Strange Voyage: Summoning the Fourth Disaster.

Chapter 821 Flag and Snake

The Oath of Gulad!
The Fire Saint in the faith sequence of the Gulad Empire Triangle!
And he was in a near-death state!
This is precisely the high-level fire source that Chang'an needs most right now!

In this update to Spirit Candle, the ability to upgrade intermediate-level fire seeds to advanced-level has been enabled for players.

However, any player with a modicum of awareness would not randomly choose a fire source without affinity to perform a fire-raising upgrade.

This is especially true for players who use the three starter flames of the Gruard Empire.

Because they clearly knew that the Gulad Empire in the background story must have powerful figures at the level of Fire Saints, and their fire seeds were the most suitable.

Therefore, many far-sighted players did not rush to perform the fire ritual, and August Chang'an naturally shared this view.

But, to my surprise, I never expected this.

He actually managed to encounter a Fire Saint from the Gulad Empire's faith sequence here, who was exactly the source of fire he needed most right now!

God must have thought I was handsome, that's why I've been given such good luck!
Thinking of this, August Chang'an almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He had completely forgotten his prayers when he first entered this area, shamelessly attributing them to his good looks and luck...

That's just how these small-time players are.

Whether it's an exam or a game, if you fail, you pray to gods and Buddhas; if you pass, you say it's because you've worked hard and finally succeeded. It's like having Zhong Wuyan when things are tough and Xia Yingchun when things are fine.

Of course, as excited as he was, August Chang'an was not going to get carried away.

At that moment, he also heard the chilling voice of the Oath of Gulad.

"As long as the flag of the empire is planted here."

"Life on that land was then protected by the power of the empire and safeguarded by its laws."

"No one and nothing can be an exception."

"Even if you created their lives, you have no right to kill them or devour them."

"As a sworn member of the Code, I, Hagram, will defend the law with my life!"

Hagram's black and gold robes were stained with blood and torn to shreds. Even though a golden blindfold covered his eyes, one could tell what kind of resolute gaze lay beneath them.

His back and neck were empty, yet he still stood tall and proud, supported by the flames of war and his unwavering will.

Hear what he said.

In August, Chang'an suddenly understood what had happened on the Coral Atoll.

First, everything originated from that giant sea serpent, also known as the "Hu Zhu".

The coral master possesses the talent of "coral vomiting," which allows it to periodically vomit out corals that can nurture life.

It vomits in the water, and the coral then appears in rings, one layer after another.

The "Coral Dwarves" are a race that originated from the coral vomited by the Coral Lord. They live and multiply on the coral atoll, passing down their lineage from generation to generation, and thus, social classes have emerged.

However, Hu Zhu was clearly not a great philanthropist.

It created the Coral Dwarfs not out of a whim or pity, but out of a desire to "harvest".

It's easy to tell from its words that it can profit from regularly harvesting the coral dwarves.

The dwarfs dared not, nor did they have the power, to defy their creator; they could only be harvested by him periodically, like weeds.

The Huzhu felt no guilt about this; it believed with a clear conscience that this was a power bestowed upon it by heaven, and that there was nothing wrong with using it to become stronger.

Thus, the Hu dwarves dared not disobey, and the Hu lord felt at ease. Time passed in this way, and a thick, invisible shackle had formed in the hearts of generation after generation of Hu dwarves.

Everything would have continued like this.

Until the emergence of the Gulad Empire.

This powerful and domineering empire swiftly conquered island after island, subjugating countless races, including Coral Atoll.

At this moment, the Lord of the Sea was fast asleep, or perhaps too lazy to care.

Wherever the banner of the Gulad Empire went, it would send people to take over the rule and enforce their laws.

But the Hu dwarves have been kept in captivity by the Hu Lord for countless years, and the dignity and solid order have been deeply ingrained in their hearts.

Coincidentally, the Gulad Empire disliked the Red Coral Dwarves' brutality against the lower-class Coral Dwarves, and thus elevated their status.

But this naturally angered the enslaved dwarves.

They were already dissatisfied with the strong rule of the Gulad Empire, and now that their interests had been threatened, they were naturally not going to let it go.

So, taking advantage of their former power and the name of the Hu Lord, they coerced the lower-class Hu dwarves, using deception and various means to kill the people of the Gulad Empire, and then hung the sacrificial spikes on the outside.

The Lord of the Coral is most likely awakened because of this.

At the same time, the top echelons of the Gulad Empire also realized that something was wrong.

Although they hadn't expected such a powerful life form to be hidden on this godforsaken island, they reacted quickly and dispatched the "Oath of Gulad," a Fire Saint-level being.

As a result, a fierce conflict broke out between the two.

Although the battle was intense, it was not difficult to see that "Hu Zhu" had the upper hand in this battle, after all, his ignition point was higher than Hagram's, and his hard power was undeniable.

However, the Oath of Gulad has one thing that the Lord of the Hu does not possess... that is, he dares to fight to the death.

To uphold the laws of the Gulad Empire, the Gulad Oath is willing to die here.

But the Huzhu didn't think that way. It thought the people of the Gulad Empire were just crazy... "Do I even know you? Why are you fighting me?"

It was precisely this stalemate that led to some conversation between the two, which also allowed August Chang'an to understand what had happened.

At the same time, the spirit candle also sent a notification.

[Title Quest: "The Flag and the Serpent"]

You've arrived at Coral Atoll and seen everything here. Now, you have two choices.

[① Help the Oath of Gulaad slay the Lord of the Coronet and obtain the bronze title "Banner".]

[②Help the Lord of the Sea defeat the Oath of Gulado and obtain the Bronze title "Sea Serpent".]

[Note: This title can only be obtained once.]

It's actually a "title" quest!
August Chang'an was somewhat surprised, as there were quite a few titles associated with the Spirit Candle, including those related to spending wax oil to buy things, running dungeons, and completing contribution tasks.

However, the triggers are relatively rare, and the titles themselves are not very useful; they are essentially just "achievements," so players who don't require them naturally won't bother to pursue them.

"This……"

Upon seeing this, Chang'an hesitated for a moment.

If it's for self-interest, then he now has two choices.

First, attack the oath of Gulad.

He came for the flame of the Oath of Gulad, so naturally he would attack the Oath of Gulad, and it would be a sure thing to kill him.

After all, the Huzhu also has the advantage in this battle, and if August Chang'an chooses to help it, the chances of winning will be very high.

However, the downside is that the Hu Zhu not only has a higher ignition point than him, but is also only "severely injured" rather than "near death" like the Oath of Gulad, so there is still a possibility of failure.

Second, attack the Hu master.

If they were to defeat the Lord of the Coral, then the remaining dying Oath of Gulad would likely be easily resolved, allowing them to kill two birds with one stone and maximize their benefits. However, August Chang'an didn't consider himself a purely profit-driven person; even when playing a game, he wanted to choose options that gave him peace of mind.

Now, another problem arises.

Who is right and who is wrong in the Oath of Gulad and the Lord of the Hu?
The Oath of Gulad?
The Gruard Empire elevated the status of the lower-class Hu dwarves and protected their lives, which was indeed the right thing to do, even though it was in order to promote law and order.

But the Lord of the Sea also has something to say.

The panel clearly shows that "Vomiting of the Coral" is listed after the word "Talent," indicating that it is an innate ability.

Since it is an innate ability, why can't the Lord of the Sea use it?

Without its Lord, this coral atoll might not even exist, so what's the point of your Gulad Empire's rule and laws?

Besides, do you think the Hu dwarves have any objections?
Even though the parties involved have no objections, you still interfere.

What kind of bullshit empire is this? It's just meddling in other people's business, showing no respect for the strong or for nature.

and so……

After taking a deep breath, August Chang'an made a decision.

He tilted his head back and drank a bottle of "Sea-Treading" potion, then raised his hand and pointed at the Lord of the Sea, letting out a roar that echoed across the entire sea.

"Oath of Gulad, I will aid you!"

Immediately afterwards, he was engulfed in flames and charged toward the Lord of the Coral with Hughes' straight sword in hand.

This loud shout naturally attracted the attention of the Hu Lord and the Oath of Gulad, who were engaged in a battle.

Gulad's Oath was surprised to see August Chang'an, but he didn't say anything. The arrival of reinforcements was naturally a good thing.

The Lord of the Sea felt both devastated and furious.

Perhaps it was a beastly instinct, but it could clearly sense that the aura of the person in front of it had reached the Burning Spirit stage.

One Gulad's Oath was enough to give it a headache, and now another one? How is it supposed to play like this?
"Damn, damn!"

"You shameless, greedy bastards!"

“I have never offended your Gulad Empire, and as a Saint of Fire Transformation, you show me no respect whatsoever, demanding that I obey your so-called laws, preventing me from leaving, and now you even want to kill me…”

"Do you really think I'm easy to bully?!"

The Lord of the Sea was enraged.

In its view, it hadn't offended anyone; it just wanted to cultivate in seclusion in a quiet corner, and it hadn't done anything wrong.

Even so, the Gulad Empire showed it no respect and made it obey the law.

Does being honest mean you'll have a gun pointed at you?

Why!
What a fucking bully!
Now another reinforcement has arrived, clearly intending to kill it. Since that's the case, it can't care less about anything else...

Fight to the death!
The Coral Lord let out a sharp screech, and deep blue flames raged, displaying the terrifying fiery form of a saint while violently struggling and flapping its fins.

In an instant, some melting, multicolored liquid fell, transforming into brilliant and beautiful coral the moment it hit the sea surface. It then shattered in a short time, hatching into sea snakes, each resembling a miniature coral master.

But soon, they returned to the Lord of the Sea, and each sea serpent that entered its body strengthened its aura.

Seeing this, the Oath of Gulad burned even brighter, its chanting quickening as it manipulated the power of law along its spine to tighten the restraints.

Even in August, Chang'an dared not be negligent.

As a player who had been imprisoned, he knew very well that the fact that the Lord was currently under control presented the best opportunity to deal damage, and he could not hold back.

So he went all out, using prayer and Hughes' straight sword together, incantations to enhance his power, and fire to his heart. Every strike landed squarely on the Lord.

The opponent's health naturally began to drop rapidly.

The Huzhu, naturally unwilling to perish, launched a fiercer attack, which only intensified its counterattack and struggle. With the support of its Saintly Fire Aspect and the power of the Fire Offering, its health continued to recover.

Seeing this, August Chang'an's gaze sharpened, and he worked even harder.

But in fact, the outcome of this battle was predetermined from the very beginning.

Before Chang'an arrived in August, Hu Zhu and Gulad's Oath had already engaged in a brutal battle. Although Hu Zhu did not fight with all its might but was thinking of saving its life, its severely injured state was real.

If the players who come are relatively unskilled, then it might not be of much use.

But August Chang'an is not only a veteran player, but also a master of fire transformation, so the weight of his stakes is self-evident.

Therefore, the scales of victory should rightfully tip.

Finally, after August Chang'an stunned the snake with a flaming fist prayer, he used Hughes' straight sword to cut off the snake's head.

In an instant, blood, reddish-green in color, gushed forth, and the eyes of the dead snake head of the Huzhu were filled with intense resentment and anger.

You have killed Lord Hu.

You have earned the title: Banner (Bronze)

[Bronze Banner: Help Gulad's Oath defeat the Coral Lord in the "Banner and Serpent" quest.]

August Chang'an breathed a slight sigh of relief, adjusted her state, and then turned to look at the Oath of Gulad behind her.

But he was still in a daze.

It seemed that only after the battle ended did he finally realize the abnormality of his previous battle with the Lord of the Coral, and... what changes had occurred in this world.

"Do not……"

Realizing all this, Hagram let out a heavy sigh, his eyes filled with deep regret and self-reproach.

"It is our incompetence..."

August Chang'an noticed his change in mood and quickly went up to ask him what was wrong.

"Are you OK?"

Hagram shook his head, his eyes dimming: "My death is inevitable... but it doesn't matter."

Upon hearing this, August Chang'an thought to herself, "As expected."

These native life forms that have reached the level of Fire Saint are all incredibly powerful and extremely intelligent; they are not like the living corpses who know nothing.

Hagram was clearly so focused on fighting the Lord of the Hu that he hadn't had time to think about the anomalies of this world.

Now that the battle is over, he naturally understands his situation.

Thinking of this, August Chang'an lost all interest in idle chatter. Hagram's life was like a candle flickering in the wind, and it could be extinguished at any moment.

He needs to ask some key questions before that.

Therefore, August Chang'an directly inquired about the situation of the Gulad Empire, their emperor, and the Eternal Altar.

These have become almost mandatory questions for most inmates.

But Hagram's hoarse voice carried a calm despair.

“I, as the one who swore an oath to the laws of the Gurad Empire, the one who holds the power of the code, have now completely forgotten everything about the Emperor of the Empire…”

"...And what about the matter of the altar?"

(End of this chapter)