Sanctuary Paradise

Chapter 842 Black Sword
Black... sword?

What is this guy doing there?
"BYD, who do you think you are! Being in the outer echelons makes you so great? You think you can just shut me up like that?!"

Inside the fortress, upon the appearance of the black-haired youth, the contractors were briefly taken aback. Then, those contractors from Samsara and Death Paradise, who were already filled with resentment, did not hesitate to start cursing on the public channel.

"Master, look! Another important figure has appeared in the picture!"

"Well...it seems things are about to get interesting."

On the food street, a young man with a vivid imagination, having casually bought some popcorn, sat down in a rocking chair, smiling as he watched the black-haired youth on the screen. The next second, under the watchful eyes of the contractors, the black-haired youth spoke:

"In fact, according to the schedule, I shouldn't be standing here right now, nor should I waste my time playing along with your pointless farce."

farce?

The calm yet authoritative voice fell, and the contractors, who were already filled with resentment, were enraged even more.

"Huh? A farce? Who the hell do you think you are?"

"Oh, isn't this our Lord Black Sword? You're so noble, aren't you? You don't care about our lives as long as you're alive, do you?"

"Heh, based on that statement alone, let whoever wants to fight this shitty expedition do it. If you're so capable, have Paradise just execute them for me!"

Curses, taunts, profanities... In an instant, the entire public channel exploded, filled with 'friendly' greetings from the contractors of Reincarnation and Death Paradise. Tagging and group chat messages poured in endlessly.

The black-haired youth on the screen seemed oblivious to this, calmly looking ahead and speaking in a voice devoid of any human emotion:

"I know that what I just said may have hurt the fragile pride of some of you, but to me, that is the truth."

"Anger? Resentment? Fear? Heh, think about it carefully, why were you recruited here in the first place?"

"Is it because you're good-looking? Is it because you're eloquent? Is it because you're disciplined and obedient?"

"wrong!"

"It's because you are top-tier contractors! You are among the top 5%, top 1%, or even top 0.1% of your peers in terms of strength, which is why you are qualified to be recruited to this battlefield!"

A chilling, authoritative shout rang out in the ears of the contractors. Even through the screen, the imposing aura and pressure in the voice still made many contractors gasp for breath and instinctively fall silent.

The public channel, which had been scrolling wildly with insults, suddenly stopped, as if waiting for the black-haired youth to continue, in order to decide how to continue 'greeting' him.

"Regardless of morality, faith, ideology, or character, there is only one reason why you are standing here—"

"That means you guys are strong enough!"

"Strong enough to defeat those troublesome abyssal creatures that the Legion cannot quickly deal with! Strong enough to survive in the abyss without relying on large-scale group battles like the Legion! Strong enough to become a sharp dagger on the battlefield, piercing the enemy's heart!"

"That's why you're here—because you're powerful enough, nothing more!"

"but--"

Look what you're doing right now?!

"Complaining, grumbling, venting, fear... is this what you're here for?"

"You claim to conquer the abyss, yet in the end you're like a beaten-down dog, only daring to cower in your den, baring your teeth at your companions and those weaker than yourself, relying on the pity of the stronger to grovel wildly in a corner. Is this the choice you want?"

“I don’t know what kind of lives you’ve lived, nor do I care what kind of suffering you’ve endured, but if you think the point of becoming part of the elite is to die incompetently like livestock, then go ahead and do it!”

"only--"

"If you still retain even a shred of savagery, a shred of backbone befitting the title of the strong, then you should obediently sheathe your claws and teeth, control your desires, and vent them on the enemies you truly deserve to deal with! Vent them on those abyssal creatures that terrify you!"

"—It's like a hyena, even in death, it will use its last bit of strength to bite off a piece of flesh from the one who brought it to its death!"

"—Or like a domestic dog, dominated by its own fear and incompetence, only daring to vent its desires within the fortress, and then dying without dignity at the hands of me and the legion!"

"The choice between these two paths is in your own hands."

As the cold, authoritative voice finished speaking, the previously unusually 'lively' public channel and various areas of the fortress suddenly fell silent. Then...

"Huh? Who the hell do you think you are! A bunch of worthless fish that jumped out of the abyss? Do you think I'm afraid of such trash?!"

"Hyena? Heh, that's a pretty unpleasant description, but... I like it!!"

"Pah! Who the hell are you calling a dog?! When I was on the battlefield killing people, you were probably still sucking amniotic fluid in some mother's womb!"

"Black Sword, huh? When I reach the Outer Tier, the first thing I'll do is take you down!!"

Like a stone thrown into still water, the public channel, which had been briefly quieted by the black-haired youth's remarks, suddenly erupted into a frenzy of indignation.

One by one, the Reincarnation and Death Paradise Contractors who had previously threatened to cause trouble seemed to have been stimulated and began to 'greet' the black-haired youth with much more intense words than before, but few of them mentioned causing trouble in the fortress anymore.

"Good heavens, just like you said, Brother Mingyu, those guys were straightened out by Black Sword's few words." In front of the public channel, Mo Tian looked at the topic that had obviously gone astray and clicked his tongue in amazement.

"That's normal. Black Sword is very good at manipulating people's emotions. Besides, those who would think of causing trouble in this situation are just not very bright." In response to Mo Tian's remarks, Ming Yu simply replied indifferently, his calm gaze as if he had long expected this scene.

"Well... I understand now why the news has spread in our amusement park that we shouldn't go up against your Black Sword. Even without force, just based on his timing and oratory skills, this guy could probably become a super cunning old fox, right?" The melancholy demon man, who had a clear understanding of the whole incident, sighed, a hint of seriousness appearing in his eyes, which were filled with a faint melancholy.

As someone who could intellectually connect with the Underworld, he was certain that from the moment the Blackthorn Commander spoke, everything else was already within the black-haired youth's calculations.

The melancholic man even strongly suspected that among the initial group of people venting their dissatisfaction on the public channel, there were very likely 'shills' planted by the black-haired youth, in order to quickly and accurately incite those less calm and rational individuals in the direction he wanted.

"This is just the beginning. Given his personality, it's impossible for him to stop after only taking care of those who aren't quite right in the head." Mingyu's somewhat cold and indifferent voice rang out. His gaze was fixed on the black-haired youth on the screen, a deep look flashing in his dark pupils, as if he could see through the other's thoughts even through the screen.

And as if to confirm his words, the next second, the calm and authoritative voice of the black-haired youth resounded once again in the minds of everyone present:

"Of course, I am also well aware that, apart from them, there are many more workers in this fortress who are weaker than them, and weak people who believe they can only die like weeds."

As the authoritative voice, much gentler than before, fell, Quan Momo and Bai Tian, ​​who had been watching the excitement on the food street with trepidation, were taken aback. They seemed not to have expected the black-haired youth to suddenly mention their group.

"In fact, I don't deny that." "Weakness and strength are established facts. The weak cannot rise to the top just by courage, and the strong cannot be easily overtaken by the weak because of a temporary setback."

“You are weak, that’s the reality, and it’s only natural that you feel fear.”

"but--"

"Learning to fear is not a bad thing in the face of the upcoming war."

"The strong have their choices, and the weak also have their value. Medicine, transportation, repair, food, equipment... these are things that the strong have no time to worry about."

"But whatever its value, you can only bring it to fruition if you survive, and fear is a necessity for the weak to survive on the battlefield."

"Only by feeling fear can you understand your resistance to death, realize the weight of life, and keep in mind the fact that you are just a weak person, so that you can make the right judgment in the face of crisis."

"Therefore, I will not blame you, nor do you have any obligation to force yourselves to stay here like those powerful people."

"Run away, hide, beg for mercy, cry... When a crisis befalls you, you can do these things to your heart's content, because for the weak, to survive a crisis that would make even the strong die is to have fulfilled their greatest duty."

"At the same time, I cannot promise you anything."

"Because you are too weak."

“I have been through war after war, and I have made a promise to those weaker than myself that I, as a leader, would die before them.”

"But in the end, they still died because they were not strong enough, while I survived because I was strong enough."

"Therefore, I cannot make any promises to you, because in the face of a crisis in which even I myself may not be able to protect myself, such promises would only turn into unrealistic deception."

"but--"

"At least one thing I can assure you."

"Whether you live or die, whether the dangers you face are strong or weak, as long as I have a breath left, I will personally face those most dangerous areas."

"Whether it's an abyssal behemoth or a hole in the abyss... the only promise I can make to you is that I will not stop my journey until I die."

"This is my duty as a pioneer."

"Before that, you can do whatever you want as long as you don't hold others back."

"Escape, give up, wait to die..."

"Struggle, resistance, self-rescue..."

"These are your freedoms as the weak, and the consequences for us, the strong, when we were unable to prevent the crisis from befalling you."

"I have seen many weak people and experienced what it's like to be weak. Because of this, I know very well that not every weak person has the opportunity to become strong, and not every weak person is willing to be subservient to others."

"Perhaps this is too cruel for you, perhaps it's something you can't achieve even with your best efforts, but I still hope that you—"

"To survive by any means possible, without holding anyone back, before I die... no, before everything is completely plunged into darkness."

"All I can say to you are these empty and pale words. As for what you intend to do, as I said, that is your freedom."

"As for me, once I'm ready, I'll go with the other pioneers to those worlds occupied by the Abyss Holes to gather all the information that might be related to the impending crisis."

"Perhaps by the time I emerge, you will have already died for some reason, or perhaps while you are asleep, I will have already died due to some unimaginable crisis, but in any case..."

"I hope you won't regret your choices."

A calm yet authoritative voice echoed across the screen. After uttering those words, the black-haired youth disappeared from the screen with a sound of the image fading, leaving behind only silent streets and eerily quiet areas.

"Don't miss out! Sacred Heart Guild's newest ice cream, not 998, not 98, just 9.8 yuan to bring you..."

Seconds later, accompanied by the sound of the screen restarting, various advertisements and promotional videos began to play again on the large commercial screens. Under the lights, Quan Momo stared at the screen that had switched to advertisements, gently biting her lip: "President, we..."

"Tsk, all that empty talk! It sounds nice, but how easy is it for us to survive in such a crisis!" Before Quan Momo could speak, Bai Tian muttered unhappily, making Quan Momo pause in surprise.

"President, you..."

"Alright, stop standing there!" Bai Tian said with an annoyed expression, waving his hand impatiently at Xue Tu and the others beside him. "Xue Tu, you come with me to buy life-saving items. Han Xiao, you take Mo Mo to the Qinghe Chamber of Commerce and tell them we need to customize a transport ship. Remember, it's customized. Don't worry about the cost, just throw money at it!"

"Hey, wait a minute, I thought it was you, President..."

"What do you mean 'what do you mean 'what do you mean 'what do you mean 'what do you mean ''? We're already at this point, are we just going to sit here and wait to die? And you over there, what's with the 'brainstorming' thing... stop standing there! Everyone, get moving!"

"?"

"Pfft, Master, it seems you've been caught off guard..."

"What are you laughing at! You're the same, you with the colorful hair! If you don't want to die, get back to work! Our time is precious!"

"..."

"The president has suddenly become so scary..."

"That's how he is when he gets motivated."

"Your family's chairman has a really unique personality."

"Hmm... Master, do you really have the right to say that?"

"Well...who knows?"

……

(End of this chapter)