Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Every other region has descended into pandemonium… except the Huaxia region,” said Gao Peng, chuckling, as if he had just thought of something funny.
Ji Han Wu smiled. “That’s ’cause they’re all afraid that they might be biting off more than they can chew if they try to take us on.”
As one who had seen much in his lifetime, Ji Hanwu knew that the Southern Sky Group had a lot of sway over the Allied Government, as well as the shady organizations that lurked in the periphery of society’s consciousness.
By attacking the twelve elders, they had lit the fuse on something much bigger than themselves. While the rich and powerful had a head start over everyone else, the monster trainer profession offered everyone an equal chance at a new lease on life, regardless of who one was before the Cataclysm.
With a bit of luck and effort, one definitely had a chance of becoming an elite trainer, albeit a rather small one. Still, with so many people living in this world right then, it was hard to imagine that the world would be running out of elite monster trainers any time soon.
Even though becoming an elite trainer came with its benefits, there were still some who had a different idea of what they were entitled to. Most people tended not to behave in an extreme fashion. However, those who believed that they deserved more were much more prone to extreme behavior.
As of now, Lord-tier was the highest possible level of combat power the average trainer could hope to attain. Most small-scale base cities only had one Lord-tier trainer at their disposal.
( NovelFull )These trainers were responsible for the defense of an entire city, facing other Lord-tier monsters or massive swarms of low-leveled monsters on a daily basis.
They were the ones putting their lives on the line to protect thousands of people in the city. Still, with great power came great responsibility. As Lord-tier trainers, they were subject to the authority of the local government. Some of them eventually grew tired of being at the government’s beck and call and began fantasizing about a “better” life. While some of them were a bit too humble for their own good, those around them might have thought that they deserved more in life.
This was how General Zhao Kuangyin had been dressed in yellow imperial robes and crowned emperor of China by his subordinates.
These troublemakers might only have made up a minority of the world’s population, but their every movement was now being watched by the whole world. Soon, more would be inspired by their audacity to take up arms themselves, causing the whole situation to spiral out of control.
“Yes, the whole world’s watching them. Their numbers might be few. In ancient times, they would probably be no more than mere peasants acting out sporadically in a region or two. The imperial court could simply dispatch their army to bring the people back in line without breaking a sweat.
“What the imperial court truly feared back then was a mass riot from the people…” muttered Gao Peng, nodding.
The revolt of the masses was something all governments feared. The New World Allied Government as most people knew it that day wasn’t a singular entity, but rather an alliance formed in response to a cataclysmic event by a majority of the countries across the globe. Despite being called as such, most members of the New World Allied Government still retained their autonomy.
If one of the major regions decided to declare its withdrawal, the government’s reputation would take a major hit.
“I don’t think these troublemakers belong to any organization. Their actions don’t seem coordinated. While some of them challenged the twelve elders to a duel, others killed their opponents outright. Doesn’t look like there’s a unifying intelligence behind their operation. They’re just a bunch of thugs,” said Ji Hanwu, shaking his head.
Only someone like Gao Peng’s grandfather, who now had two King-tier familiars by his side, had any right to call other Lord-tier trainers “thugs.”
Gao Peng clicked his tongue. “They still seem like a reasonable lot. To most people, they look like they’re just acting out, but they claim to be operating under the Allied Government’s authority. What’s strange here is that the Allied Government doesn’t seem to care about them at all. Aren’t the twelve elders supposed to be…”
“It’s just a title,” said Ji Hanwu, waving his hand. He chuckled. “I was invited to be one of the twelve elders back then. I’m already the director of a world-class company. Why the hell would I debase myself to serve as someone else’s lapdog?”
Both grandfather and grandson leisurely talked about the world’s affairs on the sofa. Neither of them was concerned about obtaining independence from the government or maintaining peace and order in the world.
Their only concerns were making sure that their company was running smoothly and raising their familiars well.
…
In reality, the situation took a turn for the worse much sooner than Gao Peng or his grandfather had anticipated.
On the second day, five more regions had declared their withdrawal from the Allied Government. Despite being minor regions, their withdrawals had shaken the international community to its very core.
In response to this, the Allied Government officially blacklisted and imposed sanctions on all five regions. It had also dispatched its army and trainers to place these regions under martial law.
However, on the third day, seven more regions declared their withdrawals, including the Yinyang region, which was a major region with formidable military strength.
In just two days, the state of the world had changed drastically. The wind of change was now howling across the face of the planet. Amid the upheavals the state of the world was experiencing, one major event stood out the most: the defeat of Bo Jinduo, one of the twelve elders, on the peak of Mount Putuo.
Bo Jinduo’s familiar, an Earthstrider Devil, had been sliced in half, its blood spilled over half of the mountain’s face.
Not only was Bo Jinduo the second elder to be defeated by his challenger, but he was also the only elder who had died a horrible death at the hands of his opponent. The other elder who had been defeated not too long ago was Nazef, who had been captured alive by his opponent.
Their defeats had taken a toll on the twelve elders’ reputations.
The trainer who murdered Bo Jinduo was called Hua Lun. At the age of 22, he was regarded as one of the most talented trainers in the Yinyang region.
Despite having only signed a Blood Contract with his first familiar a year after the Cataclysm, Hua Lun had become the master of a King-tier familiar. His familiar was a King-tier creature known as the Dark Ashura.
Soon after the war waged upon the twelve elders, Hua Lun was extolled by many as the strongest man alive in the Yinyang region. There were others claiming that he was the strongest man to ever grace the eastern side of the planet.
“This was a video someone took of the Dark Ashura,” said Huang Ya as he showed the video to Gao Peng.
The screen showed an extremely congested street somewhere in the Yinyang region. However, the pedestrians seemed to be avoiding something or someone in the middle of the street, leaving a wide enough space for whatever it was to move about.
A bespectacled man with a bowl cut and a jade pendant hanging from his neck was strolling leisurely in the middle of the street. He looked, in all respects, like an honest person.
Behind him lumbered a humanoid creature that was black from head to toe. The creature stood ten feet tall, with a head of burning white flames and a serpentine tail. It had four arms and a pair of golden eyes.
As if it realized that it was being filmed, the creature turned to the camera. Suddenly, the image blurred. Only when the camera was redirected away from the creature did the video return to normal.
[Monster Name]: Dark Ashura
[Monster Level]: Level 52 (King-tier)
[Monster Grade]: Perfect
[Monster Attribute]: Dark
[Monster Ability]: Dark Power Level 5, Enhanced Strength Level 3, Enhanced Thought Process Level 3, Enhanced Regeneration Level 3
[Special Characteristics]: Dark Comet (A curious core crystal which was formed in the depths of its consciousness and endowed with extraordinary properties.
Active Effect 1: By activating the Dark Comet, the Dark Ashura is able to improve its physical constitution for a certain period of time.)
[Description]: A servant of darkness, the Dark Ashura is a calm, calculating creature that craves the excitement of a fight. It hates creatures of the light and prefers looking at the stars in the night sky in solitude.
