272 Coincidence
Moon Realm, Lake of Entropy.
The Lake of Entropy was no longer calm, as a god’s laughter had caused ripples to spread throughout the area, reducing countless newly-born Lunar Monsters to dust.
The entire Moon Realm was in chaos due to a lunatic’s desire to commit suicide, and the only Void Sovereign who could lock onto the Calamity in Currere, Lady of Starvation Camilla, was their great hope.
Ever since the battle at Black Crow Gaze, several Void Sovereigns had sent messengers to Camilla, hoping the Lord of Rot, the God of Starvation, could act as the sovereign on duty and quickly eliminate the source of the chaos in the Moon Realm.
Camilla responded to their expectations with a simple “That’s enough.”
Although it wasn’t so straightforward rejection, it roughly meant this.
Hadn’t They tasted enough failures?
The other Void Sovereigns had failed time and time again against the Calamity, whether it was 1,008 years ago or now, whether it was using the Demon Generals, Their incarnations, the Moon Realm Legion, or the tempting of his former comrade into degeneration, and unless they could put aside their grudges and cooperate, they would continue to fail against the mere mortal.
Reality had already proven that without flipping the table, with the power the Moon Realm could project onto Currere, They didn’t have the ability to silence him.
Even on Their own home ground, They lacked the cooperation necessary to defeat the Calamity as They constantly guarded against each other, unable to put Their grudges aside.
However, would They really be willing to do so?
Even if the Calamity continued to grow stronger, he would at most turn himself from a chess piece with a will of its own into another chess player.
The danger of being betrayed by Their partners was even greater than the threat of the Calamity itself.
The last time Valk visited the Lake of Entropy, He had a heated discussion with Camilla about Their failed assassination plot against the Calamity. During Their conversation, Camilla asked why the other party was unwilling to use April Fool’s Day to project more of His strength. The other party replied with a twisted joke.
“If I had two magic arrows that could erase all existence,” the other party chuckled, “who do you think I’d shoot first if I encountered both you and the Calamity at the same time?”
“No answer? Well, let me answer for you. I’d shoot an arrow at you first, and then another at your head to make sure you don’t come back to life. The Calamity and I have only had a minor conflict a thousand years ago, but as Void Sovereigns, killing each other is just part of our intimate relationship from the moment we were born. Hahahahahaha…”
He was right. The Calamity’s acquisition of the Eighth Holy Spirit’s legacy only meant that They now had one more competitor for control of Currere. There were a total of twelve competitors in the Moon Realm.
In the end, Camilla had no choice but to accept that before the World Shell shattered and Currere was rebuilt, She couldn’t do anything about the Calamity’s actions. The shame She suffered at Black Crow Gaze would have to remain.
Unless, of course, the other party happened to be reckless and fell into Her hands without knowing it.
This was also why Camilla was laughing out loud.
The Calamity was much less cautious than he was a thousand years ago despite being more unpredictable, and Camilla’s original plans in Ravenwood were weakening him. The development of the situation had far exceeded Her expectations.
“Very good, very good. Continue chatting with my puppets and fighting to save the Forest Elves. Enjoy your final moments of happiness before the inevitable despair consumes you all. Hahahahahahaha.”
Camilla’s laughter turned into plagues that spread corruption and destruction to fringe towns in Currere.
…
“…Which Moon Realm sovereign are you representing?”
William was taken aback by the question.
After a long time, William pointed at himself and asked, “In what way do I look like a Void Sovereign’s representative?”
“The Withering Throne,” the other party pointed at the ‘fake’ Withering Throne. “If it wasn’t for the help of the Moon Realm, how could you have replicated it?”
The Withering Throne was once known as the Luxuriant Throne, symbolizing the flourishing of life. But with the onset of the Luxuriant Calamity—one of the Seven Calamities—William Kane used the Blade of Rot, cursed by the Moon Realm, to stab the core of the World Tree and stop the disaster from spreading. This resulted in half of the World Tree’s branches and base to wither, transforming the Luxuriant Throne into the Withering Throne.
In other words, to truly replicate the Withering Throne, one must have the help of the Moon Realm even if they could steal the roots of the World Tree.
In addition, the other party was the leader pulling the strings in Blackwater Province. Although Floral asked in a questioning tone, considering the ancient Moon Realm worship and faith in the Blackwater Province, she could already guess whose representative the other party was.
William was at a loss for words. He had only wanted to show off his ‘omnipotence’ but was caught off guard by the other party’s serious question.
How did this throne come about?
The truth was, he had duplicated the throne using the console and stored it in his treasure vault.
As for why he wanted to use the console to replicate it—although William adhered to the attitude of ‘everything in the game is mine since I bought the game’ and wouldn’t show any mercy when collecting treasures, moving the thrones, crowns, and scepters of the seven kingdoms to his own place broke the immersive experience.
Imagine that every time he went to the palaces in the capitals of the various kingdoms, the kings and emperors would sit on a rattan chair and wear a run-of-the-mill crown that could be bought for a few hundred gold coins… This scene wasn’t right.
But he couldn’t tell the other party that.
William was at a loss for words, trying to figure out how to explain himself to the woman. But she wasn’t done with her questions.
“So, you’re also a Demon Summoner, right?” she asked. “One who made a deal with the Lady of Starvation?”
Also?
After hearing this word, William, who was conflicted about how to make up a story, perked up.
He followed the other party’s words and replied tersely without batting an eyelid, “Yes.”
It was the truth. He had indeed summoned Camilla’s Void Incarnation—only to banish it back to the Moon Realm.
The other party nodded thoughtfully and tapped her fingers on the armrest.
“I get it… In that case, with that Moon Realm mighty figure as a witness, I think we can continue discussing our partnership.”
With that said, she wore her veil, and the aura of death that surrounded her disappeared. After doing all of this, she continued, “It’s obvious that it might not be feasible to buy everything including my loyalty, but I’m willing to help with transactions, like opening up the underground black market between the Emerald Province and Blackwater Province, and providing updates on the empire’s military movements. All I ask for is a fair price.”
William smiled and said, “My apologies for overstating things earlier. Let’s proceed with normal business negotiations.”
A Demon Summoner who had made a deal with the Lady of Starvation… He had apparently stumbled upon the key to unlocking the mysteries of the past’s conspiracies. He felt like he had hit the jackpot.
