Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
In the midst of the struggle, the white mask on the young man’s face fell off.
As expected, it revealed a face that was far too young, but it was already covered in black, spiderweb-like veins. His eyes rolled back, and he foamed at the mouth, his appearance grotesque and terrifying.
For a time, the players thought they had stumbled into an exorcism movie; the young man’s symptoms were indistinguishable from those of someone possessed by a demon.
Fortunately, this situation didn’t last long.
Soon, the young man’s convulsions gradually subsided.
The black veins on his face slowly receded.
“Rustle…”
Fine black scales began to grow on the young man’s neck.
He opened his eyes, and a flash of red light flickered in his originally gray irises. Upon closer inspection, he had shocking red, vertical pupils.
“Very good.”
The Cardinal watched the young man’s eyes, marveling.
“Is this your first time undergoing the ritual?”
“Yes, Lord…”
The young man nodded.
The pain hadn’t subsided yet, and he found it difficult to even move a finger. However, judging by the Bishop’s expression, he had successfully transformed, which brought a slight smile to his pale face.
He hadn’t failed the Bishop’s expectations!
“Excellent. You are very compatible with the Dragon Girl’s blood. Based on past experience, you will become a special Templar Knight.”
The Cardinal patted the young man’s shoulder with an appreciative gaze.
Templar Knights who succeeded on their first attempt were usually heavily cultivated by “that person,” so even though he viewed these people’s lives as insignificant, he still had to maintain appearances.
“Alright, go rest over there. I still need to continue presiding over the ritual.”
Upon hearing this, the young man struggled to his feet, bowed respectfully to the Cardinal, and then obediently sat down on a nearby chair.
The Bishop had bestowed upon him powerful strength.
This grace was like a rebirth for him.
As for where this power came from, who cared?
He just wanted to get revenge.
The ritual continued. (Player Name) (M) couldn’t bear to watch any longer. He gently tugged at Platyr’s sleeve and asked, “Lord, I just heard the Bishop mention a ‘Dragon Girl.’ I’m quite curious… You know, we were poor before and didn’t see much of the world. We don’t understand anything…”
Platyr gave him an understanding look.
Country Bumpkins, after all.
Everyone progresses through this stage.
When he first joined The Winterbreaking Organization, he was just as confused.
He patiently explained to (Player Name) (M):
“I don’t know the specifics either. I just know that this Dragon Girl is a demi-human the organization acquired recently. Why is she called a Dragon Girl? Because after this demi-human observed a Black Dragon, she awakened her abilities and can transform into a Black Dragon herself.”
“That powerful!?” (Player Name) (M) feigned shock.
“Indeed,” Platyr smacked his lips. “That’s why demi-humans are a bunch of monsters. We used to think demi-humans were weak until we joined The Winterbreaking Organization and realized how powerful they become after awakening… These demi-humans are a major threat to humanity, yet that King of Winter (Xi Wei) is so biased towards them. Isn’t he a traitor to humanity?”
“Indeed, you are right, my Lord.”
(Player Name) (M) gave him a thumbs-up.
After another half-hour wait, the ritual finally concluded.
Out of over a hundred people, more than twenty died, and only five of the remaining individuals successfully transformed.
The transformation rate was undeniably very low, and the mortality rate was also quite high.
(Player Name) (M) couldn’t understand why, under such circumstances, these young men wearing masks, recruited from who knows where, were still flocking to the transformation ritual.
Was power more important than their own lives?
While Balner and the Cardinal were conversing, (Player Name) (M) sneakily moved closer to the first young man who had participated in the ritual.
The young man had already rested.
His hand had transformed into a dragon claw-like structure, and he was playing with it with great enjoyment.
“Hello,” (Player Name) (M) greeted him.
The young man looked up at the unfamiliar player, blinked, and a smile appeared on his lips. “Hello, may I ask what you need?”
This warm smile surprised (Player Name) (M).
He had expected the young man to be very wary or impatient.
“It’s nothing much…”
(Player Name) (M) organized his thoughts and indirectly asked, “I heard you yelling earlier, so the ritual must have been very painful… With such a painful ritual, how were you able to persevere without changing your expression?”
The young man pursed his lips at the question.
A shadow loomed in his lowered eyelids.
“Because of hatred,” he said.
“Hatred?”
“Yes,” the young man nodded. “The King of Winter killed my father. Although he spared us, his children, once the powerful fell, we lost our noble status. My mother and sister both perished on the subsequent journey. The ascendant nobles subjected us to extreme humiliation. My mother and sister were sold into brothels. As for me, because of my handsome appearance and the noble’s peculiar preferences, my situation was slightly better. But you can imagine, even so, my life was no better than that of a dog owned by the master…”
The young man’s voice grew increasingly low.
(Player Name) (M) looked up and saw that tears were already welling up in the young man’s eyes.
“Tell me, is such hatred not enough to endure pain? The suffering and humiliation my mother and sister endured in the brothel were more than ten times what I am experiencing now!”
(Player Name) (M) opened his mouth, unsure how to respond.
The victor is king, the loser is a bandit.
It was an act of mercy that the King of Winter did not annihilate the offspring of these powerful individuals.
However, he also had no obligation to help these fallen nobles regain their footing.
That would be saintly, and the King of Winter was never a saintly person.
Nonetheless, the young man’s desire for revenge was understandable. Ultimately, it stemmed from the King of Winter’s invasion of Dragonflame City, which had toppled the entire Kolon Empire.
(Player Name) (M) felt a sliver of sympathy for the young man before him.
It wasn’t sympathy for the young man’s plight.
There were far too many people in the world who had suffered more than him.
Consider the commoners who lived under the rule of the Kolon Empire.
A harmonious family life was already their greatest luxury.
Yet, even so, every day, slave owners scoured the land for more slaves.
They would either entice them with money or threaten them with force.
(Player Name) (M) sympathized with the young man because this noble scion, whose family had been destroyed and who had suffered endless humiliation, had ultimately become a tool in someone else’s hand, a slightly more attractive pawn.
The fate of a pawn was predetermined: either to be eaten, or, when the chessboard was overturned, to fall into the dust like garbage.
Nobody Does Human Things (M) had been following (Player Name) (M) all along.
Therefore, Xi Wei had also heard the entire conversation.
When it came to the young man’s discourse on hatred, he merely let out a cold laugh and continued to swing his hoe with all his might, tilling every corner of the orchard, ensuring that the soil and the hoe were in full contact.
Many people were like this.
When encountering hardship, they only complained about the harshness of the environment, failing to see their own inadequacy.
If only this young man had received knightly training since childhood, instead of being a profligate son basking in his father’s glory, he would have had the ability to protect his sister and mother when disaster struck.
Lost in thought, Xi Wei didn’t pay attention to anything else, not even noticing Ruo Yi rolling her eyes.
