Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
“Um, Mo Yu, will the King of Winter really let me off?” Claudia looked at the young yet dignified king seated in the main seat, her heart pounding. She had personally witnessed this king split a Sky Knight in half with a single sword strike.
“Don’t worry, my Claudia,” Mo Yu assured her in a low voice, his hand tightly clasped with the female mage’s. His bright eyes swept over the King of Winter. “I’ve already talked to His Majesty.”
*Talked to him, my foot.* He didn’t have a clue himself. He was currently observing the King of Winter’s expression to gauge his mood. The king’s mood would determine how much discretion he could exercise when speaking later.
*Oh, they’re already holding hands. That’s fast!* Xi Wei sneered inwardly, having noticed the two’s little actions long ago. However, he kept quiet and pretended not to see. He wasn’t a tyrant. What was wrong with his subordinates falling in love? As long as they weren’t traitors, they could date whoever they pleased. Looking at them, it seemed Claudia had been completely won over.
In fact, that was precisely the case. Claudia, who had only recently graduated from the magic academy, was just a naive young girl. Coupled with her humble background, although she possessed great strength, she felt a natural disconnect from the cunning and worldly nobles, making her unable to play their games. Despite being ostracized and becoming a rogue mage, she maintained a remarkably pure heart.
In contrast, Mo Yu was far more wicked. In the age of the internet, Mo Yu had been bombarded with all sorts of online information since he started interacting with electronic devices in elementary school. By the time he entered junior high school, he had single-handedly cleared over 300 dating simulation games. If not for his age, he would have already extended his sinful hands to 18+ games. By the time he started high school at sixteen, he had already cultivated an indestructible will in 18+ virtual reality games. Lolis, imoutos, oneesans, grandmas… he’d had them all. He rewarded himself at least five times a day.
Thus, with all these advantages, Mo Yu managed to woo Claudia. During this period, he’d presented over a hundred cheesy pickup lines, six cakes and milks, a meal he cooked himself, and finally, a decisive, earth-shattering kiss.
“What business do you have with me so early in the morning?” Xi Wei couldn’t take it anymore. If he didn’t speak up, Mo Yu would practically be glued to Claudia. This was Winter City, the King’s Conference Hall! Although the hall looked somewhat shabby, being so physically affectionate in such a solemn place was inappropriate. Startled by the King of Winter’s icy reprimand, Mo Yu quickly sat up straight, no longer daring to hold Claudia’s hand.
“Your Majesty, it’s like this. Claudia has clearly recognized her mistakes,” Mo Yu began. “And she has promised to serve you and will no longer leave Winter City to be a rogue mage.”
Xi Wei responded with an indifferent expression. He remained silent for a moment, gently tapping his hand on the table, his mind replaying the alluring image of Loli from last night. But Mo Yu and Claudia were terrified by the silent King of Winter. They thought he wasn’t willing.
Xi Wei snapped back to reality, calming his surging blood. He looked at the two trembling like quails and revealed a playful smile. “Although she is willing to serve Winter City, it’s not enough to atone for her sins. You must remember that her legion magic cost me many soldiers on the battlefield.”
*What a loss.* Mo Yu looked speechlessly at the King of Winter, who was clearly lying with a straight face. The Winter City army had suffered no losses in that battle. At most, some players had been lost, but they resurrected in no time. In fact, the experience points they gained far outweighed the experience lost from leveling down upon death.
Seeing Mo Yu’s tactical silence, Xi Wei shifted his gaze to Claudia. “I am a benevolent king. Therefore, I will not demand further payment from you, but you must do me a small favor.” As he spoke, he took out a small ring from under Claudia’s grateful gaze. This ring came from the Pope. Xi Wei had previously sought out the Star Magus, but their powers were too unique and did not interface with Cain Continent’s magic, making it impossible to open the ring. Ordinary mages lacked the ability to decipher the seal on the ring. In the end, this task fell to Claudia.
Claudia carefully took the ring from Xi Wei. As a highly professional Magus, she immediately understood that the King of Winter wanted her to help break the seal on the ring. *Is it just this small matter?* Claudia breathed a sigh of relief. When she studied at the magic academy, her grades were top-notch. Not only was she proficient in theoretical knowledge, but her practical skills were also outstanding among the graduates. She had even made a profit by going to the black market to buy all sorts of rings of unknown origin to open for treasure. Otherwise, as a commoner, how could she have accumulated the strength to become a Magus purely on talent? Opening rings was her specialty!
However, when Claudia sent her magic into the ring, she was dumbfounded. The seal circuits inside were a complete mess, with no discernible pattern. *Can this truly be deciphered by humans?* Claudia looked up at the King of Winter and found the young king staring at her coldly. *Fine, I’ll try.* Even if it was just for Mo Yu, she had to succeed. They had come this far; she couldn’t give up! Biting her lip, she sent her magic inside, meticulously exploring and clearing the complex pathways one by one.
It was an extremely mentally draining process. Time ticked by, and in less than half an hour, Claudia was covered in sweat. Mo Yu, standing beside her, felt a pang of concern. He glanced at the King of Winter, only to find him staring blankly at the ceiling with a poker face.
Another half hour passed. Just as Mo Yu couldn’t bear it any longer and was about to plead for her, a crisp “click” sounded from Claudia’s side. The ring, which had been unresponsive, suddenly emitted a soft silver light. The seal was broken. Claudia, dripping with sweat as if she had just been pulled from water, weakly called out, “Your Majesty… I… I broke it…” She collapsed into Mo Yu’s arms, looking at him tenderly. Despite her exhaustion, it couldn’t hide the joy and relief in her eyes. But she was too tired, her head felt like it was being stabbed by a thousand needles. Finally, she couldn’t hold on any longer. Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.
