Edward's timely intervention caused everything to calm down but Arthur was still laying there, half-conscious as if his soul was sucked out of him.

"This should do it."

The serial-killer pocketed the scissors and looked at Arthur before he felt his whole body enveloped by a monstrous pressure which rendered him immobilized.

"Who are you?"

The Empress appeared before him, her eyes glaring at him with suffocating killing intent. She didn't know what he did but it didn't really look that helpful.

In response, Edward innocently raised his hand and jokingly said

"Whoa there! I just followed the frog's instruction. It told me to cut the connection."

"What connection?!"

"I don't know."

"Empress."

Fariya walked to Zaarae and explained, "He's Edward Ortberg, one of the prisoners. He's just a mortal so I don't know how he got here."

"Edward Ortberg?" Zaarae never heard of that name but the appearance of the Frog of Destiny was an undeniable fact and something that shocked her to the core.

The man in question wasn't able to do anything but look around curiously. Despite being threatened, he looked totally calm and care-free, as if he had nothing to do with all of this.

Unable to control her anger, Zaarae's hand snaked toward the man's throat, holding it tight and raising him above the air.

"What did you to Arthur?!"

Edward, still unfazed, squeezed a few words, his face totally red.

"I don't know…"

Fortunately, the succubus managed to calm down the Empress and made her let go of the human mortal, who fixed his dirty prisoner clothes and took a step back.

"You should be grateful, I think I saved him. He looks much better now."

Edward pointed at Arthur, who sat up while heavily breathing. The parasite was checking his body and frowning, appearing a bit confused.

After a dozen seconds, he raised his head and stared at Edward, who had average facial features, long brown hair, bushy eyebrows, and a pointy nose.

"My connection with the original body was severed."

"Severed? What do you mean?"-Fariya

"It means he's an independent clone now, for better or worse." Zaarae sighed as she stated.

She looked at Arthur and added, "Something must have happened to the original body. What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure. I think I'll try to reach the Garden of Words before returning to him. I know myself, I won't go down that easily."

Zaarae knelt down and emitted a faint violet light from her right palm, to which Arthur didn't resist at all. The light entered his body and spread a cool and refreshing feeling across his whole body, making him feel energetic.

"In any case, I'll accompany you."

"Me too! Master!"

Fariya seductively winked while stepping closer to Arthur. Their interaction was cut short as a small figure crashed into Arthur, her tiny arms tightly hugged the surprised Arthur.

"Are you alright?"

Shen Shen appeared quite worried, she even used her Origin Water, which glistened inside this tomb as it spun around Arthur before latching itself on his back.

Arthur gently patted her back and comforted her. The little girl was strong-willed but she was particularly close with Arthur and when she saw him get hurt, she was the most anxious of them all.

"So, what's this about a Garden? I've never heard of it." Casually said Edward as he walked around the massive coffin. He took out a small piece of paper and read its content then pocketed it again, unaware of the weird gazes he was getting from everyone in the room.

"Why are you here? How did you get here?"

Hearing Arthur's questions, the man spread his hands and replied.

"Didn't you see? That frog brought me here against my will, though I must say, it feels good to leave that gloomy place. I was about to go back to the prison, that forest brought me the creeps, I tell you!"

As he listened to the serial-killer complaining, Arthur was confused, he glanced at Zaarae, who was creasing her brows, appearing even more puzzled than him.

"Master, the Frog of Destiny, which is a mythical being, like us, just appeared here. I think his special soul is the cause."

"The Heaven's Mandate soul?"

Radolf nodded his head and clarified,

"His first meeting with the Frog must've awakened his soul hence the current outcome. I just don't understand why he was brought here specifically."

Arthur shifted back his focus on Edward and asked,

"What's with the scissors?"

"Ah, those?" Edward held the plastic orange scissors, which looked no different than the cheap ones found on earth. "I found them near the frog. Since they might be useful, I kept them. So… what are we going to do? Is it time to catch the thief?"

"Thief? How do you know about the thief?"

"Hmm" The man rubbed his chin, trying to appear wise, "The birds told m-"

Before he could finish, Arthur appeared before him like a ghost and snatched the piece of paper containing the prophecy. Unfortunately, it was totally blank, which made Arthur instinctively raise his head and stare back at Edward.

"I was about to tell you but you're so irritable."

"This is empty?"

"Empty?" Edward glanced at the paper and still saw the small English words.

"No it's not."

The Empress walked next to Arthur and spoke, "Tell us what it says."

"Ehm, alright. The past Kingdom now within reach, for the golden sand will rise, its glow full of praise.

The tomb raider now here, and the thief's identity is clear.

Since time immemorial the leaf is unshaken, it's time for it to be taken."

After a brief silence, Edward muttered, "Isn't it a bit corny?"

Arthur didn't reply as he memorized the said words and tried to decipher them but it wasn't that easy. The general meaning could be grasped but why was the thief mentioned and what's this about the leaf?

The tomb raider is none other than him and the said kingdom is the Ramel Kingdom but it said that the sand will rise while, in reality, the whole Fallen God Clan was massacred.

"Where did you find this paper?"

"Literally on the ground."

"Where exactly?"

"Damn woman, at least let me breathe and eat."

Edward inwardly cursed and closed his eyes, unwilling to talk to Zaarae anymore. The Empress was further incensed but she didn't do anything and maintained an eerie silence.

*******

One hour later, in one of the local inns in Ramel City, Arthur, Zaarae, Edward, and the rest were sitting around the table but only one was nonchalantly filling his stomach, which has been empty and craving for food for a long, long time.

The clan's treasury was emptied but the tomb was left unscathed as to not anger Karima's spirit. Zaarae did say that although the woman is dead, her spirit can still appear and fight off any danger that may threaten the peace of this land. She did specifically say 'peace of the land' rather than 'the safety of the clan', which means that, for her, at least, this golden desert is what's precious.

Obviously, what happened in the royal castle, which was no more, made the whole city turn chaotic. Many fled outside while the greedy ones attempted to enter the destroyed castle, hoping for some gains. Sadly for them, there were two remaining protectors which attacked anyone who got close, though they didn't trouble Arthur, not after he possessed Karima and obtained her powers.

In addition to the shock of being severe from the real body, Arthur was flabbergasted when he saw his stats increase by billions of points. Apparently, Karima did break the limiter too, and her physical body was undoubtedly monstrously strong.

Just as the Empress said, with his current stats, he doesn't have to fear the likes of Habs. Actually, if he were to fight the Warden, he was 60% sure of his victory, if he went all-out, of course.

"Ahh! This is delicious! Too delicious!"

The man gobbled up everything in the table, stopping only when his stomach started bulging forward. He licked his finger, burped then looked at Arthur, who was coldly watching him.

"So, there's a thief?"

Edward pondered for a moment before adding, "It says his identity is clear but if we were to follow the words chronologically from top to bottom then the rise of the sand will happen first… then again, from what I heard, you did a bloody job and exterminated the royal family."

He looked at Shen Shen and brightly smiled at the little girl, who was quietly drinking some juice.

"Maybe the meaning is literal? I don't know much about this fiction-like world but sand can rise in the air, right? It can be golden too, yes? I'm thinking there must be a trigger."

His eyes narrowed his smile widened. "Perhaps your actions were that trigger. Mayhap the gods are angered? Some sort of automatic retaliation? Ah! I really don't know, I'm new to all of this."

"What if you are the trigger?" retorted Arthur.

"Me? Highly unlikely. You previously said my soul is special but, on earth, the existence of the soul is in relation to beliefs. It isn't something that can be seen so there's little to know about it. Anyway, it seems our destinies are linked, Arthur, so how about you teach me how to fly and spit fire? I think that's kinda cool and useful."

"I'm not going to teach anything to a psychopath and a murderer."

"Come now, being a psychopath isn't a sin. I'm unable to feel sympathy or remorse but that doesn't make me bad. As for being a murderer, I can't argue against that but you did kill lots of people too, innocents included."

"I did it out of necessity while you did it for pleasure."

"Is that supposed to make a difference? Cuz it's not. Look, there's a little girl here so how about we switch the topic, eh?"-Edward

"I'm not a little girl."

Hearing this, Edward seemed genuinely surprised. He knitted his brows and asked Shen Shen

"Oh? Are you one of those old people who always look young? Wow… that's the first time I'm seeing one."

"I'm not old!" protested Shen Shen as she emptied her glass of juice and snorted.

********

"Hahahaha now I really can't contribute our meeting to just luck!"

A man with long brown hair and a young-looking face laughed loudly as he stood before a blond youth. Timos casual black leather clothes with a grey cape hanging on his back, he looked at the astonished Vyncent, his pupils glowing with a golden radiance for a split second before returning to normal.

"Why are you here?" Asked Vyncent as he contained his shock.

"Why, for the same reason as you, of course."

The Black Devil pointed at a strange and moving pit filled with hideous and twisting faces.

"I don't know if the Heavens favor you or Hell hates you."

"…" Vyncent frowned but didn't say anything, the grey coin in his hand was intensely beating, like a living heart. It became incredibly restless as he got closer to the ominous sandpit and it seemed to be telling him to jump inside, something he would rather not do.

"This is the first time I'm seeing such a dangerous thing but I have a hunch about what it is."

Timos clapped his hands, turned around, angling himself toward the pit, before saying,

"I'm jumping in, you coming or not?"

Vyncent thought for a moment before slowly nodding his head and standing next to The Black Devil.

***

BONUS LORE : After what is commonly known as the Hour of Creation, the eighteen regions are created.

The ruler of the Water Region is titled 'The Governor of the Ocean' but not many know that her real name is Shen Shen.

The Moon and Star Regions are ruled by the same person, the Star Empress.

The Eighteen Regions are:

The Water Region

The Fire Region

The Demon Region

The Death Region

The Earth Region

The Wind Region

The Lightning Region

The Light Region

The Space Region

The Clockwork Region

The Singularity Region

The Fairy Region

The Saint Forest Region

The Golden Sand Region

The Mortal Region

The Star Region

The Moon Region

The Beast Alliance Region