Nol's face grew slightly warm from the excitement of his story, and his body became hot from the deadly touch. As Teest pulled away, the cool air rushed into the bed, and Nol shivered.
By contrast, Teest's hand on top of his head felt especially warm.
Nol watched Teest's figure disappear at the door, and he promptly sat up from the bed.
The shadow wolf poked its mouth out from Nol's shadow and licked his heel twice. Nol scratched the shadow wolf's large chin and took two fruits from the table, throwing them into the slightly opened wolf's mouth.
Ben let out a satisfied grunt, chomping away with its big mouth.
The presence of the shadow wolf's mouth was astounding, yet, despite this, Nol still felt like most of the room was empty.
He glanced around the room that wasn't even 20 square meters, and when his eyes passed over the wardrobe, his heart sank.
Something was wrong.
When he had saved Little Piel, Black Candle Kando had witnessed everything, including Nol admitting that he "created this world". Kando didn't say a word, and with one thing after another, Nol had almost forgotten about it. Just now—Nol remembered putting a soundproof spell on the room, but not on the wardrobe where Kando was.
The candle must have heard his bedtime story.
Barefoot, Nol jumped off the bed and opened the wardrobe. In the corner, Kando's vertical eye quietly watched him. This thing only had one eye, so it was hard for Nol to discern its emotions.
"I remember you saying you didn't know your own name," Nol said, looking into that eye. "We took you from the Eternal Church. Are you a Supplement Demon?"
"I thought you were too busy with your bloody sweetheart and had forgotten about me," the candle replied with a particularly pitiful tone. "Now you remember that lonely little Kando has feelings too…"
"Answer me," Nol demanded, grabbing it.
"Oh, a Supplement Demon, a Supplement Demon. I am not a Supplement Demon." Kando slapped Nol's jaws with candle tears. "The importance of a name is second only to the soul—unless you have no relatives, no relationships with anyone—the Eternal Church likes to destroy it, and some like to use it as collateral."
"You 'mortgaged' your name?" Nol frowned. "Mortgaged to whom? To turn you into this thing?"
"If I answer that, I'll never get it back." Kando looked up at Nol. "Don't worry. When the time is right, I will tell you everything. Think about it, if I wanted to harm you, I'd have had plenty of opportunities."
"Thank you for reminding me. I think now is a good time. The soundproofing in this cabinet isn't very good. You must have heard everything." Nol flicked his fingers.
The black candle nimbly crawled on the back of his hand, like a deformed octopus. It quickly found a new patch of skin and wrapped around it.
"Oh, my thoughts are a bit different from your bloody sweetheart," the candle whispered. "I don't think you're a God of Creation in a true sense."
"It's a coincidence, but I happen to know races that can create worlds. But you're not like them—no offense, but even in their weakened state, they wouldn't be as weak as you."
Kando was blunt, but Nol wasn't offended. "It's okay. I don't think I'm any god."
What kind of God works overtime 24/7 and lands themselves in a hospital? That's just weak.
"So, as I said, now is not the right time," Kando calmly stated.
"I hate people who beat around the bush."
Nol snapped, grabbing a tear from the candle and pulling Kando off. The candle was upside down, its flame brushing against its body, but the black wax showed no signs of melting.
Kando bent its eye as if smiling. "If I tell you everything now, you might give up. I'd rather wait until you have no choice. I can only say that as long as you two continue to seek the truth of the world, the right time will come."
As it spoke, it stared intently at Nol, its pupil dilating.
Under the gaze of this inhuman thing, sweat formed on Nol's back. His good mood from earlier had mostly vanished. Still, the candle did reveal a lot. Kando had mortgaged its name to someone and was likely serving that "someone". And at the right time, this guy would surely ask him for a favor.
How would he define such a creature? A commercial spy? An obvious mole?
Yet, Nol did need it. Whether for wielding his staff or for spatial magic, it was indispensable to him…
"Honey, are you fixing your staff?"
Teest's voice and the sweet aroma returned to the room, immediately interrupting Nol's train of thought. He set down Kando, who was chuckling quietly, and closed the wardrobe door seamlessly.
"Well, I had a little chat with our Mr. Kando," Nol said, his eyes drifting to the tray Teest held.
On it were two cups of hot red wine, garnished with slices of orange and cinnamon sticks. The difference was that one of the cups contained several thin white bones.
"One of them has been boiled with the scraps of the Eclipse Shield. Don't worry, I cleaned it thoroughly." Teest placed the steaming tray on the bedside and casually took out the Eclipse Shield from his pouch, handing it to Nol.
Nol couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
When they first found the Eclipse Shield, it was exquisitely designed with a sense of ancient beauty. The bones used as the main material were bordered with old silver and wrapped with dark ironwood and gold with rune patterns. The intertwining of gold and black was very fitting for the name "Eclipse Shield".
Now, the gold-laden wood was gone, the old silver edging was painted with metallic paint and partially covered with leather. The bone in the center was hidden under a thin layer of tin, turning the shield from an "ancient religious artifact with an eerie aura" into something that seemed like a cheap street-side bargain. It was quite lamentable.
However, its current appearance did match the title the "Betrayer" and was discreetly comforting.
Nol then pulled up its item description—
[Curiosity: You will devote everything to guard the beautiful yet dark mysteries. Such a feeling is irresistible to you. Remember, curiosity is the beginning of everything.
※Crafted with ingenuity by Teest.]
Great, there's no "Eclipse Shield" in this world anymore. All that remains is "Curiosity".
Nol briefly examined the attributes of the freshly renamed "Curiosity", and its power seemed quite formidable. Although it wasn't as potent as the shields from the late stages of the game, it was strong enough to give a dragon a headache.
This shield was personally modified by Teest.
Nol wasn't too surprised that Teest had crafting skills. Teest's spatial pouch seemed to be something only a Player could craft, probably made by him.
What Nol was curious about was something else—
"How did you manage to improve its attributes?" Nol asked, looking at the small round shield now the size of a pot lid.
"Oh, I added a special ingredient."
"What?"
"Your hair," Teest said with a playful smile. "See, it's very effective."
Nol: "..."
So, when Teest was patting his head, he was just trying to get some of his hair? Well, body parts from a Lich were indeed rare magical materials, so Nol couldn't find fault with that.
Silently, Nol took a big sip of the hot red wine. Teest approached quickly, watching him with immense curiosity.
After swallowing the sweet wine—which lacked the potency of the bewilderment dew and couldn't possibly intoxicate a Lich—Nol finished the cup in one gulp. He then glared at Teest and ruffled his hair vigorously.
Teest: "Did you gain a good skill?"
Nol: "No, just wiping my hands."
Teest looked at Nol, stunned.
Only then did Nol bared his teeth and grin. "Just kidding."
"Oh my, you're quite vengeful," Teest said, touching his long hair with lingering fear.
After the stats refreshed, Nol's smile froze on his face, gradually turning into a mix of astonishment and horror.
…This thing has more stats than a dragon?!
Previously, he was always waiting for the respawn timer of [Fallen Death] to farm monsters, with his stats increasing at a sluggish pace. After drinking that glass just now, the increase in stats directly surpassed the total of what he had gained before.
His current stats equaled about half of a fully leveled Lich.
Before Nol could react, his skill list refreshed, and a familiar notification popped up in front of him.
[Loser's Obsession: A laughable persistence, pointless struggle, and the loser's defiance against fate. This skill has no effect, holds no value, and cannot be used.]
[A similar origin skill is detected. Would you like to merge the skills "Lament of the Weak" and "Loser's Obsession"?]
[Note: Merging can produce a new skill. The new skill will retain the original source, but other changes are unpredictable. Please choose carefully.]
Nol hesitated for a few seconds, then carefully chose "Yes".
[Collecting data… Reinterpreting skills…]
[Skill merge completed.]
[Lost Last Wish: Regrettably, the cries for help have vanished, and you can only chase the echoes. This skill has no effect, holds no value.]
Again, it was this inexplicable type of skill.
Nol cautiously stored the Lost Last Wish and vigorously rubbed his face.
"Not satisfied with the new skill?" Teest leisurely sipped his hot red wine.
Nol forced himself back to his senses . He hesitated, then shook his head. "It's not very useful for now, but it added a lot to my stats. If I accumulate it over time, I might be able to recover this level's stats."
Now, Nol was even less eager to change his class—who knows if the attributes he had painstakingly accumulated would be recalculated by the system after he changed his class, leaving him with no place to cry.
"Thank you for the hot wine. Let's sleep for today," Nol whispered.
Both of them crawled into their beds. The inn's blankets emitted a faint musty and herbal smell from disinfectants, which was a bit suffocating, but thankfully they were dry and soft.
"…Nol."
"Hmm?"
"I'm curious. If you truly had the power of a god, what would you want to do?"
"Hmm… Take my neighbors home, and it would be even better if I could restore their human forms." As he slid into the blanket, Nol's voice grew drowsy.
"Anything else?"
"Destroy the Eternal Church, get rid of the Eternal Son… see about the Goddess of Life…"
Teest chuckled. "Then what?"
"That's it," Nol mumbled sleepily. "That's it… I really want to go home… I wonder how my parents are doing…"
Teest: ".….."
He turned his back to Nol. His golden eyes glanced at the wardrobe and then the corner of the room.
Nol nestled against Teest's back and quickly fell asleep. Teest kept blinking in the dark. After some time, he quietly got up and stealthily left the bed.
...
Four in the morning, in the secret chamber of the Black Glove Tavern.
"Thank you for your effort." The General snapped her fingers, and a grotesque creature behind her brought a glass of iced red wine for the guest.
Her guest, Former Pope Painter, smiled and nodded. "You're too kind, madam. If there's such work in the future, please remember to contact us first…"
Bang, bang, bang!!!
There were a series of noises from the monster corridor. Seconds later, a man covered in blood and entrails entered the room, with viscera dripping from his clothes onto the expensive carpet.
The man, holding a simple longsword and carrying an even simpler round shield on his back, walked rudely to the guest chair.
The General's distorted face twitched, and she threw a cleansing spell at the newcomer. "Mad monk."
"Good evening." Teest waved casually.
"I knew you'd come again, so I prepared two batches of monsters especially for you." The General hissed. "Those things weren't cheap. Don't come by again this year. Consider it a favor I'm asking."
"Alright." Teest took a seat on the guest chair, glancing at Painter. The latter's butt seemed glued to the chair. Painter just gave a polite nod and smile, with no intention of standing up.
"Don't mind This Villain," Painter said. "I just want to slowly savor this wine—once you leave Grape Collar, you can't find wine this good."
Teest glared at Painter for a while before turning to the wary-looking General. "Relax, I just happened to be passing by and wanted to chat."
"Passing by at this hour?" The General gritted her teeth.
"Yes, I couldn't sleep." Teest held his chin and poured himself a cup of tea. "I have a little worry and wanted to consult a 'normal person'."
"Don't flatter me," the General said warily.
"I thought that tying someone down would keep them with me, but in the end, they still left," Teest began. "Of course, by that time, our goals would have been met. I had accepted that outcome from the beginning. But it still doesn't sit well with me."
The General frowned. "There are times you can't keep someone? Dead or alive, you always find a way. You didn't…"
"It's called fear of loss," Painter interjected with a smile, tilting his head to avoid the teacup saucer Teest threw his way—which embedded itself in the wall. Its edges shimmered with a dark glow.
The General took a deep breath. "The only things that bind people are emotions or interests. You can't give emotions, so think about interests. Goodbye and goodnight. I'd prefer not to see you again."
"I'm aware of that. Unfortunately so is the other party," Teest said with a grievance, staying put in his chair. "I provided emotional support and benefits, but I'm still not happy."
The General: "..."
The General: "…So why are you suddenly unhappy?"
Teest thought for a moment. "Tonight, I confirmed his intentions. His response was exactly as I had expected. He has decided to return to his homeland after solving the problem."
The General took a deep breath. "Isn't it good that things are going as expected? What are you fussing about—"
"Because he didn't say he'd take you with him," Painter interjected with enthusiasm.
Teest's smile vanished, reappearing on the General's face.
"Care to elaborate?" the General poured herself a drink.
"He's special." Teest shifted the topic, not aiming anything at Painter's throat this time. "After achieving my goal, my interest in him may not necessarily wane… I've recently discovered these seem to be two different matters."
The General raised her cup to Teest from a distance, the gems on her gloves sparkling. "My answer remains the same. Offer more emotion or more benefits. If you can't manage the former, focus on the latter… or perhaps combine the two."
She winked awkwardly at Teest.
After contemplating for a couple of seconds, Teest nodded seriously. "That's a good idea."
He took out an expensive magical item from his pouch, placing it by the teacup, then stood up and left, humming a tune.
The General helplessly watched Teest's retreating figure.
She recognized the magic pocket watch on the table, rumored to be one of the Eternal Church's treasures. This kid really got a lot of stuff through the 'Time Reversion Potion'. The watch was worth three times what she'd lost that evening. However…
"I think he missed my hint. Was I too subtle?" The General sighed. "I can't just tell him, 'Hey, it's time for you to use that appearance and physique of yours.' We may be of different genders, but I don't want to sexually harass the Mad Monk."
"I think he missed it too, but it's more interesting this way." Painter swirled his empty wine glass. "Could I get a refill, madam?"
"Of course, if you're willing to share the mercenaries' experiences." The General gestured to her tall servant. "Go. Release the backup batch of monsters. They'll clean up the corridor themselves."
The work of the Drifting Mercenaries was filled with valuable intel. The two chatted pleasantly till dawn. Painter, with a friendly smile, downed five of the General's treasured bottles.
"It was a pleasant evening." Painter stood up. "Next, we plan to visit near Bissus…"
Bang, bang, bang!!!
There was another series of noises coming from the monster corridor. Moments later, a man covered in blood and viscera stood at the entrance. He cast several cleansing spells on himself and then cautiously entered the room.
The person, wearing a simple black cloak, had a staff in his hand that resembled an ordinary cane.
"My apologies for the disturbance," Nol said politely. "I'd like to purchase some additional medical supplies."
The General's gaze drifted towards the monster corridor, remaining silent for a long moment. Painter bowed to the two of them and quickly exited.
"Good morning, Master of Paradise."
The General's smile gradually distorted. "Why aren't you with the Mad Monk?"
Nol hesitated for a moment, making sure that Painter really left, then he cleared his throat somewhat formally. "Apart from matters of collaboration, I also have some questions about the Mad Monk that I'd like to ask you."
"…What happened to him?"
"Nothing." Nol shook his head. "I just want to know more about him."
"You can ask him directly. As I said, I don't even consider him a friend—"
"Weren't you the Supplement Demon who escaped with him back in the day?" Nol asked bluntly.
The General turned her mismatched eyes, silently staring at Nol.
"Please don't misunderstand. I have no intention of prying into your affairs and will offer adequate compensation."
Nol hesitated for a moment, choosing the most suitable wording. "I just want to consult an observer's perspective to ensure our collaborative relationship remains strong."
"Go ahead." The Master of Paradise wasn't someone she could afford to offend, so she could only respond weakly.
Can you please spare me, you bastards.