A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

In the front hall, the lights are bright.

The huge statue stood on the ground, and the single pupil was swept by light and shadow.

The black-robed priest stood on the high stone steps, at the foot of the huge statue, looking down at the people below, as if he was looking down on all living beings instead of the statue behind him.

The uncomfortably sweet aroma filled the bright front hall, as if it could penetrate deep into the human body.

Under the stone steps, everyone has fallen to the ground and passed out.

All of them had expressions of extreme pain on their faces.

They seem to be having an endless nightmare, but they can't wake up from the nightmare, they can only struggle in vain in the dream.

The black-robed priest looked down at the crowd indifferently, and the corners of his mouth under the shadows rose, revealing a smile.

From the very beginning, he stood here quietly.

He calmly and condescendingly watched everyone fall into the illusion—an illusion that can induce the heaviest memory in everyone's heart, and unearth the most feared and most desired things in everyone's heart.

Small human beings are so vulnerable in the face of the pain in their hearts.

No one can defeat himself, even the most valiant and strong man in the world will fall before himself.

In this way, they will sleep forever in pain and never wake up again.

Foolish and humble mortals.

Being swayed by so-called feelings, I suffer and struggle because of this.

Stupid.

And he can easily make everyone fall into pain and manipulate their emotions.

He is like a high god, looking down on all living beings.

Averting his eyes from those stupid mortals, the black-robed priest turned around, raised his head, and stared at the tall god statue with fanatical eyes.

Timyat, the great god of all things—

Please grant your devout believers immortal life——

The giant god statue with weird shape but wonderfully giving people a soft feeling stands on the huge high platform.

The statue's tail extends from above, coils around its own foot, and then the end of the tail is embedded in the hexagonal altar in the middle of the bluestone platform.

Low pillars as thick as arms surround the altar, and the lines carved on the bluestone slabs spread, depicting complex patterns.

The patterns are like clouds and waves, forming swirl-like traces, gathering the ends of all the runes to the center.

In the center of the patterned vortex, the end of the idol's tail rises slightly there.

The end of the tail carved out of the black stone was rolled up, leaving a gap in the middle, as if waiting for something to be inserted into it.

The black-robed priest raised the scepter he had been holding in his hand.

The scepter was as tall as a person, and the body of the scepter was carved from obsidian. A snake-like creature was wrapped around the body from bottom to top.

When it reached the top of the scepter, the object opened its mouth, holding up a perfectly round sphere.

The sphere seemed to be bluestone, but it exuded a metallic texture and luster under the firelight.

Slender lines are carved on the bluestone ball, coated with a layer of fluorescent light, reflecting the firelight, making those mysterious runes emit a light luster due to the refraction of light from the shallow grooves in the depression.

The black-robed priest cautiously raised the scepter, and gently inserted the scepter into the hole rolled out at the end of the statue's tail.

When the scepter was inserted, the end of the tail seemed to move slightly.

With a click, the scepter blended perfectly with the hole at the rolled end, as if the scepter should have stood there originally.

Ordinary people can't see it, but the black-robed priest can faintly see it. A trace of gray-black air emerges from the ground, and then gathers around the scepter as if attracted.

The gray-black breath quickly spread along the lines on the altar floor.

Gradually, an invisible vortex was formed, spreading around with wind pressure.

The invisible air flow scattered, scraping the hem of the priest's black robe endlessly.

The wide hood slid off his head, exposing an old face to the light.

Snow-white hair fluttered wildly in the invisible airflow, and two black and blue runes were tattooed on his cheeks, making his face even more strange.

On a wrinkled face, only a pair of eyes were terribly bright.

He opened his hands, his eyes full of enthusiasm.

"Ahh...I can feel your breath...your response..."

The old priest stood beside the invisible vortex, raised his hands, his face was hot, and his eyes were full of madness.

His grotesque emphasis echoed in the stone hall.

"O great god of all things, Timyat."

"All things will pass away, and when that day comes, that's when you wake up from your deep sleep."

The gray-black vortex swirled endlessly, getting bigger and deeper, wisps of invisible gray aura escaped from the vortex.

They drift away in all directions, they will be scattered all over the earth, falling into the bottom of everyone's heart, arousing the deepest desire in everyone's heart, and making everyone be tempted to become slaves of greed a little bit.

Then, there is no need to do anything, the human beings corrupted by greed will destroy themselves, together with this continent——

The old priest stood in front of the altar, and the invisible air current caused by the vortex formed in the altar lifted his robe and his pale hair.

He stood there calmly like a messenger of God, looking down at several believers who came out from the shadow on one side and knelt at his feet with their heads deeply bowed.

Almost all believers have already sacrificed their flesh and blood for the gods, only these three, which he purposely kept until the end.

"This is just the beginning."

said the old priest,

"We shall spread the breath of the great God of all things throughout the land."

Bright lights shone from both sides, and the huge idol stood behind him, casting a dark shadow.

Standing at the intersection of light and shadow, he seemed to be wrapped in a mysterious atmosphere.

His hoarse voice lingered in the stone hall, reverberating for a long time.

"When humble human beings destroy themselves, that's when gods wake up from their slumber."

"The great God will come to the world to bring about the end of all things and true eternal life to us."

The black-robed priest raised his hand and pointed down the steps.

"Go, after many years, the sacrifice chosen by the gods has returned to the imperial court again under the guidance of the gods."

He says,

"Go and send this sacrifice into the altar."

The three believers got up, quickly came to the unconscious crowd, and brought Heymos to the altar.

The moment Heymos was sent to the altar, a thick gray-black aura separated from the vortex and slowly spread towards Heymos.

It surrounds Heymos bit by bit, permeating his body, the breath permeates into his body, almost merging with it.

The black-robed priest nodded slightly, then looked back at the still unconscious people below.

"The king of Aaron Landis..."

Staring at Garlan, the black-robed priest muttered to himself.

"...that bright soul that has never been seen before... must be dedicated to my god."

Randomly clicked on a believer, and the black-robed priest pointed down.

"Go, servant of the gods, and offer the head of the young king to the great god."

Believers bowed down and saluted very devoutly.

Then, he stood up and walked down the stone steps to the boy.

The boy lay quietly on the ground, sideways, his long golden hair spread out on the stone floor.

The bright light reflected on his side face, making his long and thin eyelashes cast a rosy shadow on his cheek.

He closed his eyes, his brows calm.

In the slightly flickering lights, the beautiful young man lying on the ground of the stone hall sleeping soundly is like a painting, quiet and beautiful.

The man standing in front of him raised the broad sword in his hand expressionlessly.

Cut down with a sword.

The sharp blade slashed straight at the sleeping Garlan's neck——

…………

........................

There was a whining sound, which was the sound of the horn of a car speeding past outside the window, waking up the young man who was struggling to solve the problem.

He turned his head and glanced out the window. The originally clear night sky darkened at some point, and light rain hit the window sill.

The cool night wind blows in the drizzle and falls inside the house.

The boy quickly got up and walked over to close the glass window tightly.

Through the window, he looked at the night sky outside.

The entire sky was shrouded in thick black clouds, it was pitch black, there was no moonlight, no starlight.

He looked out the window, inexplicably lost.

He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that he seemed to have seen the endless starry night sky somewhere.

That night sky, the vast starry sky, is so beautiful that it makes people intoxicated.

When he looked up at the starry sky, there was someone beside him, more than one person, watching the starry sky with him, and listening to the sound of waves lapping under the night sky.

【……do not forget……】

Pa, the rain suddenly became heavier, and the raindrops hit the glass window with a loud sound, which woke the young man out of his trance.

He shook his head.

Delusion.

He has never been to the seaside, how could he have seen the starry sky by the seaside.

It's very late, if he stays up all night like this, his mind will be even more unclear, he should go to bed.

Thinking of this, the boy raised his hand and yawned, then turned around and planned to pack his things and go to sleep.

Suddenly, when he raised his hand, his wrist lightened.

Something that seemed to be on his wrist broke off and fell at his feet.

He bent down subconsciously and picked up the things under his feet.

What he picked up was a bracelet he had never seen before. Although it was a pure gold strand, it had lost its original smoothness and brightness due to too long time.The silk threads are already very rough, faded and gray.

The gray-gold skeins wear a lapis lazuli protective stone talisman. The stone talisman is not well polished because it has been worn and touched all year round. It looked very crude.

There was a moment of dead silence.

Time stands still at this moment.

Even the rain outside the window froze in mid-air.

pat.

Under the bright light, a drop of water fell on the smooth lapis lazuli talisman.

The boy's eye sockets were hidden under the shadow of his forehead.

The bright light shone on his face, reflecting the shallow water mark on his cheek.

…………

........................

The man slashed down with his sword, and saw that the cold blade was about to cut off the neck of the boy lying on the ground——

Suddenly, the boy's closed eyes moved.

As soon as he opened his eyes, sharp gold burst out from the shadow of his forehead.

Garlan raised his hand abruptly.

With a clanging sound, the iron armor on his wrist blocked the sharp sword that was coming towards him.

The blade rubbed fierce sparks from the wrist guard and slid to one side.

The gray-gold twisted wire worn on the wrist broke, and the connected lapis lazuli amulet fell to the ground.

Garlan stood up abruptly, reached out and grabbed the cultist's hand holding the sword hilt, and twisted it forcefully.

When the opponent subconsciously let go of his hand because of the pain, he snatched the opponent's broad sword.

Then, holding the hilt of the sword tightly with both hands, he stabbed forward with the sword.

The broad sword pierced through the man's chest fiercely. The man opened his eyes wide, showing disbelief. He stretched out his hand as if trying to grab Garlan, but his body fell backward heavily involuntarily.

bang.

He was lying face up on the ground, his pupils dilated, and the broad sword was stuck in his chest.

Garlan stood in front of the dead cultist, panting lightly.

While calming down his rapid breathing and violent heartbeat, he raised his head and looked up.

The movement just now had startled the black-robed priest who was standing facing the altar. He turned around and stood on the high platform looking down at him, with a hint of surprise in his eyes, as if wondering why he could wake up.

Garlan's eyes flicked over the black-robed priest and the two kneeling cultists, and then landed on the altar.

The scepter of black bluestone stands quietly in the middle of the altar, as if there is an invisible vortex of air flowing around it.

He leaned over to pick up the broken amulet and took a deep look.

【Garlan, no matter when, don't forget that you are the crown prince of Aaron Landis and the future king of Aaron Landis. 】

That day, in bright sunlight.

The voice of King Kamos who put the Crown Prince's crown on his head seemed to ring in his ears again.

This was the first rough amulet he carved out as a gift to Brother Wang when he was still very young.

It has always been worn by his brother Wang and never leaves his body.

Until that day...

Since then, this ancient amulet has been worn on his hand.

Stuck the broken talisman into his belt, Garlan reached out and picked up the long sword in front of Kaihos.

"don’t worry."

He whispered to his unconscious knight, "I will end everything and wake you up."

Gripping the long sword tightly, Garlan stood up and clasped the hilt tightly with his fingers.

Wet blond hair fell from his cheeks, revealing his golden pupils.

He stood there, looking up at the black-robed priest on the altar, with the sharp sword in his hand pointing to the ground.

The boy king's eyes were bright and sharp.

That look actually made the black-robed priest's heart beat violently.

He has seen such eyes.

many years ago.

That terrible...invincible man...

King Kamos.

The king who has just arrived at the sun is surrounded by the scorching sun, and all shadows are invisible in front of him.

All kinds of sorcery and ghost tricks cannot be contaminated by it.

The king of the lion who makes all things hate and fear.

Wherever they looked, all the believers of the All Things Sect trembled.

But now, he actually saw the same look in the boy king's eyes as that of the shivering lion king.

The pupils contracted violently, and the originally indifferent face of the black-robed priest suddenly sank and became icy cold.

Can't let him live.

This young king must not be allowed to live!

The priest in black robe showed a ruthless expression on his face, and spoke in a cold voice.

"Take the magic medicine, kill him, and offer his flesh and blood to God."

As soon as he gave an order, the two believers kneeling at his feet swallowed the 'miracle medicine' they carried with them without hesitation.

The believer who took the pill first ran down the stone steps with fanaticism in his eyes, and rushed towards the boy who had just walked up the stone steps.

Garlan, who had already stepped on the stone steps, walked up.

He was not walking fast, but step by step, unusually smooth.

He always raised his head slightly, looking forward with sharp eyes.

The black-robed priest stood on the high platform, condescending, looking down at Garlan who was walking towards him.

"What are you still holding on to?"

He spoke in a low voice.

The rich aroma rushed towards the face, filling the stone hall.

The voice of the black-robed priest seems to be able to penetrate into the hearts of the people along with the fragrance, shaking people's hearts.

"Fate has long been doomed and cannot be changed. No matter what you do, it will proceed according to the established track."

In the low voice of the priest, the cultist who swallowed the medicine had already rushed towards Garlan ferociously from above.

Garlan turned to one side, avoiding it.

The disciple who jumped down was too hasty. Seeing Garlan dodging, he couldn't stop. He passed Garlan's side, staggered down a few steps, and barely stopped.

He turned around to pounce again.

But just when he was halfway through his turn, a flash of sword light flashed by, his head suddenly flew high, drew an arc in the air, and fell below the stone steps.

His body crashed down, and the blood spurting from his neck stained the boy's boots red.

"Perhaps it is indeed as you said, there is an existence with a predetermined destiny..."

Garlan raised his head, his golden pupils and the black-robed priest looked at each other for a moment.

The expression on his face was very calm, except for those golden eyes, which were astonishingly bright.

"However, you can't just do nothing because of this."

He continued to walk upward, his steps firm and powerful.

Every time the blood-stained boots walked up a stone step, they left a clear blood-red footprint.

Those astonishingly bright golden eyes made the priest in black feel inexplicably uneasy for a moment, and then he suppressed them immediately.

He looked at the young man who had reached the middle of the stone steps with a cold gaze.

The cultist standing in front of him roared like a beast, his eyes were red, and he looked like he was crazy, and he slashed at Garlan with a broad sword in his hand.

Garlan swiftly jumped to one side.

The fierce sword of the disciple who had become infinitely powerful split the stone steps on which Garlan was just standing.

The broad sword was embedded in the stone steps, and just when the believer was about to pull it out, Garlan rushed straight in front of him, and the long sword in his hand pierced fiercely from between his eyebrows, piercing through his chest. head.

The blue veins on the black-robed priest's forehead twitched violently, and a trace of panic appeared in his eyes.

He forcibly suppressed the flustered feeling, and still calmly stood beside the altar, looking down at Garlan who was walking towards him with a condescending attitude.

"Young King."

he said, in a low voice like a sigh.

"A pawn used by the gods, a puppet of fate, what a sad existence."

He says,

"Do you want to continue your miserable fate?"

Pulling out the long sword, stretching out his hand and pushing it, he pushed aside the corpse of the cultist standing in front of him.

Garlan raised his head, looked at the black-robed priest, and suddenly smiled.

He smiled and said, "It doesn't matter."

The expression of the black-robed priest froze. He watched Garlan walking towards him again, and was about to walk in front of him. For a moment, he could no longer maintain that superior posture.

Anger appeared on his face, and his hoarse voice suddenly increased.

"You've been at the mercy of the gods all your life! Even so, don't you care?"

"Yes, it doesn't matter if that's the case."

The boy replied, firmly and frankly.

His eyes are sharp as swords and bright as morning stars.

He didn't stop, and continued to walk up step by step.

That look...

The same eyes as that scary man...

【Where the sun goes, all shadows are invisible. 】

A trace of panic appeared on the face of the black-robed priest, unconsciously, he took a step back, as if he was afraid of the boy who was walking towards him.

When he realized this, as if he wanted to suppress the sudden surge of fear in his heart, he said sharply: "O King of Aaron Landis, all your actions are in vain! You can't change the established Fate! Can't save anyone!"

Garlan shook his head.

"No, I saved Aaron Landis and countless people."

He answered calmly, and continued walking calmly towards the priest.

"Whether or not this is the arrangement of fate that you said, I saved countless lives, that is the fact, and no one can deny it."

Unable to conceal the panic in his heart anymore, the arrogance and indifference of the gods not long ago had long since disappeared from the face of the black-robed priest.

He looked at Garlan in horror, not understanding why the fragrance and the power bestowed on him by God had no effect, so he could only take another step back helplessly.

While backing away, he continued to speak harshly unwillingly, trying to shake Garlan.

"You will be abandoned, abandoned by the gods—a pawn like you, when you are completely useless, you will be abandoned by the gods and fate!"

"Whether it's a pawn or a puppet, no matter what the truth behind it is, it has nothing to do with me."

Garlan said that he had already walked up to the priest.

He stared at the old and ashen face of the priest with sharp eyes, and slowly raised the sword in his hand.

"I'm just doing what I want to do with my own will."

Guard Aaron Landis.

Guard those around me.

Guard this land.

It has nothing to do with the gods, nothing to do with fate, it's all my own will.

The black-robed priest looked terrified and staggered back.

"No...it shouldn't be like this...it shouldn't be like this..."

He spoke incoherently, his voice hoarse.

"You shouldn't violate the destiny...God told me...the destiny has long been predestined, the demise of Aaron Landis, the end of all things...this is the destiny, the preordained destiny..."

"You shouldn't...and you can't disobey the destiny...that's right, you can't do this..."

He rambled on, "It's fate, you can't..."

A silver-white sword light flitted across the air.

The sword light split the black-robed priest's chest.

The old man's pupils dilated suddenly, reflecting the blood spattered from his split chest.

He had seen it countless times from the sacrificial body, but it was the first time it was sprayed from him.

He opened his eyes, opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.

He fell down, on his back, and fell into the altar.

The blood flowing from his chest stained the lines on the bluestone board red.

He was not dead yet, he was breathing rapidly with his mouth open, and his eyes were open, staring at Garlan unwillingly and resentfully.

Garlan glanced indifferently at the old priest lying at his feet.

His eyes passed by.

Then, he turned around, clenched the sword in his hand, and walked to the other side.

As he walked, blood dripped along the sword in his hand and onto the ground he walked on.

Looking at the direction Garlan was walking in, the priest's face suddenly twisted.

His eyes were filled with horror, he struggled on the ground, and stretched out his hand desperately, trying to stop that terrible scene.

"No! You can't do that! No... no—"

Amidst the roar of the old priest trying his best, the fire was shaking, and the light and shadow interlaced in the stone hall.

A gigantic idol looms in the shadows.

The gray-black vortex gathered around the scepter, invisible to ordinary people, shrank together as if fearing something, shaking violently, as if it would collapse anytime and anywhere.

It seemed to be resisting crazily, and in an instant, an invisible air current gushed out in all directions in the stone hall with the altar as the center.

Garlan stood on the altar, in front of the blackstone scepter.

The invisible air flow whizzed past him fiercely, surrounded him, raging fiercely, and made his long golden hair flutter behind him like a cloud.

"I am the king of Aaron Landis."

"Son of the gods."

He said that under the flying forehead, Shamash's runes were like burning flames.

"If there is such a thing as destiny in this world..."

A snow-white sword light flashed across the air.

A click.

The black bluestone scepter in the center of the altar was broken by the young king's sword.

There seemed to be a huge and invisible airflow in the hall that exploded at this moment.

"I am destiny!"