Chapter 183 True Love Hemolysis: God's Puppet [VIP]

"Who! Who are you? How do you know my name?!"

The Dark Night Mentor screamed in anger as if stabbed in the heart, his eyes widening as he stared at the suddenly appearing white figure, and then—

"Ulysses? Why are you here too?"

The Dark Night Mentor said sternly.

"I asked John Deere to contact him and tell him to come as soon as possible."

Xiao Yun said calmly.

"Son of Light! How dare you not trust me!"

"You've deceived and schemed against us more than once. How can I possibly trust you?"

“…”

"What's more—"

Xiao Yun said softly, "Yaris and I have the most special and strongest bond in the world. If he had successfully reincarnated into the Eastern Continent, it's impossible for me to have no sense of it until now."

"Wait! Since you've already determined that the whole thing is a scam, why are you still..."

"Anything related to Yaris, even if it's a scam, I will get involved."

Xiao Yun's voice was gentle, but his attitude was firm. "I want to know who, under the guise of Yaris, sneaked into Alfonso's dream and deceived him? Is the future that Lucien foresaw true? If so, when and how will it be realized?"

"...Okay, I underestimated you!"

The "Dark Night Mentor" looked frustrated.

"Do you mind if Ulysses and the others come with us into your secret quarters?"

Xiao Yun asked as a matter of course.

"I……"

The "Dark Night Mentor" who used the body of the succubus Romila stared at Xiao Yun angrily, his eyes flashing with a strong light and his chest heaving.

"It seems that he is not very happy..."

Xiao Yun muttered to himself.

Ulysses, wrapped in a black cloak like a shadow, stood beside the white figure. He walked silently before him and bowed his head. "Your Majesty, please forgive my presumptuous behavior, but the Sage of Death believes that he needs to meet with Your Majesty again."

"Um."

Xiao Yun raised his head and glanced at the "Sage of Death".

The Sage of Death took off his white protective suit, revealing a gaunt face with white hair and beard. "Thirteen years, Your Majesty—"

"Can you leave the core area of ​​the Death Desert now?"

"The curse of the Eternal Empire has fallen, and with it the restrictions left by the gods."

The "Sage of Death" lowered his head and answered Xiao Yun's question respectfully.

"I see……"

A flash of resentment crossed the face of the "Dark Night Mentor", and then Romila's consciousness took over the body again.

"Ah! Great! I finally got my body back! Don't think that you can just put a spell into my body and I will be ***** sooner or later."

After a flurry of curse words, Romila respectfully saluted Xiao Yun and the others and said, "I'll take you into the old man's lair."

"His Majesty--"

Everyone was a little worried.

Xiao Yun nodded confidently, followed Romila, and walked up the stairs into the deep underground world.

…

The moment his feet stepped on the stone steps, the black cave turned into a tall passage supported by stone pillars. Green water was flowing on the stone steps above his head. Xiao Yun could feel the moisture and coolness of the water, but he didn't have to worry about the liquid above his head falling and wetting his hair and clothes.

"OMG……"

Lucien and Alfonso exclaimed in curiosity.

They knew that "Dark Night Mentor" was one of the three greatest magicians of the time, but they were still shocked by the various magical arrangements in his secret hiding place.

Led by Romila, they passed through a corridor where the air was so fresh that people could not tell they were underwater, and came to a large room where the ground was piled with various magical tools and the walls were densely covered with magical talismans.

There was a large chair in the middle of the room, and on the chair sat an old man with wrinkles on his face as thick and numerous as dirt. It was the "Mentor of the Dark Night" Urasius.

He seemed to be seriously injured, with all kinds of defensive magical items hanging around his neck, waist, and wrists. His eyes were slightly open, and his gaze was cloudy and tired.

"It looks like you've been having a hard time lately."

The Death Sage said slowly, "I still remember the time you, your succubi, ghouls, and zombies, repeatedly challenged me, trying to drive me away and seize the Eternal Empire's legacy."

"I...have ended up in this miserable state now, but I don't regret it..."

The Dark Night Mentor opened his mouth and spoke bluntly, "The Dark Path is also a form of magic. Like all those who dedicate themselves to the path, I possess an endless ambition for learning, knowledge, and the truth of the universe. Even if it takes me a lifetime to finally reach the threshold, it's common sense that the gods have possessed effortlessly from the very beginning... Nothing brings greater joy than gaining new knowledge, and nothing brings greater delight than discovering new mysteries..."

"I never thought the famous 'Dark Night Mentor' also had such a noble side."

Alfonso was surprised.

"Indeed, most people in this world think that I am a person who will do anything to achieve my goal."

The "Dark Night Mentor" flicked his fingers, and the ground turned into a comfortable and spacious chair.

When people sat on it, the chairs immediately seemed to press their backs.

"You must be tired after all this walking. Do you need something to drink?"

"What was your original plan?"

Xiao Yun asked directly.

"plan……"

The Dark Night Mentor narrowed his eyes, greedily scanning the three things in turn: the almost endless power in your body, Ah Fang's throat... If I can obtain these three things, even just two of them, I can enter the Holy City again.

"What is your dream?"

Xiao Yun pressed on, "What made you decide to sell us to that dragon?"

"That dragon..."

The Dark Night Mentor chuckled contemptuously, "That dragon doesn't possess the strength to compel me to submit... In fact, you have no idea how dire the crisis you face is! It's an ultimate existence that humans absolutely cannot defeat!"

"So the gods have finally decided to take action?"

Xiao Yun said lightly.

“—You, you, you!”

The Dark Night Mentor panicked: "You knew... and yet you still..."

"Yeah, I always knew that."

Xiao Yun looked at the Dark Night Mentor coldly: "Tell me, which deity did you meet in the Holy City? What did He promise you?"

“I…I…”

The Dark Night Mentor thought carefully for a long time, shrugged, and said, "That dragon is a puppet. It obeys the orders of a higher-ranking deity... I sneaked into the holy city and saw a huge blood-red cocoon growing in the blood pool. The cocoon is translucent, and I can vaguely see a humanoid life sleeping inside. I don't know who it is. I want to touch it, but..."

"But what happened?"

"The reason I'm now is because of that inappropriate touch."

The Dark Night Mentor smiled wryly and told everyone, "The moment I tried to touch the blood cocoon, the water in the blood pool suddenly surged up, and out of the blood surge emerged a monster covered in a shimmering black crystal. Then, the events I've described to you occurred."

"So, without being sure whether the person in the blood cocoon was Yaris, or whether the monster in the black crystal was related to Yaris, you decided to trick us into coming?"

“That’s right!”

The Dark Night Mentor spoke without hesitation, "Your Majesty is the great Son of Light. The energy within you is nearly limitless. If you are willing to lend me your energy as the source of my power, I will instantly become as powerful as a god! I will definitely be able to defeat the black crystal monster beside the blood pool!"

"I have no objection to letting Lucien join the team, because when I sneaked in, I overheard the dragon ordering its 'Dragon Tooth Soldiers' to find a bard skilled in singing. The Holy City must play music non-stop throughout the day to please the gods..."

"Master 'Dark Night Mentor', you could have just stated your plan directly instead of resorting to such despicable deception."

Lucien said seriously: "If you tell the truth, Xiao will definitely -"

"If I were telling the truth, would you come here?"

The Dark Night Mentor said in a very unfriendly tone: "I am a black magician with no reputation. No one is willing to believe me!"

"So you consider lying to be an honor?!"

"Okay, I understand..."

The Dark Night Mentor seemed to have made up his mind and extended his hand, which was covered with protective runes. "From now on, I will tell you the truth. I will tell you everything I have seen and heard in the Eastern Continent in exchange for your help."

(This guy isn't truly repentant or feeling guilty. He's seriously injured now, and with the Sage of Death present, he realizes he's at a complete disadvantage and has no choice but to tell us the truth in exchange for our help.)

Xiao Yun thought secretly, pretending to be moved by the words of the "Dark Night Mentor": "As long as I can see my brother again, thwart the conspiracy of the gods and the dragon, and protect the safety of the East and West Continents and the planet Ella, I don't mind becoming friends with my former enemy."

"Is this the determination and courage of the Son of Light?"

The "Dark Night Mentor" yelled exaggeratedly.

The Death Sage suddenly stood up and handed a cup of secret medicine to the Dark Night Mentor: "Drink this medicine, you are in a very bad condition now."

"I……"

Forced by the situation, the Dark Night Mentor had no choice but to accept the medicine from the Death Sage. He took a sip reluctantly and exclaimed, "What is this! I just took a small sip, and I can actually feel my body slowly reviving! My cells are full of vitality!"

"The Eternal Empire's research goal is to achieve 'immortality'. To this end, they are constantly exploring and researching ways to prolong life and defeat death. The medicine you drank came from one of these studies. It can't solve the mystery of death, but it can extend the life of living things by hundreds or even thousands of years."

"Ah... no wonder I felt so comfortable after drinking it..."

"In the Eternal Empire era, the relationship between the White Mage and the Black Mage is like light and darkness, fire and ice, heaven and earth, convex and concave... both opposite and symmetrical. As long as the ultimate goal can be achieved and the process does not cause irreparable harm to nature and morality, any research method is worthy of encouragement."

The Sage of Death said calmly, "Back then, technology and magic were truly twin trees. Most magicians were proficient in science, and most scientists also practiced magic. This openness and compatibility allowed the Eternal Empire's civilization to reach heights unmatched by any civilization born on Ella before it, but it also pushed them to their most utter destruction."

"What did you say!"

The Dark Night Mentor was so shocked that he almost fainted: "...Civilization...led to the destruction of the Eternal Empire?!"

"As we all know, gods need the worship of believers to maintain their supremacy. Therefore, when they discover that humble believers may reach their heights and become equal to them in the future, they will become jealous, angry, fearful, and even think of destroying believers!"

The words of the Sage of Death were filled with anger: "The gods destroyed the Eternal Empire because they were afraid! They realized that if they did not forcibly interrupt the civilization of the native civilization of Ella and allowed them to develop, they would one day become equal to them!"

"……I see."

"Dark Night Mentor" said painfully.

"Nothing in this world is truly eternal. Life will die, kingdoms will rise and fall, civilizations will collapse and be destroyed, and the gods will also meet their end. When the gods realize that they are approaching their end, how can they tolerate an eternal civilization that shows great potential even in its infancy?"

“…”

"After hearing this, what are you going to do?"

“I…I…”

The "Mentor of Dark Night" looked at the "Sage of Death" with an ambiguous attitude.

"If you refuse to answer, I won't force it."

The Death Sage stood up and said to Xiao Yun and the others, "Come with me. I will take you to the East Continent."

"Thanks."

"--Wait a moment!"

The Dark Night Mentor said with a pale face, "I am willing to form an alliance with you and tell you all the information I have."

"...So you were still hiding something from us?"

Alfonso looked at the old man speechlessly.

Dark Night Mentor smiled awkwardly: "I am a cautious person. Before I find out what is really happening in the world, I will speak carefully to avoid misleading others."

"But you don't mind lying to us!"

Lucien said angrily.

"Lies are also a manifestation of wisdom~"

"Dark Night Mentor" said shamelessly.

…

…

In the evening, it began to rain in the sky of the Death Desert. The rain was soft, not very cold and did not make people feel wet.

The misty rain made the green of the desert even clearer. Puddles emerging from the grayish white gravel absorbed the falling water droplets and gradually expanded into small blue lakes that could support an oasis.

"Will the Great Desert of Death gradually become fertile land suitable for farming?"

Xiao Yun stared at the dense drizzle outside the window and asked curiously.

"I don't know... Everything that has happened in recent years makes me feel like we are as ignorant as children..."

The Death Sage said sadly, "Sometimes I even feel like I'm dreaming. It's a dream that never ends, starting from the moment I saw you in the underground area of ​​the Eternal Empire's capital ruins..."

"If only everything that's happening now was just a dream as you said."

Xiao Yun sighed and said, "If that's the case, as long as I wake up from the dream, I can see him again. He will still be by my side, looking at me with his unique black eyes that are as deep as the universe... But it's not a dream... He... really has..."

"This is his fate..."

"This wasn't the fate he had to endure! If only he had been a little more selfish and self-centered!"

Xiao Yun told the Sage of Death as calmly as possible: "Yaris has been waiting for me all along. All the misfortunes he endured, despite his extraordinary wisdom, were just to wait for me and to save our planet! He loves me and this world so much! He hopes that one day our planet will be able to break free from the control of the gods and gain true freedom..."

"I long for his return more than anyone else, so I must confirm the truth of his reincarnation! I will never allow any force to attempt to manipulate or deceive his reincarnation, and I will not allow him, who has always maintained his dignity and pride, to become the plaything of that dragon or even a certain god who once hurt him!"

“…”

The "Sage of Death" looked at Xiao Yun silently, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself several times.

Julius, standing behind the "Sage of Death", had unknowingly turned pale.

His face was covered in sweat, as if he had just escaped from the battlefield with all his might. "Your Majesty, I think I should tell you what His Royal Highness Edmund told me before he died... Although you have repeatedly made it clear that you don't want to know this matter... But now..."

"What did Edmund say to you before he died?"

"He said... he had been controlled by the dragon for a long time, becoming its puppet. But he also discovered that the being behind the dragon was the mastermind behind everything. And that being... that being called His Highness Yaris the Dark Star."

"Dark Star?"

Xiao Yun looked at the "Tower Master": "Do you know what the Dark Star is?"

[Aren’t they just stars condensed from dark energy?]

The "Tower Master" glanced at Xiao Yun lazily, and a hint of disdain could be seen on his face covered with black scales.

"So you don't know what the Dark Star is?"

「Nonsense! How could I not know?! I just──」

The "Tower Master" suddenly realized that he had been provoked and quickly shut up.

"Does the Eternal Empire's research records on the Star Infant contain any information about the Dark Star?"

Xiao Yun looked at the "Sage of Death".

"this……"

"Can't you tell me?"

"As Your Majesty, who holds the power to decide the fate of the world, your feelings for Yaris are too strong. This is not a good thing."

"oh?"

"Even for an ordinary person, developing overly paranoid feelings could have an extremely devastating impact on the world. Furthermore, your power is so great, and your paranoia is so insane... I'm worried that your obsession with Yaris will gradually distort, lose you, and even tear you apart."

"Perhaps."

Xiao Yun muttered softly, "In your eyes, my obsession with Yaris and the dragon's obsession with transforming Ella into their home planet may have already been equally distorted. However, my obsession with Yaris has always been an important part of me. If I cut off this obsession, I would no longer be myself. Just like Alfonso—if he didn't have the obsession to chase his youthful dream at the cost of burning the world—he wouldn't be Alfonso."

“…”

"I'm sorry if you found my words offensive."

Xiao Yun said quietly, "After the rain stops, we will leave and continue to the East Continent via the Twilight Kingdom."

"I see……"

The Sage of Death smiled wryly and said, "When the scholars of the Eternal Empire were studying the Star Infant, they discovered that whenever the Star Infant's body moved, the gravitational waves of the stars above it would slightly distort. They recorded this distortion and, after repeated analysis, finally found the Dark Star, which, in principle, does not exist."

"Why are you telling me this all of a sudden?"

"Because I want to know what Yaris really is? And what will become of the fate that Yaris, willing to tear himself to pieces to protect, be? Your paranoia is terrifying, but correcting it is impossible."

The Death Sage said self-deprecatingly, "I will go with you. I don't have the ability to help you fight against the gods behind the dragon, but at least I can stop the dragon."

"Thanks."

Xiao Yun said sincerely.

"You don't have to thank me. In fact, helping you involves my personal grudge."

The Death Sage shook his white robe. "I want to know why the gods had to destroy the Eternal Empire! I hope the gods will apologize to us, the relics of the Eternal Empire, for their arrogance! Although an apology means nothing, and it won't bring the dead back to life."

"So you have your paranoia too."

"Well……"

The Sage of Death was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly and said, "Perhaps, life must have some paranoia in order to be truly alive."

…

…

Upon learning that the "Death Sage" would be traveling with him, the "Dark Night Mentor"'s expression suddenly turned extremely grim: "You——"

"You don't welcome me?"

"Ha! Haha!"

The Dark Night Mentor smiled awkwardly. "I will never forget this kindness. Please allow me to repay you along the way, Master Sage of Death."

"That's why most people get scared when they see you and think you're a nuisance."

Lucien muttered.

The Dark Night Mentor couldn't help but glare: "You are just a——"

Seeing this, Lucien quickly hid behind Xiao Yun and Alfonso.

Xiao Yun defended Lucien and said to the "Dark Night Mentor": "You'd better be careful. After all, you were once controlled by him with demon spores."

“…”

The Dark Night Mentor's face paled instantly. "I understand. I... well, I admit that I was once careless and allowed Him to control my mind with demonic spores, but—"

"——Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

A panicked and uneasy cry came from high above. Xiao Yun looked up and saw the harpy flying in the rain and Flora, lying on her back with wounds all over her body.

"What happened? Why did Flora suddenly get injured like this?"

"The Twilight Realm... The barrier between the Twilight Realm and the real world has been broken! The balance has been disrupted! Darkness has invaded our world!"

"What! Darkness has invaded the Twilight Realm!"

Everyone exclaimed in unison.

The "Tower Master" was so excited that he straightened his body and spread out his iron scales.