Orloff's Compromise

Anger? Desterie chuckled inwardly. He absolutely did not believe Orloff's rhetoric. Orloff and Augusta were of one mind, and Orloff, being the side that represented absolute rationality and the pursuit of truth above all else, would have any anger suppressed by his reason.

Managing a continent was an even more boring excuse. When had a Chief God ever truly managed a continent? Management was the business of Prefecture Lords and Legion Commanders; Chief Gods sat high above, reaping the rewards without sowing, needing only to decide who lived and who died.

Desterie certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to rush to the Heavenly Realm after offending Orloff. After all, Orloff was only focused on research; his persona as a "good guy" was merely a facade. It wasn't that he was incapable of lying or harming others.

"My Lord, in truth, over these past ten thousand years, I have also been trying to persuade Iluka, hoping to learn the truth and the reason behind his actions back then, but I have had no success," Desterie said with a smile, the subtext being: even if you come yourself, it won't make any difference.

Orloff stroked his beard and smiled. "No matter. I know why he did what he did. Rest assured, here in the material plane, my projection has no sovereign might; it cannot harm a Paragon."

Hearing this, Desterie nodded in agreement. Moreover, judging by Orloff's posture, he wouldn't give up until he saw Iluka, so he spread his divine sense directly, easily covering the entire plane. Sure enough, he found Iluka standing at the edge of the plane, facing a multitude of spatial rifts, lost in deep thought.

This had been Iluka's state for the majority of the last ten thousand years.

Desterie could clearly sense that, recently, the aura of slaughter on Iluka had grown increasingly intense, and he was in dire need of a channel to vent it.

"Iluka, the Sovereign of Fate, Orloff, has descended with a projection avatar to see you. You should come and meet him. If the communication goes well, perhaps you will be able to continue roaming the Higher Planes and Divine Planes in the future."

Iluka's eyes snapped open, the look of violence within them intensifying.

In the Domain of High Heaven, within Desterie's palace, Orloff, Iluka, and Desterie sat around a marble table, pouring fine wine.

Neither Orloff nor Iluka made any move to drive Desterie away. After all, as the only Chief God of this material plane, if Desterie wanted to eavesdrop, Orloff's energy projection avatar wouldn't be able to detect it, and Iluka would be even less capable of doing so.

Orloff observed Iluka's expression and said with a faint smile, "Long time no see, Iluka. You've been hiding here for ten thousand years; you must have been feeling quite stifled, haven't you?"

Iluka said coldly, "Indeed, it has been a long time. Hah, that I am in this state today is all thanks to you!"

Despite Iluka's disrespectful tone, Orloff was not angry, only smiling. "I searched for you for many years, but I didn't realize at first on the Plane Battlefield that you were the Paragon Highgod Iluka. It wasn't until you backhanded the Heavenly Realm camp with a vicious strike that I realized it was you. It has truly been too long."

Iluka continued to sneer, "You only recognized me then? No wonder the Heavenly Realm lost so miserably.

I truly didn't expect to escape your wrath. Although I cannot block you, I am in the material plane now, and you cannot kill me here. Why bother coming here to waste your breath?"

Orloff was silent for a moment. After taking a sip of wine, he looked at Desterie and smiled. "There is no need to involve Desterie in our affairs. He is a dignified Chief God; for him to be huddled in a material plane for your sake is simply a laughingstock."

Desterie merely smiled at these words, not interjecting.

Listening to the implications of their conversation, the root of Iluka's scheme against the Heavenly Realm actually lay with Orloff. A Paragon actually had a grudge against the Sovereign of Fate.

Iluka drained his cup in one gulp, a faint smile curling his lips. "Since Chief God Desterie was able to risk your furious retaliation to save me and protect me, I will not harm him. That is why I told him nothing. If I had told him anything, wouldn't that have been harming him?"

Desterie felt like he had words stuck in his throat, and he glared at these two guys—riddle-mongers get out of here!

Orloff personally poured a cup of wine for Iluka and smiled. "It is good that we have such a consensus. I know that merely ruining a ten-win streak in the Plane War is not enough to offset your hatred. If you are willing to bury the past, I can find an Edict of Destruction Chief God Spark for you."

Desterie's eyes widened. Hearing this, it seemed that Iluka, as a Paragon Highgod, actually knew the significance of a ten-win streak in the Plane War. Moreover, the secret between them was enough for Orloff to be willing to use a Chief God Spark to appease him.

Desterie finally couldn't help but ask, "My Lord's sincerity truly makes me curious about the history between you two."

Orloff shook his head, while Iluka said directly, "It is better that you do not know. Otherwise, this wolf in sheep's clothing before you would surely have to kill you."

Immediately, he turned to Orloff and said, "I agree to your terms, but I have no interest in a Lowgod Chief God Spark. When you bring me an Intermediate or higher Edict of Destruction Chief God Spark, I will forget the past and start a new life."

Orloff shook his head. "There are only Lowgod ones. Obtaining an Intermediate Chief God Spark is too conspicuous, and a Highgod one is even more impossible. You have no choice."

After a long while, Iluka fell silent and ultimately accepted.

Desterie, surrounded by riddle-mongers, sent the two away with great displeasure. Before Orloff left, he said, "During the final battle of this Plane War, I will declare to all Chief Gods that they are to cease pursuing Iluka, and I will no longer question your stance either.

I know you are close to Lilith, but you are a Chief God of Fate after all. You should still spend time in the Heavenly Realm; don't just focus on the Netherworld. No matter how good the Netherworld is, it cannot give you a ten-win streak."

Desterie nodded in agreement. His ten thousand years of seclusion were not actually out of concern for Orloff, but because he wanted to make a push to become a Paragon. However, ten thousand years had passed since the impact of the torrent of faith, and "drug resistance" had already developed; pinning his hopes on the power of faith now would be foolish.

But he had yet to create a Divine Plane; before Orloff arrived, he had intended to go out and do just that. During the Plane War, the probability of being disturbed by other Chief Gods would be much lower.

"I hear that this Plane War is a struggle between the Radiant Divine Realm and Hell. Once Hell wins, that will be an eight-win streak. There should be quite a few Chief Gods paying attention," Desterie said, while inwardly speculating. In the original story, after the Heavenly Realm achieved its first ten-win streak, there were six nine-win streaks over countless years. He wondered if Hell could reach that point this time.

If they succeeded, Iluka would make a fortune. Under the butterfly effect, it was possible for Hell to achieve a ten-win streak as well. Combined with the foundation of his Paragon strength, he would be infinitely close to the level of a Sovereign.

Orloff left, and Iluka returned to the edge of the plane. Desterie, after waiting for a few days, entered the spatial turbulence; he was going to create a Divine Plane!