"Oh Zeus, oh Zeus, if you don't die, who will?"
In the Great Ring Multiverse, Garon sensed what was happening in the Olympus Multiverse and shook his head.
Zeus, the God-King, was truly unlucky.
His intuition made him uneasy, and when he sought answers, he directly found the source of his unease. Now, he even considered the other party an ally.
Faceless Garon was not a true sea god.
His oath had no binding force whatsoever.
But Zeus, unaware of the truth, believed him.
It wasn't that Zeus was stupid; it was just that "Poseidon" was too convincing. Essentially acting on his true nature, the real sea god indeed harbored resentment towards Zeus due to disappointment. The difference was that, while disappointed with Zeus, the real sea god also aspired to be the God-King, and this was the main reason for opposing Zeus.
"I look forward to the day you ascend to the God-King position."
If successful, Garon becoming the God-King as an outsider would be unique.
In the distant future, if the Great Ring Multiverse and the Olympus Multiverse ever came into contact and clashed officially, while the Olympian gods would be fighting bloodily to defend their multiverse, their leader, the God-King, would have already surrendered. What a dramatic scene that would be.
Garon looked forward to the occurrence of such a scenario.
Meanwhile, Garon shifted his focus from the Olympus Multiverse, where his faceless avatar was, back to himself, to the Great Ring Multiverse.
Given the current situation in the Bottomless Abyss, the Dragon God System decided to support the King Slayer Alliance, further intensifying the internal war among the Abyssal Demon Lords, increasing their internal strife to facilitate the future full-scale crusade by the Pantheon against the Bottomless Abyss.
Amid the tense nerves of the Abyssal Demon Lords in the Bottomless Abyss, Garon had to venture alone into the Abyss to communicate and cooperate with the King Slayer Alliance as their representative.
During this period, Garon collected information about the King Slayer Alliance and gained a deep understanding of the alliance structure led by three Demon Archdukes, preparing himself accordingly.
At this moment, the Temporal Crystal Ring was spinning and floating up and down in the silver dragon's claws.
Garon toyed with the Temporal Crystal Ring for a while, then put it away with a thought.
The Temporal Crystal Ring, like the ancient Imaska Magic Ring, imprinted itself on Garon's wrist, merging seamlessly with a black-scaled ring, indistinguishable from it.
Garon was about to set off for the Bottomless Abyss.
This was not his first time in the Bottomless Abyss.
However, it was the first time since the full outbreak of the Abyssal Kings War.
The current Bottomless Abyss was at its most dangerous and tense moment, filled with murky and chaotic waters, ever-changing, with the situation shifting every second. The King Slayer Alliance, Demon Princes, the Chaos Queen, evil gods, and devils all used the Abyss as their battleground, fiercely clashing and fighting fervently.
The entire Bottomless Abyss was in chaos.
Buzz!
The silver dragon's body flickered and vanished instantly, transforming into a tangible embodiment of time within the River of Time.
Meanwhile, in the 600th layer of the Bottomless Abyss, a layer filled with endless traps, dangers, death, blood, and darkness—a labyrinth ruled by the Beast Lord Baphomet.
In this Abyssal layer, towering stone walls naturally formed and later reinforced by the Demon Lord's power, stood irregularly on the ground, creating a convoluted and complex network of paths with no discernible pattern.
Beings arriving in the Endless Maze layer often found themselves transported to the vast maze's entrance under its unique rules—the Hell Minotaur, a large-scale gathering camp of minotaur demons.
These creatures stood upright, resembling giant bulls with blood-red thick fur, beneath which powerful muscles bulged as if cast from steel. Large, curved, sharp horns grew on either side of their foreheads.
Most beings entering the Endless Maze were torn apart by the Hell Minotaurs at the maze's entrance.
The Hell Minotaurs, serving the Beast Lord, would smear the victims' blood on the maze's high walls, carving eerie and bloody patterns, creating enormous images resembling the Beast Lord's majestic figure to express their worship.
At this moment, within the Hell Minotaurs' tribal community, the robust Hell Minotaurs leaned against stone walls and pillars covered in dried blood, scratching their itchy backs due to bull lice, and lowly murmuring to each other in deep, mooing voices.
"The demon beast meat in the maze is too tough. I'm sick of it."
A Hell Minotaur with large horns snorted, scratching his itchy crotch with a hoof, and said.
"When will a planar traveler stumble into the maze again? I want to let him taste my horns!"
Another Hell Minotaur beside him echoed.
Thud!
The Hell Minotaur with large horns slapped the other's head with his hoof, saying, "I have large horns; I go first. My horns are already hungry and thirsty!"
The slapped Hell Minotaur was annoyed.
However, he glanced at the other's long and thick horns, and finally suppressed his anger, not daring to argue.
In the Hell Minotaur race, the size of their horns was highly significant. The larger the horns, the more respect they earned from their kin, and the more attractive they were to the opposite sex. They even had a chance to gain the Beast Lord's favor, receiving blessings, greatly enhancing their strength, and becoming a chieftain of a tribe.
Just then.
Buzz!
An immense, intangible temporal dragon collapsed and condensed into a single point, transforming into a silver dragon's form.
"The Abyssal energy erosion, the Abyssal rule oppression—none of these exist anymore."
Garon felt the difference from his previous descents into the Abyss.
Both the energy erosion and rule suppression were continuous, dissipating naturally by the time flow surrounding Garon's body, unable to affect him.
Immune to all continuous negative effects.
What the heart desires is the flow of time.
For the powerful passive abilities Garon gained after advancing to a near-god level, he termed them collectively as "Temporal Divinity."
Temporal Divinity allowed Garon to remain unaffected by local rules and energy traits in any environment, any plane.
Meanwhile, Garon looked around, surveying his surroundings.
The trembling, rigid bodies of numerous Hell Minotaurs first caught his eye.
Then came the towering stone walls, the faint, almost imperceptible fog that could shield most beings' senses, the winding passages, and the nearly every few meters buried magical traps. In the depths of the maze, there were even demon lord-level trap arrays that were difficult for even powerful gods to deal with.
"The King Slayer Alliance's headquarters, the Endless Maze."
The 600th layer of the Abyss, the Endless Maze, was originally jointly controlled by the Beast Lord and the Demon Mother.
The Demon Mother's influence was limited to the vicinity of her fortress, while the Endless Maze was primarily under the Beast Lord's control. However, even before the King Slayer Alliance's creation, if any of the two demon lords were attacked in the Endless Maze, the other would assist.
After the King Slayer Alliance's creation, the Dark Sovereign also built a fortress in the Endless Maze, adjacent to the Demon Mother's fortress, and constructed a teleportation array connecting his own Abyssal layer for instant travel.
Thus, the Endless Maze became the King Slayer Alliance's headquarters.
The place was filled with countless deadly traps, making it an ideal base camp. The Spider Queen had tried to storm the Endless Maze several times, only to be repelled by the King Slayer Alliance's coordinated defense and the maze's obstacles.
Garon had come to communicate with the King Slayer Alliance.
To show his goodwill, Garon did not force his way through the maze but descended at its entrance according to its rules.
Whoosh!
The silver dragon spread his wings, and his dragon's might surged like a storm, sweeping over all the beings living in the Endless Maze, nearly covering the entire Abyssal layer.
Moo!
A deep, thunderous moo echoed from the depths of the Endless Maze, carrying the will of the Beast Lord Baphomet.
The Hell Minotaurs below the silver dragon all fell to their knees simultaneously.
"Eternal and Temporal Dragon, Garon Aurelian, why have you come to the Endless Maze?"
A rough voice echoed in Garon's mind.
The Beast Lord noticed the arrival of the Eternal and Temporal Dragon and responded personally, showing great importance.
Garon's eyes narrowed slightly, gazing towards the maze's depths.
In the thick fog, a massive figure's outline could be vaguely seen, as if in the center or end of the mist, faintly visible, like the sovereign of this place.
"During the war with the Giant God System, the Dragon God System promised the Dark Sovereign and the Beast Lord, the two leaders of the King Slayer Alliance, that we would assist you in the Abyssal Kings War."
The silver dragon's voice was calm as he stated his purpose for coming to the Endless Maze.
"So that's it... I didn't expect the Dragon God System to remember this promise."
"After the return of the Nine-faced Dragon God, you have the power to break the rules. We thought you wouldn't follow through on your promise, so we never actively sought the Dragon God System's assistance."
The Dark Sovereign's voice, elegant and serene like an elf, rang out.
A smile appeared on the silver dragon's faceplate as he said, "The Dragon Gods always keep their word and never lie."
"Any promise made by the
Dragon God System will be fulfilled."
The Beast Lord's rough voice sounded again, saying, "But tell me, Garon Aurelian, are you here representing the Dragon God System or the Pantheon?"
The gods and demons both understood that the Pantheon and the Bottomless Abyss were opposites and couldn't cooperate.
"The Dragon God System made the promise, so it will be fulfilled by the Dragon God System, unrelated to other gods or the Pantheon."
Garon replied.
Unrelated to the Pantheon was impossible.
After all, the Dragon God System was practically the leader of the Pantheon.
The Beast Lord knew it, the Dark Sovereign knew it, and the Demon Mother knew it too.
But Garon also knew they wouldn't care much about this. They sought the throne of the Abyssal Kings, something they couldn't achieve with their own power. The Dragon God System's assistance was a lifesaver. Even if it was like seeking a tiger's help, the Demon Archdukes wouldn't fear this risk.
Without the Dragon God System's cooperation, they'd likely be dealt with by the Demon Princes first.
Cooperating with the Dragon God System entailed the risk of facing the Pantheon's assault later, but it at least gave them a chance to win the Abyssal Kings War. If the legends were true, the Abyssal King would gain the Abyss' will, becoming invincible and not fearing the Pantheon.
This was an easy choice.
"The Dragon God System, as the dominant force of the gods, willing to assist the King Slayer Alliance, we welcome."
"Garon Aurelian, please come to the maze's main fortress so we can discuss the current Abyss situation face-to-face."
A gentle voice, like that of an aristocratic matron, spoke, belonging to the Demon Mother Malcanthet.
Meanwhile, the Beast Lord suddenly said, "Eternal and Temporal Dragon, since you rarely descend to the Bottomless Abyss, before entering the main fortress to discuss, why not try traversing my Endless Maze and then tell me if it deserves the title of the first maze in the multiverse?"
Baphomet's Endless Maze was an impenetrable stronghold, even for powerful gods. He prided himself on it, calling it the multiverse's first maze.
Hearing this, the silver dragon's eyes flickered, reflecting the Endless Maze in his platinum pupils.
It seemed as if a strong wind arose, and the fog pervading the Endless Maze, filling the stone walls, became denser, almost solid, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. Even a god's senses would be suppressed and limited.
If I get trapped in the maze and then ask Baphomet to let me out, as the representative of the Dragon God System coming to communicate with the King Slayer Alliance, it would be a disgrace to the Dragon God System... This guy wants to give me a hard time first? To show that the King Slayer Alliance is not to be trifled with, this burly Beast Lord occasionally likes to play little tricks, Garon thought silently.
However, Baphomet was gravely mistaken if he thought his Endless Maze could trap Garon.
"Alright, I've heard of the Abyss' Endless Maze for a long time."
"Since I'm here, not walking through it would leave me with regrets."
The silver dragon's face was calm as he spoke quietly.
The continuous maze fog couldn't block Garon's senses, and he confirmed the fortress' position beyond the maze's obstructions.
"Then, please enter the maze."
After speaking, the Demon Archdukes silently observed the silver dragon's actions.
Garon didn't act rashly. The Endless Maze contained countless traps, truly endless, layered upon layered, and the deeper he went, the more dangerous it became. It wasn't easy for Garon to traverse.
Meanwhile.
Under the secret scrutiny of the Demon Archdukes, the silver dragon smiled slightly and extended his claw.
Buzz!
On the dragon's wrist, the black-scaled ring glowed, hovering up and transforming into a peculiar crystal-like ring.
The ring hovered parallel to the dragon's claw, rotating slowly with a temporal aura.
"This is..."
Feeling the aura of the Temporal Crystal Ring, the Demon Archdukes' pupils contracted.
Divine essence, countless divine essences—this thing was made from divine essences!
Incredible.
Unbelievable.
Even the experienced Demon Archdukes were seeing a weapon forged from divine essences for the first time.
Where did he get so many divine essences? And how did he forge them into a weapon? Even the Dwarven God Moradin probably couldn't do this, the Demon Archdukes thought, feeling an ominous premonition.
At the same time, Garon ignored the fog's obstruction, locked onto the fortress' location, and willed the ring.
Buzz!
The Temporal Crystal Ring turned into a stream of light, disappearing from the dragon's claw and heading straight for the maze's main fortress.
In an instant, time seemed to freeze.
The next second.
Boom!
Along the trajectory of the Temporal Crystal Ring, towering stone walls seemed to be struck by a powerful force, disintegrating from point to point in a thunderous explosion, turning to dust as if eroded by endless time.
Spaces between the stone walls that could infinitely extend were destroyed by the Temporal Crystal Ring.
Inverted and chaotic spatial positions had no effect on the Temporal Crystal Ring.
Simultaneously, countless dangerous traps were triggered.
Boom!
Heavenly thunder, toxic mist, hellfire, illusions, ice crystals, blades, heavy water—like apocalyptic disasters, the dangers hidden in the Endless Maze were fully revealed, intertwining into a deadly yet beautiful spectacle like a colorful firework.
Divine essence had indestructible properties, and these traps couldn't stop the Temporal Crystal Ring either.
The Temporal Crystal Ring tore a straight path through the Endless Maze, destroying everything along its way.
With a buzz, the Temporal Crystal Ring, having completed its task, returned to the silver dragon, merging back into the black-scaled ring on the dragon's wrist, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
On one side of the trail stood the calm-faced silver dragon.
On the other side, in the now-exposed fortress, were the silent Demon Archdukes.
"For most maze adventurers, entering the maze, facing its myriad dangers, and finding the sole exit is considered a respect for the maze."
"They believe that using overwhelming force to destroy the maze is crude and violent."
The silver dragon smiled, looking at the fortress, speaking in a low and steady voice.
"But I prefer to call this method—efficient."
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