abcnovels
Chapter 298: Divine Ranks
Chapter 298: Divine Ranks
Chapter 298: Divine Ranks
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With the black and red soil, the Old World looked harsh and lifeless.
It didn't have the beauty of the New World or its strange charm that drew people in and made them feel at home.
This was a world that was ruthless and forced people to fight for survival every day.
Adam and Alastor walked across the desolate landscape, walking through a village of stone huts that had been abandoned a long time ago.
"If you're trying to convince me to resurrect you, you're doing a poor job." Adam touched the ground and took a handful of black soil. "This world is dead. Why would I want this?"
"You will be long dead before this happens." Alastor said. "You need to be selfish sometimes. This doesn't concern you; it's about your own survival."
SHRIEK!
"What the hell was that?" Adam turned his gaze to the sky and saw a small white dot flying across the sky.
His eyes widened in shock.
Without further ado, he hid inside one of the stone huts and watched as the white creature flew away.
Alastor didn't move away from the middle of the street and said, "Crazed Angel, Rawkshawn's own private army."
He looked in the direction of where the Crazed Angel flew and said, "It is heading to Rawkshawn's region. We need to follow it."
"Follow why?" Adam left the stone hut and asked.
"I'll show you what happens when you let Rawkshawn roam the world you love so much."
Alastor said and started walking towards Rawkshawn's region. Adam quickly followed after him.
While it looked like they would have a long walk ahead, the space somehow shrank, and it felt like they were teleporting through the land.
It didn't take them long to reach the entrance of Rawkshawn's region.
Past the trees ahead, they saw pillars of smoke rising high into the sky. They went to investigate the source of the smoke and found themselves standing in front of a village.
It was slightly bigger than an ordinary village with tall, well-designed rock structures. It had narrow streets, plenty of rock buildings, and at the end of all that, a rock castle.
"Follow me, and open your eyes." Alastor said, and with his hands behind his back, he walked down the narrow streets.
Adam narrowed his eyes and walked behind him, but like he was instructed, he kept his eyes open and surveyed the surroundings.
"Cough, cough!" In a narrow alleyway, sitting on dirty rock pavement, was a young girl with long, tangled hair.
She was coughing, her body shaking with each breath. Slowly, her breathing worsened, and she started coughing blood.
In the same moment, her eyelids seemed to turn heavy as she slowly slumped over onto her side, unconscious.
"That's..." Adam murmured.
"The sickness." Alastor said, and he spread his arms wide as if he were embracing the village around him. "Every mortal in this village has been infected with sickness."
"What?" Adam looked around and saw coughing men and women.
Everywhere he looked, people looked very sick, so sick that they were barely able to do their daily chores. The sickness had spread like wildfire.
"Why're they still in this village if they get sick by being here? Don't they all die?"
"Rawkshawn is the ruler of this place. That's his castle, y'see." Alastor pointed to the rock castle. "He won't let anyone leave. Also, this sickness isn't as deadly as it is now. These mortals can survive, but it is uncurable, so they're in pain forever."
"The sickness isn't as bad...?"
"Rawkshawn has a unique type of power-Disease Spreader." Alastor said. "When he infects someone with his sickness, the sickness slowly eats away their strength and gives it to Rawkshawn.
"That's why he won't let anyone leave, as they're basically his food to acquire more power. The sickness becomes more powerful alongside him.
"Thus, his current self that you're fighting is much stronger than the one in this time."
"..." Adam scratched his chin.
"That's why the Angel that sealed Rawkshawn away made sure the Door of the Sickness was able to contain his sickness so that he didn't have anyone to infect sickness with."
"Then, how is it possible now?" Adam asked.
"One of the seals had been broken." Alastor said. "The door should have four seals on it, and one of the must be broken."
"Oh, the chain..." Adam nodded. "It has been broken."
"Only someone from outside can do it." Alastor said. "Someone is helping to free Rawkshawn, and it is working. Now that he can acquire more power, it is only a matter of time before he frees himself.
"He might be able to destroy the remaining seals all by himself."
"Why the hell would anyone want to do that?" Adam asked.
"I don't have answers to everything." Alastor said. "However, you humans are still pretty lucky."
"And why is that?"
"The other warlords still have their seals intact." Alastor looked at him and grinned. "News flash, Rawkshawn is the weakest of the five Tyrannical Warlords."
"What..." Adam frowned. 'Rawkshawn alone is the greatest danger to mercenaries since the dawn of Mortal Online. Yet, there are four more powerful beings than him?"
Alastor grabbed Adam's shoulder and said, "I'll show you something."
With a flash of light, they appeared in the basement of the rock castle. They were standing on
the ceiling's planks that extended across a vast chamber.
The shadow concealed them nicely, and they were able to see below.
Through the darkness and flickering lights, they were able to see hundreds, maybe thousands,
of chained individuals. Malnourished and barely clothed.
All looked sickly, and they kept coughing a wet, phlegmy cough.
"This is awaiting mercenaries." Alastor said. "These are just Originals, so the strength that Rawkshawn gets from them is minimal. However, imagine mercenaries being chained
instead."
"Rawkshawn would become stronger, insanely quickly."
"So, how strong is he currently?" Adam asked. "Y'know human ranks, right? How much
stronger is he than High King?"
"We, gods of the land, have ranks higher than that." Alastor said. "Above High King, there is Divine Templar. That's the first rank of the divine."
"Can humans achieve that?"
"Yes," Alastor said. "This King Moriarty of yours is close. Yet he is still too much of a mortal."
"I assume Rawkshawn is above that of Divine Templar?"
"Yes," Alastor said. "After that, Titled Angel."
"Titled Angel?" Adam thought it was a strange name.
"Yes, everyone who has reached this rank has their own title." Alastor said. "Rawkshawn had Disease Angel. If you reach this rank, you would have your very own title."
"Hmm..." Adam nodded. "Is Rawkshawn that rank?"
"During the time of the Old World, yes, but he has evolved one level further." Alastor said.
"Next one, Archangel of something."
"Archangel of something?"
"Yeah, more titles." Alastor smirked. "Rawkshawn is the Archangel of Disease and Suffering."
"Fitting," Adam mockingly said.
"That is his current rank of strength," Alastor said. "Above Archangel is Exalted Lord. I heard
one Tyrannical Warlord managed to reach that rank."
"What is yours, if I may ask?" Adam asked with narrow eyes.
"After that, you become god." Alastor said. "The last rank."
"Are all gods as strong or...?"
"Of course not." Alastor said. "However, we just don't bother giving us more ranks. It is
meaningless at this point. We're already gods."
"Who is the strongest?" "God Almighty." Alastor said. "If he wasn't, he'd already been overthrown."
"I see." Adam said. 'To think that humans are still so far from reaching godhood. We have always thought that High King is the absolute peak. We're naive.'
"Now..." Alastor's voice turned low and deep. "You still see the danger that Rawkshawn possesses? With the whole force of mercenaries, do you think you can defeat Rawkshawn?
"He also has his army of Crazed Angels. That army alone will be bringing humans to the brink
of extinction."
"Fight against Archangel and his army of undefeated beings or let Dark God free of his
shackles."
Adam shook his head with a wry smile.
"A shitty situation."
"You're out of options." Alastor said. "It's time to make a choice."
"..." Adam clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and said. "I won't resurrect you."
"Tch." Alastor clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You still don't get it? Rawkshawn will definitely try to free other warlords, and when he does, humanity is doomed."
"Please." Adam lowered his head. "Teach me instead."
"?" Alastor frowned. "Teach you?" "Teach me to stop Rawkshawn." Adam closed his eyes and knelt on the ground like a loyal follower. "Teach me how to seal him away for good. Help me get stronger."
"Why would I do that?" Alastor asked. "You're foolishly going to die. You're human, after all.
You don't stand a chance against him."
"If you help me now, I promise..." Adam took a deep breath. "One day, I will free you from
your shackles."
"Why would I believe you?" Alastor asked. "Your promise means nothing to me."
"I am ready to make a pledge." Adam raised his gaze to him. "I've read that breaking a
promise with Dark God means death..."
"..." Alastor looked at him deeply and said, "We'll add another clause. You must free me
within the next five years. None of that fifty-year bullshit. Five years." "Alright... five years." Adam bit on his thumb and made it bleed. Alastor did the same, and then they pressed thumbs together to seal the deal.
RUMBLE!
High above the dark clouds, the thunder rumbled as if the gods were banging their fists
against drums of war.
"Now..." Alastor grinned. "I'll make you stronger. But first, you must endure the pain."
As Alastor put his palm against Adam's forehead, Adam felt like every cell in his body was on
fire. The cells were splitting, rearranging, and rebuilding into something new and powerful. "Aaaargghghhh!" Adam foamed from the mouth because of the insane pain that he had never felt before.
The pain was supposed to be only one tenth of real pain, but it felt worse than any real pain he
had ever faced.
A pain worse than death!