Chapter 516: Plotting the Artifacts Left by the Eight Desires King

“Shengzai, you insisted on taking this quest—surely you have another motive?”

After leaving the Adventurer’s Guild, Lahuosi immediately voiced the doubt in her heart.

If Shengzai wanted to rapidly raise his adventurer rank, their strength would allow them to complete far more quests in the same time—there was no need to choose one requiring such a long journey.

Although the reward for this quest was extremely generous—even rivaling a Steel-grade quest—Lahuosi didn’t believe Shengzai, the kingdom’s third prince, would be short on money.

Since they had already decided to act with the “Azure Rose,” and Shengzai intended to cultivate them for the kingdom, he no longer hid his true objective.

“Hunting the desert giant scorpions in the south is merely incidental—my real goal is the ruin buried in the southern desert.”

“The ruin in the southern desert?”

“That’s right. Have you ever heard the legend of the Eight Desires King?”

In response to Shengzai’s question, Lahuosi and the others of the “Azure Rose” shook their heads, but Ibiruai, who had lived over two hundred years, slightly furrowed her brow—she seemed to have heard the name from the old crone Ligulido.

“Legend says that, at intervals, powerful beings descend upon this world and cause upheaval.”

Some of these unknown forces arrive as righteous factions, bringing benefit and development to the world; others, as evil factions, bring death and destruction.”

The “Six Gods” who founded the Siren Theocracy over six hundred years ago were one such unknown force.”

So too were your ancestors, the “Thirteen Heroes,” among them.”

And finally, the “Eight Desires King,” whom I just mentioned, was another such force that descended upon this world!”

“The Eight Desires King were immensely strong—even stronger than the ‘Six Gods,’ who descended earlier.”

According to legend, they destroyed all nations in an instant and ruled the world with absolute power.”

Even the ancient Dragon King of that era was no match for them; the entire dragon race suffered devastating blows at their hands.”

Lahuosi and the others had never heard such secrets, and their faces now showed profound astonishment.

“Shengzai, if the Eight Desires King were so powerful—even stronger than the entire dragon race—how were they destroyed?”

You said we’re going to the southern desert to find their ruins, right?”

Lahuosi was puzzled: if the Eight Desires King were truly invincible, why, after only five hundred years, had the Siren Theocracy founded by the weaker Six Gods survived, while the stronger Eight Desires King’s kingdom vanished?

Even records of the Eight Desires King had nearly vanished into the dust of history.

“The Eight Desires King were beings of destruction; it’s natural their history was erased.”

Legend also says they perished due to infighting.”

Their final capital, Eryuentyou, lay in the southern desert, where vast quantities of powerful magical artifacts were stored, guarded by thirty City Guardians.”

The original Thirteen Heroes once went there and earned the Guardians’ approval, obtaining some super-magical artifacts.”

As a descendant of the Thirteen Heroes, Lahuosi revered her adventurer ancestors most, and upon hearing this, her expression grew excited.

“Why would a third prince of the kingdom know these things?”

While Lahuosi and the others were now thoroughly excited by the legend of the Eight Desires King, Ibiruai regarded Shengzai with suspicion and asked.

Ibiruai, who had lived over two hundred years, had only heard fragments of the Eight Desires King’s tale from Ligulido—yet Shengzai, a mere prince, knew so many secrets. That itself was highly suspicious.

“The location of the Eight Desires King’s ruin, Eryuentyou, is a secret few know, but not entirely unknown—even Lord Fulu of the Empire went there. But his strength failed to earn the City Guardians’ approval, so he took nothing.”

“I have my own special sources of information. Originally, I planned to go alone with Jin Long. If you, Miss Ibiruai, find this suspicious, you’re free to stay behind.”

“You bastard…”

Ibiruai grew angry at Shengzai’s blunt rebuttal, but Shengzai made no effort to appease her.

He had indeed intended to go alone with Jin Long to loot the magical artifacts and equipment left behind by the Eight Desires King, to prepare for future battles against the Bone King.

Bringing the “Azure Rose” along was already a favor done for Lahuosi’s sake—he was giving them a ride. Now, if Ibiruai doubted his intentions, he wouldn’t give her any courtesy.

“Nation Destroyer” is roughly level 50—after all, someone who can fight two battle maids at once is indeed a supreme force among this world’s natives.

But such strength meant nothing before Shengzai and Jin Long today.

“Enough, both of you. Ibiruai, I’ve grown up with Shengzai—I know his character well. He would never do anything harmful to us.”

“Shengzai, Ibiruai’s nature is sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She only asked because she’s cautious.”

With Lahuosi acting as peacemaker, the two ultimately didn’t truly quarrel.

And no one could resist interest in powerful magical artifacts and equipment; after some preparation, Shengzai and his group set off in force toward the southern desert.

“You said that every time the world undergoes upheaval, a new group of powerful unknown forces descend.”

“Based on the timing and alignments of past forces—the Six Gods six hundred years ago were righteous, the Eight Desires King five hundred years ago were evil, the Thirteen Heroes two hundred years ago were righteous again—does that mean the next force to descend will be another evil one?”

Sitting in the eight-legged carriage bound for the southern desert, Ibiruai had been pondering Shengzai’s earlier words, and upon noticing the pattern, she couldn’t help but turn to him and voice her deepest concern.

Shengzai didn’t hold Ibiruai’s earlier behavior against her—he knew the stubborn pride of the Nation Destroyer girl.

“More precisely, a minor tremor occurs every hundred years. The Six Gods, the Eight Desires King, and the Thirteen Heroes are merely the ones who left their names in history during those hundred-year tremors.”

More precisely, the hundred-year aftershock occurs once every hundred years; the Six Gods, the Eight Desire Kings, and the Thirteen Heroes are merely those who left their names in history during such aftershocks.

(End of Chapter)