Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 139: A Lunatic

The moment they arrived in Ice Rock City, Nol experienced a moment of disorientation.

The scene of Ice Rock City was almost identical to the design in “Tahe World”, showing little change over the past two hundred years. The only difference was the towering black church in the city center.

That was the Holy Land of the Eternal Church, the largest existing Immortal Church. According to Knight Eugene, that old yet undying Pope of the Eternal Church resided there, stepping out only for performing Oracle Sacrifices.

Their next task was simple—secretly contact High Priest Fischer, blend into the group for the Oracle Sacrifice, and see what the Eternal Church was up to.

To Nol, the biggest challenge wasn’t “how to blend into the group”, but “how to deceive Eugene”.

“I will contact the Temple’s people in the city.” Eugene proposed to act alone before they had even settled in the inn. “You need not be restrained. I will report the situation as part of the investigative assistance. All expenses will be charged to the account of the Investigation Knights. It’s been a long journey. Please rest well.”

[He’s still of some use,] Teest admitted cheerfully.

Since Mr. Eugene was generously footing the bill, the Mad Monk was clearly considering how to spend a significant amount.

Less than two hours after Eugene left, their table was filled with local specialties like buttered baked pancakes, hot honey apple juice, and richly sauced roasted lamb with sweet onions. Sausages and cheese bought from the Caucasian were sitting on the fire, filling the room with a dizzying aroma.

Saint Bernard got a whole juicy lamb leg, eating with grease dripping from his mouth. His tail was spinning so fast it nearly turned into an air circulation fan.

In this regard, the evil Mr. Demon King made no comment—assassinating Eugene’s wallet was already the most restrained act by the Mad Monk. If this cooperation went smoothly, he might as well procure some props as compensation for Knight Eugene.

Snowflakes drifted outside the window. The buildings of Ice Rock City stood like inverted icicles, solemnly visible through the window. Inside the inn, the magic fireplace burned vigorously. Nol took off his wool coat, his face slightly sweaty.

While the sausages on the fireplace weren’t yet done, Saint Bernard had already devoured the meat like a whirlwind. He burped contentedly. “I’ll go out and have a look too! Maybe I can sniff out Sister Fischer.”

‘Just don’t sniff your way to the Eternal Church,’ Nol thought. “Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own?”

“It’s fine. Ice Rock City’s attitude towards non-human races is still acceptable.”

Painter elegantly sliced the lamb, sprinkling some chili flakes. “The Eternal Church only accepts humans, but they don’t deliberately target these different races. Mr. Saint Bernard going out alone is safer than us accompanying him.”

Nol quickly caught on.

On one hand, the Eternal Church didn’t want to offend Shiva too much, and on the other hand, they wanted to add obstruction to the Temple of Life, which was “unkind to foreigners”. Moreover, considering it from another angle, Saint Bernard, being a non-human, could be confirmed to have no relation with the Temple of Life, requiring no special attention.

Indeed, it would be safer than them following along.

Saint Bernard chuckled twice. “I’ll be back before dinner! And when I return, I’ll remember to knock properly!”

“Safe travels, good knight.” Painter coaxed expertly.

Finally, the room was left with just the three “nuns”. Teest’s naive expression instantly vanished. He impatiently rolled up his skirt, propped up a leg, and comfortably began eating the baked pancakes.

“Now that the nuisance is gone, let’s talk business,” he said, not even bothering to disguise his voice anymore. With a raise of his hand, layers of soundproof magic were erected around them.

Nol paused in his meat cutting and his ears perked up.

Along the way, Eugene indeed shared a lot of information with them. But in the eyes of this Grand Inquisitor, these “nuns” were merely informal believers. He wouldn’t divulge the core secrets of the Temple to them, and they couldn’t probe too deeply either.

But they also had Painter.

Faced with Teest’s question, Painter continued to sip his honey apple juice with a serene expression. “Please, go ahead.”

This former Pope spoke calmly, as if he had been prepared for this.

“Teest and I received a system quest, requiring a thorough investigation of the Eternal Church’s Oracle Sacrifice. The trip to the Dragon’s Lair will have to be postponed… but I think you might have guessed that.”

Nol and Teest exchanged glances and got straight to the point.

Before departure, Eugene had proactively suggested splitting up and letting the Investigation Knights take over.

If they wanted to naturally shake off Eugene, this was a perfect opportunity. But Painter insisted on searching for Fischer together right there, effectively blocking that path.

After that, if Nol and the others still wanted to get rid of Eugene, they—especially Teest—wouldn’t have been so compliant along the way. So, to a certain extent, they tacitly approved of Painter’s approach.

That said, Painter’s behavior was indeed odd.

Painter didn’t have Player privileges and knew nothing about Nol and Teest’s sudden quest. Nol could only interpret it as Painter having a special interest in “investigating the Oracle Sacrifice with Eugene”.

“Since we’re all interested in this Oracle Sacrifice, let’s lay it all out.” Nol continued candidly, “Mr. Painter, why did you insist on dragging Eugene into this?”

Painter’s eyes flickered. “Investigation Knights—”

“Don’t give me that ‘Investigation Knights are always useful’ bullshit,” Teest bluntly interrupted Painter. “You were just a Pope, not a prophet. If we still wanted to go to the Dragon’s Lair at that time, you would only have caused us trouble.”

Painter poured himself another glass of juice, still with a placid face. “Ah, with both of your intelligence, you would surely find a way to deal with it. Sister Holly’s reputation is renowned, and I had to consider the authenticity of my role… If that child found a flaw and investigated, that would be quite the spectacle.”

“Name your price.” Nol was even more direct than Teest.

“Hm? I don’t understand what you mean.” Painter blinked.

Nol: “Partial information about the ancient Demon King and the identity of the newborn Demon King—in exchange for all your knowledge about the oracles.”

“The two gods never interacted with the Demon King”, plus “the Demon King is me, not Teest”. These pieces of information were valuable but not closely related to the world’s truth. Giving them to Painter was inconsequential for Nol’s side.

Regarding the oracles, Painter said they “weren’t related”. Sharing secrets was one of the best ways to deepen relationships. Since it wasn’t something money could buy, so let him trade with secrets.

As expected, upon hearing this, Painter’s lips curved slightly. “Sounds good, but it’s not enough.”

Teest snorted. “Are you sure your profession is a ‘Saint’ and not a ‘Profiteer’?”

“No, no. You two just know how to choose. My understanding of the ‘oracles’ is definitely deeper than anyone else’s.” Painter flicked the glass with his fingertip. “Add the content of Mr. Mad Monk’s oracle, and we can talk. After hearing it, you will definitely understand my actions.”

‘…This old fox.’ Nol narrowed his eyes.

The moment Teest’s original oracle was destroyed by the great fire in Grape Collar, the High Priest personally set out to find this Chosen One. No wonder Painter was curious—especially since the “Time Reversion” blood potion was his gift to them, he must have guessed something.

Teest stabbed his fork deep into the roast lamb, causing the pink juices to flow out along the silverware. “Deal.”

“But first, we need to verify the goods.” He added, “You first share what you know. Let’s see how ‘deep’ your understanding is.”

“No problem. Since we’ve shared secrets, we’re friends now.” Painter’s light green eyes sparkled. “So, Mr. Teest, what is your understanding of ‘oracles’?”

“Whether it’s the Temple of Life or the Eternal Church, only the Pope can access the oracles.”

“They recruit the Chosen Ones and Divine Servants designated by the oracle, selecting the high-ranking officials of the religion. That’s about it.” Teest spread his hands.

“Hmm, that’s probably the limit of what you can access.” Painter stroked his chin. “Speaking of which, even Eugene probably only knows a bit more about the rituals.”

“The Eternal Pope conducts the Oracle Sacrifice around the winter solstice each year to obtain the oracle for the new year. The Pope of Life holds the ceremony around the summer solstice to ask for the new year’s oracle… The difference is, the Eternal Church’s ‘Oracle Sacrifice’ requires a large amount of pure male and female blood, while the Temple’s ritual only needs to offer grains, fruits, and spices.”

Painter intertwined his fingers, speaking in a voice as warm as water. “The most watched High Priest of the Church and the most prestigious Archbishop of the Temple both assist the Pope in conducting the ceremony. For the public, it’s like the Pope himself hinting at ‘possible successors’…”

Wow, such a rich setting, but a bit dry. Paired with Painter’s gentle voice, Nol felt sleepy in the steamy room.

Teest bit into the lamb with lackluster interest. “Is this supposed to be profound?”

For non-religious people, this barely qualified as bathroom reading material.

“…The above is the level of knowledge Eugene has.” After droning on about numerous details, Painter casually ended the topic.

Nol and Teest leaned stiffly against each other, having been battered by trivial information for ten minutes. Not just Nol, by the end, even Teest’s gaze was starting to glaze over.

“Now, here’s what I know.” Painter elegantly sliced the lamb, revealing its pink interior. “I’ll keep it short. First, regardless of which side, there are two types of oracles.”

“Oh?” Nol shook his head, forcing himself to focus.

“The first type is related to rituals. They are numerous, with a fixed time for acquisition, and both Chosen Ones and Divine Servants have them. This also gives the Pope an opportunity to submit questions to God and receive responses.”

‘Got it. Corporate recruitment,’ Nol thought.

Then, Painter’s voice became less gentle. “The second type is special oracles. They can appear at any time and correspond to ‘very special Chosen Ones’.”

“I was fortunate enough to obtain the second oracle for the ‘Mad Monk’. Interestingly, it was the first time I discovered that God can issue two oracles to the same person.”

Nol was fully alert now, almost standing up from his seat. Teest froze on the spot. His fork-holding gesture instinctively shifted to a stance ready for attack.

A second oracle about Teest?

After going back in time, when they urgently killed Crimson, they hadn’t heard anything about this. No wonder Painter wanted Teest’s first oracle in exchange…

“Anyway, special oracles correspond to Chosen Ones who are either very special or very powerful. Embarrassingly, my oracle is also a ‘special oracle’.” Painter threw out the bait, continuing on his own.

“They appear without warning, and the Popes can’t just run out all the time. The messages they carry are too important, so the Pope will place his most trusted individuals as ‘messengers’, staying at secret locations year-round—once a new oracle appears, they can get the message at the first opportunity.”

Something felt off. Nol couldn’t help but clench his fists.

…If the two gods really were “gods”, why would they go through such trouble to deliver such important messages? Whether entrusting it to their own Popes in a dream or controlling someone close to the Pope to deliver prophecies would be simpler and safer.

…Or was it that for the oracles, a “fixed location” was necessary?

Painter gave Nol an approving look.

“During the time of the Flama family’s tragedy, I was somewhat lost. You know, youth always brings its share of confusion. It wasn’t the time for rituals, and I couldn’t convey my doubts to God, so… cough, I ran away from home and ended up daydreaming at the place where the oracles were obtained.”

The Pope used a very peculiar place as a reference.

“The space around that place was a mess, and after some aimless meddling, I accidentally encountered the Eternal Pope’s confidant. I killed him—it was purely an accident! Both of us were taken aback, reacting instinctively.”

“And then?” Nol listened very attentively.

“From his corpse, I obtained the Eternal Church’s ‘special oracle’. The interesting part comes here—the content of the oracle, supposedly only decipherable by the Pope—but I, the Pope of the Temple of Life, could also interpret the Eternal Church’s oracle.”

“To a zealot, they might naturally explain it as ‘the Goddess of Life being stronger than the Eternal Son’. At that time, I just found it bizarre. Although ‘the words of God are universal’ could explain it, it still seemed a bit far-fetched.”

Painter spread his hands in a “what can I do” gesture.

Teest’s indifferent expression softened. “You didn’t report to the Temple?”

“Well, youth, you know.” Painter flashed a smile. “I didn’t like being a confused messenger. I wanted to understand for myself—here comes the ‘profound’ thing you’re looking for, Mr. Mad Monk.”

“I conducted an experiment, publishing the ‘special oracle’ of the Eternal Son Anstis as a ‘special oracle’ of the Goddess of Life Tilia.”

…Lunatic!

Nol was dumbfounded. Compared to this level of audacity, Eugene’s zealotry was nothing.

Teest’s mouth slightly opened, hesitating to speak. In his eyes, the hostility towards Painter lessened a bit, looking at him as if seeing a kindred spirit.

“Don’t look at me like that. It was youth.” Painter drank his juice sheepishly. “I had doubts about God’s actions, and the tragedy of the Flama family shook me… If the Eternal Church got that oracle, they would definitely snatch away that Chosen One. Just like how they forcefully took you away, Mr. Mad Monk.”

“I couldn’t bear the thought of the tragedy repeating.”

Teest looked expressionlessly at Painter.

“Besides, having done such a thing as snatching away an important Chosen One, the gods should give some reaction. That oracle was very special—they couldn’t possibly not care.” Painter’s gaze drifted away.

“I wanted to verify if the gods truly cared about the mortal world,” he said.

By the time of the Flama family’s tragedy, it had already happened. Meaning, that oracle wasn’t for Teest. Considering the timing, Nol suddenly had a particularly bad guess.

“What was that oracle?” He swallowed.

It couldn’t be what he was thinking. That would be too outrageous.

“The core content is ‘With a heart full of zeal, he will ascend the highest place, and will behead the False God with the sword of faith’,” Painter said slowly.

“The Malloy family is a fanatical family of the Goddess of Life, but from the moment Eugene Malloy was born, he was the Chosen One of the Eternal Son.”

Nol pressed his temples, his head buzzing, even forgetting to see Teest’s reaction.

Eugene and Teest were different—Teest had parts of the system, while he was the creator of the system. The system was above the two gods, so it wasn’t strange for Teest to ignore the divine choice.

But Eugene Malloy was a genuine local resident, having nothing to do with the system.

As a Chosen One of the Eternal Son, Eugene’s secure position in one of the most authoritative seats in the Temple almost guaranteed him to become the next Pope.

Painter had deceived the entire Temple of Life.

Looking at it this way, his agreement to become Eugene’s godfather and preside over Eugene’s baptism wasn’t just because of the request of the Malloy family… This old fox…

“Don’t you two find it interesting?”

Painter gave them enough time to react. “Oracles can be faked, and the Chosen Ones can be taken away. Even if it’s the work of mortals, the two gods have no reaction.”

“I’m afraid of this—the matters of the Chosen Ones are hastily dealt with; how could the gods possibly care about the lives of other mortals? The life and death in the world may just be a trivial game between them.”

“So, you defected.” Teest said softly, “I knew, you wouldn’t defect just because you ‘couldn’t stand the Flama family tragedy’.”

“Mm, the second part of the experiment.” Painter shook his head. “As you see, the Goddess doesn’t care about the Chosen Ones, nor does she care about her Pope.”

“It’s not over yet, right?” Nol felt a chill down his back.

“You want to follow Eugene to investigate the Oracle Sacrifice… You’ve been watching him, worried he will return to the Eternal Church.”

“You’re disappointed in the gods, yet still curious about Teest’s oracle. As a former Pope, you must know about Fischer’s Oracle, plus your own…”

Painter’s eager assistance was probably not just because he “favors the new Demon King”.

As long as he followed Nol, he could observe the four “derailed” Chosen Ones.

“Yes, it’s not over yet,” Painter said with a chuckle, his smile no different from before.

In an ordinary inn room, this mad Pope was spreading meat sauce on a pancake as he spoke in a casual tone, like he was having a nice chat.

“I still want to know if the two gods can truly control fate… I want to see the end of the oracle.”

---

The author has something to say:

Nol: The mental state of my teammates… I’m starting to get scared…

Teest: LOL, Goddess, look at the people you chose.jpg

Who would have thought fanatics are the most normal ones among these people? (Except for the dog)

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Wow, that’s a bombshell.

Painter causing earth-shattering mischief… “Oh, it was because of youth~~”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 138: Oracle Sacrifice

[A quest suddenly popped up. How about you?] The first thing Nol did after confirming the quest was nudge Teest beside him.

[Same.] Teest quickly shared the mission details with Nol telepathically.

Teest also received “The Demons’ Conspiracy” quest, but there was a decisive difference between his and Nol’s quests. In the “Rejection/Failure Penalty” section, Teest’s quest stated “None”.

Yet, Teest clearly had [King of Eternal Sleep] that was a transcendence of the law.

Both were skills that transcended the law, so why was Teest’s so special?

[Hmm…] Upon learning of the difference, Teest twirled a lock of hair and pondered for a moment. [When I first acquired this skill, the system indicated, ‘Skill exceeds system management authority’. It seems it can’t freeze my skills and can only play dumb.]

[Besides, even if I don’t have a penalty, we would act together anyway. It just needs to keep you in check. What a cunning guy.] As he said this, Teest pressed his cheeks against Nol’s shoulder, his movements so natural it was startling.

It was without pretense or shyness, as if he truly was a teenage girl. No wonder Eugene couldn’t see anything amiss.

Nol had already disregarded Mr. Eugene in the distance, focusing instead on the issue of the skills—

Theoretically, as the creator of this world, his system permissions should be absolutely higher than Teest’s. Yet, his two skills could be controlled by the system.

This clearly didn’t make sense.

Could it be because Teest merged with the previous Demon King’s magic circuit, or…

Noticing Nol’s lack of response, Teest moved even closer. [Still thinking about the difference in the quests?]

[The requirements for our quest have always been consistent. This concerns both of us.] Nol frowned. [The system’s stance has always been ambiguous. I can’t ignore obvious issues.]

Teest hugged Nol’s arm, quietly looking at him for a while. [You really don’t have the consciousness of a Creator.]

[Hm?]

[Maybe it’s very simple.] In the golden morning light, Teest’s golden eyes were covered by the shadows. [I received the legacy of the Demon King, a relic of the old world. It’s normal that the system can’t control it.]

[And since you possess the system itself, since it’s all your own power, of course, they can influence each other.]

[Maybe you should be more curious about another question—]

Teest’s face drew close, his lips lightly pressing against Nol’s shoulder. His actions were gentle and harmless, but his thoughts carried a hint of bloodthirst.

[—Why doesn’t the system have ‘absolute obedience’?]

……

Nol left the matter of Eugene to his godfather to handle. He rushed back inside first to contact Fischer.

As it turned out, Fischer was perfectly fine—early in the morning, he had contacted four Eternalists, heading towards Ice Rock City ahead of them. He was currently drinking on a carriage, oblivious to any anomalies.

Despite expectations, Nol still breathed a sigh of relief.

They all knew, from the start, there was no “Sister Fischer”. As long as they reunited with Fischer according to plan, “The Demons’ Conspiracy” would meet the basic condition.

Rounding up, the system essentially stuffed a bunch of experience points into their hands.

But was it really that simple?

Nol turned his head, looking at Teest, who was mixing minced meat into his sheep’s milk porridge.

Teest was right. The system wasn’t entirely under the control of him, its creator. The help it provided had always been very covert, perfectly in line with the logic of Tahe’s quests, with no use of golden fingers to leapfrog through levels.

The more dangerous the quest, the higher the reward, and vice versa.

At the moment, they were on the path to uncovering the truth. They could accumulate experience points easily. The system had no need to stuff such an easy quest. Unless… This was a hint.

It was subtly hinting that the “secret operations of the Eternal Church” had a higher priority than the “journey to the Dragon’s Lair”.

Understanding this, the rest was simple—they didn’t have time to dawdle with Eugene. They needed to leave White Salt Village and head to Ice Rock City as soon as possible.

“Teest.”

“Hm?”

“We have to do something bad.”

Nol pinched his brow, his gaze sweeping outside—Eugene was talking seriously with Knight Saint Bernard. “To perfectly complete the mission, I need to make use of Mr. Eugene.”

Teest sipped his spoon, his smile growing sly.

“What a coincidence, honey. I was thinking the same.” The Mad Monk said lightly, “To investigate the secrets of the Eternal Church, there’s no better tool than an Investigation Knight. Once it’s over, we can give him a little…”

“…Compensation,” Nol said.

“…Lesson*,” Teest said.

*Color to see (颜色看看) Colloquial phrase referring to teaching someone a lesson.

They silently looked at each other.

A few seconds later, Teest averted his gaze, pretending he hadn’t said anything. He calmly swallowed a spoonful of porridge, then was scalded, puffing in response.

Nol formed a small ball of cold water on his fingertip, pressing it against Teest’s lips. Mr. Teest swallowed the water ball in one gulp, his tongue lightly sweeping Nol’s fingertips.

Nol: “Anyway, let’s leave Eugene to Painter. Painter seems to understand him well and knows how to deal with him. This is the most…”

“…Brilliant torment,” Teest said.

“…Friendly plan,” Nol said.

They looked at each other silently again.

Nol expressionlessly moved the porridge bowl closer, taking a spoonful for himself.

Hmm, not too hot.

High Priest Fischer was incredibly efficient.

As the sun rose, everyone was running through the snow, searching for Sister Fischer. By sunset, they began loading goat cheese and sausages onto the carriage.

The Caucasian merchant happily watched his goods sell out, his tongue puffing white steam.

“Thank you for your help.” Eugene gave it a solemn bow.

“No need for that.” The Caucasian dog-headed beastman waved his hand, his brown-black face full of restraint. “The missing one is a guest of Sheepskin Ball Village. Helping a guest is the right thing to do!”

When Nol contacted Fischer, Teest also gave instructions on the side, asking him to leave some clues—preferably ones that only non-human races could find, so it wouldn’t be too conspicuous. Consequently, Fischer instructed the Eternalists to leave some scents behind, and with the help of the Caucasia, the two dog-headed beastmen soon discovered these subtle scents.

“The scents of four strangers, including Sister Fischer’s scent. That’s what Caucasian Polo and I believe,” Knight Saint Bernard assured solemnly. “I also smelled Sister Fischer’s tears and blood. They headed north.”

‘As expected of a High Priest, to cry on command,’ Nol thought.

North was exactly the direction of Ice Rock City. The nearest towns were one to the west and one far to the east, leaving only one destination for them.

“The movements of the Demons in Shiva are suspicious,” Eugene murmured softly as he petted the Caucasian merchant’s head.

“Attacking a group that has no benefits for them… Invading the border… Dispersing the knights… Abducting a nun…” His brow furrowed more deeply, while the Caucasian seemed about to melt under his touch.

“Could it be related to the Temple?” Painter coughed significantly. “I’ve heard from the merchants that the Temple suddenly increased patrol controls. Those Demons might have been provoked.”

Eugene’s petting paused abruptly.

“Thank you for the reminder.” His lips pursed and a layer of worry appeared on his face. “Those people taking Sister Fischer might indeed be for an Oracle Sacrifice.”

“Oracle Sacrifice?” Sister Noli looked up with a face full of genuine confusion.

Eugene sighed deeply, explaining softly, “Those cultists hold evil human sacrifices to call back the oracles of their evil God.”

“As far as I know, they cross the Cold Sea Strait, proceeding through the Kingdom of Alka on the east. Most of the sacrifices are held in Alka.”

“Recently, Investigation Knights have been active in Alka’s territory. I guess they temporarily took a detour through Shiva… This would necessarily mean abandoning some of the sacrifices, so they temporarily abducted Sister Fischer. Otherwise, according to the cultists’ behavior, they would only torture her to death and then display her in a prominent place.”

“If it’s a ceremony that’s not fixed in time, why didn’t they just postpone it and avoid the Temple? Why take such a risk?” Sister Teesti asked nasally.

“I think they also have something urgent they need to know,” Eugene said with a hint of disdain in his voice.

‘It seems the Eternal Church is also very curious about the new mainline quest “Demon King’s Subjugation”,’ Mr. Demon King thought to himself. ‘In this case, things related to “Sister Fischer” and “the secret operations of the Eternal Church” are likely to be—‘

“Do you know the location of the ‘Oracle Sacrifice’?” Sister Noli asked again, her face full of guileless hope.

“The location of the ‘Oracle Sacrifice’ has always been a mystery, and that’s exactly what I wanted to discuss.” Eugene showed a reassuring smile. “If possible, please hand over this missing person case entirely to the Investigation Knights. This isn’t an investigation you can handle.”

“I will escort you to Ice Rock City and then arrange for our people to take care of you. As for Sister Fischer’s case…”

“I cannot accept that,” Painter interrupted directly. “Once I’ve made a decision, that child is my responsibility. To give up because of a little difficulty and hand her fate over to others, then I have no face to be an elder, and the Goddess wouldn’t permit such cowardly behavior.”

Eugene looked at Painter for a long while.

“You need to think about the other children.” His tone was a bit stiff. “I warned you before you came here—now you see. Being overly stubborn often doesn’t yield good results. Are you still going to insist this time?”

“My children are stronger than you think.” Painter stood his ground. “Compared to the conspicuous Investigation Knights, some investigations can only be done by us. Please let us assist you. The Goddess has brought us together here for a reason…”

Nol was fascinated, almost ready to take out a notebook to jot down lines for acting practice. Teest snorted disdainfully, muttering to himself about “the big charlatan playing the little charlatan.”

After several exchanges, Knight Eugene fell silent.

“Your devotion is admirable.” In the end, Eugene squeezed this out somewhat uncomfortably. “Let us proceed together then and see what guidance the Goddess will give us.”

Painter straightened his back and gave Nol and Teest a victorious wink.

The religious debate ended, and the sky had completely darkened. Inside the carriage, Knight Saint Bernard was already asleep next to a pile of cheese, drooling a little puddle. Outside the carriage, the Caucasian merchant rubbed his eyes and let out a huge yawn.

“Make sure you come back safe!” As the carriage wheels began to turn, he shook his head and tail even more vigorously. “Have a nice trip, guests of Sheepskin Ball Village! Goodbye, goodbye!”

He ran alongside the carriage for a short distance before reluctantly disappearing into the darkness.

The carriage cut through the wind and snow, heading in the direction of Ice Rock City.

On the system’s assistive map, the geographical marker representing “Dragon’s Lair” slowly extinguished, while the mission marker for “The Demon’s Conspiracy” slowly lit up.

It quietly hovered above the line of small text for “Ice Rock City”.

……

Ice Rock City, the Holy Land of the Eternal Church.

High Priest Fischer Reginald returned to his usual attire.

He wore a wide black robe adorned with ancient silver embroidery and donned a faceless mask.

This metal-cast mask radiated a peculiar flesh-like tackiness. Besides the small holes for breathing, it bore a bizarre pattern resembling flattened insect entrails.

Fischer skillfully secured the mask and picked up the High Priest’s scepter, adorned with intricate carvings.

Throughout, he never glanced at the statue of the Eternal Son within the room.

“I request an audience with the Pope,” he said towards the door. “I have found the Chosen One.”

No one knew how old the Eternal Church’s Pope was—before the infamous defector Pope Godfrey Painter took his position, the Pope of the Eternal Church was the same person. To this day, as the Temple of Life selected its next Pope, the Eternal Church’s Pope remained unchanged.

Certainly, the “Age Reversion” Blood Potion played a significant role. As a human, the old Pope shouldn’t have such a lifespan.

His caution matched his age. He usually only met with his close attendants and two High Priests. Anyone else wanting to contact him had to do so in writing.

Everyone knew that in the Eternal Church, which chooses zealots from among zealots, the top High Priests could never be traitors.

…Unfortunately, this truth had been broken.

Behind the mask, Fischer lowered his gaze. He respectfully bowed his head, watching the blood-red floor that could reflect one’s image. He knew that beyond the protective magic of the steps in front of him, the mysterious Pope sat.

Even if he raised his head, he would see nothing.

“My Lord, I have found the whereabouts of the Chosen One.” Fischer maintained his usual reverence. “I was in seclusion in the Black Forest, worshiping God, when God bestowed upon me the truth.”

“Oh?” The old Pope’s voice was hoarse and ethereal, indiscernible in age or distance, as if pressing in from all directions of the hall.

Fischer licked his lips, delivering the carefully planned excuse.

“The person indicated by the oracle is the ‘Mad Monk’ who has been active recently. He survived the Grape Collar’s fire incident and began hunting our Church’s high-ranking officials.”

“At present, the ‘Mad Monk’, under the guise of a Supplement Demon, nominally submitted to Paradise. I suspect this is just a way to satisfy his curiosity. Given this man’s past behavior, he couldn’t possibly submit to anyone… except God.”

Partially revealing the truth was Teest’s clear instruction.

The Eternal Church had existed for so many years, and this old Pope wasn’t naive. Regarding the Mad Monk’s situation, no one knew how much he understood.

If Fischer arbitrarily chose someone to fulfill the “Chosen” mission, he might lose his current position. It was better to provide a small portion of the truth directly.

The Mad Monk was in Paradise, which both parties definitely knew. Paradise had issued a server-wide announcement, and the Temple had been searching extensively for the team of heroes.

At this juncture, as long as the old Pope had a bit of sense, he wouldn’t be foolish enough to fall out with Paradise over a Chosen One.

“Indeed, worthy of being a witness of God.” As expected, the old Pope responded calmly. “It doesn’t matter. Let him be. What belongs to God will return to God eventually. There is no rush at the moment.”

Fischer’s heart tightened.

The old Pope didn’t even ask how he had come to his conclusion, which meant the old man must have already had an idea. If Fischer had actually lied, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

“May everything be eternal.” Fischer tried to infuse emotion into his voice.

“More important than that Chosen One—have you had any contact with ‘Hero Drake’?”

‘Oh, more than just contact,’ Fischer thought to himself without changing his expression. He had even supported that gentleman’s venture into cross-dressing. That gentleman was always sticking close to the “God of Darkness and Destruction”, looking like two dubious blobs of syrup.

“God hasn’t yet given me guidance.” Though he thought it, Fischer diplomatically fibbed.

“That man defeated the Demon King.” The old Pope said slowly, “This glory belongs to Lord Anstis, and I have decided to hold an ‘Oracle Sacrifice’.”

Well, He was also there at that time too.

Fischer widened his eyes, pretending to hear it for the first time. “Defeat the Demon King with His own strength?”

The old Pope chuckled twice. “The ancient Demon King was nothing but dregs, so there’s no reason to be surprised. We must confirm his allegiance early, not allowing the Temple of Life to steal the glory again.”

“Yes.” Fischer frowned. This was about questioning “Drake’s” Chosen status.

Fischer wasn’t interested in the Oracle Sacrifice. At most, he would be an attendee, arranging the sacrifice-related matters. Over the years, only the Pope himself had the privilege to bring back the oracle.

But the old man’s words were a bit strange, as if he knew “Drake” would definitely belong to the Eternal Church. Surely Anstis couldn’t have given him a heads-up?

“My child, your heart is still confused,” the Pope continued leisurely.

“Glory to the Eternal,” Fischer answered cautiously. “I am just…”

“You just doubt why I am so certain.” The old Pope’s voice echoed under the dome, so ethereal that it no longer sounded human. “If one day God favors you, you will naturally understand.”

“Yes!” Fischer didn’t wish to continue the topic.

The old Pope had outlived two High Priests, so he didn’t want to jinx himself.

Where could his God be now?

With the Chosen One’s mission handed in, he could get some time off. With the old bag going out, as one of the highest leaders here, he could better assist his God…

“For the glory of our God.”

The old Pope’s voice brought the distracted Fischer back. “This time, for the ‘Oracle Sacrifice’, I designate you to assist in its execution, Witness of God.”

Fischer: “……”

Beneath his robe, he decisively gave the old bag the middle finger.

---

The author has something to say:

Fischer: I’ve found a new job. I’m already a salted fish*. I don’t want to work overtime.jpg

*Metaphor referring to someone who wants to be lazy and has no great ambitions.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 137: The Demons’ Conspiracy

The wolf beastmen were responsible for guarding the border between the two countries. Eugene took out Captain Richard’s “emergency deportation order”, successfully crossing the border—this captain found a loophole, claiming their group’s identity proofs were irregular, and by law, expelled them from Shiva.

Despite being a zealot, Knight Eugene treated members of other races with impeccable manners. Moreover, with a dog-headed knight among them, the wolf beastmen guards didn’t trouble them and straightforwardly opened the border fence.

On both sides of the fence, the blizzard was dense enough to form fog. Thus, the group smoothly entered Gratice.

Perhaps it was psychological, but Nol always felt it was colder here than in Shiva.

Arriving at the “enemy’s” headquarters, they had already changed into everyday clothes. Nol changed into a gray-blue thick cloth dress with simple embroidery at the hem; Teest received a yellow-white long dress with wool trim, which, along with his blond hair and eyes, made him more conspicuous. Painter and Fischer’s clothes were modest—dark gray cotton, which was the most common type.

These were “kindly given” by Captain Richard.

Now, recalling Richard’s smile made Nol feel somewhat nauseous—he only cared about pleasing young girls with pretty clothes, completely disregarding the dangers of Gratice.

Eugene protested on the spot.

According to him, the Eternal Church didn’t discriminate in its diet. Especially now, with Demons rampant, not just young girls but handsome young men were equally in danger. To safely move through this land, regardless of age or gender, there was only one rule: keep as low a profile as possible to avoid attracting attention.

Of course, his advice was decisively ignored by Captain Richard.

Nol made a decision. As soon as they reached the first village, he would discard this troublesome outfit for the most common cotton clothes.

Although Mr. Demon King and Doom Knight weren’t afraid of harassment, they needed to send Eugene off first before considering solving the problems for the people.

The nearest village to the border was White Salt Village.

“There are many residents from Shiva in White Salt Village,” Saint Bernard explained cheerfully. Unlike other humans, it particularly enjoyed the snow fluttering outside the cart.

“The village chief said the merchants like to use it as a station, so it’s a mix… mixed cooking village¹!”

“Mixed-race village¹?” Painter corrected with a smile.

¹Clarity: Saint Bernard is saying cook [zhu] (煮) instead of race [zu] (族) since he’s not proficient in the common language.

“Yes, mixed-race.” Saint Bernard scratched his ear, his tail wagging happily. “My friend, a Caucasian Polo, sells sheep’s cheese and sheepskin here! Shall we go say hello? You all can stay there!”

Logically, this would be the safest option. Unfortunately, “safety” was precisely what they didn’t need at the moment.

“I have relatives here. We can stay at their place,” Fischer said softly.

“Oh…” Saint Bernard seemed a bit disappointed.

“Just come with us. He won’t mind,” Fischer added.

“Oh!” Saint Bernard’s tail wagged happily again.

Near White Salt Village, they found a proper road. Finally, the carriage didn’t have to struggle through the snow. Saint Bernard simply jumped down from the cart and ran leisurely near it, exhaling puffs of white breath.

Shadow Wolf Ben, seeing the familiar environment, also became restless. It stretched its short legs, jumped gracefully from the cart, and then ‘puff’ was buried by the snow, creating an increasingly distant pit.

Teest, quick to react, hooked the aggrieved Ben back with a golden thread—another second late, and the guy might have reverted to its original form.

Nol then fed Ben a few pieces of cheese and dried apples, soothing its injured soul.

Upon reaching White Salt Village, the blizzard finally eased, and snowflakes no longer smashed into people’s faces. Saint Bernard shook off the snow from his head, leading the way. Eugene, dressed plainly and having swapped his long sword for the more common local long hunting knife, followed at the end of the group.

Compared to the village full of furry inhabitants like Sheepskin Ball Village, White Salt Village wasn’t as cute. Here, the snow was crushed by wheels into wet, muddy slush. The buildings were the most common wooden houses, hastily constructed with no unique style.

Perhaps due to the frequent appearance of Demons, the village had an inexplicable sense of silence.

Most of the pedestrians on the street were humans, with the rest sporting a variety of heads. Nol spotted many dog-headed beastmen, bunnymen, catmen, and even the less common leopardmen.

However, here, mostly warm-blooded species with thick fur were present. The common lizardmen, dragonkin, and the Lema serpent clan of Shiva were nowhere to be seen.

Not everyone had the dog-headed beastmen’s curiosity. Their group attracted few gazes on the streets. Nol could feel that most of the attention was on Eugene, Teest, and himself—the looks were hardly friendly.

Fischer walked with his chest out, ignoring the surroundings, leading the group to a relatively luxurious building. It was made of stone rather than wood, standing out among the wooden houses like a small castle.

“Uncle Garrison, I’m Fischer.” He knocked on the door, calling out as if he was sure someone was inside. “I’ve brought my friends to stay overnight. Please open the door.”

“How many friends?” A grumble came from inside, along with the sound of slippers dragging closer.

“My sisters Teesti and Noli, the respected Sister Holly, Sister Holly’s young godson, and our hired dog-headed knight.”

Fischer glanced back at Painter and Eugene. Nol swore he saw mischief in Fischer’s eyes—though he changed faith, this High Priest was still no good.

With a creak, the door opened. A towering man opened the door, his gaze briefly meeting Fischer’s before moving away.

His overly lush beard hid most of his expressions. He stood silently for two seconds, then, with a voice like a bell, said, “Grenier, prepare the guest rooms! Come in quickly. I’ve just baked a cheese and meat pie, and there’s hot sheep’s milk on the stove.”

“Is the room the same as usual?” Fischer asked as if casually.

“Why? Do you have requests?” The bearded man paused in his actions.

“I remember you have four guest rooms, two of which are servant-style, which are too cramped.”

Fischer brushed off the snow from his dress. “Teesti and Noli are inseparable, and Sister Holly and her godson need not be separated either. They are all guests. I can stay in a smaller room. Mr. Saint Bernard, do you mind staying alone?”

“I don’t mind!” Warmed by the heat, Saint Bernard’s fur was exceptionally fluffy as he exhaled. “I prefer the outside. Any room good enough for sleeping is enough for me.”

Teest hugged Nol tighter, very satisfied. Eugene looked a bit embarrassed. “Please let me stay in the small room…”

“That won’t do. You’ve taken care of us so much along the way,” Fischer said with a smile. “Here, you are a guest. How can a guest sleep in a servant’s room!”

After all, him staying alone would make it easier to “disappear”.

Eugene had no response.

Unable to stay in a servant’s room, then as a roommate, the older “Sister Holly” indeed seemed more appropriate. In the end, he could only nod.

A religious war without the smell of gunpowder thus ended in a major defeat for the Temple of Life. As Eugene’s gaze shifted away, the former Pope maintained an elegant smile, giving Fischer two middle fingers.

High Priest Fischer didn’t change his expression, politely returning two middle fingers.

‘What peace,’ Nol thought expressionlessly.

He decisively took the cheese, meat pie, and sheep’s milk prepared by the big-bearded man, taking the clingy Teesti to the room first.

Presumably, under Fischer’s secret instruction, the maid Grenier led them to the best guest room.

The room’s windows faced the distant cedar forest, hiding White Salt Village’s mud out of sight. Near the bedhead were blooming winter blue roses, and the fireplace had sweet and sour apples and soft honey candy baked on it.

In front of the fireplace, there was a small, round pine dining table. The maid placed the meat pie and sheep’s milk for them and added a bowl of corn vegetable soup.

“I am the border priest Grenier Gale, and the man earlier is also a border priest, Winpick Garrison.”

She smiled. “Lord Faien has instructed us. You two are our esteemed guests. If you need anything, you can call us at any time… Please enjoy your meal.”

She drew a perfect circle on her chest and lowered her head as she exited the door, not forgetting to close the door behind her.

“Are they also Chosen Ones?”

Nol tried a piece of the meat pie—it was made with goat meat and sheep cheese, with plenty of spices added. The gamey taste was minimal, and it tasted better than he had imagined.

“They’re probably servants of God. They don’t have their own church.”

Teest leaned out, biting a piece of the pie in Nol’s hand. “But if they perform meritorious deeds, they should be able to get a small church in the border area.”

Nol cut a small piece of the pie and fed his knight with a fork. “Speaking of which, Fischer is definitely a Chosen One. I almost forgot about that.”

Nominally, Teest and Fischer were chosen by the Eternal Son, Anstis, while Painter and Eugene were chosen by the Goddess of Life, Tilia.

Nol suddenly realized that in this six-person team, only he and the dog weren’t Chosen Ones. This feeling was a bit peculiar.

“Not long ago, Fischer Reginald told me his oracle.” Teest elegantly took a sip of the hot sheep’s milk, casually dropping a bombshell. “Ignoring the verbose part about confirming identities, his core prophecy was ‘He follows the Deepest Darkness and will witness the most glorious Eternity.'”

“No matter which religion you’re from, they are all unique Chosen Ones. If that guy hadn’t defected, he could have become the Pope.”

It sounded pretty good. Nol also took a sip of sheep’s milk.

Compared to Mr. Eugene, who was like a “personification of a Russian roulette of False Gods,” Fischer’s prophecy was more grandiose and safer. And perhaps the first half of this prophecy had already been fulfilled.

Nol thought about it and cut another piece of the juicy pie, feeding it to the “Deepest Darkness” across him. Teest, who had absorbed the characteristics of the Demon King, might well deserve this title.

The Mad Monk, accustomed to the previous bite size, misjudged his own size. After taking a big bite of the pie, Teest had to puff his cheeks, chewing hard like a squirrel.

…Hmm, maybe he was wrong. Nol looked at the squirrel knight across from him, discarding the profound adjectives from his mind.

The next second, another Deeper Darkness discontentedly jumped out of the shadow, hopped onto the table, and vacuumed up the remaining meat crumbs from the plate like a vacuum cleaner.

Nol promptly grabbed the shadow wolf by the scruff of its neck. The shadow wolf struggled madly, its red eyes gradually moistening. If not for its belly being round and slippery, Nol might have softened.

“Ben, no getting on the table!” Mr. Demon King sternly scolded.

“Cough, cough.” Teest finally swallowed the pie, his tongue regaining its freedom. “Speaking of oracles, with such a prophecy on Fischer’s head and him not becoming the Pope at his age… Godfrey Painter, who became Pope in his twenties, must have an even more exaggerated oracle.”

“Yes,” Nol muttered gloomily.

Unfortunately, Mr. Painter was tight-lipped, and they couldn’t get half a word out of him. Moreover, since he defected from the church, this question had become even more delicate.

The two exchanged glances for a few seconds and sighed in unison.

That night.

Teest, as usual, held Nol and fell asleep contentedly. But now, with his size disadvantage, the position was awkward. Nol silently adjusted his arm back under the blanket and hugged Teest instead.

Due to malnutrition, eighteen-year-old Teest’s bones hadn’t fully grown, making him feel somewhat slender. Oddly enough, Nol liked this kind of embrace—peaceful, warm, and comforting.

Finding a comfortable position, Nol buried his nose in Teest’s hair and likewise fell into a deep sleep. In the darkness, a pair of golden eyes slowly opened, lifting slightly to gaze at the other’s shadowy neck.

Those eyes contained pure confusion.

As the clock ticked away, Teest redirected his gaze back to the other’s chest beneath the pajamas. The wedding ring, the key to Paradise, and the two-toned bead of the Demon King formed a pile on Nol’s pale skin, leaving faint red marks.

He should be content, Teest thought as he stared at them.

Whether he understood or not, he had received everything.

Nol loved him in a worldly sense, and he reciprocated with a faith that pledged his life… He followed his God, received promises about the end, grasped clues to the truth of the world, and even gained power beyond reason.

He could kiss his God, be close to his God, possess every unknown moment of the other, and never tire of it.

They would never be separated again.

What a perfect situation, far exceeding his initial expectations—back then, he just thought about “maintaining the marriage” and gathering some intelligence.

But Teest couldn’t relax.

Something still felt wrong. It wasn’t just a matter of physical desire. There was something else…

How terrible. He felt like a baby thrown into the desert at birth. A nameless thirst tormented him, yet he didn’t know what he was seeking.

After pondering drowsily for a long time, Teest could only give up. He snuggled closer into Nol’s arms, opened his mouth, and left a bite mark on the necklace’s red marks.

This made him feel a bit better.

……

The next morning, the script played out on time.

“Sister, Sister Holly!” The maid knocked on the door anxiously. “Is Miss Fischer with you?”

“What’s the matter? Child, don’t worry. Take your time.” Painter was still in yesterday’s clothes, looking meticulous.

“What to do!” The maid’s eyes filled with tears, and her skirt hem was muddy. “Miss Fischer got up-got up early. She said she was going out to buy some sugar… The store is only a five-minute walk away. It’s been almost an hour, and she hasn’t come back! I went out to look. The sugar seller said they hadn’t seen her. No one has seen her… sob… sob…”

She collapsed on the floor, desperately clutching her skirt. “I should have gone out with her. I should have gone out with her… Mr. Garrison will definitely punish me…”

Painter played along. “I’ll call everyone. We’ll look together. You have a warm drink first.”

“Yes… Yes.”

“Miss Fischer is missing?” Eugene frowned.

He was also in yesterday’s clothes, with some snowflakes on his shoulder, looking like he had just come back from outside.

“Sir, good sir! Did you go out?” The maid threw herself at Eugene. “Did you see her?”

“This child went out to train earlier.” Painter shook his head. “If he had seen anything, he would definitely have mentioned it.”

Upon hearing the term “this child”, Eugene twitched slightly. He looked at the ground, said nothing, and just silently nodded.

……

For the entire morning, two nuns pretended to search the area, while Knight Saint Bernard sniffed around thoroughly. Eugene asked every household near the stone houses but couldn’t find any clues.

Based on the current clues, it seemed as though Sister Fischer vanished into thin air as soon as she stepped outside, with even Eugene, the most astute Investigation Knight, unable to find any leads.

“If even Sir Knight can’t find her, Fischer must have been abducted by a Demon!” Sister Teesti said timidly, on the brink of tears. “What do we do? What do we do? There are still Demons here. Noli, you must be safe…”

“Don’t cry, we’ll keep looking here. We’ll definitely find her.” Sister Noli softly comforted her. “Let’s find her before we leave, okay?”

“Mm-hmm…”

Knight Saint Bernard continued sniffing around nearby, his nose particularly moist. “Right! I must find her. She’s still a guest of Sheepskin Ball Village!”

“Ah, Goddess above…” Painter prayed anxiously. “Well then, let’s investigate more carefully for a few more days. I believe the Goddess will bestow a miracle.”

Perfect combo!

From the shadows, Nol, Teest, and Painter all glanced towards Eugene simultaneously.

Paradise had provided intelligence in advance. Knight Eugene’s mission was “to investigate the whereabouts of Drake and his party”. His destination was Ice Rock City, and he was just supposed to escort them along the way, not delay in this small place for too long.

As soon as Eugene leaves, they could use the Eternal Church to rush to Ice Rock City through another route.

Hurry up, big brother. Everyone is waiting to go to the Dragon’s Lair. Nol tried to push Eugene away with his glare.

Eugene stood silently in the snow. If not for his breath, visible in the cold air, this knight would be indistinguishable from a statue.

“I understand.” After a long pause, Eugene finally spoke.

He turned around, his eyes showing a strange golden-green color in the dawn light.

“The scene is so clean. It indeed might be the work of a Demon. Please allow me to stay and assist in the investigation until Sister Fischer is found.”

Nol: “…Huh?”

Teest: “…What?”

What’s going on? Given that Gratice isn’t lacking in Demons, Eugene didn’t need to cling to such a troublesome case. And as far as they knew, this captain of the Fifth Regiment was decisive in action and adept at making choices.

What’s going on with this guy?!

A few steps away, the corners of Painter’s mouth slightly twitch. “You still have a mission to attend to, right?”

“My mission is not solely my responsibility. Moreover, an uncertain future does not outweigh the certain ‘life’ in front of me.”

Eugene made a prayer gesture and spoke in a gentle tone. “Sister Fischer is not a formal believer. She’s not ready to be a sacrifice to God. I can’t presume to abandon her.”

“Praise your mercy.” Painter bowed slightly in “gratitude” and made a gesture of thanks.

“All praise be to the Goddess.” Eugene returned the gesture.

Trouble. Nol speechlessly watched this scene. Fischer disappeared too cleanly and wouldn’t reappear again. They need to find a new way to shake off Eugene. This was a sticky situation…

Just then, a blue shadow flashed in front of Nol, and something leapt out.

[Rare Hidden Quest: The Demons’ Conspiracy]

[Normal Completion Condition: Find the missing Sister Fischer]

[Perfect Completion Condition: Find the missing Sister Fischer; thwart the secret operation of the Eternal Church]

[Quest Reward: A large amount of experience points [Normal]; Secret passage to the Dragon’s Lair [Perfect]]

[Rejection/Failure Penalty: Permanent freezing of your Transcendence of the Law skills]

[※Your current Transcendence of the Law skills: Fallen Death, Creator]

[Do you accept the quest?]

---

The author has something to say:

System: Let me seize the opportunity to drink.

Eugene: (Sincere)

Others: (Mask of pain)

Five-person team achieved!

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 136: An Unexpected Teammate

“Is that all you’ve seen, good knight with thick fur?” Eugene asked gently.

The statement sounded eerily familiar, and Nol couldn’t help but glance towards Painter. Painter stood dignified, looking straight ahead, embodying the perfect image of an old nun without giving anything away.

Realizing the human in front of them was good-natured, the ears of Alaskan perked up. “We detected the scent of Demons and turned to run. They blew up our wheels, and I crashed into a tree. The nun just now healed me. I’ve only just woken up…”

Nol was flooded with emotions.

He was glad that the dog-headed beastmen weren’t corrupted by the twisted Tahe, still honest and sincere. Sad that these fluffy knights were too naïve and were no match for humans—looking at their breed, perhaps only the Border Collie village chief might fare better.

“It’s fortunate that you encountered Demons directly and are safe and sound.” Eugene’s gaze lingered on Nol and Teest. Nol swore, it was anything but relaxation and relief.

He was suspicious of them.

The reputation of the Demon Players seemed thoroughly tarnished, Nol thought. Two “beautiful girls” unharmed, now considered suspicious.

Alaskan sighed in relief, and Saint Bernard became conflicted. He looked back and forth between “Sister Noli” who saved his life, and the smiling knight Eugene, hesitating whether to tell the truth.

After a while, he hesitantly opened his mouth. “Uh…”

“Wuwuwu!”

“Sister Teest” who had been clinging to Nol, suddenly let out an extremely realistic cry.

“So scary!” He trembled all over, as if someone else had cleaned up the scene just now. “Those two Demons were so disgusting. They said they would take Noli and me away…”

Huh?

Nol looked baffled as he patted Teest’s back.

“Uwoo, it was so scary, Sir Knight… Thank you. It’s all thanks to you coming…”

Sure enough, Eugene’s attention shifted from the dog-headed beastman.

He stood politely a few steps away. “Miss, do you remember what those two Demons looked like?”

“One-one was bumpy, like a potato.” Sister Teesti lifted his reddened eyes, crying flawlessly. “One dressed like a dark wizard, covered in shiny stones… I don’t know anything else…”

He still clung tightly to Nol, sniffling from time to time. “I thought-I thought it was over. Bless the Goddess… They suddenly said-said they received a message from a friend and had to hurry away… Noli, Noli heard it too!”

Teest directly improvised along with what Alaskan had said. At this point, Nol had no choice but to nod.

Seeing this, the still conflicted Saint Bernard’s head and tail drooped—he would keep the secret if his lifesaver wanted it that way.

Returning kindness with ingratitude was wrong!

The village chief had specifically instructed that if they encountered a question they didn’t want to answer, they just had to respond with “mm-hmm”, and humans wouldn’t pester too long.

“Is that so?” Eugene turned towards Knight Saint Bernard.

“Mm-hmm,” Saint Bernard said.

“I’m sorry you all had to go through this. It’s the Temple’s negligence.” Eugene lowered his voice. “Given your situation, you were coming to the Knight Order for work, right? If you don’t mind, please allow me to escort you back.”

“It would be our honor, Sir Eugene.” Painter made an elegant bow.

Eugene had a hunch something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint any more suspicions—the scene was just too clean.

He knew the two Players Teesti described—unless someone present could overpower them, forcing them offline and erasing all traces in a short time, it would be impossible to create such a scene.

This wasn’t something a few Evergreen Nuns could achieve, and the dog-headed knights present were even less likely.

Even he himself had to resort to the most brutal and bloody methods, scaring those Demons off, which led them to retreat on their own.

“You two can go back now. I will find someone to repair your cart and compensate you with four snow mountain goats. You can also take away these two dead goats.”

“In addition, the Temple will provide an additional compensation of 200 gold wheels, as a consolation fee.”

Eugene then turned to Knight Saint Bernard.

Knight Saint Bernard’s ears twitched, and after a moment, it muttered. “That won’t do.”

“If you are dissatisfied with the compensation…” Eugene was surprised, as the border dog-headed beastmen were never greedy.

“No, no. It’s not about the compensation.” Saint Bernard said honestly, “I want to see with my own eyes that you issue them certificates. Only then can Sheepskin Ball Village’s responsibility be considered fulfilled. My companion can go back first, but I want to see it to the end—I can’t let you take them away halfway, not even if you’re the Pope.”

“Your loyalty is admirable,” Painter generously praised.

Eugene opened his mouth, then maintained a smile. “I was negligent, good knight. Please forgive my presumption. Come with us.”

Saint Bernard’s eyes lit up, and his tail wagged. “Great!”

This place wasn’t far from the Knight Order’s camp. It wasn’t until they arrived at the camp that Nol realized why Eugene wanted to bring them alone—

The camp was severely damaged.

Supplies were looted. Fruits, vegetables, and frozen meat were scattered everywhere—many were trampled and mixed into mud. Elegant tents were knocked over; some burned down to a few charred sticks, emitting choking smoke.

Bloodstains were visible everywhere, and the air was filled with the stench of charred flesh. Injured Investigation Knights lay on stretchers, being treated by priests.

To sum it up in a word: disgraceful.

Seeing this scene, even Saint Bernard’s eyes showed sympathy. Painter’s mouth twitched, glancing skyward, pondering something.

“Please follow me.”

Eugene walked as if through a spacious and grand courtyard, leading them to one of the few intact tents.

In the center of the tent, stood a jar of lard… no, a sweating Investigation Knight.

“What’s going on!” He loudly scolded the young people around him. “I’ve only been gone a few days and came back a little late, and you’ve made this mess? What does this look like? If headquarters finds out—”

Upon seeing Eugene enter, the man’s scolding stopped abruptly, turning sarcastic. “Oh, our berserker has returned.”

Following Eugene, a few “pretty girls” entered one after another. The man’s sarcasm took a sharp turn and his voice became deep and authoritative.

“Why are you back now? Have you dealt with the escaped Demons?” He puffed up his belly, twirling his mustache. “I said, we must not let the enemy step into the camp again!”

Nol: “……”

Teest: “……”

Mr. Eugene brought the Demon King, Mad Monk, apostate Pope, and the High Priest of the Eternal Church.

Including the Eternal Son, Anstis himself, their group could squeeze into the top 5 enemies of the Temple of Life.

Nol felt a bit embarrassed.

“Hello, I’ve long admired you, Sir Richard.” Painter was the first to speak, performing a perfect bow. “I am Holly Artis from Red Feather City of the Feni Empire, leading my children on a mountain pilgrimage.”

“It turns out to be Sister Holly!” Richard beamed. “Ah, what brings you here?”

[This old fox sure can spin a tale.] Teest muttered to Nol in his mind, his eyes still a bit swollen.

[What’s a mountain pilgrimage?] Nol quietly responded.

[Starting from the southernmost part of the Fini Empire, heading north along the Endless Sea coast. Once reaching the border of Shiva and New Gemino, they come out from a nearby valley and circle back to the Fini Empire around the Brick Mountain Range. Along the way, they preach the Goddess’s doctrine to anyone they catch—this has become popular among monks and nuns. They think such foolishness is devout.]

Teest sneered, [Hard to say whether they’re increasing faith or just their lung capacity.]

“We originally planned to return to New Gemino through ‘Miracle Valley’.” On the other side, Painter calmly explained, “Recently, there were terrifying magical fluctuations near Miracle Valley. I led the children north, into Shiva. As you’ve seen, this good knight brought us here.”

“We also noticed that anomaly. Haa, it hasn’t been easy for you,” Richard said with boundless sympathy.

“This is a trial given by the Goddess.” The former Pope played the part of a believer to the hilt. “We failed to complete the mountain pilgrimage, disappointing the Goddess. Next, we plan to leave Shiva and head north to Gratice to preach.”

“You see, the Demons of the Eternal Church have been particularly active recently. And you’re bringing such…” Richard glanced at the “nuns”. “…Such delicate ladies. It’s really dangerous.”

“The Goddess always watches over us. She will protect the souls of the devout.”

For some reason, Nol detected a hint of irony in Painter’s tone.

“Your resolve is commendable. I will arrange for your departure as soon as possible.” The captain puffed up his belly again.

“I disagree,” Eugene suddenly said.

“Sir, lest you forget, I’m the highest commander here.” Captain Richard frowned.

“According to the rules of Shiva, female knights should search them, and then verify their identities and families one by one with a communication crystal, issuing identity certificates.”

Eugene continued sternly, “Additionally, I personally advise against going to Gratice. The Goddess undoubtedly is merciful, but Lady Tilia needs to counter the Eternal Son and the newborn Demon King and can hardly attend to the mortal world at all times.”

“Ha.” Captain Richard laughed dryly, pointing towards Teest. “A body search? Look how scared the poor girl is! Her tears haven’t even dried!”

“We’re only half a day’s walk from Gratice. We can just send them off directly. Why are you making such a big fuss*… With the camp in this state, who has the time to bother with that annoying identity verification?”

*Taking off your pants just to fart.

Towards the end, he turned his gaze meaningfully. “Mr. Malloy, you just want to see the pitiful young ladies searched and then keep them here—”

The pitiful Mad Monk cried on cue, collapsing into Nol’s arms. Fischer also put on a bewildered expression, looking dazed.

Nol was utterly bewildered, not because his acting was superb but because the scenario was too chaotic, far beyond his comprehension.

Eugene sighed, seemingly indifferent to Richard’s sarcasm. He just looked towards Painter. “Have you decided then?”

“The light of a candle has meaning only in the darkest place. By the Goddess above, this is the only way we can prove our loyalty.” Painter was quick with his response.

“I was once told that the Goddess prefers meaningful devotion over blind loyalty.” Eugene pursed his lips, his tone still gentle. “The Goddess loves life far more than death… Unless absolutely necessary, ‘life’ is always the first option. Please consider carefully.”

Painter suddenly fell silent, staring at Eugene for a few seconds before replying, “Thank you for your guidance. I will protect my children.”

“Since you insist so.” Eugene nodded. “How about this—I’m planning to head to Ice Rock City. Please allow me to escort you on the way.”

From a distance, Richard let out a disdainful “Tsk”.

From the corner, a puzzled “Ah” followed.

“So you’re not doing the identity verification?” Knight Saint Bernard asked bewilderingly.

“That’s right, sir,” Richard impatiently replied. “These sisters will be leaving Shiva today. We’ll personally see them off. You’ve seen the situation here. There’s no need to specifically delay for a verification.”

“Mm-hmm.” Saint Bernard scratched his fluffy ears. “So you’re not doing the identity verification?”

Richard: “……”

Richard: “No.”

Knight Saint Bernard stared at Richard in shock, silent for a full ten seconds. “Then I’ll follow them.”

Now, everyone’s attention was focused on the dog-headed knight.

“Humans haven’t taken responsibility,” Knight Saint Bernard said seriously. “So they’re still guests of Sheepskin Ball Village. I need to ensure their safety. They’ve paid a deposit!”

Wasn’t it just fifteen minutes of petting? Nol took two seconds to react, realizing what it meant.

“Actually, there’s no need…” Painter tried to intervene.

“I am Sheepskin Ball Village’s best knight.” Knight Saint Bernard emphasized, “A knight must fulfill their duties. Unless humans take responsibility, I will absolutely not leave.”

“We’re going to Gratice.” Eugene tried to reason. “There are many ill-natured humans there. It’s not safe for you.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“The den of those Demons is to the north. They’ve been unusually active lately. You’ve just encountered them.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Eugene sighed in frustration.

Although the First and Fifth Regiment were nominally equal in strength, he couldn’t force Richard to do the identity verification.

And Richard, being particularly petty, not only refused to please Eugene, the potential future Pope, but also insisted on opposing him for the sake of it.

Things were getting more complicated.

……

When the group set off again, the carriage, in addition to the four nuns, now also had two knights.

Nol looked at the solemn-faced Saint Bernard, filled with remorse.

Sorry, Mr. Saint Bernard. We really can’t let ourselves be thoroughly checked.

But leaving him behind in such a dangerous area wasn’t right either… They could only protect him well and find another opportunity to get the verification for Shiva done.

As long as they could escape the Temple’s surveillance net, this was a minor issue.

The biggest problem was Eugene.

Nol looked at the young knight opposite him with a clear gaze, trying to sit even more upright. Painter and Teest’s disguises were flawless, but Mr. Demon King wasn’t so confident.

Eugene seemed to misinterpret Nol’s look, thinking the nun was fearful of men after what had happened. He stood up, apologizing with a smile. “It’s a bit stuffy here. I’ll go drive.”

“You’re so considerate.” Teest took the opportunity to praise, and Nol suspected the second half of his sentence was, “Don’t come back.”

It was hard to say who he disliked more, Painter or Eugene, even though neither was his match now.

With Eugene leaving the carriage, everyone finally relaxed.

[This won’t do. We need to split up.]

Fischer quickly pulled out paper and pen, writing rapidly. He used the local language of Gratice, which Nol wouldn’t understand without Player privileges.

Knight Saint Bernard, not far away, already looked puzzled. He only knew a limited amount of the common human language. This was truly foreign to him.

[You’re going back home to reclaim your identity?] The former Pope, naturally not hindered by language, wrote in Gratice’s language even more beautifully than Fischer.

[This way, I can cooperate with Lord Teest to the fullest extent.] Fischer wrote. [My High Priest status is still intact. I can mobilize many core believers to divert Eugene’s attention.]

[It’s rare for you to be of some use.] Teest joined the conversation. [How do you plan to make your escape?]

Fischer wrote swiftly. [I have a way to contact the Church believers and have them ‘kidnap’ me. After that, you all can improvise. We’ll meet again in Ice Rock City.]

Painter furrowed his brows slightly. His pen paused on the parchment for a moment before retracting.

[Honey, what do you think?] Teest wrote, passing the pen and paper to Nol.

Nol: [If it’s certain we can shake off Eugene.]

Teest: [The situation is really bad. Should we consider killing him? We’re about to enter Gratice’s territory. If you’re worried about Paradise, just leave it to the Church. We don’t need to deal with the Demon King right now, and it’s useless keeping a zealot.]

Painter: [No. Have you forgotten his oracle? He is destined to slay the False God.]

Teest: [You’re quite interesting. Having defected from the Temple, you still take oracles as truth? Who knows if they’re just bullshitting.]

Painter: [Just in case.]

Teest: [Worried about your godson?]

Painter: [The kid does have issues, but it’s not deserving of death.]

Teest: [Right, so worried about your godson.]

[ENOUGH!!!]

Nol slashed a big “X” over the paper argument. [I’m not considering killing Eugene at all. End of discussion. Mr. Painter, what’s this about a ‘godson’?]

The authority of the first half was gone, the letters of the second half rounded out. Nol looked at Painter with bright eyes, filled only with pure curiosity.

Teest showed a frostbitten look of disappointment—though he could easily strangle Eugene himself—he murmured twice and slowly laid his head on Nol’s lap, leaving the others with a “I don’t care anymore” posture.

Nol allowed him to rest, gently stroking his soft hair with his fingers, without any hint of resistance.

Painter looked somewhat helplessly at the two, writing down several elegant paragraphs.

[The Malloy family is an ancient family of zealots with deep ties to the Temple. After Eugene Malloy’s oracle prophecy was confirmed, the Malloy family asked me, then the Pope, to be the boy’s godfather—given the hero prophecy, he was laden with the family’s hopes.]

[Just seven days after I became his godfather and baptized him, I defected from the Temple of Life. Undoubtedly, this was a heavy blow to the Malloy family.]

[Because of my actions, his journey has been fraught with hardship. I have no regrets about leaving the Temple, but Eugene Malloy is innocent, and I always felt I owed that child.]

‘No wonder Eugene despised Painter,’ Nol thought.

Not just an unprecedented religious scandal but also a damning stain tied to him. At Brick Shadow, the fact Eugene didn’t attack Painter on the spot showed just how astonishing his self-control was.

But looking at Mr. Painter’s attitude… facing Eugene, he didn’t show much guilt either.

Fischer, expressionless, didn’t glance at the paper, clearly uninterested in such gossip. Teest flipped over casually, glancing over the paper.

[Please rest assured, it’s just a slight debt! This Villain knows what’s heavy and what’s light.] Painter cheerfully added, [This Villain will definitely stand by your side.]

[I believe you,] Nol replied earnestly.

Teest snorted and turned his face back. The carriage moved on bumpily, yet he lay surprisingly steady, maintaining balance somehow.

The last one in the carriage—Knight Saint Bernard —tilted his head to the other side, sniffing at the paper filled with words.

‘So many words!’ he thought.

As the temperature dropped, Knight Saint Bernard closed his mouth, his fur puffing up. Nol pulled out the temple-supplied goods, wrapping himself and Teest in the same wool blanket.

Fischer balled up the paper filled with words and naturally chewed and swallowed it down. Beside him, Painter looked out of the carriage—snowstorms and snowy fields blended together. Outside was only the deathly pallor of gray-white, like a dead man’s eye.

The sound of the wind and snow outside grew more terrifying, from a dull whooshing to a sharp wailing, piercing painfully to the eardrum. The rounded snow mounds gradually vanished, replaced by jagged, tooth-like rocks.

Legend had it the snow here never melted, and the storm never ceased, barren as the edge of the world.

They all knew, Gratice was near.

Nol silently listened to the wind and snow, raising his body temperature a couple of degrees. Even as an “outsider”, he could guess why the Eternal Church had rooted itself here.

Gratice, with its harsh environment, where crops barely survived, had relied on cold sea fishing and ore mining for years, trading food with Shiva.

A land perennially frozen and bitter cold, how could it possibly worship the Goddess of Life—a symbol of vitality and harvest? The Eternal Church making this its headquarters couldn’t be more fitting.

Although the original setting of “Tahe World” was set that these people here shouldn’t believe in anything.

Nol exhaled a misty breath. Don’t think too much. He patted his face. Gratice was just a stopover. As long as they could shake off Eugene, they could detour to the Dragon’s Lair.

With such a simple plan, what could possibly go wrong?

---

The author has something to say:

Saying what could go wrong means something will go wrong.

Knight Saint Bernard and Knight Eugene, join!

Fischer: Finally, it’s my time to be the big daddy (×

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 135: Eyewitnesses

Nol brought the doll’s head close to his ear, as if the spit from Witch Lynn was about to traverse space and spray onto his face.

Ben, who had keen hearing, got startled and tumbled down from Nol’s knee, scrambling up Teest’s leg.

“Why didn’t you take the initiative to contact us, huh?” Lynn raised her voice angrily. “It’s bad enough you told Anakin about the ‘Demon King’ matter, but what’s with sending someone to relay your message?”

“I wasn’t sure if your magic could be eavesdropped on, so I didn’t dare to use it recklessly,” Nol replied in Country C’s language. “Now that I know it’s safe, sister, please calm down…”

Lynn’s volume didn’t decrease in the slightest. “Everyone is worried about you! Let me tell you, I’ve put you on speaker. Anakin has informed me about the situation. You’re handling such an important matter all by yourself?”

In the background, Officer Luo’s “yes, yes” and Dr. Zhu’s agreement could be heard, along with the distinctive smacking sound of Uncle Ma.

All of them had witnessed his mental breakdown, and the urgency in their tones didn’t seem feigned.

Nol felt a warmth in his heart and couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Teest. “I’m really fine. It’s just been a couple of days. Rather than hiding and crying, I’d prefer to expose the mastermind behind this… I’ll tell you guys some insider information. I actually have a clue now.”

He hesitated for a moment, ultimately not revealing the truth about the four eyeballs. Such information would only add to their stress. It was better for him to handle it alone.

Thanks to someone, Nol’s mindset had indeed stabilized significantly. That “someone” was currently resting on his shoulder, with ears stretched long, blatantly eavesdropping on the conversation.

Just in case, Nol didn’t divulge everything to Anakin. As a supplement, he briefly explained the “world will authorization” of the two worlds and his plans for the future.

“…We’ll first head to Ice Rock City to completely escape the Temple’s surveillance. Then I can return home for a visit,” Nol said earnestly. “After that, we must make a trip to the Dragon’s Lair. There are neighbors there, and I have some matters to investigate.”

Such as why there was only one moon over the Dragon’s Lair and the origin of Kando’s dragon blood.

With some luck, the dragons might even provide more clues—as formidable immortal beings, they had lived from the emergence of Tahe World to the present, serving as living historical records.

“You said you didn’t like going on business trips, right? I thought you would stay to support the Lost Tower… Never mind, on the way there, just set up a few more surveillance dolls for me, and I’ll continue my work.” Lynn sounded like she was gritting her teeth.

“Of course,” Nol readily agreed.

“Be careful of Eugene and Golden Sword,” Lynn emphasized at the end.

“What language is that?” Nol had just ended the call when Saint Bernard curiously asked.

To the locals of Tahe, the language of Country C was completely encrypted. Inside the carriage, not just the baffled Knight Saint Bernard but also Painter and Fischer could only exchange bewildered looks.

“It’s the home language of Noli. Her family is really attached to her.” The height difference between them was subtle yet comfortable, so his head was seemingly stuck to Nol’s shoulder. “Communication was poor at the seaside earlier. She was just checking in.”

He seemed to be answering Knight Saint Bernard, but his gaze swept over Painter on the opposite side.

Nol nodded. In a sense, Teest’s explanation wasn’t wrong.

“Oh.” Saint Bernard nodded seriously, without doubt.

Suddenly, the carriage shook violently. Knight Alaskan raised his voice. “I smell Ice Rock Giants—!!!”

Saint Bernard’s fur bristled. “Here?!”

Ice Rock Giants, monsters made of rock and voodoo clay, belonged to the golem category. These creatures were usually not wild. There must be a Player behind them—without system assistance, natives simply lack the capability to create them.

In the setting of “Tahe World”, only Alchemists, Swamp Wizards, and Archaeologists could create them. Ice Rock Giants were high-level, excellent killing machines, even capable of besieging cities.

The shadow wolf’s fur stood on end, making a purring sound. However, the remaining four—especially Nol and Teest—showed no sign of tension or movement.

These humans certainly didn’t understand the severity of the situation. Saint Bernard’s paws touched his sword. “It’s Demons, definitely the Eternal Church’s Demons!”

“Isn’t the border defense of Shiva very strict?” Nol asked curiously—despite swallowing a potion to change his voice, it didn’t sound too out of place. However, he still wasn’t used to it, preferring not to speak unless necessary—a true “shy type”.

“It’s strict. Those Demons must have killed the border guards to enter. Anyone can stop those crazy humans in Ice Rock City, except those Demons… Even if we chopped up those Demons, they can’t be killed!” Saint Bernard’s tone was full of hatred, his teeth bared.

“They might not necessarily be coming for us. But if things go south later, don’t worry about us. Just run as far as you can!” He added firmly.

[I also don’t think they’re coming for us.] Teest hugged Nol, pretending to be scared, but he sent his thoughts languidly. [At a guess, something must have happened to the First Regiment, making them a target for those people—like the captain being away, or recent personnel changes—things like that.]

Ben shivered and jumped back onto Nol’s knee, squeezing into the gap between the two. However, Nol ruthlessly picked him up by the nape of the neck and placed him back on the cushion.

You’re stronger than an Ice Rock Giant. What’s there to fear?

Ben looked puzzledly at Teest, who was clinging to Nol in “fear”, and let out a whimper of grievance. Nol had no choice but to pet it a couple of times, letting it stay at his feet.

[We’ll see how things go,] Nol said, his fingers brushing over the letter opener in his pocket.

A few plumes of gunpowder smoke appeared not far away. Knight Alaskan decisively halted. Unfortunately, he underestimated the Demons’ taste for mischief—the earthquake grew closer, and just as the goat carriage turned around, two figures flashed in front of the snow goats.

“Ah, it’s a puppy,” a man’s voice said cheerily. “Can we take them back to play? I’ve kept Alaskans before.”

“Let’s see what they’re here for first.” Another voice approached the carriage, straightforwardly poking his head in. “Let me see, let me see… oh, the Evergreen Nuns! Two girls, jackpot.”

The man looked to be in his twenties, with a very ordinary round face and excessively developed muscles, looking like a weathered potato. The high aesthetic standards of Tahe’s art department for warrior equipment seemed oddly matched by this person’s earthly taste.

Nol: “……”

“What girls?” The other man, curious, also leaned in.

This guy had a donkey face that he thought was handsome, but it looked more like a beginner’s overconfident 3D model. Seeing his Swamp Wizard outfit, Nol could roughly guess the source of the Ice Rock Giant… but this man had added quite a few gaudy gems to his plain wizard’s attire, and the pointed hat was adorned with a star, shining like a cheap Christmas tree from a street stall.

Watching these two paper tigers, Nol’s eyes began to hurt.

“How are these two considered girls?” Donkey-Faced Christmas Tree said, his gaze sweeping over Fischer with disdain. “One old lady and one country bumpkin—only the other two look decent.”

Fischer looked at them with a gaze that was almost full of pity.

Muscle Potato was already climbing into the carriage. “Which one do you want? I—”

“What have you done to the Knight Order?” Nol couldn’t stand the possibility of sleazy remarks and took the initiative.

Potato paused, then chuckled twice. “Still counting on the Knight Order? Those guys were beaten black and blue and couldn’t even save themselves. As long as you behave… Fuck!”

Knight Saint Bernard suddenly moved, biting the hand he extended. The dog-headed beastmen’s bite force was so strong that it snapped Potato’s wrist right off. He reacted very quickly, immediately jumping out of the carriage with an extremely ugly expression.

Magical light flashed, and a new hand sprouted from the wrist.

Seizing the opportunity, Knight Alaskan created a snowstorm to disrupt their vision, driving the goat carriage to flee madly. The carriage hadn’t managed to get ten meters away before two explosions were heard. The wheels completely shattered, and the carriage crashed heavily to the ground. Knight Alaskan, trying to stabilize the course, didn’t dodge in time. He slammed into the ground and was knocked unconscious.

“Kill those two damn dogs.” Muscle Potato cursed. “Later, let someone dig up their hometowns. We’ll go in for a batch of dog skins—what’s it to you if I mess with some women? Looking for death?”

“The guests haven’t been handed over yet.” Saint Bernard helped up Painter, who looked the oldest, with blood still dribbling from his mouth. “We are responsible for our guests.”

His voice was mixed with angry growls.

Donkey-Faced Christmas Tree sneered. The Ice Rock Giant behind him took two steps forward and threw a punch at Saint Bernard and Painter. Teest glanced at Nol, about to make a move, when the warm body in his arms suddenly disappeared.

The agility of a Demon King was no joke. Nol teleported in front of the Ice Rock Giant’s fist, raising his right hand. The fist, as large as a house, was forcibly stopped mid-air.

The frail “nun” stopping the monster with a slap was too surreal, leaving both Demon Players and Knight Saint Bernard dumbfounded.

In their bewildered gaze, the black-haired nun’s fingers slowly tightened. The Ice Rock Giant’s fist made a cracking sound under the strain. The spider web-like cracks spread rapidly along its arm from the hand. In less than five seconds, it exploded into ice shards and rubble on the spot.

The still-glowing core of the golem clattered to the snow, flickering on and off.

At this moment, Nol felt more contemplation than relief.

Throughout this journey, thanks to the curse of “Physical Destruction”, he had been constantly hammered into the ground by formidable enemies, barely surviving each time. Thank god, he could finally experience what it was like to be “a monster”.

The two Demon Players lost any inclination to mess around, almost simultaneously activating their magical items, ready to flee. However, the moment their thumbs were about to press the buttons, they found themselves unable to push them down.

In the snow, delicate golden threads glinted faintly.

“So, you weren’t planning on letting them go after all.” Teest deliberately reverted to his male voice. “You could’ve said so earlier.”

Muscle Potato’s face turned extremely ugly. “Fuck, a damn tranny… Argh!”

Before he could finish cursing, the letter opener was deeply stabbed into his shoulder. Potato’s body frighteningly swelled, and the next second, he vanished into thin air right before melting completely.

Done.

Nol withdrew his hand.

For some skill tests, he had been suffering from a lack of test subjects. Like his “seal”—that was, system custody—whether it could work on pure Earthlings. Since the Demon Players willingly came knocking, he wouldn’t miss this excellent opportunity.

Now, it seemed the answer was affirmative. Even Earthlings, without a trace of game elements, could be “saved” by the system, which was quite interesting.

Nol pondered this as he turned to the remaining Donkey-Faced Christmas Tree.

To Christmas Tree, the opponent’s move was nothing short of terrifying. That strange nun had merely stabbed his teammate with a small knife, and the next second, his teammate’s body swelled like a bubble and disappeared into thin air.

Not only that, but their team relationship also vanished! Even the name in his friend list was gone!

Impossible. Christmas Tree shivered. Aren’t Players supposed to be immortal?

Seeing the terrifying black nun turn towards him, Christmas Tree almost pissed his pants. Unfortunately, he was a magic class, not cut out for close combat with enemies.

“Explain the situation.”

The black nun was beautiful, but her voice was ice cold. The small knife in her right hand still had blood on it, and at that moment, the thin letter opener was more intimidating than a Berserker’s ax.

“How many of you are there? Why did you attack the Knight Order? What is the current situation within the Eternal Church?” she asked, word by word. “You’d better answer me directly. If you dilly-dally, I’ll have to let this person deal with you.”

“Don’t.” The cross-dressing… man? Boy? chimed in. His eyes curved, circling the black nun. “You look even better when you’re interrogating, honey.”

This guy seems to be using gold thread? Although the age doesn’t quite match, but—

Thinking of that notorious Mad Monk made Christmas Tree tremble even more. All the bright gold decorations on his outfit clanged wildly. “I’ll talk. I’ll tell you everything!”

“I heard the captain of the First Regiment went to Eternal Day City.” Christmas Tree glanced quickly at Teest, whispering, “We just took the opportunity to have some fun.”

“Enlightening.” Painter smiled. “I heard the intelligence security of the Investigation Knights is very good… So, you all kept a close watch on the Knight Order’s intelligence and movements, daring to sneak into the Shiva just to play games with the Order, huh?”

Christmas Tree was sweating bullets.

“Alright.” He cleared his throat. “It was the Eternal Church’s orders! They somehow got information and sent us to disrupt the Order, to dampen the spirits of the Temple of Life. We were just following orders… It was all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding…”

“You’re so loyal to the Church?” Fischer interrupted with a sneer. “Unless there’s a shared interest, Demons wouldn’t lift a finger. You guys wouldn’t even pass the soy sauce at the dining table, but now you’re all about ‘orders’.”

Christmas Tree’s sweat was about to freeze on his skin. What’s the deal with this bizarre nun group?

These people were so outrageous, they couldn’t possibly be high-level Players from the Temple, right? 

…But Temple Players wouldn’t know so much about the Church…

“Last chance,” Nol said calmly, the letter opener in his hand flashing with a hint of snow light.

“I-I can’t.” Christmas Tree turned pale. “I have a contract. All my assets are mortgaged to the Church… If I talk, it’s all over, all over.”

Fischer’s expression blanked for a second. “Oracle.”

“Only an oracle could make you agree to such a deal.”

Christmas Tree stared blankly at Fischer.

“What oracle? God’s selection prophecy, God’s feedback, or what…?” His reaction had already proven everything, and Fischer relentlessly pursued.

Teest said nothing, idly playing with a small clump of corruption. The corruption, like a living object, crept up on the bright gold decorations, making them instantly decay and wither.

Not Temple Players. This group is definitely not Temple Players, not even normal Tahe people.

Christmas Tree had a flash of insight. He looked at the corruption, then at the inscrutable black nun in front of him, somewhat dazedly saying, “The Demon King’s army…”

Nol smiled at him.

Christmas Tree’s eyes welled with tears. Gone was his earlier bravado. He opened his mouth, his voice terrifyingly small. “The Temple of Life is searching everywhere for the heroes who defeated the Demon King. The previous divine route was disrupted by the Temple…”

“The day to heed the oracle is coming. The Pope hopes we can carve out a new divine route, passing through Shiva…”

Before he could finish, he suddenly choked, and his tongue swelled terrifyingly in his mouth. Christmas Tree’s face turned purple, his eyes desperately rolling—this was probably some kind of contract curse. Nol felt a clear wave of dark magic.

But it didn’t matter. They got the information they needed.

The letter opener’s light flashed, and the convulsing Christmas Tree began to melt on the spot, then was firmly sealed by Nol into the system. While he was dealing with Christmas Tree, Teest’s corruption crept over the fragments of the Ice Rock Giant, corroding it into nothingness.

From the two Demon Players’ attack to the complete disappearance of all traces, the whole process took less than ten minutes. Knight Saint Bernard stood dumbfounded in place, turning into a dog-headed knight statue.

What to do?

The guest needs protection… but the guest is strong and doesn’t need protection…

The guest is dangerous… but the guest saved him, never showing hostility…

Knight Saint Bernard tilted his head, unsure of what to decide. If only the village chief was here, it thought in distress. The chief would know how to deal with humans.

While it was deep in thought, Nol approached.

“Please forgive our secrecy,” he said softly, “We have our reasons, but I swear to Sheepskin Ball Village, we bear no ill will towards Shiva. You just need to hand us over to the Temple of Life—once we get our identity verified, we’ll leave Shiva immediately.”

“That Demon said ‘Demon King’…”

“We tricked him. It was all an illusion.” Teest quietly retracted the corruption. “We just came back from the Endless Sea and were tainted with the scent of corruption, so he was fooled.”

“I see.” Knight Saint Bernard tried to think, while Nol looked at it with a gentle gaze.

Although “altering memory” was an option, memory modification had certain side effects. He really didn’t want to harm these fluffy good knights.

Besides, this seemed to be just a human internal issue. The races of Shiva were mostly of gentle nature and not prone to causing trouble.

Sure enough, Knight Saint Bernard scratched his head, deciding to give up thinking. “Uh… okay, but I have one condition!”

“Say it.” Nol stood up straight.

“Let my friend go back first.” He pointed to the unconscious Alaskan, moving his nose slightly warily. “The two of you don’t need our protection, so I alone as a witness is enough.”

Painter walked over to the Alaskan promptly, the gentle light of healing magic shining. The wounds of Knight Alaskan healed quickly, and soon he opened his round eyes.

“Ah!” He got up alertly, his nose twitching wildly.

“It’s okay now.” Painter soothed softly. “We… wait, someone’s here!”

With a snap, the “timid” Teesti stuck to Noli. Nol also instinctively shrank, assuming a defensive posture. They all sensed the presence—very cleverly hidden, but still exposed due to the vast difference in level.

A knight in red armor rode towards them, the hooves of his horse emitting faint magical waves, making no sound. As he got closer, they realized it wasn’t red armor—the knight was covered in blood. The originally silver-white armor was stained with blood.

The horse was also covered in bloodstains, emitting a strong smell of blood.

He stopped in front of them, quickly dismounted, and surveyed the situation. Then he took a few steps forward, approaching the seemingly oldest “Sister” Painter and the “injured” who hadn’t yet managed to stand up.

“Good afternoon, respected madam.”

The Blood Knight took off his helmet. Nol was about to gasp but was preemptively restrained by Teest.

This is bad. Eugene Malloy came faster than they had imagined.

“Please do not be afraid.” He extended his hand politely to Painter. “The situation is under the Temple’s control. I am just here to pursue deserters. Madam, did you encounter Demons?”

“Pfft…” Seeing the “affectionate” scene between sworn enemies, Teest almost laughed out loud, but was pulled back in time by Nol.

Painter hadn’t yet had the chance to bluff when Alaskan jumped up.

“Saw them!” He cried out sadly. “Two Demons, one with an Ice Rock Giant. They blew up our cart, and the goat—two goats!”

“I can’t smell them. They must have run back the same way!”

---

The author has something to say:

The dog can’t figure it out, so the dog stops thinking! Anyway, humans fighting humans. As long as it’s not the Demon King, it’s fine.

Demon King: That’s right (sincerely)

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 134: A Little Discovery

The zone where Nol and his companions entered was precisely the territory of the dog-headed beastmen.

The dog-headed knights generously provided snow goats for these four “frail” humans to ride. These tall and sturdy goats treated cliffs as if they were flat ground. In less than half an hour, Nol and his companions were brought down the mountain.

The knights’ village was called “Sheepskin Ball Village”, located at the foot of the snow mountain, with over a hundred households residing there.

Nol hadn’t made any specific settings, but according to the racial ecology of Shiva, it wasn’t strange for such small villages to exist—

The northern part of Shiva bordered Gratice, with a harsh climate surrounded by ice and snow all year round. The inhabitants here were mostly thick-furred beastmen. Once the population of any tribe became too large, a portion of the youth would often voluntarily leave to establish new villages.

Amidst the swirling snowflakes, the small village resembled gingerbread decorations on a cream cake, quaint and adorable.

Nearly every household in the village raised snow goats and high cliff chickens. These goats could grow as tall as horses, and the high cliff chickens were significantly larger than normal chickens—their eggs were comparable to the size of an adult’s fist.

At this moment, smoke wafted from several small houses, and fluffy dog-headed cubs frolicked in the snow.

“Humans, I must first take you to see the village chief. Without a pass, you’ll find it difficult to move a step in Shiva,” Knight Saint Bernard said seriously. “Of course, this pass is temporary. Once you reach human territory, you’ll need to apply for official identification.”

“We understand.” Painter nodded in agreement. “I’ve heard about the severity of poachers.”

The dog-headed beastmen were somewhat better off, but the fur and scales of some other races were hard to come by on the black market; not to mention races like succubi, elves, and sirens, which were inherently valuable.

Shiva didn’t completely refuse humans, but due to its multi-racial characteristics, it was particularly strict with immigration control.

This was a setting already present in “Tahe World”. This feature made Shiva a bottleneck for Player levels, only opening up in the mid- to late-game.

Nol curiously observed the surrounding houses. The dog-headed beastmen were equally curious about them, with many puppies clamoring at the windows to watch the excitement.

Their gaze held only curiosity. For these richly furred races, the bald humans—regardless of gender—really had no appeal.

The village chief’s house was in the center of the village, indistinguishable from the other small wooden houses. Saint Bernard didn’t even knock. He just pushed the door and entered.

“I smell humans, and other strange things.” A hoarse voice spoke, fluent in the common language. “Bonakani, what have you picked up this time?”

Upon entering, the warmth enveloped Nol, making him squint. When he looked again, he saw a Border Collie’s head wearing glasses.

The village chief, wrapped in a goat skin coat, lifted his nose, sniffing suspiciously.

“A human nun from the Temple of Life, one who ate too much boom fish, and one contaminated with the sea’s filth.” Knight Alaskan quickly answered.

“That’s right,” Saint Bernard said gruffly.

The Border Collie chief eyed Painter for a while, then with a roll of his eyes, said, “Well, since they say so… let them stay here for a night and set off tomorrow morning. Let the humans handle it themselves.”

“Thank you for your generosity.” Painter lifted his skirt, performing a perfect curtsy.

“Later, there will be goat milk porridge, boiled eggs, roasted meat, and apple sweet wine. Bonakani will bring it to you.” Border Collie’s eyes briefly passed over the group. “But you aren’t residents of our country. These services are not free… Hmm, including the service of bringing you down, there will be a charge.”

Saint Bernard looked bewildered, its tail drooping, remaining silent in confusion.

“Theoretically, it’s 300 gold wheels per person, but since you brought three cubs, a total of 1,000 gold wheels will suffice.” Border Collie pushed its glasses up.

Nol was shocked—while it was reasonable to compensate these furry knights, this was a bit too much! Even as nuns from the headquarters of the Temple of Life, they wouldn’t carry around 1,000 gold wheels in cash.

Teest also expressed surprise with a “huh.”

“This…” Painter showed a somewhat troubled expression.

“Can’t pay, can you?” Border Collie’s claw tapped the wooden floor. “Ah, well. We won’t be too harsh on guests… In that case, you can work off the debt.”

Nol was uncertain about where this was going. [What’s going on?]

[I haven’t heard of this rule,] Teest responded. [At least, it wasn’t the case when I last entered.]

[…Did you enter as a human last time?]

[Not exactly. I disguised myself as an elf then.] Teest winked at Nol. [Too bad. If we weren’t disguised as nuns, I could have brought back the succubus outfit.]

It seemed like this was a special treatment for humans. Nol sighed internally—if not for fear of being targeted by the Temple of Life, they could easily disguise as a monster squad to enter.

“What form of work will pay off the debt?” Painter asked politely.

The Border Collie chief didn’t answer directly but signaled to Knight Saint Bernard. “Call Samobain and Hashbyte in.”

“Yes!”

Soon, along with the original Saint Bernard and Alaskan, four dog-headed knights stood firm in the chief’s room.

“You should thank these knights. Pay off the debt with fifteen minutes of head patting,” the Border Collie chief said calmly.

Nol: “…?”

Is there such a good deal?

Standing in front of him was the newly arrived Samoyed knight, who smiled at him and wagged his tail in a friendly manner. “It’s okay. No need to force yourself.”

“No, no, not at all.” Nol tried to control his voice. “I’m more than happy to do it.”

Before the Border Collie chief could start, Nol began patting the Samoyed’s head.

Indeed, it was warm, fluffy, and soft… When was the last time he had touched a dog?

Nol actually disliked staying alone in an empty house. He longed for the companionship of another life.

Many neighbors in Joy Garden had dogs, and he often saw them walking their beloved pets. He had always wanted to pet them, but work had been so busy that he hadn’t even touched a single dog’s hair…

In fact, Nol also loved cats and had seriously considered adopting one. However, sometimes he had to work overtime and stayed at the company for two or three days straight, leaving him with no confidence in taking care of a cat…

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but turn his head and sneak a peek at Teest, who was nearby—Teest was looking at the Husky knight with a face that hadn’t been touched yet.

He noticed a very subtle expression on the face of the Mad Monk.

Not just Teest, Painter’s gaze also carried a bit of surprise. The Samoyed knight seemed to enjoy being petted, wagging his tail so much that his cloak fluttered.

…Oh, right, he forgot. In “Tahe World” humans were quite afraid of beastmen.

About twenty minutes passed, and the Border Collie village chief chuckled twice.

“That’s enough. Take them to the guest room. Dinner will be served later.” His attitude was a million times better than when they first entered.

The “guest room” he mentioned wasn’t a simple room, but a detached wooden cabin.

The cabin had two bedrooms, a fairly large living room, and a blazing fireplace. Outside the window, large snowflakes quietly fell. The glass was covered with a layer of water vapor, and the warm light turned into blurred orbs.

“The village chief is quite interesting,” Painter said.

“Nol and I will stay in this room.” Teest directly ignored him and pointed to the better-conditioned bedroom.

Fischer looked at Painter, openly showing a look of disdain. “My Lord, Painter and I…”

“Who said you could sleep?” Teest said coldly. “You’re on night watch. A Supplement Demon can endure.”

“Yes, My Lord!”

Far from being discouraged, Fischer seemed invigorated, as if he had received a reward.

“The village chief is really interesting,” Painter persistently repeated.

“Go ahead.” Nol had no choice but to pick up the conversation.

“He probably smelled something off about us—if trained, dog-headed beastmen can distinguish the scent differences between men and women.” Painter added some wood to the fire. “I thought we’d have to use illusion magic, but it seems he doesn’t intend to wade into these waters.”

“The prolonged head-patting just now was also a test. If we had any malice or disdain for dog-headed beastmen, it would be hard not to show it… Anyway, it’s best if you don’t get any ideas about making a move on him.”

“Is it really okay to just leave it like this?” Fischer coldly retorted. “I also felt that thing smelled something.”

“Hehe, trust me. They, like us, especially enjoy seeing the Temple of Life in disarray.” Painter waved the fire poker. “In times like these, maintaining peace is the best. Right, Teest… hmm?”

Teest had already disappeared, taking the attentive Mr. Nol with him.

Painter paused, sighing deeply. “Young people, really…”

“What?” Fischer asked sideways.

“It’s useless to tell you.” Painter pouted, focusing on tending the fireplace. “The former High Priest of the Eternal Church could never possibly have a partner.”

Fischer: “……”

Fischer: “?”

Inside the bedroom.

Teest solemnly drew the curtains, darkening the room immediately, leaving only a candle burning by the bed. The two sat side by side on the bed, the candlelight casting Teest’s shadow on Nol’s knees.

“You seem to really like dogs,” Teest said with an inscrutable tone.

“I like all animals except bugs,” Nol earnestly confessed.

It was hard to tell where the Mad Monk’s thoughts had wandered, but it was best to start with the truth.

“You really are overflowing with kindness… Never mind.” Teest shook his head. “I just wanted to show you a little trick.”

He snapped his fingers, and something furry jumped out from Nol’s knee.

“…Ben?”

The shadow wolf had shrunk to the size of a puppy, similar to their size when they had traveled to the past—the shadow wolf could slightly adjust its size, but it has a limit and definitely couldn’t shrink this small.

“I’ve been pondering the matter of time reversion for a while.” Watching Nol lift Ben with a smile, Teest’s tone became cheerful.

“Don’t you find it interesting? Both the Time Reversion Potion that travels through time and the Age Reversion Potion that reverses physical age are closely related to the concept of ‘time’… and they both taste terrible.”

Nol hugged the whining Ben. “So?”

“I suspect they used the same core material.” Teest shrugged. “So I analyzed the magical fluctuations of the potion in my body and tried to replicate Ben’s state during time reversal.”

“Of course, I don’t have your ability to create magic. Ben truly shrank once before, and there were residual magical traces inside it… I just found the pattern and restored it.”

Nol took half a second to respond.

The core material of a potion determined its magical properties.

Therefore, potion masters often kept their formulas secret to ensured their potions couldn’t be deciphered by others.

Teest found a clever workaround—he didn’t directly unravel the secret of the potion but used the magical properties of “age reversal” to restore the residual “time reversal” on Ben.

This act of using one’s own key to unlock a neighbor’s door was a success for Teest.

The Pomeranian-sized fluffy black ball licked Nol’s hand eagerly.

“Amazing. I hadn’t considered this at all.” Nol hugged the moving Ben.

“Because you always think too much.” Teest laughed. “And I just thought, a little dog might make you happy. This way, it can always stay outside.”

“Besides, I know a little secret you don’t.”

Saying this, Teest leaned in closer. “The potion for creating a Supplement Demon actually tastes quite good—I’ve tasted many potions. Only those two ‘reversion’ ones tasted like they were fished out of a trash can.”

Watching Teest lean in proudly, Nol felt his cheeks heat up. He swallowed the “thank you” that came to his mouth and decided to express his gratitude in a more direct way.

He turned his head and kissed Teest’s cheek. “An impressive discovery. I’ll keep it in mind.”

Nol felt a subtle mood, thinking this had little to do with “Teest dressing as a woman”—they had changed their appearance, presenting a non-threatening facade. All the previous uses and tests were washed away by this harmless appearance.

Despite countless changes in identity, the attraction remained the same.

Teest seemed to have similar troubles, hesitantly reaching out to grasp Nol’s front, drawing the kiss to his lips.

The miniaturized Ben jumped off Nol’s knee, scampering to a corner, and curled up neatly. The room grew hotter as the faint sounds of kissing overshadowed the crackling of the candle.

It felt unbelievably good, Teest thought. Whether it was seeing Nol’s surprised smile or kissing.

He thought trying it out thoroughly for one night would make him lose interest. However, his God had a deadly magic that was more exciting than fresh blood.

Teest’s hand reached under Nol’s wide robe, but before he could explore, he was stopped.

“This isn’t right,” Nol murmured breathlessly. “Kissing is okay… Let’s wait for the rest.”

“Honey, I’m only a year older than you.” Teest raised an eyebrow. “Even if you’re nominally seventeen, I think the problem is..”

“No, you look too young.” Nol shook his head. “I can’t get over that.”

Teest’s expression froze, and he looked at Nol incredulously.

Nol chuckled, rubbed Teest’s warm ear, and added another kiss. “Just a week. Or are you updating your prayer schedule again?”

“Since you say so, I’ll consider it carefully.”

The Mad Monk tidied his messy hair, muttering, “Morning and evening prayers are already scheduled… Let me think about it…”

“I smell dinner.” Nol ran to the corner and picked up the soft shadow wolf. “Let’s go eat. We’ll think after dinner.”

Ben sniffed and agreed with a “howl”.

As for himself, Nol thought, he couldn’t let Teest’s brilliant idea go to waste. It was time to study those bizarre potions from the Eternal Church.

After dinner, he needed to talk to Fischer.

……

Fischer believed in Teest, and Teest believed in Nol. With this wonderful nesting doll relationship, Fischer’s attitude towards Nol was still okay.

“Only the Pope knows the exact source of the potion.” High Priest Fischer sold out his former employer quite calmly. “There is indeed a difference between the Supplement Demon Potion and the Age Reversion Potion. The former has stock; you just go and apply when it’s used up. The latter, it is said, is issued along with the oracle. That’s all I know at my level.”

Coincidentally, there was a Pope here. Nol turned his questioning gaze to Painter—Painter was happily sipping apple cider with grilled meat, looking blissfully content.

Feeling Nol’s gaze, he decisively shook his head. “Don’t look at me. Although the Temple of Life isn’t much, we don’t have those kinds of bizarre potions.”

“What about the oracle?” Nol casually continued.

Painter’s action of pouring the wine paused imperceptibly, and when he spoke again, his tone was as usual. “Well… no comment, no comment. Our relationship hasn’t reached that stage yet, young man.”

Nol didn’t expect Painter to tell him directly—the mystery of the oracle was known only to the Pope within both religions, clearly not information that could be casually shared.

However, Painter’s choice of words was interesting. He could casually mention a “price” for his own oracle, but when it came to the source of the oracle, he only had one sentence about having nothing to do with it.

Painter could no longer be loyal to the Temple of Life. Nol could only understand that the secret of the oracle was of great significance, like the secret of the dragon race. A little carelessness could bring great disaster.

“Forget it.”

Nol breezily changed the topic. “I’m just about to go to Ice Rock City. I should first figure out the little secrets of the Eternal Church.”

“Then you must take me along!” Painter drained his cup of apple cider.

The next day, Knight Saint Bernard prepared a goat snow cart for them.

Two sturdy snow goats pulled the wooden cart fitted with sleds. The cart was lined with thick leather, not letting in a bit of cold wind. The knight also gave them a metal thermos engraved with thermal insulation magic for warming hands.

They seemed afraid that these hairless humans would freeze to death.

Knight Alaskan drove the goats in front of the cart, while Saint Bernard accompanied the four inside. The snow cart slid swiftly on the thick ice, as fast as flying.

“The First Brigade of the Investigation Knights is over there.” Saint Bernard carefully instructed, “I will take you all the way into the tent. Only after they confirm your identities will we leave.”

“It’s not that I doubt you, but only after the humans on that side sign off will our responsibility here completely end. After that, the affairs of you folks will be entirely up to the Temple,” he patiently added, fearing they might misunderstand.

Well, that’s good. As long as the Temple signs off, even if they start going mad afterward, it won’t affect this lovely race.

“Sir Knight, are there other races nearby?”

Teest naturally leaned on Nol’s shoulder and asked “innocently”.

Knight Saint Bernard’s furry face darkened for a moment.

“No.” He said listlessly, “That human knight order doesn’t get along well with anyone. No one wants to be near them.”

That meant there were no other racial territories nearby. Nol casually wrapped his arm around Teest’s shoulder, frantically mapping out possibilities in his mind. In case things went awry, they needed to find the easiest escape route.

Fischer looked puzzled at their intimate actions. It was unknown what he was thinking, but his expression gradually became calm again.

With the muffled wind outside the cart, Nol closed his eyes.

……

Black Forest, Lost Tower.

“What did you say?” Lynn pressed her temples and asked.

“…Mr. Xu has evolved into the new Demon King.”

Anakin took a sip of fruit soda, reaching for the crispy pepper chips. Awesome, only the Lost Tower had such authentic Earth food.

She was numb to the news of “Xu Yue being the Demon King”. It didn’t matter—Paradise, heroes, Demon Kings—they were all their own people, so she could just take it one step at a time.

As long as that Mad Monk wasn’t staring at her side, her psychological pressure in Paradise was almost zero.

Poor Miss Lynn was still trying to digest this fact.

“That is to say…” Witch Lynn summarized in despair, “The creators of the previous three worlds were all from Earth, and for some reason, they became Demon Kings. Now it’s Xu Yue’s turn, and the system has issued a mainline quest to kill him. Is that it?”

“And now the Temple of Life is already on their trail, so that guy doesn’t dare to contact home at all, rushing towards those lunatic headquarters.”

“Pretty much.” Anakin crunched on the chips.

Wow, that’s really thrilling when you put it like that.

“How did the Players react?” Lynn took several deep breaths.

Anakin swallowed her chips, her expression becoming serious.

“Hot Ash has doubts.” She said quickly, “With the elite group incident, both Dorothy and Hot Ash felt that the game was getting weirder. They plan to contact Mentor to discuss this matter.”

“But it’s hard to control ordinary Players. Once they see that wishes can be fulfilled, they get excited. If it weren’t for a few strong leaders, morale would disperse.”

“This can’t go on.” Lynn sat back in her chair, worried. “If the Players become more aggressive, they definitely won’t accept leaders being cautious at this time… You need to be more careful. If anything goes wrong, come to Paradise immediately.”

“Thanks, Lin Jie.”

Anakin happily agreed, then remembered something. “Oh, you have a way to contact Mr. Xu, right? I have a very important matter.”

“Eugene and Golden Sword are heading to Ice Rock City. Tell them to be very careful.”

Lynn’s expression that had just relaxed suddenly returned to agony.

“…Okay.”

---

The author has something to say:

Furry, furry~

Fischer: They must be acting.

Fischer: Look, what a great performance!

Painter: (Doesn’t want to talk to this Eternal Church’s lifelong single)

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 133: The Land of Ice

Before leaving, the group once again passed the beach ravaged by the great battle.

Without corruption, both the sky and the sea were purely beautiful in blue. Even the desolate ruins left by the great battle had become peculiarly shaped “shells” on the beach. Compared to the wreckage, they were more a part of the landscape.

Nol didn’t want to leave too many clues for others, especially for the Temple of Life and the Eternal Church. The blue flame burned, turning cloth, metal, and wooden charms into ashes.

He left only a little bit at the edges—the honey-colored plastic eyes of a teddy bear, the snow-white fragments of weapons, the dark red splinters of wood. They were combined and magically carved into a round, tricolored bead.

It had no power. Nol simply couldn’t bear to destroy them all.

It was part of the three creators’ hard work.

Nol struggled to unfasten the pendant around his chest and threaded the bead onto it. It lay quietly alongside the key to Paradise and the wedding ring, increasingly resembling a handmade trinket by a young girl.

“Teest, give me a hand.”

His hair was now slightly longer, and he was wearing clothes he wasn’t used to. Nol didn’t want to mess up the heavy headscarf, so he called on his knight and asked Teest to retie the pendant.

Teest scrunched up his nose at the bead, seemingly having some opinions about it. Eventually, he took the necklace with reluctance.

Carefully lifting the headscarf, Nol tilted his head down slightly, making his longer black hair part smoothly.

Teest’s warm fingertips searched the back of his neck for a moment. The movements were ambiguous and dangerous. The pendant’s cord wrapped around the neck like a Valentine’s Day necklace from a lover or a noose of extraordinary beauty.

“All done.”

Teest left a warm kiss on the back of Nol’s neck, then casually let the headscarf fall back into place.

“Thanks.” Nol hid the pendant beneath his clothing.

“When our adventure comes to an end, your neck might jingle with decorations,” Teest said with a smirk. “Our Miss Noli really puts a lot of thought into things.”

‘As if you never hang anything around your neck,’ Nol thought, remembering the “Blessed Tooth” Teest had obtained in Night of the Hunt, which was hanging beside his ring. He wondered what was bothering that guy.

But facing the young “Mad Nun” before him, Nol lost the urge to retort. He hesitated for a few seconds, trying to guess Teest’s unpredictable thoughts. “Should I make another one for you?”

“No need.” Teest crossed his arms.

A few steps away, Painter displayed an unconcealable, kind expression. He cleared his throat. “Teesti, Noli, we can set off now.”

Teest and Nol climbed onto Ben’s back, one after the other.

Previously, Nol had hugged Teest’s waist, perfectly leaning on the broad and sturdy back. Now… Mr. Mad Monk seemed like a wool sweater that had shrunk in the wash, with Nol hugging him from behind, almost completely enveloping Teest.

It was a novel sensation; one that Nol quite liked—now they could hug even tighter.

Fortunately, the Mad Monk didn’t mind the trivial matter of height. He intentionally leaned back, visibly more relaxed.

The group didn’t choose to cross the mountain range immediately. They headed north along Brick Shadow, with Ben galloping swiftly on all fours.

Winter had arrived in Tahe, and the Brick Mountain Range was perennially snow-covered. The air was bitterly cold, and Nol’s breath came out in white puffs. He hugged Teest tighter, intentionally raising his own body temperature a bit more.

With a warm lover in front, and the hot fur of the shadow wolf beneath, Nol rested his head on Teest’s shoulder and fell asleep.

This time, he didn’t dream of work or the company. Nol dreamt of his home.

It was a weekend. The snow had fallen day and night, making the roads terrible, so he didn’t go to the office, choosing instead to work remotely from home.

Come lunchtime, he decided to cook instant noodles to get by. While waiting for the water to boil, Nol took a cup of coffee and admired the snowy scene through the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

The sky was gloomy, and the snow fell thickly. Even with the curtains fully open, the room was still shadowed.

Nol’s house was large, but he wasn’t very concerned with decoration. The floors and walls came as part of the property’s high-quality finish, and the furniture met only the most basic needs—Nol had planned it well, intending to properly decorate once he achieved financial independence and retired. Now wasn’t the time.

However, despite the few items, none were cheap or filler. Each piece was valuable.

Next to the teal and red-patterned curtains, Nol sipped his steaming coffee, watching the children play happily in the snow below.

The pristine white snow was breathtakingly beautiful. Unfortunately, he was past the age for snowball fights. Seeing the snowflakes, he could only think of the terrible road conditions and anti-skid chains.

A little girl in a red down jacket ran around in the snow, joyfully throwing snowballs. Her parents stood not far away, busy building a chubby snowman.

Nol remembered the child—the daughter of a family in Building 8… Her parents had turned into the Five-Eyed Crow and the Banshee, and she herself had become a Ghost. She wasn’t shy at all then, jumping higher than anyone else.

The little girl waved her hands, trying to catch the flying snowflakes. Her red clothes were so eye-catching, it was like a bouncing spark. Nol watched her happily run toward Building 7, unable to help but smile.

Just then, an unexpected event occurred.

The girl fell down without warning.

It definitely wasn’t a slip. Before she fell, her body went limp. She had undoubtedly passed out.

The child’s parents weren’t far away. Upon seeing this, her mother screamed. The parents ran to the child. The father frantically dialed on his phone, while the mother knelt by the girl, holding her tightly in her arms.

In front of Building 7 was the community garden, right next to Building 5, where Officer Luo and Dr. Zhu lived.

Nol remembered clearly. When the girl’s mother screamed, Dr. Zhu, who had just bought eggs and was chatting with an elderly person at the entrance, threw the eggs down and ran toward the community garden.

She stumbled to the little girl’s side, quickly assessed the situation, and began performing CPR on the spot. Nol’s good mood vanished. He returned to his desk with the empty coffee cup.

After that, he never saw the girl downstairs again.

The cold wind outside that day howled ceaselessly. Amidst the advancing wind, Nol opened his eyes—he faced Teest’s drifting hair, heard the wolf’s paws stepping on the snow-like white sand, and saw the blue sea retreating from his view.

A brief winter memory that Nol almost forgot.

Now, thinking back, something seemed off… Nol pondered vaguely for a moment, but the thought vanished as quickly as snowflakes melting on the skin. So, he leaned on Teest again and closed his eyes.

This time, Nol dreamt of nothing.

When he opened his eyes again, Nol truly saw the falling snow. It followed the gentle night, drifting into the sea, beautiful like an illusion. The shadow wolf stopped, and Teest poked his nose repeatedly.

“Wake up, honey.”

“Crossing that mountain, we’ll reach the border of Shiva and the territory of Gratice.” Painter sneezed, pointing to a nearby mountain peak. “The mountains within Gratice are particularly steep, not for ordinary people to traverse. We have to cross here and enter through the official channels.”

“In other words, we have to deal with the dogs of the Temple of Life.” Fischer scoffed. “North of Shiva… If I remember correctly, stationed here is the First Brigade of the Investigation Knights. Their captain is quite old and doesn’t have much brains.”

[The First Brigade?] Nol curiously asked Teest. [Sounds impressive. I remember Eugene was only in the Fifth.]

[No, the higher the number in the Investigation Knights, the stronger the force. The First to Fifth Brigades are standard combat units, while the Sixth and Seventh consist of older, more experienced knights, focusing more on rear work.]

[Eugene Malloy, with less than eleven years, can’t enter the Sixth or Seventh Brigades. Now, reaching the captain of the Fifth Brigade is as high as he can go in the Investigation Knights. The only thing left is to wait out time.] Teest muttered.

Nol realized. That is, the First Brigade of Investigation Knights consisted entirely of rookie newcomers, placed in such an undesired corner for experience—

As far as Nol knew, the current situation in Shiva was closest to the original setting of “Tahe World”.

The residents here were mostly non-human races, with beliefs following racial legends, believing in various gods. Both the Temple of Life and the Eternal Church couldn’t gain much here.

Shiva was vast, with eighty percent of it covered by forests. To its north lay only Gratice. In a sense, it acted as a protective shield for the headquarters of the Eternal Church, making it difficult for the Temple to directly intervene.

Unable to deploy elite troops to Shiva, the Temple had to settle for the next best thing: sending in the relatively harmless First Brigade.

“…Even though the First Brigade isn’t very impressive, it’s still better not to let our guard down too much,” Painter said casually. “Given the special circumstances this time, the Temple will definitely disguise a few elites to infiltrate Shiva to assist in the search—honestly, we don’t have many places to run to, and the Temple surely has a contingency plan.”

Nol nodded.

At most, Painter could turn the situation from a “Temple’s home field” to “relatively fair”. If they could easily slip away, the Temple of Life, being the largest religion, would be too incompetent.

“Pretending to be an Evergreen Nun is a good idea.” By now, he had to admit this.

“You flatter me.” Painter chuckled twice, looking again at the towering Brick Mountain Range. “Everyone knows, women and children are the best at lowering people’s guard.”

……

Eternal Day City, Evergreen Church.

A slightly portly middle-aged man leaned against the wall. His small mustache under his bulbous nose was turned upwards. He wore custom-made knight’s armor but looked more like a tin can filled with lard than a knight.

“What do you mean?” He grumbled discontentedly. “You called me, the captain, here just to escort this guy back? …What do you take me for?”

“Calm down, Lord Richard…”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!”

The man known as “Richard” cursed and swore. “Isn’t Malloy just fond of chasing after the Saints? What, got dumped and now using colleagues as stepping stones? Tell him to calm down first!”

“Lady Anakin is missing, and Solo hasn’t come out since entering the Black Forest.” Eugene entered the reception room with a smile, pretending not to hear Richard’s derogatory comments. “We can’t restrict the Saints’ freedom. It seems now, the Alva Merchant Group has taken the lead.”

To begin with, he had no expectations that Anakin would cooperate in finding people—regarding the so-called “mainline NPCs”, the contradiction between Players and the Temple was difficult to reconcile.

But that didn’t matter. If it was just about finding someone, Players might not necessarily outperform the Investigation Knights.

“The Alva Merchant Group?” Richard gave him a sideways glance. “What about the Alva Merchant Group? If they really find the person, we can simply negotiate with them—we haven’t stopped them from making money. Why should they offend the Temple?”

“They will definitely join forces with the Players and have already reached an agreement in advance. There aren’t many forces that have the strength to offend the Temple. Sadly, the Alva Merchant Group is one of them,” Eugene explained confidently.

Richard scoffed. “Then you investigate those Players! Maybe the Players have already found them. ‘Amazon’ hasn’t withdrawn yet. Who knows what those faithless have up their sleeves.”

“With that face of yours, you’d be better at deceiving those women. Running north—what’s that about? The First Brigade can’t handle a big shot like you.”

“I believe they will choose to head north.” Eugene continued gently, “I just need to disguise myself as your servant to enter, to obtain identity verification. If it’s inconvenient for you, I can stay away from the Evergreen Church.”

“North? Shiva is so vast. Who knows where they’ll stop. Just knowing ‘north’, what’s the use?”

“I’ll find a way.”

Richard’s gaze turned more sinister. “Come on, be honest. Did you receive a tip from your great godfather…”

Before Richard could finish, Eugene’s sword tip was against his throat. The young knight’s smile vanished, and Eugene’s icy gaze flowed down the blade, chilling Richard’s skin.

Richard swallowed hard, goosebumps covering his skin—he hadn’t even seen Eugene draw his sword.

“I have no godfather.” Knight Eugene’s voice was still gentle but devoid of warmth. “On the seventh day after the sinner Godfrey Painter baptized me, he betrayed the Goddess. I do not acknowledge him, and neither does God.”

“Alright, alright, I was just joking. Captain of the Fifth, can’t you take a little joke?” Richard’s lips twitched, trying to force a smile.

A Pope as a godfather should have been a glorious mark in Eugene Malloy’s life. But this Pope committed an unprecedented betrayal, becoming a stain in Malloy’s record.

It was only because Eugene Malloy’s oracle was significant that he could become a captain.

‘This kid’s luck is truly enviable,’ Richard thought bitterly, unlike himself—nearing the end of his career yet still babysitting the First Brigade. As he aged, he’d surely be dispatched to some small city as a bishop.

Simply because he wasn’t a Chosen One.

“Fine, I get it.” Seeing Eugene’s sword still pressed against his throat, Richard caved. “Sorry! I shouldn’t have brought it up… I’ll escort you in, alright?”

With a swish, Eugene sheathed his sword. He smiled again, as if nothing had happened.

“Then I’ll trouble you,” he said with a smile.

……

Just as Nol and his group crossed the Brick Mountains, they were caught red-handed. Not by the Temple of Life, but by the border army of Shiva—a group of furry dog-headed knights.

They wore unusual fur armor, riding tall and strong mountain goats. Their round eyes were full of doubt.

A knight nearly two meters tall with a huge Saint Bernard head approached first. He circled around the four people several times, sniffing non-stop.

“Human scent, human scent… fish scent, and… what is this?” He spoke in halting common language, its gaze finally resting on Nol.

“An honor to meet you, thick-furred guardians of the snowy mountains.” Painter curtsied. “I am Sister Holly from the Temple, and these three are children under my care.”

“The Temple of Life has only humans.”

Knight Saint Bernard pointed out with his tongue, trying to maintain seriousness, but his tail wagged slightly from behind the cloak—he seemed to like the compliment “thick-furred”, Nol thought.

But indeed, the knight’s fur looked fabulous, likely even better to touch. Seeing his own designed race thriving was a rare moment of relaxation for Nol.

“You and your kin must have detected the anomaly with your golden noses.” Painter lamented, “We were practicing by the Endless Sea. Who could have thought the sea would suddenly go mad? My children and I were washed here, lacking food and water. We had no choice but to risk crossing the mountains.”

“The sea does smell off.”

Beside Saint Bernard, a knight with an Alaskan head agreed. “Boss, we can’t just expel them from the country. It’s getting colder here, and humans don’t even have fur.”

“And these two children.” Painter nudged Fischer and Nol forward.

“One ate too many boom fish. The other accidentally fell into the Endless Sea, and I just finished cleaning the corruption. Your noses are fine. I assure you!”

“It does smell like boom fish.” Saint Bernard sniffed. “Hmm… I thought we might need to contact the Sirens, but it turns out to be boom fish… But this one, even if it’s corruption, it shouldn’t be odorless…”

“Do you want to leave Noli behind?” Teest hugged Nol’s waist with a voice filled with a convincingly crying tone. “Please, we really didn’t do anything! We just want to get back quickly… sob… If Noli doesn’t go, I won’t leave either…”

Nol: “………………………………”

Who are you?!

Not to mention the dog-headed knights, but even Nol himself was confused for a second. Fischer coughed several times, and Painter’s face twitched, looking like he was suppressing a smile.

Despite the shock, Nol quickly hugged Teest back, using the latter’s head to cover his own face.

At this moment, he noticed Teest, using his body as a cover, took something out of his waist bag. He smeared it on Nol and quickly put it away.

At the same time, the noses of the dog-headed knights twitched.

“Oh, I smell human now. You’re right. The corruption must have confused my nose.” Knight Saint Bernard nodded. “Alright, alright. We’ll escort you down the mountain… To be safe, we’ll take you to the Temple’s church to verify your identities in person. Is that okay?”

“Of course, of course! I don’t know how to express my gratitude.” Painter bowed again. “You are truly great knights.”

The dog-headed knights exchanged glances, their tails moving modestly.

[What did you smear on me?]

Nol didn’t dare to look directly at Teest, his mind in turmoil—his mentality hadn’t adjusted since that night. Now, the Mad Monk was acting, well, like this…

[“Living Human Fat” I swiped from an Eternal Church cultist—an ingredient for cursed poisons.] Teest released Nol’s waist, pretending to wipe away tears. [Works pretty well, right?]

Nol stared blankly for a moment, then quickly calmed himself.

Alright, it’s still his Mad Monk.

He decisively stepped forward, gently hugging “Sister Teesti”, leaving a moving kiss on the forehead.

Teest’s smile froze for a moment. He quickly averted his gaze toward the dog-headed knights.

His cheeks were now tinged with a blush.

A few steps away, Fischer watched everything with satisfaction.

Everything was perfect, he thought, especially his God’s acting skill… Even the blushing was so convincingly real—truly amazing!

This was a good start. Their journey was destined to be smooth.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 132: Unexpected Reinforcements

“Wait, what about the clothes?”

As the blood potion was about to enter his mouth, Nol tried to struggle. “There’s no need to drink it now, is there?”

Painter grinned, flashing his teeth. “I’ve asked Miss Anakin for help, and she was more than willing. She can purchase it directly from the system and insisted on not taking any money for it. It’s just…”

“Just what?” Nol suddenly had a bad feeling.

“She’s very curious and hopes we can take a picture and leave it on a recording crystal. I agreed.”

“……” As expected from a young woman from Earth. Nol had nothing to say.

He grimaced, twisted open the cap, and downed the contents of the bottle. It smelled like a Nightmare but tasted of nothing. Nol suspected Fischer had added something to it because his tongue felt slightly numb.

With system restrictions, Fischer couldn’t harm Teest or “Teest’s teammates”. After the battle with the Demon King, this High Priest’s attitude subtly changed, possibly related to Teest’s “Transcendence of the Law”.

As Nol’s thoughts wandered, he felt his joints heat up. His muscles ached, his bones cracked, and he felt the discomfort of a high fever. His vision dimmed, and his body felt lighter, but only slightly.

Nol groggily pinched his arm.

As for the effects of the blood potion, he should have reverted to seventeen years old. Nol, who matured late, was around 1.75 meters at seventeen, slowly surpassing 1.8 meters in his early twenties.

His current physique was about the same as he remembered… Fortunately, women on Tahe were generally not short, so a 1.75-meter-tall girl was considered above average. It wouldn’t be too conspicuous.

Nol tugged at his slightly oversized cloak and looked at Teest, bursting into laughter.

Teest drank his potion even more straightforwardly than Nol.

However, the originally tall Mad Monk was only about 1.65 meters at “eighteen years old”, not even as tall as Fischer.

At that time, Teest’s features hadn’t fully developed, lacking his usual mature and handsome appearance, more youthful and delicate. He looked much smaller and as thin as Nol, a mage, completely resembling a high school student.

No wonder the Mad Monk had limited options when he disguised himself as a maid to approach his target.

Teest crushed the bottle into powder, awkwardly lifted his gaze, and scrutinized Nol. Nol returned the look with intense curiosity, examining the young Mad Monk from head to toe.

Teest touched his now diminished chest and abdomen muscles with a hint of melancholy on his face.

“Cough cough cough cough!” Painter let out a series of coughs, trying to suppress his laughter. He took out the clothes he had prepared and distributed them to the three others with a twisted face. “Perfect, just as I predicted.”

Surrounded by three “young” faces, Painter suddenly exuded a headmaster-like aura. “Hurry up and change. We don’t have much time.”

Fischer nodded comfortably and took the clothes behind a rock. Nol casually waved his hand, and sand and rocks rose, separating them from Painter.

As for himself and Teest… They had done everything that needed to be done and seen everything that needed to be seen. It felt awkward to separate them specifically. But still feeling a bit shy, Nol decided to turn his back to change.

After spreading out the clothes, he felt a bit more at ease.

Painter’s set included a robe, a headscarf, an undershirt, a set of underwear, and plain black boots.

The former Pope’s suggestion wasn’t exactly in bad taste—the attire of the Evergreen Nun was quite conservative, with the robe’s high collar and loose fit perfectly concealing male features like the Adam’s apple, shoulders, and hips.

It didn’t have a particularly body-hugging cut. The robe’s hem reached almost to the ankles, only cinched at the waist, giving off a solemn and imposing air. The black garment had an olivine brooch at the chest, beneath which a delicate emblem of the Goddess of Life was visible, with simple gold thread embroidery as an accent.

The inner shirt and underwear were also very ordinary, even unisex in design. Their practical, simple style far outweighed any “decorative” aspects. Nol treated it as if he were putting on armor, without feeling much embarrassment.

He restored his eye color, shedding “Drake’s” light golden locks for his natural black hair, the length resting around his collarbone. Anyone looking wouldn’t associate this “nun” with the hero Drake.

Unsure about the suitability of his face, Nol turned around, intending to consult Teest, who was close at hand.

Upon seeing each other clearly for the first time, both paused for a moment.

Teest appeared to have more experience with disguises. He dyed his long hair a brilliant, dense gold, and it was unclear what he had stuffed inside his bra. Coupled with his more youthful features, the Mad Monk looked unmistakably like a well-developed teenage girl.

Nol’s mood was incredibly complex. When he was seventeen or eighteen, he indeed preferred this type.

If a god had told him back then, “Look, this is the love you will meet in the future,” he would have woken up laughing from the dream. As for reality… it wasn’t that he was dissatisfied. Something just felt off…

Teest also looked at Nol with some surprise.

Nol’s features were already soft, and dressed like this, he really resembled a beautiful, androgynous girl. A bit of makeup would make it hard even for him to spot any flaws.

To be fair, Teest had seen many beautiful women, but he had never found such… attraction in them. However, seeing Mr. Nol in that outfit, it even made the Temple of Life’s nun attire no longer look like an eyesore.

Teest’s gaze swept over Nol repeatedly, causing Nol’s face to gradually redden. He awkwardly cleared his throat. “What did you stuff in your chest?”

“My balls of golden thread, healing potions, and poison powder.”

Teest pressed his chest, somehow altering his voice to a slightly deeper female tone. He approached Nol, his movements gracefully restrained, like a well-educated noble descendant.

Nol’s already flushed face turned even redder as he quickly looked down at the tips of his black boots. “We should go out now.”

“Ah, you just had a bit of a Demon King look, but this won’t do.”

Teest naturally reached out, playing with Nol’s black hair tips. His fingertips brushed Nol’s flushed face, feeling the heat.

Can a Dracolich also be this warm?

He had been close to Nol before, but now it felt different… He had dominated the warm body beneath the fabric, remembered Nol’s rapid breathing, and the delicate touch of moist skin.

Not only did this not satisfy him, but it also made him more curious. A shiver ran up his neck as Teest felt a prickly warmth on his cheeks.

“You’re truly too noble. With your current abilities, you could think of a way; to carve a path of blood…”

Teest’s lips neared Nol’s face, almost feeling the warmth on his skin. He wasn’t quite sure what he was saying. He just wanted to get a little closer.

Just a bit closer.

Reality pulled Nol’s rationality back. “No, I must consider the position of Paradise.”

“And my health is too low. This battle was purely luck… If I encounter a long-range attack that ignores defense, I’m still at a great disadvantage.”

His current stats might allow him to dominate all of Tahe, but his weaknesses were glaringly obvious.

Usually, a Demon King came with tens of millions of health points, so a few hits that ignored defense were negligible. But not for him; his low health could easily lead to his downfall.

The new Demon King wasn’t ready for high-profile actions, Nol thought bitterly. They were both suspected of becoming False Gods, yet his “Physical Destruction” curse was still as persistent as gum on the bottom of a shoe.

It would be great if he could remove the curse. Perhaps the dragons had relevant knowledge…

Teest sighed, his lips barely touching Nol’s cheek. “If that’s what you wish.”

Then, he boldly grabbed Nol’s wrist and pulled him out from behind the curtain of sand and stone.

On the other side, Fischer and Painter had also finished dressing.

Fischer didn’t put much effort into it. His physique was already lanky, and his features were at best considered delicate. Now, with medium-length curly hair, he looked like an ordinary girl.

Painter, however, was quite a surprise—he had somehow shortened his height to under 1.7 meters. His face now sported small round glasses and a noticeable hooked nose. His scattered red hair had turned into a tight gray-black bun.

The former Pope’s entire face was unrecognizably that of a strict, severe nun in her fifties or sixties.

“You two can have a good laugh. This is but a little trick from a fugitive.” Painter’s voice was completely feminine, exuding a lively pride and dignity. “You two are even more suitable than I imagined. This will definitely work!”

Noticing Nol’s shocked and curious gaze, Painter straightened his knees, stretched his body, and suddenly appeared taller. Then, he bent his legs and body again, letting the loose nun’s attire hide everything. Visually, he appeared smaller, as if by magic.

“This is really…” Nol couldn’t help but exclaim.

He had his suspicions before. Compared to the Mad Monk with an unclear appearance and background, Painter should have been easier to capture. No wonder the Temple of Life could never catch this former Pope. Nol suspected this guy could disguise himself as anyone.

“We’d better head north within half a day, entering the northern region of Shiva. The Temple of Life’s infiltration isn’t strong there, and it would be difficult for the Temple to quickly assemble forces.” Fischer stepped forward, staring intently at Teest, his tone unusually earnest.

Teest glanced at the overly solicitous Fischer. “…Stay away from me.”

“Yes, my God.”

“Don’t call me ‘my God’,” Teest said, displeased.

“Yes, Master.”

“‘Master’ won’t do either, ‘Lord’ is enough.” Teest sneakily glanced at Nol, not wanting to share the title of “Master” with others. “What’s gotten into you lately—had an epiphany?”

“What I believe in is darkness and destruction,” Fischer said with devotion. “Only by feeling your presence up close did I come to the realization that the gaze of Anstis is nothing but falsehood. Its essence is too mixed, nowhere near as pure and moving as yours…”

By Fischer’s side, Painter pointed to his head, made a cross with his two index fingers, and then shook his head with a look of regret, as if to say, “This guy is out of his mind.”

Unusually, Teest didn’t argue with his view. His face only showed plain disdain.

Nol decided to enjoy the show.

Whether it was the system’s influence or Fischer’s faith had really taken a sharp turn, the current Fischer was quite useful, and that was enough—previously, if they had asked him to lead the way to Ice Rock City, this guy could cry his nose off.

“Right.”

Painter brushed Fischer aside, ruthlessly interrupting his praise. “Everyone, think of a new name for yourselves. If we encounter any inquiries later, try to speak less, and I’ll handle it… Teesti doesn’t need to think. Yes, I still remember your name, Mr. Maid.”

Teest: “……”

Teest habitually went to put his arm around Nol’s shoulder, miserably choosing the wrong spot. He had to settle for the next best thing and grabbed Nol’s waist instead. “Then he can be called ‘Noli’.”

Nol: “…That’s fine.”

It didn’t have to be a couple’s nickname. His playful spirit died before it even ignited. But Noli was easy to remember, so that’s settled.

“Fischer,” Fischer said nonchalantly.

“When the time comes, you all should call me… Mrs. Holly.” Painter nodded.

“Since we’re short on time, shall we fly there?” Nol touched his shoulder. Since the two already knew his Dracolich appearance, they might as well fly. Wings are great. He wondered if his dragon form would change in this state.

“No, the sky is definitely being watched.” Teest touched his chin. “Ben!”

Poor Abandon didn’t know there was someone lying down even more flat than him on this journey—a nose peeked out from Nol’s shadow, sniffing cautiously before slowly emerging.

The shadow wolf wagged its drooping tail, happily circling between Teest and Nol. Realizing the deserted island had no food, its fluffy tail gradually stopped wagging.

For the first time, Nol truly felt the growth of his stats—the shadow wolf that nearly drove them to a dead end initially now seemed as harmless as a puppy.

“We’ll ride this,” Teest said. “Of course, I mean Nol and me. You two figure it out on your own.”

“Easy, we’ll just borrow your force.” Painter grinned, pulling out a rope. “There’s plenty of wood in Brick Shadow. You two wouldn’t mind letting this… um, Mr. Wolf pull a sled, right?”

……

On the eastern side of the Brick Mountains, Amazon’s camp.

“What do you mean by this?” Behind the mask, Dorothy narrowed her eyes at Golden Sword Billy.

This Golden Sword abruptly visited, and with a wave of his hand, he gifted the Saints Guild and Amazon countless resources—including expensive purification potions and holy attribute magic items.

“My apologies for last time. This is the Alva Merchant Group’s compensation to you all,” Billy said earnestly. “The person in charge of Roundheart City lacked experience, thinking it easier to relate as ‘Players’… I’m truly sorry.”

Dorothy felt weary. That kid Barto really was a blabbermouth, likely spilling everything once he got back. This was entirely unsurprising.

“Thank you for the Alva Merchant Group’s generosity.” Dorothy interlaced her fingers, continuing in a grave tone, “But I can’t accept them as mere gifts of gratitude. Our disagreement wasn’t to that extent—just like a person of your stature personally coming here isn’t just to wipe Barto’s ass.”

The Alva Merchant Group’s move was quite interesting.

If what Barto said was true—Amazon rushing to the mountains for a rescue and encountering danger—then the Golden Sword arriving with elites could potentially save the high-ranking members of Amazon and the Saints Guild… That would be a huge favor.

If Amazon hadn’t gone into the mountains, the Alva Merchant Group could still meet Dorothy under the pretext of “apologizing” and offer a batch of supplies that would be needed for rescue—Players couldn’t die, and no matter how calm Amazon was, they wouldn’t just retreat without trying. Human lives were at stake—they couldn’t possibly refuse this help.

In any case, Amazon was bound to owe a favor, which somewhat displeased Dorothy as she clenched her teacup.

“Talking to you is truly easy.” Billy laughed. “As businessmen, we inevitably have our little wishes… We hope to assist you in finding the hero before the Temple does.”

Next to Dorothy, Anakin’s hand holding a teacup paused.

Why would the Alva Merchant Group want to get involved with anything related to the Demon King?

“I’ve heard a bit of a rumor. The ancient Demon King has been laid to rest.” Billy smiled sincerely. “I’ve heard that among that Hero’s party, there are Players like you… The Temple wouldn’t offend you, but they will search thoroughly for others—you understand my meaning.”

Across from Anakin, Hot Ash frowned.

Damn, the Alva Merchant Group is too well-informed. They had just come out, and this guy had already investigated to this extent? …Dorothy was right. This world is still dangerous.

His mind finally cooled from the excitement of “being able to go home”, his helmet hiding his wary gaze.

“Everyone wants to add a feather to their cap*. The Temple’s actions are understandable.” Dorothy replied with a polite smile.

*(脸上贴金) Idiom referring to embellishing the portrayal of oneself (AKA tooting one’s own horn).

“Huh…” Hot Ash finally joined the conversation. “No, I think Mr. Golden Sword means if the Temple finds those people first, it will be hard for us to get in touch with them.”

No matter how clever Dorothy was, Amazon didn’t understand the Temple of Life as well as the Saints Guild did.

“If among those people there were Chosen Ones by the Temple of Life, they would have announced it by now. But they haven’t done so… The Temple’s attitude towards those NPCs, um, locals, might not be positive.”

Hot Ash spoke bitterly. Not to mention those NPCs, the Temple wasn’t fully open even to them, the “Saints”.

Once found by the Temple, those individuals would, without a doubt, be taken to Bissus the Holy Land.

From a Player’s perspective, mainline NPCs were crucial. To defeat the new Demon King, their assistance was indispensable—if they neglected the Temple’s actions now, the Temple would have one more leverage over the Players later.

Dorothy’s smile faded slightly as she quickly grasped the situation.

“For us laypeople, the heroes who fight the Demon King are backed by gold wheels. If they’re silently taken by the Temple, it would be a loss for us too.”

“But we have no connection with them. If we rashly seek them out, we might anger the heroes… Won’t it be much better if their comrades made contact?”

Seeing Dorothy catch on, Billy’s smile broadened. His gaze swept over Anakin, and his tone became lighter. “Forgive my frankness, but when it comes to understanding the Tahe Continent, the Alva Merchant Group is no less informed than the Temple of Life. You need a little help; we need a little benefit—it’s that simple.”

Hot Ash and Dorothy exchanged glances briefly.

According to Anakin, the main force behind this expedition was from Paradise. Taking this opportunity to sell Paradise some favors was indeed a good choice.

“Thank you for your sincerity,” Dorothy said. “So, in your opinion, where should we start?”

“The North,” Golden Sword Billy answered without hesitation. “Trust me, they will head north. Let me make a bold guess… Those people might go to Ice Rock City.”

Anakin’s eyebrows twitched. “Your basis?”

“Knowledge of an old acquaintance.” Billy stroked his stubble. “And a bit of intuition.”

“I have a rough idea of what they want to obtain.”

---

The author has something to say:

Lol, I saw someone guess it in the last chapter.

Indeed, there’s a height difference… Limited edition skin! Teest, lost in height.

Nol: My partner is cute, but I’m feeling complicated, but still cute (.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 131: A Strange Idea

Eternal Day City, the liaison office of the Temple of Life.

“I suspect that ‘Drake’ is not only part of Paradise but also holds a high status within it,” Eugene reported calmly. His face was marked with the sweat of a hurried return.

The archbishop’s aged voice came through the communication crystal. “What’s your basis, child?”

“The Manor incident. Paradise has never publicly showcased their victory, and the mysterious origins of the major contributor, Drake, remain unexplained,” Eugene said. “This time, Drake once again acted alongside two individuals from Paradise, defeating the remnant soul of the ancient Demon King. If it’s a coincidence, it’s too much of one—Paradise has never explicitly claimed Drake as their own, but they haven’t denied it either, which likely means it’s intentional.”

“Drake previously claimed to be a pantheist of the Goddess, yet willingly associates with a traitor like Painter, which makes his stance somewhat questionable. Moreover, he possesses dragon blood, fitting Paradise’s standard for ‘special monsters’.”

Drake’s silence on his affiliation was a subtle form of charity and a different kind of caution.

As long as Drake wasn’t officially part of Paradise, he wasn’t “Paradise’s Hero” but “Tahe’s Hero”. This way, the Temple wouldn’t have a direct conflict of interest with Paradise.

If they wish, they could even use Drake’s achievements to praise God. Paradise’s reluctance to take the lead probably aligns with this, tacitly agreeing.

…Regrettably, Knight Eugene despised charity.

He continued relentlessly.

“The oracles from the Eternal Church have been thoroughly investigated by my people. The only possible unclaimed oracle belongs to a survivor of the ‘Grape Collar Immortal Church Arson Incident’ years ago—if that survivor truly exists.”

“The survivor cannot possibly be Drake. Even the mad Eternal Church understands the consequences of provoking a dragonborn.”

For dragonkind, half-bloods were already a humiliation; if humans dared to experiment on a half-blood, Subelbot would personally burn Ice Rock City to the ground with dragon fire.

“In conclusion, Drake has a deep relationship with Paradise, and he doesn’t bear the oracles of the two gods. The Temple already has a standard judgment for such individuals.”

“…Only we, the Chosen Ones, can be trusted.”

The archbishop responded warmly, “Please invite Mr. Drake to the Temple as a guest. Within the Holy Land, malice cannot be hidden.”

“Yes.” After speaking, Eugene’s eyebrows twitched. “I request to use ‘Life Reading’ and ‘Teleportation Tracking’.”

“Life Reading… I’ve heard about Paradise possessing ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. It’s a good choice for finding hidden intelligent life.”

In the communication crystal, the archbishop’s thick eyebrows moved. “However, do you think Paradise might still possess teleportation items?”

“I believe it’s necessary to be fully prepared. After all…”

After a few seconds’ pause, Eugene closed his eyes. “My Lord, no one knows what the new Demon King looks like. We can’t rule out the possibility of the ‘new Demon King replacing someone’.”

“The Saints are protected by divine grace and cannot be dominated by evil, so we can skip them. Painter must be captured, and the remaining three are all from Paradise. All four individuals must be investigated.”

Meanwhile, on the circular island in the Endless Sea.

Painter stood on the gray-white rocks as the sea water repeatedly lapped at his bare feet. Over the past few days, his chin had grown a bit of stubble.

He clapped his hands, isolating everyone but Teest and Nol with a soundproofing spell. Fischer’s expression turned slightly unsightly, but he didn’t say anything, instead blocking Abandon’s curious gaze.

“Believe me, besides measures against ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, Eugene will also detect for teleportation magic. By my calculation, in at most half an hour, the related detection will begin.”

Painter smiled. “The ‘Black Candle’s Teleportation’ is a threat to anyone, and in my opinion, it’s not wise to reveal it now—I’ve heard the conditions for using this candle are very strict. You really have a way.”

Nol felt like he had somewhat of a headache.

With Eugene’s level, he must have already suspected “Drake” was related to Paradise. On this point, he left Paradise some room to maneuver—”A Midsummer Night’s Dream” aside. If they used teleportation magic now, it would be like posting “Hey, hey, I’m a high-ranking official of Paradise” on their faces.

Painter continued, observing Nol’s expression with a smiling gaze.

“The old foxes at the Temple will likely focus on finding Drake and bring him to Bissus, the Holy Land. Believe me, that’s not a pleasant place. The Goddess will see through you completely.”

Nol: “…Uh.”

No, thank you. Just the thought was torturous. This was tantamount to him delivering the newborn Demon King on a platter to them.

“You’re quite talkative today.” Teest snorted.

“I have no choice.” Painter sighed. “That’s Eugene… In my view, the two of you, plus Fischer, might even be considered ‘candidates for the new Demon King’.”

Nol felt guilty for a second.

Then, he caught on—indeed, theoretically, such a “replacement” could be possible. The system didn’t specify where the new Demon King must stay. The problem was, Painter must have also thought of this. Why would he…

Teest spoke first. “Maybe I am the newborn Demon King, and you’re helping me?”

Painter smiled.

That smile was complex. For a moment, the frivolous air incongruent with his age vanished, his eyes suddenly filled with age.

“The so-called ‘gods’ only respond to high-ranking Chosen Ones. No matter what the Chosen Ones seek, no matter how much suffering remains on this land, the gods do not care—I’ve said before, in my opinion, ‘choosing’ should mean people choosing gods. Compared to gods who ignore everything, I prefer those with a softer heart.”

“Last night, I was close enough. After the Demon King vanished, there were not one but two new ‘god-like auras’. One stronger, the other weaker… It doesn’t matter who it is. If I’m not mistaken, you two won’t separate.”

Nol’s hair stood on end. Painter was just short of saying, “I know the Demon King is among you two.”

Nol looked into those eyes, resembling green fluorite. He found no fear, no caution, no subservience—there was only calmness in Painter’s gaze.

“Don’t worry, Miss Anakin probably hasn’t noticed. The perceptions of people not of this world are quite dull. Fischer’s level isn’t high enough to distinguish that clearly,” Painter calmly added.

Teest’s fingers lingered on the “Betrayer”, gripping then loosening. Nol gently patted his back, and he lowered his hand again.

“I guess this is a sign of trust,” Nol said. “Does this mean you’re willing to share the secrets of the dragon race with me?”

Painter scratched his face, his smile turning from sorrowful to awkward. “Well, that’s possible. We can talk in detail later. But, look, about my reward for helping defeat the Demon King…”

It still came back to this. Nol didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Just name your price.”

Indeed, still a cunning old fox. Bringing up the price again at this time, he couldn’t help but reconsider the cost of “hush money”.

“You’re too generous. I really need to think this through!” Painter’s face glowed with excitement.

“It’s not over yet.”

Teest bared his teeth, as if Painter had directly reached into his wallet. “I’ve always wondered, how are you so sure that a ‘Demon King’ counts as a kind of ‘god’?”

Painter waved his hand. “My oracle is quite special. It allows me to make certain deductions.”

“What oracle?”

“Ah, that’s another price, Mr. Mad Monk. Rather than worrying about my pitiful privacy, you should think about how to disguise and escape—the Investigation Knights aren’t so easily fooled.”

With that, Painter directly canceled the soundproofing magic, letting everyone hear the last part of his sentence.

The three Players cast odd looks at Teest, who was grinding his teeth, while only Fischer remained serious.

“The Investigation Knights will not target Players.”

Fischer stepped forward respectfully, bowing to Teest. “If it’s just about relocating the two Lords, I have a way.”

“As do I,” Painter said.

“I can give you both the identities of Eternal Church followers. We’re close to the borders of Shiva, and to the north is Gratice. Ice Rock City is the stronghold of the Eternal Church, and the nearby Temple’s power is weak.” Fischer straightforwardly ignored Painter.

“Heading north is a good idea, but don’t underestimate those guys from the Temple,” Painter persistently interjected. “The monks aren’t safe enough—they’ll probably turn everyone inside out. Except…”

Fischer slowly turned his head, casting a subtle glance at Painter.

“I think the Evergreen Nuns are a better choice.” Painter patted his chest. “I can play the perfect ‘old nun teacher’, guaranteeing no leaks. As for you… hmm, a little transformation will do.”

“…What?” Nol was bewildered.

Their previous conversation was so shocking, but he wasn’t as baffled as he was now.

Even he knew that Evergreen Nuns, like Evergreen Monks, were around sixteen or seventeen years old, not yet qualified to become official clergy.

The youthful Fischer might pass, but both he and Teest were over 1.8 meters tall—clearly adults. Pretend to be nuns? What kind of joke was that?

Now Nol truly believed that Painter didn’t care at all about the “Demon King” title. He dared to propose such absurd ideas to the newborn Demon King!

“First go to Gratice, then teleport near the Dragon’s Lair in the Temple’s detection blind spot? Mm.” Fischer nodded.

‘Fischer didn’t care… Well, as a former cultist of the Eternal Church, he probably didn’t have something like a “bottom line”,’ Nol thought to himself, speechlessly.

“Then why are you coming along?” Teest clicked his tongue at Painter.

Nol incredulously looked at those around him—wait, are you sure that’s the point?

“Being by your side is the safest. That’s one reason,” Painter said cheerfully. “And secondly, the secrets of the dragon race—such things aren’t suitable to be discussed in secret. It’s safest told by a dragon itself! I can introduce you to my friends in the Dragon’s Lair for free, offering guidance services.”

“…Damn.” Teest looked displeased.

“That’s settled then,” Fischer said.

Nol painfully looked towards the three Players—Abandon and Solo’s gazes wandered, while Anakin’s gaze carried a bit more pity. Different reactions, but the same schadenfreude.

“Are you sure…” Nol desperately gestured at his and Teest’s height.

“The Investigation Knights won’t notice…” He mercilessly went on, revealing the muscular physique under the Mad Monk’s fabric.

“…We’re men?” Finally, Nol tugged at his and Teest’s distinctly masculine faces.

“I can solve that problem,” Fischer said, warily scanning the three Players. “It’s not suitable to discuss here. We’ll talk later.”

……

After nearly a day’s effort, Hot Ash finally sent the elite group up the Brick Mountains.

As Eugene guessed, Amazon had made perfect preparations for reception. From assisting down the mountain to arranging the camp for the injured, everything was fully prepared. Descending the mountain hardly cost him any effort, and Hot Ash finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He shared everything that happened in Brick Shadow without reservation with Amazon’s leader, Dorothy.

Next, it was just praying for the safe return of the rest, and if they could bring back news of the Demon King, that would be even better…

The news he received far exceeded his wildest imagination—Anakin had found some formidable people from who knows where, who directly dealt with the ancient Demon King. The system immediately released a main quest, with rewards that were very tempting.

Not having a conflict with Paradise was really great. This was a surefire main storyline force!

“The quest says, ‘ God will fulfill your wish’.” Hot Ash spoke with anticipation. “Meaning, as long as we defeat the newborn Demon King, everyone can go home!”

Dorothy didn’t seem as excited. She slowly scrolled through the quest description, chewing on every word.

“The ancient Demon King’s death is a bit mysterious,” she said in a deep voice. “The tough nut that the so-called two gods couldn’t crack back in the day, was taken down by a small team of mortals?”

“It’s definitely that kind of trope. The two gods struggle with the Demon King, both sides suffer, and then a hero of the era delivers the final blow—next, we get on good terms with those heroes, and also with Paradise…”

As a professional gamer, Hot Ash was actually quite young. The moment he saw hope of returning home, his leadership aura vanished, and he became like a child dancing with joy.

“I have my reservations.” Dorothy shook her head. “Hermitage, an organization without faith, has received this too. Things are a bit delicate… If religion isn’t a mandatory choice in this world, why is the reward a ‘promise from God’? The system could have directly made the reward ‘any wish of the Player’.'”

“Dong Jie, nitpicking like this is no fun.” Hot Ash felt as if he was doused with cold water. His tone slightly shifted unhappily. “I didn’t even fuss about you not coming to the rescue… Aren’t you being overly cautious?”

“As long as people can truly die here, no amount of caution is too much.” Dorothy pursed her lips. “I suggest we—”

Before she could finish, two of her subordinates almost simultaneously entered the tent.

One was bubbling with excitement. “Anakin and the others are back!”

The other looked puzzled. “A messenger from the Alva Merchant Group requests an audience.”

Outside the tent.

Surrounded by many beautiful girls, Abandon consciously sucked in his stomach, trying to stand straight.

Even if it was a win by lying down, he participated in the subjugation of the Demon King. Not only did he level up several times, but he also brought back the white steel longsword “Knight’s Loyalty”. Following Paradise turned out to be the right gamble!

Just before entering the camp, Anakin made him sign a weird system contract—about the Master of Paradise and his succubus knight, Abandon couldn’t reveal a single word to the outside, and had to pretend to know nothing if asked.

Filled with gratitude for being led by Paradise, Abandon signed very decisively. Only afterwards did he start to feel something was amiss. “Why though?”

“Paradise wants to keep a low profile. They were just helping me with a quest. Who knew we’d run into Eugene and the others.”

Anakin put on a stern face, exuding the aura of a formidable senior. “I’ll report to Hot Ash. If you accidentally spill the beans to someone with bad intentions, our relationship with Paradise could be ruined.”

“Then I’ll definitely not say a word! The team leader is like my own brother!” Abandon patted his chest loudly.

Having gained a great advantage, he still had this much loyalty. “But there can’t be a mole inside the Saints Guild, right? We’re all comrades-in-arms…”

“That’s not necessarily true. Some people have bad brains, some people can’t keep their mouths shut, and some idiots have both problems.”

Sensing a presence not far away, Anakin lifted her head, her mouth twitching. “…The perfect example just showed up.”

A few steps away stood a representative from the Alva Merchant Group.

This time it wasn’t the arrogant Barto, but “Golden Sword” Enbillick Alva himself.

The Alva Merchant Group seldom ventured into such dangerous territories, let alone sent such a high-profile envoy. Golden Sword couldn’t have teleported here. He must have set off days ago—Barto, that idiot, must have leaked the information sent to Amazon.

“Good afternoon, beautiful miss.” Enbillick smiled and gave a hat-tip greeting.

……

“You two need to drink this.” Fischer carefully took out two small bottles.

Nol recognized the familiar scent. It was somewhat like the “Time Reversion” blood potion, but with slight differences. The deadly smell couldn’t even be contained by the bottle, bringing back unpleasant memories and making Nol’s stomach churn.

“What is this?” Teest asked, pinching his nose.

“The Investigation Knights excel at uncovering magic. We can only use this.” Fischer explained, “This is an ‘Age Reversal’ blood potion, capable of reversing a person’s physical age. The potion is distributed once every thirty years, only available to archbishops and above—each bottle can reverse ten years, so the more you work, the more you get.”

No wonder Fischer appeared so youthful.

“I specifically diluted and adjusted it, reducing age by ten years, with effects lasting a week. There’s no need to worry about changing your constitution.”

Nol: “……”

The Eternal Church really does have everything.

He looked despairingly at the Endless Sea, accepting the bottle.

---

The author has something to say:

The new Demon King and Doom Knight, stepping onto the stage of history!

But in nun’s clothing (.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Oh, do I sense some throwbacks to Stray? Adrian drinking that age reversal potion… Them sneaking into a school… Nian Zhong was like… I really like that university arc. Let’s amp it up a bit and have the MCs cross dress this time.

Damn… Now I need fanart of Nemo and Ollie in nuns clothing.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 130: A New Crisis

As he gathered his breath, Nol took a detailed look at his attribute window after a long absence—

[Demon King[?] – Lv.105]

[HP: 100/100 [Permanently Locked] | MP: 100/100 [Permanently Locked]]

[Strength: 89,327 [-99.35%] | Agility: 42,361 [-99.35%] | Intelligence: 562,610 [+260%] | Physical Defense: 70,884 [-99.35%] | Magic Defense: 107,964 [-99.35%]]

[Status: Curse “Physical Destruction [Indissoluble]” permanently effective; “Staff of Sacrifice” is in effect; “Guardian Oath” skill is in effect; Transcendence of the Law[?]]

Nol took a loud, deep breath.

He finally made it through.

Aside from the intelligence that wasn’t diminished by the curse, which was absurdly high, and his permanently locked health and mana, his other attributes were nearly identical to those of a prime young dragon—balancing strengths and weaknesses, his panel was on par with, if not superior to, the dragon leader Subelbot.

At the same time, he truly realized how merciful those three compatriots had been… even in their delirious and weakened state. If they had fought this battle with a full intent to kill, the chances of him and Teest winning were slim to none.

Nol sighed, leaning his head back against Teest’s bare chest. The latter blinked and also brought up his own attribute window.

[Doom Knight[?] – Lv.105]

[HP: 6,890,051/6,890,051 | MP: 415,213/415,213]

[Strength: 92,215 [+30%] | Agility: 82,667 [+30%] | Intelligence: 18,816 [+30%] | Physical Defense: 185,643 [+30%] | Magic Defense: 80,546 [+30%]]

[Status: Curse “God’s Forsaken [Indissoluble]” permanently effective; “Betrayal Overture” skill is in effect; Transcendence of the Law[?]]

Nol tensed up. “Your name…?”

“Gone, as you can see.” Teest’s arms wrapped around Nol’s waist. “Congratulate me, honey. The system has marked me as a ‘monster’. I’m completely yours now.”

Nol’s gaze lingered on the “?” provided by the system for a few seconds. Indeed, it offered no additional explanation. Previously, he thought the question mark in his “Dracolich[?]” title was due to his unique personal situation. Now Teest had become the same…

His fingertips brushed over the words “Transcendence of the Law” in the status bar.

Kando had said, the system is the absolute law of this world, and even the so-called gods must yield a bit. Now that they both had obtained professions not existing within the system, that inexplicable “god-like” pressure might be related to this status.

A pressure similar to that of the gods…

Thinking of this, Nol suddenly realized something. He quickly fiddled with the skill bar, finding that one skill that had never been activated—

[Breath of a False God: You possess the authority above all beings, invoking the innate fear of all species.]

It was somehow activated. The original note “Your power has not reached the standard. This skill is a weakened version adapted to you.” had disappeared without a trace.

Nol: “……”

He tentatively used the skill, and sure enough, that peculiar pressure could be turned on and off.

“How did you do it?” Teest tightened his grip in surprise when he noticed Nol’s pressure dissipated instantaneously.

“…It’s a long story,” Nol said dryly. “How about you? How do you control it?”

“Controlling technique is similar to controlling killing intent.” Teest shrugged. “And my aura isn’t as strong as yours.”

Nol grunted twice, deciding to swallow back the words, “It seems we’ve turned into some sort of strange False Gods.” After all, he didn’t yet know what the system defined “False God” and “God” as.

He turned around, deciding to change the subject. “The [Breath of a False God] has leveled up. I just turned it off. What about you? Does the Doom Knight have any special moves?”

“It’s rare for you to ask me.” Teest took the opportunity to bite Nol’s earlobe with considerable force. “I’ve retained all the Death Knight’s skills. There’s only one more… um, I don’t know if it’s magic—the system didn’t explain at all.”

Nol forgot to rub his ear, staring intently at Teest.

The latter stretched out his hand, and thick darkness oozed from his skin, climbing and entwining along his fingers. It emitted a rich scent of decay, and the temperature slowly dropped.

The Demon King’s corruption.

…Wasn’t it supposed to have disappeared?

“I’m as surprised as you are. Let’s talk while getting dressed.”

With one hand playing with the corruption and the other taking out two sets of new clothes—including the succubus costume and “Drake’s” specific outfit—placing them on the sandy ground.

Nol nodded seriously, then casually made a gesture to remove the soundproof spell near the backpack. He fumbled in the bag for a bit, pulling out the candle, which was in perfect condition yet rolling its eyes.

“I’m blind.” Seeing the two undressed, it sent a friendly greeting. “Fuck, I knew this day would come. Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk.”

“You can close your eyes. Just listen to what’s next,” Nol responded just as kindly.

Kando looked at them warily, its gaze as if looking at a pervert.

“I mean, the origin of this thing.”

Nol helplessly pulled Teest’s hand over, showing the corruption to Kando, whose eyes quickly squinted. Its tears crinkled into a ball, as if its eyes were stung by the stench of a foul-smelling toilet.

“I might as well listen,” it said reluctantly.

Five minutes passed.

“Isn’t that obvious?” Kando said with disdain.

Nol resisted the urge to pinch its tears. “How so?”

“From what you’ve described, the system has assimilated the authority of the Demon King. The system’s power has strengthened, but the unique power traits of that Demon King have disappeared. It’s like how pigs eat wheat, but what grows is pork, not wheat on their bodies.”

Kando sneered coldly. “That Demon King’s traits were very precious. Before reclaiming its authority, the system allowed that kid to steal a bit of the loop, as a way to keep a sample… The system has found a successor for the ‘Power of Destruction’.”

“Why me?” Teest raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t the system prefer its own dear dad?”

“Because that one has already become a pig and planting it in the ground won’t turn it into wheat.” Kando glanced quickly at Nol.

A vein throbbed on Nol’s forehead.

The black candle had been “soundproofed” for most of the night, and it clearly had a lot of grievances saved up, so its mouth was even fouler than before.

“You don’t seem too surprised about these things.” Facing a friendly party, Nol still chose to be tolerant. “Your erudition surprises me more and more.”

Kando averted its gaze. “Can’t help it. Who made it my mission to assist you?”

After saying this, it flicked its tears, quickly crawled back into the backpack, and even considerately pulled the drawstring closed. As soon as the topic deepened, it would slip away. This guy was really cautious in situations that might “breach the contract”.

Nol watched the bulging backpack, both annoyed and amused.

…Although Kando spoke unpleasantly and obscurely, the ideas it provides are indeed very interesting. Nol couldn’t really muster any hostility towards this creature that was like a foul-mouthed college roommate.

…He just hoped that the “mysterious existence” he was dealing with and the four eyeballs in the sky had nothing to do with each other.

Nol fastened the last button of his cloak and brushed off the fine white sand.

“Let’s go, Teest.” He hesitated for two seconds, but still bent down and kissed the top of the knight’s hair. “It’s time to meet up.”

……

Not long ago, at a nearby elite group camp.

Eugene didn’t see those four eyes.

When the anomaly appeared, the pressure was terrifyingly strong, comparable to the divine might projected by the Goddess of Life. Eugene, skilled in sacrifice, naturally knew how to handle it at this moment.

One absolutely couldn’t look directly.

If such high-level beings bore no malice, one might barely keep their life after peering. But if they were unbridled, those who were rude could only expect a brutal death.

The moment the corruption disappeared, Eugene kneeled on one knee. He bowed deeply, kissing the ring that bore the holy symbol, praying devoutly to the Supreme Goddess of Life.

He was somewhat surprised by the outcome, but not shocked.

The mysterious origin of Drake aside, Painter was lured here from miles away—well-known, this rebellious former Pope who defected was most skilled in purification magic. Had Painter not defected in his prime, he would have been in charge of suppressing the Demon King’s front.

The Goddess guided him here. This meant his destiny must have been arranged.

Near Eugene, Abandon and Solo dared not lift their heads.

They didn’t understand the intricacies of the sacrifice, but the power that was cast down was strong, cold, and full of malice—if one carelessly looked at something dirty, they might get hit with some mysterious negative effect—”instant death” being a possibility.

Since arriving in Tahe, Abandon had never felt such a terrifying pressure. He was like a small animal when a ferocious beast passed by, only able to lie on the ground and play dead, pretending to be nonexistent.

Eugene consciously deployed a protective shield, covering the two Players crouching on the ground. He himself continued to pray with a composed expression.

Abandon glanced at Eugene from the corner of his eye.

It was hard for anyone to truly dislike Knight Eugene, who had never slackened in protecting the Players along the way, and his demeanor was never haughty. If this guy wasn’t a zealot certified by the Temple, Abandon might almost feel a brotherly affection for him.

He tried to observe Eugene’s armor—when the filthy moonlight on that armor disappeared, they could lift their heads again.

In the murky moonlight, the young and handsome knight murmured praise, his voice warm and soothing. It was like some kind of calming magic. As Abandon listened to it, his heartbeat calmed down involuntarily.

This thought lasted from dark until dawn.

As the dawn light shone, the evil moonlight, like miasma, was dispersed by the morning breeze. Without the Demon King’s corruption, Brick Shadow recovered its usual appearance—cold in tone, dark in environment, yet possessing its own kind of withering beauty.

Lying in the mud all night, trembling, Abandon felt as if a road roller had run over his back; the pain almost made him want to scream. Noticing Abandon wriggling in the mud, Eugene ended his prayer, gracefully stood up, and extended his hand towards Abandon.

Abandon felt a sense of tragedy. God knows how Mr. Eugene managed to kneel and pray all night long. Weren’t his legs numb?

Just as he was about to reach for that hand, the notification of [Demon King Subjugation] hit his head.

Abandon’s hand froze, instinctively looking at Solo. Solo looked even more shocked than him. Eugene’s gaze swept between the two, and a smile appeared on his face. “Another ‘server-wide announcement’, or a unified new quest?”

“No worries. You don’t have to tell me. Stand up first.”

Solo had been following Hermitage, and Abandon was a fringe member of the Saints Guild, so neither knew how to deal with the higher-ups of the Temple. They were at a loss for whether to speak or remain silent, which only made the awkward air freeze to the point of solidifying. Until—

“Why are there only a few of you left?” Anakin’s voice came from not far away.

A group of five, not one less. They looked each weak in their own way, but fortunately, all were whole.

“Sister—!” Solo dashed forward. Anakin looked like she wanted to dodge, but in the end, she forcibly stayed in place, catching the family member who threw himself at her.

Abandon quickly glanced at Eugene, seeing that he didn’t intend to speak, he stepped forward. “Uh, everyone suddenly stopped moving earlier, and Hot Ash… I mean, Mr. Hot Ash took the whole group out of Brick Shadow.”

“We stayed here to meet up with you all. That’s about it.”

After saying that, he proudly pulled over the undead knight. “Look! It’s still in good shape, no damage at all!”

“You’ve worked hard. I’ll write it in the mission report.” Anakin nodded.

Abandon clenched his fist, silently making a celebratory gesture. Was this the legendary victory by lying down? The process was thrilling enough… Speaking of the process…

He stole another glance at Eugene, hesitating to speak. “About that Demon King…”

He didn’t receive team experience points. Presumably, it wasn’t Anakin who had taken action, being a healer.

That left only the possibility of the Master of Paradise and his succubus, Fischer from Paradise, and that “Mr. Painter” whom he roughly guessed who it was but refused to think too deeply about.

All were NPCs from Tahe.

Judging by the numbers, was it Paradise that made the move? It seemed quite reasonable, given they were the first organization to issue a server-wide announcement to start a new main quest.

As soon as the keyword was mentioned, Eugene’s gaze shot over like an arrow.

“If it were said to be the doing of This Villain, the mercenary business would be much better, wouldn’t it?” Painter said cheerfully. He shifted slightly, blocking Eugene’s line of sight. “How about Sir Eugene help to promote it?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. If it were you, your oracle wouldn’t be so simple.” Facing the traitor, Eugene’s voice suddenly turned icy.

“Why do you always bring up such disheartening matters?” Painter shook his head.

Eugene’s gaze moved past him, once again looking at the remaining three. His eyes scanned the two Paradise members covered in cloaks, finally settling on “Drake”.

“…Perhaps it was a certain hero who inherited dragon’s blood, fulfilling the legacy of their ancestors,” he implied meaningfully.

Nol faced Eugene’s scrutiny head-on—having formally ascended to Demon King, his attributes could easily overpower Eugene. It’s said that “all fear comes from insufficient firepower”. His confidence now needed no pretense.

“I’ve only preliminarily fulfilled my ancestor’s wish, not yet their legacy.” Nol spoke the truth, emphasizing each word. “After all, new enemies have emerged. I believe you know.”

Eugene smiled faintly. It was hard to tell if he believed or not.

“I see.” He casually changed the subject. “Speaking of which, Paradise is stronger than I imagined.”

The two cloaked figures, tall and short, had never revealed their true faces in front of him. Without the Players’ immortality privilege, their ability to survive the Demon King battle spoke of their strength.

“Thank you for your acknowledgment, all for my Lord.”

Fischer stepped forward, taking the initiative to bow to Eugene, deliberately revealing a bit of siren fine scales on the back of his hand.

The High Priest’s speech lacked the wavering sorrow and confusion of before, sounding effortless. His acting had returned to how Nol first met him.

“Now that everyone has safely returned, we too are relieved.” Eugene stopped there, stepping back twice. “What plans do you have next?”

Anakin sensed the tension in the air and quickly stepped forward. “Haha, now that the corruption is gone, we need to complete the quest.”

“I understand. Then please allow me to go back alone.” Eugene smiled.

……

At the quest’s end.

“Eugene is quite polite, knowing his presence makes everyone uncomfortable.” Abandon gazed at the glittering sea surface.

The sun had fully risen, and the sky was bright and clear. The blue water churned like silk satin, desolate yet beautiful. Abandon almost forgot about the dark red, filthy environment.

Painter glanced at Abandon, showing a look of pity as if listening to a child’s babble. He sighed quietly, saying nothing.

The undead knight slowly walked to the seaside. The foamy sea water covered his metal boots. He still carried that comical umbrella, casting a long shadow.

The quest was about to be completed. As long as it sank into the endless sea, everything would end.

“Wait.” Nol suddenly spoke up.

The undead knight turned around stiffly.

Nol pulled out Kando, immediately creating a rift. His figure disappeared for a moment, and when he reappeared, he had a small ghost by his side.

The ghost appeared very weak, looking like a boy under ten years old. On his semi-transparent head, he wore an oversized crown.

The blue fire in the knight’s eyes shook violently and became much more powerful.

After death, everything would only fade slowly.

Knowing the past of these brothers, Nol made a special trip back to the War King’s dungeon the night before they set off. Using most of his knowledge about undead monsters, he successfully turned the dead giant monster into a ghost.

Similar to the knight’s situation, during the two hundred years of struggle, the War King also lost most of his sanity. His memories were fragmented, with only a tiny, fragile part of his humanity remaining, able to appear only in such a form.

The thin ghost looked up at the knight. After a brief moment of confusion, it smiled, letting go of Nol’s hand—it directly floated towards the knight, flying onto the knight’s shoulder.

It happily sat there, taking the somewhat miniature umbrella from the knight’s hand, shielding against the brilliant sunlight.

The knight turned solemnly, giving Nol an awkward knightly salute. The ghost’s face peeked out from under the umbrella, looking towards the blazing sun.

A few seconds later, it smiled and hugged the knight’s skull. The knight took steady steps, slowly walking towards the depths of the Endless Sea.

The sea gradually swallowed the crimson cloak. It floated on the water surface, first like a bloodstain, then sinking deeper and deeper. In the end, the ghost’s small hand emerged from the sea surface, waving at them.

Sunlight cast fragmented gold on the sea surface.

[You’ve done this too.] Teest poked Nol mentally.

[Being alone isn’t pleasant. They should rest together.] Nol looked towards the calm and vast sea—recently, it had also swallowed his three compatriots.

“It will take some time before the knight is completely sunk.” Painter coughed twice. “Just waiting is not ideal. I have something to say.”

“Please.” Nol anticipated this—they had only paid Painter for the [Ancient Knight’s Last Wish], and incidentally defeated a Demon King; the former Pope probably wanted to renegotiate the payment.

It seemed quite reasonable, Nol was just waiting for the other party to name his price.

Unexpectedly, when Painter spoke again, it was a completely different matter.

“By now, Eugene has definitely reported the situation.” He frowned and shook his finger. “The Temple of Life will surely search extensively for the ‘heroic team’.”

“Have you all thought about how to conceal your identities?”

---

The author has something to say:

Here we go!!! Starting a new arc, focusing on the gods! (???

---

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