Goddess Kaleidoscope

The Void Forest is a place fraught with danger, but it is also a vast treasure trove. As a result, it attracts a large number of adventurers every year who rush into the forest, and a considerable number of them never return.

Lude had long understood the principle that "it's hard to persuade a damned ghost with kind words." He couldn't stop those adventurers from courting death, so he could only settle for second best and try to make their deaths more meaningful.

The total number of adventurers who have arrived in Pine Tree Village has now exceeded one hundred and is still increasing. Along with them come merchants, refugees, and even prostitutes and thieves—the lowest of the low—making the entire village a chaotic mess.

However, for most villagers whose main occupation is still farming, this rapidly forming "prosperity" has only brought trouble and no benefit to their lives.

Many villagers complained to Rudd when they came to the temple to pray that the village was becoming increasingly unsettled, and the young people were like lost souls, always dreaming of becoming adventurers and having no interest in helping their families carry manure.

Lude was well aware of the villagers' concerns, but with a formidable enemy watching him from the sidelines and the entire plan still needing time to be completed, now was not the best time to make a move.

Over the next two weeks, adventurers continued to enter the forest, attempting to reach the ruins. Many failed to even see the walls of the ruins, encountering powerful monsters along the way and turning back. Only a small number of elites successfully arrived. However, they did not find the monsters that Denzel's team had described; instead, they discovered other strange things.

All signs indicate that the monster has left the ruins. The arriving adventurers found some huge footprints on the east side of the ruins. Because they were running out of supplies, they did not pursue it rashly, but stayed on the ruins to try to gather some useful information and then bring it back to the village to sell to the other teams that stayed behind.

Providing intelligence for a fee is one of the unwritten rules among mercenaries and adventurers. Depending on how easy it is to obtain information, something simple might be settled with a drink, while something more difficult would inevitably require a substantial sum of money.

Thanks to this intelligence exchange model, the veteran understood that there was basically no need to go to the ruins anymore. At this point, almost a month had passed since Denzel's team first arrived at the ruins, and there was hardly anything left there now.

The team that arrived later not only discovered the huge footprints moving eastward, but also found some traces of camping left by the demi-human race in the ruins. Based on some scales left at the scene, they initially speculated that they were swamp lizardmen.

Due to their religious beliefs, the swamp lizardmen and humans have always been enemies. Humans worship gods they have "imagined," while the swamp lizardmen generally live in tribes and worship powerful high-level monsters.

To many humans, the swamp lizardmen seem to possess a remarkable racial talent, enabling them to form a strange "symbiotic relationship" with the high-level monsters they worship.

Lizardmen can use special sacrificial rituals to offer sacrifices to a high-ranking monster they regard as their guardian deity, causing the monster to grow faster, becoming more intelligent and powerful. The resulting high-ranking monster will then wholeheartedly protect the lizardman tribe that worships it. Therefore, these enhanced special monsters are figuratively called "monster lords" by humans.

According to Lud, who understands the truth about the birth of the gods, the reason why the monsters worshipped by the lizardmen grow faster and become particularly powerful is probably because they have been enhanced by the "power of faith" provided by the lizardman tribe, turning them into a special existence that is somewhat similar to the gods.

Therefore, the unit chosen by Ludwig as the final boss this time is a large lizardman tribe located in the northeast of the village. This lizardman tribe also occupies the ruins of an ancient city left by humans, with an estimated population of over two thousand. They also worship a rather powerful high-level monster, which, according to Nidhogg, who had fought it before, is a mutated giant serpent monster.

Over a hundred years ago, Nidhogg, now an adult, chose to settle in the Forest of the Void after completing his world tour. Disliking a giant serpent, he challenged it to a fight. Surprisingly, this dignified dragon fought a snake to a standstill, even suffering a slight loss in the end.

The most distinctive feature of this monstrous serpent is its numerous heads, and it's quite intelligent, capable of speaking. When Nidhogg fought it, this "Zaunian snake" could both spit venom and spew out foul language. Nidhogg fought it to a draw, but lost the verbal battle utterly!

Even though more than a hundred years have passed, Nidhogg still gets angrier and angrier whenever he thinks about it.

It's worth mentioning that this lizardman tribe was once invited to join the demi-human alliance led by the ratmen, but because they thought it was too cold at the time, these cold-blooded creatures stood the ratmen up. They were all wiped out here without even leaving their homes, which is quite despicable!

However, although these guys did not actually join the alliance formed by the ratmen, it does not mean that they are a peace-loving, reclusive tribe. In fact, except when it is cold and they are not easy to see, the lizardmen are one of the demi-human races that most like to attack human villages and towns. They especially like to kidnap human children and take them back as living sacrifices to offer to their tribe's guardian beast.

So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, in another one or two months, when the weather officially turns warm and summer arrives, these lizardmen will definitely come back to wreak havoc again.

What Lude is doing now is using fabricated clues to gradually draw the adventurers' attention to the lizardman tribe. Although it's essentially a frame-up, it's not without its merits in using this tactic to drive away the enemy.

Under normal circumstances, if a large subhuman tribe like this, hidden deep in the mountains and forests, does not launch a large-scale invasion of the kingdom's territory and only sporadically harasses the settlers in the border areas, the king or lord will not take the initiative to send troops to suppress them, because the risks and investments are too great.

Adventurers, who mainly travel in small teams, also avoid provoking this lizardman tribe, which has several thousand members and supports incredibly powerful monsters.

But if you label them with the serious charge of "intending to summon demons from beyond the lands," then the nature of the matter changes.

In order to firmly pin this "hat" on them, so that the War God Cult would have sufficient reason and motivation to take action against them, Lu De secretly went to great lengths!

End of this chapter

Rudd had spent a considerable amount of time meticulously preparing how to pin the blame on the lizardmen.

In addition to constantly creating clues among the human adventurers, gradually leading them to the lizardman settlement in the northeast, they also delivered a "key piece of evidence" to the lizardmen through an "airdrop".

This crucial piece of evidence is a book. Inspired by the "Complete Guide to Dragon Slaying" produced by the lapis lazuli dragon Sanders, Rudd also created a book called "The Book of Ashes," which solemnly describes how to summon the malevolent demon Hedtaka Miyazaki, obtain the curse of immortality, and become a Lord of Cinder.

After completing the Book of Ashes, Ludd sought out Nidhogg, asking him to help stage a "miracle" for the lizardmen.

First, they found a large piece of obsidian near the volcano, and then Nidhogg used his sharp dragon claws to polish the obsidian into a very cool-looking base.

After preparing the book and the base, Ludwig deliberately chose a cloudy night and had Nidhogg carry a large rock to a height of ten thousand meters above the clouds. He then breathed dragon breath on the rock to ignite it and forcefully smashed it near the lizardman settlement.

In this way, when the burning boulder breaks through the clouds and falls to the ground, it looks like a meteorite from outer space.

After the boulder landed and created a large crater, Lud and Tawawa, who had been lying in ambush nearby, immediately rushed over with the obsidian base and the book to set up the scene.

They first placed the base into the large crater they had created, and then put the Book of Ashes on top of it. To create a sense of mystery, Rudd also cast a variant of Holy Light on the base, making the obsidian base appear to be burning with black flames, while the mysterious Book of Ashes floated on the platform, its cover resembling flowing lava.

After the group (the dragon) set up the scene, they quickly hid. Not long after, lizardmen arrived after hearing the news. They were shocked by the strange sight before them and knelt down to worship the Book of Ashes, which was like a sacred object.

The lizardmen who got their hands on this book, whether or not they try to follow its contents, are basically unable to explain it clearly!

After delivering the book to the lizardmen, Lud asked Nidhogg and his wife Tawawa to keep an eye on the lizardman tribe.

Nidhogg was initially reluctant, but Tawawa was very interested in what Lud was going to do and was clearly a playful person as well!

Once everything was ready, Lud returned to Pine Village. He didn't actively participate in the adventurers' actions, but instead provided helpful assistance, constantly guiding their investigation and bringing them closer to the location of the lizardman tribe.

During this time, Narad and others from the God of War cult were openly proselytizing in the village in a very high-profile manner. Lu De just watched, neither openly confronting them nor secretly sabotaging them, just like a complacent salted fish that had given up resistance.

In fact, Lud had been observing all along, because for a long time during his escape, Lud dared not approach the temples of other sects easily, and even when he happened to encounter a missionary, he would try to take a detour. Therefore, he did not make many observations. Now he could see how Narad and the others were doing.

In terms of conventional methods, the Cult of War was not much different from other sects he had encountered before, mainly relying on missionaries standing in the streets and loudly reciting doctrines. In Lud's words, their boasting lacked interest, and the "excitement" was insufficient due to their inability to fabricate stories.

But then their opponents revealed a surprising skill: Narad had his disciples teach martial arts to the local youths they had recruited. They also set up a fighting arena in the village square, holding daily tournaments and encouraging villagers and adventurers to settle their conflicts in the ring with their fists.

It's worth mentioning that sometimes Narad himself would go up on stage and spar with others. This middle-aged priest would remove his loose robes, revealing a muscular physique comparable to a professional wrestler. Although arrogant, his superb hand-to-hand combat skills were quite popular among young people who admired strength.

"As expected! All the big sects have some ability."

At the temple gate, Ludwig gazed at the bustling arena in the distance and exclaimed in admiration, which earned him an eye roll from Hume.

"Hey! You still have the nerve to praise them? They've only been here for half a month, and they've already recruited over a hundred followers in the village. They poached people directly from your ranks!"

"Don't worry! I've observed all the young men who were taken away. Although they've joined the God of War Cult, they still generate faith for us. Our current losses are actually not significant; they can be described as negligible."

Aren't you afraid that if this continues, the losses will increase further?

"Of course I'm afraid, but being anxious won't help. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The closer we are to a formidable enemy, the less we can afford to be careless."

Lud had made up his mind to play the coward until the opportunity he needed arrived, but unfortunately his opponent came knocking on his door.

That evening, one of Narad's disciples suddenly came to the temple and presented Rudd with an exquisite invitation, saying that his master wanted to invite Rudd to their place for a meal so that everyone could have a good chat and exchange feelings.

Looking at the invitation, Lu De's first thought was, "Could this be a trap?" Going there might lead to trouble, but not going would give the other party ammunition to use against him.

After a slight hesitation, Ludd smiled and accepted the invitation, then instructed Narad's disciple to return and inform his mentor that he would be attending the banquet that evening. Once the other party had left, Hume emerged from the shadows.

"Are you really going?"

"We'll just have to deal with whatever comes our way. We can't just hide from it, can we?"

"Then I'll go with you. If they really have bad intentions, at least they can bring you out safe and sound."

After making some preparations at the temple, Ludd, along with Hume, headed to the Cult of War's camp south of the village after sunset.

After several days of repairs and expansions, this campsite has now been transformed into a small bunker, with an outermost moat more than two meters deep. The only way to enter and exit the camp is through a three-meter-wide dirt road specially left at the main gate.

When Ludd and Hume arrived at the camp gate, they found that Elder Rom and several other elders had also arrived. Ludd then realized that he wasn't the only one in the village who had received Narad's invitation.

End of this chapter

At the entrance of the War God Cult's camp, Lu De unexpectedly encountered several prominent figures from the village, and the atmosphere immediately became somewhat awkward.

Thanks to Hume's help in secretly monitoring the War God's missionary group's every move, Lud actually knew who they had met with in the village these past few days, but he just pretended not to know.

According to the intelligence Lude currently possesses, five of the village's eight elders have secretly sided with the Cult of the God of War, while the remaining three are wavering. Only the village chief, Rom, stands firmly on his old friend's side because of his deepest friendship with Lude.

So when the two sides met, old Rom remained calm, but the elders behind him instinctively avoided eye contact because of their guilt. After all, it was Rudd who risked his life to quell the dragon's wrath last winter, and it was Rudd who provided them with food, allowing many of them to survive until now.

Now that the War God Cult has come and given them some benefits and promises, they have all forgotten the kindness of being saved.

"High Priest, what brings you here?"

"You've come for the banquet! Didn't you come here to eat?"

"Uh...we are too...after all, we need to eat."

"Let's go together then!"

Ludwig smiled and gestured for them to proceed, but none of the elders dared to leave first, repeatedly humbly urging Lord Ludwig to go first. Finally, old Rom couldn't stand it any longer and scoffed at the elders.

"What are you all dawdling about on such a wide road? Brother Lude, you don't need to leave these old fogies behind, let's walk together."

As he spoke, old Rom pulled Lud inside. After distancing himself slightly from the elders, the old man murmured quietly.

"These traitorous old bastards can't be trusted!"

"I know."

Soon, the group entered the camp gate, where a bald young cultivator stepped forward to lead the way. Lu De glanced at the man's head, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips.

Led by the bald youth, Lud arrived at the main tent of the camp. From quite a distance, Lud could smell a very strong aroma of food; clearly, this meal had been prepared with plenty of spices, a testament to the sincerity of the chef!

As everyone entered the tent, the first thing that caught their eye was a large rectangular dining table covered with a bright red tablecloth. Exquisite tableware was set in front of each seat, and the silver plates gleamed like mirrors. Two rows of young nuns stood on either side of the room, serving as waitresses.

"Please take your seats, everyone. Our mentor will be here shortly."

After glancing at the elders, Ludger unhesitatingly took the first seat on the right-hand side of the main table, followed closely by old Rom, who took the second seat. Seeing this, the other elders politely declined and sat down one by one, but none dared to sit in the first seat on the left-hand side. Firstly, the seat was too close to the front, and secondly, it faced Ludger directly, making the group of old men noticeably reserved.

After a short while, Narad himself finally appeared.

Several elders who had already lined up on the opposite side immediately jumped up from their seats and bowed to the other side, showing great respect and trepidation. In contrast, although Lude also stood up, he merely placed his hand on his chest in a bow, unlike the elders who bent themselves at a 90-degree angle.

"Good evening, everyone. Please sit down. There's no need to be so formal. I'm a priest, not a nobleman. There aren't many formalities here."

Narad was very approachable. As soon as everyone was seated, he clapped his hands and ordered his men to start serving the dishes.

At this moment, Narrad noticed Hume, who was always right behind Ludwig.

This dark-skinned female mercenary was quite well-known in the area. She had previously been a mercenary, hired to train the local militia in the village, and later volunteered to join the Medicine God Cult as Lud's bodyguard. Her skills were said to be exceptional.

Narad had assumed this woman, a former mercenary, would be easy to win over, so he sent his disciple to the tavern to approach her and try to turn her against him. Unexpectedly, this woman, named Moshu, proposed a drinking contest to those who came to recruit her. If she lost, she could come with them without spending a penny; but if she won, the three of them would have to hand over everything they had, including their money.

The final result of this competition was quite surprising. Three strong and burly men couldn't outdrink a single woman in a drinking contest, and they were all drunk unconscious and stripped naked.

This incident greatly angered Narad.

Now that he had seen her in person, Narad had to admit that the woman was beautiful and had a captivating aura, exuding a unique mystery. If he could go back to before he turned thirty, he might have actively pursued her, but Narad now had much higher ambitions!

So after only glancing at Hume twice, Narrad turned his gaze to Ludwig.

"Priest Rudd, I've heard that your sect worships more than one deity. Is that true?"

"That is indeed true. My sect believes that there is a divine realm above the mortal world, a kingdom where gods reside. All gods who are willing to descend to the mortal world to protect humanity are beings worthy of our sect's respect, naturally including the God of War whom you worship."