Chapter 12: Anchinot’s Ghastly Offering

Xianming, clutching the small bottle, was clearly in a state of utter contentment. She giggled foolishly on the spot, utterly lost in her joy.

Meanwhile, the other monsters of Starfall Palace, gathered nearby, cast envious and jealous glances her way, seemingly longing for the bottle of Phantasmal Crystal Fluid she held.

Sensing the gazes of her companions, Xianming nervously clutched the small bottle tighter. She then shot fierce, warning glances at those around her, as if ready to fight anyone who dared to contend with her for the precious vial.

Xiamiya, witnessing this scene unfold, couldn’t help but feel a surge of confusion within her.

‘Hmm,’

‘Come to think of it,’

‘What exactly is this Phantasmal Crystal Fluid? It actually managed to trick this killing machine?’

‘Also,’

‘That fellow, You,’

‘He always seems to conjure up the strangest things, making the monsters of Starfall Palace incredibly docile. Is this truly befitting of the Grand Steward of Starfall Palace?’

‘But what exactly are these things he keeps making…’

Xiamiya pondered this endlessly, yet with You consistently unwilling to elaborate, she couldn’t fathom the origin of these peculiar gifts.

‘Forget it.’

‘It doesn’t matter.’

‘As long as it keeps these monsters appeased.’

With a sigh of relief, Xiamiya once again adopted a cold, indifferent expression. She cast a faint glance forward.

“Is there anything else?”

As Xiamiya spoke, a man kneeling not far from Xianming respectfully addressed her.

“Lord Evil God.”

“Hmm?”

Following the sound, Xiamiya’s gaze fell upon the man exuding an aura of gentlemanly elegance.

In the Snow Lotus Palace’s grand hall, filled with an eerie atmosphere and the oppressive power of the Dark Abyss, his figure stood out remarkably.

He was impeccably dressed in a sophisticated black tailcoat, possessing an exceptional demeanor and composed expression. He appeared to be in his early thirties, with a tall, robust physique.

His hair was strikingly unique: short, aquamarine locks sharply contrasted with black tips, creating an enigmatic and untamed allure. A delicate monocle adorned his right eye, further accentuating his scholarly gravitas and gentlemanly grace.

Upon sensing Xiamiya’s gaze, the man slowly rose, bowing politely with movements that were both graceful and respectful.

After this brief salutation, the man knelt back down onto the floor.

“Lord Evil God, the Theocracy of Ophelia harbors so many enemies against you that you were immediately subjected to an assassination attempt upon your return to the Holy Royal Palace. Your subordinate believes that merely eliminating the assassins is insufficient; those behind them—no, the entire Theocracy—deserves retribution.

“Therefore, I request permission to unleash a plague, to assist the Theocracy in population control. This would not only educate these foolish humans but also provide souls to aid in your recovery, Lord Evil God.”

Though the man’s words were calm,

a chilling murderous intent and a blazing fury subtly permeated them, sending shivers down one’s spine.

Regarding the assassination attempt on his revered Lord Evil God, the man was utterly enraged, eager to exact the most brutal revenge immediately.

“…”

Xiamiya narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as she observed the blue-haired man.

‘This man,’

‘His name is Anchinot, right?’

‘He hatched not long ago, just like Xianming. He’s one of the Five Star Gods of Starfall Palace, seemingly the “Black Plague Star” or something?’

‘Damn it, I really don’t understand why this guy is constantly thinking about unleashing plagues!’

Recalling the horrifying scene of that bandit, whose body had rotted and disintegrated after being infected by Anchinot’s virus, Xiamiya felt a wave of goosebumps.

‘If he really unleashed a plague?’

‘Then the Theocracy would probably…’

Taking a deep breath, Xiamiya shook her head with an air of indifference.

“There’s no need. A mysterious outbreak of plague would attract the attention of other factions. What we require now is to bide our time and conceal our strength, not to act with such fanfare.

“I understand your dissatisfaction with the people of this nation, but now is not the time for reckoning.”

“Yes, Lord Evil God.”

Seemingly realizing that his anger had overwhelmed him, causing him to lose some rationality, Anchinot bowed his head in shame.

“Then, Lord Evil God, when do you intend to destroy this nation?”

Through his monocle, Anchinot’s profound gaze settled intently on Xiamiya.

As he posed this question, all the Calamity Demons, including Xianming, turned their curious eyes toward Xiamiya. After all, during their more than a year in this world, they had clearly sensed the disrespect the people of the Theocracy harbored for their Lord Evil God, constantly calling her ‘pariah,’ ‘bastard,’ or ‘mongrel.’

The Calamity Demons, who had long accumulated considerable wrath, were already eager to annihilate the entire Theocracy and slaughter every living being within it.

“…”

Feeling the expectant gazes converging around her, Xiamiya’s small hands involuntarily clenched the hem of her skirt.

“Not now, in short. We must wait until we can guarantee absolute certainty.”

“Absolute certainty?”

“Yes, for example, we must first wait until all the other high-ranking entities of Starfall Palace have been summoned here before we proceed…”

Xiamiya explained earnestly.

“Consider our past failures. Out of over a thousand attempts, three hundred and forty-five times we became targets for the entire world due to our initial flamboyance, before even fully recovering our strength. This world is not lacking in powerful individuals, and I refuse to repeat those mistakes.

“Therefore, until your powers are fully restored, and before the other Star Gods are summoned, remain somewhat subdued and discreet. Caution will serve us well.”

“I see. I understand, Lord Evil God. I was presumptuous.”

Anchinot bowed his head respectfully.

Meanwhile, Xianming, after tucking the small bottle into her pocket, spoke with a hint of curiosity.

“Lord Evil God! Why don’t you just summon everyone else already?! Those guys have been cooped up in Starfall Palace all day, practically fermenting! They miss you terribly, Lord Evil God!”

However,

before Xiamiya could even respond to Xianming’s question, You, who floated behind her, shot an irritated glance at Xianming.

“Xianming, the Master has only just awakened for a little over a year. Her body is still very weak. Moreover, she only recently ‘gave birth’ to a Star God’s egg a month ago.

“How could she possibly summon anyone else right now? Do not ask such foolish questions.”

“W-woah, I’m sorry, I was wrong…”

Like a scolded child, Xianming lowered her head mournfully.

“Heh heh…”

Glancing at Xianming, whose head was bowed, Anchinot chuckled playfully. Then, as if struck by a thought, the blue-haired man looked at Xiamiya with a hint of excitement.

“Ah, that reminds me, Lord Evil God! Your subordinate has a gift they wish to present to you!”

“Hmm?”

Hearing this, Xiamiya’s brow furrowed slightly.

“What gift?”

“Please observe.”

Anchinot raised his hand and swept it.

****

Immediately after,

Space began to distort as deep blue Dark Abyss power surged like a rising tide, converging in the center of the hall. This force was imbued with chilling coldness and extreme oppression.

The surrounding air grew heavy, stifling the breath of the cherry-haired girl.

Naturally, Xiamiya maintained a facade of composure.

Soon, however,

a look of discomfort subtly began to surface within her indifferent expression.

For,

at that moment,

under Xiamiya’s solemn gaze, a statue slowly ascended from the Dark Abyss power. Terrifyingly, this was no ordinary sculpture, but an intricate construction of dozens of human corpses.

Each body had been meticulously arranged, forming a grotesque work of art. The faces of the deceased were contorted, each etched with the despair and terror of their final moments, their eyes vacant and lifeless, as if still recounting their dying fears.

With the statue’s emergence, the stench of death and decay instantly spread, enveloping the entire hall.

The appearance of this statue immediately elicited an excited reaction from the Calamity Demons. They collectively emitted low growls, seemingly approving of the gift Anchinot had prepared.

“This, this is…”

Suppressing the urge to retch, Xiamiya asked as calmly as she could.

“These people, could they be… those from the road earlier…”

“As expected of Lord Evil God, you saw through it at a glance. Indeed, these are the impudent individuals we encountered on our journey from the Holy Land to the City of Truth—those who dared to insult you.

“While we cannot yet directly exterminate this entire disgusting swarm of pests, making some of those who displeased you vanish without a trace is a trivial matter.”

“Dis, displeased me?”

“Yes, didn’t you, Lord Evil God, complain in the carriage earlier about ‘a bunch of annoying fellows’? For the sake of your grand ambition, you must endure the suffering of living among these lowly humans.

“As your subordinates, it is only right that we alleviate your burdens. Therefore, your subordinate transformed these individuals into a sculptural work of art, presenting it to you, Lord Evil God, in hopes of easing your displeasure.”

“No, I was just angry at the time…”

Halfway through her sentence, as if realizing something, Xiamiya immediately reined in her agitated emotions and swallowed the rest of her words.

In fact,

she even adopted an expression of approval.

“Oh, I see… How thoughtful of you, Anchinot.”

As she spoke,

Xiamiya slowly raised her head, her gaze fixed with complex emotions upon the chilling ‘artwork’.

“Truly, a fine gift. Heh, heh heh, heh heh heh…”

****

Confronted by this cruel artwork and the continuous excited growls from her surroundings, Xiamiya involuntarily clenched her fists tightly.

‘Goddess of Creation.’

‘These,’

‘these monsters,’

‘Can I truly, truly control them?’