Chapter Fifty-Six: The Peculiar Armored Guards

Chapter Fifty-Six: The Strange Armored Guards

Since Isaac refused to say any more, Shen Ce could only leave the room with a head full of questions. As soon as he stepped outside, his eyes fell on the tall figure standing not far from the door—a man wearing a mask. Judging from his strong and handsome features, it was clear he was not someone of ugly appearance. Though he held no weapon, no one would ever mistake him for a weakling.

Shen Ce hesitated, scrutinizing Celos for a moment. Isaac’s words echoed relentlessly in his mind. For reasons he couldn’t explain, Shen Ce trusted that shaman he’d only met once wasn’t lying to him. But what did he mean by “keeping his eyes open”? Was he warning Shen Ce about someone? Should he be wary of someone specific?

Puzzled, Shen Ce’s mind suddenly flashed with a possible answer—was he being warned to be cautious of Celos?

Celos saw the frown on Shen Ce’s face and noticed he wasn’t coming closer. He guessed that Shen Ce had failed to get the answer and had been thrown out instead; Isaac was notorious throughout the Demon Territory for his unpredictable temperament. Celos smiled faintly and teased Shen Ce from three meters away, “What’s the matter? That shaman inside wouldn’t tell you the answer?”

Taking a few steps toward Celos, Shen Ce hesitated for a moment before finally saying, “No, Isaac told me that as long as I follow you, I’ll be able to enter the Demon Palace.”

“Follow me? Haven’t we always been together?” Celos arched an eyebrow with some amusement when he saw Shen Ce’s complicated expression.

Shen Ce’s face was grave, and he sighed quietly. “I don’t know why the shaman said that to me.” More importantly, was “keeping his eyes open” really about being wary of Celos? But what was there to fear from Celos? Since they’d met, if he had to count, Celos had certainly given more than he had.

Experienced seniors often warned that players in online games should rarely trust one another fully—first, for fear of being cheated out of equipment or money, which didn’t apply to Celos; second, for fear of being deceived emotionally, which was even more absurd. Although Celos had acted strangely at times, Shen Ce was not some lovesick girl prone to losing herself in the game and neglecting real life.

“That’s what he told you?” Celos’ playful air faded as he narrowed his eyes, their darkness as deep as ink. “If Isaac said so, he must have his reasons. Just relax and follow me.”

Shen Ce nodded, but the waves in his heart would not settle. Every time Isaac’s words crossed his mind, a vague unease surged within him. Unable to help himself, Shen Ce asked, “Celos, how did your company originally design the NPCs in this game?”

Celos paused, his expression unreadable. “That’s confidential.” With that, he turned and walked straight toward the door.

Shen Ce was not surprised by this answer and could only hurry to keep up. Just as they were about to exit the underground market, five guards in identical uniforms appeared seemingly out of nowhere, surrounding them in a tight formation.

Shen Ce pressed his lips together, unable to comprehend what was happening. He noticed the five guards’ cold expressions and their hands resting on their spears, and he instinctively gripped his staff tighter. Strange—since entering the market, he and Celos hadn’t provoked any NPCs, except for Isaac.

Just as Shen Ce braced for a fight, one of the guards stepped forward, placed a hand over his chest, and addressed Celos, “The higher-ups were very interested in your performance at the arena and would like to invite you to the Demon Palace.”

…Is that all it takes? Hearing the guard’s words, Shen Ce suddenly felt a deep sense of helplessness toward “Sky Dominion.”

How could a shaman NPC possess such outrageous abilities? By all rights, the programs for all NPCs were preset, their actions confined to predetermined backgrounds and roles. Players, on the other hand, were not controlled by AI and could change at any time. How then could a shaman NPC foresee things that would happen to a player?

Celos glanced at Shen Ce, a faint smile in his eyes. “May I bring someone with me?” he asked.

The guard looked Shen Ce over, hesitated for a few seconds, then replied, “You may.”

And so, just like that, Shen Ce was granted access to the Demon Palace—too easily, in fact, leaving him with a dreamlike sense of unreality. The shaman’s prediction had come true so quickly that the unease in Shen Ce’s heart only grew.

If he was being warned to keep his eyes open, just what was he supposed to be wary of?

The armored guards cared little for Shen Ce’s inner turmoil. The Demon Palace was renowned for its secrecy. Since Shen Ce and Celos wished to enter, and to avoid revealing the palace’s location, all outsiders had to undergo a complicated procedure. Thus, both Shen Ce and Celos were blindfolded.

Though he was plunged into total darkness, Shen Ce could still sense the magical elements around him vibrating rapidly. After a minute, the cloths over their faces were finally removed.

A palace of unimaginable grandeur appeared before Shen Ce’s eyes. If you had never seen it, you could not, even in a dream, picture a fraction of its magnificence.

The clouds above were deep and thick, shrouding the highest statues in hazy mist, as if jealous of their beauty or wishing to lend the palace an ethereal charm.

Gazing upon this architectural marvel, Shen Ce’s estimation of the game’s art design rose considerably. Looking around, he found only himself and Celos present—the guards had vanished without a trace. Before them lay three broad avenues. Shen Ce could only smile wryly at Celos. “Not even a guide? Which way should we go? Or should we take this chance to look for the relic?”

Celos glanced at Shen Ce, his voice calm. “Just follow me.”

Since Celos seemed so sure of himself, Shen Ce followed closely as he chose the central path. Celos never looked left or right, his bearing as leisurely as if strolling through a garden. From the very start, he showed no surprise at the palace’s splendor, as though he was intimately familiar with this place.

Shen Ce hesitated inwardly. “Celos, is this your first time here?”

“Why do you ask?” Celos didn’t look up, his voice deep and resonant, like a mountain stream.

Just as Shen Ce was about to answer, a squad of well-trained armored guards passed by, saluting both Shen Ce and Celos with extraordinary respect before moving on.

The words Shen Ce had meant to say died on his lips. He shook his head. “Just a hunch.” He continued forward with Celos. Yet soon after, another squad of guards approached, just as respectful, offering a deep salute to the two before leaving.

The more Shen Ce thought, the stranger it seemed. If he were one of the game’s designers, he would certainly have copy-pasted the data for such minor NPCs as guards, never granting them high intelligence. Why, then, would these guards salute guests invited to the palace, especially when they didn’t even know their identities?

Shen Ce remembered a post by a player who served as an official, complaining about the royal palace guards’ rude behavior. Logically, the design of the demon palace guards should be similar to that of the royal palace, with little difference in etiquette. Moreover, demons were famously brutal and discourteous; it made no sense for their NPCs to be more polite than those of the light faction.

Turning this over in his mind, after two minutes a realization struck him: perhaps the two squads of guards weren’t saluting both of them—but rather, specifically Celos.

The more Shen Ce considered it, the more likely it seemed. The direction of the guards’ salutes was always slightly more toward Celos.

If the guards were indeed saluting Celos, what kind of person would command such respect in the Demon Palace?

Taking into account Celos’ previous actions, Isaac’s words, and Celos’ usual demeanor, an idea—almost absurd—began to take shape in Shen Ce’s mind.

Author’s Note: The end is near, I’m a little excited…