"So, his name's Peddler?" Invaderon muttered in surprise as he stared at his Apostle, "What happened to the army you sent his way?"
"They were defeated." The Apostle bowed in response, "The unscrupulous merchants are rapidly accumulating strength. They are selling some of their assets to regional Deities to buy a portion of their faith."
"Have you narrowed their base?" Invaderon asked next.
"I found it, Your Lordship!" Nefear landed on the ground and spoke in joy, "They have strong defences. I couldn't breach it by myself. To conserve my troops, I ordered a retreat and came to inform you."
"Essencer has become their guard dog."
"So that happened in the end. Damn Essencer. He's just too weak." Invaderon snorted in disdain, "Seems he got overconfident in the end just because he could steal and store the faith of other Deities and devils."
"When I visited to warn him the previous time, he only threatened to steal my faith too." Nefear huffed in anger, "When his primary attack means is to rely on the faith of others, irrespective of how much he gathers, the quality of his attacks would always be inferior to the major Deities and Devils."
"So, how much strength does he have as a guard dog?" Invaderon asked next.
"Not much, since most of his power sources have been destroyed. But," Nefear stated with a frown, "Peddler has already begun transporting Essencer's domain. It seems he has a way to make use of Essencer."
"Well, it wouldn't change much in the end." She shrugged.
"You shouldn't underestimate them that much." Invaderon said as he got up, "I told you about my past, right?"
"Yes, Your Lordship." Nefear nodded in response, "But, is he really that great?"
"You can say that the reason the System World survived to date is thanks to him. But," Invaderon sighed, "It's also because of him that the System World is experiencing its greatest crisis."
"He gave rise to two of our worst enemies."
"So, he shouldn't be underestimated." Invaderon said in all seriousness, "Before he finishes whatever the heck he's preparing, we should destroy him."
"Then, what about the God of Humanity?" Nefear asked, "Didn't you say he's the reason you've been preparing all along?"
"Is it fine to leave him alone?"
"There's already an opponent gearing up to fight the God of Humanity." Invaderon said, "Our objective is to finish off his sole ally, Peddler. This way, the God of Humanity wouldn't have any other allies."
"What about the other Deities? Aren't they benefitting thanks to the God of Humanity?" Nefear asked in worry, "Wouldn't they take action?"
"Even if they did, they won't affect the outcome of this battle." Invaderon smirked, "The God King has strategically placed the divine beast races next to the major human settlements. They would counter each other. And,"
He grinned, "Isn't that why I've worked so hard to birth more Devils? The moment they see an opportunity, they would strike the human cities. This would ensure the human Deities would have their hands full."
"In the end, the outcome of this war is only dependent on us six."
Invaderon then stared at the Apostles before him, saying, "When we're fighting Peddler, I'll reclaim all my power. So, pace yourselves accordingly."
"Yes, Your Lordship!" All the Apostles bowed in response.
"Alright, let's move."
Roar!
At his command, intense winds were generated as two massively elongated bony fins paddled the water. If one stared from the sky, one would see a massive mountain floating on the water like an island.
And from time to time, they would witness a bony head peak out, sporting massive horns. This was Invaderon's trump card.
Mobile Domain—Inron!
After becoming a Devil, Invaderon worked hard on creating his strongest undead puppet, one sentient enough to be smarter than an average human. He created an entity similar to a turtle on whose back he placed his domain—the mountain where he became the Devil.
Over the years, the mountain fused with the creature, allowing it to carry his domain wherever he pleased. This was how Invaderon was able to invade other territories and strengthen his power and influence.
The sighting of the moving mountain was a signal for the upcoming disaster as every living being with more than one braincell would begin to evacuate. And if they fail to do so, they would be killed.
Currently, Inron had entered the sea, making its way to a far-off developed continent that was solely dominated by one entity—Peddler.
The wealth from every part of the world was concentrated on this continent and poured into the development of its economy. And as a result, it was currently the most developed region in the world.
Of course, Peddler's original domain was somewhere else. But using his authority, he transferred it to the current location. He suffered large losses as a result, but over time, he managed to recover from that to reach his current height.
And being cut off from other faiths came as a benefit, allowing the development of the place. There were people belonging to the faith of the God of Humanity too living in the region. They prospered by selling their knowledge and skills.
There was a price for everything, which was the motto followed by Peddler. This was how he took advantage of everything to grow.
And today, for the first time since the place's establishment, the enemy intruded upon his domain.
Standing atop his peak was Peddler, staring at the approaching Inron as he muttered, "He took the bait."
He snapped his finger, motioning for his people to take action, "Begin preparations."
"Yes!" With a shout, his subordinates dispersed.
Among them was a Spirit that smiled cunningly as she took out a weighing scale and gently tapped it with a metal stick, producing ringing sounds, "It's time to repay your debt."
Boom!
Within Inron was a Spirit under Invaderon, excitedly preparing for the upcoming invasion as he empowered his army of skeletons.
But suddenly, his eyes lost their lustre as he extended his hand, causing the army of skeletons under him to cluster, "I'll repay my debt now."
Bluish rays of light burst out of the cluster as a torrent of flames exploded, flooding the region as a pillar of flames, like a water geyser gushed out of one part of the mountain, the intense light giving a blue tinge to everyone, including Invaderon's face as the Spirit's final words echoed, "Corpse Explosion."
