Corilone welcomed Tike into the golden palace, a blend of ruggedness and elegance. Tike asked proactively, "After becoming an ancient god, have you contacted Odin?"
Seeing the smile on Tike's face, Corilone nodded slightly, "For a moment, I contacted the main body."
"Congratulations," Tike's joy was so sincere, "The Asgardians' long-cherished wish has been fulfilled by your hand, and the fate of Ragnarok is no longer a sword hanging over your head."
"Since that's the case, I'll be direct."
Tike's smile remained unchanged, but her tone became solemn, "Do you choose me or Ae?"
Tike's voice echoed in the vast golden palace, "Odin once told me that the gods parasitic on the world are like candles on an altar, flames upward, tears downward. Immortal deities are merely consumables like candles to the world; if they cannot transcend before burning out, they will only become regenerable resources."
"Hunger requires feeding, and this is the same for laws, it's just a matter of when to eat. If you still intend to remain neutral as before, there is no room for an ancient god in the cracks."
Corilone remained silent for a long time, "Don't forget, I have already become an ancient god. I still have the choice to leave this world and start anew."
'If you truly had a choice, I wouldn't be laying my cards on the table.'
Thinking this, Tike spoke eloquently, "If you truly decide to leave this world, I will tell you the location of Odin's world. Some changes have occurred there, and you might not be able to find him through the original path."
The world about to face harvest was not a good place for now. If Corilone had indeed contacted Odin, Odin would not have failed to inform him of these matters.
Unlike Tike, Odin had not taken the final step to become a primal god, but Corilone, whose avatar was unexpectedly trapped in the Forgotten Realms, had taken a step ahead to become an ancient god comparable to primal gods. Having lost most of the divinity from his main body, Corilone's connection with Odin was not as clear as Tike's with Lin Xiang.
Odin could not travel across the Sea of Chaos to the Forgotten Realms, and Corilone likely did not wish for Odin to arrive at this time; if the final battle were to commence, even an ancient god would not be confident in preserving himself amidst this upheaval. If both Odin and Corilone were to fall here, the Norse gods would have no hope at all.
"I do not wish to be your enemy," Tike knew that Corilone became an ancient god by relying on laws and could not leave this world at all. His current disguise was merely to gain the greatest benefit.
"The Oath of the Styx cannot cost us too much, and the promises I can make cannot be trusted by you."
Tike said earnestly, "But I still want you to hear my conditions! If I win this war, I will fully support you in rebuilding the Nine Realms! And grant you autonomy!"
Silence filled the golden palace, and Tike did not rush, leisurely observing the newly renovated Asgard.
In Norse mythology, Valhalla had a pig with magical powers. This pig could never be eaten, and a piece of its flesh would regenerate immediately. No matter how the number of heroes increased, they would always have enough food.
The World Tree had already nurtured a similar existence: a fruit filled with pure divine power continuously appeared, providing endless energy to the supplicants, allowing their souls to slowly sublift during the process of consumption.
"What do you want me to do!"
Corilone still chose Tike. Compared to Ae, Tike had a history. Moreover, since he was bound by laws and could not escape, he would still need Tike's help to escort the Norse gods who were far away in another world.
"You probably already knew the drawbacks of advancing this way."
Tike nodded frankly, "I don't have absolute certainty, but your choice confirms my guess."
With a wry smile, Corilone gathered his spirits and asked, "What's your plan? Although this Ae is not as decisive as the previous one, he is not someone who can be easily deceived."
"This will start with you cooperating with me to put on a play."
Tike, with a smile, looked at Sur and Shar who were lingering outside Asgard, "Give them confidence, and then make Ae notice their existence. This way, even if one of them confesses the drawbacks of such an advancement, they will have no choice. Advancing to become an ancient god still offers a chance to fight, otherwise, they can only be slaughtered and become controlled pawns."
The anti-Ae alliance was no longer irreplaceable. The six members had seven small factions, which was the ultimate expression of self-interest.
Avoiding the eyes of Sur and Shar, Tike silently arrived at the divine realm of Mystra, the Moon Gate.
"How is it? Did Corilone really advance to become an ancient god?" Mystra asked impatiently.
"Indeed," Tike had no reason to lie about this matter, "He is an ancient god, an existence whose essence is the same as mine and Ae's."
Mystra was filled with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, and then said, "We don't have much time left. Corilone's advancement will alert Ae, and our actions in the Abyss will definitely be monitored! We must prepare for advancement before Ae becomes suspicious!"
"I will help you," Tike's words were as alluring as honey to Mystra, "The essence of the Abyss has no effect on me. With my support, you will surely become an ancient god faster than Shar and Yeg."
In the Abyss, the new lord with butterfly wings had already eroded adjacent planes.
There is nothing more terrifying than a responsive deity! At the border of the Abyss and Hell, on the battlefield of endless bloody battles, the hag selling shoddy goods had disappeared, replaced by demons singing praises of truth, goodness, and beauty.
The warring devils and demons did not care who they prayed to; as long as they could gain power, they did not mind worshipping the supremely good suffering god.
Both sides on the battlefield, in order to survive, had established contact with Tike's avatar. While gaining power, they were also infected by this twisted will.
Tike did not care if Yog-Sothoth and Nyarlathotep would come to demand royalties. Having had close contact with Cthulhu deities, she brought mental pollution to demons and devils, bestowing blessings upon this evil land.
Madness and rage were commonplace for demons. The occasional brain-dead behavior did not make other demons vigilant; the price of losing control of emotions was much lighter than handing over one's true name to a superior demon and being oppressed to death.
The most important reason for the will of the Abyss to choose Cang Ye as its spokesperson was undoubtedly that she had created a large number of offspring, strengthening the power of the Abyss.
Looking at the succubus queen Mephistopheles falling into her hands, Tike revealed a chilling smile.