A Tale of Strategies For the Throne

In the front hall, the lights are brightly lit.

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

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

The uncomfortably sweet aroma fills the bright front hall, as if it can penetrate into the depths of a person's body.

Under the stone steps, everyone had fallen to the ground and fell asleep.

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

They seemed to be having an endless nightmare, but they could not wake up from the nightmare and could only struggle in vain in the dream.

The black-robed priest looked down at everyone with an indifferent expression, and the corners of his mouth under the shadows rose, revealing a smile.

From the beginning, he stood here quietly.

He calmly and condescendingly watched everyone fall into an illusion - an illusion that can induce the heaviest memories in everyone's heart, and unearth the most fearful and longing things in everyone's heart.

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

No one can defeat himself, even the most courageous and strong man in the world will fall in front of him.

They will sleep forever in pain and never wake up again.

Stupid and humble mortal.

Being controlled by so-called emotions, I am suffering and struggling because of it.

Unreachable.

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

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

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

The great god of all things, Timyat——

Please grant your devout followers immortality—

A giant statue of a god with a strange shape but also gives people a wonderful soft feeling stands on a huge high platform.

The tail of the statue extends from the top, coils around one foot, and then the tail end is embedded in the six-diamond-shaped altar in the middle of the bluestone platform.

Arm-thick low pillars surround the altar, and the lines carved on the bluestone spread out, depicting complex patterns.

The lines were like clouds and waves, forming whirlpool-like traces that brought the ends of all the runes to the center.

In the center of the swirling pattern, the end of the statue's tail rises slightly.

The tail end carved out of black stone 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 is as tall as a person. The body of the staff is carved from obsidian. A creature that looks like a snake but not a snake is wrapped around the body of the staff from bottom to top.

At the top of the scepter, the object opened its mouth and held up a 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 fluorescence, reflecting the firelight, making those mysterious runes emit a shallow luster due to the refraction of light from the shallow grooves.

The black-robed priest carefully raised the scepter and gently inserted the scepter into the hole rolled out of the tail end of the statue.

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

With a click, the scepter blended perfectly with the rolled-up hole at the end, as if the scepter was originally supposed to stand there.

Ordinary people couldn't see it, but the black-robed priest could faintly see it. Traces of gray-black aura emerged from the ground, and then gathered around the scepter as if being attracted.

The wisps of gray-black aura quickly spread along the lines on the altar floor.

Gradually, an invisible vortex formed, spreading out in all directions with wind pressure.

Invisible air currents flew away, causing the hem of the priest's black robe to sway.

The wide hood slipped off his head, and an old face was exposed to the light.

His snow-white hair was flying wildly in the invisible air current, and two black and blue runes were tattooed on his cheeks, making his face look even more weird.

On the face full of wrinkles, only one pair of eyes was frighteningly bright.

He opened his hands and his eyes were filled with enthusiasm.

"Ah...I feel your breath...your response..."

The old priest stood beside the invisible vortex, raising his hands in the air, with a fiery face and crazy eyes.

His strange emphasis, like chanting and shouting, echoed in the stone hall.

"O Timiyat, the great god of all things."

"All things will pass away, and when that day comes, it will be the moment when you wake up from your slumber."

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

They will swim away in all directions, they will be scattered everywhere on the earth, fall into everyone's heart, induce the deepest desires in everyone's heart, and let everyone be tempted to turn into a slave of greed little by little.

Then, there is no need to do anything. Humanity, eroded by greed, will destroy itself, along with this continent——

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

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

Almost all the believers had sacrificed their flesh and blood for the gods, but he deliberately left these three until the end.

"This is just the beginning."

The old priest said,

"We want to spread the breath of the great God of all things throughout the earth."

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

He stood at the intersection of light and shadow, as if wrapped in a mysterious aura.

His hoarse voice surrounded the stone hall and echoed for a long time.

“When humble mankind destroys itself, that is when God awakens from his slumber.”

"The great God will come to earth to bring an end to all things and bring 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 God has returned to the emperor again under the guidance of God."

He said,

"Go and deliver this sacrifice to the altar."

The three believers stood up, quickly came to the unconscious people, and brought Heimos to the altar.

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

It surrounded Heimos bit by bit, permeating his body, its breath seeping into his body, almost becoming one with it.

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

"King of Aaron Landis..."

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

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

After randomly clicking on a believer, the black-robed priest pointed downwards.

"Go, servant of God, and offer the young king's head to the great general of God."

The believers bowed down and saluted with great piety.

Then, he stood up and walked down the stone steps and came to the young man.

The young man lay quietly on the ground, leaning sideways, with his long golden hair spread out on the stone ground.

The bright lights reflected on the side of his face, causing his hanging slender eyelashes to cast a rose-colored shadow on his cheeks.

He closed his eyes and looked at peace.

In the slightly swaying lights, the beautiful young man lying asleep on the ground of the stone hall looked like a painting, quiet and beautiful.

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

Cut it down with a sword.

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

…………

……………………

There was a whine, which was the whistle of a car speeding past outside the window, waking up the young man who was working hard to solve the problem.

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

The cool night breeze blew the drizzle in and fell inside the house.

The young man quickly stood 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, and it was pitch black, with no moonlight or starlight.

He looked out the window, feeling a little absent-minded for no reason.

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

That night sky, with its endless stars, is so beautiful that it makes people enchanted.

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

【……do not forget……】

Pa, the rain suddenly started getting heavier, and the raindrops hit the glass window with a loud sound, waking the young man up from his trance.

He shook his head.

Illusion.

He has never been to the beach, how could he have seen the starry sky on the beach.

It was very late. If he stayed up late like this, his mind would be even more unclear. It was time for him to sleep.

The young man thought this, raised his hand and yawned, turned around and planned to pack his things and go to bed.

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

It seemed like something on his wrist broke off and fell to his feet.

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

What he picked up was a bracelet that he had never seen before. Although it was made of pure gold, it had lost its original smoothness and brightness due to time. The silk thread was very rough and faded, becoming gray.

The gray-gold twisted wire wears a lapis lazuli protective stone talisman. The stone talisman is not well polished and has become smooth and rounded due to being worn, stroked and played with for many years. However, the protective runes carved on the stone talisman are crooked. It seems crude.

A moment of dead silence.

Time stands still at this moment.

Even the rain outside the window was frozen in mid-air.

Snap.

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

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

Suddenly, the young man's tightly closed eyes moved.

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

Garlan suddenly raised his hand.

There was a crisp sound, and the iron armor on his wrist blocked the sharp sword coming towards him.

The sword blade sparked fiercely from the wrist guard and slid to one side.

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

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

When the opponent subconsciously let go of his hand due to pain, he grabbed the opponent's broad sword in one fell swoop.

Then, he grasped the hilt of the sword with both hands and stabbed forward with the sword.

The broad sword pierced the man's chest fiercely. The man's eyes widened with disbelief. He stretched out his hand as if to catch Garlan, but his body fell back heavily without any control.

Bang.

He lay on his back, his pupils dilated, and the broadsword thrust into his chest.

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

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

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

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

The black bluestone scepter stood quietly in the middle of the altar, as if there were invisible whirlpools of air surging around it.

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

[Garlan, no matter what, never forget that you are the crown prince of Aaron Landis and the future king of Aaron Landis. 】

That day, under the bright sunshine.

The voice of King Camos, who placed the crown prince's crown on his head, seemed to ring in his ears again.

This was the first crude amulet he carved and gave to Brother Wang when he was still very young.

It was always worn by his brother Wang and never left his body.

Until that day...

From then on, this ancient amulet was worn on his hand.

Stuffing the broken amulet into his belt, Garlan reached out and picked up the long sword in front of Caihos.

"don’t worry."

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

Holding the sword tightly, Garlan stood up and tightened his fingers on the hilt of the sword.

The wet blond hair fell from his cheeks, revealing his golden pupils.

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

The Young King's eyes were bright and sharp.

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

He had seen this look before.

Many years ago.

That terrible...invincible man...

King Camos.

The king of the most powerful sun, the scorching sun is always around him, and all shadows are invisible in front of him.

All kinds of sorcery and ghostly tricks cannot contaminate it in the slightest.

The king of the lion who is hated and feared by all religions.

Wherever they looked, the followers of the All Things Sect were all trembling.

But now, he actually saw the same look in the young king's eyes as that of the trembling Lion King.

The pupils shrank violently, and the black-robed priest's originally indifferent expression suddenly darkened and became cold.

He cannot be allowed to live.

This young king must not be allowed to live!

The black-robed priest showed a ruthless expression on his face and spoke coldly.

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

He gave the order, and the two believers kneeling at his feet swallowed the 'miraculous medicine' they carried with them without hesitation.

The believer who took the pill first ran down the stone steps with a fanatical look in his eyes and rushed towards the young man who had just walked up the stone steps.

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

He didn't walk fast, but step by step, he was extremely smooth.

He always raised his head slightly and looked forward with sharp eyes.

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

"What are you still insisting on?"

He said in a deep voice.

The rich aroma came to my face and filled the stone palace.

The voice of the black-robed priest seems to penetrate people's hearts along with the fragrance and shake them.

"Destiny has already been determined and cannot be changed. No matter what you do, it will proceed according to the established trajectory."

In the low words of the priest, the cultists who had swallowed the medicine were already rushing toward Garlan ferociously from above.

Garlan turned to one side and avoided it.

The cultivator who jumped down was so quick that he couldn't stop when he saw Garlan avoiding him. He passed by Garlan and stumbled down a few steps before barely stopping.

He turned around to pounce again.

But just when he was halfway turning around, a sword light passed by, and his head suddenly flew high, opened an arc in the air, and fell under the stone steps.

His body collapsed, and the blood spurting from his neck dyed the boy's boots red.

"Perhaps it is just like what you said, there is a predetermined destiny..."

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

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

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

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

The blood-stained boots left a clear blood-red footprint every time he walked up the stone steps.

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

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

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

Garlan quickly jumped to one side.

The cultist, who had become extremely powerful, split the stone steps where Garlan was standing with a fierce sword.

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

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

He forced down the feeling of panic and still stood calmly beside the altar, looking down at Garlan who was walking towards him in a condescending manner.

"Young king."

He said, his voice low like a sigh.

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

He said,

"Are you going to continue your miserable fate?"

He pulled out his long sword, reached out and pushed, pushing aside the corpse of the cultist blocking him.

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

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

The black-robed priest's expression froze. He watched Garlan step towards him again, and was about to walk in front of him. For a moment, he could no longer maintain his aloof posture.

There was anger on his face, and his hoarse voice suddenly became louder.

"Your whole life is just being manipulated by the gods! Even so, don't you care?"

"Yes, even that doesn't matter."

The young man answered firmly and calmly.

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

He didn't stop and continued walking up step by step.

That look...

The same look in that scary man's eyes...

[Wherever the sun shines, shadows are everywhere. 】

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 young man walking towards him.

When he realized this, as if he wanted to suppress the sudden fear in his heart, he said sternly: "King of Aaron Landis, everything you do is in vain! You can't change the established fate! Let alone save anyone!"

Garlan shook his head.

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

He replied calmly and continued walking calmly towards the priest.

"Whether this is the destiny you say or not, I have saved countless lives. That is the fact. No one can deny it."

No longer able to hide the panic in his heart, the face of the black-robed priest had long since lost the arrogance and indifference that had been like a god not long ago.

He looked at Garlan in horror, wondering why the scent and the power given to him by God had no effect, so he could only take another step back helplessly.

While retreating, he continued to speak harshly unwillingly, trying to shake Gallan.

"You will be abandoned, abandoned by the gods - a chess piece like you, when you are completely useless, you will be abandoned by the gods and fate!"

"Whether it's a chess piece 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 in front of the priest.

He stared at the priest's old and gray face 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.

Protect the people around me.

Protect this land.

It has nothing to do with the gods or fate, this is all my own will.

The black-robed priest looked frightened 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 go against destiny... God told me... destiny has been destined for a long time. The destruction of Aaron Landis, the end of all things... These are all destiny, destined destiny..."

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

He babbled: "It's destiny, you can't..."

A silver-white sword light passed through the air.

The sword light split the chest of the black-robed priest.

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

He had seen it from sacrifices countless times, but this was the first time it splashed out from him.

His eyes were open and his mouth was open but he couldn't say a word.

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

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

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

Garlan glanced lightly at the old priest who fell at his feet.

His eyes passed by.

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

As he moved forward, blood dripped along the sword in his hand and fell on the ground as he walked.

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

His eyes were full of panic. He lay on the ground and struggled hard, reaching forward desperately to stop the terrible scene.

"No! You can't do this! No...no-"

In the roar of the old priest with all his strength, the fire light was shaking, and the light and shadow intertwined in the stone temple.

Huge statues of gods stood in the shadows.

The gray-black vortex that gathered around the scepter and was invisible to ordinary people seemed to be shrinking together in fear of something, shaking violently, as if it would collapse at any time.

It seemed to be resisting crazily. In an instant, an invisible air flow violently spurted out in all directions in the stone hall with the altar as the center.

Garlan stood on the altar, in front of the black bluestone scepter.

The invisible air flow roared past him fiercely, surrounded him, and raged fiercely, causing his long golden hair to fly like clouds behind him.

"I am King Aaron Landis."

"Son of the Gods."

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

"If there really is a so-called destiny in this world..."

A ray of snow-white sword light passed through the air.

There was a click.

The black bluestone scepter in the center of the altar was chopped off by the Young King's sword.

There seemed to be a huge and invisible air current in the hall that exploded in an instant.

"I am destiny!"