The Righteous Player(s)

Celecia knew that Annan was the most beloved by Old Grandmother, unlike other members of the Austere-Winter family.

They could hurt Annan, but they could never kill Annan.

It was Vladmir who told her this.

There was no way he didn’t know.

Even the Rotten Man would pay the price for His stupid actions… not to mention the transcenders like them who were not even deities. They were merely apprentices of the Transcendence Path.

Therefore, when they were in conflict with Annan, they would subconsciously hold back their strength.

Holding back would most likely lead to defeat in the end.

The best approach was to avoid conflict.

Whether it was harming Annan, suppressing his sphere of influence, or even sending an assassin of the same level to kill him, these were all considered normal political conflicts. Old Grandmother would not intervene in such matters.

That was how they had always behaved.

There was no way the Old Grandmother would help Annan capture his enemies.

She was the Tradition Deity — pampering of children and grandchildren was not a tradition to be encouraged. In this cold place, Her preferred tradition was to encourage Her descendants to hunt independently and live independently.

“Eh?” However, at this moment, Celecia suddenly noticed a detail.

Her pupils suddenly tightened.

There was a solidified ice sculpture behind her teacher, Vladmir.

That was Winter’s Hand patrolling the dungeon.

He still maintained the posture of leading the Frost Beast on patrol. He did not even realize that an enemy appeared, and this movement was completely frozen.

The Frost Beast beside him had turned into ashes.

Only a flat and smooth, palm-sized ice-blue gemstone was being toyed with by Vladimir’s other hand.

That was the “heart” of the Frost Beast, their energy core.

While she was completely unaware, the patrolling Winter’s Hand and the Frost Beast had been poisoned!

Even though she lost the power of the ‘Silver’ ship, her body still retained the curse power of a high-ranking curse. There was no way she was completely unaware of this…

No, that’s not right!

That’s not the point—

“You have killed the Winter’s Hand and the Frost Beast guarding the dungeon…” Celecia murmured.

What she actually wanted to say was, “Do you really know what you’re doing?” But realizing that the person in front of her was her most respected teacher, the words that came out were instead, “Is it really okay for you to do this?”

This was undoubtedly a provocation to the Austere-Winter’s Grand Duke.

If one considered the past desertion as part of a benefit exchange, as a result of a transaction, his position, though delicate, was actually more inclined towards the Austere-Winter Dukedom…

But now, having taken such actions and shown such a clear hostile attitude… it was undoubtedly a preparation to be an enemy of the Grand Duke of Austere-Winter!

She wasn’t worried about Annan.

She was worried about her teacher, Vladmir.

“I don’t want that either, Thoreau Nick.” Vladmir said slowly, “This is… your fault.”

His words were like a sharp blade, piercing Celecia’s heart.

Her pupils suddenly tightened. Fear, grievance, and disbelief almost instantly turned into tears, welling up in her eyes.

“…Teacher!” Even if her arm were severed by a blade or her abdomen pierced by a bayonet, she would never cry.

However, when Vladmir uttered these words, she burst into tears instantly, sobbing and defending, “I definitely didn’t tell the secret… I won’t tell…”

“You will.” Vladmir stared at the girl with long pink and purple hair, who was as beautiful and noble as a princess, and his tone did not change at all, “Because you have changed.”

“I won’t! I won’t! I’m already thinking of ways to deceive him! I can do it.”

Her pupils shook violently.

Celecia fell to her knees weakly and cried loudly, “I will never…never betray you…I really won’t…”

Just like facing her parents who accused her of stealing, or her respected teacher who was disappointed in her because of others’ false accusations, she felt a sharp pain in her heart.

It was precisely because she completely believed and loved her teacher “Vladmir” that she was so deeply hurt by these words.

The next moment, her cry was frozen.

The fear, grievance, and pain that flowed out along with the tears were simultaneously altered into pure fear.

Behind Vladmir, a tall, dark gray shadow emerged silently.

It had only an upper body — a humanoid figure with blood-soaked bandages over its eyes, its ears and tongue cut off, hair disheveled like a madman. It seemed to be howling at the sky, its entire being raising numerous arms towards the heavens.

Its bare upper body was also covered in scars, with skin of a pure dark gray color, while the wounds were a striking, vivid red.

Its heart was a terrifying, sunken wound. It was a large circular cavity inside which was a dark red sphere, pulsating slowly like a heart.

It had eight arms, raised high up. But each arm had several fingers broken. Some arms were fractured, thin, and bent… deformed to the point that it reminded one of a “dried-up tree.”

The dark gray realm covered Celecia’s vision like the ominous air before a storm. Everything she saw was stained with a dark gray color. Only the wounds were as bright red as before.

Celecia was the “Captain of the Stone”. Of course, she knew what it was.

It was an Exalted Avatar.

The “soul essence” developed after having obtained the “supreme crown” and “the perfect essence of the elements”.

Its shape would express everyone’s innermost essential desires and the true nature of the soul.

At this moment, Vladmir summoned the Exalted Avatar… His purpose was obvious.

He wasn’t here to warn Celecia.

He wasn’t here to take her away.

He came to kill Celecia and silence her.

“Do we really have to do this?” Celecia murmured.

Her face was full of despair, and her whole body was as dry as a puppet. It was as if all hope was lost in an instant.

“You said so, Thoreau Nick.” Vladmir’s low and cold voice sounded calm, “You promised.”

“For me, you’re willing to discard your life… Now, I’m here to claim your life.”

“Or… was that a lie to deceive me?”

“No! No! That’s not a lie!”

Celecia reached out and covered her heart as if it wouldn’t hurt anymore.

She sobbed and burst into tears, “That is indeed true! I can really die for the teacher, but—”

It’s just…it shouldn’t be such a cheap death.

It shouldn’t have been executed and silenced as a traitor, but rather a noble and passionate sacrifice—

She suddenly choked up and couldn’t speak anymore.

“There’s no such distinction.” Vladmir replied expressionlessly, “Death is death, and it is nothing else.”

“You have still changed. Thoreau Nick will not attach so many elements to ‘death’, and he will not try to find value in ‘death’…”

“Because Thoreau Nick is my dog, and you… are not anymore.”

“You are right, Vladmir.” A steady voice sounded.

A middle-aged man with frosty hair and gray eyes, wearing a housekeeper’s uniform, walked slowly from the other end of the corridor, “Stop it… old friend.”

“Victor.” Vladmir turned his head, looked at the middle-aged man with a mere Silver Rank, and frowned, “It’s you…”

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