Chapter 646 The Hope that Kills (7100)

Roselia Pharos once had a demonized friend.

The Pharos family, regardless of direct or collateral lines, doesn't even have conventionally defined family units. All children of the family are taken away by the council of elders after infancy, uniformly nurtured and taught, and uniformly exercised and trained, without exception.

Children can't even see their parents before the age of eight, but they don't lack warmth. In the family's newborn cultivation camp, they receive meticulous care. Professional infant caregivers and early childhood educators are responsible for guiding each child's growth, developing their interests and strengths, which is much better and more professional than most parents who don't have time to care for their children due to work and also lack professional infant care certifications.

In the Pharos family, the family comes first, then the family.

And the Pharos family motto is 'equality and co-prosperity' and 'trust and tolerance'.

Not just the children, but the parents also rarely get to see their children, only twice a year on the child's birthday and New Year's, let alone exert any influence. The family's glory shines on all members, which is precisely 'equality and co-prosperity'.

Within the family, each person is assigned to different positions based on their talents and areas of expertise. Roselia's parents were members of the foreign trade chamber of commerce, so they had even less time to stay in Coastal City and watch Roselia than other parents who rarely see their children.

Until the age of nine, his parents, returning from the harsh mountains of the Western Regions, brought back a little boy.

They said that he was the child of a benefactor who had saved their lives. The harsh mountains were full of barbaric tribes and Source Energy beasts. Their benefactor had perished together with a huge Deathclaw Fire Tiger to protect the Coastal City caravan, and they had vowed to bring the child back and treat him as their own.

That was the first time Roselia met Aleia, a demonized little boy with black hair, purple eyes, and demonic patterns on his face.

This was a key propaganda tool for the Pharos family to show their close relationship with the demonized. They needed such evidence to prove that the Pharos family and Coastal City absolutely did not discriminate against demonized individuals and treated them equally.

His parents seemed a little guilty. Their own son didn't have many opportunities to meet them, and when he finally did, they brought back a new 'child'.

But Roselia didn't care. He didn't think too much about the family's propaganda or his parents' unease and guilt.

He just, just watched that little boy hiding behind the adults like a wounded beast, his eyes very fierce. In his heart, which had always been lonely, a spark suddenly ignited.

"Can I... be your friend?"

The green-eyed child with golden hair spoke softly and reached out his hand.

"Frie...nd?"

The black-haired, purple-eyed child tilted his head in confusion, but he still reached out his hand.

Although, in retrospect, one side was because of fear of the unfamiliar environment and the sadness of losing parents, so facing a little kindness, they grabbed it without hesitation.

The other side was also because of long-term loneliness and loneliness, because his parents were far away and he didn't have many friends, so he wanted to find someone to rely on spiritually.

But such a process of acquaintance is not bad.

After all, not all friendships start purely and flawlessly. Mutual dependence and need are also a healthy way to interact.

The primitive tribes in the mountains have their own unique way of life. They regard demonization as a blessing and cannibalism as dedication. Only the power brought by demonization can lead them to survive in the dangerous environment of the harsh mountains, which is close to desperation. Whenever a demonized person goes mad, someone will voluntarily dedicate themselves, offering their soul and body to be swallowed, maintaining the sanity of the strong.

In the quilt, young Roselia listened carefully to Aleia recounting the strange customs of the tribe. He listened to him describe the horror of the ogres in the mountains and the icy winds of the northwestern snow mountains, and the demons and spirits emerging in the wind and snow.

It must be said that this really startled Roselia, but he also laughed and took Aleia little by little through every corner of Coastal City during the day, letting him see the high-rise cities that were even taller than his hometown mountains.

With Aleia, his life was no longer lonely.

Similarly, Aleia also received the same cultivation from the Pharos family and curbed the spread of demonization. The two grew up together, played together, they walked through every corner of Coastal City together, witnessing the endless splendor when the demon moon erupted with blood-colored brilliance in the city, and gazing at the dawn of the Aean Continent rising in the wilderness.

When they were eighteen years old, they passed the assessment together and became official members and employees of the Pharos family.

Roselia showed extraordinary talent in cultivation and combat. He became a spellcaster and stepped onto the battlefield of Coastal City and all the forces coveting the city, while Aleia undoubtedly carried forward the blood of his Western Region tribesmen. He became the strongest knight, holding a giant shield, his iron-tower-like body able to withstand the impact of a Savage Stone Bull head-on.

The combination of the two was incredibly tacit, and they cooperated well whether they were guarding caravans or carrying out secret missions.

Even when encountering danger, the two never thought of abandoning each other, and each time they returned from desperation hand in hand.

They were clearly not brothers, but they were better than brothers.

Until that day, Roselia became a Divine Intent-realm mage, becoming the youngest core member of the family.

He came into contact with the truth about the Source Energy Core, the status of demonized individuals on the continent, and the still cold side of Coastal City under its surface enthusiasm.

Although demonized individuals are allowed to exist and are treated equally in Coastal City, it is nothing more than using benefits to bind them, absorbing the power of demonized individuals that other countries and other forces do not need.

Exchanging money for power is, in the end, a transaction... When the benefits brought by demonized individuals are no longer comparable to the costs, they will not hesitate to abandon the demonized individuals.

This is normal. In order to continue to survive on this terrible land, the family must be so cold and ruthless.

Roselia understood this.

However, he had not forgotten the suffering of his brother, and the suffering of his brother's compatriots who were not of the same race.

Roselia was very smart, even more so than most people. He knew very well that even if he was dissatisfied, he could not resist the decision of the entire family. In addition to needing to become stronger, he also needed to fight for more say for the demonized individuals.

In this way, even if they were abandoned, they would not be ruthlessly wiped out, and perhaps they could have a good breakup.

"Demonized individuals must have a city or district of their own. Only with a foundation can they avoid being secretly discriminated against and regarded as packages and burdens."

In a dark room, Roselia said seriously to his silent brother, "Aleia, I have an idea in my heart... Demonized individuals can try to become city guards, that is, members of the patrol and law enforcement teams, using their power to capture those dangerous criminals. Although this will cause many people to cast hatred and fear on you, conversely, you will also completely become a part of this city, a part of our family..."

"Of course, the best thing is to seize and build a small town exclusively for demonized individuals, and secondly, an exclusive district. Demonized individuals need to unite to achieve the ultimate goal - I think District 193 to 207 is good, there are many demonized individuals there..."

This was just a very superficial idea. Roselia was young at that time. Although he had experienced life and death battlefields, he was not really cunning to that point.

"I'll listen to you, brother."

Aleia nodded solemnly. He said gently in a deep voice, "When the time comes, we will act."

The opportunity came quickly.

A few years later, Coastal City ushered in another wave of Source Energy beast attacks and bandit armies in a winter. That was a smokescreen sent by the Empire. In fact, there was also an elite group army watching from the side.

As an overly prosperous independent neutral mobile city, any national force wanted to seize Coastal City as their economic center.

Conversely, at least not let others get it.

They certainly knew that Coastal City's strength was not weak, so they were just testing, like beasts confronting each other by extending their claws.

That was a tragic battle. Aleia's wolf-fang club and great shield were covered with blood and viscera. Fragments of bones were everywhere. He was so exhausted that he could only gasp for breath, and Roselia was even more不堪. He had used up all his magic power and could only lie in the blood and pretend to be dead, quietly recovering his energy.

"...Let's go occupy that imperial town on the border. There should be no one there anymore. The Ninth Group Army has just retreated. We can occupy that town..."

After his energy recovered a little, Roselia was helped up by Aleia. Although his hands and legs were spasming and he couldn't move, he still cheered up and said, "This is tit for tat. Many satellite villages and towns in Coastal City came from this way, but this time we have to be fast. Take the demonized troops over there. We'll occupy it first, and we'll have more say in the distribution of the spoils!"

"Save some energy, don't talk."

To this, Aleia laughed. His eyes were hot, and he looked in the direction of the town, his eyes full of hope: "A small town belonging to demonized individuals... Our home!"

Occupying an uninhabited town didn't take much effort. At the beginning of the war, the Ninth Group Army dispersed all the residents in the mobile towns and used them as forward command posts.

Although the town was already dilapidated, the foundation was intact. The completely destroyed urban area was just right for building new buildings. Demonized individuals craved this land. Although they could live without discrimination, they were, in the end, living under someone else's roof and needed to rely on their breath.

Respect. Respect is not charity, not tolerance, but relying on work, relying on one's own efforts, to get the rewards that one deserves. Those who give money don't have to be superior, and those who get money don't have to be humble. This is respect.

Roselia also knew this problem. He had thought of many solutions, but only letting demonized individuals also have a little of their own foundation was the most stable and reasonable solution. Other methods might have to wait until he became a family elder to implement them.

Hundreds of demonized warriors who had known about the plan for a long time arrived here. Next, they would have to hold on, wait for the Ninth Imperial Army to completely withdraw, and then protect the mobile town from the impact of bandits and Source Energy beasts.

Most of them were excited, but they suppressed this excitement in calmness. They knew that the dawn before victory was the darkest, and the closer they got to success, the more careful they had to be.

Sure enough, the rapid alarm sounded, and the sentry issued a warning.

"The enemy is attacking!"

"They plan to make a comeback and eat our batch of troops!"

"Haha, it really is a trap, but as long as we can withstand this wave of attacks from the Ninth Group Army, the subsequent support troops can surround them in turn. This is a great achievement!"

"Everyone in position, get ready for battle!"

Using Eagle Eye Technique to observe, Roselia laughed. This was all within his expectations. The Ninth Group Army was not directly under the Emperor. It was a war machine group supported by the Southeast Noble Union. They had always paid an eye for an eye. How could they suffer a loss and a defeat and not think about how to get back their face?

Aleia also stood up silently. The tall man picked up his wolf-fang club and giant shield, his eyes calmly looking in the direction of the enemy's return.

But there was hope in his eyes.

Not far away, teams of Ninth Group Army soldiers lined up in formation, and tall armored vehicles formed scattered large formations, and then, with the belief of revenge, they rushed towards the abandoned town where strongholds and fortifications were being built.

……

"Amazing, those hundreds of demonized troops actually withstood more than twelve fierce attacks from the Ninth Group Army assault brigade, killed nearly a thousand enemies, and also allowed us to get a large number of prisoners. Now General Zymoshchuk that guy can only obediently bow his head and pay the ransom. An unprecedented great victory!"

"It's a pity, so brave, but in the end only a dozen people survived. Fortunately, the child leading the troops is fine, Roselia, very potential, he is very worthy of cultivation."

"Almost wiped out, it's really a pity, alas, even if there were a hundred people left, it would be good, so we can use these hundred people as the core to form a demonized troop. They are really very brave."

"Roselia, are you injured and don't want to speak? Hmm, you didn't suffer much damage, it's really incredible."

"He was very well protected."

Memory returns to the present.

Standing at the highest point of Coastal City, the old man, still looking like a golden-haired teenager, looks down at the city, surveying the world.

--How long has it been?

A non-demonized person who cares about demonized individuals.

--How long has it been since I encountered one?

A powerful old man who has seen the suffering of the world and is not much younger than himself has not been wiped out of his enthusiasm, still has resentment and dissatisfaction with this world, and has not become numb.

Yes, yes.

How many years... Aleia.

When will I be able to let you rest in peace?

"Then let's talk here,"

On this lighthouse, the Disaster-realm Grand Magister, still looking like a young man, sat down and said calmly to the old man at his side, "You're right, hope can indeed kill people. I know this. I once gave hope to a demonized individual, and he believed in that illusory vision until his death."

"And I will continue to give more demonized individuals hope, so that more people will die."

"Ha, who would really sincerely like demonized individuals? They are too dangerous, but we don't have the capital to treat them badly... Professor Sviet, you can't expect people like us to love the weak... Only the most powerful existence can love the weak, we are not worthy."

Su Zhou also sat down. Although he couldn't read Roselia's memory, he could sense the emotions in his heart.

That was a thick sadness and determination that was hard to forget even now.

This old man was lying, but there was no need to expose it. Everyone has past events that they don't want to talk about casually, so there's no need to delve into them.

So the man was silent for a while, and then said, "Demonized individuals are objectively a threat, and they shouldn't be accepted rationally."

"But I have secret methods that can allow demonized individuals to safely transform into transcendents. As long as it is popularized, I believe that the status of demonized individuals will definitely change, and the social structure of this world will also change."

Most demonized individuals are just talented people in the folk who have not been well protected. Their talents have not been highlighted and manifested by education, but they are demonized because they are instinctively close to Source Energy.

This is also why there are many strong people among demonized individuals. They should have been strong people. Demonization is actually sealing their future, giving them power that they should not have obtained prematurely.

Su Zhou simply handed a booklet to Roselia.

Roselia didn't hesitate to open it and browse the contents.

Knights, Spellcasters, Alchemists, these are the three major professions of the Aean world, three methods of using Source Energy.

Knights rely on Source Energy to strengthen themselves and their weapons, greatly improving precise operation and reaction capabilities.

Spellcasters rely on Source Energy to strengthen their souls, analyze the truth of the roots, and use Source Energy and knowledge to cast all kinds of wonderful spells.

Alchemists use Source Energy to create objects. Their creations are like the embodiment of truth. Any wonderful function is possible, as long as they can pay the price and master the knowledge.

Mages read incredibly quickly. Their brains are comparable to real supercomputers, and even quantum reading is easy.

But Roselia carefully read this booklet page by page, reading the cultivation guidance methods in it in detail, which even illiterates could roughly understand through pictures.

He finished reading it, closed the booklet, and closed his eyes.

"The Twilight Dragon is about to be unsealed, within twenty years."

The golden-haired 'teenager' suddenly spoke, and what he said was extremely secret, a secret that even many army group leaders and great nobles might not know: "Even if it is possible to restore the original appearance of demonized individuals now, and turn the curse into a blessing, it is too late."

"But... Professor, you are really great."

"There's nothing great about it."

Su Zhou shook his head: "This is what 'should be done' and 'is correct'. As a strong person, I should do this."

Opening his eyes, Roselia took a deep look at Su Zhou. He smiled: "I heard that Professor Sviet is a brutal and terrifying butcher, who created a tragic massacre in the city of Evend and brutally killed Earl Evend. Now it seems that it should all be fake."

"An orphanage director should not be so brutal."

"It's true, but there are other reasons." Su Zhou keenly noticed that Roselia's perception of him had changed greatly. He prompted: "Don't be mysterious. Since there's not enough time, then hurry up and say it. You're already in your fifties, what's the point of talking so slowly?"

Roselia nodded. This Disaster-realm expert didn't have any airs. He raised his hand and pointed to the north: "The Holy Sun is about to go out, and the final war is about to begin. In order to fight for the hope of surviving in the darkness, all forces with cards will not be willing to become the food and firewood of others."

"Coastal City has a Holy Sun Crystal Engine excavated from the last era, also called the Primal Radiance Rock, which holds nearly infinite energy and is the object of coveting by major forces, but our strength is not weak, so we are currently mainly trying to win over and intimidate, but in a few years, it is estimated that there will be a large army pressing down."

"However, the Northern Barbarians are different. They believe in the Twilight Dragon, and the harsh land they live in is not much better than the dark era. They are fearless, and the Twilight Dragon, which is about to wake up, has also given them strength. The number of their professionals is increasing rapidly, and even the Northern Frostguard doesn't know when they were eroded. The former enemies have unexpectedly joined forces."

"I may know the reason."

Su Zhou nodded. He described the soul purification effect brought by the Twilight Imprint and did not hide the fact that his Cinderfire Guidance Art was inspired by it.

The large number of transcendents appearing among the Northern Barbarians is obviously a large number of demonized individuals who have been purified into transcendents by the power of the Twilight Dragon, and the Frostguard had already been intermarrying with the Barbarians for a long time before the war. Although the war has been going on for a long time, what they really hate is the Asmodean Empire that abandoned the north.

This suddenly made Roselia suddenly realize.

"What do you need me to do?"

Exchanging information with the real patriarch of the Pharos family, Su Zhou obtained a lot of secrets about this world, such as some secrets about the Asmodean Imperial family, the mysterious traction about the demon moon, the Northern Barbarians, and the sealed moon... Many, many secrets. The Pharos family is one of the most powerful forces in this world, second only to those large alliances. They know far more information than Su Zhou.

After learning this valuable information, Su Zhou directly asked the other party's purpose - Cinderfire is certainly valuable, but things that are about to be popularized are obviously not worth much.

It was already sunset.

"Originally, I thought you might be a Disaster-realm expert, and I wanted to win you over to join our Pharos family, and by the way, trade with you for the knowledge you obtained in the ancient ruins, the reason for becoming so powerful."

Roselia stood up. He looked down at the Holy Sun that was slowly sinking into the horizon, his eyes deep: "But now it's not necessary. The flames will burn, and they will always burn. The flames of war will spread here. Not to mention whether you would be willing to join, even if you did, it would just be tying you to the war chariot."

"Coastal City will rise from the ground in a few months and begin to move, heading to the volcanic area deep in the southeastern sea to avoid the flames of war. This is undoubtedly just an escape and will definitely encounter pursuit from major forces, but we are ready to fight. This auction is to find out the purposes and tendencies of the major forces, and by the way, collect a wave of funds to purchase resources."

Speaking of this, he turned his head and looked at Su Zhou, who also stood up. Roselia said in a deep voice, "I already know your purpose, Professor Sviet. You want to obtain a Primal Radiance Rock. We have one, but that is the engine that drives Coastal City to move. We can't give it to you."

"But we will support you and give you enough power and resources to obtain that Primal Radiance Rock in the East Sea - we have a special tracking array that can capture the aura similar to the Primal Radiance Rock."

"Haha."

Hearing this, Su Zhou already understood the other party's purpose. He laughed: "Throwing out a crackling smokescreen not only deceives people but also attracts people's attention - you want me to make a big fuss in the East Sea so that everyone's attention will be focused there, making it easier for Coastal City to retreat?"

"You really trust me, believe that I will definitely, and can make a big move, and will definitely agree to do so."

"Why not believe it?"

To this, Roselia smiled faintly. He took out the booklet given by Su Zhou and took a look, and then looked down at the city.

The man said in a low voice: "I always believe in hope."

Even if it can kill people, it is so.

"Starting today, Coastal City will start to popularize the guidance art you wrote. Believe me, Coastal City... will listen to my orders."

Saying this, the golden-haired 'teenager' took out an opaque crystal box from nowhere.

"This is a deposit, an advance payment."

"Oh?"

Su Zhou raised his eyebrows. He didn't reach out, but he already knew what was in the box: "To be honest, you're giving this thing away? A thing worth tens of billions of Imperial currency, half an armed fleet, if you ate it yourself, you might really be able to stay young like this forever."

Roselia pushed the box into Su Zhou's arms without any hesitation: "Your value exceeds five full-strength armored fleets."

"Take it, just consider it an old man's thanks."

--Just consider it a sacrifice to hope.

"...Hope doesn't need sacrifices."

Sensing what the other party was thinking, Su Zhou accepted the box containing the Kindling Godwood, but his face became serious, and he said in a deep voice: "It will not stand behind cowards. Only after fighting bravely can it be obtained - Coastal City may be able to escape the flames of war, but you absolutely cannot. In the future, there will be things that you need to do, your power should be used to fight, and not just think about escaping."

"As for the East Sea matter, I promise you, this is what I should do."

Su Zhou turned around and left. He simply jumped off the lighthouse, riding the wind back towards the direction of the Primal Radiance ship.

Roselia, who wanted to continue to say something, stood in place. He opened his mouth, and then silently turned his head.

The old man looked at the sunset that was mostly submerged in the horizon, his eyes burning.

Yes, there is nowhere to escape, this world has left no room.

"My friend..." he sighed: "Perhaps it is now."

"What I promised you..."

Then there was silence.

In the memory, the battlefield where everything ended, the twilight was dim, two people were sitting on the battlefield, bathing in the afterglow of the setting sun. In the long night, before sunrise, one person fell, and only one person continued to sit, until now.

Today, the sun rises.

The person sitting stood up, facing the sun.

It's time to fight.