The Paladin in the Abyss-Chapter 461 - 485 Kostcheqi
Chapter 461: Chapter 485 Kostcheqi Chapter 461: Chapter 485 Kostcheqi “That sounds like a very reasonable request,” Bruto said as he picked his nose. “Most Frost Giants are conceited, mischievous fools. This Kostcheqi calls himself the Frost Giant King, huh? I’d say he’s more like the King of Idiots!”
“Kostcheqi is indeed a demon, but he wasn’t a giant when he was a mortal,” Kalalin shook his head. “He was just an ordinary human.”
“A human?” Lancelot raised an eyebrow, “How did he become a… demon giant then?”
“Kostcheqi is one of the few Abyssal Lords with a clear origin. Before he became what he is now, he was born into a common tribe of Barbarians. Aside from his severely deformed appearance, there was nothing special about him. However, due to his ugliness, women despised him, his family abandoned him, and his tribe ostracized him. The only thing that kept him alive in the wilderness was the anger that grew within him,” Kalalin said.
After taking a sip from his homemade cup, which was actually a magical artifact that kept the liquid inside at a comfortable drinking temperature, the Scholar continued to narrate the origin of the Abyssal Lord:
“The dangers of the wilderness didn’t kill him but made this Barbarian even stronger. When he decided to return to his former tribe, no one could stop him from doing what he wanted. He brutally murdered the woman who had spurned him and seized the chieftain’s position in a way too bloody even for a Barbarian tribe— by using his twisted arms to literally crush the former chieftain’s head. All who tried to resist him discovered in horror that there seemed to be no limit to the damage Kostcheqi’s terrifying body could sustain, and he would always respond to his attackers with manifold rage.”
“How is that possible?” Little Isha immediately raised a question. “Are you saying… he became a vampire like me?”
“Not at all, but your guess isn’t off the mark,” Kalalin gave the young girl an encouraging smile. “In fact, during those years in the wilderness, he was taken in by a special being—Baba Yaga, yes, the renowned Mother of Witches.”
...
The audience gasped in unison, except for Lancelot, who wore a puzzled expression. He scratched his head and asked:
“This Baba Yaga… is she famous?”
“You mean to say your world hasn’t been plagued by Baba Yaga?” Kalalin looked at Lancelot with surprise. “Perhaps she doesn’t use that name there… Have you ever heard of a witch who is ugly, has a foul temper, yet possesses godlike omniscience? Legend has it she likes to ride in a giant cauldron instead of on a broom and lives in a hut that stands on chicken legs?”
“That would be too memorable. If I’d heard such a tale, I’m sure I would remember it,” Lancelot shook his head. “Maybe the world I come from is a bit special. For a long time, I thought Elves existed only in fairy tales…”
“Well, most agree that Baba Yaga is the strongest among the female spellcasters. She has close ties to all sorts of hags, some of whom even worship her. Besides Kostcheqi, she has another famous foster daughter, Tasha…”
“I have no impression of this name either,” Lancelot found himself scratching his head again, “Has she also become an Abyssal Lord?”
“No, but she did succeed in kidnapping an Abyssal Lord and had a Demigod son with him,” Kalalin shrugged, “Now her name is Iguervor, and people call her ‘Witch Queen.’ The ‘Lord Wu’an’ Grazzt holds a complicated love-hate relationship with her. By the way, she wrote a voluminous book called ‘Compendium of Demons,’ filled with information and… gossip about the Abyssal Lords, many of which have been proven true.”
“Wow… she’s pretty formidable,” Bruto turned his head to Lancelot, “Big brother, you need to step up…”
Keep your speech in line!” The Human Knight, engrossed in listening, suddenly frowned, “This is getting off track, this Baba Yaga…”
“Baba Yaga.”
“Sorry, Yaga Yaga… how did she make Kostcheqi so powerful?”
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
“She gave Kostcheqi a special necklace: the outermost part was a Frost Giant’s skull, inside was an Ogre’s skull, further inside were a human’s, a Halfling’s… Hidden in the innermost part was a Quasimodo Demon’s skeleton, and within that skeleton was a black Diamond, a Magic Container capable of storing mortal Souls. Kostcheqi kept his own soul in that gemstone, making him immune to any harm that might claim his life.”
“This sounds similar to the technique Liches use for Immortality,” Alamir interrupted, “Truly befitting the legend of the greatest Witch, Baba Yaga’s method seems far cleverer than those Arcanists who turned themselves into skeletons.”
“But the price is that the subject gradually transforms into a Demon, is it really worth it?” Kalalin shook his head slightly, “As a side effect of becoming Undead, Kostcheqi’s body grew larger and larger, eventually turning into the form we see today. With his terrifying power and Undead body, Kostcheqi’s tribe eventually became a Kingdom, and the fury and hatred within him did not diminish as his power grew, ultimately making him one of the most tyrannical kings in the Multiverse.”
“Let me guess, this Tyrant was finally defeated, yet his body was reborn in the Abyss,” Lancelot’s fingers gently tapped the table, “The one who accomplished this must be no nameless entity.”
“As a matter of fact, we just met the hero who accomplished this feat not long ago,” the Scholar laughed, “It was ‘Fury of the Whirlwind’ Gwenhwyfar, one of Queen Aira’s consorts, who ended Kostcheqi’s mortal life. She discovered Kostcheqi’s secret and destroyed the gemstone, allowing the Tyrant’s soul to return to his body so that she could utterly kill him. Reborn in the Abyss, Kostcheqi’s soul filled with hatred and rage immediately granted him Lord Level power, allowing him to conquer the twenty-third layer of the Abyss and turn that realm into the state you’ve seen before.”
“But it is a Demon now, and I remember the Giants have their own Deities,” Bruto tried to recall the history he learned from the Priest when he was a child, “How did he manage to usurp the faith of those Frost Giants?”
“By offering Immortality as a reward,” Kalalin said softly, “On the Iron Ice Plains, creatures do not age or die naturally. Frost Giants who pledged loyalty to the Prince of Wrath are allowed to live in that realm, and in fact, some cunning mortals also secretly take advantage of this trait, as long as they are not discovered, otherwise they will realize what a foolish mistake they’ve made for the sake of Immortality.”
