Storm of Gods

Chapter 240 The Coffin of the Dead

At the Amano Bar, Didia was completely drunk, not faking it, but genuinely venting all sorts of emotions. He had accumulated too much in the past month: Anthony's death, the upheaval of his values, his family's stance in the power struggle, and the difficult choices he faced. All of these things were heavy burdens for him, who had originally wanted to be a knight. In the past, he only wanted to increase his strength, gain honor, and become the pride of the kingdom—simple and pure. But life was not like that at all. It was difficult to be a knight, it was difficult to fall into depravity, and it was even more difficult to be a true knight.

Didia released his pent-up emotions, vomiting as he pushed away the servants who were supporting him, swinging his arms wildly, "Get out, all of you get out~~~ Ugh~~~"

Didia collapsed to the side, vomiting profusely. After he finished, he lay on the ground, panting heavily, looking completely unrestrained. The messengers dared not approach him, as everyone knew his condition; even the once mighty Lord Lei had come to this.

"Alright, stop watching the show. Let's pack up and take Didia back."

Several young nobles surrounded him, asking the servants to help wipe away the filth. By this time, Didia was already in a daze and let them do as they pleased.

The waiters recognized the young masters and dared not stop them, watching as Didia was led away...

Cantona surfaced from the sea, his eyes filled with excitement and relief, but not much surprise. He had sensed something was wrong the moment the knife pierced him, and he remembered the words on the parchment scroll.

Death is the path to the coffin of the dead, or rather, it is the key; he stumbled upon it by accident.

Regardless, he escaped the First Secretary's pursuit. Thinking of how he almost fell into the hands of the Underworld Church, Cantona couldn't help but shudder. There are two churches on the Dao Yuan Continent that are most skilled at torturing souls: the Underworld Church and the Earth Mother Goddess. Physical death is easy, but the death of the soul is very difficult. For traitors and heretics, it is not as simple as execution; they will use forbidden techniques to imprison the soul and torture it endlessly.

Therefore, in this situation, immediate death is definitely the happiest option. Even if the soul is searched after death, it will only last for a short while, and the soul will dissipate soon. However, if one is captured alive, the consequences are unimaginable.

Cantona, a seasoned veteran, quickly calmed down. With no one around, he was probably the only one who had survived by sheer luck. To enter the Island of the Dead, besides death, there might be other conditions, such as possessing a relic of the Grim Reaper. But he was definitely not the only one in the group with such a relic. It was also possible that the condition was not being killed, but rather a choice made by oneself.

Only by facing death can one survive.

This kind of courage is something a normal person wouldn't have; it's only because Cantona knew what would happen if he were captured that he acted so decisively.

Not far away lay an island shrouded in gloom, its shape indeed resembling a coffin. It emitted an eerie blue light that failed to penetrate the darkness. Cantona dog-paddled to the shore, and stepping onto land brought a long-lost sense of comfort. So many days at sea had left him extremely uncomfortable, and this temporary relief brought a strong pang of hunger. Ignoring this physical urge, Cantona gazed at the mysterious island so close at hand. He believed this to be the legendary Coffin of the Dead, holding the secret to resurrecting Death.

To be honest, Cantona couldn't tell whether he was happy or distressed. He had been a cardinal in the Black Meteor Empire's Underworld Church, having gone through rigorous selection to enter the Underworld Church. He must have had exceptional talent. He had spent more than ten years step by step entering the Cardinal Hall, and another ten years becoming a cardinal. In fact, at this point, he could be said to have a very promising future. Because of his cautious and low-key approach, he was patient and calm even with tedious tasks that others were unwilling to do. He was noticed by Omuranetti, who was not yet the First Secretary at the time. Under Omuranetti's guidance, Cantona improved rapidly and gained the opportunity to choose a divine relic.

However, that choice of divine relic changed his fate. Being chosen by a weapon-type divine relic showed his exceptional talent. Coupled with being Omuranetti's student, his future was bright, and becoming a scribe was only a matter of time.

However, a nightmare one night changed everything. His Netherworld Soul-Seizing Blade was not a relic of the God of the Underworld, but a relic of the God of Death.

In the Third Age, the Supreme Will ruled the world and created gods to manage it. Death was one of the most powerful gods at the time, wielding the power of death. Entering the Fourth Age, for some unknown reason, the gods could no longer sense the Supreme Will, and chaos ensued. Initially, the gods were restrained, but it soon escalated into a war among the gods, plunging the heavens and the earth, and the entire Dao Abyss, into chaos. In the Ragnarok era, the severely wounded Death was attacked by his subordinate god, the God of the Underworld, leading to Death's demise. The God of the Underworld then seized Death's power and established the powerful Church of the God of the Underworld in the Fifth Age, gaining the Pope's approval. The Church of the God of the Underworld continues to this day and remains one of the most powerful churches in Dao Abyss.

However, Death did not completely perish. In a sense, the authority of the Underworld God was a part of Death. These powers were scattered in the relics of the gods. For some unknown reason, the Underworld God did not fully digest them. Some people who possessed the relics of the gods began to awaken the will of Death. In the Sixth Age, the Church of Death was secretly established, planning to resurrect Death and reclaim everything that should have belonged to them.

Cantona was chosen inexplicably, and the moment he was chosen, he had no way out.

Cantona was very clear-headed. Being in the Cardinals' Chamber of the Papacy was like dancing naked on a knife's edge. Cantona was well aware of his own limitations and did not think he could hide for long. He knew how terrifying the scribes in the Cardinals' Chamber were, so he decisively devised an escape plan. It was precisely because of this decisiveness that he was able to escape.

After wandering for a while, he transformed into a member of the guild. During a mission, he was approached by the Church of Death and, with their help, became the leader. Often, fate did not give him a choice. Having acquired this divine relic, he became a member of the Church of Death. The fate of all believers in the Church of Death was to find a way to resurrect Death. Because he had been an officer in the Secretariat of the Underworld God, he was valued upon his return and carried out the important mission of finding the Coffin of the Dead.

Actually, Cantona wasn't a rigid or inflexible person; it's just that this damn Church of Death was a bit useless. Someone like him, who hadn't even activated his third life star, was assigned such an important task. You can imagine how incompetent he was. A bunch of weaklings still wanted to fight against the powerful Church of the Underworld. What were they going to do?

For a long time, he managed to keep his own troupe in the dark as much as possible, but in the end, the Church of Hades found him, and the troupe's efforts were in vain. He could no longer hide.

Despite his complaints, Cantona knew he had to become stronger to avoid death. The Coffin of the Dead held the guidance of Death, and looking at the desolate island before him brimming with powerful psychic energy, Cantona had no choice but to bite the bullet and go in. Whether he stuck his head out or not, he was doomed...

(End of this chapter)