Chapter 114: What Diana Shouldn’t Know

Kyros sent his Coven to go around the place.

The Dark Link allowed Kyros to use his powers to see what his Coven could see in real-time. They also now could send messages to each other. But the line got so loud because it was all being broadcasted with each other.

Kyros got so annoyed that he paused and fiddled in his Soul Console for a few minutes.

Once more, Kyros amazed Calaminus with his impressive programming skills.

Kyros programmed and altered the means of how the Dark Link allowed communication.

"Coven of the Nephilim Chat Group...?" Martha read the notification that appeared on her mind.

She selected yes, and a screen opened up.

"Hi... This is Lord Kyros. Please follow the installation wizard and key in your username." A message appeared. The avatar of the messenger was a picture of Kyros doing a simple pose.

"I selected a few images of your faces from my memory. Please select the one you like. You can change the profile picture of your account anytime. If you do not like any of the pictures, you may choose to leave it blank." Kyros messaged once more.

"Lord Kyros... I had such a look?" Scarlet sent a message. For some strange reason, Scarlet was able to use a blushing expression. Her picture had a rather charming facial expression.

"I thought it was cute," Kyros answered.

"..." Scarlet replied with several blushing and hugging emojis.

"I look awesome here." Avary sent a message. His avatar was quite heroic as he fought and attacked the lizards.

"Hey! Lord Kyros! We got stronger for some strange reason!" Gregory sent a message.

"Gregory... Triple H. I sent you guys a direct message. Let's call it DM for short. Please check my DM."

"Already did," Hunter replied with an emoji of a hand doing a thumbs up. Hunter had a rather comedic look. It was his nearly dead appearance before Kyros turned him.

"Alright. Is everyone set?" Kyros asked. He could see that Martha, Grugnyr, Hems, and Hemsey aren't online.

"Woah. This is amazing! You coded an impressive messaging application! They can send pictures!"

"Easier than asking me to see what they see with that vision link think. Anyway, I can use the traditional link mode, which follows the current Dark Link level. I plan to use the normal mode during battles for faster links. But for none urgent or fast-paced moments like this, this is more convenient."

"This is cool. Now you can do your own memes. Instead of random meme creators making fictional chat groups about us, there is an actual chat group that exists!" 

Kyros ignored Calaminus's odd rants of how he would secretly log in using the username Roronoa Zoro and chat as if he got lost. 

The group continued to alert Kyros and marked the location where they found stones and ores that fit the Temple's requirements.

And once everyone was able to mark the items, Kyros followed the shortest path in his map by calculating the most efficient route to go there. And he started collecting the mines and the mining cart that was full of ores. The orcs and human slaves were unprepared for the vampire's attack, and this caused the carts to be left full of items.

Kyros didn't take all but took three-fourths of each mining cart.

[Quest Items:

Iron Ore- Complete

Silver Ore- Complete

Various Metals- Complete

Claim minor rewards?]

The notification appeared, but just like all the other rewards, Kyros simply minimized the window.

"I guess with Fate's refreshed timeline. I could claim them all once I get back..." Kyros pondered.

"I wonder what you will get. I mean... your mercenary group could soon be equipped with top-of-the-line weapons!" Calaminus was excited.

"I am more excited on getting the Library in the Temple completed. Father and Uncle should be mining all the nearby stones and lumber to complete the quest." Kyros smiled and brought up the Library's requirements.

---

Library of the Nephilim Level 1

Grook Brown Lumber- Complete

Graphite Char Dread Stone-Complete

Silver Ore- Complete

Skin Mending Herbs- Complete

Blood Berries- (1 Bushel)

Green Poison Five-leaf Plant- (1 Bushel)

---

"Looks like father and uncle managed to find some of those lumber in the lizard's home. It's good that Fate had stopped. And it looks like Skin Mending Herbs is also completed! I'm sure they already sent a message to grandfather to complete the Blood Berries and the Green Poison Five-Leaf Plant."

Kyros then continued and kept bringing in the ores even though the quest was complete. Kyros knew that these items would still be useful soon. Finally, Kyros reached another area where the Coven found the Selenite stones. These were stones that were part of his level one Temple quests.

[Temple storage space exceeded. Various lifeforms are within the storage space, and the selected items cannot be sent.]

"Hrm? That's odd? Did they not get my message? So they just started moving things out?"

Kyros frowned and decided to take out the notebook.

[Item being modified by Branze Steele.]

The notification appeared.

Kyros waited for a few minutes and tried again. This time the notebook was successfully transferred.

Kyros read it and was stunned.

"Woah. The Temple changed?! This is amazing! They can become full-fledged Paladins at this rate! With dad's wisdom and that energy, they could become Paladins in two days!" Kyros was amazed. Kyros read the first part of the note and already understood what it meant. But what Kyros didn't know, that his casual deduction had already awakened Diana's desire. After all, she just saw Kyros's powerful Paladin form.

"Paladins? What happened?!" Diana grabbed the notebook and read Branze's report.

Diana read the portion which Branze had just added.

"Son. The Temple had undergone a strange metamorphosis. It grew more powerful, and the healing energy was something that we could all feel and even cultivate. The beams of the Temple had also grown white with such power. We found that cultivating in the Temple can allow us to harness the Holy Power. But more importantly, the holy aura of the Temple makes it the best meditation platform. I haven't tried what the Midlands or Higher Planes have to offer, but the meditation platform of the Temple should break all common sense, just like how the Temple can heal, restore and convert energy. Because of this, the path of a Paladin is open to all of us. Although the strength we can create is not something that can equal those real Paladins who have Light Cores, we could become stronger in time! Paladins need to have a source of Holy energy or must constantly be exposed to Holy. Although we don't have Cores, the vast amount of Holy energy could allow all our mercenaries and knights to walk on the power of light. Healing spells, buffs, and protective barriers could be possible. Your mother should also benefit from this. Whatever you do, DO NOT tell your mother! She should not learn of this now! I have seen her crazy fanatic expression when it comes to anything about Paladins. It's also why she agreed to marry me in the first place, as the Pseudo-Paladin was something that she wished to learn! I know you have more missions to do with her, so she might leave you to go here, especially since she already has a core in her made ready to store Holy energy!"

Although Branze's message went on, Diana had thrown the notebook back at Kyros and made a sprint.

"See you in the Temple, son!"

"Mom!? Wait! We have other missions to do!"

"So? You're very smart! You outsmarted and defeated a Saint-level creature. You can figure this out! I'm going now!" Diana made haste.

"Wait! Mom! Stop! You will ruin the plan!" 

Diana paid no heed and readied her charge.

Kyros was starting to panic. Her presence was an important key in their plans.

"Mom!" Kyros shouted.

"I trust you! See you later! I'm going to be a Paladin!" Diana shouted.

Kyros cursed. Then he realized the one thing that could stop his mother.

"Dad! Of course!"

Kyros took a deep breath and shouted.

"Dad's going to confess to you!" Kyros declared.

Diana's sprint halted, and she froze in place.

"What? Confess?" She turned around.

"Yes. He will confess his love to you. In fact, when you meet him in the Temple, he will hold the marriage ceremony that you two avoided. He even asked me to delay for a few days so that he can prepare for the huge event!" Kyros revealed. He knew that the only thing that could stop her mother from accomplishing her passion was a force that was as equally formidable as being able to reach her nearly impossible dream.

And that was the power of Tsundere.

"What?! That's insane! Your father hates me!"

"How do you know? And you sound so irritated when saying that. It's as if you like him."

"What?! N-No! It's-it's because I am married to him! It's annoying that he-he doesn't have feelings for me. That's-that's shameful for my family! That's why I sound irritated! It's not like I li-like him or anything..."

Kyros paused and kept looking at Diana with a curious look.

"Wow. That was a textbook Tsundere response!" Calaminus was amazed.

"Father loves you! Think, Mother! He even knows your favorite stone! That is what father really thinks about you!"

"D-Don't patronize me!"

"When we were in the Temple, he fought the Golem Mardock. The Green Golem that I can summon was once a creature that could fight Paladins. But father mercilessly fought and delivered a powerful attack. The Golem died, and I took his core. But in that battle... Father nearly died. We had to rush him back to the Temple to save him. At that moment, he didn't know the Temple could heal him. So he told me of how he met you."

"..." Kyros then became silent.

"..." 

"..."

"..."

"And...?"

"And what?" Kyros asked.

"What did he say? Why did you stop?!" Diana asked frantically.

"He said that he was amazed at how beautiful you are." Kyros answered.

"Hmp! It's good that he knows that. At least he's not blind!" Diana answered coldly and turned around.

"Fine. If that idiot plans to confess, then it will be awkward. You have to tell him to stop and avoid embarrassing me any further. We are already married anyway." Diana calmed down and returned to her cold and silent nature. But Kyros could clearly see how hard she was trying to hide her smile.

---

The Fate of Diana Steele and Branze Steele has changed.

Success Limit range breached. 

Kyros cursed with Life Limiter.

All members of the Steele Family are now cursed with Bloodline Life Limiter.