howled to the sky, unleashing a force that pierced through the entire Bottomless Abyss, causing all the Demon Lords to feel a jolt in their hearts, some even shuddering in fear.
It has returned!
The horrifying beast in front of them declared its return to the entire Bottomless Abyss. This provocative action seemed to be a declaration of war against all Demon Lords. Even the powerful Demon Gods would not dare to act so recklessly, but it had no qualms about doing so.
For it is one of the three ancient evils—the Chaotic Hellhound, Kozuf!
The Chaotic Hellhound, also known as the Celestial Raider, specializes in devouring the souls of the gods’ believers (Prayer Weavers). Souls consumed by it are utterly destroyed, beyond even divine power’s ability to save them. The Chaotic Hellhound had once been schemed away and locked in the Insanity Hollow for centuries by the High Divine Council, the cost of which was the severed hand of the former God of Justice (with Strong Divine Power). Later, the God of Murder released it, only to have it sealed again by the former God of Conspiracy—Mask. Eventually, it was inexplicably freed once more, relentlessly pursuing the former God of Conspiracy—Mask, even severing one of the god’s legs.
Such an astonishing creature was once sealed again during the Arcane Empire period by the gods working together, but no one expected the fearsome energy storm produced by the Saint’s Cataclysm to strike the entire Multiverse, causing numerous seals to develop flaws.
As a result!
Such a terrifying being has emerged again.
The Chaotic Hellhound appeared in the depths of the Bottomless Abyss. Its terrifying aura sent chills down the spines of the Demon Lords dwelling near the lower depths of the Abyss. Even those Abyssal Lords who had been engaged in conflict stopped their battles and turned their attention to the crisis at hand.
The best-case scenario would be to drive it to the upper planes or the Material Plane. Ideally, it would gnaw off an arm or a leg of the current Lord of Radiance. However, the Demon Lords of the Bottomless Abyss who once aided in sealing it within the chaotic rift feared it would not leave easily, for no one liked this greedy beast, as souls are the most precious wealth in the lower planes, and its appetite is nearly limitless—no matter how many souls it consumes, it will always devour them completely.
………………
The crisis in the depths of the Bottomless Abyss did not affect the higher spaces.
The emergence of the Chaotic Hellhound alerted hundreds of demon lords in the lower spaces. For those near the surface of the Bottomless Abyss, the Land of Forgotten, almost all demons remained oblivious to the situation. The Bottomless Abyss is simply too vast, with many spaces acting as barriers. Even if the Chaotic Hellhound wished to leave, it would need to exert some effort, as the waters of the River of Underworld also pose a deadly threat to this fearsome evil.
The deepest levels of the Bottomless Abyss are inhabited by the oldest and most powerful demons. There are even those remnants of Obsidian Demons, far stronger than current Tanar’ri Demons. The influence of the Chaotic Hellhound may take time to affect the higher planes. However, with the return of the Chaotic Hellhound, the pattern of the Bottomless Abyss seemed to be in turmoil again. The Demon Legions of the upper planes noticeably began to dwindle, and conflicts among many Demon Lords seemed to suddenly lessen.
At the same time.
In the depths of the Bottomless Abyss, an ancient Obsidian Demon was also nurturing a new conspiracy.
Her name is Cangye.
The mistress of the 600th layer of the Bottomless Abyss, an ancient demon hidden within endless mazes.
Within the Bottomless Abyss, most surviving Obsidian Demons had lost interest in contending for the highest authority of the Abyss. The catastrophic defeat they suffered countless centuries ago still haunted them like a nightmare. Maintaining the status quo was enough to satisfy them (like Dagon and the Wind Demon King—Pazuzu), but some ancient Obsidian Demons still longed for greater power and authority.
In this chaotic era, one Obsidian Demon stood out—mysterious Cangye. She chose a different path to join the struggle for the Bottomless Abyss. Cangye established her bone fortress in the 600th layer of the Bottomless Abyss, a layer filled with endless mazes that prevented the demon wars from spreading here. Cangye knew well that those who dared to claim themselves as the supreme rulers of the Bottomless Abyss were none other than the most powerful demons. Understanding her capabilities, she wisely chose not to engage in the struggle.
Thus, Cangye summoned a mysterious entity to bear numerous offspring, entrusting her children to enter the fray. Once one of them becomes the “Demon Lord,” Cangye would become the “Mother of Demons.”
Who or what caused Cangye to bear so many demons has always been a controversial topic. Asmothiels, an ancient deity, or an unknown entity of the Multiverse, some believe Cangye’s mate is an ancient shape-shifting race, while others suggest that the Bottomless Abyss itself impregnated Cangye.
Throughout the long years, Cangye has birthed countless demons and monsters, most of whom perished—either killed by their siblings or succumbing to the extreme environment of the Bottomless Abyss. Only a small number ultimately became Demon Lords. Some attempted to deduce their father’s identity based on the appearance of Cangye’s descendants, but this only led to greater confusion and frustration, as these descendants displayed vast differences in both appearance and ability, indicating they may not share the same father.
The Lazy Lord—Rupusio, with black skin and a constantly shifting body enveloped in dark fog; Fkalik resembles a human but hides his true appearance beneath tightly coiled iron chains; the Corpse Lady—Jeffrigan has three heads; while the Shadow Witch Queen—Reyxasari lacks a true body altogether. Among Cangye’s many offspring, only one possesses the strength to contest for the ruler of the Bottomless Abyss—he is Grazzt, the “Lord of Shadows,” also known as “Six Fingers” to adventurers.
No one has seen this mysterious ancient demon in battle.
But from her numerous offspring, it’s not hard to discern her terror, having produced so many Demon Lords and even birthing one of the three great heads of the Abyss.
This existence has quietly shaped the pattern of the Bottomless Abyss.
……………… (To be continued ~^~)
