Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 192: Bad Gear

Not long ago, in the soundproofed servant’s quarters.

“Contact the Lost Tower through me? Using the Player system to communicate is indeed hard to trace.”

After hearing Teest’s brief explanation, Mentor adjusted his glasses. “Actually, I have many questions I want to ask, but I guess this is not a good time for that.”

Pope Fischer looked seriously blank. He knew nothing about the name “Perradat” and didn’t intend to ask.

Mentor raised his hand, generously displaying the Player communication box. His call was connected in less than two seconds, and Solo responded from the other end, “Mentor?! You finally—”

“The Master of Paradise requests to speak with Perradat,” Mentor interrupted directly.

Solo was stunned, not yet able to react, when Lilith squeezed herself into the frame. From the background of the image, it seemed like the group was in a place similar to a cafeteria. Then the screen shook and gradually darkened, leaving only the blue-lit eyes of Perradat visible.

“Ah…” She scratched her head wearily. “Is the situation so urgent that you have to call me by name?”

“We are trapped in Star Stealer Sol’s reversion. Nol is confronting Star Stealer Sol, and Ship Island is heading east at high speed,” Teest said, staring intently at Perradat’s resigned face. “We are rapidly approaching the center of the Endless Sea. What is there?”

“Reversion, how shameless.” Perradat clicked her tongue. “Since it’s urgent, I won’t ask too much. It’s me.”

“What?” Teest couldn’t help but ask again.

“Me. To be precise, my dead body. It floats on the sea surface, with a few fragments close to the Brick Mountains. You call it Desolation Island.” Perradat’s expression was grim. “Most of my body is still in the central part of the Endless Sea, to deter humans from seeking death. Using Ship Island to crash… Worthy of that despicable guy.”

Teest frowned. “Just a collision?”

He was confident in preserving Ship Island itself if it was just a simple collision. Even if not, he and Nol wouldn’t perish from crashing into Perradat’s remains—they were all False Gods, and physical collisions weren’t enough.

Perradat sneered. “Of course not. Before being discovered by Star Stealer Sol, I spent over a hundred years reinforcing self-defense magic. Those magics, fueled by my corpse, attack all comers indiscriminately unless I intentionally disarm them.”

“Star Stealer Sol has been searching for my core. I had to use this crude method to keep him at bay. If you hadn’t taken out the ancient Demon King, my defenses would have been perfect.”

She couldn’t help but murmur.

This guy is too familiar with “symbiosis”, Teest thought. The appearance of the ancient Demon King on Desolation Island was no coincidence, but someone’s method of self-defense—since she was almost dying, getting stepped on by the ancient Demon King was no big deal.

“To summarize, once Ship Island collides with you, the magic you prepared for over a hundred years will activate immediately, turning Ship Island into ash. Not to mention saving others, both Nol and I would be severely injured.”

So Star Stealer Sol kept using various tricks to revert again and again.

It probably knew they were up to something. It just didn’t care much—as long as Nol and he stayed on the ship, it could watch them clash with Perradat head-on.

It was almost a blatant scheme.

If they discovered its intentions midway, then Star Stealer Sol would revert, making the situation more favorable for it. In fact, it was almost successful.

Since boarding Ship Island, they were distracted by mysteries and incidents. Now, their time was running out. Maybe Star Stealer Sol’s time reversion ability would be exhausted, but could they bet on that?

They couldn’t afford to give up any reversion.

If there was even one instance where Star Stealer Sol successfully diverted their attention, they would be caught off guard by the “Perradat explosion”, allowing Star Stealer Sol to easily benefit.

“Can’t the self-defense magic be deactivated?” Although Fischer was uncertain of Perradat’s identity, he quickly grasped the situation. “You just said that you could disarm those magics if you wished.”

“Why would I do that?” Perradat’s voice became unusually cold. “That’s the lethal magic array I perfected over a hundred years, and my enemies are surely prepared.”

“If I hastily remove the defenses, Star Stealer Sol will invade from another direction for sure. Then, finding my core would be just a matter of time.”

Her voice carried an alarming authority.

“Or do you think a ‘preliminary cooperation’ means ‘I am willing to die for you’? Not even bards are that romantic, kid.”

As expected, Teest hadn’t counted on Perradat playing the “self-sacrifice” card. Even if Nol and he were her last hope, “self-preservation” was her bottom line.

Doing nothing would result in them being severely damaged by the explosion, then becoming the spoils for Star Stealer Sol.

Fleeing immediately or hindering Ship Island’s progress meant giving up this chance, allowing Star Stealer Sol to revert time. Having learned from this experience, who knew what more tricks it would come up with next time.

Focusing on defense at the moment of explosion, he and Nol might reduce some damage. If lucky enough, the immortal Mentor might be fished out by a net someday, but everyone else would surely die.

And Star Stealer Sol definitely had backup plans nearby.

This could be considered the most feasible course of action. But Nol wouldn’t like this option, and neither would Teest—he didn’t care about the lives of others, but he detested the feeling of being led by the nose by Star Stealer Sol.

[Things have gotten complicated.]

Teest immediately telepathically communicated with Nol, throwing the current situation at him in its entirety.

Nol was silent for a full two minutes. […How much time do we have?]

[Based on the information Perradat provided, eleven minutes.]

[Ha, no wonder Star Stealer Sol was so happy when I proposed a fifteen-minute truce without attacks.] Nol’s thought was devoid of humor. [We don’t even have fifteen minutes left.]

The situation was worse than they had imagined.

“You said that capturing the White Demons was inspired by Teest.”

While facing Star Stealer Sol, Nol kept the conversation going. His hands and feet were cold, but he wasn’t trembling. Now, without relying on external factors, he could bury all his emotions.

“Yes, he piqued my interest in the White Demons, so I had someone capture one for experiments. They have two lives. What a fascinating race.”

Star Stealer Sol admitted readily.

Nol’s fingers tightened around the cup handle. “Teest only escaped ten years ago, and you’ve captured more than forty White Demons. It seems the efficiency of the Eternal Church is quite low.”

“Yes, the Temple of Life is more efficient. And it’s a big world, with a population of over a billion. White Demons are indeed rare, but not as scarce as you imagine.”

The Old Duke continued casually. “If you’re trying to probe how many lives I have left, you might as well not bother.”

This guy was more verbose than before, even deliberately slowing down his speech rate. Nol grounded his molars.

Forcing Perradat would lead to an alliance breakdown.

Teest and the others couldn’t be allowed to die here.

They couldn’t drag innocent bystanders down with them.

They couldn’t let the reversion happen.

…They couldn’t sacrifice themselves.

Right. Now, Star Stealer Sol was the Player. In battle, the situation that save-point Players dread the most was only one—

A bad save.

The save was made too late, the Player had already made the wrong choices, or the battle had reached its end. No matter how many times the game was replayed from that save, failure was inevitable.

For Star Stealer Sol, there was only one possibility of a bad save… a “significant event” occurred that reversion couldn’t change, resulting in an irreversible outcome.

But what counted as a “significant event”?

The contract just made with Star Stealer Sol, which was readily agreed to, didn’t seem to count as a “significant event”—their False God status alone clearly didn’t meet the criteria for a “significant event”.

This “significant event” must also be in their favor, directly leading to Star Stealer Sol’s failure.

Ten minutes left.

Nol picked up a sugar cube and dropped it into his tea with a plop.

“If you’re satisfied with my answers, let’s formally discuss our cooperation,” the Old Duke said with an increasingly gentle smile in the dim and quiet room.

It was the sincerest smile Nol had ever seen, as if their future and death were utterly unrelated.

Nine minutes left.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Duke Alva raised an eyebrow. “Honestly, you don’t look so good. Is the tea not to your liking?”

“White Demons are people, not your lab rats.” Nol’s tone was icy. “I’m not used to facing someone like you. I need some time to digest the facts.”

Don’t panic. Don’t let this guy sense any urgency or unrest.

“As fellow executioners, Mr. Teest certainly has your care and attention.” The Old Duke sighed deeply.

Teest.

Teest is just beyond a wall. Nol’s fingers moved as if to grasp something.

Think, as if you’re about to die, even if it’s for his knight.

They had to make it back alive, then go together to watch the night scene again. Next time, it was Teest’s turn to show his abilities. Aside from burning ships, the current Teest should have other ways to adorn the sea…

Eight minutes left.

Wait.

The swiftly moving Ship Island… Perradat’s body… Desolation Island…

Teest, with the power of destruction… Himself, with the power of creation…

An unchangeable significant event… A beneficial significant event…

[Teest.]

[Honey?] Teest’s thought bounced lightly.

[You and Mentor each help me with something. And, don’t consider forcibly taking me away.]

[Ah, you found me out.] Regret was all that was in Teest’s response.

[I believe in your power, and I ask you to believe in mine.]

Nol rapidly sorted through his thoughts. [Next…]

……

[Haha, I’ll do my best.]

Teest nearly laughed out loud. [Praise your madness. This truly is an idea only the God of Creation would have.]

Nol exhaled and took a sip of his tea, almost choking on it—indeed, he still wasn’t used to tea with sugar.

However, now he could afford to stall for time. Nol leisurely poured out his tea, refilled his cup, and took a long breath. “Now we can talk about cooperation.”

Star Stealer Sol’s eyebrows twitched imperceptibly, his gaze sweeping the floor, seemingly estimating the speed of Ship Island’s progress. However, it was all in vain, Nol thought to himself, clearing his throat. “What? Is it your turn to compose yourself?”

“We’ve made a contract. I can’t harm you. I don’t know what you’re worrying about.”

“Please forgive my caution. After all, your followers weren’t included in the contract,” Star Stealer Sol politely replied.

“You’re just possessing a body. Your puppets and avatars weren’t included in the contract either, so we’re even,” Nol said with tension in his voice. “We agreed on fifteen minutes. I don’t know what you’re stalling for. If you keep beating around the bush, my patience will run out.”

“We can set a contract body to body, becoming the new dual gods of Tahe.” Star Stealer Sol smiled using the Old Duke’s face. “I don’t want to push you too hard. We can divide the system’s authority. There can be more than just one ‘administrator’, as long as we have the same level of authority.”

“You can become the new God of Life, and I will continue as the Son of Eternity. We will make good neighbors. You don’t have to do what you don’t want to, and you will have the power to check me.”

“What about Teest?” Nol asked impassively.

“Ah, the child you cherish. I won’t make things difficult for him—he can become your subordinate god, with just a little restriction. This way, his power won’t exceed ours and won’t cause unnecessary trouble.” Star Stealer Sol’s tone was very sincere. “In exchange, I will also have a subordinate god… Purely for the sake of balance, I think you understand.”

“A little restriction.” Nol struggled to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “Like how you ‘restricted’ the previous Eternal Pope?”

Brainwashing beings with the potential to become gods into one’s puppets and then discarding them casually—indeed a firm restriction.

Star Stealer Sol shook his head. “The native creatures grow too fast, and with the ancient Demon King causing trouble now and then, I had no choice. And…”

At this point, the Old Duke stood up. He leaned on the table with both hands, his face getting close to Nol. The light in those pale blue eyes sparked, anticipating destruction at arm’s length.

“And that child is very dangerous. You surely understand better than I do.”

The Old Duke’s wrinkled face twisted into a smile that didn’t look like a smile.

“Danger must be dealt with in advance. Don’t you think?”

Time was almost up.

The night was still quiet. Neither the sound of a collision nor the bright flash of a magical explosion occurred in front of them. Nol poked a sugar cube with a silver fork and gestured in front of Star Stealer Sol.

“You’re right. My Teest is very dangerous.” Nol smiled. “Without me watching over him, he’d do some crazy things.”

The expression on the Old Duke’s face disappeared.

Servant’s quarters.

“You guys are crazy—!”

On the other side of the communicator, Perradat lost all elegance. Her scream echoed through the soundproof space. “You two maniacs, I should never have cooperated with you. What are you even doing!!!”

“The Players have acted as instructed. The numbers are absolutely sufficient.”

Mentor happily ended the communication. “Many from Hermitage were investigating the ‘ancient Demon King’ near the Brick Mountains, and the people from the Saints Guild were stationed there for the main quest. Solo and Anakin have decent influence.”

Perradat: “Ahhhhhhhh—”

Teest ignored her. His body was tensed and sweat streaked across his cheeks, but his eyes were frighteningly bright. “Not bad. I’m getting more and more handy with it.”

Fischer watched Teest excitedly, looking as if he wanted to pray on the spot.

Perradat: “Stop! I told you to stop! Can’t you hear? It’s so uncomfortable… Urgh… I’m going to puke…”

Her head disappeared from the communication window, replaced by Lynn’s face with a subtle expression.

“What did you guys do?” Lynn’s voice was dry, and her expression was like that of a house cat that ate something strange.

“Star Stealer Sol wanted to use Ship Island to crash into Perradat’s body and blow us up,” Teest said.

“I know!” Lynn responded weakly.

“Ship Island drifts very fast,” Teest explained emotionally.

“Get to the point…”

“I can also make Perradat drift very fast,” Teest happily stated/ “No matter how large her body is, it still counts as a ‘corpse’.”

Lynn’s complexion gradually turned ashen. “You didn’t…”

“Mhmm.”

On the other side of the Endless Sea, at the edge of the Brick Mountains.

Under the gaze of hundreds of Players, the mysterious Desolation Island was rapidly approaching the shore. For the first time in Tahe history, “rapid continental drift” was witnessed.

A significant event that would be recorded in history occurred.

Reversion couldn’t interfere with this event.

“Continue.” Inside the room, Nol stabbed the sugar-filled fork into the Old Duke’s teacup.

“Why aren’t you speaking?”

---

The author has something to say:

Nol: Speak up. Weren’t you quite talkative just now?

Nol: Is it because you don’t like it?

---

Kinky Thoughts:

This marks the end of the arc.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 191: Eye of the Creator

Archiving, or rather, looping, wasn’t an uncommon theme in creative works.

By reliving the same period repeatedly, characters could gain love or power, solve incidents, or defeat enemies. From movies and video games to novels and comics, Nol had seen many such stories.

They shared a straightforward commonality: only the “protagonist” could accumulate information. For everyone else, it remained a singular experience.

In the forty-third “loop” of Ship Island, they weren’t the protagonists.

Nol watched the smiling Old Duke Alva. A storm was brewing in his mind, quietly waiting for the other to speak.

“It’s rare for you to be willing to negotiate with me right from the start.”

The Old Duke—or more accurately, Star Stealer Sol manipulating the Old Duke—spread his hands. “Right, if you’re trying to buy time with this, I should add something. If you plan to transform into a dragon and forcefully take everyone away…”

“You would erase the island and everyone on it?” Nol’s tone remains even.

If he were to leave by force in his dragon form, he was confident he could save those close to him. Star Stealer Sol’s leverage over him was actually quite limited. He had considered these options in their previous forty-one encounters.

Since the loop had lasted until now, there must be other factors at play. He was just guessing.

“Exactly. The lives of tens of thousands of innocents. If I didn’t know you didn’t look back, I might have been scared.”

As Star Stealer Sol said this, his face showed no signs of fear.

“I have a question.”

Mentor suddenly spoke up, not caring whether Star Stealer Sol allowed him or not. “Since we can’t interfere with ‘major events’, it means when you rewind time, we haven’t decided the outcome yet.”

“Obviously, we’re all significant figures. If one side has already lost, then no matter what we do in the past, it can’t change the predetermined outcome… Is that correct?”

“As far as I know, yes,” Fischer responded seriously while kicking Billy with his toe.

A hint of annoyance flashes in the Old Duke’s eyes. Star Stealer Sol clearly disliked Mentor speaking freely in its presence. Nol coughed appropriately, redirecting Star Stealer Sol’s attention.

Behind him, Teest’s fingers press deeply into the soft backrest of the sofa.

[Forty-one battles… It shouldn’t be this wasteful.] Unable to see blood for a short period, Teest began to grumble inwardly.

Nol: [Are you talking about Star Stealer Sol?]

[I’m talking about us. No offense to you. I’m just making an objective assessment.]

Teest complained, [Even if this guy flips the situation whenever he sees it going south and uses magical props for protection, with our abilities, knocking him down in one hit isn’t too hard. Forty-plus times without a victory? Seems exaggerated, don’t you think?]

[That’s why it’s worth considering.]

The situation was extremely tense, but Nol remained unusually calm. [He’s stubbornly rewinding this period, and we’re stubbornly confronting him. There must be a reason.]

After a victory was decided, no amount of rewinding would work, and no one could interfere with the established facts. This was a struggle between False Gods. The winner must win, and the loser must lose.

On the other hand… before a victory was decided, as long as no other major events were caused, could they interfere with the past at will?

Nol swished the tea in his cup, watching the leaves float and sink at the bottom.

Yes, the laws of time only protected the “past”, while the “present” and “future” were uncertain—

If their showdown was to be decided tomorrow, then Star Stealer Sol returning to the past today and repeatedly interfering with what had happened could give him an absolute advantage.

This could maximally influence the “future”.

This meant that Star Stealer Sol’s ability wasn’t a convenient save-and-load feature.

Like the last time they met on the battlefield, Star Stealer Sol’s projection magic was unexpectedly interrupted by Painter. Once the outcome was decided, it couldn’t “save and load” to recover.

If we were to compare it to a game, his ability was more like a “single-use save feature within a battle”. Once the battle ended, whether he won or lost, he couldn’t start over.

Thinking this, Nol’s hand shaking the cup suddenly stopped.

Wait, just now. Did he come to understand Star Stealer Sol’s ability further?

Star Stealer Sol could change his combat strategy but couldn’t control the opponent’s thinking and reactions. If these feelings could be recorded, if he could also “save and read the files to accumulate strategies”…

“Let’s talk about Perradat. I guess you’ve made contact with her.”

The Old Duke spoke slowly and leisurely, his tone long and comfortable. Combined with the dim atmosphere of the surrounding divination home, it was enough to make one sleepy.

“I don’t know anything about Perradat.” Nol shrugged.

“No, no, no. You don’t have to hide it. I’ve checked that body. It’s missing some blood. Mr. Nol, for us, flesh and even corpses contain immense power.”

The Old Duke shook his head. “I’m here to warn you—it’s best not to trust her too much, just like you wouldn’t trust me. The flesh and bones are right in front of you. You can’t expect a wild dog to restrain itself with ‘morality’.”

[Buy me some time.] Nol sent a thought to Teest. [I need a moment to think.]

In the next instant, Teest, very naturally, expressed surprise. “Are you calling yourself a wild dog?”

The Old Duke pretended not to hear, maintaining a friendly tone. “As you see, I can interfere with the past to a certain extent, and Perradat can interfere with the future through prophecies. Mr. Teest… from what I see now, your power is closely related to destruction.”

“Mr. Nol, these powers were never within your realm. And we all want that position. This is a friendly warning.”

Nol remained silent, just staring into the Old Duke’s eyes.

“Cockroaches also think they’re doing me a favor by dealing with the trash. I usually thank them with the sole of my shoe.” Teest, with his hands on Nol’s shoulders, said with a full smile, “You just don’t want to see us team up and eliminate you first.”

“I admit it.” Star Stealer Sol, unfazed, took a sip of tea. “We all just want to survive, and that’s not a reason to be ashamed of.”

“Mr. Nol doesn’t trust me, and I can understand that. Last time, I misjudged the situation, underestimating the deep bond between you two. Like I said, this time I’ve tried to rewind so many times just to have a chance for peaceful communication. I want to have a new negotiation with the both of you…”

Sincere words slowly flowed into Nol’s left ear and out the right. He had already made up his mind not to heed Star Stealer Sol’s barking.

As a seasoned game developer, he knew too well why a “scene” exists—if Star Stealer Sol wanted to communicate peacefully, there were plenty of other ways. This scene existed for destruction, without a doubt.

But why forty-plus times?

Why would he and his companions play along in this unfavorable scene forty-plus times?

Behind the cover of his teacup, Nol surveyed his surroundings. Unfortunately, for him, this moment was the only “present”. Even if Star Stealer Sol had rewound before, the past forty-one versions of him were doomed to leave no mark.

Rewinding over and over, saving over previous saves. To leave a message, one must use something that “doesn’t refresh”…

Something that doesn’t refresh…

No, there was indeed something in this room that “doesn’t refresh”—Star Stealer Sol, the “loop’s protagonist” himself, recorded the past forty-one rewinds.

If he also wanted to gather information through repeated rewinds, he would only use a method that only he could perceive.

Star Stealer Sol was elegantly talking about something, and Teest was sharply mocking something.

Meanwhile, Nol lifted his teacup and lowered his gaze. The water’s surface, shimmering with a greenish glow, rippled and broke with the movement.

Above the rim of the teacup, Nol lifted his eyes.

[Creator: This is your world. Protect it.]

When the skill activated, a blue-white light net closely hugged the surface of objects and instantly expanded, followed by the appearance of a manipulable cursor. A floating strange “code” emerged whenever the cursor moved over it. Now Nol understood that this wasn’t a programming language from Earth but a “creator code” that only he could understand.

Before, by adding, deleting, or modifying these “codes”, Nol could easily create, annihilate, or warp objects. However, against a powerful False God who could also interfere with the system, this function was clearly limited.

Only Star Stealer Sol—the light net on the Old Duke’s body surface was a bright red, indicating “non-interference”. Nol could also view the “Old Duke Alva’s” code, a composite existence, but couldn’t affect his status by modifying the code.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to modify them.

He only needed to “comment”.

Comments didn’t affect any functionality. They merely display, to those who could see the source code, a pure explanation hidden deep within the code.

The blue eyes burned like ghost flames, and a multitude of characters slid through Nol’s mind. He quickly found what he was looking for—the thing that was quietly hidden in Star Stealer Sol’s shadow through forty-one rewinds—

They were written in his mother tongue and presented in a way that was very familiar to Nol. These were records “from himself”. There were fewer than forty-one entries, each connected to the others, completing a series of deductions.

[//Time rewinds. Suspect Star Stealer Sol has the power to “interfere with the past”. Do not expose the Lost Tower.]

[//Confirmed the activation of rewind. It didn’t take any potion while rewinding.]

[//It has more than five life-saving system items on it. It will immediately activate rewind if things go awry.]

[//During the rewind activation, the Old Duke shows a pained expression.]

[//This isn’t Star Stealer Sol’s true body. Suspect there’s a limit to the number of rewinds. Consider depleting its attempts.]

[//Star Stealer Sol always tries to engage in conversation. Do not fight it. Retreating face-to-face also triggers a rewind. Suspect it’s trying to forcibly keep everyone here. Testing of rewind in battle begins.]

……

Midway, there were various records made by himself. While Star Stealer Sol collected information, Nol was also testing his abilities and probing the conditions under which Star Stealer Sol activated rewinds.

Star Stealer Sol would definitely activate rewind before receiving a fatal wound. Rewind seemed to be its inherent ability but using the Old Duke as a puppet for rewinding seemed to also cost it.

If the situation became dire and Nol decided to abandon Ship Island and leave by transforming into a dragon, Star Stealer Sol would immediately activate rewind. If Billy or Fischer received fatal wounds, Star Stealer Sol would also rewind, seemingly to prevent a “major event” from occurring.

No, killing his own companions would theoretically be more beneficial to Star Stealer Sol, even if it was worth changing the save point. Its actions were more like “stabilizing them”.

……

[//Star Stealer Sol became suspicious. I intentionally exposed my name.]

[//Star Stealer Sol became suspicious. Both Teest and I exposed our names. Star Stealer Sol didn’t notice. Don’t panic, this is a necessary sacrifice.]

[//Confirmed Star Stealer Sol will use this information to steer the situation towards “peaceful negotiations”. Testing of negotiation after rewind begins.]

[//Teest mentioned Ship Island moving east at high speed. Star Stealer Sol activated rewind.]

These were the last four annotations.

From start to finish, it all happened in the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Nol regained his focus just in time to hear Teest’s voice—

“I can’t listen anymore. If you really want to negotiate peacefully, why would your Ship Island…”

[Don’t mention Ship Island moving east at high speed.] Nol immediately halted him in his mind. [Change the subject now.]

He wasn’t ready to rewind just yet.

“…Why would your Ship Island seem so sinister?” Teest swiftly changed his tune.

[How did you know? I was just about to tell you.] Teest flung his thoughts in his mind.

Nol directly stuffed the records he saw into Teest’s thoughts, taking back control of the conversation, even though he had no idea what Star Stealer Sol was just rambling about.

“I’m also getting a headache listening to you two. It’s clear you can’t communicate effectively, and continuing this stalemate isn’t going to resolve anything.” Nol put down his teacup. “Star Stealer Sol, let’s leave it to you and me to talk, one-on-one.”

“I couldn’t ask for more.” Sure enough, as long as no fight ensued, Star Stealer Sol was a complete “benevolent old man”.

Teest placed a pair of fingers on Nol’s shoulders, rubbing against his neck. “Honey, are you trying to send me away?”

[Do you have other arrangements?] His knight sent a breezy inquiry.

“Yes, I need a relatively objective environment. Don’t mind it. It’s been more than forty times now. Obviously, I can’t kill Star Stealer Sol, and this guy can’t kill me either.”

[Ship Island is moving east at high speed. Star Stealer Sol doesn’t want us to leave, deliberately throwing a puppet that’s not even an avatar here to persistently bother us. Contact the Lost Tower through Mentor. Contact Perradat!]

“You’re really heartless.” Teest tightened his fingers, his nails piercing Nol’s skin, leaving visible bruises on the fingertips.

[As you command, Lord Nol.]

“Don’t make me say it a second time. Take the unrelated people and leave, Teest.”

[Be careful.]

Teest ignored Billy, who had fainted on the ground. He grabbed Fischer and Mentor and headed straight for the servant’s quarters. With a casual wave of his hand, Nol activated a spell that isolated sound, leaving only himself and Star Stealer Sol within the barrier.

“Now it’s just you and me.”

Nol pretended the skill [Telepathy] didn’t exist. “Let’s be open with each other. I’ve been pondering a question that I just can’t figure out. If you’re willing to explain, I’ll give you fifteen minutes of one-on-one time.”

Star Stealer Sol’s scrutinizing gaze swept over him from head to toe. “A question?”

“Yes, just like Mr. Mentor said, we only know about the Reversion Potion.” Nol spread his hands. “The Old Duke kept the Blood Potion only for making ‘Supplement Demon Potions’. If he made so many Time Reversion Blood Potions in advance, it would certainly seem suspicious.”

“Moreover, such bottles and jars are hard to use in battle. With Teest’s speed, he wouldn’t give you many chances to succeed… But this isn’t your real body, so please tell me, how did you do it?”

“This is quite an invasive question,” Star Stealer Sol replied calmly as ever.

“I can’t help it. Without understanding this, I find it hard to talk with you at ease.”

Nol smiled. “How about we make a deal with your favorite type of contract—through an absolute contract. You tell me the reason truthfully, and I’ll give you fifteen minutes of one-on-one talk time, promising no attacks on each other.”

Come on. If you really intend to kill me this time, if you’re truly buying time.

After all, the dead don’t tell tales. A secret for more time, it’s truly a bargain. You won’t refuse this contract.

“…Alright, I understand your feelings.” After a long while, the Old Duke sighed deeply and extended his hand.

Nol shook that hand. No one spoke. Only countless complex magical formations rotated around them, eventually turning into a double noose around their necks. The noose, made of golden light, dissipated into numerous light points the next second.

“I just paid the price.”

Star Stealer Sol looked emotional. “You know, mortals can’t withstand the power of God. The moment my consciousness enters a human, they die, and then I can only control a corpse.”

Nol was startled. “White Demon… Supplement Demon Potions…”

“Yes, the White Demon.”

The corners of the Old Duke’s mouth twitched, revealing a chilling smile.

“You must be familiar with this scheme? ‘Consume a specific item to gain an extra life’. Thanks to you, ‘Duke Alva’ has already used up forty-one lives.”

“Speaking of which, this was inspired by the Mad Monk…”

He really wanted to punch this guy. Nol clenched his fist.

At the same time, Teest’s telepathic message arrived.

[Things have gotten complicated,] he said.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

From my limited coding knowledge, when you put // in front of a line, it’s a comment that shows up in the source code but won’t be executed when the code is run. It’s there to provide annotations or explanations about the code to anyone reading it.

The previous Nols used this to provide the message to current Nol in the game’s code, but it doesn’t actually execute so Star Stealer Sol doesn’t actually see the messages.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 190: S&L

This place and the auction house were two different worlds.

The auction house was bright as day, with stimulating herbs mixed into the incense, raising body temperature and excitement. Here, however, it was enveloped in a veil-like darkness, with candles or magic lamps placed at every corner, dispelling only a bit of the night around. The entire room was like an amber stone by the fire, with soft light and shadow slowly flowing, instinctively making one drowsy.

Before the door behind them closed, Teest had already identified their target. Without needing Golden Sword to explain, he knew which one was the Old Duke—

As an elderly man, Old Duke Alva kept a good figure without the shrinkage typical of old age. He had long silver hair and a beard; it was difficult to tell if the color was natural. They were carefully braided and oiled, giving an unreal sense of cleanliness.

Despite his age, the remains of his handsome bone structure were evident. His skin was a dull pink and wrinkled, and his eyebrows almost covered his sharp eyes. Those eyes were pale blue, very much like the White Demon Aesop.

Given the Old Duke’s libertine nature, maybe Aesop was a descendant of one of his illegitimate children, Teest thought bitterly.

“Ah, my favorite trading partner.” The old man started speaking to Billy, who was leading, with what could be called a gentle voice. He clasped his hands together, resting them on his loose and comfortable silk robe.

He didn’t even glance at the White Demon in the cage.

Before the Old Duke could finish speaking, Nol darted out from the robe.

False God-level magic descended, instantly sealing the entire space. Nol cut off all nearby magic flow, turning this sealed room into an island where no message could get out.

The surrounding Eternalists didn’t have time to react. Their vision fell, dyed blood-red. In an instant, their heads were sheared off by the wind blades of cat paws, thumping to the ground.

Blood spurted out, soaking the carpet, spraying onto the expensive vases and paintings.

It was evident that the Old Duke’s servants were well-trained. Faced with such a bloody scene, no one screamed or fainted. The blood splattered into a maid’s wide-open eyes, slowly diffusing across the eyeball, yet she didn’t blink.

“…Haa.”

The Old Duke sighed, leisurely pouring out the wine from his glass—the blood had also splattered into his wine glass, adding a tinge of red to the white wine.

Teest jumped out of Billy’s embrace, taking the lead in hopping onto the Old Duke’s table.

“You seem not surprised at all.” Teest’s four snowy paws were covered in blood, leaving a trail of bloody paw prints.

They came for investigation, not negotiation. Considering Old Duke Alva was no saint, Nol agreed to put a bit of pressure on the old man. After all, this old guy had been buying White Demons for years and had turned into a Supplement Demon himself, so he should value his life.

Starting with a blood sacrifice of the Eternalist, they would proceed based on the old man’s reaction. However, the Old Duke’s calmness was a bit outrageous.

The old man casually raised his hand, and a servant beside him lifted a wine bottle, pouring him another half-glass of wine. Everyone’s face in the room remained impassive, as if what fell to the ground were just a few toy marbles.

The servant withdrew, and a maid stepped forward. Her tray held five steaming cups of tea, along with honey and sugar. The drop of blood flowed down her eyeball, slowly trailing over her cheek, like a tear of blood.

“Your murderous aura is as strong as ever. You’re here to ask questions, right? Why not sit down for a cup of tea?”

The Old Duke gestured towards the sofas with a “please” motion. “Let’s see, Enbillick, Fischer, Mentor… and Nol and Teest.”

What’s going on?

For a moment, Nol’s mind went blank. Teest’s fur bristled, but before he could attack, the direction he intended to strike raised a magic barrier.

Being named, Billy froze on the spot. “I… You…”

Mentor hummed with great interest while Fischer in the cage sighed as he bent a metal rod, carelessly jumping over the bodies of the Eternalists.

Fischer’s silver-white hair turned into a rough dark gray, and his pale glacier-blue eyes turned to a murky gray-blue, like the sea on a cloudy day.

As Fischer revealed his true appearance, he glared at Old Duke Alva with an ugly expression.

This wasn’t reckless, Nol thought. Hiding was no longer necessary. This old guy accurately named them, not as a bluff. And someone capable of this wasn’t just an old noble leading a merchant group, but—

“Star Stealer Sol.”

Nol’s tone was calm, yet his heart hammered against his ribs. He transformed back to human, picking up the large white cat on the table. His palms were covered in sweat.

Why?

How did this guy know their situation? Even if…

“Why reveal your identity now if you knew about us?”

The Old Duke seemed to hear Nol’s thoughts, sipping his wine with a smile. “It’s a long story. To avoid trouble, I need to clarify something first.”

He elegantly pointed to his temple with his index finger. “This old guy isn’t my avatar. Even if you completely eradicate him, it won’t hurt me in the slightest. Let’s all sit down and have some tea first.”

“What are you talking about?” Golden Sword Billy voiced out confusedly, forgetting to draw his sword or resist. “Your Excellency, I, I just…”

“Just want the ‘Bystander’s Tongue’. I know, my dear boy.”

Old Duke waved his hand indifferently. “You’re just too stubborn. Why obsess over a vanished memory? Even if it might bring risk, life is about taking risks—well, now you have to sacrifice your whole person instead of just an eye.”

Billy’s fists clenched slowly. “It was you… No, you’re not the Duke!”

“Who I am, you could ask your lovely companions if you still have the chance to ask.”

“Duke Alva” said nonchalantly, “To leave you without regrets, I’ll compliment you on behalf of the Duke—you’re very capable, with a very unique vision. Your judgment this time is also not wrong. The ‘Bystander’s Tongue’ indeed is in the treasury of this room.”

With that, he casually grabbed a guard beside him, and with a plop, the guard was shredded into pieces by a golden thread. The next second, dark magic dyed the corpse pieces, which then lay in deathly silence.

Then another attack—the blade of the “Betrayer” was caught between the Old Duke’s two fingers, the gloves on his hands shining with a powerful defensive array.

The human-formed Teest immediately clicked his tongue.

“Your speed is indeed very fast,” Star Stealer Sol praised. “Really, this speed takes some getting used to.”

The moment they were named, Nol began to think hard.

Star Stealer Sol inexplicably knew their names, openly revealing its identity without hesitation.

Star Stealer Sol didn’t immediately lift the room’s seal, seeming to have no intention of fleeing. Teest’s sudden attack was anticipated as if expected—even the defensive gloves were pre-prepared.

Teest couldn’t command the corpses of the servants. Including the servants and maids’ reactions just now, most likely there was no living person in this room to begin with, and the corpses were pre-treated by Star Stealer Sol…

The God behind the Eternal Church that had a private treasury of blood potions, and traces of related potions…

“How many times has it been?” Nol asked with difficulty.

Teest’s body shook, instantly withdrawing to Nol’s side. He slightly narrowed his golden eyes.

The Old Duke clapped appreciatively. “Not bad, Mr. Nol. This is your first time ‘taking control within the first three minutes’. It usually takes longer.”

It was indeed time reversion.

How many times had this guy reversed time? In Star Stealer Sol’s eyes, how many times had they landed on the island, how many actions had they taken?

So far, all their actions might have been closely watched, analyzed, and interfered with by Star Stealer Sol.

Honestly, the “Old Duke” in front of them was indeed not Star Stealer Sol’s avatar. He was just controlled—Nol could feel it. The Old Duke in front of them had certain combat power but definitely couldn’t withstand their group’s lineup.

Why did Star Stealer Sol insist on this rewind? …Why could this guy always successfully rewind in their hands?

With preliminary information from the Alva Merchant Group in hand, there was a long way to go. The situation was too bizarre. They’d better withdraw immediately. Nol instinctively wanted to touch Kando, but he saw a fleeting smile in the Old Duke’s eyes.

…No.

Nol stopped his movement instantly.

At the greeting upon entry, Star Stealer Sol didn’t greet Drake. If he had used the candle before, Star Stealer Sol couldn’t have failed to recognize him.

Star Stealer Sol was also investigating them, definitely curious about their means of traversing space. Worse, if he opened a spatial channel here, Star Stealer Sol might “see” the Lost Tower.

An ordinary person might not be able to do much, but Star Stealer Sol also had certain system permissions. If he located the Lost Tower through the system, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Damn, almost lured again.

This guy definitely had an ulterior motive. He must find the reason why Star Stealer Sol kept rewinding this part of the past.

Nol made a mistake and pressed down Teest’s sword. He walked in front of Teest, sat down on the sofa, and faced Star Stealer Sol, who was sitting in the main seat.

The tea on the guest coffee table was still warm, with its fragrant steam wafting through the air.

“Mr. Nol understands etiquette after all.” The Old Duke swirled the wine in his glass, sizing up Nol through the swirling liquid. “I am willing to answer one question for you.”

“How many times has it been?” Nol picked up the teacup, repeating his question. He could tell it was just ordinary tea.

“This is the forty-third time I am conversing with you.” The Old Duke expressed in a good mood.

“Oh—” Mentor sighed in relief quite delightedly. “I wondered why there were so many coincidences. It turns out it’s time reversion.”

Fischer’s brow twitched. “That’s your takeaway?”

“Finding the unbearable reason for dissonance is quite satisfying.”

Mentor stood amid a sea of blood, still speaking as if he was on a tour. “I’ve heard that normal people need to use time reversion potions to achieve similar effects, and they also can’t overly interfere with the past. Forty-two times… Is ‘viewing the past’ your power, Mr. Star Stealer Sol?”

“Uh, no, that’s not right. If you’re not an avatar here, can you only drink potions? With so many potions…?”

Mentor lost himself in thought, unconcerned with the surroundings.

Golden Sword was still in chaos. His lips were trembling, and his complexion was pale. “What’s going on? What are you all talking about? Is this a conspiracy—”

“This is the fourth time I’ve heard such a disturbing conversation.”

The Old Duke didn’t glance away, still focusing on Nol. “Mr. Nol, control your dog. Now is the time for adults to talk.”

The handle of the teacup, warmed by the tea, rested obediently between Nol’s fingers, slowly radiating heat. Teest, unusually silent, stood behind Nol, across the back of the sofa.

The dimness inside remained, and the air filled with the sweet stench of blood.

[Preserve strength. Don’t act rashly.] Nol sent his thoughts. [If we kill, it must be done in one strike.]

[You mean…]

[The laws of time apply to me as well. Star Stealer Sol definitely doesn’t have the power to manipulate them. Assuming we successfully destroy this body, it would definitely count as a ‘significant impact’, and we wouldn’t be able to change that by rewinding time.]

Nol slowly sipped his tea. [Even if Star Stealer Sol wants to re-enter the fray, it won’t be that easy… If it were so easy to manipulate people, he could’ve controlled everyone nearby— even Fischer and Billy—not just the Duke.]

Ambushing them by controlling Fischer and Billy would be a more efficient method.

And they had encountered Star Stealer Sol on the battlefield before. If this guy could easily control people, they wouldn’t have been sent back last time.

[Oh, I thought you wanted me to preemptively eliminate those two.]

Teest sighed in his mind. [But why bother with this body if he’s bound to lose? Why rewind time repeatedly?]

[That’s exactly what I’m curious about. His frankness gives me a bad feeling,] Nol responded inwardly.

…It was almost as if Star Stealer Sol was quite certain that they wouldn’t make it back alive.

Nol put down the teacup, the bottom touching the saucer with a light clang. At the same time, Golden Sword, the most panic-stricken, collapsed, fainting on a corpse.

To minimize variables, Nol simply knocked out the only “outsider” cleanly. Including Mentor’s “Player’s immortality”, Billy’s combat ability was the lowest among the five, and unfortunately, none of them had the time to explain the situation to him.

“Now my person is quiet enough.” Nol’s tone was cold.

“I just wanted to talk, but every time you treat me coldly.”

Star Stealer Sol boldly moved from the main seat to sit across from Nol on the sofa. “Last time too, our heart-to-heart talk was rudely interrupted… If I say I’ve rewound time forty-three times just for such a peaceful talk with you, would you believe me?”

Nol offered a polite smile, almost as if writing “I don’t believe you” across his face.

The elegantly appearing Old Duke sighed deeply. “In this room, we have fought forty-two times… Don’t be so surprised, dear Teest. Behind me is the precious treasury of Duke Alva, filled with many good things from the system. As long as I know your attack methods, I have plenty of ways to defend.”

“The most direct evidence.” He coughed twice, casually pointing at Teest. “I forced you to shout each other’s names. Isn’t that enough?”

Indeed, Nol thought.

Truly, a Lv.1 character, no matter how hard they tried, couldn’t beat a Lv.100 opponent. That was an absolute difference in values. But with the help of SL* magic, a Lv.60 character indeed had the possibility to fight a Lv.100 enemy.

*Save and load.

As long as they could inflict effective damage and avoid all fatal attacks.

Old Duke Alva himself wasn’t weak. He was definitely equipped with various defense and healing items. Not to mention this was his home court, and he had a treasury full of system items behind him.

Even if Star Stealer Sol couldn’t kill them with this condition, it was enough to drag out the fight and cause significant damage. The question was…

“Alright, what do you want to talk about?” Nor said.

Star Stealer Sol didn’t just want a conversation, Nol thought. But for them, this was also an excellent opportunity.

What exactly does this guy plan to do to kill them?

…And how are they going to drag him out?

---

The author has something to say:

Star Stealer Sol enters the stage again! Good news, there’s an SL golden finger. Bad news, the golden finger belongs to the enemy.

SL is save and load.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 189: Deep in the Shadows

He must secure that pen.

Teest’s “God’s Forsaken” was very useful, so there wasn’t any harm in not getting rid of it for now. “Physical Destruction” was also protecting himself temporarily. After he completed the transaction with Perradat, perhaps a way to solve the memory seal could be found. Then, getting rid of “Physical Destruction” could significantly enhance their combat power.

‘It shouldn’t be too expensive,’ Nol thought.

Few people would receive such a stubborn curse like he and Teest have. “Supreme Blessing” wasn’t irreplaceable. It just had a “cure-all” gimmick, so people didn’t need to look for curse-breaking items of specific categories. Moreover, it was a one-time use thing, which was somewhat underwhelming.

Only those like the Alva Merchant Group, who had more money than they knew what to do with, would be willing to buy it.

First, bid on the pen and secure it. As for the money, they would cross that bridge when they came to it—gold for debt, barter, force cracking passwords—he could think of more than three methods in an instant.

“You two, there’s…”

Nol turned his head and raised his twinkling, round eyes. Mentor and Billy stopped talking and looked at him simultaneously. Nol was about to continue when the chill around him intensified. Something cold seeped into his scales, like ice quietly brushing across the back of his neck.

The rest of his sentence changed when it reached his lips. “…Is there any fresh juice? The wine just now was a bit bitter.”

Billy nodded. He picked a bottle of peach pulp from the shelf and poured a small dish for Nol. Outside the booth, the bidding for “Supreme Blessing” had already started—not as hot as Nol had speculated, with only some big merchants bidding.

Nol licked the iced peach pulp while the gears in his mind almost flew out of his head.

Something was off—very off.

If it weren’t for the Old Duke suddenly changing the auction item category, they would have left the auction early and wouldn’t have seen these items. Now, not only had they seen them, but there also happened to be something he really wanted.

A precious item with a guaranteed source from the system.

Of course, all this could again be a coincidence.

After all, aside from Nol and Teest, only Lynn and Painter knew about the “curse”. Even Perradat wasn’t clear about the details, let alone Star Stealer Sol.

…But, what if Star Stealer Sol was spying on all this?

…While they were investigating it, it was also likely investigating them. Their involvement in the auction through the Eternal Church would be discovered sooner or later. If Star Stealer Sol suddenly realized Paradise’s sudden interest in a “curse-breaking item”…

New prices lit up. “Supreme Blessing” was about to be auctioned.

Should he give up this hard-earned item? Or gamble that all this was just a coincidence, they were just extremely lucky, or this was subtle support from the system?

No, it couldn’t be the system’s support.

If the system wanted to give them something indirectly, it could simply make “Supreme Blessing” a quest reward. In previous quests, its rewards were mostly sourced locally.

Setting up ordinary quest rewards, then placing truly useful items in positions that “could easily be missed, even if found, was hard to obtain,” was too roundabout. It didn’t make sense to go to such lengths.

Nol took a deep breath and changed the topic casually.

“Seeing the Alva Merchant Group bid for the first time,” he licked the sweet juice slowly, “I thought they would be interested in higher-level stuff.”

Golden Sword Billy dryly let out a “ha”. “Believe me. The big shots like anything convenient for treatment. Their bidding for this item is like going to a pharmacy to buy a bottle of medicine.”

Mentor casually took over the conversation. “Such ‘universal’ items are indeed attractive, but instead of using them, I’d prefer to dissect them for study…”

Nol listened silently. Amidst the noisy background, “Supreme Blessing” eventually fell into the hands of the Alva family.

He could hear his heart pounding. Perhaps he made a big mistake, missing the chance to get the precious item. Maybe—

“The next item, also from the Rizzi Caravan, ‘Hand of God’!”

“Guaranteed by the magicians of the Alva Merchant Group, just by wearing these white gloves and touching the target’s eyes, you can control the blessing status on the target! Whether to maintain or turn off, it’s all up to you!”

“Also a creation of God, friends. It will automatically fit the user’s hand size. Look at this pure and beautiful white! It can even be used an unlimited number of times!”

“Blessings are indeed beautiful things, but sometimes they expose you to malicious gazes. With these gloves, you can sneak into the lairs of those dark creatures…”

Nol nearly choked on his juice.

If it wasn’t for his dragon form, Mentor and Billy would definitely see the cold sweat on his forehead.

He guessed right.

This was definitely a probe.

Star Stealer Sol must have discovered the “unable to directly look at Teest” thing, but it was unclear how they did it. Considering their limited power right now, Star Stealer Sol would suspect the system was playing tricks.

Various enhancement statuses, abnormal statuses, blessings, and curses. The system could give them so much; considering the instability of enhancement and abnormal statuses, blessings or curses were more likely.

If Star Stealer Sol knew this, forcibly unraveling Teest’s curse… Nol felt a chill down his spine.

“I want the ‘Hand of God’. Can we really not bid for anything?” Nol decisively spoke up.

“Considering your state, I thought you would want ‘Supreme Blessing’.” Golden Sword Billy was somewhat surprised.

“Haven’t you promised to help us obtain other curse-breaking items? I don’t want to compete with the Alva Merchant Group,” Nol said indifferently. “I have other uses for the ‘Hand of God’.”

As soon as his words fell, there was movement in the Alva family’s booth. They seemed quite interested in the “Hand of God”. Nol wasn’t surprised at all.

Mentor sat in the armchair, humming ambiguously. “Speaking of which, how does this auction trade? After winning the bid, is it directly delivered to the auction representative, or—”

Billy was quite straightforward. “It’s under the personal name of Duke Alva. He wouldn’t just buy one or two items. The goods will be stored in the auction room first and delivered to a designated place after the auction ends.”

“Maybe we can rob them on the way.” Mentor suggested gently. “I don’t want to compete with the Alva Merchant Group either.”

Billy opened his mouth looking like he had just bitten into a bitter melon.

“You’ve mentioned taking things from private treasuries before.” He poured himself another cup of ice water. “Are you sure you still want to rob?”

Mentor smiled slightly, fully embodying the rogue spirit of a Player. “If it’s on the way, why not?”

Nobody noticed that Nol’s tiny dragon claw was ice cold. He mentally gathered his claws with lingering fear, but they couldn’t warm up.

Just a tiny detail; a little bit closer, and Star Stealer Sol was about to gain the next step ahead.

If he wasn’t cautious enough, they might end up as Perradat II, losing without knowing why.

From now on, he had to be doubly careful with every decision. This place was definitely under Star Stealer Sol’s watch, Nol thought.

Teest, you better be safe.

……

Teest was indeed fine.

His task was simple: to clear the path to the residence of Old Duke Alva in advance, tamper with the detection devices and defensive magic along the way, so they could escape through this path when the time came.

If one was talking about surprises, it wasn’t without. Old Duke Alva had set up something that frequently rendered his “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” ineffective, causing patrol members to turn his way from time to time. Fortunately, the Mad Monk quickly figured out a better way to hide—

The corridor was carpeted and decorated with various jewels and furs along the way. Once someone approached, Teest would swiftly pounce on the nearest fur. Then he would immediately spread his body, position his tail properly, and pretend to be a soft, harmless, snow-white fur mat.

As long as he pressed his ears against his head, closed his eyes, and hid his pink nose and paw pads, he appeared to be nothing more than a fluffy white mass. Fortunately, he had chosen a long-haired cat, Teest secretly rejoiced. His method of physical stealth worked time and again.

…Until he actually neared the Old Duke’s residence.

The scent of incense in the air was much fainter, replaced by fresh floral fragrances. Teest lowered his body, trying to minimize his presence.

This place was connected to a small garden, home to many exotic beasts wearing uniform golden collars and pendant tags, likely pets kept by Old Duke Alva.

Finally, Teest’s method of physical stealth encountered a flaw—several animals with keen senses kept staring at him, their heads turning as he moved.

With his destination within reach, Teest’s paws began to sweat. A few seconds later, he gritted his teeth and charged at a golden-nosed stoat about his size.

He pinned the unfortunate stoat in the bushes, beating it mercilessly and stealing its collar and pendant tag. Ensuring the other was unconscious deep in the bushes, Teest tidied his fur of broken leaves and grass, putting on the new golden collar.

Now, he strutted up the corridor with his tail held high, righteously.

An attendant passing by glanced at him. Teest saw hesitation on their face, which then turned into confusion and fear.

Good. The kid must be pondering where this “new white cat” came from, whether the boss had bought a new pet, and if he had overlooked something in his job.

As long as he acted confident enough, these guys would doubt themselves. After all, he looked very expensive, fitting for this unfortunate White Light Castle.

Teest confidently “meowed” a few times. Seeing the servant still hesitating in place, he deliberately jumped to a higher spot. He looked at the servant as he slowly pushed an antique vase at the edge of the table.

The unfortunate vase made a dull scraping sound, gradually tilting towards the floor—

“Ah—!” The servant jolted, quickly stepping forward and catching the vase before it could fall.

After righting the vase, he carefully picked up the cat, placed it at the edge of the pet garden, then quickly fled the scene to avoid a potential compensation disaster.

Teest ignored the curious animals that came close, again raising his tail high and leisurely walking towards his destination.

However, the Mad Monk’s heart wasn’t as leisurely as it appeared on the surface.

The intensity of the devices and defenses along the way exceeded his expectations, within the White Light Castle, even “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” wasn’t unobstructed. Elder Alva surely collected many system defense devices, so he had to be even more cautious.

Luckily, the Swamp Witch was rare. The planners didn’t anticipate someone would cast a “weakening permanent curse” on themselves, and so he wasn’t exposed. Had he scouted in human form, even with a False God’s prowess, it would be hard to say.

Speaking of which, his Nol would never leave such security loopholes. Teest thought as he damaged another magical sensor.

Wondering what would be at the auction, it would be nice if there were useful items.

Unfortunately, going back was a bit risky. After clearing the escape route, he had to wait for Fischer’s “delivery”—the White Demon wasn’t an auction item and was still under the custody of the Eternal Church before delivery.

At this moment, the team of cultists guarding the White Demon was inside White Light Castle, waiting for the auction to end and for the delegates to return. The White Demon would be delivered to the appraisal room along with the auctioned items.

The delivery team was different from the auction hall; it was always monitored by mercenaries hired by the Alva Merchant Group. Teest didn’t get too close, hiding outside the room in the bushes, quietly using his dominion skill.

A few meters away in a cage, Fischer’s fingers moved on their own, drawing lines of text in the air.

[Wait patiently while we handle the inspection. Is everything normal?] Teest signaled, then relaxed control, feeling Fischer’s own movements.

[Praise be to my God.] Fischer wrote in ornate script. [I always pray for Your glory.]

A lot of nonsense. Teest’s fur almost exploded, but due to the low efficiency of communication, he had to patiently wait.

[All believers are under surveillance. They are waiting for me. They firmly believe I disguised myself and went to the auction hall.]

Fischer curled up in the cage, his fingertips hidden in loose fabric. [There are ten mercenaries guarding—above-average in combat. I’m confident I can take them out in two seconds. But there are many defensive magic devices here, making it easy to kill but hard to escape.]

[That’s not for you to worry about,] Teest responded coldly, making Fischer’s fingertips poke the floor. [I’ll ask again, is everything normal?]

It took three or four seconds for Fischer to respond. [Yes.]

[You replied too late. Speak if there’s an issue.]

[Just a trivial matter.] Fischer hurriedly explained. [I’m a mixed siren. Just four hours ago, I sensed the presence of the siren tribe. Those presences quickly moved westward, at an incredible speed.]

Teest twitched his whiskers. [The siren tribe fleeing?]

Ship Island was so immense that you couldn’t see the sea at a glance. The “ground” was so stable that it was startling. Had Fischer not mentioned it, Teest almost forgot they were at sea.

[That’s not the speed of fleeing. It’s more like Ship Island itself is moving rapidly eastward.] Fischer patiently explained. [Ship Island often suddenly adjusts its position. My subordinates think it’s not a big issue.]

Moving rapidly eastward?

The Golden Sea itself was vast. Further east was the Endless Sea. As known to all, the Endless Sea was nothing but a void. To cross the Endless Sea and approach Desolate Island from the other side, that was nearly half a planet’s circumference, requiring at least a week. Unless the passengers were fools, they would definitely notice something amiss.

It seemed Fischer might be right. This was just a temporary route adjustment.

Hmm… Teest silently noted this, continuing to patiently squat in the bushes.

The process that followed was exactly as they had planned before.

Mentor and Golden Sword carried their identity tags returned, masks always on their faces. Nol continued to hide under Mentor’s robe, while Teest, reluctantly held by Billy, removed the golden collar.

Billy, making his first public appearance holding a snow-white large cat, was naturally identified as Mr. Pope’s disguise. Billy played his part well, standing at the forefront of the group.

During the inspection phase, the appraisal room needed the blood of the White Demon. Mentor slowly took a little, swapping it with Teest’s blood midway, passing the test smoothly.

[I’m a bit nervous,] Nol said.

After entering, they must quickly seal the space, deal with the Old Duke depending on the situation, then escape through the route Teest had prepared in advance. Any mistake, and Star Stealer Sol might pop up from all corners like mushrooms after the rain.

[If you’re willing to use Kando, the plan would be much simpler. At least we wouldn’t have to suffer like this.]

Teest, held by Billy, stiffened like a specimen.

[If Kando makes a move, Star Stealer Sol will definitely recognize him. It’s better to keep a low profile.] Nol tried to cover himself with Mentor’s black robe; his tail tip was almost exposed just now from being distracted.

Besides, he hadn’t given up on the idea of robbing the Alva Merchant Group’s items.

Step by step, the Eternal Church’s team moved towards the interior, and the surroundings grew darker.

Finally, the door to Old Duke Alva’s residence slowly opened before them.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 188: Supreme Blessing

When he was making the game, Nol paid attention to popular trends.

Among these, “thwarting opponents’ key plans by using knowledge from a rebirth” was a particularly satisfying trope for many. Now, he suddenly had a concrete feeling of it, albeit from the perspective of being “inexplicably thwarted”.

The Eternal Church could create time-reversion blood potions, so it was inevitable that Star Stealer Sol would possess similar capabilities. Perhaps unbeknownst to them, Star Stealer Sol had quietly intervened.

Otherwise, where would such unreasonable obstacles suddenly come from?

Fortunately, the “laws of time” were unrelated to the system, and the torrents of the past were destined to remain unchanged. Not even gods could transcend the cosmic order itself.

Even if Star Stealer Sol returned from a future point in time, he could only change minor details—each member of this four-person team was a heavyweight, and Star Stealer Sol couldn’t make them die prematurely.

Nol lay at the bottom of the cage. His mouth was between his paws as he quietly thought.

If everything was truly “coincidental”, that would be best. If Star Stealer Sol was secretly hindering them, it indicated their investigative direction was correct. Since their lives were temporarily safe, the priority was to continue with the original plan.

Figure out a way to infiltrate the White Light Castle. Figure out a way to infiltrate White Light Castle… Right, they seem to have a Pope lying in solitary confinement. 

They could turn a mistake into an opportunity, delivering the goods passionately by presenting Fischer disguised as the White Demon. The Eternal Church was also a seller at the auction, and since they couldn’t act as sellers themselves, why not hitch a ride on this opportunity?

[Fischer.] He prodded Teest with his mind, and the cat knight immediately perked up his ears.

Teest instantly understood. [You want to use the Eternal Church.]

Since Fischer was one of theirs and they had all the necessary intelligence and evidence, they just had to lie about being undercover Eternalists to infiltrate the auction.

Thus, after the dinner, “Pope Fischer”, holding a large cat, appeared in the Eternalists’s room.

Nol immediately saw the real Fischer in the cage.

Mr. Pope diligently played the role of the White Demon, but his gaze inevitably lingered on the white cat. Fortunately, Mr. Mad Monk’s appearance was cute enough. It was normal for children to be interested in cats.

“May everything be eternal. We have been looking for you.”

The masked cultists bowed one after another.

“I have my own matters to attend to.” Nol cleared his throat, adopting a thoroughly villainous tone as he gently petted the cat in his arms.

Without a High Priest accompanying, there were only some high-level cultists here. “Fischer”, as the boss, naturally didn’t need to explain his schedule to his employees.

Teest looked at these once-standard prey, and his paws alternately kneaded Nol’s arm.

“This time, the auction is managed by Markus and Brice. Hand over the seller’s proof. I want to replace them,” Nol said casually, nodding towards Mentor behind him.

For secrecy, they had specifically sent away Golden Sword Billy, saying they would find a way to obtain the identity proof.

According to Billy’s words, if the seller was a group, it was permitted to temporarily change representatives.

As long as they passed the identity verification, the auction only recognized the group’s identity tag—after all, some people didn’t want to expose their personal identities, especially shady organizations like the Eternal Church.

Mentor now wore a black cloak, his face hidden in the shadows. Just add a cultist mask, and he looked exactly like a villain.

Faced with the Pope’s direct order, the fanatical Eternalists naturally didn’t question. Only Fischer held the cage’s metal bars tightly, staring intensely at the large white cat.

[No wonder both sides chose zealots for their high ranks.] Nol scratched the soft cat ears.

[They would commit suicide immediately if you asked them to.] Teest replied with a purr, his disdain unmistakable even beneath the rumbling. [Ridiculous guys.]

Saying so, he pushed his other ear forcefully into Nol’s palm.

“That thing, remember to send it on time.” Mentor suddenly spoke up, his staff pointing at Fischer in the cage. His tone was very natural, filled with authoritative commands.

True to his reputation as a seasoned professor, even Nol tensed for a moment.

“As soon as the auction ends, we will send it immediately.” The Eternalists by the cage hurriedly bowed. “Of course, we will have the elders confirm again.”

“Good.” Mentor stroked his chin, and he took the identity proofs handed over by the cultists.

The moment the proof was in hand, a magical black fog surged up. When it dissipated, the “Pope” and his subordinates vanished. Fischer withdrew his gaze in disappointment—his silver-white God had only glanced around upon entering, then spent the rest of the time looking towards Nol without any eye contact with him.

God was always like this. But this time, he had successfully made an offering, and God would remember.

Fischer closed his eyes, continuing to pray within the iron cage.

……

Thanks to the sponsorship of the Eternal Church, the group successfully entered White Light Castle.

The interior of White Light Castle was even more luxurious than the exterior, cleverly avoiding any sense of extravagance.

Deep into the night, White Light Castle remained as bright as day.

In the corridors, there were no overly complicated crystal chandeliers, only elegantly designed wall and ceiling lights, with the lighting arranged just right. Each light was adorned with gem-made floral patterns, each of which could be sold as top-tier jewelry.

The elegant wallpaper was decorated with expensive artwork. The air was filled with a blend of herbal fragrances, which was invigorating to smell.

Beyond the archways were dreamlike gardens, leading to more archways. White Light Castle had a vast interior, with corridors leading everywhere, but the path to the auction was marked by a magical fence, ensuring anyone trying to leave prematurely would hit an invisible wall.

Billy and Mentor, wearing black robes and masks, confidently moved forward. Teest now walked on the ground, following closely to Mentor. The white cat’s paws were restless, touching the thick magical protection.

[Remarkable defenses,] the Mad Monk commented. [Billy was right. We can only break through from inside the auction.]

[Are you sure there’s no problem?] Nol was still a bit worried.

He hid under Mentor’s robe, trying to contain his presence. They had already forged transaction documents, with Nol’s identity as “a sold alchemical magical pet”. Even if discovered, the Alva Merchant Group wouldn’t find any fault.

However, the combination of a large white cat and a small black dragon was too rare, and Nol didn’t want unnecessary attention from onlookers.

Anyway, they wouldn’t be searched upon entry, only repeatedly screened for offensive weapons. As an ultra-miniature God of Creation, there was nothing more harmless than him in the world.

He was worried about other issues at the moment—

According to their original plan, “alchemical magical pets” were generally priced low and would be auctioned in the front part of the auction. They would be released after the auction, allowing everyone to move freely.

However, the Eternal Church submitted much more, including rare items. Staff would occasionally check in with them, meaning Mentor and Billy, the two “seller representatives”, couldn’t leave until everything was auctioned.

With time pressing and both their combat abilities somewhat lacking, Nol could only stay and rely on Teest, a single cat, to scout ahead, planning their route in advance.

[Have you forgotten? I excel at infiltration.] Teest’s tone was relaxed and comfortable. [Take the chance to enjoy the auction, honey.]

Through Mentor’s robe, Nol could see the four white paws at the edge of the robe. The paws moved, stopping always close to him.

The lights brightened and dimmed, with one of their key objectives close at hand. The auction room was much smaller than Nol had imagined, resembling a private theater rather than a large venue.

The box door silently closed, and Nol shot out from Mentor’s robe like a cannonball.

As one of the major sellers, the Eternal Church owned a nice upper-level box. The box was prepared with various wines and desserts, even thoughtfully including a menu—Nol glanced at it, noting items like “Eye of the Cave Beholder (unsalted)” and “Wine-Soaked Giant Spider Abdomen”, clearly not meant for human consumption.

Teest elegantly circled to Nol’s side, ignoring Mentor and Billy. His tongue lightly licked the tip of Nol’s mouth.

“I’ll go first.” This time, he didn’t use telepathy but spoke with a purr.

Before leaving, his gaze swept over Nol’s small backpack. Then, with a flick of his tail, he vanished into the shadows like melting snow.

Teest left gracefully.

Nol suddenly felt a chill at his side. He waved his paw, pouring himself a dish of sweet sparkling wine, trying to stay calm as he licked it. From this height, he could overlook the entire brightly lit auction room.

This was his first time attending an auction in his life.

“Now that we have the Church’s account, can we buy something?”

Mentor examined the identity proof provided by the Alva Merchant Group. It was a large round plate made of pure gold, decorated on the front with the Alva family crest and on the back with the Eternal Church’s divine emblem, along with a series of magical inscriptions resembling an account.

The proof bore a faint magical fluctuation. Nol narrowed his eyes, discerning for a moment—the inscription was activated, indeed connected to something.

“Typically, these identity proofs have a limit… But you guys have some skills, managing to get the password along with stealing the identity proof.”

Billy helplessly poured himself a glass of ice water and gulped it down.

“So, there’s a password.” Mentor showed just the right amount of surprise. “Seems like we can only randomly shout out bids now.”

Golden Sword shrugged. “It would indeed be strange if the Eternal Church didn’t buy anything.”

Mentor: “Looks like we need to carefully pick our targets to avoid suspicion, and we’ll need your help later on…”

The two smoothly carried on the conversation.

Nol had no interest in joining the discussion. After licking his dish clean, he flew to the edge of the box, pressing his nose against the window glass.

The auction started, and the glamorous male host took the stage. Exactly as Billy described, the opening featured various rare but not precious trinkets, mostly from individuals or small trading groups.

A cursed compass that could track the owner of unknown bloodstains, a putrid potion that could regenerate teeth indefinitely, a beautiful ghost fixed within a cage crystal, legendary lost masterpieces…

“Alchemical pets” were indeed banned. Nol perked up for over an hour, not spotting any alchemical pets, only some potions and tools.

As time passed, Nol’s nose, which was pressed against the glass, started to hurt.

With the small items auctioned off, the goods from large trading groups began to appear. The display projection started to show precious weapons from high-level dungeons, unique blessed jewels within the system, and a cursed crown capable of instantly erasing thousands of people… Nol’s pupils gradually narrowed.

Behind him, Mentor also began to randomly bid.

This person specifically targeted popular yet malicious items, only to “regretfully withdraw” at the last moment. Just minutes ago, they “lost” the cursed crown by a mere hundred gold wheels.

Nol stood still, not participating at all.

He was just silently discerning those tools, identifying which were made by beings of this world, which were his designs, and which the system autonomously generated during his absence—those expensive items came and went in those blue eyes, grinding away time second by second.

There was no unusual news from Teest’s side, Nol thought. The situation seemed stable for now.

The auction was running as usual, and there was nothing odd about the items, at least nothing he could detect. The few times staff came in to communicate about the items, they managed well.

Was the difficulty of infiltrating solved just like that? Was he overthinking? Did Old Duke Alva really just whimsically change the type of auction items?

“…The next item, from the Rizzi Caravan, ‘Supreme Blessing’!”

On stage, the host announced in a passionate voice.

“Guaranteed by the magicians of the Alva Merchant Group, this miraculous feather pen can remove all known curses. Note, all. Known. Curses!”

“So far, no craftsman has been able to decipher its making. It must be a creation of God, because even the wrath of God can be calmed by this pen!”

“Humanity can’t infinitely provoke the dignity of God. I must honestly inform everyone. This pen can only be used once. But believe me, it’s absolutely worth it—it can save any creature you wish to save. Imagine, if you saved a dragon…”

Nol straightened up.

He didn’t catch the rest of the words. His gaze was firmly fixed on that pen.

It was a product of the system—designed by the system itself as a “quest reward” during his absence, emitting undeniable power.

To others, this item might indeed be precious, but not the highlight.

Nol glanced at his status bar, where [Physical Destruction [Indissoluble]] was listed.

He couldn’t be sure yet if this item would be useful. If its function was real, to him, this item could be considered priceless.

The next second, he saw a bid from another box.

It was the Alva family’s box.

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The author has something to say:

As an adult who has outgrown advanced tastes, I was momentarily confused when I first typed “thwarting*”.

*Clarity: She’s referring to the second paragraph of the chapter where the word “thwarting” is mentioned. The word is (搞黄) which can mean various things (depending on context). In the context of the paragraph, it means to sabotage, ruin, thwart… However, it can also mean “turn something yellow” as the yellow [huang] (黄) is slang for explicit contents (which could mean “to engage in porn”). So if you replace thwart with creating porn… Well, let’s just say the game Nol would be making wouldn’t be an MMORPG…

Sorry…

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