"Which god's authority do you hold, and why make an enemy of the God of Light?!" Seeing two of his companions fallen in battle, the blond youth barked furiously!
The Spawns of the God paused their fighting as well, turning toward the mysterious figure clad in purple-gold armor. Their eyes were filled with scrutiny and doubt; all wanted to deduce his origins and motives to grasp the situation first.
Zhang Yuanqing swept his gaze over the Spawns of the God, thinking: *If I reveal my identity right now and let them see Amini beneath the visor, my status and treatment on Paphos Island will soar.*
Cupid's petty harassment would be resolved with ease, and those impossible tasks would surely no longer be forced upon him.
He could also take part in formulating future deployments against the followers of the God of Light, becoming one of the shot-callers.
Yet on second thought, Cupid had a mischievous, narrow-minded, and intensely jealous nature. How would he react upon discovering that Amini had risen to an equal footing with the Spawns of the God?
Especially given that he had deliberately tormented Amini in every conceivable way and secretly schemed to make him and Herasine fall in love, committing a taboo.
Given Cupid's character, his internal jealousy and apprehension would likely skyrocket to unprecedented heights, morphing into open hostility.
On the other hand, the Spawns of the God would never unconditionally trust an Amini who had abruptly manifested such tremendous divine authority. Even if they accepted him, they would take precautions.
For instance, having Sectia seduce him. Once a carnal relationship was established, someone of the Desire profession could easily manipulate him.
Under normal circumstances, Zhang Yuanqing was confident he could barely resist Sectia's seduction. However, with Amini's constitution demanding a daily roll in the hay, the moment the affliction flared up at night, all Sectia would have to do was shake her hips at him, and he would succumb without fail.
Thinking up to this point, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly figured out the detail—Amini's special constitution was a trap!
The moment he proved his value and displayed formidable combat strength, he would inevitably be controlled by Sectia.
There had to be a hidden rationale behind the dungeon giving him this constitution, and this was it.
Having grasped the stakes, whether to reveal or conceal his identity went without saying.
In a raspy, unrecognizable voice, he said:
"What are you staring at? Slay the followers of the God of Light."
With that, he picked up the giant harp left behind by the maiden, entered Night Camouflage, and vanished from everyone's sight.
With the focal figure gone, the Spawns of the God immediately turned their aggression toward the blond youth.
The latter's expression tightened. Without hesitation, he rocketed into the sky, fleeing Paphos Island.
Cynthia and Menia, two goddesses skilled in melee combat, gave hot pursuit. The three flew farther and farther away, turning into tiny black specks before vanishing entirely.
Of the three Dominator-stage leaders, two were dead and one had fled; the God of Light's followers lost all will to fight. Under the leadership of Cupid and Sectia, the followers of the Goddess of Beauty quickly eradicated the remaining enemies.
***
In Amini's room, starlight surged. Zhang Yuanqing opened his inventory, pulled out the meter-tall harp, and read its item information.
[Name: Leya's Shepherd Harp]
[Type: Musical Instrument]
[Functions: Beast Control, Law]
[Description: Leya was a follower of the God of Light and a shepherdess. She offered lambs and wool to the God of Light, who bestowed upon her a harp that could command flocks of sheep, as well as a law protecting shepherds from wild beast attacks.]
[Remark: Prolonged use will cause one's faith in the God of Light to grow increasingly steadfast.]
*The drawback is that using it long-term makes one's faith in the God of Light grow firmer... Compared to the item's abilities, this drawback is mild enough to be negligible. The description mentions shepherding sheep, but it can actually manipulate many kinds of animals, making it great for countering Wood Monsters... Its strongest aspect is the law granting immunity from beast attacks; even in the Dominator stage, that's an exceptionally good life-saving ability.*
Zhang Yuanqing put the item back into his inventory. Since the remarks did not specify "Cannot be taken out of the Spirit Realm," this item was spoils that could be taken outside.
*Leya's Shepherd Harp is mid-grade at best; without the 'Law' ability, it would only be low-grade.*
*Better than nothing. I can give it to Xiao Yuan to protect her life.*
***
Dusk fell.
The followers of the Goddess of Beauty wheeled handcarts, carrying away cartload after cartload of corpses belonging to the God of Light's followers and dumping them into the sea.
The castle's slaves bent over scrubbing bloodstains from the ground, filling in craters in the gardens and yards, and patching cracks in the walls, busily cleaning up the messy battlefield.
Weeping rose from time to time among the slaves and cultists. Although the battle had settled quickly, the God of Light's followers had still inflicted immense devastation upon Paphos Island.
The death toll had not yet been tallied, but it certainly numbered in the hundreds.
Zhang Yuanqing and Herasine were patching cracks in the wall with sticky, slick yellow mud.
"It was terrifying... The followers of the God of Light are too terrifying," Herasine murmured, lingering fear written all over her face. "I was so scared I didn't dare come out. Amini, I needed you so much, but why weren't you by my side?"
"Oh, my dearest Herasine, everything was in utter chaos back then. I wanted to find you, but the followers of the God of Light were everywhere outside. Hiding was the safest choice. I believed that your wisdom would surely guide you to make the right call and stay out of harm's way," Zhang Yuanqing said in an affectionate tone.
"And the facts prove I was right. Only by staying alive can I go on loving you."
Herasine was deeply moved, yet she dared not kiss her lover in plain sight of everyone.
Having brushed Herasine off, Zhang Yuanqing cast his gaze toward the clock tower while continuing to work.
Cynthia and Menia had failed to kill the Left Priest of the God of Light, not returning until dusk. Afterward, the four Spawns of the God went up to the soaring clock tower to deliberate.
The castle had too many eyes and ears; only the towering clock tower was safe from eavesdroppers.
***
Atop the clock tower!
Cupid gently flapped his pure-white wings and swept his eyes over his three sisters. "Who was that person in the strange armor? If he was a helper found by Mother, why didn't she inform us? Judging by how he fought, he appears to be a subordinate of the King of the Gods?"
Cynthia and Menia knitted their brows. The latter said, "At least for now, he helped Paphos Island."
Cupid said coldly, "If he is an ally, why conceal his identity? If he hides himself, there must be a reason. Someone protecting Paphos Island is not necessarily our friend; he might harbor other motives."
Sectia's eyes flickered slightly. "You mean his target is..."
She looked down at the main building where the Goddess of Beauty resided, leaving her thought unfinished.
Cupid's chubby, adorable face took on a sullen malice incongruous with his tender age:
"The gods all know Mother's uniqueness. They know a sacred relic is hidden beneath Paphos Island. Isn't it completely natural for someone to sneak onto Paphos Island to loot a burning house while Mother is in conflict with the God of Light?"
Sectia stroked her pointed chin. "Last night, someone indeed slipped into the basement."
The other three Spawns of the God asked in unison, "Who?!"
Sectia walked to the edge of the clock tower, looked down over the castle, and fixed her gaze on a certain spot:
"Amini!"
***
*Shit, why are they looking at me?!* Zhang Yuanqing's heart lurched.
Along the edge of the clock tower, four Spawns of the God stood side by side, all staring down at him.
Zhang Yuanqing calmly shifted his gaze away, his mind brainstorming at breakneck speed.
*Are they suspecting me? That shouldn't be. I altered my voice, wore a visor, and used disguise; there's no way they could identify the god-sent warrior as Amini by tone or appearance.*
*My build is impossible to tell too, since the armor covered every inch of my body.*
*Could it be scent? Sectia is an experienced seductress and might smell my scent, but the battlefield was utter chaos—the stench of blood, sea brine, animal smells, and the odors of thousands of people were all jumbled together. Even if Sectia had the nose of a hound, she couldn't possibly sniff me out.*
*Then why are they staring at me?*
Unable to figure it out, Zhang Yuanqing planned to summon a spirit servant to eavesdrop.
Just then, a gale whipped up over the castle, and immediately after, several slaves in the distance cheered excitedly:
"Lord Eriga is back! Lord Eriga has returned..."
More and more slaves joined in the cheer.
*Eriga? The last of the Spawns of the God, who went out on an errand, has returned?* Zhang Yuanqing raised his head and saw a dark silhouette rapidly approaching the castle.
With his sharp vision, he could clearly see that it was a birdman with golden wings.
Not like Cupid, who grew wings on his back; rather, his arms were a pair of massive wings.
The birdman with golden wings circled twice above the castle, then swooped straight down toward the clock tower.
*Eriga looks like he belongs to the Wind Mage profession...* Zhang Yuanqing quietly exhaled a breath of Lunar Qi, steering his spirit servant to drift toward the clock tower in preparation to eavesdrop on the Spawns of the God.
Eriga had been away on business and hadn't returned until now—what could be more crucial than the survival of Paphos Island? As a high-tier Spirit Realm player, he would never pass up an opportunity to gather intelligence.
The four Spawns of the God's eerie stare earlier was clearly bizarre as well.
Sinking his consciousness into the spirit servant, Zhang Yuanqing swiftly drifted across the distance of over a hundred meters to the base of the clock tower. He glided up along its stone facade, stopping five to six meters beneath the Spawns of the God.
Cupid's voice carried over:
"Eriga, you're finally back. Paphos Island was attacked by the followers of the God of Light today... Well, how are things on Father's side?"
The latter part of his question harbored a sliver of trepidation and anticipation.
*Father?*
*The publicly acknowledged lover of the Goddess of Beauty, that deity suspected to belong to the Knight profession?*
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't resist drifting half a meter higher. The Spawns' conversation became clearer, and Eriga could be heard saying in a heavy tone:
"Father was killed by the combined efforts of the God of Light and the High Priest. Mother was no match for their joint attack and fled. She told me to return to Paphos Island first while she tries to find reinforcements."
A sudden silence fell over the clock tower.
Then came Sectia's mournful wail: "Heavens..."
Her weeping was not merely mourning her biological father's demise, but lamenting the dead end awaiting Paphos Island.
Cynthia and Menia turned pale, fear, panic, and unease flickering in their lovely eyes. The fall of the God of War pushed Paphos Island's plight into an irrecoverable abyss.
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing instantly straightened out the general timeline of the feud between the Goddess of Beauty and the God of Light.
For some unknown reason, the King of the Greek Gods had departed for the distant East. The God of Light seized the opportunity to strike, intending to kill the Goddess of Beauty and obliterate Paphos Island.
Thus, the Goddess of Beauty joined forces with her old lover, the God of War, to face the God of Light and his High Priest.
Meanwhile, the Spawns of the God remained on Paphos Island to fend off the assault of the God of Light's followers.
Afterward, the God of War fell, the Goddess of Beauty fled, and the God of Light pursued her relentlessly, eventually killing her in a forest.
The Goddess of Beauty's severed head influenced the local hunters, giving rise to the "Elf Tribe."
*Wait, something's wrong!* Zhang Yuanqing's mind abruptly seized.
A few hours ago, he was still suspecting that the final boss of Paphos Island was the High Priest of the God of Light. But looking at it now, to participate in a battle between gods, the High Priest had to be at least a peak Dominator.
A peak Dominator serving as the final boss of a Level 7 S-rank dungeon?
That was equivalent to putting Fu Qingyang in a duel against Fu Qingxuan, or having Demon Eye challenge Asura to a fight to the death.
It was pure suicide.
Zhang Yuanqing found this dungeon increasingly baffling.
Eriga continued, "The God of Light went after Mother, and the High Priest is currently descending upon Paphos Island. He isn't as fast as I am, so I rushed back ahead of him."
As an Illusionist, Zhang Yuanqing could sense the emotions of "fear" and "unease" permeating above him.
This made him all the more certain that the High Priest was definitely a powerhouse at the peak Dominator stage.
Cupid's voice turned shrill:
"Once the High Priest arrives, we're all going to die! Everyone will die! ...Sectia, awaken that sacred relic. It's our only way out."
Cynthia's low voice came down: "But only Mother can awaken that sacred relic."
"No," Sectia's melodic voice chimed in. "Sacrificing Mother's bloodline to it can also awaken it."
Cupid's crisp, childlike voice held a chilling malice:
"Sacrifice all of Mother's demigod descendants!"
"This..." Menia, of the Knight profession, knitted her brows in instinctive revulsion against the proposal. "If Mother returns and discovers what we've done, she will surely punish us."
Cupid said coldly, "Menia, we have no choice. Preserving Paphos Island and awaiting news from Mother is the only thing we can do. Sacrificing the demigod bloodlines, or sacrificing the entire island—which one do you think Mother would choose?
"If you disagree, then we'll sacrifice you instead. I will tell Mother that you died under siege by the followers of the God of Light."
His voice was clear and tender, yet the words he uttered sent chills running down one's spine.
The Siren Cynthia said, "Then let's do it. Tonight, assemble all the demigod bloodlines. Use the excuse that the basement has suffered a collapse and urgently requires maintenance to bring them down."
Sectia exchanged a glance with Eriga. "I agree."
Menia remained silent.
Five meters below, the spirit servant slowly sank back to the ground, drifting back into its master's body.
At this moment, one giant word filled Zhang Yuanqing's mind: *FUCK!*
At this instant, all the information and clues converged; he had thoroughly deciphered the plot and walkthrough of the S-rank dungeon, Paphos Island.
Zhang Yuanqing opened his quest panel and stared at the main quest: *Survive!*
As it turned out, he belonged neither to the Paphos Island faction nor to the God of Light faction.
In truth, the main quest had already given him a hint with just the word "Survive," rather than commanding him to repel the assault of the God of Light's followers.
From his second day entering the dungeon, he had faced Cupid's threats; any ordinary member of the Desire profession entering here could never have accomplished the task of crafting two thousand arrows.
On the third day—today—Cupid had assigned him yet another impossible task.
The intensity of the danger had escalated step by step, dead set on driving him to his grave.
And just moments ago, he had been placed onto the sacrifice list.
Paphos Island was not on his side at all; from the moment he set foot on the island, he had been staring down immense peril.
Naturally, the God of Light's faction was also the enemy.
He was an isolated individual caught between two factions, which was why the main quest was "Survive"—
Survive amidst the factional conflict.
*Fortunately, I didn't show off in front of everyone during the day. Otherwise, Sectia would definitely have bedded me tonight, and after paying that 'service fee,' I wouldn't have been able to refuse entering the basement—a guaranteed dead end.*
A wave of lingering fear washed over Zhang Yuanqing.
Having unraveled the core mechanics of the dungeon, it was time to formulate a strategy.
First order of business: survive tonight.
Chapter 943