Chapter 1371: The Secrets Of The Divine Key [Part 1] ’It’s a good thing I woke up first... again,’ Thirteen thought as he rose up from the bed. He then looked at the beautiful young lady sleeping soundly beside him. The young man carefully fixed her nightgown, ensuring that not a single evidence was left behind. Since he couldn’t do anything about his "habit" when he was sleeping, he could only apologize to the young lady in his heart. Thirteen then got off the bed and opened the window of their room. He then gazed at Fortuna City, which was already bristling with activities despite the sun barely rising. ’I hope the Celestials won’t raze this city down to the ground once they find out that the key is no longer here,’ Thirteen thought. ’I’ll give Euphemia a warning after we secure the key from her.’ Although he felt bad about it, Thirteen had come here with the goal of getting one of the seven divine keys needed to open Pandora’s treasury. Even if he hadn’t come here for the key, others will, and some of them might massacre everyone in Fortuna City to make sure that no witnesses remain. ’Tough times are up ahead,’ Thirteen thought. ’But I feel like this turning point will not be that simple.’ Thirteen had seen many "End-Game" scenarios after supporting countless hosts for thousands of years. While he didn’t have the power of clairvoyance or future sight, he understood that a Higher-Tiered World like Solterra would have a ridiculous end-game that wouldn’t just end with a few Celestials and Fiends running amok. Also, his father, the System God, wouldn’t just wait quietly as he grew stronger. That old geezer would definitely send at least a calamity-class level enemy for Zion to deal with as some sort of way to finally put his rampage to rest. Truth be told, he wasn’t too worried about whatever his no-good father would throw at him. He was more worried about the Goddess of Fate. Breaking through the shackles of Fate wasn’t easy. Many had tried, and many had failed. Thirteen knew that the greatest threat he would need to face wasn’t his father but the Champion that Fate had prepared for him. He could feel it in his soul—a threat that would force him to use everything in his arsenal just to secure a winning chance. The images of his family, lovers, and his loyal subordinates appeared inside his mind. He knew that if something happened to him, all of them would become sad, which he didn’t want to happen. ’I’ll cross that bridge when I get there,’ Thirteen closed his eyes as he placed his right hand over his heart. The heartbeat fueling his vessel was strong, proving that he "exists" at this point in time. He wasn’t a spectator, but an active player preparing to fight the most powerful Final Bosses that this multiverse had to offer. Suddenly, he heard the sound of rustling behind him. The teenage boy turned around and saw Stella rising up from the bed. She smiled when she saw him and greeted good morning, which he returned in kind. "Good morning, Zion." "Good morning, Stella. Are you feeling better now?" The effect of the aphrodisiac was mostly gone, and there was no longer any danger of relapse. "Yes, but..." Stella’s face reddened a bit. "But?" Thirteen blinked. "Nothing." Stella shook her head. She didn’t know why, but her chest felt a little tingly when she woke up. Thinking that it was due to the effect of the aphrodisiac, she decided that it was not something worth mentioning about. "You can use the bathroom first," Thirteen said. "After that, we’ll have breakfast with Euphemia and ask her for the key." Stella nodded before heading to the bathroom. Soon, the sound of water pitter pattering on the floor reached his ears, but he didn’t pay it any mind. He once again looked at Fortuna City, thinking about the next step of his plan. ——— An hour later... "I will give you the key as promised," Euphemia said as she gestured for Thirteen and Stella to join her for breakfast. Tiona was also there. She happily slithered on her Master’s body and nestled on his neck, rubbing her head against his cheek. "I missed you too, Tiona," Thirteen said before kissing the head of the black snake, which Euphemia found amusing. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎 After taking his seat, the teenage boy noticed that Camazotz wasn’t with them. He hadn’t seen the Death Bat for a few days, so he was hoping to see him today to discuss the second part of his plan. "Where’s Camazotz?" Thirteen asked. "He is being punished," Euphemia replied. "What did he do?" Thirteen arched an eyebrow. "Let’s just say that your friend likes to go treasure hunting," Euphemia smirked. "Unfortunately, the hunting ground he chose was heavily guarded by trap formations, and he got caught in one of them." Thirteen wanted to facepalm then and there, thinking the Death Bat was simply asking for trouble. "Don’t worry, his life isn’t in danger." Euphemia looked quite amused because she remembered the state of the death bat who was hanging on a ceiling, bound by chains. "He’s just... tied up a bit. We will release him when it’s time for you to leave Fortuna City." "Thank you, and I’m sorry for the inconveniences that he caused," Thirteen stated. "While it was inconvenient, it was also entertaining." Euphemia smirked. "The Minotaurs took a liking to him and made sure that he is at least fed twice a day." They then continued their breakfast and talked about the process of getting the key from the temple. Since Stella had passed the Guardian’s Test, she had the right to take possession of the key, as it was prophesied by the first Guardian of the Temple. "I don’t really know why you have come here to take the key, but since I am duty bound to fulfill my role, I will hand the key over," Euphemia said. "However, please tell me the real reason why you are here after the key is in your hands." "That’s strange," Thirteen commented. "You want us to tell you the reason after we get the key, not before?" "Yes." Euphemia nodded. "I have a feeling that if I hear your reason before I hand you the key, I will have a change of heart." Thirteen didn’t deny or confirm her statement because this was the right thing to do. ’At least she fulfills her role properly,’ Thirteen thought. ’Maybe I can ask her to help us if the right conditions are met.’ Euphemia, Yogi, and Poh were all High Archons. They were the strongest existences below the rank of Celestials and Fiends. This meant that unless they were up against a Celestial or a Fiend, the chances of them losing a battle was very small. Stella carefully observed Zion’s reaction, and since he wasn’t saying anything, she decided to keep her silence as well. After they finished eating, Euphemia led them to the hidden passage of the castle, which led to the underground temple. The First Guardian decided to hide it underground, for the Divine Key was truly that precious. It was also heavily guarded with traps, as well as guards who were all Rank 9 Sovereigns.