Chapter 635: Special Services

The demon became active again. The last time the "Cosmic Dark Side" intervened, it caused him to be further corroded by the "Desire Mother Tree", or perhaps Anggerweide's assistance to this demon lord triggered a chain reaction?

While pondering, Leiketon asked about Anggerweide's condition on the letter.

Soon, a duplicate reply appeared on the paper:

"I'm not sure; I've just completed the promotion of the Seer and still have to handle the affairs you left behind. I have no time to pay attention to that old dragon that dwells entirely in the spiritual realm."

Leiketon awkwardly rubbed his nose, then asked about the Southern Continent before ending the exchange, tossing the book messenger back into the spirit realm.

Boom—boom—boom! The knock sounded at the right moment; Leiketon turned his head to glance, his gaze easily passing through the wall and wooden door, seeing a hotel attendant standing in the corridor, holding a thick, foil‑stamped book.

Leiketon rose from his chair, stretched a bit, walked to the door, placed his hand on the knob, and gently turned it to pull the door inward.

When the door opened, the attendant waiting outside showed a professional smile, his eyes sliding over Leiketon, glancing into the room, then quickly withdrawing his gaze, and said with a light laugh to Leiketon:

"Mr. Tains, sorry to disturb you. You seem to rarely go out. The owner asked me to remind you that tonight the Eternal Blazing Sun Church will hold a grand ceremony at Triumphal Square, followed by a ball. As a visitor, this is an experience you must not miss; even if you're not a Sun follower, it's worth attending."

"Is this because I haven't left my room in so long that the attendant is sent to check on me? From now on I'll have to pass through the lobby so the hotel staff can see me," Leiketon mused, then chuckled and retorted, "What if I were a follower of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom?"

The attendant's expression stiffened briefly, then he composed himself, kept smiling, and said, "As long as you don't openly display your faith before the Eternal Blazing Sun followers, they won't reject or deliberately trouble you."

"If anyone asks you about belief, you can skirt the topic and brush it off; that's an unspoken understanding among everyone."

"It seems you're not a Sun follower either," Leiketon laughed lightly, paused briefly, then continued, "But I'm curious—why hold the ceremony at night instead of noon, when the sun is brightest?"

The attendant maintained a courteous smile and explained patiently:

"Although the Eternal Blazing Sun followers worship the Sun, that doesn't mean they aren't afraid of the scorching heat. The weather in Tis is already close to summer, and no one can stand the blazing sun. Moreover, there's a ball after the ceremony, so it's scheduled to start at dusk; when the Sun sets, it's perfect for the ball."

"Thanks for the information; I'll go check Triumphal Square later."

Leiketon politely nodded, watched the attendant leave, then closed the door and returned to his desk to sit.

Behind him, at the protruding bay window, Leonard leaned against the frame, admiring the night view outside, and said, "That attendant earlier was probably not just here to tell you about the ceremony."

Leiketon gave a noncommittal nod, his tone even, and said:

"He also markets this hotel's specialty service—well, Teril's specialty service—clearly priced. For a fee, you can pick any young gentleman or lady from that foil‑stamped book to spend an evening with you, perhaps even himself."

Leonard was stunned; he could tell the attendant was withholding something, but didn't expect it to be this. After a two‑second pause, he asked, puzzled:

"How do you know?"

"Even with the book closed, I can see all its information."

Leiketon shrugged, replied calmly, paused briefly, then added, "You suddenly appeared in my room just now; the attendant clearly overthought it, so he didn't open the foil‑stamped book in his hand and instead talked about the ceremony and ball."

"Uh…" Leonard was stunned; the awkward feeling made him want to change hotels overnight. After a moment of silence, he exhaled deeply and said, "The old man asked me to ask what you did after you went out; he noticed that Teril's fate seems to have some deviations, some unpredictable ones."

"Is the Fate Carousel that sensitive to changes in destiny?"

Leiketon looked at Leonard with a hint of doubt, waiting for his answer.

The next second, Pales' hoarse voice sounded from within Leonard:

"I have long been the Time Worm, and since arriving in Teril I have constantly observed this city; some fluctuations of fate cannot escape my notice."

Leiketon nodded, accepted the explanation, and then recounted what he had done after leaving the restaurant.

After a brief silence, Pales let out a chuckle and said, "You actually deceived Medichi and lured him into Teril's underground. If I gave you a bottle of the Scamster's elixir, it would dissolve on contact; even the Deceiver Mentor could be largely neutralized."

"However, the underground ruins of Teril are unique; the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery churches dare not venture deep. How did you get Medichi to draw fire for you there?"

"When the time is right, I'll link that area with the surface city," Leiketon said, leaning back in his chair, revealing his plan.

Pales' tone grew hesitant:

"The disturbance is too great and would threaten all life in the city; the Sun and Steam would inevitably notice the problem. If they act together, the two of us angels cannot safely escape Teril."

"Moreover, wagering an entire city's lives—so long as the Seven Gods maintain a superficial peace, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom has no reason to intervene in reality to help you."

Leiketon laughed lightly, then shook his head and explained, "There's no problem. You don't think I have the power to merge the entire Fourth Era ruins with Teril, do you?"

"At most I can only partially overlap some key zones, delaying the churches' high‑end forces. As for ordinary people, as long as they aren't directly exposed, the underground contamination won't affect them. However, the wild extraordinary beings in that area will inevitably suffer; if they cannot escape or hide in time, they will be discovered by the two churches."

After a moment of silence, Pales sighed and asked, "Since you've lured Medichi into the underground ruins, when do you plan to act?"

"That depends on his progress, and on when I can obtain detailed information about the Steel Cathedral."

While speaking, Leiketon rose from his seat, draped a light jacket over himself, then turned to Leonard and said:

"Shall we go see the ball here?"

"Of course."

Leonard replied casually, but soon recalled the attendant's misunderstanding, sighed, and then corrected himself:

"Never mind, I'll go out on my own later."

Leiketon gave a gentle nod, said nothing more, opened the door and left, this time not using the 'spirit‑realm wandering' method but exiting through the hotel's lobby, under the gaze of the two attendants, through the main door.

At Triumphal Square, unlike the bustling daytime atmosphere, the night square was brightly lit. Melodic, lilting music streamed from phonographs around the square; tall lantern poles stood around the perimeter, casting colored light onto the ground that flickered everywhere. Men and women dressed in lavish, delicate, or flamboyant attire gathered in the center, clasping each other's hands and dancing—a scene like an open‑air ballroom.

"This must be the spread of Roselle," he whispered to himself. Leiketon weaved among the stalls selling snacks and drinks, moving with the crowd around the square. The surrounding chatter and laughter were endless, completely unlike the styles of Luen, Fennibote, and the Southern Continent, bearing a faint echo of Earth from his memory.

"Ha, have I become so accustomed to this identity that it spawns unnecessary associations?"

He muttered softly, Leiketon reined in his mind, immersing himself in the lively atmosphere, gradually sensing the emotions radiating from those around him; this would help him better understand humanity and counter his own madness and divine side.

After two days of wandering Teril, Leiketon finally felt the stir from the underground ruins; his figure blurred quickly and vanished into the bustling street.

Not long after, he arrived at the Mechanical Plaza in the cathedral district, gazing at the massive, machine‑like Steel Cathedral standing opposite. He sighed, "What splendid mechanical art; I hope this cathedral remains intact after today."

Beside him, golden water flowed slowly, coalescing in midair into a pale‑gold silhouette full of twisted, chaotic motion.

On the Mechanical Plaza, ordinary passersby and extraordinary beings alike tacitly ignored the Lamp God, as if he were invisible.

Floating in midair, the Lamp God surveyed the grand cathedral ahead, his voice even as he asked, "Why don't you just charge straight to the realm of the God of Steam and Machinery in the Star Realm? By nature you aren't afraid of his influence; you might even corrupt him directly. What are you worried about?"

"Steam only dares not consume me; that doesn't mean he lacks the power to seal me. Moreover, the Star Realm has six other gods besides him, and then I would become the key to his control over the Wilderness of Knowledge."

"And everyone has their own secrets."

The Lamp God looked down at Leiketon, his words tinged with sarcasm: "You intend to betray yourself?"

(End of Chapter)