Epic of Caterpillar

283 Lower Realm Exploration; Blazing Ashura Nation

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Ding!

[A God has fallen!]

"Huh?"

Just before me, a holographic window appeared, alerting me of an event that I wouldn't really understand until very later on…

"A God has fallen…?"

I asked the rest of my family if they got such a message, but it seems that I was the only one who got it.

What did it mean?

How can a god fall?

Did he just trip over to the ground? Maybe a Divine Banana Peel was on his way?

No… That's just too idiotic. But how can a God fall? What does it mean? Did it die? How?

Aren't Gods immortal? How can they die?

I guess they aren't immortal then.

Alright, okay, I don't get it.

Is this… Somehow related to the god I stole its dungeon from?

But how could a God just die from getting its dungeon stolen? Can't it just make a new one with their godly powers?

Or is the concept of a God that I am applying to them is wrong? Are Gods in this world, perhaps, very flawed?

Anyways, no events or [Scripted Events] were announced, for now, so there wasn't any problem, my senses didn't alert me from death or anything like that. Not even the foresight I possess have alerted me of such things, yet.

I suppose I will move this thought for another occasion, we are now flying through the Lower Realms and they are rather big.

After grabbing the Yokai King Ashura, I transformed into a giant metallic dragon covered in countless armored red scales and flew through the Lower Realm "sky". With my family resting and enjoying the trip on my back, I explored the immense area that we were in.

The Lower Realm fits perfectly the idea of "hell" on Earth. A giant, cave-like place that is below the surface, were countless lakes and rivers made of lava and other toxic substances decorate the area, there are countless charcoal-like mountains, and forest made of fire trees and blood tress, there were forests made of gemstones as well, each forest was filled with their own monsters corresponding to the distinct biomes.

The sky… Well, there isn't any sky, the ceiling was incredibly wide, it was decorated with countless, shiny gemstones that illuminated the place 24/7. I suppose the concept of day and night does not exist here.

However, as much as I used my vision skills to look far away, it was impossible, this area was as wide as the surface, and only the horizon's walls appeared in the distance. I'm sure that I would be able to see farther with other means, but for now, I released hundreds of Slime Clones and Phantom Fox Clones everywhere, they will be scouting the entire Lower Realm for me, it will probably take months for it to get done.

For now, I followed Ashura's directions, while Oga also wanted me to meet her father, but Ashura's nation seems to be closer to the dungeon and Oga's tribe.

Well, my main prey is Ashura's brother, who was blessed by two gods and is seen as the most talented Ashura ever born, the royal family could also be eaten if they have the same level of talent. The Ashura population seems rather big, each city is populated with over ten thousand of them, the biggest city has over thirty thousand. Seeing how this nation is made up entirely of these demi-human species and that they live in such a harsh environment, it's rather incredible.

The buildings seem to be made entirely out of charcoal stone and the luxurious families have houses made out of more precious rocks and even gems. The outer villages farm the unique plants that exist down here, but they are treated poorly and constantly abused by bandit groups, who are not hunted or controlled at all, this entire nation seems to be made out of savages, but somehow it maintains a hierarchy, perhaps the people just obey the royal family due to them being the strongest.

Slave sellers are incredibly common and stole gods sellers as well, these species don't mind enslaving each other it seems, there are other species of demi-humans as slaves that I saw, there were Hellhounds, Poison Lords, Fire Oni, Blue Oni, Dwarves, Gnomes, Fire Elves, Dark Elves, and so on… Each race has its own distinct features and beauty, the women were usually purchased as sex slaves, while males are used as slave workers and worked to death.

Anyways, I didn't come to pity them or something, but grabbing them for my Kingdom would be useful, as we expand the Kingdom, we need more workers and all of that, our fields are getting very large by now. I'll make sure to treat them better than the slaves down here, that's guaranteed.

Ashura seemed rather fearful, he didn't want to enter this place again, as he may be recognized, perhaps.

For now, I descended towards the nearest village, which was being currently raided by bandits, the people were being openly killed, raped, and pillaged.

Time to play the hero for a minute and slaughter the dinner… I mean bandits.

Using Illusion Magic to change our appearance into some of the races of this place would be useful, but I also wanted to see the bandit's reactions over our appearances, as we are all races that don't even live down here aside from Zehe and Ryo.

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A radiant light appeared from the sky as the Charcoal Village was being currently raided by a small bandit group known as the Hungry Savages. The Bandits, who were immersed in their own desires, as they raped women, slaughtered people and robbed the goods of the villages were blinded by a heavenly light. Brighter than anything, a giant dragon in the sky appeared.

"W-What is that?!"

"B-Boss! A Dragon?!"

"A Light Dragon! S-Shit! Run! Run!"

But just at the moment that the dragon shined the brightest, it disappeared, and from the light, several humanoid figures descended to the ground.

The Villages, who were currently having their fourth bandit raid this year, and were completely hopeless, were taken aback by such events. Never in their entire lifetimes would have they expected such a course of strange events to occur.

"W-What… Is that?"

"Who are they…"

"Wasn't it a Light Dragon…?"

Suddenly, a beautiful figure, that of a charming, mature woman, with long purple hair, scarlet eyes, fair white skin, and long red and purple butterfly wings stepped forward.

Without saying a word, her eyes were that of a strong being, her monstrous Aura expanded wildly, affecting the people inside, some bandits began to shake in fear, while others just fainted right away. Some became paralyzed, and others' minds were filled with crazy illusions and nightmares.

Strangely enough, the villagers were not affected by such things. Another figure stepped forward, a giant lamia, with white long hair, scarlet eyes, and a white and purple snake tail, of over four meters tall appeared, expanding her shiny, white heavenly aura, her aura healed the wounds of the villagers and even made them regain their strength, clearing their minds of the pain and suffering.

"Gods… They are gods!!!"

After seeing such unnatural events happen, and after seeing things that they thought impossible and illogical, the only answer in their minds, about what were these beings, were gods. Heavenly beings who have come to save them, their good deeds, and unwillingness to die has paid off, and gods have come to save them and carry them to the heavens.

"Gods! Ooh! Gods, please, save my daughter!"

"Gods, they have finally come! They had answered our prayers!"

"Please, please kill these damned ruffians! Slaughter them! Rip them to shreds! They had done so many horrible things to my daughters, to my wife! Please!"

The villagers kneeled as they offered their prayers to the "gods", and if answering their desires, the fairy "god", moved her fingers as semi-transparent golden threads began to slaughter the static bandits, one after another, their bodies were sliced into pieces as their blood and flesh rained to the ground.

After seeing such a magnificent display of overwhelming strength, the thought about these figures being gods was even more cemented inside of the villager's minds.

"Divine punishment has been unfolded! How wonderful!"

"Thanks for healing my daughter, oh beautiful gods! Snif snif"

"Please, accept my offering, accept all of my riches! But please, carry me with you to the heavens!"

"Please, gods! We are tired of living down here"

"Everything is horrible, filled with bandits, ruffians and monsters"

"Now that you have heard our prayers, please, save us!"

Suddenly, a figure, similar to the Ashura of the village stepped forward, it looked too much like an actual Ashura! It was indeed, the Yokai King, Ashura.

With a firm, yet young sounding voice, he spoke.

"People of the Charcoal Village, I am Ashura, the exiled Prince! I have come to reclaim this land as mine, and I've received the divine support of these heavenly beings, the gods themselves!"

"Ooooh! Its Ashura sama!"

"Didn't he die?"

"But he's here! He's alive!"

"So the injustices that his tyrannical brother has done, he had come to make him pay, and proclaim what's his!"

"Ashura sama, if you are being supported by the gods themselves, we are no one to not obey you! You have saved our lives, and even healed us from our terrible injuries, even our minds feel cleared and our bodies stronger! It could only mean to be divine work!"

"Ashura sama has been blessed by the gods themselves!"

"Please, take us with you!"

Ashura crossed his arms as he looked at the villagers with a confident smile.

"Of course, you are all welcome in the Kingdom of the Gods! As long as you obey me and the gods, there is only a bright future awaiting you!"

The villagers were tearing up as they kneeled, filling the harsh and dry earth beneath them with their warm tears.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"Oooh, we have been blessed by the gods!"

"All the prayers I did, all paid off! How beautiful, how wonderful, how majestic!"

The Ashura villagers alongside other slaves who were freed kneeled as they prayed to the "gods" whose figures were being covered by the Auras of Kireina and Amiphossia.

Although these people thought that they were gods, these beings were only mortals, whose powers could be seen as divine due to their absurdness.

Nonetheless, Kireina had already planned a revolution like this, by using Ashura's image, and their power as backing, they would kill bandits and any other groups abusing the people, even the royal knights, soldiers, and so on, saving the innocent, and weak civilians.

Kireina saw the efficiency of this method as the best one, her brainwashing powers wouldn't reach over sixty thousand demi-humans scattered around hundreds of kilometers, so this was the best course of action.

The moment the villagers kneeled and prayed to Kireina, they had automatically submitted to her, becoming her servants and subordinates through the system thanks to her Empress Titles activating their effects.

-----

It seems that everything went incredibly well, my plan was rather stupid and simple, but the people here were desperate for a miracle at this point, and believed everything, to the point of calling us gods…

Sigh…

I suppose I pity them a bit… I mean… Ugh, I'm growing soft now? It must be the influence of my family, so much love warms my cold heart and makes me more considerate it seems.

Well, the main reason we are here is to eat the tasty and strong royal family, these villagers will be nice work hand for my Kingdom, so I better treat them well, they will become my people after all.

Amiphossia healed the villagers, who were starving, dying by diseases, and wounded heavily. Afterward, I slaughtered the bandits and moved them elsewhere, where I had a small snack with my family. Blazing Ashura meat is very delicious, even bandits were tasty, their meat is rough, but has a smoky flavor that it's almost addictive.

Ashura (Yokai King), remained with the people and gathered them together, while Amiphossia was with him, she healed and distributed nutritious food from the surface to every villager.

Because of them never having eaten food from the surface, they were dazzled by their flavors and couldn't contain their tears as they ate happily. Some didn't even believe that all of this was even real, thinking that they were in a very nice dream.

After the tasty meal of around thirty Blazing Ashura Bandits, we moved towards the next village on my metallic dragon form, my back can be as wide as I want by using Shapeshifting, so all of the villagers were able to travel with the rest of my family. They didn't stop praying to my family as if they were gods, even to Ailine and Vudia, and Yiksukesh…

[Kireina] learned the following Skill]

[Blazing Ashura Physique]

There are around twenty villages, so we better hurry, I don't want to spend a week in here.

To not waste time while we moved towards the next villages, I released more of my Slime and Phantom Fox Clones, they inspected each village and the nearest city in a few hours, bringing me some nice information. Not only bandits abuse the innocent and weak civilians, but even guards and soldiers. Well, that is just more appetizers before the royal family.

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