"Alan, my king, you!" whispered the elf queen Irina, her voice soft and melodious. A blush crept onto her previously pale cheeks.
"Ha ha! Just joking," Alan chuckled.
"It's no bother! If it is your will, my king, Alan, whatever you wish to do to me, or desire from me, I will give willingly, to the best of my ability!" Irina declared. "Without your divine protection from above, our elven kind could never have prospered and thrived as we do now. We wouldn't have been able to reclaim our ancestral lands: the shores of the Crystal Lake, the Wind-Singing Gorge, and the resplendent Isle of Brilliance!"
"Alan, my king, your kindness to our elven race, and to Irina, will always be remembered, forever," Irina said sincerely.
"Is that so? I believe your words, Irina. In that case, I need to check the abyss," Alan replied, "After all these years, our bond remains as deep as ever."
He extended a hand, gently lifting Irina's and twirling her in front of him.
His other arm stealthily wrapped around her slender waist from behind.
Irina showed no aversion to this, her eyes instead filled with joy as she looked at Alan.
Taking one of Alan's fingers in her hand, she put it to her lips, gently sucking and tasting it as if it were a lollipop.
Then she pressed her cheek close to Alan, her gaze swirling with a mix of nobility and innocence, intoxicatingly enticing.
Her breath was fragrant, her lips parted slightly, yet she held back from speaking.
In the next moment, under the envious eyes of the other elves, the two vanished from the spot.
The expression of love among the elves is reserved, shared only with a deeply beloved partner.
In an instant, they were thousands of kilometers away, hovering in mid-air, gazing down below.
Having not seen each other for many years, Irina couldn't help but caress Alan's firm chest with her cheek after releasing his finger.
Alan, in turn, gradually moved his hand from her waist upwards, brushing over her flat stomach to gently knead her full bosom.
He toyed lightly, then released.
Ahead, the sky was filled with dark clouds and rolling thunder.
Below, at the border of the Stin Empire, outside the Beaconburg, the city of light, lay a vast cave.
This was the starting point of the Demon World's invasion, the sole junction between the Human World and the Demon World.
The abyss, also known as the "Abyss of the Demon," appeared bottomless when viewed from above.
About a kilometer in diameter, it resembled a swirling vortex of purple and black, like a gigantic, watchful demon eye.
However, this demonic eye was now impaled by a towering Divine Pillar, rendering it incapable of freely releasing its dark aura, forcing it into silent dormancy.
Only occasional eerie screams echoed up from its depths.
The one that pinned down the abyss was Alan's immense Divine Pillar.
"Hmm..." Hovering midair, Alan observed the human kingdom's troops and cities stationed around the abyss.
These people were known as paladins.
Regardless of gender, they were all dedicated to the light, pure in heart and spirit.
Clad in rune-etched silver armor, they were handsome and noble in appearance.
Paladins could resonate with the Divine Pillar using their heart power, sensing the conditions beneath the abyss.
Should any abnormality arise in the abyss, they would resolutely approach, even descending into its depths to confront and slay any demons attempting to escape into the Human World.
They were extreme worshippers of Alan and the strongest force against the demon race.
The light emanating from them was dazzling and alluring, not just to the darkness-shrouded demon race, but also to others, including different beings and creatures.
At least, whenever paladins appeared among people, their nobility and the aura of light they carried would make others fall in worship, sinking into adoration and submission, even to the point of being willingly commanded.
Once, Alan was one of these paladins.
Later, he became their king. Subsequently, he ascended to the Divine Realm, becoming a god.
Even now, Alan remained the supreme leader and the sole ruler of these paladins.
...
Alan's rise as a paladin, and his subsequent ascendancy, was attributed to the unique nature of his paladin light.
This light could continuously absorb the luminance of the world and various divine artifacts to enhance itself.
From then on, he became the most dazzling and charismatic man under the heavens.
Within just ten years, he became the king of Riverside in the Middle World and the human alliance.
His valiant stance against the demon race inspired admiration and voluntary allegiance from surrounding nations.
Soon after, other races also joined his cause.
"Alright, time to go and see these loyal paladins," he said. "My most trusted warriors in the Human World! Will you explore the city while you wait for me?"
Having spoken, Alan, with his arm around elf queen Irina's slender waist, descended to the top of Beaconburg, situated at the edge of the abyss.
A few thousand kilometers outside Beaconburg, a light curtain flickered in the sky.
This was the vast waterfall of light Alan had brought down nine hundred years ago.
Its power blocked the entire Abyss of the Demon World, serving as the final barrier between the Human World and the Demon World.
The paladins were stationed outside this barrier, keeping watch over the mouth of the abyss.
As the "Little Sun" atop the Light Tower in Beaconburg grew brighter, all the paladins began to turn towards the distant Divine Pillar, starting to bow and worship.
They then proceeded to recite blessings.
"May the blessing and protection of Alan the Almighty accompany you every day!
May the light of Alan the Almighty illuminate your path, keeping you safe from all darkness and evil!
May the divine power of Alan the Almighty grant you courage and strength to overcome any challenge in life!
We are grateful for the mercy and generosity of Alan the Almighty, bringing hope and joy to all our lives!"
As the paladins spoke these words of heartfelt devotion, light descended from the heavens.
Alan and elf queen Irina landed atop the city walls.
"The great Almighty God, Alan, you have descended!" exclaimed a female paladin general in awe, walking towards them with tears glistening in her eyes.
She knelt on one knee a few steps away.
The other 3000 paladins did the same.
Alan looked around.
Under his gaze, a radiance illuminated each paladin present.
"What is your name?" Alan asked, turning to the blonde female paladin general, while gently lifting her chin to raise her face.
"Great Alan the Almighty, my name is Vina," said the female paladin general.
"A fine name," Alan remarked, then looked around and spoke loudly, "It seems that each one of you shines brightly, untouched by the abyss's demonic fog. Moreover, the Light Tower I established here still resonates with the twelve Royal Cities along the great road, signifying that the faith of the twelve Royal Cities in me continues strong!"
"You have all done very well! I shall reward you accordingly!"
Hearing this, the female paladin general, Vina, appeared visibly moved.
With immense reverence, she responded, "This is our duty."
"However," she added, "we have heard from the elves' divination that there is some disturbance beneath the abyss. It seems that the Ancient Ones are drawing power from the abyss's demon race and are on the verge of revival. Have you noticed anything?"
"Have your vanguards delved into the abyss to investigate?"
Alan inquired.
"Yes," Vina replied seriously. "Our vanguards have descended into the depths of the abyss, where the remains of seven demon kings lie in their tombs. The demons in the vicinity are not of very high rank. However, there is indeed one demon king's tomb showing anomalies. Its power is waning, leading us to suspect that its divinity is eroding."
"If, as the elves' prophecy suggests, ancient gods are siphoning power from the abyss's demon race for their resurrection, this indeed warrants attention."
"The paladin legion is always ready to sacrifice everything for Alan the Almighty. We will fight to the end against all dark and evil beings to protect the light and the Human World!"
"Good," Alan said loudly. "With such determination, the human race shall not perish! I will bestow my divine protection upon you. Your holy light will shine even brighter than before. From this day on, the expedition into the abyss resumes!"
Upon his words, the kneeling paladins immediately rose to their feet.
"Yes!"
"We are willing to shed every last drop of blood for Alan the Almighty!"
"We, the paladins, will give our all to protect the light of the Human World!"
As they spoke, the paladins raised their weapons towards the sky.
Alan, with a mere thought, made the Divine Pillar radiate light, falling upon them and making their entire being shine even more brilliantly.
At that moment, a voice echoed in Alan's mind.
"You have successfully traversed the years!"
"The game of protagonist and antagonist conflict... is about to begin!"