The huge group of carriages traveled through a bright sea of clouds. The Pegasus stepped on the clouds as though they were solid. The wind rushed past them and the clouds were like soft, white waves. This beautiful scene was quite magnificent enough to capture Du Ze's fancy even though the atmosphere inside the carriage was heavy. He simply put the impending rain of blood to the back of his mind.
Suddenly, they felt a sense of weightlessness as the Pegasus pulled the carriage down into the sea of clouds below. A thick white mist enveloped the carriage as they passed through the clouds. Du Ze's vision darkened for a moment then the carriage passed through the clouds and he saw a piece of the Chaos Continent – there seemed to be dotted white lines dividing various regions of the Chaos Continent but it was too far away so Du Ze couldn't make out what the white lines were. He didn't know if it was because his eyes had become accustomed to the bright light above the clouds, but Du Ze thought that the Chaos Continent seemed quite dark. This contrast made a person feel a sense of loss, as though they were gods falling down into the mortal realm.
The group of carriages descended quickly. Du Ze stared at a little black spot that was getting bigger and bigger. As they came nearer he saw that it was a huge palace thousands of square meters big. In front of the palace was a large clearing that had enough space for all of the carriages to land.
The three people got off the carriage and waited for a long time as the soldiers in uniform blew on their horns and the palace mage released magic fireworks to give them a warm welcome.
"Welcome to the Eighth Layer of Heaven, Lord Governor and Inspector General." The officer in front of the welcome committee led the rest of the soldiers in kneeling in front of the carriage. "Your coming has bestowed glory upon this place."
Du Ze glanced at the governor out of the corner of his eye. The governor's "I'm glowing, so I exist" attitude was very glorious. He could not help but heap praise on the group who are kneeling in front of the governor: Just too d***ed quick-witted!
The governor, receiving the leader's flattery, grunted haughtily and marched through the crowd up into the palace. Xiu had brought out Old John so that Eric would seem even more alone compared to the three of them.
Seeing Eric looking at them, the gnome opened his small hand and a grey light leapt from his palm to Eric's forehead. Xiu looked at the unscatched Eric and said: "What a pity!" There was no regret in his amber eyes that were full of innocence and malice, like a mischievous child.
No doubt, if violence wasn't forbidden in this place, Xiu would definitely have killed Eric right then.
"Why are you two always dawdling?" The governor, who was at the palace door, turned back to roar at them.
Xiu glanced at Eric then pulled Du Ze towards the army. Old John followed then, leaving Eric standing stiffly by himself. Eric stood motionless for a long time then silently stepped forward.
The leader's officials were unusually enthusiastic and respectful. Based on what they said, their host, the Archon, is the ruler of the Eighth Layer. The Eighth Layer of Heaven is the name of a region. It seems that this simulation of the Chaos Continent is divided into several regions which are named by a number.
Du Ze found out that this was yet another instance of Yi Ye Zhi Qiu's laziness. This was all based on Dante's "Divine Comedy" in which heaven is divided into nine layers, the First Layer is at the bottom and the Ninth Layer is at the top, the area closest to god. The First Layer of this angel race's trial should be the most chaotic area in the continent and the Ninth Layer is probably where the BOSS resides.
Du Ze is actually at a loss. The main task of the angel trial is not clear. He thought it might be an escort task but the ban on violence completely negates his original guess. He has no idea what the Tower of God wanted the tower climbers to do in this trial.
At this time, a group of people were being warmly welcomed by the Archon.The highest official of the Eighth Layer accompanied them himself, not so much because he was genuinely interested in them, but simply to flatter an important group of people. After leading them inside the palace, the Archon arranged luxurious accomodation for them. Naturally, the bright being (the governor) was given the best room. When it came to Xiu and Eric, however, there was a slight problem with the accomodations.
"I have to stay with him?' Xiu's voice was neither warm or cold. His tone was flat as he asked if he had to share a room with Eric. It was a kind of emotionless tone that made the Archon break out into a cold sweat.
"Lord Inspector General, you are dissatisfied with this arrangement?"
In fact, Xiu and Eric had been given a very large room by the Archon which consisted of a common lounge and two bedrooms. Although the two bedrooms were close together, they each had separate doors. Even so, the Moe Lord found it hard to tolerate being only a wall away from his arch-rival.
"An eyesore."
The poor Archon could not tell whether Xiu was saying that he was an eyesore, or that he did not want to stay with the other inspector.
Eric also spoke: "Is there any other room? I can stay there."
"I'm sorry, but the other rooms are not worthy of someone of your status."
"Never mind, ordinary is good."
The Archon stared at the Eric's feathers of light and shook his head resolutely. "According to the rules your status is lofty, therefore you must stay in a room that matches your noble identity."
He bowed deeply to Eric and Xiu: "Have a good rest, Lord Inspector Generals."
Then, no matter what Xiu or Eric said, the Archon kept his head down in a 90-degree bow, mechanically repeating that sentence. The Tower of God's meaning is clear. Xiu and Eric must stay in the same space. The silly, cute reader silently took off his glasses and wiped them clear.
Ding! This little student knows what you want, author.
This is a common plot development. Before the final, decisive battle, the protagonist will be alone and away from all his allies and harem members. He will meet the rival then their fate will be decided while a bleak wind blows over their final showdown. After some fighting, the rival will be defeated and thereby complete his life's mission of sending experience points to the protagonist in a tragic way, making every reader cry his eyes out.
Usually, before the duel an experienced author will arrange it so that the protagonist and the rival will chat while standing in that bleak wind, talking about matters closest to their hearts. After this dialogue, both of them will deepen their understanding and sympathy with each other, but they still have to duel.
It's the usual "If not for fate, we might have been best friends." This type of "friends" plot is more popular than mutual animosity, especially with those types of fujoshi who usually like to talk about ships.
In order to please a great number of readers, Yi Ye Zhi Qiu also forced a similar plot on Xiu and Eric. In order to make the two of them chat about life, not only has the angel trial forbidden violence, it has also made Xiu and Eric participate in various highly intimate situations such as forcing them into a small carriage only big enough for two and making them sleep in two adjoining bedrooms.
Du Ze guessed that there would be more instances in the future where the Moe Lord and the son of god would be forced to stay together. Regarding Yi Ye Zhi Qiu's evil intentions, the silly, cute reader could hardly bear to watch as the ****ed author was waving a flag at the Moe Lord and Eric, shouting: You must reach this point, quickly and sincerely!
Author, you're being naughty again.
Xiu clearly expressed his displeasure; his face was like a wrinkled little bun and Du Ze was tempted to pinch it. Eric was not against it much. He looked at Du Ze and Xiu as though he was thinking deeply about something. It was a standoff until an attendant knocked on the door.
"My Lord, the luncheon is ready."
The Archon's NPC mode finally deactivated. He said to them politely: "Lord Inspectors, I humbly request your attendance at a welcome banquet that has been prepared for you."
Du Ze thought that it would just be a small luncheon. He hadn't expected the Archon to hold such a lavish banquet. In a garden the size of four football fields, tables were filled with delicious food that had beautiful purple and red plants as decorations. At the banquet, all of the food was placed on the tables while gorgeously dressed people traveled between the table. A fountain of wine made a colorful splash and the whole place had an atmosphere of extravagance and luxury.
Despite the crowd, Du Ze could easily pick out the governor from among the people surrounding him since the light he emitted announced his presence to all.
A lot of people were looking at Xiu and Eric with eager, admiring eyes. Soon, a brave fellow took the lead in approaching them. That was the beginning. More and more people were attracted to the two, like tiny iron pieces attracted by a magnet. A steady stream of people flowed towards them. Eric was soon surrounded by a crowd. Many people also wanted to get close to Xiu but Old John, with a refined and gentlemanly air, very gently struck the ground in front of Xiu, creating a 10-meter deep hole. After that, no one dared try to touch Xiu anymore.
The two enjoyed a quiet lunch as Old John went to the tables to fetch them food. Du Ze stared at the mechanical puppet who smiled as he walked towards them with two plates in his hands, four plates on his arms, two plates on his shoulders, and a plate on his head. Du Ze and Xiu's digestive abilities were far behind Old John's supply speed. A silly, cute person attempted to eat ten plates and was soundly defeated in battle.
"How about something to drink to aid digestion?" Xiu suggested.
Old John was as fast to supply them with drink as he had been to supply them with food. He brought back not just a large amount of drinks but also a rich variety of them. Du Ze looked at the variously colored goblets. His eyes were confused by all the choices. Xiu stretched out his hand, picked up a goblet filled with a pale liquid, and offered it to Du Ze.
"I remember that you liked the taste of this."
Du Ze automatically took the goblet. He smelled a faint fruity bouquet that seemed familiar but gave him a strange feeling.
"This is a fruit wine." Old John laughed and went on to explain like a teacher expounding on a popular science topic: "Its production process is simple, the flavor is mellow, and when one drinks it, one feels very warm. Because of this, mercenary soldiers like this drink a lot."
Du Ze finally remembered when he had drunk this wine. When they climbed up Snow Mountain, Eddie gave him this wine. Du Ze drank a mouthful from the goblet. The familiar fruity fragrance filled his mouth and the warmth of the wine flowed down his throat, making him want to drink another mouthful.
A few more mouthfuls and he could already see the bottom of the goblet. Du Ze put down the empty cup and a new one appeared in front of him.
"There's a lot more here." Xiu made an effort to persuade him.
Du Ze stared at the corners of Xiu's mouth that were turned up at an angle. He didn't know why but he felt an inexplicable sense of oncoming danger. A silly, cute person cautiously asked: "You aren't going to drink?"
"I'll drink." Xiu gave the goblet to Du Ze and he also picked up a cup of fruit wine for himself.
When he saw what was happening, Old John seemed to want to say something but stopped himself: "Little Master, drinking will lead to..."
Before Old John finished speaking, Xiu had already drunk the fruit wine. He hadn't put down the cup yet when he fell down.
"Bang."
The goblet fell to the ground and made a clear sound. The Moe Lord was lying in Du Ze arms, his body limp, seemingly unconscious. The gnome's long, curly eyelashes quivered with his every breath and his flaxen hair had slipped down his face. His tender, white face was faintly flushed. It's enough to make people think criminal thoughts.
"Ah, I thought it would be like this." Old John shook his head helplessly, with a kind of rueful "boys will be boys" expression on his face. He said, smiling: "The Little Masters have never had a good tolerance for strong alcohol."
Du Ze, holding Xiu who had keeled over from just one drink, was shaken by this unexpected attack on his world view.
WTF! This is not scientific! No matter which fantasy novel it is, the gnomes and dwarves have always loved to drink! They are the type that will say "Give me wine and I'll drink with you." How come a gnome drank a cup then keeled over? How could it turn out like this?!
Old John saw Du Ze's doubtful look and explained: "Alcohol affects the nerves and the gnomes manufacture machinery that demands the utmost precision, therefore the little masters do not drink."
... This trait is just as powerful as the racial talent. Du Ze looked at Xiu lying in his arms. The Moe Lord is certainly not the type of person who doesn't drink. This means that the reason why he fell down limp and unconscious after one drink is because of his gnome body.
Since the Moe Lord was in this state, they could not stay at the banquet. Old John sent away the alarmed Archon and the other NPCs. Du Ze lifted Xiu and followed their attendants out of the banquet area. They arrived at the double bedroom suite and Du Ze was just putting the sleeping gnome on the soft bed in the left bedroom when he heard someone calling him.
"God's Messenger." Eric's voice came from behind Du Ze.
Du Ze turned back and saw the blond son of god standing at the door, smiling brightly at him.
When your friend's rival calls you, what will you do?
A, ignore him.
B, talk to him.
Faced with these two options, a silly, cute person gave up treatment and chose B.
"You left your book behind." In Eric's hands, a little yellow (hardcore) book shone brightly.
[System: Player, you can either drop the doujinshi, your moral integrity, or soap ~ please choose.]
A silly, cute person's mind was suddenly flooded with images like a flashback – he went to the banquet and ate, sitting on the doujinshi, then later a bunch of stuff happened that made him forget about the existence of that little demon!
But what happened? Why did the rival pick it up and ...
Eric came forward and handed the doujinshi to Du Ze. As he passed it over, Eric involuntarily glanced at the book's cover and started slightly. His neck turned red as though he had remembered something.
When Du Ze looked at him, the son of the lord was looking straight ahead, avoiding his eyes for the first time.
Du Ze ...Du Ze no longer wondered what his image was in Eric's heart. It was time to throw away one's broken moral integrity: What's wrong with a male pervert?
Doujinshi: This child can be taught.
Seeing Du Ze calmly (so Eric thinks) accept the doujinshi, Eric also quickly regained his composure. Although he was still a little red, he was now able to look at Du Ze again with the usual firm manner, full of undisguised joy and reverence.
"I can finally talk to you." Eric smiled sunnily. He glanced at the unconscious Xiu on the bed. "When he's awake, I can't talk to God's Messenger."
Du Ze silently gave the son of god 32 likes.1 Even though Eric knew that Du Ze was equipped with a little yellow (yaoi) doujinshi, incredibly Eric still insisted that Du Ze was their savior.
Du Ze thought about asking Eric for information. After all, it was the son of god who identified Du Ze as the God's Messenger and brought him to the Temple of Light to see the god of light.
"God's Messenger, why are you with him?" Eric's voice was very soft as though he feared to offend Du Ze or wake up Xiu. "Why not destroy this heretic?"
"He is not a heretic!"
This was the first time that Du Ze had so loudly disagreed with someone. His voice echoed loudly in that space, like a ripple that spread out in the water. Not only Eric but even Du Ze was stunned by his own vehemence.
"... God's Messenger, my God has told me everything. He is indeed a heretic." Eric's tone became solemn. "The merging of the Chaos Continent and its reverse side, the merging of the Divine and Mortal realms, and the present chaotic state of the continent is because of his existence."
The merging of the two sides of the Chaos Continent is clearly Xiu's masterpiece – well, in the original "Mixed Blood" plot, Xiu's masterpiece made sense. As for the God and Mortal realms merging also being Xiu's fault, Du Ze thought that was nonsense. The god of light was probably the culprit but put the blame on the Moe Lord's shoulders?!
"That isn't even the most important point. The most terrible thing about the heretic is this: that man will destroy the Chaos Continent!" Eric gazed at Du Ze, not missing even the slightest movement of the black-haired youth. "God's Messenger, you know that, right ...?"
Of course he knew that! Whether it was Yi Ye Zhi Qiu's novel or the Time Corridor, they both plainly showed him that destined, doomed ending, but-
"So what."
"God's Messen- ... My lord...?"
An expression of disbelief flashed through Eric's face. It seemed impossible that the God's Messenger he admired would say that. Du Ze did not see the shock on Eric's face because he was gazing at Eric's blond hair, a color without darkness that always gives one a good impression.
He knows a person who has been betrayed countless times and betrayed other people countless times, suffering countless rejections. Even the value of his very existence was denied by everyone,
[When you die, everyone will be happy.]
So that pitiful person did not know who he was. He fell apart and his existence became that of absolute loneliness. Because he had no sense of self or of being alive, that person treated everyone – including himself – as an abstract concept, instead of as a real person.
[But he was unhappy. So, to make him happy, everybody should die, hmm.]
That was the protagonist of "Mixed Blood."
"If he tries to destroy the world, I will stop him," said Du Ze. Eric's eyes lit up but he didn't even have time to rejoice before the black-haired youth with an impassive face said coldly: "You choose to kill, I choose to save, that's all."
Du Ze's eyes were obviously clear and cold and did not contain any hidden meaning but Eric felt as though his heart was suddenly fiercely grabbed. Eric didn't know whether this pain was anger or shame.
—— Redeeming sinners, spreading faith, and returning the fallen to the the light, isn't this what the Temple of Light was supposed to do?
That person he had been looking for is so sarcastic.
********