Chapter 264: Liberation
The old man looked somewhat surprised and chuckled, “With just the few of you, you can barely protect yourselves from the Contamination, let alone help me.”
So what makes you think we can’t protect ourselves? Stop making baseless assumptions!
“Elder, could you please explain the situation here? We might be able to help you in some way.” Seeing that Zhan Yu was about to lose her temper again, she quickly interjected.
“You’re much more pleasant to listen to, young lady.” The old man used his free right hand to rub his back, took a deep breath, and said, “Well, the thing is…”
Hundreds of years ago, the Crimson Plain was still human territory.
The one stationed here was a general named Aima.
The army he led was invincible, achieving remarkable feats even against the Dark Faction.
He even personally slew a Lord.
From then on, he became a renowned hero, known as the Unyielding Sword.
Sun Wheel City, the fortress that once stood on the Crimson Plain, became an impenetrable stronghold.
Some said that as long as Sun Wheel City stood, humanity would never be threatened.
Though exaggerated, it spoke volumes of Aima’s accomplishments.
This glory lasted for 20 years.
On her 18th birthday, Aima’s daughter, Hedy, had a purple gelatinous creature crawl out from beneath her throat.
Only Aima knew of the secret passage, which existed as a last resort.
Over the years, he had only entered it once—when he slew the Lord of Contamination. Inside were his trophies: bottles containing the Lord’s blood, remnants of various Undead, and identification tokens.
He kept them so that in his old age, he could reminisce about his past.
Of course, these items were carefully handled by high-ranking priests and posed no lingering danger.
But now… something had clearly gone wrong inside!
Aima, a seasoned warrior, swiftly dealt with the grotesque monster.
Yet, the enemy didn’t die immediately. Instead, its body swelled and burst into two separate entities!
“Father, what is…!?” Hedy stared in shock, never expecting such a thing to appear on her birthday.
“I’m sorry, Hedy… This is my fault. Give me three minutes. I’ll handle this and be right back!” With that, Aima activated the mechanism for the secret passage, used his greatsword to knock both monsters inside, and leaped in after them.
“Alright… I’ll wait!” Hedy nodded, staring blankly at the untouched birthday cake.
After her mother’s passing, this was the first time her father had celebrated her birthday. Aima had said, “A girl can marry after turning 18, so let’s make this a proper birthday!”
And yet, this had happened.
Their home had been attacked before, but her father had always handled it effortlessly.
If only he cared for his family as much as he did for battle.
“Young lady, don’t worry. Lord Aima has never broken a promise. He’ll definitely celebrate this birthday with you properly,” reassured the butler, Weil.
“…I hope so.” Hedy sighed.
Three minutes passed, but Aima did not return.
“…Who was it that said he never breaks promises again?”
Five minutes later, the occasional tremors ceased.
Was it over? But he still hadn’t come back.
Ten minutes later, there was still no sign of him.
“…I’m going to check!” Hedy could wait no longer.
“I’ll go with you,” Weil said, sensing something was wrong.
“Mm.”
Upon entering the passage, Hedy was met with a horrifying sight.
The entire passage was filled with the same monsters, their sharp tendrils impaling the Unyielding Sword.
Aima’s body was riddled with wounds, barely clinging to life. Gripping his greatsword, he gasped, “Weil… take Hedy and leave. Warn everyone in the city to flee to the Imperial City for safety. Seek out the Absolute Sword of Azure Flame—Ku Ji. He and I share a life-and-death bond. That man will protect you.”
“What nonsense are you spouting!? Weil, take Father and run! I’ll hold them off!” Hedy’s face flushed red with anger.
“Weil!! Take Hedy and go, now! There’s no time!” Aima roared with all his might.
“…Young lady, come with me!” Weil grabbed her arm, ready to pull her away.
But Hedy was faster. She broke free and charged forward. “You big jerk! Skipping my birthday is one thing, but now you’re trying to play the hero alone? I won’t let you!”
Thwip!!
A thick tendril, along with Aima’s body, pierced through Hedy’s abdomen.
“Ah—!” Hedy whimpered and collapsed, falling amidst Aima’s collection of…
Trophies he had kept as mementos.
How ironic. The things he had treasured now seemed like a cruel joke.
“AAAAHHH!!” Aima howled in uncontrollable rage, as if losing his sanity. Despite his grievous wounds, he fought on, only to be impaled over twenty times before finally succumbing.
Weil trembled, unaware that a gaping hole had already been torn through his chest.
“Lord Aima… Young lady…”
With a soft thud, the last of them fell.
Within three days, Sun Wheel City had become a lifeless ruin in name only.
Those who couldn’t escape in time perished at the hands of the Contaminated Creatures.
Strangely, when Ku Ji of the Azure Flame arrived, he found no trace of the enemy.
In the end, the matter was left unresolved.
Sun Wheel City gradually transformed into the Crimson Plain—a barren wasteland where no living thing dared linger.
……
“So… you’re Weil from the story!? If there’s an old man in this tale, it can only be the butler.”
“Indeed… I am Weil.” The old man nodded in acknowledgment.
[View Information!]
Butler · Weil
Rarity: Silver Grade
Level: 30
Description: The butler of the Unyielding Sword, Aima. In his youth, he possessed considerable combat prowess and often found himself exasperated by Young Lady Hedy’s willfulness.
Of course, information doesn’t lie. This butler truly was a witness to those events.
But… “Are you alive or dead right now?” Zi Nian frowned. “A normal person lives to 90 at most. Even if you’re a martial artist NPC, let’s say 150 years. But centuries have passed—you should’ve turned to dust by now. And according to the story, didn’t the butler die in the secret passage?”
“My body was turned into a Zombie by Young Lady Hedy. I cannot die naturally,” Weil replied calmly.
“Wait, what? Say that again?”
“I said… my body became a Zombie. I cannot—”
“Hold on, Young Lady Hedy? Didn’t she die before you?”
“…The young lady never truly died. She fused with the blood of the Lord of Contamination. Now, she possesses the ability to command Contaminated Creatures. It’s precisely because of this that these creatures haven’t run amok over the centuries,” Weil explained.
“She could use them to fight the Dark Faction,” Butterfly Dance mused, intrigued.
“No. These creatures cannot stray too far from the young lady. Beyond Sun Wheel City, they’d likely go berserk.”
“Uh, old man, Sun Wheel City doesn’t exist anymore. It’s called the Crimson Plain now,” Juchen corrected.
“…The old man fell silent, clearly struck by the painful reminder.
“Brother, learn to read the room!” Ju Yu quickly covered his mouth, using her overpowered Trainer strength to silence him, ignoring his muffled protests. She changed the subject. “So, what’s the difficulty you mentioned earlier?”
“…The young lady is on the verge of collapse. I wish for someone to liberate her. In doing so, we remnants of the old era—both the Undead and the Contaminated—will finally be freed.”
*Ding!*
[System Notification: Butler Weil has issued your party an SS-rank quest, “Liberate Hedy.” Accept?]
(This chapter ended up with more storytelling, so here’s an extra update.)
