Chapter 34: Toward a New Beginning
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The Royal Capital.
It was around midnight, the moment when one day gave way to the next.
“Good morning, Grandpa Pope.”
In a secluded palace, a young boy whose features bore a striking resemblance to the Sun King’s bowed slightly before the Pope. His clothes were of the finest quality.
He appeared to be about six years old, not three as the Free Commune had speculated. The Sun King had sealed away all information concerning the child so thoroughly that their spies returned empty-handed almost every time.
The complete suppression of information also meant that, throughout the six years since his birth, the child had been able to live and study in only a handful of places nearby. His bedroom and the garden comprised his entire world.
Fortunately, the Pope often came to keep him company, which had made the child especially dependent on him.
Following the Pope’s instructions, he had changed his clothes early and was waiting in the garden for the carriage that would take him away.
“You have my thanks, Your Highness.”
The kindly Pope gently patted his head, then took him into the carriage and set off toward the Holy See.
…
Outside the Royal Capital.
The instant Mo Xuanyu’s horse stepped within the moat, the ground beneath them suddenly shook violently, as though the entire world were about to be turned upside down.
The horse was thrown to the ground by the tremor. Mo Xuanyu rolled off with it, landed neatly on his feet, and raised his head warily toward the sky.
Above the Royal Capital, the sun and moon had appeared at the same time, and they were drawing rapidly toward each other at a terrifying speed.
They overlapped…
And, at a perfect angle, formed a total solar eclipse.
[Sacred Geometry Notification: The supernatural particles of this world are undergoing a tremendous transformation! The world is about to break through to the second tier. All Chosen of the Gods, take note!]
The moment the eclipse occurred, Mo Xuanyu’s nerves tensed to the utmost.
He suddenly drew the Nightmare Moon Blade from his waist and, amid the profound darkness, placed it against the neck of an unfamiliar figure.
“Whoa, whoa~ Don’t be nervous, my friend~”
A familiar voice rang out. Mo Xiao hurriedly lit the small kerosene lamp he carried, illuminating the contours of the stranger’s face.
The man wore a thick coat and a hood, wrapped so tightly that not even a breath of air could pass through. He looked like a traveling merchant from the desert.
Mo Xuanyu looked him up and down.
Wasn’t this the Truth Merchant he had encountered before?
[You have come into contact with a neutral character certified by Sacred Geometry. You may not attack or plunder this character. Otherwise, you will receive a fine and a warning.]
“You recognize me now, right?” The Truth Merchant smiled and shrugged.
“What are you doing here?”
Since Sacred Geometry had issued its warning, Mo Xuanyu withdrew the Nightmare Moon Blade.
“Why, I smelled a business opportunity, of course~” the Truth Merchant replied with a grin.
He pointed toward the gates leading into the Royal Capital.
“This world is undergoing an upgrade, and the Royal Capital has experienced tremendous changes as well. If you intend to challenge the final boss inside, you’d better stock up on supplies from me first~”
Mo Xuanyu understood what this swindler was planning. He simply wanted to make a fortune while he had the chance.
“Then tell me. What do you have that I can use?”
The swindler grinned and opened his coat. Weapons and items hung inside in great abundance.
“I’m sure I have something you need. Fair prices, no deception, quality guaranteed.”
Mo Xuanyu swept his eyes over the selection. Indeed, there were quite a few things he wanted.
He would inevitably be fleeced, but the opponent he was about to face was the Sun King—the man even Carmen considered unbeatable.
[Current Points: 6,300.]
Mo Xiao silently held up the kerosene lamp while watching his teacher haggle with the strange man before them.
Because of Sacred Geometry’s existence, the swindler’s appearance seemed perfectly reasonable to him. He felt no sense of incongruity.
“Wolf, take this.”
Mo Xuanyu suddenly tossed Mo Xiao a blade, which the boy hurriedly caught.
The long blade was pitch-black from hilt to tip, its body perfectly straight and resembling an ancient eastern saber. White ripples like flowing water covered the blade, their contrast with the black steel lending it an especially mysterious appearance.
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It was, astonishingly, a blue-grade long blade.
“May Rain”
Rank: Blue
Description: Forged from the spinal bones of the Hell Demon Dragon, Bolayn, and the essence of Hellthorn. It can pierce anything and sever anything.
Rating: S
Weapon Trait — Dragon Bone: Weapon durability increased by 200%.
Weapon Trait — Thorn: Upon entering combat, you may sacrifice 1 point of Constitution and 1 point of Intelligence in exchange for 1 point of Strength and 1 point of Agility. This effect may be used up to five times.
Although Mo Xiao could not see the blade’s status panel, he possessed swordsmanship expertise. The quality of a weapon could be discerned the moment he held it.
As for its weapon traits, he merely had to inject a trace of his mental power into the blade before their methods of use appeared instinctively in his mind.
“Teacher… you’re really giving me such a good blade?”
Holding May Rain, Mo Xiao was somewhat overwhelmed by the favor.
He had been poor since childhood and therefore understood even better how expensive this blade must be. He liked it very much, but could not bear to let his teacher spend so heavily on his behalf.
“A good blade will allow your talent to shine more brightly. We’re about to assassinate the Sun King. You can’t do that without a weapon suited to your hand.”
Mo Xuanyu smiled gently at Mo Xiao.
He then continued haggling with the swindler, buying two green-grade mental-power recovery potions. By the end, he had emptied his points completely.
“Heh heh, good luck with your battle~”
The satisfied swindler completed the transaction, took a step backward, and vanished into the darkness.
Mo Xuanyu led Mo Xiao into the Royal Capital.
[You have entered a high-risk area: Nora Royal City.]
[Warning: The danger level of this area has surpassed that of a first-tier world!]
After entering the city, they found themselves surrounded by darkness. Even with a kerosene lamp, they could see no more than five meters ahead.
Just as they were struggling to determine their direction, a dazzling light suddenly shone from in front of them, spreading across the ground like a carpet.
At some point, a group of soldiers had gathered along the road, standing in formation on either side.
There was something strange about them. Their eyes were milky white, while their iron armor shimmered with a faint golden radiance. They looked as though they had lost all sense of self.
[Sun Guard]
Strength: 15 points
Agility: 15 points
Constitution: 15 points
Intelligence: 15 points
Character Information: Bathed in the radiance of the Glorious Light, they became honorable Sun Guard—immortal, fearless, undying…
The situation within the Royal City was even worse than Mo Xuanyu had anticipated. Every resident had disappeared, while the soldiers, who had originally been ordinary people, had transformed into Sun Guard in a single leap.
At first glance, an average of fifteen points in every basic attribute did not seem threatening to Mo Xuanyu. But there were a full thousand of them.
A thousand soldiers like this would not even need to attack seven or eight at a time. A simple rotation of fresh opponents would be enough to exhaust them to death.
Mo Xuanyu followed the road of light with his gaze and looked upward. At its end stood a massive domed building.
Had the Sun King already broken through?
How powerful were his attributes now?
Mo Xuanyu had no idea.
Fortunately, the world’s breakthrough to the second tier also benefited him. His Agility had already risen to twenty-one points.
The demonic ceremonial attire he had equipped on his feet had finally come fully into its own.
His current attribute panel was as follows:
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Strength: 19 points, including 3 points from equipment
Agility: 21 points, including 3 points from equipment
Constitution: 19 points, including 3 points from equipment
Intelligence: 20 points
Beyond that, Mo Xuanyu’s greatest reliance in entering the Royal City was his mastery-level swordsmanship and mastery-level martial arts.
He drew a deep breath and was the first to step onto the road of light.
Mo Xiao tightened his grip on May Rain and followed his teacher without hesitation toward the enormous building.
The surrounding soldiers stared straight ahead and did not stop them. This seemed to be the Sun King’s order as well.
As they drew nearer to the palace, a deep and ancient aura washed over them. Warm sunlight fell upon Mo Xuanyu, filling him with a sense of comfort.
Click.
Mo Xuanyu pushed open the palace doors.
Inside, the hall was as bright as day, resplendent with gold and splendor. At its center, a pool rippled with golden reflections.
In the middle of the pool lay a boy of about sixteen. The water reached his chin, while his long golden hair floated across the surface.
“Who is this?”
Mo Xuanyu looked utterly bewildered. For some reason, the face seemed vaguely familiar.
[Lord of Nora, the Sun King]
Just as Mo Xuanyu was beginning to wonder, Sacred Geometry thoughtfully provided the answer.
The boy in the pool slowly opened his eyes.
The golden water surged into his body. Unhurriedly, he rose from the pool and lifted one arm. The corners of his mouth stiffened as he offered Mo Xuanyu a faint smile.
“Mora, I’m glad you could come.”
Draped in a pure white robe, he stepped out of the now-dry pool.
As he did, his body continued to grow. In a matter of seconds, the childish softness of youth fell away. His features became handsome and refined, his body tall and powerfully built, like the statue of a god from ancient Greek mythology.
“You… are the Sun King?”
Mo Xuanyu was somewhat confused. The Sun King he had known before was clearly an ancient immortal who had long since grown old. How had he suddenly become so young?
“He offered his body to me.”
The Sun King smiled and spoke the truth, causing Mo Xuanyu and Mo Xiao’s scalps to prickle with dread.
It turned out that the so-called Son of the Sun had been merely one part of the Sun King’s plan.
After using the power of the Solar Core to step into the realm of divinity, his original body had become unable to bear the strain and was on the verge of collapse.
The “Sun King” had completed his mission. He had successfully guided the entire world into the second tier and left his legend throughout the world.
As far as the “will of the world” was concerned, the mission for which the Sun King had been born into this world was over. He was supposed to leave the stage.
The future belonged to newcomers… did it?
Clearly, that was not the case for the Sun King.
He would never submit to the limitations of a mere lifespan.
His original body had grown old and could no longer support his soul?
Then he would simply change bodies.
If he no longer existed upon the continent of the new era, what meaning would that era have?
None!
No one knew how long the Sun King had been preparing for this plan.
Mo Xuanyu learned only from the Sun King himself that, under the Pope’s “guidance,” the six-year-old Son of the Sun had willingly lain down in the golden pool and offered his young body to his father.
Within that pool, filled with supernatural particles, the child’s body had rapidly grown and matured until it was capable of merging with the Sun King’s soul.
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