Lord of Prayer

Gaia.

A massive city plummeted from the sky, crashing down with a magnificent roar. Billions of tons of dust transformed into a cataclysmic, roaring tempest that battered every inch of space. A terrifying, destructive force brutally uprooted everything in its path and sent it flying.

The mountains crumbled and the earth cracked, the land letting out a wail of despair.

In the sky, a brilliant Crystal Barrier stretched for dozens of kilometers, enveloping the entire Divine War Ruins. It isolated the inside from the out, blocked all forms of detection, and severed the region from both the physical World and the Spirit Realm.

At the same time, the Crystal Barrier possessed powerful interference and concealment properties. Neither the Star Association’s satellite Investigation Mirrors, nor the Forbidden Objects dedicated to monitoring dangerous events, nor even the Sword of Ten Thousand Kings—the manifestation of Gaia’s will—could immediately sense the anomaly occurring in this region.

This gave Fallen Paradise ample time to prepare.

“…And that, everyone, is what happened.”

Within the Crystal Barrier, Cain told “everything” to the Old Gods from the past. He exuded a gentle, approachable, and friendly aura. His words resonated deeply, subconsciously swaying his listeners to his side.

[Forbidden Object C-054: Vow of the Gentle] could subtly increase others’ goodwill toward the user, making them seem more trustworthy. When paired with an Extraordinary Abilities amplifier, this effect could be enhanced to a terrifying degree.

In the dilapidated city, twenty-three figures stood, lost in thought.

Fallen Paradise’s intervention had caused them to halt their deathmatch. Everything felt wrong: the Crystal Barrier in the sky, the complete absence of life in the city, the mysterious and powerful stranger claiming to be a human “Sword Holder,” and the flood of images that had inexplicably appeared in their minds…

It was all beyond their comprehension.

According to this “Sword Holder,” they had been unknowingly sealed for over two hundred years. During that time, the outside world had undergone earth-shattering changes. A dark world known as the Abyss had launched an invasion. Humanity, unable to resist such a powerful foe, was ultimately conquered, with the Abyss occupying eighty-five percent of the globe. Humans could only huddle in the few remaining Safe Realms, waging a futile resistance.

All history of the Old Era had been erased. Scholars believed the Abyss was responsible and speculated that the key to defeating it might lie in that lost past. Thus, humanity began to excavate history, eventually stumbling upon the sealed land by chance. Only after extensive research were they able to break the seal and release them.

Just as the “Sword Holder” had claimed, their own memories had become blurry in many places, impossible to recall. This was iron-clad proof that they had been sealed and that history had been erased.

And then there were those incredibly vivid images that had appeared in their minds…

Many of them were beginning to believe Cain.

However, getting all of them to peacefully follow Cain to the Safe Realms was impossible. Some among them shared blood feuds so deep that only the death of the other party would bring resolution—they wouldn’t hesitate even if it meant the world’s destruction.

The battle wasn’t over. This was merely a brief intermission.

Cain was clearly aware of this. He also knew his deception wouldn’t last long. He had to pick up the pace.

He reached out, plucking a mirror from thin air. “Everyone, this is Forbidden Object B-095: Horse-Riding Mirror. If you stand before it and look at your reflection, you will be able to recall your entire life from beginning to end. I guarantee it has no negative side effects.”

“It’s called the Horse-Riding Mirror. You think it’s anything good?” a bloodthirsty brute sneered. He raised a blood-drenched Long Saber and pointed it threateningly at Cain. “Hurry up and get rid of that thing in the sky. I can’t be bothered with this nonsense.”

The moment his voice fell, a distant hum echoed. The ground beneath the brute’s feet suddenly buckled, collapsing into a large crater. His body was crushed by a terrifying Gravity that had increased by hundreds, even thousands, of times. With a THUD, he was slammed face-first into the dirt, unable to get back up.

“AGH!” the brute roared, struggling with all his might. Veins bulged on his forehead and neck, his face a savage mask. He was clearly using every ounce of his strength as his crushed body lifted ever so slightly. But then, the Gravity intensified once more, suppressing him completely. He couldn’t move an inch.

Several of the others narrowed their eyes. Cain had just demonstrated Power on par with their own—perhaps even greater than some of them. This was a show of force, a clear threat.

“Please, I ask for your assistance. The Abyss closes in on all sides, and humanity is on the brink of extinction. We need this chance…” Cain adopted a pleading posture, his voice low and earnest, making his words all the more convincing.

“If that’s the case, then we have all the more reason to cooperate. Our power will be a great asset to humanity.” One of them said, pointing to the brute pinned by Gravity and several other figures in the crowd. “However, these Killing Maniacs are no less a threat to humanity than the Abyss. Help us kill them, and we will help humanity resist the Abyss. I’m from the Star Association. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of us.”

Several people moved to stand by his side. Another group gathered around the brute pinned by the Gravity. The two factions stood in opposition.

“You’d better think this through. If you side with them, we’ll kill you first,” a brute wielding a giant axe told Cain, pressuring him.

Even if Cain was strong, they could surely kill him if they all attacked at once.

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, as if the very air had frozen solid.

Cain sighed silently. ‘I’m being forced to choose,’ he thought. ‘In the end, it seems a fight is unavoidable.’

The next second, Gravity, enhanced several thousandfold, descended—upon the bloodthirsty brutes.

‘These people are bloodthirsty, arrogant, Lawless and Heavenless. Even if I help them kill the Star Association Investigators, they’re unlikely to cooperate afterward. They might even turn on me. The longer this drags on, the higher the chance of my plan failing. The best option is to kill these brutes. At least the other group is more reasonable.’

Cain himself was a top-tier Demigod who wielded several types of Authority. With the terrifying empowerment of Fallen Paradise, he could even clash with Tang Ling. A group of second-rate Demigods from the Old Era was dealt with in a flash.

However, there were two True Gods among the lawless brutes. Though they were also second-rate, their Divine Power was genuine. Fortunately, the Star Association Investigator’s side also had a True God. With Cain providing support, it wasn’t long before they successfully slayed the two enemy True Gods.

“Everyone, I have shown my sincerity.”

Cain placed the Horse-Riding Mirror down. Suppressing his inner impatience, he said calmly, “Now it’s your turn.”

“Of course.”

The Star Association Investigator hauled up one of the brutes who had been beaten half to death. He dragged him to the Horse-Riding Mirror, grabbed his head, and forced him to look at his own reflection.

The brute’s body shuddered. Instantly, his life began to flash before his eyes. Every memory from his infancy to the present played out in meticulous detail. Forgotten moments, memories that had been sealed away in the darkest corners of his mind, now became perfectly clear—as if dust had finally been wiped from a pane of glass, leaving it pristine and transparent.

“Do you remember those blurred memories now?” the Star Association Investigator demanded, holding up a small Cross. It was an Extraordinary Artifact that compelled people to speak the truth.

“I remember…” the bruised and swollen brute mumbled.

“Did you remember anything related to the Abyss?”

“No… I don’t know anything about an Abyss…”

“Perhaps he never had any contact with such matters,” Cain interjected.

The Star Association Investigator fell into thought. As the seconds and minutes ticked by, Cain remained outwardly calm, but internally he grew more and more anxious. ‘The enemy could arrive at any moment.’

Finally, the Star Association Investigator exchanged a look with his companions. After finishing off the half-dead brute, he stepped before the Horse-Riding Mirror.

A moment later, he snapped out of it. “My memories are restored, but… I have no memory of any Abyss.”

“Try the next person,” Cain said, his voice grave.

Seeing no adverse side effects, the rest of the group felt relieved. One by one, they stepped before the Horse-Riding Mirror to have their memories restored.

“I don’t remember anything about an Abyss…”

“Me neither…”

“Why don’t any of us have memories of the Abyss?”

Cain suddenly grew ‘anxious.’ “This is impossible! Keep going! Everyone look in the mirror! It can’t be for nothing!”

Soon, the last person had used the Horse-Riding Mirror. He shook his head. “Same for me.”

The Star Association Investigator was about to say something more, but Cain, seeing his objective was complete, dropped the act. He took the Horse-Riding Mirror and vanished on the spot without a trace, leaving the others staring in stunned confusion.

KRAK! A shattering sound came from overhead. The massive Crystal Barrier began to collapse at a visible rate, its huge crystalline fragments raining down.

Outside the Barrier, Tang Ling frowned. She hadn’t been the one to shatter it; Fallen Paradise had taken it down themselves!

As the Divine War Ruins returned to the physical World, the nearly ten Old Gods who had recovered their memories became the lever that would pry open the seal on history. At almost the exact same moment, all across the globe, Divine War Ruins began falling from the void, one after another, as if in a chain reaction.

The sealed-away history was breaking free from its chains.