Chapter 647: Nephthys, Goddess of the Ennead
The Massive Threat
The tentacle was enormous, and its speed and power were terrifying. A single blow carved a crater several hundred meters wide into the ground.
The heroes scattered, their expressions grim.
Luke said solemnly,
"We need to take it down and leave immediately. The tentacle is only a part of it; the main body is far larger."
Diana asked, confused, "An octopus?"
"Who knows what it is? This place is too strange."
A stitched monster he could understand, but how did a creature this large survive? Did it not need to eat?
Failing to hit them with the first strike, the tentacle whipped its body, generating a loud whistling sound, and lashed straight at Clark. Clark didn't dodge; instead, he charged forward.
The two bodies, one large and one small, collided violently.
Boom!
A shockwave erupted, followed by the sound of breaking bones. The woman at the tip screamed tragically, twisting her body wildly to fling Clark out of the flesh he'd sunken into.
"J'onn, cover me."
Diana drew the Sword of Hephaestus and leaped up, aiming straight for the woman in the creature's mouth. J'onn closed his eyes, activating his psychic abilities. Silently, the woman suddenly froze, her eyes struggling, looking confused.
The sword flashed through the air, and with a spray of blood, the woman's body was severed in two.
Luke raised his hand and drew the falling half-body into his palm.
"Hurry! Get out of here right now!"
With that, he turned to flee. Diana and J'onn followed closely. Clark, grabbing the injured Adam who was on the ground, brought up the rear.
The three flew at full speed for twenty minutes before stopping.
Diana glanced at the woman in Luke's hand, asking with confusion,
"Why did you bring her?"
"You'll see in a moment."
Luke carefully placed the woman on the ground and touched her brow. Soul energy seeped from his fingertip into her body. Moments later, the woman slowly opened her eyes. Her black pupils resembled a deep pool—empty and utterly placid.
She seemed unconscious, like a person in a vegetative state.
Luke waited quietly until a spark of consciousness appeared in her eyes, then spoke softly in Ancient Egyptian:
"How should I address you, Madam?"
The familiar language roused her slightly. She looked at Luke, confused.
"Who are you?"
"We both come from the Human World."
"Human?"
The woman silently repeated the word, complex emotions swirling in her eyes.
Luke continued, "Can you recall your name?"
"Nephthys."
The woman gave an answer. "I think my name is Nephthys."
As expected!
The moment he saw her, Luke knew something was wrong. He had seen the image of the Ennead (the nine great Gods of Egyptian mythology) in the library of the Rock of Eternity. This woman looked exactly like Nephthys, the Goddess of Fertility.
Diana asked curiously, "What are you two saying?"
"She is Nephthys, the Goddess of Fertility, one of the Egyptian Ennead, and the mother of the Death God Anubis."
Clark and Diana were instantly stunned. For one of the Ennead to be reduced to this state was unbelievable!
J'onn asked curiously, "What is her condition now?"
Luke shook his head. "Her soul has already merged with the monster in the giant pit. The consciousness residing in this body is merely an awareness construct condensed from her divine power. I used my 'Dao technique' to awaken her True Spirit, but it can only be maintained for a short time. After that, she will die."
As he spoke, the woman seemed to regain her memory. She looked blankly at the group, first glancing at the astonished Adam, then J'onn and Clark, then Luke. Her gaze lingered on Diana.
"The Sword of Hephaestus? The Bracelets of Submission? The Lasso of Truth? What is your relationship with Zeus?"
Luke translated the question. Diana hesitated but finally answered truthfully.
"Zeus is my father."
"No wonder. You are an Amazon."
Diana nodded. "How did you know?"
The woman did not answer that question. Instead, she asked Luke, "How many years have passed?"
"At least five thousand years."
Hearing this, the woman looked lost in thought, taking a moment to recover. She asked with a strained smile,
"Is Egypt doing well?"
"Not great, not bad."
Luke continued, "Can you tell me why you became like this?"
"I don't know. I only remember arriving at the God-Domain. I don't recall anything after that."
"What is the God-Domain?"
"The resting place for the souls of the Gods."
The woman suddenly clutched her chest, appearing to be in great pain.
"I... I would like to ask you for a favor. Kill... kill that monster."
"The monster in the giant pit?"
"It... it's the one."
"Why must we eliminate it?"
"It is the source of all evil. It is devouring, and it is constantly growing." As she spoke, she forcefully grabbed Luke's hand. "Kill it. You must kill it."
With that last plea, she slowly closed her eyes and lay motionless on the ground.
"She died?"
"Yes, she died."
Clark asked curiously, "What was she saying just now?"
"She asked us to kill the monster deep in the pit and avenge her."
Luke looked resigned. "I was hoping to ask her about the God-Demon Battlefield, but I didn't expect her to fade so quickly."
Diana hesitated. "What should we do? Should we avenge her?"
"How can we? We have no relation to her. What are you thinking?"
Clark and J'onn shared the same sentiment. While they felt pity for her fate, they weren't foolish enough to fight a God-devouring monster out of sympathy.
The four changed their route, avoiding the crater, and continued deeper into the battlefield from a different direction.
Avogadro's Downfall
At the same time, a shadow appeared above the giant pit.
It was the Underworld Dragon, Avogadro.
Guided by the Prophecy Bead, he found this location. The moment he saw the giant pit, he didn't hesitate—he turned and tried to flee. Unfortunately, it was too late. Three massive tentacles shot out of the pit like arrows piercing the sky.
The tentacles, covered in bone fragments, coiled around the Underworld Dragon's wings and talons, fiercely pulling him downward.
Avogadro roared in fury, opening his mouth to spew his Black Breath.
The breath hit a tentacle, causing the bone and flesh on it to visibly wither. At that moment, the tips of the tentacles opened up, revealing three bare-chested figures.
Two men and one woman. All three had Human appearances!
If Diana were here, she would gasp in shock. The woman was strikingly similar to the statue of Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt, enshrined in the temple on Themyscira.
Of the two men, one formed a hand seal—it was the Daoist Thunder Technique.
Rumble!
Golden lightning crashed down from the sky, striking Avogadro's head. The blow interrupted his Black Breath, causing him unbearable pain.
The other man took a deep breath. The air he exhaled transformed into countless wind blades, which sliced into the Dragon's body, leaving large wounds. Dragon blood rained down from the sky, pulled by an invisible force, flowing into the depths of the pit.
The woman raised her right hand, and an emerald green spear materialized within it.
Go!
The spear broke the sound barrier, piercing Avogadro's right eye, penetrating his skull, and vanishing into the distant sky like a streak of light.
ROAR!!
The Dragon's agonizing cry echoed through the heavens, filled with terror and helplessness.
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