"I am but a small disciple of The Celestials."
BOOM
The words themselves seemed to carry power as Barbatos showed a surprised and unbelievable expression.
"The Celestials?"
This was something at the corner of Orias and Gremory's memories, a secretive power in the Universe that was the fear of many worlds. Every single one of their members was a powerhouse that struck terror to the hearts of many World Leaders, and their powers were too terrible to battle against. Very little was known about them or their aims, which was why Noah claimed this identity.
Barbatos continued to stare at him unbelievably as he continued speaking.
"Yes. I barely qualify as a member, and was sent out on a mission that would have granted me even higher access, as well as a huge boost in power were I to succeed."
Barbatos heard this as she snorted and said,
"Oh really? And what mission, pray tell, did you receive to be here right now?"
Noah looked at this figure that seemed to be disregarding him, but he became even more convinced his plan was working as she hadn't tried killing him again.
"Oh, my mission is simple. While the Lost World of Atlantis has beings like Baal and multiple Sects from the World of Cultivation running rampant looking for a treasure, I have to steal it right under their eyes and present it as proof for my mission to be complete. Its a fairly normal test to meet the qualification of The Celestials, don't you think?"
Silence.
Barbatos was looking at him closely as he uttered these words. The things he was saying were crazy, and could be something that only the secretive force that was The Celestials would do.
Send in a Mythical ranked being to fight for a treasure in a world where even someone like her who was at the Phantasmal level could not confidently call herself the top powerhouse. Who else but the mysteriously powerful Celestials would give such a mission to their new members?
Barbatos still wasn't fully convinced as she eyed Noah with caution and suspicion.
There was only silence as two people looked at one another. One was claiming boastful things with a few circ.u.mstantial evidence to back up his claims, the other was carefully listening as she was led around. Which turn would the results take though?
Barbatos thought carefully as she took a bite.
"What could an Atlantean of Mythical rank claiming to be a member of one of the most secretive forces in the universe possibly do against Baal?"
Barbatos looked towards the figure of the Blue Dragon that encased an Atlantean that should in no way have the information that he held. She still treated his words like nothing, but what if there was an ounce of truth in them? What if her dream...actually had a way to be achieved? Her sharp eyes looked at this interesting enemy as she waited to see just how they would reply.
Noah smiled brightly at this as he felt he could almost see the end of the shining path he was building just from talking.
"Well, for starters, how about you turn off your unique skill, {Death's Domain}? It's putting quite a strain on me while I continue talking to you."
The pressure around Noah increased as Barbatos's voice came out even colder,
"You even know about my abilities?"
Noah's body encased in the large blue dragon still continued to feel the stifling pressure that threatened to break the form into pieces as he calmly replied his last hook that should tie this Demon Empress and give credibility to his words.
"Why of course, aside from {Death's Domain}, you have {Hellish Enforcer} that you were using to throw suns at me, and let's not forget your Ultimate Skill, {A Dance of Life and Death}, that allowed you to amass 21 Mythical Undead creatures, tens of Legendary, and uncountable numbers below that, making you the one that should be the most powerful Ruler, and yet you are still under Baal."
Shock.
Barbatos was shocked as she heard this now mysterious figure describe and talk about things he had no business knowing. The only plausible explanation was his identity as a member of The Celestials, the beings that always held too much power and information. Was there actually truthfulness in his words? She thought carefully as she made up her mind and said,
"Since you seem to be so knowledgeable, what makes you think you could possibly say that would turn one ruler of the Demon World against another?"
Noah's figure that was hidden at the head of the Blue Dragon smiled wildly as he finished his pitch.
"Nothing big, just making your dream of getting out of Baal's shadow a reality, with the promise of Baal's death in less than..two months."
…
Grand and unbelievable words resounded throughout the dark sea as two figures stared intently at one another. Noah went through the years of memories from Barbatos's own undead and the experiences from Orias and Gremory as he was confident of one thing, the quality of hatred and cruelty that was ingrained in Barbatos by the Oppressive Tyrant would be his lifeboat today.
Chapter 172 - Unknown Consequences
Barbatos was known as the Necromancer of Chaos, but that wasn't all there was to her. Noah looked through the memories of the Undead Skeleton Warrior as he watched the habits that Barbatos kept for years.
When she was angry, playful, or even hopeful, she only had her undead to talk to. She expressed to their lifeless company her inner thoughts, and Noah was going through them right now as he began getting a better understanding of Barbatos. He was certain of one thing as he watched her crazy life, and that was her hatred towards the one person that she could not defy.
He was confident in using this against her, and possibly getting out of this predicament with many more victories than just a few Mythical skills. The period of silence was broken as a light laugh escaped Barbatos's lips.
"You've been saying a great deal of many things, Atlantean. Do you truly know the power Baal wields for you to speak such words?"
The Blue Dragon encasing Noah began disappearing as he deactivated the skills, his Atlantean body with a slight gold sheen appearing magnificently in the dark waters again as he stared at Barbatos calmly. He would act instantly if he saw any changes to defend himself, but he could already see the finish line.
"Naturally. I know the Unique and Ultimate Skills he holds as well as how to counter them. If I add you to the mix, my mission will become even easier. I have many more secrets I can share with you if you want to come to an agreement first."
An impassive look remained on the cold face of Barbatos as she pondering looked toward this Atlantean. The next words he voiced out sealed the nail of her now indecisive mindset.
"Oh, and if you're worried about the fact that if you kill him he would just be revived by the Will of the Demon World in a few months, you can comfortably leave that to me. I have many tools that would make it so he never has the chance to revive."
The eyes of the Demon Empress widened at these words as a sense of apprehension and caution grew. The being in front of her knew too much information to be a nobody, and even the biggest secrets that pertained to the powers of Rulers of the Demon World were known to him. His words that she looked at unbelievably before were gaining a sense of credibility in her mind.
She thought about the command from Baal that she couldn't defy to come to the Lost World and help him on this search for a treasure he would pocket himself. She thought of her dream of freedom as she created her World of the Dead that was always cut short because commands like these as she took a leap of faith.
"Alright, little fish. How do you want to start?"
A brilliant smile spread across Noah's face as he tried to keep his emotions down and replied.
"I know a lot about you, and I know you still don't fully trust me. So how about you use Abyss Magic to bind us both to a contract for the duration of our cooperation?"
"Hoo. Little fish, you really do know too much."
Barbatos's body began shining red as a golden page and a blood-red pen appeared in the water. Her powerful essence entered the pen
as it moved on the surface of the page and carved out a few words. The process finished fairly quickly as the page and pen flew toward Noah's position.
He looked at the page that Barbatos wrote on and became surprised at the demands she listed on the contract that was created using Abyss Magic. This was one of the abilities that Rulers ranked 10 and below could use, a contract ritual that bound two beings. The two parties would choose their terms and restrictions before the contract could be established.
There was only one condition and restriction that Barbatos wrote of the golden page.
[The little fish will erase Baal's life in two months.]
[If the condition isn't met, he forfeits his life.]
The condition was fine, but the restriction was not. Noah's face became cloudly as he used his essence to push the golden page and pen back.
"The restriction involving my life is too big. I won't ask for your life, you do not ask for mine."
A cold aura spread out as it looked like Barbatos would soon explode with power yet again, but Noah remained firm. She looked at him coldly while putting more essence into the pen and rewriting the restriction. The golden page came back as Noah read it once more.
[The little fish will erase Baal's life in two months.]
[If the condition isn't met, he will lose his manhood and never again be able to copulate.]
The restriction wasn't as extreme as the first one, but it was terrifying to think about. Noah nodded his head as he put his own mana into the pen and wrote his own conditions and restrictions.
[Barbatos will aid Noah Osmont the two months before Baal's True Death. Barbatos will not lay claim to or destroy Noah Osmont's belongings.]
[If the condition isn't met, she will release the souls of all the undead she has collected.]
Her face scrunched up as she red the restriction and looked dangerously at Noah, but she folded the golden page nonetheless and then performed the final portion of the Abyss Magic to finalize the contract. A golden light shone out as the folded page broke into two pieces, one staying with Barbatos and the other going towards Noah.
He caught the half-page in his hands as he brought it close to his mouth and observed Barbatos doing the same. The both of them then swallowed the pages as a red light covered both of their bodies briefly, and the contract was complete.
"Wow, I really didn't think you would do it. This means you aren't actually full of shit and can actually take down that monster? "
Noah let out a breath of relief as soon as the contract was finished, finally coming to the conclusion that his life was not in any more danger. For the duration of this contract, until he achieved his original goal of taking down Baal as he already planned, he would also have the peak Phantasmal ranked Barbatos to help him.
This was one of the traits of demons that he loathed, the fact that they would betray their own people the moment it was to their benefit and granted them what they wanted. He calmly looked at the figure of Barbatos that neared him and floated just a few inches away, her abyssal eyes looking at every part of his body.
"Alright, I don't give a shit if you really are a member of the Celestials or not, or how you know so much information. Now that you've signed that contract, either Baal dies, or you lose your d.i.c.k. If Baal doesn't die, you'll still lose your d.i.c.k, but I'll just kill you right after as well. If everything goes wrong then he will just kill me for my betrayal once or twice before he believes I'm reigned in again, so I won't really lose much, ya know?"
Her voice had become playful again as the cold and disastrous power she let out had all but disappeared. The blinking green lights of hundreds of thousands of undead were still surrounding all the miles of the sea around them as two completely opposite beings entered into a contract that would have colossal consequences across worlds.
Noah looked at this dangerous individual that would have caused his death if he hadn't found a solution as he did, and began planning how to move with her in the picture. How do you best put to use a Phantasmal ranked individual who surrounded herself with the undead as her only company and was a little crazy and messed up in the head?
"Well, little fish, I will aid you up until we put your shitty words to the test in a few weeks. What do you want to do first?"
Chapter 173 - A Demon Empress in Tow
An Atlantean and a Demon were floating through the dark waters.
The Atlantean had a calm face while the Demon continued to swim around him constantly talking.
"We're going deeper and deeper into this Abyssal Zone, is that little trident over here?"
"What's your true form really, little fish? Since you said this world is just your mission, you should be a rare species I haven't come across before."
"Oh yeah, what was that isolated treasure you used to defend against my full attacks? Let me see it again."
"Hmm, are you already worried about your manhood and aren't as talkative anymore?"
After the contract had been made and Noah guaranteed his life against this powerful Demon Empress, he had gone back to his loner ways and kept the conversation to a minimum, but Barbatos with her warped mind could not stop talking.
She only ever had undead for companionship over the years as she continued to build up her World of the Dead, and they were the only ones she would crazily talk to aside from the other Rulers of the Demon World.
Noah looked with annoyance at this Phantasmal ranked being that had to aid him now as he said.
"All you need to do is aid me, and I'll keep my end of the deal in two months. For now, we'll explore the Abyssal Zone while I take down some of the Deep Sea creatures here."
A light passed through the dark eyes of Barbatos as she replied.
"Yes yes, you seem very interested in killing things, and I've noticed their origins quickly being drawn to you when they die. Is this an ability of yours? Hmm?"
The hundreds of years old demon continued to pry secrets from Noah as time passed, wanting to know more about this interesting being. Noah thought for a moment as he knew his movements and skills would be under a lot of scrutiny for the next few days and planned accordingly to make sure Barbatos didn't learn too much about him.
"I'm actually a connoisseur of sorts, and enjoy trying new things for the worlds I visit. I've found the meat of the sea creatures to be delectable, and that's why I'm collecting them."
Barbatos swam near him as she nodded her head rapidly, the air of the terrible Ruler of the Demon World all but gone as she seemed like an innocent 18 or 19-year-old, though she didn't believe any of the things Noah was saying. It was this rapid change of personality that many people fell to as they had no idea of the destruction they would face when the personality suddenly changed to a cruel one.
"Wow, you enjoy eating as well? Me too! I just had a little fish a while ago, it made a lot of sounds, and the dinner was interrupted in the end, but I see what you mean."
Noah felt cold sweat trickling down as he recalled the memories of the Skeleton Warrior that showed Barbatos eating a Mythical Atlantean that was most likely a Seeker of Atlantis whole. She had tortured and then ate a Mythical being while he was still alive. It was actions like these that made Noah act all the more carefully around this Demon Empress.
He focused on the task at hand as he kept her rapid questions in the back of his mind, delving deeper into the Abyssal Zone to farm for more higher-ranked skills. He had gained two more Mythical Skills from the death of Barbatos's Skeleton Warrior that he now learned.
[Aura of Death] :: When active, all attacks gain the death attribute. Damage will be heavily increased as defenses are ignored and the origin of enemies is targeted.
[An Undead's Stamina] :: The dead do not tire as easily. When active, exhaustion is completely removed as the body can work for days without feeling the strain.
The skills had fairly simple explanations, but the fact that they were Mythical Skills made their effects ridiculous. Noah's attacks held a thin layer of black smoke that caus
ed terrible damage to those he attacked, while his body now felt as if he had just woken up and was full of energy 100% of the time.
He always enjoyed sleeping because it kept him refreshed, but with this skill, he could go on for days without worrying about feeling exhausted. He moved across the Abyssal Zone with a Demon Empress in tow as he took down yet another Mythical Sea Creature, this one being a terrifying [Killer Whale].
The Legendary Whale he had received from the King of Atlantis as a gift had died the moment Barbatos appeared earlier, and Noah found himself taking down another one of its species not too long after.
His body that was now boosted by many Mythical ranked skills easily tore apart the hard muscles of the [Killer Whale] as he only used the secret techniques of the Mountain Sea Sect to the fifth form, [Descent of the Emperor], along with using [Hydrokinesis] to heavily restrict the enemy in its home turf.
His figure was that of a hazy outline of a regal emperor as he had wings sprouting from his back and two vibrating swords on both his hands, his damage becoming further boosted as he kept active [Aura of Death] and caused the defeat of the Mythical [Killer Whale] in just a minute.
Barbatos was looking at the large body of the whale that disappeared in front of Noah as she said,
"You're collecting them to eat them right? So let's eat."
Her words carried a playful tone while also being serious, making Noah look towards this Demon Empress that he couldn't ignore for too long lest she changed to her other terrible personality yet again. He thought for a bit and nodded his head towards her, the conditions in the contract they were both under not allowing her to do many things against him.
"Don't resist, I'll bring you to the isolated treasure you're so curious about."
A light twinkled in Barbatos's eyes as she nodded, and their figures disappeared from the dark sea and appeared in the skies of the Spiritual Land. Barbatos looked around the Frozen Plateau and found the few Legendary beasts looking up to their figures with caution as she let out a sound.
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