Spellcasting Gods

"Please! Stop the plague!"

"We need the antidote! The real antidote!"

"My children need food!"

……

These heartfelt words spoken during prayer echoed in my mind like a demonic chant.

They are mixed with energy, and as long as you accept the other party's beliefs, you will inevitably accept this messy spiritual pollution.

Based on this alone, Zhang Cheng sentenced the gods who gain power by spreading faith to death.

In his view, the evolution of a god should be a process of constantly eliminating impurities, making himself purer and stronger.

But what about faith?

Although obtaining energy is simple, it is equivalent to putting on shackles that one can never get rid of. Moreover, through the accumulation of these obsessions from mortals day after day, they can have an immeasurable and terrible influence on gods, and even subtly change gods' character and way of doing things.

If a life cannot even preserve its own will, then what difference is there between it and being dead?

Just as Zhang Cheng was getting increasingly annoyed by the voices from the believers, a trial without a judge or defense attorney was about to begin in front of the gates of Neverwinter Castle.

"Damn it! You ruined the antidote!"

"Die, you sinner!"

Burn them!

"Traitors have no right to live!"

……

Accompanied by thousands of roars and shouts, the entire city of Neverwinter felt the terrifying power erupting from the common people.

After all, the people of Faerûn are not like the modern people on Earth who have long been bound by laws, morals, and values, but a group of madmen who could turn into thugs at any time.

In fact, a review of the history of all the major cities in Faerûn reveals that almost every city has a record of popular uprisings that overthrow the rulers. Some of these uprisings were so violent that they directly brought an end to a powerful ancient magical civilization like the Imaska ​​Empire.

Therefore, even the most brutal and ruthless rulers dare not underestimate these people who are on the verge of exploding.

As the culprits who destroyed the antidote for the plague, Deszel and Vanswick were now hanging under a large tree, where angry mobs hurled stones, excrement, and all sorts of filth at them.

It should be noted that in order to win back the hearts of the people, Lord Nasir sent people throughout the city to spread the word that he was about to lift the threat of the plague and provide all citizens with a permanent antidote free of charge.

But now that this has happened, it's like shooting themselves in the foot.

Forget about regaining public support; even his own safety is seriously threatened.

To prevent the crowd from losing their minds and launching an attack on the castle, he had to throw out the two poor souls as scapegoats. As for whether the deceived Vanswick was somewhat innocent, and whether the entire trial process did not conform to the ideals of the god of justice, that was another matter entirely.

Faced with the cruelty and darkness of politics, not only a mere lord, but even the priests and paladins of the Church of the God of Justice dared not easily interfere.

Despite their resentment and even an urge to kill all the mobs, they dared not take any action.

Because that would cause the entire population of Neverwinter to feel resentment and hostility towards the God of Justice, and in more serious cases, they might even storm the temple and destroy the statues, altars, and sacred objects.

And so, under the watchful eyes of countless people, Deszel and Vanswick were beaten until they were covered in wounds and on the verge of death, and then burned alive over a campfire. The agonizing screams that emanated from the entire process were enough to give any normal person a lifetime of nightmares.

Only after the two men were completely charred corpses did the angry crowd gradually disperse.

No one noticed that in a dark corner of the street not far away, a woman was clenching her fists so tightly that her fingernails pierced her palms, causing bright red blood to drip down her hands.

She was so desperate and angry that she forgot the pain, and her eyes blazed with hatred.

That's right!

This person is Vanswick's nominal fiancée!

Irebeth de Timmarand, once the strongest paladin in Neverwinter!

However, she now lacked both the divine grace characteristic of a paladin and her usual gentle and noble demeanor, radiating intense negative emotions.

Although the dark blessings gained from turning to an evil god have not yet been seen, the fall is irreversible; it is only a matter of time.

Vanswick's death made her see through everything!

This includes the hypocrisy and weakness of the God of Justice and his church, the compromises made by Lord Nasir with power and filth in his heart, and the despicable true faces of those who desperately try to protect the people.

There is no justice!

There is no justice!

Some people are simply venting!

Even those who were once victims of violence and needed protection have become perpetrators in the current chaotic situation!

No one deserves sympathy!

No one else needs saving!

What Neverwinter needs is a complete and thorough purification!

There is only one way to achieve such purification: killing and death!

Just as Eribes was about to wipe away her tears and bury this burning hatred in her heart, she suddenly noticed a woman in black armor appearing behind her.

On a whim, she immediately drew her longsword and demanded sharply, "Who are you?"

“Anger! Pain! Despair! Hatred! You must be desperately eager to do something to make this city feel the same pain as you, right?” the woman in black armor asked with a touch of emotion.

"So what if it is? This is my own business! It's none of your concern!"

"No! You're wrong! What you need now is power! Power enough to unleash a holy vengeance on those scum! Come, come with me, and I can grant you that power, and I'm also willing to give you the chance for revenge. Don't you just want to cut off Lord Nasir's head and enjoy his dying screams...?"

Chapter 0924 Depravity and Hatred

Hatred is a powerful force, so powerful that even the gods dare not ignore a mortal filled with intense hatred.

But this force is also easily manipulated and exploited.

After all, people filled with hatred are usually unable to remain rational. As long as they can get revenge, they don't care what price they have to pay, even if it means selling their souls.

Without a doubt, Eribes was a person whose reason was blinded by hatred, and an extremely paranoid woman.

So when she learned that she could gain the power of revenge, she didn't hesitate at all and followed the other party to Mandarin Manor.

Looking at Zhang Cheng, who was sitting in the chair with a half-smile, she finally couldn't help but sneer and say sarcastically, "So you're the mastermind behind all this? You're the one who turned the pearl of the North into this hellish place?"

“No, dear Lady Timaland. I’m not some mastermind; at most, I’m just taking advantage of the chaos. The ones who truly want to plunge Neverwinter into hell are a group of beings you can’t even imagine. In the ancient Netheril era, they were called the Creator Race, existing even before humans created their own civilization,” Zhang Cheng explained meaningfully.

Others might think that this woman has completely fallen from grace and has no chance of turning back.

But he knew very well how fragile and wavering the other person's heart was, and that at any moment, the kind side of human nature might suddenly take over, and they might begin to regret what they had done that day.

You can use someone like that, but you must never let her think you are the mastermind behind everything. Otherwise, when she changes her stance and allies, she will immediately turn against you and become your enemy.

"The Creator Race?" Eribes frowned instinctively, clearly having never heard of the term before.

But that's not surprising.

It's important to know that while paladins are a special profession that involves highly educated individuals, they primarily study religious texts, laws, painting, sculpture, poetry, and art appreciation.

There's not much to learn about history, especially ancient history, let alone ancient races like the Creator Race that completely disappeared tens of thousands of years ago.

“That’s right! According to my investigation, these ancient species have just awakened from their slumber and want to regain their status, which is why they plotted to unleash this plague that has swept through Neverwinter. Of course, this has little to do with the anger and hatred in your heart. Anyway, you’re going to kill Lord Nasir and destroy the Church of the God of Justice, aren’t you?” Zhang Cheng pointed out the target of the other party’s revenge directly.

As the saying goes, the deeper the love, the deeper the hate.

When a person feels betrayed by someone or an organization they deeply love, that love can quickly transform into a burning hatred, like a volcanic eruption.

Eribes replied with a grim face, "Not only the Church of the God of Justice and Lord Nasir! But also those mobs! They will all pay the price for their actions! The price of blood and death!"

"Hahahaha! Don't worry, I can completely satisfy you on that." Zhang Cheng laughed as he made his promise. "But before that, I hope you can do me a small favor, which is to find out the movements of the Waterdeep reinforcements. If you can do that, I can let you slaughter tens of thousands of people in Neverwinter. I believe the blood and cries of those civilians will quell your anger."

As an executioner who destroyed two planets and left billions of lives without a burial place, he would never care about the lives of the people of Neverwinter.

Moreover, once the experiment is over, his consciousness will abandon this body, and it won't matter how serious the consequences are.

"Very well! As long as you can meet my demands, I will do as you say!" The corrupted Eribes had clearly already set her sights on her target for revenge, and her eyes flashed with a chilling light.

“Come with me, Timarland. I will teach you how to fully embrace the darkness and become a proper dark knight.” With that, Eleanor, clad in black armor, nodded to Eribes and then turned to walk towards the guest rooms on the second floor of the manor.

Watching the two fallen female paladins gradually disappear into the distance, Valindra smiled and asked, "My dear master, do you think Erebeth can become a dark guardian as outstanding as Eleanor?"

Zhang Cheng gently shook his head and replied, "No, you're wrong. It's not about whether she can become it, but how quickly she can surpass it. Don't be fooled by her fragile and fickle soul; in terms of aptitude, Eleanor is no match for Eribes. By the way, how much longer does Luskan's army need to prepare before they can begin their operation?"

"Three days at most!" Valindra gave the deadline without hesitation.

“Excellent! Let the war begin in three days! This time, I will bestow divine magic upon the priests as a god, to forge a divine office through slaughter and destruction.” Zhang Cheng stroked his chin, revealing a sinister smile.

He was eager to see if the gods who had been terrified of him back then would welcome him with open arms or launch a furious attack.

Just thinking about it makes me incredibly excited!

He didn't care whether he would be beaten to death by the gods.

Anyway, this body isn't mine, so at worst I'll just self-destruct and take all my enemies with me.

"Divine magic? You can grant priests divine magic!" Valindra's eyes widened in disbelief.

According to the standards of the Forgotten Realms, whether it is a demon lord or a devil duke, being able to bestow divine magic means possessing power equivalent to that of a true god.

"What, do you find it strange? My efficiency in energy conversion is far beyond what those trash gods can match. If they can convert one unit of divine power from a believer every day, then I can convert ten units. No one in this world knows better than me how to use and convert energy."

As he said this, Zhang Cheng extended his right hand, and a burst of blazing divine fire erupted from his palm.

It burned so intensely and brightly that it far exceeded the limits of the divine fire that most gods could condense.

Upon seeing this, Valindra immediately knelt on one knee and said in an extremely fervent tone, "Master! Please grant me this flame! I am willing to become your follower, your spokesperson and chosen one who walks in the material world."

"Heh! You're quite clever! Divine Fire is the purest essence of a god. Mortals who obtain it not only gain various powerful spell-like abilities but also near-infinite lifespans. Since you want it, I'll give it to you..."

The words had barely left his mouth!

The white divine fire instantly surged into Valindra's body, scorching her skin and internal organs...

Chapter 0925 The Creator Race Must Die

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

When Luskan's army came out in full force, the situation in the entire North changed dramatically. Countless towns and villages were watching their route closely, fearing that they might inadvertently become targets of attack.

With its unparalleled army in both quantity and quality, Luskan was no longer the punching bag that was often bullied by the Lords' Alliance, but a fully militarized trading empire. Apart from the Silvermoon Alliance in the east and Waterdeep in the south, no other city could rival it.