So who could this second Heretic God be?
Sea god... Poseidon? Sea messenger Triton? Sea nymph Halia? Four Dragon Kings?...
One after another, marine deities surfaced in Phoenix's mind, but she secretly hoped for Poseidon.
After all, he was one of the main gods of Olympus and ranked among the top four.
In Greek mythology, Zeus overthrew his father Cronus during the Titan War, becoming the third-generation king of gods and ushering in the era of the Olympian deities. When they divided their dominions, Zeus took the sky, Poseidon the sea, Hades the underworld, and Gaia the earth.
Poseidon's authority and power were not to be underestimated.
However, in the very next moment, Phoenix realized she might have overthought things...
If it were Poseidon, even in this desert, he would have transformed this place into an ocean long ago. The temperature wouldn't have just dropped to a hundred degrees and stopped there.
Moreover, this might not even be a god of the sea. Because at that moment... Phoenix felt her body being affected once again.
An unprecedented desire flooded her body and mind.
Her thoughts became consumed by lust and carnal desires...
Phoenix was no ordinary person. She wasn't just a Campione, but also a Valkyrie.
The Li Fire within her body automatically circled around her, immediately dispelling the intense desire. Shaking her head, Phoenix felt not anger, but excitement.
Because... this entity hadn't even appeared yet, but its influence was already so great. It was completely on another level compared to the first Flame Bird.
This was undoubtedly a main god-level existence.
A main god. How many Crystals could one obtain by killing it? How much were its powers worth in Crystals?
This summoning should have been a big profit for her...
Suddenly, Phoenix remembered something and quickly turned to look behind her. She saw her two knights, Liliana and Erica, embracing each other in disheveled clothes...
The influence was incredibly potent, affecting even Phoenix herself. It was only natural that it would affect Liliana and Erica as well. Though they were "Great Knights," they were still mages at heart, so being affected by the influence was inevitable.
However, since they were both women, even under the influence, they couldn't truly act like wild monkeys.
Fortunately, there were no men present. Otherwise...
When Phoenix looked at Higokumaru beside her, she couldn't help but feel speechless.
As a Herrscher with powerful control abilities, such minor influences meant nothing to Higokumaru. Naturally, she remained completely unaffected.
At that moment, Higokumaru was watching Liliana and Erica with perverse amusement.
"..."
Seeming to have noticed Phoenix's gaze, Higokumaru gave her an awkward smile before finally beginning to dispel the strange influence affecting Liliana and Erica.
For these two rivals vying for Phoenix Nee's affection, Higokumaru wished they'd become lovers—preferably consummate their relationship.
That way, they wouldn't compete with her for Phoenix Nee's attention.
But having promised Phoenix before, and now that Phoenix had discovered their situation, Higokumaru reluctantly suppressed the carnal desires affecting the two women.
As the lustful urges were dispelled, Liliana and Erica regained clarity. Observing their intimate positions, both women flushed with embarrassment, nearly bursting into fury...
Fortunately, they hadn't progressed beyond minor physical contact. The closeness was tolerable, allowing them to quickly compose themselves and adjust their clothing.
For the first time, genuine fear of the Heretic God took root in their hearts.
The divine beast had been manageable, but it was clear their "king" wasn't here for that flame phoenix.
Instead, it was for another deity—someone who had not yet truly descended but already wielded such tremendous influence. Gods... truly weren't something mages could resist. If it weren't for Higokumaru's help... herself and Liliana...
Erica didn't dare finish that thought.
Though she and Liliana were close friends, she'd never truly considered crossing the boundaries of that friendship. Moreover... her current purpose was her king...
After confirming Liliana and Erica were unharmed, Phoenix turned away from them, her attention drawn to the commotion caused by the impending arrival of the second Heretic God. She was grateful she'd chosen this desolate desert for the summoning.
If they'd been in a city...
One could imagine the experience of every creature within the urban area entering a state of heightened arousal. The implications were... disturbing.
This particular deity... likely had connections to the sea, sexuality... and other such matters.
As if sensing the descent of a powerful god, the first divine beast Phoenix summoned—a Flame Bird—suddenly trembled with fear and attempted to flee.
Its wings of fire fluttered as it prepared to take flight...
At that moment, a massive lightning spear struck the escaping Flame Bird.
Phoenix materialized beside the creature, her hand crackling with thunderous energy. She stood like the very god of lightning itself.
[Authority: Thunder Spear]
One of the five authorities from Beelzebub, this ability was straightforward: hurling a powerful lightning spear. Though potent, it remained a single-target attack...
Yet this was merely an authority plundered from a Heretic God. Being fixed, Phoenix couldn't manipulate it into electromagnetic cannon fire.
This limitation embodied one of the flaws of both Heretic Gods and Campione.
"Would you think I'd let you escape after summoning you with 1000 crystals?" Phoenix demanded, her hand gripping the lightning. The Flame Bird, though severely damaged by the Thunder Spear, still lived.
The creature retaliated with a fiery wingbeat, sending a scorching wind toward Phoenix.
She smiled. Fire... Could this meager flame truly affect her?
Li Fire wings materialized behind Phoenix. With a single beat, she pierced through the flame wind and closed the distance to the Flame Bird.