Chapter 635 You Are the Kindling (7000, Seeking Monthly Tickets!)

Sunlight squeezed through the heavy clouds, mixed with acrid smoke and wind, sweeping across the slums surrounding the factory district.

Cicero held his nearly sleeping daughter, anxiously taking a long way around the periphery to return to his home.

The weary man finally stepped into the familiar doorway, but he shouldn't have come back.

The Red Robe Gang was still the master of this slum. Their power choked the throats of all those who eked out a living in this area. These gang members, who were also demonized, were essentially the lackeys of nobles and powerful figures, and their recent actions were simply treating other demonized people like pigs in a pen.

—Whenever they wanted, they could just grab one and kill it.

As a former mercenary who had left the mercenary circle and lived in anonymity for some reason, Cicero naturally couldn't accept this fact. He took his daughter and fled as quickly as possible, preparing to leave this troubled place and seek shelter with his old friends.

But he had already been marked. Cicero, who usually relied on his martial prowess and didn't cooperate with the Red Robe Gang, even often opposing them, had been chosen as the chicken to be killed to warn the monkeys. The Red Robe Gang wanted to use his blood and corpse to announce to everyone that anyone who opposed the gang would suffer a miserable end.

Then came the chase, the escape, and then the encounter with a mysterious team... being rescued, being questioned, being given a legacy.

Finally, being granted freedom.

Even now, Cicero still didn't understand what Professor Svetlye was trying to do. He had saved him without asking for anything in return; he had given him a legacy as if he were handing out a few scraps of waste paper.

"Do whatever you want with it. It would be best if it could be spread. This kind of cultivation method that can stabilize the soul is useful for all demonized people."

This was the answer he had heard, but he couldn't understand it.

Source Energy Guidance Technique... its value in this land was more precious than gold or source energy steel.

And a guidance technique that could solidify and purify the soul, not to mention using it, Cicero had never even heard of it—although mercenary groups were knowledgeable, they knew nothing about those real secrets.

He found it hard to believe it was true, but regardless of whether the guidance technique was real or fake, the long knife that recorded the guidance technique had been transformed by Professor Svetlye into a source energy weapon. Silver-green source energy flowed, like a wisp of fine cloud, wrapped around the blade.

The reason Cicero hadn't gone directly to his mercenary friends was because he had received news along the way that the mercenary group had been suppressed by the Evendell noble guards.

The guard regiment, under the orders of Count Evendell, had collectively set out to quell the riots in various parts of the city—but they hadn't attacked the gangs, instead trying to wipe out all the mercenary groups and scattered ordinary professionals who were stopping the gangs from causing trouble.

The mercenary group was holding its ground, resisting the powerful firepower of the noble armed forces.

As things stood, there was no safe place in the entire city of Evendell. The outer city was already a battlefield, and he could even hear huge impacts coming from the inner city, even from the direction of the core area.

Hearing that sound, a large number of guard regiments retreated, giving the nearly defeated mercenary group a breather.

Clearly, things weren't peaceful over there either.

If it were him alone, Cicero would definitely risk fighting alongside his former mercenary brothers, but he was, after all, a father with a daughter, and he couldn't risk involving his daughter in the war to do that.

So he could only go home, prepare some necessary supplies... and then take his daughter away from Evendell and live in anonymity in a fixed village outside the mobile city.

Fortunately, the Red Robe Gang's elite had been annihilated by Professor Svetlye, and their other main forces were now being mobilized by the noble armed forces to attack mercenary groups and other private armed forces. On the contrary, the slums, as their old nest, were not heavily guarded.

As long as he was careful, he shouldn't be surrounded and hunted down as before.

Walking in the shadows, Cicero, on his way home, saw that the inside of his house was a mess. All kinds of utensils were broken, hanging paintings were torn down, picture frames were pushed over, and the doors of the cabinets were directly smashed open, revealing empty shelves.

Almost everything of value had been rudely taken away, which was obviously the work of gang members.

But that wasn't important. In the hidden compartment of the floor, he had placed some food and spare equipment for refuge, as well as well-maintained weapons.

When he had fled before, he thought he was going to the mercenary group of acquaintances for refuge, so there was no need to bring these extra burdens that would affect his speed.

But if he was going outside the city, then naturally the more prepared he was, the better.

"Daddy, are we back?"

At this moment, sensing the shaking, the girl on his back opened her eyes wearily.

She turned her head and saw the familiar decorations around her, and couldn't help but ask in surprise, "But Daddy, didn't you say we were going to Uncle Averill's place?"

"Cecilia, we're just back temporarily, we're leaving again soon."

The man put his daughter on the bed, turned around, and prepared to pry open the floor compartment: "Uncle Averill and them can't take care of themselves, we can only rely on ourselves."

There was nothing to miss in the house, especially after being looted by gang members, it was like a blank space.

Demonized people already lived a hard life, and the gang's exploitation made it impossible for these people to accumulate any wealth.

Thinking of this, Cicero suddenly stopped his movements. His heart ached: "My child... Daddy is really sorry for you. I've always made you suffer and haven't been able to give you a stable life..."

"A child like you should be taking classes with your peers, playing together, enjoying the cool breeze of late autumn, flying kites, going on picnics... instead of being in the slums with Daddy, running around, and even catching a demonization disease..."

The man's voice was heavy with regret. He closed his eyes tightly, as if he were confessing his sins, or as if he were trying to force himself not to shed tears.

But the little girl just yawned. Cecilia, who hadn't rested much all day, said drowsily, "That's fine too... as long as I'm with Daddy, there's nothing to be afraid of..."

Cecilia obviously didn't care—she was already used to hardship.

This child was too young and didn't know what happiness was, so she was numb to the hard days.

It was like someone who had never seen light would naturally disdain the morning light and wouldn't know how bright the day was.

She didn't care.

But the listener clenched his fists.

"Damn... demonization disease!"

Opening the floor compartment and taking out a few backpacks, Cicero's tone was almost gnashing his teeth: "Can Professor Svetlye's guidance technique really suppress demonization disease?"

"My condition may already be deeply rooted and cannot be stopped, but Cecilia... if Cecilia really learns it, then her future will definitely be happier and more fulfilling than mine!"

Having experienced too much, the man couldn't believe that there would be such a simple method in this world to alleviate demonization symptoms.

But he could only believe it, had to believe it.

Because other than that, he had no choice.

"Okay, let's get ready to go."

Because the supplies he had originally prepared had already been sorted, Cicero quickly packed all his luggage—he even prepared a small backpack specifically to put Cecilia in and carry on his back, to avoid accidents.

But just then, he heard footsteps outside the house.

Creak.

The door was opened.

"Who is it?!"

Immediately, Cicero's hair stood on end. His instinct as a former mercenary told him that the strength of the newcomer was something he couldn't resist.

The smell of blood came, proving that the other party had killed someone not long ago, at least within the last ten minutes, or had walked through an area full of blood.

Without hesitation, Cicero put down all the luggage he had prepared and retreated step by step with the clueless Cecilia, retreating to the wall.

While looking for an escape route, he said in a deep voice, "No matter what your purpose is, I'll leave everything to you. These supplies are not cheap, even if they're sold on the black market, they're a considerable fortune—I don't want any of it!"

But these words had no effect. The footsteps approached steadily from the doorway, accompanied by a powerful and unconcealed source energy fluctuation.

The moment this source energy fluctuation appeared, it made Cicero feel despair—he himself was just a Radiant Spark-stage knight, although he was quite strong, he was ultimately just a beginner professional.

And the newcomer... the newcomer was at least a strong existence even in the Heart Light-stage.

As long as the other party wanted to, there was no way he could escape.

—Why? I already have nothing left, why do you have to push me every step of the way?!

At this time, Cicero gripped the long knife at his waist, took a deep breath, and prepared to make a final struggle.

And with the footsteps, a shadow appeared in the corner, arriving at the doorway of the room where Cicero and his daughter were.

The man saw the face that was half-covered by the shadow, and couldn't help but open his mouth wide. The long knife he was holding tightly in his hand also loosened unconsciously by three points.

"I really like grand narratives, magnificent backgrounds, and exciting stories."

A steady voice sounded from the shadows.

"I like saving the world, exploring the stars, admiring spectacles bigger than the moon at the far end of the galaxy, and admiring scenery never seen before in unknown places."

"I like fighting against fate, denying established rules. I have surpassed reincarnation, slain gods and demons, and after fighting and defeating ancient heroes, I have made a wish to the true gods, changing the trajectory of the future."

"They say I am the covenantor of chaos, the transcender of reincarnation, the one admired by perfection and pioneers—and for the sake of the good in my heart, I can even become the embodiment of destiny."

This voice was not unfamiliar, even quite familiar.

Hearing this voice, Cecilia, who was being carried on her father's back, woke up from her drowsy sleep, then poked her head out and looked at the place where the voice was coming from.

"It's just liking—who would refuse those things?"

The white-haired man walked out of the shadows, advanced slowly, and then stopped in front of a picture frame on the ground that had been smashed.

He bent down and picked up the broken picture frame on the floor.

In the picture frame was a man and a woman, holding a small baby, laughing happily in the sun.

Su Zhou raised his head and looked at Cicero and Cecilia—without a doubt, based on the similarities in appearance, he could confirm with 100% certainty that the woman in the photo was Cicero's wife, the girl's mother.

And from the look in Cicero's eyes that dimmed for a moment after seeing the photo, it could be seen that she was already dead.

Su Zhou put the broken picture frame back on the shelf next to him, wiped the dust off, and then turned his head to look at the silent man.

"But, saying things like the world, the distance, what is right, and the future."

He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "In the end, I'm just a guy who can't walk away when he sees someone sad or upset."

Su Zhou raised his head and met the eyes of the man who had knelt down subconsciously.

"Your name?" he asked calmly.

"...Cicero." he answered tremblingly.

"Good, Cicero."

Walking to the center of the room with his hands behind his back, Su Zhou smiled and nodded to Cecilia, who was smiling and waving hello to him, then turned his head again and said to the man kneeling in front of him, not knowing whether he was excited or frightened: "If I said that my goal is to save this world, you would definitely think I'm crazy."

"No..."

Being asked so directly, this father, who had just been saved, took a deep breath. He said in a deep voice: "Not necessarily, Professor... If it's you, if it's..."

"Yeah, I think so too."

Without letting Cicero finish speaking, Su Zhou nodded, agreeing very naturally: "If it's me, I can definitely save the world."

In the other party's eyes, which didn't know how to respond, he said calmly: "But that can't save humanity."

"Defeating the enemy, blasting the culprits, and destroying the root of evil, I'm good at that—I've always been doing it, and I've never failed."

Su Zhou stood in front of Cicero, clenched his fist, and made a loud sound: "But how to make demonized people return to normal, how to make the discrimination between people disappear, how to make demonization, which should be a good thing, turn into a 'blessing' in the true sense."

"This can't be done overnight, nor can it be done by one person's strength. It's like I can kill Count Evendell, but I can't make the entire city of Evendell peaceful and loving."

"So, Cicero, I need your help."

"Professor, what can I do?"

Facing the suddenly appearing Su Zhou, Cicero's heart was filled with excitement in addition to unease and subconscious fear—a kind of expectation that he had finally encountered a turning point in his destiny and could finally change the established future.

And this expectation came from the daughter on his back.

Su Zhou saw through this expectation, so he came and found him.

"Help me attract more people to practice the cultivation method I gave you."

He said lightly, but it made Cicero open his mouth slightly. He raised his hand in confusion and pointed at himself: "Me? But I'm just an ordinary person... How can I attract more people..."

It wasn't that Cicero was unwilling, but he genuinely thought he couldn't do it.

Even when he was a mercenary, he had never led a team, nor had he ever thought about becoming a captain or a leader.

In other words, his leadership score should be failing.

Who would let him attract more people?

"That's not important."

But Su Zhou opened his mouth, the white-haired professor's tone was calm: "There are two ways to attract more people. The first is to show your specialness and abnormality, and become a unique and strange object in the eyes of others, an object they want to worship."

"Most human hearts are confused, weak, and powerless. They need the guidance of an idol to make their hearts no longer empty and nihilistic. They will follow those who are strong, regard the dreams of the strong as their own dreams, and fight with the strong—this is not a bad thing, because it is also the process of human learning. New strong people will realize their own ideas in the process of following others, and then go to lead others."

"I'm good at this, but you're not."

"Cicero, you are the second type, because you are ordinary, weak, and have attachments, so everyone knows that you are the same as them and can believe, just like believing in themselves."

"I need you to turn into an unremarkable kindling and then ignite this world."

"Kindling..." the man muttered to himself, he seemed to feel like he understood something, but he didn't understand anything.

He had once heard that some noble bigwigs scoffed at them demonized people, essentially being the fuel of the world, allowing the world to burn—he didn't understand the true meaning of this fuel at that time, and he still doesn't understand it now.

But now, Cicero could clearly distinguish that the flame and fuel in the mouths of the nobles were completely different from the kindling in the mouth of Professor Svetlye.

The burning in the mouths of both parties was also obviously not the same kind of ignition.

Even, completely opposite.

"Cicero, the city of Evendell is about to be destroyed by the Empire. I just killed Count Evendell, which will inevitably bring a wave of complete liquidation—a liquidation aimed at the demonized people, and even the entire city of Evendell."

Casually stating news enough to shock the whole city, Su Zhou stared at the obviously shaken eyes of Cicero in front of him: "I don't regret doing this, because if I didn't do this, you demonized people, and even those ordinary people who seem to be living normally, would be burned to ashes."

"Cicero."

Raising his voice, Su Zhou's tone became stern, which instantly made the man straighten his body subconsciously: "You have a daughter, you have burdens, you must have attachments and love, so you are the most realistic, you cannot be attracted by grand dreams, you only want a stable life."

"But I want to tell you that these will no longer exist—happiness is an illusion, if you don't fight and rise up, death is the only ending."

"In the future, the barbarians in the north will break through Yanshuang Pass and drive straight in from the North-South Plain Corridor. The world will definitely be in chaos, and I will guide you on a path."

Saying this, Su Zhou stretched out his hand, and the source energy long knife that was originally in Cicero's hand flew into his hand.

The man raised his palm, wiped it on it, and instantly, the inscription inheritance originally engraved on the spine of the knife appeared with a slight change—it became simpler and easier to understand, and because Su Zhou had devoured the Soul of Twilight, its ability to purify soul impurities became stronger.

Then, Su Zhou handed back this long knife, which had undergone a second revision and was engraved with the Soul Purification Guidance Technique named [Burning Ash Fire 0.89 Test Version].

"Take some people you think are worth taking, let them practice the secret method I gave you, leave this city, and lurk in the fixed villages."

"Don't be stingy, don't be secretive. If someone wants to steal it, give them the most complete version—spread this cultivation method, and the ideas, develop your own group among the many demonized people in the fixed villages, lead the fixed villages, surround the mobile cities, and gradually let the shadow of this cultivation method appear in the mobile cities."

"Cicero, don't you want your daughter to live a normal life, living without discrimination?"

"This is that path."

"A path without discrimination..." Cicero dazedly took the long knife in his hand, he stared at the long knife in his hand, which had become more sacred and powerful, and couldn't help but mutter to himself: "A path that can make Cecilia happier..."

Staring at this scene, then, Su Zhou turned around.

"Also, remember."

With his back to the still kneeling Cicero, he said softly: "Stand up, don't kneel."

"This must be the last time."

Su Zhou left Cicero's house.

And Flint, who had just finished cleaning up all the remaining Red Robe Gang members in this slum, was waiting for him at the door.

[...Can this succeed?]

The mechanical human was silent for a while, then looked into the house.

Master Flint could see that the man in the house was not strong, his will was not firm, and his talent was average. Not to mention comparing him with geniuses, even Seneca in the orphanage had a higher talent than him.

"He is just a kindling. As long as the kindling ignites a flame, then it is a success."

Su Zhou walked outside, saw many Red Robe Gang members' corpses lying on the street. Their turbid demonized souls had begun to gradually dissipate, but what was more turbid than the souls was the heart of these people who regarded their own kind as livestock.

"I have confidence in the guidance technique I developed. No demonized person can refuse—and as long as there is no cannibalistic instinct, most demonized people cannot be called bad people, and even have no ability to do evil."

"As long as Cicero starts publicizing this guidance technique to the outside world and continues to publicize it, making secrecy impossible, then its popularization will become inevitable."

"As long as they practice, they will understand that demonization is not a disease, but an uncontrollable blessing—a blessing that can allow ordinary people to become extraordinary people, allowing everyone to master power."

Speaking of this, Su Zhou narrowed his eyes, raised his head, and looked around the entire city of Evendell.

Now, the demonized people's riots had gradually ended—the noble guards had suppressed most of the rioters. They should have executed these criminals who disrupted order on the spot, but the death of Count Evendell disrupted the imperial guards, and now the entire city had fallen into chaos.

"Power can be suppressed."

Watching all this, Su Zhou said lightly: "But knowledge and thought cannot be forbidden—instead of me killing those evil nobles one by one, it is better to give knowledge and fishing nets to those who are oppressed, and they will naturally spark the flames, gain power, create a new era, and create a new order."

[...As expected of the former Frost Empire rebel army's mentor.]

Master Flint opened his mouth, he wanted to say something, but in the end he just sighed: [Let the demonized people understand that they are not infected with a terminal illness, but can safely obtain the blessing of power... In the absence of cannibalistic impulses and berserk symptoms, demonization is indeed a good thing.]

Without a doubt, this will fundamentally change the order of the world.

[What are we going to do next?]

"Return to the Dawnlight Ship—the affairs of Evendell City no longer need us to interfere."

Cicero had already taken Cecilia out of the slums—after hesitating for a long time, he still took people to the area where the mercenary group was located, which was theoretically more dangerous.

At this moment, Su Zhou and Flint also walked out of the slums from another direction.

They came to the gap where the Dawnlight Ship collided with the city wall of Evendell.

This place was still empty. The high concentration of source energy radiation and the terrifying destruction scene made all the natives afraid to approach, and the Count's guards were panicked because of the Count's death, so naturally no one would come here to interfere.

Standing on the gap, Su Zhou was about to leave this city where Professor Svetlye had lived for more than ten years. There was no reluctance in his heart, presumably the original Professor Svetlye was the same.

"Although it is only a corner, the darkness of this world has been revealed."

Raising his head, he looked at the direction where the Dawnlight Ship left, and said in a steady tone: "Count Evendell is definitely a very important chess piece of the Imperial Emperor. His death will set off a huge wave in the south... Without us taking action, the storm will sweep across the entire continent of Aean."

"Now, what we have to do is to ensure our safety, increase our strength, and find out the truth behind the dark curtain of this world."

Speaking of this, Su Zhou paused, then frowned suddenly.

"Wait..."

Seeming to have thought of something, the man muttered to himself: "Mobile ships and mobile cities rely on source energy cores to have such huge energy operations."

"And the Empire's source energy cores need souls as additives."

"The Dawnlight Ship is more massive than ordinary mobile warships, and can continue to operate continuously for nearly ten thousand years without damage and without charging—what is the principle of its source energy core?!"

Thinking of this, Su Zhou couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, and said in a deep voice: "It seems that we really have to go back as soon as possible and ask about the situation."

After saying that, he jumped down and fell towards the barren land beneath the mobile city.

Like a meteor falling from the sky.

And Flint followed closely behind the man, just like the Light Chasing Order's name of chasing the light.

Then, they galloped away towards the distance.

……

Several hours later, Su Zhou, who had returned to the Dawnlight Ship, asked Dawn, who was welcoming the two back, this question as soon as possible.

"Huh?"

Regarding Su Zhou's question about the Dawnlight Ship's source energy core, the half-elf sitting on the captain's seat couldn't help but show a puzzled look.

She looked at Su Zhou suspiciously, then looked at Flint standing aside, and said in confusion: "Could it be that the source energy cores of this era are different from the previous eras?"

"Dawnlight, Dawnlight... what is the first ray of light in this world?"

"The core of the source energy core that can bring endless energy, of course, is the fragment of the Holy Sun falling, the blessing of the Holy Ones, the 'Dawnlight Holy Rock'!"