Chapter 90: The Secrets of the Labyrinth and the Old Patriarch’s Wisdom

“Such a commotion—wouldn’t they notice?”

Theresia stared unblinkingly at the door, as if at any moment someone would knock from outside, demanding to check the water meter.

Although the Old Patriarch had contained the spread of magic within the room, this was the Holy Light Church’s headquarters. Even the slightest monitoring of this room would reveal the abnormal magical fluctuations.

Moreover, this was merely a magical membrane. While it might block sound, it would shatter instantly if poked with a thick magical staff.

Theresia felt a little dirty-minded.

Then again, she had always been dirty-minded.

“It’s to guard against gentlemen, not scoundrels. It simply tells them we’re having a secret talk, so don’t disturb us.”

The Old Patriarch explained casually. He didn’t believe the Church would be foolish enough to openly monitor them when secret surveillance was entirely different.

“Tell me, what happened that requires such gravity?”

Theodore and Theresia collaborated, narrating the full scope of events from their respective perspectives. However, whenever Theodore spoke, it was clear he had meticulously prepared over the past month to communicate with the Old Patriarch. His explanation was logical and lucid, covering all crucial information.

The Old Patriarch, initially calm, grew increasingly surprised, eventually falling into deep thought.

Once Theodore finished, the Old Patriarch sighed heavily.

“What a pity,” he remarked. “To fail at the brink of success.”

“Indeed,” Theresia echoed with a heavy sigh. “I was so close to succeeding!”

The Old Patriarch shot Theresia a disdainful look.

“I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to Theodore. He was almost able to avenge himself and pin you down for a good ‘rubbing’ beneath him.”

One could never expect anything pleasant to emerge from the Old Patriarch’s mouth.

Having finished his usual banter with Theresia, the Old Patriarch turned to Theodore.

“The Dragon God’s contract cannot fail. There was no power obstructing its activation at the time.

“However, judging by Promen’s reaction, that power couldn’t completely isolate the contract. Of course not. Nothing can stand against a deity, unless… it’s another deity.”

Theresia raised an eyebrow.

“Old Patriarch, are you saying there might be a deity hidden deep within the labyrinth? After all, that labyrinth contains divine power not found in the outside world.”

The Old Patriarch shook his head.

“Heh. Perhaps it doesn’t even deserve to be called divine power. Let Promen speak with me.”

Theodore summoned the tattered version of Promen. The demon yawned, sitting in Theodore’s palm, looking bored at those around him, an air of ‘I’m the boss, everyone else is trash’ about him.

Promen believed that having seen through everything, he was now fearless. It was this belief in his own power that rekindled his fighting spirit, giving him the capital to contend with deities.

“Promen, answer the Old Patriarch’s questions and reveal all relevant knowledge.”

Upon hearing Theodore’s command, Promen crossed his arms over his chest.

He gazed at the golden dragon on the other side of the communication crystal, its scales shimmering. Undeniably, this was the sole authority beneath the Dragon God, the one Promen had once only been able to look up to.

However, he was different now!

He was no longer the demon vanguard who had bathed in blood on the battlefield!

He was a defeated prisoner, resigned to his fate!

What did a golden dragon matter? He cared little for life or death. If they disagreed, they could fight. The worst they could do was kill him.

Promen, without a hint of politeness, shouted at the Old Patriarch, “Oh, you junior golden dragon! For the sake of your ancestors, who once clashed blades with me on the battlefield, I, in my great mercy, permit you to ask your questions. Don’t waste my time; I need to get back to sleep. Speak your mind.”

This was the first time Theresia felt like praising Promen’s audacity.

High seniority certainly had its perks.

Once she gained ownership of Promen, hah, she would be Promen’s master, and the Old Patriarch would be Promen’s junior. By extension, her seniority would be on par with the Dragon Race’s ancestors.

At that point, she would completely overturn the cosmic order!

Yet, there was no anger on the Old Patriarch’s face. Being old, his temper was limited, reserved only for those of value.

For a mere divine creation like Promen, the Old Patriarch merely spoke with a flattering tone.

“You are Promen, the dark legend under Saxon, the God of Darkness—the mighty divine warrior rumored to contend with dragons and giants?”

Promen perked up slightly. While he could be indolent, it was essential to put on a show when it was time to boast. He stood up, striking a majestic pose.

“You have some knowledge, indeed. Yes, I have engaged in no less than a hundred bloody battles against your Dragon Race. From the Age of Gods to the late Dragon Alliance, I was your nightmare!”

Promen did not realize that, regardless of how imposing a posture he struck, his current size made him merely a pretty ornament, incapable of any true deterrence. Instead, it only intensified Theresia’s desire to possess him.

“So that’s how it is,” the Old Patriarch mused with feigned enlightenment. “In that case, you must be incredibly knowledgeable, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Naturally,” Promen stated as a matter of course.

The Old Patriarch narrowed his eyes.

“Then, I have a question: Is the power permeating the labyrinth truly divine power?”

Promen frowned, looking at the Old Patriarch.

“Of course it’s divine power! How could magic reach such a level? It’s just that…”

The Old Patriarch said faintly, “It’s just that, compared to the divine power of past eras, it’s like a shoddy imitation, isn’t it?”

Promen raised an eyebrow.

“Old Patriarch, that’s precisely it. The divine power in that labyrinth is full of impurities. I initially speculated it was because a deity had fallen, and thus the remaining divine power hadn’t undergone complete purification.

“But now it seems that’s not the case. Do you know something? For instance, why is there inferior divine power there? And why was I imprisoned in the labyrinth? Only your Dragon Race and the Giant Race could have done so.

“Now that the Giant Race has been annihilated, the truth rests solely in your Dragon Race’s hands. Do you intend to collect me as a trophy, or do you have other intentions?”

Clearly, Promen was more willing to converse with the Old Patriarch than with Theresia and Theodore; the conversation had suddenly opened up.

The Old Patriarch shook his head regretfully.

“I do not know why you appeared there. After all, I wasn’t even born then. The decline of the Dragon Alliance led to the loss of many valuable, though not strictly necessary, historical documents. The records of that labyrinth were among them.

“However, I do have a clue about that inferior divine power. It shouldn’t actually be called divine power. It has another name: Aether Crystal. It’s a power close to divine power, formed through the highest dwarven craftsmanship—an energy aggregation device that compresses and organizes vast amounts of magic.”

Promen roared furiously, “Nonsense! How could those lowly, despicable dwarves create a power so close to divine power? Divine power is—”

“Divine power is the symbol of deities still existing in this world. Without divine power, there are no deities; without deities, there is no divine power. Is that what you were going to say?”

The Old Patriarch directly interrupted Promen.

“The dwarves you call ‘despicable’ possess a creativity unmatched by any other race. They combined machinery, alchemy, and magic, reaching out for the authority of deities.”

Promen’s gaze turned icy.

“Just like your Dragon Race and the Elf Race back then, isn’t that right? You created two abominations that were neither god nor dragon, neither elf nor beast. Calling them the Dragon God or the Elf God? They merely stole parts of the authority of the God of War and the Four Elemental Gods through divine arts. What arrogance!

“If they were truly deities, this world would already belong to the Dragon Race and the Elves. Deities forged by divine arts, heh. Rather than deities, they were weapons, weren’t they?

“Considering that in the late stages of the war, after your Dragon God and the Elf’s Elemental God intervened, a mysterious mass disappearance of dragons, elves, and giants occurred. Heh, your Dragon Race and Giant Race were destroyed by your own hands. If it were Lord Saxon, he would never sacrifice his loyal followers in such a manner.”

Theodore and Theresia’s pupils constricted. This was a massive revelation; they should have brought popcorn.

The Old Patriarch sighed with emotion.

“I now completely believe that you have survived from the ancient era. To even know about this… You are a living history book! With you, many unresolved questions about the Dragon Race’s history before the Dragon Alliance have been half-answered.

“Most of the history of the Dragon Race can now be completed.

“Lord Saxon would indeed not do such a thing. After all, too great a loss of his toys would pain him. But we did not want to be anyone’s pets or toys. We merely lacked their power, yet possessed equal wisdom, dignity, and pride—qualities that cannot be obtained through subservience, but are destined to be accompanied by sacrifice.

“Dwarves once entered that labyrinth. Since they created the Aether generation device, their intentions become quite clear, don’t they?”

“Hmph,” Promen scoffed. “What they intend to do is impossible. This world no longer possesses true divine power. Without divine power to cast true divine arts, one cannot steal the authority that has long returned to the world. This is a joke destined to fail.”

“So that’s it. Then I am relieved.”

The Old Patriarch had successfully extracted the answers he sought. Although Promen had to obey Theodore’s commands, for a highly intelligent being, a rigid contract could not completely bind them. Off-topic truths often carried more destructive power.

“Alright, thank you for your answers, Promen. Oh, by the way, your master, Saxon, the God of Darkness, was rubbed into the ground a thousand times over by the ‘false gods’ you speak of, until not even a speck remained. Our Dragon Race even backed up magical footage of this scene. I look forward to reliving the final cries of the gods with you.”

With that, the Old Patriarch subtly signaled Theodore that he was done.

With a flick of Theodore’s hand, the enraged Promen vanished.

Having finished his questioning, the Old Patriarch felt lightheaded, as if his entire body was floating. He leaned back, sinking into the soft armchair behind him.

“You’ve all heard it. Ask whatever you wish. I, the Old Patriarch, believe in trusting those I employ, and not employing those I doubt.”

Theodore rested his chin in his hand.

“Based on the information I’ve gathered, does this mean there’s a deity-like existence in the labyrinth, and that Aether energy was also created by it?”

The Old Patriarch asked curiously, “I thought you would ask about the Dragon God or the Elemental God.”

Theodore gave a wry smile.

“I think those topics are better discussed on Dragon Island.”

“Haha, that’s true, but there’s no need to be overly concerned. Compared to Theresia’s utter carelessness, you are a bit too cautious.

“However, I prefer you this way,” the Old Patriarch said nonchalantly. “Rest assured. Just like the Dragon Race’s Thirteen Great Protectors, even though they were once ‘bewitched’ by Theresia, it didn’t stop them from realizing the malicious intentions of that scummy dragon and returning to the right path. And I value you even more than them.”

Theodore fell silent.

These words carried profound meaning!

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