Sorry, there’s going to be a slight delay in the mass release. Don’t worry, though, it will still be published today – just expect it about 3 hours later than planned.
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Five hundred years ago, people despised Tainted Miasma, sacrificing countless lives to cleanse the world and create a new, purified world. But now, people in this pristine world seek Tainted Miasma, yearning for it, wishing to see the brown skies once again.
‘What an irony…’
A touch of sadness appeared in Karl’s eyes.
It was then that he realized, just as they had used Tainted Miasma to defeat it five hundred years ago, the Tainted Miasma of the present was using them to defeat them.
“Master, in the first century after your disappearance, everyone still tried to fulfill the duties of our agreement, but gradually…”
“Most of us were still limited by our lifespans. A hundred years was their limit. They spent their lives waiting for news of your return, only to pass on their regrets in wills to their descendants, leaving it to those like me who could still carry on to lead.”
Karl’s eyes revealed a reminiscent hue as he continued, though his voice grew much more somber.
“Even as someone who had returned to ‘Disaster Rank’ status, as long as we can’t transcend that line, we can’t escape the ravages of time. I lasted till the 214th year before I finally closed my eyes. By then, of our generation who personally followed you, from hundreds, only twenty-three remained.”
“I had already sensed something wrong back then. Among those left, some started waiting for the sake of waiting, losing themselves in the long years, becoming more and more fanatical and extreme, just to keep waiting, to remain steadfast.”
“Now when I think about it… perhaps the Tainted Miasma had already started using us back then?”
The most tragic thing isn’t witnessing the destruction of a dynasty.
It’s foreseeing the end of a misguided path, yet only being able to exit the stage in one’s dying moments.
Now, as a Forgotten Spirit, Karl had a brief chance to see the world again five hundred years later. Clearly, the worst scenario he had envisioned had come to pass.
Their organization had indeed strayed onto a different path.
“I’m sorry, Master. I couldn’t stop them back then, because even I was exhausted just trying to resist the temptation.”
“You did well, Karl. As for the rest… leave it to me.”
Renji shook his head.
For Renji, saving the world was just a game, and he never really considered what would become of those game characters after they left his side.
When he aimed to achieve goals, earn rewards, or simply satisfied his compulsion by maxing out the affection level of each character under his command, he might not have felt much outside the screen. But inside the game, these virtual characters, these game personas, genuinely developed 100% affection for him.
When that “red heart” in the game filled up, they truly gave their hearts to him. To them, he had become the most important person. .
That’s why, even if used or treated as mere tools, most of those abandoned still bore no regrets. They continued to shine and secretly accumulated strength, waiting for the day they might be useful again.
That’s why they resorted to any means to “wait” for him, providing an opportunity for the Tainted Miasma to exploit.
Hearing from Karl, Renji finally understood the origins and truth about the precursor to the ‘Olden Alliance’. He felt an added weight on his shoulders, and no wonder Karl warned him to be cautious.
After all, when Karl died over two hundred years ago, the organization only had twenty-three of the original followers left. Now, three hundred years later, the organization must have undergone many changes, bearing little resemblance to its former self. Although still named the ‘Olden Alliance,’ not a single true ‘Olden’ remained, only reappearing as ‘Forgotten Spirits’.
For the descendants of these ‘original generation’ members, they did not share the bond or memories with their ‘Emperor’. In their eyes, he might be the culprit, the one who played with and abandoned their ancestors.
Thus, the organization, as Roca mentioned, was still lying in wait, but not for a “reunion” anymore.
It was for revenge.
“Master, I’m not sure if it’s a problem with my current state of perception or something else, but you feel to me like, like…”
Seeing Karl’s hesitant with a worried expression, Renji shrugged helplessly, admitting the truth.
“No, you’re not wrong. I am indeed not much different from an ordinary person now… well, maybe a little stronger” After his battle with Suthia’s vessel, Renji’s level had reached twenty-three.
For an Eclipse, level twenty-three is somewhat above the ‘Common’ rank, but for Renji, due to the protagonist’s low growth in three dimensions, it’s just a step into the ‘Common’ level.
Karl was understandably shocked.
He pondered for a long time, wondering what could threaten an emperor who had even conquered Tainted Miasma itself. Eventually, the only reason Karl could think of was,
“Could it be… because you took off your cloak?”
“You guessed it. Actually, that cloak was my real body.”
Faced with Renji’s sarcasm, Karl stroked his chin thoughtfully and seriously agreed:
“No wonder, I was wondering why Master Ashen seemed like a different person. In my memory, you should only make three actions: silence, nodding, and shaking your head. For you to talk this much with me now, it’s really rare!”
Renji: “…”
“Yes, that’s right! This is the Master I know!”
Karl, seeing Renji’s expression of three ellipses, brightened up, filled with familiarity from his youth.
But happy moments are always short-lived.
Despite Karl’s wish to talk more with this “cloakless” Master, the current situation didn’t allow for it.
He had severed the connection with Roca, and although Roca was temporarily unconscious, the blood sacrifice, covering the entire city like a bloody shroud, couldn’t be stopped under the ‘Olden’ secret method.
As the summoned, Karl had no right to end the ritual. He was forced to keep absorbing the Tainted Miasma of the entire city. His body was becoming more solid, but his consciousness was fading – the fate of a Forgotten Spirit. After all, they were already deceased, and upon the completion of the blood sacrifice, he would become an empty shell.
By this point in the ritual, even killing the summoner Roca, would be futile. Instead, it would cause Karl, who had lost his summoner, to be possessed by the Tainted Miasma, turning into a man-made ‘Disaster Rank’ Tainted Miasma monster.
However, if left unchecked, the Tainted Miasma concentration in the city had already reached a high threshold and was still rising. If this continued, the hundreds of thousands of people in the city would truly become Karl’s “food.”
The only solution was for Renji, to kill him, thereby ending the blood sacrifice that had lost its host.
So, while he was still lucid, Karl looked at the young man across from him with a mix of expectation and excitement. He wanted to see how his master would resolve the situation. Witnessing Renji’s masterful command one last time before his own disappearance, Karl felt that would be the best reward for him.
“So, Your Majesty, your next move is…”
Renji’s response was straightforward.
Karl, a mid-to-late game character in the original game, was a mid-to-upper tier character within the ‘Disaster Rank’. For Renji, who currently only had two ‘Danger Rank’ characters, even if Karl stood still, he likely didn’t have the ability to kill him.
Given this,
The icon in his skill bar lit up again, and Renji’s blood seemed to ignite. A layer of crimson dragon scale phantoms covered his body like armor. His eyes also turned into purple dragon eyes, exerting a heavy pressure with just a glance.
[Dragonblood Ignition]
This was the second time Renji had used this skill.
Back in the Holy Kingdom, when he used this move in Suthia’s territory, the kingdom faced a declaration of war from the Dragon Nation within a few hours.
Now, standing on the soil of the Dragon Nation, in Nova’s territory, using a skill from this dragon lady again…
Almost in the next breath,
In the imperial capital, far from the Sealed City, a loud dragon’s roar seemed to pierce the sky and directly targeted the area, resonating in everyone’s hearts.
It wasn’t a real sound but a powerful pressure radiating from a distant place.
Anyone within the city, even Karl as a ‘Forgotten Spirit,’ couldn’t escape it.
So,
‘This was your method?’ .𝒎
Familiar with the dragon’s roar that could traverse thousands of miles and seeing the matter-of-fact expression on Renji’s face, Karl couldn’t help but smile wryly.
“Should I say… truly worthy of you Master?”
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