Chapter 596: Empty Dream

Erishkigal had no intention of admitting defeat. The moment she fell to the ground, her figure flickered, using the surrounding shadows and darkness to move at high speed, splitting into dozens of phantoms in an attempt to confuse Li Mochen.

Li Mochen's gaze grew even colder. He directly pulled the trigger, and with a crisp gunshot, the magical bullet in the chamber was fired.

After Anthony Braden became the Mechanical Sovereign, the magical bullets he personally crafted grew increasingly powerful. The golden streak of light flashed, completely ignoring Erishkigal's various evasive maneuvers and clones, striking her true body once again. Then a vast sea of lightning completely engulfed Erishkigal.

Both Anthony and Li Mochen possessed powerful divine authority over 'lightning,' also known as 'electromagnetism.' However, due to their wariness of several Thunder Gods, they had not generated corresponding divine offices. Yet their divine authority over 'lightning,' infused with divine power, still possessed formidable lethality.

Additionally, this bullet concentrated the conceptual divine authorities of 'Armor-Piercing,' 'Penetration,' 'Certain Kill,' and 'Destruction,' possessing power second only to the 'Fate Sword.' And the ultimate authority of 'War' could elevate all divine powers related to attack and defense by one level!

The golden magical bullet was still blocked by Erishkigal's stone shield, but it was followed by Li Mochen's 'Fate Sword.' This sword light, traveling through the gaps in time and space, bypassed the obstruction of that mythical artifact, forcibly broke through the dense spear shadows surrounding the goddess, and struck Erishkigal's divine body from the side.

——Dual Element Forbidden Style: Ice and Fire Extremes!

Then, as the extremely sharp and domineering energy burst and spread, a trace of pale golden blood spurted from the right chest of the goddess Erishkigal.

At the same time, one side of the goddess's body ignited with blazing white flames, the high temperature of 500,000 degrees burning away all her hair and evaporating the divine blood within her body; the other side was covered with thick ice. If not for Erishkigal herself possessing the ultimate divine authority over ice, the functions of that side would have nearly ceased.

This scene silenced all the mortals and gods watching nearby.

"I told you, Your Highness Erishkigal, this is not a wise choice! You absolutely cannot resist the mighty power of fate!"

Li Mochen said calmly, pushing a second bullet into the chamber.

Erishkigal's expression also changed slightly, not because of her injuries, nor because of the power of the ultimate 'Ice and Fire Divine Authority,' but because she sensed that Li Mochen was weaving her fate, interfering with all her threads of destiny, leading her toward death at some point in the near future!

The crisis brought by Li Mochen's Dragon Might grew increasingly intense!

Even the several fate gods born from the world's origin who had fought her in ancient times were far less terrifying than the enemy before her. In less than two exchanges, he had already woven her death fate and completed nearly half of the web of destiny!

——This was likely the ultimate 'Divine Authority of Death'!

"Boom!"

Another deafening roar sounded, but this time it came from behind Li Mochen. It was the Mechanical Sovereign Anthony; the Type II 'Mechanical War God' he controlled suddenly punched two hundred meters behind Li Mochen.

In the void that had been empty, as the fist of the 'Mechanical War God' arrived, a figure wrapped in white burial cloth, like a mummy, appeared.

"Don't try to fish in troubled waters, Your Highness Osiris!"

Anthony pointed to the goggles on his face, a hint of pride evident: "Your divine authority over shadows is of little use before me. This is the power of machinery!"

Osiris's entire body was wrapped in black flames, his eyes gloomy and unusual.

Although the being before him was only a middle god, with his armor and the massive mechanical giant, he could face even a powerful god alone without any pressure.

And this body of his was merely an incarnation descending into the mortal world, currently only possessing the rank of a high god, clearly insufficient to break through Anthony's interception.

Li Mochen paid no attention to what was behind him. His Dragon Might continued to lock onto Erishkigal, and within a single breath, he fired three shots in quick succession, all blocked by the stone slab in Erishkigal's hand.

However, her divine body was nearly shattered under the second strike of the 'Fate Sword.'

That was the Dual Element Forbidden Style: Positive and Negative Extremes!

The sword light, gathering a massive amount of positive and negative energy, once again broke through the layers of obstacles Erishkigal had set up, then erupted into a huge ball of blazing white light. The forbidden spell 'Matter Annihilation' that Li Mochen had applied to the sword, aided by the Dual Element Forbidden Style: Positive and Negative Extremes, released astonishing energy. The goddess's divine armor offered no resistance at all. Erishkigal's ancient god body was also fragile under this Dual Element Forbidden Style. Her right arm was directly vaporized, and all parts of her body were riddled with holes.

This scene also made Osiris, who was fighting Anthony, look sideways, a trace of barely perceptible shock and wariness flashing across his face.

And Erishkigal, after enduring Li Mochen's second sword, abandoned all attempts on the underworld and fled directly as light. Li Mochen's two strikes of the Dual Element Forbidden Style had made her fully realize the truth: although the being before her was only a newly ascended god, the power he wielded was completely beyond her ability to contend with.

——That was undoubtedly at the level of a chief god, and among the strongest of them!

But she encountered the relentless interception of the 'Fate Sword,' the layers of sword light forming an impenetrable wall blocking her way. Combined with Li Mochen's power of fate, Erishkigal was led into a state of death!

But at that moment, Li Mochen noticed an unexpected large gap in the web of fate he had woven.

"Do you also wish to be my enemy, Your Highness Hades?"

In that instant, a golden spear shimmering with light traversed the void and arrived above Pittsburgh.

It was the second support from Li Mochen's main body—the 'Longinus Holy Spear'!

Under the deterrence of this spear, Li Mochen clearly felt that the restless auras and divine thoughts around him had regained 'calmness.' And a certain powerful chief god attempting to approach the battlefield abruptly stopped in place.

But the one who truly interfered with the web of fate was another black figure. This one appeared directly beside the goddess Erishkigal, then, carrying her, forcibly broke through the interception of the Fate Sword and vanished into the distance.

Li Mochen recognized him as Erishkigal's husband, 'Nergal,' also the first necromancer in the history of the Light World—note that he was a mage who manipulated the power of the dead, not a lich.

His life could be called a legend. Once a mortal prince, after his kingdom was destroyed, he sought the power of death. Eventually, he not only avenged his shame but also led fourteen powerful legions of the dead to attack the underworld. When Erishkigal could not defeat him, she was forced to marry him to settle the matter, and Nergal became known as the King of Death, the vice-lord of the Babylonian underworld.

Li Mochen frowned slightly, then without hesitation pulled the trigger again. He could not allow Erishkigal to escape under any circumstances.

Not only was she his target for establishing authority and intimidating the gods, but the fragment of Alduin's soul she had taken was also very important—it could likely lead to changes in the authority over the 'underworld' of America in the future.

At the moment the gunshot rang out, a large spray of golden blood burst from Erishkigal's shoulder. This time, the stone shield in Erishkigal's hand could no longer block the bullet fired by 'Dragon Might.' The power of 'Fate' and 'Time Sequence' allowed the golden streak of light to successfully break through the shield's interception.

But Li Mochen had shown mercy, because before he fired, the Babylonian King of Death, 'Nergal,' had thrown a mass of black energy toward him.

——That was precisely a part of Alduin's dragon soul!

Li Mochen did not actively collect it. He still held 'Dragon Might' aloft, pressing his right eye to the scope, observing the battlefield ahead while covering all of Pittsburgh with his will.

But until that part of the dragon soul returned to him, no one else made a move to snatch it.

This part of the dragon soul returned safely to his hand, and the corners of Li Mochen's avatar's mouth curled upward with a hint of sarcasm. Then, with a casual flick, he stored it in his sleeve.

...

"Erishkigal has a good husband; otherwise, she would surely have fallen here and become another addition to America's underworld."

Beside the Magic Goddess watching from the ruined building, Artemis's figure began to appear.

"You bet correctly, Hecate. You have found a powerful ally. Without a doubt, this is a Lord of Fate far stronger than anyone expected! Did you see? Your former lord Hades dared not advance a single step under the lock of the 'Longinus Holy Spear.'"

"Isn't this what you all most wanted to see?"

Diana was in high spirits, a joyful light shining in her blue eyes: "The underworld established in America, all people on this land are no longer under the control of the Church of Light. And the Lord of Light has lost his 'key to fate'; his path to the truth of 'fate' has been blocked by our Lord of Fate."

"So, this is the reason you two goddesses tolerated his growth on American soil?"

Another figure appeared beside them. This was a male god, his body extremely robust yet possessing a scholar-like temperament.

"Forseti?"

Diana turned to look at the newcomer: "What do you want to say, Your Highness the God of Truth?"

This was Forseti, the god of truth and justice of the Norse Aesir, son of Balder and Nanna, and one of the twelve chief gods of Norse mythology, holding authority over truth, justice, and law. (Tyr presided over laws concerning blood feuds and disputes; Forseti arbitrated matters requiring mediation. One could understand it as criminal versus civil law.)

Since Tyr withdrew from this world, after the Middle Ages, he and Athena had divided the authority of law.

In modern times, with the development of science and the elevation of legal status, he had gained numerous followers and abundant primal force, making him one of the most powerful gods of the current era.

"What I mean is, such a Lord of Fate seems too powerful. You are raising a tiger that will eventually bite you. One day, you will regret this—"

Diana gave a cold laugh, and before she could answer, a rebuke came from nearby: "Shut up, you coward named Forseti!"

This voice made Forseti's expression change slightly. Following the rebuke came a goddess wearing a suit of ice-blue armor, full of vigor, with an ice-blue greatsword floating beside her. The chilling aura made the three gods present shudder.

They all recognized the newcomer at once—the sea goddess 'Thetis'!

She was a descendant of the ancient sea god Pontus, daughter of the kind sea god Nereus and the Oceanid Doris, and mother of the hero Achilles.

Although Poseidon, as the ruler of the sea, was more deeply ingrained in people's minds, the sea goddess Thetis, who was friendly to humans, had been more revered by sailors since the Age of Exploration.

Behind her were numerous supporters, all from her father's generation: Nereus (Kindness of the Sea), Thaumas (Wonder of the Sea), Phorcys (Anger of the Sea), Ceto (Danger of the Sea), and Eurybia (Power of the Sea).

Now that the Olympian pantheon was fragmented, the power she held was enough to contend with the severely weakened sea god Poseidon.

At this moment, the sea goddess Thetis was staring at the god of law Forseti with eyes like swords.

"You are merely dissatisfied because the divine office of 'Equality' was taken by that Lord of Fate. But with the outer gods approaching, do you think you can hold onto your divine offices, Forseti?"

Thetis paused, a sarcastic smile appearing: "I forgot, you can be a coward, just like in the divine war on the old continent thousands of years ago. You could even sell us out to gain the right to survive from those outer gods."

She had reason to say this. In the war three thousand years ago that nearly destroyed the Aesir and Olympian pantheons, Forseti, as a chief god, was the only one who did not participate, preserving all his strength and surviving to the present.

"You are a bitch! It seems I can never have a friendly conversation with you."

Forseti cursed, then, before the sea goddess Thetis could get angry, his divine light dissipated, and he vanished from the sight of the three goddesses.

"He is indeed a coward, and he does have ulterior motives."

Artemis smiled slightly, her tone leisurely: "But he is right. The power this one wields is too great. Perhaps in the future, he will be an even more powerful and harder-to-oppose existence than the Lord of Light. We cannot stop the Lord of Light only to create a more troublesome enemy."

"That is a matter for later."

Thetis replied coldly: "Zeus is about to return, Artemis! I know you, Athena, and Hestia don't care, right? You are plotting to let Zeus regain control of this world."

"I am fine with anything, as long as no one infringes upon my authority. But that is clearly impossible."

Artemis did not get angry; she knew how much the goddess before her hated Zeus.

She was the most powerful and talented descendant of the ancient sea god Pontus and Gaia. According to the prophecy of the Fates, her child was supposed to be an existence surpassing Zeus.

But it was precisely because of this prophecy that led to the death of her son, the hero Achilles. Zeus personally arranged her marriage and fate, forcing Thetis to marry a mortal, and then gradually led her child Achilles to Troy, the meat grinder of heroes.

This broke Thetis's heart, to the point where she once clasped Zeus's knees with her left hand and stroked his chin with her right, trying to use her charm to persuade the king of gods to grant her son Achilles glory.

But Zeus ultimately refused her, and from then on, Thetis regarded Olympus as an eternal enemy. She convinced all of Pontus's descendants to rebel during the devastating divine war on the old continent, and they were no longer bound by the Olympian pantheon.

Yet even now, her hatred for Zeus and the goddess of discord Eris had not diminished.

"As for Athena and Hestia you mentioned—I don't know about Hestia, but Athena clearly does not want to see Zeus return. After all, she shares almost the same fate as Achilles."

Athena was the child of Zeus and the goddess Metis, the latter being not only the first goddess of wisdom but also Zeus's ex-wife. As the child of the river god Oceanus and the lake goddess Tethys, Metis possessed extremely powerful strength and background. (Before the rise of Athens, the Greeks valued rivers more than the sea.)

It was precisely due to the support of Metis and her parents—two Titan gods—that Zeus was able to defeat Cronus and become the third-generation king of gods.

After that, Zeus was deeply in love with Metis and used every means to win her heart. After repeated failures, he lost patience and directly raped the goddess of wisdom.

And while Metis was pregnant, Zeus feared the prophecy made by Gaia and Uranus—that Metis would give birth to a son stronger than himself, who would one day become the king of heaven.

So Zeus, taking advantage of Metis's weakness, swallowed her whole.

Yet when Metis's time of delivery drew near, Zeus suffered from a splitting headache and had to order his son, the god of fire and craftsmanship, Hephaestus, to split his head open with an axe, allowing Athena to leap out from his skull.

This Greek goddess of wisdom was clearly far more clever than Thetis; she defined herself as female, thus avoiding the prophecy and dispelling Zeus's suspicions.

"Can you two stop arguing?"

Diana interrupted their conversation with a helpless expression: "Artemis, I understand Thetis's thoughts better. You, as the daughter of Zeus and Leto, who has always been one of the twelve Olympian gods, probably cannot comprehend our wariness and fear of foreign deities."

She smiled with obvious self-mockery: "Think about it? Before Uranus appeared, my parents were the king and queen of the Greek gods, and my former self, Hecate, was meant to be one of the most honored deities of that era. But after Uranus descended into this world and allied with Gaia, everything changed. In those thousands of years, my mother and I trembled and struggled to survive under the oppression of you Titans and the Olympian court. If not for my mother Nyx, who possessed extraordinary wisdom and courage, I and my siblings would surely have been devoured by one of you."

Artemis fell silent. Although she had become the most powerful major deity of this era, even approaching the status of 'God-King,' through her command and control of 'Nature,' and thereby ranked among the gods of the Old and New Continents, she knew that there was a clear gap between herself and true native deities like Diana and Thetis.

"I agree!"

The sea goddess Thetis's lips curled slightly, as if very satisfied with Diana's stance: "In your eyes, Artemis, this Mr. Wieldenstein may be a threat. But for Diana, if he lacked sufficient power, how could he help her build and maintain the magic network? And for me, as long as someone can help me resist the deities from the outer realms and help me kill Zeus, I wouldn't mind even if that person became my king."

Artemis smiled bitterly. She was not Forseti, the god of truth, justice, and law, and she did not have much vigilance against Andrew Lee Wieldenstein.

Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly felt a stir in her mind and looked up at the sky.

Beside her, Diana and Thetis also raised their heads, their gazes piercing through the barriers of time and space, deep into the astral realm.

At that moment, a female figure in a white robe, holding a torch, abruptly appeared before the 'Chaos Dragon Mother,' interrupting the battle between the 'Lord of Truth,' Bessel Einstein, and this chaotic dragon.

As the goddess pointed a finger from afar, the Chaos Dragon Mother's dragon essence began to run uncontrollably wild, and her body and flesh rapidly 'mutated.' In an instant, thousands of wounds burst open all over the three-thousand-meter-long dragon.

After suffering this severe blow, the Chaos Dragon Mother did not even dare to counterattack. With a roar full of rage and grief, she unhesitatingly turned and fled into the depths of the astral realm.

"Divinity level nineteen!"

Diana sighed softly: "Already infinitely close to truth; her divine authority of freedom and strife has grown even stronger."

She saw that in that instant, the Goddess of Liberty had granted 'freedom' and 'strife' to the Chaos Dragon Mother's dragon essence and all her flesh cells. This caused the dragon mother's primal power to not only completely slip from her control but also split into tens of thousands of different factions, conflicting and fighting among themselves. Her flesh cells also became independent entities, each growing wildly, devouring and contending with one another.

Thus, in less than three seconds, this mother of all dragons, who held the status of a major deity, was severely wounded.

At this moment, the sea goddess Thetis's eyes flickered with uncertainty, a glint of ferocity and wariness faintly visible in her pupils.

'Zeus' was certainly the one she hated most.

Yet Apollo and the goddess of strife, Eris, as accomplices of Zeus, were equally unforgivable in her eyes.

However, this goddess, who had reinvented herself in modern times as the Statue of Liberty, still possessed combat power far surpassing her own.

"That magician's power is terrifying."

Artemis also sighed: "If his talent hadn't been exposed too early, he surely would have replaced Forseti. He has decided to reincarnate after the magic net is completed, hasn't he? If he succeeds, I think it will be a disaster for Forseti."

She knew that three hundred years ago, it was due to Diana's protection that the 'Lord of Truth,' Bessel Einstein, managed to escape from Forseti's clutches.

And now this 'Lord of Truth' had apparently obtained the protection of another powerful deity, the 'Lord of Fate.'

So Artemis could roughly understand Forseti's anxiety; it was not just because Li Mochen had seized the 'Equality' divine office that Forseti coveted. But Forseti's courage was truly limited; even with the Radiant Lord suppressing the 'Lord of Fate' head-on, he dared not appear directly to contend with that Lord Wieldenstein.

Thus Artemis was also curious why her sister did not seize the other half of the authority, named 'Civil Law.' Was it due to insufficient divine power, or was she holding back for some reason?

"He does have such plans."

Diana's expression was complex. She certainly did not want to lose such a powerful subordinate, but the 'divinity' she held also destined that she would not obstruct him.

Fortunately, even if the 'Lord of Truth' succeeded in reincarnation and became a god as he wished, he would still be her strong ally and supporter.

Thus Diana's mood remained pleasant—until she turned her gaze back to the Carnegie Building, standing like a throne amidst the ruins of Pittsburgh.

Diana couldn't help but sigh, and a look of regret once again appeared on her face: "What a pity—"

"A pity?"

Artemis looked puzzled. From the moment the goddess of liberty, Eris, appeared to expel the 'Chaos Dragon Mother,' it meant that this de facto 'God King' of America had already tacitly agreed that the authority of this underworld would be obtained by Michelle and his wife.

Then, in an instant, she asked thoughtfully: "Do you mean, Diana, that they have no chance of becoming the King of the Underworld?"

Her former friend was once the Queen of Ghosts and the Goddess of the Underworld in the Greek era, and even now, she holds a high-level death deity.

Artemis guessed that Diana had seen something, thus concluding that Michelle's scheme could not succeed.

"How could it possibly be done?"

Diana sighed: "His wife 'Diana Olivia' does seem to have a chance at resurrection, but all of this is merely the delusion of that Mr. Medici. It is the power of this powerful illusionist's delusion that allows the soul of 'Diana Olivia' to continue existing. Yet today, this bubble is bound to be burst; his power is insufficient to enable his wife to bear the authority of the God of Death. Isn't this tragic and pitiful? The daughter exists because of the mother's fantasy, and the wife the father yearns to resurrect also exists only because of her husband's spiritual power—"

...

The moment Michelle Medici summoned the ice coffin of 'Diana Olivia' from the void, Li Mochen also saw the anomaly in his mother-in-law at first glance. His 'divinity' was equally powerful, and he also held the ultimate death deity and the authority of fate.

Within the 'soul' of 'Diana Olivia,' he could sense little concept of life or death, nor could he find any 'traces of fate' concerning her.

This made his expression change slightly. He instinctively wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. Li Mochen knew that the hope Michelle held should not be shattered by him.

"I am very grateful to you, Andre."

Michelle wiped his hand over the ice coffin, causing it to melt, and then, with immense tenderness, gently stroked the face of 'Diana Olivia.'

"Agreeing to the engagement between Angela and you was probably the wisest decision of my life. I think if it weren't for you, I would hardly have achieved my wish today. Look, the kings of the underworld and gods of death from various eras and regions all wish they could devour Olivia and me alive. But now they fear your power and authority, and can only watch helplessly from outside Pittsburgh. I also know that the reason Angela is so powerful is because of you, isn't it?"

His excitement and elation were palpable, his fingertips trembling slightly: "Although you are my son-in-law, I will remember your kindness. The underworld of America will forever be your strongest support."

Li Mochen remained silent, while Angela, who had slowly descended to his side, wore a face filled not only with shock, disbelief, and speechlessness but also with immense sorrow. Her eyes were red, and she was on the verge of tears.

Michelle, however, was completely unaware. Under the power of his magic, a massive stone throne had coalesced atop this Carnegie building, and he carefully placed the body of 'Diana Olivia' upon it.

After this, Michelle took out a jet-black crown and placed it on 'Diana Olivia's' head.

At this moment, a hint of surprise flickered in Li Mochen's eyes.

He recognized it as a remnant of 'Tartarus'. As the embodiment of the ancient Greek 'Underworld' and 'Hades', this underworld had been shattered by the Lord of Light back in the Roman era.

It seemed this man had indeed, as he claimed, made some extra preparations, possessing the qualifications to contend with the many Hades and Death Gods here.

Li Mochen did not know where his father-in-law had found these fragments of Tartarus's essence to forge into this crown, but he knew this object possessed immense power, clearly a mythical armament on the same level as the split 'Longinus Holy Spear' and 'Fate Sword' in his own hands.

If 'Diana Olivia's' soul truly existed, and Michelle could obtain partial authority over this newly created underworld, then Li Mochen's mother-in-law indeed had a great chance to emulate the story of the Egyptian underworld god 'Osiris' and be 'resurrected' in the underworld, even contending for the throne of the underworld with this mythical armament.

"I am also very grateful to you, Anqi, but I want to say sorry to you even more. I think you can probably feel that when you were eight years old, I distanced myself from you. At that time, I not only hated you, but I didn't even want to see your face, Anqi. Every time it brought me pain, a snake named 'guilt' gnawing at my heart. Until that day, when you rushed in front of me with tears streaming down your face, calling my name, I suddenly felt that I was a bastard. I thought, what fault was it of yours? It actually had nothing to do with you; it was because of me that you ended up in that situation. It was all because of me—"

Michelle had already formed hand seals, activating the magical ritual that covered the entire Great Lakes region.

——If it had gone according to their original plan, this ritual would have cost the lives of tens of millions of people in this area to forge the underworld.

But now, Alduin, tightly bound and unable to move by the 'Gleipnir Magic Chain' conjured by Angela, along with the 'Twilight Dragon City', had replaced these original sacrifices.

As a vast amount of moonlight converged from all directions, the hexagram array surrounding the Great Lakes began its magical energy cycle. The magical gems Michelle had placed at various nodes flashed with intense light one by one, and the ground of Pittsburgh began to transform into a black 'mire'.

They were dragging Alduin, dragging the 'Twilight Dragon City', sinking and descending.

It was at this moment that Michelle's expression began to panic, to waver, his face filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.

"No! No! No! How is this possible? This can't be true! Stop! Stop!——"

Before his eyes, 'Diana Olivia' on the throne was disintegrating, collapsing.

And Michelle's cries were like those of a trapped beast, filled with uncontrollable madness and sorrow.