Little Piel sprinted down the narrow corridor.
The mess created by the young Teest hadn't spread yet. Everyone just saw Piel running out, and the alarm bells rang throughout the church almost immediately. Piel covered his ears, and his four legs moved at lightning speed. Instinctively, he fluttered his wings, gliding just above the ground.
Sure enough, patrolling guards followed. Countless spells were directed at Piel. But the corridor was so narrow that the spells only resulted in explosions of light and smoke on the walls, without even touching a single feather of the griffin.
Nol stood on the griffin's back, the glow of explosions reflecting in his eyes. Piel ran faster and faster, with the sound of crumbling buildings and whistling wind in his ears.
"More than one has escaped! They've all run out!" He heard someone shout from a distance. "Someone destroyed the cages. Quickly seal the church!"
"Turn on the first-level defense spell. Go and summon the high priest—"
The cultists were well-trained. Their formation in pursuing Little Piel didn't immediately fall into chaos. Some trackers were diverted, presumably to capture other escaped creatures. Nol could feel a thick magical energy emanating from the ground. The Eternal Church now felt as if it was under an invisible glass dome, making one feel suffocated.
A powerful sealing spell allowed neither entry nor exit, ensuring no one could escape.
…The young Teest really didn't want to let any of them go. Nol pinched his nose bridge with one hand.
Little Piel's body became scorching hot from running as he panted heavily. He ran dizzily in the maze-like corridors. Several times, he tried to fly out of the church windows but was mercilessly repelled by the sealing magic.
So, Little Piel had no choice but to keep circling in the long corridor.
More bizarre creatures appeared around the church.
They saw creatures resembling fleshy sea urchins rolling down the corridors, their wriggling tentacle-like arms tearing apart every guard in their path. When covered in torn flesh and entrails, it started tearing itself apart unconsciously.
They witnessed bloated creatures, all mouth, devouring the bones of the cultists and chewing on stone sculptures and golden candelabras. Sharp objects pierced its skin, and undigested food mixed with its entrails poured out. Yet, it kept eating mechanically.
...
They had all gone mad, utterly mad.
"On the evening of the first day you arrive, they cast a curse to make you forget your own name. If you survive, next, you'll forget the names of your loved ones," Teest kindly explained. "After that, those bastards gradually take away your memories, keeping only what they want. Those successfully brainwashed serve as slaves, while the insane ones continue as experimental subjects. The dungeon is basically a madhouse."
He said this aloud so that Piel could also hear. Little Piel, frightened, had tears in his eyes, and slipped on the bloody marble floor. At one point, the child stepped on some entrails, skidding a great distance and almost knocking over a suit of armor.
Piel kept running frantically yet determinedly, like an antelope chased by a lion, turning every last drop of his energy into sweat. Nol could feel the heat from the fur beneath him.
Bitterness filled Nol's mouth. The child was giving his all to survive, unaware of his fate.
The number of guards chasing them decreased, but something was always in pursuit—either cultists, guards, or indiscriminate, frenzied creatures.
Nol cast shields at opportune moments to protect Little Piel from the strange limbs reaching for him, and fate seemed indifferent to this.
It was evident that the young Teest was the protagonist of this event. To the world, Piel wasn't as… significant.
Nol couldn't help but turn his head to observe the adult Teest. He became increasingly curious about the prophecy Teest might carry.
Teest played with the tiny "Betrayer" that looked shorter than a toothpick. Compared to the guards, he seemed to be enjoying the chaos.
The agreed-upon thirty minutes felt like thirty years. Screams and roars echoed continuously as bizarre creatures and cultists tore each other apart. The corridors reeked of blood, as if soaked in it for centuries.
Finally, silence ensued. Through the blood-streaked windows, they saw a fire on one side of the church.
Golden-red flames tore through the night, greedily consuming the northern hall of the church. Nol gripped Little Piel's fur tightly. Piel's griffin heart pounded fiercely in his chest, and his fur felt scaldingly hot.
Here, Nol couldn't see what Teest had done. He only saw the spreading golden fire, shadows of whirlpools on the originally dark walls, and magnificent stained-glass windows shattering one by one.
Astonishingly, amidst the vast vineyard, flames rose to the sky here, yet no one paid any attention. Merchants and craftsmen who were up early hurried past the side of the church, completely unaware of the destruction nearby.
It's coming soon, isn't it?
Whether it was the real purpose of Teest returning to the past or the ending of Little Piel.
Nol gripped the staff tighter, watching Piel, who was panting and running. He took a deep breath.
Golden flames burned towards their direction. Minutes passed, and in the light at the end of the corridor, Nol finally saw the figure of the young Teest.
His hair was covered in ashes, arms stained with blood, and had countless scratches on his legs, as if he wore crimson boots. He looked in terrible condition, so weak that he seemed to fall apart upon touch.
It wasn't because of the wounds, Nol thought. The young Teest had cast magic he couldn't bear. It was a typical situation of magical overdraw.
Following behind him was a girl who looked like a four-legged spider, covered in blood, as if she had just crawled out of a pool of blood.
Little Piel finally stopped running, his panting almost whistling. Realizing that Little Piel was still alive, the young Teest casually waved at him.
"The West Hall," he said in a hoarse voice. "Go through the side door. I'll lead the way."
Little Piel looked worriedly at the boy who could barely stand, wanting to assist him, but was brushed off by the young Teest. Teest walked in front, and Piel could only follow behind with the four-legged girl.
Blood ignited into golden flames, and shadows swirled in a vortex. They walked a familiar path, with the exquisite murals depicting "miracles" consumed by the flames, leaving only a void of blackness.
Occasionally, cultists or monsters rushed forward. Whenever they approached within ten steps, a skinny arm emerged from the vortex, crushing the intruders.
With every swing of the arm, the young Teest's face turned even paler. He looked like a translucent ghost. His once light footsteps became weak and feeble. Yet he didn't seek help from anyone, continuing to walk with a terrifying sense of balance.
Until they reached the familiar West Hall.
In front of the side door stood a middle-aged man.
He was robust, with dozens of shiny black braids hanging behind his head, wearing the black ceremonial robes of the Eternal Church. Under the firelight, his skin appeared dark, like the beginning of a rotting corpse.
A particularly sharp gaze shot at the young Teest, causing the latter to tremble.
"As I suspected." The man's voice was filled with profound disappointment. "When the one who inexplicably wanted to see the prophecy disappeared, I knew something was amiss. Then the chaos in the demon dungeon, the destruction of the church… It was you, really you." Holding a thick notebook in his arms, he spoke as if sighing.
[Oh, this is Priest Bonds.] The adult Mad Monk patted Nol. [A devout God's Chosen One. He was a strong candidate for High Priest back then—looking at him now, his face is still ever so annoying.]
"Good evening, Lord Priest Bonds." The young Teest greeted with a sweet smile.
At the same time, the strange vortex extended to Priest Bonds's feet. Accompanied by the sound of flesh being squeezed, the arm reached out from the vortex, trying to grab Priest Bonds from behind.
With a casual wave of his hand, Bonds emitted a dark red arc of electricity, and the withered arm suddenly stopped in mid-air, twitching uncontrollably.
"You were such an obedient child… You were meant to be the most perfect creation of the Eternal Son, destined for unparalleled glory." Bonds approached Teest without looking back. "You shouldn't have such rebellious thoughts. Where did our education go wrong?"
It was as if he couldn't see the two people behind Teest, his eyes focused only on the young boy in front, speaking in a tone as if a father was scolding his son.
The young Teest took a step back, stepping on the slippery blood beneath, nearly slipping.
But the sweet smile on his face didn't waver. "Names are like nails, and related memories are the threads secured by them. Without the nails, the threads come apart especially quickly. You all know this…"
As Teest spoke, he subtly glanced around, trying to find an escape route.
"The memory spell wouldn't be flawed." Bonds paused, intrigued by the topic.
"Yes, I'm just a pitiful child from a good family. I shouldn't know what you would do to me." Teest's forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat, clearly stalling for time while trying to think of a solution. "I just happened to remember my family's names and retained a little bit of memory."
"Lies. You had nothing to record with." Bonds spoke sharply.
"Yes, you took everything from me, not even leaving the pebbles in my pocket," the young Teest responded. "But even a pitiful child from a good family knows to hide a gold wheel beforehand. You would inspect my cage, but you wouldn't peel off all my flesh to look… Well, that's not quite accurate. There were a few times you almost found it."
Towards the end, the young Teest's breathing became uneven. Even Nol could tell he was purposely dragging out the conversation.
"A gold wheel? I see. The requiem ceremony from folktales…" Bonds frowned. "Did you engrave your family's names and their death dates on it?"
"Yes. Who can blame me for only having this single gold wheel? Thankfully, I only need to carve the same date and can barely write it down."
The young Teest whispered in response, his gaze sweeping over Bonds's eyes, throat, and heart. "So how do you plan to punish me? Dissection, brainwashing, or moving cells?"
Both being God's Chosen Ones, they naturally knew the rules—the Chosen Ones carried prophecies and were very hard to kill. But being hard to kill didn't mean "unkillable". After all, prophecies were mysterious. No one knew how they would manifest.
Therefore, the church often subjected them to brutal training but rarely truly tried to kill them.
Ironically, the prophecy of the Chosen One Bonds was public—
[The loyal servant will witness a miracle and he will die under God's gaze.]
Now, being extremely weak, Bonds wouldn't be too guarded. Escaping would be hard, but he could attempt a close-range sneak attack to kill Bonds instantly.
A Chosen One escaping and the Immortal Church being destroyed could perhaps be interpreted as a "miracle". And if Bonds died in the church, it was almost the same as dying under God's watchful eye.
This was an opportunity. The young Teest clenched his fists. This was his only remaining chance.
"I was indeed a bit impulsive." The young Teest tried to step closer. "Will God forgive me, Lord Bonds?"
Behind him, Little Piel and the four-legged girl stood stiff as corpses, barely breathing.
Nol could sense the young Teest's intent to kill. Perhaps Priest Bonds could too. Even knowing that Teest lived to adulthood, Nol's hands turned cold.
"Come."
The adult Teest grabbed his wrist, pulling Nol towards the floor. "The main event is next. We better watch closely."
Teest's hand trembled. Nol looked up to see Teest's face—there was no fear, only strange excitement. The Mad Monk's breathing became slightly rapid, his hand trembling with excitement.
So, Nol followed him, jumping to the floor near the young Teest's feet.
Teest looked confident. Was the young Teest about to make a move? Nol swallowed nervously, watching intently.
Bonds lowered his arm, holding a notebook loosely. Nol saw handwritten text on the spine—it was the record of prophecies for the Chosen Ones.
Priest Bonds other hand reached towards Teest, as if to pat his head. The young Teest's fingers relaxed and then tensed again. He obediently bowed his head—
"God will forgive you. The great Anstis will allow you to stand by his side," Bonds whispered. "Chosen One, your prophecy has already come true."
The pupils of the young Teest suddenly constricted.
In the next moment, the young Teest's head flew off.
Then came his body—his body seemed slashed by an invisible blade, turning into several pieces with blood spraying in mid-air. Nol was so close. He was almost knocked over by the sudden splash of blood.
The pure white boy shattered to pieces, his flesh landing with the nearby dead monster.
…What?
Everything around seemed to move in slow motion. Hot blood dripped slowly before Nol's eyes.
…Twelve years ago, did Teest die in the Immortal Church?
…How?
Nol hesitated to look at the adult Teest beside him. Reality was too cruel, questions too overwhelming. If it weren't for the consistent pain in his heart, Nol might have fainted.
"The diamond hidden in the vineyard, the gold buried under the snow. God smiles at his favored bloodline, and he witnessed this smile for seven years…"
Priest Bonds flipped to a page and made a praying gesture, seemingly reciting an elegy.
Nol forced himself to focus. This was undoubtedly Teest's prophecy, his destiny. The prophecy might have another interpretation, a more positive one.
"…People should be careful. He will bring endless destruction and chaos." Priest Bonds closed the book, sighing deeply.
The young Teest's decapitated head rolled, stopping by the remains. Those golden eyes were still wide open.
"You indeed brought destruction and chaos to this world, child," Bonds murmured.
It was a prophecy that couldn't be twisted positively. The situation was inexplicable, and Nol felt his head was about to explode.
An indigenous person with inexplicable Player privileges, a man dead in the past, a fate that promised "endless destruction and chaos".
Is this what you wanted to show me, Teest?
Nol finally turned to Teest. He forgot to breathe and just stared at the person blankly. The warm blood under his feet was Teest's.
The face of the boy was half-covered in blood, resting behind the adult Teest. The large head with lifeless eyes seemed like a painted stage backdrop.
The adult Teest laughed. It was the first time Nol had seen him wear such a smile. It was so content and joyful that it could almost be described as… happy.
"So, you don't understand what happened either," Teest whispered with a layer of flushed excitement on his face. "This is just fantastic, Nol."
Teest took two steps forward and stood in front of Nol, his hands still stained with "his own" blood. Yet, Teest reached out and gently stroked Nol's cheek, smearing streaks of blood across his face.
"It means that I'm a part of the truth you seek; an essential part." He leaned in close to Nol's ear. "You will never forget this scene, this shock…"
His hand moved from Nol's cheek to the back of his neck.
"…From this moment on, I am a part of you," Teest whispered in a lover-like tone. His words seemed to seep into the bones. "I've got you."
Having said that, Teest looked at a stunned Nol and gently pecked his lips.
Hmm, this gesture wasn't good enough—at least not as satisfying as a real kiss, he thought. Amidst the boiling sensation of blood, Teest bent down again and kissed him deeply.
Nol didn't avoid him. He was watching an even more horrifying sight—
Behind Teest, the body of a young man suddenly glowed with a white light. Nol recognized this phenomenon. On the outskirts of Whitebird City, during the battle with Crimson, he had witnessed such a scene.
It was the light and shadow effect of a Player's resurrection. Although it was weaker than usual, as if there was a system error, it was undeniably a resurrection effect.
The shattered body self-assembled in the faint light, healing quickly. The head returned to its original position, and the golden eyes quickly regained their luster.
As Priest Bonds stepped over Teest's body and heard a noise, he turned around in surprise—facing him was a rapidly approaching golden thread. The moment the young Teest regained consciousness, he charged at his target without hesitation. The golden thread wrapped around Bonds' neck, tightened swiftly, and blood sprayed out violently.
The young Teest pressed his legs against Bonds's chest, crazily tightening the golden thread, even if it cut his own hands.
"Even though… I'm not… quite clear…" He coughed out blood and flesh fragments, speaking in a terrifyingly gentle tone. "But this is… a miracle, right? God must be… watching you… loyal, faithful Lord Bonds…"
The shock was too intense. Nol couldn't close his eyes during this bloody kiss.
Reflected in his pupils, Bonds's head was strangled from his neck and lightly hit the ground.
[…Resurrection chance… used… now playing the message…]
He heard a very faint, almost static-filled system notification. It came late and sounded hazy, like a sleepy person being awakened.
[…Welcome to… Tahe…]
[…hope you… enjoy this world…]
The author has something to say:
Here we go!!! Actually, the setting about time isn't that complicated; the pope has kindly explained it earlier~
Teest's goal is so simple and pure (?
Seizing the body is nothing; capturing the heart is the real deal! Although his perspective is a bit… (???
—————
Two small questions from the last chapter:
Why do people who died in the past still appear in the future?
Similar to those transmigration stories, it's modern people traveling to the past to experience life and death. For them, time flows normally; only the broader environment's time point changes.
If it's a predetermined event, why does fate punish Nol?
Fate resists change, but it allows deviations under the premise that the "major trend remains unchanged". It's not just about "killing" and "ignoring" as the only two extremes.
Kinky Thoughts:
Okay… I can get behind this psycho lunatic love. A first for Nian Zhong where neither MCs are right in the head (well I think Ruan Xian and Tang Yibu come close)… which means they're right for each other, right?