Chapter 33: At the Side of the Sinful King

Everything is so tedious and repulsive...
Moonlight, insect chirps, the sky, clouds, dew...
Colors, sounds, textures, people, currents of thought...
Hatred, bonds, order, love, chaos...
Truth, lies, reality, sin, deception...
Meaningless. Senseless.
There has never been such a thing as right or wrong, nor has there ever been such a thing as fall or salvation. This world was never twisted; it has been twisted beyond repair from the very moment of its birth.
Since it never had an "original form," it might as well be turned into something I like...
When the cacophony becomes deafening, one eventually becomes numb, accustomed to it.
Or, perhaps it would be better to let it return to absolute silence. That wouldn't be bad either.

Mo lowered his body slightly, gazing at a small pink flower beneath the shade of the trees. He could feel its vibrant vitality, and it was precisely because of this that it was able to grow tenaciously in such an ill-suited environment.
"Steadfast, tenacious, and aloof." A serene smile actually appeared on Mo's face, his eyes filled with pure appreciation. "It is just that within this unique beauty, there exists a slight flaw..."
A dark red halo flashed and vanished, silent and traceless.
A charred petal drifted down beside his feet...
"That's..." Mo stood up again, his figure swaying slightly. He reached up to steady the half-mask covering his eyes, whispering, "Perfect."

"When I first walked over, I thought you were complimenting me."
Ji Xiaodao appeared behind Mo at some point, her indifferent tone seeming to hold a trace of concern. "Are you alright?"
"Steadfast, tenacious, and aloof?" Mo turned to look at the tall girl with long silver hair—as she appeared in the game—and did not answer her question, merely shaking his head coldly. "I only see blindness, willfulness, and obtrusiveness in you."
Ji Xiaodao shrugged nonchalantly, her expression blank as she said, "With that kind of personality, no girl will ever be interested in you."
"If we exclude you, that is indeed the case." Mo leaned sideways against a nearby ancient tree, gently rubbing his temple. "Stop following me. You should know that you are a nuisance..."
A faint flush rose on the dark elf's pale face. Ji Xiaodao stared straight at this guy who, no matter how one looked at him, did not resemble a normal person. "What did you say!?"
"You are a nuisance," Mo repeated, his emotions devoid of any fluctuation.
"That’s not what I asked!" The girl gritted her teeth, her willow-leaf eyebrows slightly arched.
Mo merely glanced at her. "You are truly annoying..."
Honestly, the fact that he hadn't killed this overly troublesome girl yet was a miracle to Mo. Even though his previous attempt had been interrupted by that squad of cavalry—which was now nothing more than bones—he had had plenty of opportunities to do so since...
[I really should kill her.]
Just as Mo Tan was thinking this for the umpteenth time, the girl in front of him changed the subject.
"The herald arrived at the Imperial Capital this afternoon," Ji Xiaodao said suddenly. "The investigative team is expected to arrive here in two days. Because of your orders, Viscount Tier has not sent any more search and rescue units to Banser City; he seems to be waiting for further instructions from you..."
Beneath the mask, the chaotic, increasingly violent glint in Mo's eyes faded slightly, and he narrowed his gaze.
Ji Xiaodao continued on her own. "I gathered that among the investigators coming this time is a Grand Duke named Bart Gallos. He wields considerable power in the imperial high command and is a high-ranking Hurricane Mage, deeply trusted by the Emperor."
A smile full of malice bloomed at the corner of his mouth, and Mo nodded at the young girl. "Continue."
"Accompanying them are the High Priest of the Church of Radiant Night and several high-ranking clerics. I’ve learned that they worship the Guardian of Rangers, Poets, and Children—the Moon Goddess Rose, a deity of absolute neutrality." Ji Xiaodao’s speaking speed seemed to increase slightly. "I think those people will certainly be interested in you, and they might even drag you to..."
"The stake is not popular here, and even if it were, I would only be one of the spectators." Mo walked slowly to Ji Xiaodao, looking at the dark elf girl who was a few centimeters taller than him in the game, and asked softly, "What are you trying to express?"
The girl stared back stubbornly. "I just want you to know that I am not trouble, and I am not a nuisance!"
Mo shook his head slightly. "I do not need companions, nor am I willing to trust anyone other than myself."
"I can help you!" Ji Xiaodao said loudly. "I am already doing so!"
"But I do not need collaborators."
"I..."
"Or are you saying that you think I couldn't have gotten that information out of Viscount Tier myself?"

"..."
"However~" Mo stared into Ji Xiaodao’s bright, disappointed eyes and said softly, "He is, after all, just a common tool."
The girl blinked, looking slightly dazed.
"I have no interest in any of your thoughts, but if you insist on following, perhaps I can indeed let you see many different sights, or... nightmares." Mo's voice suddenly became low and ethereal. "However..."
In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Ji Xiaodao's mind: fear, confusion, anticipation, pity, anxiety... and so much more.
"You may possess a self, but you must unconditionally obey all of my commands."
Endless sin surged from his eyes, and at this moment, Mo activated his talent skill upon the player known as Silent Prayer.
[Original Sin]
...
"Commit suicide." As Ji Xiaodao's somewhat stiff body relaxed slightly, Mo said to her offhandedly, "Now."
A sharp sword was drawn, and the girl, without a moment's hesitation, thrust the weapon fiercely toward her own heart!
But Ji Xiaodao failed...
In a flash, Mo moved behind her, wrapping his arms around the girl's somewhat slender shoulders, while his other hand clamped firmly onto the sharp rapier.
"I've changed my mind." Mo tilted his head and whispered into the ear of the dark elf girl, who was struggling violently in his arms. "You will... stay by my side for now..."
Ji Xiaodao immediately stopped struggling, turned her head, and blossomed with a smile of unprecedented tenderness. "Mm~"
Mo released her and walked toward the distance without looking back. "Wait for me here."
...
Five minutes later, in a patch of sparsely vegetated land a short distance away.
Mo stopped, took a hexagonal crystal from his bag, and examined it closely...
[Nameless Blood Pact]
Quality: Unique Legendary
Requirement: Possess a summoning-type class / Total base attributes not less than 300
Usage: At the cost of permanently deducting 20% of your maximum Stamina and HP (not current), create a custom summoned creature. Its existence is permanent, it can execute any command without distance restrictions, it can be summoned and dismissed at will, and it is capable of growth; however, its abilities can never exceed the sum of the summoner's attributes. It can share the summoner's skill list (excluding special skills and talent skills). If killed, it can be resurrected by the summoner's side after 240 hours (game time).
[Note: Whether this is a worthwhile trade depends entirely on your purpose.]
This crystal was one of the spoils Mo obtained during his first login, during the process of the bloodbath in Banser City. It was also the only legendary item in his possession and very likely the first legendary item discovered by any player in the game.
But from a gamer's perspective, the cost-effectiveness of this [Nameless Blood Pact] was not high, even for players who specialized in summoning classes.
First, the cost was too high. A permanent deduction of 20% of maximum HP and Stamina was undoubtedly a huge blow to anyone. Moreover, it was "not current," meaning that after use, if a player's theoretical max HP was 100, they would be left with only 80. After a long period of leveling, when the theoretical data became 1000, they would only have 800, rather than just losing the initial 20 points and having 980.
The same applied to Stamina.
As the two most important stats in the game, this was equivalent to permanently making oneself 20% squishier.
Secondly, although the summoned creature could be customized—theoretically, summoning a dragon wouldn't be a problem—and could share most of the summoner's skills, its overall ability could never be stronger than the summoner's. Therefore, while it felt quite sharp, it wasn't actually overpoweringly strong...
One must know that in any game, the common characteristic of summoning classes in the late game is that the summoned creature is stronger than the player themselves, which equates to... "thighs" (a carry), "taking off"... "looking cool"... "bringing a girl along"... "online dating"... "meeting in real life"... "jaw-dropping, worldview-shattering, blood flowing five steps, exploding on the spot"...
I seem to have strayed too far~
My point is, this type of summoned creature rarely boosts a player's "style points" significantly in the late game, leading to a series of desirable results.
Coupled with the aforementioned cost, the cost-effectiveness is not high. (See, I steered it back.)
But Mo never considered this from a gamer's perspective from the beginning, so he didn't care. Furthermore, for various reasons, this item was actually perfectly suited for him.
Of course, not for combat, but rather for...
"Deception." Mo looked at the face on the crystal's surface—his own face, yet one that did not belong only to him—and crushed it into powder with a wild laugh. Without hesitation, he sacrificed 20% of his maximum HP and Stamina and activated it.
As several mists of blood rose from his body, Mo revealed a satisfied and inscrutable smile. Watching the black silhouette taking shape before him, his frantic muttering seemed to come from the edge of chaos: "Now, the only remaining complication is about to be resolved..."
...
When Ji Xiaodao finally waited for Mo to return, the sky was almost beginning to brighten.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Mo said to her faintly, without any hint of apology. "I was delayed a bit longer."
Ji Xiaodao shook her head and smiled. "It's fine, it wasn't actually that long."
Her smile seemed much gentler than before...
However, Mo didn't pay attention to it, simply walking past her toward the dense cluster of tents ahead. "Let's go, we still have some time."
"Mm, I'll accompany you." Ji Xiaodao followed behind him very naturally, walking at a distance of half a step behind Mo, just as she had done for the past few days.
...
[Perhaps fate had left this position for her from the very beginning...
A position where she could watch, accompany, and reach out to touch that person with just a gesture.
As to whether the dark elf Silent Prayer was truly controlled by the Sin King, we do not know...
As to whether the Sin King ever cared whether the girl was truly controlled by him, that also remains unknown.
Looking back at history, we can only use the word "fate" to provide a fundamentally irrational explanation for their encounter, and firmly believe that it was meaningful.
Understanding it through the lens of romanticism... yes, romanticism, even though those two words seem impossible to connect with that man, we can still speculate on the most unlikely possibility among many...
Perhaps in the heart of the Sin King, there had always been such a place, one that was unique, just like her—unique.
So he left it for her~ (I am grateful that the common tongue allows me to express this possibility so succinctly.)
From all the records in the previous volumes, we can see that neither the Four Great Generals of Original Sin under the Sin King, nor the Thirteen God-Slaying Stars, nor his six Great Absolution Legion Commanders, ever truly gained the Sin King's trust, nor were they ever truly held in his regard.
They were merely... tools...
It is a pity...
Of course, I have no pity or sympathy, for the pain those people brought to this world has not yet fully healed. If I had been born in that era, I, too, would have wished for those who aided the evildoer to be utterly destroyed, body and soul.
But I am, after all, not a person of that era, so I still cannot help but feel regret for them.
From countless battles and actions, I can see how much those people revered and longed for their King, even if death and total annihilation could not stop their stubborn loyalty.
It was a faith...
A kind of frantic faith and loyalty that I might never understand in my entire life.
But as I said before, regardless, in the eyes of the Sin King, they were merely tools.
Only the dark elf who followed the Sin King from the very beginning was able to truly stand quietly by his side in that era...
Perhaps we cannot forgive her, but anyone must admit that Silent Prayer was special, different from the other villains who were equally stained with blood...
She was an otherworldly person who did not belong to our world...
She was the biological sister of Lady Night Angel of the Great Coalition...
She was the only woman the Sin King truly trusted...
She was his advisor, confidante, guard... and perhaps his partner...
She was unique—The Side of the Sin King.]
— "Speculative Epic, Volume of the Sin King: The Side of the Sin King"
Chapter Thirty-Three: End