Winter ended.
The seasons near Bissus weren't so distinct. The night wind changed from "the cool mist of mountain streams" to "a breath caressing the skin", and the grass blades showed off their pretty new green.
Spring, the season that symbolized life, was also the Goddess's favorite season, according to the holy scriptures.
As a devout believer, Eugene Malloy didn't wholly love spring. Naturally, he adored the vibrant spirit of spring but disliked the encroaching new green that spread across the land. It always reminded Eugene of someone—a shameless charlatan who claimed to be "the messenger of the Goddess of Life" used just such an excuse.
"The Goddess has bestowed upon me the eyes of spring," that person once said.
Lies.
Inside the tent, Knight Eugene removed his armor and personally cleaned it with coarse cloth and grape oil paste. The ointment, provided by the Temple of Life, emitted a pleasant fruit fragrance. He smoothed out the scratches on his armor and applied alchemical sword oil to the "Dominator" longsword, sharpening it enough that it could cut through moonlight.
At this point, Eugene no longer believed that Enbillick Alva was sheltering Painter. Golden Sword was heading towards Bissus. Perhaps the reality was the opposite—that the shrewd businessman had sniffed out something amiss and wanted to distance himself from anything related to the Demon King.
But Eugene would continue to track Golden Sword.
First, he must verify the intelligence in the hands of Golden Sword. Secondly, the Pope of the Temple of Life personally ordered him to return to Bissus with the Fifth Brigade and wait for further instructions. As to why, the Pope didn't elaborate.
Since the disappearance of the Lost Tower, the situation in Tahe had become odd.
Recently, members of the Homeward Saints Guild had been gathering towards Bissus, claiming that numerous regional quests have spawned nearby. The Realm of Shiva had seen a surge of monsters, leaving the non-human races overwhelmed.
The Eternal Church had been eerily calm. The new Eternal Pope had been in secluded cultivation, not showing himself for a long time. With their support collapsed and after the battle of the Lost Tower, the Demon Players had also become much more subdued, rarely causing trouble lately.
Without the troublesome forces from Shiva, without the evil Eternal Church and Demon Players, all events were currently moving in a direction favorable to the Temple of Life.
Zealots didn't believe in luck. All this must be guided by God. Now, the Temple's only enemies were the Lost Tower representing Paradise, and the newly supported Demon King behind it.
Eugene sensed the smell of a storm in this eerie calm. The day the Lost Tower reappeared would be the beginning of war.
As for whether what the Players saw in the Lost Tower that day was the Demon King, there was ongoing debate. Half were convinced that the blue fire creature was absurdly powerful and must be the Demon King lying in wait. The other half believed it was just a monster under the Demon King—the legendary ancient Demon King was immense. How could the new Demon King be merely a simple humanoid?
The word "Demon King" was being mentioned more and more frequently among the populace and the Players.
This must be preparation to confront the Demon King. The real war was coming. As the sword of God, he was bound to chop off the head of the False God known as the "Demon King".
Eugene's fingers touched the soft cloth. As his fingertips moved, the smooth blade trembled slowly under the fabric.
The Pope ordered him to stay in Bissus, likely due to God's arrangements. His mission was clear, with only one ambiguity.
At this point, what is Godfrey Painter's stance?
He had once collaborated with the harmless-seeming Lost Tower but didn't disappear with it. Painter claimed to cooperate with the Master of Paradise, but few words out of that guy's mouth were truthful. No matter how Eugene thought about it, he didn't believe Painter would stoop to consorting with the Demon King.
Painter's oracle clearly stated, "to fulfill divinity", not a False God. God had let this man roam, surely with deep intention—
If Painter were still the Pope, he wouldn't stand at the forefront of this war. Given the current situation, God needed Painter to participate in this war, so the man had temporarily turned traitor.
It was likely Painter would come to his senses in this war and fulfill God through his sacrifice.
Eugene's movements in wiping the longsword became slower.
No, at his level, he shouldn't presume to guess God's prophecies. It might be him who decapitates the False God first, and Godfrey Painter returns to the right path.
The man could also earn enough merit in the war to atone for his sins with the remainder of his life. His extraordinary deeds would be recorded by the Temple, further glorifying God.
Thinking this, Eugene's tense back finally relaxed a bit.
"Actually, I know he understands God's mercy and painstaking efforts better than anyone. Since leaving the Temple, he hasn't committed any evil deeds against God's will." Eugene murmured to the longsword, "Lady Tilia, he must pay the price for his betrayal, but…"
Suddenly, Eugene's movements froze.
Reflected on the smooth blade were a pair of light green eyes.
"But?" The pair of eyes in the reflection curved slightly. Painter began to speak as if chatting, with one hand resting on Eugene's shoulder.
All expressions vanished from Eugene's face.
He spun around instantly and, with a swish, pointed the longsword directly at Painter. The latter sighed somewhat helplessly. "Alright, we both know you're not going to kill me. There's no need to be like this every time. It's hard even for me to watch."
"What did you do to the guards?" Eugene ignored him, the tip of his sword drawing a fine line of blood on Painter's left cheek.
"I just put them to sleep. No need to be tense," Painter said nonchalantly. "Don't blame those kids. You know well they couldn't stop me if they tried."
He emphasized the word "me" particularly.
"Fine, then I'll ask a different question." Eugene clenched his teeth, and the muscles under his skin twitched. "Before, you used precious teleportation magic to escape, and now you're willingly walking into the trap. Can I take it to mean that you're willing to return to Bissus with me?"
"You're greatly mistaken."
Painter moved the sword as if to comfort him. The sharp tip pierced his hand, and bright red blood quickly seeped out. "I just came to see you. I have no intention of returning to the Temple."
He had already dined with the "Goddess of Life", so playing the Temple's games seemed pointless now.
Hearing this absurd reason, Eugene stiffened for a moment.
"To take a look at me," he said sarcastically after a while.
Damn, did Painter return for this "Dominator" longsword? Or, did he intend to shake the resolve of the one prophesied to slay a god before the war officially began?
Should he wound him now? Or try to persuade him again? They were very close to Bissus. Perhaps he could try to capture him again?
Countless thoughts buzzed rapidly in Eugene's head.
"Now that I've had a look, I can go back," Painter interrupted his thoughts with a smile.
Eugene took a deep breath, anger burning up from his heart. "Are you mocking me?!"
The sword tip pierced towards Painter's shoulder, but Painter just stood there. The sharp longsword instantly pierced through flesh, the tip emerging from his back.
…What's happening?
Unexpectedly, Painter didn't defend himself, making Eugene's scalp tingle. He swallowed, his grip on the sword loosening for half a second. Blood slid down the blade, dripping onto the ground. Blood spread from the wound on Painter's tunic, blooming like a flower.
"Calmed down?" Painter looked at the wound on his shoulder. "Alright, I admit, I was indeed mocking you."
"You—"
"But I didn't mock you back then, Eugene Malloy." Painter's smile faded, showing a rare serious expression. "Remember. Whatever happens in the future, trust your own judgment, trust your own God."
"You have no right to say that," Eugene said hoarsely.
Should he stab deeper? Or withdraw the sword? Painter was one of Tahe's top mages with frightening healing abilities, so he wouldn't be easily killed. The situation was favorable. Perhaps he should seriously wound this man…
The war was coming. Controlling Painter under the Temple might be more advantageous…
Attack? Not attack? Attack? Not attack?
The rush of thoughts made Eugene dizzy as the familiar smell of blood surrounded his nose. His heart raced, and his breath turned to white steam in the warm air, like a panting beast.
Painter still stood quietly in place, looking at Eugene's eyes, which gradually filled with blood.
"I'm sorry." Painter's tone became even more serious. "Goodbye, my child."
Eugene truly froze this time as the Former Pope repeated his old trick. The teleportation magic activated at an opportune moment, and Painter's figure disappeared once again.
Painter didn't lay hands on the "Dominator", nor did he attempt to assassinate him, leaving behind only a pool of blood. In the end, the man indeed just came to take one look and speak a few words.
Eugene suddenly realized that, more than Painter's infuriatingly confident tone, he detested the rare seriousness in the other. It sent chills down his spine, giving rise to many ominous premonitions.
He weakly lowered his longsword.
Drip, drip. The blood from the sword tip fell to the ground, quickly swallowed by the earth.
...
Bissus.
"Let's just stay here honestly. This is the safest place in all of Tahe!" In a certain inn, Mr. Abaddon declared. "Even if the world were to end, this place would surely be the last to go."
Beside him sat the gloomy Bly, who just silently drank his sorrows away.
Those Players remaining in the city were unwilling to join the war's first wave. Most were cautious, a few were timid, and the rest were simply incapable.
Bly counted himself among these "incapable ones".
Initially, to take care of his friend Barto, he left the novice village late, lagging far behind everyone else in leveling and equipment. His former companions scattered, and he spent much effort maintaining their relationships.
However, as the situation in Tahe became more severe, his efforts ultimately ended in failure.
Latus became part of the forefront of the Saints Guild, suffered mental trauma in the battle in the Brick Mountains, and then cut off contact. Barto went to work for the Alva Merchant Group and disappeared not long ago. Following the death of Duke Alva, the Alva Merchant Group entered a state of emergency, leaving Bly with no way to investigate.
He failed to protect his friends and his strength was neither here nor there. Ultimately, he squeezed into the tavern as a reserve force.
The people around him were somewhat intriguing—Ranger Abaddon had previously participated in a quest related to Paradise, closely encountering the ancient Demon King. He had interacted with heavyweight NPCs like Eugene Malloy and even mingled with top Players like Anakin.
This helped him level up significantly, qualifying him as an expert. Who would have thought this rising star would only see decline from there—
After the news that Paradise belonged to the Demon King emerged, Abaddon showed no anger. Instead, he began slacking off like crazy. He stopped exploring altogether, almost as if wearing "I don't want to fight" on his face.
The Saints Guild tried to mobilize him a few times but were straightforwardly rebuffed with "I'm just that shameless," leaving them speechless. Since a bull refused to drink water and couldn't be forced to, Abaddon ended up in the tavern, humorously dubbed "Lian Ge" by the patrons.
"Brother, to be honest, do you have some deal with Paradise?" Bly asked listlessly.
"Hm? I just think they're too strong, and I'm scared." Abaddon swirled his drink. "Isn't it obvious with my ID born lacking courage?"
"You don't seem like it," Bly said. "I don't know how to put it… It's like, you seem to actually like Paradise."
"Of course, I like Paradise. They have succubi. Need any other reason? …Ahem, I mean female succubi." Abaddon glanced at him and cracked a smile. "If possible, I hope to be killed by a succubus. I mean a female succubus."
Bly: "..." Have you been harassed by a male succubus or something?
"Forget it." After a while, Bly chuckled bitterly. "Since it's come to this, let's just take it one step at a time."
"Don't be so down. Who knows what the future holds." Abaddon put down his glass and lowered his voice. "I know you. Everyone says you're very loyal—if it really comes down to it, just stick with me. As long as you continue to be a good person, I guarantee you'll be fine."
What kind of reasoning is that? Bly was speechless. Abaddon just winked at him and raised his glass.
"Everyone will have to join the fight sooner or later. It's better to understand the situation clearly before making a move. Trust me. It's not about the strength of the enemy. You'll understand when the time comes."
Just as Abaddon set down his glass, the system notification sound rang—
[★Main Quest "Demon King Subjugation" Update★]
The author has something to say:
The final battle is upon us!!!!!!!