Synopsis and Starting Chapter Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Chapter 78
Chapter 79
Chapter 80
Chapter 81
Chapter 82
Chapter 83 - Cry-Baby And Ugly-Faced Woman
Chapter 84 - The Situation Took A Turn For The Worst
Chapter 85 - The Blood Clan’S True Form (One)
Chapter 86 - Blood Clan'S True Form (Two)
Chapter 87 - Your Blood Is Quite Nutritious
Chapter 88 - Awakening (One)
Chapter 89 - Awakening (Two)
Chapter 90 - Awakening (Three)
Chapter 91 - Return
Chapter 92 - Sin Of Hell’S River
Chapter 93 - Don’T Do It, It’Ll Hurt
Chapter 94 - All The Blood In This World Belongs To Me
Chapter 95 - The Charm Of That Shield
Chapter 96 - I Definitely Will Not Let You Suffer
Chapter 97 - Our Inland Sea
Chapter 98 - Arracca Murkh
Chapter 99 - Uncertain Fate
Chapter 100 - Ramon (One)
Chapter 101 - Ramon (Two)
Chapter 102 - Eckstedt’S Welcoming Ceremony
Chapter 103 - Gamble (One)
Chapter 104 - Gamble (Two)
Chapter 105 - The Kingdom’S Wrath
Chapter 106 - The Failed Bet
Chapter 107 - Mystic Gun
Chapter 108 - Chapman Lampard
Chapter 109 - Remnants Of Magic
Chapter 110 - Paid Homage
Chapter 111 - Kaslan’S Tavern
Chapter 112
Chapter 113 - The Intersection Of Fate
Chapter 114 - The People In Hell (One)
Chapter 115 - The People In Hell (Two)
Chapter 116
Chapter 117 - Star Killer
Chapter 118 - The Unexpected Guests
Chapter 119 - A Marquis From Camus
Chapter 120 - Bait
Chapter 121 - Clue
Chapter 122 - Until Dawn Came (One)
Chapter 123 - Until Dawn Came (Two)
Chapter 124 - Queen Of The Sky
Chapter 125 - The Female Warrior
Chapter 126 - Heroic Spirit Palace
Chapter 127 - The Born King (One)
Chapter 128 - The Born King (Two)
Chapter 129 - A Duel
Chapter 130 - The King And His Archdukes
Chapter 131 - The Strange Swordsman
Chapter 132 - Who Are You?
Chapter 133 - Hunt And Chase
Chapter 134 - Little Rascal And Alex (One)
Chapter 135 - Little Rascal And Alex (Two)
Chapter 136 - Stabs
Chapter 137 - Kidnapping The Archduke?
Chapter 138 - Numb Hands
Chapter 139 - A Unique Welcome Banquet
Chapter 140 - The Red Witch
Chapter 141 - Reunion
Chapter 142 - Who’S There (One)
Chapter 143 - Who’S There (Two)
Chapter 144 - The Sword Of Baptism’S Death
Chapter 145 - The Wait
Chapter 146 - The Culprit
Chapter 147 - The Northland Road
Chapter 148
Chapter 149 - Not Even Worth Half A Penny!
Chapter 150 - The Beloved Former King, Nuven
Chapter 151 - Veteran
Chapter 152 - Shadow
Chapter 153 - Have A Drink
Chapter 154 - The Secret Of ‘Triumph’
Chapter 155 - A Bargaining Chip You Cannot Refuse
Chapter 156 - Horrifying
Chapter 157 - The Death Of Soria
Chapter 158 - Betrayal
Chapter 159 - The Fateful Night
Chapter 160 - The Invitation
Chapter 161 - The First Mystic Declaration
Chapter 162 - Letting Go Of A Suspicion
Chapter 163 - Monster And Monster
Chapter 164 - Chaos Begins
Chapter 165 - Just Speak
Chapter 166 - Surprise
Chapter 167 - Flee
Chapter 168 - The Tragic End Of Weaklings
Chapter 169 - Air And Blood
Chapter 170 - The Desperate Dash
Chapter 171 - The Outcome Of The Civil War
Chapter 172 - Elimination
Chapter 173 - The Blade Of Purification
Chapter 174 - The Truth About Elimination
Chapter 175 - Same Kind (One)
Chapter 176 - Same Kind (Two)
Chapter 177 - Sudden Entrance Into The Battlefield!
Chapter 178 - True Form
Chapter 179 - Silence And Darkness
Chapter 180 - Knocking On The Door
Chapter 181 - Phantom
Chapter 182 - A Gentle Kiss
Chapter 183 - The Cost Of Victory
Chapter 184 - The Paradoxical Assassin
Chapter 185 - Thunder Rumbles In Winter
Chapter 186 - End Of Arc: A Good Name
Chapter 187 - The Night Ends, The Day Breaks
Chapter 188 - It Is You
Chapter 189 - Symphony Of Blood (One)
Chapter 190 - Symphony Of Blood (Part Two)
Chapter 191 - Stop Meddling Into The Matters Of Elders
Chapter 192 - Six-Fifty
Chapter 193 - Choose Who You Want To Become
Chapter 194 - Ice-Cold
Chapter 195 - Spirit Of The Contract
Chapter 196 - The Manipulator (One)
Chapter 197 - The Manipulator (Two)
Chapter 198 - Price
Chapter 199
Chapter 200 - Encounter
Chapter 201 - The Prince’S End
Chapter 202 - Really Bad Luck (One)
Chapter 203 - Really Bad Luck (Two)
Chapter 204 - Understanding
Chapter 205 - Execute On The Spot
Chapter 206 - Guest From Barren Bone
Chapter 207 - The Prince’S Doubts
Chapter 208 - The Black Prophet From The Other Side
Chapter 209 - Code Name: Dragon’S Blood
Chapter 210 - The Importance Of Dragon’S Blood
Chapter 211 - A Gamble In The Dark (One)
Chapter 212 - A Gamble In The Dark (Two)
Chapter 213 - The Curse Of The Witch
Chapter 214 - The Scorching Blade
Chapter 215 - Stall
Chapter 216 - The Latecomer
Chapter 217 - A Very Big Problem
Chapter 218 - The Blade And The Wing
Chapter 219 - Trust And Loyalty
Chapter 220 - Nicholas’ Bargaining Chip
Chapter 221 - Shelter
Chapter 222 - A Critical Decision
Chapter 223 - Failure
Chapter 224 - Little Rascal’S ‘Consolation’
Chapter 225 - Save This Country
Chapter 226 - King Slayer
Chapter 227 - Creating Trouble For Ourselves
Chapter 228 - The Strongest Chess Piece (One)
Chapter 229 - The Strongest Chess Piece (Two)
Chapter 230 - The Strongest Chess Piece. (Three)
Chapter 231 - Lampard’S Plan
Chapter 232 - The Archduke’S Fight
Chapter 233 - It Has Been A Long Time
Chapter 234 - A Great Threat
Chapter 235 - Contention
Chapter 236 - The Inextinguishable Starlight
Chapter 237 - The Virtuous King
Chapter 238 - Centuries Of Strategic Planning (One)
Chapter 239 - Centuries Of Strategic Planning (Two)
Chapter 240 - Centuries Of Strategic Planning (Three)
Chapter 241 - Genuine Patrols
Chapter 242
Chapter 243 - Seize Control
Chapter 244 - Chad Vlad
Chapter 245 - Severing Souls With A Slash!
Chapter 246 - A Game Of Chess
Chapter 247 - A Chance Encounter
Chapter 248 - I Am Very Honored
Chapter 249 - When Swords Cross (One)
Chapter 250 - When Swords Cross (Two)
Chapter 251 - Arduous
Chapter 252 - I Am So Relieved
Chapter 253 - I Can Help You
Chapter 254 - The Black Knight’S Death
Chapter 255 - Changing Hands
Chapter 256 - Counter-Attack
Chapter 257 - Check
Chapter 258 - Checkmate
Chapter 259 - A Speculation
Chapter 260 - The Reason For Battle (One)
Chapter 261 - The Reason For Battle (Two)
Chapter 262 - Twist Of Fate
Chapter 263 - A Child Who’S Not Able To Drink Alcohol
Chapter 264 - You Northland Barbarians!
Chapter 265 - Two Minutes
Chapter 266 - What A Shame (One)
Chapter 267 - What A Shame (Two)
Chapter 268 - We Won
Chapter 269 - The Archduchess
Chapter 270 - The Blood-Stained Crown
Chapter 271 - The Day Before The Bitter Cold Winter
Chapter 272 - Yc
Chapter 273 - End Of Arc: The Destiny They Missed
Chapter 274 - The Quiet Prince
Chapter 275 - A Game Of Chess (One)
Chapter 276 - A Game Of Chess (Two)
Chapter 277 - First Lesson
Chapter 278 - The Truth Brothers
Chapter 279 - Traitors
Chapter 280 - Target
Chapter 281 - An Awkward Dinner
Chapter 282 - Upset
Chapter 283 - Riot
Chapter 284 - The Familiar Guest
Chapter 285 - The Honor And Humiliation Of The Great Dragon (One)
Chapter 286
Chapter 287 - The Mystery About Putray
Chapter 288 - The Dragon’S Blood Has Yet To Dry
Chapter 289 - Dragon Breaker (One)
Chapter 290 - Dragon Breaker (Two)
Chapter 291 - Meryl Hicks
Chapter 292 - The Boundaries Of Governance (One)
Chapter 293 - The Boundaries Of Governance (Two)
Chapter 294 - What Is Magic?
Chapter 295 - An Unforeseen Invitation
Chapter 296 - The Game In The Carriage
Chapter 297 - The Former King’S “Present”
Chapter 298 - The Prince’S Shackles
Chapter 299 - Friend And Foe
Chapter 300 - Victory And Defeat
Chapter 301 - A Duel
Chapter 302 - Not Too Bad?
Chapter 303 - Leave
Chapter 304 - A Storm Is Coming
Chapter 305 - The Creation Of The Two Empresses
Chapter 306 - Raven Of Death
Chapter 307 - Ian The Nuisance
Chapter 308 - Collusion
Chapter 309 - The Writers Of Legend (One)
Chapter 310 - The Writers Of Legend (Two)
Chapter 311 - The Day Of The State Affairs Hearing
Chapter 312 - The Hatred For Stealing His Sister
Chapter 313 - The Beginning
Chapter 314 - For Dragon Clouds City
Chapter 315 - The Archduchess And Her Vassals
Chapter 316 - Plan
Chapter 317 - A Romantic Story
Chapter 318 - Are All Of You Coming?
Chapter 319 - Not According To Plan
Chapter 320 - Releasing In “Installments”
Chapter 321 - The Price Of Saying “No”
Chapter 322 - The Moral Of The Story
Chapter 323 - Good Morning
Chapter 324 - Returning The Favor
Chapter 325 - Send Reinforcements
Chapter 326 - Five Archdukes
Chapter 327 - The Prince’S Whereabouts
Chapter 328 - Just Like Chapman Lampard
Chapter 329 - The Final Journey
Chapter 330 - Assassinating Lampard?
Chapter 331 - Bumping Into A Ghost
Chapter 332 - Headquarters
Chapter 333 - Smooth-Sailing
Chapter 334
Chapter 335 - The Confusion While Going Back Home
Chapter 336 - The Veteran On The Wheelchair
Chapter 337 - Double The Amount?
Chapter 338 - The Point Of Contact
Chapter 339 - His/Her Eyes
Chapter 340 - The Magical Therren
Chapter 341 - You Son Of A *Censored*
Chapter 342 - Which Will You Choose?
Chapter 343 - Exterminate Them All
Chapter 344 - Black Track
Chapter 345 - Join Us
Chapter 346 - Silver Shadow
Chapter 347 - You Will Fail In The End
Chapter 348 - You Fell Into The Trap, Eh?
Chapter 349 - The War Of The Deceased Souls
Chapter 350 - Never Lost
Chapter 351 - The Pulse Of The Ground
Chapter 352 - God Knows
Chapter 353 - The First Rule
Chapter 354 - Pursuers
Chapter 355 - The Hardest Fight
Chapter 356 - Unique Only To One
Chapter 357 - Just Die Here
Chapter 358 - The Three-Second Fight
Chapter 359 - Surpassed Kaslan
Chapter 360 - The Raven And The Snow Blade (One)
Chapter 361 - The Raven And The Snow Blade (Two)
Chapter 362 - The Black Raven’S Eyes
Chapter 363 - Who Does Your Loyalty Belong To?
Chapter 364 - Turning Against One Another
Chapter 365 - Saber Or Crossbow?
Chapter 366 - Prince In The Desert
Chapter 367 - Sellsword
Chapter 368 - Dante’S Greatsword
Chapter 369 - Desert Threat
Chapter 370 - There’S Someone
Chapter 371 - Barren Bone People
Chapter 372 - Bloody Thorn Lizard
Chapter 373 - Young Cub
Chapter 374 - Foreign Blood
Chapter 375 - Coming-Of-Age Ceremony
Chapter 376 - Flag
Chapter 377 - The Destructive Army
Chapter 378 - Freaks
Chapter 379 - Welcome To Constellation (One)
Chapter 380 - Welcome To Constellation (Two)
Chapter 381 - Ghost Prince
Chapter 382 - My Home (One)
Chapter 383 - My Home (Two)
Chapter 384 - Age Of Mercenaries
Chapter 385 - Confrontation And Stalemate
Chapter 386 - Prince Versus Prince
Chapter 387 - So Many Tricks
Chapter 388 - You Have To Laugh
Chapter 389 - Shackles Of Power
Chapter 390 - Perhaps I Have
Chapter 391 - Happily Ever After
Chapter 392 - Technical Skill
Chapter 393 - Intention
Chapter 394 - New Guest
Chapter 395 - Shadows And Swords
Chapter 396 - The Dark Side
Chapter 397 - Emergency Mission
Chapter 398 - Alliance Of Traitors
Chapter 399 - The Mole
Chapter 400 - As Bad As Can Be
Chapter 401 - Affectionate And United
Chapter 402 - F*Ck You
Chapter 403 - H.N. Jadestar
Chapter 404 - Stupid Idea
Chapter 405 - Sinner
Chapter 406 - The Intruders
Chapter 407 - Head Towards Omniscience
Chapter 408 - Black Prison
Chapter 409 - Behind The Iron Curtain
Chapter 410 - Hallucination
Chapter 411 - Seven
Chapter 412 - People Whom History Has Forgotten
Chapter 413 - The Mourning Of The Guards
Chapter 414 - Where Is He?
Chapter 415 - Fall Out
Chapter 416 - Disaster Sword’S Battle
Chapter 417 - The Knight Of Judgment
Chapter 418 - A Different World
Chapter 419 - The Queen’S Dowry
Chapter 420 - The Greatest King
Chapter 421 - Knew Clearly
Chapter 422 - Nameless
Chapter 423 - Awaken
Chapter 424 - Loyalty
Chapter 425 - Peer
Chapter 426 - He Was Probably Old
Chapter 427 - A Stalemate
Chapter 428 - Dusk
Chapter 429 - The Man At The Proximal World
Chapter 430 - The Second Declaration Among Mystics
Chapter 431 - The Anchor Point
Chapter 432 - Taurus Mill
Chapter 433 - Decision
Chapter 434 - Correcting The Mistake
Chapter 435 - Malicious Flower, Malicious Fruit
Chapter 436 - Moriah Returns
Chapter 437 - Old Self
Chapter 438 - The Prince Is Not Here
Chapter 439 - Scheme Between The Thief And Bandit
Chapter 440 - Seven To Three
Chapter 441 - Missing One
Chapter 442 - Quick Wit
Chapter 443 - Not Just You
Chapter 444 - Someone Needs An Answer
Chapter 445 - A Forbidden Name
Chapter 446 - Three Calamity Allies
Chapter 447 - Enemy Of The World
Chapter 448 - 1 Vs 8
Chapter 449 - Chaos Of Armies
Chapter 450 - Two Hands
Chapter 451 - Xx Films
Chapter 452 - Fratricide
Chapter 453 - It Was Not A Coincidence
Chapter 454 - More Than Half
Chapter 455 - I Hated Him
Chapter 456 - Nothing At All
Chapter 457 - The Person Who Supported Him
Chapter 458 - Where The Sun Does Not Shine (One)
Chapter 459 - Where The Sun Does Not Shine (Two)
Chapter 460 - Rebirth (One)
Chapter 461 - Rebirth (Two)
Chapter 462 - Rebirth (Three)
Chapter 463 - Rebirth (Four)
Chapter 464 - Rebirth (Five)
Chapter 465 - Truth Swords
Chapter 466 - Beheaded
Chapter 467 - Revealed In Flames
Chapter 468 - The Silent Demon
Chapter 469 - So Naïve That You Are Adorable
Chapter 470 - The Fate Twins
Chapter 471 - The True Essence Of The Power Of Eradication
Chapter 472 - Leaving The Prison
Chapter 473 - I Am Not A Devil, After All
Chapter 474 - Much… Higher
Chapter 475 - The Warden
Chapter 476 - Life, Safety And Freedom
Chapter 477 - Something Lighter
Chapter 478 - Get Me Something To Eat And Drink
Chapter 479 - Exclusive Possession
Chapter 480 - Kill Them
Chapter 481 - A Different Way Of Living
Chapter 482 - Get Yourself A Girlfriend
Chapter 483 - Make Me Even More… Excited
Chapter 484 - You Are Good-Looking
Chapter 485 - Too High
Chapter 486 - You Are Good-Looking
Chapter 487 - Too High
Chapter 488 - That Night
Chapter 489 - Usurp Power
Chapter 490 - Do Something
Chapter 491 - Power Comes From Violence (One)
Chapter 492 - Power Comes From Violence (Two)
Chapter 493 - The Third Party
Chapter 494 - Destiny Is Like A Poem
Chapter 495 - Raven Leader
Chapter 496 - Never
Chapter 497 - His Majesty’S Blessing
Chapter 498 - Black Lion
Chapter 499 - I Have Come In Peace
Chapter 500 - End Of Arc: Duke
Chapter 501 - Everything Will Be Better
Chapter 502 - Six Divisions And Seven Attendants
Chapter 503 - Divided Western Desert
Chapter 504 - Only One Day Left
Chapter 505 - Protection
Chapter 506 - This Is Just The Beginning
Chapter 507 - Hometown
Chapter 508 - A Small Spark
Chapter 509 - Anxious
Chapter 510 - Fifteen Minutes
Chapter 511 - King In The Mist
Chapter 512 - Crazy
Chapter 513 - A Small Favor
Chapter 514 - Like A Fleeting Cloud
Chapter 515 - Timetable
Chapter 516 - Coincidence?
Chapter 517 - Went To High School
Chapter 518 - Discovered?
Chapter 519 - Let’S Fight
Chapter 520 - Not Just The Power Of Eradication
Chapter 521 - World Class Battle Worthy Of Being Written In Historical Poems
Chapter 522 - Continuous Fights
Chapter 523 - Mutant
Chapter 524 - Self-Reliant
Chapter 525 - Lustful Woman
Chapter 526 - Knowledge Of People
Chapter 527 - Holiness Exorcism
Chapter 528 - Fight Between The Eldest And Youngest
Chapter 529 - Privacy
Chapter 530 - Alien Star
Chapter 531 - Guest
Chapter 532 - The Young Kingdom
Chapter 533 - Calm On Iron Spikes
Chapter 534 - Sorry To Keep You Waiting
Chapter 535 - Polaris
Chapter 536 - Times Have Changed
Chapter 537 - Pretty Boy
Chapter 538 - Magnificent Scene Of Hell
Chapter 539 - Side Story 7: Joint Council
Chapter 540 - Never Kneel
Chapter 541 - A Piece Of Cake
Chapter 542 - Merciless
Chapter 543 - That Gaze
Chapter 544 - Watchmen’S Code
Chapter 545 - The End Of It
Chapter 546 - To Not Perish As Foes (One)
Chapter 547 - To Not Perish As Foes (Two)
Chapter 548 - To Not Perish As Foes (Three)
Chapter 549 - To Duke Thales
Chapter 550 - What Rationality
Chapter 551 - Better
Chapter 552 - Sacrificing A Pawn (One)
Chapter 553 - Sacrificing A Pawn (Two)
Chapter 554 - Sacrificing A Pawn (Three)
Chapter 555 - Unfulfilled
Chapter 556 - Chess Player
Chapter 557 - Relieved
Chapter 558 - Punishment
Chapter 559 - Eight Arteries
Chapter 560 - Imperial Style
Chapter 561 - Cannot Escape The Sheath
Chapter 562 - Want Everything
Chapter 563 - Cause And Effect
Chapter 564 - Blazing Blood
Chapter 565 - Of Course—Not
Chapter 566 - Crown Jewel Of The Kingdom
Chapter 567 - Head Over Heels
Chapter 568 - As Truthful As Possible
Chapter 569 - Hand In Marriage
Chapter 570 - What Do I Need You For
Chapter 571 - Defects
Chapter 572 - Heart Of The Guards
Chapter 573 - You’Re A Real Dog
Chapter 574 - Antecessors
Chapter 575 - The Years Have Caught On To Me
Chapter 576 - Shooting Yourself In The Foot
Chapter 577 - Lie
Chapter 578 - The Wine Merchant
Chapter 579 - Damn The Prince
Chapter 580 - The Prince Likes Them
Categories Genre: Action, All, Drama, Fantasy, Mature, Ongoing, Psychological, Seinen, Tragedy Status: Ongoing Alternative names: Wang Guo Xue Mai, 王国血脉, ______
Total Chapters in book: 580
Estimated words: 2362673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 11813(@200wpm)___ 9451(@250wpm)___ 7876(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 2362673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 11813(@200wpm)___ 9451(@250wpm)___ 7876(@300wpm)
______
LIST OF LAST 10 CHAPTERS:
Page No. 580 Page No. 579 Page No. 578 Page No. 577 Page No. 576 Page No. 575 Page No. 574 Page No. 573 Page No. 572 Page No. 571 Page No. 570 Chapter 431 - The Anchor Point
Chapter 431: The Anchor Point
Translator:
EndlessFantasy Translation
Editor:
EndlessFantasy Translation
“Stay true to oneself?” Thales repeated with a face full of doubt.
However, he was incredibly confused. He felt like he was surrounded by fog.
‘The second declaration among Mystics: Stay true to myself…’
Compared to the mysterious rule of not delving into each other’s origins, this rule seemed normal. It was like there was no need for any further explanations.
“A Mystic, must stay true to himself or herself at all times. That is all.” The stranger looked unapproachable. “As for the rest, you need to realized it on your own.”
‘Hmm… realize it on my own… Huh?’ Once Thales registered it, he was shocked! He looked at the other party, flabbergasted. ‘Realize it… on my own? What the f*ck?
‘This teaching style of throwing me a sentence and then going off on his merry way… Why is it so familiar?’
“Wait wait wait wait! You… only that?”
Thales opened his eyes wide and stared at the stranger who seemed like he was about to leave. Thales tried hard to say more to convince him to stay.
“‘Stay true to oneself’, what does that mean? I mean, at least ‘not delving deep into each other’s origins’ seems like a practical rule—”
However, just as Thales was about to throw out a series of questions, the stranger only raised his head gently and stared into the distance.
He placed his hands behind his back and said coldly, “You should go now. They have noticed you.”
Thales’ eyelids twitched. ‘They… The girls.’
“So soon?” The teenager imitated the stranger and gazed at the empty, blurry space. Just as he expected, he saw nothing.
‘But…’
Thales said in a troubled and upset manner, “Why would they be so interested in me?”
This question caused the air to become silent for a moment. Afterwards, the stranger said softly, “Do not blame them. They are the same as you are; they are pitiful children, forced to do this.”
There was a faint, sad tone in the stranger’s voice.
When Thales heard this, he could not help but frown tightly.
‘What? Pitiful children? Forced?’ Thales still looked bewildered.
“After all, they have already sacrificed too much for the world…”
Thales clearly heard the stranger sighing behind the blurry ‘water curtain’. He sounded very empathetic.
‘Sacrificed too much for the world…’ Thales shuddered just as he frowned over this phrase.
A memory he had not seen in a long time came to mind. In that memory, he was in a simple temple, and he was having a conversation with a high priestess.
“He believed that you were not the same, he believed that you would do better… He sacrificed too much.”‘
Thales narrowed his eyes in puzzlement. He thought those words were strangely familiar.
‘He sacrificed too much… Sacrifice… Wait, sacrifice!’
At that moment, Thales came back to his senses. He remembered.
His breathing increased in speed.
The prince, the Great Desert, the prison, the assassins, the ambush, being captured, the hostages, the Alchemy Ball…
The scenes and memories flooded his mind. More of his memories returned to him, and the memories he had lost just now were restored.
“Hah… hah…”
Thales took in large gulps of air, his gaze was unfocused. He did not even notice the stranger’s gaze on him.
‘Shit… Shit! There…’
Thales remembered the last scene that happened not too long ago in terror. It was not by chance that he lost control, evolved, and knocked on the Door…
‘There… Yodel, Stake’s dagger, and the Alchemy Ball…’
The agitation and tension in the teenager reached its peak at that moment.
The stranger continued saying, “I will help you escape from the state of losing control, and then send you to a safe—”
Thales raised his head at that moment. “No!”
His face contorted as he blurted out, “I can’t go back like this! I can’t leave this state of ‘losing control’!…”
The stranger stopped speaking. He watched Thales quietly.
“I remember it. I sense it now.” Thales clenched his fists tighter. He could not suppress his emotions. “There is something, someone, and something happening waiting for me on that side.”
When he thought of this, he took a step forward agitatedly. “Tell me, tell me more!”
Thales gritted his teeth and looked at the other party before he said determinedly, “You don’t need to teach me what is mystic energy… but you can teach me the tricks, teach me the ways, teach me how to ‘stay true to myself’, how to remain rational… while I lose control.”
‘I must bring with me the power of the Mystics while I’m awake…’
“They… They’re waiting for me.”
Thales looked anxious and his gaze was nervous. But the other party only stared at him from a distance. He did not move, as though he did not hear anything.
Thales’ heart sank.
A few seconds later, the stranger said faintly, “This is not something where you will be able to succeed in one go. You cannot go into this with last-minute preparations. You need to practice, reckless moves will—”
“But I have no time to practice.” In his anxiety and panic, the second prince’s voice grew more agitated. “Please teach me! I’m begging you! Regardless of whether it’s for the sake of your ‘old friend’ or for Asda!”
This time, the other party stared at him for a long time.
One… two… five seconds…
However, right before Thales could register what was going on, the illusionary image of the stranger shuddered, and he was filled with an aggressive aura!
The other party took a step forward. His eyes, hidden behind the ‘water curtain’, shone. Two powerful rays of light shot out, passing through all obstacles as if they had corporeal form.
They entered Thales’ eyes, causing the teenager’s vision to black out for a moment. The space known as the ‘proximal world’ shattered layer by layer, and the illusory ‘water curtain’ turned into thick, solid fog.
They came pressing down on him from all directions as if they had life. They squashed down on the area until it became small and cramped. Everything before him was turned into pitch-black darkness. It was like a huge wave in a raging black sea!
Thales was so scared that he took a step back, but he felt that the stranger in front of him was becoming more and more overwhelming.
“The girls are good, I cannot hide you from their sight for too long.” The stranger said in a stiff manner, “Understand as much as you can.”
Before Thales had the time to express his gratitude, the man spoke decisively, he did not beat around the bush.
“First, the anchor point.” The stranger circled Thales by taking very slow steps in the darkness-enveloped space. Powerful light still shone from his mysterious eyes as he examined Thales from various angles. “You must find your anchor point, this is the most direct, and also the… It is the way to ‘stay true to yourself’.”
Thales had yet to recover from the shock of the drastic change before him. He showed a puzzled expression. “Anchor point?”
The stranger stopped behind Thales. “I don’t like to use metaphors, but as a successor, you are just too bad, so I can only use this partial and ill-fitting way to explain this to you.”
Thales thought of something.
Behind him, the mysterious Mystic in space said coldly, “When you roam the great sea of mystic energy, you will constantly feel the threshold rising and falling, and it will affect you far more than just your physical body.
“You need a ship anchor that will constantly bind you. Even in danger, it will drag you back to your most basic physical form while you evolve. This is the anchor point.”
The thick, eerie mist around them flowed as the stranger spoke. It emitted a weak light and also stopped Thales from seeing everything beyond it. This made Thales feel as though he was on an endless sea. He was lost.
The stranger did not waste any time. He continued saying, “An accurate and effective anchor point will not only help you control your terrifying urges and desires, it will also help you stay true to yourself and let you preserve your rationality when you come into contact with mystic energy. In fact, it could even be effective after you knock on the Door. It will allow you to return from your basic form—which you would be unable to resist—to your physical form. You will then be able to return to yourself.”
Thales pondered over his words for a bit. “So, I need an anchor point… How do I do it?”
The stranger slowly lifted a finger. The colorless ripple once again circled the tip of his fingers and formed illusions in front of his blurred face.
“In general, the anchor point can be anything: a memory, an object, a characteristic, an incident.”
‘Memory, object, characteristic, incident. To know yourself clearly. To suppress recklessness. To remain rational. To return to yourself.’
Thales suddenly remembered that mysterious incident where he ‘knocked on the Door’ six years ago. At that time, what called him back to Dragon Clouds City from his basic form was…
The stranger continued, “But most importantly, the anchor point must direct you to yourself.”
Thales was suddenly stunned. He immediately asked, “Myself?” His thoughts focused on what the stranger had said.
‘Staying true to myself. But…’
“Yourself.” The stranger nodded. The flowing light shone above his head. Circles of blurry, colorless ripples came out from it. “It is one of the few things on you that other things will not be able to tainted.”
While still shining in that strong light, the stranger’s eyes flashed on his blurred face. “Now, answer me.” His voice became extremely firm and cold. This forced Thales to pay attention to him. “Who are you?”
Thales was slightly shocked. “Me?” The teenager answered instinctively, “Erm, Th-Thales?”
But the stranger suddenly became aggressive. “Thales? Hmph! How do you know that there is only one Thales in the world?”
He spoke faster and continued to coldly ask, “What if I tell you that there was an unlucky sailor named Thales 123 years ago in some rundown bar on the south harbor of Constellation? Is your anchor point going to be directed to you, or him?”
Thales was shocked by the stranger’s terse question. The stranger said, “As I have said, the self will not be tainted by other things.
“Thales, is this name you used for over ten years your true self, or is it a label someone attached on you and you thought it was your self?”
Thales felt his breathing hasten.
“Let me ask you one more time, who are you?” the stranger repeated fiercely.
The thick and eerie mist around them was still there. It was dark and gloomy.
Thales gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. “Erm, then… I was born in Lower City District, Constellation, in Year 665 in the Calendar of Eradication, as the Thales Jadestar who had lived an unfortunate first half of his life?”
He raised his head and looked at the stranger tentatively.
“Hmph, you increased the content, narrowed down the range of things that can be used as your label so that it would be more convenient for you to direct your anchor point. It seems very effective, but if it is that effective, my question is…”
At the beginning, the stranger murmured under his breath as if he was contemplating it, but in the end his tone changed and he spoke with biting sarcasm.
“Then why don’t you just use a biography the length of a three-foot scroll and treat that as your anchor point?”
Thales’ eyebrows moved. The stranger’s tone was a little disdainful.
“The longer the string to a kite, the harder it is to control the kite. If you put such a heavy load on your anchor point, then perhaps its string will snap in the storm right at the moment it fixes itself on the Year 665.”
Thales frowned, troubled. The seemingly callous stranger said, “The self! What you need is a precise definition, not squeezing redundant descriptions and labels onto it. You are just like the protagonists of cliché novels about knights. He brings out many powerful treasures and titles when he faces his enemies, but none of them truly belong to him.”
The stranger bent down. His blurry face nearly touched the tip of Thales’ nose. His eyes still shone brightly, making Thales unable to open his own eyes.
“I will ask one more time. Who… are… you?”
The teenager still opened his eyes and stared at him nervously. The surrounding thick mist and strong waves roiled continuously, as though they testified the stranger’s emotions at that moment.
This made Thales feel stressed. He made his decision, and said through gritted teeth, “Okay, I am… Prince Thales, the Mystic? There is no way I can mix up my identity anymore, right?”
When he heard Thales’ words, the stranger turned silent for a moment before he slowly straightened his back.
“Very good, this ‘self’ of yours seems to be unique only to you, but is it really accurate?” The stranger snorted coldly.
Thales was stunned again.
“These three components are indistinguishable and abstruse. Is your anchor point then supposed to guide you to the self that is Mystic, Thales, or the prince?” The other party shook his head and said, “Furthermore, can your true self be summarized in these four words? Prince Thales, the Mystic?”
The stranger snorted coldly. He continued asking, “For the last time, who are you?”
‘What?’
The repeatedly attacked Thales felt gloomy. His anxiety and nervousness, the constant questioning, and the harsh retorts that followed afterwards did not give Thales the chance to breathe and think carefully. He could only be in a state of confusion. He no longer cared about the surging mist above the stranger. He also could not be bothered by the strange images in the space that was the proximal world.
He treasured his last opportunity. Thales asked the stranger solemnly and seriously, “I don’t understand. How do I confirm my anchor point? How do I make sure that it points to my true self? And what is the self?”
The teenager shook his head honestly. “I really don’t know.”
The stranger seemed to have expected his question. He snorted gently. “Because this is far more difficult than you can expect.”
The mysterious Mystic raised both of his hands. He said loudly, “In this world, most people cannot recognize themselves.” As he said that, the thick mist and the dark waves in the proximal world obediently made way.
The colorless ripples in the space turned into miniature situations of human lives. In them were countless people who did not have faces. They were born, grew up, worked, gained achievements, and died. These scenes showed their lives.
“They rely on all sorts of dazzling labels in the world to live: Name, career, looks, achievements, status, social hierarchy, bloodline, relationships, titles, power, wealth, materials…”
Thales watched the stranger’s performance blankly. The stranger moved his hands, and the illusion changed at once.
“Some labels were added to people by other people, some were chosen later by people themselves. But regardless of whether they acknowledged the labels when others placed it on them, convinced themselves that they were the label due to certain habits, or defined themselves with the label due to where they were, they would usually sink deep into the trap set by the external world. They believe that the labels and what they represent are actually what makes them themselves, but they never know what their true selves are.”
‘Labels… The self…’ Thales frowned. He could not figure it out.
“If you direct your anchor point and attach it on pointless labels, thinking that those things are yourself and hope that these things will bring you back home…”
The fingers of the stranger shook. The images in the colorless ripples suddenly cracked into pieces. Thales was shocked by it. The words of the stranger sounded cold and distant.
“Over the course of history, there have been many who were lost in this step, and they disappeared into space, never to return… We call that ‘the wrong anchor’.
“No matter how strong the person’s will is, once he walks down the wrong path, he will continue to stray from the correct path, and he will continue making mistakes.”
‘The wrong anchor… Lost…’
At that moment, Thales thought he had figured out something, but when he thought back on it, he found that he apparently understood nothing. He ruffled his hair, feeling agonized.
“The self is not a label? The anchor point cannot be on labels? Then where should I place my anchor point?”
The stranger snorted gently, as if he would not agree to answer Thales’ question.
“I don’t know.” The stranger stared at him coldly. A cold light seemed to have come from his blurred face. “Why don’t you tell me?”
‘Okay.’ When he saw the stranger react this way, Thales shook his head, troubled.
He was obviously not the kind of person who liked providing his students the answers.
In the mysterious proximal world, the stranger cast a deep glance at Thales before he turned around.
“Your lesson on ‘staying true to oneself’ ends here.” He showed a lonely back to the teenager. “As for how much you can understand it…”
Thales was shocked. “Wait!”
However, the stranger did not even turn his head around. He looked like he was about to disappear into the fog. At the same time, Thales also felt that everything around him had begun to fade away.
It seemed like the man was about to leave soon. Thales was getting anxious.
‘Damn it. Anchor point, the self… what do all of these mean?!’
He stared as the stranger slowly disappeared, and wracked his mind to think of a way to keep the stranger around.
‘For the sake of not forgetting, for the sake of keeping my mind intact, I need to find an anchor point for when I lose control, and when I evolve. The anchor point must point directly at myself, so that it can pull me back.
‘So… from the anchor point to myself… Let’s take this as an example. When I sail on the sea and drop… Wait. An example?…’
When he thought of this, the teenager was suddenly stunned. He raised his head and stared blankly at the thick, fading fog in the proximal world.
“The guide!” Thales subconsciously blurted out.
At that moment, the dark mist surrounding him shuddered as though it was sentient. The stranger turned his head around, and the thick mist stopped dissipating.
He pinned his gaze on Thales. Thales panted as he asked, “You… you were Asda’s guide, right?”
‘Great. At least I managed to make him stay…’
Thales was fearful. The stranger seemed unprepared for Thales’s sudden question. He moved slightly, and his blurred face quivered a bit as well.
After a few seconds, the stranger then asked indistinctly, “Why?”
Thales let out a slow breath. He could sense his memories gradually recovering.
“Asda said that he hated metaphors, and you don’t seem to like it either,” Thales said in an attempt to test the stranger.
The stranger remained silent… but Thales thought that he had acknowledged it.
“Why metaphors? Why do you hate metaphors?” Thales suddenly threw another question, then he immediately realized that something was not right.
He could not tell the stranger’s exact expression, he could only feel the eyes of the other party behind the ‘water curtain’ suddenly move. Several ripples stirred up, yet he did not look offended.
The stranger then spoke using a strange tone, “Because using metaphors in the most serious discussions between equals is lazy and manipulative.”
Thales thought of something, and felt that he had come to understand something.
The stranger continued, “It relies on superficial similarities to connect the tenor and the vehicle, but it is also easy to confuse the true nature and circumstance of the subject itself. It allows the speaker to indulge in his laziness and misleads the listener. They end up putting their understanding solely on the surface of the metaphor, and because of it, unknowingly twist the subject’s true image.
“It is a scout for sophistry and empty talk, the vanguard for judgment errors and misinterpretation. Even if they are similar, the vehicle and tenor may not be connected; even if it is easily understood, the listener’s understanding of the metaphor may not match the original meaning of what the speaker wished to convey,” the stranger said indifferently.
At that moment, Thales shuddered slightly. He seemed to have understood something. Thales instinctively spoke up. He imitated the stranger’s sentence pattern, but his subject changed.
“Even if they are similar, the label and the true self might not be connected; even if it is easily understood, the version of the self obtained through these labels may not necessarily be my true self, ” Thales said absent-mindedly.
The stranger did not reply, and only stared at Thales quietly. As he said these words slowly, the teenager’s train of thought slowly became smoother.
He looked at the stranger with a hint of urgency and excitement. “So, if I want to fix the anchor on my true self, what I really need is to actually get rid of every external label; get rid of the things that will ‘taint’ me, as you call it. Because those labels also blurred the true quality of a certain matter. It will blur your concept of what is your true self, right?”
The stranger remained silent.
Thales’ eyes brightened. He kept on asking, “They are like the vehicles used to describe other objects similar to them, but the meaning contained in these vehicles are either too much or too little. Since there is a deviation in meaning and the situation between labels and the self, labels cannot be used to represent the true self, right?”
Thales’ thoughts were getting clearer, he hit his palm with a fist. “So, I can’t rely on external objects to fix my anchor point to find my true self, this will be the ‘wrong anchor’.
“It is similar to how you two dislike using metaphors and similes in serious discussions to convey your opinions. It will form a misrepresentation of the situation you want to talk about and twist the crux of your discussion.”
The stranger watched him silently.
A few unique thoughts were formed within the thousands of thoughts created through mystic energy.
‘Maybe you’re right, Asda. He is indeed different. Not his bloodline, not his birth, not his aptitude. But it’s…’
When he thought of this, the stranger snorted gently. “Ironically, what you said is also a metaphor.”
It seemed that he regarded Thales’ words with extreme contempt.
‘But at least he did not deny it,’ Thales said in his heart, ‘That means…’ At that moment, Thales frowned tightly.
“Stay true to oneself,” he subconsciously repeated this sentence. “‘Will not be tainted by external matters’…” The prince raised his head. He looked like he was in deep thought. “So that’s what this means.”
The stranger crossed his arms over his chest, and weak ripples appeared on his face. It made Thales think he was smiling.
‘I need to find the original, complete, true matter that belongs solely to me in this world…’
“Because hell is other people,” Thales said in a stunned manner.
Puzzlement appeared in the stranger’s voice. “What?”
Thales came to his senses. He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just nonsense from an old man named Sartre.”
The stranger and the thick fog around him started to disperse again. The mysterious Mystic said calmly, “Then go. Go back to the your most intense state of losing control to test your anchor point.
“If you succeed and remain rational, preserving your mind while you lose control so that you are not lost, then you will have officially settled in the ‘matter’ stage. You will be a true contactor… even though I think that the theories on mystic energy stages cannot really be applied on you.”
Thales’ expression tensed. He remembered his companions who were in danger on the other side, but did not say anything in the end.
When things came to a head, he began to hesitate a little. “If I fail?”
The stranger laughed coldly. “If your anchor point fails… then you will repeat the same mistake. You will evolve at insane rate until you knock on the Door. Then, you will just have to wait for the two girls—eagerly anticipating your arrival with clenched fists—to find you.”
Thales frowned.
“There are even worse things that could happen because you set off from the proximal world. So when you accidentally knock on the Door next time, your situation will be even more severe. I think there is a high possibility where you will be completely lost in your basic form. You will become a kite without a string.”
Thales was so stunned he could not speak. He laboriously tried to understand what the stranger was talking about. “A kite without a string? So where would I go?”
The stranger only shook his head. “I don’t know…”
The atmosphere around him changed. His words became stern. “…because there is no one who has ever returned.”
Total Chapters in book: 580
Estimated words: 2362673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 11813(@200wpm)___ 9451(@250wpm)___ 7876(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 2362673 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 11813(@200wpm)___ 9451(@250wpm)___ 7876(@300wpm)
______