The Monsters Behind the Curtain

The King of Yinsai immediately realized another thing, something almost impossible to achieve.

He pointed at the small bone figure in the magic bottle, his pupils dilating.

"A monster!" he exclaimed, his voice growing deep with disbelief. "Is this truly a monster? How did you manage to bring one into the royal palace?"

The King of Yinsai looked at Anhofus with a mix of fear and awe. "Have you broken the boundaries set by God?"

Anhofus shook his head. "Your Majesty, no one can break the boundaries set by God."

"Monsters can never enter cities and villages. This is an iron law of this world."

The King of Yinsai asked, "Then how did you bring it in?"

Anhofus's expression turned mysterious. "Your Majesty, what you see now is not a monster, but merely a small bone figure."

"The bone demon is special because it was once a Trilobite Man. This body was created from its original form."

"It transformed its own body into a monster, then transferred its consciousness into it."

"So it has two forms. When it doesn't use its monster bloodline, it's just an ordinary bone figure, even considered a close relative of Trilobite Men."

"When it unleashes its innate extraordinary bloodline, it can transform into a powerful monster."

Anhofus's eyes sparkled as he spoke about the monster he created.

"The barriers and boundaries set by God are to protect Trilobite Men and banish monsters."

"So when it's a bone figure, it's a close relative of Trilobite Men, part of them, and God's power protects it."

"When it becomes a bone demon, it becomes one of the monster race."

"But this transformation and power must never be used within towns."

"If it reveals its true bone demon form in a town, it would instantly turn to dust."

Anhofus looked at the King of Yinsai and asked with a smile.

"This isn't a big problem, is it, Your Majesty?"

The King of Yinsai mainly wanted to live longer; whether he had power in the city wasn't important.

He stepped down from his throne and closely examined the small bone figure in the bottle. "Can it only be this big?"

Anhofus held up the magic bottle, letting the King of Yinsai see more clearly. "I can make its body as large as a normal mortal, with bone armor and appearance like a Trilobite Man."

"I only confined it to this bottle to bring it conveniently from the Dark Swamp for Your Majesty to see, to prevent it from escaping and using monster powers in the city."

Anhofus's voice was full of temptation, striking every chord in the King of Yinsai's heart.

"First: An appearance similar to Trilobite Men. Though different inside, who can see that?"

"Second: It can live in the city as a bone figure."

"Third: It possesses intelligence."

The King of Yinsai said, "I've heard monsters have no intelligence. Even your teacher Haru, after becoming a fire demon, had his intelligence and memories become chaotic and begin to dissipate over time."

"How can you prove that the monsters you create don't have this problem?"

Anhofus had thoroughly researched this issue. "The chaos is due to conflicting consciousnesses. A bone demon made from your own body naturally won't have this problem."

"The reason monsters lack intelligence is that they're born without brains. When I create bone demons, I also create a brain as a container for consciousness."

"Moreover, I've found the path for monsters to reach the fourth level."

"After Your Majesty obtains this body, the path of ability won't be cut off."

"Speaking of this, we must thank the great Sage Sandean and Lord Lan."

"Their creation of God's Grace Priests and mythical organs gave me some inspiration."

The King of Yinsai was satisfied, extremely satisfied.

"And what do you ask in return for this gift?" the king inquired, his tone a mixture of curiosity and caution.

Anhofus raised his head. "I wish to serve as the High Priest of the Sky Temple."

"Your Majesty will gain a long-living body, and all I want is your support for my experiments."

"You support my pursuit of the secret of immortality, and the secrets I discover will ultimately be yours."

The King of Yinsai hesitated. Although the importance of the Sky Temple's High Priest had been declining, it was still a position at the pinnacle of priesthood.

"No, the Sky Temple hasn't appointed a High Priest for many years."

"But I can give you the position of God-Servant Priest."

Anhofus didn't insist, or perhaps he had aimed for the God-Servant Priest position from the start, but made a higher demand to let the King of Yinsai bargain down.

"Your Majesty," Anhofus said with confidence, "you will certainly be satisfied with the returns I bring you."

The evil sorcerer Anhofus, returning from the wild borderlands, changed his identity and name to become the God-Servant Priest of the Sky Temple.

Apart from the Temple of Truth, only here could he find so many priests to answer his call and assist him in experiment after experiment.

Moreover, the entire Henir Dynasty continuously provided Anhofus with everything he wanted.

On the city wall.

Anhofus, wearing the elaborate Sky Temple priest's robe, rested his hand on the stone and looked into the distance. He seemed completely renewed, transformed from a gloomy demeanor to one of nobility and vigor.

Haru's magic bottle was placed aside, with the small bone figure inside lying on its side, saying,

"You've succeeded!"

"The entire kingdom of Yinsai now revolves around your goals."

Anhofus felt no pride at all; to him, this was only natural.

"Everyone has something they want, desires and fears."

"So mortals are easily manipulated beings. This isn't difficult."

"But truth," Anhofus mused, "is unpredictable. It doesn't care how many little tricks you've played."

Behind the royal palace was a secret palace built into the mountain, where a mysterious ritual was now taking place.

The ground was covered with intricate array patterns, with a large group of priests standing in a circle around the circular array.

The King of Yinsai was supported into the center of the array, his tired, aged eyes looking towards Anhofus.

"God-Servant Priest."

"I leave everything to you."

Anhofus wore a robe imprinted with various mysterious marks. "Your Majesty, when you wake up, you'll have a lifespan as long as a God's Grace Priest."

The King of Yinsai had witnessed the success of several experiments and finally confirmed that Anhofus had indeed achieved something beyond his predecessors. Although the so-called immortality technique could only extend life once, not allowing infinite rebirths.

After all, each mortal only had one body that could be transformed into a bone demon form without hidden dangers.

However, this was the first true longevity technique to appear without malignant backlash.

He had not only surpassed his grandfather but also his teacher.

Dozens of powerful priests chanted spells in unison, guiding the resonance of spiritual power.

A strong spiritual storm swept through the secret palace, forming a violently rotating tempest.

In the storm, the King of Yinsai's body gradually changed, stretching and melting like a soft paste.

Anhofus: "Body reforging."

Bones assembled piece by piece, bone armor covered them, finally connecting into a skeleton like that of a Trilobite Man's corpse.

Anhofus: "Divine blood brain."

Fluorescence poured into the brain, forming a strange but unique monster brain within the skull cavity.

Anhofus: "Immortality secret technique, consciousness transfer."

Anhofus was extremely skilled; he had practiced this set many times.

When everything was finished, the bone figure fell to the ground.

Immediately, priests came forward to support the bone figure, draping him in a long robe and placing the crown on his head.

"Ugh~"

The bone figure made a sound as if awakening from a deep dream, then slowly opened its eyes.

Only those eyes were a bit strange, cloudy and dim, as if covered by a layer of mist.

The bone figure extended a powerful hand to take his Yinsai scepter, forcefully tapping it on the ground.

"Thud!"

He first looked around, then at his own body.

The King of Yinsai had become a monster completely supported by bones, without internal organs or blood.

Even the brain was different from a Trilobite Man's, grayish-white in color, looking more like a stone contaminated by monster divine blood.

However, at least in appearance, he wasn't much different from a Trilobite Man.

The King of Yinsai touched his own body.

He had no heartbeat, cold as stone or a corpse from top to bottom.

But at this moment, he was completely immersed in the feeling of strength and power, not caring about these things at all.

From now on, he no longer had to be so old he couldn't straighten his back, no longer had to spend most of his days lying in bed or on chairs due to exhaustion, no longer had to fear the approach of death day by day.

"Ah!"

"What a perfect body. It's worth touching forbidden arts."

The King of Yinsai looked at Anhofus, his eyes filled with pleasant surprise.

Anhofus was a genius, at least unparalleled in the world in exploring divine techniques and forbidden powers.

For a moment, he even thought of Anhofus's exploration of the mystery of immortality.

What if he could really open the gates of immortality?

Anhofus also noticed the King of Yinsai's gaze and guessed what he was thinking. This was exactly what he had anticipated.

Mortal desires are boundless; satisfaction with emotions dissipates quickly, brief and illusory.

Endless greed is the eternity of every mortal.

Once on this path, there's no turning back.

Just like his grandfather, his teacher.

And as long as the King of Yinsai wanted more, he would support him at all costs.

He stood quietly at the edge, watching the birth of the first monster King of Yinsai, a hint of mockery curling at the corner of his mouth.

"King of Yinsai," Anhofus thought to himself, "a monster becoming the king of all Trilobite Men... how laughable!"

This wouldn't be the first Trilobite Man in God-Servant City to become a bone demon. There were countless old fellows in high positions who feared death.

The world of Yinsai, ruled by a group of monsters hidden behind the curtain.

The irony of the situation wasn't lost on Anhofus. A world of Trilobite Men, unknowingly ruled by the very monsters they feared – it was a twist of fate that amused him greatly.