Chapter 689: Evidence of Crimes

Not long after the divine war in Alaska ended, Li Mochen, surrounded by the gods, returned to his Divine Kingdom of Destiny.

As in past wars, although the divine war had ended, there were still many matters to handle on the battlefield: the安置 of millions of prisoners, subsequent pursuit operations, and the treatment of numerous wounded on the side of the Destiny Pantheon. However, Li Mochen did not handle these personally this time; he left all follow-up matters to his administrative team and staff, because he had more important things to do.

Li Mochen's mood was complex at this moment. The great victory over the Alliance of Gods, establishing his pantheon's hegemony in the Bright World, certainly delighted and excited him. Yet the casualties were also the highest of any previous war. In America and Maple Leaf Country alone, 1.2 million soldiers had died in this battle. Additionally, a large number of angels and divine warriors had perished. Although their soul fragments were promptly collected by Angela, after reconstruction, they might not retain their former appearance or consciousness.

Nevertheless, Li Mochen was ultimately more joyful. The victory in this war brought him within a single step of becoming the 'God Above Gods.' If he were to wear a mournful face even now, that would be affectation.

There were also two things that comforted Li Mochen: first, he now had another Angel King at the pseudo-God-King level by his side; second, he had a new pet.

The pet was the venomous dragon 'Nidhogg,' which originally had no physical form but finally obtained real flesh and blood from Odin's remains—half of the God King's corpse was devoured by Fenrir, and the other half went to 'Nidhogg.' The latter did not transform into a dragon but grew into a giant, three thousand meters tall, with flames emanating from his body even more intense than Prometheus's fire.

In Li Mochen's perception, this 'Nidhogg' had inherited at least sixty percent of Odin's power, firmly at the God King rank. However, his mind was like an infant's, as pure as a blank slate, and it was expected that he would only grow slowly for a long time to come. This made 'Nidhogg' completely unable to control his power and highly susceptible to mental divine authority.

This was one reason Li Mochen was eager to return to his Divine Kingdom. He had to perform a magical ritual as soon as possible to forcibly bind 'Nidhogg' as his magical pet. Only then could he lend his own divinity and power to 'Nidhogg,' granting him unbreakable mental protection.

This newborn frost giant might become Odin's resurrection vessel in the future, but it would also be a most convenient tool. Its simple mind would ensure it executed all of Li Mochen's commands 100%, and its combat power, on par with Lucifer's, would make 'Nidhogg' invincible in most situations.

Merely by temporarily sealing 'Nidhogg,' Li Mochen had gained nearly five hundred million strands of merit. Since its birth, 'Nidhogg' had been causing disasters. The 'flames' of truth around it not only melted all surrounding matter but even triggered fusion, emitting large amounts of nuclear radiation. If left unchecked, the entire Gulf of Alaska would be burned to a barren wasteland.

The new Angel King was the 'Doomsday Angel' Surtr. After destroying Asgard, this fire giant straightforwardly prostrated himself before Li Mochen, requesting to become an angel at his throne.

According to him, after Ragnarök was fulfilled, he had no regrets, and with the frost giant lineage under the protection of the Destiny Pantheon, their survival crisis was over.

At this moment, whether out of gratitude or for the future and reproduction of the frost giants, Surtr joining Li Mochen's ranks was the optimal choice.

Li Mochen did not disappoint this 'Doomsday Angel': 'Prince Bismarck, I need you to draw up a plan to build a fortress on the Antarctic continent within the next two years. It must accommodate one hundred thousand frost giants, two hundred thousand dwarves, and two hundred thousand elves. The budget is tentatively set at one hundred and eighty billion gold shields.'

When he said this, Hela and Surtr both showed expressions of surprise and confusion. The Antarctic continent was naturally suitable for frost giants, but it was also very close to the 'Asa Continent,' where the Beast Empire was located, lying on its flank.

If not for their understanding of the Fate Lord's style and divinity, they would almost think he was using the frost giants as cannon fodder.

Loki quickly caught on: 'Your Majesty is worried about Chaos, right?'

'Chaos will awaken within a year or two at most. I expect this Chaos God to be one of our most dangerous enemies in the future. A large-scale divine war may occur in the Arctic, but the greater danger is chaos contamination.'

Li Mochen replied with a smile: 'Since you have decided to formally pledge allegiance to the Destiny Pantheon, as your sovereign, I must take responsibility for your race's fate. Your frost giant kingdom is no longer safe. Trust me, the south is the future for frost giants—it's broader, safer, and richer in resources. One hundred and eighty billion gold shields might be a bit low, but since frost giants and dwarves are skilled builders and won't lack materials, I expect the funds will suffice. If not, we'll add more.'

Surtr was sincerely convinced: 'You are truly a benevolent lord!'

He then had a thought: 'Your Majesty, could you grant those particle beam cannons atop the Alaska Range to my people? The frost giant race is willing to exchange mythic materials of equal value for them.'

Surtr was confident he could build a fortress city in Antarctica several times stronger and more expansive than the current frost giant kingdom. With those two hundred particle beam cannons that could directly withstand Gaia, this future giant city would be impregnable.

Surtr had witnessed the power of these modern artillery with his own eyes.

'Agreed! I'll have Light Magic Industries and China cast two hundred and fifty new 'Roar of the Flame Dragon' for you. But cannons alone won't do. I suggest you purchase twenty 'Annihilation Reactors' from Light Magic Industries. They will not only ensure the energy supply for the 'Roar of the Flame Dragon' but also provide your city with endless power.'

Li Mochen agreed to Surtr's request without much hesitation. He looked at Anthony: 'It must be completed within ten months. No problem, Prince Anthony?'

'My factories are already running at full capacity.'

Anthony frowned, somewhat dissatisfied, but ultimately gave Li Mochen face: 'Twelve months. I'll try to move their orders forward. But I'll need more resources to expand our rare earth plants and smelters in China.'

'Then it's settled!'

Li Mochen nodded slightly, contentedly stroking the scales of the Dragon Pulse, who had transformed into a mini dragon lying on his lap, eyeing 'Nidhogg' and 'Boros' standing behind Li Mochen with wary vigilance—both posed a threat.

It was worth noting that the venomous dragon 'Nidhogg' had shrunk with Li Mochen's help, now looking like an eight-year-old child; 'Boros' had grown larger, expanding rapidly after being separated from Zeus's body.

'Then in the northern frost giant kingdom, we also need to build a fortress, reinforcing the existing one, with defensive strength no less than Asgard and Avalon. Similarly, we need to deploy two hundred and fifty 'Roar of the Flame Dragon' there to ensure northern security.'

This frost giant kingdom was located north of Maple Leaf Country, precisely blocking the southward passage for Chaos and his descendants.

'Your Majesty!'

Bismarck looked up, his expression helpless: 'Our current finances simply cannot afford this. To prepare for the Alaska war, we've emptied almost all our warehouses and reserves.'

He had been busy handling congratulatory telegrams from all sides and various post-war administrative affairs, but Li Mochen's unrealistic ideas forced him to speak up.

'But I believe building a defensive fortress in the north is necessary. Slaanesh holds the authority of reproduction, and Chaos has numerous offspring, posing a great threat to the north of America.'

'Strategic God' Garcia Ferren countered solemnly: 'Prime Minister, this fortress must be built regardless of cost. It concerns our foundation.'

'As for funding, we can have Maple Leaf Country, America, and even the Slavic Empire and China bear part of it. I think one fortress might not be enough; ideally, three fortresses should be built around the Arctic Ocean. Moreover—'

Li Mochen smiled slightly: 'My Prime Minister, finances are not really a problem. I now hold the treasures of all the Asa gods, including Odin's personal collection. The Asgard divine realm possesses incredible wealth. Even excluding the mythic materials, it's enough to build fifteen such fortresses.'

He had obtained them through time-reversal methods, before Asgard was destroyed and before Odin fled Alaska. At that time, no one was paying attention to these treasuries.

It was indeed an astonishing fortune: fifteen hundred mythic-grade materials, and gold coins piled into seven great mountains—not ordinary ancient coins, but soul gold coins circulating across the myriad realms.

These gains made Li Mochen laugh in his dreams.

'Alright, but you'd better let me make an inventory. Although this is Your Majesty's personal wealth, I think it's necessary for me to have a rough understanding.'

Bismarck perked up: 'Moreover, even if Your Majesty has obtained all of Asgard, you cannot squander it. Don't forget, after this war, we have a huge expense. The Roots of Thorns! Prince Prometheus estimates that to ensure Your Majesty gains control of the entire Root within three years, we must forge thirteen thousand Roots of Thorns in a very short time and deploy them worldwide.'

Anthony's lips twitched: 'Thirteen thousand—I'd rather declare bankruptcy now.'

He knew most of this task would fall to Light Magic Industries, but the 'Roots of Thorns' were much more expensive than heavy particle beam cannons and more troublesome to forge.

However, when he saw an object Li Mochen casually tossed to him, he immediately shut his mouth, took it with a beaming smile: 'Alright, I'll do my best. It's for everyone's benefit. As long as materials are sufficient, anything is possible.'

It was a piece of Arctic magnetic sand, a top-tier mythic material. Anthony had long desired it but could never find it, not even at the previous God Above Gods' trading fair.

'The Roots of Thorns are essential, and the配套 equipment will also be a costly expense.'

Li Mochen continued: 'I will bear this expenditure alone, but I also hope the member states of the Destiny Alliance will increase their military budgets. Personally, I think a minimum standard of 10% of GDP is appropriate. Of course, considering some members face real difficulties, we can adopt flexible measures and have them compensate in other areas.'

'Previously, some countries' military spending ratios were indeed too low. Increasing them is only right.'

Bismarck nodded in agreement.

The Destiny Pantheon's victory in the Alaska war meant a significant increase in their voice within the alliance.

Previously, to win over various countries and factions, they had to make certain concessions. But now that the Destiny Pantheon had established hegemony, there was no reason for some nations to enjoy the alliance's security protection without contributing anything.

Bismarck even planned to further pressure allies, securing state religion status in various countries, and even outlawing their enemies as illegal churches.

'I'll handle the coordination with the countries.'

Prometheus took on this task: 'But raising it to 10% all at once—is Your Majesty planning to launch a war of faith unification?'

'No!'

Li Mochen shook his head slightly: 'I hope all wars can end within six months! The war has lasted for years; everyone in this world needs a breather. Our current faith is sufficient; blind expansion and greed do not benefit the pantheon. So this increased military spending will be used for military expansion, equipment upgrades, and military R&D, to prepare for the next war. Of course, a one-size-fits-all approach won't work; we'll handle each case individually. For example, the wars in Sindhu and South America must end as soon as possible. We can't intervene in Western Europe for now, so we might sit on the sidelines temporarily.'

The gods present had varied expressions—some relieved, some sighing, some disappointed.

'What a pity!'

Guderian communicated regretfully via divine sense with his colleague Rommel: 'It would have been better if South America and Sindhu could drag on a bit longer.'

'Indeed a pity, but we should be able to take the three Nordic countries and Iceland this time. Not without gains.'

Rommel knew what Guderian regretted.

After the Alaska war, it was the perfect time to expand their faith. With the Alliance of Gods defeated and Asgard destroyed, no force in the material world could stop their expansion.

And the fronts in South America and Sindhu, if prolonged, could further drain the Beast Empire's national strength.

However, Li Mochen had long had agreements with the Sindhu gods, and in South America, at least seventy percent of the people were already believers in the Destiny gods. Especially in the Beast Empire's occupied areas, the vast majority secretly worshipped the Lord of Destiny.

'But it's within expectations, isn't it? His Majesty has always adhered to his principles, and his divinity would not permit an unjust war.'

'I know, but if the land conflicts end, the entire alliance's attention will turn to the seas.'

Guderian smiled bitterly: 'That's what worries me most.'

Rommel fell silent. As a land-war deity, he too didn't want to see the focus shift to naval warfare.

But next, the Destiny Alliance would surely push forward a massive shipbuilding plan. This would secure maritime trade, further strike and drain the Beast Empire, and establish an advantage for their next war—beneficial in every way.

Sure enough, soon after, Li Mochen brought up the naval expansion plan. It was decided to build sixty-five fully modernized fleet groups worldwide within three years, each consisting of five battleships and five aircraft carriers.

Surprisingly, Li Mochen also planned to trial-build thirty-two 'starships' capable of traveling through the outer realms, including two battleships, two star domain motherships, and numerous escort vessels.

Guderian and Rommel exchanged glances, both astonished at the technological progress and deeply aware of the crisis.

Just after the strategic direction for post-Alaska war was agreed upon, the cold and gloomy 'Angel of Secrets' Reinhard Heydrich stepped forward from among the gods.

'Your Majesty!'

Reinhard knelt on one knee before Li Mochen, holding a document: 'Based on my investigations over the past year, I have found that numerous members of the pantheon are suspicious, having various connections with our enemies, and even plotting to overthrow our pantheon. Your Majesty! This is the list and evidence I have compiled. Some are already proven guilty.'

At that moment, the atmosphere on the 28th floor of the Destiny's Home Magic Tower turned icy cold. Smiles faded from the gods' faces, and some showed panic in their eyes.

Li Mochen raised his hand, took the document, and then chuckled lightly: 'Quite a few people, over thirty in total. And here I thought I was a competent God King, but it turns out so many are dissatisfied with me and ready to leave. I must say, it's a remarkable miracle that our Destiny Pantheon didn't collapse during this Alaska war.'

'Your Majesty!'

Twick Wood, the God of Storms and Floods, stepped forward from among the gods, anger blazing in his eyes: 'Please release the list! Let me personally kill these traitors!'

Ishtar was equally murderous: "I also want to know who these people are! And for what reason—has the pantheon wronged them? I hate betrayal!"

"Your Majesty! I believe our pantheon truly needs a purification, a purge!"

The Supreme Dragon God Io's voice was also extremely firm: "I think in this divine war, if the advantage had not always been on our side, many of us might have been killed by them."

"What you all say makes sense."

Although Li Mochen said this, the document in his hand burst into flames: "But after all, they never carried it out. I have always judged by deeds, not intentions, so I will not release this list."

He had sensed the dissatisfaction of Lucifer and the others, but Li Mochen still had no intention of changing his mind: "Of course, necessary punishment is mandatory. I will deal with it appropriately after today. I hope this is the last time; I will never grant you a second leniency, I guarantee it!"

※※※※

Meanwhile, inside an Aesir temple built less than two years ago in Mumbai, India, the atmosphere was grim.

The temple's high priest, Sharma, stood in the center of the spacious hall, trembling uncontrollably. Before his eyes, the statues of many chief gods—including the war god Tyr, the fertility and light god Freyr, the land and harvest goddess Sif, the fire and trickster god Loki, the dark god Hodr, the truth and justice god Forseti—were collapsing, even the All-Father Odin not excepted. The outer gold paint had completely peeled off, and the faces of the gods were corroded by a powerful force, no longer recognizable. Their internal structures were also rapidly disintegrating, with stone powder constantly scattering and falling.

This scene filled the many priests and worshippers inside the temple with panic. They knelt in terror, loudly chanting poems and scriptures praising the Aesir faith to display their piety.

But Sharma knew it was useless. Their gods had fallen, had died. This was evident from the divine power within him; Sharma could no longer draw power and divine spells from the gods through meditation. Instead, his own essence and divine power were steadily dissipating.

The Aesir pantheon was destroyed!

Sharma could not believe it, could not understand.

He knew how powerful their gods were. He knew the ancient gods had joined forces to meet the challenge of the new gods. So many gods united, attacking Alaska, the weakest point of the Mandate Pantheon.

No matter how he thought about it, their gods had no reason to lose. But the reality before him dealt him a heavy blow, leaving him in darkness and utter despair.

He, Sharma, had betrayed his people, betrayed the Indian gods, betrayed the Brahmins, exchanging for supreme glory from the Aesir gods. And in the end, was he to face such an outcome?

At that moment, countless black breaths gathered in the temple. As they spread among the crowd, hundreds of worshippers and priests fell silently. On the surface of their skin, countless black threads spread like the Black Death of the Middle Ages.

Finally, a black figure manifested before Sharma.

"Lord Lode?"

After recognizing the figure, Sharma's spirits lifted slightly, but he also sensed that the god of desire and temptation, Lode, was somewhat different today. This made him uneasy: "May I ask what this is?"

"Some fools who have lost their piety and doubted the gods."

Lode snorted coldly, his eyes full of authority: "High Priest Sharma! I sense your heart is also heading in a dangerous direction—"

"Lord Lode!"

Sharma prostrated himself in fear: "Please believe me, my fate is tied to the Aesir gods."

"Fate tied? A blasphemous answer, but clever."

Lode looked down at the high priest from on high: "It seems I can trust you! Now, obey the divine oracle. Take your priests and paladins and leave this temple. You will face a difficult time; His Majesty and I need you to fight in the darkness."

"His Majesty?"

Sharma hesitated, struggling, but finally voiced his doubt: "That is to say, have we already lost the Alaska War?"

"There is no need to hide it. Indeed, we have suffered a disastrous defeat. The Mandate Pantheon set an evil trap. Forseti and Loki betrayed the pantheon. Asgard was destroyed, and Lord Odin has died in Ragnarok. However, Lord Thor is still here; he has succeeded as the All-Father, and even the fallen gods will be reborn before long."

Lode's voice was gentle and convincing: "You can now pray to Lord Thor and welcome the new power he grants."

"I will obey the oracle! And I will not disappoint you, my lord."

The despair in Sharma's heart gradually dissipated. He thought that although the situation was dire, since Thor was still here and Lode was assisting him, things might not reach the worst point.

"It better be so!"

Lode's gaze swept over those present: "I know you are uneasy now. In fact, the coming period will indeed be the hardest time for the Aesir church and gods. As long as you remain pious and pray sincerely to the gods, you will find hope. Our Lord Thor has gained power from ancient times greater than Lord Odin's. He will grant you protection and, after you achieve the deeds of saints, bestow upon you eternal glory and immortality—"

At this moment, no one noticed that the black mist had already filled the hall, silently invading the bodies of the priests and worshippers present.

※※※※

Thanks to modern media and the internet, less than a minute after the end of the Alaska naval battle, it had already stirred up a storm worldwide.

But the war's impact on the world gradually revealed itself.

For instance, in Britain, the day after Li Mochen completed the ritual to subdue the venomous dragon 'Nidhogg', he saw on television that the British Parliament had passed a bill establishing the Mandate Pantheon as the state religion.

The British pantheon still existed at the time, but had been abandoned by its people. Worship of the strong is human instinct. After the wars and upheavals since the gods' return, both the populace and the great families in Britain hoped to use the Mandate Pantheon's power to protect the nation and its people.

Li Mochen still kept his promise to Merlin, but the dissolution of the British pantheon was already a foregone conclusion.

Speaking of Merlin, this god of magic, magical knowledge, magical writing, and prophecy had also provided great help in the Alaska War. The Olympian titans Crius, god of celestial bodies and weather, and Coeus, god of the cosmos and constellations, were suppressed by him alone.

The same happened in the three Nordic countries. Three days later, their parliaments successively passed resolutions establishing the Mandate Pantheon as the state religion and honoring the 'Lord of Fate and Equality' as the national protector god.

Li Mochen was not surprised. He knew that the Nordic people's insistence on and yearning for so-called 'freedom' surpassed even that of America. The Aesir gods were incompatible with their descendants left in Scandinavia. Previously, they could rely on their foundation in Scandinavia and the pantheon's powerful strength to suppress dissent.

But now, Ragnarok had ended. The vast majority of the Aesir pantheon's major gods were dead, and the remaining third-generation gods could only hide in the Dark Abyss.

The Aesir priests could not mount any decent resistance before being swept into the trash heap by the Nordic politicians.

Then came Indonesia—a country originally dominated by the Church of Truth, which before the Alaska War had entered a state of coexistence with the Aesir pantheon.

After the gods united, the Aesir pantheon abolished the heretic tax in their occupied territories, and the Church of Truth no longer interfered with Aesir missionary work in Indonesian territory.

But on the fourth day after the Alaska War, the Indonesian parliament also followed the Nordic countries in declaring the Mandate Church the state religion.

Due to the previous invasion by the Beast Empire, most of Indonesia's upper class had already declared conversion to the Mandate Church. However, the Indonesian parliament did not declare the Church of Truth heretical, partly because the politicians themselves were not strongly inclined, and partly because the Lord of Fate had issued an oracle to stop the war as soon as possible.

After that, the Balkan countries led by Greece successively expelled the Olympian faith.

When the Olympian gods first returned, Greek public opinion was still very supportive, and they took pride in it.

But after years of war, the people had grown tired of these ancient deities.

Moreover, the compromise between Olympus and the Church of Truth brought shame to the Greeks, who regarded the Ottoman Empire as their arch-enemy. However, these countries still mainly followed the Church of Light. Although many had converted to the Church of Fate, they had not yet gained the upper hand.

Meanwhile, in South America, India, and the South Pacific, the war reached a fever pitch within two days. The many Mandate war gods led by Garcia Ferrer would never allow the Beast Empire's warriors to return safely to the Aesir continent.

Nor did the Beast Empire sit idly by. Although they were at a disadvantage in overall military strength and far inferior in divine power, they possessed unparalleled tenacity and will. The more dangerous the situation, the more tenacious they became. Their methods were exceptionally ruthless, using the populations of India and South America for continuous blood sacrifices, summoning divine spawn from the Dark Abyss or hiring demons from the abyssal depths.

This forced Guderian and the others to abandon their plan of wearing down the Beast Empire and begin a relentless assault regardless of casualties. They dared not imagine how dire the situation in India and South America would become if the war continued—perhaps even more bloody and terrible than the legendary Asura hell.

The fastest progress was in the South Pacific, where the narrow island terrain favored the air and naval superiority of the Mandate Alliance. In most cases, continuous bombing and shelling alone were enough to break the enemy.

At the same time, through Prometheus's mediation, most polities in the Mandate Alliance agreed to increase military spending.

This was because after the Alaska War, public security in various countries had actually worsened. The priests and paladins of Olympus and the Aesir pantheon had left their temples and gone underground, blending into the populace. This caused a sharp rise in crime rates, making people even more dependent on the Church of Fate.

Particularly surprising were South Korea and Japan. Through a combination of persuasion and coercion by Prometheus, both countries increased their military spending to twelve percent.

These two economies were relatively large; even a one percent increase meant hundreds of billions of shields in additional military funds.

In short, for a full month and a half after the war, good news kept pouring in from all over the world.

But Li Mochen was somewhat disappointed. The opportunity he most anticipated—attacking Mount Olympus—had not yet appeared.

Under the leadership of the sun god Apollo, the defenses of Mount Olympus were extremely tight. Not only had he thwarted Poseidon's attempt to win the gods' support, but he also made the entire sacred mountain impregnable.

In the Alaska War, the Olympian pantheon had suffered relatively few losses. Most of their chosen warriors had safely withdrawn, and they still had numerous fourth- and fifth-generation Titans. With these forces, plus the ever-available support of Gaia and her daughters, Li Mochen saw no chance of breaching Mount Olympus.

Meanwhile, Hyperion had rejected Li Mochen's invitation.

He had indeed lost interest in the mortal world and had no intention of seeking the throne of the Olympian pantheon.

Then, on the forty-seventh day after the war, Zeus returned to Mount Olympus. According to feedback from several moles arranged by Reinhard Heydrich, the All-Father was in good shape and publicly punished Poseidon, who had sensed trouble and withdrawn early in the later stages of the Alaska War. Poseidon attempted to resist but was defeated by Zeus within a minute and hung atop Mount Olympus to suffer the same punishment as Prometheus once did—though only for three days.

Heydrich could not be sure if this was staged, but he judged that Zeus's recovery was highly likely.

"We must consider that the Primordial Mother Goddess, as a primordial deity existing since the world's birth, likely possesses mythical treasures that can quickly restore Zeus. Of course, Zeus cannot be as powerful as before, but holding Mount Olympus should be no problem."

Li Mochen had actually given up long ago. Although he now had three god-king-level beings—Ishtar, Loki, and the venomous dragon Nidhogg—and many sub-god-kings and pseudo-god-kings like Heracles and Prometheus, attacking Mount Olympus, a divine realm managed by the Titans for thousands of years, was still too much. It would cost him dearly and lose all the advantages he had gained.

Unless, like Asgard, it could be destroyed by the power of fate.

Li Mochen had already begun weaving a web of fate to destroy Mount Olympus, but success was still far off.