Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 168: Chaos

Nol disliked the feeling he was experiencing at the moment.

During his transformation into a monster, he had successfully enhanced his ability to stay conscious. Now, that very ability began to… harm him. He could feel the so-called “knowledge seal” at the edges loosening—something heavy, foul-smelling, and bitter-tasting was spilling out from the edges.

Memory is such a delicate thing.

Asking most people, “Did you attend elementary school?” would immediately yield an affirmative answer. This fact is ingrained in people’s minds, as clear as one plus one equals two.

However, recalling details from the distant past requires further digging into one’s memory, recalling certain images, names, or events.

Nol suddenly discovered that his thought process was blocked regarding certain matters. Some “facts” were deeply etched in his brain, yet he couldn’t recall more through them.

Not thinking about it kept everything normal, a voice in his mind told him.

But how could his thoughts be so obedient?

Nol couldn’t help but try to remember; he didn’t remember buying a house and living in Joy Garden, just as he didn’t remember how he commuted to and from work or what his colleagues looked like. The more he tried to recall each event, the more blurred the faces in his memory became.

Did these events really happen, or were they just his imagination?

He remembered he had a plant, which he placed in the bedroom. When cooking, he could just lift his hand to conveniently water it with the rice washing water. When showering, he would place it outside to avoid getting splashed with hot water.

He was accustomed to brewing tea for himself, so he filled his wardrobe with tea leaves. They were covered in thick spider webs, which he had to cut through with scissors to reach. He often worked while cutting them, and the webs would stick to his office chair.

He never ordered takeout at home; after all, he was seldom there. When hungry, he would simply cook noodles with green vegetables and eggs. The eggs would roll out of the fridge on their own, and the rotten vegetables had to be washed to become fresh again. Instant noodles were stacked in boxes, sometimes barking at midnight.

He liked looking out the window.

From the windows of the living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, he always loved this 360-degree view. He could see everything.

It’s just that the bathroom window was too small, sometimes blocking his pupils.

So, he never bought curtains.

The only thing he couldn’t remember at all was his own face in the mirror. The mirror would only stick to his body, cold, slimy, and slippery, so he couldn’t see it.

Nol slowly hugged his head.

He suddenly realized some subtle and terrifying details that had always been there, right under his nose. Yet, the seal in his mind always forced him to divert his attention, not to think deeply.

Don’t look, don’t think. Don’t look, don’t think. Maintain the status quo.

But he kept remembering more. Nol could feel the seal loosening further. Something was about to burst forth.

He remembered being treated in a hospital with no other patients, walking in a plaza filled with twisted, inhuman statues. He remembered having meetings at work, the office, and home looking exactly the same. Colleagues sat on the broken living room floor, their faces always turned towards him.

He remembered designing art concepts, writing code logic, slowly crafting the world setting. Those vaguely faced colleagues bustled about, gradually revealing their true faces. They all bear his face.

……

He remembered the intense pain of limbs being shattered and then fused back together, the rot and healing of flesh, incorporating new flesh. He remembered the flow of murky slime, elderly people cursing loudly outside the window. He remembered…

It seemed he had already…

His barely gathered thoughts were once again on the verge of a chaotic eruption. Nol gasped for air. Biological instincts warned him wildly that he had reached the edge of a cliff and could go no further.

He absolutely must not break the seal. This was a warning from himself.

But he…

Rings of blue fire suddenly bound Nol. In his distorted and melting vision, Kando broke free from Lynn’s side and floated into mid-air.

The emotion in the single eye of the black candle was heavier than ever. It was saying something as dark entities seeped out from its body, rushing towards Nol.

Like shedding a coat soaked in ice water and stinking of foul odor, Nol’s thoughts suddenly became light and clear. The previous troubles vanished without a trace; he couldn’t even remember why he was troubled.

What was he supposed to do? Right, meet with the dragon leader, defeat Star Stealer Sol…

Nol straightened up, suddenly noticing Lynn had run to the furthest corner of the cave, defensively sticking to the wall. Painter was expressionless, with his paintbrush wand already drawn.

Only Teest remained in place, still firmly holding Nol’s hand, as if unsure whether to feel sympathy or amazement.

“Fuck,” the black candle said. “That was close.”

Its flame had never been so weak; the magic just now—whatever that magic was—clearly took a lot out of it.

“What did you just do?” Teest’s gaze swept towards the black candle.

“Risky move, asking Perradat to use its power to take away this guy’s previous name, forcing him to forget the things associated with that name.”

Kando said with lingering fear, “Living long enough to see everything, I didn’t expect this trick could have a positive use.”

Nol patted his head in confusion. “Take away the name? But all my knowledge is still here.”

The three people and one candle in the room looked at him speechlessly, their faces filled with unsaid words.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Nol shook his head again. “Anyway, thank you. Whatever you did just now was very helpful.”

Kando chuckled dryly, falling to the ground. “Don’t thank me too soon—your power is too strong. Perradat’s method is only a temporary fix. It might just take a couple of days before you start remembering things you shouldn’t.”

Nol patted his head harder, feeling a numb and cold sensation in his brain, as if something had been forcefully extracted.

“Let’s call it a day. I’m a bit tired.”

Nol let Teest squeeze his wrist. “I want to get some good sleep.”

“Of course, honey.” Teest kissed his forehead in response.

For a second, Painter’s expression was a bit complex. He coughed twice. “Then I won’t disturb the two of you.”

Lynn hesitated, finally sighing heavily. “I also…”

Nol thought Lynn’s attitude was a bit strange. The next moment, this thought quickly slid into the abyss, leaving no trace. Hmm, everything was normal.

Teest’s palm caressed Nol’s cheek, recalling everything that had just happened.

Just then, before Lynn could finish speaking, Nol suddenly transformed.

His form began to change into a monster, even worse than a short while ago. Nol’s flesh seemed to swell and writhe as if about to explode. This time, what protruded from his back weren’t beautiful crack wings but grotesque red and green flesh wings.

If his previous monster form still resembled a human, this time he seemed to want to become… something akin to a dragon.

Lynn immediately applied protective spells to everyone present, then shut her eyes tightly, while Painter instantly enveloped the vicinity with magic, to avoid alarming the dragons or letting this unprecedented monster escape.

Teest just watched intently.

He had a sort of blind confidence that his Nol would do nothing to him. Teest watched very carefully, from the swelling flesh to the wrinkles on the wing membranes.

Perhaps because he was too close, Teest noticed the varying shades of the swollen flesh and the subtle differences in texture. They seemed to be carefully stitched together with extremely fine threads, forcefully joined together, carrying the dull color of corpses.

Nol unconsciously let out a low groan. Teest placed his hand on the monster’s cold body, gently patting in a soothing manner. He wasn’t sure if it was helpful—at least it wasn’t for him, but his sister liked it.

And Nol… Nol was a normal person, wasn’t he?

Teest stood next to the surging form of the monster, calmly and gently patting it, even though, at this moment, he couldn’t even find Nol’s features.

The monster’s deadly groaning softened, turning into confused and dazed murmuring.

Golden threads gently wrapped around the transforming body with just the right amount of force. In the darkness, those strands of light seemed almost gentle, as if formed from condensed rays of light.

“Shh—” Teest smiled. “Honey, we will solve this problem.”

The monster’s transformation slowed down, and suddenly the black candle flew out from Lynn. With the name temporarily taken away, Nol reverted to his original form, as if nothing had happened.

Star Stealer Sol really knew how to exploit people’s weaknesses, Teest thought. If this kind of anomaly happened a few more times, Nol might change his mind and decide to eradicate “himself” as an unstable element.

Of course, that’s if Nol was still conscious by then, which Teest was doubtful about.

In the early hours, Nol fell into a deep sleep on the bed.

He still had his handsome human appearance, his loose robe sliding to one side, revealing beautifully contoured collarbones. Teest sat by the bed, his golden eyes twinkling faintly in the night.

A God from another world creating a knowledge seal and an excessively abnormal form.

The crazy end of the three Demon Kings, Star Stealer Sol’s targeting and deals, and the help and pleas from Loser.

The truth about the world he had sought for so long, in the end, all converged to one point. Everything originated from the person before him, his person. The best part was, they were hand in hand, walking towards the final mystery.

Such a sweet fact, but it’s a pity that Nol would suffer because of it, and Teest couldn’t taste much sweetness from it. How unfortunate.

Teest gently caressed Nol’s exposed arm, the skin warm and soft, lacking the previous dead material feeling. His fingertips glided gently, as if peeling off an invisible layer of candy wrapper.

“Kando,” Teest suddenly said.

“Tsk.” The black candle emerged from a pile of luggage. “How did you know I was watching?”

Teest shrugged indifferently. “You’ve always been a voyeur. It’s not news.”

“You two aren’t planning on doing anything tonight, are you?”

Kando spoke in what could only be described as a horrified tone. “I understand people have different tastes, but aren’t you a bit too…”

“Nol said he was tired, and I’m not an animal in heat all the time.” Teest glanced at him. “I just wanted to ask you something, or more accurately, ask Loser who’s behind you.”

“I can’t just order a False God around like a dog…”

“Come on. It’s definitely watching.” Teest chuckled briefly. “After intervening to seal Nol, do you think it would just leave?”

To bypass the [God’s Forsaken], Star Stealer Sol projected itself onto the serpent prophet. So how did Perradat watch them? It wasn’t hard to guess.

Teest suspected that it had been watching them much longer than Star Stealer Sol had—after all, it was a False God with real prophetic power. If it wished, it could create a thousand “chance meetings”.

Teest looked at Kando calmly, his gaze passing through its single eye to something that existed deep within it.

The black candle rolled its eye. “I don’t know…”

Before it could finish, its voice suddenly changed. The previously comical, non-human voice turned into a sweet young girl’s voice.

A familiar magical fluctuation spread out, identical to that of the headless body.

“Good night.” The single eye of the black candle curved slightly.

“I knew it. Only a big voyeur could bring out a little voyeur.”

Rather than addressing a fallen god, Teest’s tone was more akin to speaking to a rubber duck in a bathtub.

The black candle: “……”

The black candle cleared its throat. “Good night, Mr. Teest. I have many names. Here, you may call me Perradat.”

It pretended not to hear the earlier comment.

“At a critical moment, we indeed should collaborate further.”

Teest raised an eyebrow. “Is this what your prophecy told you?”

“No,” Perradat said. “Having taken away Lord Nol’s name, I’m now involved and can no longer foresee related futures.”

“If Lord Nol truly falls into madness, I will completely lose to Star Stealer Sol… You called me concerning the knowledge seal, right? I will—”

“Ah, you got it wrong.”

Teest relaxed on the bed, crossing one leg. “I just want you to release Kando—you made it induce Nol to fight Star Stealer Sol. Now that your goal is achieved, there’s no need to constrain it anymore.”

Perradat quietly observed Teest. Unfortunately, a single eye didn’t reveal much emotion.

“Lord Nol’s problem…” It shifted the topic.

“I don’t trust cooperation with Star Stealer Sol, just as I don’t trust yours. In the end, you’re all just coveting outsiders.”

Teest said, “I’ll figure out Nol’s situation myself—if you want to cooperate with us, well, with me personally, then release Kando.”

“You’re not such a generous person.” After a while, Perradat responded.

Teest narrowed his eyes. “I have my plans. You just need to answer me. Agree or refuse.”

“If it can earn a bit of trust from both of you, of course, I’m willing.”

Perradat pondered for a full two minutes before speaking again. “Please believe in my sincerity. My survival doesn’t require dominating the world. I only need a small corner—I just hope Star Stealer Sol disappears. I have no intention of fighting against the true Creator God.”

“You can negotiate with Nol when the time comes.”

Teest said, “We’ll solve everything together. Nol won’t go back on his word. You and your little candle have been watching for so long. You should understand his character.”

“As for what you can get from me.”

Teest fearlessly faced the fallen god.

“After Star Stealer Sol disappears, I won’t try to get rid of you. Is that price enough?”

---

The author has something to say:

A chapter that might cause a drop in sanity. I tried my best. Hope it works.

Gently lying down (……

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>