A massive, tumultuous demonic invasion of Hell had come to a close in the most unbelievable fashion.
The great, wise Archduke Deceiver, who saw through the hearts of all, had triumphed once again, just as he had in every wager before.
The demon lords were repelled. Demons no longer swarmed the Blood River battlefield; in their place, a million-strong army of the undead took up permanent garrison along that branch of the River Styx.
With the retreat of the demons, Hell was currently holding a council to debate whether to turn the site into a permanent outpost, effectively expanding Hell's territory.
Unless something extraordinary happened, this council would not reach a conclusion within a hundred years.
Whenever external pressure vanished, the infighting among devils was ten thousand times worse than that of mortals.
Yet in the wake of this battle, whether mortal or divine, none could look away from that rising new star.
The rise of the Archduke Deceiver was now set in stone. He had won Cyric's divine portfolio, and with that unprecedented live broadcast, the collective belief and will of countless living beings could have elevated him to godhood even had he been an ordinary mortal.
No one had ever played the game like this before, and the pioneer who took the first bite naturally reaped the greatest reward.
Everyone was guessing just how far this devil archduke's power had swollen. A greater deity was merely the baseline; some were already speculating that the Deceiver had vaulted to the position of the mightiest archduke in Hell, perhaps formidable enough to wrestle on equal terms with Asmodeus, the Lord of Hell himself.
With the rise of such an evil-aligned deity, even Mount Celestia had to take notice.
Having previously collaborated with Anbaixiu, the Lord of the Dawn found himself exceedingly busy. Lathander was pressed on all sides to find out what the Archduke Deceiver intended to do next.
It was not only angels from the heavens who could charge into Hell; devils were just as eager to storm Mount Celestia for a grand massacre.
Even if he did not mount a direct invasion, the Archduke Deceiver's cunning was enough to put every deity on edge. If anything displeased him, what was to stop him from digging pitfall traps for the gods?
The Lord of the Dawn had originally been savoring the joy of having vanquished his arch-nemesis, Cyric, but hearing the other deities go on about it made him uneasy as well.
This was no longer a mortal who could be kneaded at whim, but a mighty being standing on equal footing with the gods.
Back when he was still a mortal, Anbaixiu had already schemed several deities to death. Now that he was firmly seated as an archduke of Hell, it would be genuinely terrifying if he plotted against gods again.
Then there was the newly resurrected Goddess of Fate, another figure that could not be taken lightly. Yet after speaking with Anbaixiu, that goddess had vanished without a trace, leaving behind not a whisper of news, so for the moment, no one paid her much mind.
Though a paragon of light and righteousness, the Lord of the Dawn was no fool. He was not about to stroll directly down to Hell to share tea with Anbaixiu. Instead, he took a roundabout approach, seeking out the God of Alchemy to inquire first.
To his surprise, Lathander discovered that Anbaixiu was already waiting inside the God of Alchemy's divine realm.
And the Lord of the Dawn was not even the first guest in line for an audience.
The God of Alchemy poured Lathander a cup of tea and said helplessly, "That student of mine has been rather busy of late. Demons want him, elves want him, the undead want him, a whole crowd of goddesses wants him, and now even you from Mount Celestia want him. The kid is so full of himself now he barely shows respect to me, his own teacher."
The Lord of the Dawn managed a wry smile. He had not anticipated such dramatic changes in so short a time.
Just two or three years ago, this devil archduke had been nothing more than a mortal—a mere name on the Lion Empire's wanted list.
Yet within that brief span, the Lord of the Dawn had watched this mortal summon clouds and turn the rain, climbing step by step to where he stood today at a speed that left even deities dumbfounded.
This was not an era when Ao grew wrathful and forced mortals and gods into a shared battle royale. The difficulty for a mortal to attain godhood under normal circumstances was simply astronomical.
At that very moment, while watched by the gods, Anbaixiu sat off to the side, sipping tea and chatting with three friends he had not seen in a long time.
They were the goddesses who had just successfully completed their Trinity ascension ritual:
Catherine, the Elven Queen; Leira, the Lady of Mists; and Aige, now the God of Freedom.
Catherine was largely unchanged, as breathtaking as the first day they met. Even after becoming the racial deity of the drow elves, she remained untainted by the drow's corrupted faith, instead using the purity of her soul to steadily reverse their venomous nature.
Anbaixiu now understood why the elven pantheon had treated Catherine with such exceptional favor. Looking upon her after attaining godhood, her soul was crystal-clear and utterly translucent—a truly flawless treasure. Only a soul so pure could endure the spiritual taint of the drow.
Reunited after their long parting, Catherine's first words were, "And here I thought you were really dead. I cried for days."
Anbaixiu offered a helpless explanation. Had he not become a deity himself, he truly would not have dared see Catherine again, lest a single glance cost him his very soul.
Catherine was always easy to coax, and after a few comforting words, her annoyance melted away.
As for his old friend Leira, Anbaixiu kept things even simpler.
"Leira, as I promised you, I've brought Cyric before you."
Anbaixiu produced a crystal sphere containing Cyric, who had been stripped of his divinity and reduced to a mortal.
Her hands trembling, Leira took the crystal sphere. Watching Cyric inside, who seemed to still be speaking, she was overwhelmed with emotion and struck speechless.
She had waited far too long for this day.
The sensation of the blade piercing her body back then was still vivid, and every detail of Cyric's betrayal surfaced before her eyes once more.
Cyric was still struggling within, opening his mouth in a desperate bid to speak.
Anbaixiu offered a reminder. "Though he's a mortal now, the power of words must never be underestimated. Leira, you understand that better than anyone, don't you?"
Leira broke into a sudden smile and looked at Anbaixiu. "Of course I understand. Aren't you the living proof?"
Amid lighthearted laughter, Leira channeled divine power into the crystal sphere, dissolving Cyric into a cloud of smoke.
From that moment on, Cyric's body and soul were utterly shattered.
Unless someone managed to obtain a resurrection scroll bestowed by Ao, not even the God of Death could bring him back.
With the personal affairs of his two old friends settled, Anbaixiu prepared to get down to business.
"Ladies, allow me first to congratulate you on your smooth ascension. I won't pry into the secrets of the Trinity Goddess. But since the three of you have come together today, it can't just be to catch up on old times. What are the Elven King and the Oak Father really planning? I imagine I have the standing to ask now."
Individually, Catherine, Leira, and Aige might seem relatively minor goddesses, but the powers standing behind them could not be overlooked.
The elven pantheon went without saying; Anbaixiu did not have the confidence to take an arrow from Corellon head-on, and Corellon was far from the only god among the elves. As for the habitually solitary Oak Father, it was rare enough for him to take Leira under his wing, let alone push her forward to collaborate with the elves. He was clearly preparing for something.
Then there was Aige. Though she appeared to lack a powerful background, she was a member of the Elegy Poetry Society. In truth, her patron was Jergal—and even Anbaixiu, as an archduke of Hell, counted as one of her backers.
Three goddesses had ascended simultaneously, sharing their divine power to coalesce a single divine portfolio.
The exact nature of that portfolio might be a secret, but Anbaixiu needed to understand the reason behind their alliance.
Neither Catherine nor Leira spoke. Instead, Aige, who had remained quiet all along, explained, "The elven pantheon is actually seeking help. Corellon captured Lolth again, but quite a few of Lolth's subordinates managed to escape. Furthermore, Corellon's son, Vhaeraun, broke free, and so did Corellon's grandson... In short, the elves believe that if they are going to act, they should resolve the problem once and for all."
Anbaixiu understood now and said in surprise, "The elven gods want to launch an expedition into the Abyss to capture those runaway sons and grandsons? No wonder they need allies."
The Abyss was perilous. Even someone as powerful as Corellon could perish if besieged by a multitude of demon lords. The Oak Father was unquestionably a formidable helper. Though it was unclear why Silvanus would aid the elves, it was almost certainly a trade of interests, not something that required deep scrutiny.
Aige continued her explanation. "That's right. The elves need allies. The Oak Father is one, and you are their second choice. The Elven King looks far into the future; he seemed to know you would become a figure of immense significance back when you were still a mortal. I was merely a pretext—the elves hoped that through me, they could secure the assistance of you, Jergal, and the God of Death."
Aige could not help chuckling self-deprecatingly as she finished.
In the mortal world, she had been an overlord who dominated the seas, but in the eyes of the gods, she was merely an intermediary. Still, regardless of how the elves viewed her, Aige had obtained what she wanted:
The protection of the elven pantheon and a trial from Ao, the final reward of which was a flawless resurrection scroll.
Aige did not know how much effort the elves had invested in arranging this, but Corellon had certainly lent a hand. Otherwise, a minor deity like the God of Freedom might never have been granted such an opportunity by Ao.
With the hope of resurrecting her father right before her eyes, Aige felt that nothing else mattered.
Next, Catherine briefly outlined the elves' plan.
To wage an expedition into the Abyss, Hell's cooperation was indispensable. Anbaixiu was naturally a pivotal link, and the elves were prepared to satisfy virtually any demand he might put forward.
Listening to this, Anbaixiu wore an expression of mild difficulty. "If Hell truly answered to me alone, I'd be more than happy to help. But I'm afraid the Lord of Hell won't agree. I previously led an army of the undead into the Abyss, and fighting is still underway. Hell has been arguing endlessly over the matter. The Lord of Hell paid me a visit not long ago, instructing me to keep my head down for a while and clean up Hell's mess in the meantime."
Catherine asked curiously, "What mess? Didn't you flawlessly repel the demon invasion? Hell didn't suffer any real losses, did it?"
"I printed too much money. Inflation across the Nine Hells is utterly catastrophic right now. It used to take one or two soul coins to buy a devil slave; now the price has skyrocketed to five hundred thousand. Three archdukes in the Nine Hells are already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. If I don't go back and fix this, the devils are going to start a civil war. So the most I can offer is a bit of intelligence support. Deploying troops directly is out of the question."
Anbaixiu was not telling a single lie. He truly had met the Lord of Hell. Even though he was now a greater deity, there was still a substantial gap between him and Asmodeus.
Yet Asmodeus valued talent like Anbaixiu's. Even though Anbaixiu had plunged the entirety of Hell into an economic whirlpool, Asmodeus had not punished him, merely instructing him to clean up the mess himself.
Though Anbaixiu had not fully agreed to the alliance, he at least promised not to drag the elves down.
That commitment carried sufficient weight, and the elves could finally put their minds at ease.
After bidding farewell to the three goddesses, Anbaixiu received the Lord of the Dawn with equal courtesy, giving him the exact same answer.
Anbaixiu said bluntly to Lathander, "Don't worry about me racking my brains to scheme against Mount Celestia. I have no interest."
The Lord of the Dawn felt somewhat relieved upon hearing this, yet he could not resist asking, "The devils of your Hell number in the hundreds of millions, and you are the Deceiver in name and deed. It's only natural for Mount Celestia to be concerned. Why don't you tell me the truth, newly appointed Archduke Deceiver? What are your actual plans?"
Anbaixiu laughed. "You people always think of me as far too ambitious, but in truth, I was forced every step of the way to reach where I am today. Now that the weight is finally off my shoulders, all I want is to be a good-for-nothing lounging in Hell, throwing my weight around and enjoying life all day."
The Lord of the Dawn did not entirely buy Anbaixiu's words, but since Anbaixiu had stated it so clearly, Lathander could hardly press the issue.
Their standings were different now. Pressing any further would be tantamount to forcing Anbaixiu to turn hostile.
Regardless of how much of it was true, Anbaixiu had at least expressed an unwillingness to stir up trouble, so Mount Celestia did not need to remain so tense.
After all, this Archduke Deceiver had one remarkable virtue: no matter how much he concealed, whatever came directly out of his mouth was always the truth.
Everyone acknowledged this. Every mortal and deity who doubted it had suffered terribly.
*The devil known as the Deceiver is the most honest devil of all.* When that saying spread, it became the blackest of black comedy in all of Hell.
With the primary matter settled, the Lord of the Dawn asked, "Then what about the arrangements for Zariel...?"
Anbaixiu replied, "If you're willing to take her back, I can release her right now. But doesn't your Mount Celestia forbid her entry?"
"As long as she recognizes her mistakes and sincerely repents, she may return."
Anbaixiu shook his head. "Lathander, we count as friends, so let me speak from the heart. It's time for Mount Celestia's rules to change. Do you know why there are always so many devils in Hell, so many that they can never all be killed?"
The Lord of the Dawn frowned, sensing that whatever this devil said next would be deeply unsettling.
"Because there are too many sinners?"
Anbaixiu shook his head. "Because your standard for a sinner is far too broad. Not believing in a god is a sin. Believing in a god without being pious enough is a sin. Believing in a god and being pious enough, yet slipping up in offering sacrifices, is also a sin... Devils' temptations account for only a tiny fraction of Hell's sinners; the far greater cause is that the definition of a sinner across the planes is completely absurd.
"A starving child stealing a crust of bread is a sinner. If a deity chooses to forgive him, he enters a divine realm. If not, he drops down to Hell. Worse still, he's plastered onto the Wall of the Faithless to vanish entirely. Good heavens, even a devil like me finds it outrageous.
"The Lawful Good pantheon consistently remains indifferent to the suffering of mortals, calling it a test of their will and character. But do you think you're Ao? The world wasn't created by you. To test without ever giving is just shameless. It is precisely because of these harsh standards that your Mount Celestia is packed with righteous heroic spirits, while countless ordinary folk are condemned to Hell.
"Rather than worrying about whether I'll march an army of devils up Mount Celestia to make trouble, you'd better spend your time thinking about how to send fewer people to Hell. If you did your job well enough, those evil gods would have starved to death long ago for lack of believers."
The Lord of the Dawn fell deep into thought, though rules that had stood for tens of millions of years could not be changed so easily.
Nor was it certain that changing them on a whim as Anbaixiu suggested would necessarily lead to a better outcome.
Anbaixiu had no intention of prolonging the conversation with the Lord of the Dawn. After seeing his guest out, he gave a brief greeting to his teacher and returned to Hell.
Zariel's Bronze Citadel had already been remodeled by Anbaixiu, made to resemble his castle in the mortal realm, while its interior was decorated by the Rose of Decay herself.
After her reincarnation, the Rose of Decay had reclaimed many of her girlhood hobbies. The castle was piled high with knightly romance novels, and she spent every day pestering the vampire Herki Stone for new installments, driving him to hire an army of ghostwriters solely to pen novels for Her Majesty.
Melina had simply settled down in Hell as well. Every day, she led her devil legion on patrols, seizing territory from any devil she found displeasing. Every devil in Avernus knew she was the daughter of the Archduke Deceiver, so they could only submit to her whims.
Sitting upon the Golden Throne in the Great Library, Anbaixiu could not suppress the smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
He had never imagined that his story would reach such a flawless conclusion.
Just then, the Rose of Decay walked to his side and asked, "Mammon is pressing again. He says the banks can barely hold on—soul coins are losing value by the minute."
Anbaixiu waved it off nonchalantly. "Simple enough. It's just inflation, isn't it?"
Boundless divine power converged upon Anbaixiu. In that instant, the projection of the Archduke Deceiver manifested across all Nine Hells simultaneously, appearing before every single devil archduke.
Every devil of status in the Nine Hells looked up at him in suspense, knowing that the Archduke Deceiver was finally about to tackle Hell's inflation crisis.
Mammon rubbed several pairs of hands together incessantly, hoping for an immediate resolution.
Anbaixiu smiled at his peers and declared, "Worry not, everyone. As long as we do three things, this inflation will be solved in no time."
Almost every devil asked the exact same question in unison: "Which three things?"
Anbaixiu spoke slowly: "Raise taxes, raise taxes, and raise taxes. Let these sinners witness what true exploitation looks like. Follow my lead, gentlemen, and I guarantee you'll all be as filthy rich as ever."
Watching Anbaixiu's confident demeanor, the Rose of Decay could not help breaking into a radiant smile.
Some people never changed. Even after becoming a god, he remained the exact same man he had always been.
Chapter 634