NOVEL SIMPLE CHAPTER 285
Chapter 285: The Gathering Storm
More than a month had passed since the Battle of the Three Clans had erupted across Archean City. Once a remote outpost near the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the city had now become a central battlefield in the ongoing war. Its proximity to the mountains—home to the violent armies of zombie beasts—had drawn the full attention of both the Giant Clan and the Insect Clan.
Fearing the spread of the zombie horde, both clans had mobilized their forces, occupying Archean City to seal off the mountains and contain the threat. Search parties ventured deep into the wilderness to locate Esek, the mastermind behind the zombie beasts.
But Esek was far more cunning than they had anticipated.
He wasn’t hiding in the Hundred Thousand Mountains at all. He had quietly slipped away, returning to the Corpse God Territory, the main stronghold of the Undead Clan.
Today, Esek stood within the grand halls of Sky City, summoned by none other than the Corpse God Ancestor himself. Kneeling before a massive projection of the Corpse God, Esek’s heart swelled as the deity’s voice praised his efforts. The Corpse God, clearly pleased with the chaos Esek had wrought, rewarded him generously. Treasures flowed into Esek's hands, and with each word of praise, he felt his power and pride grow.
As he boarded his flying shuttle to return to the lower city, Esek couldn’t help but glance out the window, his thoughts still on his recent triumph. That’s when something unexpected caught his eye—a golden flying shuttle rising from below, heading toward Sky City.
"Who could that be?" Esek mused aloud, curiosity flashing across his face.
In the strict hierarchy of the Undead Clan, golden shuttles were reserved for only the most powerful beings—deities and god-level dignitaries. Given the intensity of the Three Clans War, it seemed unlikely that a foreign god would be visiting. That left only one possibility: one of the other four Undead Clan deities was arriving.
His steward, sensing his master’s curiosity, spoke cautiously. “My lord, I do not know the identity of the traveler.”
Esek nodded. It was no surprise. Not even his steward would be privy to such high-level movements.
“Perhaps it’s Lord Monte...” Esek muttered to himself, though doubt still lingered.
His guess couldn’t have been further from the truth.
As the golden flying shuttle docked in Sky City, waves of divine energy radiated outward, shrouding the landing site in a protective barrier that blocked any attempts to see inside. A palpable tension hung in the air.
At last, the door to the golden shuttle opened, revealing a figure that took Esek’s breath away. A tall woman, nearly 1.9 meters in height, stepped out, her presence both graceful and commanding. Her soft golden hair cascaded down her back, and her piercing blue eyes gleamed with otherworldly power. She was draped in a flowing veil-like garment, her porcelain skin visible beneath it, and a thin veil covered her face, giving her an ethereal, unearthly beauty.
She paused briefly, taking in the view before her, when another figure hurried to greet her.
"Welcome, esteemed guest. It is an honor to have you here," said Zero, a clone of the Corpse God, his voice oozing deference as he bowed slightly before her.
The woman’s expression remained cold and calculating. “I do not understand why I have been summoned,” she said, her tone devoid of warmth.
Zero maintained his pleasant demeanor, his smile unyielding. “It is a matter of great importance, Origin Insect Mother.”
The name hung in the air like a reverent whisper—the Origin Insect Mother, the ancient deity and guardian of the Insect Clan, had arrived.
The Origin Insect Mother was one of the oldest deities in the Black Mist Zone, her existence tracing back to the era of the Beast King. Rarely did she make public appearances anymore, leaving the affairs of the Insect Clan to other deities. For Zero to have summoned her now, even if it was merely one of her clones, spoke to the gravity of the situation.
Yet, despite the cordial greeting, the Insect Mother’s eyes narrowed as she sized up Zero. There was something unsettling about him—something hidden behind his courteous smile, a dark shadow lurking beneath his words.
“If this is about the Three Clans War, I have no interest in such trivialities,” she said dismissively. “Wars between clans are beneath us.”
At her level, unless a battle involved deities, it was little more than a petty skirmish. However, Zero’s next words stopped her from turning away.
“It concerns the Supreme God and... your origin,” he said softly, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
Zero’s lips barely moved as he mouthed three words—Outer World Demon.
For the first time, the Origin Insect Mother hesitated. Her eyes darkened, and her entire demeanor shifted. The mere mention of those words brought a cold fury to her gaze.
There was a long, heavy silence. Then, slowly, she nodded.
“We should discuss this inside,” she said, her voice icy.
And so, a secret meeting began between the Corpse God and the Origin Insect Mother, lasting for three full days. When the Insect Mother finally emerged from Sky City, her expression was tense, her mind weighed down by new, dangerous knowledge.
Upon her return to the Insect Clan’s territory, the Origin Insect Mother wasted no time. She summoned the other deities of the clan and issued a secret decree. From that moment on, the wheels were set in motion.
That same day, the Subverters—a covert organization under the Insect Clan’s command—mobilized, moving swiftly into the Black Mist Zone.
Meanwhile, far to the west in the chaotic city of Morro, Yuan’s clone arrived, his eyes immediately discerning that something was amiss. To the untrained eye, Morro City appeared normal. But to Yuan’s divine sight, the entire city was bathed in a mystical mist. Its residents were in a deep, dreamless slumber, their dreams siphoned into the earth below.
Beneath the city, an unnatural energy pulsed, feeding back into the sleeping inhabitants and keeping them alive in their slumber.
A smirk curled across Yuan’s lips. “Well done, little one.”
His form blurred as he descended deep beneath the city, transforming into pure light.
In the depths beneath the city, Yuan found it—the Source of Dreams. Crimson eyes snapped open from the darkness, locking onto him. But Yuan’s voice was calm, commanding. “Serve me, or die.”
Farther west, in the frozen wasteland of the Extreme Western Domain, the four pillar deities of the Ancient Demon Clan stood before the Myriad Layered Demon Abyss. Ice and snow stretched endlessly around them as the most powerful of the four, the Desolate Demon Lord, stared silently into the abyss.
At last, he spoke.
“I will go first. Wait for my return.”
The other deities remained silent, their expressions guarded.
“Take care,” one of them muttered.
“What lies beneath is unknown. Relying solely on Zero’s words is risky, but it may be our only hope,” another said, his voice grim.
The third, Jeros, the Ice Pillar Demon God, gave a slow nod. “If you return safely, I will acknowledge you as the leader of the Ancient Demon Clan.”
Without another word, the Desolate Demon Lord transformed into a streak of light and shot into the depths of the abyss, disappearing from sight.
The three remaining deities stood in silence, their thoughts heavy with doubt.
End of Chapter 285