Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
The ultimate goal for anyone is to attain the Champion Level. To advance to this level, one must first comprehend the Champion Heart. Mages achieve this by grasping the true essence of elements and the rules of magical energy. Knights, on the other hand, cultivate their Champion Heart based on the code of chivalry, striving for a pure heart and a clear conscience. An utterly wicked individual can never become a Champion Knight, for they are undeserving.
Humility, honesty, compassion, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, persistence, benevolence, and righteousness. Xi Wei has, in fact, already achieved all of these.
His diligent study of swordsmanship, his respect for his master and kindness towards others—this is his humility. When Ruo Yi infiltrated his room, he never hid it from Loli; this is his honesty. Amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, he shielded the demi-human girl’s eyes; this is his compassion. Facing countless enemies, he always fought on the front lines; this is his valor. Disregarding status, he judged right from wrong and even executed a Great Knight; this is his justice. Facing a demon army, he alone defended an entire city; this is his sacrifice. Acting according to the code of chivalry and holding himself to its principles; this is his honor. Even when facing gods, he persisted in protecting the one he loved; this is his persistence. Abolishing various taxes and paving the way for ordinary people; this is his benevolence. Annihilating the Dusk Winter Town and thwarting the Paradise Plan before it could even begin; this is his justice.
Xi Wei leaned against a broken wall, his body utterly weakened. Corpses of players and demons littered the ground. Many players had died more than once, now facing long resurrection wait times. The more times they died, the lower their level, and the longer the wait for respawning that day. Some players had given up on further suicidal attempts and retreated to watch from a distance. Losing levels and falling behind in rankings meant being expelled from the game. They couldn’t bear to lose this.
“If only we could notify players through the system.”
“Why is there a distance limit?”
“Heh, garbage system.”
This might be the last time he cursed the system. No matter how much he cursed, the system remained as unresponsive as ever, silent. Xi Wei propped himself up with his long sword, a self-deprecating smile on his lips, and coughed up another mouthful of blood. He was dying, and even lifting his sword had become an impossible luxury.
In the eyes of the players, the King of Winter was indeed at the end of his rope. His HP was critically low, and he likely couldn’t withstand even a few Flame Burst fireballs. However, what the players couldn’t understand was that the King of Winter’s HP bar was covered in a layer of golden light. That meager bit of health seemed locked in place, refusing to drop no matter how much they attacked. They also felt a sense of repulsion emanating from the environment itself. Although this repulsion had a limited effect on them, it inexplicably caused their swords, aimed at Xi Wei, to strangely strike his armor. It felt as if the world itself was targeting them.
Were all BOSSes this overpowered now? Was this game even playable? A group of Corrupted Player demons from the Abyss almost vomited. Their swords struck the King of Winter like hitting iron; his armor was incredibly tough, leaving not even a white scratch. Various magical effects were also of limited use. Only the impact of the magic could inflict minor damage on the King of Winter; the actual magical energy damage was completely absorbed by his armor.
What further exasperated the players was seeing Qi Wub nearby, pen and notebook in hand, scribbling away. He showed no intention of helping. It seemed their battle with the King of Winter was nothing more than an experiment. The players looked at each other, gritted their teeth, and, seizing the moment when the King of Winter was spitting blood, charged forward together, restraining his limbs. To the players’ delight, the King of Winter didn’t dodge this time, seemingly having no strength left to resist.
“Quick, strike his head, his neck!”
“Hitting the armor is useless. We’ve got him, hurry!” the players’ shouts echoed.
The clamor jolted Xi Wei’s dazed consciousness. His head was lifted by the players, and a long sword filled with Qi approached his neck. A slight pull, and everything would be over. His azure eyes gazed at the pitch-black night sky. Were those flying creatures he saw high above in the distance? Was it his imagination?
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But it didn’t matter anymore. Loli, Ruo Yi, I’m sorry. Everyone in Winter City, I’m sorry. Xi Wei lowered his gaze and gently closed his eyes. He had done his best.
“Master!” A desperate cry echoed through the air. It was Loli. Immediately, a golden chain connected to Xi Wei. This was the Commandment of Protection. The players’ swords, now pulled horizontally to the right, were blocked by a layer of golden light. Immunity to instant death activated. The golden energy finally finished accumulating in Xi Wei’s heart. The surging power broke through his physical weakness and began to spread throughout his body. The Champion Heart had completely condensed. The Commandment of Protection Shield enveloped Xi Wei. In the players’ eyes, a golden HP bar representing a shield appeared above his own. A gentle white light merged into Xi Wei’s body; this was the Commandment of Revival.
Loli, held by Ruo Yi, leaped down from mid-air and stood behind Xi Wei. His HP began to climb instantly. Within a few breaths, it had recovered by a quarter.
“You all deserve to die!” This was Ruo Yi’s furious roar.
“Buzz—” Time seemed to freeze. The players around Xi Wei felt their breath catch, their vision filled only with golden light and shadows. These were the ripples of the Blade of Time slicing through the air. Ruo Yi’s figure seemed to split into dozens of afterimages, passing before the surrounding Corrupted Player demons. Simultaneously, her sharp blade severed their throats.
“Tick, tock, tick, tock…” The sound of a ticking clock filled the air. The frozen time resumed. The previously silent air became noisy again, but the sounds were now the “hissing” of players’ shattered throats spraying blood. All Corrupted Player demons within a ten-meter radius were instantly killed, with no survivors. The tide of the battle shifted dramatically with the arrival of Ruo Yi and Loli. Many Corrupted Player demons hadn’t even realized what had happened.
“Master, how are you?” Loli gently held Xi Wei’s large hand, her pretty face pale, tears still on the verge of her eyes. Her gaze scanned him up and down with concern. She didn’t impulsively rush into his arms, though she desperately wanted to. The little maid knew this was a battlefield. There were still large numbers of enemies in the distance, and she couldn’t disrupt her master. In truth, her concern had clouded her judgment. With the three Commandments activated, Xi Wei’s status was fully restored. There wasn’t even a scratch on him.
“Loli, I’m okay.” Xi Wei shook his head gently, his gaze soft. He was about to reach out and pat his little maid’s head when he suddenly stopped mid-air. He realized his body was covered in blood, even his hands were caked with dried blood. It wasn’t appropriate to touch her head like this. But at that moment, Loli gently stood on tiptoe and nuzzled her head into his hand. “Master, don’t be afraid, Loli will protect you.” The little maid’s tears turned into a smile. The heavy weight in her heart had lifted, causing her taut heartstrings to relax, making her legs feel weak. She hugged Xi Wei’s leg and sank to the ground.
Xi Wei helped Loli up from the ground and gently squeezed her soft little face. He then retrieved the Flame Demon Heart from a gap in the ruins and took a blood-stained silk scarf from his chestplate, wrapping it carefully before handing it to Loli. “Please keep this safe for me. The rest is up to me now.”
“Master, be careful!” Loli carefully cupped the Flame Demon Heart in both hands. She didn’t say anything further, her gaze fixed solely on her master. Xi Wei nodded, turned around, sword in hand, and faced the dense mass of Corrupted Player demons. His eyes shone with divine light. At this moment, he was Champion Level.
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