Chapter 173: The Correct Way of Usage for Quicksilver Snake (Two-in-one)
I thought you were here to help me ascend the throne.
But after all this,
You intend to capture me and feed me to an evil dragon.
Shaya looked at the Heavy Armor Knight Captain standing before him. Although the captain was kneeling respectfully, his eyes were involuntarily glancing at Shaya, and his hand was unconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword. Shaya couldn’t help but sigh.
They say fate cannot be changed by willpower, nor can destiny be altered by spending money.
Although I have contracted with the Fate Serpent, it seems my initial identity in this historical echo hasn’t improved much.
Compared to being a Sacrificial Prince about to be fed to an evil dragon, a Commoner Orphan with no background seems to be a better fate.
“Speaking of which, didn’t you just say the King has abdicated? And that I’m the only prince?”
“And you plan to offer your Prince Highness as a sacrifice to an evil dragon… I’m curious, who do you plan to have rule this country in the future?”
Shaya looked down at the Knight Captain and asked with great interest.
“My adoptive father, your uncle, Duke Silas, will take care of that.”
“Oh… your adoptive father, the Duke.”
Shaya gave him a meaningful look.
What a familiar identity.
It reminded him of his dear comrade Norton and the ill-fated Goodrian, who died before achieving his ambitions.
“In other words, the King’s abdication wasn’t a coincidence, was it?”
“Yes, it was me, in His Majesty’s wine and food…”
Halfway through his sentence, the Knight Captain suddenly awoke.
How could he have been so careless, revealing all this information so readily?
Especially the fact that he had secretly acknowledged Duke Silas as his adoptive father.
This was his greatest secret.
No, with his strength, nearing Sixth Ring, he would never have made such a low-level mistake, no matter how careless he was.
There must be a reason for all of this—
He looked up in astonishment at the black-haired, black-eyed prince before him.
He found that this prince, who always appeared sickly, indifferent to state affairs, and was seen as no different from a puppet by the ministers and nobles, was now smiling at him.
Despite his still thin and frail physique, in the captain’s eyes, he seemed to possess a mysterious aura.
In those dark eyes, three blood-red tomoe were slowly rotating, then enlarging.
Finally, the silver-white moonlight transformed into crimson golden eyes.
Within those crimson-gold eyes, it was as if lava was flowing.
“Apologies, this is the first time I’ve used Tsukuyomi in an environment like the First Era, where divinity is suppressed, so I’m a bit rusty.”
“Since my subconscious guidance was seen through, I had no choice but to resort to harsher methods. Please forgive me.”
With those slightly apologetic words,
The slender figure with black hair and black eyes seemed to grow taller and grander in the Knight Captain’s eyes.
The calm voice spoke again, but with an undeniable, irresistible majesty.
“Now, I need you to tell me everything you know.”
…
A moment later.
“Master, the recorded information is all here.”
Yui, in the form of a Metal Fairy, flapped her tiny fairy wings and obediently landed beside Shaya.
“Quicksilver Snake” materialized into exquisite text, presented before Shaya.
Shaya scanned the information.
Compared to the Fate Serpent, the Knight Captain’s strength was only at the Fifth Ring, so the level of information he could provide wasn’t very high.
At least, don’t expect any secrets about True Gods.
However, from another perspective, he could fill in the details that the Fate Serpent lacked.
Shaya’s gaze fell on the first line of text presented by Yui.
【Calamity Era 928】
This was the current year of Shaya’s current era.
The Knight Captain didn’t know the origin of the Calamity Era. He only knew that a long time ago, a disaster known as the “Great Calamity” or the “Scourge of Light” had erupted.
Thus, chaos replaced order, becoming the dominant theme on the Western Continent.
This was an era where Mythical Creatures roamed the world.
Chaotic divine wars raged from the Astral Realm to the Spirit World, and then into the Prime Material Plane.
And in this era of disorder, for humans, who were the weaker party, to survive, they could only depend on Mythical Creatures.
They were worshipped as totems in exchange for a little protection from the divine wars.
Shaya’s current “Forest Kingdom” was under the protection of a Dragon totem.
Of course, in any era, even with internal and external troubles, the human race would naturally engage in infighting.
Just like the Knight Captain before him, who colluded with the Duke, the Prince’s uncle, and attempted to usurp the throne.
“According to the usual plot… the original weak prince is replaced by a Transmigrator, so the next thing should be a prince’s revenge story.”
“It’s just that the opponent…”
Shaya couldn’t help but shake his head.
In the First Era, neither Magitech nor the Wizard system had appeared. It seemed that humanity’s extraordinary system relied entirely on refining the body.
But as the saying goes, humans excel in wisdom, while demons excel in strength.
Humans, lacking sharp teeth, fierce claws, strong regenerative abilities, and long lifespans.
To surpass the long-lived races and Mythical Creatures in terms of physique would be a pipe dream.
According to the Knight Captain’s memory, his Fifth Ring cultivation was already a formidable existence in the “Forest Kingdom.”
Even his adoptive father, the Duke who planned to usurp the throne, was only at the Sixth Ring.
“The highest is Sixth Ring, a kingdom without even a Legend. It feels rather uninteresting.”
Shaya couldn’t help but shake his head.
Status changes perspective.
As he was now, he honestly had no interest in the affairs of this small kingdom.
So what if he became king?
He was now the Empress-designated Empress’s Husband of the Freista Empire. He had an entire empire’s resources waiting for him. He simply didn’t care about this.
Compared to these paltry palace intrigues—
He was more interested in the Evil Dragon totem mentioned by the Knight Captain.
Shaya’s mind moved, and the image of the silver moon in his eyes slowly dissipated.
The Knight Captain before him seemed to snap out of his daze, as if waking from a dream.
He looked at the Prince, and before he could speak, Shaya spoke first.
“Since it’s my uncle’s decree, then I understand.”
?
The Knight Captain was bewildered.
Did he mistake being sacrificed to an evil dragon for ascending the throne?
Unfortunately, Shaya had rewritten and deleted parts of the Knight Captain’s memory with Tsukuyomi. Now, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure it out.
“As a prince, one should naturally have the resolve to offer oneself to the dragon.”
Shaya waved his hand dismissively.
“When do we leave?”
…
The Silent Forest.
This was an endless sea of trees located at the southernmost tip of the entire Western Continent.
Countless towering giant trees formed a continuous expanse, completely blocking out the sun.
The kingdom where Shaya was located was called the “Forest Kingdom” precisely because it was on the edge of the Silent Forest.
“Your Highness the Prince, I can only escort you this far.”
Of course, “escorting” was a euphemism for “supervising your death.”
After all, usurpation also required legitimacy. If the prince didn’t die, how could the prince’s uncle take the throne?
The Knight Captain stopped in his tracks, warily gazing into the depths of the forest.
From the depths of the Silent Forest, a Vaguely visible Dragon’s might emanated.
A mere感知 sent a primal fear and chill through his battle-hardened body.
It was a suppression originating from the depths of his bloodline.
He looked at Shaya, who was calmly and indifferently gazing into the depths of the Silent Forest, as if looking at a dead man.
Originally, the Knight Captain had been prepared to betray his master and force the prince by force, but he never expected the process to be smoother than he imagined.
“Well, I’ll walk the rest of the way myself.”
“However…”
Shaya paused.
“Don’t you feel stifled?”
“Your strength is not insignificant, and the peak Fifth Ring is only slightly inferior to the Sixth Ring. Why must you remain under someone else’s authority?”
“Are kings and generals born special? Since both your uncle and you came to power through illegitimate means, wouldn’t it be alright for you to take the throne if your uncle can?”
Following Shaya’s seductive words,
In an instant, a flame inexplicably ignited in the heart of the Knight Captain, who was slowly retreating.
It was the flame of ambition.
A man of purpose, born between heaven and earth, should not live in obscurity under others.
And Shaya, who had casually planted a psychological suggestion in the Knight Captain’s mind using “Tsukuyomi,” continued to gaze into the depths of the Silent Forest.
He probably wouldn’t return to that kingdom. It was just a casual act, to see if there was an opportunity to witness some drama.
Since this Knight Captain had acknowledged Duke Silas as his adoptive father, it would be fitting for them to have a father-son moment.
However, what concerned Shaya more at this moment was what lay in the depths of the Silent Forest.
That was a true Mythical Creature, a Dragon.
The dream Familiar of any Beast Tamer.
Speaking of which, ever since Shaya transmigrated to the Western Continent, he had been constantly hearing legends of dragons.
Whether in the stories of Bards or in the textbooks of the Black Tower and Saint Roland Academy, countless examples depicted the power of dragons.
Even Black Scale Lesser Dragons, which had relatively high dragon blood purity, were already at the Emperor-level Racial Level.
One could imagine what astonishing bloodline potential Pureblood Dragons possessed.
Even the weakest of dragons, the White Dragon’s individual strength, could reach the status of a Legend upon adulthood.
Not to mention the Red and Black Dragons above them.
However, true Pureblood Dragons had long since disappeared from the Western Continent. Even with Shaya’s status, he had never seen one before.
And now, in this genuine First Era, many Ancient Species and Mythical Species that had long since disappeared in the future could finally be seen.
…
The deepest part of the Silent Forest.
This was an ancient tree that reached the heavens.
Although it had not yet formed sentience and possessed a will of its own.
However, the aura emanating from this ancient tree alone was enough to suppress ordinary demigods.
Legend had it that this was one of the two severed branches of the World Tree from the early days of the Calamity Era.
One branch fell on the Lost Island inhabited by High Elves, becoming the Elven ancient tree worshipped and revered by the High Elf Race.
The other branch fell into the Silent Forest and developed into the current boundless sea of trees.
At the top of the Silent Ancient Tree.
Thousands of thick Crimson Gold branches were woven into a giant dragon’s nest.
From the outside, it appeared to be nothing more than a nest woven from the branches and leaves of the World Tree. However, upon entering, one would discover that in addition to the spatial laws around each World Tree branch, there was a strange distortion.
Amidst countless distorted spatial ripples, there existed a compressed sub-plane.
This was the true dragon’s lair.
Under the veil of eternal night.
The pitch-black sky stretched endlessly, and the wisps of crimson flame on the ground became the only source of light in this world.
At the end of this barren scroll, intertwined with red and black, lay the ruins of a desolate palace.
In the center of the ruins, a colossal figure lay prostrate.
Its black and red scales reflected a clear luster, and its mighty body was silently coiled on the ground.
Even when its huge leathery wings were folded against its sides, one could imagine their sky-obscuring grandeur when unfurled.
This was a majestic Black Dragon.
However, at this moment, this Black Dragon was lying on the ground, as if in a deep slumber.
*Pat—*
*Pat—*
Crisp footsteps approached from afar.
“Hiss hiss hiss (No, Master, you’re really coming?)”
“Hiss hiss hiss (Don’t look at the divine descent bodies you’ve beaten before, Master. They were all weaklings, easily defeated by you, but those were only incomplete divine descent bodies.)”
“Hiss hiss hiss (You are in the Age of Gods now. This is a genuine, complete Mythical Creature!)”
In Shaya’s Soul Pact Space, the Quicksilver Snake nervously flicked its tongue.
Ever since it contracted with Shaya, it had been forced to use the same language format as the other familiars.
It wasn’t that it couldn’t speak human language directly, but Shaya thought its hisses were cuter.
The snake could only respond with speechless exasperation.
Although it was an ancient relic that had truly lived through four eras… as a lazy snake that only thought about picking up scraps on the fringes during divine wars, it certainly had no pride as a True God.
It was fine to act cute; after all, the circumstances were beyond its control.
“Aren’t you a Mythical Creature yourself? Now that we’re back in the Age of Gods, shouldn’t kindred spirits shed tears of joy?”
Shaya glanced at the snake with disdain.
“Hiss hiss hiss~ (I’m not a Mythical Creature, I’m just a weak snake. That’s what Master said.)”
The snake immediately gave up.
After all, if one crossed a line once, they could do it again.
What was dignity? Could it be eaten?
If you say I’m a weak snake, then I’m a weak snake. It also saves me the trouble of fighting.
“Your species name shouldn’t be ‘Quicksilver Snake,’ but rather ‘Disgrace to Mythical Creatures.'”
Shaya was also shocked by the snake’s low standards.
However, soon, he gently and kindly patted the Quicksilver Snake’s head.
“But you’re right. This Dragon is indeed a true Mythical Creature. Although I’m confident, I still need to plan for a retreat.”
“So, if we can’t win and I prepare to flee, I’ll have you, Snake Snake, act as a meat shield to cover our retreat.”
“As long as you suffer a fatal attack, you’ll trigger a fate reversal and reset the timeline, right? This way, we’ll have an infinite number of save opportunities. We can try again no matter how many times we fail.”
Snake Snake: ?
So that’s how Fate Reversal is used?
As the man and snake chatted, Shaya had unknowingly entered the ruins of the desolate palace.
*Pat.*
The moment he stepped into the palace.
The next moment.
The dragon’s roar resounded.
It echoed through the heavens and shook the earth.
The ground let out a mournful cry, cracking open with crimson-black fissures.
Almost instantly, crimson-black flames emanated from the dragon’s body.
The Black Dragon, which had been lying on the ground like a statue, finally awoke.
Its massive leathery wings unfurled, covering more than half of the pitch-black sky.
Its tightly closed eyelids opened, revealing its terrifying dragon eyes.
However, from these ashen-grey dragon eyes, Shaya could not discern any hint of intelligence.
All that remained was a pale, withered, and indescribable sense of deathly stillness.
It didn’t seem like a conscious life form, but more like a living corpse.
And as the giant Black Dragon awoke.
Shaya also saw, behind the Black Dragon, in the depths of the desolate palace ruins.
That—
A pitch-black dragon egg, surrounded by a thin veil of shadow, as if covered by a curtain of darkness.
