The Demon Emperor was Saint Emperor

Chapter 346: Chapter 288: Main God or Demon Lord?_2

"Because we can accept a temporary ceasefire, but absolutely cannot allow the possibility of permanent—or at least exceedingly long-lasting—peace."

Under severe injury, Rodman coughed up blood as he responded to Lynn’s query. These simple reasons could be spoken, without requiring secrecy.

"It seems the ones who least want me to exterminate the Demon Race aren’t even the Demon Race themselves, but your War Divine Hall..."

"I know it was you who tipped off the Demon Race in advance, almost allowing them to escape the encirclement on the Divine Protection Continent. I also know it was you who cut off the retreat for the Expeditionary Army, afraid we’d turn back; however, there is one thing I suspect with seventy to eighty percent certainty but still want to ask you..."

"Has the War God already defected to the Demon Race? Is he considered the Main God of the Human Race or the Demon Lord of the Demon Realm?"

As Lynn’s words fell, even Akelie looked at him with astonishment.

If Rodman’s earlier boastful claim that the War God wants to become the Divine King, replacing the Light God King, was merely excessive impudence, then Lynn’s question on whether he is the Main God or Demon Lord was truly shocking.

The possibility of the War God, one of the ten main deities in the Divine Realm and the foremost among them, defecting to the Demon Race?

Although Akelie has long disapproved of the actions of the War Divine Hall, and thus respected the War God less, the elderly one became the mightiest main deity precisely because he slew the most Demon Gods—a fact well known and substantiated among the gods and the Lower Realm, not merely hearsay.

To say the War God has committed other sinful acts, doing further heaven-defying and malevolent deeds are conceivable, but to say he defects to the Demon Race...

The Demon Race probably loathes him more than they do the Light God King; would they accept his defection?

"Hahaha, Lynn, you’re too good at joking; no wonder so many women are deceived by you... How could the mighty deity, the Main God, possibly lean towards the Demon Race? The Main God’s goal is to become the supreme Divine King; can the Demon Race offer him that?"

Hearing Lynn’s inquiry, Rodman, despite enduring the agony of his heart being pierced, couldn’t help but laugh. Of course, he couldn’t tell Lynn the truth, admitting that the War God and some Demon Gods have secret contacts, but the notion of defecting to the Demon Race was utterly absurd. The Main God, he simply aims to become the supreme Divine King, not corrupted by evil.

"Then to become the Divine King, secretly harming his own people, launching wars, slaughtering beings, seeking to build his throne upon endless blood and bones—wouldn’t such a Divine King be even more demonic than a demon?"

Lynn could tell the War Saint Emperor wasn’t being honest, but as a warrior, he lacked the means for something like Soul Search, unable to forcibly glean the truth.

Perhaps Akelie...

"Do you have a way to make him come clean? If necessary, interrogate him by force."

Hearing Lynn’s suggestion, Akelie stepped forward, amidst Rodman’s cold laughter, casting two Light Divine Techniques.

The Truth-telling Technique and Holy Word Technique, one allows a person only to speak truthfully, the other compels responses—combined, these techniques create an irrefutable interrogation method.

Unfortunately, this irrefutable premise requires the divine techniques to be effective; Rodman was dozens of levels higher than Akelie, so Akelie’s Truth-telling and Holy Word were ineffective on him.

Rodman was well aware of this and thus was not worried at all.

"No can do, my level isn’t high enough; if the level difference were within 30 levels, perhaps it could work somewhat..."

Seeing this, Akelie shook his head. This isn’t a matter solved by having more treasures; it’s a matter of hard power disparity. Levels are fixed; not enough is simply not enough.

"This..."

Lynn looked around after hearing this; there weren’t large numbers of Demon Race or clusters of demons nearby to help Akelie level up, so it was a dead end?

No, wait! There are foes! Indeed, there are enemies!

At this moment, at the siege of the Holy City of Light, the War Divine Hall’s army was present!

Besides possessing Demon Race abilities that could mark inhabitants of the Miracle World as foes, without resorting to a Demon Race identity, the current War Divine Hall could also be directly marked as enemies.

Despite being an independent divine hall relying on the Endless Empire, lacking its own nation, the number of war-zealous fanatics within the War Divine Hall is considerable, allowing its army to surpass the Celestial Destiny Empire, Lolan Empire, and Endless Empire combined—reaching millions in military strength.

Taking Akelie to eliminate the maniacs of the War Divine Hall, upon returning, one’s level would definitely surpass that of the War Saint Emperor, enabling interrogation as desired!

The Holy Mage skilled in Forbidden Curse is still within the Divine Protection Continent, while a warrior’s scope and range of attack are limited, possibly making Akelie the main output force.

"Bring him along! Let’s go!"

Lynn signaled Akelie with his eyes, initially causing Akelie confusion, but upon seeing Lynn use a confinement tool to capture Rodman and casually gathering the scattered Demon Emperor’s Demon Artifacts before flying toward the outskirts with Rodman, Akelie instantly understood.

Although internal slaughter among the Human Race typically doesn’t result in level advancement, the world rules naturally determine foes; once marked as enemies, mutual slaughter yields level-ups akin to leveling up by slaying demons.

And for now, with the War Divine Hall openly betraying the Human Race and the Miracle World, they are not merely foes but true mortal enemies. Killing them certainly yields level advancement, possibly granting bonus akin to slaying Demon Race.

On the way flying toward the outskirts, Rodman clearly thought of this, starting to struggle violently. However, though Lynn pulled out the Saint Emperor’s Sword implanted in him, the Sealing Sacred Artifact binding him had a usage level of 950, making his escape impossible.

"Damn it! You shall never learn the Main God’s secrets from me!"

Rodman, in a frenzy, roared aloud, his body visibly swelling.

"Lynn, be careful! He’s going to self-destruct..."

"Boom!"

In fact, Lynn didn’t need Akelie’s reminder to see the War Saint Emperor intended to take secrets to the grave; yet, restrained by sealed power, his self-destructive force was minute, not even sufficient to kill himself, let alone harm Lynn.

"Now you’re out of tricks, aren’t you? Sit tight and behave!"

The War Saint Emperor’s self-destruction produced a mere "boom," injuring himself without causing even a ripple, exhausting all his usable might instead.

"Is that so? Lynn, indeed you are invincible, slaying who you wish; but even with such strength, can you keep me from dying?"

As he spoke, Rodman’s eyes burst with desperate madness, while his life force began to rapidly diminish.

He wished for the Main God to eventually take him into the Divine Kingdom, granting endless life, yet before his personal desires, he was foremost the War God’s most fervent believer, absolutely not hesitating to die for Him; otherwise, he’d never become the Pope of the War Divine Hall.

Sealed by Lynn, he lacked the energy even for fatal self-explosion, but ending oneself doesn’t rely solely on such blunt, crude methods—he was a Saint Emperor Level warrior! At Peak Saint Tier!

As long as he wished to die, he could simply release his life force, and when life force depletes entirely, any creature has but one outcome: death.

Ha, stop me from suicide? Even gods...uh, glug glug...

Rodman was experiencing life’s end, counting down his remaining lifespan, yet before entering a near-death state, he saw Lynn forcefully feed him a bottle of red potion.

Then, he felt his depleting life force swiftly regenerating, soon returning to the state before his self-destruction.

Were it not for the red potion’s scarcity, he reckoned the thing might even heal his chest’s piercing wound.

What the hell! Not even allowed to die? Is there no justice!