Chapter 841

【 GUARDIAN DEMIGOD 】

“Please rest assured. As recompense for sheltering Diana and the many elves for a thousand years, I will naturally treat his injuries.”

Whilst seated high upon her divine throne, Evé smiled.

“Thank you, Your Grace Evé.”

The pale-blue ethereal figure breathed a sigh of relief.

After saying this, Guy hesitated for a moment before adding:

“Although Imheter is stubborn by nature, he is not a bad person. He simply does not know how to properly express his feelings… I hope you can guide him. I believe… he will not disappoint you.”

Hearing Guy’s words, Evé nodded gently.

“I will.”

Only after entrusting everything to her did the leader of the Reincarnation Faction, who had been worried all this time, finally relax.

Seeing his expression, Evé smiled.

“Your Majesty Guy, now that you have entrusted Imheter to me. Have you never considered that even if the Eternal Lord achieves Greater Divine Power one day in the future, Imheter will still face danger? Or perhaps… you do not actually have much confidence in Etrioū?”

As she spoke, she gazed into Guy’s ethereal eyes, her own filled with curiosity.

Guy let out a soft sigh.

“In any case, the Eternal Lord is still the being closest to achieving such rank at the moment. As for Imheter… I actually knew long ago that, from the moment he brought the Moonlight Queen to Utopia, he was destined to no longer be able to walk alongside us.”

“Therefore, all I can do now is entrust him to you.”

“If the Eternal Lord fails his advancement, then when all things come to an end, I will bring you and him back to Utopia myself, and we will search for another opportunity in the next cycle…”

“However, before that happens, I hope you can sever your ties with everything in the World of Seigües as soon as possible. Not only your believers, but also those demigods…”

Hearing Guy’s words, Evé smiled faintly.

“So, does that mean you have no confidence in me at all?”

The pale-blue phantom smiled bitterly.

“Alas, it is too late… Far too late at this point…”

“You were once our only hope, but His Majesty Neo has already proven that path to be impossible. And now, even if you have come to your senses, it is already too late…”

“Having lost the key, it is impossible for you to emerge victorious in this struggle.”

Guy gently shook his head.

“Then… what if I have a chance of finding Lord Neo’s Key?”

Evé smiled.

Guy froze.

He could not help but look toward Eve’s magnificent violet eyes, while Evé simply smiled and met his gaze directly.

After a moment, Guy let out a soft sigh.

“My apologies, Your Grace. Even if you were to find His Majesty’s Key, the principles of our Reincarnation Faction would remain unchanged.”

“Besides, you will never find it since that key disappeared along with His Majesty Neo. After His Majesty vanished, Rigdal once made a prophecy which stated that the key was no longer in this universe.”

As he spoke, the Reincarnation Faction Leader smiled bitterly once more.

“Our faction’s sole purpose is to leave this place, while the key is outside. In that case… what use would that missing key be to us?”

Hearing his words, Evé fell into thought.

After a moment, she nodded.

“I see… I understand.”

With that, Evé said no more. Instead, she rose from her divine throne.

“It is getting late. The elves have already returned home, so I shall take my leave as well.”

She said this calmly.

Guy nodded.

“Your Grace, I shall await you on the day when all things come to an end.”

The corners of Eve’s lips curled upward.

“You see? You clearly have no confidence in the Eternal Lord at all.”

Guy was slightly taken aback, while Evé chuckled softly and left the temple.

༺⟐༻

The Coast of Dream Island

The Titan Imheter stood upon the beach, his travel pack slung over his back, remaining silent.

The pack had been left to him by his long-deceased parents. It was a storage artifact beloved by the Titans. Inside were nothing more than an elven sculpture, a Titan greatsword, and a set of elven leather armor.

Throughout the long years he had spent on Dream Island, these were practically the only possessions that truly belonged to him.

Behind him, countless people had gathered along the shore. Their gazes were filled with complicated emotions and reluctance to part.

They were the inhabitants who lived on Dream Island, many of whom had received his care.

On the other side, an Elemental Giant whose body was composed of water elements stood upon a high platform, holding a blue-and-gold scroll in his hands. His expression was complicated.

He let out a long sigh before announcing loudly:

“This is the decree of our Supreme Leader: Guardian Imheter has violated Utopia’s prohibitions. As such, his status as Guardian is hereby revoked, and he is expelled from the island!”

As soon as the words fell, pale-blue radiance blossomed from the scroll. It transformed into a streak of light that shot into the sky before flying toward the Titan.

Faint crimson radiance began to emanate from Imheter’s body.

When the pale-blue streak of light encountered the crimson radiance, it quickly transformed into a strange wine-red color. After circling Imheter’s body once, it flew toward the depths of Dream Island.

Watching the light disappear, the Elemental Giant turned back toward the silent Imheter and sighed.

“Lord Imheter, from this moment onward… you are no longer a Guardian of Utopia. According to His Majesty Guy’s decree, no Mythical being who is not a Guardian may enter the territory of Dream Island without permission. You… should leave.”

Hearing the Elemental Giant’s words, the Titan gently nodded.

He turned around and bowed deeply toward the depths of the island. Then, after adjusting his travel pack, he silently flew away from Dream Island.

“Lord Imheter!”

The beings on the island could not help but cry out.

However, their voices were soon drowned out by the crashing waves.

The Titan’s figure grew farther and farther away before eventually disappearing beyond the horizon.

༺⟐༻

Imheter had left Dream Island.

He flew alone toward the depths of the sea, remaining silent, a trace of bewilderment in his eyes.

He had lived on Dream Island and in Utopia for far too long. To him, the days of his youth had long since faded into sealed-away history. Only his days as a Guardian had allowed him to truly feel the passage of time.

And the thousand years he had spent there had been the happiest period of his countless tens of thousands of years of existence.

But now, it was all over.

Yet he had no regrets.

If he were given the choice again, he would still save that female elf who had collapsed on the shores of the Eastern Sea a thousand years ago.

If he were given another choice, he would still strike without hesitation, erasing every being that dared to harm her…

As a Guardian, he had once lived his life in a daze. It was she who had taught him what “love” was, and it was she who had taught him what “goodness” was.

At the thought of that beautiful figure, a glimmer of light appeared deep within Imheter’s eyes.

If his heart had always been a place of darkness, then she… was the light that had shone into that darkness.

However… she must be very angry with him now, right?

After all, he had concealed the news of the Goddess of Life from her for so long…

Thinking of that figure who had devoutly prayed before the divine statue year after year, Imheter’s gaze dimmed slightly.

Yet after the sorrow came relief.

The Goddess of Life had already ascended to the rank of Higher Divine Power.

At the very least… Diana had returned to the embrace of her Patron Deity, and the injuries she had sustained could be treated.

At the very least… the Goddess of Life was no longer what she had once been, and she could provide Diana with a safe haven.

That was enough.

It was enough…

When Imheter saw the excitement and joy on Diana’s face as she felt the power of the Goddess of Life, he understood that this was what she had truly been seeking.

At the same time, he finally came to his senses.

He… had truly been wrong.

In his daze, Imheter remembered something she had once told him.

“—Love is selfish, but… it is also selfless.”

Perhaps now, he could finally understand at least a little of what she had meant back then.

Imheter continued flying aimlessly.

He did not care where he was going, nor did he care what would happen to him in the future.

Having seen that final expression of excitement and joy on Diana’s face, he was already content.

Thus, he flew on and on.

Gradually, Imheter came to a halt.

He silently looked around him, and the depths of his eyes gradually turned cold.

All of a sudden, platinum-colored radiance slowly blossomed, and powerful, vast energy gathered around him. Accompanied by ethereal hymns, four Angels of Judgment appeared around him.

Their auras were powerful. With golden hair and silver armor, each possessed the strength of a demigod.

The leading Angel of Judgment drew his divine sword and pointed its blade directly at the Titan.

His voice was solemn and imposing.

“Blasphemer Imheter! By the decree of our Supreme Deity, you shall face the judgment of the Eternal Lord! The verdict is… death!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he and the other angels shouted in unison and charged toward the Titan with their weapons drawn.

Imheter remained calm.

He stared coldly at the angels and likewise raised his Titan greatsword.

He disliked these feathered creatures.

He disliked anyone who was an enemy of Diana.

So even if he were to die right now, he would make sure to take at least one of them down with him.

However, just as Imheter was preparing to burn away the last remnants of his divine power and soul, unleashing the final blaze of his life, an even more majestic and sacred aura descended.

Golden photons filled the sky, and the entire world seemed to bathe in divine radiance.

Then, in the next moment, a beautiful and holy figure slowly emerged.

That figure was more familiar to Imheter than anyone else.

It was the being he had carved day after day, year after year, for a thousand years, following the template Diana had given him.

The Goddess of Life, Evé.

She appeared beside the Titan and gently blocked every attack from the Angels of Judgment.

Seeing the Goddess of Life personally descend and intervene, the four Angels of Judgment changed expressions simultaneously.

“Your Majesty Evé, are you intending to make an enemy of our Lord?”

The leading Angel of Judgment spoke in a low voice.

However, Evé did not even look at him.

She merely uttered one word:

“Leave.”

The Angels of Judgment’s expressions darkened.

“Your Majesty Evé, you—”

“Leave.”

Evé repeated herself.

Vast divine power blossomed from her body as she looked at the Angels of Judgment with a faint, enigmatic smile.

“Seraphim Raphael attacked a demigod who pledged allegiance to me. According to the True God’s Covenant, that was an act of seeking his own destruction. As for the Titan Imheter, he protected the elves for a thousand years and is under the protection of the Elven Forest…”

“I can forgive your attack just now. Leave.”

Hearing her words, the Angels of Judgment’s expressions immediately became ugly.

“Your Majesty Evé, do you know what you are saying?”

The leading Angel of Judgment’s expression was grim.

“This is what the True God’s Covenant stipulates.”

Yet Eve’s voice remained indifferent.

The dignity of a True God could not be violated. If the Eternal Lord could regard Imheter’s killing of Raphael as an act of blasphemy, then naturally, Evé could also regard Raphael’s sneak attack as an act of blasphemy.

The Angels of Judgment looked even more grim.

“You…”

They still wanted to say something, but after sensing the unfathomable divine power emanating from Evé, they ultimately abandoned their pursuit.

“Your Majesty Evé, we shall report everything that happened today to our Lord…”

They took a deep look at Evé before snorting coldly and leaving the area.

Evé did not stop them.

She could save Imheter under the authority granted by the True God’s Covenant, but if she actually attacked the Angels of Judgment at this moment, it would be no different from formally declaring war on the Eternal Lord.

That would no longer be an ordinary war over faith.

It would be the most brutal of divine wars.

Moreover, only an incarnation of Evé had descended here. If she provoked the Eternal Lord into forcibly descending his divine presence, things would become troublesome.

A veteran being of Higher Divine Power was not to be underestimated, even if only a demigod-rank incarnation descended.

Not to mention, she had yet to find the best method of dealing with the Eternal Lord, while her efforts to manipulate his network of faith had only just begun…

After the Angels of Judgment departed, Evé turned toward the taciturn Imheter.

Under Eve’s scrutinizing gaze, the Titan remained silent for a moment before bowing deeply.

“Imheter… pays his respects to Your Majesty the Goddess of Life.”

Evé nodded gently before beckoning to him.

At her gesture, a warm divine power surged into the Titan’s body, beginning to repair his physical form and nourish his divine soul.

In merely an instant, Imheter’s aura began to recover rapidly. The injuries within his body gradually disappeared, and even his fragile divine soul began to grow stronger once more…

No one understood healing better than the Goddess of Life.

Even if the wounded party were a True God, as long as sufficient divine power was expended, the characteristics of the Laws of Life could be used to heal them. Needless to say, this was more than enough for a mere demigod.

To improve the efficiency of the process, Evé directly expended more than five hundred points of divine power and this amount was already enough to recreate an Elemental Fairy Demigod.

Feeling the changes taking place within his body, the Titan’s expression finally changed.

His eyes became far more lively, no longer as dull as they had been before.

It was the result of his divine soul being restored.

He once again bowed deeply to Evé and said respectfully and gratefully:

“Imheter… thanks Your Majesty for saving me.”

Evé nodded gently and smiled.

“Titan Imheter, I have seen everything you have done for the elves over the past thousand years. Let me ask you, are you willing to join the Elves and become a Guardian Demigod of the Elven Forest?”

The Titan fell silent.

After a moment, he raised his head and asked:

“If I join, will I still be able to see Diana?”

However, before Evé could answer, he shook his head again.

“Forget it. I knew it already. In Diana’s eyes, I am merely a friend, and a friend who hurt her heart at that…”

“In her heart, there is no place for anyone else besides you…”

“I do not seek her forgiveness. As long as she can live well, I will be content…”

After saying this, Imheter once again bowed deeply to Evé.

“Your Majesty Evé, I am willing to become a Guardian Demigod of the Elven Forest.”

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