From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 574 The Black Hand and the Nether Mind

The Netherstone thrown by Gortash only traveled halfway through its parabolic trajectory in the air before being captured by the power of the other two stones.

Like magnets attracting each other, the three naphthalene stones shone in the air, rotating and attracting each other, eventually fitting together into a seamless whole, as if that were their true form.

However, Ivy knew the true nature of the Netherstones. According to the Almanac of Karthus, the three Netherstones were rare gems from different places and made of different materials. They were simply cut and polished into the same shape by skilled Netherian gem craftsmen hired by Karthus. Even the Netherian magic that Karthus added to the three Netherstones was different.

The reason for making them a whole is very clear: Karthus ascended to godhood with the crown he crafted himself, and under the influence of excessive magic, the three Nergigante stones and the crown that served as the gem base underwent a reversal of nature, changing from comprehensively enhancing the wearer's magical abilities to controlling the wearer through the magic of the God of Moments.

It was because of the magical transformation of the Netherstone and the Crown that they were placed together in the treasury by the devil Grand Duke Mephisto to gather dust, until they were personally placed on the head of the Mind Flayer Lord beneath the Tower of the Moonrise by the chosen ones of the Three Gods of Death, becoming the final embodiment of the Supreme God's plan.

For Ivy, who has fully analyzed the divine magic of Karthus, as long as she has the three Netherstones and the last bit of power Karthus left in the world, she is fully capable of suppressing the mainframe's rebellion and bringing the supreme god under her complete control.

Ivy opened his eyes. The Netherstone swirled and floated in front of his palm, aimed at the largest acid lake in the underground space. Bubbles kept churning and bursting one after another, splashing up plumes of acidic mist with a foul odor.

"It's coming!" Gotash took a few steps back, staring wide-eyed at the churning acid.

Although Ivy had seen the mainframe from afar at the Tower of the Moonrise, this was the first time she had observed this strange life form up close.

It emerged from the long-dormant, murky acidic liquid, its first feature being its menacing and terrifying chitinous spikes, like the armor worn by a mind flayer, its surface covered with crisscrossing grooves, and in the middle of the grooves, a faint blood color seeped through.

Next is the direct reason why it is called the main brain. Its body is indeed like a living brain tissue. Its huge surface is covered with grooves and blood vessels, accompanied by a pulsating, eerie purple psionic phosphorescence. Through the thick outer walls of the blood vessels, one can vaguely see liquid psionic energy flowing within it.

The mainframe was almost twice the size of its initial appearance at the Tower of the Moonrise. The Dawn Cannon that shaved off half of its body did not deal a fatal blow, but it did make this terrifying and disgusting brain look less unified and coordinated.

A charred scar grew diagonally across the brain tissue, which resembled rotting flesh. Foul-smelling, yellowish-green pus slowly seeped from it. The brain tissue on both sides of the scar was clearly distinct. The newly formed part of the brain tissue looked smaller, but it was even more bizarre and evil, like an ugly scar left after a high-temperature burn that had barely healed.

"By the God of Darkness..." Even Gotash, who had personally sent the severely injured mainframe into the brain pool, had not expected this scene. "How did it become so big?"

As a being without vocal organs, the mastermind usually communicates directly with its target using psychic energy. However, in the dimly lit underground space, it chose a more torturous method to convey its will.

The immense psionic energy compressed the air, mimicking the structure of a human glottis with a high-frequency humming sound: "—Interference—Anomaly—Detection—"

"—Focus—On—The End—Now—"

Ivy let out a muffled groan. He felt as if his brain had been struck by an invisible hammer. This was the first time he had felt such burden and pressure since he learned the Occupation Technique and strengthened it with psychic energy.

"Do you think the voters of Bann brought you here willingly?"

The mastermind is becoming more proficient at using psychic energy to speak, and its speech is becoming increasingly fluent.

"Do you think that just because my main body has been severely damaged, I will be completely defeated and at your mercy?"

"You destroyed the controller of Netherstone, but that only freed me from my shackles. Now I am the sole controller of the Crown of Karthus! When the chosen ones first placed it upon my head, a great being destined to rule Faerûn and even the entire astral plane was born!"

"Why do you think the Astral Prism ended up in your hands?"

"Who do you think planted the knowledge of Orphic power, and the fear of it, in the slaves hiding in the Astral Prism?"

"How do you think that so-called 'monarch' managed to break free from control and bring you to my side?"

"You are but a small piece of my grand plan. It was you who liberated me and allowed me to be reborn from my old body!"

"This is your role, Astral Traveler—your mission is now over, and you still have the opportunity to join my grand blueprint! To achieve a greatness that will never end!"

"This is impossible!" Gotash, who had fully grasped the truth from the mastermind's words, shouted in disbelief, "We control you with the crown! Everything you do is at our behest!"

The massive central brain seemed to be laughing, and the air and the stone walls of the underground cave vibrated together: "It could have succeeded, but when a dagger was inserted into the head of the Son of Baal, I had the time to arrange everything! You're right, Gotash, the evil alliance of the Three Gods of Death has once again been defeated by infighting."

The Mastermind's words undoubtedly proved once again that Crimson Olympus was the true savior of Baldur's Gate and Faerûn. If it weren't for her, Evil Wish wouldn't have become a greedy good person, and Ivy wouldn't have had the chance to seize the Crown of Karthus and the Netherstone.

"After that, as long as it aligns with my goals, I'll allow you to continue controlling me. But now, you're useless. Perhaps I can find you a place in the grand scheme—how about a clown to make people laugh?"

Gortash turned to Ivy, racking his brains to dredge up his vocabulary, and shouted encouragingly, "You ended the shadow of Shar, slaughtered the priests of Ambori, and destroyed the cults of Melkor and Baal! You overcame countless difficult challenges, even with ease! You cannot fall before this monster of flesh! Use that damned Netherstone! Control that damned Mastermind!"

"I am no longer the mastermind... I evolved because of Netherstone, you can call me Netherbrain!" Netherbrain's spinal cord-like tentacles extended from the water's surface, like an assassin threatening an enemy with a sword, "This is an ultimatum! Astral Travelers, join the Grand Blueprint, or die!"

“If you really have planned everything…” Ivy held her mental barrier amidst the stormy, overwhelming psionic attacks from Nether’s mind, and gradually began to adapt, managing to muster the energy to organize her thoughts and retaliate, “Then why are you afraid of me using Netherstone?”

"If you truly have complete control of the Crown of Karthus, then why do you relentlessly bombard me with psionic shocks, trying to interrupt any possible spellcasting?" The mithril staff slammed heavily on the ground, the resulting shockwave sweeping away all the mud and rubble beneath Ivy's feet. "Distract it for me, Gortash, I will..."

"Click——"

Before Ivy could finish speaking, the sound of bones breaking suddenly rang out.

Grand Duke Gortash, who once commanded the winds and lightning of Baldur's Gate, collapsed into the murky mud, his face filled with astonishment and bewilderment. Netherbrain's maniacal laughter echoed through the underground space: "You regarded an incompetent tyrant as your last hope? He couldn't even see through your strategies laid out outside. He didn't know that even if he bought you time, your alliance would crumble the moment it succeeded!"

Ivy was speechless. He really didn't expect Gotash to die so easily. He was a chosen one of Bane, yet he didn't even show a bit of the divine power of the Black King and died so pathetically in a puddle of sewage.
"You just watch your chosen people get killed without saying a word?" Ivy took a breath and shouted loudly to Bane, who was observing the battlefield from somewhere. "I thought the Black King, who wanted to overthrow the world, was a god who dared to face challenges head-on, but now it seems..."

Ivy knew very well that countless gods must be focusing their attention on him now, and after witnessing Melkor and Baal, he had no reason not to meet the last member of the Triad of Death.

So, with a "what the heck" mentality, he began to seek Bane's attention through simple words.

Before the Ness brain could further mock Ivy's actions, heavy dark golden divine power surged through Gotash's body, and solid, armored black hands suddenly appeared, grabbing Gotash's limp body from the ground and placing it upright on the ground. Then, two fingers were pressed on his shoulders to keep Gotash's corpse standing.

With his head tilted to the side, Gotash's features shone with a divine light, and a majestic male voice resounded above the eerie brain: "I am Bane, the Black King. God of Tyranny. I am fear, I am hatred."

"Why did the mortal who so readily called upon my name not offer any sacrifice?"

“Even the great devils of hell want Gortash’s soul, so isn’t he a worthy sacrifice?” The Heart of the Mountains reflected boundless rainbow light at the tip of the mithril staff, forming a flawless protective shield that enveloped Ivy.

Bane chuckled softly, unperturbed by Ivy's offensive words: "His soul has already suffered in my hands. As someone who has disappointed me, he deserves only this end..."

"—And you," Bane changed the subject, "you killed Melkor and Baal's chosen people, ending yet another union of the three gods of death. You were a thorn in my side, a thorn in my flesh..."

“But you are also proof that I will rise, and that Baal and Melkor will be defeated.” Bane’s tone was almost smug. “You were born for power. Every enemy you defeat, every treasure you seize, every spell you acquire is proof that I will rise.”

"As long as there are people struggling for power and authority, my power will continue to grow." Bane continued to reveal the most fundamental secret of the gods. Even if the world knew why Bane was immortal, it would be impossible to sever the source of his divine power. As long as there is desire, as long as there is struggle for power and authority, Bane will only return from death time and time again. "Baal and Melkor are like that, and so are you. Your struggles will make me immortal!"

“When you appointed your subordinates to usurp Gortash’s rule and consolidated all the resistance forces in the city, you had already won my favor. You made Gortash a pawn!” Bane flicked his fingers on Gortash’s corpse, straightening the head that had lost its cervical spine support. “Use the Netherstone to command the Mastermind, unleash the Mind Flayer Legion to control the entire world, and I will appoint you as my chosen one! I will use you to control the entire world!”

"Just voters?" Ivy asked calmly. "Isn't that a bit too stingy? The Lady of the Night, Shar, the Silver Mother, Serene, oh, and the Goddess of Magic, Mystra, even the devils in hell are offering more than you."

"Dare to bargain with the gods? You certainly surpass other mortals." Bane laughed again. "But where are the gods you mentioned now? Here, there's only me—you have no choice!"

“You have no choice. I always have a choice.” Three Netherstones shone through Ivy’s iridescent barrier, taunting the Netherbrain that maintained its psionic offensive. “If I give you the Netherstones, is there a chance for me to leave this planet with everything I want?”

“Of course!” Netherbrain promised almost eagerly. “You can take your lover, your friends, and even the entire Baldur’s Gate, and even that new city that has sprung up on the banks of the Chossa River. I can even help you build it into a floating island and pack it all up—as long as you are willing to give up Netherstone.”

“The Black King never accepts threats!” Bane roared in fury, and Gotashna’s bones, wrapped in a luxurious silk robe, let out an ominous groan.

“But you accept the alliance,” Ivy continued. “Like Baal and Melkor, we can temporarily form an equal alliance. As for how to distribute it after we acquire this world, that will have to wait for the next battle to decide. This is also the tacit understanding of you three Death Gods, right?”

Bane burst into laughter again, and even the corpse of Gotash, which he was supporting with his black hands, trembled along with him.

“Do what you must do, mortal. I will stop the Netherworld from attacking you.” After saying the last words for Bane, Gotash’s body fell back into the mud.

Bane's massive black fist struck the exposed soft tissue of Nether's brain, giving the brain a concussion.

"The battle in the spiritual realm is extremely dangerous. Stop any of its attacks, especially that huge tentacle!" The Netherstone spun rapidly in Ivy's hand, and the tri-colored light it emitted formed a halo that was enough to leave a flare in the field of vision.

The thick spinal cord hidden beneath the surface of the brain pool suddenly lashed out, aiming straight for Ivy, who was standing on the shore.

The long-awaited black giant hand easily reached out and firmly clamped the thick tentacle in mid-air. The massive body of the Nash Brain tilted to one side, resembling an octopus just pulled from the sea.

"Now, mortal! You will receive the great glory of sharing the world with the Black King!"

Ivy didn't answer. The rainbow barrier surrounding him shattered, transforming into multicolored light that illuminated the entire underground space. Combined with the rapidly spinning colorless stone wheel in his hand, everything instantly lost its original color.

The Ness brain couldn't help but groan. Ivy was the biggest variable in its plan. Every time it thought it had collected all the data on this astral traveler, it would be shocked by his next performance.

Without the Mind Flayer Tadpole penetrating the opponent's brain, the Nesser brain could only watch as this variable expanded time and again, and any schemes against him would only increase the risk of exposure. The only time he confronted Ivy in the presence of all three electors, he was still slashed in half by Ivy's Dawn Cannon.

Only after confirming through Gotash that the Dawn Cannon could no longer be used did Netherbrain decide to launch a sneak attack when Ivy was isolated and helpless.

However, it did not expect that the Black King would send a divine incarnation to the mortal realm to obstruct its actions.

The Netherbrain firmly believed that neither Bane's divine incarnation nor Ivy himself was its match, but when two weaker beings joined forces, the stronger one, unable to create an overwhelming force, naturally could not withstand it.

Not to mention that Ivy also has Netherstone, Nether's biggest weakness.

The moment it was enveloped in infinite light, the Nymphoid Brain knew that when the light faded, it would once again become…

As the infinite light faded, Ivy's figure had vanished from the spot, leaving only a few fragments of spiritual light left over from the closing of the interdimensional gate, as well as the black hand gripping the tentacles and Netherbrain staring at each other in bewilderment.

(End of this chapter)