Becoming the Demon Lord: Taming the Demon Queen Begins

"I didn't expect to lose."

Staring at the chessboard in front of him, Holy Emperor Aldric pondered for a while before finally shaking his head with a smile.

He had lost, and lost completely.

From the very beginning, he never imagined that the sword intent of the ancient technique, Realm of a Thousand Blades, could be applied to the killing moves in a chess game.

"I never thought there would be such a deep connection between sword intent and chess."

He sighed. "Well, I'm just a lingering remnant of a soul, guarding the only path to the depths of the Sepulcher of the Sacred. Since you've won the game, I'll keep my word. You may proceed."

Holy Emperor Aldric glanced at the vast stars slowly fading from view. He no longer had the youthful arrogance and disdain for everything that he once did. In his eyes, there was even a hint of weariness, a sense of time passed.

Timothy, having found a worthy opponent, seemed quite satisfied with the match. He cupped his hands in respect and said, "It's been a rare experience to play against the Chess Emperor. But I have one more question, if I may. Do you know what's really happening inside the Sepulcher of the Sacred?"

"Since you've won, I'll tell you everything I know. But even I'm not entirely sure about the situation inside the Sepulcher. I can only speculate."

Hearing the question, Holy Emperor Aldric fell silent for a moment, then, after some thought, replied, "Ever since I left behind this fragment of my soul, I've been guarding this canyon, preventing anyone from passing through. I sensed the strange changes in the Sepulcher of the Sacred long before today.

And it seems that, aside from me, all the corpses and lingering souls within the Sepulcher have been affected as well. But before this, I've never seen anyone make it through the canyon and into the depths of the Sepulcher."

He paused, his expression shifting slightly. "Which means… if I'm not mistaken, all these changes are likely due to the only other entrance to the Sepulcher of the Sacred—the Netherworld. I fear these strange occurrences are caused by the Netherworld."

"The Netherworld?"

At this moment, even Timothy couldn't hide his shock.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

According to legend, the Netherworld is the gateway to the afterlife. It's where the souls of all living beings on the continent of Elant go after death. It's their final destination, the only place they can pass through to the next life. But aside from the souls of the dead, no living being has ever broken through the gates of the Netherworld.

Likewise, no entity from the Netherworld has ever set foot on the continent of Elant.

And now, the strange events happening in the Sepulcher of the Sacred might actually be connected to the Netherworld?

As the small world created by the Enigma Chessboard began to slowly fade away, Holy Emperor Aldric's body also started to become more and more transparent.

"I admit defeat in this game. From now on, the Enigma Chessboard is yours."

The Enigma Chessboard floated gently into Timothy's hands, but Holy Emperor Aldric suddenly spoke again, "However, we played this game using dynasties and wars as our pieces. But did we forget something more important?"

"Something more important?" Timothy asked, a bit puzzled.

"Yes, emotions. Human emotions are the most beautiful, yet also the most cruel. Even though we haven't known each other long, I can sense the deep and genuine feelings between you all. After all, even Supreme Emperor Verena has been touched by them."

Holy Emperor Aldric smiled, and in his hand appeared a pure white lotus, as pristine as an iceberg. "This lotus is said to be a flower from the Celestial Realm, with the power to suppress the essence of evil. You possess the Ancient Saintly Body, so you're not afraid of demons. Give this flower to her."

The lotus floated gently into Timothy's hand, and Holy Emperor Aldric's soul fragment became even more transparent, disappearing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Timothy couldn't help but feel a bit surprised. Up until now, no one had ever been able to see through his Ancient Saintly Body just by looking at him. Holy Emperor Aldric was the first.

Who would've thought that this Chess Emperor, despite his arrogance and disregard for the heavens, truly had the power to back up his pride?

"Until we meet again."

Timothy gave a slight bow as he watched Holy Emperor Aldric's figure gradually fade away.

"Until we meet again."

At that moment, Holy Emperor Aldric's soul fragment seemed to carry a faint smile. As he slowly disappeared, his final words echoed in the air.

With the complete disappearance of Aldric's soul, the vast starry illusion that had surrounded them also began to fade. Soon after, as Timothy reappeared, Holy Emperor Luminis rushed forward, his face filled with disbelief.

"How on earth did you master the Realm of a Thousand Blades?!"

Luminis was clearly shaken. "The Realm of a Thousand Blades is a secret technique passed down only to the guardians of my sacred grounds. In the entire world, I should be the only one who knows it. Besides, to even begin learning it, you have to maintain the form of a child! How did you…?"

The childlike appearance had always been a sore spot for Holy Emperor Luminis. If there were no one to compare himself to, he might have grudgingly accepted the sacrifice of his image for power. But now, with Timothy standing before him, it was unbearable.

Luminis had spent centuries painstakingly cultivating the Realm of a Thousand Blades, even going so far as to maintain the body of a child just to barely wield its power. And yet, Timothy seemed to have bypassed all the drawbacks and taken only the benefits!

Luminis was seething with jealousy. If it weren't for the others present, he might have burst into tears from sheer frustration.

He was furious!

He was envious!

His teeth were practically grinding with jealousy!

Why was it always Timothy who got all the good stuff?

"Hey, kid, I've got other things to do. Be good and go play somewhere else for a bit."

But Timothy didn't seem to even notice Luminis. He casually pushed him aside and walked over to Sylvia.

Seeing Timothy, Sylvia couldn't hide the worry in her eyes. Though she quickly masked it, there was still a hint of reproach in her voice as she said, "Always showing off. You actually played chess with the Chess Emperor. What's next? Are you going to challenge the Sword Emperor to a duel or fight the Blade Emperor?"

"What kind of weird comparisons are those?" Timothy chuckled, knowing full well that this was Sylvia's way of showing concern.

"I'm not really interested in those things," Timothy said with a grin. "But aside from playing chess with the Chess Emperor, there is one other thing I'm particularly interested in."

"And what would that be?" Sylvia asked, a bit confused. After all, she had only been speaking in metaphors.

"Well, I'm interested in competing with Goddess Sylvia… in love."

"You!"

Sylvia was completely caught off guard by Timothy's sudden remark. She stared at him, her face flushed with embarrassment, and scolded, "We're in the Sepulcher of the Sacred, surrounded by danger, and there are other Holy Emperors nearby! How can you even think about saying something like that?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because, compared to all that, the only thing I see is you, my dear wife." Timothy's shamelessness was on full display.

As he spoke, he gently placed the snow lotus into Sylvia's soft, flowing hair.

"This is…"

A delicate fragrance filled the air, and Sylvia couldn't help but glance up at the flower now resting in her hair…