Volume 5 Chapter 0121 Responding to Your Majesty's Call - I, The Dragon Overlord

Kill Asmodeus? For Louie's sole command to the gods, all of the deities were taken aback, bewildered by this order. Why would His Majesty, the newly ascended sovereign, specifically target a devil from the Nine Hells? In the minds of the gods, this devil possesses power close to a greater deity within its domain of Nessus. Indeed, such power seems formidable. By divine standards, Asmodeus ranks among the upper echelons of gods. However, he has a significant flaw: he is not a god, and his divinity is an artificial construct. What does this mean? It means that Asmodeus can only unleash his full power in his realm of Nessus. He is incapable of manifesting avatars as gods do, unable to dispatch them to various realms or even enter the Prime Material Plane directly. Should this devil king set foot in the Prime Material Plane, his power would diminish drastically, reduced to the equivalent of a virtual divinity of 0 to 1, and even then, it would require his true form. Under these circumstances, even a lesser deity could easily dispatch him. For this reason, gods have never paid much attention to devils or demons for millennia. Devils and demons are confined to the lower planes; entering the Prime Material Plane or the higher planes proves extremely difficult for them. Those infernal overlords who flaunt their strength in the lower planes would find themselves vulnerable to even demigods if they dared enter the Prime Material Plane. Yet, it was this seemingly insignificant devil that now roused the singular Emperor, the God of Order, to call for a collective assault by all gods. By Earth's reckoning, this was sheer overkill—using a cannon to swat a fly and a blatant waste of resources. Though such thoughts flitted through the minds of the gods, Louie's history of scheming and intrigue made them wary. They suspected there must be a hidden truth behind His Majesty's unprecedented directive. At this moment, Shar sensed an opportunity to showcase her ‘close relationship’ with Louie. This cunning, brooding goddess spoke on behalf of the other deities, her voice emerging slowly, "......Your Majesty Louie, I do not question your command, but I am curious as to why such urgent action is required for Asmodeus alone. Surely the gods could handle him without much ado." A veil of enigmatic darkness eternally shrouded Shar's flawless face—one only Louie had seen. Her voice, ethereal and gentle, echoed from the depths of a distant past, woven with intoxicating allure and mysterious charisma. The other gods subtly nodded, acknowledging Shar's pertinent inquiry. Despite Asmodeus' formidable power in Nessus, without avatars, he was vulnerable. Gods are powerful precisely because they can create multiple avatars, each with half their divine rank. In this context, a god represents a multitude of divine beings. Avatars can be generated endlessly with divine power, making gods remarkably resilient to demise. Louie had been waiting for an opportunity to elaborate, and when Shar matched his cue, he was inwardly pleased, though his demeanor remained unyielding. Seated dominantly upon the supreme throne, he surveyed the deities with a regal indifference. His lips slowly curled as he addressed Shar, "……Princess Shar, in the ancient times when Asmodeus was cast into the Hells, your influence was not insignificant, was it?" "With the power you wield now, Your Majesty Louie, you could trace back to the chaotic beginnings of the world. As you must have realized, it was indeed my alliance with other elder gods that led to Asmodeus’ downfall," Shar replied, her words laced with subtle flattery. This goddess, astute and ambitious, always managed to find her rightful place, deftly balancing between arrogance and humility as the situation demanded—truly emblematic of a deity destined for greatness. Time holds no meaning for deities, capable of inhabiting past timelines alongside their absolute presence throughout history. This ensures no one can alter the past to eliminate a previous god—one reason Louie's dominion over time, seemingly potent, acts only as an auxiliary force in divine battles. "But, Princess Shar, you must not know that Asmodeus hasn’t left Nessus in millions of years. Gods and mortals alike presumed this due to his past injuries being unhealed. While that assumption holds some truth, the reality is more daunting—Asmodeus’ virtual divinity has reached a level of 20!" Upon Louie's revelation, the gods collectively gasped. Their expressions betrayed utter disbelief. Gods, though begrudgingly respectful of Louie's ascent through schemes and stratagems, found the notion of a devil achieving a virtual divinity of 20 much more unsettling than his usurpation. Gods understand that should this virtual divinity surpass 20, that devil could connect with the Sea of Origin. Should he comprehend its depths, he might transcend the bounds of a devil to become a God Supreme! The possibility of a devil becoming a God Supreme is unimaginable. With his cruelty and hatred toward deities, he would likely annihilate or enslave them all… This is an outcome that no god could endure! However, suspicions about Louie's motives persisted. The gods doubted a devil could achieve such a feat, suspecting another of Louie's elaborate ploys. His history of manipulation had eroded their trust, even among those closest like the Silver Moon Goddess or the Goddesses of Love and Beauty, who now viewed his words with skepticism. Yet Louie's following statement finally swayed the gods. “Honored gods, this world belongs to you. Every realm—the Prime Material, the upper planes, the lower planes, and the elemental—I decree the order and chaos therein. You can appreciate the dire consequences awaiting if Asmodeus comprehends the Sea of Origin. “......You may see my call to arms as manipulation, a ploy to leverage your might against my rival. I acknowledge this. But uniting to slay Asmodeus undoubtedly aligns with your interests! Indeed, you have no choice. When pitted against a devil, I trust you know where to place your faith!” Louie slowly rose, extending his arms wide as he declared to all of San Soliel's realm, “I do not demand you send your true forms into the Hells. I implore you only to dispatch your avatars to enact divine punishment upon the devil who threatens to subjugate us, announcing to mortals that the gods set the rules. Whosoever defies divine authority, their soul and flesh shall face obliteration!” “……And against this one devil, even with a virtual divinity at 20, he remains nothing but a devil. Together, I believe you shall bring him down, welcoming him into the Astral Sea in his despair!” With Louie's proclamation, the gods finally set aside their wariness and ceased any objections to his proposal. Their fear had focused on Louie potentially manipulating them into sending their true selves for his hidden agendas. But merely requesting avatars, the gods unequivocally answered His Majesty’s call. For avatars, even should they fall, cost the gods nothing. And for most deities, they are absolute Machiavellians! When more timely than now to heed His Majesty's call?