Spellcasting Gods

"Happy cooperation!"

"Happy cooperation!"

……

With the verbal agreement reached, the three quickly mobilized their resources to build a secret base in the middle of the complex terrain of the cliff, and began to study legendary spells that could kill gods.

Time flies, and more than two months have passed in the blink of an eye. Although we are still far from success, we have made some progress in understanding the interesting energy manifestations of divine power.

In one experiment, Zhang Cheng even personally created a wisp of energy that was extremely similar to divine power by twisting the magic net.

However, at this crucial moment, a message forced him to temporarily put aside his research and return to Luskan alone.

The reason is simple: Artemis Entreri finally fulfilled Pasha Puk's commission, traveling all the way from Port Karin back to the City of a Thousand Sails to keep his promise.

Sensing the calm and ruthlessness emanating from the assassin, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but ask, "You killed Trist?"

“No! I defeated him! But I didn’t kill him! You were right! Leaving this shadow is good for both of us. Perhaps the next time we meet, I will slit his throat myself.” With that, Entreri gently stroked the jewel-encrusted dagger.

After months of training and adaptation, he has perfectly integrated the magical energy that permeates his reflexes with himself, making him look like a sharp blade sheathed in its sheath, capable of leaving his opponent helpless once he strikes.

"Well done, you've finally satisfied your deepest desire. Because for the next mission, you may need to put in 120% of your energy." Hearing that the Dark Elf Ranger was still alive, Zhang Cheng nodded in satisfaction.

In any case, Tristana Du'erden is involved with countless forces, including even the struggle between gods, and he doesn't want any unnecessary complications at this time.

"Oh? What do you need me to do?" Entreri never liked beating around the bush and probed directly.

“It’s simple! I need you to make a trip to Baldur’s Gate and Amn to contact the Thieves’ Guilds in those two places and make sure their intelligence networks can be used for my purposes next year.”

"Intelligence network? What person or thing are you looking for?"

"Yes, but not now. Remember, no matter how unreasonable their demands are, agree to them first. If anyone tries to sabotage you, go and talk to them in person with a dagger, and if necessary, kill a few people to establish your authority."

Undoubtedly, Zhang Cheng did this in order to locate the position of each of the gods who had been banished to the mortal realm as soon as possible.

After all, in this turbulent year, there are countless gods roaming the continent of Faerûn, especially those minor gods with little influence. Once they find a secluded place to hide, finding them is harder than climbing to heaven. The only thing he can do is to cooperate with the well-informed Thieves Guild as much as possible.

"Understood!" Entreri nodded slightly.

Intimidation and threats were areas he was already familiar with, so he didn't need to think too much about them.

"Here, this is a gift I prepared for you. I'm sure the leaders of those thieves' guilds will be overjoyed when they see it." Zhang Cheng handed over a leather pouch containing more than a dozen crystal bottles.

These are all magic potions made recently by air conditioning. They can not only greatly improve muscle activity, but also slow down the aging process. They are the treasures that the leaders of the Thieves Guild dream of.

“I need a month and a half! After a month and a half, you will have an intelligence network covering the entire West Coast.”

As the last word escaped his lips, Entreri turned and disappeared down the corridor to the private room in the central spire.

Watching his receding figure, Zhang Cheng took a deep breath and murmured to himself in a voice only he could hear, "The Three Gods of Death, the Clay Tablet of Fate, and Aio, the God of Gods above—I hope you won't disappoint me too much. What exactly are gods, and why are they eternally immortal? I'll soon be able to unravel their mysteries. But before that, I need to find a few key figures..."

Chapter 0491 The Spell to Kill a God

Midnight, Cyric, Kramwall...

Three people who cannot be ignored in turbulent times.

Although these guys are still rookies among adventurers, enjoying the thrill and excitement of adventure, their fates will soon be turned upside down.

Just one year later, Midnight will become the third generation of the Goddess of Magic, Cyric will be promoted by the God of Gods to one of the most powerful gods in the world for reclaiming the Tablet of Destiny, and Krenvor will become the new God of Death and rule the underworld.

Of course, they are currently unaware of the drastic changes that will occur in the future, and continue to wander around as ordinary people.

In particular, the future Prince of Lies, Cyric, is still a good young man who likes to help others and often steals money from the rich and puts it into the pockets of the poor. Together with his friend Cramble and the priest of love, Aidon, he gives ordinary people whatever help he can.

No one knew that a pair of eyes were already watching him from the darkness.

……

“My dear friend, you’ve been watching this man for days. Can you tell me what’s so special about him?” Manson glanced at the scene inside the crystal ball, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Do you believe in fate?" Zhang Cheng asked without turning his head, his hands supporting his chin.

“Fate?” Manson raised an eyebrow in surprise, then shook his head without hesitation. “No! I don’t believe in any such thing as fate; I only believe in the power of magic.”

"Hahahaha! That answer is certainly befitting of your status as a Grand Mage. But if I told you that he would soon become one of the most powerful gods in the world, by the arrangement of fate, would you believe me?" Zhang Cheng laughed as he revealed his innermost secret.

Unfortunately, Manson clearly didn't take it seriously, and shrugged with a smile: "Is this a prophecy? Or are you just joking with me?"

"No, I'm just telling you what's about to happen. Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you. Never forget that even the most powerful god cannot know all the secrets of the world; there are always things that are destined to remain incomprehensible and undiscovered."

After saying this meaningful sentence, Zhang Cheng picked up a cloth, covered the crystal ball, stood up, and walked outside.

Inside the empty cave, Sazastan was directing more than twenty assistants to repeatedly check the tens of thousands of mysterious symbols and markings on the ground to ensure that no unexpected situations would occur during activation.

These symbols, with their diverse shapes, include rune systems commonly used by spellcasters on the continent of Feralas, as well as Dalaran runes, Eredar runes, and demonic runes used by the Burning Legion demons that Zhang Cheng brought from Azeroth.

Through a series of in-depth collaborations, he shared most of the magical knowledge in his mind that did not involve core secrets with his two allies without reservation.

Manson and Sazarstan did not disappoint him. In just about three weeks, they fused the different systems of magic together to create the huge and complex magic circle before them.

Its purpose is to break through the divine shield and create a legendary spell model that can kill gods.

Of course, to avoid being detected by the goddess of magic, the entire process will not trigger the magic network, but will instead extract energy directly from the primal, frenzied wild magic.

As is well known, wild magic is notoriously difficult to control, so it can suddenly become quite dangerous.

"How long until it starts?" Zhang Cheng asked, staring at the base in the center of the magic circle that was constantly flashing with arcane light.

“Almost there! I must say, what you provided is indeed very interesting. If it weren’t for the time constraints, I would definitely study it carefully from beginning to end,” Sazastan replied enthusiastically.

Because he was a lich, he didn't need to eat or rest at all, and spent almost all his time researching new knowledge.

In less than four months, he successfully incorporated fel energy and shadow energy into the existing magic system, creating seven new spells ranging from low to high, and even learned the technique of mass-producing cheap hellfire.

It is foreseeable that after the god-slaying operation is over, he will be eager to return to Sel and launch a war against the surrounding areas to test the power of these weapons of war.

Thinking of Elminster's old flame, Simb, looking flustered, Zhang Cheng subconsciously pursed his lips and teased, "Don't worry, we still have plenty of time. Besides, when the gods descend in saintly form, the chosen ones of the goddess of magic will definitely take action, and we'll have a good chance to take down one or two of them."

"Please include me in the fight against Elminster!" Manson stepped forward, making no attempt to hide his hostility toward the Great Sage of Shadow Valley.

Whether it was the life-or-death struggle between the Santalite Order and the Harpists' Alliance, or the conflict between the two regarding their philosophies on magic, it was determined that only one of them could survive in the end.

“Fantastic! It seems we’ve reached a consensus once again on the issue of dealing with the chosen ones of the Goddess of Magic, haven’t we?” Sazastan opened his arms, a meaningful expression appearing on his withered face.

“Yes! But I’m more concerned about the spell to kill a god than the chosen ones of the goddess of magic. You know, it’s already September, and we have to complete the entire spell before the end of the year,” Zhang Cheng reminded him impatiently.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have a satisfactory answer in ten minutes,” Sazastan assured confidently.

Ten minutes isn't a long time; it passes in the blink of an eye.

After he finished checking the last rune, he immediately stood in his place and began to chant the incantation loudly.

Seeing this, Mansong followed closely to the center of the magic circle, guiding the raging wild magical energy.

As for Zhang Cheng, he transformed directly into a dragon form, infusing it with fel energy and shadow.

With the combined efforts of the three, a golden light appeared out of thin air above the magic circle and then slowly descended onto the base.

Under the influence of this energy, the originally plain base surface began to show layers of strange, uneven patterns.

Wait until the energy is almost depleted!

The terrifying energy storm arrived as expected!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With a deafening explosion, the entire base was destroyed by the release of various energies.

Fire! Acid! Lightning! Sonic Boom! Frost! Negative Energy! Positive Energy!

Several red-robed mages who couldn't dodge in time died on the spot, and the rest scattered and fled.

Only Manson, Sazastan, and Zhang Cheng remained motionless.

As the storm subsided, they all rushed to the base to examine the remaining patterns on it.

These patterns are none other than the original version of a legendary spell model.

Next, they will optimize and modify this initial spell model until it is powerful enough to kill any god...

Chapter 0492 A Year of Turmoil

The year 1358 of the Valley Calendar, also known in history as the beginning of the "present century," has finally arrived quietly and unnoticed.

As expected, the three gods of death, Bane, Melkor, and Baal, did not disappoint Zhang Cheng's expectations. They launched an unprecedentedly reckless operation, actually plotting to steal the artifact of the supreme god Aio—the Tablet of Fate—in an attempt to rise above all others.

They had no idea that the supreme god Io actually represented the will of this "Crystal Wall," which was in fact a miniature universe isolated from the outside world.

In a sense, he is equivalent to an administrator with the highest privileges, and no living being can fight against him. He even has the right to modify some rules.

As expected, the supreme god was enraged, believing that the gods had been fighting each other for thousands of years and had forgotten their true duties. He banished them all to the mortal realm and imprisoned all their power in a mortal body.

Of course, given the fundamental difference between gods and mortals, these gods who walk in the material world in mortal form are revered as saints.

With the emergence of one saint after another, the entire continent of Faerûn descended into chaos.

Most people were not psychologically prepared to welcome so many gods, and coupled with the centuries-old hatred between the gods, the material world soon became their battleground as well.

In particular, the tyrannical god Bane, upon descending to earth, massacred the followers of his "brother" Baal, forcing the god of murder to hide away and begin creating dwarfs in secret.

It must be said that this god was quite a peculiar character, with no dietary restrictions whatsoever. He devoured everything from dragons and giants to goblins and kobolds, and within just one or two months, he had thousands of female creatures impregnated.

Of course, he did this not merely for reproduction, nor for the pleasure of mating, but because he had heard the prophecy of the wise man Arlando and was preparing for his resurrection.

It should be understood that all the offspring of gods, regardless of gender or race, inherit something called divinity.

Generally speaking, if the god is still alive, the divinity of his offspring will at most prevent them from aging and dying, and they will also gain some power beyond that of mortals.

But if a god dies, then the divinity inherent in his offspring will become nourishment for the god's resurrection.

As long as his followers continue to call his name and people continue to follow his teachings, God will never die in theory.

Clearly, Baal created a large number of offspring so that he could return to the world after his death by utilizing the divinity within these children.

However, compared to Bane, the most powerful of the three Death Gods, Baal's actions were rather petty.

After this tyrannical god descended, he immediately revealed his identity and began recruiting followers on a large scale. In the blink of an eye, he had assembled a formidable army and captured the second-generation goddess of magic, Mystra, imprisoning her in the dungeons of Santyr Castle.

As for Melkor, the god of death, he silently infiltrated Waterdeep, intending to plot a series of conspiracies.

It can be said that the arrival of the gods did not bring even a shred of happiness to the inhabitants of this land; on the contrary, it brought terrible disasters.

In almost every place, fierce conflicts and wars of varying degrees broke out, and no one could remain uninvolved.