[Annan’s Sword]
[Type: Weapon/Accessory (Dark Blue)]
[Description: The original noble saber of Don Juan Geraint. It’s strong, light, and elegant; after being used many times by Annan Austere-Winter with the Frost Sword ability, its inner structure was damaged, and the blade became colder. But Salvatore has now repaired the damage to the interior.]
[Effect: The wielder will be afflicted with the curse “Arctic Cut”.]
[Arctic Cut: When it causes “cut” damage to living enemies, it can cause additional frost damage that is difficult to dispel; when it causes “cut” damage to ghosts and spirit-type enemies, the damage is converted to frost damage.]
Eh.
It’s a weapon similar to that [White Guillotine].
But that sword is too heavy and too large to carry around.
So, Annan only brought three curse vessels: Elves’ Hand, Annan’s Boning Knife, and Annan’s Sword. He also brought along the boning knife satchel with the reagents and elixir in it.
“Then, I’ll be going.” Annan said solemnly to Salvatore, “Leave it all to me, senior.
“Trust me.”
Then he nodded to Silver Sire, who appeared beside them at some point.
Before Salvatore could respond, Silver Sire threw a silver coin at Annan.
Like an afterimage, Annan instantly disappeared in front of Salvatore’s eyes.
“I haven’t said goodbye to him yet.” Salvatore lowered his hands a little decadently.
He murmured in a low voice, “Come back alive… Annan…”
“Let’s talk to him when he comes back.” Silver Sire gently advised Salvatore, who was somewhat lost.
The next moment, He tossed a silver coin out.
Then, he disappeared in place in an instant and followed Annan over.
Their location was less than 200 meters away from the ablaze Swamp’s Black Tower.
Even at this distance, Annan had already felt the surging heat wave coming at him.
However, when those heat waves approached Annan, they were naturally cooled by the cold air that Annan exhaled. The ground under Annan’s feet also creaked with tiny cracks due to the sudden chilling effect.
“Is it this place?”
“Yes.” Silver Sire nodded calmly and suggested, “But you are not ready yet.”
“What else?” Annan was about to say that he had done everything he could prepare for.
He could even fight with a demi-deity.
Silver Sire just shook his head.
“Do you know why he is your Fifth Mirror?
“That’s because you and him both use the power of others to achieve your goals. The Fifth Luminary of the Sun is the light reflected in the pupils of the world. That is to say, you and he are similar but opposite in that—”
“He possesses undead while I have my players?” Annan suddenly understood everything.
That was why Silver Sire had me complete Henry VIII’s funeral first.
Was Henry VIII’s death my fault?
He had to give me this power right away, so…
Then, Annan dismissed the hesitation immediately.
“What am I hesitating about?”
He murmured in a low voice, “There is only one enemy.
“Then I need to do my best and kill him.”
If Annan was committed to giving it all, he should not save even a shred of energy.
The players were powerless against the Purest Spiritual Medium, but they were strong enough to fight the undead… at least guarding Annan’s back.
“I see…” In the palm of Annan’s right hand, the rune, which looked like a power button, gradually lit up.
He closed his eyes and whispered, “If you can hear me, please help me.”
Just then, Annan saw two new buttons in his backend interface:
[Generate a promotional video.]
[Set a teleportation point.]
I can understand the second option. But what’s the deal with the first one? When did it come out?
Annan was startled.
He was so used to using his power that he forgot he was not alone.
—He was never alone.
He was not a solitary monarch who could be bullied arbitrarily.
“But it’s half past five in the morning…”
How many people can be summoned for such an urgent call?
For them, it’s just a game.
Although the players already knew this was a real otherworld, what they got from here was no benefit to them in their original world.
The players could not bring back any special abilities or treasures in this place.
Everything they were involved in was just giving — disrupting their beautiful dreams or plans for work and school and having them as Annan’s tools to challenge powerful enemies while unprepared.
How many people will come?
Annan murmured and closed his eyes.
No matter how many people were summoned, he would surely win.
Under their watchful eyes, they won an upright victory.
Generate a promotional video…
After Annan clicked that button, the world in front of him suddenly opened up.
It was like a fantasy-like soaring with Annan’s hand reaching up to the light above the abyss.
The light suddenly expanded.
Annan saw Salvatore and his apprentices walking between Swamp’s Black Tower.
Salvatore caught up with a girl, patted her on the shoulder, and asked, “Is there really no problem? I think you are still a little hesitant.”
“No…teacher, I…”
The girl whispered shyly, “It’s just that I’m too embarrassed to say…”
“Say it out. No one will laugh at you.” Salvatore rubbed his dark circles, revealing his signature dead fish eyes and his signature gentle tone, “We are family.”
When the screen changed, Annan saw wizard apprentices chatting lazily in class. Clarence frowned, scratched the blackboard with his long fingernails, and made an unbearable creaking sound.
“Listen to the class!” He raised his voice sternly, “If you don’t listen to the class now, what will happen in the future?”
A boy below muttered softly, “We don’t necessarily have a future…”
After that, he was glared at by Clarence and lowered his head embarrassingly.
The scene changed. It was Clarence confronting the younger Bernardino in the black silt.
“How are my students?” Clarence asked Bernardino nonchalantly.
Countless golden chains locked Bernardino firmly.
The screen moves toward Bernardino, revealing the corners of his mouth that suddenly rise slightly and a disdainful smile.
“Keke.” And the sneer that was so low it was barely audible.
The scene changed. Bernardino was holding four long bloody nails.
Bernardino sneered, “Try to sever your fate. Until the end, he believed in this kind of thing.”
Annan’s voice resounded loudly, “—But as long as you can lift your spirits, you can climb up with me.”
In the abyss, he slowly reached out his hand to hold the incomparably fragile spider thread, and shouted loudly, “Then, let’s climb together!”
Then, there came the determined Annan’s climb.
It was a long climb.
A hopeless climb — and an expected fall.
“Give it up, Hugo. You have no chance of winning. I won’t do anything to your students if you’re willing to surrender.” Bernardino’s voice sounded in the dark.
“Are you short of time?” Another voice that Annan had never heard before echoed across him.
In the black abyss, an invisible and colorless flame seemed to ignite.
Annan was still falling.
The light in his eyes was shining brighter.
“Human…” Annan murmured, clenching the spider’s thread for the hundredth time.
A whisper sounded at the bottom of the hopeless abyss:
“Without wings, how can you go up?”
Obviously, it said such decadent words.
But Annan showed a brilliant smile. His pupils were brighter than the stars.
Failure could not defeat him.
“Have you had enough rest?” Annan’s voice sounded at the bottom of the abyss, “As long as you can lift your spirits and climb with me—
“Just follow!”
Like a waking ant.
The crowd gradually followed Annan, climbing up the thread without knowing how many times they tried.
The camera soared from the abyss.
At the moment of leaving that glow-filled summit, it became the Black Tower that was looking down and blazing.
“Swamp’s Black Tower is on the verge of annihilation.” Silver Sire’s voice came from outside the screen, “Except for you, Von Hohenheim, and Longjing Tea, maybe all the Black Tower Wizards are dead.”
Followed by Old Grandmother’s voice, “It seems that you have found something that you must do in Noah.”
“Yes, Old Grandmother.” Annan’s voice sounded slowly in the darkness, “I need to defeat a strong enemy for my friend.”
“Leave everything to me, Senior. Trust me.”
Salvatore’s hoarse voice came in a low voice, “Come back alive… Annan…”
Annan slowly whispered the name, “Bernardino…”
Then, there came Hugo’s icy voice.
It seemed to overlap with Annan’s voice, “If you want my soul, then come and take it.”
The final picture suddenly appeared. The frame was fixed at the burning Black Tower, with Annan walking forward under the tower.
The production of the promotional video is completed.
“It’s well made.” Annan was silent for a while, then murmured in a low voice, “Then let’s publish it to the players.”
Finally, set the teleportation point to the [Swamp’s Black Tower].
Annan slowly drew the blade out, “If you want to come, just follow…”
The brilliance flashed again in his eyes.
“And I’ll lead the frontal assault—”
