Negotiations

Standing on the scorched earth, Li Lin carefully observed the illusory scene before him. Under his manipulation, the scene was being replayed again and again. Although "Spacetime Retrospection" could recreate most of what had happened, the explosive power of the divine force was extraordinary. That terrifying burst of power not only created spatial rifts but also distorted spacetime. Therefore, the part that Li Lin could recreate with his magic only went up to when Angela stretched out her hand to touch that strange rune. The information after that was completely impossible to recreate.

However, even with just this much, it was enough for Li Lin.

"What an idiot."

Li Lin stared at the illusion of Angela in the void, reached out and tapped her head, but unfortunately Angela couldn't sense his complaint.

Although he didn't witness Angela being pulled into the spatial rift, as Arcane Mage, Li Lin quickly deduced that since Angela wasn't found here, and given the rare instability between master and servant contracts, it's highly likely that Angela was sucked into the rift and subsequently ejected from the plane during her struggle against divine power. However, even so, Li Lin couldn't search for Angela for the time being. After being ejected, the plane would automatically send her to where she was supposed to be based on Angela attributes. Even if he knew her destination, Li Lin couldn't leave the Prime Material Plane. The war here was equally important to him, and leaving to search for Angela would be a net loss.

Besides, the little guy doesn't like doing it himself.

However, what Li Lin was more concerned about than this matter was the divine symbolism that appeared after the old paladin's death.

"The God of Justice?"

Li Lin stared intently at the rune, unable to understand what it meant. From any angle, the symbol before him was that of the God of Justice, meaning the old paladin had become the God of Justice after his death... Although he was now completely destroyed, the appearance of this symbol still left Li Lin quite puzzled and confused.

Although examples of automatic godhood are quite rare—though there is a fine line between rare and nonexistent— Li Lin had personally witnessed several mortals become gods on their own, but the gods they became were all nonexistent divine offices. However, the most surprising thing about Walast's godhood this time is that he became the God of Justice.

Although Li Lin had indeed considered preserving the old paladin's soul so that it could replace and guide the divine authority after the God of Justice's destruction, preventing its collapse, the fact before him now took Li Lin by surprise. If this logic were followed, then Walast's ascension to godhood meant that there had never been God of Justice in this world before! The position of God of Justice had always been vacant!

How is that possible?

If that's the case, then are all the Temple on this continent fake?

However, the sign shown in the illusion is one hundred percent exclusive to the God of Justice —a mark that only gods are entitled to possess. If things really turn out as Li Lin predicted, then the development of events becomes very strange.

But...

"They haven't left the Prime Material Plane...?"

Li Lin made the gesture again, and with his movement, the illusion before him began to reverse, returning to the moment the old paladin was killed, and then playing it again... This time, Li Lin ignored Angela's subsequent brutal killing of those poor souls, and instead focused his attention on Walast. Sure enough, he saw streaks of pure white light emerge from the old paladin's corpse, then float into the air and condense into divine symbols. Of course, because their light was too weak, Angela didn't even notice these changes.

However, this is also a problem.

Based on Li Lin's experience, generally speaking, becoming a god is a grand and elaborate event. When the previous mortals became gods, there were at least thunder and lightning, and the earth shook, not to mention dazzling stage lighting, before they ascended to Upper Planes. However, the divine mark that Walast condensed was very unusual. The divinity of the God of Justice is not hidden, so it is impossible for him to be so low-key when becoming a god. If he were God of Secrets, it would make more sense.

"It has signs of divinity, but its divine power is weak?"

Li Lin frowned; he seemed to have remembered something.

Angela's whereabouts are unknown, but the reason has at least been found. As for how she will return to this world, Li Lin is quite anxious, but there's nothing he can do. Although he used a summoning spell exclusive to the master-servant contract after Angela disappeared, the spell only lasted for a short while before it was destroyed, indirectly confirming Li Lin's judgment. After all, the barriers between planes have a considerable repulsive force on ordinary spells, so failure is quite normal. So now, Li Lin can only hope that the little one's vigorous energy will allow her to find a way back to this world as soon as possible. As long as she enters this plane, no matter where she is, Li Lin is confident that he can use the power of the contract to pull her back to his side.

However, there is an even more serious problem that he needs to deal with right now.

Sitting in the conference room of the Astral Plane, Li Lin stared solemnly at the figures that were vaguely appearing before him, remaining silent.

"What happened, Arcane Mage?"

The God of Light was clearly somewhat surprised by this hasty summons.

"Based on our information, the Magic Empire should be doing well so far, right?"

The Goddess of Dawn was also somewhat puzzled, while the Elf Goddess remained silent, clearly deep in thought. The Goddess of Secrets, as always, covered her body with a cloak, not even revealing her face, and sat in her seat.

"Just yesterday, my familiar fought a paladin and ultimately killed him."

Li Lin planned to go straight to the center.

"After that, something happened... This is a scene from that time that I recreated using magic."

Before the other gods could react, Li Lin began casting a spell. Soon, everything that had happened on that land was gathered together under the power of magic and displayed before everyone. The illusion began with the duel between Angela and Walast. Although the gods didn't know why Li Lin had convened a meeting to show them this, they patiently watched the illusion without uttering a word. When they saw Angela slaughtering the humans, many gods frowned; clearly, their divinity prevented them from accepting such a sight.

However, upon seeing the divine symbol emerge from the old paladin's body, the gods widened their eyes in astonishment, clearly unable to believe it. Li Lin also stopped the illusion there at the right moment, preventing them from seeing the scene of Angela clashing with divine power later on.

"I think everyone has already figured out the problem."

Li Lin shrugged, gazing at the gods before him with their varied expressions. After a long while, the God of Light finally spoke, albeit hesitantly.

"If I'm not mistaken... that's the symbol of the God of Justice?"

"How is this possible?"

The Elf Goddess also frowned.

"While we all know that mortals with unwavering faith and power can become gods after death, becoming God of Justice? Absolutely impossible!"

"But that's the truth."

Li Lin was not swayed by the words of the Elf Goddess.

"Furthermore, please observe carefully. The divine power contained within this divine symbol is simply insufficient to sustain the normal existence of a deity. When it first appeared, it did not attract Angela's attention. I think you all know very well that this is absolutely impossible."

"That's absolutely impossible."

The Goddess of Dawn spoke with certainty, then hesitated.

"But..."

"This divine sign doesn't seem fake."

The God of Light had a complex expression, after all, justice was, in a way, very close to his divine duty, so he was quite familiar with the symbol of the God of Justice.

"However, this raises a new question..."

"... If the God of Justice doesn't exist, then who are we fighting against?"

The Goddess of Secrets's voice wasn't loud, but her words carried a chilling wind that swept across the entire Astral Plane Meeting Room.

"I do have some thoughts on this issue."

Li Lin waved his hand, dispelling the illusion before him.

"As you all have seen, while this is indeed a divine symbol, it has clearly not displayed its due power—and as you all know, I had a previous encounter with the God of Justice in the Federation's Divine Descent, and in my personal opinion, although he possesses considerable divine power, he doesn't seem to know how to use it, or rather, he doesn't use it well."

"I understand what you mean, Arcane Mage."

The God of Light stood up.

"Thank you, this will be a great help to us."

Li Lin watched the God of Light and the other gods disappear quickly, saying nothing. After all, the conflict between gods should be handled by the gods themselves. He had done his duty, and he hoped these gods wouldn't be so foolish as to not understand his hints. In fact, the gods departed so quickly precisely because they realized the seriousness of the situation. After all, if they could figure out the problem, they might very well be able to defeat the God of Justice.

However, in fact, the question posed by the Goddess of Secrets was also Li Lin's question.

If Walast is the one truly destined to become the God of Justice, then who exactly is the current God of Justice in the Upper Planes? And how did he become a god?

Divine power, divinity, and divine office have always been a trinity, but now a deviation has occurred. Where exactly does the problem lie?

Gazing at the empty Astral Plane Meeting Room, Li Lin couldn't help but sigh. Perhaps he should find something else to do? With Angela absent, the undead army needed his command, but this was clearly no easy task. Just today, he had already tried, only to find that he couldn't match Angela's agility and versatility—the little one could even manipulate a whole group of undead creatures into a ballet, while he himself was already struggling just to integrate them.

If this continues, not only will we need to adjust our strategy, but it could also have a very negative impact on the course of the war.

What's wrong with me?

Li Lin shook his head with a wry smile. It's not like the little one isn't coming back. Even if she really never comes back, he'll have plenty of time to find her after rebuilding the Magic Empire. After all, they are both beings with long lifespans, and this little bit of waiting time is nothing to them.

It's just a matter of whether Angela has the same patience. Based on Li Lin's understanding of her, the little one is a complete doer, so it's best if she doesn't cause any trouble.

In a sense, Li Lin was not wrong.

"So? You came here out of the blue just to ask me to open that spatial portal for you?"

The professor sat in his leather swivel chair, smiling as he looked at Angela standing in front of him, as if she were a little dog performing in a circus.

"That's right."

Angela's matter-of-fact and self-assured attitude showed no sign that she was "asking" for help. However, the other party didn't seem to mind such a small matter. Angela had already noticed this when she arrived. Although the man called himself a "professor," he used a power very similar to magic. He was the one who gathered this Magic Power and seemed to be planning some kind of experiment—but this had no interest in Angela. What she valued was only the high density of Magic Power energy here and the location that was sufficient to create a spatial passage.

"To receive orders from me personally, you are already incredibly fortunate, aren't you? As... well, not such lowly humans, to have the opportunity and the right to serve me—isn't that a great honor? Although I could have made you my slaves, then you wouldn't have needed to refuse any of my suggestions. But now, I intend to give you a chance. How about it? Isn't that a good deal?"

"Of course it's not worth it."

The man addressed as "professor" frowned slightly.

"I'd rather empty cat litter boxes or feed dogs bones; that would be far more meaningful than this, kid. I don't know what you are, but you're eighty years too young to command me. Of course, considering you've grown wings, if you obediently lie down and let me dissect you, I might seriously consider your request this time next year—provided I haven't changed my notebook by then. And if you're so eager to do it, feel free to try. I'm not as fragile as a captive Persian cat or a white mouse. Artificial breeding and raising do indeed reduce survival ability in the wild, don't they? And, I'm very sorry, I have some very important research work to do, and I don't want to die at anyone's hands or become anyone's slave so soon."

Upon hearing this, a red glint flashed in Angela's eyes.

Do you know what fate awaits those who dare to defy me?

"I don't know, and I'm not interested in caring... Of course, I might consider cutting out your tongue while you're soaking in formaldehyde, turning you into a silent lamb—that wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't like to mess with brats, but if you go too far, be careful I'll spank you. Arrogant brats need to be taught a lesson to learn to behave. If you're willing to beg me, then maybe I can reluctantly consider it for two minutes before refusing your request."

Although the conversation between the two parties is one that would make anyone who hears it extremely nervous, only by being there can one realize that the conversation is far less dangerous than it sounds.

"Although I have never liked making deals with humans, and they are not worthy to make deals with me, however..."

Angela fiddled with the hot coffee in her hand—something she couldn't possibly drink in this other world.

"If it were you, I might be able to make some concessions, human. If you are willing to help me open this spatial passage, then I will tell you about the power you possess..."

As she spoke, Angela narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed meaningfully on the golden rune threads the professor was fiddling with in his hands.

"... the true source and method of use."

"I don't object to the idea that 'in a group of three, there's bound to be someone I can learn from,' although a threesome isn't bad either. But what makes you think I'll believe what you're saying is true? And before that... how do you know I know nothing about the source of this energy?"

"Of course I know."

Faced with the man's sneer, Angela puffed out her chest triumphantly, revealing a proud expression.

"Because if you truly knew the source of this power, you wouldn't be maintaining your current state... Moreover, when opening the spatial passage, I also need your power to assist me. Don't forget, human. You are merely a mortal. If you intend to rely on your own power to explore the origin, even ten thousand years wouldn't be enough. A hundred years later, humanity will have turned to dust, and by then, you will never know what kind of existence you possess. However, even I didn't expect that such power would be wielded by a human. This is truly... well, it doesn't seem so unexpected. How about it? This deal is good, isn't it? Let me state beforehand that I don't have any extra time to waste. Making a quick decision is the mark of a mature man, isn't it?"

"Very interesting."

Upon hearing this, the professor's lips curled into a slight smile.

"While I'd love to show you right now the marks of a seasoned, mature man, I have no interest in brats. Tell me your story, and as long as you don't charge by the minute like a lawyer, I'll be quite patient."