160 LOTM

The forest that should've been engulfed in darkness and in decline was filled with the orange-red light of dusk. The light was intense and burned like fire, but it couldn't help but carry a sense of brilliance with it that couldn't be ignored.

With the Unshadowed Crucifix that seemed like pure light condensating in his hand, Derrick Berg slowly walked ahead. The grizzled Demon Hunter Colin, who was walking behind him to the left, held two straight swords in his hand. Haim, who was walking behind him to the right, held the Thunder God's Roar hammer. This two-meter-tall half-giant was prepared to switch the hammer for the Sealed Artifact with Derrick at any time.

The radiance emitted by the Unshadowed Crucifix became increasingly dim, as though the sun had already set in the horizon, leaving only a sliver of golden light.

Of course, no one from the City of Silver had ever seen such a scene before. They could only use the descriptions from ancient literature to imagine it. Similarly, this was the first time they understood what a sunset meant.

Whoosh!

As the exploration team ventured deeper, a wind began to blow in the nearly frozen Waning Forest. It was as if countless living beings were weeping deep within the forest.

However, Derrick and company didn't feel any effects of the wind.

Whoosh!

The sound of the wind intensified, making his heart tremble. Derrick suddenly felt a chill run down his neck, causing his hair to stand on end. His body and mind turned cold.

Generally speaking, it was human instinct to shrink their necks, raise their arms, and defend their backs at such moments in time. They would then half-turn their bodies, observe the situation, and be ready to attack. However, Derrick didn't do so, because in a dangerous environment, rashness would often result in terrible situations. Furthermore, he had the Chief and his teammate behind him. He had full faith in them that they would react in time; thus, he had handed his life to them.

With a swoosh, a silvery-white blade wrapped by a small snake-like electric bolt flew across the side of Derrick's neck, vaporizing a blurry and twisted figure into the light of dusk.

At the same time, the Unshadowed Crucifix was triggered by something. It suddenly broke out of its gloomy and dim state, making the light it emitted to once again become bright and pure.

Dawn seemed to come to the surrounding area immediately as indescribable black shadows began to show themselves in the light of dawn before quickly melting away.

After everything calmed down, Derrick looked ahead and asked curiously, "What are these? They don't look like wraiths, shadows, or evil spirits..."

Demon Hunter Colin surveyed the area and slowly said, "A remnant aura of some sort... They seem to have combined with the power of dusk, causing a certain anomaly."

I've never seen such monsters... Derrick tightened his grip on the Unshadowed Crucifix and moved his other finger, which hadn't been stabbed, onto the thorns.

Relying on the Unshadowed Crucifix which was the nemesis of the evil around them, the expedition team proceeded rather smoothly. Before long' they arrived deep in the Waning Forest Through the trees' they could vaguely see a c脱 and orange-red clouds in the distance.

The damage here wasn't too serious. The branches and leaves remained suspended in midair, blocking the frozen dusk, making the environment darken.

After carefully circling around the place, the area before Derrick's eyes suddenly lit up. He saw two grayish-white, mottled tombstones.

Before he could carefully observe them, the rays of dusk that shone through the gaps of the leaves had produced a strange refraction effect at the same time, interweaving themselves into a gigantic figure that was nearly ten meters tall.

This figure was very blurry and contained an everlasting and imperturbable air to it. It was like a reflection from a mythical era.

Its skin was grayish-blue, and it wore silver-gray armor that seemed to be stained with blood. Its face was glowing like the setting sun, as though it was a manifestation of its eyes. Just its existence alone had caused the surrounding trees and the void to bend, making everything around it to begin waning uncontrollably.

Upon witnessing this scene, a thought surfaced in everyone's mind without any explanation:

Giant King, Ancient God Aurmir!

Goosebumps appeared on the skins of the members of the expedition team—Joshua, Haim, and Antiona. Bit by bit, the goosebumps emitted grayish-blue colors. At the center of their eyebrows, flesh and blood were squirming, as if a monster was about to bore out.

They had collectively been put into the state of being on the verge of losing control.

They didn't even see the Mythical Creature form. Merely approaching the figure had led to signs of losing control as the severity of it increased.

Derrick Berg was relatively alright because the pure light of the Unshadowed Cmcifix had enveloped him, giving him a warm feeling, allowing him to temporarily withstand the waning effect.

At this moment, Colin Iliad had already bent down. He held two swords that were smeared with ointment, and he ran towards that terrifying figure like a hurricane at high speeds.

However, this Demon Hunter didn't charge in a straight line. His footwork was ingenious as he moved left and right, approaching his enemy in a zigzag-like manner.

The gigantic figure that stood in the twilight looked at everything with its sunset-like eyes. It seemed emotionless, like a statue carved out of stone.

Suddenly, the glow on its face flashed. @@novelbin@@

It then bent down and heavily pounded its fists on the ground.

Boom!

The ground shook violently as a fissure opened up. It made Derrick and the others lose their balance as they staggered and almost fell.

As for Demon Hunter Colin, he had leaped up ahead of time to a height of more than ten meters, and he cleaved downward with his two swords in a domineering manner.

At that moment, the figure that seemed to come from a mythical legend pulled out an illusory sword from the fissure in the ground. The giant sword that seemed like a manifestation of dusk itself was suddenly swung forward.

The orange-red storm of light suddenly took form and swept towards Demon Hunter Colin, as well as Derrick and company who were right behind him.

Wherever the light passed, the trees would wither and the soil would turn to sand. Everything began waning in an irreversible manner as a path was drawn out.

Boom!

The twilight storm was blocked by invisible walls, causing the forest to shake.

At some point in time, Shepherd Elder Lovia had appeared beside Derrick. In front of him was a tall and illusory figure covered in silver armor.

The figure with a dark red glow near its eyes genuflected and stabbed an illusory greatsword into the ground, creating an unusually strong and invisible wall.

Bam!

At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin's two swords slashed at the nearly ten-meter-tall figure that possessed the aura of an ancient god, sending off countless sparks.

The silver-white figure didn't suffer any damage. The silver-gray armor that was covered in blood spots only dimmed a little.

With the force of the rebound, Colin once again soared up. He flipped in midair and launched his attack again.

In the Waning Domain, he didn't dare release his Mythical Creature form, because it was very likely that there was no way of reversing it.

Seeing that the phantom that stemmed from a mythical legend had been blocked, Derrick hurriedly followed the sudden tremor and heat from the Unshadowed Crucifix in his palm, and he pressed his finger against a spike.

His blood surged into the cross along with the pain. A vigorous and bright light churned out, flying into the air and turning downwards, instantly enveloping the figure in silver-gray armor. His eyes were like a miniature setting sun.

In the holy, solemn, and pure light, the gigantic and illusory figure stopped moving, as if it had encountered its natural enemy, and the silver-gray armor that was tainted with the light of dusk began to melt.

Seizing this opportunity, the evil spirit knight in front of Shepherd Elder Lovia pulled out the illusory greatsword from the ground. With several silver rifts that oscillated between disappearing and reappearing, they instantly struck the enemy.

Demon Hunter Colin's two swords cleaved downward, as though they were emitting rays of the light of dawn that enveloped the head of the ancient figure.

Joshua, Haim, and the others didn't hesitate to unleash their strongest attacks.

After three rounds, the illusory figure that seemed to have transmigrated from time had finally begun to crumble, being reduced to burning orange dots of light.

When Demon Hunter Colin landed on the ground, he deliberated and said, "That should've been the remnants of the Giant King's will to protect this area. After many years of melding with the environment, it has a certain degree of strength and a form. It's a type of evil spirit.

"What secrets are hidden here..."

Upon hearing the Chiefs words, everyone cast their gazes forward, towards the place where the terrifying phantom had barred their way. The atmosphere was rather heavy.

Fortunately, it was only an evil spirit that was restrained by the Unshadowed Crucifix... It was just a tiny portion of its remnant will and had almost no strength left. After thousands of years, it's still as terrifying as ever. What would a real ancient god be like... Uh, why would "He" have such a strong will to protect this? Is it because it's where "His" parents are buried? As Derrick heaved a sigh of relief, he followed the Chief and company towards the tomb while being plagued with puzzlement and curiosity.

Phew... There's no need for me to do anything... I have to say, this Unshadowed Crucifix really is very useful in the Giant King's Court. It's so good that I'm wondering if it's Adam's goal... Above the gray fog, Klein heaved a sigh of relief and lowered the Sea God Scepter that had been raised higher.

He then cast his gaze at the place where the Giant King's remnant will had continued protecting for over thousands of years.

The first thing he saw was two ancient mottled tombstones. On them were the words "Father" and "Mother" in Jotun.

They contained a mysteriousness that could stir the powers of nature. It allowed one to directly feel the mixed emotions of nostalgia, sadness, pain, and guilt without realizing that they were infected and making them feel depressed.

Behind the stone pillar was a grave, but it had already been destroyed, revealing two black coffins underneath.

It was unknown who had opened the lids of the coffins, as though a confirmation had been made. This made the two grayish-white skeletons lying inside become bathed in the light that penetrated through the leaves, dyeing them with an orange-red color that resembled blood.

These two skeletons had the shape of humans. One was less than 1.9 meters tall, while the other was less than 1.8 meters tall.

-x-X-x-

One of the two humanoid skeletons wasn't more than 1.9 meters tall, while the other was less than 1.8 meters tall. It looked ordinary, but it delivered an unimaginable blow to Klein who was above the gray fog.

At that moment, it was as though he had returned to the time when he saw the door of light and the "cocoons." Although the emotions he felt were different, the shock was almost identical.

This... This isn't the corpse of a giant... This definitely belongs to a human... The parents of the Giant King Aurmir were humans? Klein's pupils dilated suddenly, as though they were thirsting to let more light in for him to see it more clearly.

However, no matter how he observed or scrutinized the skeletons, he couldn't find any characteristics of giants from the two grayish-white skeletons.

Their limbs were perfectly proportional, and their bones had two eye sockets. They were definitely not underaged giants!

After a brief moment of silence, Klein lowered his hand with the Sea God Scepter once again as thoughts flashed through his mind:

Perhaps they're parents that aren't related by blood... Maybe, the ancestors of the giants are humans... In the First Epoch where chaos and madness reigned, some humans fused with the Beyonder characteristics, mutating into cruel, irrational, and bloodthirsty giants? On the one hand, their descendants inherited their physical charac^^ the other hand, they gradually recovered mentally. Hence, they stabilized themselves to become a savage and bloodthirsty race. Among them, Giant King Aurmir was the first batch of mutants, but "He" had managed to maintain a certain level of rationality; hence, becoming an ancient god? The source of all of this does resemble the origin myths, the original Creator?

After his thoughts settled into a theory, he began making connections while coming up with more questions:

Why does the Giant King want to label the Waning Forest as a forbidden area and not allow any living creatures to enter?

"He" doesn't wish for the fact of humans being the ancestors of giants to be known?

But if that's really the case, "He" could've just cremated his parents' remains. There's no need to go through so much trouble... Moreover, what's with that strong sense of guilt?

Who opened the tomb? The ancient sun god who killed the Giant King? The God of Dawn, Badheil, or the other subsidiary gods of the Giant King's Court?

Also, since the ancestor of giants was human, what about elves, Sanguine, and other supernatural beings? The ancestors of dragons are actually lizards?

In the middle of the Second Epoch, were there factors regarding their different origins, that led to the conflict between the different factions of the quasi-human and the mutants?"

As Klein didn't have enough clues or information, it was difficult for him to make any judgment or think of any more possibilities. He could only forcefully rein in his thoughts and focus his attention on the City of Silver's expedition team.

At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin led Lovia, Derrick, and company to the stone tablet and saw the remains in the tomb.

They also fell into an indescribable silence for a long time.

Finally, Joshua, who was wearing a scarlet glove, asked hesitantly, "These are the parents of the Giant King?"

From this City of Silver's Dawn Paladin's point of view, the two corpses were indeed not as tall as giants. They were even inferior to him from back when he had just become an adult.

If they were identified as young giants, then the proportions and facial features of their bodies didn't match.

Joshua's question reverberated in the surroundings, but no one answered.

After a few seconds, Demon Hunter Colin slowly said, "That's why it's a secret."

He didn't mention his thoughts or theories.

"...Does this mean that giants are actually a branch of humans, a result of the transformation brought about by Beyonder characteristics?" Upon hearing this, the wine-red-haired Antiona said thoughtfully.

The ancestors of the giants are humans? Derrick felt a little dizzy from the shock. He felt that there was a huge gap between the two.

With this thought in mind, he recalled his companions who had lost control, especially those from the Giant pathway. He slowly and vaguely believed that it wasn't impossible.

Those who lost control usually became abnormally large. Their skin was covered in grayish-blue color, and there was a huge crack in the middle of their brows that sucked in their pair of eyes.

"Perhaps," Demon Hunter Colin answered briefly.

The members of the City of Silver's expedition team fell silent once again.

In this atmosphere, Derrick glanced at Shepherd Elder Lovia and realized that this member of the six-member council had a calm expression. It was neither solemn or confused. @@novelbin@@

At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin looked around and said, "Split up into groups of two to three people and search the surrounding areas. Let's see if there's anything to be found."

The members of the expedition team snapped back to their senses and began carefully exploring the area according to the Chiefs instructions.

Unfortunately, this Waning Forest didn't have anything of value other than trees, tomb tablets, or tombs.

Without further delay, Derrick exchanged Sealed Artifacts with Haim to prevent his Beyonder characteristic from being purged by the Unshadowed Crucifix.

Then, they followed Demon Hunter Colin out of the Waning Forest, circled around the protruding boulder along the mountain, and found the gigantic cave that was thirty meters tall.

Outside the cave, a stone stele had already shattered into pieces and was growing weeds.

Under the orange glow of the twilight, there was an indescribable sense of waning death.

After entering the cave, the City of Silver's expedition team followed the weathered stone slabs and the peeling murals. They walked between the withered weeds and rough gravel, and they warily explored the area.

With every step they took, they would feel that their lifespans were weakening and were becoming dehydrated.

After an unknown period of time, the City of Silver's expedition team finally saw a grayish-blue door which was open.

On both sides of the door were pieces of iron-black fragments that seemed to belong to some sort of armor.

"There should've been guards here," Colin said simply. He took out a bottle of medicine and gulped it down.

His light blue eyes were quickly tinged with a layer of dark yellow, and two complex dark-green symbols appeared in his pupils.

After carefully observing the grayish-blue door for a while, he nodded and walked into the dark hall.

All of them passed through the door and came inside. The hall seemed to be held by an invisible hand as it rose up after a loud thud.

More than ten seconds later, the hall stopped moving. Outside the door, a magnificent palace propped up by stone pillars appeared. It looked like the residence of the guards.

Derrick subconsciously looked around and swept his gaze across the various items in the hall. He saw two murals with ancient characteristics.

The main character of a mural was a giant who wore full-body silver armor and emitted an obvious glow. At the location of his eyes, there was a blob condensed from the dawn of light. In the middle of another mural stood a lady dark brown hair. She was a female giant in a long leather skirt. She held a wheat head and fruits and was surrounded by fields ready to be harvested, clear lake waters, fruit-bearing trees, and bright mushrooms.

God of Dawn Badheil... Goddess of Harvest Omebella... Derrick came to a realization as he nodded slightly.

He then retracted his gaze and saw the Chief staring at the mural that represented the Goddess of Harvest. His expression was still as heavy as before.

Is the Chief hoping that the City of Silver would also have a real "harvest"? As Derrick thought, he followed the orders of Shepherd Elder Lovia, forming a team with the others. They then searched for valuable items and checked if there were any hidden passageways.

About seven to eight minutes later, they gathered together and followed Chief Colin Iliad into the main door of the hall.

Colin Iliad stabbed the two swords into the gap between the stone slabs in front of him. He stretched out his hands and pressed them on both sides of the door. With just a bit of force, it opened its mouth with a heavy rumble.

The orange and splendid light of dusk silently shone in, allowing the City of Silver's expedition team to see palaces and the numerous towers that delivered a strong visual impact.

The scale, magnificence, and epic feeling of a myth felt more obvious and shocking due to the close proximity between them. Everyone subconsciously held their breaths and forgot about anything else, fully immersing themselves in the scenery.

It was the same for Klein above the gray fog.

This was the King's Court of the giants.

This was a real divine kingdom.

After about ten seconds, Demon Hunter Colin pulled out his swords and half-turned his body, saying to Shepherd Lovia, "Try checking out the situation on both sides. I can't see what lies ahead too clearly."

The two dark-green symbols in his eyes slowly dissipated.

Lovia acknowledged his order and took two steps forward to the door.

Outside, there was a platform with staircases on both sides. In front of them stood a railing formed from grayish-white stone pillars that faced the tallest building in the area. There was a huge blue-gray door with countless mysterious symbols carved on both sides of it. It looked extremely dignified.

The corridors, stairs, and other objects connected the multitude of palaces and towers together. They were magnificent and brilliant.

Lovia's silver-gray hair floated up as the stone that was bathed in the light of dusk protruded out, forming a grayish- white doll.

The doll didn't have any spirituality. It was like a strung puppet as it walked to the left.

It followed the staircase and walked down one level after another amidst the rich orange light to help the expedition team confirm the situation.

Suddenly, its body stopped as fine silver light burst out from within, turning it into countless fragments.

Shepherd Lovia wasn't alarmed. She followed the steps from before and created another stone golem, making it head to the right.

This time, the stone golem walked to the end of the staircase and stopped at the entrance of the palace below without anything happening along the way.

Demon Hunter Colin watched intently the entire time before saying, "Let's go to the right, but we have to be careful as well."

Although he didn't find any danger, the fact that he couldn't discern the actual situation using his Beyonder powers meant that there were many problems.

With such a reminder, Derrick and company became even more and more tense. The groups of three began to slowly walk down as they watched each other's backs.

As they walked along the high stairs, Joshua, who was wearing a scarlet glove, suddenly heard a series of tapping sounds coming from behind him.

It was as if there was a person following them in silence.

And at this moment, Shepherd Elder Lovia was to his side. From the corner of his eye, he could tell that the footsteps were definitely not coming from her.

A chill ran down Joshua's spine as he hurriedly said in a deep voice, "There are footsteps behind me."

Lovia turned her head and allowed the five-meter-tall Silver Knight to appear in front of her. It sized up Joshua's back with its scarlet fiery eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, the Shepherd Elder shook her head.

"There's nothing there."

-x-X-x-

Lovia's response made Joshua even more wary. He looked at the other members of the expedition team and anxiously asked, "Did any of you hear any abnormal footsteps?"

With Thunder God's Roar and a broadsword in hand, Derrick recalled for a few seconds and shook his head in denial. Haim, who held the Unshadowed Crucifix in his hand, looked at the Sealed Artifact that was still glowing and replied, "Perhaps it's your hallucination?"

"No, I heard it very clearly." The scarlet-gloved Joshua frowned and expressed his opinion.

Upon hearing this, Demon Hunter Colin, who was walking right in front, half-turned around and calmly instructed, "Haim, Antiona, check on Joshua's condition."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Haim immediately walked to Joshua and pressed the Unshadowed Crucifix which appeared to be a manifestation of pure light against his teammates' forehead.

However, this Sealed Artifact didn't undergo any changes.

Immediately following that, the wine-red-haired female warrior, Antiona, came to the side of Joshua and raised her left hand.

There was a pale gold bracelet around her wrist. On it were three small bells covered in golden scales.

The tinkling sounds that sounded calmed Joshua's heart. He was no longer as tense and impatient.

"No problem." Antiona cast her gaze towards the Chief, Colin Iliad.

Two complex dark green symbols appeared in Colin's eyes. He looked at Joshua for a few seconds before nodding and saying, "It might not be an illusion, but you have to be careful if any abnormalities arise within you."

Seeing the Chief supporting him, Joshua secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

"Alright."

After the doubts were temporarily put away, the City of Silver's expedition team continued down the staircase that was covered in the glow of sunset one level after another.

Suddenly, everyone heard a groan.

From the corner of his eye, Derrick Berg saw Joshua raise his hands and strangle his neck.

As he was a Dawn Paladin, he had immense strength. Just as he let out a grunt, his hands snapped his neck.

With a gloomy and twisted expression, Joshua collapsed, his eyes filled with disbelief.

The person who killed him was himself!

"..."Although Derrick and the others didn't manage to react in time, their years of training and the experience they had gained from exploring the depths of the darkness made them instinctively take up battle positions, wary of any subsequent attacks.

Then, they heard a muffled grunt.

It was from Shepherd Elder Lovia.

The facial muscles of the woman with long silver-gray hair tightened as obvious twitching and squirming appeared, as though another face had grown out.

She plopped to the ground on the wide staircase as she grimaced with indescribable pain.

Her hands moved slowly but uncontrollably as she clenched her neck.

Just as Lovia was about to exert her strength, two swords that were smeared with silver-gray ointment reached out and pried her palms apart.

Demon Hunter Colin, who was already prepared, reacted in time.

Lovia's body twitched as she lowered her head even further. Opening her mouth, she spat out pieces of torn flesh and incomplete organs.

She took a deep breath, as though she had finally recovered. Then, she propped her elbow on the ground and took a step forward, prostrating herself and swallowing the flesh and blood organs that she had just spat out in a pious and humble manner.

Demon Hunter Colin, who had several old scars on his face, quietly watched this scene without stopping her.

Finally, Lovia looked up and said with her unfocused gray eyes, "It was degeneration.

"A form of degeneration that everyone has."

"Do you have a solution?" Colin asked without any change in his tone.

Lovia nodded without hesitation.

"Yes."

As soon as she finished speaking, she used her right hand to grab her left index finger. With a loud snap, she pulled it out and stuffed the blood and bones into her mouth. As she chewed, she muttered, "The Lord that created everything; @@novelbin@@

"The Lord who reigns behind the curtain of shadows;

The degenerate nature of all living things..."

The honorific name of the True Creator... Derrick's eyelids twitched when he heard that. He suddenly felt that something subtle was happening around him.

The orange glow became more saturated and closer to the color of blood.

Above the gray fog, The Fool Klein's expression instantly turned solemn.

Although he couldn't see anything through his "true vision," he could vaguely sense that there was a gaze cast over from afar, causing it to interfere with his observations; thus, weakening his clarity and range.

In addition, that gaze gave him a strange sense of familiarity.

It's difficult to not be familiar with it. The first half of my life after I transmigrated was to deal with "Him"—"His" son, "His" Oracle, "His" wish to descend, the items left behind by "Him", "His" crazy ravings, and all sorts of murals related to "Him"... At that moment, Klein was completely certain that the entity who had begun to focus on the City of Silver's expedition team was none other than the True Creator.

Frankly speaking, when Lovia began to recite the honorific name of that entity, Klein wanted to directly smite her with "Lightning Storm" and eliminate the problem before it appeared. However, he ultimately held back the urge because he wasn't confident that he could finish off the Shepherd in one strike. The evil spirit that Lovia had "Grazed" was likely at the level of a Sequence 3. Although it had died a long time ago, its current combined strength was still at the level of Sequence 4. It likely wasn't a problem for her to withstand "Lightning Storm," which was close to but not at the angel level, for some time.

And once The Fool couldn't easily kill Lovia, it would be a sign of fear in the eyes of Demon Hunter Colin.

In addition, Klein believed that Colin Iliad was happy to see Shepherd Elder Lovia chant the True Creator's honorific name. He wanted to use this to put The Fool in check and achieve some semblance of balance.

This was actually an act of disrespect in front of deities, making it very easy to anger those great existences, but there was nothing that Colin Iliad could do. He couldn't simply trust The Fool and the True Creator, so he could only try his best by probing them while staying on the edge of a cliff.

Only by doing so would the City of Silver not suddenly be destroyed like the cities that had been buried deep in the darkness, covered with the dust of history.

What a pity. If the Unshadowed Crucifix was in my hands now, I'd have the chance to instantly kill that Silver Knight evil spirit by using all my strength to activate the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog... It's a fundamental restraint... Klein sighed silently and could only accept this development.

He hadn't discovered anything unusual with Joshua until this City of Silver warrior with scarlet gloves strangled himself. Only then did he see his spirit turn dark and gloomy.

Just as the Shepherd Elder had said, this was a form of "degeneration" that he originally had. It was no different from losing himself because of money and beauty, making it very difficult for external forces to detect it.

That staircase should have remnant godhood powers that represent degeneration. They're embedded into the environment, making it difficult to discover and resist... Previously, the stone golem had no spirituality, so it wasn't affected... From the honorific name, the True Creator wields control over degeneration. Just "His" gaze alone is enough to disperse the corresponding powers... Klein adjusted his mental state and continued to observe the subsequent developments.

During this process, he couldn't help but consider a question:

Was the True Creator like him now, watching the movements of the City of Silver's expedition team in "His" divine kingdom?

...On Earth, this is called a fellow viewer watching the same livestream... If I were to send "gifts," would the True Creator "gift" even more? By making this teasing remark, he tried to ease the nervousness and concern that he felt from having the True Creator cast "His" gaze over.

That was a true god. Be it Adam or Amon, they weren't even qualified to be on par with "Him"!

At that moment, Shepherd Lovia had already stood up, and her left index finger had also grown back.

She looked at Chief Colin Iliad and said, "This region will no longer suffer from degeneration."

This meant that the staircase wasn't that dangerous anymore.

Normally, the expedition team would ignore Joshua's corpse. Whether they advanced or retreated, they couldn't afford to waste any time. If they stayed in an extremely dangerous area for too long, the other members would have an accident. However, since the six-member council's Elder Lovia used a tone of certainty to indicate that there were no problems nearby, they could rest and deal with it.

Derrick put down Haim's broadsword and walked to Joshua's side. After staring for a few seconds, he bent down to pick up his scarlet glove and wore it on his left palm.

He still remembered that Joshua was always bragging about the mystical item he had obtained during an expedition.

He could also clearly recall that when he left the Afternoon Town camp, he had said that he would be forced into a marriage after the expedition, with no idea as to who his wife would be. Yet, an hour later, this teammate had turned into a cold corpse.

To the people of the City of Silver, this was something that happened frequently. No one cried or broke down. However, there was an emotion that had already seeped into their bones and blood. It was heavy and mixed with grief.

They watched as Derrick raised his left hand and aimed it at Joshua's corpse.

A blazing flame flew out, enveloping the teammate who had been fighting alongside them earlier.

After the cremation, Demon Hunter Colin put away the Beyonder characteristic that had seeped out. The rest of the team members grabbed a handful of ashes and placed them into a hidden pocket in their clothes.

Amidst the silence, they continued down the stairs and arrived at the bottom of the staircase. There was a towering palace bathed in the glow of dusk. Behind it was a corridor and staircase that led to another area.

The palace door was open, and it was pitch-black inside. Not a single ray of light could shine inside.

Demon Hunter Colin carefully observed for a while before saying, "Just like in the outside world."

What he meant was that the group should use various means to maintain a lit environment and not allow themselves to fall into a state of absolute darkness.

Hence, Haim activated the Unshadowed Crucifix, allowing it to envelop all of his teammates. At the same time, Antiona lit a lantern and held it in her hand, in case the cross suddenly lost its effectiveness.

The group entered the palace and walked through the abnormally empty hall. Their footsteps reverberated into the distance, but there weren't any echoing sounds.

As he walked, Derrick suddenly felt his eyelids grow heavy as he felt a strong sense of sleepiness.

At this moment, he heard the Chiefs low growl:

"Don't fall asleep!"

Derrick suddenly woke up, snapping out of his fatigued state of not being able to open his eyes.

At that moment, a female warrior's body went limp and fell to the ground, as though she had fallen into a deep slumber.

Then, she disappeared into thin air and disappeared in front of everyone.

Demon Hunter Colin and Shepherd Lovia exchanged looks for a while before shaking their heads and leading the team forward.

During this process, they would hurt themselves from time to time, using pain to stay awake.

Finally, they passed through a bunch of arches and saw the darkness that couldn't be dispelled up ahead.

With the help of the light from the team, they discovered that it was a hall with countless murals drawn. In the middle of the hall was a long dark red table. Situated around it were high-back chairs with intricate patterns.

This... Derrick felt a baffling sense of familiarity.

He immediately came to a realization that this was somewhat similar to the scene at the Tarot Gathering!

Suddenly, balls of light lit up and murmurs sounded around them.

Around the hall stood stone pillars that didn't support the dome. Scarlet flames were ignited one after another, illuminating the surroundings in an abnormal manner.

The murmurs grew louder, as if they had finally passed through a long and distant space and arrived at their destination. The hall was so lively that it was as if a gathering was held.

Around the dark red table, blurry and illusory figures suddenly appeared. A total of eleven figures sat on different high- back chairs.

-x-X-x-

As the flames flickered, Derrick and company subconsciously looked at the long dark red table. The first thing they noticed was the figure closest to them.

The figure wore a simple linen robe, and had a head of long silver hair and indiscernible facial features. It made Colin, Lovia, and Derrick find the figure oddly familiar.

In an instant, they felt as though a bolt of lightning struck their minds, illuminating their blurry memories.

"Angel of Fate, Ouroboros!"

Just as the pupils of the team from the City of Silver dilated, the figure turned around and looked at them.

A pair of indifferent eyes immediately occupied their vision as extraordinary mysterious rings appeared.

In a daze, Derrick saw a figure in front of him. He was a handsome, radiant, and energetic man. He wore a pure white robe and had short golden hair.

With his appearance, the surroundings became abnormally bright. The warm feeling was like a ray of light, instantly filling every spot.

Derrick felt as though he had seen the "day," as mentioned in legends, momentarily forgetting where he was or what he was doing.

The man took a step forward and his blurry figure overlapped with Derrick.

Then, Derrick sat beside the dark red long table, occupying one of the high-back chairs.

He had become the handsome and radiant man who was attending a secret gathering.

At the same time, the grizzled City of Silver Chief, Colin, whose face was covered in old scars, encountered the same blurry and illusory figure.

The figure was seven to eight meters tall. He was wearing silver full-body armor, and his eyes were glowing like the light of dawn.

He raised the long sword in his hand, letting it press against Colin Iliad's forehead like a scepter.

Demon Hunter Colin struggled for a moment, but he quickly calmed down when he was enveloped by the orange light.

With that, he and the giant in front of him merged into one. He strode towards the dark red table and sat on the second seat on the right.

Shepherd Lovia encountered a man in a long black robe. He had black curly hair over his shoulders and a pair of eyes that seemed to be covered in shadows. It was difficult to see his face clearly, but the silver threads, complicated patterns, and gorgeous accessories were directly reflected in her mind.

Lovia trembled and couldn't help but lower her head, allowing the layers of black wings on the man's back to wrap around her.

She became the man and walked to the end of the dark red table.

There were two high-back chairs with complex patterns placed there. Lovia chose the left one.

The remaining members of the City of Silver's expedition team also encountered similar situations, but the figures they faced were different.

After "they" found their seats on both sides of the dark red table, the area around the empty high-back chair at the seat of honor became darker, outlining a female figure that seemed to be shrouded in fog.

Right on the heels of that, a voice that seemed to transmigrate from ancient times echoed in the ears of the "attendees."

"...We are trying to redeem ourselves, and also maintain the balance of this world..."

"...Dissociation and deviation are undoubtedly the most basic order..."

"...This is also in line with 'His' thoughts..."

"...I can't deny that we all have our own sinister thoughts and desires, but this is very normal..."

"... Death and spilling blood are inevitable. In the name of Rose Redemption..."

Above the gray fog, Klein listened attentively. He couldn't wait to hear more of the content said by the voice.

However, whether it was the scene or the voice, it began to loop. It was as if it had only been fixed at a section lasting less than a minute.

This is the scene of the establishment of the Rose Redemption? Previously, the Red Angel evil spirit said that this was an extremely secretive organization established by a group of corrupted angels. Now, it seems like that isn't the case... The person who said that was probably not Medici, but either Sauron and Einhorn. "They" actually didn't know much about Rose Redemption... Klein mumbled inwardly as he cast his gaze back at the City of Silver team that were repeating the actions like puppets—approaching the table, sitting down, listening, and leaving.

When the torches around the hall lit up one after another, Klein had already found something unusual with his "true vision."

He saw the murals on the wall come alive and rapidly expand, overlapping with the hall. It made the table, chairs, and floor tiles that had been cold for thousands of years warm up once again. It made the figures that had once been in this secret meeting cross the borders of time, "reviving" at their fixed seats, allowing the words from the past to reappear.

Many of those figures were familiar to Klein.

One of them was the Angel of Fate Ouroboros.

This King of Angels, who was still a member of the Rose Redemption, was the most lifelike among all the illusory figures.

Combined with how the scenes were looping, Klein began to suspect the person who left the murals was Tail Devourer Ouroboros.

In the previous temple ruins, there were murals left behind by "Him," likewise for the ruins of the battle of the Gods...

In the Giant King's Court, there are similar murals and signs of those powers. I wouldn't believe it if anyone were to say it's not "Him"... Just how much does this King of Angels like murals? He draws them wherever "He" goes... Klein couldn't help but lampoon Ouroboros in his mind.

The second figure he noticed was sitting beside the Angel of Fate Ouroboros. He was dressed in black armor that seemed to be splashed with blood. He had red hair that resembled fire, looking young and handsome.

The reason why he paid attention to this figure was because he had seen it in his dreams.

In addition, "it" was also the most arrogant person among all the figures. Not only did it sit back in its chair, but it also placed its feet on the dark red long table. It didn't mind that the surrounding people were high-level figures of the same status.

Red Angel, Medici!

These are the Kings of Angels who participated in the secret gathering? Who else is involved... As Klein's thoughts raced, he decided to first rescue the people from the City of Silver who couldn't exit the looping cycles of fate.

He had a lot of experience in this aspect.

Yes, the medium to the loop is the hall itself. However, there's no need to attempt to destroy it. As long as it can temporarily break the cycle of fate, the dusk outside will seep in and dispel any abnormalities... They belong to the divine kingdom itself. In terms of status, they can only be stronger or on par with the power left behind by Ouroboros... After observing for a few seconds, Klein quickly came to a conclusion.

After flipping a gold coin for a divination, he immediately spread his spirituality towards the crimson star representing The Sun.

Derrick Berg's Spirit Body immediately tore through the cycle of fate, creating an invisible crack.

The orange glow from the light of dusk outside the palace immediately surged into the hall from the window up high.

Without waiting for Little Sun to figure out his situation, for fear that the True Creator would lock onto him, Klein didn't hesitate to let him return to the real world.

Derrick snapped out of his daze and realized that he had unknowingly sat down at the side of the dark red table.

He looked up blankly and saw the Chief, Elder Lovia, Haim, Antiona, and the others. He realized that there were still certain traces of confusion on their faces.

Thinking back to his experience just now, Derrick was alert as he deliberated and said, "The cycle of fate..."

"Indeed." Colin Iliad, who had experienced this before, nodded slightly and stood up.

He looked around, and his gaze landed on the largest mural that he had seen lately.

The mural depicted the same exact hall. There were similar columns, torches, the dark red table, complicated high- back chairs, and object layout.

As for those high-back chairs, there were eleven figures sitting in them. At the very end were two seats, and along the table, five on the left and four on the right.

The City of Silver team's eyes also followed the Chiefs and took in the corresponding scene.

The five figures on the left were the beautiful silver-haired man; the red-haired and arrogantly-seated man; an elder wearing a hood that exposed only his mouth, winkles, and beard; a dignified middle-aged man dressed in black armor; and a handsome man dressed in white robes.

The four on the right were a black-robed mummy wrapped in bandages; a middle-aged man with facial features resembling the natives of the Southern Continent; a giant covered in silver armor; and a supple, beautiful, and dignified lady.

The two high-back chairs at the very end were a man with dark black curly hair and a woman shrouded in fog.

At that moment, a Guardian raised his right hand and pointed at the handsome white-robed man.

"His figure is made up of mysterious symbols. These symbols represent:

"White Angel, Aucuses...

Before the Guardian could finish his sentence, he suddenly let out a tragic cry as golden flames spewed out from his body.

He instantly became a charred corpse, as if it would be reduced to ashes the moment it was touched. It made Demon Hunter Colin and Shepherd Lovia incapable of saving him in time.

"Don't try to distinguish those symbols. They contain immense power," Colin hurriedly warned the others.

And above the gray fog, Klein was thinking of another matter:

White Angel Aucuses. That's the Eternal Blazing Sun's true name?

If not for the fact that the Giant King's Court itself isolates itself from projected powers, just using Jotun to read this name will attract "His" attention and incur divine punishment...

Amidst his thoughts, Demon Hunter Colin stabbed his swords in front of him, creating an invisible barrier.

Then, this City of Silver Chief identified the symbols and labels that formed those figures.

He began reading it slowly and firmly from the left.

"Angel of Fate, Ouroboros...

"War Angel, Medici...

"Wisdom Angel, Herabergen..."

At this point, the invisible barrier that was constantly shaking suddenly stopped. This was because this name was no stranger to the people of the City of Silver.

This was the true name of the Dragon of Wisdom!

Could it be that the Dragon of Wisdom later became the Wisdom Angel next to the Lord? Similar questions arose in everyone's hearts, but Klein discovered something strange.

The history of the City of Silver had records of the name Herabergen. The language they used on a daily basis was Jotun, a language that could mobilize the surrounding forces of nature.

This also meant that, in the past two to three thousand years, someone in the City of Silver had definitely read or written the name "Herabergen" before, but there was no response from the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. The Church of Knowledge and Wisdom still wasn't able to find the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

At this moment, Colin Iliad controlled his emotions and continued reading, "Wind Angel, Leodero...

"White Angel, Aucuses...

"Dark Angel, Sasrir...

"Evernight Goddess, Amanises...

"God of Combat, Badheil...

"Earth Mother, Omebella_

"God of the Dead, Salinger...

"God of Spiritual Creatures, Tolzna",

Although Klein had expected this, he was still somewhat stunned.

The former Rose Redemption was frighteningly powerful!

Amongst the seven deities today, six of them were members. There was also Death, the God of Spiritual Creatures, and three Kings of Angels.

This made him recall what the Red Angel evil spirit had once said:

"Rose Redemption has a close relationship with the birth of the True Creator. It's impossible for you to imagine that certain people were once members of Rose Redemption, but they've since left it..."

-x-X-x-

In the past, Rose Redemption could be called the Deity Alliance... But such an organization could only develop itself quietly under the might of the ancient sun god. It had to hide, hide, hide, and secretly scheme in the palace of dusk... How powerful was the ancient sun god in the past... Klein couldn't help but let out a breath as he felt deeply poignant.

He examined his own Tarot Club and realized that, compared to the Rose Redemption, it was like child's play. Even if he counted the auxiliary members, Will Auceptin, Pallez Zoroast, Azik Eggers, and Reinette Tinekerr, there was no way to compare with the Rose Redemption at its peak.

No, even if I compare it with the current watered-down version of Rose Redemption, there's still a huge gap between it and the Tarot Club. After all, its leader and convener is only a Sequence 4 saint... Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh as he turned his attention to the eleven figures.

Based on their images, titles, and true names, I can confirm that the Wind Angel, Wisdom Angel, and White Angel are the current Lord of Storms, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and the Eternal Blazing Sun. "They" really betrayed the ancient sun god, the City of Silver's Creator, and "They" even feasted on the deity "They" served... The God of Combat and Earth Mother are indeed survivors of the Giant King's Court. One of them is the eldest son of the Giant King, and the other is "His" queen. They're mother and son, so that way, the fact that Feynapotter didn't directly declare war on the Lord of Storms to help Feysac makes things a little odd. It requires some thought...

Also, the Goddess was indeed a former subsidiary god of the Annihilation Demonic Wolf, the Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises. After that ancient god perished, not only did "She" grasp the authority of the Evernight and successfully ascend to the throne of Sequence 0, she also single-handedly destroyed all the descendants of Flegrea, sealed the Antigonus family's angel within the Nation of the Evernight, and used the Mother of the Sky's body as "Her" vessel for a descent... That's ruthless...

As a Blessed of Evernight, Klein subconsciously raised his head to look around when he thought of this, afraid that his inner thoughts would leak out to the outside world.

After entering the foggy town and learning that Antigonus and the Mother of the Sky were the descendants of the ancient god, Flegrea, Klein had a certain idea as to the true identity of the Evernight Goddess. After all, in the history of the City of Silver, it clearly stated that the Annihilation Demonic Wolf controlled the authority of the Evernight and had many strange powers.

Combined with the Antigonus family's possession of the Seer pathway, and the Mother of the Sky of the Nation of the Night clearly belonging to Evernight, Klein suspected that the Annihilation Demonic Wolf Flegrea was an ancient god that had mixed two non-neighboring pathways' Beyonder characteristics. Therefore, "He" was extremely crazy and almost irrational. "His" goal was to destroy and corrupt everything.

Hence, he guessed that the Evernight Goddess might have something to do with the ancient god, Flegrea. From Groselle's Travels, he learned that one of the two subsidiary gods of the Demonic Wolf King had gone missing after "He" perished, while the other had submitted to the Phoenix Ancestor. Furthermore, that true name corresponded to Death of the Fourth Epoch, Mr. Azik's father. With that, he could vaguely connect the Goddess of Misfortune Amanises to the Evernight Goddess.

However, due to his temporary status as a Blessed of Evernight, he didn't dare think too much about it. Instead, he focused his attention elsewhere.

At this moment, when he saw "Her" real name, he wasn't too shocked. Instead, he felt relieved and felt as though he were on firm ground. In addition, he was even more fearful of the Evernight Goddess.

Because "She" didn't want the ancient god, Flegrea, to be revived, the Goddess controlled the various matters of the Seer pathway, preventing Beyonders who aren't cleared by "Her" to advance further?

That's right, that ecclesiastic in Afternoon Town mentioned who tempted Dark Angel Sasrir, the left hand of God, and the deputy of the divine kingdom, but he couldn't say the name, as if it had been "erased." Isn't this a demonstration of "Concealment" powers?

Other than a place like the Giant King's Court, there's no way to say the names "Evernight Goddess" and "Amanises" together. Even if one did, no one would be able to hear it...

There are two people who convened Rose Redemption, one is Dark Angel Sasrir, and the other is the Goddess...

Apart from the venue where the ploy was conceived, it's filled with the forces of Concealment...

In other words, the Goddess had single-handedly directed the fall of the ancient sun god, started the Cataclysm, and ended the Third Epoch...

Compared to "Her," be it Adam or Amon, they are still far from "Her"...

How could such a true deity be so easily trapped by Adam's arrangements and be unable to interfere with matters of the real world? @@novelbin@@

Although it's not a conspiracy where something the Goddess yearns for the most is used, making "Her" willingly walk into a trap, how can the Goddess, who wields the powers of Concealment and plotted the death of the City of Silver Creator, be unprepared?

Also, what does "This is also in line with 'His' thoughts" mean? Who does "He" refer to?

Uh, after understanding so much hidden history, will I digest the Scholar of Yore potion on the spot once I drink it... With this in mind, Klein raised his right hand and rubbed his temples, forcing himself to focus his thoughts elsewhere. When that ecclesiastic phantom mentioned the fourth King of Angels, it self-destructed. Was it because the remaining three became true gods?

However, the residents of the City of Silver would occasionally use the names Badheil and Herabergen, so why wasn't there an anomaly?

What is the difference?

The strongest among the Kings of Angels, the left hand of God, Sasrir—why did "He" disappear into the rivers of history? Uh, perhaps "He" is one of the present-day evil gods, the True Creator, the Dark Side of the Universe, or the Mother Tree of Desire?

There are remnants of the godhood of degeneracy outside the hall. Was this left behind by "Him"?

Yes, the birth of the True Creator is related to the Rose Redemption. How will "He" react when "He" sees the murals in this hall?

With a thought, Klein cast his gaze at Shepherd Elder Lovia.

The lady looked a little lost. She didn't seem to understand the titles and names, but she recognized a portion of them. For example, Angel of Fate Ouroboros.

She had become a believer of the True Creator in the temple ruins left behind by Ouroboros.

Derrick also stole a glance at Elder Lovia, but he didn't notice any obvious changes in her emotions.

As The Sun of the Tarot Club, Derrick was one of the people present who knew the situation of the outside world the most. Furthermore, he had long known who the Kings of Angels were. He suspected that three of them had later become deities. At this moment, he was the least confused and perplexed. He was only slightly shocked at Rose Redemption's level.

This was more exaggerated than he had imagined!

It's no wonder the Lord perished... Derrick was first enlightened before he felt his heart turn heavy.

At this moment, he swept his gaze and saw the Chiefs face turn pale and ugly. He even muttered a few words softly, "This is impossible, impossible..."

...As far as I can remember, the Chief has never lost his composure like this... Did he think of the Lord perishing due to Rose Redemption? He can't accept that "He" will never return? However, he had long learned of this from me... Just as Derrick was feeling puzzled, he discovered that, aside from his tightly pursed lips, the Chiefs expression had returned to normal.

In the minds of the other members of the exploration team, the prophecy they had previously learned in Afternoon Town appeared:

"Omnipotent Lord, I repent.... tempted Sasrir. The Kings often came to the palace belonging to the dusk to conspire.

"It was already too late by the time I discovered all of this. Degeneration, bloodshed, darkness, rot, murders, corruption, and shadows had already drowned this piece of land.

"A huge calamity will begin here!"

Haim, who was holding the Unshadowed Crucifix, took a long while to calm his emotions. He said in a slightly hoarse voice, "This is the place belonging to the dusk. These are the subsidiary gods and Kings of Angels during the Second Epoch?

"They plotted everything, causing a huge calamity to happen. They made the Lord forsake this land?"

Colin Iliad pulled out the two swords in front of him and half-turned around, calmly replying, "Most likely."

"If we can figure out what exactly happened back then, do we have a chance to please the Lord and let 'Him' look at this land again?" Upon hearing the Chiefs answer, Antiona asked anxiously.

At that moment, Derrick seemed to see a trace of pity and sadness in the Chiefs eyes. He heard him acknowledge and say, "Perhaps."

"Then let's continue exploring!" The other team members pleaded with burning eyes.

This was the closest the City of Silver had gotten to having a glimmer of hope over the past two to three thousand years. None of them wished to let it go, even if they had to sacrifice their lives for it.

Colin Iliad slowly surveyed the area and said, "Don't forget the principles to uphold during explorations. Don't act rashly at any time.

"Having confirmed that this place is related to redemption, we can always come a second time, a third time, or even more. There's no need to be so impatient."

Upon hearing his words, the other members of the exploration team calmed down. They replied one after another,

Yes, Your Excellency."

Under the arrangements of Demon Hunter Colin, the remaining members split up into small groups and carefully searched the hall. They didn't discover anything else that was valuable beyond the murals.

Of course, it wasn't that there was no such thing. This was, after all, a divine kingdom of an ancient god. What seemed like an ordinary long table, chairs, stone pillars, and torches might have special effects when taken outside. Furthermore, those effects could last for a very long period of time. Alas, it wasn't convenient for the City of Silver's expedition team to bring them around, as they lacked practical value.

As for the other murals, they were profiled from different angles of the main murals. When combined, they formed a three-dimensional scene.

After completing the search, Derrick and company gathered again and followed the Chief to the exit at the back of the hall.

There was a gray-blue door with a single pane.

With a ten-meter-tall door between the two of them, Colin Iliad carefully observed for a while before finally saying, "There's a powerful guard outside."

-x-X-x-

Upon hearing the Chiefs words, Shepherd Lovia immediately raised her question:

"Just like the two Silver Knights at the front gate of the King's Court. It won't take the initiative to attack targets outside a certain range?"

Colin Iliad nodded slightly and said, "At least that's how it seems to be at the moment."

They were already near the exit, but the guard outside had no reaction.

This meant that the other party didn't possess real intelligence or spirituality. It was very likely that they were objects that came to life.

Without waiting for the other members to speak, Demon Hunter Colin continued, "Huge, heavy..."

After obtaining the corresponding information, the City of Silver's group formed a tacit understanding. A team opened up a distance from the exit, but they faced towards the door. It was protected by Shepherd Elder Lovia. As the bait to attract the guards, a team took the corresponding holy oil from the Chief and smeared it across the ground at the exit. Haim, who held the Unshadowed Crucifix, and Demon Hunter Colin stood by the side of the door and used the stone columns to hide.

Then, Colin Iliad sheathed one of his swords onto his back and took out a small metal bottle, gulping down the liquid inside.

His aura rapidly faded away and wasn't obvious anymore. If one didn't look closely, they wouldn't be able to discover his existence.

This was another set up. Haim was in the open, while the Demon Hunter was hidden.

After another ten seconds, Shepherd Lovia stretched out her right hand and grabbed at thin air.

Her silver-gray hair was dyed a deep blue color.

The wind howled as the grayish-blue door opened.

Right on the heels of that, heavy footsteps could be heard, causing the entire hall to shake.

A "giant" covered in iron-colored armor rushed into the hall with a halberd in hand.

Its exposed parts didn't show any flesh or blood, as though they were made of metal. Behind the black mask was a dark red glow.

If it didn't move and stood there, it wouldn't be any different from a statue.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The shaking in the hall became more and more obvious. The giant statue suddenly threw out the halberd in its hand, stirring up a hurricane that tore towards Derrick and company at the door.

Boom!

The halberd struck an invisible barrier as the illusory ripples rapidly spread out.

In front of Shepherd Lovia, an illusory figure that wore silver armor had appeared at some point in time. It stabbed its greatsword into the crack on the floor.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The giant statue didn't stop as it ran into the hall.

At that moment, a whistling sound was heard under its feet as its massive body jerked backward.

It had stepped on the spot that was smeared with holy oil.

As the giant statue fell, the crimson light in its eye suddenly bloomed as an invisible force appeared and held it up. Suddenly, a blinding white light shot out from the Unshadowed Crucifix, accurately hitting the giant statue's only eye. The dark red color dimmed.

Demon Hunter Colin leaped up and held the same sword with both hands, plunging it down like an eagle swooping down at its prey.

Dawn appeared as they converged on the straight sword, making it exceptionally huge. It even exceeded Colin Iliad's height.

With a poof, the bright sword pierced through the gap in the giant statue's armor, stabbing into its eye.

A flood of light from the dawn rushed in.

With his hands still gripping the hilt of his sword, Colin Iliad exerted more force. As the giant statue fell to the ground, he pulled out his sword and leaped to the side.

The giant statue lay at the door as its body emitted cracking sounds until it finally all movement.

Without looking at it again, Colin turned to look outside the door. After a few seconds, he said, "There are no other guards for now. We can handle this statue."

Derrick and company quickly surrounded the giant statue and skillfully searched for materials.

Above the gray fog, Klein watched the entire battle from the sidelines and was deeply impressed by the City of Silver's teamwork.

According to his observation, it was unknown what metal the giant statue was made of. Its surface was covered with armor that had shocking defensive strength. It could completely ignore most attacks in battle, and it was very difficult to deal with.

Furthermore, this giant statue didn't have any "spirit." In other words, it was immune to the Beyonder powers of the corresponding domain, such as Spirit Body Threads control, Hypnotism, Frenzy, and Nightmare. It was like a walking fortress that made one suspect that it was the work of the Goddess of Harvest.

Klein believed that, if he were in their shoes, with the core powers of a Bizarro Sorcerer being useless, he could only rely on his two marionettes' powers to deal with the giant statue. He had no idea how the battle would develop.

The "Distortion" and "Disorder" powers of an Earl of The Fallen might be effective, but I might not be able to finish it as fast as the City of Silver's expedition team... A team of Beyonders with a tacit understanding would be able to produce the effect of "1 +1 > 2." Yes, that Chiefs confidence in timing, as well as his decisiveness in his attack, was also key... Klein nodded slightly, feeling a sense of admiration.

If this were really a livestream, then he might not be able to help but send a gift as a tip.

Of course, there was a high chance that it was just a thought.

After taking away the most valuable item on the giant statue, the City of Silver's expedition team proceeded forward. They followed the corridor outside and entered another hall.

Just like that, they weaved through the layers of palaces, towers, and different corridors, in an attempt to find more clues, as well as the entrance to the sea as described by the outsider, Jack.

Regardless of whether they believed the boy's words, they couldn't help but look forward to the dark blue sea behind the Giant King's Court. On the other side of the sea, there were kingdoms where humans flourished. There, there were no monsters hidden in the darkness. The sun rose and set, and lightning only appeared when it rained. People had all sorts of food there.

During this process, the City of Silver's expedition team didn't encounter many enemies. Most of them were statues that had come to life. A small number of them were evil spirits formed by the combination of remnant emotions and the power of dusk. The latter was unable to put up any resistance against the Unshadowed Crucifix.

That's normal... The Fool Klein above the gray fog nodded slightly, expressing his acceptance of the current situation. After the Giant King perished, this place already belonged to the ancient sun god. It's unlikely that there will be a large number of giant powerhouses and mystical items left behind... When the Kings of Angels were conspiring, they definitely eliminated any unnecessary troubles ahead of time... Once the ancient sun god was eaten up, the ownership of this place was a mystery. Perhaps, it was abandoned...

In short, there aren't many foreseeable demigods or items. Well, without the Unshadowed Crucifix, those evil spirits will be very troublesome. The City of Silver's expedition team might not be able to advance so smoothly, making it impossible for them to advance so far unless an angel leads a team or activates a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact...

When the Unshadowed Crucifix returned to Derrick, the City of Silver's expedition team was already very close to the tallest building in the Giant King's Court. @@novelbin@@

The dusk here was extremely dense, as though it came from that palace.

"Once we leave this hall, we should come to the wing of the Giant King's residence." Demon Hunter Colin got his bearings and direction before pointing ahead.

Shepherd Elder Lovia nodded. Finally, there was some irresistible hope in her expression.

Derrick's heart beat faster, and he could no longer control his excitement. Then, he was "Placated" by Antiona.

After composing themselves, the people from the City of Silver entered the hall in front of them and saw that there were oil paintings hanging on both sides.

These oil paintings depicted different giants. Some held bone flutes, some carried wind chimes, while others carried a seven-stringed guitar that matched their height.

As the City of Silver's expedition team arrived, the giants in the oil painting suddenly came to life. They began playing their instruments, producing a beautiful tune.

The light of dusk in the hall lit up a little. More and more food appeared on the long tables around them as they glowed with a tempting glisten, effusing a very tempting fragrance.

Roasted chicken... Roasted goose... Fish with honey baste... Is this a dinner banquet for the Giant King's Court? But aren't the sizes of those chickens, geese, goats, and fish too large... The work of the Goddess of Harvest? With a glance, Klein confirmed that the food that appeared was an illusion. After all, the Giant King's Court no longer had any ingredients, nor did it possess anyone who could "envision" or create them.

"This... this is normal food?" Haim, who was holding Thunder God's Roar, stared straight at one of the long tables. His Adam's apple bobbed.

"Maybe." Derrick sniffed and couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.

Apart from the black-faced grass, they had never seen normal food. The meat that the monsters roasted was of different colors, but they also tasted equally as bad. It could even poison them.

Demon Hunter Colin stared for a few seconds before sighing.

"They're all fake. Don't come into contact with them, or there might be unnecessary accidents."

Other than Lovia, the team from the City of Silver retracted their gaze with great difficulty. They followed the Chief all the way to the exit of the hall.

After a series of inspections, Colin Iliad inserted his swords into the ground and pushed open the heavy door.

A crack appeared as rich orange light shone inside.

As the gap grew bigger, the towering palace gradually became clear.

Then, the people from the City of Silver heard a crashing sound.

At this moment, Colin drew out a sword and suppressed the restlessness in his team members' hearts.

He then drew out his other sword and slowly walked out of the hall. Derrick and the others followed cautiously.

After completely bathing in the light of dusk, they looked to the left at the same time. There were railings formed from stone pillars.

Beyond the railings, there was an orange-red cloud that was gently ebbing at the distance. On the endless swath of dark blue, they emitted crashing sounds.

There was no need for anyone to explain. At the same time, the members of the City of Silver's exploration team recalled the records in the book and Jack's description. A term flashed in their minds:

"The sea."

-x-X-x-

The dark blue, boundless sea that ebbed gently and seemed to contain infinite life was presented to members of the City of Silver's expedition team. It was no longer a record written down in ancient books, nor was it a combination of words spoken by outsiders.

Although it was still very far away, it seemed like contact was possible.

The wine-red-haired Antiona watched in a daze. She opened her mouth, as though she wanted to say something, but in the end, all she said was the words:

"The sea..."

Just as she finished speaking, a silver crack suddenly appeared on her forehead.

The crack shot up rapidly, instantly splitting Antiona into two halves. Warm and bright red blood gushed out, splashing across Derrick's face.

Without a sound, more silvery-white light shot out from her body, splitting her body into countless small pieces of flesh.

The reveling face full of hope was like a puzzle that had fallen to the ground, splattering everywhere.

It was only at this moment that Demon Hunter Colin reacted. He brandished his two swords and slashed them diagonally outwards, as though he was dealing with invisible enemies.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Silver light flashed, and the sound of metal reverberating echoed. The morning sun around Colin Iliad shattered and scattered in chaos.

At this moment, the silver phantom behind Shepherd Lovia had already taken a step forward and stabbed the blurry giant sword into the ground.

Clang! Clang! Clang! As they surrounded the people of the City of Silver, the streaks of silver light appeared in different spots, trying their best to cut through the invisible barrier around them like insects struggling in amber.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The dense, sometimes thick silver light constantly appeared, causing the defensive powers of the expedition team to tremble, as though it would shatter at any moment. However, be it Demon Hunter Colin, Shepherd Lovia, or Derrick, they couldn't find any traces of the enemy.

The Fool above the gray fog was just about to give a certain reminder when the Chief of the six-member council seemed to realize something and crossed his two swords in front of him.

Clang!

The gigantic silver beam struck the two swords, causing Demon Hunter Colin's feet to sink into a solid stone slab.

He took this opportunity and roared, "Unshadowed domain!"

Upon hearing the Chiefs reminder, Derrick didn't hesitate and stabbed his finger on the thorns of the Unshadowed Crucifix, doing so without any regard for the pain.

As his blood oozed out, clear, bright, pure, and blazing light suddenly exploded, enveloping the entire area between the two buildings.

There wasn't a single shadow in this area that could hide. Nothing else could be hidden. Light had become the ruler of this region.

A huge figure quickly outlined itself on the side of the Giant King's palace. "It" was wearing silver full-body armor and was nearly five meters tall. The flickering light behind the mask was either deep red or orange. And unmistakably, there was a single vertical eye there.

This was a giant, a giant who was still alive.

He didn't wait for the enemy to enter a certain range before attempting to attack, implying that he had sufficient intelligence.

Unlike the other silver-armored knights, the giant's bracer had bright patterns on it. On the right was a blood-red color that circled around his arm, and at the same spot on the left, it was adorned with black spots.

The giant knight raised his broadsword and pointed at everyone in the City of Silver. He said in a thunderous voice, "How dare you barge into the king's court and disturb Lord Sasrir's slumber!"

Sasrir? Dark Angel Sasrir? The Fool Klein above the gray fog was alarmed when he heard that. He subconsciously sat up straight.

The former left hand of God, the deputy of the divine kingdom, the leader of the Kings of Angels, one of the two leaders of Rose Redemption, hadn't disappeared into the river of history. "He" was sleeping deep in the Giant King's Court, sleeping in the residence of the Giant King? Why did "He" choose to enter a state of slumber? Many thoughts flashed through Klein's mind as he subconsciously cast his gaze towards the palace that the giant knight was guarding.

It was the tallest and most magnificent building in the Giant King's Court. The dusk's light seemed to transform into something corporeal that covered its surface, dyeing it with a clear sense of decline. It gave off the feeling that the sun had set and an eternal eventide was coming.

On both sides were steeples, while on the other side were spires. The front door was a double door that opened outwards, with gray and blue as the main colors. Its height exceeded ten meters, and it was covered with symbols, labels, and patterns. It looked stately and mysterious.

There was a pitch-black socket on the left side of the door at a height of three-to four-meters tall. It was equivalent to an adult's fist.

Upon seeing this scene, Klein suddenly thought of the dream divination he had done in the past. Back then, he had seen the same scene, and the medium he had used for the divination was the giants' key he had obtained from Vice Admiral Iceberg.

Is that the key to opening the Giant King's residence? As he extended his hand, he tried to use his "true vision" to pass through the obstruction of the building to see the situation inside the palace.

Unfortunately, he failed. The iron-black key which was the size of a seven-string guitar landed in front of him.

At this moment, Demon Hunter Colin suddenly said before the giant knight attacked, "You're a Court Chaser?"

The giant knight's broadsword didn't cleave down; instead, he paused for a second and said in a low voice, "After all this time, to think that there's someone who can still remember Court Chasers.

"I'm the leader of all the chasers, the Light Culler Murskogan, and I later followed Lord Sasrir.

"I once hunted powerful dragons, elves, devils, demonic wolves, phoenixes. Today, you are honored to die under my blade."

This Light Culler didn't soften his attitude. He hunched his body slightly and held his sword with both hands. Like a flying meteor, he rushed towards the people from the City of Silver with heavy footsteps at high speeds.

Due to the existence of the Unshadowed domain, he could no longer hide his body like before.

Just as Colin Iliad, Lovia and company determined that Murskogan's attack would arrive in a second, this giant knight suddenly stopped his silver broadsword's slash midway.

Demon Hunter Colin, who wasn't in Lovia's evil spirit's defensive circle, suddenly had a premonition of danger. Without any hesitation, he lunged to the side.

Boom!

A silver ray of light suddenly emerged from the spot where he had been standing, destroying everything from within. This attack was so strange, like it was generated by the void itself.

At the same time, there was also a change in Colin Iliad who had ducked to the ground. His clothes were torn into pieces and cloth by his rapidly expanding muscles.

In just a blink of an eye, this Demon Hunter had turned into a grayish-blue giant with bluish-black lines warped around him. At his forehead was a deep black crack. Every inch of him contained immense power, infinite mystery, and a strange psyche influence.

If a Beyonder under Sequence 4 saw this scene, they would definitely suffer from a strong backlash. Their brains might suffer an excruciating pain that would cause them to lose their minds. Even their spirituality would be corrupted. And if they couldn't withstand such an influence, going crazy, losing control, or even sudden death were certain outcomes.

This was the incomplete Mythical Creature form of a demigod.

Originally, Colin Iliad didn't dare to release this form due to the influence of the "twilight" in the Giant King's Court. But now, he realized that in the Unshadowed domain, the feeling of decline had weakened significantly.

He then raised the two swords that had enlarged in size as well. With them covered in the light of dawn, he fought fiercely with the Light Culler Murskogan in the domain that was enveloped in light and shadows.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The three swords of the "giants" clashed and separated from time to time. Although Colin Iliad was at a disadvantage, he still managed to withstand the barrage of attacks from the King's Court Chaser's leader.

From time to time, he would feel a strong sense of danger. Then, without any warning, he would either duck or roll in another direction.

And at this moment, silver beams of light would always appear from the inside and outside.

Derrick had already closed his eyes. Ignoring the loss of blood, he tried his best to maintain the Unshadowed domain. Haim and another Dawn Paladin similarly didn't dare open their eyes. They helped Shepherd Elder Lovia and slowly moved the group towards the palace without exiting the protective domain.

If not for the help of the silver-armored knight evil spirit, they would've long been diced into small pieces of flesh and blood by the Storm of Light that swept the area.

That Light Culler Murskogan alone had placed the City of Silver's expedition team into a precarious position, with no chance of counterattacking.

As expected of the leader of the King's Court Chasers, this should be the strongest force beneath subsidiary gods, or in other words, angels... Compared to the Demon Hunter, the Silver Knight has several more terrifying Beyonder powers... Above the gray fog, The Fool Klein held the Sea God Scepter and carefully observed the battle.

He quickly figured out the aspect in which Light Culler Murskogan was powerful in.

Firstly, his defensive power can be transformed into a full-body silver armor set. Secondly, it can be used to hide and conceal himself with the light, hiding any malicious intent. Thirdly, the condensed Sword of Dawn isn't something that can be maintained for a short period of time. It can be used as a normal weapon, sufficiently sharp, and good at cleansing. Fourth, it can create some sort of thin silver-white sword. It has the ability to teleport, and it can bypass most barriers to attack the target directly, and even cause it to erupt from within the target's body. Furthermore, this thin silver-white sword condensed without any warning, making it difficult to predict...

This is a saint who's extremely good at fighting head-on. If it wasn't for the rich experience and strong intuition of the City of Silver's Chief, he would've been in danger due to the suppression effect from being of the same pathway when fighting in his Mythical Creature form... If it were me, I might've already been killed. Of course, I wouldn't fight head- on with the leader of the King's Court Chasers...

From the current situation, because the evil spirit needs to protect its Shepherd, there's no way for it to directly participate in the battle. The City of Silver's expedition team has almost no chance of winning. Yes, they're already slowly retreating. Very rational...If it really doesn't work, perhaps Mr. Fool will have to deliver lightning punishment" However, the True Creator should still be watching... My Lightning Storm might not be able to quickly resolve Murskogan... Klein's thoughts raced when he suddenly thought of a problem:

How did Light Culler Murskogan, who wasn't an angel, survive since the end of the Second Epoch. He's neither a demoness, vampire, nor Undying!

And from him possessing reason, as well as the ability he displays in battle, he doesn't have Beyonder characteristics of other pathways mixed in him.

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