Volume 5 Chapter 0078 Conspiracy to Enslave the Gods - I, The Dragon Overlord

Louie's voice drew the attention of all the deities present. No one dared to ignore what Louie had to say. Being one of the few remaining deities with great divine power and having established the foundation of his own pantheon, whether or not other gods acknowledged it, he was undeniably one of the most powerful and influential deities in the world of San Soliel. Moreover, his complex relationship with the oldest goddesses of the Silver Moon and Night made him a figure entwined in the dramas of the divine. Since the dawn of this new era of reborn gods, all significant events involving them seemed to have the Dragon God's involvement. Clashing with the Goddess of the Earth, the God of War, the Goddess of Magic, and the Orc's chief deity; hiding the Dark Night Goddess within his pantheon; pursuit of the Spider Queen in the Abyss—this Dragon God seemed utterly brazen. With all eyes on him, Louie feigned the arrogance of a dragon, chuckled softly, and began, "Ladies and gentlemen, thirty thousand years ago, the primary reason the alien civilization could threaten the gods was the betrayal of the Night Goddess!" His words fell, and the gods immediately turned their gaze toward the Night Goddess, Shar. They were taken aback, curious about why Louie would bring this up. Had he broken ties with Shar? But that seemed impossible, given their oath by the River Styx was merely two centuries old and was set to last for another twenty-eight hundred years. Even Shar herself was puzzled by Louie's mentioning of these matters, which once again placed her at odds with the other gods. Despite her curiosity, she maintained her composure and simply observed what her main deity intended. "However, at a critical moment, Lady Shar discovered the conspiracy of the alien civilization. She didn't reveal all the secrets of the gods to them and even managed to uncover some of their secrets," Louie shifted the narrative, suddenly praising Shar, leaving the gods bewildered by his unpredictable behavior. Despite their caution, the gods listened intently because they knew that after slaying the 'Prince of Lies,' Louie had acquired the domains of 'Fraud' and 'Conspiracy.' Gods holding such domains had to be approached with care, lest one fell prey to deceit. Once again under the scrutiny of many deities, Louie unhurriedly explained, "And now that the alien civilization has already obtained some of the gods' secrets, we cannot afford more substantial losses. If there were another betrayal like Shar's, it would be utterly catastrophic for us." The gods pondered at Louie's words, as the God of Knowledge, stroking his lengthy white beard, suggested, "Are you suggesting, Lord Louie, that we swear an oath together?" "As Lord Oghma said, I think that you all should take an oath upon your divine fires. Should anyone contemplate betrayal against the gods, they will face the extinguishing of their divine fire and total downfall!" Louie's words turned grim, a chilling aura of slaughter filled the Pantheon, causing all to shiver. Swear upon the divine fire? The gods hesitated. Such an oath was even more binding than a Styx Oath, the most formidable vow among deities. Once made, it could never be undone. Thus, divine oaths of fire were almost never used, for who knew what aftermath they might provoke? In contrast, the oath by the Styx held a three-thousand-year limit, allowing deities to renew it if necessary for severe pledges. While Louie's suggestion seemed reasonable, the divine fire oath couldn't be casually made. A slight misstep might lead them into eternal servitude! At this moment, the Dawn Goddess spoke gently, "Lord Louie, your proposal is indeed prudent, yet I find the divine fire oath inappropriate. Perhaps we should swear by the River Styx instead. Thus, even after three thousand years, we can renew this pledge again." "I agree with Lord Lathander." "I share this sentiment; the divine fire oath seems too perilous. Let us proceed with the Styx Oath instead." The gods quickly rallied around the Dawn Goddess's proposal. Louie, concealing a slight smirk, reluctantly agreed, "Very well, if Lord Lathander feels this way, then I shall concede." As the writer Lu Xun once remarked, people enjoy compromises. If you suggest tearing down the roof, they'd readily agree to open a window. Humans—and gods—are alike in this way! For Louie, whether it was the divine fire oath or the Styx Oath mattered little; what was crucial was that the gods embraced the notion. "Ha, Lord Louie, your words are pleasing, yet who knows what scheming lies beneath? You speak of wishing no god would betray another, and here you are, with enemies outside, attempting to eliminate a divine peer—me! Is that not in itself a breach of divine trust?" A piercing feminine voice interrupted him. The Spider Queen, with a bitter gaze upon Louie, initiated her criticisms. Louie exchanged a glance with the Silver Moon Goddess. Seeing her nod, he responded, "If this is what Lady Lolth desires, and if setting an example is necessary, I am willing to cease my assault on the 'Deep Pit Web.' I shall also withdraw the dragon armies from the Underdark and forge a peaceful alliance with you. Lady Selune has also agreed to withdraw her elven forces from the Underdark." Prior discussions with the Silver Moon Goddess and Louie had paved the way for this accord. As a mid-tier deity, directly overthrowing Lolth would cost too much, and Louie and Selune's blockade of her divine realm had already diminished her standing among the gods. Should she continue her antagonism, Louie and Selune would have justified reasons to renew their hostilities, effectively avenging Selune's earlier grievances. Publicly, this truce was a sign of peace, yet in truth, it signified Lolth's defeat. If the Spider Queen chose to persist stubbornly, she had only herself to blame, with no sympathy from the gods. Louie's declaration left Lolth speechless, and the gods were notably moved by the apparent sincerity behind Louie's gesture. He genuinely desired to prevent infighting among the deities. Upon re-evaluation, all deities shared this intention amidst a crisis threatening their very existence—none wanted to face potential annihilation. In that instant, Louie's suggestion resonated with all gods, meeting their shared interest for mutual Styx Oaths against betrayal. "In that case, let us swear together, my fellow deities," announced the Dawn Goddess. "Hold on," Louie interjected once more. "This marks the first collective oath since the inception of San Soliel. Such a significant endeavor, I believe, warrants a ceremonial touch." "Lord Louie, do you have any proposals?" inquired the Dawn Goddess, sharing the sentiment that such a monumental act should be solemnly commemorated. The gods were, after all, exalted beings, and such an important event shouldn’t be treated lightly. Contemplating a moment, Louie summoned an ordinary slab of stone, barely containing his excitement, and slowly proposed, "What if we each imbue this with a piece of our divinity, crafting an indelible artifact with our collective power? This monument would stand eternally in the Pantheon, representing our vows. Any new deity must pledge the Styx Oath before it."