novelraw Chapter 78 But I refuse!
Chapter 78 But I refuse!
Edmund, the true name of the Gluttonous Dragon.
It wasn't until the Hall of War spoke that Ai realized that Edmund the Gluttonous Dragon and the Hall of War knew each other.
At the same time, the parts of the previously blurry memories in my mind that were related to the [Hall of War] suddenly became clear and uncensored.
During the conflict between the gods a thousand years ago, Edmund tried to win over the Temple of War, but the Temple of War refused.
At that time, although He was quick-tempered and straightforward, He was not as irritable as He is now; rather, He was shrewd despite his rough exterior.
As if struck by a sudden inspiration, Ai spoke with a hint of sarcasm: "Wolf, it seems you've been quite corrupted by faith!"
"Heh, the other old geezers aren't much better!" [War Hall] did not deny Ai's statement, which made Ai understand something.
For example, why is the world of Errol so much the same as what Edmund remembers after a thousand years?
Apart from the significant changes in the territories of various races due to the decline of the human race, everything else is basically the same as it was a thousand years ago.
The extraordinary power can also be explained by the fact that the world's magic was used by the world of Errol to repair its origin, forcing it to stop developing.
However, the orc race's state structure and even its remaining cultural habits are not much different from those of a thousand years ago.
Even the elves, renowned for their wisdom, merely lived in seclusion in that deep forest, showing no signs of civilization developing.
This puzzled Ai.
But now, Ai understands.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the fact that faith is toxic.
The gods now hang high above the world, surviving only on the faith of the masses. But faith is related to the authority wielded by the gods, yet it is not the same as the gods themselves.
So-called authority is nothing more than a concept proposed by living beings a long, long time ago, which has been solidified into a physical entity under the catalysis of magic.
Since authority originates from a concept proposed by living beings, that concept can be modified and redefined.
However, if a living being's understanding of the concept corresponding to a certain authority becomes distorted, then the directionality of the faith power provided by that living being will also change.
Perhaps, to outsiders, this is not a big deal.
However, the deities who absorb faith will be influenced by the directionality of the faith, and their existence will become increasingly closer to the concepts of the authority they wield, and they will be assimilated by the concepts of authority.
This is the corruption of faith, which gradually transforms those who wield power into puppets of power, becoming the very being desired by all living beings.
This is why the main gods use abstract symbols to represent themselves in the reality of faith and worship, so that they can have different images in the hearts of different believers, thereby slowing down the process of being corrupted by faith.
But besides being corrupted by faith, the gods also fear another kind of change.
That is the shift in the living beings' understanding of the concept of authority. The concept to which authority points can be redefined by the living beings—this is an unpredictable crisis for gods corrupted by faith.
At best, it will be divided and transformed by the ideological tides of living beings; at worst, it will lose its power due to the misalignment of concepts and authority.
So, in the past thousand years, the creatures of the world of Errol may not have been without development; it's just that the high and mighty gods were afraid of change, which would affect their existence and power, so they deliberately suppressed it.
Haha, if that were really the case, would the world's will allow it?
Ai couldn't help but think of the gunpowder that the players had concocted, which was a bit too powerful. Could it contain the will of the world?
As Ai pondered, her gaze returned to the Hall of War, and a slight smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
He leaned back on the dark throne, his posture languid, but his tone was full of the arrogance of a superior.
"So, you regret not joining me back then?"
"Hehe, I don't regret it, because given the circumstances back then, whether I joined you or not, you and the Chaos race would have been defeated by the Order race represented by the Throne of Light."
If I had joined you back then, the orc race probably wouldn't exist in the world of Errol today!
Faced with Ai's arrogant attitude, [War Hall] did not fly into a rage, or rather, this avatar detached from the main body seemed to have reverted to the ambitious and idealistic orc youth from a thousand years ago.
Ai: "So, what brings you here? You're not here to catch up, and maybe tell me you don't regret your past choices, are you?"
[War Hall]: "Of course not. Just like I told your family, I'm here to negotiate!"
"Oh, what do you want to negotiate?"
"Abandon humans, choose orcs!"
As he said this, [War Hall] glanced at Alpha, who was kneeling on one knee to the side, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.
"I know you need the Chaos race to gather power for your resurgence. I know the reason you chose humanity is because it was the Throne of Light that defeated you, so you want to disgust the current God of Light, don't you?"
But you also know very well how weak humans are; calling them the Dark Iron race is an understatement. Therefore, you abandoned humans and chose the orcs.
[War Hall] The more he talked, the more excited he became, as if he could see the future he had envisioned.
"In that case, we can unite. With the orcs' sheer numbers and the chaotic power you possess, we can take advantage of the current closure of the world of Errol and wage war against humans, dwarves, or elves!"
At that time, I will have obtained the grand war I desired, and you can obtain the chaotic power you crave from the war!
"And then?" Ai asked, looking at the excited [Hall of War], in a completely emotionless tone.
"And then?" The Hall of War looked at Ai with the eyes of someone looking at a fool, and shouted in a frenzied tone, "Then, in that war, I can regain my powerful divine strength, and even make those true gods submit! And you, you will also obtain a massive amount of chaotic power, returning to your peak strength from a thousand years ago, or even surpassing it!"
"Hmm, your idea is very good and quite tempting."
But... I refuse!
What you're saying isn't what I want!
The expression on [War Hall]'s face froze instantly. He couldn't help but roar, questioning Ai, "Not what you want? Then what do you want! With your renewed divine power, what can't you obtain!"
Ai looked at the Hall of War with a smile and snapped her fingers lightly.
He then sat up slightly and leaned to the other side of the throne.
The black-haired, black-eyed half-dragon form faded, replaced by a pure white and gold holy appearance.
"Because the orcs must die!"
"Ay, the Goddess of Light! Edmund, you, you are the Goddess of Light!"
[War Hall] stared at Ai in astonishment, his whole being like a wild beast reacting to stress, glaring at Ai with a pair of bloodshot green eyes.
The person He was trying to cooperate with turned out to be the very person who had caused Him to end up in this situation.
Ai was very satisfied with the reaction from the War Hall, so much so that his voice carried a hint of condescending sarcasm, "Heh, I'm not Edmund, I'm Ai, not Edmund, nor some God of Light!"