Free Web NovelChapter 494: Chapter 242: Hemos World! Seeking the Raw Stone! (2)
Perhaps...
In the future, we might also reach the Nine-star level!
Although fame means little to the Blood Erosion Tyrant right now, the situation might change in the future.
....
In the Blood Lion and Rose tavern, the noise was deafening, with the smell of malt ale and roasted meat fats mingling in the warm air, dispelling the unique chill of the Black Tide creeping in from the outside world.
In a noisy corner, three people sat by a coarse wooden table, creating a stark contrast with their surroundings.
The Minstrel, Adira, with golden hair shining like sunlight and bright blue eyes, had a smile that could make a teenage girl’s cheeks flush with just a glance.
"Ding~"
Adira plucked the strings of the lute in his lap, producing several crisp notes, breaking the silence among the three. With a contagious smile, he began to tell his story to the man in the black robe sitting opposite him.
"I am Adira, a homeless wanderer, ostensibly a minstrel."
Adira’s voice was clear, with a carefully honed narrative rhythm. He continued, "When I was young, I found a tattered sketchbook in a heap of garbage. It was filled with drawings of a minstrel roaming the world, free and romantic, telling stories through poetry... At that moment, I decided this would be my life."
"And then?"
Adira paused, his smile unwavering, yet a shadow briefly crossed his eyes, reluctant to remember yet forced to face the past.
"You ask about that sketchbook? Heh..."
He sneered, bitterly, "A young master of a noble family tossed it into the fire right before my eyes. He had the noble soldiers hold me down, force my eyes open, making me watch it burn to ashes. I can never forget his laughter, the most loathsome sound I’ve ever heard."
Then, Adira put away his bitterness, his tone becoming resolute and bright, "I will become the greatest minstrel, and... make those decayed nobles who treat commoners like weeds pay the price in my own way."
His words were full of righteousness, but on closer listen, the phrase "in my own way" carried an implication of ruthless determination.
After his introduction, both Adira and Ye Mingqiu turned their gaze to the man sitting on the other side, the Hero.
He wore old leather armor, with a broad sword leaning against the table, exuding an aura of countless bloody battles.
"Modus."
The Hero spoke, his voice deep and monotone, as if recounting something irrelevant to himself.
"When I was young, our village was destroyed by an Evil Dragon, my parents buried in the ruins and burned alive, and the girl who fled with me was kidnapped by traffickers."
"Then, I was adopted by a kindly old man, but because he kept me, he couldn’t afford the taxes and was beaten to death by tax-collecting soldiers...."
"Before his death, with his dry, frail hand, he touched my face and told me: I don’t regret adopting you, because you are my hope, and I hope you can become the hope of the world."
Each sentence spoken with chilling calm, devoid of emotion, yet heavier than any tearful lament.
"Later, I picked up the sword."
A simple statement, yet it depicted a collection of human tragedies. Adira appropriately displayed a blend of sympathy and admiration.
Finally, their gaze focused on Ye Mingqiu, who remained silent throughout.
Under their watchful eyes, Ye Mingqiu slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes as calm as a deep pool, devoid of ripples.
"My story."
He spoke, his voice soft, yet carrying a peculiar penetrating power that instantly surpassed the surrounding noise, "You already know it."
The Blood Erosion Tyrant’s story, originating from Spirit Realm’s constructed archives, he himself didn’t know much about his past setting unless he chose to seek it out, but Ye Mingqiu felt it unnecessary, after all, he didn’t need to maintain any pretense.
Because he was powerful enough, powerful strength was the most universal key in this world.
Adira’s smile froze momentarily, and Modus’ gaze slightly shifted, but both chose to say nothing.
Ye Mingqiu ignored their curiosity about the past and directly shifted the topic to the core: "Tell me about the Raw Stone, where is it on this continent? Where should we head to?"
Adira quickly adjusted his expression, leaning forward, lowering his voice, showcasing his value as an intelligence dealer: "According to my latest findings, deep within the Northern Frost Speech Forest, there’s said to be an abandoned ancient Elf Observatory."
"The Stone Building Council’s archives vaguely record that a raw stone discovered by elves thousands of years ago might be sealed there. We can plan our route to the Northern Fortress Ice Fang first, hire guides familiar with the forest, then..."
"Too troublesome."
Ye Mingqiu interrupted him directly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation, "Just tell me the exact location of the Elf Observatory."
"Uh... the map is no longer reliable, but it’s probably near the center of the forest by Mirror Lake..."
"Then we’ll head straight to Mirror Lake."
Ye Mingqiu’s voice was straightforward and commanding, carrying an undeniable authority.
If his power were weak, requiring preparations and planning, it would be understandable. But he was immensely powerful, his defense power, resistance, damage immunity were all absurdly high, and his soul strength was exceptional, fearing no surprises.
Under such circumstances, making a complicated plan of attack would be an unnecessary hassle.
Going directly to acquire it was the most efficient way.
Adira opened his mouth, the plan he meticulously crafted to gradually showcase his value and gain benefits during the long journey was outright rejected.
Was my plan all for nothing!
A fleeting trace of unnoticeable anger passed over his face, soon replaced by deeper scheming.
Modus, who remained silent, now watched Ye Mingqiu intently, his gaze seemingly unveiling everything. He understood Adira’s intentions and recognized the risks in Ye Mingqiu’s plan, yet he merely observed, like a rock watching the flow of water, unmoved.
Ultimately, before Adira could attempt to speak up again, Modus said: "Strength is the best key, I believe he holds this key."
The Hero’s statement choked Adira’s prepared speech in his throat.
He looked at the Blood Erosion Tyrant’s unwavering cold gaze and then at Modus’ agreeing stance. The uproar of the tavern seemed to momentarily distance itself from this corner, plunging the atmosphere into an eerie silence, with only the crackling of grease in the wall fire.
A few seconds later, Adira’s face bloomed once more with that sunlit, bright smile, yet devoid of warmth.
"Alright, alright,"
He spread his hands, his tone light, "My understanding is still too limited, if you prefer a straightforward route, then let’s be more direct, there’s nothing wrong with that."
Adira pulled out a map, pointing to a volcano on it, "This is where we are now." His finger began moving, drawing a curve toward a lake, "We can take this route to Mirror Lake, it’s the shortest and fastest."
"Isn’t the shortest distance between two points a straight line? Why not go straight?"
Ye Mingqiu asked matter-of-factly.
"There are endless mountains here, a straight line is not the shortest path, bypassing is faster." Adira pointed at the mountain range, but as he spoke, he felt something was amiss, logically, the Blood Erosion Tyrant should understand even this.
"Can’t we just fly over?"
"Hmm?"
....
In the afternoon, the three were sitting in a Golden Boat made of Holy Power, speeding through the sky, while Adira and Modus fell into silence.
They had imagined many possibilities, the Blood Erosion Tyrant might bring out a treasure, summon a pet, use past connections or money to take an airship... They thought of all these.
But what neither expected was that the Blood Erosion Tyrant didn’t choose any of them, instead he used Holy Power to create a small golden boat on the spot, then with his extreme control power, he maneuvered the Golden Boat flying in the sky.
What kind of monster is this!
What kind of godlike control power!
Even more terrifying, the Golden Boat flew at an amazingly fast speed, and its hull was exceedingly sturdy, with a remarkably long flight time.
This demonstrated that the Blood Erosion Tyrant’s control power was absurdly strong, and his total Holy Power was immense, his recovery speed was rapid, making him a terrifying ultimate statistic monster!
Monster!
