Chapter 128: Chapter 128: Gai, Kill Me

Wang Xi stood silently in the snow.

He looked inward and saw four green spheres floating in his mind.

These four Green Cards had all come from the Three-Star Elite Northern Captains; he hadn’t bothered taking any Cards from the other grunts.

"Master!"

Just then, Liuli ran back, covered in blood. A muffled, girlish voice sounded from beneath her onion-shaped helmet:

"Your Liuli is amazing! I sawed through thirteen enemies in a row and shot another eight for good measure!"

Hearing this, Wang Xi nodded to himself.

Once she equipped her gear, Liuli had the power of a Four-Star Elite and was especially skilled at slaughter.

He praised the little cat, but in return, he received a sullen mumble:

"Such a phony Master, always saying such empty things. Can’t you give me something more substantial...?"

"I’ll buy you a Demon Child Soda when we get back," Wang Xi said in a low voice.

"Two bottles. Ice-cold."

"You better keep your word, meow."

Only then did Liuli quiet down.

After removing her armor, she reverted to her quiet state and leaped onto her master’s shoulder, cooing, "Master is the best."

As she spoke, she began to knead his shoulder, pressing her paws back and forth while repeatedly muttering, "Demon Child Soda sippy-sip, sippy-sip heigh-ho."

It was as if she were humming a song.

Wang Xi ignored her.

"Mr. Gai."

Just then, Bev, who had finished examining a few corpses, stood up and turned to him.

"There’s something wrong with these Northern People. They carry a corrupting aura... just like the Demons in the Magic Forest that drank from the Black Lake."

In fact, Bev had noticed something was off a few days ago, but she hadn’t been certain at the time. Now, after observing them up close, her suspicions were confirmed.

"No wonder they’re even more brutal and bloodthirsty than the rumors say, and they occasionally show signs of madness."

Wang Xi nodded in agreement.

He had actually already learned this fact from the last Retirement Preview, but he still didn’t know the specific reason.

"Miss Bev, has this corrupting taint only ever appeared near the Black Lake?"

"Before coming to the Northern Territory, yes, that was the case."

The Sugar Witch walked over gracefully, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"But based on the symptoms of these Northern People, it means there’s another source of corruption besides the Black Lake... and one that has only appeared recently."

"This taint... not even the three of you Witches can deal with it?"

Wang Xi took the opportunity to ask.

However, Bev just shook her head helplessly.

Sofia put her hands on her hips and snorted.

"The power that tainted the Mirror Lake isn’t Magic Power, nor is it elemental. We have no idea what the hell it is... Forget us, not even Lillian’s fire can evaporate that black water."

"It’s that impossible to solve?"

Wang Xi was stunned.

In the Mazes of the Main World, the monsters were basically all in a state of complete corruption.

This couldn’t help but lead him to some grim conclusions.

He had originally guessed that the source of it all was the Black Lake... yet the same corruption had appeared here in the Northern Territory, with many of the Northern People already lightly tainted.

’So where in the world is this corruption coming from?’ Wang Xi wondered.

Suddenly, he faintly heard the sound of horse hooves approaching from a distance.

He turned his head and raised an eyebrow.

An old acquaintance had arrived—

Northern Flower Wendy (Hostile/Four Stars)

Randall’s Iris Knight, now the Northern Flower—Wendy Barov.

She was clad in armor, her fur Cloak and tied-up golden hair whipping in the cold wind. Her warhorse neighed as she led a dozen or so Northern Warriors at a gallop toward the temporary encampment.

Snowflakes scattered, leaving a trail in their wake.

A year ago, she betrayed Randall and defected to the Northern Lands. With her extraordinary strength and iron-fisted methods, she rose quickly through the ranks to become the first female "Yatar" (equivalent to a Kingdom Viscount). The Great Chief she served—the same Northern Duke that Lady Sierra was supposed to marry—even personally bestowed upon her the title "Northern Flower."

However, her ambition ultimately collided with a cold reality.

The chieftains of the Northern Clans joined forces to suppress her, refusing to allow a traitor from the Kingdom to enter the core of their power structure.

Even for this raid on the Northern Territory, she was only assigned a paltry dozen riders.

What suffocated her even more was that this entire operation had long since spiraled out of control. The other Northern Warbands had turned into demons, burning, killing, and plundering. Meanwhile, her own squad, though under her strict orders to only steal food and valuables while avoiding the slaughter of civilians, was on the verge of a mutiny.

The eyes of the Northern Cavalry under her command were like poisoned daggers, filled with a hatred so intense they looked ready to tear her apart. Wendy knew that if she showed the slightest weakness, this pack of hungry wolves would pounce and devour her, leaving not even bones behind.

Wendy’s mind was in turmoil as she rode. ’Randall...’

No matter how she looked at it, this had once been her homeland, but now it was nothing but scorched earth.

For some reason, the Northern Clans had suddenly ordered a winter raid. Even the Great Chief, whom she had always considered shrewd, seemed to have been bewitched, agreeing to this almost-frenzied military operation without a moment’s hesitation.

Everything was in chaos.

Suddenly, Wendy caught sight of something unusual in her peripheral vision. Her expression changed, and she hastily pulled on the reins.

NEEEIGH—

The horse came to a screeching halt, its front hooves rearing up.

"This...?!"

Seeing the scene before her, Wendy couldn’t help but gasp.

A snow-covered path led straight to the stone and wood houses ahead, but as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but the mangled corpses of Northern People.

On both sides, Rock Giants taller than the houses had appeared at some point, with Demons like Fire Salamanders and goblins clinging to their bodies.

A group of ugly Kobolds peeked out from behind the trees, baring their teeth and aiming their Hand Crossbows in her direction. Beautiful Forest Elves with bark-like skin also gripped their Long Spears, ready to strike.

SWOOSH—

Shocked and furious, Wendy whipped her head around to look behind her.

A large group of fully armored figures had blocked their retreat, surrounding her small squad.

"GIBBER GABBER?!"

A Northern Cavalryman beside Wendy cried out in terror.

An annoyed look crossed her face, and she barked a rebuke.

However, her subordinates didn’t listen at all. As if they had lost their minds, they drew the Short Swords at their waists and prepared to Charge through on horseback.

The next second—

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!!

A barrage of arrows, Long Spears, and Fireballs rained down from all directions, landing on the charging Northern Cavalry.

Instantly, men and horses were thrown into chaos amidst endless screams.

After one volley of ranged attacks, only one of the dozen or so men was left alive. He had fallen from his horse into the snow, several arrows sticking out of his shoulder and back. He howled in agony, struggling to crawl away.

"Execute. Kill the enemy."

A Mechanical Doll uttered in a cold, robotic voice, then raised its leg and crushed the Northern Cavalryman’s head, splashing a crimson flower across the pure white snow.

The cold wind howled, and pellets of snow struck Wendy’s cheeks.

The surroundings suddenly fell deathly silent.

She froze atop her horse, her blood seeming to congeal. She couldn’t even move the fingertips holding the reins.

Wendy opened her mouth blankly, but no sound came out.

’Why would this terrifying horde of Demons appear in Randall? Did they slaughter the Northern soldiers here?’

Her thoughts froze in terror.

She realized only one thing—

’I’m probably not going to make it out of this alive!’

Just then, her pupils constricted.

From within the curtain of snow ahead, a group of gorgeously dressed, handsome men and women slowly approached. The black-haired young man at the lead made her tremble violently—that familiar face nearly shattered her sanity.

"Gai?!"

Her voice shot up, so sharp that she barely recognized it herself.

Wang Xi stopped a few meters away. The corners of his lips curved into a faint, unreadable smile as he said softly,

"Long time no see, Teacher Wendy. Have you been well in the Northern Lands?"

"So it really is you..." Wendy hissed, gritting her teeth.

In a flash, she understood everything.

"So the rumors about the ’Queen’s Sword’ are true? You’re now a Prince of the Stag Kingdom?"

Her voice trembled.

"And these Demons, this Heavy Armor Legion... they’re your doing as well?"

A wretched smile appeared on Wendy’s face. As the last words left her lips, she felt as if she could already see her own end.

CLANG.

She suddenly swung herself off her horse.

An intense will to survive burned down her spine like a wildfire. She absolutely refused to just sit there and wait for death.

"Gai!" Wendy ripped off her hair tie, her messy hair dancing wildly in the north wind. A resolute light burst forth from her emerald eyes. "Do you dare face me in a duel between Swordsmen? Just like we used to."

She drew her Longsword and pointed it straight at the black-haired young man.

Her voice was hoarse yet clear:

"Only this time, it won’t be a practice session between teacher and student, but a battle to the death. If you win, I will offer my neck to your blade. If I win, you let me go free."

"Gai!" Goddalir stepped forward anxiously, her brow furrowed. "Back then, she was the one whose betrayal of Randall got you imprisoned and subjected to all that torture..."

Cinderella bit her lip and said coldly,

"Don’t agree to it. If you can’t bring yourself to strike down your former Swordsmanship teacher, I’m willing to kill her for you."

"..."

Wendy shot Goddalir a cold glance, her silence like iron. Her gaze locked back onto the black-haired young man, awaiting the verdict of her fate.

"Back in the dungeon, you could have killed me... but right up until you left Randall, you couldn’t bring yourself to harm me."

Wang Xi walked forward with his hands behind his back, his black Cloak whipping in the wind. He stopped, his voice terrifyingly calm:

"Wendy, I’ll give you this chance."

The woman’s pupils constricted.

As the young man raised his hand, an Ice Crystal Longsword materialized from thin air. The blade’s gleam was like a mirror, reflecting her horrified face. ’Magic? He’s actually mastered an Extraordinary Power!’

"HAAAH!!"

Her survival instinct broke through her shock at his Extraordinary Power. Wendy lunged forward, her Longsword carrying the weight of a lifetime of arduous training as she swung.

In the instant the cold light flashed—

CLANG!

Half a broken sword spun through the air and plunged into the snow.

Time seemed to freeze.

Wendy stood frozen in place, the cold tip of a sword already at her throat. She remained in her swinging stance, staring at the man before her—her former student, the man she loved but could never have. Her emerald eyes gradually dimmed.

One move.

Just one move.

Her lifelong pursuit of Swordsmanship, the pride she held so dear—at this moment, it all seemed to crumble into dust along with her broken sword.

"Kill me."

Wendy’s hand went limp, and the hilt of her broken sword fell to the ground.

She tilted her head back, her voice, from amidst her disheveled hair, as soft as falling snow.

"I confess my sins."

"..."

However, the Ice Crystal Longsword she expected to pierce her throat instead dissolved at a visible rate, dissipating into a mist of ice.

Wendy stared blankly at Gai, her gaze fluctuating wildly, filled with confusion.

"Tell me everything you know," the young man said softly.

"Consider it a form of atonement."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.