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Chapter 121 (Part 2)

On top of the giant’s head, the pale Empress stole a glance at the Black-Haired Boy and couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“Who would have thought I’d see the Iron Blood here in the Empire?”

“Too bad I’ve already got my collection of Iron Blood; I don’t need your kind.”

The hurricane raged around them.

As the Golden-Winged Griffin weaved through the grasp of the skeleton giant, it screamed loudly, “Big Brother, now’s not really the time for romance!”

A massive palm was about to descend with overwhelming force, tearing through the air, making the Golden-Winged Griffin’s fur stand on end in fright.

Meanwhile, the Silver-Haired Girl instinctively clutched the young boy tightly, wanting to protect him.

However, the eyes of the Black-Haired Boy flickered with golden flames.

Falling snowflakes, swirling mist, the enormous hand descending, the pale Empress’ disdainful laughter, the frenzied screams of the Golden-Winged Griffin, and the Silver-Haired Girl who held him close, disregarding her own safety—all of it froze in a moment of stillness.

[Confirmed consumption of 1 Reversal Point, starting projection of the Path to Kingship!]

The gray sky was swallowed by golden light, gradually shifting into another scene.

It belonged to hundreds of years ago, the landscape of the Third Era.

The Six Heroes had led humanity to defeat the Demon King, saving mankind—a history Roy knew all too well.

Yet the hellish scene unfolding before him was in stark contrast to what Roy knew.

Above in the sky, dark clouds loomed, smoke filled the air.

On the endless plains, demons laughed cruelly, the undead marched mercilessly, and the swarm of insects ravaged through; before them, humanity was scattered, trapped in the depths of despair.

The unstoppable Berserker had stopped breathing, maintaining a standing position.

The severely wounded Holy Nun was dragged away from the frontlines by members of the church, lost to unconsciousness.

The steadfast Golden King, who vowed never to surrender, was cruelly dismembered by traitors of humanity and offered to the Demon King.

The proud Sword Saint ignored the fallen Holy Sword, holding tight to the already deceased Illusory Fox, with vacant eyes losing focus.

Such brutality wasn’t even mentioned in history books.

At the forefront of the defeated humans, the Grand Sorcerer was merely middle-aged yet already had gray hair; his frail body seemed on the verge of collapse, unable to bear the weight of a hero’s burdens.

The red-haired girl stood quietly beside him, gazing at the land ravaged by demons, unable to speak for a long time.

“This is our ending.” Booker sighed weakly, lowering his head.

“We can’t defeat the Demon King; humanity can’t win against the Demon Race. This battle was doomed from the start.”

“Even if we rise to high ranks and glimpse divine power, we still cannot withstand true demigods.”

Booker lifted his head to look at the girl beside him, finally gaining insight into her prior refusal to help.

“Phoenix, you knew all along we couldn’t win; that’s why you didn’t want to assist, right?”

Phoenix met his gaze, her inscrutable smile intact, her demeanor still effortless. “It’s not over yet; it’s too early to say all this.”

But Booker shook his head.

Years of being together had allowed him to glimpse the truth beneath her crimson eyes.

In that moment when Phoenix’s expression wavered, he knew he was right.

“They say the immortal bird deeply loves humanity. Watching someone you love destined to face a losing battle must be cruel for you.” Booker paused slightly, then added, “Sorry for causing you such trouble.”

“The end of humanity’s fate is here; our pact ends here…”

Booker’s lips trembled slightly, but he couldn’t bring himself to say the words “farewell.”

Was it because he didn’t want to abandon the hope of divine power?

Or was it simply because he didn’t want to part with Phoenix forever?

The title of [Sage] encompassed a deep understanding of spells, yet ultimately couldn’t decipher his own feelings.

Just then, a light-hearted laugh reached his ears.

“When you need me, you hold me tight; when you don’t, you push me away. Kid, you really underestimate the divine!”

The boy stood on his tiptoes.

Under Booker’s astonished gaze, a slender fingertip touched his forehead.

“Kid, I told you that when you humans can’t do anything, I’ll come to save you. Now, it’s time.”

The promise of salvation, the might of the divine; in legends, the immortal bird ignited itself in the face of world-ending calamity, illuminating all life. That had once been Booker’s hope.

But Booker was no longer the reckless and ignorant young mage, nor the fervent believer in the divine.

Having stepped into a higher realm, drawing closer to divinity, he could now see more.

Booker’s expression darkened. “Don’t joke around, Phoenix. How much power do you have left? If you really decide to act…!”

Before he could finish, flames of gold flickered from the girl.

Enormous divine power shot like a pillar into the sky, piercing through the dark, clouded heavens.

The demons ensnared in flames and the lich-crowned Empress couldn’t help but tremble at this power; even the true king above myriad demons frowned, feeling threatened.

A warm power spread like sparks among the warriors of humanity, injecting them with courage and hope, bringing them true strength.

“My power has returned!”

“No, it’s not just a return; our power is stronger than before!”

“They say the Sage has transactions with the divine. Could this be divine power?”

“This is a miracle, a miracle!”

Injured nuns awoke from their slumber and disregarded the crowd’s warnings as they climbed back to the front lines.

The sorrowful Sword Saint kissed the fox-girl once more and gripped his Holy Sword tightly.

In the direst of times, humanity did not give up their last chance; bolstered by Phoenix’s flames, they launched their final counterattack.

Countless sparks burned brightly, turning into an inferno, as golden flames engulfed the battlefield, seemingly consuming the merciless night.

Yet at that same moment, the girl’s form gradually blurred before Booker’s eyes.

“Phoenix! Phoenix!”

Booker panicked, trying to grasp the girl before him, but he merely passed through the illusion, helplessly watching her fade into nothingness like a dying ember.

Only at that moment did Roy awaken, as if from a dream.

The immortal bird had long since perished.

From beginning to end, what accompanied Booker was merely a remnant soul. Due to the nature of her power, the immortal bird’s soul was stronger than those of dragons or true ancestors, allowing her consciousness to remain clear.

That was why history hadn’t left any record of Phoenix. She only appeared in Booker’s eyes; her past actions, even the cooking of meat, were just imitations of human behavior.

Helping Booker reach the higher realm had already been the limit for Phoenix.

To extract more power would likely cause this last remnant of her soul to utterly dissipate.

“Don’t underestimate the divine. As I said, I will save humanity, and I will fulfill that promise.” Phoenix smiled softly, her eyes slightly moist, and choked out, “Isn’t this the future you hope for? Cheer up.”

“…Why? Why go this far? And why exhaust everything?! Even if you use it all, victory isn’t guaranteed! What’s the point of all this?!”

Why save humanity? That was the question cast at him by the high-and-mighty phoenix long ago.

The image of the weeping mage reflected in the bird’s red eyes, and the girl lifted her face, sporting a bright smile.

“God loves the world; that’s the reason.”

Chapter 122: His Answer

“I, Phoenix, shall establish a blood pact with you, my apostle, [Sage] Booker.”

“Do you wish to bear my soul and power, carrying the blessings of my kin for eternity?”

Gazing at the girl’s radiant smile, flushed with red, Booker painfully closed his eyes and finally nodded in response. “I agree.”

“With the blood oath as my pledge! *2”

Phoenix smirked, “You just said that even if I expend everything, I can’t guarantee victory, right?”

“I made a promise to save humanity, but whether I can fulfill it in the end, that’s up to you, my apostle.”

“The divine are indeed reckless…” Booker muttered, forcing a grim smile through tear-stained cheeks.

“Hmph, because I believe in you, [Sage]~”

The girl stepped forward, leaping into his embrace, her lips lightly brushing against his.

Golden flames surged into Booker’s body, the divine might unfurling in this moment.

That fleeting kiss was the best and last gift she could offer him.

“Alright, go save humanity.”

Her whispers faded into the abyss as the crimson figure burst like fireworks.

The mage’s eyes glistened with tears, yet burned with the power of the divine and the fury of mortals.

He did not let down Phoenix’s expectations.

Later generations would record that salvific battle as follows—

When the Demon King attacked, in the most hopeless of circumstances, the [Sage] stepped forward, awakening humanity’s hope and courage, launching a counterattack, killing the Demon King, accomplishing the near-impossible miracle.

The miracle belonging to humanity.

Yet on that day, as countless mortals cheered in triumph as dawn broke, only the hero known as the [Sage] gazed silently at the rising sun, shedding tears.

This was the past of [Sage] and [Phoenix].

Neither the hero of humanity nor the supreme divine had saved humanity, but rather, an unremarkable feeling that belonged solely to them.

“Doesn’t this feel boring?”

Light and shadow danced, the scene blurred.

In an instant, Roy returned to the tomb of the former king.

What met his eyes was the legendary immortal bird, the crimson girl who sacrificed herself to save humanity.

No, she should be called a young girl.

Now, she resembled the remnant soul she was when the [Sage] awakened her; far from recovering to the extent that her sacrifice could allow the [Sage] to defeat the Demon King.

She sat in the tomb, idly swinging her bare feet, light and carefree. “But this is reality.”

“Be it gods or humans, our power is ultimately limited. If you wish to change a heavy fate, you must pay an equally heavy price.”

“I understand.” Roy nodded slightly at the young girl before him. “Just like how wars must shed blood; without paying enough of a price, nothing can be changed.”

The crimson young girl flicked her phoenix eyes and snapped her fingers.

“You’ve grown much smarter than the Booker of old. I enjoy talking with clever people.”

“Since that’s the case, you should understand that changing your current situation isn’t so easy.”

Phoenix glanced at a few other tombs, seemingly reminiscencing, “Who would have thought that since the First Era, I’d actually see these guys again.”

“I can’t deny, to gain their blessings, in the blood of the False King, you’re quite capable.”

“But that doesn’t mean you can rest easy.”

Roy’s heart sank.

“Is even your power insufficient?”

“I can give you a chance to fight for your life, but whether or not you win ultimately depends on your ability to wield my power.”

“And…” Phoenix paused, her playful demeanor vanishing, radiating a suppressive atmosphere.

“My power differs from theirs. It will place a tremendous burden on your soul.”

“Even if I’ve nurtured your soul before, granting you the soul strength to rival that of an average mid-tier extraordinary being, bearing my power will still be a burden.”

“A burden on the soul?” Roy furrowed his brow.

Could it be that the earlier attack from the [Witch Master] was aimed at his soul? Only to be stopped by Phoenix’s power?

Phoenix said gravely, “Soul damage can lead to comatose confusion, temporary amnesia, or even complete personality destruction, resulting in the extinction of the soul.”

“The blood of the False King—are you sure you want to borrow my power?”

Damn it, wasn’t he rather casual with the [Sage]? Why so strict with himself?

As he mentally grumbled, Roy understood that Phoenix’s power was far from what it once was, and the [Sage] had been a high-tier extraordinary being; his soul power might have surpassed his own.

But at this point, what was there to hesitate about?

To retreat meant losing everything, but to advance might bring a glimmer of hope.

For the sake of securing that ray of possibility, he had leaped through numerous dangers before; how could he shrink back this time?

Roy slowly exhaled a breath of murky air, then faced the girl with a determined gaze. “I need your power.”

The young girl was momentarily taken aback, then revealed a satisfied smile as she leaped down from the handrail of the tomb.

“Very well. To harness divine power, you must have that level of awareness.”

Following Phoenix’s steps, Roy entered her tomb.

At the deepest part of the tomb stood an altar reminiscent of the ones in the [Sunny Abyss] and the Flame Valley.

The walls bore golden flare patterns that swirled, depicting the scene of a white bird soaring. In the center of the altar lay a glimmering blade, which radiated warmth and yet held a sharp danger.

The blade sheath flickered with burning flame patterns. At first glance, the blade was as light as mist.

Yet the power contained within was akin to a golden sun suspended in the heavens, emanating a might sufficient to illuminate the earth.

“[Phoenix Blade: Radiant Fire], this blade is forged from my ribs and life blood, containing my soul and possessing the power to sever souls. Merely touching it would be enough to render an ordinary person to nothingness.”

After the introduction, Phoenix turned around and shrugged. “This was a weapon prepared for my apostle, but sadly, that bookworm Booker couldn’t handle it.”

“The moment you draw this blade, your soul will begin to burn, and your life will officially step into a countdown. If you can’t defeat the Pale Empress before it ends, no god will be able to save you.”

Phoenix’s sharp gaze emitted a final inquiry: “Are you willing to burn everything to change fate, blood of the False King?”

Wars demand sacrifice, and fate demands a price; this is a stark, brutal, yet eternal truth.

An ordinary mortal challenging the Immortal Empress of the Undead was akin to engaging in an impossible battle—sacrificing one’s life was entirely reasonable.

If one could stop even a single of the Demon King’s Four Kings, then sacrificing one life would be a bargain.

Initially, that was what Roy thought.

But now, his life had become too heavy to be tossed aside as carelessly as before.

“Burning everything feels a bit inappropriate for me.”

Under Phoenix’s puzzled gaze, Roy forced a smile. “As my brother would put it, I’ve got so many beautiful sisters waiting at home; I definitely can’t die!”

“Plus, ignoring my mentor’s orders once was enough; abandoning him would be a bit disrespectful.”

The young girl blinked blankly, then burst into laughter, holding her belly until tears welled in her exquisite eyes, the laughter tinged with a bit of sobering.

Whether strong or naive, this was part of his answer.

It was the answer she had once let go of.