Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 199: A Sweet Date

This was the first time Nol and Teest entered Grape Collar in their original appearances.

The first time they came, they were wary of the Temple’s Investigation Knights and didn’t want to be recognized by Golden Sword, so they carefully hid their appearances.

Now… they had openly defied the Temple of Life, and Golden Sword was from that very god. If any Investigation Knights were to cause trouble, they could easily escape. As for the aftermath, let Painter deal with the headache.

After dealing with the gate guards with a confusion spell, Nol took Teest’s hand and boldly crossed the city gate.

It was the end of winter, and there were fewer grape vendors on the streets; their absence was filled by sellers of roasted foods. The air was filled with the aroma of roasted meat, baked potatoes, and bread. The greenery of spring had yet to return, and the bare tree branches were wrapped in green cloth and golden bells. The tinkling in the winter wind mixed with jingling bells, shaking off some of the chill.

Nol and Teest each held a cup of hot fruit cider as they leisurely walked down the street. The bustling crowd flowed around them, with various product advertisements hanging at the shop fronts, oblivious to the battle against the False Gods above.

In the lively atmosphere, Nol relaxed. The closer they got to the truth, the calmer he became.

“People go to the fountain in the square to make wishes at the end of winter. Did you establish this custom?” Teest sipped his hot apple cider, exhaling a stream of white mist.

“No. They came up with it on their own.” Nol remembered the countless shopping festivals on Earth. “Let me guess. There’s no shortage of vendors there.”

“That’s right.” Teest recalled for a moment.

Nol leaned forward curiously, looking at Teest’s face. “Have you been there before?”

Teest showed a nostalgic expression. “Last year at this time, I decorated a High Priest in the very center of the fountain. That day, the fountain water was blood-pink, much like diluted grape wine.”

Nol froze. “……” Alright, he shouldn’t have asked the Mad Monk such a question.

Teest, noticing Nol’s stiffened state, smiled even wider. “Even earlier, my family took me here. Thinking back, my parents probably hoped that such ‘warmth’ would make me more normal.”

By the time they finished talking, they had already reached the edge of the square.

In the center of the square stood a sculpture of the Goddess of Life—a beautiful goddess backed by curving vines, holding bunches of plump grapes. Several exquisite wine jars lay at the Goddess’s feet, with fountain water mixed with perfume gushing out.

The fountain was crystal clear, with the shimmer of silver hooks and copper pieces at the bottom, occasionally speckled with flashes of gold. Passersby stopped by the pool to make quiet wishes.

Around the square, countless mobile stalls were crammed together, mostly selling snacks and toys to please children, even mixing in many game stalls. Many families brought their children to make wishes, easy to bring but hard to take away.

Laughter and shouts filled the air, creating a joyful atmosphere.

…It was hard to imagine Teest hanging a corpse in such a place. Nol looked at his knight with an indescribable expression. Teest was looking at the statue in the middle of the fountain without a trace of guilt.

Nol decided not to delve deeper into this matter.

Seeing people around him making wishes and throwing money, his homeland’s blood stirred. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, so he decided to make a wish first…

“I just thought this statue was annoying.” Teest threw his empty fruit shell cup into the trash, and quietly flipped off the statue. “I imagined the Goddess’s face as Enbillick’s just now, and found my mood worsened even more.”

Nol’s coin-tossing action paused again.

“We can make wishes for each other.” He coughed twice. “Essentially, there’s no difference.”

“Good idea.” Teest turned around, his eyes sparkling. “Let me think… I hope you stop the side effects of [Ash Remnants].”

He pointed meaningfully at Nol’s chest. “One gold wheel—I’ve already given it to you.”

Nol clenched the copper piece, slightly stunned.

[Ash Remnants], while giving him the warmth of a living person, also brought with it a burning pain with each heartbeat. That pain was once his reminder to himself, and over time, he had become accustomed to living with it, sometimes forgetting its presence.

He didn’t expect Teest to remember.

For both the Mad Monk and the False God Teest, this wish was too ordinary.

“Why?”

“Because the headaches you give me will accompany you.” Teest shrugged, taking a sip of Nol’s hot apple cider. “You no longer need that trivial reminder.”

Nol raised his right hand, pressing his palm against his heart. With just a small change, the magic glow quietly lit up, and the pain in his heartbeat quickly dissolved.

It turned out, he could become even more relaxed. Nol exhaled. “Your wish has come true.”

Having said that, he scratched his face somewhat embarrassedly. “This one doesn’t count. Do you want to make another wish?”

“Honey, you are more generous than an old candy merchant.” Teest sipped Nol’s hot drink again. “For the remaining wish, I’d rather achieve them by myself. Now it’s your turn. Please.”

Teest licked the fruit cider at the corner of his mouth and took a step back, bowing.

Make a wish, huh.

Just now, Nol was still hoping everything would go smoothly and for the early demise of Star Stealer Sol, but now he wasn’t so sure. Teest was right. They could achieve these things by themselves.

This was his wish to the False God Teest. He should make a more meaningful, more special, and more… personal wish.

Nol clasped his hands together, activating [Creator]. Under Teest’s curious gaze, Nol opened his palms to reveal a brand new gold wheel. It was exquisite and dazzling, much like the sun itself.

Teest was startled. “This…”

“For you, a special gold wheel.” Nol smiled.

“…Is it real or fake?” Teest asked eagerly.

Silence spread between the two, and the next second, Nol, gritting his teeth, pushed the brand new gold wheel against Teest’s chest. “Anyway, I want to make a wish with it. Real or fake, just take it.”

Teest snorted, flipping the gold wheel into the air, catching it, and then stuffing it into his pocket.

“I hope you can live happily, Teest,” Nol said solemnly.

Teest was stunned for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. “I’ll try to fulfill your wish. But I’m fickle. You’ll have to keep a close watch.”

“Of course.” Nol reached out and touched that beautiful silver hair.

“Wait for me a moment.”

Teest winked at Nol and ran off, returning with two desserts a few minutes later.

“Grape frosted sweets. It tastes good.”

Nol leaned in to see. The dessert was held up by a biscuit, looking a bit like frozen hard grape jelly, with faintly visible green grape flesh inside. Honestly, this didn’t seem to match Teest, who always preferred meaty, filling food.

This little thing wasn’t even two bites, accompanied by a roughly made wooden spoon, clearly meant for kids. Nol took the spoon, scooped a little, and nearly choked on the sweetness.

As a child, when his parents took him abroad for vacations, they had also bought such murderously sweet desserts, and the family of three couldn’t even finish one portion.

Hold on, hold on. This was something Teest liked. Nol struggled to swallow it.

“The last time I came here—not the time I killed someone—my father bought this for me, and my mother made a wish for me.”

Teest also scooped a spoonful. “She hoped my life would be happy. You reminded me of her just now.”

Nol: “…Thank you?”

“My mother said, making such a wish for someone else is also a form of ‘love’. Just like how my father queued up to buy this stuff—urgh, so sweet!”

Teest stuffed a mouthful and almost spat the dessert out. “I didn’t have this impression back then. That old lady must have changed the recipe.”

Maybe not. Nol smiled. His knight, in some respects, was indeed terrifyingly obtuse.

Nol forced himself to eat his portion, not complaining about the sweetness anymore. Just as he saw a glimmer of hope in his battle, Teest turned his portion upside down.

“So you really like it!” the Mad Monk insincerely exclaimed. “That’s great. Please accept my tribute—mmph!”

Before he could finish, Teest was forcefully fed a large spoonful by an angry Nol.

Both coughed for a while. Nol weakly raised a finger, removed half of the sugar in the jelly, and tried to stuff Teest’s portion back.

“Here you go, Your Grace,” Nol said dryly.

Teest couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud.

Nol blew out a breath and tried a small sip. Well, the sweetness was just right now. Indeed it had become tastier.

“…It looks like there won’t be any trouble this year. Last year, the Mad Monk ruined the entire festival.”

A keyword was mentioned, and a conversation from nearby reached Nol’s ears. “My relative is an Investigation Knight, and I heard that the Mad Monk hasn’t appeared for a long time.”

Teest bit the spoon, joining the eavesdropping.

“He wasn’t caught. That lunatic couldn’t have just stopped.” Another person muttered. “There might be some cases that haven’t come to light.”

“I’m sure there aren’t. The last one was the case in Whitebird City. Maybe the Goddess couldn’t stand it anymore and personally reformed that guy…”

Nol glanced at Teest with complex feelings.

Teest caught Nol’s gaze, immediately showing a bright smile and mouthed, “You, reformed, me.”

Nol turned his head away, pretending not to see.

This guy was sharpening his knife for the “Goddess herself”, far from repentance. Teest had just lost interest in those small fries.

Turning a “lunatic” into a “super lunatic”, it was hard to say that was “reforming”.

“Did the Mad Monk change his profession to an assassin? It’s said that Alva’s Ship Island was destroyed, and there was an Eternal Church ship there. Maybe it was that lunatic’s doing. Otherwise, there might be a second lunatic in Tahe.”

Sorry, the one who destroyed Ship Island was me. Nol guiltily turned his head back, just to see Teest’s solemn face.

“What’s wrong?” Did Teest discover something?

“…The Eternal Church.” Teest had a face like he forgot to turn off the tap. “It seems we didn’t bring Fischer Reginald with us.”

Nol was stunned. He thought Teest had other plans, but he just forgot?

“Never mind, he’s an adult. He can go home by himself.” Teest sighed. “Let it be.”

“……” Nol rubbed his forehead. “Next time we contact him, remember to ask him to bring Aesop along.”

It was still early, and the two loitered around the fountain for a while. As they were about to visit the General, Teest suddenly pulled Nol in a different direction.

Seeing the sign of the “Good Blessings” bakery in front of him, Nol was somewhat puzzled. He never thought Teest would take him here voluntarily.

This time Teest didn’t wait outside. He just pulled Nol’s hand and entered the shop as if it was nothing unusual.

The familiar sweet scent swept over, and in the shop’s central display, cute and tempting peach tea cupcakes were still placed—only the “new” on the sign had changed to “hot-selling”, and the price was now 1 silver hook each.

“Want to try?” Teest pointed at the peach cake. “The desserts we bought just now weren’t great. I need to make it up to you.”

Nol stared blankly at Teest, who just smiled back.

[One of the values of truth.]

Teest’s soft thoughts came over. [Now we know who the enemy is, he doesn’t deserve to leave a mark on me—help me remove it, Nol.]

“Since you’re treating, let’s buy a few more items.” Nol cleared his throat. “And bring some for our old friend as well.”

“…You’re being too much now.” Teest put on a dramatically heartbroken expression.

Nol was about to tease back when his gaze swept over several people behind Teest, his expression instantly blanking. Teest, sensing something was off, was about to turn around when a small figure burst into his view, heading straight for Nol.

“Daddy, Mommy, it’s the brother who came to eat last time!” The little girl joyfully exclaimed.

Colette Alva.

And she called out to “Daddy” and “Mommy”…

“What a coincidence, Mr. Nol.”

Enbillick Alva, carrying a basket of sweets, sounded as hearty as ever.

His wife, Avra, stood by his side, also carrying a basket of desserts. The sweets in their baskets varied greatly in style. It seemed the couple was buying separate treats for their children.

“Hello,” Avra said in slightly awkward common language while shyly bowing.

The sweet joy of the moment vanished. Nol, though able to suppress anger and disgust, couldn’t bring himself to greet Enbillick with a smile. Was it chance? Was it a reversion? Or was there a new scheme from Star Stealer Sol?

…There were people all around. Were they going to start a fight here?

“Good afternoon to both of you.” Teest stood beside Nol, his arm naturally resting on Nol’s shoulder. “You must be Mrs. Alva? You’re even more beautiful than the rumors.”

At the last dinner, Teest was busy sneaking treats under “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, so Avra had no impression of him.

“You are…?”

“I’m Nol’s partner, Teest. Didn’t your husband mention me?” Teest continued cheerily. “Billy, I’m going to be sad.”

“I had some trouble with my work before, you know about it.”

Enbillick’s face was full of nearly sincere apologies, as if they really had some kind of relationship. “I just got home not long ago and haven’t had the chance to mention you two yet—I need to make it up to my precious family first.”

“Fountain Square!” Colette called out.

“Make a wish. Make a wish!” Her brother Moore also started jumping.

“We came here to relax and didn’t expect to meet Billy’s friends.” Avra, a bit embarrassed, wrapped her arms around the children. “If you two are free, come to our house for dinner sometime…”

“Billy said he wants to be with his family. I’m afraid it would be inconvenient for us to go.”

Teest casually moved the topic along, tightening his hold on Nol’s hand. “The fountain is indeed nice. I recommend the grape frosted sweets over there.”

“Thank you.” Enbillick waved his hand.

“Nice to see you two. We’re going to check out first.”

After saying that, he made a gesture. Strange magical fluctuations dispersed. Teest subtly stood in front of Nol, but nothing happened.

“Wait.” Nol suddenly spoke up. “Enbillick, what wish are you planning to make?”

Enbillick blinked his ash-gray eyes. “This year, I’ll wish for ‘smooth sailing at work’.”

Avra gave them a puzzled look.

“That’s a good wish,” Nol said, pausing between each word. “Remember, wishes come with a cost.”

“Thank you for your advice.” Enbillick wrapped his arm around his wife and turned towards the store counter.

“Why did you suddenly ask him about his wish?” Teest curiously asked after the Alva family left the store.

“Because, that fucker stole the gold wheel I gave you.” Nol was still staring in the direction Enbillick left. “There are too many people here, so I couldn’t take action.”

Teest clicked his tongue loudly.

“It’s okay.” He kissed Nol’s forehead. “I’ll retrieve it from his corpse.”

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 198: Killing Billy

“The pure-hearted God of Creation narrowly escaped death. His radiance attracted many gods to follow, vowing to expel the villains who usurped their place…”

“The collaboration between gods is a very sacred matter, symbolizing the union of the highest level of power, deserving to be remembered and passed down for a thousand years…”

Perradat’s head lay askew on the table, spitting out words without emotion. “…In theory, that’s how it is. Haha, in theory.”

Under the candlelight of Kando, her surroundings were filled with bottles and jars, and the whole snake seemed much deflated. Mentor was enthusiastically conducting alchemical experiments, while Teest was tasting the new popcorn from Paradise.

Lynn was trapped in a pile of Paradise documents. It was hard to say which of the two sisters looked worse.

For a moment, Nol seemed to see the office working overtime late at night. Worse, he himself was the damned leader ordering overtime, unable to even placate with milk tea.

He slowly pried Teest’s claws apart, took a small basket of caramel popcorn, and placed it beside the half-dead Perradat. Perradat’s head didn’t move, directing the popcorn to fly into her half-open mouth.

“How’s it going?” Nol asked a bit embarrassedly after he waited for Perradat to chew and swallow.

“The Blood Potion and the avatar of Star Stealer Sol have very similar flesh.”

Perradat said slowly, “Using the flesh and blood of a god as a vessel and partitioning some power, this method has been popular lately. Star Stealer Sol, uh, Enbillick might have heard of it too.”

“He added just a tiny bit of power to the blood, stingily bestowing it upon humans.”

“It seems his power is related to ‘the past’.” Teest put away his popcorn, reaching for the basket in Perradat’s.

Perradat weakly glared at him. “He really isn’t capable of manipulating time itself. At most, he interferes with ‘the past’. Even so, this ability is very tricky.”

Indeed, Nol thought.

During non-combat times, Enbillick could freely collect information, investigating enemies using this ability. And when they fought, Enbillick would use this move to “reload” repeatedly.

The battle at Ship Island was a narrow victory. Next time it might not be so easy.

“The Blood Potion is Enbillick’s blood. What about the ‘Essence’?” Nol’s tone became serious.

“The ‘Essence’ is much more interesting. It’s almost like a mixed fruit and vegetable juice. I found many ‘god-level’ beings’ blood in it—of course, all inactive—the components maintain a delicate balance.”

Perradat struggled like a dead fish. “And it contains a bit of the system’s power.”

Hearing “mixed”, Teest’s eyebrows twitched. He glanced at Nol, breezily changing the topic. “Since it contains the system’s power, it’s not strange for the Supplement Demon to obtain monster traits. What I’m curious about is why the Blood Potion is mixed into the Supplement Demon Potion… Don’t tell me it’s to improve the flavor.”

“Don’t know. Too little information.” Perradat said, “You should take it to my core. My power of possession is limited.”

Nol scratched his nose. This thing was very similar to what Granny Meng remembered, suspected to be his own blood. Maybe he should also spare some flesh and blood for testing…

“I understand. Let’s discuss it at the core.”

Teest moved a bit, subtly positioning himself between Perradat and Nol. He turned his face, tapped his temple with his index finger, then placed it in front of his lips.

…This strange “mixture”—could it be related to his memory seal?

Teest definitely knew something about his memory seal.

Nol was dying of curiosity, but he restrained himself, just nodding to Perradat.

“I’ll go first.” Perradat’s head finally left the table, her voice carrying a hint of hope.

The next moment, a hand slapped down in front of Perradat. If not for the scent of caramel butter from this hand, the deterrent effect would probably be more pronounced.

“Don’t be so hasty.”

Teest leaned in. “It’s just sharing information. Your possession is enough for now. Now that Nol and I are officially opposing Star Stealer Sol, it’s best not to have a similar situation like ‘concealing information for self-preservation’ on Ship Island happen again.”

“Okay.” Perradat hummed softly.

“Besides Enbillick Alva, could there be other avatars of Star Stealer Sol?” Teest stared intently at Perradat.

Nol held his breath. He was also curious about this.

Perradat sat up straight. “No. Based on my interactions with him, his consciousness is singular—meaning when using an avatar, his consciousness can only be attached to one avatar at a time.”

At this point, she seemed to have made some decision as her voice deepened.

“Listen well. Avatars are more precious than you think. To create an avatar, one must use the body’s flesh and core power.”

“And avatars are connected to the main body, able to draw power from it when necessary, so they’re not so easy to deal with. The ‘headless body’ sealed by Enbillick, is part of my avatar.”

Teest fiddled with a small hunting knife. “If we kill the avatar…”

“Enbillick’s consciousness will return to the main body. The main body will be injured, but not dead. Given that guy still wants to preserve Tahe, even if ‘Enbillick’ died, he would just create another avatar.”

Perradat’s tone became serious. “Gods are not so easy to kill, you two.”

Nol pondered for a moment. “What if we kill the main body first?”

Perradat looked at him somewhat blankly. “This…”

“I need to consider all extreme scenarios,” Nol earnestly said. “If we kill the main body first, what happens to the avatar?”

“…Theoretically, the avatar would survive carrying the consciousness of ‘Star Stealer Sol’. Killing the avatar then would mean his complete death.”

Perradat shook her head. “Believe me. Such situations are rare. The power of the main body is usually millions of times greater than that of the avatar, even more. I’ve only heard of abandoning the avatar as bait—no one would be foolish enough to abandon the main body. Have you ever seen a lizard’s tail tip run away after being severed?”

“Truly fascinating.”

Teest clearly didn’t care about the difficulty of hunting Star Stealer Sol. “Can we two create avatars?”

Perradat shook her head like a rattle. “I and Star Stealer Sol do this because our main bodies are extremely large, likely to destroy the world—avatars divert power. I personally don’t recommend you two weaken yourselves like this.”

“Can’t we divert just a little? As a last resort for survival.” Teest sighed regretfully, glancing at Nol.

“Even if you save your life, you’ll only have that ‘little bit’ of power. Lord Nol will have to push you in a wheelchair.” Perradat tapped her fingertips on the table. “Once the main body is gone, it’s gone. Everything has to start over. Can you accept that?”

Teest glanced at Nol again. “I’ll pass, but I don’t mind pushing my—”

“I won’t consider it.” Nol answered decisively. “If it comes to that, Star Stealer Sol won’t give us a ‘restart’ opportunity.”

Perradat sighed. “That’s what I wanted to say.”

“First kill the avatar, then before a new avatar appears, find and kill Star Stealer Sol’s main body.” Nol murmured. “That’s the ‘normal strategy’…”

“Yes, that’s exactly what Enbillick did at first—destroy my avatar, then kill my main body.” Perradat’s expression turned bitter. “My core is my life. Please understand my caution.”

Teest politely quieted for two seconds. “We’ll visit it with respect, so when do we go?”

“To receive two distinguished guests, my people still need to prepare,” Perradat said, her gaze a bit scattered. “It’ll be in these few days. When the time comes, I’ll inform you both.”

Nol: “Your people?”

He suddenly had a somewhat uneasy premonition.

“I’ve said, Desolation Island is just a part of me.” Perradat slowly turned her head, saying with a subtle smile, “There are large areas that haven’t been interfered with by the ancient Demon King, inhabited by my people.”

“Recently, they’ve been dealing with sudden ground tremors. Half of my church has collapsed. It’s really not suitable for receiving guests.”

She almost seemed to grit her teeth by the end.

Nol: “……”

Teest: “…Ah.”

After a long thought, Teest solemnly handed the rest of his popcorn to Perradat. She rolled her eyes dramatically and clocked out on the spot.

“Wow, thank you!” Lilith blinked, joyfully inheriting the god’s grace.

……

Lost Tower, Nol and Teest’s room.

Nol lay on the bed, casually summoning his status bar.

He spaced out for a moment at the word “Demon King”. He was just a cursed humanoid Demon King. If the four moons above were related to the true body of Star Stealer Sol, he couldn’t think of any tactics right off.

Whether it was Players, neighbors, or dragons, their strength was limited to the ground. Dealing with Enbillick, who could “save and load”, was headache enough, and even if they managed a lucky victory, few could fight beyond the atmosphere.

Facing an opponent millions of times more formidable than “Enbillick”, the true body of Star Stealer Sol, seemed like an impossible target. Luckily, Star Stealer Sol was so cautious that it was almost pathological. If the roles were reversed, Nol could think of thousands of ways to kill both himself and Teest.

Mr. Demon King turned over in worry.

Although Perradat allowed them to approach the core, the “memory seal” was too dangerous, and his former self also stressed “not to unlock it”. With limited time, he couldn’t place all his hopes for victory on this memory seal.

He needed to come up with a more respectable plan.

One had to eat their food one bite at a time and kill their enemies one at a time.

The first step in strategizing was to understand the basic condition of the enemy. Before Perradat was ready, they still had tasks to do—they needed to thoroughly investigate Enbillick Alva.

“Teest.” Nol leapt up from the bed. “We need to go see the General in Grape Collar.”

“What a coincidence, honey.” Teest had already changed into a set of light attire, even donning his white armor. “We haven’t had a proper date in a long time.”

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 197: Gifts

Fifteen minutes later, in the cafeteria.

With the curious gazes of the neighbors upon him, Nol piled up an entire large tray with breakfast. The massive amount of food cast a terrifying shadow, yet Mr. Nol walked to his room in a manner that defied the laws of physics.

Teest, not particularly interested in the soft pastries, casually picked up a pot of meat sauce and silently followed behind Nol. Just by the looks of it, the two seemed as if they were raiding the cafeteria.

It’s amazing how people change. When the Lost Tower was first discovered, Teest could see confusion and fragility in Nol. Now, although Nol lacked the arrogance of a God of Creation, there was an inexplicable assertiveness in his demeanor.

‘How interesting,’ Teest thought. It seemed that Nol didn’t need a hug this time.

Back in the room, Nol closed the door with a snap and quietly and quickly started eating his breakfast. Teest slowly took off his coat and, out of curiosity, handed a cup of water to him. “You’re eating in such a hurry. Do you have a new plan?”

Nol: “Sleep.”

Teest: “…?”

“I want to eat up and sleep early.” Nol struggled to swallow the pie in his mouth. “People need to relax sometimes. You better get a good sleep too.”

“Is that your takeaway?” Teest wiped the crumbs from Nol’s mouth.

Nol shrugged. “Having been a monster for so long, I’ve gained some insights. Now that I’ve come to a conclusion, I’m actually happy—me, being a monster, saved my neighbors. At least I’m not a heartless, terrifying alien.”

With that said, he took another satisfied bite of the pie.

“Moreover, the neighbors were brought here by me, proving that ‘Paradise’ is a force beyond the Star Stealer Sol’s expectations. Don’t you think it’s safer here?”

Teest gave a long “Oh”, his tone rising, not hiding the skepticism on his face.

He slightly tilted his head, his long hair sliding down his shoulders. Teest wore only a white undershirt, glowing in the morning light.

The corners of Nol’s mouth slightly lifted as he drank water.

Mr. Teest, full of mischief, might never understand the impact of the “presence of the Mad Monk”.

He had an inescapable evil knight, a difficult lover who had yet to confess, and a promise about the end. “Madness” wasn’t an option, “sacrifice” wasn’t either; his choices were diminishing, leaving only “victory”.

When there were no choices left, people became stronger.

“Objectively speaking, the neighbors suffered undeserved misfortune because of me. But the main culprit is Star Stealer Sol. Should I run into your arms crying for a past I can’t change?”

Nol spoke the truth earnestly without hesitation.

“Thanks to someone’s teaching, my skin has thickened quite a bit.”

“No, no, I’m just a bit curious. You seem to not care at all that ‘you were once a monster’.” Teest elegantly cut his meat with a knife.

Nol finished the pie like a paper shredder and faintly nodded at Teest across. “If you were a lover with normal tastes, I might care.”

“Ouch, that hurts.” Teest wiped away non-existent tears. “No wonder everyone says that the truth is often the most hurtful.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“…Honey, you’ve picked up bad habits from those dog-headed beastmen.”

“Mm-hmm.”

After wolfing down breakfast, Nol cleaned his hands, vigorously rubbed Teest’s head, and said, “Good afternoon in advance.”

With that, he flopped onto the double bed and fell asleep in half a second.

Teest sat down by the bed, looking at Nol’s unguarded sleeping face. He brushed the stray hair from Nol’s face and leaned over to kiss his forehead.

The beautiful vase he didn’t choose to destroy in the past had become an indestructible, beautiful statue.

And when push came to shove, pushing turned into gentle caressing.

Teest pondered, automatically aligning himself with Nol’s body.

He carefully untied the other’s robe and gently covered Nol with the blanket. The vase on the bedside was empty, just right for bringing back some flowers, and in the interim, scared Perradat.

He left the room on tiptoe.

The beastmen pups were frolicking in the hall. They were so well-fed in the Tower that each one of them was a shiny, round furball. The dog-headed knights had new shiny armor and long swords, their tails wagging slightly.

During their absence, the neighbors kept up with their training. Various high-level monsters came and went, and if not for their busy cleaning, petting dogs, and gardening, this place really looked like a legendary Demon King’s army base.

“Little Teest, want some candy?” A friendly giant cyclops scorpion passed by, its tail holding a basket of sesame-covered soft candies. Before Teest could open his mouth, the candy was already in his hand, brought by a gust of wind.

Teest looked at it for a while and casually threw it into the mouth of Gryphon Piel, blocking the eager greeting of the young man.

“Pet my head!” Just as Piel was pushed away, a bold Mastiff pup squeezed through. “Pet my head!”

It was too noisy. Teest helplessly patted the pup’s head. In the past, he would have rented a room in a tavern by himself, with a book and a pot of tea, enjoying some alone time.

There were times when there were many people, but the looks they gave him were often filled with fear. He would dissect their innards bit by bit with a hunting knife.

Although he didn’t care about these guys, their shiny eyes kept looking over, unstoppable, and their friendliness made Teest’s skin crawl. On this short journey, he was stuffed with a full pocket of snacks by these bold monsters and even a gold wheel wrapped in red cloth.

Well, kindness was better than killing intent. Perhaps this was one of the prices of marriage. As Teest moved forward, his legs were grabbed by different pups.

“Perradat has already gone back.”

After spotting the peeking Teest, Lynn quickly blocked the door with her arms defensively raised. “I will supervise the work, but I won’t let her use my sister’s body to stay up late.”

Breathing finally smoothed. That was the attitude. Teest looked at Lynn with satisfaction, causing her to retreat half a step.

“I came to get something.” Teest said, “You can’t use all the spoils from the Old Duke, right? Give back the ones you can’t use. They are ours.”

He emphasized “ours”.

Lynn breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s easy. I had already sorted them out in advance.”

She knew the meat in the Mad Monk’s mouth wasn’t easy to snatch. Nol merely conceded the right of first choice to Paradise. Teest wouldn’t be generous enough to give all the spoils to them.

“And.” Teest cleared his throat as Lynn tensed up again.

“I saw you decorated the hall with fresh flowers. Where did you buy those flowers? I need to requisition some.”

Lynn relaxed again. “Oh…”

“And.” Teest stepped closer, mischievously lowering his voice. “I remember. You can make ‘skill props’ that can be reused.”

Now the real drama begins. She knew the Mad Monk wouldn’t stay normal till the end. For the third time, Lynn tensed up. “What do you want to do?”

As a Doom Knight, Teest shouldn’t need the piecemeal skills of monsters.

Teest smiled and pulled out a peanut-sized yellow diamond pendant from his pocket, tossing it into Lynn’s hand. Its design was simple and rustic, making the yellow diamond especially striking, like a piece of solidified sunlight.

It was clearly a collectible of Duke Alva, probably sneakily pocketed by the Mad Monk.

Lynn put on her appraisal glasses and examined it for a few minutes. “‘Light and Shadow Jewelry Box’. A locally made item with spatial storage capabilities, very rare.”

She knew Teest had been using a homemade spatial pouch. Except for its sorry appearance, its functionality was similar to this pendant, so there was no need for an exchange.

Weird, the Mad Monk didn’t seem to be the type to indulge in luxury?

“You can attach skills to it, right?” Teest ignored Lynn’s puzzled look.

“Yes, but only one.” Lynn weighed the pendant. “And to grant it specific effects, I have to personally modify it a bit, if you don’t mind…”

“No problem. I want the Swamp Witch’s transformation curse, just like last time.” Teest placed his order on the spot.

Lynn: “Huh?”

“Star Stealer Sol is prepared for ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. We need more diverse concealment methods.” Teest declared confidently.

Why don’t you go ask the all-capable Nol? Mr. Creator might give you ten unknown methods of concealment! …Lynn wanted to say this, but she dared not speak.

Teest clicked his tongue at Lynn’s nuanced expression. “This is a personal commission. I will pay 2,000 gold wheels for the work—”

“Thank you for your patronage.” Lynn quickly agreed, seriously adjusting her hat. “Half an hour will be enough.”

Nol slept through the entire day, and when he opened his eyes again, the golden red glow of the sunset had replaced the morning glow. He didn’t dream at all. Instead, the previous conflict with Star Stealer Sol felt more like a dream.

Nol turned over, embracing something soft next to him… Wait, soft?!

Mr. Demon King sat up abruptly, looking at the big white cat spread out beside him, blanket-like. The rough pouch was gone from the white cat’s neck, replaced by a nearly concealed silver-white necklace and its yellow diamond pendant.

Teest’s ring and wolfsbane tool were fixed in the slots behind the pendant, becoming part of the pendant’s decorations, hardly noticeable unless looked at closely.

[Light and Shadow Necklace: Automatically binds upon use, includes adjustable storage space, and the Swamp Witch’s curse that turns humans into cats. Normal cats wouldn’t use such a luxurious collar, nor would normal people.

※Crafted with care by Supreme Domination Witch Lynn.]

Nol gasped and picked up the big cat. “Teest.”

He tried not to look at the cat’s soft paw pads.

“This is a great hidden form, very convenient for ambushes.” Teest purred. “And personally, I like the feel of you as a magic pet. This way, we can occasionally trade—”

“Deal,” Nol interrupted deeply.

Teest: “……”

Teest: “You and your neighbors are quite similar, you know?”

Nol didn’t answer. He held the cat’s head and kissed Teest’s nose tip. He firmly hugged the big cat, turning to look at the bedside.

A cluster of blue roses bloomed under the sunset. Their beautiful blue tinged with a hazy purple glow. The cat’s fluffy tail restlessly came over, feeling like a cloud.

“Teest.”

“Hm?”

“Don’t worry. I’m really okay.”

“…Yeah, I just like the feeling of you holding me tightly.”

“I don’t mind holding you tightly if you turn into a human either.” Nol chuckled, his finger touching the cat’s forehead, and in the next instant, Teest reverted to human form, almost pressing Nol back onto the bed.

Nol extended his arms, tightly encircling Teest in front of him.

“We can hug anytime. It doesn’t need to be a transaction.” He listened to Teest’s strong heartbeat, his voice filled with laughter. “It doesn’t have to be when someone is mentally breaking down or turned into a small animal.”

“I see.”

Teest’s hands finally rested on Nol’s back. “I’ll remember that.”

“The original you feels good to the touch too.”

“So do you.”

……

“Kitty!” Colette Alva screamed, running towards the door.

“Daddy—!” Moore Alva’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Where have you been recently?” Avra helped her husband take off his heavy coat. “The children have been very worried about you, and so have I.”

“So I brought back gifts.” Billy kissed his wife’s forehead. “Sorry, darling. There was a bit of trouble in the Alva Merchant Group, but it’s pretty much settled now.”

Embilly Alva put down the cage in his hand—inside the cage lay two cats, one black and one white. The white long-haired cat wore a golden ribbon, while the black short-haired cat wore a blue ribbon. The beautiful ribbons were tied into exquisite bow knots at the back of the kittens’ necks, looking extremely cute.

They were frightened by the strange environment and huddled in the corner, shivering.

“Daddy, I want the white one.” Colette poked at the young white cat. “Let Moore take the black one!”

“I wanted the black one in the first place!” The little boy called out, eager to open the cage.

“Give way a bit, you two. Your target isn’t going to disappear.” Billy laughed, patting the children on the tops of their heads. “Remember, once you choose one, you must take good care of it.”

The cats in the cage let out small, sharp cries.

“Okay, Daddy!”

“Yes, Daddy!”

The children joyously hugged the kittens.

“Kids, be careful. Watch out for scratches! …Billy, are you still busy afterward?” Avra asked with concern.

“I’ll still be busy for a while. The consortium has been through many disasters lately, and this time, the opponent is quite troublesome.”

Enbillick spontaneously hugged his wife. “Trust me, it’ll be fine soon. Then I’ll take you and the kids to the beach.”

Avra was petite. Held in the arms of the tall Enbillick, she couldn’t see anything but the fabric in front of her, including her children playing with the cats behind her.

In Enbillick’s eyes, the frightened white cat was the first to show its claws, scratching Colette Alva’s hand.

The little girl’s mouth puckered, looking like she was about to cry. But before she could cry out, Billy moved his fingers, and the brightness in the girl’s eyes disappeared—she closed her mouth and continued to quietly pet the kitten. The wound on the girl’s hand was quite deep, revealing not flesh and blood but moist brown-red clay.

Billy sighed, and with a dull glow, the clay turned into normal flesh. After the magic dispersed, the wound was much shallower and no longer of concern.

“Kitty, kitty.”

As if nothing had happened, Colette Alva whispered gently.

“Kitty, kitty.”

As if he hadn’t seen anything unusual about his sister, Moore Alva hugged his kitten tightly.

After all this, Enbillick deepened his hug to his wife. He gently patted his wife’s back, his face wearing a smile that could be described as perfect.

“I love you, darling,” he said.

“I love you too,” she said.

---

The author has something to say:

Teest: Praise your touch!

Nol: Thanks, your touch is also good.

How is this not considered a confession? (……

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 196: The Moment of Disaster

Meng Jinfeng had lived in Joy Garden for many years.

In her early years, she had a major surgery and recuperated at her son and daughter-in-law’s home.

At that time, Meng Jinfeng’s partner had passed away, and her daughter-in-law’s parents had also died early. As the only elder in the family, her spirits were still relatively good. The elderly lady felt embarrassed to trouble the young couple, so she actively got up early to cook and do some housework. When she had nothing else to do, she would look around at the affordable neighborhoods nearby, thinking about buying a small apartment close to her family.

Property in City A retained its value, so she thought that when she died, she could leave some assets for her family.

However, on a sunny and breezy weekend, her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson, who had just started elementary school, went out for a trip, and all three died in a car accident on the spot. Meng Jinfeng inherited the expensive property in Joy Garden, becoming a true widow.

The originally talkative old lady gradually became silent, and from silent to noisy. Her TV was on 24 hours a day, to facilitate conversations with the people on the screen.

Xu Yue moved into Joy Garden during that period.

To say he moved in—in fact, Granny Meng didn’t notice the move. She only saw it mentioned in the homeowners group chat and held some hostility towards this young man she had never met—room 701 was still a bare apartment, and young people liked to make a fuss about renovations, which meant she feared she wouldn’t have peaceful days for the coming months.

However, the sound of renovations never came.

In the empty room, Granny Meng looked up at the ceiling as if waiting for its judgment. A day passed, a month passed, yet there was no noise from room 701, nor had she seen the supposedly busy young man.

No matter when she went out, taking the stairs or the elevator, she never ran into “Xu Yue”. But from the homeowners group chat, it was clear “Xu Yue” had definitely moved in.

Meng Jinfeng went up to the seventh floor to check on room 701, which now had curtains on its windows, but they were hung too high for her to see clearly.

But the grass on the ground didn’t like her peeping, glaring at her with their numerous tiny eyes and intentionally letting her hear their whispering.

Meng Jinfeng went to the door of 701. It still had the community-installed door, with no doormat in front. The peephole was pitch black, and no sound could be heard from inside.

But spring couplets were pasted on either side of the door, all upside down. The familiar characters, once inverted, looked more like gibberish. Even the usual “upside-down blessing” decoration seemed odd. Ink dripped down towards the floor, crawling like snails, leaving behind fine, long traces.

It seemed someone lived there. If the door hadn’t been used, the peephole on the inside wouldn’t have blinking obstructions.

Do young people just live in bare apartments like this? Granny Meng huffed at the door and rolled her eyes as she walked away.

Fine. At least she knew someone lived there. That Xu Yue would have to renovate sooner or later!

One night, just like always, Granny Meng was staring at the ceiling when she suddenly heard strange noises.

Shuffling, shuffling.

It was as if someone was dragging a sack filled with heavy objects across the floor. In the silent night, the sound was clear enough to be like sandpaper on the eardrums.

The TV’s sound couldn’t cover up that weird noise.

Shuffling, shuffling, shuffling.

The sound grew clearer, piercing into her head like needles.

‘That new neighbor must be up to no good,’ Granny Meng thought. Making noise in the middle of the night, she had to make him quiet down.

Granny Meng ran out in her slippers, straight up the stairs to the seventh floor. A strange smell wafted through the hallway, like ink mixed with blood, faint and bitter.

‘Who’s throwing things away again,’ Granny Meng thought angrily.

The shuffling sound became clearer and clearer, rooting itself in her brain. The difference between 501 and 701 was just two floors, but the stairwell was oddly twisted and damp, making it difficult for Granny Meng to navigate, reminding her of the water from slaughtering pigs during the New Year.

Still, she bravely reached the door of 701 and started banging on it. “What are you doing? What are you doing? Can’t you let people sleep in the middle of the night?”

Her screams were almost drowned out by the shuffling noise. She had to shout louder and bang harder. The peephole blinked at her, and from inside came the squishy sound of raw meat being squeezed as shadows flowed out from under the door, nibbling at her feet.

No one opened the door.

Instead, the resident of 702 came out. “Auntie Meng, what’s going on?”

“His place is making too much noise!” Granny Meng stomped her feet to shake off the shadows on them, ignoring the increasingly pale face of the 702 resident. “Making noise on the floor in the middle of the night, and there’s a smell! I can’t sleep. Even if you don’t care, I do.”

“I didn’t hear any noise, nor did I smell anything,” the resident of 702 said with a pale face. “Noise from the top of the building doesn’t necessarily come from upstairs. It’s very late. Shall I help you contact the property management tomorrow? My child has school tomorrow…”

Meng Jinfeng stopped knocking, rolled her eyes expertly, and shuffled back down the stairs in her slippers.

The next day, the shuffling noise continued non-stop. She dragged the property management up to knock on the door. The busy Xu Yue seemed not to be home, and after half a day of knocking, there was no response.

In front of Meng Jinfeng, the property management staff contacted Xu Yue, who, unsurprisingly, was at work. Meng Jinfeng relentlessly grabbed the property staff and dragged them to her own home, pointing to the ceiling that occasionally made shuffling noises.

“Listen for yourself!” She frowned sternly and turned off the TV.

The property manager’s expression turned sour. “Auntie, it’s quite quiet.”

These people must be deceiving the elderly. Meng Jinfeng fumed. The sound was incredibly clear, and the strange smell in the corridor even drifted into her home!

Faced with Meng Jinfeng’s persistent complaints, the property manager initially responded but later bluntly told her to call the police. However, when the police came, their conclusion was the same as the property manager’s.

It was very quiet here, the corridor was clean, and there was no strange smell.

And the door of 701 had never been knocked open from beginning to end. Several times after, Granny Meng was so furious that she kicked the door. The police asked Xu Yue to come out and deal with it in person. However, Xu Yue was always on a business trip, conveniently absent.

Later, Granny Meng also got tired of calling the police. She found a new hobby—carrying a stool, she would sit at the staircase entrance every morning, cursing until the hallway was quiet.

She had to curse until the hallway was quiet.

Unsure if her efforts were effective, 701 no longer had curtains, and she saw an eye by the window.

Even with her poor eyesight, she could make out the general outline of “that thing”.

A blue-red mucous membrane split open, revealing a huge eye pressed against the glass. The pupil of the eye was deformed, merging like rain flower stones, almost occupying the entire floor-to-ceiling window. A thick black-blue liquid flowed down the window crack, gradually disappearing into the air.

No bird dared to approach here, the trees trembled, and the grass screamed non-stop. Earthworms lined up to jump into the pond, while ants crazily circled in a perfect circle.

Meng Jinfeng knew it was watching her.

She finally saw Xu Yue! This kid was indeed hiding at home and peeping, Granny Meng cursed even more fiercely.

Xu Yue didn’t go to work at all. From Monday to Sunday, he was always there.

A lying neighbor, an annoying neighbor, a neighbor who never went out. Meng Jinfeng told the elderly in the community, the gatekeeper, the property management, and the police. But no one believed her.

Spring went and winter came, but only that giant eyeball pressed against the window remained.

She seemed not to be the only one who discovered Xu Yue was home.

A little girl from Building 8 was playing with snow in front of Building 7 and was somehow attracted to 701, looking up at its window. Meng Jinfeng saw the girl make eye contact with that eye, which narrowed slightly. The girl then suddenly fell straight down, prompting an ambulance call.

That child was hospitalized for a long time, and Xu Yue didn’t even know to apologize. Who made his eyes so big? Not polite at all.

Meng Jinfeng waited for more people to see him, and then together they would protest to the property management. Year after year, she waited and waited, but it was always only she and that little girl who noticed something wrong.

Just when she was considering whether to find another way to oppose the noise, disaster struck suddenly.

The night sky suddenly turned blood red, and a flaming meteorite fell from the sky. Meng Jinfeng indifferently watched the dark TV screen, the exploded window glass pierced through her cheek, and the deformed security door crashed onto the floor, as Joy Garden seemed to plunge into a burning hell.

It was over, but it was fine. She wasn’t afraid of death in this world.

The shuffling noise from the ceiling finally stopped. How nice.

At that moment, something burst through the broken door and rushed out. The room was filled with smoke, and Meng Jinfeng could only make out a general outline—a blue-red deformed claw, with joints slightly split open, revealing eye-like structures. For some reason, it looked tattered, like a repeatedly sewn patchwork doll.

It grabbed Meng Jinfeng, crushing her body like a rotten berry.

The old woman’s shattered skull fell to the ground.

Shuffling, shuffling.

The familiar friction noise echoed in her ears. It was Xu Yue. Xu Yue had broken into her home.

Truly a neighbor with ill intentions.

This narrative, which was neither too long nor short, was “Meng Jinfeng’s entire impression of Xu Yue”.

With that, the narration ended.

Dawn completely filled the small room, and the “Bystander’s Tongue” fell from Granny Meng’s claws. Teest pulled at the wriggling tongue, casually throwing it back into the jar, which made a light gurgling sound.

Granny Meng turned her face, showing a trace of smugness.

“Hee hee, finally someone speaks the truth!” she said with a shrill laugh.

Nol sat quietly in the armchair, looking expressionlessly at Granny Meng in front of him. Teest sat down next to Nol, holding his chin and looking at the people around him.

Nol’s judgment was absolutely correct.

Perradat’s protection was still in effect, and now he had a natural barrier to the information about “Xu Yue”, like listening to someone else’s story. On the other hand, the information that could be conveyed by language was limited.

With such a double defense, as long as Nol didn’t personally recall, the third-party description would not trigger Nol’s memory seal.

The “Bystander’s Tongue”. Extracted from the target memory, produced by the system as an “absolute narration”. Teest and Granny Meng’s sanity may not be normal, but their objective memory couldn’t be faked.

Nol gripped the armrest of the chair.

“From my understanding, you created ‘Tahe’ alone in that room,” Teest muttered thoughtfully. “In some form, um, we currently don’t quite understand.”

“Teest.”

“And you did indeed kill that crazy old lady, but, I believe you had your reasons.”

“Teest,” Nol murmured.

“Hm?”

“The blue-black liquid described just now, it’s very similar to the ‘essence’ we brought back.” Nol rubbed his lower lip. “The ‘Supplement Demon Potion’ it produces has effects very similar to the ‘Fallen Death’ skill.”

“If the ‘essence’ really came from ‘me’, and Star Stealer Sol holds a large amount of the essence, it definitely intervened in the matters of Joy Garden on a physical level.”

Teest looked at Nol somewhat surprised.

He thought Nol would be a bit shaken, but his Nol was just pale now, with an exceptionally firm tone.

“Suppose I just wanted to destroy Joy Garden, the order should be to kill everyone first, then destroy everything centered on me. The sky turns red, meteorites fall from the sky, and then I kill people during the destruction process—that’s too unnatural.”

Nol said, “Even if I really went mad, I wouldn’t use such strange methods.”

“Indeed.” Teest leaned in closer. “And I always feel the situation is somewhat familiar… Ah!”

Teest clapped his fist into his palm, his golden eyes lighting up with pleasure.

“In Night of the Hunt, you used this method—at the moment of environmental collapse, you collected the heads and connected them with your flesh, turning them into beautiful, desecrated creations.”

Afraid of not being detailed enough, Teest extended a finger, darkness swirling at the tip. They drifted in the air, forming lines, sketching a corner of Teest’s memory—

At that time, Nol was carrying a giant skull, a net of flesh protecting the heads of the survivors of the dungeon, fleeing from the dungeon that was being obliterated.

“I was thinking at the time, how could you have such a wonderful idea? If you had done something similar, it wouldn’t be strange to have a subconscious impression.” Teest flicked his fingertip, and the pattern dispersed like a dream.

“But after that, I immediately applied a major healing spell to those people, and they woke up in the same place. My neighbors, however, woke up in different places, and turned into monsters.”

Nol didn’t immediately deny it.

“That kid Piel was once dying, and you didn’t immediately apply a major healing spell for him. To save his life, you sealed him in the system, waiting for the right moment.”

Teest shook his finger. “As for why your neighbors woke up as monsters, I don’t know. What I do know is that, looking at it now, your initial intention must have been to save people.”

Nol pursed his lips.

Those inconsistent details gradually linked up.

Why did only the neighbors appear as “non-players” in Tahe?

Why, when saving Piel, could the system pull out the “system custody”, a solution unrelated to the game?

Why did Star Stealer Sol say he had already killed him once?

Dropping the fire of destruction on the entire Joy Garden, the target was definitely not the innocent neighbors, but the strange Creator imprisoned in room 701.

That monster might knew it implicated the innocents and also knew it was hard to save humans from the explosion on Earth. So, it escaped with everyone into the world it created in its own way.

Nol stretched out his hands, gently covering his eyes.

It made sense. The initial guess became reality. The neighbors were indeed implicated by him.

Now only two damning questions remained—

What did Star Stealer Sol do?

…What exactly am I?!

---

The author has something to say:

In a way, this could also be considered a God of Creation in a box (.

The fake Joy Garden lunatic: Xu Yue

The real Joy Garden lunatic: Granny Meng

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 195: Narrator

As soon as Nol stepped through Kando’s ring of fire, he froze in place.

On the other side of the fire ring, Perradat’s four eyes were swollen, and she lay on the ground dehydrated. Solo and Anakin were looking up and down, respectively, and the rest of Paradise’s high-ups weren’t in the room, leading Nol to suspect they had fled in advance—

Lynn wore a smile on her face, but it wasn’t a “Oh, you’re finally back” kind of welcome smile. It was more of a “I’m about to explode in front of you” kind of angry prelude.

Hesitating for two seconds, Nol transformed into a round, little black dragon. He grabbed his bulging bag with his mouth, flapped his wings, and dove into Teest’s arms.

Teest’s hand instinctively covered the dragon scales as if suddenly equipped with magnetic attraction. He naturally hugged the little black dragon in his arms and smiled as he crossed the fire ring, his hand repeatedly stroking the warm dragon scales.

Seeing it was Teest, Lynn’s expression stiffened a bit.

“…We were just worried about you! Look how scared you are.”

Lynn huffed heavily and sat back in the armchair. “You should consult more with everyone before setting off. This investigation was too rash. If not for Nol’s quick thinking and Teest’s unique abilities, you both might have been left on Ship Island.”

The little black dragon nudged Teest’s palm away with his nose, looking innocently up. “Rawr, rawr.”

“Playing dumb won’t help. I know you can talk in that state.” Lynn squeezed out the words through clenched teeth, unable to resist cracking her knuckles.

Teest pressed his palm against the little black dragon’s nose, pushing Nol back into his arms. “By the results, Lord Nol’s action was very successful.”

Lynn’s eyebrows twitched.

Nol’s crisis of crashing into the ship and his refusal to connect with the Lost Tower had her panicking. Thankfully, Nol thought of that somewhat underhanded solution, or the outcome of this investigation would have been uncertain—especially since Perradat, who inexplicably lost, was right beside her.

Nol started playing dumb before even entering the fire ring, clearly understanding her feelings but not wanting to start an argument.

“I’m not a saint.” Looking into the little black dragon’s shiny green eyes, Lynn couldn’t bring herself to yell, settling instead for sighing. “Personally, you are more important to me than the entire Lost Tower. If you died, it would be difficult to maintain the alliance between Paradise and the Players, let alone deal with Star Stealer Sol.”

“You don’t have to take on all the dirty work yourself. If necessary, many people—at least I can speak for myself—are willing to sacrifice…”

Her gaze fleetingly swept towards Lilith.

“Battle often comes with risks. Thanks to that waste by your side, we know almost nothing about Star Stealer Sol. How could there possibly be a 100% winning plan?” Teest’s smile was somewhat malicious.

The Mad Monk was impermeable, which only made Lynn’s temples throb. “I don’t expect you to understand—”

Teest gently scraped his nails over the dragon scales. “Of course I understand what ‘worry’ means. I just completely disregard everyone’s opinions.”

Smelling the increasing tension between the two, Nol struggled again to free himself from Teest’s grip. He reverted to human form, grabbed Teest’s waist bag, and started dumping out their loot.

Lynn glanced at the rolling treasures on the ground. “Don’t think that trick will work on me… Wait, wait… Did you rob the entire ship?!”

As the pile of loot grew higher, so did her pitch.

“Please distribute these to everyone. Arm the Lost Tower. If it’s you, you can surely conduct more research,” Nol said earnestly. “This suits you better, Lynn.”

“Don’t worry about me. With Teest here, I’ll use every means to survive. Next time we face Star Stealer Sol, I’ll be even more cautious. Right, Perradat… Perradat?!”

Perradat was hoisted up by the collar by Teest, hanging like a dead snake.

Kando climbed onto Teest’s hand like a spider. The candle tears patted the hand holding Perradat, but the soft candle tears couldn’t open the Mad Monk’s iron grip.

“Still awake, hmm?” Teest said cheerfully, ignoring Kando’s complex gaze. “You still have a lot of work to do. We brought back Star Stealer Sol’s flesh.”

Perradat lifted her head, sniffed a couple of times.

“You two went too far,” she said. “This is the first time in years I’ve felt this dizzy… Urgh…”

“We understand your self-preservation behavior. So, you should also understand our need to protect ourselves.”

Teest’s smile grew softer, but his eyes lacked warmth. “Work. Work. Miss Perradat.”

“Let me recover—!” Perradat looked like she wanted to bite him.

“That’s my sister’s body. She’s not even of age yet!” Lynn’s hands flashed with magical brilliance.

“What a lively place.” Amidst the chaos, Mentor shrugged. “Do you have a guest room? I’m a bit tired.”

At this moment, in the Endless Sea region.

The sun was about to rise. Soft light glimmered on the sea surface. Large schools of fish pushed the scattered fleet back, and amidst the morning mist, Pope Fischer Reginald stood firmly on a piece of driftwood.

He stood straight, looking towards the sunrise.

He witnessed the downfall of Ship Island, the movement of the plates, and witnessed the God he worshiped defeat the forces of the False God.

‘What a memorable day,’ he thought.

Speaking of which, when would the great Lord Teest come to pick him up?

…The sea breeze was indeed chilly.

……

The end of a chaotic adventure.

“It’s that guy’s scent, very pure. Definitely an avatar.”

Perradat judged as she observed Billy’s flesh. “As agreed, I will take you near my core. I won’t hide anything anymore… So that guy’s name is Enbillick. It’s my first time knowing it after all these years.”

Nol pursed his lips, unable to muster a happy expression.

He needed to inform Painter and the others quickly.

Enbillick Alva had “hosted” not just him and Teest. Thinking about it, Painter, the “Traitorous Chosen One” had once dined with the god he betrayed, which made this seem like a sort of black humor.

As for Golden Sword’s family…

He couldn’t think of what to do for the moment. Star Stealer Sol probably wouldn’t kill a few ordinary people. After a while, he could discreetly check on them.

“Please take care of these.”

Nol broke away from his thoughts, presenting the “Essence” and “Blood Potion” obtained from Ship Island.

The “Essence” was a beautiful blue-black color, like a melted starry night sky. Gently shaking the container, it displayed mesmerizing, changing colors. Even through the glass, it emitted a faint but bitter special scent.

Nol had seen it in the hands of the Lord of Whitebird City, who had used it to concoct a Supplement Demon Potion in front of them.

The “Blood Potion”, however, was a murky black-red with a viscous texture. It didn’t leave any trace on the glass container’s surface, making it hard to say whether it was liquid or solid. Its surface always twitched slightly, and the sealed bottle couldn’t suppress the fishy stench that assaulted the senses.

Understanding that the reversion potions were concocted from this stuff, Nol got why they had such a bizarre taste.

They had only one thing in common—both potions quietly placed on the table, continually emitting an inexplicably powerful force. Nol could feel a vague sense of familiarity from them. Unfortunately, that was all the familiarity he could muster.

Perradat carefully picked up the two round-bottomed flasks, looking like she didn’t want to touch either. She lay limply by the table, her mouth drooping downwards. “Alright, I’ll do my best…”

“What about the others?” Nol turned towards Lynn.

“Not many people are up at this hour. Most are asleep.” Lynn collapsed into a pile of documents. “If you’re hungry, you could go to the dining hall. They definitely left something for you. I remember there were lamb fried dumplings…”

“No need for now. I’m just looking for someone.” Nol scratched his face.

“You sure you don’t want to rest first?” Lynn propped herself up from the documents.

“It’s rare that we agree on something.” Teest draped his arm around Nol from behind, transforming once again into his silver cape form.

Nol looking for a neighbor alone always seemed like it was for something serious—especially after a prolonged battle for life and death. Perradat, not far away, turned her head in shock and started whispering with Kando.

“I’m sure.” Nol took a breath, holding up the “Bystander’s Tongue” on the table.

“I need to talk to Granny Meng.”

Unfortunately, Granny Meng wasn’t among the early risers.

The old lady usually woke up at six sharp, and it was still a good half-hour away. Lynn promised to notify someone to inform her once Granny Meng woke up, but Nol didn’t want to use this fragmented time for a nap.

The morning light in the reception room was dim. Nol watched the tongue floating up and down in the glass jar.

The room was cozily arranged, with just the right lighting. The morning light in the Black Forest could make even the sharpest blade seem gentle. Yet, even with a layer of beauty, this thing still seemed quite revolting.

According to the system’s notes, they only needed to place it on the target’s skin and ask a clear question in the universal language. If using it on oneself, one only needed to specify the memory fragment in mind.

As for how this thing presented memories, the system didn’t elaborate.

“I’ll give it a try then.”

Teest tapped on the jar, and the tongue moved, swimming away like a seahorse.

Nol looked up, somewhat surprised. “Why the sudden decision?”

Teest had been deprived of his true name, naturally losing most of his memories. If he wanted to fill in these gaps, one question wouldn’t be enough.

Moreover, the Mad Monk didn’t seem like the type to be sentimental.

“Your memories shouldn’t be tampered with, and we’re not sure about its specific effects. Apart from you, I am the strongest here, making me the most suitable for this experiment.”

Teest kept tapping on the jar, causing the “Bystander’s Tongue” to tremble. “Anyway, this thing isn’t dangerous. Let’s just take it as entertainment.”

“Alright then.”

Nol leaned in too. “I’m a bit curious. What do you want to ask?”

“The day we first met—”

“Teest!”

“Alright, alright. Just some memories I’m curious about.”

With a pop, Teest opened the sealed jar. The “Bystander’s Tongue” tried to stick to the bottom of the jar but was cruelly pinched out by Teest.

Unable to escape, it hung straight down, looking like an oddly shaped red goldfish.

Teest glanced at Nol, not visualizing the question in his mind but directly asking it.

“The day I was taken away when I was seven. During a game of hide and seek, I followed someone’s footsteps into a room. I heard a voice, but when I removed the blindfold, there was only me inside.”

Teest’s pronunciation was deep and clear.

“I want to know, what did that voice say?”

Nol paused, having discussed this incident with Teest when talking about their entanglement with the Temple. At the time, Teest didn’t pay much attention to it.

This meant that whatever that voice said back then didn’t interfere with Teest’s fate.

Indeed. Now that they had discovered Star Stealer Sol had the power to revert the past, this matter had become somewhat delicate.

Between Teest’s fingers, the “Bystander’s Tongue” emitted a layer of red light. Its root sucked onto Teest’s fingertips, and the surrounding air vibrated, producing a male voice with a particularly standard intonation.

[The youngest son of the Flama family was playing hide and seek with a guest’s child, despite having no interest in it. But for his busy parents, he was willing to tolerate those idiotic, shrieking brats.]

Teest: “……”

Nol: “……”

Perhaps Teest was unfamiliar with this format, but Nol recognized the tone all too well—it was basically “narration”.

The narration didn’t provide Teest’s true name, indicating its memory reconstruction capability was limited.

[He only needed to listen to footsteps to know where those poor kids were hiding. Even a fledgling rabbit was better at hiding, he thought. Better end this quickly.]

Teest was enthusiastic. “Sounds just like me.”

[In the darkness created by the blindfold, he suddenly heard a new set of footsteps. Light, almost non-existent, but he heard them. Undoubtedly, they belonged to an adult man.]

[The youngest son of the Flama family found the footsteps unfamiliar. Who was it? He tried to remove the blindfold, but the fabric seemed to have grown onto his skin. What a mysterious visitor. He excitedly followed.]

“Sounds just like you.” Nol couldn’t help but pinch the bridge of his nose.

Even at seven, the word “fear” wasn’t in the Mad Monk’s dictionary.

[The youngest son of the Flama family followed the footsteps at a safe distance, entering a room. At this time, his parents hadn’t returned, his brother was practicing with the knights, and his sister was helping with accounting next door with the little sister—only he was in the room. Whatever the mysterious visitor intended, his family wouldn’t be affected. The youngest son of the Flama family was very reassured.]

[Turning through corridors, down the stairs, doors opening and closing. The youngest son of the Flama family estimated the route. They had entered the Flama family’s secret prayer room. He heard the scraping of boots over the wooden floor. The man had stopped.]

Teest held his temple and hissed.

Nol sat beside Teest, wrapping an arm around his shoulder—Teest’s memories were incomplete, and the narration seemed to touch on a part he had forgotten.

[“Who are you? Only my family knows this room. Earl wouldn’t do such a stupid thing.” The youngest son of the Flama family asked, his tone not like that of a child. A hand rested on his head. It was a warm, broad palm.]

[The man spoke. The youngest son of the Flama family had never heard such a gentle voice. The man said, “You will experience many things in the future. Your life will be full of questions, but no matter what, you will try your best to survive.”]

[The youngest son of the Flama family was very puzzled. He would do so even without this person’s explicit statement. Did this person break into the family’s secret prayer room just to say these nonsensical words?]

[“Everything will come to an end. God loves you deeply.” The uninvited guest’s tone contained a bit of laughter as he withdrew his hand from the child’s head. The tightness of the blindfold disappeared, and the youngest of the Flama family hurriedly removed it. In the dim prayer room, he saw no one. Except for the altar right in front of him, above it was that paint that paint that paint that paint that paint that paint that paint that paint—]

The tongue trembled violently, suddenly veered to one side, and stopped functioning.

Nol quickly grabbed it and threw it back into the glass jar. As soon as it touched the liquid in the jar, the tongue swiftly swam deeper, trying to distance itself from Teest.

“Tch.” Teest pursed his lips. “It seems my impression wasn’t wrong. It’s just some nonsensical, mystical babble—a total waste of my one chance.”

“At least it wasn’t ‘Star Stealer Sol’ if the voice was gentle.” Nol capped the jar with a shiver. “Do you remember what was on your family’s secret altar?”

If the word was “paint”, then it should be referring to painting.

But how could a painting cause the “Bystander’s Tongue” to malfunction?

“I don’t remember.” Teest shook his head. “Never mind. We can’t use it against Star Stealer Sol anyway.”

“Right.” Nol sighed.

Compared to a painting already destroyed by the Temple, they had more important puzzles to solve.

Nol glanced at the time. It was now six in the morning.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 194: Returning with a Full Load

The worst case scenario.

Ignoring his opponent, the Old Duke instantly activated reversion. Strange magical fluctuations spread out as a drop of blood slid down Nol’s fingers. Before it could hit the ground, it vanished into thin air.

Star Stealer Sol returned to the moment “the drift was discovered”. His will awakened again within the Old Duke’s body. As a cost, a life was wasted.

The presence of special manipulating blue fire on the opposite side was recognized by Star Stealer Sol. It belonged to the hero Drake, who was supposed to be dead. It seemed like that guy—or his will—found some way to survive.

Judging by the original location, it must have been Perradat’s doing.

Good, another piece of information. Star Stealer Sol sighed in relief. Next, he must find a way to kill these two—no, killing two was unrealistic. He must kill Nol as soon as possible…

Lurking in the shadows, Billy leaped again, his sword wrapped in curses, aiming straight for Nol’s unprotected neck. But Nol dodged as if he had eyes on his back.

Reversion.

Attack, fail, rewind again.

Then, Star Stealer Sol gave up on attacking, trying to preserve the identity of Golden Sword.

Life after life was burned, while Nol’s eyes sparkled with a terrifying mockery.

The battle situation changed in an instant. The Old Duke’s reversion was within his predictions.

Only one will could exist in the Old Duke’s shell. Thus, the essence of Star Stealer Sol’s reversion was to give himself from this time point additional information from the “future”. Coincidentally, Nol was using the same method as Star Stealer Sol—

In the [Creator’s] view, annotations were being added one after another.

[//Golden Sword is an avatar of Star Stealer Sol. Star Stealer Sol killed me once.]

[//It takes more than two seconds to initiate reversion.]

[//Right after the reversion is completed, Star Stealer Sol experiences a few seconds of disorientation.]

[//Why is it always the Old Duke who initiates the reversion?]

……

“Haa.”

The Old Duke lowered his gaze. His complexion was ashen as if dead, and his skin began to show tiny cracks.

Golden Sword stood behind him, still wearing a warm smile.

Nol couldn’t see the remaining lives of the Old Duke, but he somehow felt that the Old Duke’s chances of reversion were running low.

In this reversion, Nol wasn’t stabbed by the sword. Amidst the web of golden threads, Teest emerged from the darkness, standing behind Nol, one hand gripping the “Betrayer”, the other lightly resting on Nol’s waist.

“You indeed have a method of recording.” The Old Duke shook his head, and the next moment, his body burst into flames, disintegrating into nothingness before Nol’s eyes.

“Regrettable. The Duke’s identity was quite useful.” Golden Sword stepped forward. The “Dragon Slayer” in his hand was glowing dimly.

Nol was certain that Billy didn’t have this long sword before. It made sense, as Star Stealer Sol had partial system permissions and could store weapons in the system space.

“Since you already know, let me reintroduce myself.”

The tone of the Golden Sword Billy was very calm, without any panic of being at a disadvantage. “Star Stealer Sol, Enbillick.”

The room’s roof broke open, allowing cold moonlight to pour in. Sea water flooded in through the breach, extinguishing many candles. In the increasingly dark room, the moonlight resembled a spotlight on a stage.

Under the spotlight.

Billy’s eyepatch was gone, his ash-gray eyes restored. In the dim room, his light golden hair still stood out. Around his neck, visible through his loose collar, was a black tattoo.

He even performed a very standard noble courtesy.

As if they were truly meeting for the first time.

Strangely, Nol didn’t move. Now that the Old Duke had turned to ashes, if he was Star Stealer Sol, he would definitely try to rewind again. Curiously, Billy didn’t seem to have such ideas.

Speaking of which, since Billy was an avatar and not a puppet of Star Stealer Sol, maybe the form of “reversion” was different?

“Stop glaring at me, Mr. Nol. I won’t rewind again—I admit, my actions have failed. I must retain a bit of mystery, not to lose too disgracefully.”

“This suit was sewn by my wife, and if it gets too messed up, I’d be ashamed to face her.” His tone was cheerful, as if he hadn’t just attempted to murder Nol but had merely lost a game of chess.

“That means we’re done talking, and we can take action.” Teest demonstrated exceptional comprehension.

Nol extended a hand, blocking Teest.

He still had things to confirm.

Damn, he knew Star Stealer Sol was no good. But he remembered Mrs. Alva’s clumsy and kind help, remembered Billy leading the Alva Merchant Group’s people to assist the succubus race.

Memories of the Alva family dinner were etched in his mind. He remembered the two children happily running to their father, joyfully shouting “Daddy”.

The current Nol could indeed strike down a suddenly appearing, unfamiliar enemy. But to strike at someone he had known for a long time and understood their life… he would still do it, but it made his insides feel as heavy as lead.

“What about your family?” Nol asked flatly.

“I love them deeply. What else can I say?” Enbillick wore the standard “good dad” smile. “Even gods need a bit of companionship. You must understand that.”

“I’ll compensate them well when I deliver the news of your death.” Nol gritted his teeth.

Billy laughed heartily, as if hearing a funny joke. He took a breath and scratched his nose. “You’ve grown a lot. The old you wouldn’t say such scary things.”

“It sounds like you’re very familiar with ‘the old me’.” Nol’s tone grew colder. “What do you mean by ‘I’ve killed you once’?”

[Take action.]

At the same time, he sent instructions to Teest.

The question was indeed important, but Nol was also certain Star Stealer Sol wouldn’t foolishly give him the answer. He had deliberately created an atmosphere of “calm conversation”, hoping it would help with a surprise attack.

The golden threads tightened, and Teest transformed into a silver gust, flashing towards Billy in an instant. Billy stood there smiling, showing no intention to dodge.

He simply raised his wrist and threw something.

Just as Teest’s sword was about to draw blood, Billy vanished into the moonlight.

There was no warning, no magical fluctuations of reversion activation. He just disappeared, and it wasn’t any kind of illusion—Nol couldn’t find any trace even with the [Creator’s] authority.

And in the moment they were stunned by this reality, what Billy threw landed on the ground with a clatter.

Trouble.

Teest tried to shield Nol, and Nol tried to pull Teest behind him. The two ended up in an awkward twist, but…

…nothing happened.

“An excellent alchemy bomb.” Mentor’s fingertips glowed with magical light, pretending not to notice their awkward position. “Just a bit more, and you would have been fishing for my remains in the sea.”

[Expert-Level Disassembly], a rare skill of the advanced alchemist profession. It allowed any alchemical item they could create to be temporarily deactivated for 0.5 seconds.

Mentor clearly caught the bomb’s activation moment.

Nol: “……”

Mentor’s focus was as unique as ever. Normally, shouldn’t Players be drawn to their battle instead?

“I’m very interested in the Old Duke’s collection. It would be a pity to blow it up like that.” Mentor picked up the deactivated alchemy bomb. “I’ll take this.”

Nol: “Please do.”

He and Teest untangled like two twisted earphone wires, taking several seconds to steady themselves.

“That guy actually ran away, truly cowardly to the point of being despicable.”

Teest clicked his tongue loudly, stabbing his sword into the soft sofa, clearly very dissatisfied. “What does ‘I’ve killed you once’ mean, Nol?”

“I don’t know.”

Nol slumped onto the sofa, crunching on the remaining sugar cubes. The battle seemed to last a billion years, and as his highly tensed nerves relaxed all at once, he felt utterly drained.

Teest looked at him somewhat discontentedly, with “I care a lot” written all over his face.

“Don’t take Star Stealer Sol’s words at face value. Don’t let him provoke you.” Nol massaged his aching temples. “Let’s not talk about that for now. Just now you…”

Teest stepped closer, standing in front of Nol. He rested his hands on the back of the sofa, still wearing a look of dissatisfaction. “Are you trying to change the subject?”

He leaned in even closer, the surrounding golden threads shimmering.

Nol was very certain the Mad Monk’s inquiry wouldn’t be gentle and concerned. His tone was almost accusatory.

So, after a few seconds of thought, Nol leaned forward and kissed Teest’s lips. The Mad Monk was caught off guard, instinctively stepping back a bit, his dissatisfaction fading slightly.

The air was filled with the scent of tea and sea waves. Nol tasted the sweetness of sugar on his lips, guessing Teest did as well.

“Don’t rush. I’ll tell you everything about my conversations with Star Stealer Sol, including how I dealt with the reversions.” Nol grasped Teest’s waist earnestly. “We have more important things right now. First, collect the flesh and blood on your sword—we still have to negotiate with Perradat.”

They had agreed with Perradat that if they could extract a piece of Star Stealer Sol’s flesh, Perradat would reveal the location of her core.

Perradat never specified how much flesh was needed, so even a few grams would count. Moreover, handing over a piece of Billy’s flesh to Perradat would also allow for a third-party verification to see if Billy was indeed the avatar of Star Stealer Sol.

Thinking of the joyful Golden Sword family, Nol’s mood dipped again.

He couldn’t quite explain his feelings at the moment—he hoped Star Stealer Sol had lied. If Billy was merely a puppet, it meant that Enbillick Alva, the human, had existed and had a chance to be saved.

Even if the flesh handed over this time didn’t count, he wouldn’t be disappointed.

Teest: “Nol…”

“I’m fine.” Nol managed a smile. “I hope Perradat doesn’t mind our, um, pushing and shoving earlier.”

Teest’s tone became even more complex. “Honey…”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Could you put me down? You do know I’m not a cat, right?”

Only then did Nol realize that he had unknowingly grabbed Teest’s waist, lifting him slightly off the ground. Teest was even taller than him, making the scene especially comical.

“Sorry.” Nol quickly let go, and his previous melancholy quickly vanished.

“If you’re done being affectionate, come take a look over here.”

Mentor raised his voice slightly, and his tone became a little more teasing. “The Old Duke’s treasury is open.”

He held a glass jar in his hand, filled with a transparent liquid, within which a human-tongue-like piece of flesh floated. It took Nol a few seconds to read the label on the jar, which said “Bystander’s Tongue”.

The moment he realized this.

[Special NPC Quest “Lost Memories” failed.]

[Achieved condition: Ensure the survival of Enbillick Alva.]

[Unachieved condition: Infiltrate the Alva Merchant Group, assist Enbillick Alva in uncovering the “amnesia event”.]

[You will not receive quest rewards.]

[※Looking forward to meeting you again.]

In the night, the quest popup shone impartially, its text neat and clear. Nol focused on the last remark of the quest, which was indeed Star Stealer Sol’s meddling—the remark sounded more like a message from Star Stealer Sol than a system prompt.

With Star Stealer Sol’s temperament, the next time they meet, it would be a fight to the death.

Ah, he was also looking forward to their next meeting.

Nol promptly closed the popup and looked up. Through the broken roof of the room, he saw the aggravating full moon.

This was the first time, he thought.

The first time he failed a quest.

The first time he won a battle but felt no satisfaction…

…How weird.

A few minutes later, Nol couldn’t suppress a smile. After all, the Old Duke’s treasury was too full, with more than eighty percent being precious weapons and items produced by the system.

The best part was that “Supreme Blessing”, held by the Alva Merchant Group, was also included. This item could remove all known curses and would be a great asset if properly used.

Nol decisively pocketed it.

Teest, meanwhile, happily looted while humming a tune. They let Mentor take all the precious alchemical products while they took all the armor and weapons. Their neighbors in the Lost Tower would need these.

Indeed, receiving loot was always the happiest part!

“Mr. Mentor, please come with us to the Lost Tower. I think we owe you some explanations,” Nol said, struggling with a heap of items.

By now, Nol had a clear understanding of the Player forces in Tahe.

Among the leaders of the three major guilds, Hot Ash was too young and eager to return home, suitable only for indirect use. Dorothy was too rational, plus she also wanted to go home, making conflicts of interest possible in cooperation… They would maintain cooperation, but it would be difficult to be completely synchronized.

Mentor was different.

Though limited in combat power, he was flexible-minded and slightly offbeat, making him the perfect point of entry to mobilize the Players.

“Of course.” Mentor vacuumed up the alchemical items. “By the way, do you still want this? I’m not very interested in it. Take it or leave it.”

He shook the “Bystander’s Tongue”.

The tongue gently swayed in the liquid, emitting an uncomfortable and eerie aura.

“We certainly don’t…” Nol began, but then stopped abruptly.

The “Bystander’s Tongue” could narrate specific memories of the user, even those that had been destroyed, restoring them. It was limited to one use per person.

This was Enbillick’s claim. Cunning as Star Stealer Sol was, there was no need for it to lie about the function of a system item.

“Please give it to me.” Nol took a deep breath.

“You’re not planning to use it yourself, are you?” Teest emerged from behind him.

“No, trust me. It has a better use.”

Nol took the jar, eyeing the increasingly empty treasury. “Where’s Fischer?”

Teest thought for half a second before remembering Fischer. “Just in case, I sent him to gather marine creatures.”

“Good, let those marine creatures guide the fleet back. We’re in the middle of the Endless Sea. The fleet needs a guide.”

Nol placed the cold glass jar into his bag, putting “Bystander’s Tongue”, “Supreme Blessing”, and “Enbillick’s Flesh and Blood” together.

It didn’t matter if Fischer wasn’t here. They could find their way on their own. They just needed two more things, and then everyone could head back.

Star Stealer Sol tried to destroy everything with a bomb when he left. Being extremely cautious, he wouldn’t risk making more attacks lightly. This move wasn’t about destroying rare items.

The “Essence” and “Blood Potion” given by “God”.

They must still be here.

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