Chapter 228: I Only Get Sleepy When We Talk About War!
Above the Leaves of As, the Night Everlasting.
Before Roger convinced Windsor to perform a drama of maternal love and filial piety, he had already told her he was returning to the Empire. In truth, he hadn’t left the Elven Empire at all.
It was akin to after-sales service; he was still observing from above, watching the child he had manipulated. He worried that if her mother’s aura was too formidable, the child might falter, losing control of the situation. Such a scenario could lead to unpleasant outcomes.
Though the saying goes that even tigers don’t eat their cubs, royal families have never been known for kindness. By their analysis, there was a 98% chance the Elven Empress would support Windsor’s proposal.
However, there was still a slim chance that her maternal instincts wouldn’t be awakened, and Windsor’s rebellion might be completely suppressed. That was a possibility.
In such a case, for the child’s psychological well-being, the Empire would certainly need to intervene to prevent Windsor from becoming a complete puppet of the Elven Empress.
High rewards always come with high risks. If things went wrong, Windsor could become permanently withdrawn. Roger absolutely couldn’t just leave her to her fate.
More importantly, for future operations, his superior, the revered Empress of Eternal Night of our Azurevine Empire, had also arrived on the Night Everlasting, observing the voting process at the Elven Empire’s executive council with great interest.
As the Elven Empress raised her hand in support of Windsor, signifying the beginning of the Elven Empire’s break with the God of Nature and their undertaking of the arduous task of expelling divine authority, the Empress of Eternal Night, the spectator, breathed a sigh of relief.
“Congratulations, my dear Roger, on another well-executed plan. When the Dark Elves return to the surface, they will surely be surprised to see their original kin.”
The Empress of Eternal Night spoke with emotion as she withdrew her gaze, turning to Roger. “However, could you satisfy my curiosity, my dear, and recount the negotiation process with the little princess?”
“The process was arduous, complex, and utterly uninteresting. I’m sure Your Majesty wouldn’t enjoy such a rambling tale without any real battles.”
“Arduous? It seems our Duke has been dedicating himself tirelessly to the Empire. Would you like me to give you a massage, to soothe your muscles and invigorate your blood?”
She stood and placed a small hand on Roger’s shoulder.
“Uh… That won’t be necessary, will it? I’m young, and my body is still in good condition.”
Roger nervously took half a step back, afraid that if he actually received the Empress’s service, it would be the end of him.
He had a nagging feeling that the Empress of Eternal Night was looking at him with a certain dangerous glint in her eyes.
“Oh, your body is in good condition, but mine is not. Then perhaps you could give my shoulders a rub.”
The Empress of Eternal Night watched this slippery fellow evade her attempts to pester him, immediately changing her tactics and ordering him around instead.
Roger still felt a bit guilty and, unable to refuse, obediently went to work, even deliberately adopting a fawning tone. “Your Majesty, is this strength… p p p appropriate?”
Instantly, goosebumps prickled on the Empress of Eternal Night’s skin. But seeing through his attempt to slack off, she sternly replied, “Not quite. I suggest you increase the intensity!”
[Shameless woman! You secretly cast Stone Skin on yourself for the massage. Even a legendary berserker wouldn’t have enough strength!]
Roger muttered internally. But since the charade had begun, he had to force himself to keep it up.
Soon, he was sweating.
After all, this was a task usually performed by his attendants. Even though his physique was far superior to that of Earthlings, he hadn’t specifically trained his finger strength.
He could exert himself for a burst, but his stamina would definitely falter over time.
The Empress of Eternal Night narrowed her eyes. Some things might not bring physical pleasure, but the sense of accomplishment they brought to the mind was immense.
In this Empire, who else could enjoy a personal massage from the Commander of the Night Guard?
The ruler and subject casually discussed the current state of the Empire, which was the true reason she had sought out Roger.
The God of Knowledge had made its move, and the Seven Gods’ faction was beginning to change its strategy. Their side had largely completed the integration of power in the Eternal Night World, and it was time to consider the Empire’s overall direction.
The System Child plan had been very effective, successfully delaying the Seven Gods.
During this time, the Empress of Eternal Night had devoted a significant amount of energy to assisting the System Children, as there were few targets left in the Eternal Night World that required her personal intervention.
Roger and Margaret alone could handle most of the surrounding national powers.
Her strength, when used against the Seven Gods, could also buy more time for those planes to hold out.
But it was only a delay.
Within five to seven years, the Seven Gods would still breach the defenses established by the System Children and, beyond the Eternal Night World, descend to deliver their final judgment.
Moreover, the Seven Gods had now reopened the path to godhood, effectively luring more powerful individuals from among mortals and believers to fight for them.
Indeed, some System Children had succumbed to the temptation of eternal life and chosen to align with the Seven Gods’ faction.
After all, their strength and the forces they controlled were directly capable of contending with the churches. Through certain special means, they could easily obtain such intelligence.
The Seven Gods had not obstructed or blocked this; it was merely bait they had cast.
Ultimately, these emergent lesser gods and gods of lesser divine power merely served to divide the hard-won united resistance of mortals, consolidating their Faith Power into other divine realms for a temporary existence.
As such, the effectiveness of the System Child plan was already waning. The mortals who would forever refuse to bow to the gods were few. Most simply hadn’t received a satisfactory price for their allegiance.
In the past, the Seven Gods wouldn’t have considered mortals worthy of such a price.
If they weren’t converting plane after plane into the void, then from a purely resistance perspective, the System Children’s continued struggle had effectively proven the value of mortals. They possessed the strength to at least trouble the Seven Gods.
The reopened path to godhood signified the shattering of past solidified hierarchies. Although only a select few powerful individuals could ignite their divine fire, this core strength of resistance returning to the Seven Gods would inevitably reduce the number of allies for the Empire’s resistance.
After becoming gods, the Planes of origin might hold less significance. With differing levels of power came differing heights of thought. Many gods would not share the same life and death as the mortals of their Planes, nor would they fight desperately for them.
“New variables have appeared among the System Children, and our Empire’s productivity has significantly decreased. Therefore, the situation on our front lines is very dire.”
The Empress of Eternal Night sighed, a headache forming. While she alone was equivalent to an army, seeing the talented individuals they had nurtured turn into enemies placed an immense psychological burden on her.
“Although the Seven Gods do not consider these new gods as true allies, the temptation of godhood and eternity is indeed immense. Wouldn’t it be very simple for those qualified to break free from the Seven Gods’ control?”
Roger gradually discerned the Seven Gods’ strategy. It was a straightforward, open ploy, yet it left them feeling utterly helpless.
Because the Seven Gods’ faction had accumulated sufficient depth and held the first-mover advantage, even new gods appearing couldn’t pose a true threat to them. Instead, it was the mortals who united to obstruct their advance that were the most detested.
“That’s why I’m planning to lower the System’s exchange prices and open up more items and skills. This will increase the System Children’s reliance on us.”
The Empress of Eternal Night revealed her thoughts. This was the primary matter she had come to discuss with Roger.
“That’s not an issue. Our control over this world will increase, and the Night Everlasting’s combat formations will be completed. Once we possess a complete fleet, we can even expand to other Planes. Reducing prices is sustainable then.”
Roger first analyzed the feasibility of the Empress of Eternal Night’s idea. Then, he abruptly changed his tone. “But the System Children we nurture are comrades who will fight alongside us, not simply competitors vying for customers with the Seven Gods. The current pricing system is already very reasonable. Lowering prices will foster a sense of entitlement among those System Children, capping their growth potential.”
Someone who possessed a “lie-flat” system indicated that it wasn’t their experience that limited the system’s functions.
The Empress of Eternal Night frowned. “There is indeed that possibility. If the System directly solves all problems, then the resulting individuals will not be the comrades we hope to see. But with more and more System Children leaning towards the Seven Gods, how can we prevent it?”
“There’s no need to prevent it. What we need to do is ignite the flame and let those who align with us emerge, giving them space to grow. We can’t possibly hope for everyone in the world to embark on this arduous path.”
“Wouldn’t your idea be too idealistic and too cruel?”
“Of course, I don’t wish for the gods to poach our people so easily. We should open up Divine Power Conversion Technology, increase the rewards for slaying gods, and develop techniques for invading divine realms and absorbing divine authority to enhance our strength…”
Roger listed the means by which they could achieve victory in their current situation. “Our advantage over the gods is certainly not in resources. They already occupy over half of the Universes’ Planes, constantly cultivating and generating Faith Power.”
“The remaining half of the Planes cannot unite. The Abyss and Hell can never cooperate with the Main Plane, so we can only utilize them to a limited extent.”
“Therefore, our only recourse for a turnaround is continuous technological advancement. By leveraging the liveliness of mortal thought, we can create unprecedented change in this Universe, ensuring the methods mastered by the Seven Gods cannot keep pace with ours.”
The Empress of Eternal Night frowned, looking at him. “That’s too idealistic and requires too much time. While it’s a righteous path, it’s not suitable for the problems we face now.”
“Your Majesty, you are being greedy again.” Roger stopped massaging and turned to face her with a smile. “We’ve already prepared to wander the Planes. If things become untenable, we will flee, take our comrades, and slowly accumulate strength, buying time. The current front line cannot be held indefinitely. You shouldn’t be so greedy and try to achieve more just because of temporary success.”
“Ah, alright. That was indeed our original plan. But I can achieve more myself. If in the end, we still have to flee… that feeling is truly terrible.”
“You’ve already done enough. The Empire has done more than enough. As long as we preserve the spark, we will always have hope for a comeback.”
Roger smiled. “Of course, I’m not just praying for comrades to emerge on their own. Another way to show everyone that becoming a god is useless is to kill a sufficiently powerful god. Let them see that even so-called eternity can come to an end.”
“Tyberia? Do you have confidence you can lure her down?”
A spark of excitement lit up in the Empress of Eternal Night’s eyes. She almost suspected he was toying with her.
After all that talk of impossibility and painting such a bleak picture, she was already preparing to wander and flee. Then, suddenly, he said they should now focus on slaying gods.
“Damn it, why didn’t you say so earlier?!”
“You talk about it, and I get excited!”
Roger smiled. “The rapid unification of the Underdark, and the emergence of a minor god among the Dark Elves, must mean Tyberia has invested heavily in this situation.
She, who is fighting on the front lines, is spending her Faith Power on a Plane like ours that is not even a battlefield. It can only mean one thing: she’s losing her temper.”
“Her growth has been too smooth, and she’s taken too many advantages. She has a vengeful side,” the Empress of Eternal Night confirmed.
Roger nodded. “Precisely. It’s because of this that the military, after calculations, has a plan to lure Tyberia down.”
“Even if she descends, it will only be a projection, at most an Incarnation. Those are just superficial provocations.”
“But don’t forget, she must also fight on the front lines. The Seven Gods want to make up for lost progress, yet Tyberia is fighting in the rear. ”
Roger pulled out a three-dimensional map of the Multiverse. “Furthermore, if we truly want to anger Tyberia, the battlefield she cares about isn’t just the Eternal Night World. As long as we put her in a position where she has to fight on multiple fronts, then you will need to grace the Conqueror’s Canyon with a glorious victory!”
“I can do it! I want to fight!”
The Empress of Eternal Night couldn’t help but embrace Roger and plant a quick kiss on his cheek. “You scoundrel, who always tries to trick me with your tractor, we’re finally going to have a sufficiently exciting battle.”
“Your Majesty, don’t rush. To achieve this goal, we’ll need at least two full fleets. The moment you truly need to make your appearance is still ahead.”
“It doesn’t matter. As long as we can replicate this operation, I can keep fighting!”
“Dream on. An incident like Tyberia losing her temper can only happen once, and it was a fluke. She carelessly exposed too many weaknesses to us. Do you think the Seven Gods will all make the same petty mistakes as this little hussy?”
The Empress of Eternal Night refused to listen, holding Roger even tighter. Her fingers traced circles on his chest. “Almighty Roger, my dear minister, I believe in your ability. You can surely lure a few more gods down and drag them into the ocean of war, which we are skilled at…”
“That’s really not possible…”
“How boring. You’re a man, and you keep saying you can’t. Even when you brag, you don’t have any strength!”
She wriggled out of Roger’s embrace and made a funny face. “Then, you continue with your plans. I’m going to urge the production of the fleet!”
The battle-hungry Empress, seeing that she couldn’t extract any further promises, decisively took her leave.
Meanwhile, Roger, who was waiting to be courted and wanted her to beg him a little more, stood alone in the cold wind…
Why is this woman so impatient? If she had just given him a little more incentive, he would have figured something out for her. Instead, she rushed off to prepare for battle!
Therefore, you deserve to be single!
Roger flicked his middle finger in the direction the Empress of Eternal Night had left and used his Far Travel Boots to return to his temporary residence in the Leaves of As.
To hold Tyberia’s attention, the upcoming battles between the Elven Empire and the Dark Elves would need to be spectacular.
This was precisely why he needed to control Princess Windsor. Only a more controllable ally, rather than the previously inert nobles, could cooperate with him to carry out this play…
Until Tyberia lost her patience and intervened personally!
