Chapter 1 The Road

The vehicle passed through roads paved with bluestone slabs, the bustling low buildings on both sides of the street teeming with activity. Human residents bustled day and night, occasionally interspersed with figures of the demon race. The downtown area was always brightly lit.

After a long journey, they finally arrived at their accommodation for the night: the Snow Bear Palace Hotel, the most luxurious in the city-state.

"The most eye-catching building in Little Stone City is none other than the Snow Bear Palace. It's such a pity that you and Hyperion didn't pass through Little Stone City when we went to the Prant Empire from the Demon Realm last time. I've always wanted to take you on a tour of this snow-covered city-state."

Sigrid enthusiastically introduced Talia, pulling her forward at a brisk pace.

The Snow Bear Hotel looked like a towering palace from the outside.

Two giant white bear statues stood in front of the door, guarding the magnificent building like loyal sentinels.

"Sigrid, slow down. I won't get lost."

Talia followed Sigrid, whispering softly.

Sigrid's treatment made Talia's heart itch, as if she really had a daughter.

If Hyperion were also by her side, Talia felt her demon life would be complete.

"Kali Ella may be old, but she's still useful, not likely to get lost by herself."

Lanci, who had finished paying the driver, said to Sigrid and Talia.

The two in front turned their heads to look at him, without saying a word.

"You're really something."

Talia didn't know what to say to Lanci.

This was the reason why she had always been Lanci's teacher but never thought of him as her son.

A rebellious disciple who only thought about surpassing his master all day long was not a good son for his mother.

"It's only because Kali Ella has a good temper and wouldn't take your words to heart. If it were any other hot-tempered female Great Demon, she would have probably knocked you down by now."

Sigrid said with emotion.

After saying that, she turned her head, looked around in all directions, and once again led Kali Ella towards the hotel.

Pushing open the heavy oak door, warm light and comfortable heating rushed towards them, instantly dispelling the chill from outside.

In the center of the lobby stood a demonic fireplace unique to the Land of Eternal Night. Orange-red flames danced merrily in the hearth, illuminating the entire hall with brilliant colors.

Sigrid went to the front desk alone to register and checked them three in.

"Still an apartment suite."

Sigrid handed the room keys to Lanci and Talia.

The last time she and Lanci stayed here, it had multiple independent bedrooms and a shared living room.

The Pope was surprisingly poor, with basically no personal wealth, but the money she had saved over the years was enough to support the three of them for these twenty days.

Anyway, once they left the Shadow World, the currency of this world was useless, so they should just treat her as a rich woman and spend her money.

"I'm the employer, but I'm letting you spend money. I'm really embarrassed."

Lanci took the room card and said.

"Then how about you help me take the boxes upstairs? I'll go buy some food and ingredients from Great Stone Fort. It's not a loss to spend some money to exchange for a Pope identity from you."

Sigrid handed the suitcase to Lanci, teasingly.

"No problem."

Lanci responded with a kind smile.

He realized that, after so many years, Sigrid no longer regarded him as a noble lord; she would only deal with it calmly.

Sigrid walked towards the outside of the hotel lobby and noticed that Lanci was also following her.

"What's the matter? Is there anything else you want to say to me?"

She tilted her head and asked with interest.

Lanci's pace was leisurely and carefree, seemingly not intending to accompany her, just wanting to take this opportunity to take a casual walk and chat, and to explain a few things by the way.

"Remember to buy more food."

Lanci covered his mouth with his hand and whispered.

"How much exactly?"

Sigrid took out a small notebook from her pocket, made two notes, then stopped, raised her eyes, and looked at Lanci, waiting for his answer.

"Enough for the two of us for a week, I guess."

Lanci considered for a while and confirmed.

"No problem."

She waved her hand and walked out of the glass doors of the Snow Bear Hotel lobby.

"..."

Lanci smiled and watched Sigrid leave, then turned around and walked towards Talia, who was sitting on the sofa on the side of the lobby on the first floor of the hotel, waiting for him.

"Is it okay to let that child go out alone?"

Talia looked up at Lanci with a worried expression.

She probably shouldn't worry too much, but just like when she first met Hyperion, it was difficult for her to let go.

She wished she could keep her child in her sight at all times to protect Sigrid.

"Don't worry, she was very strong at eleven years old, and now I don't know what level she's at. Not to mention the protective barriers of the city-state, there probably isn't anyone in Little Stone City who can fight her."

Lanci picked up Talia's suitcase and replied.

"Well, let's go upstairs then."

Talia was very satisfied with Lanci's boyfriend-like habit and didn't need to think about anything when she was with him.

Lanci wouldn't even help her carry things before he went to the Northern Continent.

"You say, back when we were in South Mantina, when I said I wanted to treat you to dinner, you would only give me a cold look. How would I dare help you carry your suitcase?"

Lanci reviewed with her.

"That's true. Sorry, I won't treat you like that in the future."

Talia thought for a moment and said to him with a slight smile.

"……?"

Lanci was stunned and turned his head to look at her.

"I am Kali Ella. Isn't it normal for Kali Ella to be gentler?"

Talia said as a matter of course.

She had already fallen in love with the identity of Kali Ella.

She also wanted to become a Great Demon like Kali Ella.

"After you put on the Veil of the Fallen Heaven and turned into Kali Ella, only your appearance changed into hers, but you are both very good-looking, so it's equivalent to no change."

Lanci raised his doubts.

Although Talia's skin had changed again.

But he thought it was an invalid skin.

"Are you saying that there is no change in my inner self? I won't argue with you, considering that you always sincerely think I'm good-looking."

Talia snorted softly and walked forward.

"You today..."

Lanci couldn't understand.

If Talia responded like this, she really seemed to have the demeanor of Kali Ella, the ruler of the Demon Realm.

The two passed the front desk and walked towards the magic elevator.

Lanci looked around, briefly looking at all the employees he could see in the lobby.

"What's wrong?"

Talia felt that Lanci's behavior pattern was unusual.

"...In the past, Little Stone City stood at the southernmost tip of the Land of Eternal Night. It was like winter all year round, and the vast land was covered with white snow. It was a community mainly inhabited by beastmen, full of primitive and rugged beauty, and also integrated with the modernity of human city-states."

Lanci told her, stopped, and thought with his chin in his hand.

And his brows gradually became more reminiscent in addition to doubt.

Among the six city-states along the way, Little Stone City, as the southernmost independent city-state in the Land of Eternal Night and the closest to the Prant Empire, had the most normal relationship between its beastmen and humans. There were also frequent trade exchanges, deeply influenced by human culture.

Going deeper into the Land of Eternal Night, the environment would become increasingly harsh. Until the last city-state, you would hardly encounter humans in the city, and even demons would appear.

"!"

"That's right, Little Stone City is a beastman city-state. Why are all the people we see now humans? Where are the bear people?"

Talia also realized the blind spot.

She understood why Lanci said it was a little strange when he first waited for the car at the edge of the city.

She couldn't even see a cute little bear.

It was fine on the outskirts of the city-state, but even after arriving in the central urban area, she still couldn't see any bear people. Even the Snow Bear Hotel, which the bear people were proud of, had no bear people employees.

"I'll go ask."

Lanci said to Talia, and after Talia nodded, they turned around together.

They walked towards the front desk in the hotel lobby.

A young woman in uniform was standing there, concentrating on organizing documents.

The approach of two distinguished guests caught her attention.

"Good evening, sir, madam. Is there anything I can help you with?"

The front desk lady raised her head, revealing a professional smile.

"I would like to ask, what happened to the bear people in this city... why does it seem like I haven't seen a single one?"

Lanci asked thoughtfully.

The front desk lady's smile gradually solidified until a trace of compassion flashed in her eyes.

She hesitated for a moment, seeming to be considering how to speak.

"Sir."

Lanci felt as if he had been struck on the head when he heard this news.

"Why, how could this happen?"

He looked at the front desk lady and asked, his heart almost squeezed by an invisible pair of large hands.

"Six years ago, the Horning Empire and the Blood Clan launched a general attack on Little Stone City. The bear warriors led by Great Lord Algom fought to the death, refusing to betray their allies. The price they paid was that after the city-state was breached, it was subjected to a massacre by the invaders. Whether they were bear warriors or civilians, they were all subjected to the belly-ripping punishment by the Blood Clan and hung on the city walls to deter other beastman city-states..."

The front desk lady told Lanci about the history of six years ago.

Perhaps only people who hadn't been to Little Stone City for many years wouldn't know these things.

The closer you were to the beastman city-state, the more heartbroken you would be when you came to this city without bears after the war.

Hanging on the city wall, suffering the pain of extreme torture but unable to die, until the blood and intestines ran dry, and then new bears were replaced and hung up, without letting go of any of the bear people.

"..."

Facing the counter, Lanci was silent for a long time.

A deep sadness surged into his heart, and he felt a tightness in his throat.

"Then, those deceased bear people... where do they rest?"

Lanci's voice trembled slightly.

"Behind the original Rock and Shelter Temple in the city center, there is a cemetery specially built for the bear people. Many unidentified bear corpses are buried there. The Pope personally carved tombstones for them, and it is also a place to mourn and commemorate them."

The front desk lady pointed in the direction of the north of the city and said in a low voice.

It was difficult for her to forget that night, when the Pope went crazy, carving with blood all over her hands, while crying with guilt, building tombs for the bear people.

"Thank you."

Lanci thanked the front desk lady and then quickly walked out of the hotel.

Talia followed him with undisguised worry.

The cold wind mixed with snowflakes hit his face, but he didn't care.

He only had one direction in his steps—to the cemetery.

Passing through the increasingly quiet streets.

Lanci arrived at Little Stone City Memorial Park.

In the dark night, a white cemetery appeared before his eyes.

Countless simple tombstones stood in the white snow, like silent sentinels, guarding the rest of the dead.

Lanci slowly walked into the cemetery, and an icy chill came over him.

His eyes swept over the blank tombstones, imagining the appearance of those deceased bear people.

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and soon accumulated on the shoulders of Lanci's coat.

He stood like a solidified sculpture, motionless in front of the cemetery, letting the cold snowflakes cover his whole body.

"The Blood Clan really destroyed the bear people's most important temple and statues."

He remembered that this used to be the location of the temple.

Now, the temple behind should have been rebuilt by humans.

He was silent, remembering those years that could never return.

He finally understood why the Black Sun Lord in history was able to break through the blockade and go to the Demon Realm to support them when the Blood Clan was trying to cut off the Land of Eternal Night.

Without the desperate resistance of these beastman allies, which delayed the Blood Clan's offensive for several days, the Black Sun Lord would not have had this opportunity at all.

"..."

Talia couldn't tell what Lanci was thinking and nervously clutched the sleeve of his coat, staring at him.

But she felt that Lanci was wavering for the first time.

[Task Objective 2: Understand the mindset of Black Sun Lanclaus: 2.71%. (To be continued)]

The moment Talia noticed this unintentionally, a very bad premonition surged in Talia's heart.

Understanding the Black Sun.

Would understanding the Black Sun lead to becoming the Black Sun?

If.

If the real history was that Black Sun Lanclaus managed to defeat the Blood Clan, and the Blood Clan also chose to surrender, which was not much different from the Shadow World projection line they were currently in.

This beautiful Shadow World was not an illusion, nor was it a victory route unique to Lanci's creation. Peace had truly descended on history.

There was a force that was causing the Shadow World to return to the historical line, approaching an unshakable direction.

Talia believed that the Black Sun Lord was a kind person. From Kali Ella's Shadow Weave, she could see that even though his eyes were no longer as youthful as they once were and had become cloudy, his tears were still clear.

Faced with this compromised peace.

Black Sun Lanclaus no longer intended to create more sacrifices.

He was prepared to fall asleep quietly and alone.

But on the verge of death, he received a farewell letter from Fallen Kali Ella.

He decided to embark on a journey back to his old place for the last time.

Talia raised her hand and touched Lanci's cold cheek, wanting to give him some warmth.

But the ends of his hair were already wet with melted snow, and she couldn't see his green eyes hidden beneath.

She believed that Lanci had a flawless heart, a heart made of glass that didn't seem to be made of flesh and blood. This was the reason why he had always been able to remain calm in a way that humans couldn't.

Although Inaun's death may have opened a crack in it, Lanci's excellent qualities had never changed since then.

"Don't worry, Master."

Lanci shook his head and pulled Talia's warm hand away from his face.

He looked at the worried Talia, his expression still as natural as before, with no discernible difference.

(End of this chapter)