Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 219: Fairy Tale

That night.

Painter was arranged to stay in a guest room on the first floor. Using the pretext of “guarding against the Temple”, Enbillick added quite a few powerful protective magics to his room, making it look quite convincing.

In truth, everyone knew that Enbillick was just worried about Painter suddenly dying.

The guest room and living room of the Golden Sword household were equally cozy. The beds were soft and clean, emitting a fresh scent. The vase on the bedside was stuffed with unknown fresh wildflowers, blooming vigorously with perfectly matched colors.

A small dining cabinet was also placed by the window, containing a few bottles of inexpensive but decent wine, along with home-baked snacks, ham, and nuts. All arrangements were made carefully and meticulously, yet without losing a sense of relaxation in life.

Painter’s visit was sudden, so these preparations must have been managed by Miss Avra.

Mr. Former Pope sighed inwardly. He poured a small dish of nuts and placed it beside the bed to feed the gods—two furballs jumped to the edge of the dish, nibbling on the same nut together.

[After thinking it over, besides Avra, Star Stealer Sol probably doesn’t have any other “spares”.]

Telepathy wasn’t limited to the mouth. Nol slowly munched on the nut as he spoke. [As long as people are alive, they inevitably interact with others. Even those who seem inconsequential can sometimes have an enormous impact.]

With the financial resources of Golden Sword, it indeed would be possible to purchase a large number of these “dust” individuals, keeping them hidden from the sun their entire lives. But that would require setting up extra organizations to monitor these people.

Once exposed, its revival backup plan would be discovered by those with intentions. Moreover, such an organization would only involve more and more people, and who knows when it would get caught up in the tides of fate.

Even if it were somehow successful, reviving the will in a slave’s body would make the subsequent disguised life extremely difficult.

Rather than casting a wide net haphazardly, it was better to fully protect a single “spare” human. Keeping an eye only on Avra Alva and ensuring her survival would be a piece of cake for Star Stealer Sol.

[I think so too.]

Teest quickly nibbled on the nut—this was their first time using avatars, and the design still had flaws. If they didn’t eat in time, their bodies would quickly become soft and weak.

[The problem is how to deal with that woman,] he muttered as he added.

There was a very simple way to handle it—leave an avatar beside Avra Alva, and just before eliminating Star Stealer Sol, straightforwardly kill Avra.

This solution would be something the Mad Monk would suggest, but Teest believed that Nol would definitely not like it.

But what else could they do? Acting on Avra in advance would likely be detected by Star Stealer Sol. The white furball turned around, peeking at Nol through the gaps in the fur.

[We need to find a way to persuade Avra.] Sure enough, the black furball chewed bulgingly.

‘Too many variables,’ Teest thought. ‘This is even harder than acting directly on Avra. Hmm, still thinking about how to act…’

Painter: [I also agree with “persuading Avra”.]

Teest: [……]

He almost forgot. There was a real “Saint” sitting here.

[She’s living a very “happy” life now.]

Teest unceremoniously finished the nut, then bit off the crumbs stuck to the black furball. [Let’s not even talk about how to bypass Star Stealer Sol to contact her.]

[Even if we could contact her, the illusion of “happiness”, once pierced, would cause many people to become enraged, turning against the informer.]

[Indeed, that’s why we need to think carefully about the strategy.] Painter also picked a nut, and even though it was chosen at random, it looked particularly plump and fresh.

[I can only say, Miss Avra is a very attentive person. If we do something behind her back, if she finds something odd, she will notify her beloved husband immediately.]

[“Persuading” her will be easy? She’s been with Star Stealer Sol for over a decade. It’s impossible to easily sway her. Star Stealer Sol chose this woman, so he definitely considered the issue of “betrayal”.]

Teest immediately retorted, [Moreover, persuading her isn’t very meaningful—she’s dust among dust, and fate’s decree won’t be wrong. Let alone her, even if ordinary people knew the true face of Star Stealer Sol, who would dare to confront a god directly?]

Painter and the white furball looked at each other seriously. A few seconds later, the Former Pope laughed softly at those bean-sized golden eyes, while the soft white furball bristled, emitting a faint murderous intent.

Nol looked at the scene before him with mixed feelings, his thoughts continuously fluctuating.

…Both had valid points.

Avra’s life was like a perfect fairy tale. The ending would read, “And from then on, they lived happily ever after.” Such a perfect conclusion, who would want to face the terrifying reality beneath the ice?

Even fairy tales knew how to let the flower remain at its most beautiful moment of bloom.

To quietly solve the problem of Avra, to find a way to deal with Star Stealer Sol’s avatar’s save ability, to bring down Star Stealer Sol’s true body from afar.

In this divine war, the problems they needed to solve were growing.

Wait, speaking of fairy tales…

[I have an idea,] Nol said.

……

Once upon a time, there was a poor slave orphan.

She didn’t know where she was born, nor did she know who her parents were. She only remembered the dirty wooden cage, the rancid air inside it, and the sour food.

The cage was filled with children of similar ages to her. Some died of illness, some went mad, and others disappeared silently into the darkness as the cage door opened and closed.

Every week, one or two would disappear or die, so there were fewer names than people in the cage. In the narrow, damp cage, “names” were like tags. When a person with a “name” was gone, someone without a name would inherit that “name”.

And so, the girl became “Avra”.

She was above average in appearance—not ugly, but not so beautiful as to stand out at first glance. Usually, she would shrink into a corner of the cage like a rat, silent. She didn’t thrash or scream day and night like the other children, didn’t create meaningless wounds on herself, or disdain the foul-smelling food.

And so, she lived like moss, blandly watching the world outside the cage.

From the moment she was conscious, pain and fear were as omnipresent as air. Now, she had grown accustomed to them. Slave traders would sometimes forget her existence. Sometimes, even Avra herself would forget she was a person, not just an object in the corner.

Soon, the scrawny child turned into a scrawny girl. As a slave, she reached the most suitable age for sale. The slave trader finally loaded her onto a cart, transporting her to another corner of the world.

Avra curled up motionlessly in a corner of the cage, as she had always done. To be honest, she didn’t care about her fate and was ready to face death.

Until one day.

A young man stopped the cart, grabbed the slave trader, and rescued the slaves, including Avra. He took her hand, declaring love at first sight.

He gave her clothes without fleas, unprecedented, delicious food, and a bed without the smell of excrement. He smiled at her perfectly, with a gentle and sweet expression.

Avra wouldn’t resist the insults and whippings of slavery, naturally, she also wouldn’t resist this smile.

What followed was a well-known story. Enbillick Alva fell in love with a lowly slave, defied the pressure from the Alva Merchant Group for her, and even had the famous Pope Painter officiate their wedding.

In fact, whether it was a “romantic hero” or a “sweet love”, Avra had no concept of them. He just pulled her forward, and she silently followed behind.

Just as she had always done, this was the only way of living she knew.

……

“Today is the story of mommy and daddy.”

With those words, Avra kissed her son’s forehead. Moore yawned and rubbed his eyes.

“Then who told you bedtime stories when you were little, mommy?” Colette asked sleepily.

“Nobody told me stories. Back then, mommy didn’t understand anything.”

Avra tried to make her pronunciation of the common language more standard. “Sweeties, let me tell you a secret. Whether it’s fairy tales or learning to read, mommy, like you, was experiencing it for the first time.”

“Then I will learn better than mommy.” Moore yawned again.

Avra smiled and touched her son’s forehead. This was Colette’s bedroom, and once Moore fell asleep, she would carry him back to his room.

“Why did daddy like mommy?” Colette lay in bed, grabbing Avra’s robe. “Mommy must have been very special back then, right?”

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” Avra tucked in her daughter, her tone as gentle as ever.

To this day, Avra still couldn’t answer that question. She had always been slow to understand. Maybe by the time these two children grew up, she would have figured it out.

After the children fell asleep, Avra returned to the bedroom. Enbillick was already asleep on one side of the bed, and she climbed into bed quietly, suddenly frowning because of the texture on her hand.

Before lulling the children, she had washed her hands. The children’s rooms were very clean. Where did this clay come from?

She sniffed the clay on her hands, and a faint scent of blood entered her nostrils.

Strange. I’ll check it out tomorrow.

With that, she fell asleep.

Her dream was as perfect as ever. She sat under the blue sky, watching the children chase and play in the sunlight. Two cats, one black and one white, frolicked at the children’s feet. They held their tails high, emitting sweet meows.

Avra was knitting a scarf with golden yarn with a peaceful smile on her face.

Perhaps the cats were tired from playing. They came to Avra’s feet, looking up at her.

“Do you want some water?”

Avra put down the yarn and touched the soft cats.

Then, before her eyes, the tips of the cats’ tails fell off, turning into a black and a white furball. The furballs bounced up to her chair and settled on her shoulders.

The kittens at her feet, as if they had completed their mission, scurried back to the children.

Avra: “……”

Avra: “?”

She glanced at the two little furballs from the corner of her eye, uncertain whether this development was cute or creepy.

“We were brought by the kittens… cough cough, guardian spirits.” The black furball made a thin cry, sounding oddly embarrassed. “Miss, your children are in danger.”

Even in the dream, Avra’s shoulders jolted. She hurriedly cradled the furballs in her hands. They were soft and warm to the touch, feeling eerily real.

One black and one white furball, one green and one gold pair of eyes. The colors matched. They really did look like little spirits brought by the cats.

“You must have touched the clay. Your children have been cursed by a bad person.”

Unlike the more reserved black furball, the white furball was overly dramatic. “We alone can’t lift the curse. We need your help.”

“A curse?” Cold sweat broke out on Avra’s back.

If it’s a curse… Mr. Painter was visiting. Whether it was a dream or not, she could ask him to take a look after waking up. He was a Saint, the strongest in all of Tahe.

Yes, that’s what she would do.

“Please don’t tell anyone!” As if it read her thoughts, the black furball chirped anxiously, “We only trust you. If you tell others about this, we won’t appear again.”

“Let me at least tell the children’s dad.” Avra pleaded. “His love for the children is no less than mine!”

The furballs fell silent.

“Wait until midnight tomorrow. We will take you to a place. After that, if you want, you can tell your husband.” The black furball rubbed her palm. “Kind Miss, can you keep a secret for us for one day?”

As dawn’s light began to show, Avra suddenly opened her eyes, her nightgown slightly damp with sweat.

Usually, memories of dreams would fade upon waking. But this dream was branded in her mind, with every detail vivid.

Avra looked at her palm, still bearing traces of clay.

Hesitating for a moment, she nudged her husband beside her.

“Dear.” She said vaguely, “Should we get the children checked?”

“Mm, the family doctor has seen them.” Enbillick, with his back to her, didn’t turn around. “Are the kids feeling unwell?”

Avra opened her mouth but ultimately swallowed her words. “I just… feel uneasy. The kids have been playing in the mud lately. I’m afraid they might catch something.”

“……”

Enbillick was silent for a few seconds. “It’s just a bit of mud. It’ll be fine. I promise.”

His tone was unusually certain.

Why is he so sure?

Avra gazed at her husband’s back, keeping her questions to herself.

Just one day, she told herself. This is for the children, not to disappoint the spirits’ goodwill.

Just one day.

She was hoping everything would pass without incident, and once the storm had subsided, she could turn it into a new fairy tale for the children.

---

The author has something to say:

Nol: Star Stealer Sol can’t write a HE. I’ll do it (×

Today the black and white furballs are chirping again.

He’s becoming less and less dignified, Mad Monk…

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 218: Value

Outside the window, the sun was setting, and the last ray of sunlight disappeared. The room quickly darkened, as if sinking into the ocean.

The plate as well as the enticing steak were drenched in blood, revealing the color of raw meat.

A terrifying curse filled the air as Painter stiffly collapsed onto the table, his new green eyes gradually losing their luster. A flicker of shock passed over Enbillick’s face, and next to him, Avra screamed and fainted on the spot.

In the next instant, everything suddenly vanished.

The blood was gone, and the unconscious Avra was sitting in her place, drinking soup from a spoon. The warm orange-red of the sunset was still visible outside the window, and a streak of twilight glided over Painter’s dinner knife.

Painter still held the dinner knife in his hand. Just as he was about to lift it, Enbillick leaned forward and grabbed his wrist. Crimson gem shards exploded in front of Painter, and sparks replaced the blood, sprinkling onto the steak.

The incident happened suddenly, with Enbillick kneeling on the table, and the dishes and bowls were jumbled together.

A powerful purifying magic surrounded Painter, capable of eliminating the corruption of the Demon King. Painter raised his head, looking blankly at Enbillick. “What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

At this moment, the sun sank below the horizon again, casting a shadow over half of Enbillick’s face.

“…You have the scent of a curse on you.” Enbillick withdrew his hand, returning to his seat. “My apologies.”

“A curse? Impossible.” Painter’s face couldn’t hide his astonishment.

As the former Pope of the Temple of Life and the leading mage in Tahe, it was unlikely that Painter could be secretly cursed without his knowledge. He had every reason to question, and Enbillick understood this.

“It’s a curse related to the Demon King.” Enbillick explained softly, “As you know, my family has prepared many top-tier protective artifacts. The person who cursed you is powerful, leaving almost no trace. If it weren’t for my family’s artifacts warning in advance, I wouldn’t have been able to react.”

Painter’s expression still held doubts. In the end, he just sighed and began to help clean up the chaotic table.

“Thank you, anyway. Something isn’t right. I better leave here as soon as possible.”

Painter collected the overturned dessert plate, and a small piece of crushed cookie fell into his pocket. Inside the pocket, a white furball lightly caught the piece of cookie, broke it in half, and poked a black furball with one half.

Enbillick: “Don’t be like that. We both owe you. With the situation being so dangerous, it’s better for you to stay… Such a strong curse must be short-term. It must have been someone you came into contact with recently.”

“There are too many people who wish me dead.”

Painter cleaned up the overturned dishes and broke off two pieces of onion bread to eat. “The Drifting Mercenary Group has countless enemies, and the Temple of Life can’t wait for me to disappear. I’m not on good terms with some members of Paradise, and I’ve just been driven out by the General.”

At this, he chuckled bitterly to himself.

“But to go unnoticed by me, they must have used a systemic approach.”

Enbillick’s face twitched, eventually settling into a look of concern. “Indeed.”

Crunch.

Inside Painter’s pocket, Nol bit into the cookie, tasting a hint of black tea.

Within the soft black fur, two round blue eyes twinkled non-stop. Through the fabric of the pocket, he stared straight at Enbillick.

[//Teest determined that Avra’s reaction is genuine fear. She doesn’t know the truth about her husband.]

[//Enbillick activated reversion immediately and a very subtle magic fluctuation appeared on Avra.]

The intelligence was brief.

Fortunately, everything matched their speculation—

Not long ago, Teest straightforwardly made his suggestion.

[Just let Painter die once,] the Mad Monk said indifferently. [Given the cautiousness of the Star Stealer Sol, he definitely can’t tolerate Painter, this “sacred steppingstone”, dying outside of his plan.]

[If Painter suddenly commits suicide, I can watch Avra’s reaction. Whether she’s truly frightened or feigning it, whether she knows or not, can be judged by subconscious reactions. With some luck, we might even get more intelligence.]

At this point, the white furball lightly jumped, landing on the soft black furball, scattering Nol’s unorganized words.

[Actually, assassinating that woman directly would be more effective. But I think Lord Nol would definitely not like this idea.]

But I would like the idea of “Painter committing suicide”?

Nol couldn’t help but snort internally. Right now, he was firmly pressed at the bottom of the pocket, feeling suffocated as if his face were buried in a cat’s belly.

…But he didn’t want to outright refute these. What they were facing now wasn’t the mundane dilemma of “eating meat or drinking soup first” but a divine battle involving countless fates.

On the battlefield, moral opposition was useless. To reasonably reject a proposal, he had to come up with a better plan.

[No problem.] Painter responded first. [To say something rather awkward, I was thinking of almost the same method just now.]

Nol: […Wouldn’t suicide be too abrupt?]

[It can be disguised as curse manipulation.] Painter calmly stroked the dinner knife. [Even if Star Stealer Sol becomes suspicious, he must save me—he values my prophecy highly, and if he lets me die here, you can guess the consequences.]

The black furball remained still at the bottom of the pocket. Nol was thinking rapidly.

The Temple of Life was searching everywhere for Painter. Given the open relationship between Painter and Golden Sword, it was only a matter of time before they found him here.

Regardless of whether the Investigation Knights had concrete evidence, Knight Eugene would know about this. Painter had a significant influence on Eugene, who possessed the god-slaying prophecy, and he would certainly be hostile towards Enbillick.

Star Stealer Sol would definitely not like such a situation.

Moreover, Star Stealer Sol couldn’t be sure whether it was “Paradise conspiring with Painter” or “Paradise wanting to get rid of Painter due to conflicting interests”. If it was the latter, Painter’s death would also carry some anti-reversion measures—sending a magical signal outward after death, and so on.

All in all, Star Stealer Sol couldn’t afford the risk of “Painter dying arranged by Paradise”. He would 100% activate reversion.

…But all these were just his guesses. No tactics were 100% accurate.

The weight of a person’s life wasn’t something he could lightly manipulate.

[I agree with the plan.] After a while, Nol said, [But I want to add one thing.]

He could feel the warm white furball on him suddenly tensing up.

[If something unexpected happens and Star Stealer Sol doesn’t save you, Teest, throw me into Painter’s mouth—eating me, this piece of flesh, will definitely save his life. Then you’ll have to come up with another reason to explain it.]

[If it comes to that, I can jump into his mouth myself,] Teest said gloomily.

[Only my power includes “life”. You’ll only choke him to death,] Nol stated matter-of-factly. [No worries. Even if this avatar is consumed, I’ll just wake up in my true body in the Lost Tower.]

He reached out his tiny hand, gently rubbing the white furball lying on him. At the moment, both of them deflated, becoming soft black and white pancakes.

Just as he didn’t immediately oppose Teest’s proposal, Teest also remained silent this time. After a while, he reluctantly climbed down from Nol, puffing up again.

[I admit, this is the most reasonable judgment for now.] Teest muttered begrudgingly.

Painter’s thoughts were tinged with a smile. [Thank you, Lord Nol. This is truly reassuring.]

He picked up the dinner knife, its blade reflecting the blood-like sunset.

……

Time returned to the present.

Nol finished his recollection, scrutinizing Avra intently. The suicide trick could only be used once in front of Star Stealer Sol, and the information they obtained was very limited.

But it was enough.

When Star Stealer Sol used “reversion”, a very faint magical fluctuation appeared on Avra. The existence of Avra Alva was undoubtedly related to Star Stealer Sol’s reversion ability.

But there really wasn’t anything special about her.

As an avatar of Star Stealer Sol, Enbillick could return to a “save point” through consciousness or physically travel through time. His powers were already formidable, so why did he need Avra?

No. He had to think about it from another angle.

Since Avra was neither Star Stealer Sol’s beloved nor a secret weapon, she could only be a lifesaving trump card.

Think, think.

From another perspective, if this was a final boss to be perfected, how should it logically be completed?

Mortals couldn’t withstand possession by Star Stealer Sol. The moment Star Stealer Sol possessed them, they would die, leaving only an empty shell. And when the will of Star Stealer Sol left, they would become real corpses.

Therefore, in large-scale time reversions, Star Stealer Sol could only “personally physically travel through time”, not “cover others with his consciousness”. The tides of fate couldn’t be resisted. Every person was a drop of water in the river of fate, and the premature death of one person would always cause ripples.

Wait. Nol straightened up, looking towards Painter.

[When you go back to the past, you can only affect those who are insignificant—those who, for the world, it doesn’t matter whether they are dead or alive, like mere dust.]

This guy seemed to have said something similar when he traveled back in time with Teest.

When they went back to the past, they could affect those who were insignificant.

So, if a person… A person was extremely, extremely insignificant. Her existence had no impact on fate, her life was unknown to anyone, and her death unnoticed by anyone.

An existence whose death, at any time or place, wouldn’t affect the times.

The black furball suddenly puffed up, appearing to double in size. The white furball curiously approached. [Honey?]

[Teest.]

Nol’s entire body was wrapped in a shudder. [If we successfully kill Enbillick, this avatar, and bring down the true body of Star Stealer Sol. No matter how you look at it, we would completely win, right?]

[Theoretically, yes.] Teest circled Nol. [As long as he doesn’t have time to create a new avatar.]

[Yeah, everyone would think so.]

Nol once again looks towards Avra through the fabric of the pocket. The gentle lady was sipping grape juice.

[On Earth, Liches aren’t really set up like Valdorlock.] Nol suddenly changes the topic. [Liches have phylacteries, and they hide them very well. Unless you find and destroy the phylactery, the Lich won’t truly die.]

[Suppose—just suppose—Star Stealer Sol hid somewhere enough flesh and blood to create an avatar. Then, at the moment of defeat, his consciousness descends into someone from many years ago.]

[Even without a true body, as long as this person successfully touches the flesh and blood, he can become a new avatar. Everyone believes Star Stealer Sol is dead, and he just needs to lurk in the torrent of time, finding a way to make a comeback.]

[But that’s not realistic,] Teest stated. [A person dying a decade or even decades earlier would definitely have an impact. The laws of time—]

He suddenly stopped, not continuing.

Both perched on the edge of the pocket, silently watching Avra immersed in happiness.

As a companion who also returned to the past, Teest quickly guesses a similar possibility—

Enbillick Alva’s choice to marry a nameless slave wasn’t out of convenience, ease of control, or malice.

He chose her because she was the most “worthless” person in the world. She could serve as his vessel, dying at any point in time.

[What a disgusting story.]

Nol sighed.

---

The author has something to say:

Old Painter couldn’t possibly exit the stage so rashly hhhhhhh

Nol: Star Stealer Sol, your scriptwriting is terrible—

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 217: Dollhouse

She looked completely like an ordinary human.

The spherical Nol tried hard to widen his eyes to discern Avra Alva’s condition. This avatar had virtually no attack power, and just deploying [Creator] exhausted his mana.

As it turned out, Avra Alva was a genuine, ordinary human. She had no special magical fluctuations and possessed no remarkable magical talents, just like any pedestrian you might see on the street.

[Her body also has no issues.] The white furball squeezed Nol. [Looking at her muscles and the details of her movements, she definitely hasn’t undergone any special training.]

Nol shook his body, lost in thought.

Star Stealer Sol controlled Old Duke Alva to indirectly control the Alva Merchant Group. The Old Duke himself became a Supplement White Demon. When necessary, Star Stealer Sol could even use the duke’s body for combat.

Miss Avra, on the other hand, was entirely different. She was flawlessly normal to a maddening degree.

It can’t really be a “true love fairy tale”, right?

[I’ll go upstairs and take a look.] Nol gently tugged at the white furball.

[I’ll come too, since Painter will keep track of the information for us.] Teest poked the black furball. [You want to check on their kids? Huff, I hope it’s not really a ‘crystallization of love’. I’d feel sorry for that woman.]

[It’s not impossible that she knows the truth and really likes Star Stealer Sol.] Nol mused, [Just like you, who knows I’m a monster.]

[That’s different. I’m inherently abnormal,] Teest replied proudly, then suddenly fell silent, stiffening a bit.

Teest probably realized the delicacy of this comparison, and Nol suppressed a smile.

Taking advantage of Enbillick’s inattention, the two furballs jumped out of the pocket and quickly blended into the shadows. Nol bounced up the carpeted steps, rushing into the second floor with Teest.

Colette Alva and Moore Alva each had their own room, with doors decorated with childish toys and nameplates.

Besides the dried flowers and specimens sticking around, Colette’s doorplate was adorned with a tacky ornament made from wine bottle corks, colored glass, and shells. Moore’s doorplate was mostly strange stones, forming crude picture frames that framed childishly drawn pictures.

The content of the drawings was much the same—red sun, green grass, a two-story house, and four little people holding hands and smiling.

[Dad, mom, sister, and me.]

[Everyone is very happy.]

The handwriting on the drawings was as immature and rough as the artwork itself.

The black furball quietly stopped in the shadows. From this angle, the doors to the children’s rooms seemed like the main entrance to a cathedral. Looking at the two closed doors, a sour feeling suddenly rose in his heart.

Teest wasn’t hindered by these warm decorations at all. The white furball bounced several times in the hallway, then lightly landed in front of Nol.

[The doors aren’t locked. Let’s go in.]

They first chose Moore Alva’s room.

The room was small, and the decor was equally ordinary. It was clear that the toys and books in the room were expensive but practical. The Golden Sword family obviously didn’t plan to prepare pointless luxuries for their children just to show off.

Nol gently touched the desk, where colored pencils were scattered. They were pressing down on an unfinished drawing.

The drawing was of a little person wielding a long sword, facing a dark monster.

The word “Daddy” was simply written at the bottom of the drawing.

Next to the pencils was fresh lemon water with honey, and the chair was prepared with a sturdy, soft cushion. Every detail was considerate, as if this family was destined for a bright future.

Nol turned around to look at the bed next to the desk.

Moore Alva had light golden hair very similar to Enbillick’s. He was deeply asleep, his cheeks rosy, with a few freckles scattered across his nose, and the colors of pencils still on his fingertips.

The black furball floated to his side, gently leaning on it.

[How is it?] Teest curiously moved back and forth.

This time, Nol was silent for a very long time.

[He’s not human… He’s never been human.] Finally, he concluded with some difficulty.

With such close inspection, he couldn’t be mistaken.

Moore Alva was a mixture of carefully disguised magic. He wasn’t even a Supplement Demon. At least those had a past as humans.

Moore Alva was a hybrid artificially born from Avra Alva’s flesh and blood mixed with clay and magical materials. Star Stealer Sol didn’t have the power of creation. Considering the child’s age, he was likely born through the power of the system—

The system was the authority of the God of Creation, naturally capable of generating “special life”.

[His attributes are very average. His lifespan is about the same as humans and he has no special abilities.]

Nol continued with complex feelings, [In fact, his physical condition is worse than that of a normal child—Star Stealer Sol can’t completely control the system. He only managed to create a half-finished product. Without regular repairs, this child’s body would collapse.]

The black furball gently rubbed the child’s hand.

[This isn’t a ‘weapon’ meant for combat.]

[It doesn’t seem to be the so-called ‘crystallization of love’ either.]

Teest inwardly clicked his tongue. [If he really wanted to have offspring with that woman, he should have added his own flesh and blood, right? In the end, he only used human flesh and clay.]

Just like a clay doll used for playing house.

No, more precisely, a clay doll specially prepared for Avra Alva.

Sunlight spilled into the cozy room. Fairy tale books and animal toys lay on the plush carpet. The cookie jar reflected a warm light, faintly emitting the scent of chocolate cookies.

A carefree childhood; an enlightened and happy family. This might be the perfect world a child could have.

[Let’s go and check the other one.] Nol found everything in front of him unbearable.

Colette Avra’s situation was similar to her brother’s, another fragile humanoid creature made of blood and clay.

She was completely unaware of such reality, hiding a ribbon-tied diary under the bookshelf. Inside a tin cookie box, she kept carefully folded stars and diligently saved gold wheels and silver hooks. They were dazzling under the afternoon sun, with unknown wishes hidden within the box.

If they hadn’t investigated the two children and directly defeated Star Stealer Sol, the children would quickly deteriorate and die.

Seeing the second room, even Teest wasn’t so lighthearted anymore. He didn’t bounce around the room but stayed honestly by Nol’s side.

[What is this? A family game?] His thoughts sharpened. [Or is it that the guy is afraid the animal locked in the cage will become depressed, so he specifically added two toys?]

Nol couldn’t deny it.

Considering “Golden Sword” wasn’t often at home, these two children were undoubtedly prepared for Avra Alva. Compared to the attitude towards a lover, Star Stealer Sol’s actions were more like meticulously keeping a pet.

Just as Nol was about to speak, he suddenly felt a chill behind him. Before he could react, the white furball bit his fur, dragging him two meters away—

Where they were just standing, a curious white kitten appeared. The cat had golden pupils and snow-white long fur, looking a bit like an animalized Teest.

“Meow.” It clumsily stretched out its paw, curiously pouncing towards the two furballs.

Beside the sleeping girl, another black spherical object unfolded. A green-eyed little black cat stretched and followed the movements of the two furballs with its eyes. At the moment, the two furballs were using divine power to firmly stick to the corner of the ceiling.

Nol: “…….”

The coloring of the two kittens was too subtle that he really couldn’t help but think more about it.

The two kittens tumbled on the bed, but Colette Avra remained deeply asleep, her eyelids not moving at all. For a second, Nol suddenly felt a sense of nausea as if he were in a dollhouse.

This place was like a miniature Tahe. Dominated, played with, perfectly mixed with perfection and falsehood.

Suddenly, footsteps approached the door.

Nol immediately bounced towards the black cat, hiding under the soft belly fur of the kitten. Teest hid under the long fur on the chest of the white cat, both blending perfectly into the cat’s fur, staring at the door together.

The door opened, and Avra walked into the room. She bent down in front of the bed, lovingly stroking her daughter’s hair.

“It’s time to get up, my little darling,” she said softly, her voice almost overflowing with laughter.

“Mommy.” Colette opened her eyes, showing a sweet smile. “Is the jam pie ready?”

“It’s still a bit hot.” Avra sat on the edge of the bed. “Tonight, an uncle will dine here. Do you want to join?”

“No, it’s so boring to listen to daddy talk business, and we can only have dessert after dinner.” The little girl puffed her cheeks. “I want to eat jam pies with Moore!”

“Okay, I’ll add a bottle of juice.” Avra kissed her daughter’s forehead.

“Mommy is the best!”

……

Once back in Painter’s pocket, Nol and Teest exchanged words, quickly explaining the current situation. Painter’s mind was filled with telepathic voices, experiencing a stereo effect reminiscent of Earth.

[Okay, I got it, the children are fake, but they’re unaware of the situation. Avra Alva is the core of this family, and she appears to be an ordinary human for now.]

With his mind buzzing, Painter maintained an impeccable smile on his face.

Across from him, Enbillick and Avra were affectionately preparing dinner. Painter couldn’t help but narrow his eyes. His previous unease suddenly made sense—the scene before him felt more like a human playing with a pet than a husband and wife being intimate.

As a Pope who had seen all facets of life and was deeply revered, Painter could discern those subtle differences. But for Avra, born a slave, such distinctions were likely indiscernible.

[What do you two think?]

Painter stared at the steaming dishes before him.

[Personally, I believe that guy genuinely wouldn’t fall in love with a human, nor would he keep a human as a pet for some twisted form of relief.]

[If this is some sort of observation experiment, focusing on just one person is incredibly inefficient.]

[That’s true.] The black furball deflated as if melting.

Not a weapon, not a lover. All their speculations had hit a dead end. They wanted to confirm whether Avra was aware, without alarming Enbillick.

[I do have an idea.]

Teest looked at the shining silverware before him, his tone filled with the unique malice of the Mad Monk.

[Honey, I’m sure you’ll oppose this, but please hear me out.]

The white furball picked up the melting black furball in the pocket, trying to restore it to its original shape.

[…To pull off this plan, I’ll need both of your help.]

In less than half an hour, a lavish dinner appeared on the Alva family’s table. Avra avoided the rich meats, specifically choosing easily digestible dishes like stewed eggs, meatballs, and jam pies for the children upstairs.

“The kids don’t like listening to adults talk.” She returned to her seat, stating frankly, “And they love to chat non-stop while eating. I thought you’d prefer a quieter environment.”

To show respect, she made a point to speak each word slowly and poignantly.

“You’re too kind. I wasn’t fond of such occasions as a child either,” Painter said with a smile.

“What a luxurious problem,” Enbillick joked. “When I was young, I ran around the streets. Not to mention eating at the same table with adults, even snagging something from the table would get me kicked a few times.”

As he spoke, he tore off a piece of onion bread and chewed loudly.

Facing the god he once worshiped, Painter suddenly found the taste in his mouth to be unpleasant.

The white furball rolled in his pocket. It was the former Mad Monk, now a local god. But what Painter would always remember was the youngest son of the Flama family, who had lost his name.

He remembered the five charred skulls in the courtyard of the Flama house. The loving and enlightened Flama couple gradually merged with the false couple before him.

The lay followers of the Temple of Life casually burning “heretics”, the dungeons of the Eternal Church filled with young lives turned into monsters. The initiator of it all was kissing his human wife’s forehead, smilingly claiming he had no faith.

How unappetizing.

Painter’s fork pierced into the tender meat. The light red juice stained the white plate, resembling blood.

“I wonder how long the Temple will investigate this time. It’s chaos everywhere lately.” Enbillick continued pretentiously, “If you need, you can stay here longer—sorry, this involves the Demon King, and the Alva Merchant Group can’t settle it.”

“No need. I’ve already caused you enough trouble. One night is enough.” Painter slowly sliced the steak, the silver knife smoothly cutting through the fibers.

“…Enbillick, have you ever considered retiring?”

Enbillick blinked. “Retiring?”

Painter continued, “Turbulent times are coming, and this Demon King isn’t easy to deal with. The Drifting Mercenary Group is observing the situation. I can’t abandon them.”

“But it’s different for you. Old Duke Alva valued you, so his successor will be doubly wary of you. You have a happy family. It might be better to find a safe place to hide—given your current wealth, you would have no worries for the rest of your life.”

“Retiring—it’s a good opportunity.” At this point, Painter’s voice softened, like a preacher.

Avra was persuaded by Painter, looking at her husband with eyes filled with hope.

“It sounds tempting.” Enbillick laughed heartily. “Unfortunately, I can’t stand the idea of ‘someone despises me, but I can do nothing about them.’ There’s no ‘living in harmony’ in the business world, brother.”

Avra’s lips moved slightly, her expression dimming.

“That’s true.” Painter casually raised his dinner knife. “Indeed, the answer of a businessman.”

With a flash of silver light, blood splattered. The gushing blood spurted everywhere, covering half of Avra’s face.

Godfrey Painter had slit his throat with a gentle smile.

---

The author has something to say:

Soft furballs and iron-blooded old Painter (no

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 216: The Weakest Avatar

Nol instinctively wanted to refuse. But as the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back.

Given the current circumstances, there was no better spy than Painter. Enbillick wouldn’t be foolish enough to trust Painter, but given his nature, he wouldn’t easily strike against Painter, who bore an oracle.

They must understand the significance of Star Stealer Sol’s wife and children.

“Going alone? I don’t approve.” Teest’s head squeezed closer to the fire circle.

Painter: “I can’t believe the great Mad Monk is worried about my safety.”

“This guy might not tell us all the information.” Ignoring Painter, Teest’s arm casually hooked around Nol. “Besides, letting him go alone, Star Stealer Sol might tamper with something.”

“But the ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ can’t be used.” Nol frowned.

Painter’s strength was already at the top of the pyramid. Sending others along would be pointless.

He and Teest were too powerful. Getting close to Star Stealer Sol could easily alert him. No matter how strong ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ was, it was a system-awarded item—not powerful enough to single-handedly tackle a god’s avatar.

Another head squeezed in. Perradat, possessing Lilith, said in a tone filled with disdain, “Want to hide your presence? Just use an avatar—now you two are in your true forms. Just create a super weak avatar and recall it when done.”

“If it’s a weak avatar, I’m confident in concealing you. Star Stealer Sol definitely won’t discover you.”

Two gods squeezed into a fire circle, discussing back and forth.

Mr. Painter, the former Pope, watched this… This not-so-sacred scene made his heart suddenly fill with faint weariness.

The God of Creation obediently created gold to buy ingredients, and the newly minted local god wasn’t quite right in the head—these two were in a thick atmosphere of blooming romance.

Behind the Goddess of Life and the Eternal Son was a mercenary middle-aged man, and his archenemy—the defeated in the two gods battle, the God of Fate, Perradat—was holding half a piece of sugar cake, waving her arms, and speaking sarcastically.

What about the mortal world? The would-be Pope of the Temple of Life was still a young man full of thoughts of the Goddess. The Pope of the Eternal Church was as passive as a dead fish, only reactive when prodded by Teest.

Indeed, Teest’s concerns had merit. Were it not for Star Stealer Sol’s inhumane behavior, Enbillick might even seem like the most reliable option.

The future of Tahe was truly worrying.

Painter ignored the chattering gods and poured himself another cup of tea.

Hmm, the tea is a bit cold. He wondered when the General’s promised lunch would be served. He was so hungry…

Just as Painter was about to nod off, the gods’ discussion finally reached a conclusion.

With two ‘pops’, two… things crossed through the fire circle, jumping to the side of the teacup. Simultaneously, the fire circle extinguished, and the noisy voices abruptly stopped.

Painter lowered his gaze, his face twitching twice.

Two walnut-sized furballs stopped next to his teacup. One was black and the other white, with medium-length soft fur. Hidden among the dense fluff were mung bean-sized round eyes. These things seemed weightless, bouncing around like soap bubbles.

They had no magical aura and looked like ambiguous tourist souvenirs when still.

Painter: “……”

This couldn’t be…

[This is our first time creating avatars. It’s a bit rough.] The black furball made an effort to bow, uncertain if it was nodding or saluting. [Enbillick knows all our identities and appearances. A new image is safer.]

Nol’s voice directly resonated in Painter’s mind.

Teest directly jumped into Painter’s dessert plate, opening a mouth hidden under the fluff to crunch on a cookie.

[I advise you not to get any other ideas—if these two avatars are destroyed, the loss to Nol and me is less than a hair. Our consciousness will return to our true forms and wake up at our base.]

Curious, Painter reached out to pick up Teest, who was munching on a cookie. The latter promptly spun around, chomping down on Painter’s finger. Painter’s fingertip soon sported two rows of fine, dense bite marks, and a bead of blood slowly emerged.

The touch was quite soft, seemingly pocketable.

“Are the people from Paradise gone?” The General timely returned to the room, followed by a hulking monster pushing a dining cart. The plates were covered with a lid, and a hint of roasted venison aroma leaked out.

Painter glanced at the two furballs pretending to be dead, suddenly realizing something—this was practice for the General in advance.

“Yes.” Painter carefully picked up the two furballs, careful not to squeeze the dignitaries too hard.

Only then did he notice the two furballs sneakily extending thread-like “little hands” to firmly grasp each other’s fur. The black and white furballs seemed sewn together, inseparable, no matter how much they were shaken.

Don’t laugh, Godfrey Painter. These are the avatars of two great gods. Don’t laugh.

Thinking of those devout believers… Thinking of poor Eugene… worse, it made him want to laugh even more. Mr. Painter struggled not to look at the two little things as his lips trembled.

“What are these?” The General looked disbelievingly at the two furballs. She clearly remembered there weren’t these little things on the table just before.

“Gifts.” Painter coughed twice, smoothly lying. “From a kid I helped recently.”

Painter, still holding onto much of his priestly duties, often helped young, poor children on a whim. He frequently received strange gifts like glass marbles, tree branch slingshots, and stone bracelets, all of which he treasured, so the General wasn’t surprised.

Watching the two furballs disappear into Painter’s pocket, the General suspected nothing. She snapped her fingers, and the hulking monster served Painter roasted venison, bread, and chowder.

‘As expected from the General,’ Painter thought. Even with the disruption of contact with Paradise, she mentioned nothing related to it, let alone probing for information.

“So, how long do you plan to stay here?” The General sliced a piece of meat, savoring the flavor. “I suggest you not stay here—I have nothing against you personally, but I still have to do business with Paradise. The last thing I need is extra attention. I believe you understand.”

With that, she made a toast gesture to Painter. “As compensation for sending you away, I’ll give you a free piece of information.”

“I do have something I’m curious about.”

Painter crossed his fingers, not at all offended by the dismissal. He glanced at the pocket containing the furballs. “What do you know about ‘Avra Alva’?”

Why is everyone so interested in Golden Sword’s family? The General’s brows twitched, and after a few seconds, she replied, “That’s a good question. I regret giving it to you for free.”

“Please, continue.” Painter’s smile remained unchanged.

“If it were anyone else asking, I could talk about her origins. An orphaned slave from a foreign land, with no backing and almost no past to investigate—as the officiant of her wedding, you know her situation. She’s just a pitiful creature, like a speck of dust.”

The General tapped her lips with a silver fork. “Since you’re asking about ‘Avra Alva’, I guess you’re more interested in her life after marriage. Unfortunately, there’s really not much information on her.”

“Whatever comes to mind is fine. I don’t need you to investigate further.” Painter used bread to soak up the chowder on the edge of the plate, then said in a relaxed tone, “After all, it’s free information. Just consider me overly curious.”

“Normally, a merchant’s wife has many duties—managing assets, overseeing servants, attending social events, and the like. As for those tedious household matters, they’re usually left to the servants.”

The General casually narrated, “But as far as I know, Miss Avra rarely appears in public. Perhaps due to her status, she doesn’t socialize at all. Even when she does show up, it’s only to move places with ‘Golden Sword’.”

“Enbillick Alva’s residences everywhere are very simple and not specifically managed by someone. I suppose Miss Avra might be responsible for these.”

“That is to say, she almost has no personal relationships to investigate.” Painter swirled his teacup.

“Indeed. Her children would be picked up and dropped off by a dedicated servant to receive education from a private tutor, rather than having the tutor come to their home. Miss Avra wouldn’t privately meet with guests when her husband is away.”

“The popular theory now is that ‘Golden Sword’ does this to protect his wife, who comes from a slave background, only wanting her to live a peaceful and happy life—however, putting aside those messy romantic stories, objectively speaking, Miss Avra only appears in public alongside Golden Sword.”

[Oh, it’s more like a secret weapon. Maybe that woman was made by Star Stealer Sol.] Inside Painter’s pocket, Teest squeezed Nol thoughtfully.

Nol looked down at his own black velvet fur and remained silent.

He still remembered the night he visited the Alvas’ home. Miss Avra’s smile was very sincere, and he could see love in her gaze. To say Avra was domesticated didn’t quite fit… From all they currently knew, her emotions didn’t need taming.

A kind slave with a humble background and a bleak future, saved by a handsome and brave caravan leader. Despite societal pressure, he proposed to her. They got married under the blessings of the current Pope and lived happily together.

Whether on Earth or Tahe, Nol had seen countless folk stories with similar plots.

Their story was very much like a fairy tale.

Except Star Stealer Sol was best at destroying fairy tales. Nol didn’t believe it could harbor love for humans, which made him even more puzzled about the purpose of “Avra”.

“I heard Miss Avra was recently in Grape Collar.” Painter continued to inquire, “She hasn’t left yet, has she?”

“No, their whole family is here.” The General chewed on the tender meat. “They’ve been out shopping for several days, looking incredibly close.”

“Thank you for the information.” Painter put down his knife and fork.

General: “You ate so little. Does the food not suit your taste?”

“No. I have to save some room for dinner tonight.” Painter stood up, revealing a smile.

As he moved, two fluffy balls snuck back deep into his pocket.

……

Nol thought Mr. Pope would use some indirect tactics—like a chance encounter or a feigned strategy. Anyway, he wanted to be legitimately taken back by Golden Sword’s family.

Who would have thought the man would directly rush to Golden Sword’s residence and knock on the door openly.

Enbillick was actually home. He looked somewhat astonished at the visitor. Nol wasn’t sure if the astonishment was an act or genuine—Enbillick was wearing an apron, with his sleeves rolled up, and flour on his arms.

“Painter?” Enbillick blocked the door. “Why are you suddenly…”

“I just escaped from Eugene Malloy. The Temple of Life will soon be searching the city for me.”

Painter started with the truth. “I can’t find the Lost Tower, and the General won’t take me in. I heard you were in town. Please shelter me for a night.”

“That’s interesting. You weren’t so eager last time,” Enbillick said, still making way for him to enter.

“Because last time didn’t involve the Temple.” Painter sighed with some embarrassment. “I thought I could seek refuge in Paradise. The city wasn’t prepared for a stronghold.”

“Facing Eugene Malloy, that indeed is a problem.” Enbillick clicked his tongue, seemingly inadvertently continuing, “Speaking of which, didn’t you know about the Demon King incident in Paradise? You even dared to find that Tower.”

“Why do you think the General kicked me out? That guy values business more, wishing to cut ties with anything related to Paradise. Worse still, the Temple of Life will have a similar idea.”

Painter answered very naturally, “I wasn’t in Grape Collar recently and happened to just miss this event—you know me, I wouldn’t be in league with monsters that harm this land.”

Aside from the General’s attitude towards Paradise, the rest was all true. Even if Star Stealer Sol investigated, it couldn’t find anything. Nol curled up in the pocket, inwardly admiring.

He was unsure whether to say Mr. Painter sees things too openly or retains his youthful recklessness. Knowing the person opposite was a god he once worshiped, the Former Pope showed no fear—

“I believe you wouldn’t turn me away over such a matter.” Painter earnestly said, “Sorry, Mr. Alva, for the trouble.”

“Enbillick.”

Enbillick smiled and pointed at himself, leaving a few flour marks on the apron. “Since Mr. Pope acknowledges our friendship, let’s not use ‘Mr. Alva’.”

It was an impeccable, warm smile. If Nol didn’t know who he was dealing with, he would have been fooled too.

Painter: “Alright, Enbillick. It seems I’ve interrupted something.”

“Interrupted? You came at the perfect time. We were making jam-filled pies for the kids. You must try some.”

Enbillick laughed heartily. “The chaos at the Alva Merchant Group hasn’t settled, so I got a little long holiday.”

Behind Painter, the door of the Alva’s house slowly closed. The air was filled with the sweet scent of cooking jam, and Painter’s gaze moved to find Avra Alva making jam by the stove.

The two children weren’t in the living room, probably sleeping upstairs.

Hearing the noise, their target for the visit—Miss Avra—turned around, showing the same warm smile.

“I still remember you.”

She tidied her slightly messy hair. “Good afternoon, Mr. Painter.”

“Good afternoon, Miss Alva.”

Painter performed a standard greeting, and from the gap of his pocket, four tiny dots of light peeked out.

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The author has something to say:

A change of outfit every arc (?) This time featuring the belated glutinous rice balls—

Hello, Mr. Nol with black sesame and sweet cream filling, and Mr. Teest with glutinous rice and chocolate filling.

In this chapter, Mr. Painter encounters the terrifying event of glutenous rice ball biting!

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 215: Dinner Plans

At noon, under the bright sunlight in the Black Forest.

Painter stood at the original location of the Lost Tower, scratching his head in frustration. He had only gone out for a while to deal with the mercenary group’s affairs, and upon his return, the Lost Tower was gone.

All that was left was a piece of scorched earth from the aftermath of a battle. The grass was destroyed, and the soil was overturned, emitting the smell of blood and burnt odor.

Painter grimaced.

The Demon Players had made quite a fuss. Nol and the others must have urgently relocated their base.

He might as well go to Grape Collar to find the General. From what he observed, the members of Paradise wouldn’t skimp on their stomachs. No matter where the Lost Tower had moved, the General would surely not be short of supplying fresh ingredients.

It seemed he wouldn’t be able to find the Tower anytime soon. Why not take this opportunity to gather some more information? Nol wouldn’t hide important information from him, but it wouldn’t be appropriate to meet empty-handed…

Painter yawned, waving his wand casually. A new green light flashed, and a lurking giant bug flipped over in the bushes, slowly oozing foul-smelling juice.

Painter looked at it with regret. “This thing can’t fill a stomach.”

The Lost Tower had made him much more finicky. His usual dried meat and bread were no longer satisfying. Even if he made do, it had to be paired with freshly roasted meat with spices.

Speaking of which, the deer ribs stewed in the Lost Tower were delicious. Maybe he should go hunt some deer first. Later, he could also bring some extra meat to the General in exchange for a few bottles of better wine.

The Former Pope’s thoughts bounced between “The War of the Gods” and “Lunch Recipes” for a while, eventually settling on “Lunch Recipes”.

Just as he was about to step forward, a sword brushed past his boot and diagonally embedded itself in front of him.

It was a very ordinary sword, a standard consumable of the Temple of Life. Knights always liked to carry this kind of sword when going out. Those valuable divine weapons were preferred in important battles.

But the one in front of him was slightly different.

Its aura was suppressed to almost nothing, but at this distance, the Former Pope could still recognize it—it was the “Dominator” he had kept for a while.

Someone had applied a concealment spell to it, greatly restraining its power. The normally flamboyant and eye-catching appearance had become very subdued.

Interesting.

With Eugene’s abilities, he definitely couldn’t modify a sword filled with divine power. Considering everything miraculous in the Temple must be reported, Star Stealer Sol surely knew the sword was with Eugene.

It even further sealed the sword’s aura, making it convenient for the devout Mr. Eugene to carry it with him.

“Even if you block me like this, I don’t have money to invite you to lunch.”

Painter hooked the tip of his boot, intending to casually pick up the long sword. But a streak of light flashed, and the sword flew back to its origin.

Eugene emerged from the bushes and came out with a face devoid of smiles.

“I remember the investigation by the Temple of Life has already ended. Why are you here alone?” Painter turned around with a smile, though he raised his wand.

“Because I knew you would come.”

Knight Eugene spoke hoarsely, raising the “Dominator” in his hand. “You’re not an opponent suited for mass tactics. Bringing my subordinates would be useless.”

“That night, you didn’t participate in the battle of Paradise. But all this way, you’ve been following Paradise. So, since the base of Paradise has urgently relocated, I have reason to suspect—”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Painter stroked his chin. “You actually think I’m a subordinate of the ‘Master of Paradise’? I’m very disappointed.”

“Are you not?” Eugene’s voice suddenly tightened.

Painter waved his wand seriously. “Of course not. I’m the ‘Master of Paradise’s’ partner.”

For a few seconds, a burst of killing intent erupted from Eugene. His hair fluttered, and his presence kicked up dust. Painter stood at a distance, smiling, as if he didn’t see it.

“Nice sword,” Painter added meaningfully.

“I heard the voice of the Goddess.” Eugene pointed the sword at Painter. “She told me to carry this sword with me. When this sword is unsealed, the opponent will be an enemy of God—my target.”

“This sword has no reaction to you, Painter. Now that the army of the Demon King is officially in the world, if you wish to return to the Temple, I will vouch for you in the name of the Goddess.”

“I’m truly touched,” Painter responded unflappably.

Of course, the sword wouldn’t react. After all, the death of Godfrey Painter would be the making of a god.

As long as that prophecy existed, Star Stealer Sol wouldn’t dare to harm him until he had full control of the situation.

Painter’s gaze shifted to the sword. A beam of sunlight fell through the leaves, picked up by Eugene at the tip of the sword, like a melting drop of the sun.

The scene was quite something. Painter lightly pushed the sword tip away. Away from that beam of light, the sword immediately dimmed.

So that was the ruse used by Star Stealer Sol.

As Painter had guessed, after discovering the “Dominator”, Star Stealer Sol deliberately allowed Eugene to keep the sword—according to Star Stealer Sol’s reasoning, the “Dominator” must have been obtained by Painter by some means, given in the name of the Goddess to Eugene.

Considering Painter had been the Pope of the Temple of Life, Star Stealer Sol was definitely paying attention to “Painter”. Knowing that, as a native powerhouse of Tahe, Godfrey Painter wouldn’t fully trust a group of otherworldly visitors.

Painter strengthening local forces amounted to indirectly guarding against Paradise, and Star Stealer Sol might even enjoy the show.

When the time came, it would unseal the sword in front of Nol and others. Eugene would undoubtedly draw his sword and strike at the real God of Creation.

Such a naive child, such a useful weapon.

“…I know, you think the current Temple is too overbearing, and the punishment for blasphemy is too harsh.” In front of him, Eugene continued, “The Goddess wouldn’t agree with these either. You still hold the teachings of the Goddess in your heart. This is the internal corruption of the Temple. After dealing with the Demon King, you can personally supervise the rectification of these behaviors…”

“I suddenly understand some feelings.” Painter couldn’t help but sigh.

Eugene’s voice abruptly stopped. On the scorched earth, he stared seriously at this nominal “Godfather”.

“I’ve listened to the troubles of the faithful before.” Painter said calmly, “Some people’s ex-partners like to cling persistently—such people firmly believe they’ve only made a small mistake. As long as they make promises, everything can go back to how it was—everything must go back to how it was.”

“Mr. Eugene, you’re young. Don’t indulge in such disappointing thoughts.”

As soon as his words fell, a magical shield collided fiercely with the sword blade. The surrounding stones were blown away, leaving deep scratches on the tree trunks.

Eugene’s face was full of rage. Painter supported the magical shield, still eagerly adding fuel to the fire. “Child, questioning doctrines and changing the Temple—that’s what devout followers should do.”

“Now, I’m not concerned about the Temple’s thoughts, nor am I interested in the Goddess.”

If he had to say, he might be more interested in “dethroning the Goddess”.

But, he couldn’t explain the truth to Eugene. Painter knew those fanatics too well—no matter what he said, Eugene would consider it “Demon King” brainwashing. Even if he took Eugene to the Holy Land, with his own trespassing first, Eugene would still believe it was the “Demon King’s” doing.

More importantly… if by some chance, Eugene accepted the truth. Setting aside the mental shock this boy might suffer, Star Stealer Sol wouldn’t leave Eugene alive.

The knight who slays God in prophecy must not take a stance too early.

Nol must know this as well. Thus, the Lord never mentioned “wooing Eugene”. On this matter, they maintained a tacit understanding without words.

“You do not deserve the Goddess’s mercy.” Eugene’s eyes reddened, his sword swung with extra force. “Since you insist on choosing the enemy of all, I will dismember your arm and forcibly send you back to the Temple—”

The next moment, a bright light flashed before him. Painter vanished, and Eugene’s blade cut air.

Eugene immediately recognized the magical fluctuation. Damn, it was short-distance teleportation magic!

Such an item was incredibly precious, likely provided by the Demon King’s army. Normally, he wouldn’t miss the subtle movement of activating an item. Painter must have known this, hence deliberately spouting nonsense to provoke him.

…He let that guy escape again!

It took Eugene a dozen deep breaths to regain his composure.

Why not fight?

This time, he purposely came alone. The “Dominator” wasn’t unlocked, meaning Godfrey Painter could indeed fight him, with a not so small chance of winning.

If Painter truly collaborated with the Demon King, “killing Eugene Malloy” would be the most rational choice—even without considering the oracle of slaying the False God, killing the knight commander symbolizing the Temple would definitely be a great achievement.

Eugene couldn’t figure it out. Even now, he still couldn’t see through that smirking old fox.

…Painter, what are you really thinking?

Grape Collar, the General’s secret meeting room.

“Teaching young people is really troublesome.” Painter sat down with a groan, pressing his wrist. “Can’t ignore them, can’t control them too much, and have to worry about them being led astray by others. Truly a complex science…”

“That’s your problem. I usually just kill those who don’t listen.”

The General crossed her legs, enjoying her wine and cheese. Now dressed simply and efficiently, her muscular arms were exposed, and her gem-encrusted gloves were gone, replaced by a dagger decorated with jewels at the rim of her wine cup.

That dagger reeked of poison and blood.

“Don’t you have any questions for me? Honestly, your adaptability is astonishing.” She winked at him, showing off her uniformly normal-sized eyes.

“No need to ask questions. Apart from That One, no one else can do such things.”

Reluctantly, Painter pulled out his purse. “I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you for lunch today. I was planning to bring venison as a gift.”

“Your reaction is really uninteresting. As expected of a priest who believes in the equality of all living things.”

The General shrugged, randomly pulling a few silver coins from the purse. “I have venison. You’ll just have to make do—there’s news from Paradise. I’ll notify you.”

“Thanks.” Painter picked up his teacup.

Before his tea touched his lips, a ring of fire opened in the center of the parlor.

The fire ring was very small, not much bigger than a human face. A mysterious force surrounded it, and Painter felt no magical fluctuations.

A familiar face appeared on the other side of the fire ring.

“I need spices, salt, and sugar.” Nol’s voice was low, as if engaging in some illicit deal. “And as many sweets from Good Blessings as possible—the more the better.”

“I don’t get it. Why don’t you create them yourself?” Kando, supporting the fire ring, protested unhappily.

“Because creating gold is the least effort. Nol has other tasks.” Accompanied by Teest’s murmur, a hand reached through the fire ring, poking the candle hard. The candle rolled its eyes dramatically and kept quiet.

Painter witnessing all this: “……”

Better pretend I didn’t hear that.

“Hello, Mr. Painter.”

Noticing Painter, Nol widened the fire ring a bit. “Sorry. We moved too hastily earlier, so we didn’t have the chance to inform you.”

“Our current location is rather… special. It’s not convenient to host the Drifting Mercenary Group. If you mind this, staying with the General here is fine.”

“That’s fine.” Painter nodded with a smile.

It seemed there was no explicit battle plan yet. No matter, he could wait.

The room fell into a brief silence. The General glanced around and suddenly stood up. “I’ll go order the preparation of supplies.”

“Seems like you have something private to say.” Painter sipped his tea.

“Yes.”

As the General left the room, Nol immediately said, “Enbillick Alva is the avatar of Star Stealer Sol. Please be careful.”

Painter froze, then began coughing violently. Nol looked at him apologetically, slowly retracting his head.

Even though Mr. Painter no longer believed in the Goddess of Life, things like “having officiated a wedding for the Goddess of Life” or “having dined at the Goddess of Life’s home” were likely to still affect him significantly.

“That’s about it for now. We’ll continue this another time—”

“Wait!”

Just as Nol was about to leave, Painter hurriedly spoke up. He rose too quickly, spilling tea on the hem of his robe.

“Hold on, sir. Before you go, tell me, if that person is the avatar of Star Stealer Sol, what about Lady Arva and the two children…?”

“We don’t know yet.”

At this, Nol’s mood seemed to dip. “Rest assured. We won’t act rashly.”

Indeed, not long ago, the discussion on “hunting Star Stealer Sol” hit a deadlock.

No one knew why Star Stealer Sol’s avatar would start a family.

Solo suggested that perhaps Lady Avra is Star Stealer Sol’s true love across species, which could be a breakthrough.

Teest firmly believed that Enbillick’s humanity was even thinner than his own. His family was merely part of some plot, or even reserve weapons.

Fortunately, everyone agreed on one point—before clarifying the facts, nobody wanted to make a move hastily.

“Let’s do this.”

Painter pondered for a few seconds. “He still hasn’t lost interest in me and isn’t sure if I know about the avatar. This moment is just right. I’ll visit the Alva household again.”

---

The author has something to say:

Painter: Lord Alva, I’m coming to your house for dinner!

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 214: Solution

Nol advanced along the corridor, pleasantly testing his new abilities.

A sphere the size of an egg floated in his palm, ceaselessly transforming. From coarse stone to clear water, from burning flame to a pulsating organ. [Creator] was easier and smoother to control now. If before, casting spells was akin to coding and debugging a robotic arm on the spot, now he felt as if he was using his own limbs, which was immensely more efficient.

When the ancient Demon King passed away, he too felt a similar ease. The corrupted knowledge and memories that vanished might have allowed him to further reclaim the authority of the world.

Nol moved his fingers, and the egg-sized mass spun for a moment, turning into a blooming blue rose.

This was his world—truly, a world he constructed from nothingness.

…It was a pity they were standing on Perradat’s body, surrounded only by an unremarkable sky and sea surface. Had he returned to the Tahe continent, his feelings might have been deeper.

Right, after greeting Perradat, he had to visit the neighbors.

He was their true kin, and they were his real neighbors. Past self-doubts and guilt vanished, making Nol’s steps lighter.

This was his first time feeling so happy after creating Paradise.

Nol happily rushed toward Perradat’s temple, where the ancient and mysterious doors slowly opened. The majestic statue remained in its place, and near the statue… there was nothing.

No, there was a note.

Where there used to be bouquets, now there were a few petals and, among them, a piece of white cloth. The cloth was fine in texture, with a line of elegantly styled handwriting on it—

[Take your time. I’ve gone to the Lost Tower. Perradat.]

Below the words “Take your time”, several lines were forcefully drawn, filled with subtle resentment.

Nol: “……”

Ah, he had been busy treating Teest yesterday and forgot to take Perradat down from the statue. The God of Fate had become a cookie jar high above. He really needed to apologize properly.

Since Perradat wasn’t here, he might as well wait for Teest and leave together.

Should breakfast be in the Tower, or should the two of them cook something small? Nol played with the blue rose and decisively turned back.

Half an hour later, at the base of the Lost Tower.

Teest: “……”

Nol: “……”

Members of the Fate’s Poet Society formed several long queues, turning the good old Lost Tower into a middle school canteen stall. Each queue was marked with a menu written in the common language.

There must be someone from the neighborhood who had worked in a cafeteria before. Otherwise, it was hard to explain the two large buckets of egg soup on the tables. Nearby, there were also several baskets of fruit, pre-wrapped sugar cubes, and sweet cheese.

Members of Fate’s Poet Society, though somber and bizarre in appearance, actually looked somewhat like middle school students in oversized uniforms when they obediently queued for food and sweets. Was this what Perradat meant by “going to the Lost Tower”?

“Nol.”

Lynn was the first to notice Nol, and she ran over happily. “Are you alright?”

Nol: “Huh?”

“Perradat said you all worked hard to break the seal and battled a formidable enemy nearly all night long, consuming a lot of energy. She even had to lend a hand, using up quite a bit of strength.” Lynn’s voice was filled with concern.

Actually, it wasn’t the battle that lasted all night. Nol coughed twice. In fact, he and Teest spent the night busy with other matters. But faced with such concern, he really couldn’t explain…

“She also said you were too exhausted and would definitely wake up late, so She came over first.” Lynn pointed to her sister, whose eyes were glowing blue. With Perradat’s incarnation possessing her, she fiercely gnawed on a grilled lamb chop. Understandably, most people wouldn’t want to have breakfast with a head.

“It seems your cooperation went smoothly… So, are you okay?”

Nol’s gaze softened. “I’m fine. Everything went well, and Teest helped me a lot. Let’s go into the Tower first. I have many things to discuss with you.”

In fact, whether it was the neighbors’ situation or the way back to Earth, he had some clues. However, with so many monster eyes around, he didn’t want to publicize uncertain matters.

But the Lost Tower was just ahead. Everything was steadily improving. What a new—

“Right.” Lynn casually picked up a basket of food. “Perradat said She worked hard all night, and you’re especially grateful to Her, promising to provide material support, including meals for everyone in the town for one day. I’ll talk to Lady Dusty about this later, don’t worry.”

Nol: “……”

Alright, he indeed forgot about Perradat. And according to Teest, he did squeeze—no, borrow a lot of strength from Perradat.

Moreover, Perradat’s body couldn’t grow crops. If he wasn’t mistaken, the followers of Fate’s Poet Society could only rely on sea fish, birds, and seaweed for food, at most getting some processed food from passing ships.

Even if they were Perradat’s followers, they were, after all, creatures of Tahe. Even if Perradat didn’t mention it, he would have helped these people.

It wasn’t Lynn’s fault. She couldn’t have imagined the God of Fate would be so petulant. Miss Perradat was just venting in such a manner, which wasn’t much of an issue—

“She also said you promised to hold a banquet tonight to celebrate the safe transfer of the Lost Tower,” Lynn continued as she walked. “She’s already prepared Fate’s Poet Society’s order, which will consume quite a bit of meat, milk, and sweet wine. The crops are okay. The fresh corn on the third floor just ripened…”

Nol: “………”

They still didn’t know how long they would have to stay in this forsaken place! If it came to it, he’d have to personally sneak to Tahe to stock up.

Nol looked toward Perradat, who was burying her head in meat. Sensing his gaze, she choked for a moment, then pretended nothing happened and continued to chew.

Suddenly, he realized something was missing.

“Teest.” Nol curiously looked at his knight. “Why haven’t you proposed anything like ‘kill Her’?”

Usually, Teest would have eagerly suggested something by now. As far as Nol knew, the Mad Monk wasn’t fond of suffering losses.

Teest himself was puzzled for a second and hummed several times before slowly providing a reason. “…Circus animal trainers give snacks to the animals after the performance. Perradat is somewhat useful for now.”

“She did make an effort in ‘helping you’.”

Nol paused for a moment, then smiled as he stepped into the familiar conference room. It was very clean, showing no signs that the Lost Tower had been used as a battlefield.

“It’s rare for you to be so generous. It seems I don’t need to stop you.” He expressed in a good mood.

“How do you plan to stop me?” Teest curiously leaned in.

“Bribery.” Nol opened his fingers, and the blue rose from before fell into Teest’s palm.

It wasn’t squashed by Nol’s pocket, blooming as if it were still on the branch.

“I’m looking forward to the next time, honey.”

Teest unapologetically pocketed the flower, his smile becoming more genuine. “You know, the appeal of bribery increases gradually.”

Lynn returned to her seat and cleared her throat with all her might. “I’ve already notified Officer Luo and the others. They should arrive soon.”

The two stuck-together pieces of toffee finally separated.

……

“What did you say?!” Officer Luo suddenly stood up from his chair, almost jumping onto the table.

Solo and Anakin also looked like they were about to do the same. Their gazes instantly shot towards Nol, almost piercing through him. Only Mentor calmly sipped his tea, listening as if he were hearing a story.

“I’ve found a way to return, and also a way to restore everyone to their original state.” Nol held a warm cup of tea in both hands. “We just need to eliminate the Star Sealer Sol.”

“Wait. Hold on a moment.” Lynn raised a hand, speaking as if she was having trouble digesting the information. “Did you receive a quest like this? If this world is real, how could there be such a simple—”

“It’s not simple. It’s something that only Lord Nol can do.”

Lilith, possessed by Perradat, sat steadily at the edge of the table, as if the morning’s deceit and indulgence weren’t her doing.

“Let’s first hear what Mr. Xu has to say,” Mentor slowly suggested.

Nol took a deep breath and, facing his kin, honestly laid out everything. From Star Stealer Sol hijacking his creation of this world, to his mad rush to save his neighbors, to starting over from scratch, abandoning power in order to survive.

Perhaps because they had seen too much absurdity, no one interrupted his narrative. In the conference room, apart from Nol’s voice, there were only uneven breaths and heartbeats.

“…I see. In summary, this world was indeed personally created by Mr. Xu, but Star Stealer Sol wants to steal it.”

Not long after Nol finished speaking, Mentor clapped his hands. “The ‘monsters’ of Paradise were all saved by Nol. After Star Stealer Sol let its guard down, it used the system to summon us ‘Players’ to Tahe, to clear the power of the ‘Demon King’.”

“The Demon King is the real creator. It, a thief, doesn’t dare to come down personally, only daring to use ‘the system’—a power that belongs to the Creators—to deal with the former Creators. That guy is indeed very cautious.”

At this point, Mentor laughed to himself, not sure if he found it amusing or wanted to mock.

“However, the system isn’t completely under the control of Star Stealer Sol. When Star Stealer Sol ordered the summoning of Players, the system thought the timing was right and took the opportunity to awaken Mr. Xu and the monster kin… and then we encountered the bizarre reality.”

Rosen frowned deeply. “Star Stealer Sol can interfere with Earth?”

Solo eagerly spoke up. “So how does everyone get back home?”

The two exchanged glances, with Solo slowly sitting back down, signaling the other to proceed first.

Perradat scoffed. “Don’t worry, Star Stealer Sol won’t make a move on your Earth—at most it will abduct some humans.”

“Earth sounds like a wild civilization without gods.” She explained to the bewildered Lynn beside her. “Normally, we wouldn’t disturb such civilizations. In case their attacks could pierce through the sky, we would indeed get hurt.”

Rosen then breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Realizing that Star Stealer Sol also feared nuclear weapons, he suddenly felt much more at ease.

“So how exactly do we get back home? I want to ask about this too.” Uncle Ma raised his arm. “Don’t tell me we have to take down that Star Stealer and get a completion reward?”

“‘Tahe’ was originally a game designed for people from Earth, naturally including a ‘Player login/logout’ mechanism.” Nol spoke calmly, his words filled with relief. “That is to say, the system has always connected Earth and Tahe. Because of this, I was able to create this world on Earth, and Star Stealer Sol could abduct Players from Earth.”

Lynn bit her nails excitedly. “Right, that makes sense. Star Stealer Sol eroded part of the system. By eliminating Star Stealer Sol, Xu Yue can reclaim all the system’s permissions… He can use the system channel to send everyone back!”

Uncle Ma: “The Players are one thing, but what about our bodies?”

“I will create them.”

Nol said, raising his hands. Between the flickers of blue flame, a living heart pulsed out of nowhere, then dispersed into countless sparks. “As for appearances and physiques, I can restore them using everyone’s memories.”

The entire conference room seemed to light up, and even the air felt lighter. Lynn stood up in rare excitement. “This news comes at just the right time! I need to think about how to inform everyone. The situation in the Tower could be more stable—”

Anakin also efficiently summoned the system interface. “If possible, I also want to quickly tell Dorothy and the others…”

Clap, clap, clap.

The crisp applause interrupted everyone, with Teest lazily withdrawing his hands.

“Shh—”

Teest said, sounding very pleased, yet the bloodthirstiness in his words didn’t fade. “No one hunts with flutes and harps in grand display.”

“Everyone, please take a seat. I think we should properly discuss how exactly to hunt Star Stealer Sol.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 213: Sense of Ceremony

It wasn’t that Nol wasn’t curious about the truth. Indeed, he was pressed for time.

The truth could wait, but Teest’s recovery speed was too fast. Once Teest fully recovered, Nol would no longer be able to intervene easily.

Even if he couldn’t reshape the circuit now, he could take the opportunity to make some adjustments to improve Teest’s physical condition.

Who would have thought that Nol would be challenged in an unexpected aspect—

Teest smoothly removed his clothes and lay flat on the bed. His fingers were slightly curled, showing he was very relaxed, and there was not a trace of shyness or discomfort on his face.

Thinking about it, Nol mused, it wasn’t surprising. The Mad Monk had probably dealt with numerous bodies, likely more unflappable than an experienced surgeon.

But Mr. Nol was far from calm.

He was properly dressed in a robe, sitting stiffly on Teest’s waist and abdomen. Activating [Creator], his power seeped from his fingertips into the depths of Teest’s skin. Under the authority of creation, he gently repaired the circuits.

Nol tried to focus all his attention on his fingertips, avoiding looking elsewhere. However, someone wasn’t so cooperative—the feeling was like joints that had ached for years being soaked in a warm flow, the discomfort turning into a light and breezy relief. Teest made no attempt to suppress his voice, occasionally letting out ambiguous sighs.

It started with the head, the neck. Then the hands, the arms. Next, Nol’s hands moved towards the chest area, his fingertips gliding over warm skin, and someone curved their eyes, deliberately increasing the volume of their sighs.

Nol pursed his lips, his movements unconsciously slowing down a bit. He suspected that the circuit conflict had transferred to him—his head and the back of his neck were burning hot, his fingertips felt like they were on fire, and he had a sensation of breaking apart.

Before, he seemed to have never observed the other’s body so earnestly. Teest’s muscles were just right—soft yet strong to the touch, feeling like warm, moist silk. Even though it was his own fingertips moving slowly, Nol felt caught in a trap. Having shared a bed for so long, he thought he would have gotten used to it… but he couldn’t at all!

Nol was on pins and needles, his back getting tenser and tenser. Damn, if it weren’t inconvenient to adjust the circuit, he wished this guy could temporarily turn into a cat.

“Oh my, you’re all red. Is this some kind of side effect?” Teest took the opportunity to grab Nol’s wrist, making his hand press on his own chest, openly exposing the wild beating of his heart. “You’re not getting shy, are you?”

“Don’t move!” Nol jerked as if shocked. He faced Teest’s intense gaze, took a few deep breaths, and decided to ignore the guy.

He moved his tingling fingertips, the palm heading towards Teest’s abdomen. The dim light in the room made everything blurry, and the atmosphere was as sticky as if soaked in honey. Although Teest remained still, his gaze felt like a caress itself. Coupled with occasional vocal assaults, it was unbearable.

But he couldn’t exactly order Teest not to look, not to make noise… Covering the eyes, gagging the mouth—that would make the atmosphere even weirder!

Stay calm, stay calm. Nol decisively pulled out his commanding demeanor from battles, continuing to repair the circuit. It seemed Mr. Xu hadn’t experienced a sauna on Earth. Arriving in Tahe, Nol suddenly understood what it felt like to be in steam.

If he transformed into his true form now, he might just turn a bright red. They say crabs turn red when boiled. He wondered if dragon scales had a similar pigment…

Was he still considered a dragon now…

As Nol desperately used trivial thoughts to calm his mind, Teest, too, was holding back shivers, repeatedly scanning Nol with his gaze.

[Creator] was activating, which made those blue eyes shine like jewels in the sunlight—irresistibly touchable. The beautiful face was tightly drawn, but the corners of the mouth were slightly raised. Probably trying to focus, Nol bit his lip slightly, making his lips appear especially soft.

Throughout the process, Nol’s healing hands never stopped. The movements were devoid of any frivolity, yet his entire being gradually turned red. Teest knew what it looked like when someone was attracted by desire, but Nol’s reaction was… different.

No, rather, Nol was always special.

Before, just thinking about the other being the god who created this world sent a spark through Teest’s spine, bringing an exciting tingling sensation.

But he vaguely felt that Nol wouldn’t appreciate such thoughts. Thus, Teest rarely mentioned it, keeping it as honeydew to be savored in the shadows.

But after knowing everything, such thoughts gradually faded away. Compared to a nebulous concept of power, his Nol carved a bloody path through flesh and madness, step by step ascending to the pinnacle of strength.

How astonishing it was. Just when he thought Nol couldn’t be more charming, he would still exceed his imagination.

Teest focused on Nol’s face.

“You really don’t have to be so polite,” Teest began, exhaling. “You created the land I live on, defined the civilization I belong to, saved my ancestors… This body is your creation, your possession.”

By the end, his tone became sweeter, his intonation carrying a soft hook.

“Even if you were rougher, I would only pray to you, without any disrespect…”

Nol’s hand trembled, his palm gliding over Teest’s waist. He stared fixedly at Teest’s knees as if they were the human vocal organs. “Please, just say what you want to say.”

“Oh, alright then.” Teest innocently said, “I really want to kiss you. Won’t you kiss me?”

“We still have serious matters to discuss later,” Nol whispered to the knee.

“No, it’s my turn to tell you a story.” Teest blinked. “As long as you have the energy to listen.”

“Just wait a moment.” Nol paused, responding to this sweet invitation.

After completing the circuit repairs, Nol sat back on Teest’s waist and abdomen. His fingertips guided a warm force, moving like feathers, returning to Teest’s forehead. The moment the treatment was completed, Teest felt as if he had unloaded thousands of pounds of invisible weight—

Being a Supplement Demon for too long, those minor discomforts had been ignored by his brain. After a decade, he tasted “normality” again.

In this light, dreamlike daze, Nol leaned down and kissed Teest’s lips.

Teest, seizing the moment, hooked around Nol’s neck, deepening the kiss. The undead didn’t need to breathe, and neither wanted to be the first to give up until Teest freed one hand, pressing his fingertip at the center of Nol’s collarbone.

Nol propped up his body, gasping for air, his head still somewhat numb. “You…”

“It’s time for a bedtime story,” Teest said properly, his fingertip slowly sliding down.

Unlike Nol’s healing power, his fingertip shimmered with sharp golden light. Like a hot knife through butter, it perfectly cut through the fabric of Nol’s chest without harming his skin.

The edges of the cut fabric still twinkled with tiny golden lights, like a fine gold thread had been sealed along the edge. The fabric hung down, but Teest’s palm moved upwards, touching Nol’s cheek.

His thumb gently caressed the corner of Nol’s lips, then landed another kiss. The room was silent, save for the soft sounds of kissing.

What followed was a hug, making a rustling sound in the fabric. Everything was lazy and relaxed, proceeding naturally. Eventually, their positions reversed, with Nol now lying flat on the bed.

They looked into each other’s eyes. Silver-white hair cascaded down, brushing against Nol’s neck and chest. Teest’s smile deepened, not using the golden thread but firmly capturing Nol’s hands, interlocking their fingers.

The Mad Monk was the same as ever. Amidst the wicked teasing, this time Nol was the one who found it unbearable.

“…Are you taking revenge?” Nol hissed, trying to relax his body.

“How could that be? I’m just a bit tired after the treatment.”

Teest kissed Nol’s nose tip. “And you know me. Whether it’s dining, killing, or sacrificing, I always prefer to savor slowly.”

Tired my ass, Nol thought amusedly. After the treatment, Teest’s strength was obviously restored. That guy’s grip was firm, and Nol would really have to exert himself to break free—not that he would actually try to release that hand.

He simply lifted his head and kissed Teest’s cheek.

“Now I can tell our story,” Teest said, leaning down to his ear amidst the creaking of the bed.

“About your story, about my story—a grand plan and a little accident.”

……

Teest’s story was long, but the time they spent awake and tossing about was even longer. Underground, one couldn’t see the sky, so when morning came, Nol was still blatantly sprawled on the pillow.

After knowing everything, his feelings were mixed.

The self that had plunged into madness had made a plan to survive, and that plan was still in progress. Nol quickly digested these facts—it was indeed something he could do.

He had always been a planner—to put it nicely, persistently chasing results; to put it badly, never giving up until seeing the coffin.

The him of the past never gave up, just as the him of now continued to persevere.

What was even better was that his parents truly existed. Teest wasn’t someone he had deliberately arranged for himself. That person was truly an accident.

An accident that gave him headaches, yet also fascinated him.

Star Stealer Sol presented him with the worst possible situation, and his response plan could naturally not be completely safe and secure. Starting from a fragile will-o’-wisp, Nol didn’t know how many brushes with death he had survived.

In this, someone played an indispensable role.

Nol turned his face to look at Teest sleeping beside him. Teest’s sleeping face was peaceful and calm, and if one were to summarize it with a word, the Mad Monk even seemed a bit… happy.

Nol couldn’t help but stretch out his hand to tidy up Teest’s somewhat messy long hair.

Now, he could no longer recall those crazy truths—only the impression of creating “Tahe” remained in his mind. He still remembered the questions raised by his colleague—or rather, himself—when first creating this world.

Why go to great lengths to create such a high-intelligence system?

To generate those unique quests, the workload would significantly increase, all of which are costs.

What was his response at that time?

“Variables” are the most fascinating things in a game.

…They are the key to turning fiction into reality.

Now, he too had his own dangerous variable. Nol brushed aside a strand of hair, intending to kiss Teest’s ear. Mid-action, he suddenly stopped.

With the situation now clear, he had no reason to hesitate any longer. He had something very important to say.

Teest had given him an unparalleled gift, and he too wanted to present a heart wrapped with silk ribbons.

“Teest.”

Nol pinched Teest’s ear, knowing the guy was awake. “Listen well. I love—mmph!”

Before he could finish, a hand slapped over Nol’s mouth.

“Don’t.” Teest opened his eyes, and his tone became serious. “I just finished telling you a story. Saying it now sounds like it’s mixed with gratitude. Let’s pick another moment, honey.”

Nol: “……?”

You know? When did you learn this without a teacher?

And now there’s even a sense of ceremony for confessions?

Nol narrowed his eyes suspiciously, while Teest pretended to look away calmly.

By now, Nol wouldn’t be so obtuse as to misjudge Teest’s feelings towards him. It was just that the Mad Monk’s living environment was too abnormal, and the person himself really had issues. Nol hoped the guy would realize on his own.

Interesting. Since someone had started to care about even these details…

“I know you won’t give love.” Nol gently removed Teest’s hand, responding formally. “I’m not forcing you. Don’t worry.”

Teest’s gaze drifted. A thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.

Wow, even when facing Star Stealer Sol, this man never hesitated like this.

“I remember our deal.” Nol intentionally leaned in closer, his tone becoming firm. “I will definitely give you a perfect ending, Mr. Teest.”

Teest: “Wait. That’s not what I meant—”

Nol leaned in even closer. “Let’s get up early. We have a lot to discuss with Perradat.”

Teest lay confused on the bed for a few seconds before getting up.

As he started dressing, Nol had already used [Creator] to get dressed instantly.

“I’ll go greet them first,” Nol said, quickly leaving the room, his shoulders still trembling.

Was Nol upset? Teest just stiffened for a moment, then heard suppressed “pfft pfft” laughter from the corridor.

Teest: “……”

He silently dressed, tidied up the bed, and finally took out a ball of golden thread from the pendant, mechanically juggling it with both hands.

He didn’t mind saying a few sweet nothings. He had said plenty of unspeakable words last night. But certain phrases, now, he couldn’t just joke about.

Nol was becoming more direct, and he, on the other hand, was becoming more cautious. What a fatal phenomenon.

But he had to strip away those possible plots and considerations, revealing his most genuine thoughts. Otherwise… Well, otherwise Nol might never smile at him that way again.

Caution was paramount.

The ball of golden thread snapped into his palm, turning into brilliant golden light points.

In any case, to clear his mind, he first needed to make the troublesome things disappear.

…Like Star Stealer Sol.

---

The author has something to say:

Hehe, young man, don’t speak too absolutely @Teest

After all, the God of Creation has picked up quite a few bad tricks from you.

Someone loves too much, but I won’t say who.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

This marks the end of this arc. I have to say, this arc was amazing, especially the last few chapters. The writing was phenomenal, and the plot points were all seamlessly connected. This is why I love Nian Zhong’s works so much.

Can this really dethrone Stray as my favorite work by her? We still have more to go, so we’ll see.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 212: Imbalance

“Do we need to fight?” The Mad Monk weakly collapsed back onto the altar, his voice tinged with a hint of grievance. “Your kiss is sweet, but it can’t erase my fatigue… As you can see, I can hardly stand now.”

He unapologetically leaned his full weight on Nol, nearly branding “fragile” on his forehead.

Perradat’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Fight? You can fight here. This place has the best defense!”

Even though the two in front of her were pleasing to the eye, Perradat had no desire to serve as their lighting. Fighting is good, she thought. It’s better than having these two stickily glued to each other, right?

Teest had lost his previous destructive fervor. He wrapped his arms around Nol’s waist and buried his face in Nol’s stomach, petulantly refusing to move. “No fighting. I want to rest.”

Perradat: “……” Perhaps it was her illusion, but Teest seemed more… relaxed and at ease after knowing Nol’s past, clinging to the god of Tahe like a sloth to a tree. Nol didn’t push him away, only gently stroking Teest’s long hair.

“It has to be now. We’re both exhausted, making it the perfect time for a check.” Nol, holding Teest’s head, spoke with a gentleness that was infuriating. “If we miss this chance, we would have to fight to the death to reach this state again.”

Perradat might be strong, but she wasn’t adept at direct combat. Given that Star Stealer Sol wouldn’t kindly act as a sparring partner, only they could serve as each other’s opponents.

Teest’s voice was muffled by the fabric, his words unclear. “You mentioned a ‘check’…”

“I don’t distrust you. I actually love your surprises.” Feeling the warmth of the other’s breath, Nol’s voice softened further. “You’ve done something truly remarkable, Teest. I can feel it. But it’s not just me. You’ve grown stronger too.”

“It’s precisely because my condition has improved that I can sense something off with you.”

Something off with his body? Teest’s ears perked up. As for physical issues, he could only think of his identity as a Supplement Demon. So far, he hadn’t felt anything amiss.

He and Little Piel were different. When transforming into a Supplement Demon, the system’s partial Player Privileges provided a safety net, and his body merged quite well. He was also different from the General; the Player Privileges had always suppressed the “rejection” of the Supplement Demon well, and over the years, his body hadn’t suffered any discomfort or weakening.

Now, with this body, Teest had risen to the ranks of a False God, not feeling anything wrong with his body.

But since Nol had mentioned it…

He trusted this person, didn’t he? Teest loosened his grip around Nol’s waist.

“Trust me. Let’s fight.” Sensing his knight’s change in mood, Nol seized the moment.

“Then I won’t use a sword, and you must show mercy.” Teest wobbled as if he had no bones.

“Agreed.” Nol promised solemnly.

He had a rough idea of what Teest had done. He knew that his memory seal was gone without a trace, as his perception had never been so sharp.

Teest carried a real hidden danger.

It was a rare opportunity, and they could also try out their new powers.

Thinking this, Nol let out an “Ah”, looking at Perradat, who was slumped in front of the statue. “Are you alright staying here?”

If they started fighting on the spot, they might inadvertently involve the exhausted Perradat. Caught up in his concern, he had momentarily forgotten about her.

For a moment, the expression on the face of the God of Fate was indescribable.

Perradat grimaced for a half-second, her expression quickly smoothing over. “I still have the power to protect myself, but please take me to the top of the statue.”

She lifted her head, nodding towards the two sapphire gems on the statue’s head. “Those are very rare magic stones. They can help me recover a bit.”

“I’ll add an extra layer of protection for you,” Nol said somewhat sheepishly.

He made a gesture, and the beautiful head steadily floated up, settling between the horns of the divine beast sculpture. The two beautiful sapphire gems twinkled with faint light, blue dots dancing in the shadows, creating a dreamy and fantastical scene.

Nol carefully applied a layer of protective magic, trying to ignore Perradat’s complex look that spoke volumes.

In the end, only he and Teest were left on the ground.

Teest simply removed his armor, tossed aside the belt that held his sword, and was only wearing a loose cloth shirt. The laces at the shirt’s neckline were undone, leaving the collar wide open and revealing his collarbones and a large expanse of skin.

He slightly opened his arms. Not holding a sword, he looked more like he was seeking an intimate hug than adopting a fighting stance.

For a moment, Nol really wanted to hug him reflexively. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time.

Blue flames ignited, and Nol’s figure twisted. What emerged from the flames wasn’t a black dragon but a new kind of creature—

Its form was similar to that of a dragon, but it also had the elegant curves characteristic of a beast. Its body was covered in strangely shaped black scales. The three pairs of wings still showed green and red colors but lacked the previous chaotic corruption, becoming beautifully neat. The countless eyes moving between the flesh folds lost some of their malevolence, gaining a bit of mystery and majesty instead.

The two eyes on Nol’s head slowly opened, still shining with the light of blue flames.

The crown-like dragon horns transformed, extending outwards, and a blue halo appeared floating in the air behind the “crown”.

Around the edge of the halo, countless mysterious symbols scattered and then converged.

Bizarre, beautiful, and sacred.

Above the statue, Perradat was silent for a long time. Nol had adjusted his body size, but she could still assert—this was Nol having shed the “mental impurities”, his “true form” at last stabilized. Just by directly looking, Perradat could feel a familiar oppressive force.

Nol deliberately contained his aura, but the aura exuded by him was still too overwhelming. If not for the area being protected by her “concealment” power, Star Stealer Sol would definitely feel this pressure.

Thinking this, Perradat silently strengthened the “concealment” power.

The creature before her was neither a dragon nor a Pillar of the World. Undoubtedly, a new species had been born in the galaxy.

With makeshift divine corpses, the “system” authority was crafted from scratch. Then, abandoning everything to start over, step by step, through the “system”, he obtained a power uniquely his own.

With a human considered inconsequential at its core, and countless pieces of divine corpses as the foundation, the universe hatched a brand new monster.

“You are even more beautiful than before.” Teest sighed. “May I kiss your wings?”

[Anytime, as you like.] Nol flew into the air, his thoughts carrying a smile. [Come.]

Teest smiled slightly, his fingertips igniting with golden flames. The golden flames suddenly compressed and converged into eye-dazzling golden threads. His words were sweet, but his attack spared no effort.

He directly launched [Destroyer].

Nol rushed towards those deadly golden threads without hesitation, icy crystals wrapped in blue flames spontaneously ignited around him, slicing through the golden threads like blades.

At the same time, the soil under Teest’s feet loosened. The soil turned into solid ancient silver, and thick chains rose from beneath Teest’s feet, coiling around his limbs like snakes.

Golden fireballs suddenly floated around Teest, with extremely thin golden threads stretched between them. The chains hadn’t even managed to wrap around once before they were shredded by the spinning golden threads.

But in the moment he dealt with the chains, the stone altar twisted like slime. The stones transformed into giant stone hands, reaching towards Teest from all directions, and Nol’s true form charged forward from directly ahead.

“You are more passionate than I imagined.”

Teest took a moment to catch his breath, the golden flames around him suddenly turning pitch black. Spreading like a contaminating virus, everything around began to wither indiscriminately.

He was exhausted, overexerting his strength. If Nol got close, the fight would end immediately.

Nol cautiously slowed down as countless wriggling flesh lumps suddenly appeared around Teest. As “living beings”, they absorbed the corruption like sponges, only to be burned away by the blue flames.

Teest clicked his tongue, about to try a new method of destruction, when suddenly, he felt a numbing pain in his limbs.

Teest instinctively looked at his hands, shocked to discover black and red-fine cracks appearing at the tips of his fingers. At the same time, his throat itched terribly, making Teest cough out loud.

A few drops of blood, dark as to be nearly black, splattered out.

The golden flames extinguished, and the corruption dispersed. Nol came to a sudden stop in front of Teest, instantly transforming into human form, and caught Teest’s hands.

“So that’s it.” Nol, caressing the cracks at Teest’s fingertips, spoke with a tinge of anger.

Teest weakly sat down against the wall, his legs becoming increasingly painful.

“Supplement Demon?” He had some idea.

“Yes.” Nol gently caressed his fingers. With a soft blue light, the cracks gradually faded.

Previously, when treating the General and acquiring [Circuit Control], he had been concerned about this issue. The abnormal circuitry within Teest was balanced by the system’s power, merging more tightly than with the likes of the General and thus, harder to deal with. Until he was completely sure, Nol dared not act rashly. A misstep could leave Teest with permanent damage.

That said, the circuit was stabilized by “Player Privileges”. Meaning, the system was continuously managing the “rejection reaction” within Teest’s body. The system was the most powerful force in the world of Tahe. Logically, continuing this way shouldn’t pose a problem. The premise being, Teest was just a “normal being”.

“The system used to automatically regulate your body to maintain a perfect balance. Nol sat down in front of Teest, patiently explaining. “Now, that balance is about to be broken… Your own power is gradually approaching that of the system, and once you weaken, this situation arises.”

The logic was simple. Teest had become too strong.

“The system”, a strong man, could easily mediate a child’s conflicts. But if it had to intervene in another strong man’s fight, it would struggle.

Teest cupped Nol’s fingers in his. “I can guess the situation. It doesn’t matter. You’ll heal me, right?” Those eyes, full of smiles, looked at Nol, showing no worry or fear.

“Let me stabilize your condition first.” Nol took a breath. “I’ll find a permanent solution. Don’t worry.”

“Hm? I’m not worried at all.”

“That was more for me.” Nol’s face stiffened. He could indeed design a new circuit for Teest, but the biggest challenge wasn’t that—

Teest was too formidable, lacking any suitable sacrifice for transferring “errors”… or rather, “malicious bugs”.

However, their goal was becoming clearer.

Teest chuckled, cradling Nol’s hand and leaning his forehead against it. “So, we stop here for today? I don’t want to move a finger anymore.”

“Mm…” Nol pondered. “Perradat, where’s our room?”

“Behind the small door at the back of the statue. Turn left—the largest room at the end.”

“Thank you.” Nol stood up.

Teest: “Let’s go, honey… Eh? What are you doing? Wait—”

The dragon form was inconvenient for small doors, so Nol scooped up his knight, decisively slinging him over his shoulder. Teest fluttered in shock but couldn’t overcome the God of Creation, who still had physical strength.

“This is really… Uh, I am your knight, after all. Put me down…”

The Mad Monk was somewhat disoriented, experiencing this for the first time in his life.

“Stop moving.” Nol walked briskly. “That was just preliminary treatment. Be careful with your hands and feet.”

“You’re really strict…” Teest relaxed completely, draping over Nol’s shoulder. He was supposed to have become stronger just now, right? Now, why did he seem like a hostage being carried away?

In the empty church.

Perradat: “……”

Perradat: “………Haha.”

So no one was taking her down, right?

She knew it—!

“Kando!” Perradat angrily issued a divine command. “Come and teleport me!”

……

It wasn’t until lying on the large bed that Teest truly didn’t move a finger. After gaining his freedom, he instinctively tried to get up, only to be pressed back down by Nol—accurately speaking, by the suddenly moving blankets.

[Creator] was indeed a tricky skill, Teest thought morosely, lying sprawled on the bed.

The room Perradat prepared for them was quite large, but everything was made of a black-gray material of unknown composition. Only the bedding seemed reasonable—emitting a faint smell of seawater, probably stolen from some cargo ship.

Teest turned his head towards Nol.

Nol clicked the door lock and was now setting up layers of protective barriers around the room. Since the previous was “preliminary treatment”, he guessed the “formal treatment” was about to start.

“The treatment can wait,” Teest sincerely said. “Maybe we could start with two cups of hot milk and talk about your past—seriously, aren’t you curious? That’s the truth of the world, the origin of your memory seal!” He himself felt unbearably curious. Nol was too calm.

“Stories can wait. Your treatment is more important.” Nol ceased his actions and climbed onto the bed. “We’ll talk about it after the treatment. We still have the whole night.”

“Alright. Even though the atmosphere isn’t quite beautiful… How about you treat me while I tell you about it?” The preliminary treatment was gentle and comfortable, not hindering communication at all.

Nol’s gaze suddenly became complex, and a few seconds later, he evasively shifted his eyes. “……If you insist, it’s not impossible.”

An odd reaction. 

Teest: “Don’t worry. I’ve always had a high tolerance for pain.”

Nol’s gaze drifted even further away. “Okay, start by taking off your clothes.”

Teest: “?”

“Take everything off.” Nol’s ears reddened a bit. “I need to carefully adjust the circuits throughout your body. It won’t hurt.”

As he said this, his warm fingertips touched Teest’s forehead. Under the skin, it felt as if some entangled, painfully tight knots were being untied, bringing a tingling, mildly warm, wonderful sensation.

Teest: “……”

How to put it… Perhaps his tolerance wasn’t that great after all. During the treatment, could he really tell the story properly?

---

The author has something to say:

After the battle, of course, the scene shifts to continue the battle ♂!

What a great treatment—

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 211: Destroyer

The command was fully conveyed, and the deformed avatar of the god disappeared into specks of light.

The next instant, a scorching meteor fell from the sky. The abandoned true body of Xu Yue was blasted into ashes, leaving nothing behind. After the true body dissipated, the powerful meteor continued to bombard the ground, turning the barren wilderness into a vast basin.

Afterward, Xu Yue’s will truly seemed to fall into a deep slumber, and his vision was submerged into darkness.

Teest and Perradat floated in this void of darkness.

“He was just a human captured by Star Stealer Sol.”

Perradat sounded somewhat dazed. “…Just an ordinary human?!”

Teest didn’t respond to her, as scenes from the past flashed before his eyes. Fragments of countless memories surfaced. Those inexplicable details now all had their answers—

He remembered the night he first met Lynn, when Nol was sleepwalking and daydreaming.

It might have been the familiar cries and pleas he saw that momentarily loosened the memory seal.

He remembered Nol’s origin, the fragile will-o’-wisp, unlike any of their neighbors.

That was the remnant of Nol’s life after shedding everything—pure, fragile, belonging only to Nol’s human spirit.

Finally, he remembered the Flamma family’s secret prayer room and the painting on the altar.

It was one of the oldest paintings brought from the Blanco family by his mother.

It was supposed to be a portrait of the Blanco family’s benefactor, deeply emotional as seen by the painter, yet no one knew what the painting depicted—everyone said it was just messy paint and frenzied brushstrokes.

But Teest knew it wasn’t the case. Through the devout depiction, he could see a vague monster. The monster looked terrifying yet immensely gentle.

“It seems to be smiling.” He used to tiptoe, touching the cracked paint on the canvas. “Mom, it’s smiling.”

Teest liked that peculiar smile, more sincere and pure than most humans’ smiles, and more beautiful than those boring fake smiles on other idols.

He had only seen a similar smile on the faces of his family. Perhaps that was the “smile full of love”, he thought.

Unfortunately, everyone treated it as a child’s wild imagination. Until the end, no one believed him.

Now, Teest smiled in the darkness.

“That woman didn’t paint it wrong, nor did I see it wrong. It clearly is smiling.” Teest softly mused.

“What are you talking about? Is the point whether it’s painted or not?”

Perradat was still in shock—the memory clearly pointed out the habits, powers, and the truth of Tahe World and Star Stealer Sol. All were information she had never heard of before.

What was terrifying was that all this was a message a human insisted on planning and conveying. Even more frightening, this human actually managed to escape and return to fight for the system.

Not to mention just a human, even she miserably lost to Enbillick, left with nothing but just her head.

It seemed cooperation was wise. Perradat was terrified. Nol was crazier than she thought.

“My god, a human, even using the fragment of the Pillar of the World. I found it strange that the White Demons, as native beings, could actually get involved with the system…” Perradat muttered, glancing at Teest. “Alright, now that we understand the situation, let’s leave this place.”

Facing those two—one crazier than the other—her tone became much softer.

Teest didn’t move. He reached out to the void as if to caress the nothingness.

“Nol’s plan is still ongoing.” Teest said slowly, “He knew he would find a way to survive. He knew he would help his neighbors because of his soft heart. He knew he would eventually encounter Star Stealer Sol, and no matter how recklessly Star Stealer Sol acted, he wouldn’t destroy this world.”

“Even if his subsequent plans fail, the outcome would be either ‘Nol sacrifices himself to send his compatriots home’ or ‘everyone lives on in Tahe’…”

Perradat: “Is that so. Why suddenly bring this up?”

“Didn’t you notice the problem?” Teest turned around, his golden eyes emitting a faint glow.

Perradat’s voice grew softer. “No, the plan sounds good.”

“But I’m not in this plan.” Teest’s tone gradually became more excited, filled with a strange thrill. “I thought, what if Nol had other arrangements for me from the start? …Our meeting was too wonderful. I couldn’t help but doubt.”

“I don’t want to disrupt his plan, so I’ve been obedient lately, restricting myself. But if I’m not in his plan. I’m just a minor accident.”

“So…?”

What’s there to be happy about, Perradat thought, but didn’t dare to speak.

“It means…” Teest withdrew his hand that was caressing the darkness, his tone rising continuously. “At this moment, I can do whatever I want.”

As he spoke, a powerful magical fluctuation began to swirl around Teest.

Perradat suddenly had a very bad premonition. What was this guy going to do in the God of Creation’s mental world? Should she run away or would that be inappropriate? She seriously started to fret.

“Now that we know the whole story, these things are useless.” Teest smiled towards the endless darkness. “My Nol has returned to his divine throne, the power he has accumulated belongs only to him. To deal with Star Stealer Sol, he no longer needs these forcibly assembled mad creations.”

“Nol truly gave me the truth of the world. I must give him a particularly beautiful gift.”

Saying this, he paused, his smile becoming even more radiant. “Hmm, a perfect gift beyond his expectations.”

Perradat’s head reeled. “Wait, you’re not going to—”

“I’m going to remove the memory seal entirely. Ha, Nol definitely didn’t plan for this.”

Teest’s smile grew larger. “Thinking about it now, ‘removing the seal’ doesn’t mean ‘unraveling the seal’, the system has already packaged it for me—since they’re clamoring for rest, let them rest forever.”

[King of Eternal Sleep].

Before Perradat could react, Teest’s golden flames erupted, sweeping towards the pressing darkness. Teest himself, as if burning, unreservedly unleashed his power.

They were currently inside the “memory seal” box and Teest directly set the contents on fire.

Perradat was dumbfounded. Yes, the system indeed couldn’t handle these corrupted, chaotic wills, and neither could Perradat herself. However, as one of the False Gods, Teest possessed the power of destruction.

But destruction wasn’t so easy.

The surrounding chaotic spirits seemed endless. Those dangerous pieces of knowledge were heavy and sticky, like being buried in a rotting swamp. Even if corrupted and broken, they still stemmed from the wills of countless ancient dead gods. This wasn’t something Teest, a young god, could handle.

Wherever the golden fire went, death spread, and the darkness slowly dissipated. Countless fragments of power collided, sparking invisible fireworks. Then those flames were swallowed by the darkness again, making all efforts seem futile—like trying to dig a tunnel through a mountain with bare hands, hoping to find an exit.

Teest’s magical power surged like arterial blood, yet he didn’t frown. He could feel the pain of overusing his power. Even if this was just a mental space, Teest still tasted ominous blood in his mouth.

It didn’t matter.

A gift needed thought and effort to be meaningful, right? It was a gift made by his own hands. It would be strange without the scent of blood.

Many years ago, he had also escaped from darkness, igniting blazing golden fire. Under the gaze of the God of Creation, the immense Immortal Church collapsed behind him as he walked towards absolute freedom, beginning his quest for the unknown truth—that was the starting point.

At that time, he himself became a puzzle, firmly engraving himself in Nol’s mind. Now, as all puzzles were about to be solved, he needed to leave a deeper, more perfect imprint.

The end couldn’t be duller than the beginning.

The golden fire broke through the darkness time and again. As those shattered wills vanished, something seemed to break and grow within him. Such a cruel mechanism. He still carried Nol’s system on his body, the destruction of opponents would bring him power.

The power to liberate Nol, the “Creator”.

In the boundless darkness, that ball of golden flame waxed and waned but never extinguished. It relentlessly devoured the darkness, and the entire space began to show a dawn-like dim light.

“Perradat.” After who knew how long, Teest spoke up.

“Ah?” The head hiding at his feet looked up.

“I’m still young, not strong enough. This is too inefficient. Support me a bit,” Teest said very naturally. “We are collaborators, right? Your core is here…”

It’s a waste not to use it, right? The rest of the sentence was unsuitable to say out loud, so Teest wrote it on his face.

Perradat: “……” The bad premonition came true. She knew it would be like this!

But Nol had already freed himself from the influence of the flesh. If they got rid of the memory seal, there would no longer be any hidden dangers. As a collaborator, Perradat naturally welcomed this outcome.

So, a strand of golden hair tremulously reached for Teest’s foot. “Take it easy… Ahhhhhhh!”

For a moment, the God of Fate thought her core had entered a juicer. Teest unapologetically drew, no, borrowed Perradat’s power, and those golden flames immediately burned more intensely.

They exploded expansively, flames soaring high, almost engulfing the vision of both individuals.

Finally. The darkness dissipated and peeled away, gradually revealing a pure, flawless mental space. Amidst the fiercely burning seal and debris, they saw a figure.

That was Xu Yue, whose body was stitched with numerous god corpses, the external form of the memory seal.

Behind him on the computer screen was no longer pitch-black but a sun-like, dazzling golden fire. The computer and desk were gradually consumed by the golden fire. “Xu Yue” stood quietly in front of the computer desk, wearing a loose white shirt, with features randomly flickering on his face.

His hands and feet were also ablaze with golden fire, gradually turning into nothingness.

“Don’t worry,” he softly said. “I am just ‘Xu Yue’s’ corrupted memory… It seems I lived well.”

That horrifying, deformed face displayed a smile very familiar to Teest. Despite the jumbled features, Teest found a hint of relief in it.

“Thank you.”

The figure reached out towards Teest, as if to caress his head.

“…You also live well, my good child, Silver White.”

“We will certainly survive to the end.”

Teest’s complexion was pale from magical overexertion, but his tone was quite relaxed. “You still owe me an ending.”

Amidst the burning golden fire, “Xu Yue” laughed. He bent his eyes at Teest, nodding solemnly.

Finally, the last bit of golden fire extinguished, and the pitch-black space turned into clean, pure white. Perhaps it was Teest’s illusion, but he felt it was much clearer here. The previous strange oppressive feeling was nowhere to be found, and the environment could even be considered comfortable.

Teest had never overexerted his power like this before. After the fire, he unceremoniously sat down on the ground, becoming somewhat translucent. Perradat’s head wobbled and rolled listlessly at Teest’s feet.

Tired as they were, no one complained.

They both knew. The troublesome “memory seal” was gone. Nol could become stronger without any mental interference. Even better, Star Stealer Sol was still unaware of this.

[You have assisted in removing a major security threat. System reward calculation in progress…]

Before Teest could catch his breath, he received an inexplicable system notification.

[Based on new intelligence, analyzing the foreign power fragments in your body…]

[Starting to optimize skill “King of Eternal Sleep”… Power fusion in progress… Skill modification in progress…]

[New skill generated.]

The new skill description was brief.

[Destroyer: Everything has an end. Enjoy.]

[Note: This skill has exceeded system management authority. Actual effects may vary.]

For some reason, the system seemed to be in a good mood. Teest glanced at the skill. It looked pretty good, but he really didn’t have the energy to test it.

At his side, Perradat finally couldn’t hold on. Emitting a series of distressed hums, the two of them miserably popped out of Nol’s mental space.

Feeling the familiar damp air, Teest strained to open his eyes. Nol was still asleep on the altar, and he lay on Nol, forming a perfect cross.

Perradat’s beautiful head fell off the bouquet, slumping down by the huge sculpture, exhausted to the point of foaming at the mouth.

Teest relaxed his limbs where he lay on Nol. The latter grunted a few times and quickly woke up.

Unlike the two adventurers in the seal, Nol, to prevent corruption, had been in deep sleep throughout. His gaze swept over Teest and Perradat, pausing on the foam at Perradat’s mouth.

“Teest, are you okay?!” Nol, frightened, shook Teest vigorously, his voice full of panic. “Was situation of the seal bad?”

Teest stretched his limbs on Nol before propping up his body. “What do you think?”

Nol paused. “I…”

Only then did Nol realize his mind felt much clearer, as if he had had a good sleep for the first time in many years. Even when he tried to recall the past, his body showed no anomalies.

The only downside, perhaps, were the blanks in his memory. It seemed he had completely forgotten some details, but fortunately, everything related to the game was still firmly etched in his mind.

Teest focused on the face so close to him. Feeling Teest’s gaze, Nol instinctively relaxed a bit, revealing a smile.

Teest stretched out his hand, this time firmly touching Nol’s lips. He just knew, there weren’t many people in the world who could smile like this.

“Tonight, I have a very—long story to tell you,” Teest said, his gaze still on Nol’s lips. “With hot milk and fruits. Remember to keep your schedule clear.”

“…But I do have something. I’m extremely tired, honey,” Teest said, drawing a bit closer.

Seeing Teest safe and sound, Nol’s smile deepened.

Teest had seen this smile amidst thick layers of paint. He tried to recreate this smile on countless corpses, and now, he could—

Deliberately leaning forward, Teest touched his nose to Nol’s, their warm breaths instantly entwining. His silver-white hair fell onto Nol’s chest. Nol instinctively reached out, touching the back of Teest’s head.

Just like that, Nol gave a cautious kiss. He kissed very gently, with a comforting flavor. Teest conveniently shifted his head, kissing the corner of Nol’s mouth.

“Haha. I’m also very tired.” Under the statue, Perradat spoke dryly. “Actually, my church has other rooms—more comfortable, with soft beds, and without my presence. You both should really consider it.”

Nol, as if waking from a dream, blushed slightly, coughing twice. “Let’s talk business first.”

Then he turned towards Teest, his expression becoming more serious.

“I need to confirm some things, Teest. We need to have a fight.”

---

The author has something to say:

The life of Perradat, hurt by the young couple.

Perradat: It’s so hard to find a job these days.jpg

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 210: Silver White

“Oh my god.”

Perradat hid behind Teest, her mouth never closing. “I’ve never heard of such a thing!”

Now she knew why Nol insisted on her presence. Teest certainly wouldn’t know what it is, but across the entire universe, few species understood the Pillar of the World better than the Floating Cocoon.

With herself present, Teest emitted the aura of the Pillar of the World. With both conditions met, time in the room began to flow rapidly. Nol himself couldn’t accept this memory, so he wanted them to act as a third party, to investigate the truth in the nearest place.

Sunlight swept over the room time and again, alternating between orange-red and dazzling gold. Those black and red threads kept drawing on Xu Yue’s divine power, hatching a world called “Tahe”.

However, Xu Yue’s flesh stopped rotting. The mass of flesh in front of them gradually took shape, and its distortion gradually became orderly, turning into a bizarre embryo.

It was tightly wrapped in three pairs of cyan and red wings. Structures like eyeballs peeked through countless cracks, and its whole body emitted a mad and chaotic aura. If not for Star Stealer Sol crazily drawing its divine power, Joy Garden—and even the entire continent—would have been contaminated long ago.

“This form looks a lot like the Pillar of the World.” Before Teest could ask, Perradat explained on her own initiative. “But the Pillar of the World is pure white. This thing is more like… To speak blasphemously, it’s like a necromantic version of the Pillar of the World.”

The difference in their appearance was that between normal humans and liches.

Countless divine corpses were being integrated by the “immortality” power of the Pillar of the World, forcibly mimicking the growth process of the Pillar of the World. Admittedly, Nol couldn’t become a Pillar of the World through this means, but he stabilized the physical state very well.

“But his mind is still not secure.” Teest murmured, gently touching the hatching monster. The nameless monster filled the room, leaving them only a small corner.

His Nol stabilized the collapse of the body, solving only half of the problem. Teest knew well how chaotic Nol’s memories were, and as Nol became stronger, this chaos would only intensify.

Fortunately, time in the room flew by madly, and they would soon see the end.

Teest closed his eyes, relaxing against the monster. And the monster didn’t forget to extend its tentacles, gently touching his long hair.

……

The wreckage, known as the “Fragment of the Pillar of the World”, lent out its “immortality” power.

It skillfully suppressed countless divine corpses, integrating them together—a method much more refined than Star Stealer Sol’s rough stitching. The divine corpses no longer rotted, and the physical pain was greatly reduced.

What stood in front of Xu Yue was the increasing madness.

This is good, he thought dimly. If his consciousness were “normal”, he would have been driven mad by the endless torment and imprisonment long ago.

Now he maintained a balance. When Tahe would be perfected, the howls and murmurs in his mind would calm down. Besides his own energy being particularly focused, Nol suspected that Star Stealer Sol also made protections—obviously, Star Stealer Sol didn’t want too many problems at the end of “Tahe World”.

Xu Yue gnawed at the pitch-black screen, typing lines of bizarre characters that didn’t exist in the world. He knew Tahe was becoming more and more perfect. In this endless madness and darkness, that was the only color he could grasp.

It always reminded him of who he was.

…That was good. Now he could think.

For liberation, the divine corpses lent their knowledge to Xu Yue. For observation, the Pillar of the World also lent quite a bit of information. Xu Yue knew this was an extremely dangerous act—the bunch of dangerous knowledge jumped up and down in his head, infecting his nerves.

This was a dangerous bet. It depended on whether he would go mad or use them to find a solution first.

Think.

After the end, Star Stealer Sol would remove the protections given to him and turn to erase him, taking the precious world he created as his own. In this situation, he would definitely fall into complete madness.

Now he was on Earth. Even if he escaped this room, he would bring endless disasters to his compatriots.

Think, think.

Right, at the beginning of creation, he believed that “Tahe World” was a game. The authority of the God of Creation was solidified as the “system”, and the system naturally allowed Players from Earth to log in.

That’s to say, there was a system-permitted passage between Tahe and Earth.

Indeed, there was a way out. He could use the system to escape to Tahe, but the problem was that his current physical and mental state would also bring a catastrophic impact to the world of Tahe.

Think, think, think.

…Got it.

Soon after, Tahe World was officially completed. That night, a meteor shower full of power fell from the sky, intending to erase the entire Joy Garden neighborhood.

According to the original plan, the collapsing God of Creation and any potential witnesses would die together, without a trace. People of Earth would only regard it as an unfortunate accident, just as it had been the previous three times.

Humans were too fragile, and under such destructive power, normal rescue operations would be impossible.

Xu Yue tried hard to maintain his last bit of clarity—he decapitated all his neighbors. Thus, struggling, he held those damaged heads and activated the “test account” leading to Tahe.

It was an administrator account he had secretly reserved in advance.

[Administrator Test Account “Nol” requests login]

[Login successful]

The moment before Joy Garden completely evaporated, that bizarre figure disappeared into the night.

Xu Yue specifically chose a barren wilderness to minimize the impact, and he also raised a fog around him to block the view. His arms were drenched in blood, and his neighbors were gradually dying.

The protection from Star Stealer Sol disappeared. Wave after wave of madness assaulted Xu Yue’s mind. He could maintain his clarity for fewer and fewer moments, and he had to execute the next step of his plan before being discovered by Star Stealer Sol…

The bodies of the neighbors were too damaged to log in as Players. So—

[Execute “system custody” for all living beings except me.]

Before Star Stealer Sol could react, the highest administrator authority was still in place. Xu Yue struggled against time, forcefully commanding the system. [Keep until I regain consciousness and restart activity.]

[Custody target comes from Earth. System login check in progress.]

[Target body information incomplete. Only partial permissions can be obtained. Do you want to continue?]

The huge monster, covered in wounds, stretched out countless tentacles, tightly embracing thousands of heads. [Continue.]

The system responded smoothly. [Target body information missing. Currently only support for survival via other biological bodies. Please specify selection scheme.]

[Give them… the bodies with the highest survival rate, under the premise of matching individual personalities…] Xu Yue, with his mind full of madness, insisted on giving the order.

[Custody plan recorded.]

A soft light shone, and Xu Yue’s arms were empty. Those heads turned into points of light, dissipating in the clear air of Tahe.

The voices inside his head grew louder. Xu Yue’s consciousness was like a raft in a storm. His mind could disintegrate at any moment.

Now came the last part.

[Execute “system custody” for me…] Xu Yue commanded.

[Target power is too strong. Custody failed.]

As expected.

Xu Yue held his breath and concentrated. He separated a small piece of flesh, attaching his frenzied consciousness to it. That flesh had roughly the shape of a person, thin, with a flesh membrane hanging loosely like a robe.

It had twisted hard horns on its head like organs, pitch-black hair winding on the ground, connecting to a vastly large, deformed god behind it.

…The avatar of a god.

Under the dissipation of consciousness, the avatar couldn’t even stand. Xu Yue struggled to crawl, turning his body, and bit off the connection at the end of his hair.

In the midst of madness, his forced transfer would surely leave many traces. The discovery of his escape by Star Stealer Sol was only a matter of time. He needed to leave that guy a “target to kill”.

Like his so-called “true self”.

Giving up the shackles of the flesh, giving up the forcibly piled up power, he wanted to survive.

[Execute “system custody” for me…] Xu Yue tried to prop up his avatar, commanding again.

[Target contains abnormally formatted messages. Unable to custody normally…]

[Do you want to clear the abnormally formatted message content?]

That was the mental corruption from countless divine corpses, the source of his madness.

Xu Yue: [Yes.]

[Excessive abnormal messages. Unable to clear normally. It is recommended to compress and archive. Do you want to continue?]

Very well. All that remained was…

“…please…”

Amidst the fog, Xu Yue’s actions suddenly halted. A faint voice rang in Xu Yue’s ear—that voice was pitiful and sad.

“Please, I beg of you…”

Who?

Xu Yue struggled to turn his gaze, his eyes passing through the fog and stopping on the shivering figure.

It was a woman, gaunt in appearance, with disheveled hair and wounds all over her feet, looking like a war refugee. This place was rarely visited by people. She was undoubtedly fleeing. Further away, there were a few people in tattered clothes. They huddled in the distance and didn’t dare to approach.

Oddly, even though the fog could conceal his form, the aura he emitted was very real. Typically, nearby creatures would only see him as a monster and wouldn’t dare to approach.

Xu Yue looked again at the woman not far away.

The woman in front of him had brown hair and golden eyes, possessing the typical characteristics of the Wilder people.

This was the first time Xu Yue encountered a creature he had created with his own hands.

His gaze softened involuntarily, and for a moment, the chaos in his mind cleared.

The woman knelt on the ground, trembling all over. Her forehead nearly touched the ground, and her hands were stretched forward, holding a stained swaddle. In the swaddle, the head of a baby with brown fluffy hair was visible, one arm hanging stiffly.

“Noble Lord, please…”

“Please save her, my little baby… I will do anything. I can sacrifice everything. Please save her…”

The woman’s voice was hoarse, with a sobbing tone, sounding somewhat delirious.

“She was still breathing a short while ago. You are so powerful. There must be something you can do…”

“Save my daughter, please…”

Don’t cry, he thought. Perhaps his plan could be slightly altered.

He could see that the baby had stopped breathing not long ago, and her organs hadn’t completely died. If he used just a bit of his authority—

[Are you sure?]

The fragment of the Pillar of the World asked without any fluctuation.

[You have already abandoned your true body. To forcefully grant her Player privileges—even incomplete Player privileges—requires the use of my power.]

[According to calculations, continuing to hold my “immortality” power is the wiser choice.]

[Your power is indeed very strong,] Xu Yue responded calmly. [But in the end, you are also one of my “mental corruptions”. The risk and benefit of retaining you are equally high. I’ve thought about it and choosing “maintaining mental stability” isn’t a bad idea either.]

[Next, I will completely strip away all threats and try my best to survive. After all, you are immortal. For you, it’s just a change of perspective in “recording”.]

[Agreed.] Eventually, the fragment gave its response.

Xu Yue moved his body. A tentacle gently pushed away the fog, touching the baby’s head.

[Player identity call request received.]

[Applicant confirmed.]

[Sorry, your current power is insufficient. Temporarily unable to use developer privileges.]

Xu Yue calmly continued, [Reapply, additionally grant the target “immortality” power.]

[Exceeding the law power fragment confirmed.]

[The integrity of this power is extremely low, within the operable range.]

[Integrating calculations…]

[As per the highest administrator’s request, the target successfully obtained Player Privileges [minimum], eligible for one “resurrection”.

※This privilege is granted outside the rules. The individual with this privilege will be anchored by the system.]

[Affected by the “immortality” power, related bloodlines of the target have a chance to inherit “Player Privileges [minimum]” and its characteristics.]

As the system issued one notification after another, a soft halo shone around the baby. Her brown hair turned shiny silver, her stiff arm softened, and she gradually regained color.

The fragment of the Pillar of the World left.

Its power would disperse across the land of Tahe, silently recording everything through the eyes of those it benefitted.

The swaddle moved, and the baby cried out loudly. Her mother clutched the swaddle tightly. “Thank you. Thank you! Please take whatever price. I have no complaints…”

Meanwhile, the baby curiously waved her arms, trying to grasp the fog-wrapped tentacle.

That tentacle gently rubbed the top of the baby’s head.

“I hope you… like my world…”

Xu Yue awkwardly spoke in the common language. “The price is… to live well…”

The woman looked up in a daze, just as she had clearly seen the outline in the fog, the scenery before her changed. The barren wilderness turned into a lush meadow, with the Brick Mountains vaguely visible in the distance.

There was no scent of war here.

That was long-distance spatial magic. That was the power of a god. The woman hugged her child tightly, finally bursting into tears.

……

Above the wasteland, Xu Yue was left alone again.

[Execute “system custody” for me. Compress and seal all abnormal messages. Wake me up when you think the system ownership should change.]

Ensuring no other beings were around, Xu Yue issued the command for the third time.

[A “memory seal” will be executed on you. Note, some of your personal memories are corrupted. The corrupted parts will also be sealed.]

[After sealing, you can only retain the minimum attributes. Do you wish to continue?]

[Continue. Also, attach a message to the memory seal—]

As madness approached, Xu Yue issued his final command.

[Never break the seal—!]

The moment his consciousness plunged into darkness, silence completely enveloped his ears.

This isn’t the end, Xu Yue thought. This is the beginning.

Just as Star Stealer Sol lowered his guard, content with his corruption of the system, “Xu Yue” would awaken once again. This was his world. He would remember the knowledge that belonged solely to him. He wouldn’t give up easily.

He would survive.

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The author has something to say:

The truth of the past… Indeed, it was all Nol’s scheme（.

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Kinky Thoughts:

Ahhhhh the links are all connecting. So, so, so, so good! 

Nol gave up his immortality from the Pillar of the World so he could save the baby girl who will eventually pass on the lineage of the Pillar of the World to her descendants.

This is the source of the White Demons—how Teest came to be! How he was resurrected once when he was killed as a child in the Immortal Church! Why the Blanco family worship this “mysterious god” in the painting! It also explains Teest’s abnormal emotions (or rather lack of emotions).

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