Ultimate Scoundrel or Peerless Genius? The Saga of Wolf

A spitting image of himself? Could it be Wolf!

Du Chen’s heart skipped a beat, and memories of Wolf surged through his mind like a tidal wave, engulfing him completely.

Wolf had three faces!

To the common folk, the name Wolf simply did not exist. Not even the Pontiff knew of this God-General, whose appearance strikingly resembled Francis.

Yet, in the eyes of veterans like Lucy and Lily, he was a Brigadier General under Marshal Margaret in the Firmament War Zone. But their descriptions of him were always prefaced with a colorful array of adjectives: scoundrel, lecher, rogue, hoodlum, a seducer of underage girls, an enticer of comely married women… these pejorative terms summed up Wolf entirely.

However, Du Chen knew a deeper truth: after the Godslayer War, Wolf erased all traces of his existence in the mortal realm. He then established a mysterious sect, seized The Weeping Tear from Water's Embrace Lake’s Margaret, and became the founder of the Holy Yessar Church. The Flaying and Deboning Secret Technique, Phil and Byron-Gale’s divine power, and even the Art of Artifact Annihilation were all supposedly passed down by this Yessar God, a figure so immensely powerful that even after achieving the Titled Battle God rank, Deboning still worshipped him devotedly.

Such a legendary and enigmatic figure—was he truly deep within the underground tunnel?

Du Chen’s heart pounded faster.

Beibei chirped again, “But he’s really, really deep underground, Papa! Before you get there, you’ll see some other things, you know!”

“What things?”

The little girl shook her head. “Papa, you’re so silly!”

Du Chen had a sudden realization. His daughter detected things with her Spiritual Power, and if they were merely “things,” how could they possess Spiritual Power for Beibei to identify them? The little girl could only sense that there were some items before Wolf, and now, it was certain these items were connected to Wolf!

Taking a deep breath of the musty, marsh gas-laden tunnel air, his mind cleared by the acrid scent, Du Chen cradled his children and stepped into the tunnel.

Julie’s dying words had indicated that the item she left for Du Chen was three hundred meters beneath the prison. So, Du Chen walked, measuring the distance with Sands of the Hourglass. Soon, he arrived at the spot Julie had indicated.

It was a vermillion gate, three meters high and two meters wide. Two lines of text were inscribed on each of the two door panels, and another line adorned the lintel, resembling a couplet!

The left couplet read: “If you are proficient in the Art of Artifact Annihilation, push open this door panel!”

The right couplet read: “If you are not, or have no idea what the Art of Artifact Annihilation is, for the sake of your life, walk away from this door panel!”

Du Chen was speechless. So, Phil’s mischievous, choose-your-own-adventure puzzles were an inherited trait from her ancestor, Wolf…

He then looked at the header inscription: “If you don’t recognize these words, then I can only say that illiteracy is not shameful, but if you’re illiterate without self-awareness, stumbling around seeking death is simply wrong…”

“Nonsense! Dammit!” Du Chen cursed under his breath, then pushed open the left door – judging from Phil’s past experiences, this was no time to act on a whim. Every choice inevitably led to different outcomes, and one wrong step could drastically change the final prize!

*Creak!* *Groan!*

As the heavy door hinges slowly turned, Du Chen entered a sealed chamber. The hall was about fifty meters square, entirely paved with crystal shards, illuminated by a Luminous Pearl chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Other than that, there was nothing else!

And there was no path forward, just this empty hall!

Du Chen wondered, “Beibei, can you check…”

Before he could finish, a resounding *boom* echoed, and the red door panel they had entered through automatically closed. Then, a stone slab descended from above, sealing the entrance and transforming the circular hall into a hermetically enclosed space!

Following this, the ceiling of the hall began to slowly descend—it was, in fact, a compression death trap! And judging by the speed, Du Chen and his children would be crushed into a paste within half a minute!

Du Chen’s expression changed drastically. Little Beibei exclaimed in alarm, “Papa, the walls are incredibly tough, they won’t break! Think of something else quickly!”

As she spoke, the ceiling *creaked* and *groaned* downwards, already close above Du Chen’s head. Without hesitation, Du Chen condensed Sands of the Hourglass into solid form, conjuring several stone pillars to prop up the hall. But… this death trap was so formidable that it crushed even the Sands of the Hourglass along with the pillars!

“Beibei, Alex, quickly lie down!” Du Chen bent low, half-kneeling in the center of the hall, hands raised, desperately trying to slow the ceiling’s descent. But it was like trying to put out a forest fire with a cup of water… Du Chen’s Titled power was utterly insufficient to stop the ceiling. With a muffled groan, “*Oof!*” Du Chen lost his footing and was pressed down to a seated position!

“Papa!” Little Beibei shrieked in terror, while Alex simply stared wide-eyed, stunned.

*Damn it!* Did Julie intend to kill him through this? Or was Wolf trying to eliminate all inheritors of the Art of Artifact Annihilation? He had clearly taken the left path, the one meant for inheritors, but… there was no way out here!

For the first time, a taste of despair welled up in Du Chen’s heart. Yet, in a daze, he noticed several keyholes and some iron wires on the chandelier above.

“I understand now, that damned Wolf!”

Du Chen’s hands moved like lightning. He grabbed the iron wires and, in a few swift motions, picked the locks on the chandelier!

*Creak, creak*, the ceiling began to ascend, and Du Chen finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Hahaha!” A booming laugh suddenly echoed through the hall. “Excellent! If you can solve the mechanism of this hall within five seconds, then you must be an inheritor of the Art of Artifact Annihilation! You have passed the test!” The voice continued, “Don’t resent me for scaring you. If anyone unqualified had chosen this path, they would already be crushed to death! You are good, and honest; you did not choose the wrong path!”

The implication was clear: anyone dishonest or choosing the wrong path would be slain by this underground mechanism!

Du Chen stood up with a wry smile. He had understood the meaning of Wolf’s test the moment he saw the keyholes. He patted his robes. “Is that you, Wolf? This prank of yours really isn’t funny!”

The voice did not answer, but continued, “Don’t mind that, this was just a small mechanism to confirm you are indeed an inheritor of the Art of Artifact Annihilation… Now listen to me. You are hearing a recorded message from this mechanism, and I am Wolf, Brigadier General Kaine of the Holy Alliance!”

It was him, as expected!

Wolf’s message gradually faded, suggesting his mood was poor when he recorded it. “This message was recorded on April 1st, Heroic Era 812. Tonight, the Silver Moon's Retreat, and the stars shine brightly—it’s Marshal Vinsler, the Starry Sky Battle God’s favorite night, and also… the night my astrology is at its strongest!”

Astrology? Wolf was also proficient in astrology?

“I just completed an astrological reading. The stars told me that my brother Kuban is about to come to the Aethelgard Continent to court death, and my Eldest Brother Sigurd and my friend Julie… are about to embark on a distant expedition to McAllen, where they will die in battle!”

Du Chen was startled. Synthesizing clues from information he had gathered previously, a timeline immediately formed in his mind:

April 1st: Wolf recorded this message and constructed this underground mechanism.

May 20th: Kuban was killed, and the entire Red Phoenix Battle Formation perished simultaneously, transforming into The Undead to suppress Kuban.

May 23rd: Sigurd and Julie were ordered to campaign far into McAllen, subsequently dying in battle…

Wolf’s astrology had predicted everything correctly!

Wolf continued, “I knew these things were about to happen, yet I was powerless to stop them… *Sigh*, High Command ordered me to report immediately to Marshal Margaret’s banner on the Azure Heaven Continent, but I know I will die in Skylands! Yet I cannot refuse… So, I left this underground mechanism and told a few trustworthy people – if you ever encounter an inheritor of the Art of Artifact Annihilation again, tell them the location of this mechanism…”

Du Chen nodded, thinking to himself; Julie must have been one of Wolf’s trusted confidantes back then. However, Wolf did not die in Skylands after leaving this message – his astrology had failed him once – instead, he survived to become the Yessar God! From the perfectly preserved condition of the mechanism, it was clear that although Julie later sided with the Scarlet Army, she did not betray Wolf’s secrets to them. This old aunt still possessed a degree of principle and dignity!

Wolf detailed the results of his astrological predictions from the night of April 1st, then said despondently, “To know what the future holds, yet be powerless to stop it, no wonder His Majesty Prince told me that knowing the future is actually a form of sorrow… Never mind. Inheritor of the Art of Artifact Annihilation, I don’t know what year it is when you arrive here, nor do I know if the war between the Violet-Bloods and the Red-Bloods has ended, or how much you understand about the Art of Artifact Annihilation. So, I can only tell you the story from the beginning!”

Du Chen gestured for his children to be silent, listening intently.

“I was originally the Second Young Master of the Kaine family, the lords of Sorel City-State on the Aethelgard Continent. By nature, I was debaucherous, and in my youth, relying on my family’s powerful influence, I committed countless wrongdoings, accumulating a lifetime of romantic debts. Even to this day… Heh heh!” Wolf chuckled self-deprecatingly. “Those two little girls by Julie’s side still secretly call me a lecherous scoundrel and a ruffian!”

Du Chen pursed his lips. Wolf then recounted many of his misdeeds as a profligate scion, typically the kind of things noble youths in the Imperial Capital would do: bullying men and women, seizing civilian property. Nothing particularly noteworthy stood out, but Du Chen could tell that Wolf truly had been a scoundrel back then, though he seemed to have turned over a new leaf with age.

Just as Du Chen was growing bored, Wolf suddenly mentioned a name!

“I have three women whom I’ve wronged the most in my life. The first is the little princess of Yathian City-State—Margaret, who later became the Grand Marshal of Skylands!”

This was followed by a deep sigh, “That year, I was twenty-six. I met Margaret on the coast, and we ventured across the sea together to hunt the Horned Whale King… Later, when Margaret was pregnant, I was captivated by Michele, who would later become a Four-Star Marshal in the Alliance High Command General Staff, the Goddess of War and Wisdom Miki…”

Du Chen grimaced, thinking, *Well, no wonder Margaret holds such a grudge against your descendants. You got her pregnant, then dumped her after you had your fun, even going so far as to flirt with other women while she was expecting… Who wouldn’t harbor a deep-seated hatred for that? Is that how a man should behave?*

What Wolf said next surprised Du Chen even more: “Margaret and Michele started fighting, and I tried to mediate… But just then, my other woman, Lady Aro, the Marquess of Reno City-State, happened to come looking for me!”

Du Chen jolted. Reno City-State was the predecessor of the Reno Empire on the Azure Heaven Continent, and Lady Aro was the founding Empress of Reno, and also Arthur’s ancestor! Could it be… Du Chen smiled bitterly. This Wolf truly had some talent, as none of the women he entangled with were ordinary!

Wolf continued, “The three women fought fiercely, and I was caught in the middle. But just as our conflict reached its peak, a battle qi blast shattered a mountain. From beneath the mountain, a Sacred Artifact Box emerged. I immediately made it acknowledge mastery, and upon opening it, inside was… the Art of Artifact Annihilation!”

A series of mournful sighs followed, as if Wolf was filled with regret. “*Sigh*, it was this very Art of Artifact Annihilation that brought disaster upon me. Though I may have wronged women back then, I never betrayed my brothers! And I understood the principle that possessing a treasure makes one a target. On the day the Art of Artifact Annihilation emerged, many Battle Gods who had come to witness my romantic escapades saw it. Although they merely congratulated me out of deference to my family’s power and their own pride, I knew they would eventually secretly plot against me…”

Du Chen thought, *In such a situation, the best course would be to go into seclusion and diligently study the Art of Artifact Annihilation. But Wolf had a vast family, too many relatives and women; he couldn't possibly escape. So, he could only… share the benefits, or simply give up!* Sure enough, Wolf said, “I transcribed many copies of the Art of Artifact Annihilation and immediately gifted them to a few friends I held in high regard! Those friends also understood the predicament that came with possessing the Art of Artifact Annihilation, so they allied with me. Together, we researched the Art of Artifact Annihilation and fought against those who came to seize the treasure. My women were extraordinary, and my friends were even more remarkable. Our combined forces reigned supreme on the Aethelgard Continent, securing temporary peace…”

“But Margaret and Michele, in a huff, stormed off and refused the Art of Artifact Annihilation. Although Aro took it, she wouldn’t forgive me and left for Skylands! Among my family and friends, those who received the Art of Artifact Annihilation included… my Eldest Brother Sigurd, Kuban, a Violet-Blood whom I grew up with, and the beastmen Orbach, Nott, Eman, Machen…”

Wolf reeled off a string of names, revealing everyone who had received the Art of Artifact Annihilation that day. Some were familiar to Du Chen, others not, but Du Chen couldn’t understand why he was listing these names.

Wolf paused, then continued, “Later, a great war broke out. Kuban was forced to fight on opposing sides, clashing with me on the Battlefield! I later joined the Holy Alliance. In the Holy Alliance, I first presented the Art of Artifact Annihilation to the Divine Emperor. His Majesty the Divine Emperor repaid me with his astrology, and to strengthen humanity, His Majesty selflessly gifted copies of the Art of Artifact Annihilation to the Nine Marshals and sixteen Five-Star Generals… Heh heh, but Margaret refused it; she still hated me!”

“Did you hear clearly?” Wolf suddenly asked. “By the time the Holy Alliance was established, among the Red-Bloods, only a handful—fewer than fifty—knew the Art of Artifact Annihilation! I’m not sure about the Violet-Bloods’ side, but Kuban once told me he’d rather die than use the Art of Artifact Annihilation I gave him against me. So, I believe only Kuban among the Supreme Council knew the Art of Artifact Annihilation!”

Du Chen paused slightly, grasping something in his mind.

“The war between the Holy Alliance and the Supreme Council lasted for a long time. Life and death on the Battlefield were normal. Some of my friends died, and even some Grand Marshals perished. At first, I didn’t pay much attention, until… Machen, in a battle that should have been impossible to lose, was stabbed to death by a fourteen-year-old Fiendkind soldier with a dagger… Machen was a Titled Battle God!”

Du Chen rubbed his nose. “After Machen, Eman probably died strangely too!”

“Next, Eman also died in an accident! Nott died too! They all died mysteriously, defying all logic, and there were no abnormalities found on their bodies… Then, one by one, all the Generals who had learned the Art of Artifact Annihilation died, one after another!”

Wolf’s voice suddenly picked up speed. “It was only then that I realized something was wrong. By then, my astrology had reached its peak. So, I asked Marshal Vinsler, the Starry Sky Battle God, who had also sensed something amiss and learned the Art of Artifact Annihilation, to help me invoke the stars for a divination. The result was a single phrase…”

“Artifact Annihilation Slays Gods!”

Wolf’s voice grew stern. “No one who obtains the Art of Artifact Annihilation can meet a good end! This is a curse from the heavens! So tonight, I don’t even need to divine to know that my Eldest Brother will die at McAllen, I will die in Skylands, and Kuban will come to Aethelgard Continent only to die!”

Du Chen’s eyes flashed with insight, as if speaking to Wolf, yet also to himself, “After April 1st, Heroic Era 512, Sigurd died, and Kuban, too, could be considered dead. Though you escaped death in Skylands, you eventually passed away after transmitting your divine power to your descendants! Next, the Divine Emperor died, and the ancestors of the Godslayer Five Families, those five Marshals, did not die in war, but mysteriously disappeared after it! Among the Nine Marshals, aside from Margaret, who refused the Art of Artifact Annihilation, none met a good end… Ha! The Art of Artifact Annihilation even reached my Maternal Grandfather, and now he’s still stranded in the Celestial Capital… Tsk tsk, Artifact Annihilation Slays Gods, this curse is indeed potent!”

…

*Bullshit!* Having experienced the Beast Emperor’s Seal incident, Du Chen already knew much about curses and absolutely did not believe that ‘Artifact Annihilation Slays Gods’ was a mere curse. More accurately, it should be an unknown, mysterious phenomenon!

Wolf also stated, “I am already a Twelve-Tier Battle God, and I don’t believe there truly is a curse that can slay gods. Everything should have a rational explanation! So tonight, at the very moment my Eldest Brother is about to face death, I invoked astrology at the cost of my lifespan, attempting to find a method to break this… The result came in two parts. The first part, I understood: it means that those of us who obtain the Art of Artifact Annihilation are destined to die. But the second part, I don’t understand. Inheritor of the Art of Artifact Annihilation, remember this phrase!”

“When the gods scatter, a power surpassing sacred artifacts shall be born in the heart of the earth…”

Wolf’s words abruptly ceased!

After a long silence, he chuckled, “Heh heh. Apologies, this should be the first half of a complete prophecy. The second half is… Heh, after I realized I didn’t understand the first half, I didn’t waste any more lifespan calculating further, so… I don’t know what the rest says!”

Du Chen was utterly floored!

This ancestor of his was truly… something else.

“This kind of life-bound astrology consumes too much life force. Again, my apologies, I cannot waste lifespan on a phrase I don’t understand, because I need to save a few days of my life to go to the Azure Heaven Continent and say ‘I’m sorry’ to Margaret…”

Du Chen sighed. *If only he had known, why bother back then?*

“Alright, if you’re smart, you should know why I invited you here. First, to warn you. Second, I hope you can unravel this mystery, otherwise, none of my friends and family who died will rest in peace! And third… Aro not only took the Art of Artifact Annihilation, but she also carried my flesh and blood within her body… Now she’s missing, and I didn’t have time to tell Aro not to pass the Art of Artifact Annihilation to her descendants! So, for your own sake, and for my descendants, quickly solve this ‘curse’!”

Wolf asked doubtfully, “Perhaps… you are a descendant of Aro and me? Heh heh, I also left a small item down here, consider it a gift for you. Farewell!”

Wolf’s voice faded, and his story ended.

Du Chen murmured, “When the gods scatter, a power surpassing sacred artifacts shall be born in the heart of the earth…”

Little Beibei tilted her head and said, “Papa, the second half must be talking about your ‘Taking Without Asking’ ability! Isn’t the heart of the earth Saint John City, the center of Einz? But Beibei doesn’t understand the first part!”

“Indeed, ‘When the gods scatter’… but the gods have long since died out. Only a few scattered remnants remain, hardly enough to be called ‘gods’!”

Du Chen shook his head. He still had many questions. Wolf didn’t immediately die in Skylands as he predicted; what else did he do? What happened between him and Margaret later? And how did he establish the Yessar Church?

Du Chen suddenly slapped his forehead, chuckling self-deprecatingly, “I was so engrossed, I nearly forgot! Beibei, didn’t you say Wolf was right below…”

Wouldn’t everything be clear if he just called Wolf up and asked him?

But before he could finish his sentence, the *creaking* and *groaning* of an axle turning rose from the ground. Soon, an entrance opened. “Wolf, is that you?”

A shadow first flashed out into the light of the Luminous Pearl, followed by a voice.

“Hello, everyone. Wolf is probably long gone. And I, I am the gift that bastard left for you!”