Early the next morning.
Koji stretched lazily. Communicating with Rukkhadevata was different. She was never forceful; every part of her carried gentleness, and even after it ended, the aftertaste lingered endlessly.
"Yesterday was my fertile window. Do you think it took?" Rukkhadevata asked in a lazy voice.
"That kind of thing depends on probability. I could make a Blessing of One Shot, One Hit. You'd get pregnant in one try," Koji said.
Rukkhadevata shook her head.
"Forget it, then. Let nature take its course. But I have a feeling it should happen."
"Ann was the first one to be with you, right?"
"You don't need to worry about Ann getting jealous. She said it herself. She doesn't want children yet, so we didn't do it during her fertile window," Koji said softly.
Children would only affect her treasure-chest-opening speed and her private time alone with Koji.
"That does sound like something she would say."
Rukkhadevata thought of Ann's personality. She was a very interesting girl, though admittedly a rather mischievous one.
"Has the Dendro Dragon King Apep still not come out of seclusion?" Koji asked.
"No. For a Dragon King, one nap can last who knows how many years. There's still no movement from the place where she entered seclusion," Rukkhadevata said, shaking her head.
"And besides, we don't need her right now."
Using a Demon God-level combat force to clear out small fry would be a complete waste of talent.
She could understand why Barbatos and Morax had both chosen to retire. There really was no battlefield where they were needed anymore.
During the Archon War, only Demon Gods could kill Demon Gods. No matter how strong humans were, they could at most contend with them. They could not truly suppress and slay them.
After the Archon War ended, Demon Gods were usually only needed when major crises erupted.
That being the case, retirement was indeed a suitable choice. They could simply wander the mortal world at leisure with nothing to do.
"Has the Grand Sage been replaced yet?"
Koji thought of Alhaitham, who was acting as the Acting Grand Sage. Alhaitham was fully qualified to become Grand Sage. He simply had no interest in the position himself.
"The Grand Sage..." Rukkhadevata's expression turned strange.
Alhaitham's abilities were simply too outstanding, so finding a suitable candidate for Grand Sage had become unexpectedly difficult.
Even when she used the Akasha Terminal to screen candidates, the few optimal choices she received still had quite a gap compared with Alhaitham.
Even compared to the first Grand Sage, Alhaitham was not inferior at all. In fact, he might even surpass him. He was an extremely rare talent.
"Did you use Alhaitham as the comparison standard?" Koji seemed to realize something and asked with interest.
If that was the case, then it would probably be impossible to find many suitable Grand Sages.
"Yes, I did compare them to him. Alhaitham is too exceptional. Instead, it makes the others seem somewhat lacking," Rukkhadevata said with a bitter smile.
"Let's go see Alhaitham. If we let him choose, we can see what ideas he has," Koji suggested.
Rukkhadevata nodded. After the two got dressed and washed up, they went to find Alhaitham.
"Rukkhadevata-sama, may I ask why you've come to see me?" Alhaitham greeted her calmly, neither servile nor overbearing.
In his view, gods were also a kind of living being. They should be respected, but there was no need to be timid around them.
Rukkhadevata looked at Alhaitham with appreciation. How many people could remain this calm and composed before a god?
"Alhaitham, this is about the matter of the Grand Sage," Rukkhadevata said.
Hearing that, Alhaitham's eyes clearly lit up.
"Rukkhadevata-sama, have you found a candidate for Grand Sage?" Alhaitham's voice carried a hint of excitement and joy, completely different from his usual demeanor.
The corner of Rukkhadevata's mouth twitched. This was not the first time she had seen this reaction, but who could have imagined that the position of Grand Sage would be disliked to this extent?
Koji smiled. Alhaitham still liked the position of Scribe as much as ever.
Alhaitham preferred a relatively calm and comfortable life. His former position as Scribe completely satisfied the requirement of leisurely work.
With proper exercise, even a scholar who was not good at fighting should have a strong body. His property near the office made commuting convenient.
By the standards of a successful person, he had basically achieved everything.
Alhaitham pondered for a moment, analyzing the problem.
"There are several people. If their abilities are trained a little, there should not be any major issue with them becoming Grand Sage."
As long as he could recommend a candidate, he could return to his life as Scribe. Perfect.
"Rukkhadevata-sama, the position of Grand Sage could also be held by several people jointly."
Alhaitham nodded. The Grand Sage was far too busy. That was not the kind of life he liked. He barely even had time to read.
"Alhaitham, how many of Sumeru's paper books have you read?" Koji asked.
Alhaitham had not expected Koji to ask such a question.
"I don't read everything. I've read quite a few over the years. I can't remember the exact number."
Compared with reading books recorded in the Akasha Terminal, he preferred reading physical books. Even if it was troublesome, he did not mind that kind of trouble.
"Is there some trick to studying?"
Alhaitham gave a somewhat humble-bragging answer.
"I'm self-taught. The people at the Akademiya are very boring."
Although it sounded like he was showing off, he was telling the truth.
He had inherited his intellect from his father and mother. He had been extremely intelligent since childhood. When he was young, he was already reading profound academic works that even some young adults were unwilling to touch.
His late grandmother had once left him a message:
May Alhaitham live a peaceful life.
That was also the life Alhaitham wanted.
"Some people are simply geniuses. Other people's teaching does not help them much, and through self-study, they can surpass many others," Rukkhadevata said with emotion.
There were very few geniuses like that, but she had no intention of forcing him.
"Rukkhadevata-sama, I have a question I would like to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"In my view, a Demon God is a more powerful and special kind of life. But ultimately, it is still life. In that case, what difference is there between a lifeform like a Demon God and a lifeform like a human?"
The question Alhaitham asked was not recorded in books.
"Demon Gods are indeed a kind of life. If I had to describe the difference, it would be cognition," Rukkhadevata said.
Setting aside the difference in life level, the cognition of gods and the cognition of humans were different. The gap came from standing at different heights.
"I see. Then can humans become gods? Do so-called allogenes exist?"
"They exist. It is just that very few people can reach that point. From ancient times to the present, they can be counted on one hand."
Rukkhadevata shook her head. There were several recorded in Irminsul. To become an allogene, one first needed to possess a Vision, and then receive guidance from the corresponding god. Only then was there a possibility of becoming an allogene.
Of course, possessing Demon God-level combat power was not quite that difficult. With enough talent, there was still a chance.
(End of Chapter)
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