That was enough for Xie Lua to realize how angry Zach was with the traitor.
”I am 99% sure that it was one of 12— now 11— pillars,” Xie Lua answered in a calm voice, seemingly unaffected by the furious look on Zach’s face because her feelings were the same.
She was as angry —if not more— as Zach at the traitor, and she wanted to avenge Deus as well.
”That’s…” The furious look on Zach’s face vanished as soon as Xie Lua’s words reached Zach’s heart. He was having a hard time believing it. “That’s not possible.”
”Do you know the meaning of betrayal?” Xie Lua asked in a neutral tone.
”Ah…” Zach understood what Xie Lua was getting. “Betrayal always comes from the closest people who one trusts. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called a betrayal.”
”Right. And there was no one else close to master other than the rest of the 11 pillars. Sure, he had lots of friends and enemies, but he spent most of the time with the pillars as he was the 12th and the youngest pillar,” Xie Lua asserted in a solemn voice.
”Do… you have any proof of your statement? I am not saying that I don’t trust you. It’s just… hard to believe…”
”Your father went to the eleven pillars to ask for help. And only they knew that he was planning to attack the heavens. If that’s not enough to convince you, then forgive me, but you are the stupidest person I have ever met.”
Zach placed his hand on Xie Lua’s shoulder, but he kept his gaze down and uttered, “I am convinced. It’s just hard to take in. After all, they all are my masters. They trained me. They also gave me blessings. They made me who I am today. So if one among them is a traitor…”
Zach clenched his chest with his hand and muttered, “I feel disgusted. Why would they do that?!”
”One always betrays in two conditions: whether they are losing something or gaining something. Sure, there are other reasons why one would betray another, but all that fall into a different category, such as being betrayed by an acquaintance or a mere friend.”
”Do you…” Zach looked into Xie Lua’s eyes and saw fire inside them. “Do you know who it could be from the 11 pillars?”
Xie Lua shook her head and said, “Sadly, I do not know. I never knew them personally, so I can’t tell the reasons for the betrayal either.”
After a few seconds, Zach cracked his jaw and uttered: “Say, is it given that it was only one traitor?”
”Huh?”
”When father mentioned the traitor, he assumed someone must have snitched him out. But what if it wasn’t only one traitor? What if it was more? Perhaps, all the pillars ratted father out?” Zach asked in an inexplicable tone.
”…!” Xie Lua was taken aback after hearing that. Not by what Zach said, but by the fact that Zach said that.
’Until a few minutes ago, he wasn’t even getting convinced that his masters betrayed his father. And now he is suspicious of all of them…’
Xie Lua grabbed Zach’s head and caressed his face.
”What are you doing…?” Zach asked curiously.
Xie Lua leaned forward and kissed Zach on the lips before saying, “I think we have talked enough on this topic. We know who can be the traitor, but we don’t know for sure who it was. Doubting or getting suspicious of them is not going to help you on that matter.”
”Yeah, you are right,” Zach nodded. “And even if I knew who it was, I can’t do anything unless I get out of this death game. Until then, I can just let my anger brew so that I can unleash them all together one day.”
After saying that, Zach kissed Xie Lua on the lips as a goodbye kiss and left the magic shop dimension.
”…” Xie Lua watched Zach leave and placed her hand on her chest. “Zach… You are choosing the wrong path… but I don’t have the courage to stop you. Maybe the wrong path leads to a better future. I don’t know. But I will support you till the very end.”
When Zach left the magic shop dimension and entered his room, he found Victoria and Aria sitting on his bed.
”Look who is here,” Aria remarked. “I thought you left us behind and ran off somewhere to clear the game alone.”
”Come on, Zach would never do such a thing,” Victoria defended Zach.
”What are you girls doing here?”
”Aria mentioned you wanted to talk to us about something…” Victoria responded.
”Oh, yeah.” After a brief pause, Zach uttered, “Xie Lua and I are a couple now.”
”…”
”…”
”Umm… say something.”
”You even laid your hands on an NPC?” Aria asked in disbelief. “Who are you going to seduce next? Ninia?”
”Whoa, whoa, whoa. First of all, Xie Lua is not an NPC. I have known her since I was a kid. And second… she is hot as fuck. No man wouldn’t want her, and I think of myself as lucky to have her love me.”
”I… have no comments…” Victoria muttered.
”I used to get jealous, but that was when I wasn’t an official part of your harem. However, now that my position is safe and secured, I don’t actually care which or how many girls you mess around with, honestly. But don’t you dare ever stop loving me,” Aria warned Zach and continued, “Otherwise, I will make you regret your every choice.”
”I am curious to know what you would do if that happens, but I will refrain myself,” Zach remarked.
”What are we going to do now?” Victoria asked curiously. “Any plans to ascend anytime soon?”
”Well, I have to take care of my religion first. I already made a deal with Xie Lua about the potions, so now I will have to spread the word amongst the players.”
***
Total players in the game- 1,482,541
0 new players logged in.
9 players died.
===
Author’s Note- Next step to become the Absolute!