Even though he was accustomed to seeing Players create beautiful avatars, Nol was still taken aback by that beautiful face. Since arriving in this world, this was the first time he had encountered such a beautiful girl's… head.
Fortunately, his knight's appearance was also exceptional. Thinking of Teest's face for two seconds, Nol quickly recovered from his shock. Then, his attention shifted to the surging power emanating from the head.
This power was on a completely different level from "possession", even more oppressive than the headless torso. The eyes, emitting a blue glow, stared directly at Nol. The pressure felt like a cold swamp.
Nol suddenly realized that Perradat was indeed a False God in her own right.
After Perradat spoke, her followers maintained absolute silence. The greeters remained in their welcoming posture, motionless like wax figures.
The residents of Paradise, having never seen such a bizarre scene, crowded together like quails, silently maintaining a consensus. Even Lynn, responsible for diplomacy, didn't step forward, instead desperately making eye contact with Nol.
Perradat's personal appearance meant this was a direct conversation between gods, and any "representative" would be considered disrespectful.
Nol steadied his mind, readying his opening statement. "You—"
"Your head doesn't match your body model." Teest sighed in surprise and commented as if the beautiful girl wasn't carrying a bouquet, but a large potato. "Won't it look very strange if you connect it like this?"
Nol: "..."
Perradat: "..."
The voluptuous lady holding the bouquet's hands trembled slightly, and the solemn atmosphere in the air vanished.
"…This woman is my Pope, Lady Dusty." Perradat tried to ignore Teest, who was peering curiously, and continued, "You might not be accustomed to my church. She will guide you back to the Lost Tower."
Nol sighed in relief. He had given the correct coordinates, but upon arrival, he hadn't seen the Lost Tower and had worried for a few minutes. Now, it seemed it was likely hidden by Perradat's powers.
Against Star Stealer Sol, whose eyes peered from the heavens, this was indeed safer.
Perhaps feeling more powerful on her own territory, Perradat dared to outright ignore Teest's question.
Unfortunately, the Mad Monk didn't like the phrase "let bygones be bygones".
Teest: "A very interesting power. It seems this is your 'core'. Perradat, won't ordinary people have problems just by looking at you directly?"
He used honorifics, but there was no reverence in his question.
In fact, if Teest wanted, he could act more devout than the purest believer. Nol probably knew where Teest's hostility came from—not from the arrogance of power inflation but from the wariness of a beast towards an invader.
At this moment, Teest was positioned slightly in front of Nol. If there was any movement from the other side, the "Betrayer's" blade could protect Nol in an instant.
Perradat was silent for a moment before speaking again, her tone now carrying a hint of profundity. "It seems you really care about Paradise. Don't worry. Everyone who sees me won't have any problems. Just like Enbillick, who walks among the world, we have disguised our true self."
She explained in a down-to-earth manner. "I've said before, my species prefers conversation over war. Compared to Star Stealer Sol, my disguise is even more perfect."
"Perfect? Your disguise is currently a head." Teest shrugged.
"I don't mean to disrespect Lord Nol. I will explain this properly, but not here."
Perradat emphasized "Lord Nol". "Follow me first."
[Don't lower your guard.]
Just as Nol took a step, Teest's reminder entered his head. [That head's power is strong. From this distance, she has the capability to harm both of us.]
[This is Perradat's home ground. Even if that guy agrees to cooperate, it doesn't mean she has no other intentions. I'm not doubting your judgment of character, just—]
[Don't worry. I need your reminder.] Nol smiled, walking up to Teest and grabbing the hand that wasn't holding the sword. [Rather, I need someone like you the most.]
After betraying Paradise, the betrayer needed to face the thunder called "Teest". Because of this, he could think lightly and trust and plan boldly.
[I thought you were going to teach me about the beauty of 'trust'.] Teest grabbed Nol's hand back, intertwining their fingers together easily.
[Do you enjoy my sermons?] Nol raised an eyebrow.
Teest's inner voice became pitiful. [No, no, please spare me.]
[Then don't worry. I have no delusions of training you into a 'good person'.] Nol said, [You're already lovable enough as you are.]
Teest paused for half a second, his thoughts joyfully bouncing. [Praise for your bloody tastes.]
Behind them.
Lynn was dumbfounded. Whispers like "What's the relationship between Xiao Xu and Xiao Teest?", "Isn't Xiao Teest from here?", "Isn't Xiao Xu a young man?", "Could it be Xiao Teest, like those others, is actually a girl?" came from the neighbors.
The young neighbors had various expressions, while the older ones began to guess who had disguised their gender.
It was terrifying. She had been worried about how to explain the truth of the world to the neighbors, and now her two irresponsible superiors were publicly displaying affection. They used to know to close the door behind them, but now…
The gossiping hearts of the entire community blazed fiercely. What world issues could compare to the excitement of watching drama?
"Sister Lynn." Even Little Piel came trotting over. "Mr. Fairy and them—"
Ahhhhhh. Lynn internally screamed.
"You'll understand when you grow older." She maintained a gentle smile on her face, ruffling Little Piel's head.
"Ah?" Little Piel looked at her confused. "I-I meant, are Mr. Fairy and them alright? That head in the bouquet is very scary…"
Lynn: "..."
Lynn: "Nothing. You go ahead."
"There are a lot of strange things connected to that head."
Little Piel's eyes of truth shimmered, reflecting a reality not of this world. "It's very strong, almost as strong as Mr. Fairy… No, even stronger…"
"It's okay." Lynn forced a smile. "As long as those two guys are together, we don't need to worry too much. Thank you for your warning, Little Knight."
Hearing the final address, Little Piel immediately puffed out his chest. He deliberately pulled out the wooden sword he used for practice from his waist and walked back leaving paw prints behind.
Lynn, holding back laughter with her sister, tiredly moved forward.
Damn, why isn't Painter in the Tower lately? She urgently needed that smooth-talking guy to handle the situation!
Not long after entering the hidden town, everyone saw the towering Lost Tower.
The Lost Tower stood on the edge of the town, in a deserted area. Low buildings scattered around the tower, making it stand out.
The stone doors of the Black Tower on the first floor were tightly closed, and the surrounding tentacles coiled up like a cautious animal. Nol stopped and nodded at Anakin, who was ready, signaling him to lead.
Although he and Teest hadn't received a quest, Mentor, Anakin, and Solo—these three players, had perfectly received one. According to the system's judgment, they all qualified for the reward.
Their acquaintance with Mentor was too brief, and he had too many tricks up his sleeve. Solo wasn't decisive enough, which could easily cause unnecessary complications. Thus, Anakin was the best choice—
Anakin focused and earnestly made her way to the top of the tower.
She stretched out her hands, and white light gathered in them, gradually forming into a small black key. This was the symbol of the Lost Tower's usage rights, identical to the one Nol had.
Watching that key, a rekindled fury smoldered in Nol's heart.
Star Stealer Sol didn't expect the Players to immediately conquer the Lost Tower and drive the neighbors away. He only hoped that Players outside Paradise could obtain the rights through a "legally valid" system route—
Regardless of whether the key was treasured, fought over, or sold, as long as outsiders had the qualifications to interfere with the Lost Tower, Paradise could no longer hide perfectly.
Once the mission reward was distributed, Anakin carefully clutched the small key, looking towards Nol.
Nol's expression was solemn. "First, choose to destroy the item. The system will prompt you, 'Do you want to give up the rights related to the Lost Tower', then select 'Yes'… Once this is done, I'll provide a satisfactory compensation."
Anakin executed the command promptly. The small key, just born less than thirty seconds ago, turned into light dust in her palm.
The quest ended, and the hidden danger was completely removed.
Nol nodded towards Lynn's direction.
"Have the agriculture department check the condition of the farmland on the third floor, the livestock department to inspect the animals bred inside the Tower, and the logistics department to tally the storage conditions on each floor. Bring the reports to me as soon as possible."
Lynn immediately understood. "If you're tired, you can return to your rooms to rest. No need to panic. I estimate the losses are within 50%. The Lost Tower can still sustain itself."
"I've wanted to say this before, this is indeed a good stronghold," Perradat softly said from within the bouquet. "Both the stronghold itself and its members."
Really? Nol could feel the curious glances of the neighbors nearly burning through him and Teest.
He had never intended to hide their relationship, but frankly, their romantic relationship was quite abnormal. Coming out to the entire neighborhood suddenly seemed a bit abrupt.
Eventually, it led to this situation.
"Teest and I will take a walk to Perradat's side."
Nol turned to Lynn, ignoring the pained wrinkles on her face, and smiled a bit guiltily. "The task of explaining is yours."
"Do you mean explaining the situation of the world, or explaining your situation?" Lynn's hands slowly moved towards her gun.
The nearby Officer Luo and Dr. Zhu pretended not to hear, having already run far away. Uncle Ma sighed, feigning a naïve face of "I'm an elder, so I don't understand".
"Just handle it as you see fit. Mentor will help you."
Nol cleared his throat. "Everyone's mentality is also very stable now, and we have a very clear enemy. It won't be too much trouble."
Compared to the initial chaos, the neighbors' lives were quite rich. Outside Paradise, the three major Player factions were basically sorted out.
With Mentor as an external intelligence leader, Lynn didn't need to explain the conflict between the "God of Creation" and "Star Stealer Sol" too clearly. They just needed to let everyone know that their compatriots had a powerful enemy to defeat—defeating that guy would give them information to go home.
Overall, the neighbors were in good spirits, had reliable companions, and stable short-term goals. All the necessary preparations had been made.
"It's up to you," Nol sincerely repeated to Lynn.
"The hard part isn't that." Lynn's face was pale. "Do you know how many people have planned to catch you for a blind date when they return to Earth?"
Teest raised an eyebrow. Nol quickly grabbed his knight, and they took off running.
From beginning to end, Perradat and her people quietly waited outside the Tower. As soon as Nol and Teest exited the Tower, they saw a blue fire passageway open up out of thin air.
Facing Perradat, Kando spoke much less, almost reverting back to the original hero Drake.
"Stay here and make sure to meet any needs the guests might have."
Perradat's Pope—Lady Dusty spoke up, her voice as melodious as a lyre. "My Lords, I will lead you to the depths of the church."
...
Nol recognized the space before him. He had seen it in Kando… Drake's memories.
It was still the dimly lit stone chamber with walls that were twisted and soft as if they were melting. Candles burned in a pile in the corner, their shadows dancing silently on the walls.
This place was broader than he had imagined, resembling a royal-designed king's tomb. The chamber was circular, and directly in front of them was placed a peculiar monster statue.
To call it a monster might not be quite right; it more resembled a divine beast—a graceful leopard with wings on its back and strange horns on its head. It was entirely white, sitting nobly on a divine platform, its eyes carved from large sapphires, draped in gold ornaments that emitted a mysterious aura.
The statue had mottled cracks on its edges, showing its age.
Below the divine platform, countless candles emitting a faint, sweet scent slowly burned. These candles were carved into the shape of flowers, melting slowly, their shapes carrying a bizarre beauty.
Under the candlelight, the divine beast statue seemed to be looking down on everyone.
"An idol," Teest said softly.
Its appearance here must mean it was the true idol of Perradat, the God of Fate.
"That is one form of my incarnation." Perradat said, "Since Enbillick stole most of humanity's faith, I had to lean more towards non-human races."
"If Enbillick wished, he could also take on the appearance of Tilia or Anstis," she added disdainfully. "Women and children always tend to give a more relaxing feeling. My current appearance is also specially chosen for easier communication."
Pope Dusty quietly stepped forward, placing the bouquet vertically at the statue's feet. With the height of the divine platform, Perradat could easily make eye contact with them.
The memory seal within him demanded the core of Perradat, and now they had found it.
The truth was only a step away.
Nol clenched his fists a bit nervously, his palms slightly sweaty.
"Now it's your turn to fulfill your promise." Nol took out the "Essence" from his pocket, which he hadn't been able to successfully identify last time.
"Please examine my condition, Miss Perradat."
"Dusty, step back," Perradat ordered crisply. "Seal this place completely. Until I allow it, no one is to enter."
"Yes, my God."
"I need to have my knight leave as well. Please allow it." Perradat shifted her gaze to Kando on Nol's shoulder. "If possible, you'd better have your shadow wolf leave as well."
"What we're about to do is very dangerous. It's better not to approach for those below the level of a False God."
"No problem," Nol answered just as crisply.
With Teest still here, there definitely wouldn't be a problem.
Soon, only the two of them and one beast remained in the stone chamber. Nol and Teest stood side by side in front of the massive divine statue, facing the head in the bouquet. The scene was both sacred and comical.
"First, I need to make an explanation."
Perradat began. "Years ago, Enbillick destroyed my incarnation and eroded my powers. The remaining part of my core managed to escape, brought here by my followers."
"As you see, most of my body has decayed. Now, I am connected to this land, unable to split my core any further, only able to survive in this state."
"Just speak directly." Teest crossed his arms, tapping his forearm with his fingers.
"The me before you represents all my power. If something goes wrong later, please protect me in time—if this head is destroyed, I will completely perish."
There was a bit more sincerity in Perradat's voice.
Nol: "I promise."
Perradat's gaze shifted to Teest, who smirked. "I promise."
"Thank you."
The beautiful head took a deep breath. "Let's begin now."
"Let me see your memory seal, Lord Nol."