Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The war Gods were not a particularly big group, and compared to human or Orc Gods, their numbers could be said to be rather low.
However, their quality was high.
In this series of Gods, even if it was just the archetype of “cruel hunter” or “pirate queen,” they were brave and battle-hardened. Almost every God there had the ability to go toe to toe with another God one level higher in strength. They were truly a combat-ready group.
In comparison, among the Gods of desolation, the “Steel Lion” and the “Silent Knight” both had the ability to fight enemies one rank higher. However, the giant earthworm and catfish were not able to do that. They were two savages who didn’t know how to fight at all.
Honestly speaking, the Gods of desolation were not weak in battle. The lead God Morani was capable of a confrontation with anyone, as long as they were not of powerful divine rank. The subordinate God, Ink, was able to defeat weaker Gods; and if the giant earthworm and catfish joined hands, defeating a single weaker God was not a problem. All in all, this system had the ability to defeat at least two weaker Gods and one mid-ranked God.
This calculated amount was based on the assumption that they could absolutely win. If they just wanted to severely wound the enemy, or make it so they would have to pay a heavy cost to defeat them, the number of Gods they could fight would be doubled at the bare minimum.
Two mid-ranked powers, and four weaker powers: most divine systems had similar familial structures. Even if the family was bigger by a bit, there was no way to guarantee that they would not lose a few of their own to the Gods of desolation in the coming battle. If Morani were to ignore his pride and take action against the faint divinities that existed in most systems, none of them would be able to survive more three moves.
Most Gods generally had the God of Justice acting on their behalf, to prevent divine kings with strong power from taking action. The remaining Gods, who were mid-ranked and below, naturally were not willing to use their lives to fight with the Gods of desolation. Even if there were great rewards, what use would it be if they died?
However, the Gods of war were true blue fighters. Challenging themselves to fight opponents stronger than themselves was not uncommon. The advantage the Gods of desolation had was lost.
When quality was not the decisive factor, quantity would be. In terms of quantity, the Gods of war definitely had the numerical advantage…
“I knew from the very beginning…” Morani gazed at the divine crystal that was slowly falling, laughing bitterly. “The moment the God of Battle showed up, I knew it would result in such an ending.”
“It’s not shameful to admit defeat,” Javier advised. “If we can’t win, then let’s just surrender. It’s just a divine position, and we haven’t even gotten our hands on it. Even if it is ours, if we’re forced to give it up we can only do so!”
Morani turned to look at him. The handsome young man’s face was filled with seriousness. He was truly asking him to surrender.
He shook his head, smiled bitterly, and let out a deep sigh.
“Yes, people without strength are unworthy of having treasures,” He grinned bitterly. “Whether it’s yours or not depends not on how you obtain it, but whether or not you have the strength to defend it.”
“But… I always thought I had the power… ”
He hung his head. His golden mane seemed to have become a bit dull.
Morani was not a weakling. With his strength, he would be warmly welcomed no matter which divine system he went to. The reason the Gods of desolation could maintain autonomy with the Orc Gods was mainly due to his enormous strength.
One to one, none of the Gods of war could defeat him except the God of Battle.
However, it was not enough to rely solely on his strength to defend the Holy Kingdom of the Gods of Desolation.
Of course, he could abandon his country and companions, running away with the new divinity. With his ability, even if the Gods of war turned out in full force, they might not be able to catch him. Or he could find another group of Gods to back him up, making enemies with the Gods of war. For example, the relationship between the Orc Gods and the Gods of war was not very harmonious. He only needed to go over, and the “Giant Sky Devouring Dog” Lefon would very likely lead the Orc Gods in a head-on clash against the Gods of war.
Perhaps that was what the leader of the Orc Gods was thinking. He was actually waiting for Morani to retreat under pressure, before extending a helping hand to the Steel Lion who would run away in a hurry. Which was why all the Orc Gods bided their time, not coming to the aid of the Gods of desolation with whom they had a good relationship with.
However, Morani did not intend to do so.
After sighing, he made his decision.
“I am a warrior.” He once more lifted his head up, looking towards the sky, his countenance calm and determined. “I think that I won’t let what should belong to me be snatched away by others!”
“Don’t be silly,” Javier said.
“I’ve been doing this all along. This is my belief, I will not waver! Even if it’s a single needle or a grain of rice, if it’s mine, other people are not allowed to take it!” Morani’s eyes gradually lit up with a fierce burning light. “Who dares to covet my things? I will cut off his hand!”
“Hey, are you confused?”
Morani turned towards Sui Xiong and Yorgaardman. “I have a few favors to ask. Is that ok?”
“Speak,” The God of Justice frowned, speaking gravely.
“This giant earthworm, Goddess Gaia, and the Goddess of Bumper Harvest have always considered bringing him over to their side. Honestly, I feel that sending him over to Goddess Gaia would be rather suitable; let’s not talk about the Goddess of Bumper Harvest, she’s too petty,” Morani said. “As for the big catfish, he can go along as well. Anyway, they always act together. It’s good to have a companion.”
They did not answer, quietly waiting for him to finish.
“This kid Ah Mo is a bit lazy, but he actually has some potential. I originally wanted to recommend him to the Orc Gods but felt that he would not mix well with the atmosphere over there. Leaving him there would only be his loss. Oscar, how do you feel about having him follow you in the future?”
Sui Xiong was silent for a while. Then he asked, “Can I take this as you entrusting him to me?”
“Entrust?”
“Before an old king dies, he will entrust a trusted minister to take care of the young child, to protect him before he grows enough to be able to support the country. It is a very honorable but also dangerous job.”
“…This is not a bad phrase, I like it.”
“But I don’t like it!” Sui Xiong coldly said. “You’re not dead yet!”
“It’s just a preparation in case anything happens,” Morani calmly said. “I’ve decided more than once to defend my beliefs with my life. Although I’ve always won in the past, there’s a greater probability of losing this time. I definitely hope to win but it’s always good to make preparations in the event that I lose.”
“As if it’s so easy to die!” the God of Justice harrumphed, waving his hands towards the sky.
A light so bright the sun paled in comparison shot out of his hands, leaving the main plane in the blink of an eye. It turned into a ferocious tiger, heading towards the nearest Goddess of War and Death, about to bite her.
A golden light suddenly appeared, and an old man in shabby armor stood in front of the tiger, stopping it.
“Yorgaardman, you shouldn’t interfere.” The old man was the incarnation of the God of War. He originally only intended on watching nearby but appeared to intervene upon seeing the God of Justice take action.
“Falt Hai Wen, you can’t stop me!” The tiger rolled fiercely on the spot, turning into the God of Justice wielding a big axe, coldly looking at the old man. “You should be wary that I’d destroy this incarnation of yours!”
“I really am not a match for you,” The old man smiled confidently, “but what if we add in others?”
Light and shadow flashed and a cloud of darkness emerged around him, shielding him in a whole body of black armor as though he were a tall figure cast in iron.
This was the “Black Tyrant,” also called the God of Fear. He was also a powerful force, but unlike the God of War, he had no followers. He was an independent dangerous person. Despite some differences, he was similar to the God of War.
Yorgaardman’s eyes slowly narrowed. In a one-on-two fight, he was confident that he would not lose, but it was impossible to break through the two mighty divine powers to rescue the Gods of desolation.
“Maybe you can defeat the two of us, but how long would that take?” the God of war laughed. “One month? A year? By then, it would have been long over!”
As they spoke, the Gods of war encircled the Gods of desolation and began to approach without haste or delay.
They were prepared to win the victory in the most secure way.
A complete and thorough victory!
Faced with such a situation, Morani shouted angrily, throwing off the Gods of war who were trying to encircle him, and rushed to his companions.
With a wave of his shield, the commander and strategist Augmentin was sent flying. Although he saw the Steel Lion approaching and had made preparations, it was no use in the face of Morani’s overwhelming power.
As soon as Morani struck Augmentin flying, he rushed with Mo to the side of the giant earthworm and catfish duo. At this time the God of war had already taken back his warship, leaping onto the bow. Restored with his divine power, he watched them coldly.
“It’s not too late for you to surrender,” He said. “Steel Lion, I respect you as a brave man. If you are willing to join us Gods of war, I will personally offer you an apology!”
“What about my companions?” Morani asked.
“For a group of Gods, naturally the more the merrier.”
“Is this your intention, or the intention of your entire group?”
The God of War smiled, turning to look at a few other Gods.
“I have no objection,” the one commonly dubbed the God of Strategy, Augmentin, said.
“As long as it increases our strength, anything goes,” the God of Navy said.
The Goddess of War and Death frowned, clearly unwilling to accept, but still nodded begrudgingly.
The God of Berserkers had a blank look on his face. He looked around before asking, “So do we still cut them down?”
“If they don’t surrender,” the God of Hunting and Slaughter said with glee, licking the tip of his spear which glistened with poison.
“We won’t just cut them down; we’ll loot it all!” the Pirate Queen once more laughed, in a mocking royal tone.
Clearly, they had discussed this beforehand, playing good cop and bad cop.
Faced with this, Morani and Mo looked at each other, breaking into laughter.
“Then come!” He took up a fighting posture. “We may not be heroes, but at the very least we have backbone!”
