Swear Fealty To Me, My Subjects!

"It hurts! My soul… is about to split! So many memories! Why are there so many?! Why are there so many things in your mind?!"

"Wait, what memories are those?! I-Impossible! How could our world… be… ahhhhhh!"

Compared to the previous rituals…

The tragic cries of the testee today were particularly ear-piercing and painful!

It was heart-wrenching!

The monks closed their eyes helplessly… but wait?!

The monks suddenly realized.

That tragic cry did not sound like the voice of Rayne Haines!

Instead, it was extremely similar to... the lake giant?!

The monks hurriedly widened their eyes and stuck their heads out with all their might. In fact, they even activated visual enhancement spells and looked towards the middle of the lake!

Through the thick mist, they saw the mighty and wise lake giant clutching his head in a tragic manner, twisting like a maggot on the lake!

Lake giant: "Ahhhhhhhhhh! It hurts! Please stop! I'm begging you!"

What was going on?!

The person who was enduring the pain of his soul being torn apart and screaming was the lake giant?!

However, Rayne had a calm expression as he looked at the giant twitching in pain—it was as though he was the tester.

The monks were confused and their faces convulsed in shock.

The tragic cries of the lake giant still reverberated through the clear Lake of Remembrance.

A few minutes later…

The tragic cries stopped.

Finally, the cruel torture was over. The lake giant trembled and struggled to support his exhausted body as he crawled up from the lake…

As though he was broken, the eyes of the lake giant darted around wildly, unable to focus.

Eventually, after an unknown period of time…

The lake giant regained some rationality.

There was only endless fear in the way he looked at Rayne now.

The lake giant retreated cowardly. "Y-You…"

Rayne revealed a kind smile.

"You've read my memories, but you haven't gone mad. Well done. Now, you can obtain my reward—Respite, I can answer three of your questions."

The lake giant's voice trembled and his gaze was timid. "A-Alright… I want to know… who exactly are you…"

Rayne gave an honest answer. "A prisoner stuck in this apocalyptic world. By design, that should make me a savior."

The body of the lake giant was still trembling. "I've seen your memories. I can't imagine… So, there's a great martyr like you in the mortal world. Your soul is etched with so many painful memories. You must have experienced many failures…"

Rayne's expression was calm. "Way too many… but this is the last time. I intend to use a soft plan this time round. From the looks of it, the effect is not bad—Second question."

As a divine being that could answer the doubts of mortals, the lake giant was praised by the monks as a wise man who knew everything about the mortal world.

However, that was an exaggeration.

As a sentient lake, the lake giant knew many things through the meridians and undercurrents that connected various parts of the mortal world.

However, he was far from the realm of omniscience.

But now, the lake giant truly had a question that he yearned for an answer to.

The lake giant said, "I want to know… when I will come to an end."

Rayne gave a straightforward answer. "Around ten years later, when the original gods return."

Lake Giant: "You're referring to Original Sequence? Was I killed by an Original Sequence?"

Rayne: "No, Order is the one who kills you. Order would not give Original Sequence another chance to taint this world. She would kill all existences that possess a karmic connection to Original Sequence. Unfortunately, you are one of them."

The lake giant asked in confusion, "But I only know the name Original Sequence. I have no connection to those gods."

Rayne: "It's the same for many others."

"What a tragedy…"

The lake giant sighed weakly.

"Then, I have one last question. I still want to know how I should break free from this nightmare-like truth… They linger in my mind and those things that I shouldn't know… it makes me suffer incomparably…"

"Your soul exists in the lake. Gather these bad memories in an area. I'll get the Imperial Guards to clean them up before I leave."

Rayne said indifferently, "Don't worry, there are some memories that you can't retain even if you want to. I've been frank to you about everything, I hope to receive your help now."

The lake giant asked, "May I ask, respected savior… What do you want from me?"

Rayne nodded. "I'm here to visit you because I want an answer."

Rayne said, "I want to know how to split the soul of a god."

The lake giant asked, "Which god are you referring to?"

Rayne: "The strongest one."

The lake giant: "…"

The lake giant was silent for a moment before sighing. "I believe that you're definitely not here for the method. Instead, you already know that I have a tool that can help you complete this business, right?"

Rayne smiled. "Can you hand it to me?"

The lake giant said, "Of course… Although that thing is very valuable to me, I only obtained it by accident in my early years. I don't have the right to possess it…"

The next moment…

The Lake of Remembrance began to churn. The lake water wrapped around a crystal, quivering as it floated to Rayne.

The lake giant said, "Please take it."

"This is a beacon. It can guide you... to the homeland of Order."

A golden crystal landed in Rayne's hands.

Rayne smiled. "Thank you. By the way, I want to park something here. I wonder if it's possible."

The lake giant nodded repeatedly. "No problem, I'll give you all the help you need, Your Highness Rayne. After all… you took away that crystal. It means that if you do intend to attack that god in the future, I might be able to survive as well, right?"

Rayne smiled. "That's right."

The soul of the lake giant was ravaged into chaos by Rayne's memories.

Right now, he only wanted to ask Rayne's Imperial Guards to destroy the bodies of water that were tainted by the taboo knowledge.

Rayne fulfilled his wish.

Hela's forbidden curse destroyed a large portion of the lake that was tainted by the memories.

Thereafter, Rayne made an agreement with the lake giant.

Not long after, Gold Village would arrive at Remembrance Pure Land and hide beneath the lake in a low profile manner.

There, it will wait quietly for Rayne's call.

Thereafter, Rayne and Hela tore through space and bid farewell to the shocked monks before returning to the capital.

After obtaining Gold Village, Rayne finally decided to fulfill that bold thought in his mind.

The golden crystal in the hands of the lake giant was an indispensable key item.

In order to obtain that critical crystal, Rayne spent an entire month in the monastery.

At this moment, Hela's vacation was already over.

According to the rules of the Imperial Guards, apart from Constance who was stationed in the capital constantly, all the Imperial Guards who were sent to various parts of the mortal world had one or two long leaves each year.

Next, Hela would return to her post.

Another Imperial Guard would be temporarily released from her busy work and return to the capital for leave.

The Imperial Guard that was about to return to the capital to recuperate was a very special existence for Rayne.

She was Rayne's younger sister...

Edaline Haines.