Chapter 318: Achievement: Gathering Stars into Fire (Unique)

Chapter 318: Chapter 318: Achievement: Gathering Stars into Fire (Unique)

Just as the two were lost in their own thoughts,

the sound of footsteps rang out on the camp’s main path.

It instantly drew the attention of everyone in the camp.

Everyone turned to look.

They saw a figure carrying a Chain Blade on his shoulder, striding briskly down the street.

And from the end of that Chain Blade,

four corpses were slung high, dangling like dead dogs!

"Help me get everyone to the plaza."

Lance walked to the base of the high platform, looked up at the three dazed captains above, and said,

"I have something to say to everyone."

Following Lance’s command,

quickly,

a growing number of people, drawn by the commotion, began to pour out from street corners and wooden huts to gather around the plaza.

Lance ascended the high platform with steady steps.

Several people followed at his side.

Lance reached out and gently patted Felix’s shoulder, a warm smile touching his lips.

"I’ve avenged you."

Looking at Lance’s calm face and then at the corpses,

Felix’s eyes reddened slightly as he nodded heavily.

"Thank you."

Lance didn’t respond further.

He turned and strode to the very front of the high platform.

Below,

were the ten thousand-plus Adventurers who had followed him through life and death for the past ten-odd days.

Lance scanned the crowd. He had already learned of the camp’s situation upon his return; a deathly stillness hung over the entire area.

"Does everyone feel... that you’ve given it your all, that you can’t go on, and that it’s time to accept your fate?"

He knew very well.

Group emotions were highly contagious.

When an atmosphere of despair spreads, all it takes is one person accepting their fate for everyone else to follow suit and give up, like a row of dominoes.

Lance abruptly swung his right hand.

THUD!

With a dull sound of impact, the four corpses of the Crimson Bell of Death members were thrown from the Chain Blade onto the stone ground below the platform.

Gasps erupted from the crowd, and countless gazes converged on the bodies.

"These are the people who blew up the conquest area. I have already avenged you all."

Lance’s gaze slowly swept over the crowd below.

"For the past ten-odd days, I’ve seen all your contributions with my own eyes. The Adventurers fighting on the front lines, the artisans and Chefs in the rear, and our porter brothers who carried our supplies... every single one of you has done an incredible job."

Lance pointed to the different groups in the crowd below, his eyes filled with affirmation.

"We were not defeated by hunger, not broken by infighting, and we certainly did not yield to those monsters."

"You all are truly amazing!"

Lance’s voice was steady and powerful, enhanced by the blessing of [Dragon Phase].

Like a spring, it slowly nourished their numb hearts.

"So, don’t punish yourselves by looking like you’re about to die. This battle was not your fault. You all did an incredible job!"

His words clearly had an effect. Everyone began to recall their experiences over this period.

The numbness began to recede.

Some people’s eyes started to turn red, no longer as numb as before.

Their spirits were reviving.

Lance’s tone softened.

"Over these past ten-odd days, we’ve been like a family."

"We supported each other in the darkness, relied on one another, and made it this far through blood and sweat."

He did not hold back his praise, affirming the value of every single person.

"You’ve already given your all to bring me, to bring all of us, to within a single step of the exit!"

"You’ve taken everything you could do to the absolute limit!"

"So."

"What comes next, that heavy burden which isn’t yours to bear, should no longer fall upon your shoulders."

The moment he said this,

a faint stir went through the crowd below.

"I know that according to the rules of the Underground City,"

"once time is up and the conquest mission fails, the Underground City will initiate a great purge, and only 100 people will be able to use the survival slots to live."

Lance looked at the faces below, which were now looking up again, and suddenly broke into a smile.

It was a smile filled with confidence.

"But!"

"Who told you that the only way to leave this place alive is by following the rules and completing the area conquest?!"

Lance’s voice was like a clap of thunder.

"Don’t forget, failing the conquest means the Heroic Spirit Species will command the Demons to surround and annihilate us."

"In that case..."

Lance’s tone was incredibly firm.

"I’ll just go hunt the Heroic Spirit Species!"

The entire plaza

fell silent the moment Lance spoke those words.

Hunt... a Heroic Spirit?!

The first reaction of everyone who heard this was that it was utterly absurd.

That was a Heroic Spirit from the Star Realm, a being of Legend! Such a powerful existence!

How could a mere mortal possibly hunt such a legendary species?

And yet.

When they looked up,

at the black-haired youth standing on the high platform, bathed in the dim yellow light,

that feeling of absurdity began to swiftly recede from their hearts.

In its place rose a tremendous shock that made them Tremble.

So.

in this world, when fate cornered a person into a dead end,

there really was someone,

who dared to use their mortal body to single-handedly tear down the cage that had trapped them all!

Seeing the gazes of the crowd gradually shifting from numb to fervent,

Lance knew that the light of hope had once again shone into their hearts.

"The swords in your hands are wielded to protect the important people by your side."

"And so are my fists!"

He turned his head and looked toward a spot at the edge of the crowd.

"Hey! Old John!"

The old mercenary, whose name had been suddenly called, shuddered and blankly raised his head.

"You take that letter full of typos and put it away! Take it back yourself!"

"Don’t let that brother next to you earn half your money for a delivery fee for no reason. For your daughter’s birthday, it only counts if you give her those Demon Crystals with your own hands!"

Hearing these words,

Old John stood there stunned, his withered lips trembling slightly.

And the young Wanderer standing next to him

suddenly broke into a wide, radiant smile.

Without hesitation, he reached into his Leather Armor and pulled out the envelope he had just put away.

Then, he firmly slapped it back into Old John’s broad chest.

"You too, Thomas!"

Lance once again precisely located the young Knight in the crowd who was staring blankly while clutching his sword.

"Weren’t you smiling so happily last night when you talked about going back to open a bakery?"

"So don’t give me that long face today!"

"Do you have any idea how much effort I put into saving your sorry hide during the conquest battle today?!"

Lance deliberately put on a stern face, chiding him half-jokingly.

"I seriously suspect we’re in this situation today entirely because you raised your ’Flag’ way too high last night!"

Although no one present, including Thomas himself, understood what Lance meant by "Flag,"

but,

hearing Lance’s familiar teasing,

Thomas’s eyes instantly reddened. He bit his lip hard, wanting nothing more than to burst into tears.

Standing on the high platform, the smile on Lance’s face grew wider.

He went on to call out the names of several more Adventurers—some well-known in the crowd, others he had only briefly interacted with during logistics or patrol duty over the past few days.

Every name he called,

every piece of lighthearted, familiar banter,

was like a warm spring breeze, melting the despair in people’s hearts.

Finally,

Lance’s smile faded as his gaze slowly swept across the entire plaza.

Over ten thousand pairs of hope-filled eyes were now locked tightly onto him.

"The sun will rise again tomorrow as it always does."

Lance’s voice was resolute and resounding.

"Now."

"Everyone, go back. Take those bullshit last wills you just wrote and tear every single one of them up!"

"Tonight!"

Lance raised his right fist high.

"I’m taking you all home!"

[Behavior Log Analysis in progress...]

[Notice: Your ’Gathering Heart’ dimension has reached the limit of the Underground City’s scoring dimensions.]

[The Will of the Underground City has cast a pleased gaze upon you!]

[Judgment: You did not use any Extraordinary Mind Magic, nor did you rely on High Tier Charm. Through mortal words alone, you have incited fanaticism in 11,452 sentient beings.]

[Congratulations! You have obtained a Special Achievement for the Summer Crown event!]

[Achievement Name: Gathering Stars into Fire (Unique)]

[You have yet to ascend the throne, but you already hold Royal Authority]