The vast Underdark was home to an immense population, even without counting the undead.
It would be a pity to let so much faith go to waste.
Anbaixiu had considered making good use of this power of faith before, but his mentor, the God of Alchemy, was a conceptual deity who had little interest in worship. When someone chanted, "Praise the God of Alchemy," they were not offering him faith; they were reshaping the concept of alchemy in people's minds. The deeper that image took root, the broader the reach of alchemy became, and the stronger the God of Alchemy grew.
Thus, whether people believed or not was irrelevant, so long as they acknowledged alchemy. Anbaixiu had never thought to coerce others into praising the God of Alchemy, either, because doing so would only tarnish alchemy's reputation—much like the mess stirred up in the City of Alchemy—and end up damaging the deity's divine power instead.
Just because the God of Alchemy had no use for it, however, did not mean others couldn't.
Anbaixiu's Golden Throne could originally convert the power of faith into gold, but the efficiency was far too low, and using it on Anbaixiu was a complete waste.
Leira was another matter entirely. She was currently at her weakest, and back when she was still a shut-in goddess, she had possessed plenty of followers. To her, the power of faith was vastly more useful.
A goddess willing to share a bed with him was surely trustworthy.
Thinking it over, this was the only way to let Leira's power grow quickly.
The Rose of Decay did not mind gaining another deity she could truly trust, either. Her ultimate goal was far too daunting, after all, and ordinary deities could not even be bothered to answer her.
Anbaixiu taught the Rose of Decay how to operate the magic mirror and left the two ladies to discuss the details amongst themselves.
Getting races like deep dwarves, gnomes, myconids, and drow elves to convert was no simple feat. Anbaixiu knew little about the methods of propagating faith, and as a layman, he had no intention of meddling.
Instead, he headed straight for the sacrificial altar of the royal capital.
He had originally planned to find Melina and have his daughter help prepare the sacrifices, but the moment he arrived, the summoning circle was already running.
Melina said cheerfully, "Father, everything is prepared. The summoning ritual can begin at any time."
Anbaixiu could not help but sigh with appreciation. The Rose of Decay truly treated him well—without him even needing to speak, she had readied everything for him.
The summoning circle began to shine. Flesh and blood, souls, lingering malice, along with the treacherous nature inherent to drow elves—all of these were things Shar favored, capable of letting her craft a few more Dark Justiciars to do her bidding.
Black mist billowed outward, once again coalescing into Shar's visage.
Yet the moment the goddess laid eyes on Anbaixiu, she snapped in fury, "What do you want now?! You damned lich!"
Anbaixiu: "..."
This goddess truly held a deep misunderstanding of him.
Standing to the side, Melina was equally astonished. This was the Goddess of Darkness, an illustrious divinity, so why did she lose her composure the moment she saw her father? She did not look like a deity at all.
Anbaixiu hurriedly said, "O Goddess, don't be so worked up. Weren't our previous transactions quite pleasant? I never cheated you, so there's really no need for such anger."
Shar spat wrathfully, "Your mouth is poison coated in honey! Stop wagging that deceitful tongue of yours!"
Anbaixiu put on an innocent expression. "O Goddess, liches have no tongues. Every word I speak is a resonance of the soul, which only proves it comes straight from my heart."
Shar was so enraged that her head felt ready to explode. If she could, she truly wanted to tear this lich apart with her bare teeth.
"State your business in summoning me. Speak plainly. One more word of nonsense and I leave immediately—I would rather forfeit these paltry offerings."
Melina was utterly dumbfounded. Shar's stance was uncompromising to the extreme, terrified of leaving Anbaixiu the slightest pretext to make trouble. Were even deities afraid of her father? This was completely absurd.
Not daring to banter with Shar any further, Anbaixiu quickly stated his purpose.
"The Dragon Queen has a grand plan in the Kingdom of the Unholy Hymn, likely to be enacted very soon. Do you know the specifics of this plan?"
"I do not," Shar answered decisively, adding with emphasis, "My relationship with Tiamat is not that close. We aren't friends who share everything."
"Ah... is there really no word at all?" Anbaixiu asked.
Shar gave a cold sneer. "There is. How about I have Tiamat tell you herself? I can invite her to descend and chat with you in person."
She thought this would frighten Anbaixiu, but to Shar's utter astonishment, Anbaixiu replied without hesitation, "Sure! Please, invite the Dragon Queen over for a chat."
Shar froze, then demanded, "Do you not know what you have done? You defeated Tiamat's chosen and handed him over to me, and now you want to ruin another of her schemes—yet you dare face her in person?"
Anbaixiu said nonchalantly, "Why wouldn't I dare? She can't outright kill me anyway."
He was still technically a mortal. Besides, weren't the Elven Gods pledged to shield him from Tiamat's wrath? With such a massive shield at his back, if he didn't seize the chance to draw a bit more hostility, it would be a huge waste.
Shar felt she would never understand this lich. She had truly never encountered such an outrageous mortal.
"Fine. You chose this. Consider your wish granted."
Shar swallowed all the sacrifices in one gulp and vanished. Yet the light of the summoning circle lingered on, showing that the ritual was far from over.
After a long wait, a blaze ignited atop the circle, washing the entire altar in crimson light and making even Anbaixiu feel a wave of scorching heat.
Anbaixiu recognized it at once: this was fire from Hell.
Not only was its temperature astonishingly high, but it was also intensely corrosive, capable of searing the soul.
Such terrifying grandeur certainly matched the image of the Dragon Queen.
Just as Anbaixiu expected five draconic heads to emerge from the inferno, a pair of enormous flaming wings spread wide, revealing a breathtaking yet fractured face.
Wasn't this Zariel?
Where was the promised Dragon Queen? Shar, you useless goddess, you can't even invite the right person?!
Before Zariel could speak, Anbaixiu promptly bowed and said with deep respect, "Honored Archduchess of Avernus, I never expected to meet you here. Please forgive me for not having prepared a welcoming gift."
Zariel's towering form of flames gradually shrank until she stood roughly the same height as Anbaixiu. Stepping down from the altar, she approached him.
"Lich, I have heard your name—and many times over."
Anbaixiu hastily replied, "It is my honor."
Zariel laughed softly. "Hardly an honorable reputation, however. From Tiamat, I heard you are the most insidious, deceitful creature in the mortal realm, one to whom the Prince of Lies ought to surrender his divine portfolio. From Shar, I heard you are the most brazen blasphemer, never showing the slightest reverence toward deities, and that your words are poison capable of corroding even our divinity."
"Misunderstandings, all misunderstandings. Mortals cannot fathom the minds of deities, so lapses in communication are only natural. But I believe anyone who spends enough time with me will see that I am a mortal who values fairness above all else."
Zariel looked at the lich and remarked with genuine emotion, "Shar was not wrong in the least. Mortal, your heart harbors no fear whatsoever. But I am pleased; I like individuals such as you. Back then, it was because I had no fear that I charged into Hell. Were it not for being betrayed, I would not have become what I am today. I admire warriors; I admire those who truly forge ahead without turning back.
"Lich, do you have any interest in becoming a knight under my banner? Surely you bear none of the moral shackles of the living. Become my knight, claim this mortal realm for Hell on my behalf, and you shall have everything you desire."
Anbaixiu answered without a second thought, "I thank you for your favor, but my apologies. I am a lich, and we liches have our own deity."
"You mean the Vaunted? Ha. Do you think he remains blind to your situation? You do not worship him at all. Otherwise, how could Velsharoon, the patron deity of evil liches, simply leave you alone?"
Zariel saw right through Anbaixiu's lie without hesitation, then continued, "However, since you have refused, I will not offer a second time. Lich, didn't you wish to know the plan between Tiamat and me? I shall give you an opportunity."
Zariel drew the flaming longsword from her hip and plunged it forcefully into the ground.
Endless fire erupted, shaping itself into a five-meter-tall fire giant.
"You should understand my preferences well. I favor warriors, powerful combatants. Defeat this fire giant, and I will tell you everything you wish to know."
With those words, Zariel tore off half of one flaming wing and pressed it into the fire giant.
In the next instant, the fire giant turned into a blur and lunged at Anbaixiu.
The power of a legendary ranger allowed Anbaixiu to react instantly, smoothly evading with a Misty Step.
Wherever the fire giant passed, it left behind vast swathes of hellfire. Its colossal fist smashed into the stone floor, not only tearing open wide fractures but also gouging out a massive pit of molten lava.
If that punch landed, Anbaixiu's bones would instantly disintegrate into ash.
Rather than seizing the opening to counterattack, Anbaixiu called out to Zariel, "Honored Archduchess of Avernus, is any method permitted?"
Left with only a wing and a half, Zariel nodded. "Of course. I know you conceal many trump cards. Whatever means you employ, I look forward to your performance."
"My deepest thanks! Since any method goes... Melina, strike!"
At Anbaixiu's loud call, Melina summoned her Sussur Warhorse. A massive antimagic barrier expanded, enveloping the fire giant within.
Most of the roaring blaze vanished in a flash, exposing the creature's fiery-red, rocky physique.
Zariel had not anticipated that Melina possessed such power. An ultra-wide antimagic barrier? This was beyond the reach of an ordinary Antimagic Field; it was magic suppression of a far higher tier.
The giant Zariel had summoned had to remain within the limits of what the mortal realm could sustain, so it was naturally constrained by the barrier.
Zariel praised, "An impressive trick, but did you think that alone would win the day?"
Though its flames were mostly quenched, the stone giant had not completely lost momentum. It continued charging toward Anbaixiu, albeit much more slowly this time.
Within the antimagic barrier, Anbaixiu could not cast spells either. Facing this stone giant of plainly terrifying physical might, he resorted to the exact same maneuver as before.
"Melina!"
With Anbaixiu's shout, Melina's lance struck hard against the stone giant's foot. The tremendous impact threw the colossal beast, weighing who knew how many tons, completely off balance.
A brawl like this was best left to Melina, the Death Knight!
Chapter 318