CHAPTER 210: DAN’S SECRET IDENTITY.

Eros gave a long, deep sigh that seemed to echo softly through the grand chamber of the Snake Mountain. The sound of it carried exhaustion, grief, and quiet fury.

On his return, the reports had reached him almost immediately—the Grand Order had attacked.

He had heard how they struck without warning, how they desecrated the land and tore through his people.

But he had also heard how valiantly his side had fought back—the snake women, fierce and unyielding, whose devotion bordered on sacred. They had held the line longer than anyone could have expected.

And Victoria had been very strategic with how she handled the battles.

Ngozi stood at one side of the Throne and Amanda on the other side.

Eros leaned back in his black-stone throne, his gloved hand pressing to his temple as he thought, tenacious creatures... I’m glad they’re on our side.

Because if they weren’t, the Grand Order’s campaign would have been a massacre.

But despite their strength, one truth could not be denied—Dan had been taken.

And the Grand Order now stood shoulder to shoulder with the Third Prince Kael.

Eros’s eyes darkened behind the mask of calm.

That could not be good.

No, that was definitely not good.

While still in the dungeon, he had considered killing Kael—ending it all before it spiralled further. But the situation had been far too fragile. The moment Kael fell, Butler Pa and that four-armed demon would have torn through everything in sight.

Those innocent soldiers of the various noble families would have lost their lives.

They were fathers, brothers and sisters in that army. Eros was a lot of things. But not so cruel.

He had made the right choice.

Taking the WarEmbrace as his prisoner had been the smarter move—a thousand times smarter.

He sighed again, this time heavier, and leaned deeper into his throne.

Those kneeling before him—Queen Eli, Shade, Victoria, Caren, and Penny—mistook his silence for displeasure. They lowered themselves even further, foreheads touching the cold, smooth stone.

But Eros lifted a hand and waved lazily.

"Don’t worry about it," he said, his voice calm but distant. "I expected accidents to happen. After all, protecting the Destruction Anchor Stone was never going to be easy."

He shifted his gaze slowly across them. "You also had to guard the Tablet of the emperor, and of course..."

He paused.

"...the Rebirth Anchor Stone."

A silence fell over the chamber, thick as fog.

The women looked at one another, confusion flickering across their faces.

"Rebirth Anchor Stone?" Caren echoed under her breath.

Eros’s brow furrowed slightly as realisation dawned on him. He had never told them. Or rather, he had never burdened them with the knowledge.

After all, knowing might have brought worse results.

He sat upright, his presence suddenly sharper, commanding attention.

"The reason Dan was taken," he began slowly, "is simple."

His voice dropped lower, weightier—like an anvil falling through silence.

"Dan, my grandson is the Rebirth Anchor stone."

The air itself seemed to freeze.

For a long heartbeat, no one moved. Then—gasps.

Queen Eli’s lips parted in disbelief. Shade’s eyes trembled with shock.

But none looked more shattered than Penny.

She stood abruptly, her eyes wide with horror. "Grandad... what did you just say?"

Eros extended his hand toward her, his gaze softening. "I should have told you a long time ago sweetheart. But back then, there was no need... and I was here to protect him."

"But—but that doesn’t make sense!" Penny stammered, tears brimming in her eyes. "Dan is a person! My little brother! I watched him grow up—I’ve seen him laugh, fall, crush on girls, sleep through Jimmy’s lessons... he’s real!"

Eros nodded slowly. "Yes. You have watched him live."

He sighed again, deeper this time, like a storm fading into rain.

"It’s more complicated than you all think," he said softly.

"Among the Anchor Stones, the Stone of Rebirth is the most special one. It holds the ability to breathe life into this world. The emperor of the old empire used it to be born again and again into the world... but that power had lain dormant for centuries. Its essence, unused, began to gather... and gather... until it evolved."

His eyes glowed faintly, a low shimmer of blue behind his lashes.

"It gave itself life."

He looked at Penny, his tone heavy with both pride and sorrow.

"And that life... was Dan."

Everyone in the hall fell silent. The torches flickered faintly, and the weight of the revelation pressed down like the mountain itself.

Even the serpents carved into the blackstone pillars seemed to listen in stunned reverence.

But Eros was not done. "Haven’t you wondered why Dan could never cultivate no matter the way he tried? Or why the Emperor’s tablet affected him the way it did? Aby other human bing would have been poisoned by such potent divine power. But not Dan."

Penny paused. Her mind racing to other times weird things had happened around Dan.

Eros continued. "I had planned to help him cultivate his divine energy in a very unique way, as his meridians are much different from mortals, but we have had a lot to deal with, back to back."

Penny could not take it again. She stormed out of the gathering.

Eros did not stop her. And Caren wanted to go after her, but she thought it disrespectful to just leave Eros’s presence.

And then a voice. "Please, let me handle her, husband." Queen Eli spoke up. Eros nodded.

At such a time, Penny needed space from him.

The atmosphere felt a bit heavy in the room.

And then Shade stood to her feet and approached Eros. "My king." Her voice was soft. "You are stressed from your journey, let me help you fix that."

Her dress pooled beneath her.

Victoria was frozen in shock. "Really... we are at a crisis, and you are thinking of fucking?"

However, Eros smiled, "what a splendid idea."

His women looked at each other, the same idea had sparked in their heads.

Victoria facepalmed. "How did I meet these ridiculously horny people?"