# Chapter 9: Are You Willing to Join My Order?
"The essence of Israel's legendary power is 'the materialization of will.' How should I put it? It's a very interesting kind of power."
"His life, his existence, his beliefs, his soul—all of it is condensed together. As long as he believes in his own cognition that he absolutely will not die, then he will not die."
"You must defeat him in a direct confrontation, making him feel that 'he should be injured,' and only then will he be injured. Making him feel that 'he should die,' and only then will he die."
"If you ambush him without his knowledge, such an ambush is useless. He doesn't know of your attack, so your attack simply doesn't exist for him... This is a power of relativity. He also cannot ambush others, because if others don't notice his attack, his attack doesn't exist either."
"Similarly, because of this power, Israel has lost the right to deceive himself. He is the most honest and just person in this world, treating even himself with the same impartiality—a 'righteous one' who is the same even in the face of death. And at the same time, as a legendary expert and emperor, he is also the most powerful authority in the world. It is precisely because of these similarities and resonances that Xing Zheng sought out Israel, hoping that he would become his successor."
The God of Love stood in the center of the street.
She calmly narrated the relationship between Israel and Xing Zheng, telling Joshua and Eagle the reason why the two had reached an agreement of inheritance.
"Israel has reached the limit of humanity itself. He deeply knows that he is merely a human body. He cannot deceive himself into thinking he can resist the Evil Gods, nor can he feel that he 'should' be able to defeat them. Reason tells him that he cannot be limited by his human identity. Becoming a god is his best and fastest path to becoming stronger. Becoming a god, the things he 'should naturally be able to accomplish' will increase geometrically."
On the other side of the street stood Joshua.
Old Pope Eagle had already sat down on a chair by a stall. He knew that this arrival of Yue Ai was because of the warrior's presence.
"Then why did His Majesty Xing Zheng want to speak with me alone?"
Understanding the connections behind events, Joshua couldn't help but feel even greater confusion after grasping the logic of what had happened back then: "Since I was never the successor in Her mind, and She had long found Her own successor, why was She so concerned about whether I had found my own order?"
"Similarly, Your Majesty Yue Ai, although you said that coming to Moldavia was to tell us information about 'the deepest layer of the Abyss,' I can tell that you came here also to observe whether I have found my own order."
Why are you all so concerned about this?
This was something Joshua couldn't understand at present. He knew that because the Seven Gods had different orders, there were deep contradictions among them. These contradictions, in common terms, could be described as the gods' conflicts over their great paths. But these contradictions were limited to the gods themselves—what did they have to do with ordinary people like him?
Even if they were seeking allies, they should be seeking those with similar orders, like how Xing Zheng found Israel... The God of Might was barely similar to Joshua—at least both believed that powerful strength was the foundation of order. But the God of Love and Decay... what aspect of Her was similar to him?
"You think the difference between us is too great, that we're not just dissimilar but completely unrelated, right?"
Without words, Yue Ai could see his thoughts just from the warrior's eyes. A hint of a smile appeared on the God of Love's face, but it turned into a sigh: "But Lord Radcliffe, you're wrong."
"Our similarities far exceed those between you and Xing Zheng."
"Love and death—I might have some connection to death. I am indeed quite skilled at sending enemies to hell."
At this, Joshua honestly shook his head and said: "But in other aspects, I don't think there's really any connection. My heart might have room for love in the future, but for now, I only want to eliminate my enemies as much as possible."
"Lord Radcliffe, your view is far too narrow... How could order be so simple? It is the foundation of society, the core of civilization. It exists and will always exist, stretching from ancient times to the eternal future."
Shaking her head, denying Joshua's point, the God of Love and Decay walked toward the warrior. She walked slowly, speaking in a calm and indifferent tone: "My love is not romantic love. 'Love' is not such a superficial thing."
"Lord Radcliffe, 'love' is everything. It is the foundation of all things, the root of civilization and order."
"Love is the reason and passion for all beings to exist in this world."
"What you like, what you love, what you pursue, what you want to protect—these are all love. It is the 'love' that permeates silently, inconspicuously, undetectably, as quiet as death, yet sustaining the driving force of 'living' for you and me."
The goddess with the appearance of an elf came before Joshua.
There were no spectacular special effects, no falling flowers, no astonishing phenomena. Nothing. Yue Ai walked like a mortal, stepped like a mortal, and simply raised her head to meet Joshua's furrowed brow. Then she opened her mouth and spoke softly: "'Love' is the pillar of existence, the origin of order, the will that even death cannot erase."
"Lord Radcliffe, just as you deeply love battle, all beings live because of love. Everything that people acknowledge exists only because love appears. Whether it's the birth of a newborn or the invention of new technology, without a trace of love in the hearts of parents or technicians, none of it would come into being."
"Love is order."
When she said this, Yue Ai closed her eyes and let out a clear, ethereal laugh. The goddess's slightly hoarse voice drifted in the wind.
"And losing love is death. If love is the origin of order, then death is the end of everything. The cycle of love and death is the life of humanity."
"Lord Radcliffe, you love this world so deeply—how can you say you're not similar to me?"
The God of Love and Decay had revealed Her order to Joshua von Radcliffe.
The deity's violet-colored pupils gazed at the black-haired warrior before Her. She patiently waited for his response.
"What you say is very correct."
At the same time, Joshua let out a breath.
He admitted that Yue Ai's path of love and death was indeed very similar to his.
Yes, that was true. His beliefs existed in this way. He loved battle, existence, survival, until his own death. If one day, the individual known as Joshua von Radcliffe no longer loved battle, then that would indeed be the day of his death.
If a person doesn't strive for what they love, merely drifting through life aimlessly, not knowing what they truly pursue, then what difference is there from being dead? Love and death seem completely unrelated, yet they are one of the most closely connected relationships in this world.
Just like might and justice—the orders of the gods indeed have their hidden logic.
But that alone was not enough.
In the city of Moldavia, on the time-frozen street, Joshua raised his head and met the God of Love's gaze for the second time. He understood Her order, just as he had understood Xing Zheng's order before. But he didn't care how similar it was to his own. He only wanted to know what kind of 'civilization and world' She was pursuing.
"Your Majesty Yue Ai, I know that what His Majesty Xing Zheng pursues is a world where 'justice' is proven through might."
Joshua raised his head, looking at the sky frozen by divine power, also tinged with violet. He lowered his gaze and said calmly: "Just like Israel, what He wants is an orderly world completely covered by the 'Heavenly Net System,' where the strong hold 'justice' and 'authority,' judging all sins that occur in the world—extreme authoritarianism. He and Israel are completely the same type of people, which is why He unhesitatingly chose the other as His successor."
"I will not support this kind of dystopian order. I will only watch it with vigilance... So, even if His Majesty Xing Zheng convinced me, I would not support Him."
"And you? Your Majesty Yue Ai, you came to find me, surely believing that I would support your order. I admit that the path of order you describe is indeed very similar to mine. But even so, I still want to know what kind of 'civilization and world' you seek."
Joshua was never a fool who didn't think.
He had his own logic and rebellion in his heart. He had his own justice and love.
The ideals described by Xing Zheng and Yue Ai were indeed beautiful, but they were merely others' ideals. If they wanted his help, as a member of civilization, Joshua had no choice but to oblige. But if they wanted his support, then even a god must give him a reason that could convince him.
At this, the God of Love and Decay was not surprised. She blinked and smiled faintly: "Naturally. I was prepared for this."
With that, Yue Ai raised her hand, and a cyan-violet light containing vast amounts of information flew toward the warrior.
On the other side, Joshua, standing like an iron tower, also raised his hand and received this light.
Then, he learned of the world that the God of Love and Decay envisioned.
It was a world where any being could freely choose 'to love or not to love.'
All emotions—whether liking, disliking, loving, or hating—originated from the brain, the organ of thought, the core processor. They were influenced by hormones, essentially just complex neural feedback.
A person who hated reading, hated work, hated communicating with others, hated everything in the world—this was because their brain secreted chemicals that made them hate everything, causing them to become depressed and withdrawn, unwilling to interact with the outside world, preferring to shrink into their own little world.
Even when liking something, humans couldn't devote one hundred percent of their energy to it. People would always get distracted, lose focus, feel bored, and need to do something else to change their mood.
This was the limitation of mortals, and also the limitation of love. The prosperity and progress of civilization were hindered by this instinct, so it should be removed, and it could be removed.
The God of Love and Decay would bestow Her divine power, giving all life the ability to control their own 'likes and dislikes.'
Those who originally didn't like reading could adjust their own mood, making themselves love learning.
Those who hated their parents due to adolescent rebellion could adjust their extreme state, communicating with their parents from a rational and objective perspective.
Those who hated their work could also correct their boredom, making themselves as full of passion and hope as on their first day of work.
Of course, being able to love also meant being able to hate.
Those who accidentally became addicted to drugs would gain a chance at rebirth. They could correct the wrong 'love' in their brains, thus freeing themselves from this mistake.
Those who were abnormally fanatical about something, to the point where it affected their lives, could also, through self-reflection, slightly curb that excessive 'passion' and return to a more normal life.
As long as they were willing to repent, even the worst evil person could reform themselves, through self-adjustment, becoming a good person who loved society and was willing to contribute.
Love and hate were always one, inseparable, just like life and death. It was precisely because of the other that each existed.
A life where one could choose their own love and hate through their own will was true freedom. Most ordinary people's likes and dislikes were actually instincts they themselves couldn't understand. Fat people clearly knew they should lose weight, otherwise excess fat and weight would lead to unavoidable future illnesses, but the instinct to eat and lazy thoughts prevented them from persisting in exercise and dieting. But if fat people had the ability to control their own love and hate, then even if their instincts were unwilling, they would use their own will to choose to make themselves exercise healthily.
This was just one aspect of life. The ability to control one's own love and hate could be said to be a power that changed the very foundation of humanity. The desires that drove humanity forward, if they could be freely directed through a switch, then the speed of human progress would undoubtedly far exceed what anyone in the past thousands or tens of thousands of years could imagine.
The God of Love and Decay envisioned such a world.
She envisioned a world where people could freely choose what to love and how to love, and could also freely choose what to hate, expelling bad habits and negative things from their lives.
Compared to the black might and justice, the violet love was the path to order and happiness, rejecting all sorrow.
"People can choose for themselves, modify themselves, and use their own free will to decide their own free path forward."
The God of Love, the God of Love and Decay, Yue Ai stood quietly before Joshua. Her slender elven form seemed so towering at this moment, like an entire world. At this moment, the deity revealed Her will and the future She wanted to reach, without any reservation.
She spoke softly, asking with anticipation: "Joshua von Radcliffe, are you willing to join my order?"