Bab 499: Magic Authority
"I've been meeting to meet you," said Delilah, sipping on her tea.
"Oh, why? I don't think I have anything worthy of being noticed by the Gods."
"You know, sometimes, modesty appears as hypocrisy."
Edward paused briefly, "True. But, I'm genuinely surprised you know of me."
In less than a hundred years, you develop the Arcane Empire from a technological Tier 5 world to a Tier 9 Magical Civilization," calmly said Delilah. "Such an act can be said to be the story of myths and legends."
"Hahaha, you have no idea how much your words have boosted my ego," replied Edward with a brilliant smile. However, Delilah did not take his words seriously.
"At first, I thought such a thing was impossible, that there might be some error in the information.' She was in charge of the Universe Web, so she scoffed at the news for many years after reading it, believing there must be an explanation for such a grand scale of development.
"And now?"
"Now, I believe it."
"Oh, why?"
"Because I can tell you're older than a hundred years," said Delilah, her eyes deeper than the abyss, containing the most profound truth in the universe. For a moment, Edward was fascinated as he felt she could answer all the answers he wished to know about the universe.
Luckily, his Willpower is unmatched, and he knew a mere Tier 10 Gods could never give him all the answers and truths he pursued.
"I guess you acquired one of the Magus Race's inheritance, including a Time Magical Artifact. After studying it, you also absorbed their spirit of pursuing magic and the truth, thus creating the Arcane Empire.
"And with the technology civilization already on Earth, you decided to fuse magic and technology, thus bringing the Empire to an incredible height in a very short period.
"Am I right?"
Delilah gazed at him as if trying to pierce through the secrets of his soul. However, all she saw was calmness and a hint of flirtation.
'He's not just some wizard enthralled with magic and research; he's a true Emperor with political skills.'
The Arcane Emperor rarely showed up during the war, mostly hiding behind the scenes. As such, the Gods analyzed the information and believed he was primarily a political figure–albeit one with a lot of power.
As such, their profile of him was a man addicted to magic and the pursuit of knowledge. Hence, he left his Empire to be run by others, only keeping military power.
However, Delilah discovered today they might have been wrong about the Emperor.
"You can think so," replied Edward calmly.
"Is that so?" muttered Delilah with squinted eyes, making her even more alluring.
"Do you know what fate awaits you?"
"Please, tell."
She did not immediately speak, somewhat baffled by his calm demeanor. She could tell he was genuinely calm and not putting on a facade for their negotiation.
"We will never allow such an Empire with your specific ideals and potential to develop. And once Guzznad cannot protect this galaxy, our first act will be to liquidate the Empire, killing or enslaving everyone.
'This is your unavoidable fate."
"And so?" asked Edward, making Delilah frown with slight displeasure. Regardless, she knew how to control herself and continued:
"Your only hope of saving yourself and your family is if you surrender."
"Let me guess," added Edward. "You want me to become your follower, no, your Divine Mercenary. As long as I give you all the Empire's knowledge and technology–especially the one I used to block the Mana Grid–you can intercept with the others to keep me safe.
'Am I correct?"
Delilah looked at him, his eyes focused intensely.
"Don't worry, I can't read your mind. You're just easy to read–easier than I anticipated."
"Are you calling me a simpleton?"
"I would not dare," replied Edward casually. "Let's not talk about some unknown future. You're the Goddess of Magic, correct?"
"Yes, and what of it?"
"Then, you must be the powerful God in this plane?"
"Although I am powerful, I would not say to this extent," replied Delilah, wondering where this conversation was going."
"One of my philosophers excellently summarized magic. He said: 'Magic is omnipotent, but the user is not.'"
"It's a great quote," nodded Delilah. "Magic can do anything; its only limitation is the mage controlling it."
"I feel the same way. Imagine how powerful a person would be if they controlled the [Magic Authority]. They could topple the God Civilization on their own."
"You're…exaggerating things."
"No, I'm not. The core of the Gods's Civilization is the faith of their followers. So, if someone could develop a spell to block their connection to their followers–even for a moment–such a person could kill any Gods and easily topple their civilization."
Delilah's face changed for the first time since this conversation–albeit the process was very brief. But, it was long enough for someone like Edward. So, with a smile, he continued:
"Creating such a spell is quite arduous, even beyond the limit of what I could do. However, If I had the [Magic Authority] and with enough time, it's not out of the realm of impossibility."
"Such a spell is impossible," said Delilah, with a dangerous light in her eyes. "And your attempt to sow dissonance amongst us is futile."
"Impossible? You're right, but it's not the reason, I think, isn't it?" asked Edward, his eyes as profound as hers, peeping deep into her soul.
"The Gods are not stupid. So, how could they allow such a dangerous bomb among them? How could they allow anyone with the [Magic Authority] to exist and thrive in the universe?"
Small ripples appeared in Delilah's tea; however, her face remained the same.
"I have a theory to explain such an anomaly," said Edward. "My theory is that these Gods banded together to place some restrictions on the [Magic Authority]. They limited or even completely removed your ability to innovate and create new spells.
"I guess that they made it so that if you want to learn new spells, your followers must create it–without your aid–before sacrificing it to you.
"Am I correct?"
Boom!
The tea in Delilah's hand evaporated, and the surrounding space trembled. However, Edward continued to sip his tea.
"I'm guessing that period was the darkest in your life. If things proceeded normally, you would have become one of the weakest Gods in the universe, always suppressed.
"However, you're a wise woman, a woman of action. So, you somehow found a way to control the Mana Grid, thus elevating your strength and status."
Delilah somewhat calmed down since Edward was wrong. To deal with that situation, she acquired the [Knowledge Authority], thus blessing her followers to create better spells and magical knowledge.
Her control of the Mana Grid and Universe Web placed her in the highest league among the Gods, preventing them from putting more limitations on her.
"Arcane Emperor, are you trying to annoy me?"
"Of course, I would never."
"Enough with this charade," said Delilah coldly. "Although you tried to hide, I can sense your contempt for me, for the Gods."
"I apologize for that," he said, sounding very sincere. "I do disdain you lots, thinking you're only parasites that prey on the minds of the weak, less fortunate, or people in misery. However, I do wish to have a sincere conversation with you."
"What do you want?" she continued, not hiding her anger and indifference. "State your purpose."
"Very well."
Bab 500: Temptation
"I do not know you very well, but I can guess your story," said Edward with a calm and soothing tone. "A human genius born on a planet of magic. You quickly rose to the top of your world, becoming a Tier 6 Mage.
"Maybe you were the first one on your entire planet for hundreds of years. Or, maybe you were lucky enough to be born in a world with a developed magical civilization. Regardless, your achievement of reaching Tier 6 brought you untold fame, wealth, and power."
Delilah glanced at him without saying a word. The previous anger was gone, replaced by a terrifying calmness. At least, it looked as such on the surface. Edward did not mind as he continued:
"After reaching Tier 6, you learn that this is the end of magic–for humans. However, how could such a genius like yourself accept such a fact? So, you began your journey through the universe. Maybe, you were lucky and discovered the Astral Realm and other planes.
"Through your ingenuity, talent, and luck, you pushed your magic to Tier 7. I'm guessing you used the bloodline of a higher magical creature–most likely, a dragon. Am I correct?"
Delilah only glanced at him without a word. Edward shrugged his shoulder and continued:
"At Tier 7, you finally reached the Soul Limit. Unfortunately, no matter what method you used, you could not bypass such restrictions. The only option you have is to use things like Divine Energy, but such an act is too dangerous.
"You probably searched the entire universe for the legacy of the Magus Race during your attempt to break the limit. Sadly, your luck has run out.
"Disheartened, you finally gave in and chose the path that all humans have to eventually walk on–Godhood. However, your love for magic was beyond any typical human, so you chose the Magic Authority, even though you probably knew the possible danger.
"Afterward, your story became as legendary as any others. Through hard work, talent, luck, and schemes, you slowly conquer other planes and become a Tier 10 God.
"You broke through the suppression of the gods and achieved the pinnacle of status in the Cosmic Faith Plane."
"What are you trying to get at with all this nonsense?" asked Delilah coldly.
"I'm giving you an opportunity or an invitation."
Delilah squinted her beautiful pupil.
"It's as you guessed. I'm inviting you to the Emperor. Abandon the wretched God Path and become an Arcanist," said Edward with an enchanting voice. "Remove all your shackles, awaken your ambitions to pursue knowledge and magic."
"This is the biggest joke I've ever heard in my immortal life," said Delilah with a sneer.
"Is it?" retorted Edward with a smile.
"I'm sure your love for magic is not gone; otherwise, you would have never kept the [Magic Authority]. I don't know whether the Magus Race used the Mana Grid as the Universe Web or whether it was your creation, but your involvement is indicative that you value information and communication.
"In my eyes, you're a perfect Arcanist. And with your current soul, you can easily reach Tier 10 under our magic system. No, any magic system, for that matter.
"So, why are you willing to continue on this Faith Path–especially knowing how poisonous it is?"
"How do you know about this?" asked Delilah with killing intent. The Gods never allowed the information about Faith to flow out
"Do you think it is a deep secret?" said Edward with a sneer, silencing this beautiful Goddess. Then, he continued:
"With the database of the Empire and your foundation as a God, you will have a much higher chance at reaching the legendary Tier 11."
Delilah received another shock. Most creatures in the universe know or only believe that Tier 10 is the limit of power. After all, what is higher than the universe?
However, this Arcane Emperor, ruler of a small Empire smaller than a galaxy, knew of such secrets.
'The Magus Inheritance he acquired is much more valuable than I thought,' thought Delilah, trying to hide her greed and desire. She took a deep breath to calm down while also pondering this man's words.
"Do you think a few words is enough for me to do such a thing, to take such risks?"
"Of course not," replied Edward. "You have reached the pinnacle of the universe in terms of strength and status. The status quo is in your favor, so why risk everything for an unknown future?"
"Are you insinuating something?"
"No, I'm directly stating it. After living so many years as a God, bathing in the praise and worship of trillions of creatures and countless worlds, your spirit to pursue magic has been diluted and corrupted.
'It's not your fault but an inevitable outcome. After all, absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Delilah released a terrifying aura full of the intention to kill; the surrounding space created by Edward's spell shook, almost collapsing.
"There is no need for anger since it's the truth."
"Do you want to die?"
"Let me ask you something," continued Edward calmly. "If you were to meet your past self before achieving Godhood, do you think she would recognize your current self?"
Delilah's aura fluctuated before calming down. She did not answer him, thinking about the question.
"Divinity is the enemy of Magic. The reason is not something as simple as because the Gods are more powerful and oppress the development of magic.
"There is a fundamental difference at their core between these two paths. Gods rely on keeping people ignorant to amass faith and keep their power. They have no choice but to do this because once people are enlightened, once they learn the secrets of the universe, they will understand that there is nothing unique or special about the Gods.
"They will lose their awe and respect. And without those, how would you people gather faith?"
Edward did not hide his sneer and contempt.
"Even for someone like you with many mages as your followers, I reckon you've secretly eliminated many of your followers and Divine Mercenaries for studying taboo subjects–such as Divinity.
"After all, you don't want them to discover the source of your power and threaten your status."
Delilah's face became ugly; Edward's words finally hit a true nerve. She remembered the first time she sent the order to eliminate a bunch of her followers. She wiped out an entire Empire in one of the planes she conquered, all because they were studying the Divine Flame.
She spent many years conflicted as the Mage and Divine Sides inside her fought together. Sadly, after doing it for the first time, the others were much easier.
"You don't know me," said Delilah, her eyes colder than ever.
"True," replied Edward with a smile.
"It seems our conversation has come to an end," he continued, noticing Delilah's desire to end this conversation.
"You should consider what I said. With the Arcane Empire's knowledge and your foundation as a God, we can achieve great things, unimaginable things, things that maybe even the Magus Race has never accomplished."
Delilah looked at him coldly before snorting. Then, she disappeared from the room.
Outside the Milky Way:
"Delilah, is something the matter?" asked Morticia, the Goddess of Death, after seeing her open her eyes.
"Some bugs occurred in the Universe Web. Now, it's fixed."
"Is that so? Well, let's continue attacking this protection. I don't know why this thing suddenly became more powerful."
Delilah nodded, a little distracted. She did not know why she lied but only acted on instinct. She took a deep breath to remove all these thoughts from her mind and contribute her strength to this endeavor.
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