Chapter 41 Part 1

“Cycle of Rebirth…” Xia Xifeng asked, “Have you remembered something?”

Taylor nodded toward Xia Xifeng in a gesture of acknowledgement.

When the Silver Moon rose and his memories awakened, Taylor realized Xia Xifeng might be an outsider.

The opportunity he had been waiting for—the chance to shatter this cycle—had arrived.

“The Silver Moon rises, and the slaughter begins anew. My comrades and I will die this night. The Silver Moon sets, and the cycle begins again. My comrades and I will resurrect without our memories, awaiting the next slaughter.”

Taylor gestured for Xia Xifeng to look into the distance.

The town, peaceful during the day, had transformed into a battlefield.

Valiant Resistance fighters clashed desperately with Elven warriors.

Just as the Resistance began to gain the upper hand, the radiance of the “Silver Moon” shimmered upon the Elven guards. The dead Elven guards resurrected; the wounded Elven guards were instantly healed. The battle became a one-sided massacre.

“Right now, they still have no memories. Each of them believes they are still in the past. Only at the moment of death will they remember everything.” Taylor said, “At that moment, despair surges within them. And then, the Evil God offers us a choice.”

He smiled faintly, not revealing what that choice was.

The fact that he still stood here, still smiling, was proof enough of everything.

Xia Xifeng looked at Qin Lang.

Qin Lang confirmed, “I can kill them.”

The most powerful enemy in this city was the Elven city lord. He already easily overpowered the Elf; the rest of the mobs were even less of a concern.

Xia Xifeng added, “He probably can’t break my defense either.” Though he couldn’t fight, he was still max level 200; tanking hits would be a breeze.

Qin Lang nodded, then addressed Taylor: “You haven’t reached the brink of death, yet your memories have already awakened.”

Taylor rubbed his aching head. “Yeah. Truly miraculous.”

Qin Lang stated, “First Lord of Blackstone Town, temporarily serve as Xia Xifeng’s guard.”

With that, he stepped out of the barrier scroll’s protective range and pushed open the door.

As he moved, his body melted and vanished into the shadows.

A few flashes of his twin swords later, when Qin Lang reappeared, all the Elven guards who had accompanied the city lord lay collapsed in pools of blood, their HP reduced to zero.

The light of the “Silver Moon” attempted to pour into the fallen Elven guards, but a layer of shadow repelled the moonlight. The Elven guards’ bodies seemed to radiate a black luminescence.

When silver radiance represented darkness and evil, the color black had become light itself.

Xia Xifeng couldn’t resist whistling softly.

A max-level Blade Dancer Assassin was just that cool!

Taylor said, incredulous, “You trust me that much?”

Xia Xifeng replied, “Because even all of you combined can’t beat me.” Sure, he might not be able to kill them, but they’d also have a hell of a time breaking his defense. Who would end up regretting it was still unknown.

Xia Xifeng inventoried his items, ensuring he could instantly switch to weapons with equipped skills. He dragged a chair over beside the window and sat down to wait for Qin Lang’s slaughter to conclude.

If this cycle was restarted by killing, then they would bury this rebirth under a new slaughter.

He was curious—if all the Evil God’s puppets were cut down, would the Evil God be forced to descend personally?

Cupping his hands around his mouth, Xia Xifeng leaned out the window and shouted toward the sky: “Blood Moon! Did you think throwing on a white coat would fool anyone into thinking you’re someone else?! You know what they say about imitating others poorly—when you clash outfits, the uglier one is the one who’s embarrassed!”

After his bout of mockery, Xia Xifeng casually settled back into his seat and began placing a spread of drinks and snacks onto the small round table. “Snacks while we wait?”

Taylor asked, “…What is the Blood Moon?”

The Elven city lord rose from the floor, his gaze now impassive as he looked at Xia Xifeng.

The deaths of the Elven guards outside hadn’t stirred the slightest ripple in his heart.

He too had regained his memories. He knew they were also trapped in a cycle.

To cycle as the victor, or to cycle in a state of violent death—both were still cycles.

Holding a glass of mixed fruit juice, Xia Xifeng sipped from the straw as he answered, “A despicable and insidious Evil God.”

After a moment’s thought, Taylor sat down across from Xia Xifeng. “The master of this dream?”

Xia Xifeng replied, “Should be. Elven Lord, have a seat too. Why stand?”

The Elf Lord challenged, “Are you not afraid I’ll kill you?”

Xia Xifeng scoffed, “I already told you, you can’t kill me. Aren’t you curious how this cycle will end? You don’t seem particularly willing to cooperate with this Evil God yourself.”

The Elf Lord also took a seat across from Xia Xifeng but offered no reply.

Xia Xifeng turned his attention back outside.

The Blood Moon remained utterly unprovoked, though the edges of its silver disguise were now visibly tinged with red.

Qin Lang had fully merged with the night. Only blossom after blossom of blood blooming into existence marked the path of a Death God moving silently through the shadows, reaping lives.

The Resistance fighters stood frozen and bewildered, staring in shock at the battlefield where Elven warriors, their mortal foes, were collapsing one after another.

They gripped their weapons tighter, unsure how to react to this immensely powerful, unidentified figure who was neither clearly friend nor foe.

“I remember now,” Xia Xifeng spoke while continuing to search the darkness for Qin Lang. “When Susan introduced Blackstone Town’s history, she mentioned that the town’s first lord, Taylor, was once a member of the Resistance. During a battle against the Eastern Fortress City of the Elven First Empire, he was gravely wounded by the city’s lord, a fellow Legendary-ranked Elf Warrior named Eigg. His power fell, and in his later years, he led his comrades to settle in the Wastelands, founding Blackstone Town.”

Still unable to spot Qin Lang, Xia Xifeng reluctantly withdrew his gaze and looked at Eigg. “You are a real soul, not some illusion fabricated by an Evil God. Are those Elven warriors real as well?”

Eigg shot Taylor a sideways glance. “Blackstone Town?”

Taylor rapped his own head lightly. “Ah, now I remember. I died of old age, surrounded by my children and grandchildren. The latter half of my life was very happy!”

He raised an eyebrow provocatively at Eigg.

Eigg’s expression soured considerably.

Xia Xifeng then dropped a statement that made Eigg’s expression turn even darker. “If the historical records are accurate… Taylor’s wife was Eigg’s younger sister. And Eigg entrusted her to Taylor before his death.”

Eigg: “…?!”

Taylor turned his head away, his shoulders shaking suspiciously.

Eigg’s calm, detached composure shattered. “I did indeed entrust my sister to him after our duel of honor! But I told him to take her to her fiancé, who had long since left the Empire to escape the war!”

“Wow.” Xia Xifeng’s eyes sparkled with the light of pure love for gossip. “Taylor, go on, explain yourself to your brother-in-law.”

Taylor turned back, struggling to contain his laughter. “What’s there to explain? I’m more handsome. Women like me more.”

Eigg drew his longsword.

Xia Xifeng hurriedly intervened. “Hold on, hold on! Don’t fight here. You can settle your squabbles after things outside are resolved. Taylor, that slaughter out there… it’s not just the Resistance, is it? I saw your descendants among them.”

Having had his fun teasing Eigg, Taylor adopted a more carefree tone. “Most likely, all my descendants were cursed. Anyone who ever presided over the ritual… after they died, their souls were drawn into this cycle of rebirth within the dream.”

Xia Xifeng asked Eigg, “Then how did you become trapped in this dream?”

Eigg sheathed his longsword but remained silent.

Taylor answered in his place. “He was once a Silver Moon ritualist. Before returning to inherit his position as clan head, he joined a secret Silver Moon cult. I was also a member of that same cult.”

Curious, Xia Xifeng asked, “Were you two adventuring companions once?”

Taylor offered another smile but didn’t answer this time.

Though immensely curious, Xia Xifeng knew this wasn’t the moment to dig into those details. “The Church of the Silver Moon was already an established, legitimate church back when the Elven First Empire existed. Why would you two join a secret cult?”

Taylor replied, “Because the Silver Moon Favored I knew believed the Church of the Silver Moon was too aloof and lofty to properly carry out the Silver Moon’s principles. So, he established a secret cult to operate in the shadows and keep the official Church in check. Pretty cool, right?”

Xia Xifeng looked at Eigg.

Eigg averted his gaze.

Xia Xifeng marveled internally. So the reason you two were screwed over by the Evil Blood Moon… was because you thought a secret cult sounded ‘cool’… and joined up?!

I… you…

Perila’s transformation into an Evil God required so much suffering, conspiracy, and a past so heavy it was suffocating.

You two have endured countless cycles of slaughter, clinging desperately to your minds in the face of absolute despair, refusing to yield to an Evil God—brimming with tragic, pessimistic heroism. But the cause of this entire tragedy was… you just thought it was “cool,” and got tricked into a secret “Silver Moon” cult?!

Xia Xifeng pressed a hand to his forehead. “You two… Ah, forget it. Being schemed against by an Evil God, what could you do?”

Who could have guessed that the moon overflowing with Silver Moon divinity… wasn’t actually the Silver Moon?

When you got down to it, wasn’t this all the fault of the Twin Suns?! When exactly did the Blood Moon rip a piece of their Authority away?

Xia Xifeng thought, even if he asked the Twin Suns, they’d only reply, “I don’t know~.”

You gods are so stupid you deserve to die!

Finally, Eigg spoke. “Since you now know the Silver Moon we once worshipped was a false god… how can you still maintain your faith in the Silver Moon?”

Taylor answered with a smile. “What I’ve always had faith in is the Silver Moon. It’s simply that an Evil God was masquerading as the Silver Moon. How could my faith possibly waver?”

Eigg: “The blessings you received didn’t come from the true Silver Moon.”

Taylor: “What does that have to do with my faith? Didn’t you join that secret cult in the first place because you believed in the true Silver Moon?”

Eigg: “The Silver Moon never granted us any blessings.”

Taylor: “Eigg. You and I are not mediocre people who beg the gods for pity. Don’t we worship a deity because we recognize and agree with its principles?”

Eigg sneered. “How arrogant. And now, toyed with by the gods, you can still say such things?”

Taylor chuckled softly. “An Evil God’s power surpasses mine. It can hold me in its palm and play with me as it pleases. Must I therefore be servile toward it? No matter how many cycles I endure, no matter how many times you kill me, I will never abandon my oath.”

Eigg’s voice sharpened. “Even if all your descendants are tormented by this Evil God?”

Taylor countered, “If I knelt and groveled, would the Evil God suddenly show mercy? Humans and ants both live under the same sky. Yet a god looking down from on high sees a human much the same way a human sees an ant. No amount of groveling will help. Better to disgust Him a little longer—at least that makes an impression.”

Taylor then looked at Xia Xifeng. “Has Blackstone Town already been destroyed?”

Xia Xifeng didn’t hide the truth. “The entire world is on the brink of destruction. But we’ve already pulled it back from the edge. The gods and mortals of the Dream World are all fighting to save themselves.”

Taylor’s expression remained steady. He continued his questions. “What of the God of the Silver Moon?”

Xia Xifeng replied, “The Silver Moon and Hope’s Sun fell. They were replaced by Outer Gods.”

Eigg’s head whipped around, staring at Xia Xifeng in utter disbelief.

Taylor’s expression still didn’t waver. “And Birth’s Sun?”

Xia Xifeng answered, “Birth’s Sun transformed into the vengeful Bloody Sun. He still hangs in the high heavens.”