The Truth of the Maze

Liyana pursed her thin lips, slightly disappointed.

It was a perfectly normal name.

How strange—Xia Lun’s naming sense had actually improved lately.

She had half-expected him to name it something like "Hero’s Great Labyrinth."

This was already one of the better options. Truth be told, some scatterbrained adventurers would give the dungeons they conquered downright bizarre names… The more reserved ones simply named them after themselves, while the bolder ones opted for blatantly suggestive titles like "XX’s Back Garden" or "XX’s Secret Grotto."

The "XX"… usually referred to the dungeon conqueror’s best friend or bitter rival.

So much so that later adventurers would casually say things like, "Hey, lads, let’s go explore XX’s back garden/secret grotto today!"

Eventually, the Adventurers’ Association cracked down on the trend, forcibly replacing the more vulgar dungeon names with more appropriate alternatives.

The group didn’t linger inside the dungeon for long. Xia Lun was the first to step back through the portal.

Oddly enough, they exited through the same door they’d entered, returning to the grand cathedral, which remained unchanged, with no unexpected incidents.

The priests they’d released earlier—those who weren’t Twilight Apostles—had been secretly detained by Aina to prevent them from leaking what had happened here.

The emergence of this dungeon… actually provided a convenient excuse.

The official story would be that the sealed dungeon within the grand cathedral had suddenly gone out of control. Several bishops led a team of priests into the dungeon at great risk, ultimately perishing alongside the dungeon’s master, thereby averting a crisis for Abandes.

This was the fabricated memory Aina implanted in those priests.

"So these guys get to be heroes now?" Liyana sounded displeased. This meant Xia Lun’s contributions would be overshadowed by a bunch of dead men.

Xia Lun, however, seemed indifferent. Unlike before, it wasn’t suitable for him to remain in the spotlight anymore.

"Still, these Twilight Apostles… they really have nothing but sacrifices on their minds," Liyana mused.

Sacrificing an entire dungeon… Who even comes up with something like that?

Don’t be fooled by how effortlessly Xia Lun cleared the dungeon—its scale was actually massive, and the dungeon master’s power was no joke.

The dungeon’s entrance had stabilized within the grand cathedral… Even if the Goddess’s Church wanted to monopolize it, they wouldn’t be able to.

This place would likely attract swarms of adventurers in the future.

After confirming that no traces had been left in the cathedral and that the priests’ memories had been altered without issue, Xia Lun and his companions departed.

The moment they returned to the Adventurers’ Association, Maya rushed out in a fluster.

"Ah, Mr. Xia Lun! Thank goodness you’re all right!" Maya exhaled in relief. "I heard something happened at the square earlier, and then there was a huge commotion at the grand cathedral! No one knows what’s going on…"

"Who knows?" Xia Lun shrugged, playing the part of someone completely oblivious.

Maya: "I was worried you might’ve been in danger… Oh, I almost forgot—you’re part of Dawn’s Wing, after all. You must be incredibly skilled."

"Mhm! Of course we are." Liyana seized the opportunity, puffing up with pride. "My arrows can even make evil gods think twice."

"Evil gods? That’s a bit of an exaggeration…" Maya stood there, chatting animatedly with Liyana while Mo Lini listened with keen interest.

Xia Lun waved a hand, signaling that he’d head upstairs first. Aina looped her arm through his.

The two slowly ascended the winding, spiral wooden staircase. The railing was smooth and polished, its outer layer of red lacquer applied so well that it felt pleasant to the touch.

Back in their room, there were things that needed to be said—things best discussed behind closed doors.

"Xia Lun…"

Xia Lun raised a hand, gently blocking Aina’s approaching face.

Aina pouted in dissatisfaction.

"Not yet, Aina. There are things I need to know first." Xia Lun pulled her into a tight embrace, preventing her from causing mischief.

"Ask away, Xia Lun. What do you want to know? If it’s something you’re allowed to know, I’ll answer." Even nestled in Xia Lun’s arms, Aina wasn’t behaving. He could feel her face pressing against his chest, followed by a faint dampness spreading across his shirt.

"What exactly… is a dungeon?" Xia Lun decided to cut straight to the point.

"Sharp as ever, Xia Lun. You’ve guessed something, haven’t you?" Aina lifted her head, a silvery strand still clinging to her lips as she regarded him with mild surprise.

"It’s fine to tell you this much—dungeons are indeed creations of the Goddess." Aina traced little circles on Xia Lun’s chest with her finger, though such teasing wasn’t enough to make him blush now.

She continued, "They’re sandboxes. You can think of dungeons as living sandboxes."

"Sandboxes?" Xia Lun blinked. "Sandboxes of what?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Other worlds, of course." Aina wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down onto the bed. "The Goddess creates dungeons, using projections from the spirit realm to replicate the civilizations of those worlds… and then decides their ultimate fate.

If those worlds pose any threat or hidden danger to ours—or if there’s substantial profit to be gained—Yisi’s endless swarms will devour everything…"

Xia Lun’s pupils constricted.

Aina nibbled lightly on his ear. "I’ve told you before, Xia Lun… The Goddess isn’t as benevolent or noble as you imagine. Out there, her reputation is fearsome. Even other evil gods tread carefully around her. To them, she’s practically the evil god of evil gods…"

Xia Lun was still reeling from the revelation when he realized Aina had, at some point, already set up a magic array.

"Scared, my poor little Xia Lun?" Aina shifted higher, her thighs coiling around his waist as she cradled his head against her chest. "Don’t worry. None of this concerns you. I’ll handle everything from now on…"

"No, Aina. It does concern me." Xia Lun shook his head. "You’re my wife… and now you’ve taken on the Goddess’s duties. I’ll do my best to support you."

"Hah… Hahaha—!" Aina stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter—first a soft chuckle, then full-blown mirth, tears nearly welling in her eyes as her bat-like wings arched high behind her.

"What’s so funny?" Xia Lun gave her a puzzled look. There was something indescribable in Aina’s gaze now, like an absolute superior looking down at her plaything.

"Nothing, nothing." Aina finally calmed down, her smile sweet as she pressed closer. "Xia Lun… Don’t overthink it. If you really want to help me, then focus on pleasing me… After all, the Goddess’s work is exhausting. Right now, your greatest use is doing what you do best—helping me unwind."

"The... the thing I'm best at?" Xia Lun's lips twitched as he flushed crimson, protesting, "No way! How could the thing I'm best at possibly be—"

"I say it is, so it is," Aina retorted with a willful, coquettish huff.

The Demon King unfurled his scarlet bat-like wings.