Faced with Abel’s question, Richard was somewhat bewildered.
Bloodline integration did indeed cause changes in appearance, but Abel was also an old wizard from the Expedition Era. How could he not have even this bit of knowledge?
"Your question is really strange. Haven’t you seen bloodline fusion before?"
The alarm on Abel’s face slowly faded, but the vigilance in his eyes remained. He slowly shook his head and said, "Sir, you should take a look at your own appearance before speaking."
Vast spiritual power surged from within, replacing the mirror, allowing Richard to see his changes clearly.
And upon seeing, Richard was also stunned.
Dark red skin, formidable dragon horns, and the vaguely visible Abyss Runes on his body.
If it were someone else, Richard would definitely affirm this is an Abyss Demon.
This was no longer in the realm of bloodline fusion; it was a complete transformation into another species.
However, this was his own body.
He could confirm that his life integration had not failed, and his soul had not been corroded by the Abyss.
But why did he now look like an Abyss Demon?
This appearance, this aura, were surely things only a pure Abyss Demon could possess. A being like him, with a clean soul, could absolutely not change into this form.
"What exactly happened?"
Richard was silent for a moment, with countless possibilities tangled in his mind like a ball of yarn without an end.
But unquestionably, no matter what was happening to him, the first thing he needed to do was stabilize morale.
"Alright, this change is indeed substantial. But without a doubt, I am still Richard, your commander."
Richard’s relaxed tone slightly eased Abel’s tense body. He looked at Richard warily and slowly said, "Sir, I think you should apply to go to the rear for a while.
Your appearance... is too easy to cause misunderstandings."
Richard nodded slightly, waved his hand to signal Abel to leave.
After Abel left, Richard’s face immediately became sullen. The Five Rings Great Wizard’s vast spiritual power surged out again. This time, Richard examined himself from head to toe, scrutinizing every cell in his body.
The results of the examination made him feel a bit eerie—his Life Core had not changed, meaning this Abyss Demon-like appearance had nothing to do with his life information.
But it is impossible for a creature’s physical appearance to have no relation to its life information!
"What on earth is going on?"
A trace of panic flashed in Richard’s mind. Although he had anticipated Abyss Erosion, the current situation had already exceeded his...
Suddenly, a question flashed in Richard’s mind.
What exactly is Abyss Erosion?
All external manifestations of the body are related to the information carried by the Life Core in the life cells.
Before this, Richard always believed that a biological change into an Abyss Creature due to Abyss Erosion was primarily because of a Life Core alteration.
But now, this view was evidently wrong.
Every adjustment to Richard’s Life Core was done by himself, with no unknown adjustments involved.
But if Abyss Erosion is truly soul-based, it also doesn’t hold.
He could confirm that his soul hadn’t suffered Abyss Erosion, or rather, his erosion had not altered in the slightest.
"Could it be that Abyss Erosion has nothing to do with the soul or body? It completely depends on the amount of Power of Abyss. As long as the Power of Abyss is abundant, even if the soul has not been eroded, the body will transform into an Abyss Demon."
Richard could feel that after he completed the bloodline integration, the Power of Abyss within him had already spread throughout his body, merging with his own energy cycle.
"Let’s first try suppressing the Power of Abyss. Looking is certainly inconvenient for doing things."
Although he now appeared more humanlike than many wizards with bloodline transformation, the change in temperament brought by the Power of Abyss made Richard seem entirely different from a wizard.
While this might not affect the judgments of the wizard high-ups regarding Richard, it would surely alter the impressions mortals had of him.
Especially since Richard was the god of the goblins, who had an irreconcilable blood feud with the Abyss. Now that he turned into an Abyss Demon, it was undoubtedly a significant blow to the Miracle Sect, directly affecting his Power of Faith replenishment.
But how should he suppress this Power of Abyss?
As he was pondering, a gravitational force suddenly emerged from the Void, starting to pull Richard’s body and soul.
The Power of Abyss within him was stirred by this force, flowing out of Richard’s body, forming a pitch-black swirling vortex in mid-air.
Immediately, the force became stronger. It was as if behind the vortex, there was a black hole incessantly devouring everything in the world.
"What is this thing? Why does it look so much like..."
Richard’s left eyepiece began to bloom, and the cloaking of this black vortex gradually unraveled, revealing its true essence hidden behind the veil.
"...a Dimension Gate!?"
A Dimension Gate formed by the condensation of Abyssal Power. Needless to think, behind this Dimension Gate must be the Abyss Dimension. Considering the unique nature of Abyssal Power, it might even lead directly to the Abyss World!
Richard swallowed a gulp and immediately mobilized the Power of Dimension within him, preparing to shatter this gate.
As a registered deity of the Gods Civilization, Richard couldn’t even begin to imagine what entering the Abyss World would mean.
But just as Richard was about to shatter this gate, he suddenly stopped.
"The Wizard Civilization can establish diplomacy with the Gods Civilization... could it also establish diplomacy with the Abyss Civilization?"
Due to Ulysses’ influence, Richard did not have a good impression of Abyss Demons. However, impressions are one thing; between civilizations, there are only interests, not emotions.
For the Wizard Civilization, the Abyss Civilization and the Gods Civilization are not much different.
It’s just that their paths of evolution are different.
The Wizard Civilization can trade with the Gods Civilization to acquire the Heroic Spirit Army as troops. So couldn’t they also reach a deal with the Abyss Civilization, recruiting Abyss Demons to fill the lines for the Wizards?
Although it doesn’t sound good, the fact is that the Wizard Civilization’s front has been continuously retreating.
Based on this, the Abyss Erosion caused by Abyss Demons is something Wizards don’t need to worry about, and it might even cause problems for Galaxy Mayfly, achieving two goals at once.
However, what is good for the Wizards is not so favorable for Richard.
Trading with the Abyss is essentially indirectly supporting the Abyss, and Ulysses harbors extreme hatred towards the Abyss.
This inexplicably bestowed a sense of betrayal in Richard’s heart.
After a moment of silence, Richard expressionlessly shattered the vortex. He used the Divine Power to contact Ulysses, who was far away in the goblin world.
"Ulysses, there’s an idea I think you should know about."
On top of the Miracle Church, Ulysses, who was leisurely basking in the sun, made a puzzled sound.
"My dear Main God, what earth-shattering event are you planning? Although our Divine System has developed, it cannot endure..."
"It doesn’t concern the Church."
This made Ulysses even more confused.
"Gah, then what is it?"
"An accident occurred during my experiment, allowing me to enter the Abyss World. So I plan to take this opportunity to establish contact between the two civilizations."
Without concealing or explaining, not even a hint of emotion, Richard in a highly restrained and calm manner conveyed his idea to Ulysses.
His statement was met with a chilling silence.
After a long time, Ulysses’ voice sounded in Richard’s ears.
"My friend, I am deeply moved that you would tell me about this decision so plainly.
As a friend, I will also honestly tell you, do what you think you should do.
We are not just individuals; we bear the lives of millions behind us.
Personal feelings should not influence our judgment."
Wizard Dimension, City of Eternal Truth.
A gigantic Rune Gate slowly opened, and Richard traversed dimensions into the core of the Wizard Civilization.
The moment he appeared, the Secret Keeper simultaneously emerged. His attitude towards Richard remained as respectful as ever, but upon sensing the Power of Abyss on Richard, he grasped the Magic Book with force.
Richard keenly noticed this.
He sharply looked at the Secret Keeper, his gaze fierce like thunder!
"Secret Keeper, what do you think about the power I possess?"
The Secret Keeper paused and slowly replied, "Though I loathe this damned thief, the power can currently be utilized by you, so I won’t forcibly dismiss it."
"It seems you didn’t notice, during your Bloodline Transformation, the source of this power attempted to invade your soul and transform you into its slave.
I, along with another dimension, intervened to block it, but for some reason, we couldn’t completely suppress this power and let it take root in your body.
For that, I apologize deeply."
Saying this, the Secret Keeper slightly bowed to Richard.
"Invade the soul, transform into a slave, take root in the body..."
The Secret Keeper’s words instantly made Richard understand his situation, simultaneously sending cold sweat down his spine.
"To think I’ve been targeted by the Abyss Origin, but luckily, I belong to a civilization, or else I’d truly fall prey..."
Another Rune Gate slowly opened. Wrapped entirely in thunder, like a Thunder Giant from myth, Jimmy emerged with a strong white bear through the gate.
Upon entering the Wizard Dimension, the white bear approached Richard and spoke jubilantly, "I knew leaving a doppelganger would come in handy. What insights did you gain from your research on the Abyss, kid?"
Saying this, the white bear, now beside Richard, patted his arm.
Although this body was merely a Beast Puppet, the Physique Crown could still sense the enormous power contained in Richard’s body.
The only downside was that the Power of Abyss was too concentrated, making him seem unlike a Wizard at all.
Richard nodded slightly but then shook his head.
"Dean, I have indeed gleaned some insights from researching the Abyss, but my purpose here this time is unrelated to the research.
During my research, an accident occurred that made the Abyss Civilization mistaken into thinking the Wizard Abyss Demon is now summoning me into the Abyss World. You’re aware of the traits of Abyss Demons, and I feel this might be beneficial for us."