Linde's gaze first fell on the sentence in Common Language:
"There are differences even among gods."
His brows furrowed unconsciously.
Isn't that obvious? He personally witnessed the time-shaking echoes of the divine war between Lucios, the Lord of the Light Vein, and Noctoos, the Lord of the Shadow Abyss, and even glimpsed the essence of divine power through the fragments of the God-Slaying Metal.
The difference between gods is like the difference between the abyss and dust; the gap in power, authority, and form of existence is unimaginable.
But the information left by the fox master was by no means nonsense.
It's more like a revelation, a key pointing to the core.
Linde's mind was racing:
The information about the God-Slaying Metal and the echoes of the God War both point to one fact—at the beginning of this world, there were only two primordial gods, Lucius and Noctoos.
Their opposition and entanglement constitute the fundamental laws of the world.
Where do these gods come from?
So, how were all these gods, such as the Elf's moon goddess, the Orc's god of beasts, and the Dwarf's forge god, born?
Becoming a god through faith?
This is the most common explanation.
The immense power of faith converges, endowing a powerful spirit or concept with divinity, ultimately igniting the divine fire.
Or perhaps a mythical creature ascended to a higher realm?
Some extremely ancient and powerful beings, through unimaginable accumulation or fortuitous opportunities, break through boundaries and enter the realm of gods.
The primordial split? The conflict between Lucius and Noctous, or some other event, led to fragments of their power or the independent emergence of their consciousnesses, forming secondary gods?
Foreign invasion? Do "other gods" from outside the world exist?
“The gap…” Lin De murmured, chewing on the word.
What the Fox Lord wants to emphasize is probably not just the difference in strength, but the difference in **essence**! The two primordial gods share the same origin as the world; they are the cornerstones that constitute the world.
The gods that came into being later, no matter how powerful, were probably all built on the original "soil," whether it was a castle in the air of faith or a breakthrough achieved by powerful beings.
They are "later generations," and the purity and origin of their divinity and authority may be insurmountably separated from the original two gods!
This realization sent a chill down Linde's spine.
If the "gap" refers to the fundamental origin, then are the methods for dealing with those lesser gods completely different from those for dealing with the primordial two gods? For example... God-killing metal? Is it specifically designed to target this kind of "fundamental" divinity? And would its effectiveness be reduced against gods of faith or ascended gods? Or... conversely, are those lesser gods more easily "utilized" or... "replaced"?
Thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning. Linde suppressed the shock and countless speculations in his heart and eagerly turned his gaze to the orc language below.
“Nazira,” he looked up, his eyes serious, “I can’t understand the orc language below. I need your help to decipher it.”
Nazla had long since abandoned her previous languidness and intimacy, and her expression became focused and serious.
Because the oracle was unknowable, Lind broke down the characters and asked Nazra about each one.
Soon, Lind learned the answer.
"Offer your blood, and pay homage to the god of beasts!"
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
"The God of Beasts wants to see me?"
A storm raged in Linde's heart.
What does that mean? Are gods this straightforward these days?
At this moment, Linde's mind raced. A trap? A trap set by God? Or perhaps a ploy to win him over?
Linde didn't know, but he felt that he wasn't strong enough to face the gods directly.
Although he has now gone further than all mortals in matters of the gods.
Tempted? Yes, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to face a living deity—an opportunity that even legendary mages and popes could hardly attain.
If one could glean even a glimpse of divine mystery from it, or even merely understand the way the gods think, its value would be immeasurable.
But fear? Or rather, a deeper sense of vigilance? It was equally ever-present.
That is the God of Beasts! Urano the Goldenmane Watcher! The supreme being who governs the orcs, and indeed the vast majority of orcs in the world! He is active, powerful, and his intentions are unclear.
What difference is there between a mortal, even one bearing the name of an oracle and carrying fragments of god-slaying metal, and a living god who truly controls a vast network of faiths and possesses countless legends of miracles?
Linde took a deep breath and suppressed his turbulent emotions.
He needs information, he needs the most direct feedback from within the community of those who represent the gods.
He turned to Nazira, his gaze deep and focused:
“Nazira,” his voice was low and solemn, carrying an unprecedented seriousness, “this God of Beasts—Urano the Goldenmane Watcher, in your orcish eyes… what kind of being is He?”
Nazra's expression instantly turned solemn, and the cunning and affection that belonged to a fox spirit in her bright eyes were replaced by an almost instinctive awe.
She straightened her back slightly, as if merely mentioning the name of the god had transported her back to the solemn atmosphere of tribal rituals.
“He…” Nazra’s voice softened, with an almost chanting tone, each word seeming to flow from the depths of her blood, “He is the ‘Lord of All Spirits,’ the ‘Ancestor,’ the ‘Source.’”
He is not the giant god or beast with a fixed form that we imagine. When He manifests in the Sanctuary…
She closed her eyes slightly, as if recalling descriptions passed down through generations of the tribe, or scenes depicted by the high priest during sacred ceremonies:
"He is an existence formed from the light of dawn, vast and boundless, yet seemingly formless and intangible."
His body is translucent, flowing with the light and shadow of billions of lives.
In His swirling light and mist, you can see the lion's mane shimmering, the eagle's wings outstretched, the bear's silhouette growling, the fish's scales shimmering, and even the entwining of vines, the blooming of flowers, and the rings of a giant tree… The characteristics of all living things in the world flow, converge, and endlessly regenerate within Him.
She opened her eyes, which gleamed with a strange light:
"He is everything, yet transcends everything. He is the most primal, magnificent, and inclusive form of life. His very existence is a hymn to 'life' and a law of 'existence'."
Linde listened quietly, picturing the wondrous scene in his mind: a colossal entity composed of morning light, containing the characteristics of countless living beings, flowing through the divine realm.
This image is completely different from the Lord of the Light Vein (pure light and order) and the Lord of the Shadow Abyss (pure darkness and chaos) he had encountered, and is full of wildness, complexity and ineffable vitality.
"And His will?" Lind pressed. "Is His will toward the orcs, toward the believers, one of love? Majesty? Indifference? Or... the bloodshed that requires sacrifice?"
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