Rules and Order

In the multiverse, whether chaos or order is the true guide has never been definitively determined. Some believe that chaos, with its unpredictable and elusive nature, truly embodies the characteristics of the multiverse. They insist that chaos is the only truth because the multiverse itself is unpredictable and elusive. However, others hold the opposite view, arguing that everything in the world follows its own laws, and that the apparent chaos is merely a small, unchanging variation within a larger, more cyclical order. Of course, some also believe that order and chaos are not inherently opposed; both are essential to the multiverse. However, it's unclear whether those holding this view are simply opportunists or genuinely believe in something.

Godspawn are part of the chaos in the multiverse. Their violent and illogical thinking, along with their immense destructive power, is intolerable to any god, even those from the chaotic faction. They are not gods, but they possess power that threatens them. As a result, most of them have been completely annihilated by the gods, while those who were lucky enough to survive have been driven to the ends of the multiverse, never to return.

Among them, besides the gods, the Arcane Mage contributed the most.

The chaos of Godspawn manifests in many ways, one of which is their complete lack of a clear concept of enemies. Whether it's the Upper Planes, the Prime Material Plane, or the Lower Planes, in the eyes of Godspawn, anything that doesn't belong to them is their enemy. Therefore, they frequently invade the Prime Material Plane and the Lower Planes, showing no fear regardless of whether their opponent is a god, a human, or a demon.

This attracted the attention of Arcane Mage.

Whether Godspawn represent the highest standard of chaos in the multiverse remains controversial, but the representation of Arcane Mage as the law of order in the Prime Material Plane is undeniable. Especially for Li Lin, as the absolute rule-maker and enforcer, he detests Godspawn— Godspawn whose actions are chaotic, devoid of thought, and whose evil deeds are utterly illogical. For this reason, Li Lin has always spared no effort in combating Godspawn. Since becoming Arcane Mage, he has killed 5,812 Godspawn, including 800 who invaded Godspawn Upper Planes and 524 who invaded the Lower Planes. Although Arcane Mage cannot actively travel to the upper and Lower Planes to fight, Li Lin can do so using the magical weapons he creates. Therefore, in the eyes of the Godspawn, only Arcane Mage are their most troublesome targets, because they represent the powerful force of order—absolute order and rules—which they cannot resist.

What angered the Godspawn even more was that these victories were used to prove that chaos could never prevail over order, and that rules were above all else.

However, the Godspawn were at a loss.

If they wanted to prove this wrong, they would have to invade the Prime Material Plane and defeat the Arcane Mage. But the Prime Material Plane is the Arcane Mage's domain. If the Godspawn did that, it would be like walking naked into a blazing furnace while someone outside keeps adding fuel to the fire! Of course, given the Godspawn's personalities, although it was dangerous, they wouldn't take it seriously. However, after Li Lin killed all the Godspawn that attacked the Prime Material Plane over the next eight hundred years and patiently arranged their corpses into jigsaw puzzles and threw them into the Astral Plane for people to see, these Godspawn never mentioned it again.

Even in chaos, it doesn't mean you don't cherish your own life.

This man was one of the remaining Godspawn, and he naturally knew about the rumors surrounding Arcane Mage, especially that damned "Dominator." Originally, he was unwilling to come to the Prime Material Plane, even though he wasn't a god and the suppressive power of the Prime Material Plane had no effect on him. But that was the damned Arcane Mage's home turf! He didn't want to die an unjust death like his ancestors. It was precisely for this reason that, after receiving the request from the God of Justice, he repeatedly sought confirmation. Although the God of Justice assured him that the Arcane Mage were absolutely dead, this Godspawn refused to believe him. Now it seemed his initial instinct was correct.

Although he had never directly fought Li Lin —because Godspawn who had seen him were already dead—he still learned some legends about this Arcane Mage that circulated from other places. The most prominent features, besides his appearance, were the Arcane Mage's Magic Tattoo and his unique habits.

If he casts Temporary Mythal before the battle, then his enemies have no chance of survival.

Just now, the Godspawn clearly and distinctly felt the power of the Temporary Mythal.

Under this powerful suppression, he felt that the power he had accumulated throughout his body could no longer circulate or be used freely. He could not use these powers at will, as if a ferocious beast were bound by shackles, unable to move freely. This was precisely the power of rules that the Godspawn despised and hated most. In terror, the Godspawn was no longer willing to hide. It instinctively felt that if it could not fight with all its might here, then it would have no chance of survival.

Damn order! Damn rules!!

The one most astonished by this transformation was Gabriel, who stared in disbelief at the man before her. He no longer resembled a human at all. His enormous body made him appear as tall as a mountaintop giant, his five arms distributed irregularly across his surface, their shapes so grotesque they were almost unbearable. Moreover, this massive body was not a complete body. It resembled rotten, moldy chunks of flesh, covered in huge, nauseating wounds, from which thick, black mist mingled, and bright green blood dripped downwards.

This immediately aroused Gabriel's disgust. As an angel who abides by order and believes in justice and goodness, the being before him was completely contrary to his beliefs in every way.

"Gabriel."

Just then, Li Lin's voice reached Gabriel's ears, startling the girl.

"As you can see, my target is this wretched thing, and I think you've realized that too. I'm giving you a chance now. My Temporary Mythal is only targeting it for now, so you still have time to escape... I'll give you some time, and I hope you can make a wise choice. Otherwise... after I eliminate this target, I don't think I'll let any enemy standing in my way go."

A very obvious hint.

Gabriel hesitated for the first time upon hearing Li Lin's words.

Logically, she shouldn't hesitate. Before her stood her enemy, the enemy of the god she worshipped, and the instigator of this war. Her duty was to defeat him without hesitation and restore the glory of the God of Justice to this land. But things were different now. Her companion was an evil, chaotic, and repulsive being, every aspect of him incompatible with the Archangel. Gabriel could easily consider that whether she truly destroyed the Arcane Mage or not, she might very well fight this being sent down by her own god. She couldn't tolerate evil and chaos; this even surpassed her enmity with the Arcane Mage was also a symbol of order.

Making a decision is equally difficult for her now. Fighting alongside a chaotic and evil being is clearly not something an angel can tolerate. Perhaps humans can accept a certain amount of chaos and compromise at times. But angels cannot. Their pure, or rather, simple souls and thoughts cannot undergo such a drastic change; that would be tantamount to denying their own existence.

However, she must also obey the commands of the God of Justice, which is also part of her class. The great god commands her to cooperate with this evil ancient monster and defeat the Arcane Mage. This is also a task that Gabriel must complete; she cannot disobey, much less ignore the command—it would be no different from asking her to commit suicide.

The only difference is whether it's hanging or the electric chair.

However, neither Li Lin nor Godspawn were patiently waiting for Gabriel to make a decision. For either side, this archangel was not their target. Almost simultaneously, they made their move.

Five arms waved in the air, then swung down forcefully. With a crisp clanging sound, five bone spears appeared out of thin air and shot towards the Arcane Mage not far below, before colliding with the magical shield and vanishing into nothingness.

"Illogical energy usage and combat movements devoid of any artistry."

Under the protection of magic, Li Lin didn't even flinch, as if the creature in front of him was nothing more than a useless scoundrel that could only bark.

"Trash is trash. It seems you won't change your nature even after a thousand years."

"----!!"

Li Lin's cold sarcasm was met with a furious roar from the Godspawn, who opened his mouth wide.

This was no ordinary sound; it contained the sounds of rage and death, equally terrifying, even enough to frighten someone to death. In fact, just looking at the elite warriors who had almost all fallen behind the Godspawn, one could easily discern the terrifying and eerie power at play.

But this had no effect on Li Lin.

"Waste."

Faced with the wrathful roar of the Godspawn, Li Lin simply stretched out his finger and lightly traced it in the air.

The magical energy that had been gathering momentum was released at this moment. It swirled and formed a white magical circle beneath the feet of the Godspawn. Then, powerful forces suddenly slammed down upon it. Although its body, which seemed comparable to that of a frost giant and capable of withstanding an attack from a small mountain, appeared utterly powerless before this overwhelming magical force. The Godspawn's massive body trembled a few times, then it struggled to its feet, and the magical circle that had appeared beneath its feet vanished in an instant.

"You will pay the price, Arcane Mage! I will be the first of my people to destroy you!"

"Even on the verge of death, you're still so stubborn. You've truly inherited the traits of those useless wanderers in the Outer Planes who won't shed a tear until they're facing certain death. When will you ever learn to use your brains? I think you'll never."

Faced with Li Lin's sarcasm, Godspawn took a half step back. He bent down and reached out his five hands to grasp the corpses of the poor soldiers behind him who had died from the previous sonic attack. Then, black smoke emanating from his body entered the soldiers' bodies, and he forcefully threw them to the ground. The dead soldiers then rose again—only now they had transformed into long, dark shadows, breaking through their already fragile bodies and rushing towards Li Lin with dizzying whistles. They then stopped in front of a faint red protective shield, refusing to advance even a single step no matter how much Godspawn roared.

"You see, even if you possess a variety of attack methods, you are ultimately just a non-dead creature with negative energy—not an undead creature, but not far off. Indeed, these shadow monsters you create are quite difficult for most mages to deal with, but their energy source remains the same, and a small negative energy barrier can keep even the most powerful warriors out. This is the power of rules; all things must abide by the rules. You have never considered this point."

Standing inside the protective shield, Li Lin stood with his hands behind his back, leisurely as if strolling in a garden. His words, however, enraged the Godspawn. What rules? What negative energy? Might makes right! Why did this damned Prime Material Plane have to categorize fighters? Because lightweights and heavyweights weren't in the same class, they couldn't fight? What kind of bullshit rules were these! This was why he hated the Prime Material Plane —the damned rules, the damned order, and everything else!

"And that's all I need."

Watching the expression on the Godspawn, Li Lin raised his hands and gently clapped his hands. Instantly, the semi-transparent red protective shield expanded, and before the shadows wandering outside could react, the shield burst open like a deflated balloon, releasing pure energy that spread in all directions. Powerful shockwaves swept over the shadows, throwing them heavily backward. Accompanied by piercing screams, the shadow monsters vanished in mid-air. The negative energy within their bodies, used to sustain their existence, encountered magical interference, and the already unstable fluctuations collapsed instantly. At that moment, accompanied by Li Lin's chanting, a thick, enormous white beam of light descended from the sky, striking the shadows heavily. Faced with this intense light, the once powerful shadow monsters vanished like dust swept away by a storm, leaving not a trace.

This further enraged the Godspawn before it, but just as it was about to take further action, Gabriel, who had been silent all along, finally made a decision. She spread her wings, transformed into a brilliant flash of light, and disappeared into the city shrouded in darkness and blood.

"It seems you have no help left."

Watching the archangel depart, Li Lin smiled smugly at the Godspawn before him, only to be met with another fierce and relentless attack from the Godspawn.

"Lord Gabriel, what has happened?"

The officers defending the city walls stared in astonishment as the archangel flew back from the front lines. They had no idea why the archangel would return so quickly. Had the war already ended?

We must leave here immediately.

Gabriel did not turn around. Her face, which had previously looked cute and innocent, was now filled with a chilling seriousness and coldness.

"The operation has failed. We cannot achieve victory. Pass the word: we must advance immediately and break through the undead's lines!"

"What?"

Upon hearing Gabriel's words, the officers stared in astonishment, unable to believe their ears. Had the battle failed? Where was the mysterious man? Had he not returned, or had he been eliminated? But now was not the time to ask these questions, for Gabriel had already risen back into the air, unprecedented light emanating from her wings, illuminating the pitch-black earth like a miniature sun. Clearly, the situation was extremely critical. Without further hesitation, the officers sounded the retreat horn, began assembling their soldiers, and charged out again.

But how easy is that?

Although the holy light dispelled the undead creatures that had attempted to surround them, forcing them to retreat with screams, the undead numbered in the millions, and even the undead army that had cut off their supplies numbered over 500,000. The combined army now numbered only 280,000, ordinary humans who had suffered heavy losses in the first wave of the attack. Even so, they had no other choice. Under Gabriel's holy light, the soldiers shifted their focus, enveloped in divine light, swiftly cutting through the undead army's defenses and desperately running forward.

This is a death marathon.

Although Gabriel had given it his all, the area illuminated by the Holy Light was still limited, and the allied army that had broken through was not entirely safe. In the areas beyond the reach of the Holy Light, the soldiers responsible for defending the outer perimeter were easily torn apart by the undead, dragged out of formation and ripped to shreds. Without the assistance of the mysterious man, and unable to counter the overwhelming power of the undead, they now truly realized for the first time the immense strength of the Scourge Legion.

However, they had no choice but to continue running desperately forward under the holy light, trying to escape this dark Hell.