Chapter 88.1 – The Reader and Protagonist Definitely Have to Be in True Love

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Chapter 88.1 – Protagonist: Do you believe me?

As a result of the rebellion at the Second Layer, the governor didn’t want to stop for the night and ordered everyone to go directly to the Third Layer. The way there was very dark. No, it wasn’t just dark, it was a darkness that was enclosed in a deathly silence. When Du Ze finally saw the light in the Third Layer’s sky, he unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and most of the shadows in his heart dissipated. The Third Layer was not bright, but at least it wasn’t as dark as the Second Layer.

It was evening when the coach arrived at the Third Layer’s Palace. Because of what had happened earlier today, the governor’s party were not in the mood to chat so they all rested after they were greeted by the Archon. Before he went to bed, Du Ze thought about Xiu’s words at the end of the fallen’s rebellion. Though Du Ze hadn’t guessed a method, the Moe Lord appeared to have found a way to pass customs. Xiu did not explain and Du Ze did not ask. The silly, cute reader has always been confident of his protagonist’s IQ. Since the Moe Lord said that they will be able to leave soon, they will definitely be able to pass the angel race’s trial in a few days.

The next day, the governor sat in the seat of honor at the hall, silent. Everyone could feel his aggression and rage. The kneeling Archon of the Third Layer was mute. He not only failed to take out a “gift” but was also unable to turn over the required amount of light elements.

“You two-” Unexpectedly, the governor did not fire the Archon, but suddenly instructed Xiu and Eric: “Today, go and gather light elements to make up for the amount that is needed to fill the quota.” When Xiu and Eric looked at him, the governor grunted and said: “This is your job.”

“No!”

“Okay.”

The two different answers echoed in the hall. Eric was surprised and puzzled by Xiu’s consent.

Xiu turned a blind eye to the anger in Eric’s eyes and asked the governor in a tone that was almost a command: “Give me full permission to take as much light elements as needed.”

“Yes,” the governor agreed very quickly then seemed to think that he had been too hasty. He corrected himself by adding: “All the light elements you levy must be turned in.”

Xiu smiled and his eyes were as scarlet as blood: “Certainly.”

After getting permission, Xiu wanted to leave immediately with Du Ze but was stopped by Eric. The son of god had an unusually cold expression on his face as he blocked Xiu’s path and quietly asked: “What do you want to do?”

Xiu sneered and his shadow began to twist and expand slowly until it became a giant. The silver dragon placed Du Ze on his back and opened his great wings above Eric. The son of the lord who was covered by Xiu’s shadow looked very small and even pitiful.

“I do whatever I want to do, don’t you already know that?”

“!” Eric used his arm to block the strong wind on his face. When he put down his arm, the silver dragon had flown off— he didn’t know where— with the black-haired youth

********

The civilians of a village were driven out. They gathered outside their village, terrified and fearful, and watched as the soldiers circled their homes with powder. Three mages recited the spell and the light elements filled the chest with a speed visible to the naked eye while an ink-like darkness poured into the village, turning the area into a place where no living creature can survive.

Du Ze gazed silently at all that was happening. This was the fifth village that they had fully levied. The amount that the governor had requested had already been gathered, but Xiu did not return to the palace. Instead, he led the Archon’s men forward to yet another place. Seeing more and more light elements in their chests, Du Ze was puzzled. Even if they gathered more than the requested amount, all of these light elements had to be turned in, not giving Xiu the benefits of acquiring more seniority.

What exactly does Lord Moe want?

The mages stopped chanting and the soldier lifted the chest full of light. They began their march to the next location. The civilians were left to stare dully at the darkness covering their homes. They had just lost everything; now that they had nothing left. Their future was lost. The people wandered around in a daze for a while, then many of them started following the soldiers. These people were soon joined by others who had also lost their homes. The ranks of the common people following the soldiers swelled and their repressed emotions silently started growing out of control.

When people are oppressed to this extreme, the only thing left is to rise up in rebellion.

Du Ze soon saw the symbol of the broken wing representing the fallen. When the seventh village was destroyed, the civilians who had lost their homes were no longer able to endure and raised their left hands. The broken wing was carved into their hands and they picked up a hoe or a wooden branch to attack the soldiers that surrounded Xiu. Du Ze stood beside Xiu. He looked sideways and saw the pleased expression in red eyes of the silver dragon who seem to be happily enjoying the fruits of his efforts.¹

Xiu began to chant a spell in the dragon language. A huge gray magic array appeared in the dark sky above everyone’s heads. The fallen saw what was happening and desperately tried to break through the soldiers’ and mages’ defensive line to get to Xiu. The spell circle slowly rotated and lit up from the center outward. Gray light fell down onto the fallen; wherever it hit, the people it touched instantly vanished.

It was as though gray rain was falling from the sky as countless gray lights fell from the magic circle, illuminating the rebels’ angry, frightened faces. Each ray of light immediately takes away one of the fallen. In the face of absolute power, the fallen were helpless and the rebels lost faster than the living dead in the Second layer. Soon, a few hundred of the fallen ran away, trying to escape from the gray light. Their eyes were filled with tears. They had been oppressed for so long that they were ready for death but they couldn’t even scratch the people from the upper Layer.

“Stop!!!”

A roar resounded through the battlefield. Xiu raised his eyes and saw that Eric had finally caught up to them. Eric jumped off his exhausted horse that had been made to run until it was almost dead. Eric’s chest was heaving, either because of physical exertion or because of anger. The soldiers made way for him so that the two Inspectors could meet face to face.

Eric took a deep breath, temporarily tamping down the fury in his heart. “Give me a reason why you are doing this.”

The magic circle was still spinning slowly in the air. In the gray light, Xiu’s expression was hard to read. He ignored Eric and did not answer his question. As the last of the fallen were swallowed up by the gray light, Eric’s eyes became filled with unbearable rage. His voice was low as he roared: “Why did you kill them?’

“Did you forget that you are also a tower climber?” Compared with Eric’s emotional outburst, Xiu’s voice contained a near-brutal calmness. The silver-haired dragon with the red eyes casually mentioned the invisible force. “The rules written by the Tower of God … you don’t get it.”

 

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1. It’s actually “the fruits of his corruption” or “the results of undermining (someone/something)” but I couldn’t translate it literally since there is an unspoken part so I changed the wording slightly to keep the uncertainty going. 败坏的果实