CHAPTER 640

【 SWORD OF DAMOCLES 】

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“The Sword of Damocles?”

Evé was momentarily taken aback.

She silently repeated the name, her expression growing somewhat peculiar.

If her memory served her right, the Sword of Damocles was a concept from the myths and legends of Western history on her previous life.

Specifically, back on Earth, this sword typically symbolized ever-present danger, or rather, the idea that great power often comes with corresponding great peril. It was also frequently used to illustrate the relationship between authority and responsibility.

Of course, in certain literary works, it was also employed as a symbol of divine punishment, divine authority, or overwhelming power.

“Was it a coincidence? Or perhaps… a connection?” Evé murmured inwardly.

Her gaze returned to the divine sword. After a brief pause, she summoned her divine mark and inscribed it upon the weapon.

Since this artifact now doesn’t have an owner, there was no reason to let it go to waste.

Besides, she was rather curious about its abilities.

Golden divine power surged into the massive sword, which immediately burst into a radiant glow.

Then, its immense body began to shrink continuously, reducing from a colossal weapon over two hundred meters long to a sword barely 1.2 meters in length.

The ability to adjust its size to suit its wielder was an inherent trait of all true divine artifacts.

With a gentle wave of her hand, the divine sword flew out of the stone coffin and landed upright in her grasp.

Its hilt was black, the pommel fashioned into a dark-golden crown. The cross-shaped guard shared the same hue, inlaid with red gemstones surrounded by black ornamental patterns.

The blade itself gleamed in a silvery-white sheen, double-edged and brilliant, with intricate gold-and-black engravings running down its center, alongside a line of elegant script written in Titan letters.

Eve’s eyes fell upon the inscription, and drawing on the linguistic knowledge she inherited from the World Tree, she read it aloud:

“With great power comes greater responsibility…”

For a few moments, she remained silent, then sighed softly.

“So it truly is similar to Earth’s Sword of Damocles in the sense of the term…”

By now, she was certain that the creator of this sword must have had some connection to Earth.

As divine power flowed into the Sword of Damocles, more information surfaced within Eve’s mind.

The first thing she learned was its origin:

“Sword of Damocles: Forged by His Majesty Neo, King of the Gods. Completed in the year 108,323,972 of the Genesis Era. Presented to the courageous and fearless Titan hero—His Majesty Anos.”

“This was forged by the King of the Gods, Neo?”

Eve’s eyelid twitched slightly.

“Hmm. This Neo… could he actually also be a transmigrator? Is it really possible for someone to cross over worlds while ignoring their timelines?”

The thought involuntarily crossed her mind.

The sword’s oddly familiar naming sense, the ancient humans who called themselves Neo’s descendants, and the striking similarities between Seigües and Earth’s civilizations—all of these factors led Evé to such a suspicion.

Unfortunately, Neo had vanished millions of years ago.

Even if she harbored some doubts, it would be nearly impossible for her to uncover more about this ancient deity who had long since faded into the annals of history.

As for the Titan hero named Anos mentioned in the sword’s inscription…

If he was indeed the same individual she was thinking of, then it was most likely referring to the very Anos whom eventually became the King of Titans and the ruler of the Titan Era.

“Perhaps, once the Withering Heart is repaired, I could ask Dorft about it. He might know something about the King of the Gods, Neo.”

“Or maybe, when I visit Her Majesty Urinos, I could ask Her about it as well…”

Evé pondered.

Dorft had excavated many ruins and might possess some knowledge pertaining to that long forgotten ancient era.

As for Urinos…

Well, she was one of the oldest living Ancient Gods, a being who had existed during the same era as the King of the Gods.

So surely, she would know something about Neo.

However, according to the dragons who had recently arrived to purify their eggs bloodline, Her Majesty Urinos had once again entered a deep slumber and would not awaken for another year.

By that time, the Heavenly Demonic Crusade would have already begun.

Returning to the present, Evé looked once more at the Sword of Damocles.

Now that this weapon had recognized her as its master, she had a clearer understanding of its rank.

At full power, it could barely reach the threshold of Greater Divine strength.

In terms of divine energy capacity, it was nearly on par with the Crown of Nature and the Scepter of Life.

And in terms of offensive capability, it even surpassed the artifacts currently in her possession.

However, it possessed only a single effect…

—Absolute Severance.

With sufficient divine power, its wielder could sever anything they wished to cut, without exception.

“It truly is a powerful artifact.”

Evé murmured in awe.

“Although it only has one effect, its destructive potential is extraordinary. In terms of sheer attack power, it might rank among the top ten of all known artifacts… perhaps even higher. It’s just a bit too demanding in divine power consumption.”

Evé sighed softly, admiration and caution mingling in her voice.

After her initial sigh of admiration, Evé could not help but feel a touch of sentiment.

A true artifact of such immense power should have been famous throughout the universe, yet it had been forgotten simply because it had slumbered within a Titan’s tomb for countless of ages.

She could more or less piece together the sword’s history.

It was likely that Neo had gifted it to the King of Titans, and after Anos became the ruler of the era, he passed it onto one of his subordinates. Eventually, it was buried here along with the deceased Titan who was now buried in this Mausoleum.

Thinking about it, she wondered, how many other divine artifacts had disappeared in much the same way?

No wonder the gods were always so eager to unearth Titan ruins.

“What a pity. I wonder what expression Dorft would make if he knew that the Titan artifact he provided actually helped me discover such a powerful divine artifact.”

A faint smile tugged at Eve’s lips at the thought.

Of course, she understood that even if Dorft had known there was a true artifact hidden within these ruins, he would have had no means of obtaining it.

After all, it was located in the Elven Forest, the domain of the previous World Tree a thousand years ago. In those days, no one dared to trespass upon this land.

For the past thousand years, the realm of Seigües had been sealed off, thus preventing Dorft from descending into this world even if he wished to do so. Moreover, Uller, a subordinate god of war, had also been keeping a close watch over this area.

It was only in recent years that the Elven Forest became Eve’s territory.

And she was far stronger than Dorft, so the latter would naturally be apprehensive about intruding upon her dominion.

Feeling pleased, Evé stored away the Sword of Damocles.

Then, glancing around at the now-bare Mausoleum which she had thoroughly plundered, Evé fell into thought.

“I should probably leave something behind for the players… otherwise it might dampen their enthusiasm.”

Murmuring this to herself, Evé waved her hand.

Several chests filled with gold coins and jewels appeared around the chamber.

These were the things the players had once sent to her as offerings in exchange for contribution points. Placing them here was, in a way, restoring them to their original place of origin.

Next, she turned her gaze toward the stone coffin.

She collected it as well, and within her divine kingdom, recreated a smaller but far more ornate version of it, before placing the new one back in its place.

Then, using her divine power of life, she forged a fake skeleton and laid it within the coffin.

She cast a divine spell upon it that would cause it to self-destruct once the coffin was opened, then dressed the false corpse in divine equipment looted by players from the shattered divine kingdom.

Of course, the equipment she used were all high-grade Gold-rank artifacts, personally repaired by Evé herself.

After completing these arrangements, she paused and looked around the vicinity once more.

“Hmm… this chamber is still missing a guardian. It feels somewhat lacking that there’s no final boss to guard this place.”

With that thought, Evé raised her hand again and traced a gesture in the air.

Golden light gathered in the void before her, expanding until it formed into a shimmering mirror.

The image within gradually cleared, revealing Azazel’s figure.

Currently, the Seventh Demon Lord appeared to be lounging in the final hall of the Demon Labyrinth, enjoying roasted meat and ale seized from the players while several high-ranking demons flattered and attended to him.

Before him floated a massive crystal orb, displaying scenes of players adventuring throughout the labyrinth.

From time to time, Azazel let out a sinister chuckle as he manipulated demons through the crystal—sometimes sending them to hinder the players, other times redirecting the players into the lairs of the demon kings he disliked, allowing those unfortunate beings to experience the wrath of the players firsthand.

Eve: “…”

Well now.

Looks like this once-proud Demon Lord had completely adapted to his role as a dungeon boss.

Watching his cheerful expression, Evé suddenly recalled an old saying from her past life:

“Life is like that thing—if you can’t resist it, then you might as well learn to enjoy it.”

Though she had never considered the saying particularly appropriate, at this moment it seemed rather fitting for the Seventh Demon Lord, who by now appeared to have completely developed a case of Stockholm syndrome.

“Having fun, are we?”

Eve’s voice pierced through space, echoing in Azazel’s chamber.

The familiar yet teasing tone froze the demon’s grin instantly.

Azazel shuddered, spilling his ale all over his armor.

Then, trembling slightly, the mighty Demon Lord hastily dismissed the attending demons, hid the ale and jerky, and straightened his posture as if nothing had happened.

Putting on an air of forced dignity, he said, “Y-Yggdrasill… what do you want this time?”

Despite his attempt to appear calm and indifferent, the spilled ale on his armor, the poorly concealed snacks, and the faint tremor in his voice all betrayed his unease.

It was, however, entirely understandable.

With his power sealed and the great goddess constantly devising new methods to draw Abyssal energy from him, every one of Evé’s appearances inevitably meant another task for him to perform. Over time, his anxious reaction had become almost instinctive.

“Relax,” Evé said with a light laugh, watching his defensive posture. “I just have a small task for you.”

“Hmph! Yggdrasill! Do not use that tone with me—it’s insulting!”

Azazel snapped, his expression indignant.

Yet, despite his anger, his tone sounded suspiciously relieved.

Evé did not press further on that point.

She gave him a calm look and said:

“Just summon a few demons the Chosen Ones haven’t encountered before. Their strength doesn’t need to be overwhelming—Gold rank will suffice.”

“Oh, and make them impressive by human standards: large in size, striking in appearance, and imposing in presence. Ideally, they should possess the bloodline of the Titans.”

“Human standards? Titan bloodline?” Azazel muttered under his breath.

“What’s this? You don’t want to do it?”

Eve’s tone rose slightly, carrying a hint of warning.

Azazel froze.

He glanced at Eve’s unreadable expression and, recalling the misfortunes she had caused him in past years, shuddered involuntarily.

Then, with a reluctant huff, the proud Demon Lord answered stiffly, “Tch… demons with Titan blood, is it? Fine. I’ll… I’ll summon them.”

Indeed, some demons carried traces of Titan bloodline. They are rare, but not entirely impossible to find for a being of Azazel’s stature.

Seeing him comply, Evé temporarily loosened a portion of his seal restrictions. The Demon Lord then obediently conjured three high-ranking demons whose appearances were far more pleasing to the eye than most of their kind.

Each one was of Gold rank.

From a human perspective, they looked majestic and commanding, with massive, Titan-like builds.

“Not bad.”

Evé remarked approvingly, nodding as she examined their striking forms and somewhat bewildered expressions.

With a gentle gesture, she summoned the three demons into the Mausoleum.

“Hmph. Anything else?” Azazel asked stiffly as Evé dismissed the summoned creatures.

“No, that’s all. You can go back to… playing with the Chosen Ones.”

With that, she dispelled the mirror between them.

For a moment, Azazel sat stunned inside his chamber before erupting in fury.

“‘Playing with the Chosen Ones’? You call my task playing? Those insects?! Yggdrasill, you dare insult me, this great Demon Lord?!”

Of course, his outrage was entirely useless.

After shouting a few times in frustration, he realized the mirror connection had truly been severed. Half in relief and half in irritation, the reluctant “employee” of the goddess of life redirected his remaining anger elsewhere—particularly toward the Chosen Ones exploring his labyrinth.

And his method of revenge was simple:

He increased both the number and frequency of demon ambushes against every player parties that was on the dungeon at the moment.

༺⟐༻

Back in the Titan ruins, the three Gold-ranked demons were soon transported into the Mausoleum’s inner chamber.

Evé then restrained their strength and sealed most of their mobility, placing them around the stone coffin—precisely where the three bone dragons had once stood guard.

In a sense, these demons now served as their replacements, perfectly fulfilling the role of final-boss guardians.

Of course, their power seals were nearly permanent; if they were any stronger, the players would have little chance of victory. Even if they did win, the effort required would far outweigh the rewards.

Still, their movement wasn’t completely restricted.

According to Eve’s setup, once the players reached the inner burial chamber, these titan demons’ mobility would automatically be restored.

After that, it was entirely up to the players whether they could defeat them or not.

Satisfied with her careful “redesign” of the Mausoleum, Evé gave a small nod of approval to herself.

With that, her objectives for this trip were fully accomplished.

As for the remaining loot, she decided to leave it to the players. After all, in the end, she needed these “leeks” to grow strong before she could harvest them.

With everything settled, Evé cast one last thoughtful glance at the silent Mausoleum before transforming into Féng once more and leaving the chamber.

However, as she entered one of the outer corridors of the mausoleum, her divine senses picked up two sizable groups of players nearby—each with an average strength at the Silver rank.

And among them… were several familiar faces.

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