“Definitely,definitely.”Linleyimmediatelyresponded.Andso,OrloffimmediatelyledtheSovereignsoftheCelestialRealmintoaspatialtearthathecreated.
“Orloff…”Linleyhadtoletoutapraisingsighinhisheart.Inrecentdays,hehadinteractedwiththeChiefSovereignofFate,Orloff,onnumerousoccasions.LinleywasbeginningtoratheradmirethisOrloff.
ThissortofmentalequanimitywassomethingwhichnoneoftheotherSovereignscouldmatch.
HalfayearhadpassedsincetheconclusionofthePlanarWar.Linley’sresidencewasaspeacefulasever.
Linleyexitedthewalkway,turningandenteringaquiet,secludedguarded.BebeandNissewerechattingaboutsomethinginonecornerofthegarden,andthetwowerebothlaughinggaily.
“Eh”Linleyturnedandsawhisfather,Hogg,andhismother,Lina.Theywalkedoutfromthegatesofthegarden.“Linley.”AconstantsmilewasonHogg’sface.“Father.Mother.”Linleyimmediatelybowed.
TogotouringthecountlessmaterialplanesoftheuniversewasfarmoreinterestingthansimplyremainingintheInfernalRealm.
“Noneed.”Linleylaughed,refusingasheshookhishead.“Thiskid…”Hoggcouldn’thelpbutshakehisheadandchuckleresignedly.Hismother,Lina,saidwithalaugh,“Hogg,don’tforceLinley.Hecangowheneverhefeelslikeit.”
Linleyhadadivinefireclone,andwasabletoenteranymaterialplanehedesired.
Linleybadehisparentsfarewell,thenleftbyhimself.
Butsuddenly,Linleythoughtofsomeone.“Mother!”WhenLinleythoughtofhismother,Lina,Linleycouldn’thelpbutsightohimself.Althoughhismother,Lina,quicklygrewclosewithhisfather,Hogg,afterthepassageofcountlessyears,therewasstillacertaindistancebetweenLinaandLinleyandWharton.Linadidn’ttrulyholdanymotherlylovetowardshertwochildren,LinleyandWharton.
HowcouldLinleyandWhartonnottell“Alas.That’sbecauseMotherlostallofhermemoriesfrombeforeshewasanAngel.”Linleysighedinhisheart.Butrightatthismoment…
“Whoosh!”Afiguredescendedfromtheskies.“LordWodred.”LinleysawthatthenewcomerwastheChiefSovereignofDestruction,Wodred.
Theblack-robedWodredhadasmileonhisface.“Linley,lasttime,duringthePlanarWar,thesixEmissariesyousentoutwereextremelyeffective.Iknowthatyouspentcenturiesinyoursearchforthesixofthem.I’venevercometothankyouforwhatyoudid…”
“LordWodred,IhadtofindEmissariesformyselfeventually.”Linleylaughed.LinleywasonexcellenttermswiththeChiefSovereignofDestruction.
“Haha,enoughofthat,Linley.Idefinitelyoweyouafavor.”TheChiefSovereignofDestruction,Wodred,saidwithalaugh,“Ifthere’sanythingyouneed,aslongasIcanaccomplishit…youcanhavemedoit.Infact,evenifyouwanttolearnsomesupremesecrets,Icanrevealthemtoyou.Butofcourse,youcanforgetaboutlearningmy‘SpacetimeParadox’.”
Wodredwasquiteforthrightaboutthis.Although‘SpacetimeParadox’wasinferiortothefusedinnatedivineabilityoftheFourDivineBeasts,itstillincreasedone’spowerathousandfold.EvensomeonelikeLinley,uponlearningthistechnique,wouldbeabletothreatenthefourChiefSovereignsoftheEdicts.Thus,Wodredcouldn’tpossiblyteachittohim.
“Haha,LordWodred,evenifyoudidn’tsaythatoutright,Iwouldn’tpossiblyhaveaskedyoutoteachmeyoursupremetechnique,justbecauseIhelpedoutabit.You,LordWodred,putfartoomucheffortintodevisingit.”Linleylaughedcalmly.“Right.AfterthePlanarWarconcludedandLordOrlofflost,didhehaveanysortofspecialreaction”
“HimWhatsortofareactioncouldhehaveSameasalways;hestaysinhisOrloffGardens,absorbedintrainingandresearch.”
TheChiefSovereignofDestruction,Wodred,letoutasigh.“Orloff,thatmadman.Hehasnoideawhatbeing‘tired’evenmeans.Tobehonest,oftheChiefSovereignsoftheEdicts,Orloffistheonlyonewhomakesmefeeluneasy.YoucanneverknowwhatsortofsupremetechniqueOrloffmightcomeupwith,becausethatmadmansimplycan’tbejudgedinaccordancewithnormallogic.”
Linleycouldn’thelpbutlaugh.HecouldfeeltheChiefSovereignofDestruction’sdiscontent.Hehadworkedsohardtodevelophissupremetechnique,‘SpacetimeParadox’,andyetwasn’tabletodefeatOrloff.Butofcourse,thatwasonlybecauseOrloffhadanOvergodartifact.
“Enoughabouthim.Justnow,whenIcameover,Isawthatyouwereinaratherpoormood.Youhadaratherunhappylookonyourface.Didsomethingtroublesomeoccur”Wodredsmiled.
EvenChiefSovereignshademotionsandpersonalities.AlthoughthefourChiefSovereignsoftheEdictswereratherarrogantandaloof,they,too,neededfriends.AfterLinleyhaddisplayedhispower,theirattitudetowardsLinleyhadchangedsomewhataswell.Inaddition,becauseofthePlanarWar,WodredhadcometoviewLinleyasthesecondmostpowerfulfigureonhisside.
Asforwhothenumberonefigurewas,thatwasnaturallyWodredhimself.Andso,becausetheywereonsomewhatclosertermsnow,theybecamemorecasualintheirmannerofspeechaswell.
“OhThereisindeedsomethingrathertroublesome.Only,there’snopointintellingyou.”Linleyletoutasigh.HismotherhadbecomeanAngel,butherformermemorieswerelost.Therewasnothingthatcouldbechangedaboutthat.”
“Whydon’tyougiveitatry”Wodredsaidwithalaugh.Linleyletoutanothersigh.“Thishastodowithmymother.Whenmymotherwasinhermaterialplane,shewasseizedbythelocalLight-alignedreligion,andhersoulwassacrificedtotheSovereigns.MymotherbecameanAngel,andaTwelve-WingedAngelatthat!IoncesoughtoutAugustaandpaidaveryhighpricetohavehimrestoremymothertoherfreedom.Shedoeshaveherfreedomnow,but…mymother’sformermemoriesareforeverlost.”
“Whatdidyousay”TheChiefSovereignofDestruction,Wodred,actuallyfrowned.
“WhatIsthereawayforAngelstoregaintheirmemories”Linleycouldn’thelpbutgrowratherexcited.“Howcouldhehavepossiblychosentoletyourmotherregainherfreewill!”TheChiefSovereignofDestructionstaredsolemnlyatLinley.“Linley,letmetellyouthis.ToreleaseanAngelandlettheAngelregainfreedom,thereareonlytwomethods…andIdaresaythatAugustawouldn’tchooseeitherofthem!”
Linleywasstunned.“What…whatareyousayingButthatday,Augustaseemedtohavebeenbadlyinjured…hissoul…”
“Haha…”
TheChiefSovereignofDestructionbegantolaughcoldly.“AninjurytohissoulThatwasnothingmorethanapretense!Linley,Icantellyouonething;ifanAngeltrulyregainsfreewill,thenthatAngelwillnaturallyregainitsformermemoriesaswell!”
“Whatdidyousay”Linley’sfacechanged.“This…howcanthisbe”
“Yourmotherdoesn’thavehermemoriesback,whichsignifiesonething;yourmotherisstillundercontrol,andhasn’tregainedherfreedomatall!”TheChiefSovereignofDestructionlaughedcoldly.“AsIseeit,yourmotherisjustobeyinghisorders.She’sintentionallyputtingonapretenseofbeingfree;thatway,withouthavingtopayanypriceatall,Augustawasabletomakeyoupayaheavyprice.Whywould