Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 179: Three Chance Encounters

Nol was leaning over the small dining table in his room.

He would take some snacks, like fried dumplings and sugar cakes, from the cafeteria of the Lost Tower. For formal dinners, he preferred to eat alone with Teest. Being alone with his lover was one aspect, and on the other hand…

Teest commanded the hot stew to plate itself. After all, even after being cooked, these things were once part of a “living thing”. A skill originally meant for destruction and death had become an ingenious trick for someone’s no-wash soup spoon. Before serving, Teest skillfully took out a piece of dragon carcass, adding a loving touch to Nol’s dinner.

Nol took the bowl with mixed feelings.

Here it comes, a literal “energy supplement”. He had already joined the ranks of False Gods, and his daily attribute devouring continued.

When taking away the little black dragon and the old couple, Teest brought his magical bag and took a large tour around the dragon’s tomb. Nol suspected he had touched every corpse.

“I heard they’re hosting a welcome banquet for that little black dragon.” Teest casually untied his apron. “I thought you would be there throughout.”

“Just in case. My condition might not always be this stable,” Nol said. “Besides, if we were there, Perradat wouldn’t be able to let loose.”

This was an excellent opportunity to indirectly observe the God of Fate, and Officer Luo and Miss Lynn took on this glorious task.

…And Nol really wasn’t good at these team-building dinner-like occasions. Of course, our Mr. Demon King wouldn’t make this point clear.

“You’re becoming more and more like a Demon King, honey.” Teest scooped up a spoonful of stew with satisfaction.

His specialty, red wine braised meat, paired with freshly baked bread, and fruit liqueur that had been boiled to remove the alcohol.

Nol didn’t like salad much and had brought some stir-fried vegetables from the cafeteria ahead of time. Teest wasn’t interested in these green leaves, and as the master of the dinner menu, he decided to generously ignore them.

“Too much has happened recently. I also want to rest properly.” Nol sincerely stated.

The dirt on the body could be removed with a cleansing spell, but the awkwardness in the heart couldn’t be waved away. He needed a long, genuine hot bath and a good sleep with an empty mind.

“Well, that means no joint hot bath then.” Teest shrugged.

Maybe he could take the opportunity to maintain his sword and armor, he thought. This feeling was quite peculiar; with only Nol and himself in the room, it almost felt like they were living a normal person’s life.

Even though they were the furthest thing from “normal people”.

Nol seriously took off his robe and went into the bathroom. Teest glanced over, fixing his gaze on the pile of clothes—Nol’s pendant and the communication crystal were placed on top of the neatly folded clothes.

Teest glanced sidelong at the pendant, and after a few seconds, he quietly stood up and tiptoed closer.

The ancient Demon King’s tricolor bead, the Lost Tower key, and their wedding rings. The pendant was as before, but now when Teest looked at it again, that faint sense of discomfort had diminished a lot.

Teest suddenly felt that their wedding rings seemed much more prominent than before. Neither the tricolor bead nor the Lost Tower key stood out as much as the ring.

His Nol had made a choice; Nol didn’t sacrifice himself for those two things but chose to continue forward with him. Teest loved this feeling; he didn’t even have to pull on the golden thread, yet the other was walking towards him step by step.

It was this ring… um…

Wasn’t it a system gift, given to them in the name of the Goddess of Life? Did it count as something from Star Stealer Sol…?

How unpleasant. Teest extended a finger and poked the ring with some irritation.

Hmm, really quite ordinary.

Teest glared at it dissatisfied. As a testament to their relationship, it should be more special, better, and preferably have nothing to do with Star Stealer Sol at all.

While he was scratching at the ring, Nol’s communication crystal suddenly lit up. A silent text message appeared on the surface of the crystal—a common practice when the communicator didn’t want to be detected by their surroundings.

[Golden Sword, Black Forest, in poor condition. Accept him? — Painter]

Golden Sword in poor condition?

Teest: [Close to death?]

[Not to that extent. Good evening, Mad Monk.] Painter quickly recognized Teest.

Alright, Golden Sword wasn’t in life-threatening danger. Since Painter found him, he surely wouldn’t let him die in the wilderness, so why should they care about his life or death? Teest instinctively wanted to refuse. His fingertip was just about to touch the crystal, but he glanced at the wedding ring.

“Honey.” Teest opened the bathroom door, sticking his head in. “Golden Sword is injured in the Black Forest. Should we care? I suggest we don’t.”

Nol was blowing bubbles with the lower half of his face submerged in water. When Teest appeared, he almost choked.

“Mr. Billy?” He coughed several times.

“Yes, Painter found him,” Teest sincerely added. “He’s unsure whether to bring him to Paradise for treatment. I suggest we don’t.”

Nol sighed heavily, seeming like his plan to “sleep with an empty head” was ruined for the night.

Golden Sword Embilly Alva…

“We can’t just let him into Paradise.” After pondering for a moment, Nol made a decision. Teest was about to agree happily, but before he could finish—

“But we can’t just ignore him either.” Mr. Kind-hearted Nol stated. “Let’s go out, just you and me, and bring some potions. Don’t look at me like that. With Mr. Billy, we can investigate the Alva Merchant Group more smoothly.”

“A quiet night, a soft bed, a refreshing lover. Boom! All gone!” Teest slowly retracted his head, his voice becoming muffled. “So, how shall we meet Mr. Billy?”

“The Landus and Ross brothers? The mysterious Master of the Tower and his monster knight? Teesti and Noli? Oh, of course, there’s the most classic. Hero Drake, and his lovely succubus companion…”

Though he said this, Teest’s tone didn’t sound very approving.

In fact, none were suitable.

Golden Sword was of uncertain allegiance; they couldn’t brazenly cooperate under the banner of Paradise. Nol had appeared before Golden Sword too many times, not to mention Billy, an old fox not inferior to Painter; even an ordinary person could sense something… He wasn’t suitable to appear again.

Teest hadn’t appeared before Billy much, and the “Drake” identity was perfect for him. However, when investigating an information-rich conglomerate, Teest couldn’t just wander around with a famous face.

So—

“Wow.” After hearing Nol’s plan, Teest exclaimed. “Your head is really getting weirder and weirder. I know Golden Sword has a sharp eye, but your approach is really…”

The Mad Monk might be mad, but at least his thinking was still within the “human” range. Once Mr. Nol let go, his thinking became indescribably, well, unique.

“The more unexpected, the better,” Nol said. “I can handle my part. You do your best.”

They said this while standing in front of a neighbor who had transformed into a Swamp Witch. This neighbor still had a piece of a sauce-flavored pancake in her mouth while she looked at them with eyes full of shock. Just having heard their request, her sauce-flavored pancake almost fell out of her mouth.

“Alright, just like he said.”

Teest opened his arms to the innocent neighbor. “Curse me, miss.”

“I’m not a miss. I mean, uh, alright.” The Swamp Witch wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. “But are you sure…”

“I can break a curse of this level myself. Just in case, I’ll ask Lynn to make a puppet that seals skills.” Nol stated, “We are certain.”

The Swamp Witch looked at them for a while with an expression that was hard to describe as she struggled to swallow the pancake in her mouth. She drank several cups of water and then cleared her throat.

A dark purple aura of curse flickered into existence. Tt tumbled in place for a while, then surged towards Teest. Accompanied by a dim light, the Mad Monk’s figure vanished.

Nighttime.

Ye Meng—Black Dragon Imnarka—crouched on the tower’s top, touched by the view before her. After arriving in Paradise, the last bit of fear in her heart dissipated.

When disaster struck Joy Garden, her parents weren’t home. This meant she didn’t have to worry about her parents. She just needed to persevere. In the Dragon’s Lair, this was still a challenging task. But in the Lost Tower, she was almost happy.

Here, she could eat seasoned cooked beast meat to her heart’s content and chat with various uncles and aunties. Everyone took good care of her, and she did her best to protect everyone—like creating poisonous moving swamps and fearsome necrotic fogs near the Lost Tower.

The only drawback… There was a middle school teacher in Joy Garden, who turned into a chimera and was very willing to tutor her. With so many loving monster eyes staring at her, Ye Meng really couldn’t refuse.

She was going to start lessons tomorrow. The Black Dragon’s tail moved around the tower’s spire, suddenly wishing the night would last a bit longer.

Suddenly, an unknown aura burst out of the tower. The Black Dragon’s pupils contracted sharply, her large dragon eyes flickering with light, aiming in the direction of the aura’s emergence. Her dragon instincts warned her that two powerful beings had left the Lost Tower.

The moment she saw the two figures through the night fog, she suddenly became uncertain again.

A blob of black, a blob of white, both round and tiny. The two peculiar figures swayed up and down in the night, quickly disappearing without a trace.

Ye Meng: “……”

How strange.

There are many monsters in the Tower, but few have talents that match a giant dragon. The little Black Dragon could probably guess who those two were, but… never mind. Children shouldn’t worry about adult matters, she solemnly thought.

“What’s up, kid?” Inside the skull dangling on her chest, Grandma Li asked with concern.

“It’s nothing.”

“If it’s nothing, then hurry down. Oh dear, it’s too high.” Inside another skull, Lao Chen’s voice trembled.

The little black dragon flapped her wings and flew back into the tower. Before leaving, she looked back one more time—the two tiny shadows were completely swallowed by the Black Forest, leaving no trace.

……

On the edge of the Black Forest, an abandoned hunter’s cabin.

“I’ll leave you with enough food and water since you insist on staying here.”

Painter said, “If you ask me, this isn’t a solution. You’re afraid to go to Grape Collar for fear of revealing your whereabouts, but going to Silver Windmill Village is also an option. I wouldn’t mind taking half a day to carry you there.”

Billy shook his head. Compared to not long ago, he looked somewhat better; at least his lips had some color.

“Don’t worry. My luck has always been good.” He said, “Didn’t I run into you?”

Painter: “If your luck was a bit better, I would be a bored young hunter. Unfortunately, you met me, a cursed leader with tasks to do in the cold.”

Actually, Golden Sword was right, Painter thought. Nol made it clear he would take over, so this legendary Mr. Billy certainly wouldn’t die anytime soon since that one decided to come personally.

It’s just that this investigation into the Alva Merchant Group really involved a struggle between gods. No matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t appropriate for him, a mere mortal, to continue intervening.

This time, he’d better take the mercenary group to the Lost Tower to eat… Ahem, to stand guard.

“Anyway, I’m off.” Painter patted the doorstep, knocking off a pile of snow. “Good luck, Golden Sword.”

“Good luck, Godfrey.” Golden Sword Billy, wrapped in a blanket, showed a weak smile. Before he finished speaking, he coughed hoarsely.

Painter walked into the night without looking back.

Less than half an hour after he left, he saw a light. The owner of the light had a restrained aura, making it hard to gauge their strength. Enemy? Or someone from Paradise?

Painter restrained his own aura and quickened his pace. The light paused momentarily before quickly moving in Painter’s direction.

Upon getting closer, Painter fell silent.

He knew who this person was, and the other had no intention of hiding—

The man in front of him was dressed in a somewhat worn gentleman’s attire, clean and tidy without being flashy, understated to perfection. He wore gold-rimmed round glasses on his nose, with delicate chains hanging on either side, and his long gray hair tied back.

In his hand, he held a lantern-like staff, emitting a moonlight-like silver-blue soft light, illuminating everything nearby with incredible brightness.

A Player, the leader of “Hermitage”, Mentor.

Needless to say, this person was here to visit Paradise.

“So, you’re the leader of the Drifting Mercenaries.” Mentor nodded at Painter. “Good evening, sir. Is there a place nearby to stay overnight?”

“Are you walking here alone?” Painter raised an eyebrow.

“I had no choice. The younger ones are too slow, so I had to start moving on my own,” Mentor answered with a smile.

Information about Mentor was scarce. Painter knew him only because Hermitage had collaborated with the Drifting Mercenaries a few times. Perhaps because of his own reputation, Mentor didn’t intentionally avoid him.

Thus, Painter was well aware. As a warrior, this player’s combat ability could almost be described as “pitiful”. Mentor had focused all his energy on life professions, transitioning to an “Arcane Alchemist”—a profession focused on research and hardly capable of combat.

Not to mention the fierce beasts of the Black Forest, Mr. Mentor might not even be able to handle a large dog.

“Go east, and you will see a hunter’s cabin.” Painter pointed the way, albeit reluctantly.

At least he had left many expulsion spells near the cabin, making the vicinity very safe.

As a guest, he didn’t want to take the liberty of bringing outsiders into Paradise. Golden Sword and Mentor, a package deal. Since the fellow was here for Paradise anyway, let the Master of Paradise deal with him personally.

“Thank you.” Mentor nodded nonchalantly and headed east without any doubt.

Painter passed him by and continued towards Paradise.

This time, it took him an hour, and he had another encounter. Painter was a bit unsure whether the God of Fate was particularly favoring him tonight or particularly hating him… Wait, he seemed to have seen the God of Fate before, never mind.

Mr. Pope and the two gods in front of him stared at each other.

“That ‘Dominator’ is not with you anymore,” Teest said. “You got rid of it pretty fast—what, you’re here to stock up in Paradise this time?”

Painter: “You…”

Teest continued leisurely, “Nol and I have been briefed on the situation. Don’t worry. I won’t make things difficult for you.”

Painter’s tone was a bit peculiar. “…You look, um, very fluffy.”

Painter had speculated that these two would adopt new identities to contact Golden Sword Embilly Alva, to personally investigate. However, he hadn’t expected them to change so thoroughly—

In front of him was a small black dragon, and a similarly sized white long-haired cat.

Both the cat and the black dragon’s ears sported golden player earrings. The cat also had a collar with a small pouch hanging from it.

The beautiful black dragon flapped its wings, its black scales shimmering with a gem-like luster, and its pair of green eyes burning brightly. It gently grasped the white cat’s neck with its claws, hovering in mid-air.

The cat, on the other hand, held its head high, its golden eyes disdainfully looking down on Painter, with the voice of the Mad Monk emanating from its mouth.

“Indeed fluffy.” Teest said, “But you better not stick your fingers out.”

“I’ve already let Lynn and the others know. Just head directly to the Lost Tower. They’ve left dinner.” Black Dragon Nol blinked. “We’ll handle the rest.”

Painter hummed, unable to hold back. “A curse from a Swamp Witch?”

The curse of a Swamp Witch could turn people into small to medium-sized animals—small as frogs and sparrows, up to the size of pigs and sheep. It was less common to turn into cats or dogs, but not unheard of.

There were only three ways to break the Swamp Witch’s curse.

The witch willingly lifts the curse, kill the witch who cast the spell, or find a powerful and rare black magic item to break the curse. Of course, some witches set conditions like “true love’s kiss” for lifting the curse, but those tend to appear in fairy tales—Swamp Witches prefer to kill the cursed on the spot or simply leave, letting the cursed suffer forever.

As for the stats after turning into an animal, that was controlled by the witch herself. Considering the multi-racial situation in Paradise, Painter strongly suspected the curse was cast by one of their own, with the two’s stats not diminished at all.

It had to be said, a very… peculiar idea.

“Teest took the curse. I transformed myself with the skill of a Dracolich.” Nol nodded.

“From now on, we are two pitiful cursed Players, seeking the Alva Merchant Group to find a way to lift the curse. I think, Mr. Golden Sword won’t refuse the help of Players.”

“Yes.”

The Mad Monk nonchalantly waved his paw, and the Player earrings on his pointed ears jingled.

“I’m actually starting to look forward to it.”

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The author has something to say:

Congratulations to the two on their new forms (…

Hilarious, the knight can’t hold his sword now.

Just asking, isn’t this inconspicuous enough, Mr. Golden Sword?

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