Chapter 725 - 452: The Fallen Genius (Part 2)

Chapter 725: Chapter 452: The Fallen Genius (Part 2)

"Hawke, I know who you are. Come in."

Inside, Hawke was ravenously devouring the bread and water the middle-aged Knight’s wife had prepared. The Knight wasn’t in a rush, waiting until Hawke had finished before asking:

"Why did you come looking for me?"

"I can’t walk the path of Magic, and I don’t want to be mocked as useless, so I will walk the path of the Knight." Hawke replied, his eyes filled with determination. This was a decision he had made overnight.

"Then you should know, the path of a Knight is even more arduous than the path of Magic."

"I’m prepared."

With a THUD, Hawke dropped to his knees. "Please, take me as your disciple!"

And so, Hawke became the middle-aged Knight’s disciple.

After that began a long period of training.

The path of a Knight also required talent, but Hawke, being from a major family, was at least in good physical condition. Strangely enough, as long as he didn’t study Magic, his mind worked incredibly fast. He mastered the basics of the Knight’s path in a very short time, grasping several special techniques for exerting his power.

Three years later, at the age of fourteen, Hawke became an Intermediate Knight. During this time, Jeanne visited him often, and their bond gradually deepened. Perhaps because they saw his talent on the Knight’s path, their families did not cancel the engagement. They even intended for the two of them to start courting soon.

One day, while training in the wilderness, Hawke defeated a ferocious, black-furred Violent Bear with his bare hands. He then lit a campfire on the spot, preparing to cook a meal.

Suddenly, a mysterious glimmer of light shone from his chest. Hawke hurriedly pulled out the jade pendant he had worn since childhood. The next second, an ethereal figure drifted out of it.

It was an old man with white hair, dressed in the robes of a Magic Master.

Hawke was stunned. He reflexively tightened his grip on his long spear and questioned in a cold voice, "Who are you?"

"Don’t be nervous, child. My name is Quinn Chris, and as you can see, I am a Magic Master." The old man had a kind face, stroking his white beard with a chuckle. "I lost my physical body in a war many years ago, leaving only my Soul. I fell into a deep slumber due to grave injuries and have resided in that jade stone all these years. It is thanks to you that I was able to reawaken."

"Thanks to you?" It was as if something clicked for Hawke. He gritted his teeth and asked, "Is the decline of my talent for Magic related to you?"

"That was unintentional on my part..." Quinn hadn’t even finished speaking when he was met with Hawke’s furious roar.

"Screw you!" Hawke thrust his spear at Quinn, passing straight through his illusory body.

"I knew you’d react this way. Never mind, never mind. Go on, keep at it. Hit me as long as you want, as long as it helps you blow off some steam," Quinn said with a smile, exuding the air of a scoundrel.

Hawke ground his teeth with a CRUNCH. The old man was in a Soul Body state, and he hadn’t yet learned the Prayer Technique needed to affect them. No matter how many times he struck, it was all a waste of effort.

"Now that you’ve calmed down, listen to me," Quinn said calmly. "I’m someone who repays their debts. I wouldn’t screw you over for so many years without giving something back... Hmm, I can take you as my disciple and teach you everything I’ve learned in my life."

"Save it. I’m already on the Knight’s path. Learning Magic now would just be a waste of energy. You’d be better off finding me something that can strengthen my body."

"Who says you can’t learn both?"

Quinn smiled. "Demon Warrior. Ever heard of it?"

「Five years later.」

Civil war broke out within the Dragon Race, leaving them without a leader and throwing them into chaos.

Without the Dragon King to control them, the Evil Dragons swarmed out in full force, rampaging across Gaia and bringing disaster to the Mortal World.

In just one week, three cities fell to the Evil Dragons’ demonic flames. Bustling metropolises were reduced to ruins, lives were devastated, and hundreds of thousands perished. Countless people went to vanquish the Evil Dragons, but without exception, all were burned to ash by Dragon Flame.

Half a month later, nearly all of Gaia had been attacked by Evil Dragons, and the World was in turmoil.

But just then, a Demon Warrior burst onto the scene. He single-handedly vanquished the Evil Dragons, and bathed in Dragon Blood amidst the Fiery Fire of a ruined, burning city, he officially became a King.

After becoming a King, Hawke took the initiative to suppress the turmoil of the Dragon Race. With his immense Power, he killed dozens of Evil Dragons in succession, forcefully quelling the dragon catastrophe that swept across Gaia. He came to be known by the world as the most legendary dragon-slaying Hero.

Afterward, he unselfishly shared his legacy, thus ushering in an age of Demon Warriors.

But the good times did not last. The Evil God, who had been dormant for a long time, showed signs of reawakening. It created a Clone that walked upon the Gaia Land, igniting the third world-sweeping war.

The land fell apart. Yesterday’s laughter and joy turned to nothing, leaving only today’s widespread devastation.

The Evil God’s Clone awakened many Abyssal Spirits that had fled during the first world-sweeping war and greatly enhanced their strength. Even though formulaic magic had matured and a large number of advanced Magic Artifacts were deployed in the war, it was still difficult to resist such a terrifying Abyssal Army. The armies of Gaia were beaten back again and again. Even two Kings died, and Gaia Royal City fell completely two months after the war began, becoming a nest for Demon Fiends.

At this point, it seemed that only a fate of annihilation awaited Gaia.

To save Gaia, a bold plan was put into action.

—A decapitation strike!

The Abyssal Spirits had suffered heavy losses in the wars of the past and had yet to recover. It was the Evil God’s Clone that was granting the Abyssal Spirits Power. As long as the Evil God’s Clone was killed, the Abyssal Spirits would lose its blessing, and their strength would plummet.

But breaking through to the heart of the Abyssal Army to decapitate the Evil God’s Clone was easier said than done. It was a complete suicide mission.

"Jeanne, I have to go."

Hawke looked at his sleeping daughter in her swaddling clothes and said softly, "For our child, for Gaia, I have to step forward."

"I’ll go with you." Jeanne hugged him. "Even in death, we must be together."

Hawke and Jeanne’s eldest son was already a grown man, while their second child, a daughter, was still young. She had only been in this world for a short time and couldn’t even say "mama" or "dada" yet. Leaving them was an incredibly painful decision for them both. Yet, to protect their children, and so many others, they had to step forward.

Striving and sacrifice. These were the things everyone learned at the very beginning of their education, a spirit that ran through the lives of countless people.

Family, country, duty, Justice... Driven by countless motivations, one expert after another joined the punitive force, marching gallantly to their deaths.

No one knows what that punitive force went through. People only know that they succeeded in killing the Evil God’s Clone, turning the tide of the world-sweeping war and allowing Gaia to win it.

But that punitive force never returned.

·

With light footsteps, a travel-worn Minstrel pushed open the tavern door.

"Whoa, look who it is!" the bartender exclaimed.

"It is, of course, the greatest Minstrel in history—Mael!"

The Minstrel shouted theatrically, puffing out his chest proudly and spreading his arms wide.

"Seriously, friend, you really are the greatest Minstrel in history."

A patron raised his mug of beer and shouted, "A toast to the poet who awakened the Star Spirit and saved the World!"

·

"Ros, did we succeed?"

"We succeeded... We saved the World..."

In the burning Fiery Fire, the hero met their eternal rest. The World was saved once again.

·

On the barren land, sand and dust swirled in the wind as an ancient ballad played in the distance.

The exhausted Hero collapsed to the ground. This time, he couldn’t get back up.

’Even with a heart that wants to save the world, I don’t have enough strength. How tragic...’ As his consciousness faded, the Hero’s eyes grew vacant, and he muttered to himself.

The passion that had filled his heart turned cold and numb, filled with unwillingness and regret. ’If only I were a little stronger, just a little stronger...’

But now, it was all pointless.

’I hope you all can succeed...’

An unknown amount of time passed. The Hero’s blood ran dry. Suddenly, an earth-shattering RUMBLE came from the distance. A faint smile touched the lips of the long-cold Hero, and then he was completely still.

The World was saved once again.

·