Chapter 24: Forest Kobold Cultist, A Heretic God
Hearing Barbatos' command, Eldric and the wolf beastmen immediately began preparing for an expedition.
With Eldric as the strongest among the wolf beastmen, Barbatos knew they could now take greater risks.
Besides Eldric, who was a Seventh-Order Epic, there were other wolf beastmen at Fourth-Order and Third-Order Mortal. While they were much weaker compared to Eldric, they were still quite powerful compared to the average Bronze Demigod's followers.
These wolf beastmen were strong enough to form a reliable expedition team since most members of such expeditions were typically Second-Order to First-Order Mortals.
As the god worshipped by the wolf beastmen, Barbatos had the ability to access their memories and observe their actions in real-time.
By connecting to the senses of the wolf beastmen going on the expedition, he could monitor their encounters with hostile cultists or the monsters and beasts of the Eternal Continent.
If they were attacked by monsters, it could be attributed to bad luck. However, if they were attacked by cultists serving heretic gods—other mortals under a rival demigod—Barbatos could immediately send reinforcements to track down the base of that demigod.
Barbatos never planned to go easy on the demigods in the Eternal Continent.
The only exception would be if they willingly became a subordinate god under him. In such cases, he would spare their lives and take 50% of the faith energy earned by the subordinate god each month as tribute.
However, not all demigods would willingly become a subordinate under another demigod. Even if it were a True God, many demigods would rather accept death than submit. In such cases, they would choose to die rather than be subservient to another demigod.
After sending his wolf beastmen believers on an expedition, Barbatos sighed, "It won't be long until I find traces of another demigod. If I'm lucky, the demigod I encounter will be just a Silver or Bronze Demigod."
"As long as I'm not unlucky, I shouldn't encounter a Gold Demigod."
Staying inside the ancestral hall, Barbatos accessed the senses of his wolf beastmen on the expedition to assist them if they encountered a heretic god.
…
A few days passed, and soon enough, Barbatos received feedback from the wolf beastmen on the expedition.
The wolf beastman Thalric had returned from the expedition and was currently outside the ancestral hall. Thalric, a wolf beastman at the Fourth-Order Late Stage Mortal, was one of the strongest wolf beastmen under Eldric.
Aside from Thalric, there was a captive forest kobold.
The forest kobold was small, about three feet tall, with green and brown scales that helped it blend into the forest. It had large, slit-pupiled yellow eyes, and its limbs ended in clawed hands and feet.
A rope tied the forest kobold up, and its power was suppressed by Thalric. The forest kobold was one of the cultists they found during the expedition and was held captive so Barbatos could search his soul for information.
The captured forest kobold was just a Second-Order Initial Stage Mortal, no match for Thalric at Fourth-Order Late Stage Mortal.
Thalric knelt before the ancestral hall, his head bowed in reverence. The forest kobold captive struggled against its restraints but remained subdued under Thalric's firm grip.
"Great God of Free Wind," Thalric began, his voice steady and respectful, "we have ventured far into the forest, as you commanded. During our expedition, we encountered a group of cultists serving a heretic god."
Barbatos' divine projection nodded, his presence imposing and authoritative. "What have you discovered, Thalric?"
Thalric tightened his grip on the forest kobold, ensuring it remained subdued. "We managed to capture this forest kobold. It appears to be one of their cultists, a Second-Order Initial Stage Mortal. It was no match for us, and we brought it here for you to search its soul and extract any useful information."
Barbatos' eyes glowed with a divine light as he focused on the forest kobold. "Well done, Thalric. This information may prove crucial in identifying and understanding our enemies."
With a wave of his hand, Barbatos summoned a wisp of divine energy, which enveloped the forest kobold. The creature's struggles ceased, and its eyes glazed over as Barbatos began the process of soul searching.
As the divine energy probed the forest kobold's soul, images and memories flashed before Barbatos' eyes.
He saw glimpses of the cultists' activities, their hidden encampments, and their allegiance to a Three-Turn Demigod. This demigod, a rival to Barbatos, had sent his followers to expand their territory and gather resources.
Barbatos' lips curled into an arrogant smile. "This Three-Turn Demigod dares to challenge me? How laughable. Thalric, I have already obtained the location of their base from this pathetic creature's memories."
Thalric, still kneeling, looked up at Barbatos with a mix of awe and anticipation. "What are your orders, my lord?"
Barbatos' confidence radiated as he continued, "Prepare Eldric and the strongest warriors. They will march to the enemy's base and flatten it. This rival demigod and his followers will learn the price of defying the God of Free Wind."
Thalric's eyes gleamed with determination. "As you command, my lord. Eldric and our warriors will not fail you."
Barbatos dismissed Thalric with a nod. "Go, and make sure our enemies understand their folly. Their defeat will serve as a warning to others who dare to challenge us."
With renewed purpose, Thalric rose and left to relay Barbatos' commands to Eldric and the wolf beastmen warriors. Barbatos watched him go, his mind already strategizing the next steps to consolidate his power and secure his territory.
The upcoming battle would be just the beginning of his rise in the Eternal Continent.
Furthermore, this was his first time confronting an enemy demigod.
The heretic god was just a mere Three-Turn Demigod. Since the heretic god was only a Bronze Demigod, Barbatos was confident that he could defeat him easily.
As a Four-Turn Demigod Peak Stage, Barbatos naturally had that confidence. After all, not all demigods were as powerful and lucky as Restara.
Most demigods would only have low-rank species as their main believer race and wouldn't have any powerful followers.
After dismissing Thalric, Barbatos mused, 'Once Eldric attacks the forest kobolds, the Three-Turn Demigod behind them will retaliate. That will be the perfect opportunity for me to show up and initiate a divine war against him.'
'If I win the divine war, not only will I acquire all the resources held by the Three-Turn Demigod, but I will also gain ownership of all his forest kobold believers.'
Weekly Power Status
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