Completing the Overgod Mission

Completing the Overgod Mission

The Chainis Plane, the Azure Sea, Orchid Ice Island.

Lincoln sat with his eyes closed before the Cyan Light Jade Wall, breathing deeply. He had been in the Coiling Dragon universe for ten million years, and had made quite a name for himself in the Supreme Plane. After countless struggles and schemes, he could say that no one below Paragon could match him. Unfortunately, becoming a Paragon was too difficult. That final step was like a chasm he couldn't cross, even after hundreds of thousands of years. Worse still, he had arrived too late and missed his chance to compete for a Sovereign Spark. Otherwise, with his strength, why wouldn't he have been able to refine one and look down upon all living beings?

But what was about to happen might well have been the thing Lincoln had cared about most over the past ten million years.

He opened his eyes. A tremendously powerful aura rushed toward him from afar, making the surrounding creatures tremble. Lincoln paid it no mind. He took a pure white metal fragment from his interspatial ring, rubbing it between his fingertips as he read it over carefully once again.

Before long, the aura arrived and stopped in front of Lincoln. The newcomer looked exactly like him, except for his jet-black hair and eyes. The two exchanged a glance. The black-haired Lincoln also took a pair of wings from his interspatial ring. They were lifelike and shone with a soft white light. As they fluttered, they seemed to guide people toward the right path.

"It seems these really are the Wings of Freedom. They can help living beings break free of their cages and make the right choices." As he spoke, Lincoln didn't merge with his Divine Clone. "It was worth sending out all my Divine Clones and searching for thousands of years. I finally got my hands on them."

He took a deep breath, his expression turning resolute, and took out two more items from his interspatial ring. One was a white staff about a meter long, with a hollowed-out end and countless intricate patterns carved all over it. The other was a perfectly round, transparent orb.

"The Scepter of Fortune can scatter a person's luck and plunge them into misfortune, while the Orb of Destiny can glimpse another person's fate. Either one is a Heaven and Earth Wonder that's almost impossible to come by. But compared to the Overgod Mission, they're insignificant." As he spoke, Lincoln placed the three treasures together. In an instant, the three Overgod Tokens combined. The Orb of Destiny and the Wings of Freedom were set into the head of the Scepter of Fortune, forming the Scepter of Heavenly Mandate. It rose into the air, where it was caught by a gradually materializing hand—old, thin, and long-fingered, with prominent knuckles. Its owner wore a white robe, its hood completely concealing its head.

"So this is the Fate Overgod?" Lincoln stared at the Fate Overgod, who appeared to be an old man. He could sense only mystery and antiquity, as though endless secrets lay hidden beneath the white robe.

The Fate Overgod looked at Lincoln. "Since the birth of heaven and earth, this is the sixth Overgod Mission, and the second one I have issued. Congratulations, Lincoln. You have completed it. According to the terms of the mission, you may now make one request. Anything I can do, I will do for you. What is your request?"

The Overgod's voice seemed to come from every direction, yet also from deep within his heart. Its echo lingered, captivating him.

Lincoln pressed his lips together. He had gone over the scene in the original Coiling Dragon countless times, where Linley made his wish. If the Overgod couldn't fulfill it, he would grant another request instead. So...

"I wish to safely transcend this universe!" Lincoln said in a low voice.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot grant your request. Please make another."

The answer was as expected, and Lincoln wasn't surprised. That request was beyond the Overgod's abilities, but it was worth a try. He had no doubt that the Sovereigns who completed the earlier missions had tried many things. The Supreme Artifact was probably already the best possible reward, but only Chief Gods could use a Supreme Artifact. For him, getting one now would be like chewing wax—and might even put him at great risk.

Without asking why, Lincoln made another wish. "I wish to become the true ruler of this universe, so that no matter how powerful the High-Level Chief Gods become, they can never surpass me."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot grant your request. Please make another."

The Fate Overgod's answer was still calm, but this time Lincoln asked why.

"Apart from external factors such as developing techniques, talents, and Divine Artifacts, a living being can grow stronger only by comprehending Laws, fusing Laws, refining God Sparks, refining Sovereign Sparks, undergoing Soul Mutation, and so on. Chief Gods can also grow stronger by winning ten consecutive battles in the Plane Battlefield. These are all part of the rules, the fates of all living beings under heaven and earth, and cannot be changed."

Lincoln fell silent for a moment. This explanation amounted to saying that the fates of all living beings under heaven and earth were fixed. Still, he didn't waste any more time before making another wish. "I wish for all my Divine Clones to become High-Level Chief Gods."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot grant your request. Please make another." The Fate Overgod paused, then continued explaining. "To become a Chief God, one must first become a god independently and then refine a Sovereign Spark. That is a Law of the World. The current High-Level Chief Gods have committed no transgression and should not be killed. That, too, is a Law of the World."

Lincoln took a deep breath. His earlier wishes had been attempts, like listing his preferences for college admissions. What if one worked? He made another wish. "I wish to obtain every Sovereign Spark that has yet to be refined!" This was what he cared about most, and the wish he had the greatest hope of having granted!

"There are still four Sovereign Sparks that have not been refined: a Mid-level Darkness Sovereign Spark, and Low-Sovereign Sparks of Thunder, Life, and Fate. I can give you only one."

Lincoln was shocked and delighted. He had thought only Low-Sovereign Sparks remained. He hadn't expected a Mid-level Sovereign Spark to be available—and one he could use, at that. If the Mid-level Sovereign Spark had been for Life or Fate, he wouldn't have been able to use it. He had expected to receive only one. By the same logic, he couldn't believe those Sovereigns hadn't wished for a full set of Supreme Artifacts. But each time, they had received only one.

"I choose the Mid-level Darkness Sovereign Spark!" Lincoln declared firmly.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the Fate Overgod extended his other hand. A gray, translucent, glass-like crystal resembling a God Spark appeared in his palm. It glimmered with black light and radiated a power so overwhelming it made Lincoln's heart tremble. The Fate Overgod pointed forward, and the Dark Mid-level Sovereign Spark flew straight into Lincoln's hand.

Lincoln's Darkness Divine Clone had not returned to him, and he couldn't spare a thought for the Fate Overgod's form, which had vanished at some point. He immediately let a drop of blood fall onto the Sovereign Spark. At once, the spark floated into the air, radiating a deep, bewitching black light. In an instant, immensely dense black elements filled the entire space, and great quantities of Dark Sovereign Power appeared from nowhere in the sea of elements, flowing around Lincoln like streams of water. As the streams gradually vanished, the Dark Mid-level Sovereign Spark slowly sank into Lincoln's forehead. His other Divine Clones and his Original Body also entered his Soul Space.