The pale bat, with a pair of meaty wings, was a newborn and, without the wings, the body was only the size of a palm, wrinkled as if having soaked in water for a long time.
It had no limbs, no head, thus no facial features to speak of, only a single vertical eye positioned at the center of its chest.
As a bat is one of the symbols of Pride, the first of the Seven Deadly Sins, creating an avatar on the altar of Lord Pride and closely resembling a bat was normal and made perfect sense—there was no fault to find in that.
But as Wayne thought it over, he felt as if he was being slighted again—first it was Bruce, then Wayne, and now a bat...
He looked into the eye on the bat’s chest, and upon making eye contact, he felt a blood connection.
The last time he had felt this was just seconds before, when locking eyes with The Book of Greed.
From the perspective of normal human aesthetics, the one-eyed bat was exceptionally ugly.
Considering that the bat carried his blood, Wayne described its appearance as unconventionally artistic, vividly anthropomorphic, and uniquely innovative, bursting with creativity.
"All newborns are , all wrinkled up. They look better as they grow."
Wayne studied his Hellish avatar while talking to himself, when the voice of the Thousand-Eyed Demon came to his ears: "Injecting thoughts can speed up the avatar’s growth. Do it quickly. Once it can take over this territory, it signifies its maturity. Then you can control the territory through it."
"My lord, please wait just a moment longer."
Wayne increased his mental investment, speaking with heartfelt respect.
He had thought that in this materialistic society, a great philanthropist like the Void Lord was a dying breed; against all odds, the Thousand-Eyed Demon had inherited his legacy, growing stronger and reaching new heights.
When conducting business, it should be with devils and evil gods—this band of heretical demons were more righteous than the rest.
In comparison, Heavenly Father’s Court of the Justice Faction was merely like a lamp post decoration—no money to offer, lives spared unwillingly, and in desperation, they’d sell out completely.
Mold as you wish, whatever goes, even a buy-in would do.
Is this what they mean by the ass-end version of ’turn the other cheek if someone slaps the left one’?
Pah, too high-society!
"Bruce, hurry up. Put all your thoughts into it," the Thousand-Eyed Demon urged with urgency, as their avatar continued to bear bad news. A Golden Rule Angel had arrived, and the deal with the three Liberty Mages had not been as successful as anticipated, only securing one potential collaboration.
Various factions were closing in on his true body, getting closer and closer.
With the Death Knight yet to arrive, the Thousand-Eyed Demon no longer counted on him and regarded Bruce’s avatar as his last resort. If he could withstand this backlash, he would ascend like a king among men.
Just a little bit more.
The Thousand-Eyed Demon, seated on his throne, realized that the last bit was indeed the hardest part. He hoped everything would go smoothly, without any more variables cropping up.
Upon reaching Lundan, the Thousand-Eyed Demon rushed to the Hell Gate entrance where he successfully found the altar left by Lord Pride and a portion of his lands on Earth.
Just because others couldn’t find it didn’t mean he couldn’t—being a devil, such a feat was child’s play for him.
Victory was within reach; all he had to do was sit on his throne and wait.
The Thousand-Eyed Demon didn’t let the impending victory cloud his judgment; he reviewed the failed cases of his peers, who often celebrated too early in the game, only to fail at the final hurdle.
I was so close, I could have made it! xN
The Thousand-Eyed Demon had heard such complaints countless times, to the point of his ears nearly developing calluses. He did not want to stumble at the last step, becoming the latest joke of Hell, which is why he formed alliances with the Death Knight, attacked Heavenly Father’s Holy See, and made plans with Jeliff, Bruce, and the others.
These were just superficial maneuvers to deceive others. There was no Magical Life Army, no Inverted Pentagram connecting to Hell; all of it was to buy time for the Thousand-Eyed Demon to safely make the final leap.
If not for the plans always changing too quickly, this would have been a sure bet.
The Thousand-Eyed Demon rued the Death Knight’s broken promises, lacking any knightly honor. If the Death Knight had just obediently defended the first layer, he wouldn’t be racing against time now, frazzled and panic-stricken.
"When my true self descends upon the mortal world, no..."
The Thousand-Eyed Demon glanced at the rapidly growing white bat. With a new body forged by Lord Pride, why would he need his true body? His true body would be more fitting as an avatar.
The Angel’s Golden Rule and the Sinful Chorus of the Seven Sins, combining traits from Heaven and Hell, his new body was born with limitless potential—a devil far stronger than his original shell.
In the face of such immense fortune, the Thousand-Eyed Demon laughed without a word.
As the Dark Domain closed, Aub held his longbow, standing in place. At this moment, he returned to his youth, not using the guise of age to cover his elven appearance, so beautiful as if stepping out of an oil painting.
His deep blue eyes were like the starry night sky, twinkling faintly, or deep lakes, tranquil and humble, as if able to hold all light within.
His figure was slender and graceful, his demeanor...
Here, eight thousand words of description are omitted.
In short, Aub was as beautiful as an Elven Prince, and his androgynous appearance made it plausible for him to pose as the Elven Queen in women’s attire.
Having slain the Thousand-Eyed Demon’s avatar, there wasn’t the slightest trace of joy on Aub’s face, but a chill flickered in his eyes. He gripped the longbow tightly, waiting for the two colleagues who had yet to appear.
Five minutes later, Prank and Borne appeared as if having consulted each other, the former with singed whiskers, the latter in a disheveled suit, both having been through a fierce battle.