'What a strange dream,' Nol thought to himself.
In a state between sleep and wakefulness, his insides felt as if they had melted into a pool of blood, and there was an indescribable swelling sensation throughout his body, as if something was about to burst out of him at any second.
Unfortunately, he rather liked that dream. After waking up, he wanted to kiss his boyfriend again.
"Thank you for your assistance. We are now even."
Nol opened his eyes, just in time to hear Teest's conversation with Subelbot. Subelbot's attitude had improved considerably—not in a content and satisfied manner, but in one that held a certain wariness. This ancient dragon leader had finally realized that a war beyond his understanding was brewing in this land.
Compared to when Teest showed his might, the dragon was now even more cautious. He seemed to have a new judgment about Paradise, which was good news.
'Perhaps this time, it was because he had leaked some power,' Nol thought. He could feel a bit of his own power fluctuating on Teest. Maybe Teest had taken something from him.
But when he tried to recall it, the dream slipped away. Just like a normal dream, it faded quickly after waking up.
Nol shifted his gaze towards Painter not far away. Painter had a complicated expression, and Nol couldn't quite tell what emotion he was trying to express. But he knew, at least, that it wasn't approval.
Nol held his buzzing head. The discomfort still lingered in his chest and abdomen, as if someone had thrown a stone inside his organs. He sat up from the stone floor, admiring the beautiful decorations inside Subelbot's cave. Under the morning light, the gold objects emitted a dazzling halo, as if they had never been touched by the night.
During the previous meeting, Nol was somewhat unsure of what to say, so he left the communication to his more experienced teammate. Now, he chose to remain silent on his own initiative, trying to appear dazed.
"Honey, let's go back," Teest said to him with a smile. For a moment, Nol caught a fragment of the dream again.
"Can you check on Lynn and the others for me? I'd like some quiet for a while. My ears are still buzzing," Nol said softly. "I'll come find you later, I promise."
Teest was clearly surprised by this request, pondering for a couple of seconds before nodding hesitantly.
"Thank you for your help. I'm not in good shape right now, but I will point out the treasures within the Dragon's Lair for you." After making sure Teest left first, Nol stood up with the help of the stone slab and gave a slight bow to Subelbot.
In the corner of his eye, Painter quietly disappeared. But not ten steps out of the cave, the former Pope's ankle was entangled by fine vines.
"Your methods are becoming more and more similar. How sweet." Painter chuckled helplessly.
Behind him, a somewhat weakened Nol leaned against the wall as he walked out.
"You left too hastily," Nol said quietly.
Painter: "Forgive my impatience. I just wanted to deliver the sword as soon as possible."
"You think Teest is hiding something very dangerous." Nol didn't respond and instead continued on his own, "And your allegiance is not to 'Paradise' but to 'Tahe'. Delivering the god-slaying sword as soon as possible is the most deterrent option."
"Ah, well, you're especially astute at times like this." Painter spread his hands. "Based on my understanding of you two, if Mr. Teest really failed, he would definitely show more disappointment or impatience."
"The Mad Monk is a master of disguising emotions. He shouldn't have such flaws normally. It's thanks to you. You've introduced many emotions he hasn't figured out yet…"
"So, you think my situation is very bad, and what Star Stealer Sol called 'the source of disaster' is likely the truth."
Nol wasn't swayed by Painter's ramblings. "I have the potential to destroy everything, or worse, I once had plans to destroy everything, but just sealed it temporarily."
Painter shrugged, not answering directly. "Are you here to take the 'Dominator' sword?"
Nol didn't answer directly either. "Please draw it out."
The sun had fully risen, pouring down golden sunlight. The two stood on a towering stone platform, not far from Subelbot's nest. The sunlight stretched the shadow of the stone platform long, making them seem like part of a sundial.
Painter sighed several times, drawing the long sword without humility. He stared at Nol seriously, his light green eyes devoid of humor.
A great mage's physical strength was poor, and the divine longsword was exceptionally heavy; he needed both hands to hold it steady. The blade shone brightly, as if forged from sunlight.
Its power was undeniable. "Slaying gods" wasn't just an empty phrase. But just by its design, it really didn't suit Teest, Nol thought.
And since it was made by Star Stealer Sol, who knew if there were any tricks involved?
Nol took out the letter opener from his pocket, cut his hand again, and dripped blood onto the handle of the letter opener. After completing these actions, he placed the letter opener gently on the sword blade, activating the [Creator] skill.
The bloodied letter opener gradually merged into the blade, dimming the bright light slightly, and a faint red halo appeared on the blade.
Using that drop of blood, the letter opener remained in an activated state, identifying Nol as the user.
With the letter opener merged into the "Dominator"—
"Now it can not only slay gods but also Players. Teest definitely won't like this sword. Please keep it a secret for me." Nol said, "As a reward, I've checked for you. Star Stealer Sol hasn't tampered with the sword. Go give it to the person you have in mind. I trust your judgment."
Painter raised his eyebrows. "Such significant power, and you're just handing it over to me?"
"I think no matter what I become, Teest won't hurt me," Nol said. "Assuming I… I truly fall into madness, at least before that happens, I want to leave hope for Tahe."
"Oh." Painter's eyebrows rose higher. "It seems you have no intention of considering Star Stealer Sol's proposal."
Nol fell silent, he looked up, gazing at the vast blue sky over the Dragon's Lair for a while.
"To minimize casualties, letting Star Stealer Sol end me might be a good option." Nol said, "But I'm actually not good at these—I mean, the current me isn't good at these intrigues. My only way to resist its schemes is to not believe anything it says."
"If I'm killed by a creature nurtured by Tahe, at least it would be a fitting end. If things progress to that point, indeed, there will be many sacrifices, but..."
Painter narrowed his eyes.
"…But I want to live, no matter how bad the current situation is." Under the sunlight, the Creator's blue eyes were almost transparent. "There's still my sealed neighbor in the system, and methods for returning home are waiting for me to explore. I don't want to leave behind the person I love."
"I want to live. I don't want to give up prematurely for some possibility—I've thought it through. This is my selfishness. Maybe I'm not the god you were expecting."
Painter suddenly smiled, his smile growing wider until he burst into laughter.
"No, no." The former Pope shook his head repeatedly. "In my opinion, a god with flesh and blood and selfishness is definitely better than an absolutely rational machine—people can pray to the former, communicate with the former, which the latter cannot do."
With that, he sheathed the long sword and bowed deeply.
"Rest assured, I will choose a good master for this sword." Painter's face still wore a smile. "I hope that in the end, we will become your sword and shield, rather than your rebellious subjects."
A whirlwind rose at Painter's feet, and at the same time, his presence gradually faded. He leapt from the Dragon's Lair and melted into the wind.
The former Pope had left.
Nol remained on the stone platform, looking into the distance. From this height, he could see the golden edge of the horizon, the mist rolling among the lush shrubs, and patches of forest so beautiful they took one's breath away.
The sunlight fell on him, soft and warm. It was always cloudy in his memories. It seemed like a long time since he had simply enjoyed the sun like this.
However, he had more important things to do than enjoy the sunlight; things that were equally soft and warm.
Nol returned to his room and immediately saw Teest sitting on the bed. His knight was eating soft cookies with cheese spread and almost choked when Nol suddenly returned.
"Lynn, Dorothy, and Kando aren't in their rooms. Only that stupid Barto puppet is," he said, licking the cheese spread from the corners of his mouth.
Nol: "And then?"
"You asked me to check on their situation, and I have. They are not there," Teest said warily. "You wouldn't expect me to go looking for them, would you? I was waiting for you to come back."
He knew he had to lay out every step if he wanted the Mad Monk to do anything reliable. Nol pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's hear your findings first. We all know that the magic definitely didn't fail."
Teest's gaze drifted away again. "You asked me to take you to Perradat's 'core', saying that guy would figure things out."
"It sounds like there's hope. Don't pass the message. Just use telepathy to let me see the images—in case there's a misunderstanding, that wouldn't be good," Nol said.
Teest quickly swallowed the rest of his cookie and hummed lengthily. "Asking Kando would still be more efficient, don't you think? This could be a wonderful opportunity to mend your relationship with them. You… Hm!"
Nol decisively stepped forward and embraced Teest. He could feel Teest's heart beating rapidly beneath his ribs. It suddenly sped up a few beats.
"It seems things are really bad," Nol said, as Teest's body stiffened slightly in his arms. "I won't look. Just tell me why, okay?"
Teest muttered indistinctly, taking a while before speaking.
"You've become too strong. The knowledge seal can't suppress you now. Your own—your subconscious—doesn't seem to know what to do either, only saying to go find Perradat."
"Okay, I got it," Nol said, casually stroking that long hair. "I'll figure something out."
"Just like that? That's it?" Teest seemed surprised. "Aren't you afraid I'm lying to you, or hiding something?"
"No." Nol said, "Let's go. I have a lot more to do. Like giving myself some more self-weakening curses—the kind that can be undone—"
The Dragon's Lair certainly didn't lack curses. To Nol's knowledge, a dragon's tomb should have a dozen curse gift packs. By now, Nol vaguely sensed the meaning behind the [Physical Destruction] curse.
This curse severely suppressed his stats, preventing him from rapidly becoming stronger when he knew nothing of the world. Without it, would he have lost control even earlier?
If he was already on the verge of losing control, and the "Goddess of Life" made her descent among the Players, it would definitely be a different situation.
In the battle with the Dracolich of the Dragon's Lair, both he and Teest received what was called a curse, a blessing. The system's assistance was spot on, perhaps too much so, almost like a pre-designed contingency plan.
The entity capable of such an act was clearly not Star Stealer Sol—that guy couldn't even set up a mainline quest properly. His control over system powers wasn't to this extent.
Things seem to be getting more interesting, Nol thought. Behind all these terrifying experiences, it seemed something deeper was hidden.
The evidence was, despite all he had gone through recently—his life and the world have been put on the balance, and imminent ruin was at hand, but he wasn't truly panicked or tormented.
It was a subtly unreasonable calm.
Of course, the priority was to figure out where Lynn and the others had gone. Nol turned his head to see Teest, still with surprised eyes. His knight seemed shocked by his unconditional trust.
Nol couldn't help but embrace Teest again, kissing his forehead.
He had intended to kiss his lips, but he suddenly wanted to do this instead. It was a subtly unreasonable familiarity, with a fleetingness like awakening from a dream.
He wished for his compatriots to return home and for Tahe to have a perfect ending. This had always been what he was praying for, and now, Nol suddenly had a small wish.
If all this was part of a plan.
I hope you're not part of the plan, honey.
...
The serpentman prophet was missing.
The moment Lynn realized this, a chill went through her heart. Given that the serpentman prophet had triggered Star Stealer Sol's divine descent projection, if this individual was a deeply hidden follower of Star Stealer Sol, things could get complicated.
Even if the serpentman prophet was a compatriot, compatriots had various attitudes. She remembered those Players who called themselves "Demons" and indulged in killing. Star Stealer Sol was skilled at beguiling hearts. Who knew what troubles it could stir up.
Without waiting for Dorothy to plead, Lynn rushed out. Taking with her Tom and Jerry, two puppet companions, she followed the tracks on the ground. Just to be safe, she also took Kando, who had been left in the room.
Halfway through, she even thought the serpent had gotten drunk. The tracks on the ground were erratic. The serpentman prophet seemed to wander near the battlefield, going wherever it pleased.
"You know you can't use me, right?" Kando spoke from her bag. "Ugh, it's so nauseating being jostled about. What did you bring me out for?"
"Nol isn't here. I need some help." Lynn scanned her surroundings sharply. "I can't let her step into the Lost Tower if she's a traitor."
Leaves rustled under her boots. In the distance, the undead dragon Telistam yawned, exhaling a small puff of cyan flame.
"I'm just a candle now. Don't expect too much from a candle," Kando said.
Lynn ignored the chatter. "Nol said you're well-versed in all things combat. If—shh!"
She spotted the slender figure of the serpentman. Lilith was standing on a lawn, gazing in a certain direction like a statue. Lynn looked that way but saw nothing.
Just to be safe, it was better to bring her back first. Lynn gestured, and the two puppet servants, Tom and Jerry, moved quietly, surrounding Lilith.
The Supreme Domination Witch's sneak attack ability was ranked in the top ten among monsters. Such monsters had dark and concealed magical fluctuations. But puppets were dead things and emitted no presence. Just as the two puppets neared, Lilith abruptly turned around.
The serpentman prophet's eyes turned into a unique glowing blue, shining brightly like a clear sky. Those eyes swept towards Lynn's hiding spot, and Lilith's face broke into a sweet smile.
The next moment, the blue faded away. Lilith's expression became somewhat confused, and Lynn didn't miss this chance, sending the two puppets at her again.
This time, before they took a few steps, they fell under a blaze of cyan flame. Kando, somehow, had floated up between Lynn and Lilith, its single blue eye wide open.
"Kando?!"
"The presence of my god, Perradat." Kando spoke with seriousness. "Sorry, miss. You can't touch her yet."
"Is that so?"
Lynn didn't lower her guard. She slightly crouched, the nearby soil stirring as more mud puppets slowly took shape. "I must say, our team is just fabulous."
The pent-up frustration finally found an outlet.
"The team leader turns into a hostile monster at the drop of a hat, his obsessive killer is swinging the 'Betrayer' around daily. The apostate old fox appears out of nowhere, the neighbor we picked up sneaks out alone, and now even you block me—if I don't betray something, I feel like I don't fit in."
Behind Kando, Lilith was already prepared for battle.
Poison orbs floated around her, and golden symbols spun, arranging into sentences Lynn couldn't understand.
"Which Dragon's Lair rule says I can't go out?" Lilith shouted. "You all were gone. Can't I take a walk?"
Perradat's divine grace turned out to be quite useful. Now, she could make very short predictions in combat without the need for lengthy prayers for prophecies.
With this, she could escape even if she couldn't win, giving Lilith more confidence in her words.
"Taking a stroll to the battlefield. Quite the leisurely pastime," Lynn said. "Even a note would have made this whole situation less abrupt—Perradat's presence? What are you hiding from us?"
Strange, Lynn thought. This argument feels oddly smooth.
Lilith's spells charged menacingly. "Even if I went to Paradise, I don't need to spill my secrets to you!"
'Arguing with this one is indeed more stimulating than fighting,' Lilith thought.
"You're not that old, are you? I need to ensure everyone's safety! Come back with me now and explain everything—"
Lynn clenched her fists, and the army of mud puppets roared softly.
Kando looked left and right. He slowly landed, then crawled steadily away to find a suitable rock for spectating.
"I'll go back if I want to. It's none of your business," Lilith said unhappily. "I'm under pressure too. Can't you speak nicely? You start off with this lecturing tone, and you're not even my sister!"
The air suddenly became tense.
Kinky Thoughts:
Pretty sure we have a good idea of who Painter is going to give that sword to (given the oracles that were revealed).