Chapter 435: Seed of Legend!

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Divinity: Luo Yan

Legend Factor: Demon King of Thunder County, Flame King of the South of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain, the generous, wealthy, and kind Prince Kelin, the commoner member of parliament born in the Demon God Temple, the founder of science, the Son of God of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng...

Influence Share: 1.8% (↑0.9)

Overdraft Limit: 0% Domination Efficiency: 100% Mythic Seed (Demigod): 0 Legend Seed (Grandmaster): 1 (+1)

Amethyst Seed (Amethyst): 0 Diamond Seed (Diamond): 0 (-1)

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The night was deep.

The atmosphere of Quemubao, which had been noisy all day, finally returned to calm, replaced by the light sound of soldiers' armor rubbing against each other, and the crackling sound of campfires coming from the distant camp.

Kalian carried a brass candlestick and walked slowly along the cold stone corridor of the castle.

The candlelight flickered, reflecting her beautiful face, and also illuminating a trace of confusion and anxiety in the depths of her clear eyes. Although the simple nun's robe covered her plump figure, it could not hide her inner trepidation at this moment.

She came to a guest room door, took a deep breath, calmed her pounding heart, and then raised her hand to knock on the door.

Sarah, who was wiping the dagger, raised her eyelids, and then put down the raised gaze.

In fact, she knew who was coming by the sound of footsteps, and the reaction just now was purely subconscious.

Luo Yan, who was meditating with his eyes closed, didn't open his eyes and said casually.

"Please come in."

Just now, he discovered that his influence share had broken through from less than 1% to more than 1%, and finally was able to condense a legend seed.

Without any hesitation, Luo Yan immediately upgraded his soul level from Diamond directly to Grandmaster, and now his level cap had reached LV170.

Although his level was still far from the cap of the Diamond level LV130, it did not prevent him from enjoying the "tribute" of the believers in advance.

In addition, the faith power harvested this time was not small, and after returning, he could consider promoting a batch of Diamond-level demon generals.

I hope they didn't slack off in their cultivation while he was away, otherwise even if he gave them the opportunity to upgrade, they wouldn't be able to upgrade to Diamond level immediately.

That way, it wouldn't be able to highlight that it was him who helped them untie the bottleneck, which was not conducive to making the demons remember the Demon King's grace.

The door opened gently, and Kalian walked in from outside.

Luo Yan opened his eyes and looked at this devout nun lady.

Perhaps because she condensed the faith of everyone, or perhaps the change in position changed the aura on her, he could clearly feel that this girl who once wandered helplessly in the snow and could only curse the injustice of fate had become completely different from before.

Whether it is temperament.

Or appearance.

That flickering candlelight plated a layer of faint holiness on her outline, as if she were a person truly serving God.

Now she, I'm afraid that even her former relatives might not be able to recognize her.

"Mr. Kelin, I'm sorry to disturb you late at night, I'm very sorry," Kalian placed the candlestick on the table, saluted a little nervously, and said softly, "I just wanted to ask if you are used to living here? The castle is simple, if there is any discomfort, please be sure to tell me, I am very happy to serve you."

Her words were full of piety and respect, and a trace of admiration that was not easily detected... or could be interpreted as trust.

Luo Yan saw through her insincerity, his eyes that seemed to see through everything carried a trace of a smile, and he said in a casual tone.

"I am very well, the conditions here are already much better than the hardships of the journey, but you look full of worries, is there anything bothering you?"

Seen through her heart, Kalian's cheeks flushed slightly. After a brief silence, she nodded gently and told the worries in her heart.

"According to your instructions, we have led the lost lambs to the right path, and as you expected, completed the three wishes they made. However... they seem to have developed a reliance on our help and are unwilling to leave our side."

After speaking, she raised her head, looked at Kelin with pious eyes, and said in an earnest voice.

"I implore you to give me guidance again, tell me... what should I do next?"

Unlike the appearance of being at ease in front of believers, only in front of the god she served could she reveal the confusion in her heart.

Luo Yan listened patiently to her confusion, thought for a moment and said.

"Isn't this quite good?"

Kalian was slightly stunned.

"Quite good means..."

Looking at the face that was stunned because of confusion, Luo Yan smiled faintly and explained in a gentle tone.

"I didn't say that I would take you away after fulfilling their wishes. Since they think you are their Saintess, and they want to continue the will of the Salvation Army, then you just faithfully play the role of Saintess."

Never expected that Mr. Kelin would say this, Kalian was also a little at a loss, especially the sentence that he didn't intend to take her away.

"But, but... I don't know where to take them! I'm worried that I will lead them into another abyss—"

Luo Yan interrupted her confusion and said patiently.

"I must tell you that even God cannot know what will happen in the future. What I can see is only the possibility after countless choices. The road of the future must be decided by people. You must learn to listen to the voice of your heart and do what you believe is right."

"Believe is the right thing to do..." Kalian muttered softly, chewing this sentence repeatedly in her heart, and a trace of realization seemed to float in her eyes.

"That's right." Luo Yan nodded, smiled and said, "In addition, before solving your confusion, I might have to give you a little pressure."

Collecting her confused expression, Kalian made a look of listening carefully.

"Please speak."

Luo Yan thought about the wording for a while and said.

"A soul with a sense of justice is moving from the Campbell Principality towards Twilight City, and all of you combined, including the people in the castle, are no match for that person."

This battle will lay the foundation for the Campbell Principality to move towards prosperity. The serf army of the feudal lord will be vulnerable in front of the industrialized Campbell Principality. By then, the eyes of half the continent will focus on this tiny place located on the northeast coast of the Whirlpool Sea.

Future historians will find all kinds of reasons for this victory, but from the perspective of God, one sentence is enough to summarize it—

Their national destiny has arrived.

The Campbell Principality is entering a special period, the conservative nobles and the enterprising King stand on opposite sides, and the King's reliance has rarely changed from nobles to commoners.

Since the Isaac Dynasty, the Campbell people have been waiting for this day for a thousand years, and this vigorous flame will not be transferred by anyone's will or pain.

The role played by "Kelin" is just a catalyst.

Even without this Prince from the Empire, with the ambition of Grand Duke Edward plus the support of the Andes family, they would sooner or later brew something similar.

I heard that they have already made bonds recently, and it is estimated that it will not be long before they will figure out "paper money" because of the tightening of liquidity.

The commoner class, which has long been an appendage of the noble class, will rise in this trial and gradually complete the awakening of self-will.

"Then... what should we do?" Kalian looked at him blankly, unable to fully digest the things behind this prophecy, but she still instinctively felt a trace of anxiety.

The only thing she can be sure of is that God is hinting to her that that person may become their enemy, or may become their ally.

Looking at the uneasy Kalian, Luo Yan smiled slightly and suddenly changed to a relaxed tone.

"Actually, it's very simple. Since you have no chance of winning on the battlefield, don't put the victory or defeat on the battlefield, but let them see another possibility—"

"Even without nobles, you can live well, and even better than before."

"By then, even a knight holding the 'Sword of Justice' will have doubts about his correct mission."

After Kalian left.

Tafu finally stopped pretending to sleep, stretched her neck, and looked at Luo Yan in surprise: "Are you kidding, they were still in the feudal era yesterday, where are you taking them?"

She had never thought of moving the advanced social system of the Zeta Empire to the Saint Armor Dragon Kingdom to manage those lizardmen. After all, that was just letting the chieftain no longer be called chieftain, but changed to leader, and slaves not called slaves, changed to employees.

What's the point of this? The root cause of maintaining a serf society is not a land deed, but the complex social relations formed between people and the social tacit understanding formed in the long river of time.

However, her pattern was still limited to the laboratory, and she didn't know that there was a card-drawing game in this universe, obviously the same character just changed a skin, and could circle a large sum with a higher rarity.

Of course, Luo Yan had no interest in money, nor land, and didn't even care about so-called power or even transcendent power.

He just wanted faith.

That is the root of all power in this world, he wanted to try to see what interesting things would happen after he became a god.

Looking at Tafu who was unbelievable, Luo Yan just smiled and started meditating again.

"This is why you can become a doctor, can understand the relationship between transcendent power and faith power by yourself, but you can never become a true god."

The iron hoof of the righteous army is still marching towards the northern border of Laine, and the farmers who have undergone two weeks of training are about to rush to the battlefield of justice... for the land promised by the Grand Duke.

And before that legendary light shone on this forest, the yellow sand outside the pass blew here first.

In the easternmost part of the Twilight Saint Saint Xingsheng, a border town near the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain was deserted.

This place was once a trade hub for humans and dwarves to trade fur and minerals, but now only sigh-worthy broken walls remain, as well as starving people wandering in the ruins.

Their eyes were numb, there was no spirit in their pupils, but the vultures circling in the sky were full of spirit.

An old man who was dying leaned against the collapsed wall and was about to swallow that last breath, but saw a tall figure blocking the pale white sky light in the afternoon, and then a water bottle was handed in front of him.

The old man used his last strength to grab the water bottle, and regardless of who handed it, he looked up and poured it down.

Then what was handed over was a piece of broken bread, he also regardless of it, ate it first.

Probably because he was full, he had some strength, and finally saw the majestic figure in front of him from the slit of his eyes that couldn't open.

That was a man nearly two meters tall, his shoulders were very wide, and he carried a greatsword almost as tall as him on his back. The sword body was wrapped in heavy leather, and the appearance could not be seen, but there was a sense of heaviness that surpassed the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain.

The old man only found a similar feeling on the hammers of the dwarves, but those drunkards who buried their noses in their beards hadn't come for a long time, and their King didn't want to intervene in human disputes.

"Young man... you go quickly, this is not a place you should come... don't think I'm scaring you... no food, go to another place..."

He seemed to have forgotten who gave the bread just now.

The man didn't care, took back his water bottle, and said in a low voice.

"What happened here?"

A trace of fear floated in the old man's eyes, his lips trembled as if he wanted to say something, but it seemed like he had used up his strength.

The man waited for a while, seeing that the old man didn't answer, and didn't force it.

He left a piece of bread hidden under the poor man's arm, and then got up and left silently.

The robe wrapped in sand and dust brushed across the dead street, and he walked towards the center of the town with heavy steps.

Vaguely remembered that there was a church there, perhaps the priests here would know something.

The starving people along the way saw this uninvited guest and hid in the shadows like frightened rabbits. There were also some people who were unable to move, just looking at him with numb eyes, not knowing whether they were praying for salvation or praying for that sword to give them a relief.

The air in the town was filled with blood and stench, and corpses pierced by spears were everywhere on the road, left to the vultures to feast on.

Not just vultures.

There were also things that had already ignored everything in order to survive.

The more the man moved forward, the heavier the expression on his face, and the anger that others couldn't detect was suppressed on that firm face like the Huang Tong Pass.

He had never been to hell.

But he believed that hell was nothing more than this.

Finally, he found the church in his memory, but he couldn't walk in no matter what.

I saw that at the entrance of the church, a hill piled up with skulls and corpses was standing there.

They had priests, but obviously not just priests, the vast majority were commoners who had intricate connections with the church, or even just suspected of having connections.

Flies buzzed on their heads, and maggots multiplied on their corpses, as if all this were sacrifices dedicated to evil spirits.

The man carrying the greatsword stopped for a long time and drew a cross on his chest silently.

"... Really blasphemous." He squeezed out a sentence from his mouth, his voice didn't carry a trace of emotion, but still had a trace of trembling.

That was not because of fear.

But anger.

Even if he was different from the vast majority of Luo De people, not a devout believer, and believed in the sword in his hand more than the god high above... he was a human after all.

And these guys who took pleasure in killing obviously couldn't be called humans anymore.

He walked up and saw a nun's corpse that hadn't closed her eyes, and the fear before death was still frozen in her wide-open eyes.

A spear pierced her body, allowing her to stand facing the statue of God even after death. Her eyes were dug out, and her bulging abdomen seemed to be stuffed with a head... one could imagine what kind of treatment she suffered before she died.

He remembered her name, it seemed to be Lily, a very common name in the Laine Kingdom, especially common among orphans taken in by the church. At that time, he passed by this town and went to the Huang Tong Pass to deal with the threat of chaos. She handed him a glass of water, trying to pass on the truth in the Holy Word Book to him, and pointing out the direction for him who was lost.

He also teased her, saying that he was a Luo De person, knew more about what was written in the Holy Word Book than the Empire people, and a mere intern nun wanted to point the way for him, which was too tender.

At that time, she was still a little unconvinced, saying that she would definitely work hard to learn the doctrine, and next time he passed by here, she would definitely let him perceive the truth hidden in the holy light.

Never expected that when they met again, her soul had already followed Saint Xisi...

The man was silent, stretched out his rough big hand, and gently closed her eyelids.

Just at this time, a dark aura like an arrow drilled towards his palm.

That was the power of chaos! In order to keep the full sacrifice in a state of decay, and also to prevent the tribute dedicated to evil spirits from being divided by starving people and vultures!

But that power was still too weak, and it disintegrated into fragments the moment it touched him.

His expression didn't change at all, as if he just pinched an ant that didn't have eyes.

The starving people around didn't know what happened, just saw this stranger actually dare to pray for the priests, and were so scared that they fled in a hurry.

Even those who only had one breath left were the same.

Not long after, a team of patrolling soldiers discovered this place.

They tied green headscarves on their heads, and their faces filled with fat were full of arrogance and pride, and they couldn't be more satisfied with this "paradise of wine and meat", and sincerely believed that this was the best offering dedicated to the whispering in the dark.

And the joyful god bestowed upon them one victory after another, which was the most direct proof! Soon, they discovered the "fly" crawling on the tribute, and immediately surrounded it arrogantly.

"Hey! What are you doing there!"

The leading soldier pointed at the man carrying the greatsword with a fire gun, with a cruel smile on his face, "Why? Still want to collect the corpse for Saint Xisi's running dog?"

Before the man carrying the greatsword answered, another green headscarf beside the soldier curled his lips and said.

"Boss, stop talking nonsense with him! Look at his build, he doesn't look like someone who is hungry!"

"Tie him up and interrogate him!"

Seeing that the man had been silent, the leading soldier gradually noticed a trace of badness, pulled the headscarf on his head, and lowered his voice as if he noticed danger.

"What is your name?"

"Gante·Stein-Grabel."

"Gan... what-bel?" The soldier was stunned for a moment, feeling that the name was a bit familiar, but it was too long to remember.

He looked at this man again, although his clothes were simple, the greatsword on his back didn't look like a mortal product.

This guy still has a surname! It's likely a fallen noble!

The soldier who thought of this, his eyes gradually glowed with greed, and his tongue licked his dry lips.

"Yo, still a noble master!"

He excitedly turned his head back and waved forward.

"Brothers, take down this Saint Xisi's running dog! He must have a lot of treasures on him!"

In the Aos Continent, nobles have surnames, but not everyone with a surname is a noble.

But these green heads obviously couldn't handle such complicated information, and were too lazy to handle it.

That was just an excuse for killing.

Killing and grabbing were what they wanted to do most.

However—

This time they seemed to have picked the wrong object.

The soldier just turned his head, but found that his head couldn't stop at all, spinning in the air like a top.

He saw his headless corpse, saw his

When did this guy draw his sword?!

Before he could even process the fear in his heart, his soul returned to the embrace of the Claw of Eternal Hunger.

As the price—or perhaps the gift—for worshipping an evil spirit, his soul would be reincarnated for eternity in the insatiable hive city of Urgos, under the name "The Yearner."

Hunger would accompany his soul until every star was extinguished and the universe reached heat death...

Gaunte watched the dismembered corpse calmly, then silently released his grip on the hilt and waited quietly where he stood.

Killing ten people was nowhere near enough to vent the fury in his heart, and hunting them down one by one was too much trouble.

He decided to stand right here and kill until the blood flowed like a river, using the blood of the sinners to console the spirits of the dead!

Unlike the fields of corpses in the small town, the military tent of "The Butcher" Malachi was a true scene of debauchery.

He was one of the twelve leaders of the Green Forest Army and one of the first fellows to follow "Green Kerchief" Kailan in causing trouble.

However, unlike Kailan, who truly robbed the rich to help the poor, he stuffed everything he plundered into his own pockets.

At this moment, he was shirtless, sitting on a pile of looted gold, silver, and haphazardly stacked cashmere furs, rudely shoving a sizzling, roasted meat leg into his mouth and washing it down with a gulp of wine as bright red as blood.

"Hahaha! Satisfying! Truly damn satisfying!"

Grabbing a gorgeous velvet tapestry to wipe the grease from the corners of his mouth, Malachi let out another hearty cry of satisfaction.

It was indeed very satisfying.

He had originally been a slave risking his life in the dueling arena, but now he had finally made it to the spectator stands, driving the people who used to watch him and cheer into the dueling cages.

Of course, he was a man of refined tastes; clearly, he could not be satisfied with mere spiritual enjoyment.

In the process, he accidentally discovered that as long as he pleased the whispering voice in the void, he could obtain unimaginable power from that shadow of nothingness! While learning on the job, he slowly figured out a rule.

Killing makes one stronger.

Eating people only makes one stronger still!

By letting one group of people eat another, he could become an omnipotent god! Realizing this, Malachi was as excited as Castrion I discovering a new continent.

He had also discovered the secret to becoming a god!

Relying on the rituals Urgos taught him, his strength soared as if he had grown wings. And just a short while ago, he was pleasantly surprised to find that he had officially broken through the Diamond-tier bottleneck! Diamond was a watershed.

In his impression, the other leaders of the Green Forest Army were only Gold or at most Platinum, barely able to hold their own against the knights of the nobility, and rarely able to gain any real advantage.

After realizing how badass he was, Malachi's confidence swelled like never before, and he didn't even care much about "Green Kerchief" Kailan anymore.

Although he didn't know the current strength of the other leaders, he figured they couldn't possibly be stronger than him.

After all, "only" he knew the secret to becoming a god.

Just as he was indulging in his enjoyment, a subordinate came crawling in, his face full of terror.

"Boss, boss! It's bad! Something happened over at Graystone Town; there's a guy from who knows where, killing everyone he sees... The thousands of brothers stationed there are almost all dead!"

Malachi's movements paused; he impatiently tossed the half-gnawed bone aside, and several filthy women chained up like wild dogs scrambled over to fight for it.

Only one girl with a missing leg didn't move, just staring desperately at the bone, as if she had lost her soul.

He picked up a bottle of fine wine produced in Campbell, took a gulp to moisten his throat, and then spoke.

"If they're dead, they're dead. What's with all the fuss?"

A bunch of mud-legged peasants carrying muskets—he never expected those guys to do anything anyway; leaving them there was just to have them watch the "altar" for him.

Hmm...

Right, the altar is there.

Suddenly remembering this, Malachi's drunkenness faded a bit, and he glared at the soldier, asking.

"Who did it?"

Enveloped by that sharp aura, the soldier was so scared he nearly wet his pants, stuttering as he said.

"I, I don't know! He's carrying a greatsword, just one person, looks like a down-and-out noble, but he might be a knight..."

"Hmph?"

Malachi snorted through his nose, a flash of excitement in his eyes, like a beast discovering new prey.

A knight capable of holding off a thousand men must be at least Gold-tier, perhaps even Platinum!

Having just broken through to Diamond, he was worried about having no one to test his blade on; he hadn't expected someone to deliver themselves to his doorstep so quickly.

"Looks like a decent character has arrived. Since I'm full, I might as well go meet him."

He stood up, grabbed a blood-stained scimitar from the weapon rack, and walked out of the tent with a sinister grin.

Facing the bustling camp, he roared at the top of his lungs, his voice booming like muffled thunder.

"My personal guards! Stop eating, damn it, and come gather! We've got work to do!"

Soon, a thousand soldiers assembled before him.

Their muscles were knotted, and their eyes flashed with a murderous light, like bloodthirsty hounds.

The chaotic ritual didn't just affect Malachi himself; of course, it could also be used to enhance his subordinates.

Every one of them possessed strength not inferior to Huang Tong!

That was the threshold for low-level transcendents, about the level of veteran adventurers who frequently went into the labyrinth.

"Move out!"

Malachi waved his hand, leading the massive crowd toward Graystone Town, ten kilometers away.

At the same time, Gaunte, standing in a sea of corpses and bones, finally had his indifferent expression change slightly.

"They're here..."

The lackey who sold his soul to Chaos was finally willing to show his face; he wanted to see what kind of creature it was.

However, he was soon disappointed.

The aura was at most Diamond.

And it was obvious the man wasn't deliberately restraining his aura; on the contrary, he seemed eager to spread his stench further, fearing others wouldn't know his strength.

Too weak...

Is this really "The Yearner"?

According to the Great Sage, Urgos, the Claw of Eternal Hunger, was not an entity so easily dealt with.

He would rather believe that the true chosen one was someone else, not this ugly and feeble thing.

The fat ant finally crawled before him, bringing its man-eating subordinates.

Malachi swaggered to the front of the line, dragging his scimitar along the ground, making a screeching sound, and used a cruel, sinister grin to instill fear in the silent swordsman.

However, the moment he stepped forward, a drop of cold sweat suddenly slid down the corner of his grinning mouth.

Fear from the depths of his soul, like the claws of a ghoul, gripped his heart tightly.

What's going on?!

That feeling... it was as if Saint Xisi himself were standing before him.

The man didn't say a word, but the uncontained anger in his eyes for a fleeting moment made his blood feel as if it had frozen, and his legs feel like they were filled with lead.

The bloodthirsty declaration he had been brewing the whole way was stuck in his throat; he had intended to describe in detail how he slaughtered this church, but for a moment, he forgot how to organize his words.

Looking at the wild boar before him, opening and closing its mouth but unable to speak, Gaunte spoke slowly, his calm voice drifting into everyone's ears.

"Draw your sword."

He didn't want to know this person's name, nor did he have any interest in the reasons for his murders.

Only the gods could see all cause and effect; he was only responsible for sending them to meet the gods.

Malachi's forehead was like it was raining, beads of sweat rolling down one by one.

The ignorant and fearless soldiers behind him, however, couldn't feel the overwhelming pressure radiating from the Sword Saint at all, and were still excitedly clamoring.

"Crush him, boss!"

"Kick his head in!"

"Wait, leave his head; I think that guy's belly can still hold another one!"

Under the immense fear, Malachi finally abandoned the dignity of a strong man, tore open his stuck throat, and cunningly roared.

"Brothers, attack! Chop him to pieces for me!"

A thousand ordinary people might not be able to stop this guy, but the personal guards he brought weren't ordinary people!

Although the soldiers were surprised why their boss would give up this chance to show off, that "brothers" really ignited their blood.

Drawing their blades, they let out bloodthirsty howls and charged like ghosts from hell, just as they had when they charged the church that had given up resistance.

Watching the charging soldiers and the Green Forest leader trying to hide behind the crowd, the corner of Gaunte's mouth curled into a cold mockery.

"Coward."

What use was it? He didn't draw his sword; he just moved his foot slightly.

The color of the sky turned into a gray-red, and the earth became the withered yellow of the frontier.

This was the "Domain" he had realized while fighting ogres in the Huang Tong Realm; although it was still a long way from an omnipotent god, he could already use the sword in his hand to carve out a world belonging solely to him, and become the god of this world.

He had never thought he would use this move against his own kind, but... these people could no longer be called human.

The ogres of the Dimensional Desert were more human than them.

Watching the small town suddenly disappear and be replaced by yellow sand, the soldiers who had been acting so arrogant all panicked.

They finally realized why their boss hadn't charged forward, but had left the opportunity to them.

"What happened?"

"This... magic?!"

They couldn't understand the power of a demigod and could only try to explain it with magic or illusions.

Malachi, clutching his scimitar, was utterly desperate; the moment the domain formed, he felt the whispering voice in the void disappear, hiding into an invisible emptiness.

Their connection was severed!

Actually, whether it was severed or not no longer mattered; even Chaos couldn't save him from the hands of a demigod.

"Don't be human in your next life."

That was the last sentence Malachi heard.

Even at the end, he didn't have the courage to grip his weapon and fight; like a pig waiting to be slaughtered, he was cut in two by the sword energy that seemed capable of severing space, and then torn into fragments finer than meat threads by an invisible force...

The battle ended just as it had begun.

As the domain dissipated, only Gaunte remained in the square before the church; those arrogant soldiers had vanished as if they had never existed, not even leaving corpses behind.

He looked back at the blood-stained cross, nodded slightly, then pulled out a magic scroll, set a fire, and burned the pile of mangled dead into ashes.

After finishing everything, Gaunte looked back and found the starving people hiding in the shadows watching him fearfully.

A hint of pity flashed in his cold eyes, and he said in a hoarse voice.

"It's over; you are free."

The square was silent, and only silence responded to him.

Gaunte didn't know what to say either; he sighed and walked toward the town exit.

He knew this scar would likely take a long time to heal, but it seemed all he could do was cut away this gangrenous flesh to prevent everyone from being swallowed up.

At this moment, his eyes moved slightly, and he suddenly noticed a familiar corpse hidden in the corner.

It was the old man he had met when he first entered the town.

A disheveled boy was sobbing beside the old man, seemingly the old man's relative.

Gaunte noticed that the bread tucked under the old man's arm was gone, but it was clearly not eaten by the boy.

Perhaps the old man had wanted to save the bread for his grandson, but the moment it was seen, the bread no longer belonged to them.

Gaunte's fists clenched, and he said in a deep voice.

"Who did it?"

The boy looked at him in fear, slowly raised his hand, and a trembling index finger pointed to a nearby alley.

A group of starving people huddled there, watching this way with terrified eyes; some were repenting for their sins, while others were regretting why they hadn't strangled the boy as well.

Clearly, the bread hadn't been eaten by just one person.

Gaunte looked at those starving people and suddenly thought of the Graystone Town that once was, and those warm, enthusiastic, and carefree people.

They were very similar to dwarves, especially in their hearty character and massive capacity for alcohol. The difference was that they weren't as vengeful as dwarves; they were all very good people.

They were clearly the same group of people...

His clenched fist unconsciously relaxed; Gaunte looked at the thin child and said in a low voice.

"What is your name?"

"Yulien..."

"Yulien, do you want to learn swordsmanship?"

The boy didn't understand anything, but he nodded anyway, because he felt he couldn't survive here.

Those people had already eaten his grandfather, and sooner or later, they would eat him too.

A rare smile appeared on Gaunte's expressionless face, and he reached out a rough, large hand to ruffle the messy hair.

"Follow me."