Chapter 82: Why Are You Pretending to be Virtuous and Loyal?
Chapter 84: Why Are You Pretending to be Virtuous and Loyal?
Aseran held her flaming sword in one hand, her other hand behind her back. Her brilliant golden hair seemed dulled under the firelight.
She first approached the wall where a Dragonborn Knight had been impaled. With a sigh, she used her scorching Dragonflame to incinerate her father’s mangled bones. Then, she turned to Enesyin.
The Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden stared blankly at Aseran. The intense heat washing over her caused a burning pain, but at this moment, her weakness to fire seemed insignificant.
“Sister, is this my fault?”
Aseran tilted her head and replied, “Objectively speaking, you did delay their deaths. If not for your decision, most of the people in this camp would have died in the flames of war. But dying in war versus dying from Fiend corruption, which do you think is more significant?”
“As I said, you brought them here, so you must take responsibility for it. Their fate is undeniably partly your fault.”
Enesyin pursed her lips, trembling as she tried to speak, but then lowered her head in silence.
She did not fear sacrifice or failure. As a member of a Knight Family, she had long been prepared to die, whether it was her own death or the death of loved ones.
However, she could not accept that they had ended up like this because of a Fiend’s trick. Whether it was a mistake or misfortune.
She had given her all to pursue her ideals, only for this to be the outcome!
The Dragon Maiden with brilliant golden hair surveyed her surroundings and said calmly, “What do you plan to do now? Although there are only two of us left, as long as you wish to continue, I will remain your sharpest blade until you give up.”
Enesyin closed her eyes and shook her head bitterly. “I… I no longer have the right.”
“Then this bet is mine to win?”
The Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden did not reply but nodded silently. If one wasn’t observing closely, they might not even notice the subtle movement.
But Aseran saw it. She pulled her sister up from the ground and embraced her tightly, walking forward with large strides.
With every movement, she unleashed radiant Dragonflame, the ultimate Authority of Purification and Destruction, a direct counter to the corruption of the Frost-Forged Dragon.
“Your life will be mine from now on. From this moment, I will carve the path we walk.”
Enesyin looked at Aseran’s profile in a daze.
The scenes she had dreamt of countless times overlapped with the present. Her sister caressed her cheek, then grasped her fingers.
“My dear sister, this is our flame. Let it burn away all defiance and disobedience, burn away everything in the old world.”
“Shed your childishness and accept our inevitable destiny. This is our fate, and our Honor.”
“Ain…”
*Rumble*
Her thoughts surfaced as if from the depths of the ocean. The immense shift made Enesyin involuntarily stagger, and then she leaned against someone’s chest.
What met her eyes was no longer her sister’s wild, arrogant smile, but a face that brought her immense peace and stirred her heart.
“Are you awake?”
Enesyin stood rooted to the spot. It wasn’t until Yonglan steadied her that she nodded. “I’m fine now. Thank you.”
Yonglan: “The curse domain here was cursed by a Fiend, causing people to relive their most unbearable pasts. You were the last to regain consciousness.”
The Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden then noticed that it wasn’t just Yonglan; the Scarlet girl was also standing nearby.
Jiali, with her silver-purple high ponytail, had a rare expression of disgust on her face, which was as beautiful and delicate as an elf’s.
She sneered, “I recalled some rather annoying things. Such a damp and unpleasant Artifice. Are ancient Fiends this morbid?”
Yonglan comforted, “Don’t be afraid, children. I outsmarted it. Not only did I not fall for the trap, but I also exposed its secrets. I’ll tell you all about it later when I have time.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll be looking forward to it. So even a dignified Celestial God has a past they’d rather forget?”
Jiali’s eyes lit up at the remark and she eagerly agreed.
Then, the silver-purple-haired beautiful girl looked at Enesyin, who stood expressionless as if still lost in thought, and asked, “You’ve been spacing out for quite a while. Was it a difficult memory?”
The Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden gently shook her head. “I thought reliving nightmares would be a thoroughly unpleasant experience… but now, I find it’s not that big of a deal. Re-examining the past, I realized what I lacked was determination, perseverance, and strength.”
Enesyin looked at Yonglan and said calmly, “And these are things I have obtained here. Therefore, the past is no longer my pain… I understand what I need to do, what I *should* do.”
Yonglan smiled with relief. “See? I told you playing games more often was the right thing to do!”
Whenever his beloved game, Sams, was involved, Yonglan instinctively offered praise.
*Clang!*
Just then, the sound of metal striking the ground echoed. In the gradually dissipating mist, a tall guard walked into view.
The three immediately stopped their casual chat and turned their attention to the being emerging from the fog.
It was a tall guard, clad in exquisite black and gold armor that covered him from head to toe, not a sliver of skin or face visible. He was armed to the teeth, with silver tassels hanging from the back of his helmet, resembling a finely crafted work of art.
He held a luminous kite shield in one hand and rested the other on the hilt of his broadsword, addressing Yonglan and the others with his head held high.
“Halt! Mortals.”
The guard in black and gold armor said in a muffled voice.
“This is a Forbidden Zone designated by my Lord. I can overlook your previous disturbances, but the Forbidden Zone must not be trespassed. Since you were able to break free from the Artifice, you should know the disparity between yourselves and my Lord. Retreat.”
Yonglan chuckled upon hearing this. He spoke to the surprisingly rational Kin of the Mirror-Corroding Duke.
“Wait, we’ve formally declared war, and you’re saying you won’t pursue it now?”
The guard in black and gold armor immediately retorted, “Absurd! My Lord is benevolent and does not wish to act against you Mortals. If he truly intended to harm you, he would have already annihilated you!”
“We are merely waiting here for the predestined death that will eventually arrive. We have no intention of causing further trouble.”
In a way, what he said was not entirely wrong. The Celestial God, the Mirror-Corroding Duke, was indeed different from his kind.
Yonglan and the others had learned from Doria that other Celestial Gods, since their descent, had been engaged in constant warfare across the world, insatiably expanding and slaughtering.
However, since the Mirror-Corroding Duke descended upon the Earth and occupied Thousand, he had made no further moves. For hundreds of years, he had remained stationary in the core area of Thousand, without any action.
If the Casterly Court had not been so insistent on reclaiming their ancestral lands, the Mirror-Corroding Duke wouldn’t even have been on the list of targets. He possessed very little offensive capability.
Unfortunately, Yonglan never sought trouble based on whether someone was evil, but rather on whether they were worth challenging. And it so happened that the Mirror-Corroding Duke had already had a feud with him, adding a personal grievance to the mix.
Yonglan shook his head and sighed.
“Alas, so it’s the benevolent Celestial God, the Mirror-Corroding Duke, who does not concern himself with Mortals. I thought it was Hram, the former secretary-general, who was treacherous and fickle, then became self-pitying and dejected, seeking liberation!”
The guard in black and gold armor was utterly shocked. “You!”
Yonglan smiled. “That scoundrel, the Mirror-Corroding Duke, pretending to be pure and loyal! I don’t know what right he has to stand here and speak with such righteous indignation!”
