Hyper-Dimensional Player-Chapter 388 - 17: The 72 Pillars of Demon Gods
A violent gust of wind arose.
The space of the secret realm seemed to be covered, as an innate domain barrier unfolded.
It was as if pillars of light rose from the ground, countless shadows of heroic spirits began to appear around Duncan. The empire legions who had followed him in the battles of old all descended in the Mist-covered Avalon Barrier in the form of heroic spirits.
——Tethys (Avalon Guardian Fairy) (Demigod) [Five-star Gold].
——Morreno (Avalon Guardian Fairy) (Demigod) [Five-star Gold].
——Glidon (Avalon Guardian Fairy) (Demigod) [Five-star Gold].
The figures of six Guardian Fairies also appeared behind Duncan. In the gradually spreading mist, the imperial generals Severus, Clegane, Kulin, Kvito, Balton, and others who had campaigned across the lands began to emerge one by one.
Most of these imperial generals displayed powers ranging from three to four stars, far stronger than they had been in life, with only Severus bearing a five-star silver-gray mark.
After all, he was later promoted to a Great Druid of the British Order.
Historically, Severus lived nearly a hundred and twenty years and was quite active during Duncan II’s reign, thus his legendary level was higher.
A strange flock of crows suddenly appeared.
——God of Witchcraft and Secret Arts - Crow Queen - Triss [Blood-colored Skull Mark]!
The newly appeared Crow Queen was draped in a luxurious black robe. With a gentle wave, tangible magic power seemed to cut through the barrier of reality. The powerful force field shattered everything in front of her, with blood and limbs scattering everywhere. Hundreds of enemies were instantly cut at the waist by a mere wave of the Crow Queen’s hand.
A demon resembling a fallen angel tried to counterattack, but Crow Queen Triss’s incarnation lightly clenched her hand, and a terrifying magic force field formed an invisible giant hand, crushing the lower-ranking demon into a shapeless mass of flesh.
In the oldest record, "John’s Revelation," it is said that one-third of the angels became fallen angels, and their number was immense.
And among them, a legend states that King Solomon compiled the magical book ’Key of Solomon’, recording contracts with 72 demon gods, carving their names on seventy-two pillars. This figure was historically regarded as akin to the early Monotheism gatekeeper. He also established the first Holy Temple, which preserved the ancient Ark of the Covenant.
Woo hoo hoo!
A mournful horn sounded.
Above the Demon Fallen Angels Legion, nine Valkyries appeared, seeming to awaken from slumber, spiraling down to Duncan’s sides. One Valkyrie, wearing a bird-winged golden helmet, gazed intently at Duncan’s majestic back, directly guarding behind him.
A Victory Spear pierced the skies!
Behind the demon fallen angel legions, the figure of the demon god Amon was directly pierced, forcibly pinned to the ground.
This perished Egyptian Divine King, one of his aspects was suppressed by Monotheism, transformed into one of the seventy-two demon gods. As for his other aspects, their current state is unknown. After all, divine spirits have multiple aspects, and those whose reality faith foundations were severed have become various forms of monsters throughout history.
The hoot of an owl echoed in everyone’s ears.
In the spatial rift of swirling mist, a vague goddess’s shadow barely entered the secret realm between reality and the Otherworld.
Perhaps only here could she barely descend as an incarnation. In the real world, one might as well forget it.
——Minerva-Athena-Suliss (Trinity) (Greek Divine King) (Divine Incarnation) [Golden Skull Mark]!
The entire battle was almost a one-sided crush.
Once Duncan activated the innate barrier ’Mist-covered Avalon,’ the enemy’s summoned seventy-two demon gods, demon legions, angel legions, and others were ruthlessly suppressed, and even the sky rumbled with thunder.
The divine beings from the Norse Pantheon glanced over, seemingly feeling no need to intervene, and quietly withdrew their incarnations.
Now, the power of the Norse Pantheon has also waned significantly; they won’t easily descend in incarnate form.
Outside the secret realm.
King Solomon, who had just completed the summoning of the seventy-two demon gods, felt a chill all over. He wanted to flee but it was too late.
Because a ghostly owl had already locked onto his position.
Dimension Space.
Duncan marked King Solomon hiding within a gap in the barrier; this guy had indeed cast from a great distance, avoiding God’s Eye surveillance. Duncan was currently positioned in the Otherworld Secret Realm, while King Solomon was in a gap between realities.
To describe it in Dungeons and Dragons terms, there’s a Legendary Mage hiding in a semi-plane, observing the battlefield through clairvoyance, then summoning a servant demon to attack you on the Material Plane.
This guy really is a sneak!
He probably realized he couldn’t face Duncan head-on, so he used Gilgamesh as bait, secretly crossing planes to initiate a Summoning Ceremony.
But once exposed, escaping again would not be easy.
Crow Queen Triss cast a spell to open a spatial rift, and Duncan plunged into it without hesitation, crossing the Otherworld to lock onto King Solomon’s form. The opponent’s heroic spirit form was a young man in a luxurious red and black magic robe, surrounded by tangible magic power, with seventy-two pillars reflecting behind him, each revealing shadowy forms of demon gods.
As the first person to establish the Jerusalem Holy Temple, Solomon married the daughter of an Egyptian Pharaoh, sought wisdom in dreams, and forged a pact with the seventy-two demon gods.
The earliest Western servant demon spells were invented and created by him.
However, this category of summoning spells varies in different places. In the West, summoning servant demons is the main focus, while in the East, the mainstream is driving ghost gods. In places like Fusang, it’s the summoning ceremony of calling Shikigami. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
In about a hundred years, it will be the era of the Yin Yang Master Ampere Qingming, and the summoning rituals there will begin to take shape.
At this moment, two monarchs spanning millennia met in the gap of reality.
King Solomon gazed at the blood-red wings behind Duncan, with a grave expression, nodded slightly, and said, "Your Majesty Duncan!..."
"I never thought we would meet at this moment."
This one is much more polite than Gilgamesh.
Duncan also has a legendary status within Monotheism, otherwise, the Oathkeeper would not have become a Holy Relic of the church.
However, Duncan’s position is one of royal supremacy. Although he supported factions within Monotheism, he prevented a unification of faith. Within the entire church system, Duncan’s presence is extremely unique.
"King Solomon."
Facing an opponent who is willing to address him as ’Your Majesty,’ Duncan appeared very humble, nodding slightly and saying, "I have long heard of Your Excellency."
This is not like the remnants of mythology-destroying Gilgamesh; King Solomon held a very high position in the early Monotheistic faith.
One of the gatekeepers of the Old Testament era.
He bears a slight resemblance to Duncan, but later, King Solomon indulged in women, was seduced by consorts to stray away from God, and began worshiping other foreign deities, which led to the gradual decline of his nation.
According to legend, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, and his wives were foreign princesses, including the Pharaoh’s daughter, Moabite women, Ammonite women, Edomite women, Sidonian women, and Hittite women, among others.
There is certainly some exaggeration in this, but King Solomon indeed abandoned the Monotheistic faith at one point.
In comparison, Duncan, in the later years of his reign, though somewhat lax, was not so indulged in women, and had only about ten women attending to him, while the empire itself gradually reached its peak.
Courtesy is one thing, but they still have to fight.
In the instant King Solomon raised his hand, spells rained down from the sky. He cast incantations with practically no intervals, as if performing instant spellcasting. Apart from summoning the seventy-two Demon Gods, he could almost summon any creature associated with the concept of Servant Demon, and he possessed a revelation-like Special Ability, akin to a constant ’Prophetic Art,’ allowing him to foresee Duncan’s attack direction.
This is an ability to see the future, to glimpse what Duncan will do in the next second.
Intuition is the best combat instinct!
King Solomon possessed a near ’sixth sense’ Special Ability, and as soon as Duncan appeared, he had already set up defensive Arrays around him.
A pillar of magic light rose to the sky!
The moment Duncan charged forward, the surrounding magical abilities started to nullify, and the Witchcraft Magic Ring worn by King Solomon suppressed the magic of others. As one of the most powerful mages in history, he could deprive mortals of their spellcasting abilities.
But unluckily!
Duncan’s spellcasting ability was at best second or third rate; he rarely used spells voluntarily in combat.
Crack!
King Solomon’s defensive barriers were instantly shattered; Duncan practically broke the opponent’s Legendary Level defensive spells with raw force. With the double enhancement of Dragon Bloodline and Giant’s Power, in his Mythical Form, his strength was comparable to the mighty giants of Greek and Norse mythology.
Blood splattered!
King Solomon’s figure was directly penetrated by Duncan with the Cursed Spear. All foreseen futures were useless because his physical fitness could not evade Duncan’s attack.
Even if he were a crowned mage, after Duncan charged up to him, he barely had any opportunity to cast spells.
With a casual twist of his hand, a void appeared in King Solomon’s chest.
"Something’s not right!"
Duncan’s expression was alert; it was too easy to severely injure King Solomon, which didn’t seem logical.
Even Gilgamesh took several of his moves.
Indeed.
At this moment, King Solomon was not dead.
Behind his hollow husk, the phantoms of the seventy-two Demon Gods gradually appeared, and then one by one, the figures of the Demon Gods merged into his body, gradually healing his injuries, while his life form began transforming from human towards that of a Demon God.
He had long known he was no match for Duncan and had already initiated the highest summoning ritual in advance.
That is to use himself as the vessel!
The true binding contract of the seventy-two Demon Gods is neither stone pillars nor the Key of Solomon, but himself, a mage close to the strongest in history.
All along.
King Solomon was never the image of a perfect monarch.
His being almost encapsulated all the elements of the seven deadly sins, and he even abandoned God’s faith at one point. In his later years, Solomon indulged in extravagance, leading to the eventual decline of his kingdom.
At this moment, King Solomon’s image had completely transformed, no longer like a mortal but resembling a Demon God akin to a Fallen Angel.
— Demon God King Solomon (Awakened) (Seventy-two Demon God Congregate) [Golden Skull Mark]!
The Monotheistic faith was truly terrified.
Duncan had suppressed the rise of the Monotheistic faith for hundreds of years; this time, they brought out their ultimate Holy Relic, the Mythical Era’s "Key of Solomon."
Only a Holy Relic of this level could summon a King Solomon close to his peak period.
Furthermore, even the contracted seventy-two Demon Gods could descend into reality in the form of Servant Demons.
.........
