Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1387 The Root of Destructive Calamity
After the "Fallen Mother Goddess" descended into reality and the Outer Gods began attacking the barrier, "Earth Mother Goddess" Lilith abandoned her divine kingdom in the Astral Plane and came to the Gray Fog.

Of course, only His spirit came here, just like Angel did every time he attended a Tarot meeting. Otherwise, if His body, which had been corrupted to some extent by the Fallen Mother Goddess, entered the gray mist that represented the "Source Castle" and its extension, no one could be sure what would happen.

Fortunately, the task at hand can be accomplished solely through the spirit of this deity.

“It seems Fabti has also gone to fulfill his duties,” Lilith said with a smile when Angel looked at her. “Now it’s my turn?”

Angel shook his head:
"Fabuti was simply unwilling to let the 'Mother Tree of Desire' reclaim the source matter and the two paths of the Abyss and the Bound Ones, thus ending up like Torzner. Of course, in the end, He was also making a contribution to Earth."

"We need to wait a little longer until the 'best time' arrives."

"Okay, then I'll wait here."

Lilith's beautiful face, radiating maternal warmth, relaxed as she leaned back in her chair, releasing the illusory baby and beginning to stroke her soft, long hair.

Only here could He truly isolate Him from the influence of the "Fallen Mother Goddess" and find a moment of peace. Fortunately, this difficult fate was coming to an end, and soon He would truly perish.

Yes, the "Earth Mother Goddess," Lilith, the progenitor of the vampires, awaits her destined death here, to escape the fate of "Omibella," which she has stolen and occupied for thousands of years, and to end her own life, which has been influenced and corrupted by that pillar-level ancient being.

This is the ending that Angel, Klein, and Grisha arranged for this fellow countryman.

As early as after the war of the Four Emperors, the leakage of source matter caused by the "Blood Emperor" and the "Primordial Witch" and the awakening of the Creator's consciousness weakened the barrier, causing this god who occupied the top of the path from the Outer Gods to be affected by the "Fallen Mother Goddess", gradually losing control of the sect and falling into a dangerous situation of poor condition.

As the apocalypse approached, this influence grew stronger and stronger, even manifesting itself directly in Lilith's body, causing her to show signs of being corrupted when she last met Angel.

Without a doubt, once the "Fallen Mother Goddess" reclaims the Mother Nest, Lilith will become a puppet of this ancient being, just like the "Bound God" Thorzner. At that time, being stripped of her traits or even dying outright will be nothing but wishful thinking.

Moreover, unlike the "Disordered Kingdom" and the "Shadow World," Lilith's chances of even trying to control the "Mother Nest" within the barrier and becoming an Old One are slim. That source essence has been self-aware since it was separated from the Fallen Mother Goddess, and it has never been dispersed. It is definitely not something that Lilith, who is already in poor condition, can accommodate in a short period of time.

Therefore, after understanding everything, Angel did not intend to help Lilith accommodate the "Mother Nest" to ascend to the status of an Old One before the end of the world. Instead, he planned to take advantage of the opportunity of the Fallen Mother Goddess to seize the Source Matter, severely damage this pillar-level Old One, and at least force her to abandon the "Mother Nest" on Earth and be unable to complete herself.

The loss of the symbol of "the mother of all things" is not good for the universe in the long run. It will cause a shift in the yin energy, affecting life and even the birth of new symbols and authorities. However, it is crucial for the Earth to survive this apocalypse.

In the plan to severely damage the "Fallen Mother Goddess," Lilith is the most important and crucial element.

She is the deity of the "Mother" path, and has stolen Omibella's destiny, making her the eldest daughter of the "Mother Nest." Through this bond, she can also establish a blood connection with the fallen Mother Goddess of the past.

In addition, the Fallen Mother Goddess's power, which was hidden deep within the body of the Phoenix Ancestor, Gretchen, in the depths of the underworld during the "Vortex," is not retrieved. This is further enhanced by the Sequence 1 "Ceres" blessing in the "Mother" card, as well as the symbolism strengthened by the remains of Omibella and the Giddar siblings.

Most importantly, Lilith had already acquired a crucial Sequence 1 trait, "Beauty," which was handed over by the Hedonists during the Vortex Trade in an attempt to pass on to the followers of "Great Mother."

At that time, Roselle, who had been resurrected, twisted the deal, causing the "Shadow of the Goddess" to merge with the remaining fallen mother goddesses and confiscating the rewards. Now, it will return to the "fallen mother goddess" in another way, bringing her unexpected surprises.

At this moment, Lilith's connection with the "Fallen Mother" was closer than ever before, something that the Pillar had deliberately strengthened to allow His power to penetrate the barrier ahead of time. With both sides working together, Lilith was now essentially a sacrifice, a tool, so that Angel, who embodied the symbol of "calamity," could kill her and severely damage the "Fallen Mother" herself.

This method, which relies on the occult principle of "similarity" to achieve great results with small efforts, and to severely damage a stronger target by harming a weaker one, was proven to be able to severely damage the existence of ancient figures as early as the "Vortex". Therefore, Angel and Klein were full of confidence in this target.

Of course, if Angel could play the role of the "Fallen Mother Goddess" and personally kill Lilith, who symbolizes the "eldest daughter" Omibella, it would arouse the hatred of the Mother Nest, which gave birth to Omibella, towards this pillar, making the fusion of the two more difficult, and the success rate would obviously be higher than "killing the false Fallen Mother Goddess".

Unfortunately, this only buys time, and Earth is facing problems not only from the Fallen Mother but also from the other eight Great Old Ones, so delaying the process may not be very effective. Secondly, Angel lacks sufficient symbolism to act as the pillar. The Fallen Mother seems to be slowly channeling power into the barrier, preparing to rely on her followers to create a large-scale ritual to bring forth her own "Omibella" in order to strengthen her connection with the Mother Nest, but it was destroyed before it could succeed.

However, the current method is more feasible with the help of the two pillars of the Earth side.

The "Lord of Mysteries," Klein, can "fool" the Fallen Mother Goddess by "grafting" to strengthen this two-way connection. Previously, the Fallen Mother Goddess had been fooled in some way, and after entering the barrier, she only had eyes for the "Mother Nest," minimizing the harm of her coming to reality.

"God" Grisha can modify the operation of many symbols and concepts, which is His most unique authority as the "Lord of the Stars." At the time of His birth, He had already subtly altered many concepts related to "mother," and all of this was hidden in the anomalies during His own resurrection, concealing Him from the Old Ones beyond the barrier.

In order to deceive the "Fallen Mother Goddess" who was most affected, He even took the initiative to reach a partial agreement with her, exchanging the other party's trust for not actively opening the seal of the Western Continent.

Now is the time to reap the rewards of everything that has been arranged.

While recalling the efforts of the two pillars and the "half-Old One" in front of her during this period, Lilith combed her long dark brown hair, straightened her clothes, skirt and cuffs, and covered up the signs of mutation on her body caused by the corruption of the "Fallen Mother Goddess" and the "Goddess of Beauty" characteristics that she had actively merged with, so that she could return to her most beautiful appearance.

At this moment, she seemed to still be one of the eight ancient gods of the Dark Ages, and the most beautiful woman in the universe who simultaneously possessed the characteristics of the three paths of "moon," "mother," and "witch."

Having survived the catastrophe that destroyed the previous civilization, ruled the land, created new races, and become the most beautiful deity, He now has no regrets in making a final contribution to protecting this planet.

Looking at Lilith, who was waiting for the final moment with a kind and gentle smile, Angel sighed inwardly.

She knew, of course, that Lilith had left a "Goddess of Beauty" attribute with "The Moon" Emlyn—a relic containing her spiritual imprint and residual consciousness, expelled when she replaced the corrupted "Shadow of the Goddess of Beauty." Even if her current body perished, relying on the rebirth and cycle authority inherent in the "Mother" pathway, she would most likely be able to be resurrected within that attribute.

Moreover, this was Lilith's choice based on her advice: to withdraw from the "Mother" pathway and return to the "Moon" pathway, thereby getting rid of the pollution.

But no one can guarantee whether Earth can preserve the "Mother Nest" and the two extraordinary pathways in the final battle, or whether the deity before us can be successfully resurrected.

Facing death always requires the greatest courage.

She let out a long breath, turning her gaze away from Lilith and towards Angel Grey, who was sitting in the "chariot" seat beside her.

Before killing Lilith with her own hands, she had one more important thing to do.

Sensing the gaze, Gray also looked in this direction. Their eyes met, and they understood each other perfectly. They stood up from their seats and went to Lilith's side at the end of the long table.

Then, they reached out their hands and hugged each other.

Two extremely similar bodies, almost like mirror images, instantly merged together.

Of course, this was only a manifestation of the spirit. Inside the "City of Calamity," the "Goddess of Calamity" Angel and the "Conqueror" Gray also merged at the same time.

This is the privilege of two people who are mirror images of each other and are essentially one individual; they can reunite without killing each other to extract their unique characteristics and individuality.

This represents the unification of the two paths of "Witch" and "Red Priest," with the power of destruction and end they symbolize serving as the supporting pillars, finally making the foundation of the "City of Calamity" solid.

A "destructive natural disaster, the root of all evil" was born.

In that instant, except for a few private areas that housed special mirror worlds and witches, all the "mirror worlds" on Earth were engulfed in a destructive flame that devoured everything. It even affected the entire universe through the barrier that had been weakened by the Outer God and was on the verge of collapse, making every mirror that could reflect light appear deep and illusory.

All the ongoing "natural disasters" froze briefly, then intensified or subsided. The weaknesses of all the eight Outer Gods besieging the astral barrier, which was not supported by any deity, were amplified, and even caused short-term instability.

Behind them, an abstract, hand-drawn black circle appeared, surrounded by nested rings of bright light. It was a symbol of a "black hole," a force that destroys and ends everything.

This caused the eight Outer Gods to momentarily lose their composure, halting their actions and beginning to deal with the deliberately amplified calamity that was unfolding around them.

They realized that yet another Old One had appeared within the barrier.

……

Above the gray fog, Angel's spirit also underwent some changes along with the changes in his body.

At this moment, apart from the uniqueness of the two pathways supporting the source matter, she has three "Doomsday" characteristics in her body, but only two "Conqueror" characteristics. This is an "imbalanced" state that she and Gray deliberately created, originally to prevent the yin and yang sides of the "Mirror Creator" that had been integrated into her body from meeting and merging. However, it has brought some abnormalities to her body.

Specifically, she still looks the same as before, with not much change.

"Based on the information inside the 'City of Calamity' and the state of the consciousness 'Evil Dragon' born from it, I should have originally become a bizarre state with three bodies, three heads, or even six arms. This is because the 'Yin and Yang' that merged the two paths in the past, plus the power of 'chaos' that the primordial God stuffed into the City of Calamity when he contained it, resulting in a 'trinity' state..."

"But at this moment, my body is dominated by yin, so that the yin aspect of the 'creator in the mirror', that is, the consciousness of the little girl who was imprisoned by Chick for thousands of years, takes the lead, which makes me present the original state of the 'witch'. Although Gray is the 'conqueror', he is also affected by this and does not let the male part manifest."

"This may be slightly weaker in symbolism and concept than the original form that 'Cataclysmic Destruction' should have shown, but it is not weak in reality, because that fusion state inevitably has hidden dangers, just like how I detonated the calamity within the 'Evil Dragon'... Now I have no fatal weakness, which is actually more advantageous in battles between the Ancients, because we are of equal status, and only I can detonate the weaknesses of the other Ancients, so I will not suffer the same attacks..."

Countless thoughts flashed through Angel's mind, and he couldn't help but feel a little fortunate.

Of course, in her current state, she still has a truly fatal weakness: the masculine aspect of the "original creator in the mirror" is still within her body. Once influenced by external forces, it will merge with the feminine aspect, inevitably giving birth to the true creator. This being's status is higher than all the Old Ones and Pillars, and will naturally compete with Angel for dominance over the body and occupy a favorable position.

But none of the ancients dared to ignite such a problem. Even if they themselves perished, they would have a considerable chance of being resurrected in the future. But once the original creator was born, nothing else in this universe could exist.

In short, I am now in my best condition... Angel muttered to himself, looking at Lilith and meeting her calm eyes.

Just then, Klein's thoughts echoed from high above the gray fog:
"The time has come."

They arrived… Beside the bronze table stood a deity, whose expression had darkened with age. After a moment, Lilith gave a reassuring smile and said:

"Let's do it. Hopefully, we can meet again after the apocalypse."

"Will do."

Angel smiled and replied.

She stretched out her right hand, palm facing upwards, and a stream of flames, a fusion of the "Red Priest's" invisible and colorless flames and the "Witch's" black flames that could freeze everything, shot into the sky and quickly transformed into a giant sword symbolizing destruction and end.

The moment she grasped the sword hilt, on the table beside Lilith, the blasphemous card depicting the pregnant Empress Rosell, which had been recreated by the historical projection and reintegrated with the characteristics of "Ceres," was turned over. Behind her, Giddas, who seemed to have become a woman but not completely, a blend of handsome and beautiful qualities, and Omibella, who was bound to the withered tree trunk of "Gift of the Earth," had opened her eyes and had a bewildered expression, also appeared at the same time.

In the "Mother" card, the gift belonging to the fallen Mother Goddess was guided by the gray mist and quickly merged into Lilith's body, causing her to show a painful expression. The same expression also appeared on the faces of the brother and sister behind her.

Giddar was immediately jolted awake from his dream. He then discovered that the person beside him was his sister, who had murdered him and joined forces with the Giant King to dismember him. His expression instantly turned to rage, and countless curses buried deep in his heart were about to burst forth.

The latter had already been partially reborn from the dissipated power of the "Fallen Mother Goddess" descending into reality. Given time, with the help of certain rituals, this eldest daughter of the "Mother Nest" might be able to truly be resurrected, but now the time left for her is running out.

In silence, Angel's greatsword of destruction slashed down, and the powers of destruction and chaos swept over Lilith, Omibella, and Giddas in quick succession, devouring them in an instant.

Even "newborns" cannot survive in this power.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The tops of the clouds above the western continent have been dyed crimson.

Wearing heavy black armor, a jeweled crown, and a matching book chained to his waist, Russell Gustave ascended the steps, passing through the magnificent palace composed of buildings from different eras and styles.

Beside Him, figures draped in yellow robes, wearing crowns, and with jade beads covering their faces appeared from time to time. These figures were all different in appearance, but all had missing faces, empty spaces, creating a mixed sense of holiness and eeriness.

Throughout history, the "Heavenly Emperors" and the Dao-aligned beings of the "Disordered Kingdom" have scrutinized this outsider with invisible eyes.

Russell, however, held his head high and walked without hesitation.

Only after ascending to the thirty-third heaven did all those scrutinizing gazes disappear. Before Him, a colossal figure, also wearing an imperial crown but without a face, sat on a magnificent throne.

"Brother Emperor, I'm here."

Rosell said in a deep voice, and before the other party could answer, he added:

"I should be here too."

The second sentence was even louder, as if it echoed throughout the palace shrouded in azure light.

At this moment, countless "natural disasters" in the universe were either forcibly stopped or amplified and erupted more violently, causing unexpected tremors in the Thirty-Three Heavens, which are located in reality and partially integrated with the spirit world and the astral world.

Below the clouds, the crimson light suddenly became dazzling.

Roselle could sense that it was some kind of distorted rule, using the power of the rule to graft the damage of a fallen god onto the "Fallen Mother Goddess" who was containing the nest.

That's how it should be... He smiled slightly and looked at the "Heavenly Emperor" again. The latter nodded slightly, stood up from his throne, reached out and took off the imperial crown from his head, and handed it to Rosell.

Upon receiving the heavy crown, Roselle let out a somewhat arrogant laugh and placed it directly on his head, overlapping and merging it with the original crown inlaid with dark gems.

Immediately, He walked up the last few steps, His figure growing larger and larger until He was the same height as the Heavenly Emperor and sat on the throne that the other had given up.

The brass book at his waist transformed into a stream of light and merged into his body, along with an octahedron reflecting different lights.

That is the uniqueness of the "Judge" pathway and the extraordinary nature of a Sequence 1, and is part of the "Disordered Ones, the Shadow of Order".

Of course, at this time, the spiritual imprint and consciousness of the Outer Gods and the "Children of Chaos" within the "Disordered Kingdom" have not been completely erased, and generations of Dao Masters have not subdued them. There are even occasional disputes among them due to their differing ideologies. Even if all the conditions are met, it would probably take Roselle decades or even centuries to truly master this source and allow the shadow of order to descend into reality.

However, this is only for the time being, with the cooperation of those who have attained enlightenment and with His previous efforts.

Another ancient day belonging to Earth was born.

(End of this chapter)