Who hid my body?

Chapter 362 Divine Stele
A day later, outside the Abyss Prison, a man and a woman slowly emerged from the swirling yellow sand.

It was Hevinia and Edwin who had walked for a day and a night in the no-man's land.

Including the battle in the town of Della, Hevinia hadn't had a proper rest for a long time. Even with the Seven Notes and the Bone's enhancement, fatigue was still evident on her face. It wasn't until she finally emerged from the yellow sand and saw the suddenly open view before her that her fatigue turned into surprise.

"We've actually arrived?" Hevinia asked, looking at the massive, ancient building in the distance. "Is that the Land of Contracts?"

“Huff, huff… To be precise, this is the Land of the Covenant.” Edwin pointed to the ground. “Having walked out of the yellow sand, huff, huff… it means we are now standing on the land of the Covenant, huff huff.”

Such a long and arduous journey had left even Hevinia exhausted, and Edwin's condition was naturally even worse. He was panting like an old ox about to die of exhaustion, but his eyes remained bright and alert. Hevinia had no doubt that if his strength allowed, Edwin would have run all the way here, even if it meant dying from exhaustion.

It seems that Vessas's power is indeed attractive, and it can even make people younger. Otherwise, why would Edwin, a guy of his grandfather's generation, be panting like a grandson?

Hevinia silently complained in her mind, but maintained a calm demeanor on the surface: "So, where are we going?"

“The Abyss Prison.” Edwin pointed ahead. “The core area of ​​the Land of Contracts. Just go all the way to the end from here.”

Hevinia looked up and saw rows of dilapidated yellow-tiled houses in front of her.

"Is that the Abyss Prison over there?"

Hevinia frowned slightly, clearly finding it hard to believe that the legendary Land of Contracts and Abyss Prison could be built in such a rudimentary place. It didn't seem like it had been passed down for a thousand years; it looked more like it had been abandoned for a thousand years.

“Don’t be fooled by appearances,” Edwin said. “From here, we are already standing before the first barrier of the Abyss Prison.”

Before the first layer of restrictions?

Right here?

Hevinia looked at it from every angle, but couldn't figure out what the restrictions in this area were.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Edwin said with a smile. "Then you'll see when you walk a bit further."

Of course, Hevinia wasn't foolish enough to rush forward. She simply looked at Edwin calmly, without saying a word.

After a moment, Edwin raised his hands in surrender: "Okay, okay, I was just joking. I'll go in with you. Don't worry, this restriction isn't dangerous. It's at least the safest of the four restrictions."

"Four major restrictions?"

“Yes.” Edwin nodded slightly. “There are four entrances to the outer perimeter of the Abyss Prison. And at the end of these entrances are the divine monuments created by the gods themselves. These four divine monuments jointly guard the Abyss Prison. Even if outsiders are lucky enough to reach this place, they will not be able to enter the Abyss Prison if they do not know the power of the four divine monuments.”

The Four Great Steles?

It sounds like top secret, so how did Edwin know?
“I know what you want to ask.” Edwin shrugged. “The reason I know so much about the four great divine tablets… no, to be precise, is that I only know this one divine tablet in front of us quite well.”

Hearing Edwin say this, Hevinia understood something: "This divine monument was created by the Lord of Nightmares?"

“That’s right, and it’s not just about creation; for thousands of years, Eternal Nightmare has also been responsible for its maintenance,” Edwin said. “And its last maintainer was none other than me.”

It turned out to be the case.

Hevinia seemed lost in thought.

No wonder Bai Wei chose Edwin; it seems he had planned this all along.

“Let’s go.” Edwin stepped in. “Just follow me, I’ll take you.”

Seeing that Edwin had already gone inside, Hevinia didn't hesitate any longer and followed him, asking, "What's the name of this divine stele?"

Edwin replied, "The Stele of the God of Sleep."

The Stele of the God of Sleep?
Upon hearing the name, Hevinia suddenly felt a strong wave of drowsiness wash over her, and the fatigue of the past few days washed over her like a tide, causing her to close her eyes involuntarily.

But she regained her senses in less than a second, and suddenly opened her eyes to see Edwin still leading the way, surrounded by intact houses, with residents standing below them watching her with curious eyes.

Hevinia didn't sense anything was wrong and quickly followed Edwin.

……

"Master, you are here."

The servants bowed respectfully to Diana, and the guardians beside them followed suit.

"Good afternoon, Contractor."

Diana nodded slightly, then pulled her collar tighter to keep the biting cold wind out of her body.

Then she raised her head and looked at the giant divine stele in front of her that seemed capable of blocking out the sun.

The stele was covered with densely packed incantations, and powerful magic surged between them. As for the source of this magic...

Diana's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the Suppliers who sat quietly beneath the monument, their bodies bound by chains.

Their eyes were closed, their faces were pale, and their bodies were covered with a thick layer of frost.

This is the "Ice Curse God Stele," one of the four great divine steles.

Diana asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Reporting to the Contractor, everything is normal," the Guardian replied.

"Did my people hold us back?"

“Of course not,” the guardian said neither humbly nor arrogantly. “They did their job very well and did not cause any loss of the power of the divine monument.”

“Okay, that’s fine then.” Diana’s expression remained unchanged, her tone businesslike. “The warden won’t be back for a while. Until then, we can’t allow any seals to fail, especially the four divine tablets, understand?”

The guardian placed a hand on his chest: "Yes, sir."

After giving instructions to the guardian, Diana ascended the monument under the guise of an inspection. The guardian did not accompany her; instead, her servants were by her side.

On either side of the monument are two completely different worlds.

The inner side is an ancient and somber prison, while the outer side is a world frozen for thousands of years, where no living creatures can be seen.

Diana reached out her hand towards the ice and snow, and then tried to gather magic, but the magic vortex just appeared and then melted away in an instant.

This is the power of the Ice Curse, freezing not only life but also magic. Unless a way to break it is found, even the most powerful person cannot summon even a trace of magic in such ice and snow, and will ultimately freeze to death in this white light.

Diana withdrew her gaze and looked at the suppliers on the other side.

According to the rules, the guardian must be responsible for supplying the magical power to the sacred monument.

But now, half of the suppliers below have been replaced by Diana's servants.

"Is everything arranged?" Even though she already knew the answer, Diana still asked.

“Everything has been arranged, Master.” The servant bowed. “Half of the suppliers for the four great divine tablets have been replaced by our people. We are just waiting for your decision.”

Diana pondered for a moment and then said, "Let's choose this one."

The Four Divine Steles are the outermost and most extensive restriction in the Abyss Prison.

If the four divine tablets malfunction, it indicates that the Abyss Prison has been invaded, and the consequences are self-evident.

Diana looked down at the suppliers at her feet again, and then said softly, "Remember, act quickly, don't let them react."

"Yes Master."

"Also, be careful not to overdo it," Diana warned. "Don't completely destroy the monument."

"I understand, Master."

Diana nodded.

Yes, that was her plan.

Isaiah coveted Vesth's corpse, destroyed the Monument of the Ice Curse, killed all the Suppliers, and invaded the Abyss Prison.

Given Isaiah's immense power, Diana had no choice but to immediately request the warden to activate the Voice of Obedience to eliminate Isaiah, in order to prevent irreversible consequences.

Diana believed the warden would comply; after all, nothing was more important to him than the Abyss Prison. Even if Diana ordered him to eliminate the names of Uru, Caesar, and Hevinia simultaneously, the warden wouldn't hesitate. But that would make it difficult for Diana to explain later, so Isaiah was the only target.

Diana dared to do this because Isaiah had already abandoned the obedience of the voice of heaven to seek out the "eyes and hands." To prevent interference, Isaiah had no spies or surveillance around him.

This also means that no one can prove that the person who stormed the prison was not Isaiah.

Once the divine will has acted and Isaiah has been eliminated by the will of the gods, it will be meaningless to discover that he was actually wronged. After all, who else besides Isaiah has the power to destroy the sacred monument?
Diana was confident she could clear herself of any wrongdoing, and she believed it was a certain death for Isaiah.

Of course, Diana wouldn't disrupt the entire seal and restrictions of the Abyss Prison just to frame Isaiah; she could still distinguish between what was important and what wasn't.

The power of the divine stele is immense; a problem with one divine stele will not disrupt the operation of the entire outer restriction.

In fact, it should be said that as long as one of the divine tablets remains intact, the outer protective barrier will function normally. Therefore, unless all four divine tablets are destroyed at the same time, no irreversible consequences will occur.

Therefore, destroying only one sacred stele is absolutely safe.

Diana comforted herself in her heart.

At that moment, she sensed a tremendous fluctuation in the hearts of the servants beside her.

Even though she knew what the other person wanted to say, she still asked, "Tell me, what do you want after this is over?"

The servant lowered his head as far as he could and said in a trembling voice, "I dare not ask, but... I beg."

"You want me to stop treating your children as servants?"

“Yes, yes,” the servant said. “I hope you will agree.”

Diana looked at the humble servant before her, remained silent for a long while, and then nodded slightly: "Alright."

After saying that, she turned and left.

The servants knelt on the ground and said, word by word, "Thank you for your kindness. We will defend everything you have with our lives."

Diana did not turn around, but she knew this was the last time she would see this servant.

The guardians here will be "killed" by Isaiah.

Her servants were the same.

……

Tired, so tired.

I can't walk anymore.

I really want to rest.

Hevinia thought to herself.

"Sister, sister, rest here for a while." A child by the roadside waved to her. "We have a bed at home, come and lie down."

Hevinia turned her head and saw the child holding up a finger with a sincere expression.

"Just lie down for a bit," the child said.

Really? Can I lie down for a bit?

No, that won't work; she has other things to do.

Hevinia walked forward.

After the child came an older woman who kindly said, "Oh, would you like to come to my house for a nap? I have the softest pillows."

A soft... pillow?
I really want to try it.

Hevinia wanted to stop.

No...no.

She looked up at the figure walking ahead of her.

I can't stop; I have to keep up with that guy.

With that thought in mind, Hevinia moved forward again.

Then came a kind old woman who gently said to Hevinia, "Why are you working so hard? You've already done enough. You can rest now."

Have I... tried hard enough?

Hevinia's gaze gradually became unfocused.

Is it time to rest?

"Yes, we can rest now."

The child who had spoken earlier answered her. She looked up and saw that the child she had left behind, the older woman, and the old man who had spoken earlier were all gathered together. They sat leisurely in their chairs, smiling and trying to persuade Hevinia.

And among them, there was an empty chair.

"Come on, child, you've had enough." The old man smiled and held out his hand to her. "You can rest now, have a good rest."

Hevinia's mouth opened wider and wider. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't say anything. However, her body had already responded on its own—she walked towards the chair.

"Come on, come on quickly," all the mouths uttered in unison, "Now we can finally get some rest."

"There's no need to try anymore."

"Take a nap, Weiwei, take a nap."

It's like a lullaby.

Finally, Hevinia stood in front of the chair, and then slowly bent down, as if she were standing on a cliff and slowly falling backward.

But at that moment, another image flashed into Hevinia's mind.

A pale world.

A deep pit filled with corpses.

She lay in the deep pit, staring blankly at the leisurely young man sitting beside it.

The young man smiled and asked, "Is this all you need to do?"

"Am I really going to fall asleep like this?"

Hevinia's eyes widened instantly, as if someone about to fall into an abyss had suddenly regained control of their body.

The faces that had previously advised her to take a nap suddenly contorted and twisted into a grimace.

"Why?! Why aren't you sleeping?!"

"Go to sleep! Wouldn't it be better to sleep forever?!"

They charged at Hevinia, yelling, but it was no use to her now that she had regained consciousness.

She closed her eyes, and the sounds immediately disappeared.

When she opened her eyes again, the village had vanished, and standing before her was a towering black divine monument that blotted out the sky.

"Oh?" Edwin looked at her in surprise from beneath the monument. "You actually woke up through your own will?"

Hevinia didn't speak, she just quietly looked at the inscription on the divine monument, which seemed to depict countless people sleeping peacefully.

This is... the Divine Stele of the Sleeping One.

(End of this chapter)