Endless Debt Chapter 1133: Epilogue

The cave was enveloped by crimson flesh, clinging to every surface like decaying, fibrous fungi. It expanded and stretched, seemingly acting on its own accord. Intertwined, the entire cavern felt transformed into the colossal intestines of a monstrous entity, subtly undulating with every perceived breath.

Mammon advanced, his boot sinking into the gelatinous ground. The sensation was akin to stepping on boggy earth, making him struggle to maintain his footing. Indeed, losing balance here was a perilous prospect. Around him, amidst the fibrous mass, indistinct forms could be discerned – unsettling hybrids of human and animalistic features. These grotesque amalgamations emanated a piercing, unbearable stench, a testament to the unfortunate fates of those who had previously wandered into this domain.

Proceeding further, the ghastly sight of the scarlet Blood Lake came into view. It was a foul, repulsive expanse, receiving a deluge of blood from all directions.

A faint haze ascended from the lake's surface, carrying with it a pungent, acrid odor.

As Mammon drew nearer, the unsettling sounds of creatures gnawing on flesh became distinctly audible. Standing at the water's edge, he could observe spectral shapes submerged within the blood, their forms slicked with gore, their eyes blazing with a terrifying luminescence.

Suddenly, the Blood Lake erupted into a furious boil. The strange entities within engaged in a brutal frenzy, their roars and the sickening sounds of tearing flesh echoing like a denizens' infernal revelry.

Within this macabre feast, numerous pallid limbs surged from the lake's depths. These were the corpses of humans and animals, their extremities contorted, skin withered and wrinkled. Though their bodies bore the marks of decay, they seemed imbued with an uncanny vitality, their limbs continuously twitching, emitting strange, sibilant whispers.

Amidst these drowned remains, saturated with the coppery scent of blood, human flesh had melded together in a scene of grotesque depravity. As the monstrous beings clashed, these amalgamated masses were further torn apart and reformed, adding to the nightmarish tableau.

Mammon had never truly appreciated his blood relative's peculiar tastes, yet he couldn't deny the terrifying efficacy of the blood prison she had conjured in the mortal realm.

As if sensing his presence, the violent churning of the Blood Lake ceased. The surface settled into an unnerving, silken sheen, from which a protrusion gradually formed, resembling a distorted human silhouette. The tension of the viscous, silk-like membrane held until it could bear no more, then tore with a mournful cry, revealing a comely figure.

Mammon offered a respectful bow. "It has been an age, my kin."

A melodious laugh resonated through the cavern. Her exquisitely smooth feet, stepping through the sanguine liquid, carried her towards Mammon. The blood cascaded from her form, only to coalesce and drape itself around her like fine fabric, fashioning a form-fitting garment.

The hem of her blood-woven dress trailed in the crimson water, its movement as she advanced resembling a school of fish, stirring the viscous surface into gentle ripples.

Clearly discerning Mammon's purpose, she inquired, "You seek refuge, do you not?"

"Xilin has disrupted my established routes, and the Order Bureau now views me with hostility... It seems I am indeed without a sanctuary," Mammon replied with a wry smile.

The woman regarded him intently. "And what can you offer in return?"

"Much. Commodities and resources from the Gray Trade Association, intelligence regarding the Silent Legion's operations, and even certain classified information. It depends entirely on your needs," Mammon stated.

"And what is it you aim to achieve?" she pressed further.

"I harbor no specific ambitions. If I must articulate a desire, it is to preserve the current state of balanced deterrence. I have no wish to see any single entity achieve absolute dominance, much like Leviathan."

Mammon's demeanor shifted to one of gravity. "I possess a foreboding: Leviathan is orchestrating something. As I mentioned to you previously, this situation bears a striking resemblance to the events preceding the genesis of the New World."

"New World..."

Upon uttering these words, a flicker of anger crossed the woman's features, yet intermingled with her ire was a palpable surge of intense longing.

"Rather than a 'New World,' it was more of a perilous gamble to ascend as the Demon King," the woman mused.

"None of us can truly resist such a potent allure, can we?"

Mammon observed her reaction closely as he spoke. "However, what we find even more unbearable is the triumph of others. Envy and trepidation towards our peers compel us to unite... much like during the Fall of the Holy City."

"Are you certain that Leviathan intends to replicate the events of the New World?" the woman inquired.

Mammon paused for a beat, then commenced to meticulously lay out the sequence of past occurrences for the woman, gradually dispelling the enigma surrounding the matter.

"I am certain of it," Mammon affirmed, proceeding to unveil secrets he had never before shared with a soul.

"Unlike the rest of you, I have harbored a persistent wariness towards Leviathan. He remains too enigmatic, his motivations inscrutable. Long before the Fall of the Holy City, approximately two decades ago, I observed Leviathan and King Solomon engaged in clandestine machinations."

The woman's expression shifted subtly, this revelation being entirely novel to her. "And then what transpired?"

"It appears they're engaged in a ritual, one that even I can't decipher," Mammon guffawed, his laughter echoing wildly. "But understanding it isn't the point; disrupting it is."

"I disrupted their ritual. Whatever their goal was, Leviathan was thwarted. Afterward, he didn't retaliate against me... such squabbles have happened between us innumerable times."