Chapter 497 (2): Coordinates of the Underworld

Four hours later.

Darienne sat with a grave expression, tugging at the hem of her shirt in an attempt to cover her white underwear.

“What are you waiting for?” Wayne asked from behind his chips. “Is the shirt difficult to take off?”

Behind her were Mona, who was smiling, and Vichy, who had a blank look on her face. Anastasia was the dealer. Wayne looked like a winner in life.

Oh, there was also a slacker he was sponsoring on the sofa.

“Why are you so impatient?” Darienne huffed. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t take off the shirt. Just put it on my tab, and I’ll take two pieces of clothing off if I lose the next game.”

“That’s what you said three games ago. Let me count how many layers you have to peel off today...”

Pfft!

Wayne didn’t finish the calculation, but the laughter that escaped his mouth was the worst humiliation to Darienne. The table was flipped with a thud, then... he put it back.

Flipping the table was strictly forbidden at the Holy Maiden of Darkness’s manor.

“I knew it. You cheated. Or I wouldn’t have lost every game!”

“Correction, you’ve lost three hundred and forty-two games in a row, from the afternoon to the night,” Wayne said helpfully.

“Why are you boasting your memory now? How childish. You have terrible sportsmanship and show no maturity.” Darienne huffed. Unwilling to keep playing cards with a sore winner, she called it an end to today’s game.

She walked out of the living room while tugging the hem of her shirt, moving faster and faster.

It wasn’t until she was gone that Wayne looked away politely and turned to his white moonlight. “Upstairs. I have something to talk to the Goddess of Darkness about.”

Before that, he also had to placate Anastasia and Vichy. Whether Mikhael’s judgment of them was truthful and whether the Holy Maiden and the knight agreed with him, Wayne had to do his part. It was the principle of the thing.

Once they were in the master bedroom on the second floor, Mona closed the door behind her and created a soundproof barrier. For the past few days, she had always been at the scene of the crime.

Originally, Vichy was the one guarding the door, but she had been promoted and was no longer tasked with the responsibility. Darienne was now the doorkeeper.

Siluk, the Goddess of Moonlight, had given Darienne to Wayne just like Ines had given away Her Holy Maiden and knight. Darienne thus became Wayne’s knight + bodyguard + card buddy.

He knew Darienne too well, so he hadn’t tasked her with being his knight and bodyguard. Instead, every time he visited Anastasia’s manor, he would make time to play cards with her.

Once the barrier was in place, Darienne appeared in a full white suit, sitting at the card table in the living room to practice poker.

“Are you bored, Darienne?” Sukra asked coolly, still being one with the sofa.

Darienne looked over in confusion and marveled, “Oh my goddess, you’re alive!”

Sukra didn’t bite the bait. Closing the novel in her hand, she said, “It’s too sad to play cards on your own. If you’re unhappy with your situation, you should join them upstairs.”

Darienne’s eyes twitched. “Aren’t you the Holy Maiden of the Church of Death, Sukra? Did you even hear yourself?”

“It doesn’t matter what I’ve been saying. What matters is how a certain someone has been targeting Vichy lately. Strange. Is it because Vichy has something she doesn’t?” Sukra murmured to herself, just loud enough for Darienne to hear everything.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Vichy and I are rivals. We’ve been like this since more than a hundred years ago.”

“Perhaps. But the goddess’s oracle is a good excuse. You aren’t Corte or Galen. Just try it. Maybe you’ll succeed.”

“...”

“Are you swayed?”

“No, I felt sick.” Darienne clutched her chest like she was going to vomit. “The thought alone makes me nauseous. What’s so nice about that guy? Everyone has become blind like you for some reason.”

Sukra nodded. “‘I’m already his knight. With the beauty and charisma of a mature woman, as well as my incredible card skills, he will sooner or later make a move on me. I don’t have to initiate anything. He should be getting on his knees and begging me to take him,’ Darienne thought, believing she had already won.”

“Bastard, what nonsense are you spouting? Come play cards with me!” Darienne seethed, pushing the table toward the sofa. In no time, she lost all the chips to Sukra.

“How is this happening?” Darienne said. “You don’t even play cards.”

“You’ve got rotten luck.”

***

Master bedroom.

As usual, Anastasia only summoned the Goddess of Darkness to clean up after she had had her fill. There was only soup left, with little to no nutrients.

(눈‸눈)

Once again, the Goddess of Darkness reaffirmed Her dislike for the Holy Maiden of Darkness.

Ines glanced at Mona. She had seen the six-winged angel the last time She was in a threesome, so She assumed this was Hesione, the Śār of Purity. She lamented how Purity had lost purity and how far the Anointed One was from the concept of holiness. Heaven would sooner or later meet its doom.

The Divine Realm of Darkness had a brighter future. She had everything in perfect order.

Pushing the Darkness Knight aside, She put Her arms around Wayne and got seated, messaging him telepathically to ask him why Hesione was present.

She already had an answer when She asked. Eyes glinting, She stroked the pretty boy’s face and marveled at his efficiency.

She entered him with Her thoughts and sensed his life essence more deeply. Her brows jumped with pleasant surprise. To reward herself, She pecked him on the lips.

“I’m already the master of Heaven, so we don’t have to keep hiding our relationship.” Wayne raised his eyebrow. Viceroy Mikhael already knew that he was sleeping with the Goddess of Darkness. It was a relationship that would be recorded in the Sacred Tome.

“What do you mean? Are we not hiding it from Siluk and Kaleb?”

“I believe we can be open about it.” Wayne clenched his fists. He was confident that he could persuade the two goddesses with his strength alone, making them increase their investment.

“Confidence is a good look on you. I almost fell for you.” Ines sighed. “So? Are you interested in entering the Divine Realm of Darkness and receiving rewards from my main body?”

Wayne looked away.

“Hmph, don’t underestimate the goddesses if you aren’t courageous enough. You may be able to defeat them in the human world and the Astral Plane, but there’s nothing you can do if they close up their Divine Realms.” Ines leaned into him, squinting. “Violence is temporary. It’s not how you do business. To become a bigger, more robust enterprise, deception is necessary.”

She was pleased when Wayne didn’t argue. She whispered, “I remember you telling me that you aren’t actually the Anointed One. How did you become the master of Heaven so suddenly? Are the angels blind?”

“It’s real now.” Wayne gave her a brief explanation. Without going into detail about Mikhael and Pride, he stated that he had conquered Heaven and Hell with raw power.

“How far are you from reaching divinity? Have you sensed the bottleneck?”

Wayne shook his head in silence. He needed such an incredible amount of resources that Heaven and Hell combined weren’t enough to sate him.

Ines frowned in consideration. “It’s worse than I expected. Not even if Siluk and Kaleb give you everything will it be enough. I need to adjust my plan...”

“I do have an idea.” Wayne put his arms around Her. “Aztimor, the Goddess of Death, is still in slumber, so Her Divine Realm has no owner. This is the perfect time to make a move. Let’s go together. Then the Divine Realm will go to you, while the knowledge will go to me.”

Thud!

Wayne got kicked off the bed. Grabbing Her fair ankle, he climbed back up and complained, “Why did you kick me all of a sudden?”

“Do you not know?” Ines sneered. The shameless bastard had already gotten involved with Aztimor. Just because Ines hadn’t said it didn’t mean She hadn’t noticed. But he brought up Aztimor right in Her face? Did he take Her for a pushover?

Wayne didn’t understand what he had done wrong, but arguments could always be resolved in bed. He called on Mona and Vichy for help, having them each pin down one hand.

Mona was as obedient as ever, while Vichy froze in hesitation. As soon as she reached out, she cowered under the goddess’s glare.

Since She was missing someone to pin down Her other hand, Ines swapped bodies and descended upon Vichy instead, allowing Anastasia to help Wayne.

Wayne was completely lost. He was too innocent to understand the villainess’s trickery. Giving up on figuring Her out, he started doing what he did best with his body, turning off his brain.

After a passionate session, Ines kicked Wayne off the bed once more, looking down at him coldly. “Since you’ve opened up about it, I’ll stop pretending. I know about your deal with Aztimor. Tell me. When did She approach you?”

“???”

“Hmph, you’re a good actor.”

“I’m not acting. I don’t know Her. I didn’t know the name Aztimor until you told me that.” Wayne protested, getting back on the bed and pulling Ines into his arms, sweet-talking Her that Darkness was his only goddess.

He wasn’t lying. Ines was the only goddess he had bedded.

Ines smiled as She listened, then Her expression turned annoyed once he finished. “You said that you didn’t know Aztimor. Then let me ask you whose thoughts it is in your right eye, and what’s the deal with the Holy Maiden of Death in your living room?”

Wayne covered his right eye. “As expected of you, my goddess,” he said in surprise. “You’re smart and observant. You noticed this.”

She shouldn’t have, but they had gotten so close—their distance was in the negatives—that Ines would’ve noticed even if She hadn’t wanted to.

She shot him a derisive glare and said bluntly, “I have part of Aztimor’s thoughts, too. I know what she looks like.”

Wayne reacted a beat late. “Where did you get Her thoughts? Did Aztimor... give them to you?”

“Yes, just like you. She entrusted her thoughts to me personally.”

Ines’s expression hardened. These degenerates! She demanded that Wayne explain Aztimor’s plan.