reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

Without interference from others, this duel was Bai Ye's final act of courtesy to his opponent.

At least, the other party can be considered a king.

Bai Ye raised the "Wind Chime," a pale blue light swirling around his body. In fact, he wasn't just giving Theresis a chance to recover; he was also adjusting to his own sudden surge of power.

Although it was just a few points added to each attribute, with the advancement of the personal character template, Bai Ye felt that he had been reborn once again.

This change cannot be seen from the attribute panel alone. Previously, Bai Ye only wanted to test his full strength by crashing into the ground while wrapped in nitrogen armor. He did not expect to plow such a long trench in the ground with the enemy and crash directly into the underground of the Western Hall of the Holy King Society.

The energy within this body now frightened even Bai Ye himself. So, he stood still, seemingly putting on a show, but actually slowly sensing his own power, adapting to the sudden increase in his physical strength by controlling the subtle changes in his muscles.

As for the enemy before us, the outcome has already been decided.

Although the opponent is a hero of the Sarkaz race and the regent who defeated the Demon King, he is not the Demon King. His reliance is not by his side. Now, he is all alone, yet he has to face the White Night.

Who is the real boss?

Bai Ye shook his head, raised his right foot and stomped hard on the ground. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground again, accompanied by a booming sonic boom that echoed in the spacious underground hall. Bai Ye's figure disappeared from the spot.

The next moment, he appeared in front of Theresis, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and swung his sword.

Clearly, through the adjustments he made earlier, he had achieved perfect control over his power. This time, he wouldn't overextend himself.

Chapter Fifty: Fated Death

(I'm a bit lost on what fun games are out there lately.)

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Theresis strained his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of Bai Ye. Fortunately, the Sarkaz bloodline granted him power, and the Blood Lord's blessing allowed him to unlock even more power within him.

He was confident that if his enemy, who had led a multinational coalition to raze Kazdel two hundred years ago, were to reappear before him, he could severely wound or even kill him with a single sword strike.

However, this terrifying power still seemed somewhat inadequate in the face of Bai Ye.

Therese barely managed to fend off the attack, sensing the ease with which this messenger of calamity was handling the situation.

No matter how exquisite the swordsmanship, it could not withstand the overwhelming and terrifying power. The ancient sorcery of the Sarkaz could not harm the person in front of him in the slightest. His spirit was incredibly tenacious. Although he seemed not to know how to use his spirit and will, other fancy spells could not have any effect on him.

He was like a dazzling sword, simple and brutal, capable of piercing through anything that stood in his way.

Just as Theresis was thinking this, her opponent suddenly stopped and even began to fight her. Theresis could clearly feel that her opponent had restrained her power, and those originally dark eyes had somehow begun to emit a silver light.

The ethereal eyes staring at her gave Theresis an incredibly eerie feeling, as if all her secrets could not be hidden from those eyes.

Until Theresis heard the other person's murmured words:

"Let me see your swordsmanship accumulated over the past two hundred years."

"Let me see if the legendary swordsmanship of Kazdel's former general is truly as good as it claims."

The blade sliced ​​through the air, silver light intertwining, and for the first time, Theresis found herself in a fierce battle.

Only now did he truly understand what kind of monster he was facing. Yes, even Theresis couldn't help but use the word "monster" to describe it.

This is a formidable enemy whose swordsmanship and strength are on the same level. In both power and skill, he has reached the pinnacle, a level that even he himself cannot comprehend.

Theresis could clearly sense that his opponent was rapidly absorbing the swordsmanship he had accumulated over two hundred years. How long had he been fighting with his sword? His opponent was too young; not only in appearance, but even in demeanor, it was clear that his life was just beginning. Even if he had picked up a sword since birth, just how many years had he actually wielded this weapon?

Twenty years? Thirty years?

White Night caught up with Theresis, who had lived a long life, in such a short time.

This is a beautiful yet deadly sword dance, with both sides gambling their lives in the underground hall of the Western Hall of the Holy King Society, where a sword duel is being performed without any onlookers.

Fortunately, this was underground, which was sturdy enough, but it still couldn't withstand the ravages of the two's battle. The aftershocks of the battle constantly stirred up deadly air currents, and the sharp sword energy left hideous marks on the walls of the underground hall, as if they were claw marks left by some huge monster.

The ground trembled under their constant footsteps, shattering the paving stones and sending countless fragments flying, each one powerful enough to pierce the armor of an ordinary soldier. However, these stones were quickly obliterated into dust by the interplay of their swordplay. They were pulverized and then dispersed by the shockwaves of the battle.

……

The sword fight didn't last long; Bai Ye quickly acquired all of his opponent's data, enriching his mental database. Having achieved his goal, Bai Ye didn't delay any longer; he didn't want to waste any more time on this regent.

The silver light in his eyes gradually faded, and Bai Ye's movements instantly became even more swift. Theresis thrust his sword at Bai Ye, but Bai Ye seemed to have anticipated his enemy's move. He swung "Wind Chime" in advance, easily breaking through his opponent's defenses. The tip of his sword drew a beautiful arc before Theresis's eyes, like a silver meteor flashing by.

The sword struck Theresis's wrist without any resistance, as if a hot knife were cutting through butter. The blade of "Wind Chime," enveloped in airflow, easily sliced ​​through the armor and severed Theresis's right arm.

Blood splattered from his right hand as it slid through the air. Bai Ye gently sidestepped, avoiding the splattered blood and the longsword he held in his right hand, but he did not stop attacking. He leaned forward, raised his right leg, and kicked Theresis directly.

Although it was just a simple kick, it unleashed an incredibly terrifying force. It was as if Therese had been hit head-on by a train, and under the immense kinetic energy brought by the white night, she was sent flying backward.

Smashing through several pillars in the underground hall, Theresis finally crashed into the hall's wall, embedding herself in the stone. This impact shook the entire building, causing rubble to rain down from the ceiling.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Ye reappeared in front of him and pulled him off the wall.

Then, Bai Ye casually tossed the Regent to the ground.

With difficulty, she opened her eyes, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth; Theresis was on the verge of death.

He is not the Blood Demon Lord. No matter how powerful he is, his life force is limited. He still has his own limits.

His right hand had been severed, and blood was gushing from the wound. In such an intense battle, he had no time to stop the bleeding, and it wouldn't stop flowing.

Therese sensed something behind him, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw it was the base of the throne.

In the underground hall of the Western Hall of the Holy King's Church, there exists a throne. It is unknown for whom it was prepared.

Theresis suddenly remembered the prophecy that the absolutist had brought him, a prophecy from the Cyclops King of the endless ice plains north of Sami.

"Lentinium was torn into three pieces by the fire, and the Shard collapsed under hundreds of lightning strikes."

"Theresis died alone on the throne beneath the western hall of the Holy Kings."

……

Although the first half seems somewhat different, Londinium remains intact, while the Shard has collapsed, but not because it was struck by lightning.

However, the second half...

"So that's how it is. This is what they call... a predetermined death."

The Cyclops had already foreseen the fate of Theresis.

Then, Theresis saw White Night appear before him once more...

Chapter Fifty-One: Drink This Bitterness

(Blaze is so good, the best of the new generation, and the one with the strongest acting. I think it's a shoo-in for the Nebula Award.)

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Therese slumped weakly against the base of the throne.

Clearly, he lacked the strength to ascend the throne again, and White Night would not allow him to do so. Even though he had occupied Lontinium for so long, as a regent of the Sarkaz, he was not worthy to step onto the throne of Lontinium.

At least, that's how it is in front of Bai Ye.

Bai Ye came to stand in front of him.

“This is the fate of the Sarkaz…” Theresis said slowly, looking at Bai Ye.

"..."

Upon hearing this, Bai Ye stopped in his tracks. He looked at the enemy he had already defeated and gently shook his head. Bai Ye said earnestly:

"No, I've never believed in fate. Paths are chosen by oneself, so Sarkaz's fate is a choice you made yourself. Since you made a choice, you must bear the consequences of that choice; that's fair."

“Fairness…” Theresis smiled dismissively. “This land has never been fair to the Sarkaz.”

“Is that so? I know what you’re trying to say—suffering, injustice, prejudice, hostility… But I know many Sarkaz who live peacefully in other countries. They’ve chosen peace, instead of trying to burn the whole land to the ground with hatred and anger like you do,” Bai Ye said coldly.

Theresis looked up at Bai Ye:

"Theresia once described such a scene to me."

"The Sarkaz are still in Londinium, but they did not come fully armed. Dark clouds shrouded the city, black stones grew everywhere, and the Sarkaz... the Sarkaz stood between the natural disaster and the people."

"After the disaster, the gates of Londinium opened to us, and the Victorians lined the streets, cheering as they welcomed us. Once inside the palace, the man on the throne, no longer intimidated by the black stones on our bodies, grasped our hands. They called the Sarkaz 'friends'."

"Moreover, the Blood Demon, the Carrion Eater, and the Wendigo set out northward beyond Ursus, hurling fragments of the spirits back into the cold sky. The Banshee and the Shapeshifter went southward beyond Iberia, blocking the sea's dissent in the boundless waters."

“Countless Sarkaz sacrificed themselves for this land, and Athrun, Drak, Felin, Caprini, Liboli… they all stood with the Sarkaz.”

Bai Ye blinked after hearing this:

"It's really good."

Therese laughed, a laugh that was the first time he had ever shown such a vivid expression. He laughed mockingly as he spat out blood.

"But I know that this is just a dream, too far removed from reality. Not only can our former enemies not understand us, but the Sarkaz cannot either. It is a grudge accumulated over ten thousand years, which was torn apart by the internal war before the Sarkaz could even reach that future."

"White Night, this world once belonged only to the Sarkaz. It was the First Men and the Gods who took our home from our ancestors. The dead still murmur about the betrayal of the Sarkaz, the royal court withers like autumn leaves, our bloodline is lost in the wailing, and the sinners laughably forget history. The ruins of Kazdel are scattered all over Terra."

"But now those people are shouting, 'The Sarkaz have invaded our homeland.'"

"For the past ten thousand years, the will of all the souls of the Sarkaz has traversed the other side of life and death. They have never found a moment of peace. Anger and hatred have long been entangled in our souls. Therefore, the Sarkaz prefer to believe in struggle, because struggle can unite our destinies, rather than so-called peace."

"Yes. I understand." Bai Ye nodded gently. At this moment, the two who were originally hostile to each other actually chatted like old friends.

Perhaps, once they set aside their differences, they are no different; they are all people striving for their race. They carry too much on their shoulders—the fate of an entire race.

However, the two made different choices.

These things need no further description; when their swords clashed, they both understood everything through those repeated collisions. For a sword embodies will, and only a weapon driven by will possess power.

This is also what Bai Ye has been telling his student Melantha: one must be prepared to take on a killing weapon, and it is absolutely forbidden to do so out of vanity or curiosity.

……

After a pause, Bai Ye continued:

"I can understand your initial intentions, but I cannot forgive your actions."

I can understand it, but I cannot forgive it.

"You prefer to believe in struggles of blood and fire rather than in a future full of hope. This is the root of your race's tragedy. You refuse to believe it."

Therese did not speak.

Bai Ye continued:

"Do you know about stars? I mean, the brilliant starry sky in the distant past, before the false starry sky enveloped this land."

Theresis nodded. Clearly, the Sarkaz were indeed ancient; they knew this knowledge that had long been forgotten.

Bai Ye continued:

Some people say that we can never reach the stars, so the stars are fake. We shouldn't believe in the stars, and we shouldn't believe in things that are fake and can never be obtained.

"But even if we can never reach the stars, the light still shines down. It's a tiny ray of light from the other side of the universe, reaching our world. Perhaps, the moment we see the light, the star that emitted it has already gone out. But we know of its existence because of the light."

"No matter how much time has passed, we can still see the light. Therefore, stars are neither a figment of imagination nor a myth."

"You refuse to believe in the future, refuse to believe in peace, just as you are blind to starlight. You have chosen struggle and slaughter, hoping to reshape your race and the whole world with hatred, blood and fire. But this fire will only burn you to ashes."

"The moment you chose this path, you will never have the future you dream of. This is the path you chose with your own hands, and the future you created with your own hands. So, despair, resent, be angry... drink this bitterness."

"This is a bitter brew you yourselves have made. You have never let go of the hatred that has lasted for thousands of years. You have turned yourselves into monsters, so don't even think about how others will view you."

"After all, you yourselves are unwilling to believe it."

Chapter Fifty-Two: The End Under the Throne

Bai Ye's words left Theresis speechless.

Or rather, he had nothing left to say. Because now, he had fallen, while Bai Ye stood.

The victors hold the power of discourse. The losers, on the other hand, have nothing but excuses to say.

Perhaps he was wrong, but he did not regret it, because it was his choice, the choice of all the souls of the Tikkaz beings over the past ten thousand years, and the choice of the royal courts that followed him.

As Bai Ye said, once a choice is made, there should be no regrets, because it is the path one chose to embark on. Regarding this ending, besides feeling unwilling, one can only accept it.

Bai Ye looked down at the enemy at his feet.

If we disregard his actions, this regent was also a remarkable figure.

In the very end, Bai Ye uttered his final words:

"And you said... this land originally belonged to the Sarkaz."

"But you have never properly opened your eyes to look at this land."