Lin Xiang was very interested. What price would the New Gods offer in exchange for her neutrality? Balor had obtained the authority of wine; what would she receive? Kuaishu Pavilion.
Balor, full of confidence, led Lin Xiang into the kitchen. Mr. World, in a suit, and the Media Goddess, in a pink gown, emerged from the television.
Lin Xiang's heart gave a jolt. The top two figures of the New God faction were right here; she couldn't reveal any clues.
Mr. World took off his hat and sat down. His impeccably dressed appearance possessed a unique charm, but his light brown eyes held a sinister aura that made Lin Xiang instinctively raise her guard.
"I've heard much about you, Madam Vivian." Mr. World's lips curved into a stiff arc, which, in Lin Xiang's eyes, carried a soulless deadness.
Removing her hood and lifting her skirt, Lin Xiang gracefully curtsied. "You, such a prominent figure, wouldn't spare time to see me just for these insincere pleasantries, would you?"
"I am curious about the new identity you have prepared for me. As long as it satisfies me, I will maintain neutrality and refuse Odin's summons."
"Lady of the Lake, we hope you are satisfied with this gift." Mr. World lifted the hat covering the table, and a familiar object appeared on the dining table.
Lin Xiang smiled and reached for the dice on the table. "I couldn't be more satisfied."
This sudden meeting soon came to an end. Mr. World laughed with satisfaction upon seeing Lin Xiang accept the new identity. "All casinos are your territory; enjoy them!"
The identity of the Dice Goddess suited Vivian well. The power of wealth and fate could be replenished from it, and Lin Xiang's divine essence could soon recover further, possessing sufficient capital to sustain herself.
"As a token of my gratitude, I wish to remind you to be wary of someone." Lin Xiang tossed the dice in her hand, letting them roll across the tabletop.
Mr. World gazed at the spinning dice on the table, his expression instantly twisting. As light and shadow flickered, a wild bull with eyes spewing fire stood beneath the World Tree. Just as Mr. World was about to see more, the phantom images of the bull and the World Tree vanished, leaving behind a pile of endless skeletons that flashed and disappeared.
This was an illusion Lin Xiang had seen while probing the essence of Shadow. The fleeting strangeness on Mr. World's face did not escape Lin Xiang's eyes; he had clearly thought of something from these illusions that Lin Xiang couldn't comprehend.
"Thank you for your reminder, Goddess of Destiny." Mr. World's eyes were filled with gloom. "You will not regret your choice!"
With that, he turned and left.
Only then did Lin Xiang breathe a sigh of relief and leave Balor's bar.
With a flash of light, Lin Xiang, in Vivian's guise, arrived in Las Vegas, the city of extravagant pleasure and the largest casino in the Americas. The dancing dice and spinning wheels captivated the attention of all gamblers, but Lin Xiang did not directly absorb this intense faith. She walked among the crowds, bestowing luck equivalent to misfortune upon everyone. Cheers and laments filled the casino.
As long as gamblers existed, the Dice Goddess would never lack faith. Wine, wealth, and lust were temptations most humans couldn't resist, and the deities associated with them lived comfortably. However, the goddess before her didn't seem to be among them.
This unfamiliar goddess had dark, lustrous skin. A fan of peacock feathers concealed her lower face, while the glitter on her eyes left a sensual ambiguity. Like a discordant graffiti on a beautiful oil painting, the goddess giggled and leaned on a gambler's arm, her seductive gaze hooking the men's attention.
The goddess also noticed Vivian's presence immediately. She closed her peacock feather fan and stood up to greet her.
"Welcome to our fold, Goddess of the Lake." The goddess's skin was as warm and smooth as chocolate. "I am Bixie."
Lin Xiang could sense the ancient divinity of this goddess, a primal and natural desire. However, the homophone of the goddess's name carried an unfortunate connotation, perhaps a self-mocking disguise. Lin Xiang was unwilling to strip away this veil and tactfully left the goddess her final dignity.
"Call me Vivian, Bixie."
Sensing Lin Xiang's goodwill, Bixie's smile became much more sincere. "Not long ago, Vulcan, the God of Firearms, was killed by Odin. We should avoid acting alone during this period."
Vulcan was the Roman god of forging. After defecting to the New God faction, he became the God of Firearms. His existence provided the New Gods' subordinates with weapons capable of slaying deities.
Lin Xiang couldn't help but admire Odin's decisiveness in her heart. Vulcan's death meant the New Gods' god-slaying weapons could no longer be replenished. Odin had clearly decided to go to war with the New Gods!
"You are always welcome here, Your Majesty."
Bixie frequented nightclubs and sometimes visited casinos to find prey. Her arrival was surely at Mr. World's behest. Lin Xiang took out the dice imbued with good luck and gave them to Bixie. "We will cooperate very happily."
Bixie understood, returned to the gamblers, and sat down, bestowing a gentle kiss upon the dice.
The continuous good luck delighted the gambler, who attributed it all to Bixie, repeatedly calling her his lucky goddess.
Lin Xiang watched Bixie, who was adored by the men, and softly said, "King, what brings you here?"
A tall figure appeared behind Lin Xiang. The man smiled bitterly. "Stop mocking me."
The man was silent for a moment, then said in a steady voice, "Vivian, I didn't expect you to come to this continent as well."
Lin Xiang turned. "Glorious King, you are even more downcast than I anticipated."
"Call me Sweeney." Lugh, the Celtic god-king, looked complicated, unwilling to face that humiliating past.
The history of this King of Light was no longer remembered by people. What stood before Lin Xiang now was a leprechaun named Sweeney.
He too had once known glory. At that time, Lugh had defeated his maternal grandfather Balor, and his bravery and skill in battle were unanimously recognized by the Tuatha Dé Danann, making him the new leader amidst the cheers of the gods.
With the invasion of the Crusaders, the Celtic gods were gradually defeated. Their temples and altars became the enemy's churches, and their abandoned followers renounced their faith. Lug, who was considered king, fled the battlefield, becoming an indelible stain on his life.
"Are you also here to be a persuader?"
Lin Xiang gestured for a waiter to bring two glasses of champagne and lazily teased this god whose honor was lost.
"It seems I'm a step too late."
Sweeney rubbed his nose, his face full of helplessness. "You shouldn't have gotten involved."
"Mr. World and the Media Goddess are standing right before me; you know I have no choice but to refuse."
Lin Xiang feigned melancholy and downed her champagne. "So, what about you? Why did you get involved?"