Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Full Server First Kill: Mini Extras Collection

Note: These are mini extras that the author has written posted separately on JJ. She intermittently updates them, usually on Valentine’s Day and other holidays for her CPs. The translation will be updated when the author updates her blog. You can get updates when translations are updated in my Discord server. Below is a ton of dog food.

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2025/29/8

Everyone’s Summer Cool-Down Routines

Another Qixi has come around, and our married couples are celebrating again.

Here are their little everyday tricks for beating the heat—

“You’ll be staying a week?”

The Border Collie village chief sniffed Nol’s backpack. “Mm, we’ll free up the best guesthouses, and meals are no concern… May you both enjoy your stay.”

Nol gave the chief’s head an amiable pat; the chief wagged his tail with sober restraint.

However hot the world may be, around Sheepskin Ball Village it’s winter weather—ranging from late autumn/early winter to the dead of the coldest days. Most dog-headed people here are thick-furred herding breeds and love this climate.

By now, though, Sheepskin Ball Village ought to be renamed Sheepskin Ball Town—since Tahe settled down, it has flourished. The population more than doubled, and pretty two-story homes have gone up.

With the temperature just right, many fluffy dog-headed pups played in the snow outside, and Nol couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

Wonderful. It was as if he were seeing Tahe at the very beginning.

“You really do like it here.” Teest cleared his throat loudly.

“Your idea was genius,” Nol rubbed a passing pup and praised his knight at full volume. “Why didn’t I think of it?”

When the weather heats up, Mr. God of Creation tends to hole up in the Lost Tower with Peradat, working through the ice cream stores. Teest wanted to get out, but hated to go too far, so he dutifully stayed in the Tower.

Then Teest thought of the dog-headed people’s habitat.

His Creator was easily persuaded. Half the battle was won by luring Nol out of the tower. So long as the destination wasn’t hot, Teest trusted in his powers of gentle persistence.

Snow drifted outside the window. Naturally they did warmer things. Near dawn, Nol held him close, smacking his lips a bit dazedly.

“Let’s go to the nearby town tomorrow,” Teest mumbled into Nol’s chest. “There’s someone I want to kill—I’ll need you to vet it.”

He said it the way someone might say, “There’s something I want to buy.”

“Mm?”

“It’s snowing there too. The scenery is lovely. Come with me, will you?”

“Mm…” Nol rumbled, squeezing Teest tighter. Teest took that as a yes.

“Great!” He nipped his lover’s collarbone.

Tomorrow would be particularly exciting. Of course, they’d be back here before dark.

Because Nol liked this place very much—and he liked Nol very, very much.

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2025/5/20

Everyone’s Birthday Cakes

Congrats to the couple from “Help” on moving into the Married Zone ☆(/ω＼)

This year’s 520 (May 20) mini-extra: couples celebrate their birthdays! It’s a perfect chance to compile everyone’s birthdays~

Teest: June 21st

Source: A normal birthday. (Summer Solstice, 2023)

Cake: [Weird Cake]

A sweet (?) gift from the God of Creation that defies classification. If Teest didn’t know Nol’s temperament so well, he would think Nol was taking revenge for those awful “monster dishes” of the past.

In the end they still ate the cake-like thing down to the last crumb. It wasn’t poisonous, and it didn’t taste as bad as it looked. Also, watching him eat that weird thing made Nol’s ears flush bright red, which was a pleasing sight.

※ As the years go by, Nol’s cakes keep getting better. Mr. Teest enjoys ever more delicious treats but loses much of the fun of teasing his lover.

Nol: September 23rd

Source: A normal birthday. (Autumn Equinox, 2023)

Cake: [Peach Cake]

A peach cake decorated with a frosting black dragon and white cat, with a hidden core of carefully cooked bewilderment fruit jam. Cut the cake and golden jam slowly spills out, its fragrance intoxicating.

Teest’s peach cake is very tasty. Nol suspects he actually learned it formally from Old Kurt. Maybe next time he will sneak off and learn it too…

※ On the Tahe Continent, peach cake has no special meaning. But the two of them know that for Teest it carries a private metaphor—it symbolizes “love”.

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2025/2/16

What to Do When You’re Stuck Together

Suddenly stuck together—what should you do?

A belated Valentine’s Day mini joke (?) story has arrived! Time for some sweet, sticky fluff ☆

Nol was stunned to discover that his hand was stuck to Teest’s.

He rolled over, and his first instinct was to look for golden thread to check if someone had idly stitched them together with magic. Teest was roused from sleep by his fussing, but kept his eyes shut, letting Nol rub and tug at his hand however he pleased.

It wasn’t until Nol let out a puzzled “Huh?” that Teest lazily opened his eyes. “Good morning, honey.”

Nol was amused and exasperated. “Done pretending to sleep?”

Teest was sharper than a wild beast. After all that prodding, there was no way he hadn’t noticed.

Teest yawned. “I was simply enjoying your hand massage.”

“Our hands are stuck together.”

Nol shook their joined hands. “This isn’t Tahe’s magic. I can only detect interference from an external force, but thankfully there’s no malicious intent.”

Teest narrowed his eyes, smiling meaningfully. “Ah, that was a little experiment of mine.”

Nol: “……”

Teest stretched out his arm, looping it around Nol’s neck. “As the God of Contracts, I do have ambition, you know. This was just a minor test—you’re not mad… are you?”

Before he finished speaking, he leaned in nimbly and planted a good morning kiss on Nol’s forehead.

Nol’s facial muscles twitched as he looked at his knight in exasperation. “Alright, tell me—how do we undo the magic?”

“It’s simple. I ask, you answer. As long as you keep telling the truth, the magic will loosen bit by bit.”

Teest kissed the back of Nol’s hand again, his lips brushing lightly across his lover’s fingers.

…Teest’s magic was actually behaving normally? Nol was shocked.

Oh well, he didn’t have anything to hide anyway.

He lay back down cooperatively, and Teest pulled him tightly into his arms.

Teest cleared his throat. “Including all of Tahe, I’m the one you love most.”

“Yes,” Nol admitted readily.

“I’m the one you love most.”

“I do love you, but you just asked that.” Nol looked confused.

“Because it sounds nice.”

Teest gently rubbed the back of Nol’s neck. “Next question—do you prefer gentle kisses, or rough ones?”

Nol: “……???” Something about this line of questioning seemed off.

But since the guy had him stuck fast, he didn’t really have a choice… right?

Nol coughed a few times, then muttered something quickly under his breath.

Teest: “I didn’t catch that.”

Nol mumbled it again, barely audibly.

“I—didn’t—hear—you—honey—”

“…Rough,” Nol muttered, his face gradually turning red.

“Excellent answer.” Teest looked thoughtful. “Let’s continue.”

……

Ten or so minutes passed, but to Nol it felt like a decade.

He used up all the face he’d saved for over twenty years—Teest asked every question he shouldn’t, pushing him to the point where he wanted to dig a hole and disappear from the world.

“I answered everything truthfully—why hasn’t it undone yet?” Nol gritted his teeth.

“I lied.”

Teest hummed a cheerful tune. “I actually have no idea what this thing is. But I do know—it’s a rare opportunity.”

“Teest——!”

“Well, you can’t do anything else today anyway. As compensation for deceiving you, let’s put some of those honest answers into practice, shall we?”

“I—mmph—!”

And thus, a delightful day began. Rejoice and celebrate.

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2024/8/13

Everyone’s Favorite Sports

A belated short story for Qixi Festival, with a little Olympic commemoration (*/ω＼*)

Teest: [Hunting]  

Strictly speaking, Mr. Teest is referring to “murder”. The Mad Monk has never been very interested in non-human targets. After all, animals don’t usually join cults.  

Unfortunately, Nol insists that “murder” doesn’t count as a sport, so Teest had to rebrand it as “hunting”. Fortunately, as long as the target is appropriate, Nol is quite willing to join him. Having the God of Creation as an accomplice always makes Teest’s hunts particularly thrilling.  

“You could leave this sort of thing to the other demigods,” Nol said helplessly.  

“You know my nature, dear,” Teest replied softly. “I just want to ensure that every one of my crimes is committed under your watchful eye.”  

He was sincere.

Nol: [Cycling]

During his student years, Nol devoted most of his time to studying. Of course, sitting for long periods at a desk isn’t healthy, so he would take time to cycle and relax his body and mind.  

Nol even participated in some informal cross-country cycling during the holidays, which was probably his healthiest hobby. His cycling results weren’t outstanding, but Nol didn’t mind—he was just trying to avoid deep vein thrombosis.  

Now, Nol has had to leave this hobby behind on Earth. As for Tahe—when spending time with Teest in Tahe, Nol never worries about a lack of exercise.  

After all, Teest ensures he gets plenty of exercise in every sense. But since that hardly counts as proper exercise, his favorite sport remains “cycling”. 

A bit of a pity.

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2024/6/1

Childhood Hairstyles

I suddenly wondered what everyone’s hairstyle was like when they were kids, so I’m sharing this on Children’s Day—  

Consider it a little addition to the setting (〃ω〃)

Teest: [Medium-Length Hair with Neatly Trimmed Ends]

The Flama family paid great attention to the appearance of their children, and Mrs. Flama specially chose the most suitable hairstyle for her youngest son. She would regularly maintain it every month until they were separated.

Nol: [Slightly Longer Student Cut]

Shorter than the trendy student cuts but longer than the standard crew cuts. In short, it was an ordinary student hairstyle that exuded a strangely good-student vibe.

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2024/5/20

Everyone’s Favorite Fruits

This year’s Married Couple Day on 520* has arrived, so let’s write about everyone’s favorite fruits ☆

*The number 520 when pronounced in Chinese is very similar to [wǒ ài nǐ] (我爱你) I love you. Due to this, it has become a day in China called “Internet Valentine’s Day”.

Congratulations to the couple from [Full Server First Kill] for entering the happy married zone (*/ω＼*)

Teest: [Peach]

When Teest was young, he never showed a particular fondness for specific foods and was never picky about what he ate. Whatever the family had, little Teest ate along with them. Of course, this might have been due to the high culinary standards of the Flama family.

Although Grape Collar was known for grapes, peaches were more popular in the Flama household. Mrs. Flama would make delicious peach pies, and fresh, crisp, and sweet peach slices often appeared on the table—his parents would clean the peaches, remove the pits, cut them into small pieces, and share them with their children. The children ate happily, so Teest knew that his family loved peaches.

So, it became the most memorable fruit for him, and he didn’t mind its taste.

※ Its taste brings back particularly special memories for Teest.

Nol: [Fig]

Nol, or Xu Yue, had a particular fondness for ripe figs. They would crack open slightly, oozing nectar. The best part was that they could be frozen in the fridge—when slightly thawed, they had the texture of rich, icy desserts, perfect for soothing a weary soul.

That was the first and last fruit Nol bought for himself after graduation, before moving into Joy Garden. After that, all that awaited him were years of nightmares. Perhaps the “reality” of the taste was too vivid, so in his long dream, figs never appeared again. His desire to buy them somehow always disappeared.

Now, he could firmly grasp them once more. On the first night back on Earth, Nol bought a large bag of figs for himself and Teest. They weren’t fully ripe yet, but they tasted uniquely delicious.

※ Its taste carries a hint of freedom and liberation.

~~~

“Red-green skin and sticky flesh inside. Honey, it chews like tender innards filled with honey,” Teest earnestly commented.

Nol almost choked on the fig in his throat but managed to swallow it down.

Teest watched him with interest for a moment and continued, “The sweetness is wonderful, and it would be great in a cake. Why didn’t you include it in Tahe?”

“Blame Star Stealer Sol. I always forget,” Nol said. “We can bring back a few plants this time.” He had no doubt about the neighbors’ enthusiasm for planting; after that, it could be handed over to the General for promotion.

Teest shrugged, then paused mid-motion. He noticed Nol pulling out a large bag of peaches—yellow peaches, nectarines, flat peaches, all varieties were there. Tahe only had standard peaches. This was Teest’s first time seeing these fruits.

Nol nudged the bag forward. “These are ready. Take them to your family or plant them in the Lost Tower, whichever you prefer.”

“All mine?” Teest raised an eyebrow.

“All yours.”

A week later.

Teest received a vibrant peach pie from the Flama family, and Nol got an incredibly delicious fig cake. They exchanged these delightful sweets with kisses and each other’s little spoons.

It was one of their best holidays… one of many.

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<<< || Table of Contents ||

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 248: Earth – Night

City A, summer.

At a resting spot near a suburban attraction, Nol was checking off items on his memo while munching on a popsicle. Ever since he and Teest began using reversion to visit his family, “keeping track of the timeline” became a mandatory task.

They were currently in August, not long after the Joy Garden explosion incident. In one or two months, they would be back to their first timeline visit to Earth. Then they could travel between Earth and Tahe without having to use reversion.

“The timing is pretty spot-on, honey. We just had our wedding in Tahe last month.” Teest grabbed Nol’s popsicle and took a bite while openly reading his phone screen. Everything seemed in order, as if they were a typical couple who married after moving cities.

“Actually, my mom hinted at it the last time we came back.” Nol kept munching on the popsicle, speaking through his bites. “She asked seriously if marriages abroad were valid domestically, then said we’ve been together too long, and we should consider taking things further…”

“She’s very considerate.” Teest grinned and sat on a rock, enjoying the cool mountain breeze.

Nol was momentarily at a loss to explain tradition of elder relatives pressuring for marriage in Country C, but he figured it was fine as long as Teest was happy. Besides, this time, he did plan to organize a wedding on Earth.

A stable job to reassure his parents was confirmed. Thanks to Officer Luo, Nol and Teest were officially registered with the authorities, ensuring that they wouldn’t have a situation where they couldn’t be traced.

A new house to reassure his parents was purchased. Nol carefully produced some gold to provide himself with just the right amount of assets. He had considered using reversion to buy lottery tickets, but the tides of fate swept that idea away.

Finally, a reassuring partner for his parents—or pretending to be—was right by his side. It had been nearly six years since he first brought Teest to meet his parents on Earth. During these years, Nol visited his parents every week, subtly hinting at their relationship’s stability.

With a consistent drip, his parents’ attitude shifted from “restless” to “just watching without interfering”, and then from “just watching without interfering” to “having a foreign exchange godson” thanks to someone’s sweet talk. As a former top-level assassin, Teest certainly had a knack for being charming.

With everything in place, bringing up the wedding and going public with their relationship wouldn’t face resistance from his parents. They could follow Tahe’s example and have a simple family wedding.

Or so Nol thought.

“No way!” That night, Father Xu rejected the proposal outright, his face flushing with red.

“Dad?” Nol’s hand holding the chopsticks froze, with a piece of meat still between them.

Teest stayed silent, just looking pitifully at Father Xu, like a small animal tossed into the snow along with the cardboard box.

“Speak calmly if you have something to say!” Mother Xu chided. “Don’t scare the kids.”

Father Xu cleared his throat twice. “You don’t get to marry twice in a lifetime. You can’t just make do with the yard! You need to book the best venue, and all the formalities must be observed. As for guests, your mom and I need to carefully pick them out.”

“What your dad means is that you must invite family and friends, but you can’t invite gossip,” Mother Xu explained. “Your and Teest’s situation is special, and Teest doesn’t have relatives here. If someone talks recklessly, it’s not good.”

Father Xu nodded gravely. “Book a nice hotel. We’ll pay for it. You can ask friends to be the masters of ceremonies, but if you don’t know anyone, your mom and I can find a professional. Oh, make sure to invite Teest’s friends. You’ll need to send them invitations…”

With that, Father Xu couldn’t help but get up, mumbling as he searched for a notebook and a pen.

“I also agree it shouldn’t be improvised.” Mother Xu didn’t stop her husband. “Son, your dad and I saved a lot of money for you. You bought a house, so you don’t need to use it. We’ll spend it for you.”

“The same goes for Xiao Feng.” She smiled at Teest. “This is also your home. If you two are happy, we’ll be at ease.”

Teest paused for half a second, then flashed his usual smile. “Of course, we’ll never part.”

He then glanced toward the living room window. Noticing Teest’s movement, Nol bit his chopsticks and lowered his gaze.

……

End of September, at a certain five-star hotel in City A.

“…The timeline aligns with Tahe’s, so Nol doesn’t have to use reversion.” Teest’s hair returned to its silver-white hue, and his white suit complemented his sharp body lines.

“That power should only be used for important people.”

“Like you, right? I get it.” Drake almost crushed the invitation in his hand. “I want to know when I became your ‘friend’?”

“Lynn and Uncle Ma insisted on attending the wedding, and changing appearances is often troublesome. They count as my people,” Teest explained. “I can’t just invite two young female friends. I have to consider the impression on Nol’s parents.”

Drake: “……”

“Plus, I know you want to come but are too shy to tell Nol,” Teest teased, looking at Drake with amusement. “Regardless, Nol feels more like your ‘dad’ than the missing dragon. Even if you have good reasons to follow Perradat, you still feel some guilt, right?”

Drake: “…Tsk.”

“You only invited me out of the Four Gods.” Mr. Drake deflected the question. “I suspect a conspiracy. This is normal.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I equally dislike you four.”

Teest smiled sweetly. “But as your other ‘dad‘, I’m willing to show you the minimum level of tolerance.” He emphasized “dad,” savoring the darkened expression on Drake’s face.

Drake’s expression grew darker and darker, as if he was about to turn back into a candle. “Lord Nol, never mind. Please don’t be like this. It makes me sick, uh…”

“Just act properly,” Teest said as he drew close, his tone dropping cold. “You are the only one from Tahe here—don’t disappoint me.”

“Aren’t you a Tahe too?!” Drake took a deep breath.

“Hmm? I have a family here. Lord Nol’s parents told me—”

“No, my fault. I’ll just shut up…”

Teest left the room with a scoff, his gaze sweeping towards the lobby—

Nol’s parents had reserved a moderately sized venue for the wedding.

The Xu family had over thirty relatives and friends, arranged around six tables. Nol had invited people like Officer Luo and Dr. Zhu, who joined Lynn, Uncle Ma, and Drake at one table.

Even with prior discussions, it was evident that Nol’s parents had put in a lot of effort. The venue was free from tacky decorations, and even the small details were well attended to.

The guests hadn’t yet arrived, and the venue was immersed in a dreamy blue ambiance. The tables and chairs stood silently, adorned with fresh flowers, cutlery, and lighting, everything harmoniously arranged.

Teest spotted Nol at once.

Nol, in a black suit, was observing a bouquet of blue roses on the table. Teest had reason to suspect that Lord Creator might consider magically enhancing them to appear even more dreamlike.

When focused, Nol always had an expressionless face, but this time he was relaxed, with a slight smile.

Even knowing that Nol’s parents approved of them and that the wedding would go as planned, Nol seemed unexpectedly happy.

This wedding felt different from the last, Teest thought.

In half an hour, the place would be filled with voices. Both strangers and acquaintances would come bearing blessings.

In fact, he didn’t quite understand Nol’s parents’ insistence on a public wedding. At this moment, he now vaguely understood.

Was it an illusion of the power of vows?

To Nol, this wedding was a promise to his parents. Now, Teest felt it was more like a mutual promise. It carried a certain emotion—an emotion he couldn’t fully grasp but savored daily.

It was a nice feeling.

“Teest.” Nol also noticed Teest sneaking into the hall, gesturing him over quietly. “Come here. Look at this bouquet—”

“Coming, honey.” Teest walked towards his lover. He would really enjoy this day, he thought.

Indeed, Teest did enjoy that day immensely.

After the wedding, they would head to an upscale residence on the outskirts of town to spend their second honeymoon night… At least that was the initial plan.

However, as night fell, two small figures appeared on the rooftop of Nol’s parents’ home.

“Are you really okay?”

The white cat expressed rare concern, its soft fur billowing in the night breeze.

The black dragon whelp “chirped” weakly, its wings drooping.

Their wedding was perfect. Yet, this was the first time Nol had been so tired—the wedding itself was fine. It was just his partner who was explosively overwhelming. Afterwards, mingling with relatives and friends he hadn’t seen in eight hundred years nearly drained all his energy.

At the end of the wedding, Nol was almost carried out by Teest. Even Teest’s face showed some doubt, suspecting that the God of Creation had suffered irreversible harm amid the curiosity of seven aunts and eight uncles. In recent years, Nol thought he had been too focused on Tahe. He still hadn’t adapted to the high intensity socializing of his hometown.

“Are you sure that person will come?” Nol took a few deep breaths, mustering his energy to speak.

“Undoubtedly.” Teest stretched his sharp claws. “The last time they were here, they had their eyes on your house. I can feel the malice. No mistake… That level of malice is definitely a thief.”

“Today your parents collected quite a lot of gift money and haven’t had time to deal with it. We aren’t here, so he’ll probably choose tonight to make his move.”

“I’ve cast protective magic on our house that even Star Stealer Sol can’t get in.”

Nol leaned against the warm fur of the cat. “An ordinary thief… uh, Teest, as far as Earth laws are concerned, it’s not a crime punishable by death, okay?”

“I just think ‘blundering failure’ lacks educational value. We need to teach this guy a lesson.” Teest swished his fluffy tail, purring. “Don’t worry. I probably won’t kill him.”

“Teest!”

“Alright, I won’t kill him.” Teest grudgingly assured, tail swishing more vigorously.

“Just say it. What are you really planning?”

The little black dragon turned his head seriously. “Even if it’s not the first time, a wedding night is still a wedding night. It’s not like you to specifically come out tonight to watch for a thief.”

The white cat twitched its ears.

“[Charm] and [Dream Manipulation].” Teest muttered.

“Your monster skills,” Nol said without a second thought.

He remembered clearly; those were the skills Teest had obtained from a succubus. Teest had initially acquired three skills, claiming the third was of little use…

The white cat moved, the tip of its tail lightly touching the black scales of the dragon’s tail.

In the darkness, countless golden sparkles lit up, like stars falling or sparks from a campfire.

A small portion of the sparkles landed on Nol’s wings, quickly dissipating his mental fatigue. In its place was a fierce, burning emotion, filling his chest and constantly emanating a steaming sense of happiness.

[Sparks of Love]

A succubus-exclusive skill, only usable at night. The caster materializes their own emotions of love, creating a spark. Those touched by it share this palpitation, soothing negative emotions.

His knight flaunted a tangible, burning love.

“The thief is here!” Nol was about to speak when the white cat leaped down.

‘Maybe there’s no need to clarify,’ Nol thought.

Because they both knew, everything was fine, and everything would get even better.

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The author has a note to say:

Usual reminder: Unwelcome comments from those reading pirated versions, whether positive or negative. Writing long stories is hard; if you like it, please support the original. It’s only a few cents per 10,000 words.

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Thanks for your support and patience! This novel tried to correct some minor writing issues from the previous ones and discovered some new small problems. The new novel will be further corrected—

And also trying some new experiments ☆Perhaps, a bit more stimulating relationship… maybe!

————————————

Replay: The next book “Help” is tentatively scheduled to start around July. Some details are still being figured out. It should not be later than August (lol)

Pseudo infinite flow, expected to not be longer than this novel—harmless (?) monster gong × super fierce human shou; probably a partner duo, might change format _(:D 」∠)_

But don’t worry, no matter the changes, locking down our traditional CPs√

Thanks to those who support the original! See you in a few months~

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Kinky Thoughts:

This marks the end of the novel.

As always, if you enjoyed this novel, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

Once again, thank you everyone for your comments, encouragement, help with my translations, and ko-fi donations.

If you have become a fan of Nian Zhong, do check out her other works that I have worked on. You won’t be disappointed. And do try to support her by buying the original raws.

Finally, I do have one last treat. This is an extra extra from the author’s blog, where she writes mini updates for her characters (usually on special holidays). She usually updates this yearly, so check back each year on those special days for a new update.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 247: Tahe – Wedding of Two

“You guys are actually getting married.”

In the quiet little tavern, Thacker Flama sighed. “Last year, Edith’s bouquet was thrown just right… Landus, you need to arrange a good spot for us.”

Across from young Mr. Flama sat his two childhood friends—Landus and Ross.

Both friends came from orphaned backgrounds, without surnames. Since a fortuitous meeting in their youth, the three had maintained a strong relationship. Thacker was very fond of these two friends and had always dreamed of being neighbors with them. Unfortunately, they were always traveling and had no permanent residence, only showing up unexpectedly from time to time.

“I thought you’d be more surprised, Thacker,” Landus curiously asked.

In Thacker’s memory, Landus always wore his black hair long, and his golden eyes hid behind glasses. He claimed to have the blood of the Wilder people, and his temperament was… unpredictable.

“Come on, you look at me and at Ross differently, and so does he.” Thacker grinned. “If I wasn’t sure you two liked men, I wouldn’t have introduced you to Edith.”

“Very convincing,” Ross smiled.

Ross was always the gentlest of the three. He had almost silvery-light golden short hair, and his blue eyes were very beautiful. “We just want a small family wedding, inviting only a few friends.” Ross continued, “You know our situation…”

“Of course.” Thacker’s smile faded slightly.

He knew well that his two friends, being non-believers and a same-sex couple, didn’t exactly fit the doctrines of the Temple of Life. These reasons alone made it difficult for them to have a normal wedding at the Evergreen Church. But Thacker knew a more critical third point—

Ross was rumored to be a White Demon.

The first time Thacker saw Ross with his silver hair and blue eyes, he was startled. Fortunately, he was still a child at the time and hadn’t developed many prejudices. After becoming good friends with Ross, Thacker scoffed at the superstitions about the “White Demons being ominous”.

His beloved Edith came from the Blanco family, whose ancestors were related to the White Demons, and she herself didn’t care about the rumors. The couple cherished Ross, their special friend.

In fact, at last year’s wedding, they intentionally threw the bouquet to Ross. This was something Ross must never find out.

“How many people are you planning to invite?” Thacker stroked his chin. “I can help arrange the venue.”

“Just you and Edith,” Landus said with a cheeky smile, pushing his glasses up. “You two are family to us.”

Thacker paused. Something more seemed to be in Landus’s familiar golden eyes, but he couldn’t quite see it.

“How about using my family’s vacation home?” Thacker thought for a moment, then suggested enthusiastically, “It’s in the suburbs, not far from here. The house is near vineyards, woods, and a large lake, with really beautiful scenery.”

He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. “But it’s not well decorated yet… The shop has been too busy lately. Edith and I were thinking of bringing our future children there.”

Landus and Ross fell silent for a few seconds.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up children,” Thacker quickly said. “You could also adopt cute kids, I mean…”

“What are you thinking?” Landus burst out loudly. “My honey and I don’t mind such little things. I was just thinking—let’s make a bet, soon-to-be dad Mr. Flama.”

“What’s the bet?” Thacker raised an eyebrow.

Landus whispered mysteriously, “Bet your first child will be a healthy strong boy, and the second a smart capable girl.”

“Do you have to say it in such a teasing tone, Landus?” Thacker grinned. “But I’ll take the bet. Let me think…”

“Bet a gold wheel,” Landus said. “Just one gold wheel.”

“No problem, as long as I can find you by then.” Thacker laughed.

Landus smiled without replying.

“Then we’ll take up your offer on the vacation home.” Ross brought the conversation back. “We’ll take care of the cleaning, decorating, and catering. I promise, after the wedding, you two can comfortably move in.”

“I’m really looking forward to it.” Thacker raised his glass. “Cheers—”

……

On the wedding day.

Nol turned his light golden hair to silver, adjusting his white suit. In the mirror, his features were magically concealed, making him look like himself, yet more ordinary than before.

Outstanding looks could draw unwanted attention, and he and Teest had always been careful. Actually, he regretted that Thacker Flama had met the grown-up Teest. He would have preferred to greet the Flama couple in his true appearance.

Not yet.

He picked up a ring from the table, examining it carefully. It came from the future—one of the wedding rings Thacker Flama had sold to Teest.

Its form, like their appearances, was cleverly disguised by magic. The delicate patterns had vanished, and the priceless ancient silver looked like ordinary white silver.

Two bouquets were prepared on the table. The vibrant blue roses were dewy and undamaged. Next to the bouquets, two exquisitely ribbon-tied gift boxes were ready—flawless gems personally crafted by Nol, intended as gifts for the Flama couple.

Not yet.

He touched the silky soft petals, quietly staring at the two small gift boxes.

“Honey.”

Teest walked in wearing a black suit. His black hair was neatly tied back into a man bun. He held a champagne bottle in each hand, looking a bit troubled. “Should I mix some bewilderment dew into this wine? Do you think mom and dad would notice…”

He swallowed the rest of his sentence.

Teest moved behind Nol, resting his hands on Nol’s shoulders, both looking into the mirror.

“You look amazing,” Teest murmured. “It’s like my childhood wish came true.”

“Your childhood wish was to get married?” Nol chuckled.

“What? No!” Teest hissed, his fingertips brushing Nol’s mouth. “I just wanted to make this smile mine.”

“Forever mine.” After a pause, he added another sentence.

Nol relaxed his shoulders, leaning his head back, resting against Teest’s chest and abdomen. Teest always exuded a scent that was a mix of freshness and bloodthirst, which always calmed his heartbeat the quickest.

Now Nol knew the source of that bloodthirsty scent and had decided not to mourn for those vile creatures.

Nol caught Teest’s hand, touching it to his lips. “Your hand is a bit cold.”

“I’m rarely nervous,” Teest said. “Unfortunately, this is my first time attending my own wedding. But between us, Lord Nol, your suit button is misplaced.”

Nol: “……”

Nol: “……Huh?”

As Nol fumbled to adjust his suit, Teest pinched his earlobe. Golden threads danced along Teest’s fingertips, threading through Nol’s earlobe and solidifying into a delicate golden earring.

It resembled the Player’s fake earring less and more closely matched Nol’s original design concept. The small earring was engraved with the hidden logo of “Tahe World”.

“This is?” Nol tilted his head slightly to observe the earring that had appeared out of thin air. “I remember you saying I suited blue moonstones better.”

“We already have perfect wedding rings.” Teest caressed the earring, pleased as he watched Nol’s earlobe turn red. “Now that you are dressed in white and blue, I just wanted to add a bit of gold to you.”

“Since you say so.”

Nol turned smoothly, touching Teest’s left chest. The handkerchief in the breast pocket twisted, transforming into a special cyan-blue rose.

Very effective magic, Nol thought. In less than a minute of horsing around, Teest’s fingertips warmed, and his suit button was back in place, without a wrinkle.

“Let’s go together, Teest.”

In the cabin’s living room.

“Wow!” Thacker entered, giving each a big hug. “My goodness, I hardly recognize this place!”

The rough furniture that came with the wooden house had disappeared, replaced by what clearly looked like expensive, high-end wood furniture, clean, elegant tablecloths, and paintings full of wild charm.

The broken oil lamp had been replaced by a magic lamp illuminated by magic stones, and every empty corner now thrived with lush green plants and flowers. All the arrangements were just right, turning an ordinary cabin into what seemed like a noble’s country residence.

Perhaps it was psychological, but Thacker felt the indoor lighting had brightened several degrees.

The windows were wide open, revealing a brilliant blue sky and a beautiful lake view, like a frameless oil painting. Special blue rose vines twined around the window creating a dreamlike scene.

“So beautiful,” young Edith Flama exclaimed. “You two actually chose an indoor wedding.”

“With few people, it feels livelier.” Nol held the bouquet, moving to the side of the window. “Thacker, Edith, we entrust you with the role of witnesses.”

Edith: “Fantastic!”

Thacker: “Ah? We’re not familiar with the process…”

“The form isn’t important. We just want your witness.” Teest moved in front of Thacker, his tone quite casual. “How about a high-five to relax?”

After a confused Thacker finished the high-five, Teest moved to a smiling Edith, politely kissing her hand.

After doing all this, Teest picked up the bouquet, standing opposite Nol. They were only a step apart, a gentle breeze lightly stirring their hair.

“Wishing us well is enough.”

Edith laughed happily while Thacker adjusted his tie, clearing his throat a few times.

“I’ll go first!” Edith raised her hand and started spontaneously. “Gentlemen, do you promise to always be faithful to each other, cherish each other, and love each other deeply?”

Nol: “I do.”

Teest: “Do you even need to ask?”

“I’m thinking.” Slightly overwhelmed compared to his wife, Thacker hesitated. His friends didn’t need gods, and the religious vows he knew were of no use, so—

“Do you promise to be tolerant of each other, support each other, and give each other the best… the best smiles?”

Nol raised the corner of his mouth. “I’m more than willing.”

Teest: “Of course. My honey is ahead, but I’ll catch up with all my might.”

“Great!” Edith hugged her nervous husband. “Exchange the rings—oh, these rings are pretty nice—sorry, I mean, I now pronounce you husbands!”

“Blessings to you both!” Thacker struggled to clap. “Now you may kiss each other.”

Nol lifted his hand, his wedding ring still warm from Teest’s touch. In front of him, the Mad Monk was smiling as usual. Only now, Teest’s smile had less mockery, more subtle relief, and a barely noticeable trace of regret. With black hair and a black suit, the sunlight slanted down, the blue rose on Teest’s chest gently swaying in the wind.

Nol reached out with both hands, cradling Teest’s face. As Teest leaned in to kiss his lips, Nol slightly tilted his head up and kissed Teest’s eyes instead, as if trying to kiss away that faint trace of regret.

The next moment, Nol’s head was held firm. Teest returned it with a deep kiss, mixed with nips, almost as if trying to steal all the air from his lungs.

“Half a minute,” Thacker whispered softly. “You two, the night is long—”

“What does it matter?” Edith watched with interest. “It’s not good to interrupt friends, Thacker.”

“Haa… Let’s eat first.” Nol ended the deep kiss with a flushed face, his white suit now slightly wrinkled. “Can’t let… the guests go hungry.”

Teest slowly straightened up, letting out a long hum.

He snapped his fingers, and the concealing magic instantly vanished—

A round table large enough for six was laden with Teest’s specialty home-cooked dishes and perfectly chilled, refreshing champagne. In the center of the table sat a two-tiered fruit cake, a dessert so exquisite Thacker had never seen before.

“Did you get a new product from ‘Good Blessings’?” Edith noticed the big cake at first glance.

“It was custom ordered from a far-off place. If you both like it, we can order it for you.” Nol observed the Flama couple’s reaction earnestly.

Actually, the cake was bought from the most upscale shop in City A. Even Nol was shocked by the price. Fortunately, he could magically create gold, so it wasn’t a big issue.

“Give it a try,” Teest declared cheerfully. “I guarantee it’s very delicious.”

Thacker decisively reached out with his fork, only for Edith to gently slap his hand back. “There’s serious business first!”

Then she raised her glass. “Congratulations, you two! Cheers—”

“Cheers!”

……

After the meal, the two families joyfully spent their time together for an afternoon. As the sun set, the Flama couple took a carriage back to the city, taking half of the remaining cake with them.

They indeed loved that fruit cake.

Night fell, and only Nol and Teest remained in the bedroom of the vacation cottage. They were still in their day’s suits, their wedding rings properly on their ring fingers.

One bunch of blue roses was given to the Flama couple, while the other lay by the bedside, bathing in the silver moonlight, the light blue almost melting into the night.

Teest pressed against Nol from behind, his chin resting on Nol’s shoulder, leisurely unbuttoning Nol’s suit as if it wasn’t fabric but the tender, fragile skin of prey.

“Honey.”

“Hm?”

“During dinner, you kept watching my parents.” Teest’s fingertips flicked the buttons one by one. “You’ve never done that before. I’m a bit curious why.”

“Because this marriage ceremony wasn’t perfect.” Nol turned his face, kissing Teest’s hair. “In front of family, not being able to marry in our true identities and appearances, you felt some regret.”

“I did. Thinking all this is thanks to Star Stealer Sol, it’s upsetting.”

Teest’s hand stopped moving, and Nol felt a subtle shift in weight. Teest relaxed some strength, laying more of his weight on Nol.

“But now I have great power, a steady supply of stable prey, and three homes. How does that saying go… Hm, I’m doing very well.”

“The Mad Monk I know should be greedier.” Nol’s hand reached for his chest, covering Teest’s hand. “Don’t forget how we won our way here.”

Teest puzzledly caressed the white fabric, then suddenly, he realized something, his eyes brightening.

The Flama family’s tragic death was witnessed by many, followed by an investigation by the Temple of Life. In the end, the bones of the family of five were displayed in the destroyed courtyard, visible to all passersby.

Fate was inescapable. They couldn’t change that.

But it was precisely by tearing through fate that they reached this point today.

If, just if. They spent countless hours fully understanding the Flama family. They would know the Flama family’s joys and sorrows, their habitual details, and their most natural reactions when faced with mortal danger.

Just by creating perfectly identical flesh puppets and prearranging the most perfect reactions, even if many familiar neighbors witnessed it, even if high-ranking Temple officials performed the autopsy, no one would notice anything unusual.

In that case, Nol could seal them into the system a few hours before the Flama family was massacred, until the day everything ended.

Teest buried his nose in Nol’s shoulder, taking a deep breath.

“True to my knight, it seems you’ve guessed.” Nol softly said, “Unlike with Little Piel, deceiving fate this time will be very, very difficult, needing a considerable amount of time… but it’s worth the challenge.”

“Praise you, my generous Master.” Teest tightened his arms, biting Nol’s ear. His God was indeed a genius at exploiting loopholes… No, he should say, “a true God” ought to create such miracles.

Amid the rustling of fabric, Teest’s hair fell over. One hand propped Nol’s face as he gazed down at Nol’s smile.

“One last question.” Teest slowly fastened Nol’s left hand, feeling the firm ring.

“Why?” Everything seemed perfect.

Teest knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it spoken—

‘Because I hope you can have a goal again, a far-reaching goal that can ignite your eyes,’ Nol thought.

‘Because I want to embark on a journey with you again, a journey with a common destination,’ Nol thought.

‘Because I don’t want you to have the slightest disappointment in my world,’ Nol thought.

“Do you still have to ask?”

Nol’s body shifted slightly and a will-o’-wisp lit up the room. The blue roses by the bed flickered like flames.

“Today we swore an oath, Mr. God of Vows.”

To love each other deeply, support each other, give each other the best smiles. And it never ends.

---

The author has something to say:

Then they went crazy (details omitted)

The next side story will be a wedding on Earth! One ceremony in each hometown, suddenly going local… The Earth wedding will definitely be lively!

Lord Nol is still that Nol who can’t stand a single flaw, highly rated by the Mad Monk.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Where can I find the omitted details? …Just a note, Nian Zhong doesn’t write smut (probably).

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 246: The Meaning of the Name

“Miss Perra.”

Mr. Drake Kando slammed his hand on the table edge, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “This is the fourth time you’ve left crumbs after dessert… How curious. I thought you had your body back, or is the part below your neck still dead?”

Perradat shifted her gaze slowly. “Dusty used to feed me. What god cleans up after eating? You’re being rather harsh…”

“Poor Miss Dusty.” Drake’s smile was polite and his pace of speaking was unchanged. “She requested a transfer in the fifth year after the Divine War. Let me guess, Miss Dusty couldn’t return home, and with you haunting her with your antics, she had to compromise and adopt a new belief—she must have had another faith before, right?”

“At least it was a lifesaving grace. Believing in me isn’t a problem.” Perradat’s gaze wandered. “But what about you and this ‘Miss Perra’? I’ve always felt something off about you. How can you call a god without their full name?”

“I’ve never had faith in you nor do I plan to believe in any god.” Drake snapped his fingers, and the crumbs on the table instantly vanished. “Loyalty and faith are entirely different matters.”

Perradat retorted, “Lord Nol would be sad to hear that.”

Drake replied, “He would only be sad if I truly worshiped him as a god.”

Now, his interactions with Nol were no different from when he was known as “Kando”. Nol seemed quite happy, never putting on airs of superiority.

“Even that lunatic Teest believes in Nol.” Perradat’s gaze drifted to the other end of the room.

“That’s because Nol indulges someone’s twisted thoughts.” Drake scoffed coldly. “Whereas I am relatively sane, Miss Perra.”

“I’m at least the third most powerful god in Tahe. You should show me more respect!” Perradat rolled her eyes in frustration. “But speaking of names, there’s something I’ve been pondering lately… Eugene firmly believes Painter is an incarnation of the God of Life, right?”

“So?” Drake’s cold smile faded, and his tone turned curiously gossipy.

“You see,” Perradat leaned in mysteriously, “when Eugene prays, he always calls out to ‘the Supreme Lady Tilia’. But when he sees Painter, he still calls him ‘Painter’. Normally, shouldn’t he call him ‘Tilia’?”

“Maybe it’s just habit,” Drake said uncertainly. “But now that you mention it… I thought that guy would be more obsessed with Painter, yet his demeanor is quite proper now.”

“Fanatics are truly unpredictable.”

“Indeed…”

As the two continued their whispered conversation, a figure approached from behind. Perradat and Drake both jolted, and when they realized it was Painter, they both relaxed.

“Why do you look so tired?” Painter asked. “Who are you guys on guard against?”

“Who else but Teest,” Perradat said, looking around cautiously.

“Lord Teest and Lord Nol have gone to Earth.” Painter pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m the one you’ve been gossiping about behind my back. You two could be a bit more nervous.”

“Then I’ll ask directly.” Drake crossed his arms, unapologetically inquisitive. “You’ve been living in Paradise for so long, why hasn’t Eugene started calling you ‘Tilia’?”

Painter’s tired expression eased slightly. His lips twitched as he gave a complicated look. “…You two don’t think that kid is actually worshiping me, do you?”

“Isn’t he? He insists you’re an incarnation of God,” Perradat leaned in curiously.

“I’m actually not that interested in power, even the authority that was given to me by Lord Nol.”

Painter pulled up a chair to sit down. “I once thought about handing over the ‘Tilia’ role to Miss Perradat once the Temple of Life was back on track.”

Perradat’s eyes widened, her face barely hiding her anticipation. “If you insist, I have no objections…”

“But then you would be attacked by that kid. Your character and actions wouldn’t match his ideal image of ‘Tilia’.” Painter sighed heavily. “Have you forgotten how Enbillick lost his head?”

Perradat slowly recoiled.

“Even I, if I did something out of line with the ‘Tilia’ concept, would surely suffer.” Painter spread his hands helplessly. “If he were just a human, I’d just have to endure until his death. Now… haa.”

“Such a troublesome guy,” Perradat muttered.

“It’s your fault for not making it clear.” Drake mocked mercilessly. “If you had told him from the start, ‘Dad hopes you won’t be too fanatical, be mentally normal, and go out to make some friends,’ there probably wouldn’t be so many issues.”

“But now he still firmly believes you’re Tilia, so he should call you ‘Tilia’, right?”

“Maybe I’m not perfect enough as a god,” Painter mused.

After all, even if he slightly deviated from the perfect image of “Tilia”, Eugene probably wouldn’t harm him… Just like when Eugene firmly believed “Painter betrayed the Temple”, the boy didn’t kill him for “Tilia”.

Maybe the kid has kept calling him “Painter” just to keep something purely human in that name. Who knows?

From now on, he would only strive to be an ideal “God of Life”.

“Speaking of names,” Painter poured himself some lemon water, “Lord Nol and Lord Teest have time traveled so many times. They definitely know Teest’s real name, but they haven’t changed how they address him.”

After the tragedy of the Flama family, all records about Teest were erased. Even Painter didn’t know the true name of the youngest son of the Flama family. To be honest, he was a bit curious.

Yet those two, even in Paradise, still maintained the name “Teest”.

“It does make one very curious,” Perradat said seriously, “but I don’t dare ask. Maybe you should, Drake? For the sake of Lord Nol’s face, Lord Teest won’t make it too hard for you.”

“I value my second life very much,” Drake said slowly.

Painter added, “I wonder how Lord Nol will handle the ‘name’. I heard that this trip to Earth, they’re creating an earthling identity for Lord Teest.”

Perradat interjected, “Don’t rush to change the subject. Painter, why don’t you ask? Aren’t you good at talking?”

“I, for one, also value my second life quite dearly…”

……

Earth, at the Xu family residence.

Nol’s hands trembled slightly as he took several deep breaths in front of the ID card. Although he was mentally prepared, returning to Earth still didn’t allow him to commit crimes openly…

He had boldly spoken of forging documents, but creating fake IDs seemed to violate the Criminal Code.

Teest sat on Nol’s bed, flipping through the Criminal Code with interest, observing Nol’s increasingly pale complexion.

“You know, if you wanted, you could cause incredible destruction.” Teest twirled a strand of his hair. “Even if you wanted to declare yourself a god here, I would help you… Lord Nol, to think a mere card could confine you.”

“You don’t understand.”

Nol, who had abided by the law for many years, clutched his head. “It’s a matter of principle.”

“Forget about humans. You’ve even killed gods in Tahe.” Teest deliberately rustled the pages of the Criminal Code loudly.

“…It’s a matter of principle…” Nol’s voice wavered.

As the standoff between the two gods continued, Nol’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, Nol sharply inhaled. “Hello, Officer Luo?”

“The issue with the neighbors has been resolved. Thanks to you, it went smoothly,” Rosen’s cheerful voice came through the phone. “How have you been recently? …You haven’t been up to any mischief, have you?”

Nol’s eyes darted around, and his voice suddenly became sharp. “Mischief? You’re joking. How could I possibly engage in mischief?”

Officer Luo’s voice paused meaningfully for two seconds. “I meant Teest.”

“Oh, oh, no worries. I’ll keep an eye on him,” Nol responded numbly.

Teest chuckled, shaking the Criminal Code even louder.

It seemed when guilty, his husband’s ability to lie was zero, which was quite endearing.

“…By the way, Officer Luo, do you know how to reissue an ID for someone without one?” After a while, Nol still asked, frowning, “The complicated kind of undocumented—you know who.”

Officer Luo: “……”

Five days later.

“You still chose to obey the law. Impressive,” Teest commented as he tied up his magically disguised black hair, clicking his tongue.

“Name.” Nol muttered.

“Hm?”

“The details for reissuing the ID have all been arranged by Officer Luo,” Nol said. “Only the name is left. You need an earthling name.”

Teest’s playful expression softened a bit. “I’m getting more and more names. It feels quite nice. You pick one, honey.”

Nol paused, looking into those soft golden eyes. To think of a meaningful name…

The name Teest carried memories of Teest’s family, and he didn’t want to use it casually. If he was to find meaning in another name…

“By the way.” Teest suddenly leaned closer, wrapping an arm around Nol’s shoulder. “Last time we went back, we agreed. My true name can only be known and called by you.”

“I remember.”

Nol looked down. “I just want to borrow the meaning of that name.”

During their last visit to the past, they overheard a conversation between the pregnant Mrs. Flama and a neighbor.

“…Isn’t this name nice?” Mrs. Flama, touching her belly, smiled brightly. “My grandfather taught me this word. In ancient Wilder, it means ‘companionship’ and ‘moving forward together’.”

“It’s suitable whether it’s a boy or girl.”

Indeed, it was a gentle and good name.

Adding the Flama surname… Nol opened the notes app on his phone, hesitated for a moment, and crisply typed a name.

“How about this?”

“Hmm.” Teest tilted his head to look. “I don’t really have a concept of names here. But since you chose it, it must be the best.”

“Flattering, Mr. Feng.” Nol ruffled Teest’s hair.

He set down his phone on the table, the screen still not turned off. In the notes app, the name “Feng Yuxing*” lay quietly.

*The name broken down refers to two things.  [Feng] (封) has many meanings such as to envelope, seal, close, but in this context, it refers to god (referencing [Feng Shan] (封禪) and [Feng Shen] (封神) essentially creation of a god (i.e. deification). [Yu] (与) with, together; [Xing] (行) action (in this case moving forward like on a journey or path), so Yuxing together would mean moving forward/onward together. Combined Feng refers to Teest’s apotheosis (becoming a god) and Yuxing journeying in life together (with Nol), reflecting the meaning of his “real name” given by his mother. Quite apt.

Soon, Teest would have an official identity. Nol sincerely hoped that this ID wouldn’t first be used at the police station.

“Teest.”

“Honey?”

“Let’s buy a cake to celebrate.”

“Ah, that fruit cake from last time was quite good.”

In an ordinary room, an ordinary day was about to begin.

---

The author has something to say:

Filling in the little gap about the name!

Teest’s true name, in the end, is only known by Nol lol.

A little romance for the couple!

Everyone can let their imaginations run wild lol.

Next extra will be the couple’s wedding!

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 245: God Hunting – Part 3

Murdoc opened his eyes once again. This time, he wasn’t lying on rotting straw or a stinking magic circle, but on soft, dry bedding.

It was a strange room, adorned with a heavy yet cozy sense of antiquity. Half of the view from the window showed clear blue sky, and the other half a beautiful forest scene. There was a cup of perfectly warm honey lemon water on the bedside table, thoughtfully prepared with a drinking glass.

This setup didn’t resemble a hotel or a personal residence. Murdoc glanced around the room and didn’t see any religious symbols or emblems, suggesting it wasn’t a place of worship either.

A strange place.

Instinctively, Murdoc touched his wound. The stalactite piercing in his abdomen had already healed, and his blood- and mud-stained monk’s robe had been replaced with an everyday long robe.

Had those two people saved him?

Murdoc only had a vague memory of what happened before he fainted. He wasn’t sure if those absurd visions were real or hallucinations from being in a state of blood loss. Given their bizarre nature, he was more inclined to believe they were hallucinations.

Right, the Cat Tail Spirits! He had spent two whole days with them. That certainly wasn’t a hallucination.

Murdoc shivered and began feeling around his body. After some frantic searching, he found a round wooden box on the windowsill, cushioned with soft silk. Under the sunlight, the two little furballs were squeezed together, their small bean-sized eyes closed, emitting tiny snores.

Relieved to see the two little creatures safe and sound, Murdoc finally relaxed. Whoever had rescued him and was kind to these soft little beings couldn’t be all bad.

Murdoc poured himself a glass of lemon water to moisten his parched throat. He decided to go out immediately to find someone to confirm the current time—he didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, and with the clerical exam looming, he couldn’t afford any delays.

But before his feet could touch the ground, the room’s door creaked softly open.

Instead of human footsteps, he heard the tapping of claws on the floor. Murdoc’s startled gaze fell upon a bizarre young figure that squeezed into the room, half-man, half-griffin.

The youth appeared to be in his twenties, with handsome, gentle features that radiated a kind-hearted aura. He had almost black, dark brown short hair and rare deep purple eyes.

His human upper body was covered in silver light armor, while his muscular griffin lower body bore armor fit for a warhorse. A sturdy belt wrapped around the junction of his human and griffin halves, with a long sword hanging from it—a sword longer and more imposing than a typical knight’s blade.

A monster knight?

Knights usually swore fealty to someone, Murdoc thought uncertainly. He still couldn’t see any religious emblem or noble family crest on him.

“It’s lunchtime,” the griffin knight said a bit shyly. “Miss Perradat said you would be awake by now and asked me to take you to dine.”

Miss Perradat? That name felt ominously familiar.

Murdoc glanced at the knight’s powerful hind claws and swallowed. “You are…”

“Just call me Piel.” The griffin knight nodded amiably.

“Alright, Mr. Piel. I am, uh, Murdoc Farrell.”

Murdoc responded awkwardly. Piel himself seemed friendly, but the intimidating presence of his griffin half was overwhelming.

He followed the griffin knight out of the room, continuing to cautiously observe his surroundings. Before long, he encountered several “people”—beautiful young men and women who looked human but whose aura was definitely not human. Their pupil shapes were exceptionally odd, instinctively making one’s hair stand on end.

Murdoc only felt this blade-like sensation at the back of his neck when facing lethal monsters. The theological school had emphasized that only “boss-level monsters”, at the pinnacle of their species, could master the ability to morph into other races.

Like these “people”.

Despite Murdoc’s efforts to restrain himself, he couldn’t help but tremble, silently reciting prayers from the Temple of Life.

“Please tone down your aura, everyone.” Knight Piel raised his voice understandingly. “Murdoc is just a regular person.”

The young men and women exchanged looks, their faces melting into varying degrees of benign smiles. The suffocating sensation vanished, and Murdoc was finally able to breathe again.

“Aw, you frightened the kid… Here, want some malt candy?”

An elegant lady stepped forward, speaking in a voice that belied her youthful appearance. “The cafeteria just came up with it. It’s quite tasty.”

“No, thank you,” Murdoc replied stiffly.

He almost stumbled to the hall.

In a corner of the hall, a female succubus was sprawled out on a sofa, dressed in oversized and bizarre clothing. Opposite her sat a Saint Bernard dog-headed beastmen in knight’s attire, eagerly watching the hall’s main door, his tail wagging furiously—even though there was no one there.

“Mr. Painter,” Knight Piel suddenly slowed his pace and bowed.

Who?

Murdoc spun around, his heart nearly stopping on the spot.

Burgundy semi-long hair, fresh green eyes. That familiar face, Murdoc had seen countless times in the holy texts. It was indeed Godfrey Painter, the embodiment of the God of Life.

In that moment, Murdoc finally realized where he was—

The Kingdom of God, Paradise.

Wait, why does Lady Tilia also need to disguise herself as a man in Paradise? No, no, the urgent matter is to pray. This was a rare opportunity, and he must not show disrespect to a god. Murdoc clumsily began to kneel.

“No need for prayers, Mr. Farrell. I hope you have a good appetite today.”

For some reason, the God of Life looked very tired. “Tell the cafeteria to save some lunch for me. I need to make a trip to Whitebird City.”

The casual demeanor of the God was too much! Murdoc didn’t know how to respond, and he could only stand petrified.

“Didn’t Mr. Eugene just go there?” Knight Piel asked with curious yet terrifying candor. “Or did Lord Teest specifically send him?”

“It was a traitor from the Temple of Life who caused this mess.”Painter rubbed his face tiredly. “That kid Eugene, in his effort to uphold the honor of the Temple of Life, tends to go overboard… He’s indifferent towards his own followers, and one mishandling could spark a conflict between the followers of the God of Strife and the God of Life.”

Piel thought for a moment before sincerely offering his opinion. “Maybe that’s exactly why Lord Teest specifically tasked Mr. Eugene to handle it.”

Tasking one to trouble two gods, that wicked God of Destruction would certainly do it.

But since Lord Nol and Lord Teest were together, and since Lord Nol had tacitly consented, Piel decided not to say more.

“What about Miss Perradat?” Piel skillfully changed the subject.

“She’s busy twisting malt candy,” a familiar voice chimed in. “Drake and Lynn have been dragged into playing with her. You’d better not get caught by her.”

“Lord Nol!” Piel exclaimed excitedly.

It was the black-haired follower!

Murdoc’s overheated brain finally cooled down a bit. He tried to ignore the terrifying conversation he had just overheard and looked for the source of the voice.

The black-haired and silver-haired duo stood nearby, with the one known as “Teest” standing behind “Lord Nol”, his fur cloak draped over Nol.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Painter gave a small bow.

“Why are you still here?” Teest wrinkled his nose. “Your godson is clearing out the traitors for you. His methods are too harsh, and the City Lady is somewhat displeased—a friendly reminder, she was never fond of the Temple of Life to begin with.”

“I was just about to head over.” Painter sighed. “I’ll make sure everything is handled properly on Miss Hannah’s side.”

“It’s not as serious as all that,” Nol reassured him. “Your approach is relatively gentle. Having you there is more reassuring.”

Murdoc: “……”

The scene before him was far too irreverent, and he truly didn’t know how to react. After hesitating for a while, he couldn’t help but move closer to Knight Piel.

“Who exactly are those two?” he pointed to Nol and Teest speaking with Painter.

“Lord Nol of Creation and Lord Teest of Destruction,” Piel replied honestly. “They are really nice people. They even saved my life before.”

Murdoc: “……………Ah.”

If his physical condition had allowed, he really would have fainted again. Now, it seemed that the absurd visions he had before passing out were very likely “real”.

Until he was brought to the dining table, he still hadn’t quite recovered.

Apart from himself, six others were seated around the round table—

The frighteningly approachable two supreme gods, a blond girl so beautiful she didn’t seem real, and a young man with blue eyes frowning as he twisted brown sugar syrup.

Besides these four with overwhelmingly strong auras, there was the female succubus who had been napping in the hall and a red-eyed girl dressed like a witch.

“Perradat, didn’t you say you weren’t coming to eat?” Nol casually served Teest some fried meat.

“I wanted to come see Avra’s child,” the blond girl muttered. “Besides, I’ve already won.”

“That doesn’t count as winning.” The blue-eyed young man scoffed emotionlessly. “Someone shamefully wasted food, flinging sugar everywhere. And in my view, Miss Lynn clearly let you win.”

“I collected the sugar with magic. It’s not wasted! Drake, you’re just unhappy you lost—”

“Collecting? You clearly didn’t want to eat it yourself.” Drake sneered. “If you had eaten all that sugar, I would acknowledge your victory.”

“You’re just unhappy you lost,” Teest interjected leisurely.

“……” Drake’s mouth twitched, swallowing a venomous response.

Teest: “You’re just unhappy you lost, great—magical artisan—Drake—”

Nol glanced at the three gods, bristling with tension, deciding to distance himself from the fray and seize the opportunity to eat more. Noticing Murdoc’s panicked gaze, Nol smiled gently.

“Relax,” he said. “Your exam doesn’t start for another two days. You won’t miss anything. We won’t tamper with your memory—if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Right, the exam.

Murdoc stared blankly at the gods squabbling together, finally grasping a bit of reality.

A modest-sized table was laden with homely food, with the gods noisily bickering like family members.

The God of Life pleaded for leftovers to oversee the God of Strife’s work. The God of Fate tried to monopolize all the caramel pudding on the table, while the God of Guardianship, with a darkened face, studied the syrup as if it were a matter of world-ending importance.

The legendary God of Creation forked a piece of meat, affectionately feeding it to the God of Destruction. The latter pointed at a dish, asking for the God of Creation’s taste opinions, and casually kissed his ear.

Their smiles were soft, the kind unique to lovers.

Murdoc thought his theological exam was doomed.

Two days later, Murdoc stared blankly at his test paper.

[Please discuss your views on the “God of Creation” and the “God of Destruction” and elaborate.]

As a follower of the God of Life, lying was not a commendable act. Murdoc sighed deeply, dipped his quill in ink, and tiredly wrote a line.

[They are a sweet couple. I have seen it with my own eyes.]

---

The author has something to say:

The main story is finished! Wow, I’ve completed another novel _(:з」∠)_

This! Done! Managed to update daily without interruption! But the update times were erratic, annoyingly. I’ll try to be on time with the next novel!

Next up are extras like the sweet wedding and sweet adventures of the couple! Extras are [not necessarily] daily updates. I’ll find time to correct typos or minor issues.

————————————

Completed works include fantasy-themed “Stray“, apocalyptic “Happy Doomsday“, wasteland-themed “Access Denied“, xuanhuan “Sendoff“, and modern fantasy “Evil As Humans“. You can check these out in the author’s column~

Please click [Favorite this Author] in the column (〃ω〃)

————————————

The next novel, “Help” is tentatively scheduled to begin in June or July~

I’m still not satisfied with the blurb for “Help”. I’ll update it here after revisions.

It’s a pseudo-infinite flow, expected to not be longer than this book—harmless (?) ghost gong x super fierce human shou, a partner duo _(:D」∠)_

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Kinky Thoughts:

With this, we reached the conclusion of Full Server First Kill. Hopefully you enjoyed the novel. I quite like it and rank it quite close to Stray, my favorite Nian Zhong novel.

In terms of cohesiveness and plot points coming together, this has been Nian Zhong’s strongest, in my opinion. The twists were extremely well executed, and the tension and action scenes were superb.

Where I think it was weak was the romance (at the start). While I like the concept of Teest learning to develop feelings and what love is, the romance at the start seems a bit forced on Nol’s side. I do like how, in the end, it’s about Teest learning what love is (though it took only about 200+ chapters), but then again, a lot of Nian Zhong’s characters have this trait. It’s understandable, given the plot undertones.

Overall, if you enjoyed this novel, I highly recommend you read Stray. Many concepts in this novel came from Stray, and you would appreciate them much more had you read Stray first. Not only that, Stray, in my opinion, is still Nian Zhong’s best novel she’s written.

You can also read other novels by this author that I’ve done: Happy Doomsday, Access Denied, Sendoff, and Evil As Humans.

As always, if you enjoyed this novel, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone for your comments, encouragement, help with my translations, and ko-fi donations.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 244: God Hunting – Part 2

“You are from the Temple of Life.”

As he made this judgment, Murdoc frantically searched his memory. He had no recollection of this old man, which ruled out the well-known archbishops.

The fact that this man knew about the Alva family suggested he was likely one of the senior bishops, just below the archbishops. There were only two archbishops, but every major city had its senior bishop, and Murdoc couldn’t recognize this one.

Whitebird City naturally had its senior bishop too. That old bishop had been transferred from Grape Collar about twelve years ago and hadn’t been reassigned since.

If Murdoc remembered correctly, the old bishop was about to turn ninety-two. He was elderly and rarely appeared in public. Murdoc, even as a cleric, had only seen him once—from a distance, the old bishop looked as dry as a twig.

In contrast, the old man before him could be considered robust. Unfortunately, the features of the old man were obscured by the shadow of his hood, making it difficult for him to see clearly.

“You have betrayed the Temple.” Murdoc continued hoarsely, “Why? With your status, you could have enjoyed a peaceful retirement. Even if you killed me, the glory of Lady Tilia wouldn’t be tarnished…”

“So pious.”

The red robe swayed as the old man walked towards the corrupted blood magic circle. “I have no interest in the glory of that bitch, Tilia.”

With a casual wave of his hand, a shadow flickered, and a stone column as thick as an arm shot down from the top of the room.

It pierced through Murdoc’s abdomen, pinning him like a specimen in the center of the magic circle. Blood quickly flowed out, mingling with the corrupted blood that drew the magic circle. The two types of blood, like oil and water, didn’t blur the magic circle at all.

Murdoc first felt a terrifying heat, then the spreading intense pain. Through his sweat-blurred vision, he noticed the strange black-haired follower step forward half a step, only to be held back by the silver-haired follower.

In his chest, the two balls of Cat Tail Spirits still slept, continuously radiating warmth.

…Would he really be okay?

The stone column had pierced through Murdoc’s body, making it impossible to treat, and he himself had nowhere to run.

The magical fluctuations in the air grew stronger, and the stench of decay intensified. His blood felt like it had mixed with strong acid, causing a fine, corrosive pain all over his body. It was as if he was being devoured alive by insects, and Murdoc trembled all over.

Unknown magic was activating. That old guy stood in front of him, his boot tip nearly touching his head.

Stay calm, think calmly, Murdoc. This wasn’t like a torture display; the adversary’s goal probably wasn’t to insult the God of Life, Tilia.

Magic circle, underground space, the disappearances his sister had warned him about. Speaking of which, Whitebird City had similar cases about a decade ago…

“I am… a sacrifice.” Murdoc’s fingertips dug into the soil. “The Eternal Church is gone. You—”

“I too was once devout.”

In the black and red glow, the old man stepped on the back of Murdoc’s head. “Until I discovered the true nature of the world.”

“…The truth…”

“Yes, the truth.” The old man’s tone became bitter. “Let me tell you something interesting. According to records, before becoming a god, Eugene Malloy, the Eternal Pope, and the hero Drake, before his disappearance, all had very similar levels of ability.”

“In the language of so-called Players, that’s called ‘max level’. Once you reach that limit, you have a chance to become a god.”

“Nonsense… According to what you’re saying, everyone could become a god…” Murdoc didn’t believe a word.

“In theory, yes. Unfortunately, those Players are limited by a system of rules, and we are limited by our own talents. How sad it is that most people die of old age before they can touch that line.”

The old man leaned down and lowered his voice. “I was about to give up on this path, if not thanks to our remarkable God of Strife. If you must hate someone, hate him.”

“Why…” Murdoc struggled to keep the conversation going.

His body was in pain, fear made his limbs feel leaden. But feeling the warm little furballs on his chest, his thoughts were unbelievably clear.

The magic took time to activate, and this old man, fortunately in a good mood, was willing to talk more with him, a soon-to-be-dead man. The Cat Tail Spirits said they “needed a witness”. They were probably interested in these events…

“The Eternal Pope is dead, and Drake has become a god. There’s no comparison. But that damn Eugene becoming a god confirmed the existence of the ‘limit of godhood’.”

As the magic neared completion, the old man’s tone was thick with excitement.

“That guy sent me to this place, where I could monopolize the Eternal Church’s ‘little legacy’—under you, are the results of my decade-plus of research.”

“I can’t grow stronger, but I can devour the strength of others to break through that wonderful limit. A blessed, talented young man like you is the best nourishment.”

Murdoc’s vision gradually blurred, and his arms weirdly shriveled. The old man’s body grew slightly stronger, he appeared younger…

It turned out this magic circle that was emitting a strong stench and the “Supplement Demon Potion” were similar…

How blasphemous…

In his ears, the mad voice grew increasingly vague.

“I will certainly obtain a power stronger than ‘Strife’. I will become the seventh god of Tahe—”

“Really?” A young voice came from the corner of the room. “Which do you prefer, Creation or Destruction?”

Murdoc strained to look with his peripheral vision. It was the silver-haired follower. That guy had removed his red mask, his golden eyes sparkling brightly. The black-haired follower hadn’t removed his mask and just sighed deeply.

The rows of followers around them remained motionless, no one stepped forward to stop them. After a moment of surprise, the old man seemed to treat them as rash newcomers.

“The ‘God of Creation’’ and the ‘God of Destruction’ are just concepts, like light and shadow.”

The old man rasped, “Eugene was accepted by Destruction, and since I am his enemy, I must be on the side of Creation.”

After saying this, he narrowed his eyes, and another stalactite shot down from the ceiling. It grazed the foot of the silver-haired follower and thunderously struck the ground.

“Today I’m in a good mood, so I won’t kill you. Now you can step back and go relearn some manners.”

“Wow.” The silver-haired follower clicked his tongue. “I was already unhappy, and you managed to make me even more so—quite a talent. Honey, he just said he prefers you—”

“I formally refuse.” The black-haired follower rubbed his forehead. “Do as you like.”

“Praise you.” The silver-haired follower took the other’s hand, kissing it quite solemnly.

“You—” the old man suddenly choked as if his throat was caught.

In the old man’s wide eyes, the followers on both sides of the room slowly turned around. Unbeknownst to him, they had stopped breathing… They were corpses, corpses that were moving.

His most elite followers, right under his nose, had silently perished.

Who exactly are these two?

Come to think of it, he hadn’t even noticed their presence until they spoke up. The Investigation Knights? No, the Investigation Knights aren’t this powerful… Besides, these two are far too young…

The silver-haired follower pulled off his hood, his long hair cascading down. Under the glow of the lanterns, his smile was especially sweet.

“Unfortunately,” he said softly, “the God of Creation and the God of Destruction aren’t concepts. They’re a pair of lovers.”

“…And they both don’t like you.” After saying this, he emphasized it again.

The old man looked down in confusion. His magical ritual was also silently terminated. Murdoc gasped for air. His blood had stopped flowing, and his previously shriveled arms gradually plumped up.

Why? How was there no trace of magical fluctuation?

The old man’s teeth chattered.

No trace of murderous intent, no fierce attack. Everything had ended quietly before it even began, as if reality itself was denied.

Right, he had to attack. He had already successfully devoured many people, operated in secrecy for many years, and his power had already surpassed that of the archbishops of the Temple. Although he didn’t know what these two lunatics were up to, he couldn’t just…

When he came to his senses, the old man found his perspective had gotten lower. Through his blood-filled vision, he saw his own body slowly fall, hitting the ground like a sack.

Blood spurted from his neck, staining the dim magic circle red. This time, his blood mixed with the rotten blood on the ground, and the magic circle was completely destroyed.

Ah.

As his consciousness faded, the old man dully marveled. Near death, he finally felt the other’s power fluctuations. It was Destruction—not hostile, not murderous—just pure destruction.

So that’s how it is. The two supreme gods weren’t mere concepts…

His thoughts lingered between confusion and regret.

Not far away on the ground, Murdoc finally caught his breath. He feigned fainting, carefully observing the two opposite him.

“This guy’s doctrine is so poorly written that it lacks any aesthetic.”

The silver-haired young man, holding the old man’s head in one hand, flipped through a booklet with the other. “His followers seem to operate near the forests around Whitebird City. I plan to use local resources to make a more visually pleasing scene for him—waking up to find his divine artifacts scattered and hanging from trees will certainly be thrilling.”

“You… Forget it. Don’t scare the innocents.” The black-haired young man finally removed his hood.

“Though he did get one thing right. It’s all Eugene’s fault.” The young man referred to as Teest said, “He actually didn’t notice this trash. If we hadn’t passed by here, the old guy would have continued his antics.”

“This man is a traitor to the Temple. I thought you would condemn Painter,” the black-haired young man jested.

“I just dealt with him last week.” Teest expressed regret. “If I had known, I would have waited and settled it all at once.”

Murdoc tensed up. Is it okay to talk about gods in this tone?

Who exactly are these two… No, I’m going to faint.

Murdoc’s last memory was of the black-haired young man’s smiling face.

“I told you, you’d be fine,” he said.

---

The author has something to say:

The current power rankings in Tahe:

Nol > Teest > Perradat >>> other gods

Nol, the true supreme god, needs no explanation. He is the only master of the system.

Teest has accumulated two powers himself, breaking away from the system, and will gradually create his own power system.

Perradat is a foreign god, born at the god level. However, she can’t compete with Teest, the local advantage Player.

Other (local) gods haven’t truly transcended the system yet. They’ve been co-opted by both sides, with a clear upper limit.It’s not that Eugene ascended to godhood quickly. It’s because the “god” Eugene became isn’t on the same level as the “god” Teest became. ☆

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 243: God Hunting – Part 1

Whitebird City, on the ground floor of the inn’s resting area.

“As of the year 737, Tahe has a total of six gods…”

A young man dressed as a monk muttered, leaving lines of text with a feather quill on his notebook, which featured delicate illustrations. A large book titled “The Divine History of Tahe” lay open diagonally above his notebook.

The theology written exam was coming up—it was part of the comprehensive test for monks. The exam would determine whether he could advance to Grape Collar’s Temple of Life. Murdoc Farrell had been preparing for this exam for two full years.

“The existing six gods are divided into two major pantheons—the Creation Pantheon and the Destruction Pantheon. Among them, the God of Creation and the God of Destruction are recognized as the highest gods, with the rest being their subordinates… Hmm…”

“Brother, you’re memorizing those troublesome things again.”

A girl dressed as a merchant pulled out a chair and sat opposite the young man. “Just listening to it makes my head spin.”

“Coralina.” Murdoc nodded.

“When are you finally coming back to Grape Collar? Mom misses you.” Coralina complained with a smile, “This place is terribly remote. I wouldn’t come here if it weren’t for work.”

Murdoc smiled. “I’ve already accumulated enough merits. As long as I pass the test, I can apply for a transfer to Grape Collar.”

“If you don’t pass, I’m cutting your allowance.”

Coralina clicked her tongue. “Really, why did you have to choose the Temple of Life?”

“Fate’s Poet Society has absorbed the Eternal cult. If you can’t accept it, forget it. The emerging Church of Strife and the Guardians Assembly are both good. There’s much less competition there.”

“This isn’t about choosing a job, Coralina.”

Murdoc clasped his hands together, making the prayer gesture of the Temple of Life. “Both you and I have been blessed by the descent of the God of Life. I still hold gratitude for That One.”

“But mom doesn’t believe in the Temple of Life.”

Coralina grabbed a piece of bread from the table. “Mom believes in the Cat Tail Spirits. She insists that the Cat Tail Spirits saved us, and it seems like the God of Life doesn’t mind.”

“Coralina!”

“Forget it. As long as you’re happy.” Coralina stuck out her tongue and picked up the “Divine History of Tahe”.

“Subordinates of the God of Creation, the God of Life Tilia, and the God of Guardianship Drake; subordinates of the God of Destruction, the God of Fate Perradat, and the God of Strife Eugene.”

Reading this, she frowned.

“I remember Drake was one of the heroes of the divine war, a dragon hybrid who slept for over two hundred years. He’s always been very strong, so it makes sense that he became the ‘God of Guardianship’ after the divine war.”

“I’ve been wanting to ask, what’s the deal with Eugene? Wasn’t he the Pope of the Temple of Life? …Even if he didn’t become the ‘God of Peace’, he’s not even in the same pantheon as the God of Life…”

“The awakening of divine powers and the inherent traits of the gods themselves are linked. One cannot simply choose them.” Murdoc explained, “Lord Eugene, during his tenure, was notoriously uncompromising. Although he caused conflicts both large and small, in the end, he reformed countless longstanding malpractices within the Temple.”

“As for the relatively negative power of ‘Strife’, many scholars have researched this. The prevailing view—let me think—Lord Eugene is fundamentally fanatic; his reforms of the church weren’t out of goodwill but were meant to please the God of Life…”

“Cough! Cough!”

Suddenly, a coughing sound came from the next table, where Murdoc saw two young men in traveler’s cloaks—the one with black hair choked on his tea, and the silver-haired one was patting his back.

“He was once the former Pope of the Temple of Life. Is it okay to speak so frankly?” Coralina gasped through her teeth.

“Lord Eugene never hid his true nature.” Murdoc sighed. “Actually, I admire Lord Drake more, who endured hardships without changing his original intentions and eventually acquired the power of ‘Guardianship’—his friendship with the God of Fate Perradat is still praised by people.”

“Wait, wait, I’m dizzy.” Coralina rubbed her temples. “So you’re saying, Lord Eugene of the Destruction Pantheon follows the God of Life from the Creation Pantheon, and Lord Drake from the Creation Pantheon, has good relations with the God of Fate from the Destruction Pantheon…?”

“Yes, it’s a balance.”

“It seems even gods avoid forming cliques.” Coralina remarked, “So the God of Creation and the God of Destruction are completely opposed to each other?”

“Regarding this matter, there are currently two prevailing opinions… those two do not have their own religions, nor are their names widely known. Many believe they are merely conceptual gods.”

Murdoc rustled through his notebook. “But there is also a peculiar theory circulating that they are a pair of sweet lovers.”

“I prefer that latter theory,” the silver-haired young man at the next table laughed.

Murdoc glanced over at the next table again—the silver-haired young man had just finished speaking when he was fed a large spoonful of sugared peach water by his companion.

“It seems you’ve reviewed well.”

Coralina didn’t pay attention to the next table. She snapped the “Divine History of Tahe” shut. “Good luck, big brother. They surely won’t actually test you on the love story of the highest gods.”

“…Coralina…” Murdoc weakly covered his face.

“By the way, there have been disappearances nearby lately.” Coralina lowered her voice. “You’re living here alone. Be very careful, and don’t interact with any suspicious characters.”

“I’ll remember that. Send my regards to mom.”

……

Murdoc smelled a strong odor of blood. The next second, a horrific pain struck him. It felt as if a spike had been driven into his head, causing it to split with pain.

He blinked laboriously, his eyelids sticky with semi-dried blood, much heavier than usual. Undoubtedly, his head had been struck, and the blood that had flowed out was drying in his hair, becoming stiff and hard.

Only a thick darkness surrounded him.

What happened?

Murdoc remembered saying goodbye to his sister, remembered leaving the inn. He had planned to buy some parchment and paint before heading home, and then… and then…

“Ugh…”

Murdoc groaned, struggling to prop himself up. His eyes gradually adapted to the dark surroundings, and he could faintly make out the outlines of objects.

Rusty iron bars, moldy straw, damp stone bricks. A faint stench of decay lingered, accompanied by the barely audible sound of water from the neighboring cell. If his guess was correct, this was a repurposed dungeon located beneath Whitebird City in the sewers.

Why would anyone want to kidnap him?

Murdoc was only nineteen years old, a naive cleric with nothing of value on him.

He was good-looking, but at nineteen, he was too old to be trafficked… Moreover, criminals typically wouldn’t target clergy, preferring vagrant children who “nobody would miss if they disappeared”.

Was this a kidnapping for ransom?

Setting aside the fact that his mother was in Grape Collar, a place far too distant, his family had changed their names and moved, making it impossible for ordinary people to know their financial situation.

“Is anyone there?” Murdoc called out hoarsely. “Hello?”

Apart from the sound of water, he received no response.

Murdoc felt along the iron bars, searching for any gap that might offer escape, but instead, his hands found the thick iron chains that entwined the cell door. These chains had been treated to resist magic, feeling exceptionally cold to the touch. The Temple often used them to bind escapees. Ordinary magic couldn’t open them.

…Better to conserve energy for now.

Breathing heavily, Murdoc sat back down on the straw, trying to tend to the wound on his head.

Right, Coralina had mentioned disappearances… If only he had asked her more about it…

Coralina was traveling with a merchant caravan. She should be safe… May the God of Life protect her…

The dizziness from blood loss persisted, and Murdoc’s limbs grew cold. He curled up, his eyes half-closed. Suddenly, something furry and warm appeared next to his hand.

A rat?!

Murdoc stiffened and turned to his right hand—next to his palm, unbeknownst to him, two small furry balls had appeared.

One black and one white, they were the size of the tip of a cat’s tail. They clung together tightly, blinking their small, bean-sized eyes.

“Moore, don’t be afraid,” the black furball chirped lightly. “You’ll be alright.”

Murdoc was stunned. That was his long-discarded name. These two little creatures really resembled the Cat Tail Spirits from his mother’s stories.

“You need to endure a little longer.” The white furball leisurely nibbled on the black one’s fur. “I’m very curious about what’s going to happen next.”

“We need a witness. Believe me, we have a history with your mother. She must have mentioned us,” the black furball squeezed the white one and continued to explain in a soft voice.

“You’re Cat Tail Spirits,” Murdoc nodded.

The two furballs: “……”

“Close enough,” the black furball said. “Anyway, we’ll stay with you.”

Murdoc breathed a sigh of relief. The kidnappers had left his clothes. Murdoc opened the inner pocket of his monk’s robe, allowing the two little furballs to hide inside. They were warm and comforting, and he unconsciously felt reassured.

For the next two days, Murdoc was left alone. No one came to check on him, let alone bring food or water. The kidnappers were very cautious, probably planning to act once he weakened.

But this plan was thwarted by the two furballs.

The white furball conjured a large amount of food out of thin air, including but not limited to vegetable salad, bagels with nuts, cold cuts, boiled eggs, and sparkling grape juice. They all shared common traits—they were odorless, didn’t need heating, and were delicious.

Thus, Murdoc was well-fed and lay in the dungeon for two days. He had wanted to talk more with the furballs, but aside from mealtimes, they would squeeze into his pocket and fall into a deep sleep.

On the third day, things finally changed.

A man carrying a lantern and dressed in a dark red robe opened the cell door, picking up Murdoc, who feigned exhaustion. Murdoc struggled feebly as the man dragged him deeper into the sewers.

By the dim light of the lantern, Murdoc discreetly observed the man beside him.

The man’s face was covered with a red cloth, cut out only for the eyes and nose. His eyes, hidden in shadow, looked like two black holes.

Murdoc’s gaze moved to the man’s chest. In the center of his chest was an odd emblem he had never seen before. His garment’s hem was somewhat darkened, emitting an unpleasant odor of decay.

A cultist… His attire didn’t match that of a stubborn member of the Eternal Church. It was probably some emerging cult.

Whitebird City, located remotely, only had a chapel of the Temple of Life. But the City Lord was adept, making it difficult for messy religions to take root. In other words, anyone who could operate here was no ordinary character.

Murdoc continued to feign weakness, his heart racing. If not for the two furballs continuously warming his chest, he would have been genuinely terrified.

May the God of Life bless him, may the Cat Tail Spirits protect him. In silent prayer, Murdoc was led into a spacious underground area.

This place didn’t seem to be part of the sewers, but rather someone had used magic to repurpose the ventilation system of the sewers.

The walls of this “room” were mere rubble and clods of earth. Both sides of the room were filled with red-robed individuals holding lanterns, illuminating the vast space like daylight—

In the center of the room was a large magical circle drawn with blood, mixed with bits of flesh, emitting a foul smell. In the center of the circle, a rotting arm protruded from the loose soil, with an unknown number of bodies buried underneath.

Murdoc was roughly thrown at the edge of the circle, his face pale.

“What do you want to do?” His question was absolutely sincere.

The two rows of red-robed individuals remained silent, not moving an inch. If not for the breathing visible at their chests, Murdoc might have mistaken them for corpses.

Something was off… The rows were asymmetric. There were two extra individuals on his right side, who were fully cloaked in red robes without holding lanterns.

Their height and physique stood out from the other followers. Murdoc noticed a glimpse of their hair—black and silver, a frighteningly familiar combination.

Were they the two people he had encountered at the inn, having followed him since then?

Murdoc stared at them, his mind in turmoil.

This wasn’t the time to assign blame. He needed to find a chance to escape…

“Murdoc Farrell.”

A solemn voice echoed from the shadows. An elderly man, around sixty, stepped out from the darkness. He was dressed in a fiery red robe. His hair and beard were white, yet his body showed no signs of the frailty typical of old age, appearing quite robust.

“Or should I call you Moore Alva, the miraculous son of Avra Alva.”

Murdoc involuntarily clenched his fists.

During the divine war, his family was taken to a safe hideout by a Temple knight. After the war, the high officials of the Temple of Life had specially met with his family.

At that time, Murdoc was only seven years old, unable to remember much. He only recalled that those dignitaries had said his father was controlled by a malevolent god, and his mother had slain him on the spot.

The malevolent god was defeated, and his father died in the divine war. Concerning the reputation of the Alva Merchant Group and the lack of evidence, “Enbillick Alva being controlled by a malevolent god” wasn’t widely known. In the end, his mother was still seen as a madwoman who had killed her husband.

To honor Avra’s bravery, the Temple of Life was willing to provide protection—

They helped Avra and her two children create new identities. The Alva family thus became the Farrell family. They also secretly transferred Enbillick Alva’s fortune, a substantial amount that ensured that Avra’s family lived comfortably.

On the eve of the family’s departure from Bissus, in front of the Temple knights, the figure of the Goddess of Life Tilia appeared in their room.

The Goddess’s face was identical to the statues in the church.

With a gentle smile, she touched the children’s foreheads. The robust life force flowed into their bodies, and Murdoc still remembered that feeling—the stiffness and coldness inside him disappeared. His body became agile and strong, and his mind became much clearer.

Before the apparition vanished, the Goddess specifically turned to the Temple knight, smiled, and made a “shh” gesture with her finger.

That was undoubtedly a divine blessing.

Considering the Goddess’s will, whether it was their past identities or that miraculous night, only the high echelons of the Temple of Life had the right to know.

Which meant…

“You are from the Temple of Life.”

Murdoc stared at the old man, gritting his teeth.

---

The author has something to say:

People of Tahe: The God of Creation and the God of Destruction have no names, no churches. They must be conceptual gods…

In reality: The two just want to use their real names to sweetly travel √

The real Tahe production team has expanded! Nol is super happy.

The current work projects of the people are as follows:

Farmers, breeders, healers, etc., believe in the God of Life.

Adventurers, knights, travelers, etc., believe in the God of Guardianship.

Magicians, scholars, merchants, etc., believe in the God of Fate.

Blacksmiths, arms dealers, mercenaries, etc., believe in the God of Strife.

————————————

Fischer was thrown to the side of the God of Fate by Teest. He should now be the Pope of the God of Fate, but he still believes in Teest. (A kind of triple-named Pope)

Old Painter quietly changed the “Goddess of Life” to “God of Life”. It’s not a typo… Unfortunately, the name can’t be changed, so accept your fate, Painter.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 242: Kingdom of God

After officially returning from Earth, Nol felt a real sense of “it’s all over” for the first time. At the same time, he was struck by the bizarre illusion of “joining a foreign company”.

The flow of time in Tahe was six times that of Earth. According to the agreement, he and Teest have to travel back to Earth every month or so. If they visit home too frequently, it might arouse his parents’ suspicions.

After years of brainwashing and captivity by Star Stealer Sol and a year of non-stop fleeing and counterattacking, Nol enjoyed an almost luxurious bewilderment—as if he had retired.

Anyway, he would never consider actually becoming the God of Creation.

That job of playing god and challenging his own integrity, he had to delegate to Perradat and Painter. It had to be said, these two were quite experienced in fooling others. After the end of the divine war, for easier supervision, Perradat and Painter formally moved into the Lost Tower.

Nol kindly implemented a five-day work week, and a nine-to-five schedule. Painter could even manage the Drifting Mercenaries on weekends.

Thus, Painter took full control of the Temple of Life, while Perradat managed both the Fate’s Poet Society and the Eternal Church. Currently, it seemed she planned to merge the two and transform the Eternal Church from within.

To Nol’s surprise, Perradat was very skilled at manipulating religion. According to her, it was “a racial talent”.

Inside the Lost Tower, most of the neighbors had gone home. The succubi and dog-headed beastmen, with no more temple threats, decided to carve out their territories in the Black Forest.

Nol had tried to retain them, but the queen and the village chief tactfully expressed that continuing to stay wasn’t quite appropriate—the tower was too crowded with four gods running around; they couldn’t expand their tribes here. However, they agreed to leave emissaries and promised to visit during festivals.

“You know where our tribes are located,” the two leaders expressed. “We will always welcome you, Lord Nol.”

Now, aside from Perradat and Painter, only a handful of neighbors remained in the tower, including those like Little Piel, who considered the Lost Tower their home.

Such idleness.

Nol lay sprawled out on the bed of the Lost Tower, deeply pondering. He was beginning to miss the lively scenes of the past. It was nearing noon, and he still hadn’t gotten up.

The good news—Teest hadn’t gotten up either.

Teest was sprawled out on the soft bed with an arm draped over Nol’s chest.

“We’re going to see my parents tomorrow,” he lazily said. “This time let’s just look at them from a distance first. I want to introduce you to them properly. To be precise, introduce you to the family in my memory.”

“Okay.” Nol fiddled with Teest’s fingers.

“I’ve bought back the Flama’s land. Once Painter finishes the procedures, the Temple of Life will formally apologize and bury them publicly… Can I bury them inside the Lost Tower?”

“Of course,” Nol replied. “How about the forest level? I’ll prepare a beautiful cemetery.”

“You’re so considerate.” Teest rolled over. “But they only have their heads left. One room is enough—I’d rather have a room, a ‘Flamas’ room.”

Nol: “……” Teest always had unique views on death.

But he didn’t dislike this mad idea.

Not a tomb, just a room, no different from other rooms. They could knock on the door, visit it like visiting a friend.

“Then I’ll prepare a beautiful room,” Nol said.

“Praise be to you.”

Teest kissed Nol’s forehead, and the sheets rustled. “What would you like for lunch? Or would you like to take a walk through Grape Collar?”

Nol: “I—”

“Eugene Malloy requests entry to the tower.”

The room’s communication crystal lit up on its own, broadcasting Lynn’s voice tinged with schadenfreude. “He’s coming alone, says he wants to meet with you both.”

Nol slowly pulled the covers back. He was wrong; carefree leisure was so precious, and he didn’t want a religious meeting just now.

Teest looked excited, but Nol felt that the excitement wasn’t out of goodwill.

“Why does the Pope of the Temple of Life have time to come here when they’re so busy?” Teest wondered.

“He says he wants to apologize to you both.” Lynn couldn’t hide her eagerness to watch the drama unfold. “I was going to prepare an explanation, but that kid came up with one himself. I almost applauded him—”

According to Eugene’s guess—or rather, his delusion—the divine power of the Goddess had been suppressed by the False God Enbillick for the past two hundred years, leading to the gradual corruption of the Temple and the creation of numerous tragedies.

Therefore, Painter, as an incarnation of the Goddess, personally betrayed the Temple to test the devotees’ faith. He secretly helped the God of Creation Nol, who was targeted by Enbillick, and Teest, the God of Destruction who followed Nol. Ultimately, the gods waged a divine war and reclaimed Tahe from Enbillick’s hands.

“Huh?”

Teest’s face of curiosity turned into surprise.

He knew that Enbillick had implanted the memory of “Star Stealer Sol as the goddess of life” into Eugene. Eugene refused to believe it, yet could he come up with such a story? …You know, the Temple and the Mad Monk were at odds before.

“Because the Mad Monk only kills Eternalists.”

Lynn chuckled. “He believes your defiance in front of the Evergreen Church using corpses was a satire on the Temple’s failure to recognize the true gods. Painter often shows ‘disrespect’ to the Goddess himself, so Eugene thinks your actions were perfectly justified.”

“Enbillick targeted Nol specifically, and with Nol able to influence the system and with your and Painter’s help, Painter’s oracle made Eugene guess Nol is the legendary ‘God of Creation’. Star Stealer Sol tried to frame you as the Demon King, but it backfired.”

This time, Nol had nothing to say.

Knight Eugene’s conclusion was very subtle—sort of right yet somehow not quite right… He deeply doubted that even if Painter ran singing around Grape Collar upside down for three weeks, Eugene could come up with an utterly sacred explanation.

“He doesn’t mind that there are two gods above the Goddess of Life?” Nol hugged Teest tighter, squeezing out a question.

Lynn: “He firmly believes that ‘Lady Tilia’ cares more about Tahe than her own status. Don’t worry. He won’t suddenly attack you… probably.”

“I kind of appreciate Mr. Eugene,” Teest said. “He makes me feel like my faith is healthy.”

Nol slowly covered his head with the blanket. “Let Painter handle it.”

Teest, smiling, pulled the blanket back. “Come on, it sounds like fun!”

“Oh yes, Eugene also brought back Fischer.” Lynn earnestly continued, “He recognized Fischer’s magical fluctuations. Based on the low-profile actions of the Eternal Church recently, he speculated that the ‘God of Destruction’ had already dealt with the Eternal Son, Anstis, and gained the loyalty of the Eternal Pope.”

“Teest, in his capacity as the Pope of Life, he wants to ask you about the handling and future development of the Eternal Church…”

Teest, as he uncovered the blanket, also shrank back under it. He lifted an arm, and now the blanket covered both of their heads.

“Nol is right. Let Painter handle it,” Teest said from under the blanket. “What a troublesome guy.”

“What about Fischer?” Nol whispered.

“Fischer Reginald is an adult. He can go home by himself,” Teest said coldly. “He can even hop back on one leg.”

……

Knight Eugene, no, Pope Eugene, stood at the edge of the Black Forest, gazing at this sea of trees.

After a long wait, he didn’t get permission from the Lost Tower. Eugene wasn’t surprised by this outcome. If he was right, after the God of Creation returned, the Lost Tower would become a realm of gods—unreachable yet omnipresent.

His intentions had been conveyed. Regardless of the outcome, this was a successful pilgrimage.

But if he was right…

At the forest’s edge, an anomaly suddenly occurred.

It was spring, and most of the trees were sprouting new green leaves, sparsely. But the trees in front of him suddenly grew wildly. The new green turned into a lush, dark green, filled with divine vitality.

Under the most flourishing tree leaned a familiar figure.

It was a tall, thin middle-aged man with red hair, wearing a wooden mask carved with the emblem of the Goddess of Life. Through the holes in the mask, a pair of light green eyes still shone like the buds of spring.

“Good afternoon, my child.”

Godfrey Painter greeted openly.

“My God.”

Eugene stood still, and after a few seconds, he knelt on one knee, making a well-practiced prayer gesture.

Painter lamented, “What about my ‘good afternoon’?”

“…Good afternoon, my God.” Eugene expressed respectfully, his tone filled with joy. “Your servant sincerely thanks you for your descent.”

“I’ve heard about your speculations,” Painter said as he walked up to Eugene and touched the back of his neck. “I know you came looking for me. Ask whatever you want.”

He had an expression that said, ‘I knew this day would come,’ like an old father caught snacking by his child.

“Did I do well?” Eugene eagerly asked.

Painter’s expression sank, and after a moment, he sighed and placed a hand on the young Pope’s head.

“Barely passing,” Painter said, and under his palm, Eugene trembled slightly, whether from awe, fear, or excitement.

“Please tell me where I can improve,” Eugene said with his head bowed, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. “Your will is my desire.”

“It wouldn’t be fun to tell you.” Painter spoke in his usual tone. “You used to not recognize me as your godfather, and you still don’t… haa.”

“I was hoping you’d ask something else—something more interesting.”

Eugene maintained his bowed position, embodying confusion.

“From today, come see me once every three months and ask me a question,” Painter said softly, like he used to tell stories to that little child years ago. “How about that? This time I won’t just disappear.”

“It would be my honor.” Eugene kept his head down. “Do you have any other instructions?”

“You will be a good pope, Eugene Malloy,” Painter said, no longer pressing down on Eugene’s head but gently touching it. “I’m more worried about you personally.”

“I will remember your words,” Eugene said.

His head lightened, and when he looked up again, Painter had disappeared.

The opportunity for stable inquiries, concerning his own “personal” worries… Indeed, his God didn’t just want him to be a good pope. He implied a fatherly relationship, wanting him to keep ambition and aim for the Kingdom of God.

He would not disappoint Him.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Lost Tower.

Painter sat melancholically on the steps. He had given that boy a stable opportunity for dialogue, hoping Eugene would soon ask normal questions.

Like, the true form of the Goddess of Life being a middle-aged man—how odd is that? Why don’t you ask?

Hopefully, Eugene Malloy, whose destiny he had altered, could break free from the chains of fanaticism and return to a normal life sooner.

Fortunately, they still had plenty of time.

---

The author has something to say:

Painter: Kid, you’re too rigid… Be normal. Life has so much beauty…

Eugene: Understood, He wants me to become a god.

——————

Years later, faced with the soon-to-be god Eugene, Teest was torn between killing and not killing…

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 241: Earth – An Ordinary Day

Nol couldn’t remember the last time he had stayed overnight at his parents’ home.

It must have been during the last winter break of university.

His room was still set up like it was during his university days, with the standard desk, wardrobe, and bed layout, all meticulously maintained by his parents. Nol was quite tall, so his family had specially prepared a one-and-a-half-meter bed that now just managed to squeeze in both him and Teest.

At the moment, Teest was lying beside him, an arm draped over Nol’s waist. The room was dim, lit only by the silver moonlight seeping in through the window.

The only sound was the ticking of the second hand of the clock. The faint snoring of his father from the next room didn’t arise—Nol reflexively remembered that his father snored at night.

[It seems the impact was quite significant.] Teest seemed to read his thoughts.

Not just significant, Nol couldn’t help but fall into reminiscence—

Before entering the house, Teest had proposed other options.

After finding out about the acceptance of same-sex partners on Earth, he had suggested ideas like: “You can use ‘reversion’ on me. I don’t mind pretending to be Teesti, honey,” “I could turn into a cat and follow you, and you can say it was a joke,” “You could also make an excuse that I’m busy elsewhere and go back alone,” “You wouldn’t use mind magic on them, would you?” …and so on.

Perhaps a gradual approach was a better idea, Nol thought.

But he couldn’t bear the thought of Teest waiting outside alone while he staged a heartwarming reunion at home—Nol still remembered the subtle emotions on Teest’s face after he returned from his solo reversion.

“I trust my parents,” Nol had replied. “And only if I introduce you seriously will they understand how determined I am.”

…But even a god felt nervous in front of his own parents!

The moment Nol and Teest stepped in, his parents instinctively looked behind them, trying to spot a non-existent girl. After a few seconds, it finally dawned on them, and they froze in place.

Nol stood ramrod straight. He hadn’t even been this tense during the divine war.

He had always been the proverbial “child from someone else’s home”.

The best high school, the best university. If not for Star Stealer Sol whisking him away right after graduation, he would surely have landed a job at the best company. During that time, let alone clashes with classmates or romance in school, he didn’t even go through a rebellious phase. If there was a “Most Worry-Free Children List” in City A, Nol would definitely rank in the top three.

And so, the family continued their bland daily life.

But the good son who had just graduated brought home a foreign man, seemingly intent on settling down.

Father Xu was so shocked that he belched twice, nearly fainting. Mother Xu kept exclaiming, “Oh dear, oh dear,” and didn’t know where to put her hands.

“Dad, Mom, I’m back.” Nol took a deep breath and spoke formally.

As he entered, he deliberately grabbed Teest’s hand, pulling his knight inside.

Father Xu was still in a daze, and Mother Xu responded somewhat vacantly, “Sit. Everyone sit.”

“How did you two, uh, how did you…”

As soon as they sat on the sofa, Mother Xu started stammering.

“I went on an internship during university and met him there.” Nol managed to fib without changing his expression. “He is indeed a foreigner and plans to settle in City A.”

“You’ve decided to settle down already?”

Father Xu finally snapped out of his dazed state, his face tensing up. “What about his parents?”

Nol: “He—”

Teest offered his trademark harmless smile, interrupting Nol. “I’m an orphan, sir. My parents passed away when I was seven, and I have no other relatives. I can live anywhere.”

Father Xu, Mother Xu: “……”

Mother Xu gave Father Xu a slightly reproachful look, her attitude softened considerably. Father Xu muttered an apology, somewhat deflated, and sat down.

“I met your son at work, and we went through some minor accidents together, developing feelings,” Teest continued politely. “He is the most remarkable person I’ve ever met… Believe me, I have questioned my feelings many times, but I am now very sure that I want to spend my life with him.”

His tone was particularly sincere toward the end. Combined with that face, his persuasiveness was undeniable.

Mother Xu couldn’t help but look at her son.

“I’m serious, Mom.” Nol nodded at her. “You all know me. I’ve never been one to act on impulse.”

Mother Xu sighed and was silent for a long while.

“You look much better than last time,” she said, finally smiling again. “There’s light in your eyes, your face is bright, and you look sturdy.”

Nol: “……” Sorry, Mom, that’s probably because I became a god.

“And you seem very happy.” Mother Xu cleared her throat with some difficulty. “Son, you’ve grown up so much, and I’ve never seen you this happy… Actually, your dad and I have always been quite worried, thinking you lived too rigidly to have any taste of life.”

“You’re an adult now, and who you spend your life with is your business. It’s good this way. Now you both are in City A, and we can see you anytime, which spares us unnecessary worry.”

“Right, right, it’s just all so sudden,” Father Xu muttered. “Your mom and I need some time to adjust, and don’t take it to heart and just live your lives.”

Nol opened his mouth several times, sighing heavily, before he could finally make a sound.

“I—I will visit you every week.” His voice was slightly hoarse. “I really am doing very well.”

Teest didn’t speak further, just silently observed. His hand remained tightly clasped around Nol’s, never letting go.

……

[The cakes here are really good.] Teest’s thoughts broke the memory, as he snuggled deeper into the bedding. [I didn’t expect your family to prepare a cake.]

Nol: “That’s just how we celebrate in our family. Seeing my mom’s reaction, she actually likes you quite a bit. They just don’t know you yet, but they will after we meet every week.”

[Are you sure you want them to know me?] Teest exclaimed in shock.

[…Just remember to keep up the disguise.] Nol broke into a cold sweat, thinking of his parents’ well-being.

[You’ll see.]

Suddenly, Nol’s phone vibrated. He casually opened the notification and immediately saw a new message from his mother.

Mom: [You two live well, work well. If anyone talks nonsense, don’t take it to heart.]

Mom: [Don’t overthink it. Your dad and I definitely support you.]

Mom: [Go to sleep early.]

Nol turned off his phone and buried his face into Teest’s chest.

“What’s wrong?” This time, Teest asked aloud.

“I was just thinking, my life plan hasn’t really changed that much,” Nol responded in a muffled voice. “I now have vast wealth, a stable job, parents who love me, and someone I love.”

Over the past year, although events had shattered all his plans, he had never felt more content.

Nol knew that at this very moment, another version of himself was imprisoned in Joy Garden, taking his first steps toward hardship. He couldn’t interfere with that inevitable tragedy—just as he couldn’t prevent Teest from falling into darkness in his reversion.

But that didn’t matter.

Because they both knew they would have an ending far beyond their imaginations.

“Good night, Teest.”

“Good night, Nol.”

……

In the ruins of Bissus City, Tahe.

A dirty cat paw scratched around, finally managing to clear the debris. With a rustling sound, a dusty white cat emerged from the rubble. The current Eternal Pope, Fischer, licked his paw, suddenly realizing a huge problem.

His God seemed to be absent. How was he supposed to revert to his original form?

What was the Eternal Church’s plan for him next? Lord Teest?

The white cat sat dumbfounded atop the ruins, eyes following the passersby.

“Lady Tilia has issued an oracle. The first time that Her Ladyship has directly done so!” a temple knight said jubilantly. “Thanks to the heroes who eradicated the Demon King, Lady Tilia was able to regain her power.”

“There’s been no word from the Eternal Church, and Anstis hasn’t recovered. It’s embarrassing how they promoted that false god—all these years it was clearly Lady Tilia who suppressed the Demon King!”

“The trees near Bissus that were charred are sprouting leaves again. It’s a miracle…”

The white cat bristled, hissing.

You fools. The true gods are clearly Lord Teest and Lord Nol, whom he follows! What is this Tilia in comparison?

Unfortunately, the two temple knights had moved on, and now several bishops approached.

“Lord Eugene is truly blessed by God. He had just assumed the papacy when our God issued an oracle. Did you hear—” one bishop whispered. “Lady Tilia said there are two Gods above Her.”

“Isn’t Lady Tilia the highest god? Could it be, um, someone impersonating…”

“Lady Tilia’s words are beyond doubt!” another bishop raised his sparse-haired head. “Her words are so merciful… You all saw that vibrant divine power. Such blessings have never appeared before at the altar!”

The white cat’s bristling fur settled a bit. Speaking the truth, it seems this Goddess of Life is one of us… Huh?

A hand gripped the scruff of his neck mercilessly and lifted him.

“Fischer Reginald.”

Eugene—the current Pope of Life, spoke in an icy tone that came from his hood. “What are you doing here?”

“Meow!”

Fischer was on the verge of tears, never imagining his historic encounter between the Eternal Church and the Temple of Life would be so dismal.

Eugene: “…”

Desperately, Fischer waved his paws. “Meow! Meow!”

Eugene’s face under the hood twisted briefly as he deftly cast a dispelling spell. The next second, a dusty Fischer lay sprawled on the ground.

Swish!

The imposing “Dominator” landed next to Fischer. Instinctively trying to retaliate with dark magic, Fischer then remembered he was in the stronghold of the Temple of Life.

The Eternal Pope wisely retracted his hand, continuing to feign death.

“Answer me, where is the Lost Tower?” Eugene asked, enunciating each word.

---

The author has a word to say:

Nol: They just don’t understand you yet.

Nol:

Nol: Please, don’t let them really understand you. (Pupils quaking)

Teest: ☆-∑(>ω0)b

---

Kinky Thoughts:

With this, we’ve reached the conclusion. Next comes the epilogue and extras. To recap the entire story in case there are some who are still confused:

Nol was developing what he thought was a game called “Tahe World”. When the game launched, he suddenly found he had transmigrated into the game as one of the monsters, along with all his neighbors in Joy Garden.

In order to figure out what’s going on, he sets out on an adventure, meeting Teest along the way. Through each arc where they accomplish quests set by the system, they manage to piece together clues about the reality of this “game” and unanswered questions Teest was looking for.

The truth behind the world is that Tahe is actually a real world, not just a game. The people who “transmigrated” into the game are, in a sense, sort of transmigration but not.

Star Stealer Sol, an alien entity, is the mastermind behind everything. He kidnapped Nol, brainwashed him, and manipulated him into creating “Tahe World”. By infusing him with flesh from many alien “gods” Nol gained the power of Creation, creating what he thought was a game but an actual real world.

Star Stealer Sol’s goal was, once the world Nol created was complete, to take control of the world and the world’s authority (the system) and become ruler of that world. He had failed three times before this (the ancient Demon King, which was made up of three other earthlings) as the world they created wasn’t viable and collapsed.

Once Nol had successfully created “Tahe World” (game launch), Star Stealer Sol destroyed the entire community so there would be no evidence of his meddling. However, before he got a chance to kill Nol, Nol received power from the Pillar of the World. It was one of the god flesh he was infused with.

Using its power, Nol managed to circumvent Star Stealer Sol’s overtaking of the system and save his neighbors (by basically cutting off their heads before they die, preserving their memories, and incorporating it into the bodies of monsters in Tahe).

However, this circumvention didn’t stop Star Stealer Sol. He still gained partial administrator rights to the system, and using it, he used the “Players” from Earth, who thought they were play-testing a game, and basically prevented them from logging out. Manipulating the system to issue quests, he hoped to use the Players to kill the ancient Demon King (failed creators) and the newly born Demon King (Nol) so he could finally gain full rights to the system.

When Nol landed in Tahe after saving and transferring the data of all his neighbors into monsters, he was met with a group of people. A woman begged him to save her child, to which he gave up the flesh of the Pillar of the World (and immortality). The child was ultimately saved, and their people began worshiping him as a god. Their people eventually passed on the Pillar of the World gene into Tahe, which spawned the birth of the White Demons.

These are essentially people of Tahe but had the ability of “reload” once, like Players who are immortal and can’t die in the “game”, marked by their silver hair, and we come to find that this is the ancestry origin of Teest.

Meanwhile, Nol abandoned his “true body” that’s sewn with a bunch of god corpses as he was going to devolve into endless madness and be killed by Star Stealer Sol and created an avatar for himself. This avatar became the will-o’-wisp we saw in chapter 1 to trick Star Stealer Sol into thinking he had killed Nol’s true body (and thus Nol, the creator of Tahe). As a reminder, true death can only come when both the avatar or the true body of the god is destroyed. In Nol’s case, he abandoned his true body and let that die and push his consciousness into his avatar. In the case of Star Stealer Sol, when Billy found out his true body was under attack, he abandoned his avatar and push his consciousness back into his true body. Unaware that Nol did this, Star Stealer Sol thought he had killed Nol’s true body (which is why he didn’t target Nol when they first met, since he didn’t think that was the God of Creation).

Not only did Star Stealer Sol manipulate the Players, he also manipulated the inhabitants of Tahe, becoming the pillars of two of the of the strongest good and evil religions in Tahe. Using “oracles” that he stole after defeating another “god”, Perradat, he started his “domestication” plan to shackle all people in Tahe under a power system that could never reach “godhood” so he would go unopposed.

Unfortunately, Teest had an oracle bestowed upon him by the Eternal Church, which resulted in the massacre of his family. Captured by the Eternalist, he went through a forced transformation into a Supplement Demon, which we later find out is a potion extracted from Nol himself by Star Stealer Sol, who was infused with countless bodies of gods.

With the mystery uncovered, Nol and Teest, along with the group of people they met along the way, set out to destroy Star Stealer Sol. They had to both kill its “true body” and its avatar, which was revealed to be Enbillick Alva.

A divine war ensued, resulting in the defeat of Star Stealer Sol. Nol regained his full authority over the system as the God of Creation (aka the system administrator) and using that power, he was able to log out the Players and send back his neighbors to earth.

Teest became the God of Destruction, rivaling Nol’s power, and together they set up two pantheons where they recruited other gods to serve under them (mainly to manage Tahe because it wasn’t Nol’s strongpoint and Teest was too lazy and not interested to bother).

All in all, a happy ending. I’ve glossed over many points and probably missed some, but there’s so much to summarize in a 200+ chapter novel. Which is quite a shame because there’re so many minor points that get brought back after everything comes full circle (like how Teest choose the ring color and his profession).

You’re welcome to join my Discord server to discuss or leave a comment if you’re still confused about some concepts or plot points that didn’t make sense to you.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 240: Earth – Returning Home

City A.

Spring in this city was always accompanied by continuous drizzle. Lin En walked into a convenience store, folded her umbrella, and glanced at her cellphone. At this time, her sister, Lin Li, hadn’t yet finished school. As the phone screen dimmed, it reflected her own face—a face she had grown unfamiliar with, accustomed as she was to the face belonging to the Supreme Domination Witch.

The phone lit up again, and her reflection vanished in the light. Lin En habitually opened her social media app, where people were still avidly discussing those events—

In recent times, City A had been filled with explosive news. Less than two months ago, many people—primarily from the gaming community and some criminals with records—had suddenly vanished, leading to a proliferation of missing persons reports and wild conspiracy theories.

Just days ago, most of the missing persons suddenly reappeared at their places of disappearance, with no memory of what had happened during their absence.

Lin En, of course, knew what had happened. Aside from allies like Anakin, Solo, and Dorothy, who knew the truth about Tahe, all other Players had their memories related to Tahe erased.

Not all Players returned safely, however. Thanks to some Demon Players, several Players were forcibly “logged out”, dying in that distant world.

As punishment, those Demon Players weren’t allowed to return. They likely became the prey to the Mad Monk.

Lin En bought a bottle of warm grapefruit tea in the convenience store and sat near the store’s glass window. The clouds churned, and rain gently pelted the puddles. She tapped the search bar on her phone, typing in “Joy Garden”.

The bizarre story of Joy Garden was even more discussed than the “mass disappearance”.

On a late July night, an unexplained explosion occurred in Joy Garden, a high-end residential area in City A. At the time, several young people from nearby districts had captured the sky turning red and the explosion of the neighborhood.

Following the disaster, Joy Garden was leveled to the ground, leaving only a huge crater and charred debris, not even the remnants of buildings remained intact. The rescue operation lasted a long time, but only a few human tissue fragments were found. The remains were too few and fragmented for forensic scientists to reconstruct a relatively complete body.

However, shortly after the return of the missing persons, the residents of Joy Garden also reappeared. They collectively emerged in a forest on the outskirts of City A, with the returning population comprising over half of Joy Garden’s residents.

Regrettably, they also had no memory of what occurred during their disappearance. Except for a few who had served as administrators in the Lost Tower.

Officer Luo was one of the first to return to his unit, privately reporting the true details of the incident to the authorities. Dr. Zhu also decided to continue working and, along with Lin En and Lin Li, served as witnesses for Officer Luo.

To ensure the credibility of Officer Luo’s testimony, Xu Yue considerately left them with some monster abilities—for example, Officer Luo’s fire magic, Dr. Zhu’s top-tier strength as a werewolf, and Lin En’s ability to manipulate dolls.

The situation was much as Xu Yue had predicted: there had never been a game called “Tahe World” on Earth. Their human witnesses in the story all tacitly omitted this point.

They simply honestly described the situation of Joy Garden’s residents and Players, not mentioning Xu Yue’s identity as the “God of Creation”. They were inexplicably pulled into an unknown world, achieved victory, and successfully returned—it was that simple.

Everything was ready. Now they were just waiting for an “official” explanation from the authorities.

Lin En propped her cheek, sighing.

Officer Luo and Dr. Zhu were fine. Given the special nature of their work, they could easily return to the workforce with a little attention from the higher ups. Her situation was more complicated… Her original position was neither high nor low and had already been replaced. And frankly, she didn’t like that kind of work environment.

Once things settled down, the officials would likely arrange a job for her, but she always felt something was missing.

Most neighbors chose to return because they had relatives on Earth. To completely sever any lingering attachment to Tahe, they also chose to give up their memories.

But Lin En only had her sister Lin Li. She had never been particularly fixated on “going home”.

Lin En opened the original homeowners’ group chat, accurately locating “7-1-701-Xu”.

[5-2-302-Lin: You were right. I really do prefer my old job.]

[5-2-302-Lin: But my sister has to finish university first.]

This was the code Lin En and Xu Yue had agreed on, indicating her willingness to return to the Lost Tower.

Xu Yue had promised her that if she was willing to work in the Lost Tower, she could use their world-crossing capability. This way, she could regularly make purchases on Earth and check on her sister’s academic progress.

It might be tiring, but at least she could earn gold as a salary, Lin En thought seriously. Besides, with most neighbors gone, the job shouldn’t be as hectic as before.

After sending the message, she smiled, turning off her phone and looking outside the convenience store. A few kids, having bought snacks, were passing by, chattering. The dolls on their backpacks all turned their heads to wave at Lin En.

“Those two are probably going to have a honeymoon lasting several years. Someone has to manage the Lost Tower.”

She waved back at the dolls, cheerfully saying goodbye.

……

Outside a health complex in the suburbs of City A.

“It’s bright.” Teest marveled, poking Nol’s phone screen repeatedly. “Our Supreme Domination Witch is willing to come back and do the hard work.”

“Just work,” Nol corrected seriously. “This time, I’ll make sure to properly agree on a labor contract with her.”

“Alright, work.” Teest continued to curiously poke the phone.

Nol sighed nervously, biting into his bun.

Before their return, he had specially accessed the neighbors’ memories, reconstructing their bodies for them. His own dangerous memories, however, had been mostly destroyed by Teest, leaving him with no reference.

Thus, he used his own appearance from Tahe, only changing his blue eyes to black.

To avoid drawing attention, Teest turned his long hair black and specifically wore a hoodie to cover up. Even though a face mask hid his face, his unusual physique was still eye-catching in a peaceful society.

Plus, with his curiosity about every corner of Earth, Nol had to stay close to Teest at all times, even buying a bunch of Earth’s specialties to distract him, fearing he might lose his knight accidentally.

After returning to Earth, there were simply too many things to verify. The emotion of returning home was quickly overwhelmed by the ensuing busyness.

Nol first ensured that the neighbors were discovered by the police, quietly observing the entire process. Only after confirming that Officer Luo’s report went smoothly did he leave with Teest.

Now, he had to face the issue that had been making him anxious—

He was going home.

Nol’s situation was a bit different from the other neighbors. Before the destruction of Joy Garden, he had been under the control of Star Stealer Sol for several years. He specifically asked Officer Luo to help with the search, and no missing person case related to “Xu Yue” was found.

Indeed, since Star Stealer Sol remembered to have him speak in the Joy Garden homeowners’ group, he likely maintained contact with his family. The problem was, how did that guy communicate?

Nol also checked his call logs with his family over the years and found nothing. His phone had been destroyed in the Joy Garden explosion, and without backup for his chat logs, there was no way to trace them.

“Haa…” His parents’ home was just a stone’s throw away, yet Nol didn’t know how to properly appear before them.

“You seem very troubled,” Teest said as he unwrapped a lollipop, crinkling the plastic wrapper noisily.

“I can’t be as composed as you. I really miss them,” Nol murmured. “I know nothing about those blank years, and I also want to properly introduce you to them…”

A son who hadn’t been seen for years and had zero romantic experiences suddenly bringing home a foreign man—there was no way that was going to start off smoothly.

“I indeed find it difficult to understand,” Teest commented, sucking on the lollipop. “Honey, you seem to easily overthink your own issues.”

“What?”

“You know you were imprisoned in the Joy Garden neighborhood, and none of those people have ever seen you,” Teest pointed out. “Your past few years are a blank, and there are no missing persons cases… Do you need me to continue?”

“You already gave me a good plan. You forgot again—you are the god of Tahe. ‘Reversion’ now belongs to your powers.”

Nol stared at Teest, his eyes growing brighter and the bun in his mouth nearly falling out.

One summer, several years ago.

Father Xu was picking vegetables in front of the TV, his mobile phone on the coffee table. Suddenly, a new friend request popped up.

[Xu Yue: Dad, I’m not using my old number anymore. I’ll contact you with this one from now on.]

[Xu Yue: [Voice message 60′]]

[Xu Yue: I’ll come home for dinner tonight.]

“Our son changed his number,” Father Xu said a bit louder.

“I saw,” Mother Xu replied, looking up as she wiped the table. “That’s our son. Xiao Yue said he found a good job, because of which he needed to change his number. He even asked me to delete the previous one.”

Father Xu nodded seriously. “As long as it’s not a scammer.”

“The kid has changed a bit.” Mother Xu felt somewhat emotional. “He rented an apartment right after graduation. I thought he didn’t want to live with us. Less than a month later, he says he’ll come home to stay once a week.”

“Let him cancel the lease and come back,” Father Xu instantly responded. “That way, he can save on rent. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen at the time.”

“That might not be feasible.” Mother Xu chuckled. “He said he’s bringing his partner home tonight to meet us. He must be sharing the place with someone.”

Father Xu’s hand that was picking vegetables froze mid-air. “Partner? When did he get a partner?!”

“I was also shocked… But our son’s tone wasn’t as rigid as before. The girl must be quite gentle,” Mother Xu said. “Let’s go out and buy some more groceries this afternoon. We’ll prepare well.”

“Let’s celebrate our child finding a job and having a successful relationship.”

Father Xu pondered for a long while. “Should we buy a cake?”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

“Then it’s settled.”

---

The author has something to say:

Parents’ guess: A gentle young lady.

In reality: The God of Destruction from Tahe ♂

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