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—