Chapter 102

The first statue of Cupid in history may not sound particularly remarkable, even though it was the first one, it was still just a statue.

The Seventh Protector couldn't help but show a puzzled expression. His father had kept this statue hidden for so many years, and it didn't even look very big.

Veris didn't look at him, but lowered his head to examine the blurry face of the statue, and sighed softly.

He released his grip, and to the astonishment of the Seven Protectors, the stone sculpture fell to the ground. The stone itself, upon impact, should have only suffered minor bumps and knocks, but the sculpture shattered into dust instantly.

It's not a few dollars, nor tens of dollars, but real, solid powder.

As the stone carving shattered, the environment instantly reverted to its previous state. Arnold and the others immediately spotted the ancient altar that had suddenly appeared, as well as the young man and the seven guardians with their backs to them.

Before they could utter a sound, the dense curses descended once more, the dark characters flowing in the air. The Seven Protectors couldn't help but look at the curses that filled the Fisherman's Tomb, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Veris raised his hand and touched the dog-shaped eagle on his shoulder, and the eagle's eyes suddenly lit up.

He whispered something, and the dog-eagle's eyes flickered a few times before dimming again.

"What's going on?" The curses in the Fisherman's Tomb were increasing, and even the ancient statues were beginning to open their eyes.

Veris pulled the flute from his waist and said casually, "It's a secret realm. Come with me; this is not a power you can handle."

The Seventh Guardian did not resist. Even though he was extremely familiar with curses, he could tell that the black characters were not the magic he had seen before—although they were both called magic, the magic of demons and the magic of mages were not the same—but a more terrifying power that could completely destroy the entire Fisherman's Tomb.

He quickly caught up with the pope, who wished to remain anonymous.

However, after taking only a few steps, the surroundings changed drastically again. Almost in the blink of an eye, countless beams of light shot out from the dimly lit Fisherman's Tomb.

The seven guardians had no choice but to close their eyes.

There was a moment of silence around him, and he felt a sense of panic. Even though he had only closed his eyes for a few seconds, the light through his eyelids had already penetrated his eyeballs and entered his mind. The surroundings became brighter, and he felt absolutely certain. He also heard some sounds, which became clearer and clearer.

He couldn't wait to open his eyes.

What comes into view is an ancient palace—it looks like a large house, but in terms of layout, it is similar to a demon king's palace. The stones that made this ancient palace are very dull, but they have been painted with complex and mysterious totems in bright colors.

It meanders all the way to the top, which is unseen by the Seven Guardians.

Someone nudged him and whispered, "Why are you still here? You should go and serve the king."

Your Majesty? Where is this place? He is a demon, and he only has one king, which is that old man from the Demon King Abyss.

The Seven Protectors inwardly grumbled, but still cautiously followed behind the man, joining another group of people who entered the palace in complete silence.

These people were probably servants of the king, but they were dressed in very simple clothes, long robes, two-piece sets, with a gold-embroidered belt around their waists, and their hair was tied up. He dared not look too closely and could not tell whether they were men or women.

He was dressed the same way. Recalling the Pope's words, he wondered to himself, could this be a secret realm? The Pope smashed that stone sculpture and then opened the secret realm. Was this the secret his early-deceased father had truly wanted to hide?

But before they could think any further, they found themselves in a corner of the palace—or rather, not in the center.

Music could be heard from inside the palace, but the sound was dry and the tune monotonous, making the Seven Protectors' ears ache.

Sure enough, he soon heard a casual voice stop the musicians and tell them to get out.

Is that the king? The Seventh Protector secretly lifted his eyelids to look at the figure on the throne.

Soon they saw a pale-faced, listless boy. The Seventh Protector estimated that the boy was no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with beautiful white hair and two bright black eyes. Although his expression was not good, it was still clear that the king was extremely handsome.

Atop his head sat a palace inlaid with jewels, and adorned with layers of magnificent robes. He sat on his throne, his expression somber.

The musicians withdrew, and then someone tumbled in, crying and shouting that the lord had sent men to breach the royal city and begged the king to leave immediately.

These men will protect the young king.

However, the young king was not flustered. He stared at the man for a long time, then stood up and suddenly drew the long sword next to his throne. A cold light flashed, and the golden hilt was also inlaid with gems, but the cold light of the blade was so intense that people subconsciously ignored the exquisite hilt.

The Seven Protectors were startled, feeling the young king's imposing aura. They thought to themselves, "With that kind of aura, how could he possibly be defeated?"

His long robe trailed on the ground as he watched the young man, sword at his side, walk out of the palace. In the distance, he could still hear the young king's cold voice: "Where are the rebels?" and the desperate pleas of a group of people for him to leave.

Only the servants remained in the palace. The Seventh Protector was still in a daze when he noticed that the servants had scattered in a panic. Someone even reminded him to run out of the side gate of the royal city. They had heard that there were several rebel armies, and their king was no match for them.

The Seven Protectors grabbed one of them and asked, "Your Majesty? What dynasty is it now?"

The man was puzzled, but he answered anyway: "Now it is King Linister II. The king only ascended the throne the day before yesterday. The men left by the late king have all rebelled. I'm afraid the king's days are numbered."

After saying that, he impatiently pulled his clothes back and left in a hurry.

The Seven Guardians had never heard of any Linist, but their intuition told them that this must still be Icarus, and that history was unfolding on this land, perhaps hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

Chaos reigned in the palace. He picked up a longsword to protect himself. Although his clothes had changed, his body was still the same, brimming with magic. Pure-blooded demons possessed a natural talent for curses. He believed that the young king was the key to breaking through the secret realm, so he decided to go to the front of the palace.

Walking against the flow of people, the Seven Protectors suddenly noticed that the sky was a hazy reddish-yellow, with an oppressive atmosphere comparable to that of the Demon King's Forest.

The palace was small. He walked through a gate and saw a huge square. Perhaps that gate was the main gate of the palace, and this square was the area outside the palace.

He also saw the young King Rinister, holding a jeweled longsword, his crown nowhere to be seen, wearing a magnificent robe, his figure slender, yet his bearing extraordinary.

Young King Rinister faced the dark mass of men ahead alone; those who had promised to protect him were nowhere to be found.

However, the boy was not afraid at all. He looked ahead and his gaze fell on a few people who seemed out of place in the crowd. He narrowed his eyes.

A strong wind blew, and sand and stones flew everywhere. Only then did the Seven Protectors realize that the light around them was dim and yellowish, perhaps because of the sandstorm. The sky was red, probably because of the setting sun and the fiery clouds spreading.

He held a simple, undecorated longsword in his hand, which paled in comparison to the one held by the young King Rinister, but he didn't care and simply shouted, "Your Majesty, I'm here to help you."

Perhaps it was the sight of him facing a massive, dark crowd all by himself that stirred his emotions, or perhaps it was seeing this noble young king dare to draw his sword even when the enemy was at the gates. The Seventh Protector felt a surge of emotion and thought that he was a demon protector, and even though he was ranked last, he was not someone to be trifled with. Helping this young king was not out of the question.

As expected, the young King Rinister turned around, looked at the Seventh Guardian, sneered, completely disregarding him, and turned back to look at the army besieging the palace.

Even the dark mass of rebels ahead, upon hearing the Seventh Protector's voice, burst into laughter.

The Seventh Protector, however, did not feel embarrassed. He quickly stepped forward, wanting to prove that he still had some strength.

The young King Linister raised his longsword and pointed it at the yellowish-red sky. A massive magic circle appeared instantly, and countless red lightning bolts fell. The Seven Guardians were utterly astonished and froze on the spot.

He had initially estimated that the rebels numbered around seven or eight hundred, which, while difficult, was not impossible for him to deal with. However, he suddenly realized that the combat strength in this secret realm was probably completely different from reality.

The fact that the young king dared to stop seven hundred people single-handedly, and with such an arrogant expression, is enough to show that if he wasn't an arrogant and conceited fellow, then he was absolutely contemptuous.

The seven guardians felt their legs tremble as they looked at the red magic circle from afar.

A bolt of lightning struck, instantly killing several people. The once orderly squad immediately scattered and fled in all directions, crying out incessantly.

“A mob of rabble, yet they dare to seize my throne.”

The voice of the young King Rinister echoed throughout the land.

He turned around, looked at the Seventh Protector who was cowering and behaving himself, sized him up, and said, "Go and loot those people's things, then bring them to me."

The Seven Protectors watched as the young king strode back to the palace, finally understanding their role—they were there to exhume the corpse!

So what if he's digging up the corpses? He's been smart since he was a kid, he'll definitely dig these corpses up completely!

He patiently waited for the red magic circle to dissipate, and after a while, he stepped towards the pile of corpses.

As they approached, several more corpses suddenly sprang to life, causing the Seven Protectors' expressions to change—the heroes had also seen him. The two sides stared at each other, and Arnold shouted, "You're a demon!"

The Seventh Protector made a decision instantly. He turned and ran. The heroes and the others were pinned down by the corpses. After struggling to climb out, they chased after the Seventh Protector and ran towards the palace.

They believed that the appearance of a demon in the palace was highly suspicious, as they had been in the demon's territory before entering the secret realm, and this demon must be the key to breaking the secret realm.

The seven guardians ran wildly ahead, with the brave team chasing closely behind.

They would occasionally throw a spell at them, but the seven guardians skillfully dodged it all.

The Seven Guardians still remembered the way and ran all the way back to the palace where the young King Linister had stayed. The palace was in a mess. When the servants ran away, they took everything they could with them. If it weren't for the fact that the jewels on the throne were impossible to remove and were extremely heavy, they would have liked to take the throne as well.

He scrambled into the palace, sliding down to his knees before the young king on the throne, and kowtowed sharply: "Your Majesty, save me!"

The young King Rinister lightly stroked the sharp blade of the sword with his fingers, not even raising his head, his voice indifferent: "Oh? Those people aren't all dead yet?"

The Seven Guardians: "They are from the future; the King's magic array has no effect on them!"

He was quick-witted and immediately saw through the clue.

The young King Rinister heard a certain word and finally looked up: "The future?"

The Seventh Protector dared not raise his head, showing even more respect than he had for the Old Demon King: "That's right, they are people from later generations—humans, descendants of dragons, and elves."

In just one short sentence, the identities of the brave team were revealed.

There's no need to talk about the other random things. He guessed that there were no heroes in this era, and maybe the old demon king hadn't even been born yet!

At this moment, Arnold and his party also arrived and rushed into the chaotic and dilapidated palace. They saw the white-haired boy on the throne, who held his sword horizontally in front of him with a calm expression. The demon knelt before the boy and bowed his head.

The young King Rinister casually raised his eyes, but his gaze paused when he saw someone in the group. He then narrowed his eyes, stood up, and his magnificent robes fell down, with jeweled chains covering the fabric. The Seventh Guardian carefully raised his head, shifted his body, and dared not block the young king's path.

The young man, carrying a sword, had a striking and imposing appearance, yet he spoke, "My father has many offspring, but I never imagined that even after hundreds or thousands of years, there would still be people who have reverted to their ancestral ways."

Murphy's expression changed. A return to ancestral traits?

He suddenly remembered what Veris had said about his bloodline.

Could this person be—a descendant of the legendary King Linister?

This place dates back to an era even earlier than the ancient mystical realm.

Astor and Carlo were unaware of Murphy's situation, but Arnold and Allen frowned, clearly thinking the same thing as Murphy.

Young King Linister, however, turned his gaze to the only elf in the group and pointed out his difference: "The Manlineno Curse, you are about to die."

Carlo's expression changed.

The young King Rinister continued, looking at Arnold, "You have demon blood in your veins."

Arnold's expression changed drastically.

Looking at Allen, he said, "With your meager dragon bloodline, you could never revert to your ancestral form even if you lived ten lifetimes."

Allen frowned, but his reaction was much better than the others.

Finally, it was Aster's turn. The young King Rinister scoffed, "Brainless wretch."

Aster was furious and grabbed his weapon to rush out, but Allen grabbed him.

The young king turned around and sat back on his throne, looking down at the king with disdain: "I wondered how powerful these people from later generations were. It seems they were raised to be arrogant and ignorant. They've fallen so low that they dare to show off these things in front of me."

The seven guardians immediately flattered, "What Your Majesty says is absolutely right."

Before his companions, who were suppressing their anger, could speak, Arnold stepped forward, his gaze open and honest: "Your Majesty, please tell us what problems we still have and what solutions we can find?"

He vaguely sensed that this secret realm existed for a reason.

Young King Rinister seemed not to hear, and continued to tap his sword.

Seeing this, the seven guardians silently stood up and stood behind the throne. Kneeling for so long was not an option.

Arnold spoke again about their encounter before entering the secret realm, but the young King Linister remained unmoved.

He even showed some impatience. After a moment, he told Arnold to shut up and looked at the Seventh Guardian beside him: "You speak."

Seven Guardians: "?"

However, his body acted before his mind, and he immediately responded to the young king, "The secret realm opened because a stone sculpture was broken. That stone sculpture is said to be the first statue of the goddess of love in history."

This time, the young King Rinister finally reacted. He frowned, his thoughts quickly turning, and instantly posed a sharp question: "Are the gods dead?"

The Seventh Protector nodded; he knew this, as gods belonged to different eras.

Upon hearing this, the young king burst into laughter, his tone revealing undisguised disgust: "Dead? Death is too good for them!"

He glanced at the group of clueless young men from later generations and sneered, "Judging from your expressions, you're not exactly new to this era, yet you're still so stupid."

"Fate is truly unfair."

The Seven Protectors cheered inwardly: Well said! He was happy to see these people being scolded. Humans and demons are natural enemies, and he couldn't wait to see them suffer.

After finishing his tirade, the young king's expression turned gloomy, but he quickly returned to his initial listless state, his eyes lowered: "If you want to leave, go and kill a god. Since it's a statue of the god of love, you should know who to look for."

Arnold probed: "Cupid?"

The young king laughed: "You stupid, pig-like fools, get out of my palace!"

A red magic circle appeared instantly, and before Arnold and the others could react, they were teleported away.

The Seventh Guardian swallowed hard. This was an instant-cast spell... Even a Grand Guardian would have a hard time doing this, right?

The young King Rinister looked at him and said, "Tell me, how many gods are left in the future?"

The Seventh Protector felt a chill run down his spine. Did these words mean that this era was not limited to the Seven Gods he knew?

He took a slight breath and said respectfully, "In our time, the generally accepted Old Gods are the God of Love, the God of the Sky, the Demon, Time, Fate, the Earth, and the God of the Sea."

A terrible silence fell over the palace again. After a long while, the young King Linister did not utter a mocking laugh, but instead frowned in thought. As the Seven Guardians grew increasingly nervous, he finally spoke: "No wonder, those people don't even know these things. Only the Seven Gods remain, and it has probably been eight hundred years since then."

The Seven Protectors' pupils contracted.

He realized that this young king was not only incredibly powerful, but also frighteningly perceptive, able to deduce the difference in time after only a few verbal exchanges.

The key to unlocking this secret realm lies either in the secret of the statue of the goddess of love, or in the mystery of this king.

"You also want to know how to leave, right?"

The young king's words exposed the Seven Protectors' thoughts. The Seven Protectors paused, then nodded frankly and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Another silence fell, and the young king seemed to be deep in thought.

Finally, the boy's voice was heard again: "With your abilities, you wouldn't find Cupid even in a hundred years. The place you entered before is called Fisherman's Tomb, so go find the mermaids."

The Seventh Protector was puzzled. He was familiar with the legend of the Fisherman's Tomb, but he hadn't mentioned the story of the Fisherman's Tomb just now. How did the young king know about it?

"The God of Love and the Mermaid King are enemies, and the two sides have been at odds for a long time. However, because the Mermaid King is protected by the Sea God, he has never been completely wiped out."

The Seventh Protector was startled. He had no idea that such a past existed—mermaids, the statue of Cupid… Something vaguely seemed to be emerging in his mind.

The young King Rinister continued, "Since this secret realm was opened by the statue of Cupid, the ones you should kill are—"

Mermaid King? The Seven Protectors almost blurted it out.

But then they heard the young man tap the blade of his sword and coldly snort, "God Yannis."

Seven Guardians: "???"

The words that came out of his mouth were: "Why?"

Perhaps seeing that only the Seven Guardians remained in the palace who could speak, the young King Linist pondered for a moment before saying, "The curse is spreading in the Fisherman's Tomb. The Merfolk must have experienced a annihilation to have such a strong curse."

"The destruction of the mermaid race shows that the sea god has perished and is no longer a threat."

"The statue of Cupid suppressing the fisherman's tomb indicates that Cupid has also fallen."

"Since only seven gods remain in the future, two of whom are dead, and you are a demon, and the Fisherman's Tomb is within the demon realm, it is not surprising that the demon Sylvan still exists among the seven gods. The fact that the statue of the goddess of love can suppress the Fisherman's Tomb, which is located within the demon realm under the belief of demons, suggests that Sylvan is probably dead as well."

The Seventh Protector was stunned. He seemed to have just heard a somewhat familiar name... Sylvain? Was it a homonym? How could it be exactly the same as the name of that church's holy son?

The young King Rinister tapped his sword casually: "The gods have fallen, yet your era remains peaceful, which means a new faith has emerged. The one who shattered the statue of Cupid is a member of this new faith, isn't he?"

The Seven Protectors replied in trembling voices, "Your Majesty's guesses are all correct."

The boy chuckled, this time with a hint of delight.

He continued, "In my era, the gods are in a state of chaos. There is only one god who is very hypocritical. There are many people on the continent who believe in Him. If this continues, His divine power will soon reach its peak. Yannis is ambitious and has devoured many weak gods."

“Yannis is definitely not a person of the new faith.”

"Yannis's faith could not have nurtured that group of stupid, pig-like people. A corrupt faith only breeds hypocritical and despicable villains."

"The other gods are not worth worrying about. The Twins of Time and Fate only have an innate advantage. In reality, they are two fools. The Earth God has been colluding with Yannis for a long time and will definitely be fooled by Yannis. He is also a fool."

The boy paused for a moment and said, "Logically speaking, Sylvain should not be dead... Anyway, the quickest way is for you to go find Yannis, but Yannis is probably hiding in the Sky Palace right now and doesn't dare to come out. Go find a statue, which should be the first statue of a god. Breaking it will open the secret realm."

The Seventh Protector opened his eyes wide and immediately flattered, "Please show us the way, Your Majesty. The area outside the palace is vast, and I, a mere demon, am too weak to find my way."

Young King Rinister flicked the blade of his sword, somewhat irritated. After carefully recalling his earlier deduction, he turned to the Seventh Guardian and asked, "No, a new faith, or one of the Seven Gods."

"No, that's not right either. It's the new god who devoured all the gods... Such a feat is truly remarkable. I should really get to know him... Never mind, tell me, which god is the new god?"

The Seven Protectors, who oversee the Fisherman's Tomb, have had much interaction with humans. The Fisherman's Tomb is located on the outskirts of the Demon King's Forest, so they are always the most informed about news from human areas. Upon hearing this, they immediately replied, "The continent now believes in the Orlando Church. The Orlando Church worships the God of Love, and its doctrines are love and justice. It has been nearly three hundred years since the Orlando Church was founded."

After hearing his words, the young king slowed down his swordplay, his brows furrowed deeply, and he actually stood up and paced around the throne.

When he stopped, he threw down his sword and shouted, "There's still one person who hasn't appeared! Tell me, who else has entered this era!"

Arnold and his men weren't here, so the Seventh Protector didn't dare to hide anything. He felt that the pressure emanating from the young king was truly terrifying, so he quickly replied, "It's His Holiness the Pope of the Orlando Church. It's said that he has lived for over three hundred years. It was he who smashed the stone sculpture and opened the secret realm. I haven't seen His Holiness the Pope since I entered the secret realm."

However, after hearing his words, the young king fell into an eerie silence and turned to look outside the palace.

The Seven Protectors initially dared not look up, but they vaguely sensed something and couldn't help but look up, following the young king's gaze.

Under a dark red sky, the light was dim. The palace entrance was very high, and a young man stood there quietly, having arrived at some unknown time.

A strong wind carrying sand blew by, the young man raised his hand, took off his hat, and smiled.

The Seven Protectors recognized the clothes; it was none other than His Holiness the Pope.

But the Pope's hair had turned white, and his features looked exactly like a grown-up version of the young King Rinister.

The young man raised his hand, brushed the sand off his clothes, and smiled.

The young King Rinister squinted at him.

Suddenly he burst into laughter.

Seeing this, Veris's gaze remained gentle as he looked at the young king in his royal robes in the dilapidated palace.

The seven guardians dared not utter a sound.

When the laughter subsided, he saw the young king bend down, pick up the sword that had just been thrown away, and flick the blade again, producing a crisp sound.

"I will storm the Heavenly Palace," the boy declared.

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Author's Note: Linister's first appearance will be in Chapter 34.

The seven regions of the Demon King's Forest correspond to the seven deities in the Twilight God War. [Milk Tea]

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