Lilith gently brushed aside the irrelevant threads of divine power around her, taking care not to touch the thick, pulsing lines that signaled the presence of other deities. Even so, she could sense faint gazes cast in her direction—beings aware of her presence across the universe.
She ignored them. This was normal. Gods at that level could perceive whenever someone mentioned their divine name, but as long as they weren't personally insulted or called out, they rarely intervened.
Almost always.
One exception was immediately apparent. The deep blue thread on the far left belonged to her superior, the [Guardian God]. Unlike the vibrant threads around it, this one seemed frail, almost withered.
A weary voice suddenly resonated in her mind.
"Little Lilith, what are you doing? Did you take the sacred fruit that 'Miss Dew' painstakingly cultivated two months ago, causing the [God of Plants] to complain to me?"
"Miss Dew," the title of the Goddess of Fruits. Deities were always formally addressed by name in official matters or with those they were unfamiliar with. The God of Plants, as the superior of the God of Fruits, mirrored the relationship between Lilith and the Guardian God.
Lilith stuck out her tongue and replied flippantly, "Oh, I thought she didn't want it. I can just give her the money from my salary."
The Guardian God's voice, strained by exhaustion, immediately rose.
"The salary you withheld is two hundred years in the future! How did the War God faction produce such a talent as you? I'm firing you!"
"Boss, don't fire me! I'm going through a time tunnel, the signal is bad, I can't hear you—hanging up now!" Lilith disconnected before he could respond.
Patting her chest and pursing her lips, she didn't worry. She had served under him since her powers were weak; she was his only subordinate. Who else could he possibly fire?
The War God faction had been weakening. In peaceful years, new gods preferred the Emotional faction of the Goddess of Beauty or the Life faction, which offered better treatment. The War Gods had fallen from third to sixth place in the divine faction rankings last year. In a few decades, even the Death or Elemental systems might surpass them. Lilith didn't care; her salary, deducted two hundred years in advance, was already irrelevant. Successful gods created their own rewards—like the bag of oranges she had picked for herself.
Lost in thought, Lilith stopped before a slender, pale purple strand of divine power. She traced it and arrived before a divine kingdom.
Proper etiquette, she reminded herself. She knocked gently on the gate and channeled her divine presence.
"Is this the divine kingdom of the 101st-ranked Lord of Pleasure on the New God List?"
Inside, Lin Xuan, immersed in level design, jolted at the voice. A look of disbelief crossed his face.
"I—super! box!"
Hearing his name called, Lin Xuan activated his divine perception and looked toward the entrance. A beautiful woman, clad in a brown adventurer's outfit, peeked through the crack in the door.
Lilith smiled, revealing perfect white teeth.
"Hello. I am the God of Heroes. May I enter?"
Despite her seemingly playful demeanor, the aura radiating from her confirmed she was a mid-level god. Lin Xuan, though unsure why she was in his divine kingdom, granted her entry.
Lilith darted inside, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. She surveyed the space—sparse, a single chair at its center. Seeing his puzzled expression, she chuckled.
"I came today to ask if you have any plans to join our War God faction."
On the way here, she had considered everything. Dark Souls' novel game mode was remarkable, but the Lord of Pleasure behind it—Lin Xuan—was more than just talented. In the ever-growing number of new gods, geniuses were plentiful, yet the War God System, one of the eight major divine systems, could use such talent to reclaim its former strength.
Although she seemed carefree, the Goddess of Heroes had only existed two thousand four hundred years—a blink in the lifespan of gods. Her own ranking had peaked at twelfth among geniuses. Lin Xuan, if he was truly gifted, represented an opportunity that could change the War God faction's fate.
She smiled brightly, adjusting her stance so the "God of War" badge on her chest was clearly visible. Reaching the top ten of the New God List came with the ability to choose one of the eight main divine systems. This was a rare and enviable opportunity.
Yet Lin Xuan silently shook his head.
Lilith blinked in surprise.
"Okay… I'll send you the contract. You just need to—" She paused, realization dawning. Her smile faltered, replaced by disbelief.
"You… actually refused? Do you know what my invitation meant?"
She recalled the rumors whispered long ago. A faint frown crossed her face. "Evil gods… are all a bit dim-witted, aren't they?"