Chapter 591: Illusion

"Look! This magnificent force of destiny."

At the same time, in a building east of Pittsburgh, an old man in a cloak, his body stooped, stood behind a shattered glass curtain wall, stretching out his arms.

"Isn't it amazing? That new master of destiny in Atlanta is the most talented mortal I've seen in thousands of years. Achilles, Heracles—they're nothing compared to him."

But behind him, Yarad frowned, his eyes filled with doubt.

A magnificent force of destiny? Yet he saw nothing.

"Your Majesty, this is Pittsburgh. Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure! After all, I once tried to wield destiny myself."

The old man chuckled: "You can't see it, can you? That's not surprising. As a mortal, you are wise. But your level of power is still too low."

He pointed a finger toward the Carnegie Building above: "In my eyes, every exchange between them carries the force of destiny. That new master of destiny is weaving their fates! Watch—though for now they are evenly matched, in just fifteen minutes, that falling young lady will defeat her opponent. Destiny is aiding her. You must have heard Napoleon's saying, or the fate of King Charles III: for want of a nail, the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe, the horse was lost; for want of a horse, the rider was lost; for want of a rider, the battle was lost; for want of a battle, the kingdom was lost. And now, such coincidences are multiplying. If you look closely, you can still see it—the primal energy within that dracolich is already deeply flawed. So it is with all men, even the god you worship, Alduin, is no exception."

Yarad turned pale with shock. He had wanted to ask about the movements of the Lord of Radiance, who was not only the Creator and the master of light, but also the weaver of destiny.

But then he closed his mouth. Gods do not violate their own 'divine nature.'

That is not only the spirit and will of a god, but also their unique trait, concerning a god's temperament, principles, and code of conduct.

The followers of the Lord of Radiance could cooperate with them, but the Lord of Radiance Himself would not.

For thousands of years, He had never employed any schemes, always crushing the gods with open and upright force. For a powerful god who governs the sun and light, any behavior related to darkness is forbidden; it can only exist in the shadows beneath the sunlight.

"Your Majesty, you promised our Dragon Lich Cult that in this battle, you would surely help us."

"My promise was that if you entered that Carnegie Building, I and my demon army would go all out to help you. But now—"

The old man laughed: "You haven't broken in yet, have you? At the time, Mr. Yarad was very confident, thinking it was nothing."

He narrowed his eyes: "Patience. You still have hope. The Medici family has yet to appear, and that Michel has only just made his move. But given that master's power, which frightens me, if I do see an opportunity next, I will not strictly adhere to our contract."

"The problem is, we don't have much time left."

Yarad's face turned purple, forcibly suppressing the restlessness in his chest.

Indeed, they had little time left. The counterattack from the American government was growing fiercer, and the Church of Liberty had also begun to intervene. The Dragon Lich Cult, already severely weakened once, had suffered heavy casualties, and the promises from the Church of Light had only been partially fulfilled.

Ten minutes—he estimated they had at most ten minutes. If they could not turn the Great Lakes region centered on Pittsburgh into a netherworld, the Dragon Lich Cult's forces would be completely crushed by the American government and the major churches.

"Precisely because there isn't much time, we must be cautious, no? When facing such a powerful god, you have to consider my feelings, Yarad."

The old man commented leisurely, "That girl, Angela, is unexpectedly powerful too. Illusion, simulation, deception, reality, and even the rudiments of 'creation'—it's hard to imagine that seven years ago she was just a magic-energy professional below level eighteen. I really don't know how she managed to master so many divine powers in those seven years."

"You couldn't have imagined before that she could contend with Alduin in the prime material world, could you? Yet beyond this, Anthony has made no move. I'm certain that this 'Machine Master' and his two attendant gods have already arrived nearby. Yarad, you must first show me hope. So, bring out what you've hidden. I know you've prepared more than this—"

Just then, Lina Eldridge's shoulder was viciously struck by her opponent's dragon claw. The immense force sent her plummeting like a meteor into the Carnegie Building, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

The old man raised his eyebrows. "Michelle Medici, a very powerful illusion."

Yet Lina Eldridge's opponent could not continue his pursuit. His perception of the world seemed flawed; though he lunged forward swiftly, he perfectly missed the Carnegie Building.

The scene made the old man chuckle. "This duel between father and daughter is quite interesting, isn't it? Deception and counter-deception. Ah, yes, Yarad, let me tell you good news. The Lord of Radiance has unexpectedly acted personally, and the Lord of Fate is temporarily too occupied to attend to matters here. This is your only chance! Hmm... it seems the god you serve has more courage than you, Yarad."

At that moment, Alduin's true form fully descended from the Astral Plane. The power of the Night Lord could not hinder it at all. The nine-hundred-meter-long dragon body loomed over Pittsburgh. Its bony wings spanned only about three thousand meters, but the black death aura spreading in all directions covered half the sky.

Around it swirled a mass of pitch-black blood, helping it ward off the thunderbolts striking down from the sky.

—That was the 'Punishment' created in ancient times when the gods communicated with the 'Source,' using the god of calamity 'Moros' as a vessel and bestowing their most powerful 'blessings' upon it, to punish those who violated the oaths of the Pantheon.

But now, the Dragon Cult had used countless lives and blood as sacrifices to fully manifest Alduin's true form into the mortal world!

The Primordial Dracolich looked down upon Angela from on high, its eyes filled with contempt, disdain, and anger. With a casual flick of its tailbone, it sent Angela's 'Illusory Blue Dragon' flying away.

The latter was indeed powerful, enough to contend with any intermediate deity. Yet before the complete Alduin, it was as insignificant as an ant.

Its emanating power—the divine authorities named 'Destruction,' 'Devouring,' 'Domination,' 'Death,' 'Might,' and 'Strength'—covered all of Pittsburgh, greatly enhancing the strength of every dracolich that had descended there!

Their spells, their claws and fangs, all contained the power of destruction and devouring. Even the weaker ancients like Lamberton Torreador involuntarily showed signs of pain and struggle.

Alduin's authority of Domination was nearly overwhelming his mind and body!

Yet in the 'Illusory Fortress' magic tower, Angela met Alduin's gaze without flinching. Her demeanor remained composed, her face showed no fear, only grief for the lives sacrificed in the blood rites.

"Forbidden Spell: Illusory Genesis!"

At that moment, Lina and Delphinia, along with the ancient bronze dragon 'Clasby' summoned by her Dragon Oath, and even the vampire ancients Odysseus Ventrue and Lamberton Torreador, found armor materializing out of nothing around them. It was sturdy and powerful, actually resisting the authority of 'Destruction' and 'Devouring' wielded by Alduin!

Lina, the weakest among them, gained more than double her previous strength and agility thanks to this 'Illusory Armor.'

She had been on the verge of collapse under the attacks of the opposing ancient dracolich, but now she could hold her own and clash head-on with it.

Even Alduin's eyes narrowed. Without hesitation, it swiped a claw at the 'Illusory Fortress' magic tower where Angela stood. The black scales on its claws possessed unparalleled destructive power, tearing through the layers of barriers outside the tower like a hot knife through butter.

Until Angela uttered the second incantation.

"Supreme Art: Illusory Guard!"

Simultaneously, the divine authority of 'Guard' unfolded. Though only at an intermediate level, the combination of divine authority and forbidden spell power firmly held Alduin's right claw at bay outside the fortress.

The so-called 'supreme arts' in the magical world refer specifically to spells whose difficulty and power rival those of forbidden spells, yet lack their lethal force. They are few in number, but each one is extraordinarily powerful.

However, Angela's mana was also being rapidly depleted. So much so that behind her, a multicolored, cyclically flowing pill manifested.

Delphinia, behind her, recognized this pill as somewhat similar to the external elixir 'Wuyuan' that Li Mochen once possessed. Yet the powers of 'Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water' within it were clearly at the intermediate god level. At its core was pure energy containing the forces of 'Dream' and 'Illusion.'

Was it for this that Li Mochen, four years ago, traversed various dimensional spaces and elemental planes with her help—to forge this 'external elixir'?

This made Delphinia slightly envious. Her lord, though harsh and stingy to her to the extreme, was immensely generous to his own girlfriend.

Yet, the young master she had once dismissed in her youth had already grown to such a level—

"Is that all?"

Alduin still looked down on Angela and her magic tower with an arrogant demeanor.

"If so, then die!"

Its wings flapped, and boundless black flames continuously surged from around it, then plummeted toward the magic tower. A vast sea of fire spread and extended, magnificent in scale. Meanwhile, between Alduin's mouth and nose, a 'dragon breath' containing several powerful divine powers was brewing.

Inside the magic tower, Angela formed a strange hand seal, primarily with her gloved right hand.

"I, Angela Medici, hereby declare: Today I ascend to godhood, named 'Lord of Dreams, Creation, Illusions, and Wishes'!"

Thus, endless divine power converged toward Angela from all directions. Her nearly drained mana was restored to its peak in that moment.

At this instant, her divine consciousness not only advanced, extended, and consolidated toward the source, but also connected with the massive feathered serpent, named 'Kukulkan' in life, within this 'Fortress of Illusions' magic tower.

A sharp glint also appeared in the girl's eyes.

"The battle has just begun, Alduin! I hope you won't surrender too quickly."

For today, A Mo had paid a price beyond anyone's imagination. She would never retreat at this moment, nor would she allow herself to be defeated by this filthy dragon!

At this moment, Alduin instinctively felt a strong sense of alert. It almost unthinkingly flapped its wings and retreated backward at a speed incomprehensible to ordinary people.

Then, in the next instant, a giant serpent, far larger and towering above it, lunged out from the Fortress of Illusions.

When this serpent, resembling 'Kukulkan,' appeared, everyone on the battlefield felt their scalps tingle and their hair stand on end.

Jarad was no exception. Pale electric currents had already appeared around his body. The current High Priest of the Dragon Cult was so stunned and horrified that he could no longer control his own power.

Beside him, the stooped old man sighed again: "Dreams! As long as there are living beings, there are dreams. This is undoubtedly a divine office with infinite potential and immense power. But this situation is not quite right, Jarad."

At that moment, a huge rift was torn in the void before them, and a figure clad entirely in metal armor stepped out from within.

Both the old man and Jarad were extremely familiar with this person.

—It was none other than the current 'Lord of Machinery, Alchemy, Materials, Manufacturing, War Machines, Industry, and Craftsmen,' Anthony Brendon!

Unlike the previous God of Machinery, this one also held the titles of 'Industry,' 'Materials,' 'Manufacturing,' and 'War Machines' among his divine offices!

"So you are here, King of the Abyss, Lord Mephisto!"

The power armor named 'Light Demon No. 10' stepped out of the void. At the same time, an even larger mechanical giant appeared behind him.

It was a figure even more massive and majestic than the Dragon Ancestor Alduin! At least 2,200 meters tall and a thousand meters wide, it stood towering between heaven and earth, more imposing and powerful than the Cyclopes, Titans, and Norse Frost Giants of old continent legends!

Two years ago, shortly after his apotheosis, Anthony used this 'War God of Machinery' to fight head-on against two princes of the Black Demon Empire, once again repelling the dark world's counterattack against 'Magic City.'

"In accordance with the eternal covenant between the Wiltonshire and Brendon families, and to prevent this disaster affecting millions in the Great Lakes region of America, I must stop you from participating in the Pittsburgh War!"

At the same time, two figures appeared near this building. Both wore 'Light Demon No. 9' power armor, and behind them followed two massive robots. They were slightly smaller, presumably the so-called 'War God of Machinery' Type I, also crafted by Anthony Brendon.

Jarad knew these were Anthony Brendon's two followers: 'God of Metallurgy and Precision Industry' Schroeder and the new 'God of Processing and Modification' Marlett.

This former richest mortal, though still at the intermediate god level, had already begun to establish his own pantheon!

"So, Lord Mephisto, with your wisdom, you must have known I was coming, right?"

The wall behind them was violently smashed open, and a figure in a full red bodysuit appeared behind the two.

"Andre was quite generous this time. He offered me a billion shields and a weak mythical artifact to hold off one of your 'Abyss Lords.' At least at the intermediate god level, of course. I'm quite satisfied with the fee."

"The Lord of Machinery, the God of Metallurgy, the God of Processing, the Enemy of Death—truly a formidable lineup!"

Mephisto clicked his tongue in admiration, his robes fluttering without wind: "But I think we don't need to be so confrontational yet—"

He raised his head, looking toward the sky.

"Lord Wiltonshire! I want to know, are you planning to do something to that Lich Ancestor?"

At this moment, the 'Fortress of Illusions' was unleashing countless deadly wind blades, raining down like a storm upon the sky. They sliced through the sea of fire and extinguished the black flames. Meanwhile, the feathered serpent, wrapped in a cyan gale, effortlessly broke through the dragon breath spewed by Alduin. It then opened its bloody maw and fiercely bit toward Alduin's throat. The two colossal beasts soon tangled and tore at each other, violently colliding and rolling. They crashed to the ground, shattering and leveling numerous surrounding buildings.

"I do have such thoughts, Lord Mephisto."

Just as Mephisto finished speaking, Li Mochen's figure suddenly appeared beside them.

The Lord of the Abyss was not surprised by his appearance; it was well known that 'Lucky Andre' had an 'avatar' equivalent to his main body.

However, at this moment, the aura of this secondary body of Li Mochen was somewhat weak.

Almost everyone knew that this was presumably due to the main body drawing too much power.

Yet even someone as powerful as Mephisto harbored no other thoughts; he focused intently on listening to Li Mochen's words.

"Michel must, at all costs, bring his wife back from the underworld. And America has always lacked a complete underworld, leaving this free nation subject to the Lord of Radiance. But what if we replace it with Alduin, with his Twilight City? Replace the magical ritual they have prepared? Though this underworld is small and fragile, I suspect that even Michel will no longer insist on completing this ritual—"

"This is a good idea. Not only will Michel not insist, but I think even the Goddess of Strife and the Goddess of Nature will not stand idly by."

Mephisto's expression remained indifferent, lost in thought: "But there is a precondition, Your Divine Queen, Her Highness Angela Medici—whether she can actually detain Alduin. That is no easy task, Your Highness Wiltonshire!"

Then He saw that within the 'Phantom Fortress' magic tower, countless chains sprouted from Angela's body, extending toward Alduin. One by one, they pierced the Dragon Lich Ancestor's body, binding Him tightly.

And in Mephisto's mind, a term flashed instantly—'Gleipnir,' the magic chain used by the Norse pantheon to bind the wolf Fenrir!

He instinctively thought it impossible; that wolf was still trapped beneath the 'Valhalla' pantheon, yet only the chain called 'Gleipnir' could immobilize it.

And Mephisto, renowned for 'deception,' quickly discerned the anomaly and truth of that chain.

It was undoubtedly a creation of fantasy, yet its foundation was also a mythical armament. Thus, this object could nearly perfectly replicate the six properties of 'Gleipnir'—binding, entangling, suppressing, extracting, exorcising, and punishing!

In the next instant, a huge gash was cut in Alduin's chest and abdomen, and countless black blood spurted out. A gaunt figure appeared beside Him—none other than Michel Medici!

This man was clad in a full set of mythical armaments: Arthur's 'Red Dragon Armor,' Lancelot's 'Unfading Lake Light,' Alexander the Great's 'Ring of Thunder' on his finger, and Charlemagne's 'Iron Crown' on his head.

Though they were creations of fantasy, they contained nearly real divine power and radiance.

Amid Alduin's incredulous, furious, and agonized howls, Michel Medici expressionlessly flicked the black blood from his sword. In the next instant, a six-hundred-meter-long 'Creation Dragon' emerged from behind him and fiercely bit into Alduin's wound, its aura ferocious and violent.

—That was an existence surpassing 'Elder Dragons,' born at the dawn of this world, having lived for millions of years, possessing nearly eternal life and the status of a high god.

And the 'Lake Light Sword' in Michel's hand continued downward; with a single stroke, it severed one of Alduin's wings.

"A very beautiful counterattack! Combat power near that of an intermediate god under special conditions. This Michel, able to hold a place in Manhattan and daring to cooperate with the Dragon Lich Cult, indeed has his reasons. But what then?"

Mephisto's true form was already wreathed in black mist; his body began to change, his skin turning black, and a fierce 'karma fire' appeared beneath his feet.

"How will you resist the Chaos Dragon? Though this dragon lich is no longer acknowledged by the Supreme Dragon God, its mother, the 'Chaos Dragon,' still watches over it and cherishes it—"

At that moment, a huge black dragon claw extended from the void.

Only a small part had entered, yet it was as massive as a heavenly pillar, causing countless fissures in the entire sky, nearly on the verge of destruction.

That giant claw struck down at the giant feathered serpent, like a giant lizard swatting a loach.

"Please calm down, Your Majesty Mephisto!"

At this point, Anthony had already assumed a defensive posture. The 'Mechanical War God' Mark II behind him raised its three-kilometer-long 'Star-Annihilating Greatsword.' All the cannons on its body were also primed and ready.

Li Mochen's secondary body chuckled: "He has already arrived, named 'Bessel Einstein,' association title 'Truth Dominator,' the world's most powerful magician."

A twenty-five-story magic tower had already appeared in midair. As the old man in medieval robes, holding a staff, materialized, the 'Chaos Dragon's' extended claw was forcibly transported to the other side of Pittsburgh.

Undoubtedly, that was Bessel Einstein's self-created 'Spacetime Curvature,' reputed to be one of the world's most powerful forbidden spells!

"So, it seems we can make a deal, Your Majesty Mephisto! There's no need for us to be enemies, right?"

As Li Mochen's secondary body spoke, the figure of the Goddess of Magic, Diana, appeared behind Li Mochen: "This is also my intention, Mephisto. I am willing to yield part of my authority in exchange for your magic deity position and acquiescence to the Weave."

In her palm rested a blue crystal, surrounded by intense magical ripples that even distorted reality.

"This is one of my deity positions, named 'Spell.'"

Yarad's face had turned ashen; he roared at Mephisto with endless hatred and a ferocious gaze: "You promised! Mephisto, you said you would help us!"

But the old man, who had already shed his demonic form, smiled warmly and took the crystal from Diana's hand with a friendly demeanor.

"You show great sincerity, Your Divine Majesty! In return, limited to this deity position, Mephisto may be listed under the pantheon of the Lord of Magic."

"But now I have one question: who will become the ruler of this underworld?"