The Guardian gods-Chapter 265

A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd. The robed gargoyle’s words had ignited a spark of rebellion in their hearts.

"News of the two gods will soon spread across the abyss. Every resident will seek them out. Madness, blood, and flesh feasts will descend upon this layer. This is an opportunity for growth, for fame, for power. And we must ensure we grab our share of this colossal prize."

He raised his arms, as if embracing the chaos to come. "We will not wait idly by. We will seize the moment. Our ambition will carve a new path in the abyss, and we will rise above the rest."

The assembly roared in approval, their voices blending into a unified chant of rebellion. Phantom, who was among them, joined the chant but at the same time he was terrified, from the gargoyle words they are not the only one thinking the same thing and to confirm his words.

From a distance away from the gargoyle group, a three headed dog is also barking and howling with the hell hounds around it joining in to do the same.

Back in the safe house, Ikenga and keles no longer had their relaxed demeanor. Ikenga looked at his hand to find it shaking, confusion and excitement flashed in his eyes "Am i scared?" He thought to himself.

"Brother" He heard Keles call out from beside him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Both siblings’ eyes met, at the same time widened as they both began chuckling. "We truly are a lot more similar than I thought" Keles said to Ikenga who nodded.

Ikenga’s eyes were filled with a strange, almost feverish excitement. The pandemonium around him stirred a profound, unsettling eagerness within him. He craved to immerse himself in the chaos, to actively participate and influence the course of events. It was as if the turbulence of the situation was a forbidden knowledge he longed to grasp fully.

"This excitement," he said softly, "it’s not about wealth or power. It’s a yearning to be at the heart of it all, to understand every facet of this chaos and mold it to my will."

Keles, too, has the same feverish excitement in her eyes. She was drawn to the idea of being deeply involved in the power struggles and the frenzy of the abyss, not as an observer but as a key participant. The chaos ignited a desire within her to actively shape the course of events, to engage with the power and influence in a way she felt she was currently denied. "It’s not just about what they have," Keles admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. "It’s the desire to be in the thick of it, to have a role and influence that others seem to command so effortlessly. I envy their active participation, their ability to shape the chaos around them."

Ikenga took a deep breath to calm down. "Let us analyze what we heard from those demons."

"Son of Abyss, ascension to demon lord, and expedition," Keles said, a thoughtful look on her face.

"The ’Son of Abyss’ part can be understood as the demon favored by the Abyss itself to take the seat of the demon lord. I believe the role we both play in this is to increase the chances of the Son of Abyss, which is a hand played by the Abyss. This could mean one thing: our landing on this layer was planned," Ikenga said to Keles, who nodded.

"I have a feeling that our goal is already known by the Abyss, and this is its way of making us pay the price. If we think of it this way, then the Son of the Abyss or the other demon king holds the key to the knowledge we seek," Keles said, to which Ikenga nodded in agreement.

"There is some truth to your words, as the robed demon stated that the appearance of gods in an Abyss layer leads to the birth of a demon lord. What if those previous gods had the same purpose as us and were laid out the same way by the Abyss?"

Ikenga’s eyes darkened with a mix of realization and dread. "So, we might be nothing more than pawns in the Abyss’s grand scheme," he mused. "The Abyss has orchestrated our presence here, setting the stage for a greater conflict and using us as catalysts for its own ends."

Keles clenched her fists, her nails digging into her pale palms. "But if we’re aware of this, we can use it to our advantage. We’re not mere pawns; we can be players in this game. We just need to understand the rules better and find ways to bend them."

Ikenga nodded, a steely look settling over his features. "Agreed. Our first step is to learn more about these two demon kings. If we can understand their strengths and weaknesses, we might find a way to navigate this chaos to our benefit. The Son of the Abyss, the ’Flaming Imp,’ is crucial."

"I don’t know how long it will take for the Son of Abyss to find us. Knowing that the Abyss is playing a hand in this conflict, I have begun to have doubts about the capabilities of my curse. For an ancient being like the Abyss, my curses may not be of much use," Ikenga said as he looked back at the screen showing Phantom’s view.

"We need some cards of our own so we won’t play into the hands of the Son of Abyss when he finds us. I believe we should start with the group of demons that Phantom is currently involved with," Ikenga said to Keles, who nodded.

Keles’s eyes sparkled as she asked, "And what about the other demon king? We can’t ignore him either. If he’s a contender for the throne, he’ll be just as important."

"Of course he is," Ikenga replied. "But as things stand now, the chances of him finding us are next to impossible compared to the Son of the Abyss."

Keles stayed silent before Ikenga spoke up again. "Sister?" Ikenga called out.

"Yes?" Keles replied.

"The robed demon’s words and Murmur’s last words keep ringing in my mind. Murmur said that the Abyss is where opposites are the cause, and the robed demon stated that the Abyss hates obedient children, which is wrong in all senses but here makes sense."

"Disobedience is expected of them, which is why they go against the Abyss and its chosen son. For their disobedience, if it works out, they will be rewarded greatly."

Ikenga’s eyes were now overwhelmed with greed as he looked at Keles. "How about a third demon king created by us? We should, like disobedient children, ignore the path laid out for us by the Abyss. If it were any other being, I would be scared to play this way, but for the Abyss, this is what entertains it."

"I wonder what reward it will bestow upon us if the demon king we create ascends to the throne of the demon lord," Ikenga asked, perhaps to Keles or the Abyss itself.

Keles’s eyes widened, a mixture of shock and excitement flashing across her face. The audacity of Ikenga’s plan was staggering, yet it held a strange allure, an allure she envied and wanted for herself. Creating a third contender for the throne could indeed disrupt the Abyss’s carefully orchestrated game and potentially earn them a reward beyond their wildest imaginations.

"Do we even have the means to accomplish such a feat?" Keles asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Ikenga’s smile was confident, his mind already racing with possibilities. "We have knowledge and cunning on our side. We can manipulate, deceive, and empower a demon of our choosing. Our children play similar games in our world; we shouldn’t be lacking in that as their parents. Phantom could be the perfect trap to find the one we need. He’s already embedded within that group, and his loyalty to us is unquestionable."

Keles considered this, her mind working through the implications. "If we succeed, we’ll not only have disrupted the Abyss’s plans but also placed ourselves in a position of significant influence. However, we must be cautious. The Abyss is ancient and much older than us, even older than Mother. Any misstep could lead to our destruction."

"Precisely," Ikenga replied. "We’ll need to tread carefully. Our first task is to establish Phantom’s position within the group of demons and subtly begin to elevate his status. We must also gather as much information as possible about the existing demon kings and their followers. Knowledge is our greatest weapon."

Keles nodded, her excitement tempered by a steely resolve. "Then let’s begin. We’ll need to communicate our plan to Phantom without drawing attention."

"Leave that to me," Ikenga said as he closed his eyes. Sinking into his divinity, mostly the cursed divinity, he visualized his consciousness. At the center, countless purple lines extended into the distance.

Most of the purple lines looked bleak; only one stood out. Grabbing hold of the thread, Ikenga noticed it belonged to Phantom. "It seems the others are in a bleak state because we are so far away or maybe because of the suppression of this layer."