PS. The Dark Sword 21 has been updated! Today, I'll add an extra chapter!

PS2. The next time there might be an extra update is when Dark Sword 22 is released~(*^▽^*)

Through the thick rock wall, Laine's destination was a scene of devastation. Countless Kobolds were burnt dry and evaporated, their remnants and collections displayed within the secret chamber.

The space in the chamber was not very large, about fifty square meters. The Kobolds' flawed artistic sense decorated it to resemble a junkyard, with various brightly patterned strips of cloth and paper piled randomly, along with weapons seized in battle.

In the center of the chamber, an Ancient Saint Altar stood out, with the Emperor, bathed in golden radiance, standing next to it. As always, the face of the Master of Humans was very cold, but the aura around him was now far more powerful than when Laine first met him, proving his soul had revived and healed.

Casually grabbing a lump of Kobold Gold, Laine admired the purity of the gold and casually said to his father, "I always thought that to find the Ancient Saint Altar, I must climb over mountains and cross Great Seas, fight through the world's peaks, and travel every corner of the Continent to find the Ancient Saint Altar... Yet things have gone smoother than imaginable."

"Luck is also a form of strength. You finding yet another Ancient Saint Altar so quickly has exceeded my plans," the Emperor responded indifferently.

"So... was it you, Father, who kept buzzing around here like a loudspeaker, driving so many miners mad?" Laine asked curiously, while conveniently gathering all the Kobold Gold hoarded by the Kobolds within the chamber.

"No, it was a foolish guy who attempted to activate this altar." The Emperor's voice was as cold as winter: "Although his strength was decent, he died a miserable death here; his bones are the ones you've already seen outside."

"Who would've thought the former Grand Master of the famous White Wolf Knight Order would meet his end like this. Fate really toys with people." Laine approached his father: "So, Father, how did you find this place?"

"When you entered here, I had already discovered the Ancient Saint's altar. Afterward, I waited here for you to arrive." Streams of radiance from the Emperor's golden plate armor inclined into the small space, his unparalleled power saturating the chamber: "You've now caught the Evil God's attention, be cautious with every step you take."

Laine nodded and reached out to use his Spiritual Energy to start awakening the Ancient Saint's altar. The Emperor just stood by coldly observing Laine's actions, father and son went without speaking.

Until Laine took the initiative to break the silence: "Father, I seem sort of different from my brothers…?"

"You are very different in many ways, Laine. You are you, they are them. You are different from them; you are my son, they are my remarkable creations," the Emperor replied. He wore no helmet, only a Golden Crown on his forehead, revealing his noble visage: a face that possesses the world's miracles and light, enough to make anyone surrender eternal loyalty upon the first glance.

No longer shrouded in golden light as before, nor vague and fleeting, barely sustaining as before, Laine knew his father had completely absorbed the Ancient Saint's energy, his soul had been healed, the Master of Humans was on the brink of returning, only needing a body strong enough to allow him to walk the world.

"Father… have you ever loved a woman?" Laine suddenly asked a bizarre question out of the blue, his hands not stopping.

"Yes, when I was young, before I knew my true nature, I, like you, loved a woman." Surprisingly, the Emperor calmly answered Laine's question, his tone devoid of any emotion, sounding like he was lying.

"Alright." Laine felt somewhat embarrassed, but seeing his father wasn't angry, he was silent for a long time, before speaking: "Father, may I seriously ask you a question? A very serious one."

"Why? Why do you still love us?"

"After witnessing so much sadness, so much pain, observing the empire you created crumble, witnessing civilization replaced by ignorance and superstition, humans not only facing countless formidable enemies but also riddled with rebellion and decay internally, those politicians manipulating power in your name, one star system after another falling into darkness, technology constantly regressing."

"The Horus rebellion plunged humanity into irreparable calamity, you fought Demons in the Subspace for eleven thousand years for humanity's survival, knowing Chaos cannot be eradicated, as long as life exists, they will eternally resurrect in Subspace, perpetually arising anew, neverending war and sacrifice yielding nothing but another survival."

"And yet you still love us, still exert all your power trying to aid us, still strategize to revive and lead this decaying and declining race. Why?"

The Emperor's gaze finally fluctuated, he extended his hand, gently stroking Laine's head, his voice for the first time filled with emotion.

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