Book 20, The Crown’s Riddle – Chapter 7, Olivier
Linley traversed Dragon Avenue, flying downwards and quickly arriving outside the Skykrite Mountains. He saw Olivier there, floating in the air outside the mountain range.
Next to the location where Olivier was hovering, there was also a flourishing ironbark tree. Its lustrous, knife-like metallic leaves, under the light of the Blood Sun, seemed terrifying. As for Olivier, his black and white hair was tousled and rather mussed. His face was ashen. He seemed quite dispirited. In front of him was a black-haired youth.
“What happened to Olivier?” Linley, seeing this, couldn’t help but frown. “He seems quite depressed.”
In Linley’s mind, Olivier was an expert who always strove to reach the peak and who wasn’t afraid of loneliness. Even when in the most dire of situations, Olivier shouldn’t be the sort of person to grow depressed and give up. Thus, the scene in front of Linley puzzled him.
“Elder Linley, that’s the person who claims to be your friend, ‘Olivier.’” The warriors of his clan reported respectfully.
“He is indeed my friend.” Linley smiled then flew towards Olivier.
Olivier had noticed Linley as well, and he couldn’t help but fly towards Linley while squeezing out a smile. It was still quite a stroke of karmic luck for two people of a similar age from the same homeland to meet each other here in the Infernal Realm.
“Linley.” Olivier forced a smile.
“Haha, Olivier...after the last time we parted, a thousand years has passed without us meeting again.” Linley said with a laugh, and then looked towards the youth next to Olivier. “Oh, Olivier, the youth next to you is...?” Linley realized that there seemed to be a rather baleful aura coming from the youth’s forehead, and he seemed quite cold and emotionless.
Olivier took the youth’s hand, then turned and glanced sideways at Linley. “This is my son. Deia [Dai’ya].”
“Son?” Linley was slightly startled.
Olivier had actually gotten married? Olivier had always pursued perfection, and he had never had a wife.
“Uncle Linley.” The cold youth, ‘Deia’, bowed fractionally as he spoke.
“Excellent.” Linley laughed and nodded, then said to the nearby Olivier, “Olivier, don’t just stand there. Come, come to my place. Let’s chat slowly once we get back. Haha, it has been so many years since I have seen you. You even have a son...and you’ve become a Highgod. Excellent.”
Linley laughed as he spoke, then flew alongside Olivier back to his own residence.
Moments later, they arrived at Linley’s residence.
“Elder!” The guards in front of the residence’s gates all saluted respectfully, their eyes filled with a hint of veneration. There were many warriors who were willing to be a guard for Linley’s residence. To be a guard for a Highgod Paragon? This was something one could feel very proud of.
“Deia, come in.” Linley laughed as he spoke to the cold youth.
Seeing how Deia acted, Linley sighed in his heart. “In the past, Olivier was quite cold as well. I didn’t expect that his son would be even colder than him, with such a strong, baleful aura, as though he is about to kill someone.” Still, Linley understood that it wasn’t that Deia was being disrespectful to him; it was that Deia had been like this ever since he was born, and so it was only natural that he had become like this at all times now.
After entering the residence.
“Heeey...Olivier?!” A large group of people was in the grassy courtyard, and Bebe, who was chatting loudly with everyone else, called out in surprise as he saw Olivier.
“Olivier. Long time no see.” Reynolds laughed as he walked over to greet him.
“Olivier.” Wharton and the others who were on friendly terms with Olivier all walked over. In the past, Olivier had stayed at Dragonblood Castle for quite a long period of time, and he was quite familiar with many of the people who lived there. “You all came?” Olivier was very surprised as well. All he could do was continue to force a smile as he greeted these people.
A large group of people immediately surrounded Olivier and Deia.
Linley watched this calmly, musing to himself, “Olivier seems to be rather...off.”
Surrounded by so many people, Olivier had no choice but to chat with them.
“Father.” Deia tugged at Olivier’s hand slightly, clearly not accustomed to being surrounded by so many people.
“Enough, everyone, let’s break it up. There will be plenty of opportunities to see Olivier in the future. Olivier just returned. Let him rest a bit.” Linley said with a laugh. Immediately, the group slowly broke apart, and Linley then walked to stand next to Olivier. He asked softly, “Olivier, is there something on your mind?”
Olivier glanced at Linley, then shook his head. “Nothing.”
Olivier clearly didn’t want to discuss it!
Seeing the response, Linley didn’t pursue this line of questioning. Laughing, he said, “Then stay here at my place. We have many people here...it will be more lively.”
“Fine.” Olivier laughed and nodded.
And then, Linley left as well.
Within a large, empty courtyard. Deia was seated at the corner of a stone table. The stone table was covered with fruit and food, and Deia was silently eating some of it, not chatting with the others at all.
Wharton, Reynolds, and Olivier were all seated together.
“That’s the way Deia is. He likes the quiet.” Olivier explained.
“This is a problem with your child raising methods.” Wharton chortled.
Olivier forced out a laugh, but didn’t discuss this any further. He suddenly looked around, then said, puzzled, “Wharton, Reynolds...when I originally came to the Four Divine Beasts clan, didn’t Linley’s group live in that large gorge? But on this visit, I can tell that Linley’s estate is now incredibly luxurious and takes up a large space. It is quite eye-catching. What’s going on?”
A person’s residence would be commensurate to their status.
Naturally, Olivier would be puzzled as to why someone would have such a large residence within the Four Divine Beasts clan.
“You haven’t met with my Third Bro in over a thousand years. The past thousand years, however, Third Bro has gained strength faster than ever before.” Reynolds laughed.
“Oh?” Olivier was very surprised.
“I’ll tell you.” Reynolds laughed, then began to explain. “Let’s start from when the Four Divine Beasts clan escaped their crisis. The eight great clans were pressing down upon the Four Divine Beasts clan from right outside the mountains...” Reynolds explained everything, including the events in the Netherworld, the events in Tartarus, and even what Linley had done in the Planar Battlefield. He explained it all in one go.
“Paragon?” Hearing that Linley had become a Paragon, Olivier’s eyes turned completely round.
Wharton added, “But of course. During the Planar War, my big brother actually dueled another Paragon named Magnus, right there in the center of the Stellar River’s corridor. While being watched by countless soldiers and many commanders, my big brother gave Magnus a kick and forced him into chaotic space. Hey! Olivier, why are you leaving?”
Olivier, hearing this, actually rose to his feet and hurriedly walked away.
“That’s weird...” Reynolds didn’t understand.
Olivier walked right next to Bebe, saying frantically, “Bebe, where’s your Boss?”
Bebe laughed and pointed to the distance. “He’s in that building over there. My Boss is right there.”
“Thanks.” Olivier hurriedly moved in that direction, his body flashing forward, reappearing before the building.
Bebe, puzzled, frowned. “My Boss is right there, just a few hundred meters away. Why use divine power to fly? It would only take a few seconds to walk that distance. What’s the rush?”
Olivier pushed open the door to the study of that building, then walked in. He immediately saw Linley, who was currently reading a book. Linley, puzzled, lifted his head, then laughed, “Oh, Olivier?”
Olivier took three steps forward, walking to the center of the study.
Suddenly...
Olivier knelt down, his knees striking hard against the stone floor with a ‘bang’ sound. Olivier’s face was solemn, and his eyes were filled with entreaty. “Linley, you have to help me!”
“Rise, quick, rise.” Linley was completely stunned by Olivier’s actions. Waving his hand, he sent a surge of Will-infused divine earth power forward, lifting Olivier up. Olivier looked straight at Linley, who hurriedly said, “Don’t be like this. If there’s something you need, just tell me. I will definitely help you.”
Linley walked out from behind the reading table, hurriedly moving to stand in front of Olivier, then pulling Olivier to sit down at a nearby chair. Linley sat as well. “What is going on? Tell me.”
Linley had known as soon as he had seen Olivier today that Olivier seemed to be a bad situation. But Olivier wasn’t willing to discuss it, and so there was nothing Linley could do.
“This matter...when speaking of it...” Olivier smiled bitterly as he spoke. “Linley, in the past, when I left Dylin and the others to adventure alone, I did indeed make a breakthrough while walking that line between life and death. My divine light clone reached the Highgod level. And then, while taking on a Fiend mission, I met Diana [Dai’na]! Diana was also a lone traveler who had taken on multiple missions. During that dangerous mission, the two of us quickly grew close, and then Diana and I became husband and wife.”
Linley nodded slightly.
It was indeed quite normal for two lone travelers to marry each other and become husband and wife.
“Roughly twenty years ago, Diana and I had children. A pair of twin boys; Deia and Leya [Lei’ya].” Olivier sighed. “Everything was beautiful. The four of us lived a life of peace. Diana and I were both Highgods, and so we were able to guarantee that Deia and his brother would live safe lives...but when Deia was five years old! A man named Bonin [Bo’ning] led a group of subordinates over. When he found us, do you know what he said?”
Olivier’s eyes were filled with rage. “He said...Diana was his wife!!!”
Linley was stunned.
“This man named Bonin told Diana to go with him! Of course we weren’t willing, but he had tens of subordinates, all of them Highgods. My wife and I weren’t able to resist at all! But Diana and I would rather die than agree. But this Bonin threatened Diana...he said that if Diana left with him, he would spare me and our two sons! If Diana refused, then he would kill me and our sons.” Olivier’s eyes became filled with murder as he said this.
“This Bonin....he gave me a chance to fight him by myself. If I was able to beat him, he would let us go.” Olivier clenched his fists. “But...I lost! I was far from being a match for him!”
Linley sighed in his heart.
Olivier explained it in a very simple manner, but Linley could completely imagine what that scene was like. A man who wasn’t even able to protect his wife and children, and had to watch as others took them away, that sort of pain and grief...
“For the sake of myself and my two sons, Diana left with him!” Olivier’s tears began to fall.
There were many unjust things in this world. If he, Olivier, was a supreme expert, he could have effortlessly killed this enemy. But he wasn’t a supreme expert. Or at least...he wasn’t for now! Thus, all he could do was watch as his woman left with someone else!
“But Diana was wrong!” Olivier said furiously. “That Bonin was a bastard!!! He actually didn’t spare me and my children. After taking Diana away, he sent people to kill us.”
Linley’s face changed.
Bonin had first promised to spare Olivier and his children, so as to coax Diana away. But then, he had sent people to kill Olivier? This was indeed excessively vile.
“Haha...” Olivier just laughed coldly. “What he didn’t know...was that after he took Diana away, I immediately left with my sons, and then I began to fuse with a darkness-type Highgod spark!” By then, Olivier had already reached the Highgod level in his divine light clone, but his divine darkness clone was still at the God level. Of course, he had already comprehended five profound mysteries, and was only missing the final one.
If he were to train normally, in just a few more centuries, Olivier would’ve broken through on his own.
But...
He wasn’t able to wait any longer!
Olivier needed to get revenge! In addition, he was a Soul Mutate; even if he fused one divine spark, the other divine clone was one which had broken through on its own. Given that he had the soul of a Soul Mutate, he would still have a chance to fuse profound mysteries in the future.
Because Olivier had already comprehended five mysteries, the process of fusing with a divine spark was naturally quite fast. In a few short months, he had succeeded.
“Those people were able to locate me, though, and they pursued me and my children and attacked us. By then, I had already fused the divine spark. By using fused divine power and two profound mysteries I had fused long ago, I killed them! Kill them all!” Olivier growled. Even before becoming a Deity, Olivier had already sensed that there were areas in the Laws of Light and Laws of Darkness that were compatible, and had fused a profound mystery from each.
Centuries earlier, Olivier had succeeded.
After fusing with a divine spark, Olivier had access to fused divine power and fused Laws. Olivier’s power had increased exponentially, and he became comparable to a Seven Star Fiend.