Chapter 290: Death Game?

“Well? Have you decided?”

Gulzan gripped the divine spark fragment in his hand, his voice wavering, yet unable to hide his anticipation.

When he saw those lava like demonic eyes churning with irrepressible restlessness, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up frantically.

His gamble had paid off!

He knew these demons all too well.

These powerful beings from the ancient era had ultimately been exiled into the endless void by the gods—the new gods—never to see the light of day again.

Returning to the physical realm was an obsession etched into the very souls of all demons.

And this divine spark fragment was the greatest opportunity to shatter the shackles of his seal; Zak Eos had absolutely no reason to refuse.

Gulzan knew deep down that when the stakes were enticing enough, even a demon skilled in bewitching hearts would become a slave to greed.

On the other side, Ansu noticed a slight tightening of the grip on his palm.

Looking sideways, he saw Freya’s eyes filled with worry as she gazed at him, her lips pressed tightly together, not daring to make a sound.

She was well aware that when facing such a powerful and unknown entity, if the other party truly sided with Gulzan, the two of them would have almost no chance of winning.

Ansu knew what Freya was nervous about, so he calmly squeezed her hand back and gave her a subtle wink.

Trust me.

Freya was slightly taken aback, and her tense shoulders relaxed a little.

Although she didn't know how Ansu would break the situation, she still nodded gently.

She trusted Ansu.

Ansu’s gaze was firmly locked on the divine spark fragment in Gulzan’s hand.

The soft emerald light emanated a thick aura of nature, which immediately made him think of one of the five righteous gods, the God of Nature—Aiseweida.

He tried to organize the facts in his mind.

In the original plot, for unknown reasons, the God of Nature’s divine power had withered year by year over the long ages, eventually leading to his fall.

The elven kingdom he protected, Elune, subsequently withered and decayed, becoming a dead land soaked in death.

The mana plague that erupted after the deity’s demise had turned the southern reaches of the Empire into a living hell, which was also one of the direct reasons the human world had entered its darkest hour.

It seemed the fragment before him was indeed one of the divine spark pieces that shattered when Aiseweida fell, though he didn't know how Gulzan had obtained it.

Ansu had already transmitted some information about Gulzan to Celia and the cult outside; they should be able to investigate some clues.

He thought to himself: before entering the demon domain, the ‘divine realm’ had already begun to collapse, so this super tier 9th Circle large scale space magic should have also dissipated by now.

The Witch should be arriving soon, right?

He looked up at the endless dark abyss surrounding them, feeling somewhat helpless; both sides were once again separated by different dimensions.

He didn't know when he would be able to see her again...

While he was lost in thought.

In the darkness, Zak Eos let out a low, somber laugh.

Those lava like dark red eyes had been locked on that divine spark fragment from beginning to end. “I admit, I am indeed tempted. I very much need the thing in your hand.”

Gulzan was overjoyed and hurriedly pressed, “Great! Then hurry up and act!”

Zak Eos’s gaze slowly swept over Ansu and Freya, then he suddenly spoke in a leisurely manner:

“What’s the rush? With me here, do you really think they can escape?”

“Then what are you waiting for!” Gulzan was so anxious that sweat kept breaking out on his forehead. “Sacrifice them! Quickly! Activate the sacrificial ritual right now! I want them dead immediately!”

However, Zak Eos suddenly changed his tone. “No, we will not perform a sacrifice this time.”

The smile on Gulzan’s face froze instantly.

“Demon, what do you mean?”

Zak Eos turned his gaze toward him and said slowly, “You have neither chanted the correct summoning incantation nor met all the criteria for a sacrificial ritual. This summons cannot be counted as starting a Soul Feast.”

Ansu calmly looked around; that giant golden soul scale that appeared last time was indeed not here now.

“Then...” Gulzan stood rooted to the spot, an ominous premonition sweeping through his body. “Then what on earth do you mean?”

Zak Eos slowly raised his hand.

Within the deep, dark void, a thick, ancient text silently emerged, its pages flipping without any wind.

“No rush, no rush. Let us verify the records.”

“Chapter 104, Article 23... supplementary provisions.”

Zak Eos’s deep voice recited the words, each one hitting Gulzan’s heart like a heavy hammer.

“Those who fail to initiate the sacrificial ritual according to the prescribed procedures shall not enjoy contract priority.”

“Both parties in a dispute shall enjoy the principle of equal arbitration, with us acting as the ultimate arbitration until the grudge is settled.”

“You’re lying to me!” Gulzan trembled with rage, screaming frantically at Zak Eos, “Demon! This was a trap you set on purpose! You’ve been playing me from the very beginning!”

“I am merely acting according to the rules.” Zak Eos let out a dark, savage grin, the mockery in his tone growing thicker. “It was your own carelessness that led you to overlook the ritual details; you have no one else to blame.”

“Nonsense! The rules are clearly decided by you; whatever you say becomes the truth!” Gulzan was exasperated. “We’ve cooperated for so long, why didn't I see you bring up so many tedious rules before?”

“No, no, it is simply that you were not cautious enough. We have always followed the rules.” Zak Eos countered slowly:

“I am indeed determined to obtain the divine spark fragment in your hand, but if I did not follow the rules, I would have simply taken the fragment by force the moment I saw you. Why would I have bothered talking to you for so long?”

Gulzan’s face turned pale, his fingers deathly tight around the divine spark fragment, the panic in his heart growing ever stronger.

“In that case, I have a fair method,” Zak Eos said with a smile.

“Since both of you want each other dead, why don’t we play a fair game...”

“The winner lives, the loser dies. Fair and just.”

“How about it?”

Gulzan’s heart tightened, and he instinctively asked, “What game?”

Ansu and Freya exchanged a look and listened intently.

“The game rules are very simple.” Zak Eos grinned, continuing, “The three of you will vote for each other. The one with the most votes is directly out.”

He paused deliberately, emphasizing his words.

“Of course, by ‘out,’ I mean death. Absolute death.”

“Each of you holds one vote. You can vote for any of the other two, or you can choose to abstain.”

In just a few sentences, Ansu instantly understood the demon’s intentions.

Zak Eos was likely unable to directly seize that divine spark fragment, so he chose to use the rules—this so called ‘fair voting’—to eliminate Gulzan and then claim the divine spark fragment for himself.

Cooperating with a demon was always a path to self destruction.

Gulzan immediately realized this was a dead end and roared in despair, “No! This isn't fair to me! The two of them are together; they’ll definitely both vote for me! I’m doomed!”

“It is very fair.” Zak Eos let out a low, evil laugh. “The bond between the two of them might not be as unbreakable as you think. You still have a sliver of hope, Gustav.”

Gulzan glared at the ancient demon before him, gritting his teeth. “You just want to kill me first and steal my divine spark fragment!”

“Yes,” Zak Eos said without the slightest concealment.

“But I am still giving you one last chance.”

“What chance? I don’t have any chance at all!” Gulzan said resentfully.

Zak Eos looked down at him, his tone filled with cruel mockery. “Go and convince them. As long as you can convince one of them, you have a chance to survive.”

Gulzan’s eyes widened suddenly. “Are you fucking kidding me!”

...