Chapter 54: Behind the Backs of Everything

—Back a few days ago, in the Land of Death—
In ancient texts, human magicians referred to the Land of Death as the Realm of Death—a mysterious and vast expanse of black wasteland untouched by any forces or constraints, obeying only the fundamental laws of life and death, existing beyond the world. The Realm of Death was the only place in the Third World not governed by the laws of time or energy decay, as it lay between the spaces of the Second and Third Worlds. It was the ultimate and inevitable destination for life in the Third World, as well as a place of reincarnation.
Initially, there was no absolute ruler here. It was not until souls began to pour into this land that new forces of death gave rise to thirteen amethyst skeletons. Over time, these skeletons absorbed the death forces of the Realm of Death, eventually becoming its rulers—the Thirteen Immortal Kings.
Each Immortal King ruled over a region and was the absolute master of the Realm of Death. No one could make them submit; they obeyed only the fundamental laws of life and death.
The Immortal Kings possessed immense power. They could command any undead to serve them, and as long as the Land of Death existed, they would remain immortal.
Yet even the Immortal Kings could not bring the dead back to the material world. But there was one thing in the Realm of Death that could do so: a gem at the very top of the towering crystal tower standing at its center. This gem had been there since the birth of the Realm of Death, used to intimidate the undead and gather death forces. It was the treasure that necromancers dreamed of possessing—the Stone of the Sacred Spirit.
The Stone of the Sacred Spirit had many names, such as the Stone of Souls or the Stone of Accumulated Death. Undoubtedly, it was the most precious thing in the Realm of Death and the gem that maintained its energy balance. The thousands-of-years-long wars waged by the Thirteen Immortal Kings were fought over control of this central land and the gem, in order to prove they were the supreme rulers of the Realm of Death, above the other twelve.
Legends claimed that the Stone of the Sacred Spirit had the power to bring the dead back to life or even grant immortality. Possessing it meant gaining control over most of the Realm of Death and wielding power comparable to, or even greater than, that of the legendary gods.

This gemstone once drove countless sages and emperors in ancient times to madness. Unfortunately, the Death Zone does not exist in the material world; it lies in the gap between the Second World and the Third World. The conditions required to set foot on this land are extremely harsh. First, one must possess immense power and a thorough understanding of spatial magic and the structure of the world in order to break through the material space and reach the subspace gaps in the antimatter space. Second, one must know the exact coordinates of the Death Zone. After all, it exists in the gap between the Second World and the Third World, and by “gap” we mean those countless subspaces. If one attempts to enter this area without finding the correct direction, the outcome will be either becoming a lone soul trapped in the spatial gaps, devoured by endless and varied times, or being torn apart by energy storms between different spaces. Due to such stringent conditions, the Death Zone has always been a deeply mysterious existence in people’s eyes. Only necromancers can somewhat discern its location, using their mental power as a bridge to acquire some deathly forces or summon dead creatures from the Death Zone. Since its emergence, no living being has ever set foot on this black wasteland as a “living being.” Yet, Belial succeeded… As just a mere human, he stepped onto this desolate and ancient black wasteland! His talents shocked the thirteen Immortal Kings, and his power filled them with fear. How could a mere human be so powerful?! Almost unnoticed by all humans, an unprecedented war erupted on this mysterious land of the Death Zone. One side consisted of all the undead armies gathered by the thirteen Immortal Kings—roughly hundreds of thousands, even millions or tens of millions of skeleton troops. Such a force was enough to destroy entire empires, countless times over. The other side had only nine people… It was a battle of nine against nearly ten million undead troops! Since the birth of the Death Zone, no battle as fierce as this had ever occurred! Under the light of the “blood moon” in the sky, a thick layer of bone debris covered the black wasteland. In just three hours of fighting, nearly ten million skeleton troops were destroyed—by those nine people… eight legendary demon gods, warriors from the ancient kingdom of Savos, and one human strong enough to rival gods!

Although they had anticipated that this human would be difficult to deal with, before the war began, the Immortal Kings never imagined that this man named Belial would be beyond even their combined efforts as thirteen Immortal Kings!
No, not beyond their efforts—it was that they were almost powerless to resist him; he was simply too strong!
Edmund Pankhes, the Bone Emperor, stared in horror at the shadow that appeared behind that human—a ferocious dark bear. With each roar it let out, large sections of his skeleton army would be shattered. Its claws could tear through the earth, and its dark power could even devour the force of death.
What terrified this Immortal King even more were Belial’s eyes—deep red pupils that were darker than darkness and more terrifying than death—and the divine power he wielded. It was a terrifying power capable of deceiving the world. Edmund Pankhes knew this all too well, as he had been killed by that power over thirty times. The situation for the other Immortal Kings wasn’t much better. If it weren’t for the fact that Immortal Kings were immortal beings in this Land of Death, they wouldn’t even have the courage to confront this human.
An Apostle?
Hah! Edmund Pankhes wasn’t unaware of the existence of Apostles. Over the long years, he had had some contact with them, like Argus. Though that guy had killed him instantly in the material world, it hadn’t harmed the Immortal King’s true form. In his eyes, Apostles were merely pitiful creatures who temporarily possessed great power. But this human had already surpassed the level of Apostles—truly… he was the embodiment of some ancient will!
Damn it! Why would an ancient being from the Second World appear in the Third World?!
Faced with this powerful human, the Immortal Kings felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness. But as rulers and managers of the Land of Death, they absolutely could not let this person take control of what maintained its balance. All they could do now was summon more skeleton armies. No matter what the cost, no matter how many times they were destroyed by this human, they would stop him from advancing.
To halt even a single step of his, no matter how many armies they lost, the Immortal Kings wouldn’t feel pain.

“What stubborn fools!” Belial was enraged by the Immortal Kings’ relentless and merciless attacks. With his strength, those worthless skeleton armies couldn’t possibly cause him any harm, yet his progress was hindered. For a full hour, trapped in a sea of skeletons like a tidal wave, Belial couldn’t take a single step forward. The skeletons he destroyed were enough to fill several SgLake Duer lakes. “You vermin, get out of my way!” For the first time, anger flashed in Belial’s eyes—angry at the recklessness of those insects. A blood-red glow appeared in his pupils, and instantly, the vast army of skeletons in front of him vanished without a trace. Yet… “Stop him! Stop him!” Amid the frantic shouts of the Immortal Kings, the countless skeleton armies surged forward like a flood once again. Even a powerful being like Belial was forced to retreat under this onslaught. Yes, he was pushed back—those countless skeletons literally drove Belial back to his original position. “Get lost!” With Belial’s furious roar, rows of pentagram magic arrays appeared on the black wasteland. Blue beams shot out from the arrays, and those darkish-blue flames instantly consumed all the skeletons around Belial, burning them to ashes along with their souls. If Sos’s flames were the [Holy Flame] that purged dark forces, then Belial’s flames were the [Sinful Flame] capable of burning souls to cinders. Watching in horror as Belial emerged from the eerie sea of blue flames, Edmund Pankhurst, the Bone Emperor, once again showed a look of shock. “Just a mere human… just a mere human…” As he spoke, he suddenly felt an irresistible force above him, forcing his massive body, hundreds of yards tall, to sink deep into the ground. Then he realized he had been defeated by this human once again… Under the astonished gazes of the other twelve Immortal Kings, Belial appeared right in front of the Bone Emperor using teleportation magic, using his humanly frail body to push that Immortal King deep into the ground with sheer physical force. “Bang!” The Bone Emperor’s body exploded, with bones engulfed in blue flames scattering everywhere, affecting many innocent skeletons in the vicinity.

But soon, the bones that had been shattered by the explosion reassembled, and Emperor Skeleton Edmund Pankhes appeared before Belial once again. As long as the Death Realm existed, the Immortal King could live forever! “Huh, huh…” Even a powerful being like Belial began to feel fatigue. He stood still and took several deep breaths. The tide of skeletons before him did not rush forward; Belial knew well that as long as he did not move forward, those skeletons would not attack. But having come this far, how could he give up? Belial’s strength was declining—his skeleton army had drained too much of his energy. Since he, an “outsider,” was not recognized by the laws of this world, he could not recover at all. Especially with his frequent use of the divine power “Erasing Existence,” his strength declined even more sharply. With each use, his hair turned grayer, and his soul weakened… Even if he had seized the full power of Slos from Thos, it couldn’t withstand such massive consumption! “…” Glancing at the brilliantly bright crystal tower emitting a dazzling blue light, Belial took a deep breath, reached out to hold the blue crystal pendant hanging at his chest, kissed it gently, and murmured, “Just a little more… Just a little more and I’ll be able to see your familiar smile again… I haven’t given up, so you can’t give up either…” With that, he carefully placed the blue crystal pendant inside his undergarments, and his aura surged dramatically. “Boom!” Suddenly, the black wasteland trembled violently, as if even this ancient land was shocked by Belial’s power. The ground began to crack, forming fissures that resembled giant mouths, swallowing countless groups of skeletons. The bones on the ground rolled and shook incessantly, accompanied by crackling sounds. The surrounding space fractured due to this immense power, giving rise to one after another black vortexes—black holes, devourers of space, places darker than darkness itself. “Wha… What’s going on?” Hampa, who had been hiding behind the other demons, sensed something was wrong and looked around in panic.

“Why such a racket!” Beside Hampa, the Lord of Thunder and Tyrant Bal turned his head toward Belial and murmured, “Amazing… This is truly amazing. Just his presence alone shatters the spatial barriers here…” With that, he took a deep breath and roared fiercely at the skeletons surrounding him, “Coming here to die again? Foolish creatures!” As soon as he spoke, he spread his arms, and a strange electric glow appeared around his body. Immediately afterward, pillar-thick bolts of lightning descended from the sky, with arcs shooting back and forth among the skeletons. In the blink of an eye, all the skeletons in front of him were shattered by the lightning and turned to ashes.

The other demon gods also seemed to notice that Belial’s power was rising rapidly, reaching a level that even they could no longer match in just a few moments.

“As expected of Lord Belial!”

Yet, in the eyes of the King Puppet Cain, there appeared a complex mix of pain, self-reproach, worry, and sighs.

He knew very well that after absorbing the darkness possessed by his own “self” in this world, his master had become stronger than ever before. But this strength was only superficial; his master’s soul continued to weaken. And once the flame of the soul went out, what use was even the greatest power?

Looking at the increasingly solid form of Sloth behind Belial, Cain sighed gloomily.

Finally, the shaking of the earth stopped…

Belial reappeared from the deep blue flames. His hair had completely turned a grayish-white, almost silver, no longer the shiny silver-gray it once was. His expression showed signs of extreme fatigue. Yet, the Immortal King couldn’t feel any joy at all, because the power of this human before him was unbelievably formidable. They couldn’t help but tremble slightly, overwhelmed to the very core of their souls…

Especially the pressure exerted by that fully solidified giant entity behind Belial—a being even larger and more ancient than the Immortal Kings…

The Ancient Will…

[Power of Escape, Laziness, Sloth!]

Just as Cain had predicted, Belial forcibly summoned Sloth as a fully solidified entity here.

Under the breathless gaze of the Immortal Kings, Belial, enveloped in deep blue flames, cast a disdainful glance at the skeletons blocking his path and snorted lightly.

Along with his humming, the shadow behind him… no, it was the ancient will Sloth, stretching its body. Its pure black scales emitted a faint red glow under the light of the blood moon, while the three massive horns on its head shone with a threatening black light. It supported its body on one front claw, with the other raised toward the thirteen Immortal Kings, staring at its enemies with an emotionless, indifferent gaze. Its enormous tail occasionally whipped up gusts of wind and slammed heavily onto the ground, leaving deep marks behind.

Suddenly, a glimmer appeared in Sloth’s deep red eyes as it let out a roar like an enraged beast, filled with annoyance and fury as if awakened from a deep sleep. The sound waves from its roar spread out in circles, like massive waves, and the skeletons were like small boats against those waves, utterly unable to resist such overwhelming force, being shattered row after row.

In the blink of an eye, one-fifth of the army of skeletons blocking Belial had been destroyed!

“You foolish scum! Watch as I wipe you out in an instant!”

Belial, at full power!

—Meanwhile, at the Flores family mansion—
Ever since witnessing what happened between Thos and Lavia that day, Dia had been living with Lilith. Although Dia didn’t want to stay in the Flores family’s house forever—after all, she was still an unmarried girl—Lilith seemed to think otherwise. She even arranged a separate courtyard for Dia and ordered her servants not to let anyone enter without permission, seemingly intending for Dia to stay long-term.

At first, Dia felt disheartened and even thought about returning to her hometown of Jerbat. It was Lilith who persuaded her and arranged a place for her to live. Dia, who didn’t understand the oddities of the situation, was very grateful to Lilith for her kindness.

After hesitating for a while, she followed Lilith’s advice. After all, she was originally a woman with weak self-determination. More importantly, she had almost no relatives left in her hometown. Once, Thos was by her side, but now… she was alone.

To be honest, Lilith treated Dia very well. If not for Dia’s reluctance to accept them, she would have given her luxurious clothes and precious jewelry freely. Perhaps, as Lilith said, she had placed all her hopes for happiness on this good friend, who was very similar to her own family.

What made Lilith feel somewhat regretful was that Dia didn’t seem very happy living here…
“Are you still thinking about him?” While retouching her makeup at noon, Lilith noticed Dia standing by the window, gazing at the sky, and asked with a complex expression.
Dia gently shook her head and murmured in a somewhat melancholic tone, “Actually, we both understand. Thors doesn’t love me. Perhaps he only has a fondness for me, which can’t even be called liking. I used to wonder about this, but after Thors’s sister, Sister Nina, appeared, I understood. Thors sees me as his sister from his memories… From then on, I kept lying to myself, telling myself he needs me. But gradually, my lies became emptier and I couldn’t convince myself anymore. Maybe to him, a foolish and weak woman like me is completely unnecessary… Until that day when I could no longer deceive myself… He no longer needs me…”
“Dia…” Lilith sighed softly, put down her makeup box, stood up, walked over to Dia, gently hugged her, and said in a low voice, “You’re a good woman. It’s him who doesn’t understand you. There’s no need to feel regret or pity for such a man. I’ll help you find a suitable husband!”
Dia couldn’t help but smile, then shook her head sadly and murmured, “Sometimes, I really hate myself. Maybe I’m too stupid and can’t do anything… I can’t be my mother’s pride, nor a good daughter in my father’s eyes, nor a proper sister. And Thors… In the world where Thors is, I really try hard to reach him, but you know, Lilith, he’s like a cloud in the sky. I can only look up at him. Even if I stretch out my hand, no matter how hard I try, I can’t touch him. I really wish I could reach him…” As she spoke, she covered her mouth and burst into tears.
Seeing her friend’s sad expression, Lilith’s gaze changed slightly. Without thinking further, she said with a hint of determination, “I’ll go kill them for you!”
“…” Dia instinctively turned her head, staring at Lilith in terror. Lilith seemed to realize her mistake and giggled, “I was joking. How could I possibly kill anyone? Especially that great mage, Volmon Kleist?”

Dia didn’t think much about it. Seeing her friend say that, the panicked expression on her face gradually faded. She reproached her in a annoyed tone, “Really, making such jokes…” She paused for a moment, then looked up at the sky and murmured, “Maybe this is for the best. Raviya really suits Thos and can help him, unlike me… Although I’m a bit disappointed, I still hope they can be happy…”

Watching Dia’s expression, a hint of struggle flashed in Lilith’s eyes as she forced a smile and said, “Just a little disappointed?”
“Yes!” Dia glared at Lilith briefly before laughing self-mockingly and saying softly, “That’s what I tell myself…”
As they were talking, suddenly there was a knocking at the door.
Lilith frowned, walked straight to the door, and opened it. Looking at the guard knocking outside, she said in a stern voice, “Didn’t I tell you not to come here unless necessary? Aren’t my words effective?”
“No, no, my lady. I just have something to convey to you…” The guard shook his head repeatedly, keeping his head lowered and not daring to look at Lilith.
“What is it?”
The guard wiped the cold sweat from his forehead secretly and said in a low voice, “It’s this, my lady. There’s someone outside who wants to see Miss Dia. It seems his name is…”
“Hm?” Lilith froze, as if realizing something, and quickly said in a low voice, “Shut up!” After that, she instinctively glanced at Dia, who was still standing by the window gazing at the sky. Seeing that she didn’t seem to notice, she quietly stepped outside, closed the door softly, and said in a low voice, “Speak softly. Is it Volmon Klaest?”
“You mean that great mage, Volmon Klaest?” The guard tilted his head in surprise. “But he said his name is Thos. He’s about the same age as you, my lady… No, he’s a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy wearing a mage apprentice robe. No matter what we say, he won’t leave. He insists on seeing Miss Dia. That guy is strange. More than a dozen of us guards couldn’t move him or drive him away. Two of our brothers even fainted after being lightly tapped by him. So…”
“Hmph!” Lilith couldn’t help but let out a soft sound and said indifferently, “It’s that guy. How could you guys think you could drive him away? His title as a great mage isn’t given for nothing! Hm… Go back to him and tell him that Miss Dia says she doesn’t want to see him. That’s all!”
“This…” The guard was stunned and hesitated. “No… don’t we need to tell Miss Dia?”

Lilith’s eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a threatening gaze as she spoke in a cold tone, “Do I still need you to teach me how to do this?”
“No, no, that’s not what I meant…”
“Shut up! Reply to him exactly as I said. If there’s one extra word or one missing word, well, you’ll know what to do! Understood?!”
“Yes, yes! I understand…”
“If you understand, then get lost!”
“Yes!” The guard quickly turned around, but took only one step before being called back by Lilith.
“Wait! Also, go to the kitchen and tell those guys to prepare some snacks. Bring them to the garden in the courtyard. In twenty minutes, I want freshly brewed tea there. Understood?”
“I understand!” The guard kept nodding.
“Get out!”
“Yes!”
“Stupid!” Watching the guard scurry away, Lilith smirked coldly before taking a deep breath, putting on a smile, and re-entering the room. She happened to meet Dya’s surprised and worried gaze.
“Lilith, why are you losing your temper at people again? That’s not good…”
“But those fools can really get on my nerves sometimes!”
“Can’t you just talk to them properly?” Dya asked curiously, shaking her head slightly. “What’s the reason?”
“Well,” Lilith hesitated for a moment before pretending to be casual, “It’s nothing. Just some trivial matters you’re not interested in.” Then she changed the subject. “By the way, I asked the servants to prepare snacks. How about we go to the garden to sit for a while?”
“Huh? But I said yesterday I wanted to go for a walk…” Dya said disappointedly. “I don’t know much about those flowers. Though they’re beautiful, but…”
As if understanding Dya’s thoughts, Lilith shook her head helplessly and said, “You have to get used to afternoon tea… Among the noblewomen of Sasan, how many really like to look at those flowers? What they like is the boring and hypocritical flattery from men. It’s boring, but as long as you’re in Sasan, you have to cater to them in some ways so that they think they can accept you. Nobles are sometimes such helpless figures…”
“It’s really troublesome…” Dya sighed slightly.
Seeing her friend’s gloomy expression, Lilith hesitated for a moment before saying, “How about this? When evening comes, we change into coats and I’ll take you to stroll around the streets. I think Sasan’s night view is quite nice!”

“Really?” Dia said in surprise.
“Ah!” Lilith nodded with a light laugh.
Lilith was calm, as Thasson was her territory. Within this city, no matter how minor an incident might be, it couldn’t escape her notice.
What? Thasson had another apostle besides her?
Hah, Lilith already knew that JerryBelfort, the president of the Thasson Royal Magic Association, was the second apostle besides her. But so what?
The existence of various contradictions among the Ancient Willings didn’t mean their apostles would necessarily be at odds. On the contrary, Lilith Telvitz and JerryBelfort did share some common ground—like Belial, like Volmon Kleist…
After a sumptuous dinner, Lilith and Dia put on plain, loose gray travel cloaks and walked through Thasson’s bustling streets without any guards.
Joke aside, with Lilith around, who needed guards?
Of course, Lilith wasn’t worried about encountering Thos on the streets either. After all, Thos’s mental power was far too strong. Though it could deceive ordinary people, it was like the moon in the night—impossible to hide from an apostle’s perception.
On the other hand, as long as Lilith shielded her own mental power, even Thos wouldn’t be able to detect her. Only other apostles could sense faint traces of her presence.
Just like what Lilith was feeling now…
“Lilith?” Seeing her friend keep glancing back with a strange expression, Dia felt puzzled and asked, “What are you looking at?”
“Ah?” Lilith finally snapped out of it. She gave Dia an apologetic glance before turning her vigilant eyes toward a figure wrapped in a black cloak in the crowd behind them. That figure had been following them since earlier, no matter how many streets they passed, which made Lilith uneasy.
“What’s that guy up to?” Lilith muttered, frowning as she stared at the figure in the distance. Strangely, she sensed a deep and pure dark power emanating from him…
As far as Lilith knew, such pure dark power could only belong to apostles who had drawn their strength from the Ancient Willings…
Suddenly, the cloaked figure in the distance seemed to realize he had been noticed by Lilith. He turned and disappeared into the crowd. In just a few breaths, his voice vanished entirely among the people.

“…” Lilith frowned, staring deeply into the direction where the person had disappeared. Then she turned to Dia, who was looking around, and said, “Dia, wait for me here for a while. I’ll be back soon. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
“Oh, if you need to go, just go ahead. I’ll be right here…” Dia nodded incomprehendingly, watching Lilith turn and run away, then sighed helplessly before curiously looking at the shops on both sides of the street, especially those selling simple ornaments.
As Dia was choosing among those simple ornaments, she suddenly felt as if someone had pulled at the hem of her clothes. She instinctively turned her head but saw nothing.
At that moment, a clear voice came from beside her.
“Big sister, over here…”
“Huh?” Dia looked down in surprise and then noticed a very small little girl standing next to her. The girl was wearing a black coat, a milky white scarf, tan leather boots, and a red belt. Her round cheeks made her especially adorable.
Strangely, although the little girl kept her eyes closed, Dia had the illusion that she was looking at her.
Seeing the little girl’s cute appearance, Dia couldn’t help but kneel down, stroke her head, and smile, saying, “Little sister, what’s the matter? Did you get separated from your family? Let me help you find them, okay?”
The little girl gently shook her head and asked in a clear voice, “Big sister, your name is Dia Palas, right?”
“Huh?” Dia was stunned for a moment before nodding and saying, “Yes!” Seeing that the little girl still had her eyes closed, she asked curiously, “Why keep your eyes closed? Won’t you trip like that?”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it. And… I don’t want others to see me!” The little girl giggled and slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of pale red eyes.
Looking at those pale red eyes that didn’t resemble human eyes, Dia felt dizzy and uneasy, as if the roars of beasts were echoing deep in her soul, causing her to lose consciousness instantly.
“Pfft!” The little girl quickly caught Dia before she fell, then glanced around. Without anyone else noticing, she transformed into a wisp of dark energy and vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, Lilith chased the guy in the black cloak to a dark alley.
“Stop! There’s no way out ahead. You can’t run away… Who the hell are you?!”

Under Lilith’s solemn gaze, the guy in the black cloak stopped in his tracks, standing motionless and silent with his back to her. After waiting a full minute, Lilith grew impatient. She stepped forward, grabbed his cloak, and said in a deep voice, “You bastard…” Her words died abruptly as, the moment she touched him, the guy turned into a pile of black sand. “…” Staring at the black cloak in her hand and then at the pile of black sand on the ground, Lilith was utterly shocked. She murmured, “A puppet?” After being stunned for a minute or two, it seemed as if Lilith suddenly understood something, her expression changing as horror appeared in her eyes. “Damn it, Dia!”