Chapter 180. Helpless preparations

Coughing to draw everyone out of their stupor, Michael finished the remaining parts of the story Lorath gifted them with.

[The burden of children can strain even the strongest of allies, and it seems angels and demons are not immune to this simple truth. 

Surely, Inarius and Lilith could not have foreseen the cosmic consequences of their actions. Inarius was alarmed when he realized that his children might surpass both angels and demons in potential.

The other angels and demons fought fiercely over what should be done - whether to spare the Naphalem or exterminate them. The dissent between the two groups alarmed Inarius, who called for a period of reflection.

Lilith, driven into a mad frenzy by the threat of her children's extinction, ruthlessly murdered each and every renegade angel and demon, leaving only Inarius to discover the carnage she had brought.

Horrified by the loss of his comrades at Lilith's hands, Inarius became enraged, but still, he could not kill her. Instead, he banished her from the Sanctuary that they created together. Inarius then attuned the Worldstone to diminish the powers of the Naphelem over time and disappeared in the aftermath.

As their strength faded generation after generation, they came to resemble mortals, no longer angelic or demonic. Simply human.

Since their power diminished, so too did their collective memory, until only legends of what came before remained.

It is said that the Firstborn remained immortal and undying as humankind took shape, giving rise to the cultures, kingdoms, and tribes of Sanctuary before they also faded into myth.

And now you know the birth of our world and our inheritance, demonic and divine. The Eternal Conflict that rages ceaselessly in each of us.](Lorath)

Standing back at the table to signify the end of Lorath's letters, Michael quietly waited for the inevitable questions and outrage.

Surprisingly, though, everyone looked pensive.

'Looks like I underestimated people's level of respect and belief in the Horadrim. It's a good thing, though. Less troubles for me.'

[*Sigh* This was both enlightening and unexpected, Michael... I heard before of Liltih being called Mother of Sanctuary, but I thought it was only related to the world's creation, not us... her progeny.](Celeste)

[Ugh... I now understand why this isn't widespread knowledge and why the church tried so hard to suppress it from entering the ears of the common folk. They wouldn't be able to differentiate between the Burning Hells and the renegades who came together at Inarius' and Lilith's sides.](Mira)

[I can attest on behalf of most clergy members, saying that this knowledge was also hidden from us. And I, as Reverend Mother of the Cathedral, hold no knowledge of these... theories, then certainly others below me haven't heard them either.](Prava)

The conversation continued for a while, and later, Michael, Aylin, and Helen led the two Archangels, the four representatives, and Prava inside the house.

After placing soundproofing arrays to ensure the conversation didn't leave the four walls, the Necromancer introduced the two VIP guests.

"Allow me to reintroduce these two... uhm... ugh... people? They are the reason for the needed secrecy, as well as why only the seven of us stayed behind for this talk. If you'd please."

Under the curious glances of the women, Auriel and Itharael stood up.

[I am Auriel, the Archangel of Hope. A pleasure meeting everyone.](Auriel)

[Itharael, the Archangel of Fate.](Itharael)

Six pairs of wings unfolded behind the duo, suffocating the room through the slight bit of pressure they allowed to escape. It was more than sufficient to prove their identities.

Looking at the six women's stunned expressions, Helen gloated and wished she could capture their current faces on an image stone. Still, it would be disrespectful with the two Archangels present, so she abstained.

Prava was the worst among the group, seemingly having received an enormous blow. After all, the presence of these celestial beings meant that Lorath's story was most likely true.

Clapping his hands as the angelic siblings took their seats, Michael woke everyone up from their daze. As expected, besides their incredulous looks, there was also fear brewing. 

"As for what the two of them are doing here, I don't know. I met Itharael after I finished the Stronghold Event with Gonk, and after a conversation, I jokingly suggested he should join the barbeque party. I wasn't expecting their attendance. So, here we are! Now, if the two angelic guests wouldn't mind, can you please explain your purpose here?"

Auriel looked at Itharael with a glance that said, 'It's you who dragged me here, so you deal with it,' forcing the Archangel of Fate to stand up.

[Ahem! Well, to be fair, I wanted to try Michael's new dishes.](Itharael)

"..."

[I'm serious. I already told you about Lilith being in Scosglen, so there wasn't anything more. As for my sister, it is you who said you'd be more curious about meeting her than me since she was famously beautiful.](Itharael)

Glaring at the innocent-looking Archangel, Michael's face darkened. This bastard was spewing nonsense! What if his tigress got jealous!?

It was he who had to clear up the mess!

[Uhm... pardon my intrusion in your conversation, Your Holiness...](Celeste)

[Just Itharael would suffice. Me and Auriel are here to relax and not on an 'official' visit.](Itharael)

[...then, Mr. Itharael, what is this about Lilith being in Scosglen? I am unsure if you are aware of this, but I am the representative in charge of that area. If Lilith is planning something that might affect the lives of the Wanderers and common folk under my supervision, I would appreciate any small detail you can tell me.](Celeste)

The Archangel looked at the Tier 4 Sniper and shook his head.

[I am afraid I cannot tell you more than I already did. Fate is a mysterious thing, and its tapestry changes with every 'small detail' those on it are aware of. Just letting you know that Lilith is planning something in Scosglen is enough to cloud my vision of the future. Any more, and the consequences might become terrible.](Itharael)

[Does that mean that the current future you've seen is somewhat manageable as long as we stop Lilith?](Nathalia)

[*Sigh* I'm not sure. To begin with, can you? After being sealed in the Void of the Pandemonium plane, Lilith's powers increased tremendously. I'm not sure if even Imperius could win against her in a head-on fight. The only thing you can do is wade your way forward, hoping to find the way out of the river of fate, searching for that one path that ensures humanity's survival.](Itharael)

[Can the Angiris Council support us?](Aylin)

[No. The story you heard isn't wrong. Even as we speak, countless warriors of our Heaven are fighting in the Pandemonium Fortress against the hordes of the Burning Hells. With or without the Worldstone gone, it doesn't matter anymore. And with our forces spread thin, we cannot afford to draw Lilith to the Burning Hells' side by interfering with her plans.](Auriel)

"The bottom line is that we must fend for ourselves, right?"

[...yes.](Auriel)

"That makes things simple enough, then. I have a question if you don't mind. Do all Horadrim possess the knowledge Lorath just revealed? Or is he a special case?"

[...](Auriel)

[They don't. Even Lorath, who was present when Malthael stole the fragment and betrayed the High Heavens, shouldn't know that much. Another reason for our arrival here was to verify this knowledge. Even to our Angiric Council, information about Anu and Tethamet is scarce. I cannot comprehend where in Sanctuary could he gain such knowledge.](Itharael)

Everyone paused and contemplated the issue. 

[Could it be that he uncovered these details during his pursuit of Lilith's trail? The Sanctuary was created from the Worldstone, after all. Traces of its origin should have been embedded into the world itself.](Nathalia)

[It's possible. However, we cannot interfere and ask him directly, as it would send the course of fate into a spiraling mess. We have our suspicions for the source of the knowledge, but we cannot directly confirm that either...](Itharael)

"The World Tree?"

Seeing the Archangels' surprised looks, Michael shrugged and nonchalantly continued.

"Ever since I first heard about it, it has been described as the dream destination for those who seek knowledge. I heard that its prices are steep, but there's little or nothing that he doesn't know. To assume that Lorath gained this information from it wouldn't be far-fetched. There's also Deckard Cain, who could have obtained this information and passed it onto the future Horadrim, who safeguarded it."

Staying true to their words, the two angelic guests didn't participate much in the next conversations but only offered their input once asked.

The representatives and Prava formulated a plan through which they could better respond to sudden chaos caused by Lilith or the gates of Hell opening, but it was clear that Prava was hiding something.

Remembering Inarius taking the Key after killing Rathma, Michael didn't directly put her in a difficult situation since the two Archangels might get involved. Furthermore, it was Inarius's plan, and she might be unaware of most of the details. 

He would check with the girls later and figure out a solution. After all, he kept everything under wraps for the past six days, trying to devise a plan by himself. The Sanctuary didn't intervene as he hoped in the form of a Quest, so all he could do was prepare for the worst.

The first to leave were the two Archangels who claimed that they couldn't be away from the battlefield for too long, or else the demon Lords might take the opportunity to cause massive casualties in their army. 

A collective sigh of relief escaped everyone's mouths once the angelic duo was gone, prompting a streak of laughter in their midst. Only Prava kept quiet and subsequently left after thanking everyone for the meal and information.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Michael explained what he found in Rathma's Necropolis and how both Inarius and Lilith now held a Key that could open the gates of Hell. 

To be fair, the Necromancer gave Prava sufficient chances. He asked Neyrelle to keep quiet and not share the details with the sisters. He even revealed some details to the Reverend Mother tonight, hoping she could come clean about the church's plan.

Unfortunately, things are never that simple.

[*Sigh* So you mean that not only does Lilith hold the key, and nobody knows what she might do with it, but Inarius also has one and is preparing to invade the Burning Hells?](Celeste)

"Pretty much."

[Shit...](Mira)

[So, not only do we need to prepare for whatever Lilith has planned, but we also need to deal with the consequences of Inarius attacking Hell and inevitably failing?](Beatrice)

[It's been a while since I felt this powerless...](Nathalia)

[No matter how I look at it, there's nothing we can do in either case... Lilith is beyond our reach, but Inarius isn't a pushover, either.](Aylin)

[That leaves us with a single path ahead of us: preparing to deal with the worst-case scenario. Irrelevant to what those two are planning, we cannot stop them. And once the gates of Hell open, it's not like we could close them back immediately after they finish their fight... I'm not even sure how the key works. What if it can only open but not close them?](Helen)

Sometime later, at 1:25 AM, the conversation temporarily ended after the representatives decided to bolster the numbers and levels of their Wanderers in the little 'peace' they had left. 

The training arrays were the highest priority, and everyone would invest heavy resources to ensure they could be used as soon as possible. 

Michael even asked if Nathalia could get in contact with the World Tree and see if it could provide us with some help, but all he got back was a wry smile and a brief explanation of how she wasn't willing to die yet.

"Well, let's do what we can. Even if Inarius and Lilith are the creators of the Sanctuary, the Sanctuary has its own will. I will leave for Scosglen tomorrow and meet up with Donan. I'll try to ask for some help since Lilith is already in his area. Horadrim swore to protect Sanctuary so they wouldn't stay hidden if the entire world fell to ruin."

[We already exchanged magic frequencies so contact me through the Ring of Communication if you need my help in solving problems. As long as they are Wanderer-related, I can promise I can solve anything. If it's political, I can at least make sure you won't be harmed.](Celeste)

"Thank you, Miss Celeste."

[We should all stay in touch. It's a bit hurried, but we should speed up the training of newbie Wanderers. I'm worried that our numbers will be insufficient if the Burning Hells directly invade.](Mira)

[Mhm. I'll make preparations to deal with them also.](Nathalia)

[Then, let's get moving. *Sigh* Another sleepless night ahead...](Beatrice)

[One of the many in the near future, no doubt...](Aylin)