The Final Decision

The Great Book of Law.

No one knew who had created it or why. Neither the gods nor the Arcane Mages had any recollection of that history. They knew only that the item had been created to maintain the balance of the world, and that only Arcane Mages could activate it. Once the Great Book of Law was activated, all order in the world would return to its original state, like resetting a computer and reinstalling its operating system. When that happened, no matter how many divine offices the God of Justice held or how many divine domains he had devoured, he would have to hand them all over, and the gods who had lost their domains and offices would regain their powers.

Yet only Arcane Mages could use such a powerful divine artifact.

It had to be said that this was perhaps the best way to keep the gods in check.

"But according to the records, the Great Book of Law was kept by the Three Supreme Gods. Since you say the God of Justice could even kill them, then..."

"The Great Book of Law did indeed fall into the God of Justice's hands, Arcane Mage."

The Goddess of Dawn nodded, confirming Li Lin's suspicion.

Silence.

Li Lin frowned. After a moment's thought, he shook his head.

"In other words, you not only need me to take your side, but also need me to help you eliminate the God of Justice?"

"I object, Master."

Angela spoke coldly from the side.

"Although I don't know what you're talking about, it seems to me that these losers only want to tie your fate to theirs. Since these foolish weaklings can't win on their own, why should we willingly step into such a dangerous situation?"

"Although I don't know exactly what you are..."

The Goddess of Dawn hesitated before continuing.

"Your merciless criticism has indeed exposed our weakness. We have neither the time nor the strength to oppose him, so we hope to obtain an Arcane Mage's assistance. Now, a thousand years later, the mages have fallen just like this city, and our situation has grown increasingly dire. They even study magic under the watch of temple knights. Mages tainted by faith simply cannot be trusted."

With that, the Goddess of Dawn sighed.

"Arcane Mage, consider this our request. In return, we will also help you restore the Magic Empire to its former glory."

Li Lin stopped tapping the armrest and looked up, his face showing neither surprise nor delight.

"Leaving aside the Elf Goddess, the God of Dwarves and the King of Hell for now, Your Highness, Goddess of Dawn, you should be well aware of what the Magic Empire stands for, shouldn't you?"

"..."

"I don't blame you."

Li Lin shook his head as he looked at the speechless Goddess of Dawn.

"Your divine office is hope, so of course you would do this. At least hope is far better than despair... And for me, giving up would also be a kind of happiness. I could simply blind myself, bury myself in a life of blissful ignorance and find happiness of my own."

As he spoke, Li Lin stood and looked up at the magnificent hall, as though recalling its glorious history.

"But I won't give up. Everything that happened on this land may have faded into the distant past for others, but to me, it's still vivid in my mind. The wailing, the screams, the sorrow... None of it happened very long ago for me. Now that I've returned, the peace those butchers bought with our blood and corpses ends here!"

His expression was grave and furious.

"Since they destroyed everything we had to gain the happiness they enjoy now, they shouldn't blame me for destroying everything they have to reclaim our own glory... The Magic Empire has been destroyed, but magic will endure forever... I agree to join your alliance. But I won't do so in the Magic Empire's name. You should understand what I mean."

"Of course, Arcane Mage."

At Li Lin's answer, the gods' expressions relaxed slightly, while Angela showed a delighted, fervent smile.

"If you have any requests, please don't hesitate to make them. We will see them fulfilled."

"I have no requests for you."

Li Lin shook his head at the angel's answer.

"The Magic Empire is gone now. All I'm doing is seeking revenge. Even if I establish a new nation, it will no longer be the capital I dreamed of. But now that the God of Justice knows I exist, things will probably become very troublesome... I need to look for some things. In the meantime, I'll make things easier for you to a certain extent, but don't disturb me, and don't try to help me. You should understand what I mean."

"Of course. Doing business with Arcane Mages is always a pleasure."

The succubus smiled softly and narrowed her eyes.

"We won't interfere with any of your actions without permission, but if you need help, we will all be your loyal allies... However, to put our minds at ease, could you tell us what you're looking for?"

"It's nothing much."

Li Lin sat back down in his seat, his expression composed, though he wore a distinctly smug smile—a rare sight for him.

"I'm just looking for some things that originally belonged to me."

"You mean..."

At those words, the gods' expressions changed drastically. They immediately recalled a certain rumor—or rather, it was no rumor.

"But, Arcane Mage,"

The God of Dwarves, who had been unable to find a chance to interrupt, finally waved the great axe in his hand and shouted.

"I know what you're planning to look for, but let me tell you, after all these years, those things won't be easy to find. Didn't you leave one of them with my dwarves for safekeeping? But after fighting those damned humans for so many years, we lost it. Even I, the God of Dwarves, can't find it."

"That is true, Arcane Mage."

The Elf Goddess picked up where the God of Dwarves left off, continuing with a worried look.

"If I could, I would return the weapon you once gave our race to you right away. But just like the God of Dwarves, we lost the one our race possessed in the endless wars. Even I cannot find it."

"I'm well aware of that."

Li Lin showed no surprise. It seemed he had long since guessed this would be the case.

"But I have my own way."

With that settled, there was nothing more to say. After discussing the matter with the gods, Li Lin agreed to give their followers temporary refuge. They could relocate their followers and peoples, who had been almost hunted to extinction in the outside world, to this fallen city surrounded by a necromantic barrier. Li Lin would also open a path for them and allow them inside. Of course, since the barrier had kept outsiders from invading for so many years, there was no need to remove it now.

At least, not for now.

After briefly settling the terms of their cooperation, the gods soon departed. Li Lin had only agreed to stay until they brought in the first group, so taking practical action was more important than exchanging pleasantries.

Once everything fell quiet again, Li Lin closed his eyes, and soon felt a small, soft body slip into his arms.

"Master, do you really intend to do this? It won't be easy, you know?"

Although Angela sounded as if she were worried about something, her overly cheerful voice betrayed what the girl was really thinking.

"Destruction, suffering and death-isn't that exactly what you do best?"

Li Lin opened his eyes and chuckled bitterly as he patted the little one's head.

"This time, you'll get to have all the fun you want."

"You truly are worthy of being the master I chose. Master, my choice back then was indeed the right one."

"It's hard to say who chose whom back then."

Recalling their first meeting, Li Lin felt a little strange. Admittedly, when he was an Arcane Mage, he had enjoyed his share of pleasures in bed with women. But waking in the middle of the night to find a little girl lying between his legs, preparing to eat him, had been an entirely and utterly unfamiliar experience. And honestly... well, it really had been exciting.

"But do you really trust those so-called gods?"

Angela wrapped her arms around Li Lin's neck and leaned in to whisper in his ear again, an action that had almost become a habit for the vampire.

"If those creatures are foolish and weak enough that they can't defeat that so-called God of Justice, what use are they? Or did you go easy on them because you had special relationships with some of the females among them?"

"Although I did have experiences like that, that's certainly not my purpose."

Gazing at Angela's smooth, long hair, Li Lin closed his eyes.

"You've been waiting for me to make this decision all along, haven't you?"

"I respect all your decisions, Master."

Angela neither admitted nor denied it. After all, her beautiful crimson eyes had weathered countless storms.

"But it is a pleasure to see those humans wail and scream, to hear them beg desperately for mercy and pray in despair after they've fallen to the ground. To watch the corpses of those lesser creatures burn in the flames and rot among the ruins..."

Of course, she hadn't denied it either.