Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 229: The Flames of Revenge

Mission accomplished.

After a loud outcry, Abaddon suddenly fell silent. This was something Anakin had entrusted him to do, and of course, he knew Anakin was backed by Paradise, but so what?

He wasn’t interested in speculating about good and evil but inherited the simple values of the vast majority of Players—the huge monster in the sky looked too ugly to be good. Attacking it was undoubtedly the right choice.

He just needed to bring up this topic.

If the leader of the Homeward Saints Guild wasn’t familiar with the game, they wouldn’t possibly accept such an outrageous proposal. The problem was, the Homeward Saints Guild was precisely composed of professional players and amateur experts.

They still believe this was a game, and they knew best what “game” meant.

From creatively solving quests, challenging higher levels, and collecting bizarre endings, to exploiting bugs, killing enemies in plot twists, and achieving no-damage completions, for top-level players, “playing by the rules” was the least interesting way to play.

There were no cutscenes here.

The massive monster suspected to be the “Demon King’s true form” had appeared. Could one resist trying it out? Compared to the seemingly never-ending main quest chains, wasn’t it more interesting to leapfrog and attack the final boss?

The challenge was just within reach. Wouldn’t you be curious?

Wouldn’t you give it a try?

Above the night sky, the figure entwined with countless flesh limbs quietly waited.

“Leave a search team to continue looking for NPCs. The combat team follows me.”

Hot Ash quickly made a judgment, swallowing his saliva with a somewhat hoarse voice. “The strategy analysis team goes first. Don’t attack. Just probe its pattern and try to get the basic data within fifteen minutes.”

Abaddon knew about the strategy analysis team. They actually weren’t high level but possessed all kinds of unique skills. To ensure the core combat force didn’t lose levels, the strategy analysis team always went first when encountering an unknown boss—to measure the boss’ basic values, combat mechanics, and the like.

“This is just a trial. Don’t feel pressured,” Hot Ash added a few words immediately, calming the restless Players.

The monster was too far away. The first round of attacks flew towards that hovering figure.

Nol easily neutralized the first wave of attacks with a flick of his fingers. Now, with Enbillick trapped in [Mercy Countdown], Star Stealer Sol’s true form, lacking conscious command, instinctively entered a full defensive state.

The opportunity shouldn’t be missed.

But now wasn’t the time to attack.

Star Stealer Sol didn’t dominate Tahe for over a hundred years for nothing. Plus it still held most of the system permissions. Nol roughly estimated that, even with Teest and him together, they couldn’t cleanly finish off Star Stealer Sol’s true form within half an hour under its full defense.

So, he had more important things to do now.

Facing the attacking Players, Nol seriously cast magic, creating… a fake health bar.

He brazenly topped it on his head, dodging the opponent’s attacks while secretly modifying the values, making it look like he was losing health reasonably.

Magic mixed with arrows created colorful attacks that came like fireworks to his face.

Surrounded by blue flames, Nol felt oddly elated.

He recognized all the Player professions on the other side, remembered all the effects of their skills and their attack trajectories, and calculated everyone’s cooldown times and attack values. He could—only he in this world could—act like a real tough boss in front of experienced Players.

He hadn’t yet dominated the system, but for the first time, he felt like he was dominating the world. The barrage of bullets and fireworks turned into twinkling dots in those blue eyes.

For a moment, Nol forgot about Star Stealer Sol, forgot those cumbersome hatreds and pasts.

Come on, let’s play together.

Get tired and go home.

Blue flames swirled around him, turning into magic circles of various sizes. The Holy Land churned as white tiles flipped over. Above in the sky, on the ground, in the water, countless skeletons appeared, and their eye sockets ignited with blue flames. In the dark night, those flames looked like cold stars falling into the world.

Hot Ash drew his long sword, and the fire burned a swath of undead creatures around him.

Was the first phase using a sea of monsters tactic? Looking at the humanoid avatar’s rate of health loss, that guy’s strength was still within their tolerance.

He raised his head, staring directly at the beautiful incarnation of the Demon King.

“Combat team, follow up!” Hot Ash commanded loudly. “Focus on attacking the humanoid part first!”

The combat team, all equipped with flying gadgets and mounts, rushed towards Nol.

The attack went from a trickle of probes to a furious tsunami, Nol didn’t dodge them all, deliberately taking a few hits to make it look like he was injured—his long hair was disheveled, and there were several tears on the edges of his wing membranes. His dark, magnificent robe was tattered, revealing a shoulder.

Nol’s fake health bar dropped dramatically, entering the 10% range.

It’s about time. Nol smiled. Facing the many Players up close, he didn’t hide this smile. The next second, his body and the “umbilical cords” behind him were covered in blue fire, and the fake health bar rapidly filled up.

…I know what you’ll think.

“Group One, continue to draw aggro. Group Three, cut the connections!”

As Nol expected, Hot Ash immediately switched tactics. “It’s replenishing its health through the main body—!”

…I know what you’ll do.

“Report, the umbilical cords can’t be cut!” replied the Saints combat Group Three. “They regrow as soon as they’re cut. All attacks are ineffective!”

Because those umbilical cords were equivalent to his fake health bar, Nol thought. They were just the most basic fakes, containing no power. Since they were nothing more than ordinary, repairing and fabricating them was easy.

…I know how you’ll choose.

Nol could hear the whispers among the Player teams.

“Maybe it’s not time to fight this guy yet. The system’s locked the health with a mechanism.”

“This game’s freedom isn’t that low. Hermitage has said, in theory, anything’s possible…”

“If it really wanted to lock health, it wouldn’t drop to 10% and then recover. There’s definitely something here.”

……

On the ground, Hot Ash bowed his head in thought. Finally, he took a deep breath and personally mounted a crimson wyvern.

When they first engaged, he had the strategy analysis team perform a special appraisal. The name of that young man was undoubtedly “Demon King[?]”. That [?] probably hinted that it was just an avatar, not the true body.

“Group One and Three draw aggro. Group One follows me. Let’s check out the big one!”

Hot Ash issued a new command.

…Exploration, adventure, imagination. Wasn’t this the essence of gaming?

Nol pretended to panic, turned towards Hot Ash’s direction, and carefully missed all attacks. Hot Ash, leading the Saints elite, rushed towards Star Stealer Sol’s true body, but as they flew halfway, their mounts began to struggle desperately.

“Can’t get through! The monster’s pressure is too strong!”

“That thing tried to stop us. The approach is right. We have to try!”

“That thing is too big. We don’t have enough people, boss!”

Nol’s smile grew wider. He raised both hands as the blue shower of fireworks exploded in the sky. Immediately after, a powerful presence emanated from a certain direction.

At the same time, Hot Ash urgently controlled the trembling wyvern and quickly flipped through the communication crystal. When he spoke again, his voice was filled with excitement.

“Continue!” he ordered decisively. “Reinforcements have arrived!”

Hundreds of giant figures pierced the night, flying towards Bissus. People hadn’t yet made out the contours of the newcomers before feeling their terrifying aura—

Under the moonlight, dragons spread their wings and flew.

On the backs of each dragon, human figures could be vaguely seen. Following the main quest update, the long-missing Amazon joined the battle.

Led by Subelbot, the dragons glared at the monster in the sky, emitting roars full of battle intent. The ground’s tiles cracked and rose under the control of dragon magic. Dragons leaped towards the sky, leaving behind solid and massively magical floating islands.

Those were the Players stairways to the sky.

Under Subelbot’s instructions, the proud dragons directly attacked Star Stealer Sol’s true body, with the Player’s main firepower shifting accordingly. The new Amazon Players didn’t even glance at Nol. Their attacks rained down like a storm on the four “moons”.

Nol, pretending to be helplessly furious, exerted all his effort to call upon system permissions. He didn’t need Star Stealer Sol’s detailed panel or the system to spy on its skills. He only needed to do one thing—

Under the exaggerated attack of the dragon formation, accompanied by suspicious flickering. A dark red health bar appeared below the four eyeballs, shockingly only a third left.

Star Stealer Sol’s true body was fully defensive. Even such concentrated attacks only scraped its health bar by just a little. But it didn’t matter. This was enough—more than enough.

It showed its health bar.

Such a big scene, so many eyes watching, every minute and second would be remembered by the Players. Star Stealer Sol wanting to easily rewind time, wouldn’t be so easy anymore.

Skeletons exploded in mid-air, and a pale rain of corpses fell from the sky. Dragons danced under the crimson moonlight, while the immortal Saints charged towards the monster tearing the sky apart.

At the center of this gorgeous night was the terrifying health bar of Star Stealer Sol’s true body. It was like an exaggerated bloodline splitting the vast sky in two.

Below the health bar, Nol was wrapped in blue fire. Amid countless bright blue dots, Nol’s presence was incredibly striking—flames centered on him, sweeping in all directions, as if to ignite the entire sky.

Nol pursed his lips, trying hard to look serious.

Well, this fire mainly served three purposes. Defense, guiding, and exaggerated visual effects—it illuminated the many floating islands leading to the sky, making it easier for Players to proceed.

“Dorothy!”

Hot Ash found the Amazon leader, who was furiously poking at eyeballs. “Xiao Li calculated that our output isn’t enough. By dawn, we could only take down a little over half.”

“Our calculations are similar.” Dorothy shrugged. “The issue is this thing can be fought. Do you really want to find more people now?”

“I’m just thinking of other ways—”

Underneath the helmet, Hot Ash’s skin was burning. The bosses from Paradise were still going through the motions outside the city, and the Demon King’s true form was still on standby, only releasing a limited-power avatar.

This was an excellent opportunity!

They must unleash a barrage of attacks on the true body. Even if they couldn’t kill it, they had to make the monster shed a layer of skin.

What’s the next step? How can they maximize their output?

While madly outputting skills, Hot Ash feverishly pondered.

Below Hot Ash, the “Demon King’s avatar” being focused on was riding a rollercoaster of health. In the intervals of dodging skills, the avatar sneakily lowered its head, looking towards the ground.

Half an hour was almost up. Nol counted the seconds, continuing to wait.

Above the ground.

Eugene looked up at this lively and magnificent battlefield, his gaze fixed on Nol’s neck. His hand tightened around his sword. Should he go to assist? No, he couldn’t… It was the will of God to find people. He couldn’t go against God’s thoughts.

After praying silently for a few moments, Eugene’s cloak billowed, and he continued searching the vast church area of Bissus City. Suddenly, he slowed his pace—a few steps away, he sensed a peculiar aura.

A heretic knelt in a dark corner. Dressed in black, his shoulders and head were adorned with candles stacked with wax tears, and he was muttering strange prayers.

A follower of the Demon King? No, that’s not right. Their magical fluctuations were very strange, distinctly different from the Demon King’s power, with a strong sense of foreignness, like they didn’t belong to this world.

Eugene carefully sensed for a while and found hundreds of similar auras appeared in the city. They were near and far, scattered in different districts… When did these people appear? What exactly are they doing?

“Who are you?” Eugene placed his sword on the heretic’s shoulder.

Strangely, his “Dominator” had no reaction. The person seemed not to be an enemy of God.

“We pray for a bright destiny, for the bright eyes.” The person replied with an ethereal voice. “The God of Fate shields the warriors from filth, allowing them to look directly at the enemy…”

Facing the Captain of the Investigation Knights, this heretic bore no hostility. Not only was there no hostility, but there was also an out-of-place aroma of food emanating from him. Although this person appeared detached, Eugene still spotted a few soup stains on his collar.

Under normal circumstances, Eugene would definitely capture these sudden heretics and interrogate them thoroughly. Now… the immediate priority was to find the real enemies of God.

Don’t blindly follow doctrines. Trust your own judgment, Eugene.

Eugene decisively sheathed his sword. He passed the heretic, who resumed praying, and ran towards the direction of the cathedral. He hadn’t gone far when he bumped head-on into the deputy captain rushing over.

“Did you find them?” Eugene’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword.

“Captain!” His deputy captain gasped for air. “The Mad Monk appeared. He drove everyone away and sealed the main hall!”

Eugene’s breath hitched.

The main hall? Painter launched [Mercy Countdown] in the main hall, and the time limit was about to expire. The Mad Monk couldn’t possibly miss this piece of information. What exactly did he want to do?

“You continue searching for people with everyone else.” Eugene patted the deputy captain. “I’ll check the main hall!”

“God wants us to find…” the deputy captain hadn’t caught on yet.

“I have my judgment!” Eugene rushed towards the main hall without looking back.

Suddenly, a blaze exploded in front of him. Eugene came to a screeching halt, disbelievingly looking towards the cathedral.

The world’s largest Evergreen Church, the most magnificent prayer hall, was now engulfed in platinum flames. The golden flames, like a sword, pierced straight into the sky.

Blue fire in the sky and golden flames on the ground. The night was torn apart by them, making the surroundings of Bissus City as bright as daylight.

Eugene tasted blood in his throat. Before he realized, his body roared out—

“Mad Monk—!!!”

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The author has something to say:

Nol finally starts a grand performance, fooling everyone. Poor Star Stealer Sol, ultimately couldn’t outplay a corporate slave who’s been mentally overworking for years.

Teest, who burned the biggest Eternal Church as a child, grew up to burn the biggest Evergreen Church. Such a promising child.

————————————

And yes, the followers of the God of Fate went to the battlefield after having their fill in the Tower.

After all, they are followers of the God of Fate (.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 228: Layout

Time rewound.

Enbillick decisively disappeared in front of Teest, slightly reversing time as he rushed with the crowd seeking refuge into the church. Should he worry about the teleportation raising suspicions? That was now the least of his concerns.

His true body was exposed.

At this point, he must completely eliminate Nol and Teest. Once he gained full system permissions, he would immediately destroy all Players and then erase Bissus City from the map.

Later, he would just package the incident as a disaster brought by the Demon King.

Now his greatest advantage was the power of his avatar—

Enbillick once again checked the panels of Teest and Nol. His control over the system wasn’t complete, so he was only able to access the most basic information, but it sufficed.

[Doom Knight[?] – Lv.200]

[Demon King[?] – Lv.200]

Enbillick had verified with the system. The power level of these two professions was roughly equivalent to the third advancement of the rarest class. The “[?]” was concerning. He tentatively applied the standards of a top-level boss to his enemies’ stats.

Currently, Nol and Teest couldn’t modify the system. Even if they were strong, they remained within the system’s analytical capabilities.

Enbillick looks at his own panel.

[Enbillick Alva [Avatar] – System Temporary Administrator]

[HP: 35,634,799/35,634,800 | MP: 1,215,654/1,218,500]

[Strength: 341,167 | Agility: 192,673 | Intelligence: 86,750 | Physical Defense: 976,632 | Magical Defense: 850,070]

[Status: Using Avatar]

[Star Stealer Sol – System Temporary Administrator]

[HP: 635,843,910/999,999,999 | MP: 727,839,800/999,999,999]

[Strength: 9,999,999 | Agility: 9,999,999 | Intelligence: 9,999,999 | Physical Defense: 9,999,999 | Magical Defense: 9,999,999]

[Status: Using Avatar; Unknown Error]

This was the greatest power he could obtain under the system’s rules—his true body wasn’t this powerful, relying entirely on manipulating the system’s authority. What a wonderful power.

Pity. If he could fully control the system, he wouldn’t need such hassle and could simply grant himself the highest authority of [Indestructible].

Enbillick was pushed towards the church’s main hall by the crowd, cautiously observing his surroundings.

Judging by the panel, his avatar’s power was roughly comparable to Nol and Teest, but his true form was more than ten times stronger. The problem was, his true form was too large, attracting unnecessary attention, and it was difficult to carry out precise attacks—

He flattened Joy Garden with his true form, yet a large group survived. He “eliminated” Xu Yue with his true form yet left a significant aftermath.

Values didn’t represent everything. He shouldn’t underestimate his enemies based on numbers alone.

Thinking this, Enbillick quickly stabilized his breathing.

Yes, he shouldn’t fall at the same hurdle for the third time. This time, he must crush his enemies by hand, seeing them disappear with his own eyes.

Right now, others posed no threat. Those two had finally separated. It was the perfect opportunity to kill Teest.

He purposely acted as if fleeing, shaking off Drake with his tricky spatial skills. Now, Teest had no idea of his avatar’s power level. If Teest approached first, he could take him by surprise and cleanly kill him.

As for the God of Creation with system permissions… Enbillick preferred not to face him personally, but he still had the “Players” up his sleeve. That group of Players could be used as weapons or held as hostages. Once he killed the Mad Monk, dealing with Nol would be much easier.

Bring it on.

Underneath his cloak, Enbillick prepared his spellcasting gestures.

The crowd surged, yet there was no sign of the White Knight. Not Teest, not even Eugene followed inside. Closest to him was an Investigation Knight trying to bring order.

The knight was pushed around by the crowd, ending up next to Enbillick. Enbillick frowned. Just as he was about to dodge, his vision suddenly darkened.

The crowded church vanished, replaced by the empty ruins of the church. The ruins float slowly and weightlessly, surrounded only by deep darkness.

[Mercy Countdown], a unique skill of a “Saint”.

“Utterly foolish,” Enbillick remarked.

Behind him, the “Investigation Knight” removed his helmet, revealing sweat-drenched red hair. Painter casually discarded the helmet, the metal clanged against the ground, producing a series of crisp sounds.

“Reducing witnesses when facing me is the dumbest act.” Enbillick turned around. “Not to mention this lockdown is pointless—my old friend, you couldn’t possibly think you could last thirty minutes against me?”

“I know, I know. If my actions were truly threatening, you’d have rewound time already instead of talking to me,” Painter gestured with a pen-shaped magic wand. “I just wanted to talk to you alone, sir.”

Enbillick raised an eyebrow.

What could his former pope possibly have to say?

Painter took a deep breath, and his expression became earnest. “You know, you really are a terrible god—I’ve wanted to say this to your face for a long time. It feels great!”

Enbillick: “……”

Enbillick raised his hand, and black-red light arrows rained down towards Painter. Painter stood still, suddenly unfolding a circle of blue fire in front of him. At the same moment, a similar fire circle opened behind Enbillick, and the arrows shot straight towards Enbillick’s back.

“That’s why I don’t believe in gods,” a cold voice interjected. “I’ll add, you’re also a lousy trading partner.”

Drake emerged from the shadows, his long sword glowing with blue light. A ring of blue fire burned behind his head, reflecting his blue eyes that looked like the sea beneath a glacier.

The aura of death and dragons spread.

Enbillick flashed his figure, dodging the black-red light arrows. He gritted his teeth. “I see. At least three opponents… I didn’t expect the Mad Monk to give up even his dignity.”

With Drake’s ability, it was a bit troublesome, but the situation was still under his control.

“Is this [Mercy Countdown]?”

A female voice appeared. She seemed to have just been pulled into the space, so her movements were a bit stiff. “Wow, cooler than I imagined.”

Anakin fiddled with her magic wand. She was dressed in top-level healing gear. By her side, cowering, was Solo.

Wait. Enbillick suddenly realized something.

A magic swordsman with spatial abilities, a holy mage “Saint”, a high-level healing profession “Flawless”, a rare support “Night Ranger”. This was a standard battle team. Could it be—

“Teest said he’s busy and got other stuff to do.” Anakin waved at Enbillick. “By the way, don’t bother with rewinding—I’ve already greeted all the Players present before coming in. They know the important NPC Enbillick entered [Mercy Countdown].”

She was surprisingly relaxed now.

What god’s avatar? If it had a health bar, it could be beaten, and she confirmed with Nol. Enbillick couldn’t yet revoke Players’ permissions—even if the Mercy Countdown exploded, she wouldn’t die. She would just lose some levels!

Drake silently stepped to the front of the four, firmly grasping his long sword. “Let’s begin.”

Before the team of four, Enbillick laughed furiously.

Too arrogant—just too arrogant. First that damned woman, now these mere mortals. Nol and Teest must be crazy, actually leaving a god’s avatar to be handled by humans.

Around him, black-red magic continually overflowed.

So what if he can’t get out? There was no need to flee from mortals. He would destroy these four blasphemous defilers.

……

Knight Eugene had an uneasy intuition that something was amiss.

He quickly received an update for the main quest, preparing to pursue the impostor Drake at once. However, in just a moment, that Drake vanished without a trace.

The Players in the square were equally bewildered. Not only could they not find Drake, but they also couldn’t locate Avra and the two children. Eugene had specifically confirmed that no one recognized the Investigation Knight who had taken Avra away—the knight’s face was completely obscured by a helmet with not even a single strand of hair showing.

Recalling someone who had been lurking near Bissus and hadn’t yet appeared, Eugene had an uncomfortable suspicion. Upon hearing that Golden Sword had been captured in [Mercy Countdown], his suspicion turned into certainty.

Painter had made his move.

Damn it, with the dimensional isolation of [Mercy Countdown], he was completely unable to intervene. Eugene gritted his teeth in frustration.

Forget it. The priority now was to guide the Players who had lost their objective. Now that the protective barrier was broken, most of the Players were concentrated within the city, and monsters from the outskirts were soon going to invade…

“Tower!”

On the city walls, a guard player shouted using a sound amplification spell. “The Lost Tower has appeared! Paradise monsters are fighting the monsters outside the city!”

The Players immediately exploded into confusion—

“Wait, aren’t they on the same side?”

“Hard to say. Maybe the monsters just aren’t sentient.”

“Should we attack while it’s chaotic?”

“Let it go, Azu. It’s crowded with bosses outside. We won’t be able to retrieve our gear if it bursts.”

“The quest requires us to kill the target NPC. We need to get it done by sunrise. It’s better to stick with the quest…”

“Quiet!”

Seeing the Players falling into chaos, Hot Ash hurriedly stood on the statue’s pedestal. “No one is allowed to leave the city. Prioritize the time-limited main quest!”

Sure enough, Eugene wasn’t surprised by a fairly wise judgment.

“Fifth Brigade, assist in searching for people. Target Avra Alva!” Eugene made a decisive decision.

That guy Drake had considerable combat power and was very likely teamed up with Painter. Even if he was acting alone, ordinary knights were no match for him. Avra was different—Eugene knew Painter’s personality; that guy would never bring a mother with low combat capability into danger.

Avra had taken the children with her. They must be hidden somewhere by Painter.

“Boss, I have an objection!” After the noise subsided, a loud voice suddenly rang out.

Eugene quickly turned his head. He recognized the loudmouthed Player, who seemed to be called Abaddon.

“We can’t just blindly follow the quest. It’s too passive.” Abaddon specially used a sound amplification spell, his voice booming. “Didn’t we just follow the rules before, only focusing on city defense, and then we were infiltrated by the Demon King’s scouts?”

“We are veteran players. We need to analyze the quest properly—there’s more than one way to solve a quest.”

Around the square, Players buzzed with discussions, many voices in agreement.

“Continue,” Hot Ash responded gruffly.

“The core of the quest is to kill the scouts, protect Bissus, and prevent it from being destroyed by the Demon King’s army.”

Abaddon climbed onto the stone platform, standing beside Hot Ash, and continued theatrically, “But now the Demon King’s army is here, fighting the common monsters outside. Even if we kill the scouts during this time, we’ll still have to face that army afterward.”

Hot Ash: “Interesting.”

The Lost Tower had already stopped outside the city, and the Demon King’s scouts probably had a grasp on the situation inside. Even if they killed the scouts, the Demon King’s army would just attack a bit later.

The quests in “Tahe” were relatively intelligent, with causal relationships between them, and indeed, the solutions weren’t strictly limited.

Seizing the moment, Abaddon stretched out his arm, pointing to the sky. “We could take a step ahead and stealthily attack their general.”

“What did you say—”

Hot Ash looked up, nearly biting his tongue.

Above in the sky, a lone figure hovered. It was a rather handsome young man, with crown-like curled horns on his head. His black hair was gently fluttering in the wind. The man spread his wings, quietly suspended in the night.

His body was entwined with numerous twisted flesh limbs, which connected to the four moons like umbilical cords.

It was as if he was waiting for something.

---

The author has something to say:

Answering possible questions:

Why didn’t Star Stealer Sol go all out against the young couple from the beginning?

His thought process is roughly:

Wow, two cockroaches appeared at home → buy cockroach killer overnight and place it around the house.

The two cockroaches have surprising combat power, waking him up at midnight → start calling professionals to poison.

The cockroaches suddenly became the size of a palm → no choice, just have to burn the house down.

He wouldn’t just burn the house down upon discovering two cockroaches… Hard to get a house. He still has a mortgage to settle from the system (???

Sorry, young couple (…………………………

You guys are a cute dragon and cat! Star Stealer Sol is the real cockroach.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 227: Unexpected Quest

Before the sky collapsed, at a corner of the Endless Sea.

Teest only felt as if he had been doused in grease and set alight. His organs were burning, his skin was cracking, and his brain was boiling inside his skull.

It had begun.

Nol had officially started to repair his magic circuits, modifying the crude mix that made up the “Supplement Demon”. But they both knew this was going to be difficult, much more so than when he had worked on the General.

Even as a Supplement Demon, the General was still a creature belonging to Nol. She would continue to roam the land of Tahe, using powers 100% derived from the system. For Nol, healing the General was like repairing a machine he had designed himself. He was well acquainted with its principles, so it was hard for him to make mistakes.

But Teest was different.

Although Teest originated from his creation, he had now become a far more special existence.

The system couldn’t fully control Teest, and Nol couldn’t refer to existing magic circuits. He had to design an entirely new magic circuit based on Teest’s unique power characteristics.

Every time he miscalculated, every time he corrected a mistake, it caused Teest immense pain.

…As it should.

But Teest just looked at him, with a sweet smile. As if the sharp power cutting through his body wasn’t sharp at all, but a caress from a god. His expression was relaxed and peaceful, just like every day when he woke up beside Nol.

All was silent around them. Teest didn’t even groan. He just looked up at the gradually dimming sky. The evening glow spilled down like blood while his figure was shadowed by Nol’s.

[You need to be tougher, honey.]

Teest could feel the intense pain inside him, as if Nol wasn’t pulling at his circuits, but at his very nerves. He silently suppressed his agony, sending his thoughts to the God in the sky.

[Believe me. Compared to the fools of the Eternal Church, your methods are like a mother soothing her baby.]

Teest watched the wounded God of Creation, covered in dirt and blood. Those clear blue eyes focused on him as if they were the only two people left in the world.

Teest liked that gaze, but he wasn’t fond of Nol’s current state—the man was too focused, completely forgetting his own pain.

Under the golden threads, the mighty beast was still beautiful. The “mistakes” climbing along the threads on its body created one festering wound after another.

[Circuit Manipulation], a skill that could interfere with the magic circuits of other beings.

But modifying a twisted target like the “Supplement Demon” required a designated “Living Sacrifice” to bear the “mistakes”—these “mistakes”, like the original Demon King corruption, were born from contradictions in the laws and were difficult to erase.

Before the transformation was completed, Nol personally took on the role of the “Living Sacrifice”.

As the sun slid down the sky, Teest’s circuits were nearing completion. His pain had faded, while Nol’s decay and rot deepened.

Teest felt a shiver on his back. That strange tremor suppressed the pain, worry, and urgency.

It was just them here, the golden threads seemingly stitching the two together. They shared the same pain, the ache like the plunder and push of tongues during a kiss. Time stretched infinitely long, with each second feeling like eternity.

To him, the burning pain of his entire body became pleasure. The shock was so intense, it nearly overshadowed everything, almost making Teest forget the thrill of driving a blade through the throat of a cultist for the first time.

The blood-red twilight enveloped the scarred god, and that intoxicating gaze continued. Being shaped by a god while conscious felt sweeter than a kiss, more intimate than the entanglement of bodies.

For a moment, Teest couldn’t tell if his blood was boiling from pain or from excitement.

…So that’s how it is.

To him, there would never be anyone more special than Nol in the world. There had never been before, and there would never be in the future. He no longer needed to prove anything, to question anything. This moment was enough to leave a permanent mark.

As the moon was about to rise, Teest completely forgot his pain and opened his arms to Nol again.

Let’s embrace, honey.

In those blue eyes, Teest saw the blazing golden flames. Following the gradually fading silhouette, those flames outlined the god’s form, vaguely sketching a similar monstrous shape.

That was a strange outline—a cunning, ever-changing shadow.

As the sun finally set, in the last ray of light, the beautiful black beast hovered mid-air, and beneath it on the icy surface, lay a platinum-colored flame “shadow”.

The shadow, with its eerie sense of combustion, leapt towards the god above. It was hard to say whether the action was predation or an embrace. It tightly wrapped around the wounded, weakened beast, its featureless head pressing closely against the beast’s head.

The moon rose and all was dim. Only that chaotic shadow still burned, causing a moment of disarray.

The circuit modification ended, and in that moment, the being known as Teest truly came into existence.

Nol hadn’t expected Teest’s true form to turn out like this—a platinum shadow gradually tightening and condensing, then reverting back to the naked Teest.

With a flicker of light, Teest was clothed in the armor hidden within the pendant. The white armor pressed against Nol’s rotting skin, which felt cold yet comfortable.

At this moment, the severe pain that eroded Nol made it difficult for him to think. Thanks to the system, he was stronger than Teest at this moment, or else those deadly “mistakes” would have killed him on the spot.

So far, so good, and next…

Teest kissed the terrifying wound in front of him.

Countless golden threads shot towards the sky, piercing through the clouds, through the night. They accurately connected to a vulnerability at the edge of the sky—the marks they had left during their last moon exploration.

In the next second, the threads ignited with blue fire.

They pierced through the shell, through the membrane protecting the “moon’s eyeball”. In an instant, those golden threads connected Nol with the essence of Star Stealer Sol.

Star Stealer Sol would soon notice something amiss, but it didn’t matter. A moment was all they needed.

Initially, Nol had considered using Star Stealer Sol as the living sacrifice. The problem was the time it took to heal Teest; if he had connected to Star Stealer Sol from the start, Star Stealer Sol would have noticed something wrong.

But that didn’t mean there were no other methods—

In the end, a living sacrifice was just a container for mistakes. As long as some unfortunate soul took the damage, it was fine. The system didn’t limit switching. “Beating the drums and passing the flower*” should work.

*It’s an idiom referring to a situation where people are trying to avoid taking responsibility/blame and passing it on to another person (AKA passing the buck). It comes from a Chinese game where a group of people sit in a circle with one person chosen as the “flower holder”. That person passes the flower to the person beside them, and so on, while someone beats the drums. When the music stops, whoever is holding the flower is eliminated, and the game continues until only one person remains (similar to hot potato).

Now, like a snake injecting venom, Nol transferred all the “mistakes” accumulated in his body to the essence of Star Stealer Sol.

“Three.”

After the transfer, Nol immediately reverted to his human form and was caught in Teest’s arms.

Star Stealer Sol’s main body received the “mistakes” well. This strike couldn’t really finish it off, but it was enough to inflict terrifying damage.

“Two.”

Teest kissed Nol on the cheek, and at the same time, tens of thousands of golden threads broke simultaneously, burning fiercely.

Star Stealer Sol’s consciousness was on Enbillick, and by this time, Bissus City should have been sealed by Drake. Even if Star Stealer Sol noticed something was wrong with its main body, there would still be a lag in its reaction time.

“One.”

Nol hooked his arms around Teest’s neck for one last kiss before the battle.

The tip of his tongue was still numb from the intense pain, and he tasted only a warm breath.

It seemed like everything went smoothly in Bissus City. Star Stealer Sol didn’t notice the anomaly in time.

The azure-gold flames intertwined endlessly, burning through the traces Nol had left initially. The hard shell camouflaging the sky cracked open, and the shells hiding the four moons fell towards the ocean.

Perradat’s concealment arrived almost at the same time, perfectly weakening the influence of Star Stealer Sol’s main body, allowing everyone to witness the anomaly.

“You did very well.”

Teest, holding Nol in a princess carry, tore open a space magic scroll in high spirits.

“In a life-and-death situation, of course, we have to strike hard.”

Before the words fell, the figures of the two disappeared above the sea.

……

Bissus City.

Beside Enbillick, the residents of Bissus City ran to the church to hide. The bishop and knights of the Temple of Life stayed outside, and most Players didn’t move, looking up at the eerie scene in the sky.

The quest didn’t update. The scene was too horrifying, yet the Goddess remained silent. They weren’t sure if this was an actual attack or just a “patch” as a prelude to the quest.

The four ugly “moons” connected by twisted, rope-like flesh strips looked both like nooses and mutated, wrinkled umbilical cords. At the crack in the sky, its slimy, viscous surface kept swelling with pus, then bursting with a powder-purple liquid. The thing twitched non-stop, and as it struggled unconsciously, the crack in the night sky became more evident.

The elite members of the Saints Guild present all recognized these four damn moons.

…Absolutely, those were the strange moons that appeared with the birth of the new Demon King.

The moment he saw the moons, Enbillick finally realized the problem. His main body was injured, severely injured—his connection with his main body had been blocked by a protective shield, and the enemy took the opportunity to attack his main body!

Enbillick summoned the system in horror, checking his status. God knew what those two did, but with just one hit, his HP dropped by 30%.

30%!

Even in the war of the two gods two hundred years ago, he had never been so severely wounded. A fiery rage ignited in Enbillick’s mind instantly.

Enbillick was in a hurry to start the war for a simple reason—both Nol and Teest were growing too fast. Given time, they would only become stronger.

Enbillick was quite certain that, up to this point, those two’s strength was still not as good as his. He had even confirmed this with the system’s stats panel. But Enbillick still handled everything cautiously and wasn’t overconfident.

He had hoped to win quickly and beautifully, but now he had suffered such humiliation.

Indeed, he should have killed “Xu Yue” cleanly from the beginning!

No.

He could no longer be passive. He had to force those two out, not let them continue attacking his main body…

Yes, facing such crazy opponents, maybe he should have been more brutal from the start. For example, start a conspicuous massacre here.

Crack!

Under everyone’s gaze, the monster in the sky moved. Those four ugly eyeballs trembled non-stop, and a beam of black and red light bombarded the city’s magical protective shield—Mr. Drake’s protective shield naturally couldn’t withstand the hand of a god, and it instantly shattered and dissipated.

Another beam of light struck, but just as it reached the ground, it dove into a circle of blue fire. Beyond the circle of fire was the dead silence of the corner of the Endless Sea.

That fatal attack was swallowed up by the ocean.

Near the circle of fire, Drake swung his long sword, and many blue flames ignited and dissipated with his movements. This time, Enbillick saw it clearly—that was the power to break through space. That was…

“Ha!” Enbillick laughed in anger.

Was it the influence of the “God of Creation returning in a state of undead”? There seemed to be more and more undead being resurrected.

[★Main Quest “Demon Lord Subjugation” Update★]

[Emergency! There’s a breach in the city’s defenses, and darkness is invading. You failed to promptly eliminate the Demon King’s cunning scouts; thus, the quest has been altered. The invaders will soon bring the Demon King’s army. Please kill the impostor “Hero Drake” and save Bissus City from imminent danger.]

[Time Limit: Before sunrise]

[Quest Completion Conditions: Kill the target NPC; target NPC will change as the event progresses]

[Quest Reward: Divine Skill x 3; Holy Equipment Class Set x 1]

[Failure Penalty: Main quest difficulty significantly increases]

[Mission automatically accepted]

The target NPC at the forefront, strikingly, were two familiar names—

The fake “Drake”, the mad Avra.

Come, let the battle begin.

“It seems you’re really in a hurry.”

Behind Enbillick, a light voice came. “You forgot to limit the Player level. We saw it too.”

Teest’s voice was tinged with laughter. “The ‘Mad Monk’ should be the primary target.”

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 226: A New Story

“Strengthen the city defenses?”

At the moment, Enbillick was staying in the Temple’s VIP guest room, reading the latest intelligence.

His children were napping on the bed, while his wife, with her back to him, was busy arranging flowers in a vase—snip, snip. The sharp scissors cut through the flower stems, producing a fine and crisp sound.

Outside, a joint squad of Players and knights was tirelessly protecting the “Golden Sword family” day and night.

Star Stealer Sol casually crumpled up the letter, a flame completely consuming it, leaving not even ashes behind.

Just as he predicted, those two had entered the city under the name of “Hero Drake”. Indeed, he hadn’t felt the presence of Nol and Teest, presumably, [God’s Forsaken] was still effective.

The Lost Tower had disappeared without a trace before, and Teest had come into contact with the remnants of Perradat’s avatar. He thought he had reason to believe that those two people had teamed up with that useless Floating Cocoon—even if that guy’s powers were incomplete, the “concealment” ability was still troublesome.

That was why he had specifically set up this scenario, letting them walk into the trap themselves.

Whether in business or in divine battles, Enbillick always liked kind opponents—evildoers could be evil in a thousand bizarre ways, but the moral codes of good people were largely similar.

Just like now, Nol knew Bissus City was a huge trap but still had to fight on his own terms.

“Strengthening city defenses—that’s your first move.” Star Stealer Sol tapped his fingertips on the edge of the table. “Too boring.”

Since the other party chose to appear as “Drake”, they would inevitably be restricted by the identity of “Drake” as the spokesperson, unable to do anything too outrageous.

Try to seal off Bissus City, cutting off the attacks from external monsters, then make the Lost Tower appear outside the city, drawing the Players’ attention.

Those two would take advantage of the Players’ relaxed period to quickly move out and assassinate Enbillick Alva.

…Too naive.

Even the former “Mad Monk” had been collared by Nol, tamed to a laughable extent. Once the plan failed, even if he did nothing, those two would face the furious onslaught of Players.

But then again, how could he possibly do nothing?

“Darling, things outside seem to be getting worse.” Enbillick approached Avra from behind and spoke in a gentle tone. “It’s my fault. I thought it would be safe here… I shouldn’t have brought you and the children here.”

Avra adjusted the bouquet of roses—the rose petals were radiant, sparkling with a silky champagne gold. Her hair, neither long nor short, was tied back, making her appear gentle yet capable.

“Of course, it’s not your fault.” Avra’s tone was playful, slow, and clear. “The children were clamoring for a change of place, and I agreed. Given the choice, I would also choose Bissus.”

“Let’s go to the Great Temple Square for prayers every evening starting today.” Enbillick suggested in a way that sounded less like a question. “This is the land of the Temple of Life, and in these dire times, we should still show a cooperative attitude.”

Avra stopped arranging the flowers. “The square is crowded, and it’s hard to guard. The children won’t be safe.”

“That’s the Great Temple Square, the holiest of holy lands,” Enbillick continued cheerfully, his hands resting on Avra’s shoulders. “Every morning and evening, the clergy lead the people in praising God. I promise, at that moment, the Great Temple Square is the safest place in the world.”

“Alright, I trust you,” After a moment of silence, Avra responded gently.

The children slept quietly. The freshly trimmed bouquet still glistened with dew, as if it would never wilt.

Enbillick nodded contentedly. This was good. Compared to staying in the Temple’s guest room full of innocent people, a spacious place was more conducive to assassination.

He hoped those two would make good use of this opportunity.

The Golden Sword family’s reasons were too devout and righteous, and the Players and knights responsible for their protection had no complaints. The sun slowly set, and it was soon time for the first evening prayer.

The children, having woken up, clung to their mother’s skirt and walked step by step towards the Great Temple Square. They curiously observed this unfamiliar place—not many important figures lived in the Temple’s guest rooms. Most people here wore the long robes of the Temple of Life or the armor of the Evergreen Knights. Players from the Saints Guild naturally dressed to match the Temple’s style, gathering like a flock of white sheep.

By contrast, the Golden Sword family stood out like a sore thumb.

The Great Temple Square faced east and backed west, strictly designed according to the sun’s trajectory.

Morning prayers on the square faced the sunlight directly, dazzling and vibrant like dew on leaf tips. Evening prayers on the square, just as the sun sets, would pass through the statue of the Goddess of Life right in front of the Temple. The Goddess of Life held a basket entwined with vines and flowers. From the square’s perspective, the setting sun would turn into a ripe fruit falling into the basket.

The scene couldn’t be more sacred.

Enbillick glanced over the square, spotting a high-ranking archbishop coordinating the evening prayer, along with the Fifth Brigade. Eugene Malloy, fully armed, was conversing with the elderly archbishop.

Following the archbishop was “Hot Ash” from the Homeward Saints Guild. This knight had devoted himself to training recently, gaining another level of strength. Encased in sealed new armor, his facial expression was hidden.

With Hot Ash leading, a dozen or so top fighters from the Saints Guild also stood on the square. Judging by this setup, they were guarding the two important NPCs: “The Archbishop of the Temple of Life” and “Captain Eugene Malloy of the Fifth Brigade”.

A decent arrangement. Enbillick withdrew his gaze.

With Nol and Teest’s caution, they wouldn’t make their move on the first day. Today, his appearance here was just to signal them… Huh?

Somehow, beneath the giant statue of the Goddess, a figure in a tattered cloak appeared. The man stood under the Goddess’s feet, facing the slowly setting sun, raising his arms high. Before the crowd could react, a beam of golden flame shot straight into the sky.

At this moment, the sky was burning with orange-red twilight, and this beam was particularly eye-catching.

It exploded above the sky, creating ripples. The vast city seemed to be covered by an invisible, transparent dome, making Eugene frown involuntarily—this strong magical aura reminded him of the altars hidden by the Eternal Church.

Concealment and protection imbued with dragon essence.

The man’s intentions were probably good, but such actions must be approved by the Temple. Anyway, he had to be brought down first.

Eugene drew his sword and charged towards the man beneath the statue. The man didn’t dodge or hide. He simply removed his hood.

The moment Eugene saw the man’s attire, he abruptly stopped. It was Hero Drake—his clothes was exactly the same as when he was in Eternal Day City. Although there were slight changes in facial features and eye color, Eugene remembered the man’s power fluctuations. Quiet and resilient, with a subtle hint of death’s chill.

A snow-white cat circled his feet, clawing at his bootlaces. Drake nodded to Eugene, still with a stern face.

Without a doubt, that was the envoy of the Goddess of Life.

“You didn’t contact the Temple.” Eugene maintained a certain distance from Drake, performing a knight’s salute. His words carried no emotion, more stating a fact than an accusation. “With high alert everywhere, and your previous associations with Paradise, it’s better to consult the Temple first.”

“I only act on the will of God.” Drake was terse, and his voice was somewhat hoarse.

His gaze passed over Eugene’s shoulder, looking towards Enbillick Alva on the square.

Enbillick: “…Hah.”

He hadn’t expected the other party to be so rash. Was it to catch him off guard?

Those two didn’t just “strengthen the defenses”. A massive magical barrier covered the entire city, also secretly incorporating Perradat’s “concealment”, weakening the connection between his avatar and true body.

Nol’s approach was stronger than he had anticipated, evidently planning for a quick resolution.

What a pity, that won’t work.

Perradat’s strength was still insufficient. This protective barrier could only weaken the connection between the avatar and the true body, not completely sever it—this approach was akin to numbing his senses, but his body could still move.

Once the battle really starts, just breaking the dome with his true body would suffice.

Perradat might protect the Lost Tower but couldn’t make the vast Bissus sprout legs and run. Such a large target, Star Stealer Sol could find Bissus with his eyes closed.

However, now “Drake” was in excellent condition, and Enbillick had no confidence in achieving a one-strike kill. It was better to wait and see, wearing down the opponent’s strength.

Thus, Enbillick pretended to know nothing, continuing to “seriously” pray. He gathered strength, silently preparing to rewind time.

Make your move.

Beside him, Avra prayed with focus. The children, not fully understanding, followed her, crossing their fingers in a wheat-sheaf gesture.

Make your move.

Drake drew his sword. The cat at his feet stared dead at Enbillick, continuing to circle Drake’s heels like an eel.

Make your move.

Time passed, and the sky gradually darkened. The sunset fell into the Goddess’s basket. The evening prayer was about to end, and the crowd called the name of the Goddess of Life Tilia, but Drake remained motionless.

He was still conversing with Eugene. Enbillick could make out their lip movements. Eugene was discussing the Temple’s difficulties, trying to reach an agreement with the envoy. Drake responded half-heartedly, occasionally scanning the square.

…Was the other side really just scouting? This was too reckless, and not Nol’s style. At this point, Enbillick was starting to become confused.

He tensed up, ready to rewind time at the slightest sign of trouble.

The evening prayer reached its final stage. As important figures from afar, Enbillick’s family, along with other distinguished guests, stepped forward to receive a special blessing from the archbishop.

As the blessing ended, those who had come for the evening prayer were about to leave. Was the opposition planning to wait until most of the populace had left to make their move during their return journey?

Or did that person accurately predict Eugene’s approach, intending only to steal the god-slaying sword this time?

Enbillick feigned devoutness, bowing his head as the archbishop babbled blessings. With the corner of his eye, he glanced towards Drake—Drake still stood obediently in his spot, his sword never sheathed.

As night fell, perhaps due to the deepening shadows, a vague smile appeared on Drake’s face.

The next second, the magical lamps decorating the surroundings of the square lit up together.

“…The Supreme Lady Tilia will protect your family and your lineage. The glory of the Goddess is with the four of you.”

The moment the lights flashed, the archbishop skillfully concluded the blessing—such an effect was perfect, ensuring the congregation wouldn’t miss this moment.

At that moment, Enbillick suddenly felt emptiness in his body. Before he could think, a flash of silver light streaked by.

“Thank you for your blessing.”

Next to him, Avra said it with a smile. Her right hand hung down, with blood dripping down the blade of the small knife.

Her cheek splattered with blood, just like the moment not long ago when Painter slashed open his throat. Only this time, someone else had their throat slit—

Enbillick touched his own neck. He felt the hot blood and saw astonishment in the archbishop’s eyes.

Damn it.

That knife… the so-called self-defense blade, was unremarkable. It had been concealed by Perradat at some point. It couldn’t hurt him. Even if his head was severed by that knife, it would have no effect—only because his avatar’s physical strength was ordinary, to avoid suspicion, he could “get hurt” like a normal person.

His attention had been on Drake, then drawn by the emptiness in his body. He had no defenses against that lifeless woman… Such a lifeless person, making such a move, Avra didn’t even emit any killing intent.

Just like cutting off a flower branch, her smile unchanged.

The moment he touched the wound on his neck, Enbillick quickly made a judgment.

Something was very wrong—very wrong. Drake definitely had a plan, taking advantage of the avatar not receiving substantial damage, he must rewind…

Enbillick Alva was only injured, not witnessed dead. This surely wasn’t a major event. Everything could still be changed…

…Could it still be changed?

…Why did he feel resistance from fate?

For the first time, Enbillick shifted his gaze from Drake, looking towards the people beside him.

“’Avra’ isn’t my name. I inherited it from someone else. ‘Alva’ is not my surname. I inherited it from you. Our story spread across the world. That is, the story of the great merchant Enbillick Alva and a fortunate slave.”

Beside Avra, the figures of the two children disappeared. Avra lifted her blood-stained skirt and curtseyed shyly to him amidst distant and near screams.

She still held the blood-dripping blade.

“The spirits say that from this moment on, everyone will ‘see’ me, remember ‘me’.”

“Darling, our story will spread across the world. That is the story of the mad murderer Avra Alva and a pitiful victim.”

She showed him the bloodied blade, as if presenting a crimson flower.

Fate acknowledged it.

This woman was right. The timing, location, and characters were too special. Their romantic tale was widely circulated, turning this attack into a legend… Fate acknowledged this crime worthy of history.

Wait… Damn. With this…

Enbillick abruptly turned his head, suddenly understanding the real intention of the opposition. At this moment, his avatar indeed hadn’t suffered substantial damage, but he could no longer use Avra as an “exit strategy”.

From this moment on, this woman was no longer a speck of dust, but a criminal with a mad legend.

When had his plan been discovered? When did the opposition act? Why did Avra cooperate?

He had been careful to confirm every day. There were no traces of control magic on Avra, no powerful artifacts, and no special powers…

He had been so careful…

“Right.” The moment her arm was raised by the Investigation Knight, Avra still maintained her everyday tone. “Darling, the spirits asked me to tell you something.”

“They say, this is just the beginning.”

The archbishop was just a few steps away, and in the glow of the archbishop-level healing magic, Enbillick’s neck wound rapidly healed. Drake leaned against the statue, while Eugene looked up towards the sky.

As the flesh completely sealed, Enbillick instinctively looked up. The beautiful night sky cracked open before him. The four moons were no longer present, replaced by four massive, wildly tumbling eyeballs, and the vague organs exposed beyond the “rift”.

They were blocked by some force, allowing everyone to barely look directly at them. The surrounding screams grew louder, and the faithful rushed towards the Temple in disregard. Darkness spread, and cries and prayers of madness filled the air. Enbillick stood in place, the murderous intent around him growing stronger.

Fate acknowledged it.

On this night, the people of the Holy Land of Bissus looked directly at the “moon”.

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