Chapter 512: Corner

The Old Leader’s voice came to an abrupt halt. He and Ace looked at each other in dismay, their expressions turning grim.

Ace followed the source of the sound, channeling the power of Heart Fire between his ears and eyes, and discovered an abnormality. Unnoticed at some point, a short and fat man had already walked here.

Just as Doyle and the others turned around to look, they felt a chill on their necks. They actually saw their own bodies, then gradually sank into darkness as their thoughts ceased.

Ace, because the power of Heart Fire was condensed in his eyes, saw the other party effortlessly cut off the heads of Doyle and the other two using extremely thin metal wires. He couldn’t help but feel both shocked and angry.

He had lived with Doyle and the others for nearly two years. Doyle had cared for him deeply. Seeing him die like this now, anger burned in Ace’s heart.

With this anger, Ace felt as if he couldn’t control himself. The Blue Blood all over his body was boiling. In a haze, he seemed to see a giant whose entire body was azure blue.

In an extremely short time, Ace felt as if he had lost his reason and couldn’t control himself, only feeling a rush of blood to his brain.

In the Old Leader’s eyes, azure blue flames suddenly ignited all over Ace’s body. His entire aura also rose rapidly. Ace’s eyes were like those of a beast, and a roar came from his mouth.

“No! He actually lost control after the Bloodline Atavism!”

The Old Leader hurriedly jumped aside. Ace, already shrouded in azure blue flames, was like a fierce beast. With one punch, he sent the Old Leader flying, smashing into the wall before slowly sliding down.

The sound of piercing the air was extremely sharp. That short and fat man controlled the metal wires, approaching Ace with extremely swift speed.

Ace roared, seemingly able to see through the opponent’s movements. He dodged extremely nimbly and pounced straight at the short and fat man.

Seeing the situation was bad, the short and fat man hugged his chest with both fists. With a crack, his arms bent unbelievably and inserted into his own chest cavity.

The short and fat man was in disbelief, speaking in the language of the surface people: “I, the Wire King Nouvel, actually…”

Before he could finish his words, his head was directly crushed by the out-of-control Ace, and he could speak no more.

Ace felt his vision go dark and fainted.

…

Drip, drip. The sound of water made Ace feel somewhat thirsty. He forcefully opened his tired eyelids and found the Old Leader wiping his forehead with a coarse cloth dipped in water.

Seeing Ace open his eyes, the old man grinned. This smile caused him to spit out several mouthfuls of fresh blood.

Ace struggled to sit up, supporting the old man as he asked: “I seemed to have my mind filled with anger, and then I don’t remember anything. What happened in the end? And your injuries?”

The old man waved his hand and said: “That dwarf we encountered was an accomplice of the monsters. He injured me. Later, you lost control and killed him. My life is nearing its end; I need to tell you a few things.”

Ace looked at the old man seriously. He had also wanted to know some things for a long time.

Gasping for breath, the old man said: “First, you are the only one left in the Field Family. Everyone else was killed by that dwarf. This sewer is no longer safe; you must go to the ground to hide.

“Second, I am about to die. This feather crown and the parchment scroll are the tokens of our family; I pass them all to you…”

The old man seemed to have something else to say, but he never said it. His eyes widened round, and he died just like that.

Ace held the old man silently for a long time. He carefully examined the old man’s injuries and finally dug a pit, burying the old man along with everyone from the Field Family.

“You really are a gentle leader. You were clearly injured by me, yet you insisted on saying the short and fat man injured you…”

There was an obvious burn on the old man’s chest, caused precisely by Ace’s azure blue Heart Fire. Ace wasn’t stupid; he saw that the injury was caused by the Heart Fire.

Ace bowed deeply to the small mound where everyone was buried and whispered: “Thank you for the Field Family’s care over the past two years. Since I have used this body, I will also carry your expectations.”

After speaking, he turned and left the place. Focusing the power of Heart Fire on his eyes and ears, he carefully perceived the situation nearby and left through the sewer manhole.

Ace had been to the surface many times. Although he didn’t know the language of the surface, he already had some understanding of the situation on the ground. He knew the basic terrain and where there were many or few people.

“Although I have awakened the so-called Blue Blood, once sunlight shines on my body, it still feels like being burned by fire.”

Not long after climbing to the ground, the sun began to rise. Ace leaned against a garbage pile, dirty all over and smelling foul. Casually draped in a dirty cloth, he found a shady place and lay down.

After a while, a few other beggars also came to this place. Seeing Ace, they were first stunned, then flew into a rage, speaking to Ace extremely fast.

Ace didn’t mind. Pretending to be somewhat terrified, he retreated step by step, luring the few beggars into a small alley. Bursts of wailing sounded in the alley. A few minutes later, the beggars walked out behind Ace with bruised noses and swollen faces.

This was Ace’s first plan. Since he didn’t know the language and had no identity, he might as well mix in with the beggars first. Although it was a bit dirty, it was actually a good choice to learn the language and walk around to understand the situation.

After igniting the Heart Fire, as long as Ace’s skin was not directly exposed to sunlight, it would not blister like a burn. While controlling these few beggars with violence, he learned the language of the surface people. At night, he lay there trying to achieve mental overdrive.

However, regrettably, this body seemed to lack any magical aptitude. He currently had no way to achieve it.

“It’s not completely hopeless. As long as I advance to a Level 1 Life and achieve complete supernatural status, not only will my vitality and lifespan increase significantly, but my spiritual power will also increase greatly. At that time, I can switch to the Path of Magic. Although a bit tortuous, there is always a way.”

Opening his eyes, the sky was starry. Several beggars hid not far from him, shivering.

These beggars also tried to escape, but every time they were caught back by Ace and beaten severely. After a few times, they dared not run anymore.

At first, they were extremely resentful. But later, when encountering other beggars, seeing Ace being unusually brave—their group of beggars defeated all nearby beggars and occupied the best begging spots—they gradually accepted their current life.

Ace smiled gently at them. Nearly two months had passed. He had a basic understanding of the local language and customs. He would leave tomorrow.

“Are you very afraid of me?”

Hearing Ace speak, the few beggars were shocked. Ace hadn’t spoken for nearly two months. Usually, he liked to wrap himself tightly in dirty cloth. Everyone thought he was a mute; they didn’t expect he could speak.

A beggar emboldened himself and said: “We are quite afraid, but you can beat other beggars. I’m convinced.”

Other beggars also chimed in, saying they were convinced. For a time, the atmosphere was extremely harmonious.

Ace’s lips curled up slightly. He patted one beggar’s head, then found his spot and lay down. The beggars looked at each other, but seeing Ace was already fast asleep, they stopped talking. Gradually, snoring sounds arose.

When the sunlight spilled down, the beggars discovered that Ace had disappeared without a trace.

Ace had already changed his clothes. Over the past few months, he had snatched some copper and silver coins from other beggars through violence. Early in the morning, he took a bath, bought a set of cheap clean clothes, sheepskin boots, and put on a black cloak.

This outfit basically cost Ace most of his money. However, he was not anxious. Instead, he mingled in various taverns, listening to people’s noise and loud discussions.

Taverns and brothels were places where news flowed most freely. People of all trades and ranks were present, and this world was no exception.

Every day, Ace silently ordered a bottle of barley ale and a plate of beans, which could last him a whole day of drinking.

He met an old man in the tavern who would brag as long as there was wine. From the old man, he learned a lot about the situation and history of this city.

This city was called Bernada, meaning “Capital of Hope.” Bernada was the capital of the Kingdom of Hill. Legend has it that a thousand years ago, the great holy light descended, expelling the Blue Blood Devils. Under the Holy Light, the Radiant Knights and priests jointly established the Holy Light Religious Nation here.

It’s just that time flies. The unified Holy Light Religious Nation gradually fell apart. The Holy Spirits that used to manifest frequently no longer appeared. If not for the fact that the Holy Light still existed, people’s faith would probably have wavered.

A hundred years ago, a rebellion occurred in the Knights Templar. Led by Hill, the Templars declared the Pope a Blue Blood Devil. After a civil war, the Pope disappeared, and Bernada changed from the capital of the Holy Light Religious Nation to the capital of the Kingdom of Hill.

Currently, countries were promoting “Cuius regio, eius religio”. Everyone believed in the Holy Light, but the interpretation of some religious doctrines must come from the “Holy Scripture.” The royal family possessed the right to interpret the “Holy Scripture” and had the right to appoint the Archbishop of the kingdom.

Today, Ace was treating the old man to barley ale again, softly asking the old man about the news he had heard these past few days.

“Old Hakin, I’m currently short of money and don’t have any special skills. I want to become a mercenary with others. I wonder if it’s feasible.”

Hakin took a big gulp of ale, burped, and said: “I think you kid are tired of living. Is mercenary work something you can do? Do you really think the Mercenary Association is playing house? It’s no problem for you to register as a low-level mercenary, as long as you have proof of identity. But do you know how many young people die on this path? If you have no money, find a job honestly.

“Bernada is so big; even moving goods at the pier won’t starve you to death. If you are diligent and can endure hardship, this old man can introduce you to a carpenter’s shop as an apprentice. Although they only provide three meals for the first five years, after you finish your apprenticeship, you can join the Carpenter’s Association and become a proper craftsman.”

Ace seemed to hesitate for a while, then changed the topic and chatted with Hakin about the recent fresh news in Bernada City.

Hakin shook his head. Since the young man opposite him was unwilling, he didn’t force it. He said immediately: “Bernada City has fresh news every day, yet no fresh news every day, because there is nothing new under the Holy Light.”

Hakin babbled on for a while, finally saying: “Recently, two things are quite interesting. One is that the Old King has passed away, and the King Selection is about to begin.”

Ace asked somewhat puzzledly: “What is the King Selection?”

Old Hakin couldn’t help complaining: “You country bumpkin, you don’t even know about the King Selection. Speaking of the King Selection, we have to start from the birth of our Kingdom of Hill. Our kingdom is different from other kingdoms. Our king is not hereditary but chosen by the Holy Light.

“Regardless of origin or age, when the Old King dies, every person in the Kingdom of Hill is eligible to touch the King Testing Stone. As long as this stone glows, you can go to the Royal City Bernada to participate in the King Selection War!”

Ace felt even dizzier listening. He couldn’t help asking: “What is the King Selection War?”

Hakin didn’t answer. He shook the empty barley ale mug and raised his eyebrows at Ace.

Ace took out his only remaining silver coin and said: “This is my last savings. Old man, just tell me everything.”

Hakin exchanged it for two bottles of barley ale, stuffed the remaining copper coins back to Ace, and said: “These are enough for you to eat for a day. Go to the pier honestly tomorrow to carry goods for a few days and earn some hard money. I’ll continue telling you what the King Selection War is.

“The so-called King is one who ‘wears the crown on his head and carries the people on his back.’ He has both power and responsibility.

“On the deathbed of King Hill, it is heard that he was inspired by the Holy Light not to pass the throne to his descendants, but instead established the King Selection War.

“Anyone who can make the King Testing Stone glow is allowed to enter the Royal City. regardless of gender or age, they will enter the palace to pray for the grace of the Holy Sword.

“As long as they receive the grace of the Holy Sword, a mark of a burning Holy Sword will appear on the back of their left hand. Those who obtain the mark are candidates for the King Selection War. They will engage in cruel slaughter within the Royal City, and the winner will be crowned King!”

Ace wanted to ask more, but the old man stopped answering. He had to urge him to drink.

After urging for a while, Hakin said again: “There is one more piece of news. I heard that recently a particularly unruly organization called the Maine Gang entered the Old Street in the south of the city. They are barbarians from the north and have caused quite a few homicides. If you have nothing to do recently, go there less. That place doesn’t even have a guard army; it’s a place of pure darkness. A kid like you, if you go in, I’m afraid not even dregs will remain!

“If you really want to be a mercenary… I drank so much of your ale and feel embarrassed if i cant help you…

“Come to the tavern after dark in five days. I will introduce a reliable mercenary captain to you. But whether he takes a fancy to you or not, I can’t say.”

Ace thanked him repeatedly, poured a few more mouthfuls of ale into his mug, watched him fall asleep on the table snoring, put on his cloak, turned, and left the tavern.

“Old Street in the south of the city? If that place is pure darkness, I’m actually not afraid. Isn’t a mixed place more suitable for Blue Blood Devils to survive?”

With an inexplicable slight smile, Ace walked towards the south of the city with light steps. He was as agile as a cat. In a few steps, he jumped onto the roof. Stepping on bricks and tiles, he leaped seven or eight meters at a time, moving towards the Old Street in the south of the city as if flying.

The Old Street was the filthy place of Bernada. It was filled with violence and crime without any concealment. A large number of poor people with nowhere to go suffered exploitation by organizations here.

Ace stood on a roof, looking down. Several organization members surrounded a young man. The young man didn’t look rich and had already fallen in a pool of blood. Ace channeled the power of Heart Fire to his eyes and ears, seeing clearly that the young man had been stabbed five or six times in the abdomen.

Those organization members kicked the young man forcefully, actually saying angrily: “Turns out to be a pauper. I thought he was holding a bag of something good; turns out it’s just some weeds. Damn it, if I knew earlier, I shouldn’t have killed him but to to sell him as a slave.”

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