Shadow of the Evil God

Although there were clear teeth marks on her shoulders and neck, and her body had shrunk, Ajiehe still grinned nonchalantly. "Anything else to complain about? But you have to remember, I'm different from you. I won't be ashamed of this kind of thing."

"Neither can I," Sevra replied. Cesar saw that Giralo remained as still as a stone. Only Aya tilted her head away, then cautiously turned back to glance at the teeth marks on their bodies. She opened her eyes wide, then closed them again and turned her face away. She had nearly thrown the braid off her head. After repeating this several times, she coughed softly and solemnly added wood to the campfire.

Cesar studied Aya for a moment, noticing that her face had turned red, and earned a dark glare from her.

"What's with the way this guy is kneeling?" he asked nonchalantly.

Sephora looked up at him. "The Kuna martial arts," she said. "Giralo said that a warrior uses words and actions to regulate the distracting thoughts in their souls, thereby distinguishing between self and others. Anyway, I taught this girl the martial arts he gave me, and more than a decade later, she has become a formidable ancient warrior."

It sounded like the mute girl had used her time of stagnation to practice diligently and effectively, Cesar thought. What about him? What had he been doing in the wilderness for over a decade? He counted on his fingers, remembering—teasing the she-wolf Ajeh, talking about love with Diana, mumbling to himself while holding Firth's body, and simply staring blankly at the various scenery during his endless journey.

There was nothing wrong with that. He wasn't a warrior anyway, so no matter how much he practiced, it would be useless. Instead of torturing himself with swords everywhere, he might as well enjoy the journey itself.

"Have you encountered any Nightmare?" Sephora asked him.

"I knew you'd call that thing a Nightmare," Cesar said. "I thought you should have told me there was something there."

"I forgot," Sevra said nonchalantly. "There's so much I want to say, and there are always omissions. Besides, I know the Nightmare poses no threat to you. We didn't kill it because it would have crossed over and threatened the bonfire—someone had to watch over it to prevent it from going out. I was surprised to see Ajeh's face so weak."

"She ate the Nightmare," Cesar said.

Sevra paused.

Ajeh let out a laugh that sounded like it came from a horn. Her laughter was even louder than the rest of theirs combined. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it? That thing's gone now. We can keep our campfires and camp at the tomb's entrance. And I think this Jiralo needs to observe their ancient tombs, too. Once we get there and make sure the environment is stable enough, we can retrieve the emperor and empress's heads."

"You actually brought out that stitched head?" Sevra raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

"It's the dog," Cesar explained. "She always picks up all sorts of strange things and piles them up in my place. I haven't been to my bedroom in a while, and it's almost become a storage room."

Thinking of the Faceless One, he turned his head to look around him, but found nothing there. He realized that she hadn't followed him. She had no soul, so naturally she couldn't follow Ajehe's soul here - but he had become accustomed to her standing silently beside him.

Suddenly, Cesar felt lost and lost. Often, when someone you've grown accustomed to seeing suddenly disappears, not appearing where they were supposed to be, you'll feel a sudden sense of loss. In every sense, the dog was a part of his life, and the feeling of losing her was like someone losing a limb and being forced to crawl on the ground.

How should I put it? Awareness of the possibility of loss is precisely the most important characteristic of love. Those fantasies of eternal love are always vain and empty. It's when we understand that love can be lost and decide to invest in it, whether to hold on or let it go, that feelings become profound. Only then do we fully comprehend the depth of our love and consider whether we can afford the terrible grief that follows its loss.

In many ways, the existence of the dog and the time she brought him were so beautiful, so beautiful that people became accustomed to it and took it for granted.

Cesar believed that love and hate were not taken for granted. Since he questioned Isri's rightful hatred, he would also question the Faceless's rightful love. He would pursue this question to the end, even to Analik and his own path.

Jirallo suddenly spoke: "Is your Faceless One waiting to be summoned with the Emperor's Head of the Fran Empire?"

Cesar nodded. "I think you can open it, priest. It's not just the emperor's head, it's the queen's head, half on the left and half on the right, sewn shut."

"That queen was endowed with the knowledge of loving and being loved," Jirallo said. "Unlike the later generations around you, she took the satisfaction of loving and being loved for granted, wholeheartedly. Even if she knew the reason, she wouldn't care."

Cesar was surprised. "You know the Queen of the Fran Empire?"

"She is Ferriers' sister," said the priest.

"I heard that Ferriers came to you to seek ancient magic." Cesar said.

Jirallo shook his head slowly. "There is no magic in the world, only knowledge. We call concealed knowledge magic, and unconcealed knowledge secular."

Cesar looked at the elderly priest and thought his perspective was worth considering. "I wasn't aware of such a theory. So, can you use your veiled knowledge to bring the Faceless One here? And the head she's holding, too?" he said.

"I can do it, after all, I have the knowledge, but I'm afraid I'm powerless with just my current state," said Jirallo.

"What do you need?" Cesar asked him.

"The tomb contains a medium that allows me to cast spells," the priest said. "I need you to explore further. However, I also need to remind you that it is dangerous to rashly awaken the residual memories of these two. The Frankish Emperor, Milava, was trained as a son of God from childhood. He firmly believes that he was born a god and that everything is his right, except for Solaire, who requires his respect. He firmly believes that he can change the fate of the world and exterminate all the cursed Kuna and beastmen. Most importantly, he has achieved everything he believed in throughout the first half of his life."

"This is really..." Sevra raised her eyebrows slightly, "What will happen if this Milava finds out our identities? Will he order us to die as a matter of course?"

"I'm not sure, because he's not necessarily more insane than his queen," Giralo said. "According to Firilth, Allandi made great contributions to Milava's cause, even making great sacrifices. She made Milava, who only loved Solaire, gradually fall in love with her. Her problem was that she firmly believed that her love would be reciprocated, and that the person she loved would eventually be fascinated by her. She believed in the promise of this bloodline and fulfilled it. It was a firm belief, unreasonable, but she ultimately overwhelmed Milava's belief."

Aya raised her head from the bonfire and blinked, as if she felt that this incredibly resolute love was full of kindness and beauty, and that Cesar's filthy desires must be despised.

"And after that?" Cesar asked him.

"You need to ask them themselves," the priest said. "That history is buried in layers of fog, and I don't know it either."

"I'm increasingly curious about these two, about Milava and Alanti," Cesar said. "But Ajeh needs to rest now. She can't take Aya out on this adventure." At the mention of her name, she narrowed her eyes and stared at him, as if trying to discern some hidden agenda. "Well, you look like you need rest, too, Sefera," he said, looking at Aya helplessly. "How about we camp here for the night and then head out with a campfire when we're refreshed? What do you think?"

"The broken road has been continued," Jilalo said solemnly, "appropriate easing is necessary."

Sevra nodded, looking truly weary from the night watch, especially given the seemingly endless darkness in this place. "We have tents made of animal hides," she said. "Jiralo doesn't need to sleep, so Aya and I each have our own. I'll give you mine, so we can squeeze in. However, I didn't expect you and Ajehe to come separately. If that Faceless One with you comes too, our old tent will be a bit crowded."

"Nothing," Cesar shrugged. "I'm used to sharing a bed with others."

Sephora frowned slightly. "Promise me you won't make too much noise at night, okay?"

Aya was stunned when she heard this, then reacted. She immediately reached out to support her forehead, shook her head and sighed. If she could speak, she would have been complaining loudly. This guy's little tricks are really too much. Instead of being a Kuna warrior, he should switch to a mime artist.

Ajiehe raised her voice, "This is the flame of the soul, the inheritance of life. You really don't understand what a species is, right? Of course it is like that. You think it doesn't matter if you and your maid die here, but others still want the species to continue. Even if we all die, a new species will start from me—"

Cesar covered her mouth with his hand. "She's a little loud," he said, "but I can get her to talk a little less."

"From what I have heard, the species that will continue from you will be nothing more than a pack of mad beasts, Ajeh," Sevra replied.

Ajehe bit his finger. "If you're not satisfied, go find him and continue your life!" she declared loudly. "Life is reborn and fulfilled through struggle. Even though I've never come into contact with my own kind, I know that only offspring can bring hope in the long night."

"Oh, of course." Cesar said to ease the atmosphere. "In certain circumstances, life has the right to continue. Having more people to continue life together, or having a more crowded tent, may not be a bad thing..."

Aya sprayed out the water in the water bag and coughed loudly, looking like she was almost choking to death.

"Cesar." Sevra's eyes suddenly widened. "If I'm forced to fight you alone next time and you put this kind of thing into my head, I will take out the blade and cut off our desire first."

"I see," Cesar smiled at her, "but since similar things have happened so many times, I can, uh, ask Diana to block some of my memories for me. As long as they don't reach you, that's fine."

'

Aya stared at him with wide eyes, obviously overwhelmed by his words.

"You show no remorse," Sevra said.

Chapter 379: The Fear of the Wise

"Let's put aside these insignificant disputes," Jirallo said in a deep voice. "I want to know what your plans are, Cesar. The princess wants to explore the forgotten things. As another part of her, you should also bear the responsibilities of a royal family."

Cesar discovered that Legosius wasn't the only one who wanted to crown him lately. Although he had already rejected the White Nightmare, he still had much work to do with the Kuna priests, and the Remnant Memory itself was an unpredictable being. He decided to go along with Jiralo's words.

He cleared his throat and followed Jiralo's lead, "I believe the princess's determination to explore the past. Once this matter is concluded, I hope she will come to me to discuss future matters. As you said, she and I have quite a few contradictions, but we can also say that our personalities complement each other. While she was searching for the forgotten things, I had already established a foothold, or, of course, you could say it was expanding my territory. She's always welcome there."

"Is it stable?" Jirallo asked him.

"It's still unclear, but it's almost there," Cesar said. "Taking advantage of the fact that various factions were involved in the war and were deeply entangled in the conflict, I sought change. I enlisted the support of some temples and schools of magic. Leveraging the chaos of the war and their support, I successfully seized control of a small portion of the kingdom. To ensure efficiency, I expelled all the old nobles and established my right to rule. Although I encountered protests from the old nobles, they will soon realize that protests are meaningless."

"Use war? But you have only been here for two or three years. When ruling a territory, both secular and non-secular are necessary. Even with the support of the temple and the school of magic, it would be too arbitrary to expel the nobles in the territory." Jirallo said.

"No," Cesar denied. "Any decision must be considered in light of the current situation. The nobility is divided. The reformists are denouncing the royal authority, launching a war, and demanding that the king accept their control. These nobles are the main force of the Auridan nobles. The nobles of the royal faction are already weak, and those who have not participated in the war and are hiding in their territories are even more insignificant. It was not until I completely expelled them and established a new order that news came that the nobles who fled to the capital found the king to protest."

"It sounds like you have everything ready," Jilalo said solemnly, "all you need is a complete victory in the war."

At this point, Sevra was slightly taken aback. "Actually, it's hard for me to imagine. When I said goodbye to him, I said we would never go the same way. I only imagined that he would be mingling with dignitaries in various city-states and mingle with the court. This kind of life is naturally not what I want. But now..."

Jirallo's expression was solemn. "Though you all harbor disdain for power and position, Princess, you have taken so much from his soul that it will enable him to accomplish what you could do but are unwilling to do. I believe he has the power to restore the glory of the past and return the world to its most powerful age, when all lands were ours and the Franks were merely savages brought from the forests by wise men during their training."

Cesar couldn't help but gasp. It must be that this little mute was the only Frank here, and there wasn't any other ethnic group to identify with. Otherwise, his words would have annoyed quite a few people.

"You must know that I am not one of your kind, priest," he said.

"That's not what I meant," Giralo explained. "That wise man is buried in a tomb not far from us. He and his school are the origins of our thoughts and pursuits, and the knowledge he brought has created great glory. Although he later fell into the madness of truth, his entire face became empty darkness and nothingness, he still guided all the races in this land. Perhaps it is because of him that we worship these white nightmares."

"I see. So we're going to dig up the Tomb of the Wise, right?" Ajeh said excitedly. "Of course. It sounds better than digging graves. How are you going to convince your ancestors that your grave-digging is different from that of the Franks?"

Cesar grabbed Ajeh's tail, and she shuddered. "Let's not talk about your past for now, Priest," he said. "If it were just the Kingdom of Oridan itself, I would have been confident. But after I repelled the attack from the northwest, I faced the Imperial Army, personally ordered by the Chancellor, to aid the King of Oridan in quelling any rebellion. To be honest, in previous wars, I used tactics outside the game, and I only considered the gains and losses of individual cities and regions. In the next war, the gains and losses of individual cities and regions will no longer affect the overall situation, and many things will be irrelevant."

"Then where do you get the confidence to fight them?" Jirallo asked him.

"Long-term military advantage," Cesar said. "In this era, mercenaries are flourishing like never before, and the demand for money is also unprecedented. The previous war years have already caused huge losses. Even the chancellor owes a lot to many mercenary groups. As for me, not only have I plundered all the property that the nobles in the territory didn't have time to take away, I'm also conspiring with the bankers to empty the silver mines in the northwest of the empire."

"So, many of your plans so far have been for fame. Fame that would allow you to capitalize on this money."

"It's not entirely my own doing; many circumstances also play a role. However, with the reputation I've accumulated so far, and even with the generous treatment I've given the Black Swords' main force, I can easily recruit various mercenary groups in trouble to fight for me. Just as they fought for the Chancellor in his territory back then, they will now fight for me in my territory."

“仅

Relying on secular military advantages? The temple's support for you is just a passing fancy? I'm not worried about that school of magic."

Cesar shook his head at the priest. "One temple is clearly lost. It has widespread beliefs and ideas for change, but has achieved nothing. I tried to point out a way, and although they could only explore within my territory, they accepted it. Later, they sent people from the Grand Temple to support me. Now that we have the name of fighting the tide of the Abyss, this support will be more legitimate. There is another temple that is my enemy, but I have supported a branch sect. If I handle it properly, I may have a chance to compete with their Grand Temple for control of the Eye of the Furnace, or even for the favor of Sagaros. It is the School of Spells that I am worried about."

"Are you worried about your wife?" the priest asked him. "She will be the leader of that school."

"If our souls were pure, I wouldn't do this," Cesar said. "The problem is, the Yestren School itself is shrouded in an unfathomable shadow. If Diana were just by my side, it would be fine. But if she wanted to inherit the school, something I can't imagine might happen."

"Allandi?" Jirallo mentioned Ferrier's sister again.

"Perhaps even older than her," Cesar agreed. "I saw her shadow in Diana's mother. I think if an ancient ghost has been lingering in this bloodline or even this school, then it would be more than just a school of magic. If it weren't for Diana, I would have felt that the Xisai School, which was once my enemy, was more worthy of victory - to gain their help in destroying the Yestren School."

"It sounds like you have personal experience."

"I've experienced this myself, treating people's personalities and memories like books and altering them," Cesar said thoughtfully, pinching Ajeh's tail again. "Although Ajeh took advantage of his complacency to tear him apart and eat him, this kind of magic itself implies a kind of terror, far more terrifying than the Xisei School's burning of cities. If every school of magic originated from a school of the Kuna people, then I believe the Yestren School's origins must be darker than any other."

"That's true." Jirallo murmured, "When the revelation of the Ice Age came, not every school avoided the world and waited for death like me. Over the years, many schools explored the hidden knowledge, like digging in an endless maze. Although most schools did nothing until the true god obscured the sky, there were always some that achieved results, such as that Solaire..."

Cesar thought about what he said, "According to what you said, the Kuna people are still influencing the order of the world in their own way."

Jirallo shook his head and said to him, "If a person distorts his own existence, he no longer belongs to his former tribe, and the same is true for me. Regardless, our legend says that the wise man passed down great ideas, taught the secrets of true knowledge, and led us forward. When he fell into madness, he said he would find a cemetery to die, but you don't have to worry, because as long as the flame of thought is not extinguished, there will always be new wise men to lead people forward, even if the city is reduced to ruins, the sky is no longer bright, and the earth is already dark and chaotic."

"From what you said, it seems that wise men also have things to fear." Sephora took over his words. This guy's keen sense of direction was really subtle.

"We call this the Fear of the Wise," the priest said. "Perhaps this is why the Wise have inspired so many races. And later, so have some of our schools."

"If you light enough flames, there will always be a place where they will burn?" Sevra asked him.

"This has been going on for hundreds of generations," said Giralo. "Although our people generally regard the Franks as sacrifices to the true gods, there are always some who support them with a wise fear, hoping that these poor Franks can continue the existence of civilization. Now that I think about it, Sky Lord Solaire must be the most daring attempt of a certain school. The Yestren School may also be a possibility, but from your description, Cesar, it seems to have some darker and more secretive ideas."

Cesar nodded. "To be qualified to speak to the ancient spirits, an identity that would force even them to sit at the negotiating table is essential. Secular status and power may seem fragile, but that's simply because the ruler's wisdom, identity, and existence are too easily replaced. If I demonstrate irreplaceable wisdom, identity, and existence, then anyone who wants to stand by me will not only not consider murdering me, but will also find ways to protect me for the greater good. If my cursed identity is exposed, the temple will also stand up to defend me. At this point, an important step will have been taken."

Chapter 380: The Beast Bites and Competes with the Opponent

......

Although it may be suspected of exaggeration, the overall situation is indeed moving step by step towards the blueprint he described, as Cesar said.

Of course, in the beginning, many blueprints were constructed only for temporary needs, and some were just coincidences. However, these were not important. He seized every seemingly insignificant opportunity, even if it was just a coincidence, and made use of it appropriately to piece together a complete picture. This was how he drew the blueprint.

The world's possibilities are so vast that Cesar can't penetrate every branch, but he can grasp every possibility he sees and expand upon it. With his own vision in certain areas, he can see further than others, revealing possibilities that remain dark in this world, revealing them to himself and those around him. As his only student, Altinia asks him more questions than anyone else, and as a result, her vision gradually expands, reaching further than others.

In Cesar's view, Ajeh's words were not entirely wrong. When cities are shattered, nations are declining, the sky is dark and the earth is transformed into a dark chaos, in such times, hope lies in offspring and, more importantly, in the survival of civilization. A person can walk alone in the wilderness and die alone like Sefera, or they can migrate to the borderlands like Jiralo and watch the mountains turn to cold plains, but in the end, they are both in self-exile.

He was different from them. He had many people he wanted to protect, not just individuals, but also the continuation of civilization and the legacy of his descendants. Although he and Sevra shared the same desire to retreat into the wilderness and live in seclusion, his inclination was not as strong as hers, nor was it as overwhelming. He cared about much more.

He just needed some encouragement, or driving, of course, such as some sweet whispers, some kisses and hugs, or even Diana pulling his ear and telling him that he must do it.

Jirallo sometimes spoke of the Kuna people's past glory. Although Cesar had only seen shattered debris and piles of rubble, he could still imagine the scenes the priest recalled. He could imagine those magnificent cities and solemn temples, imagined the giant city hanging high in the sky, imagined how great the civilization of that time was. Now, all of this had vanished in the passing of the ages, leaving only a few memories and ancient ghosts wandering in the world.

He certainly didn't want to become a memory and an ancient ghost along with the people around him, while everything else turned into ruins and debris like the Kuna people, and could only be left for future generations to write about in history at will.

"Your eyebrows were almost wrinkled into two knots when you were dreaming." said Ajiehe.

Cesar opened his eyes, unsure if he was dreaming or if his dream had transformed into another form of brooding. Her bloody mouth was pressed against his neck, her bloody fingers pressed against his chest, clearly biting him and licking his blood while he slept. It was incredible that she could greet him so calmly in such a scene.

If he were still a pure human being, he would have become weak due to injuries and died of paralysis due to bleeding. This guy just killed the male after having sex with him, or even ate him.

Those plump, fair breasts pressed against his chest, gently caressing him, seemed the only thing that could be called comfort right now. The bright red beads curved and erected, sliding back and forth with her restless movements, their smooth skin dazzling against the bloodstains. Though her figure had shrunk, the volume of her breasts remained just as impressive, as if answering her words of continuing his lineage.

"You really want to kill me," Cesar whispered.

Although the tent was small, it was still enough for the two of them to squeeze together. Cesar didn't know if this guy was taking revenge or was just a habit, but he didn't care. He put one hand into Ajeh's mouth, stroked her fangs, and then pinched her tongue. With the other hand, he grabbed her left breast and squeezed it roughly.

As her face gradually turned red, Cesar turned to pinch her bead, kneading it and stretching it, pulling her entire full chest forward, almost like a funnel. He pinched out her tongue and sucked it in his mouth. It felt cool and smooth, and it tasted of blood. Thinking that it was his own blood, he sucked harder.

Her mouth opened wider as his fingers played with it, and her tongue stretched out like a puppy, sucking deeper and deeper into his mouth.

Miraculously, Ajiehe didn't struggle at all. The scratching felt like a pleasure during intercourse, the slight pain acting as a balm. As for biting his neck in her sleep, it seemed like a form of sexual advance. Those bloodthirsty little goblins said the more chaotic the better, and this was perfectly embodied in her.

She held him tighter, biting his fingers first, then leaning forward to nibble on his ear. Cesar lowered his head to let her bite him, feeling the warmth of her lips. Then, he tightened his grip around her waist and bit her breast. He felt the smoothness of her tongue teasing along his ear, the slight sting of her teeth biting.

Cesar took a deep breath and bit down hard on her soft flesh, feeling the delicious tenderness in his mouth. As her skin dented under his teeth, her breath became hot and heavy, blowing into his ears, intoxicating.

The harder he bit, the more moist and warm Ajiehe's breath became. In the end, it almost soaked his ears in a sticky and warm mud, and he could only hear a burning and suffocating sound.

's breath.

Her mouth wrapped tightly around his ear, her tongue stirring the saliva, which then coated the entire ear. She sucked on his ear and licked his ear hole, the sticky sounds mixed with heavy breathing and panting, sometimes accompanied by a few moans, almost making people faint.

When Cesar opened his mouth from the teeth marks on Ajeh's chest, not only were her beads a bright red, but her face flushed too. She crossed her legs with his, slowly rubbing them together, his lips moving closer to hers, breathing slowly. He didn't rush into sex, simply kissing her lips and biting each other gently, then turning the bites into a long, entwined kiss. With his left hand, he grasped her breast, where he had just been bitten, and pinched the extremely sensitive bead. With his right hand, he also pinched her tail and began to play with it.

The strength of his kneading was sometimes light, sometimes heavy, constantly changing, stimulating her tail to swing back and forth. This long tail was soft and flexible, sometimes wrapped around his arm, sometimes sweeping it here and there, and sometimes slapping his hand constantly.

"Tails aren't the right thing for this..." she said, biting his upper lip.

"Just wait until you get used to it, dear." Cesar bit her lower lip. "Do you know what a habit is? When I hold your tail, your face flushes. That's called a habit."

"I didn't know you enjoyed training wild beasts."

"I don't want to treat you like a beast," he said, pressing his tongue against hers before separating with a trace of saliva sticking to them. "You're the one who bites people and bleeds in the middle of the night."