Volume 5 Chapter 0107 Order is maintenance, chaos is change - I, The Dragon Overlord

“Clap... Clap... Clap..." Louie clapped vigorously for Asmodeus, praising, "...Quite ambitious, and quite a plan indeed. You're truly worthy of being the Lord of Baator, who can hide like a tortoise in the deepest hell for a million years. Such patience and tenacity are truly awe-inspiring." Louie mocked the Lord of Hell before him, yet it was clear Asmodeus was unlike other beings. No provocation or insult could faze this devil. Enduring for a million years without breaking; even the known gods likely couldn't achieve such perseverance. Perhaps it's precisely because gods, with their grand status, wouldn't lower themselves to such lengths, while devils, being mere devils, could achieve this fortitude. "Oh, Asmodeus, how do you plan to seize my power of order? You must know that order is merely one pole of the world. Both order and chaos have their glaring flaws. That you have managed to be the Lord of Baator for millions of years without rebellion is not just a testament to your strength but also a consequence of the limitations inherent in order.” “...Because you are the Lord of Baator, the ultimate lawmaker of hell, and hell is, after all, a realm of order. Thus, neither you nor other devils can defy this order. Those who uphold order must maintain it; the existence of hierarchy is also a reflection of order. Devils cannot overthrow you, cannot rebel, for you are the Lord of Baator, and they are your slaves. That is the stability of order!" “And now, we represent the two poles of order; you can't kill me, and I can't kill you, for order cannot break itself. That is the right of chaos!" As Louie spoke, even he knotted his brow. This was one of the scenarios he dreaded most — having portions of the Serpent of Order occupied by others. In a binary world, both order and chaos have their strengths and weaknesses. Modern Earth humans revere order, as seen with laws and rules, but their order isn’t pure, mingled with chaos. If this order fails to meet their needs, it might be overthrown. But the world of San Soliel is different. Here, order and chaos have reached extremes, reaching polarities. Those who are gods of order must adhere to it, cannot change it. In this world, those who follow order know not how to be flexible. If you pledge loyalty to a king and you are both of the order faction, even if that king is tyrannical and brings ruin, as one of order, you cannot rebel, or you'd betray your faction. If the king becomes unbearable, transforming order to chaos becomes necessary. Order is maintenance and stability, while chaos is transformation and change. Thus, neither order nor chaos is superior; only through their mutual interplay and opposition can the world be complete. Use order to maintain happiness, and resort to chaos to alter misfortune; that is the significance of order and chaos for ordinary people. But gods differ. Mortals can switch their alignments freely, but gods, representing extreme concepts, face steep costs to change factions. Louie cannot switch from order to chaos, especially now when he wields part of the Serpent of Order’s power. The same holds true for Asmodeus. Both are parts of the Serpent of Order, unable to violate order. Were they of chaos, they’d likely be locked in combat for supremacy. This is the troublesome aspect of the order camp: achieving anything requires adherence to the rules, unlike the chaos camp, where rules can be freely broken. However, because order provides stability, more mortals choose to revere it. “Ke ke ke ke ke... Your Highness Louie, you are absolutely right. Even though I have completely mastered the power of evil order more than you, thanks to the nature of order, I cannot forcibly seize your power. Such an act would only strip me of order.” Asmodeus let out two sinister laughs. Louie certainly believed he had complete mastery over the power of evil order — after all, it took him millions of years to delve into the essence of order. If after such time he hadn't acquired complete control over evil order, then this devil would be utterly incompetent. His source of virtual divinity level 20 derived from the force of order. Thanks to this, even if Asmodeus possesses divinity level 20, controlling half of the power of order, so long as Asmodeus isn't above all gods, Louie still has a chance. From Louie’s perspective, Asmodeus has had a million years to scheme and holds a greater strategic advantage. However, Louie possesses numerous means of resistance, making the situation presently a deadlock. Yet Asmodeus doesn't share the same view; he considers himself completely dominant, adopting a more casual and overbearing manner, with words equally aggressive, "...Since we, as representatives of order, cannot directly seize the other's power of order, what methods can achieve that? Surely, Prince Louie, you’ve thought of it, haven’t you?" “...Indeed, just like how if a deity’s domain is mostly occupied and the force of divinity recognizes it, you can forcefully tear the domain away from others to gain completeness. And the method I’m going to use is exactly this.” “You've obtained the power of good order, which surely disappoints you, as your nature is better suited for the power of evil order. But unfortunately, I have long possessed this part of the power! You see only the opposition between order and chaos but ignore the opposition between good and evil, and I intend to momentarily shift this world’s opposition!" “...Hahaha!! Do you understand? My ongoing battles with the Abyss were due to the opposition between order and chaos, but if the opposition shifts to good versus evil, then I and the abyssal will make the best allies; we embody ultimate evil. Even though the chaotic Abyss can’t be trusted, and even if we ‘ally’ now, I’ll be betrayed shortly by its chaos.” Asmodeus spread his arms wide, bursting into raucous laughter, “...But as long as this ‘alliance’ holds momentarily, it is enough for devils and demons to mount a ‘evil’ driven invasion against the ‘good’ of other planes, causing evil to eclipse good for a time. As the embodiment of evil order, I will tear your good order force apart, making it part of myself!” “...This is the grand plan I’ve spent a million years completing and the reason I awaited someone wielding good order’s power. Now, I have found you! The grand plan is about to begin, world laws will change, San Soliel’s history will turn a new page, and the world’s axis will pivot from an order-chaos dichotomy to one of good versus evil because of me!" Asmodeus did not entertain failure, for his plan, in his eyes, was flawless. Wielders of order cannot breach it to seize the other's power, but, as the Lord of Baator with evil order, he can temporarily reorient the world’s axis, using the Abyss’s power to assault ‘good’, allowing evil to surge and subsume good. Louie, hearing the Lord of Baator’s words, darkened his expression. Truthfully, this is a fatal trap; if it were anyone else here, the only way out would be to hastily mobilize ‘good’ forces to counter the evil invasion. If possible, counterattacking evil to let ‘good’ consume ‘evil’ would allow Louie to rend away Asmodeus’s portion of order force, making it his own. ‘But Asmodeus prepared for a million years. He can launch an evil invasion anytime, and organizing a good resistance in time is impossible. For anyone possessing the good order force, this scenario is a death trap — the combined devil and demon forces are unstoppable by anyone but gods. But for me, I see two ways to break this trap!’ As Louie’s thoughts raced, he immediately conceived of two methodologies: one costs nothing and offers success chance, though high; the other guarantees success but requires Louie to pay a price.