Chapter 1 A Strange Dream

Alan had a strange dream.

In the dream, he dreamed he was a traveler wandering in the wilderness, passing through villages and cities.

He dreamed of monsters as tall as towers roaring at the silver moon, leading armies of monsters to attack fortresses, buildings and strongholds burning fiercely and turning into a sea of fire, shouts of battle and war cries soaring into the clouds.

Even in victory, the curse of the monsters lingered on this land, and defeat naturally meant becoming monster fodder.

In this 'Era of Cadence', there was always killing and strife between humans and monsters, humans and humans, monsters and monsters. One war after another began, and then all faded into dust.

This was normal, but strangely, Alan's perspective—he overlooked everything from high above, like a bird. He would occasionally reach out to help humans, rescuing women and children struggling in the sea of fire, driving away those violent and ferocious beasts.

But he could only save them temporarily, not permanently, because it was difficult to judge who was right and who was wrong in the conflicts between city-states, who was good and who was evil. Even for monsters, how could the revenge of monsters hunted by humans, the counterattack to avoid becoming prey, be called evil?

Alan saw himself traversing thousands of mountains and rivers, crossing countless regions in a single night.

The cold snowfields, where the terrifying wind was enough to freeze fingers; above the dark, ghostly sea, white sails came and went in and out of the harbor; the silver peaks were majestic, and hooded figures meditated in silence.

And the figure he transformed into stroked the brow of an ice dragon in the snowfield, gazed at the sailing fleet on the ghostly sea, and conversed with many hooded figures on the silver peaks.

And finally, there was a volcano seething with heat, about to erupt. A huge Flame Mountain Whale roamed in the lava, and if this volcano erupted, the surrounding two cities, a forest, and the homes and nests of millions of lives would face utter destruction.

Alan only remembered that he seemed to turn into a light, a fiery white light like a sword, falling from the sky to the earth.

In the light, he descended in front of that Flame Mountain Whale. He said something, showed something. Alan saw 'himself' reach out, and the restless volcano became silent. The violent heat roaring to burst forth deep within the earth began to gradually tame, like a docile kitten.

Faced with such power, the originally frenzied whale also became sluggish, but he did not use any violence. He expounded something, leading the whale up into the sky, passing through forests, cities, lands, farmlands, and everything with vibrant life.

He rode the whale soaring in the sky, and countless figures prostrated themselves towards the sky. They reverently worshiped the fiery clouds that dyed the sky red, and also worshiped the whale that was looming in the clouds.

Alan saw himself and the whale return to the volcano once again. The golden-red whale, with many crystalline veins, parted the lava and returned to its nest. It respectfully bowed its head to him and鸣叫(ming jiao, cried out).

【我神(Wo Shen, My God)】

The Flame Mountain Whale said docilely: 【I now know the value of life】

【I will walk your path and follow your precepts】

【May your glory be done in heaven, and also enrich the earth】

Then he also spoke. Alan heard his own voice in the dream for the first and last time.

It was a gentle, clear, boyish voice.

【This is the agreement】

Then the dream shattered, and Alan woke up from his dream.

When Alan woke up, he was still a little confused, but soon, he realized that someone beside him was calling his name in a calm and even tone.

"Alan."

"Alan."

Turning his head, Alan saw the blonde girl, her hands locked in shackles, imprisoned in the cell, staring at him expressionlessly.

"Alan," the emotionless girl said softly, "You were asleep just now."

"Was..." The confused boy rubbed his forehead and muttered to himself, "I was asleep?"

And as he muttered, his memory gradually returned: "But before, wasn't I still praying to the altar of Zhuzhou...?"

This was a small village on the edge of the Yilotal Continent. Although it still could not avoid the struggle between light and darkness, good and evil, of the Era of Cadence, it was indeed more peaceful than other places.

Alan was an orphan, or perhaps not quite an orphan. His father was a merchant from the north of the continent, and his mother was a lady from a noble family in the central region. This family background should have been quite good, and they shouldn't have suffered even if there was a war. But the struggle between people was not just war. Alan's grandparents were assassinated due to their early competition for the position of city leader. Alan's mother, who had just given birth to Alan, was already physically weak, and therefore died of grief. Alan's father naturally could no longer be an ordinary merchant. He exhausted his family fortune, learned martial arts, and vowed revenge.

The murderer was now the city lord of Damar City, holding a high position of power. Many bards and oracles were his guards. Alan's father, even after learning martial arts, found it difficult to get close, and could only lie in wait, seeking an opportunity.

Five years later, Alan's father found an opportunity. When that Damar City Lord was reveling in pleasure without the protection of guards, he directly rushed in and killed him. The whole process took no more than two minutes. By the time the enraged guards arrived to search for the murderer, Alan's father had already left. And by the time the wanted order was issued, Alan had been taken away by his father and brought to this small village located on the edge of the continent.

Alan's father, having avenged his blood feud, passed on all his martial arts to Alan. The man, who had no other goal than to raise his son, finally passed away two years ago. And although Alan was not yet an adult and had no parents, he had a considerable amount of martial arts skills, and he could live well on his own.

The days spent with Eve were Alan's happiest times, and that was precisely why, a few days ago, when the many adults in the village used Eve as a human pillar of all evil in the world to resist the wraith storm, he was so angry that he even had the idea of ​​kidnapping Eve and taking her away from the village.

No sooner said than done, Alan came to the prison where Eve was being held, but just as he was about to kidnap Eve, the boy heard the voice of Zhuzhou.

Alan naturally did not know that if he had not heard the guiding voice of Zhuzhou, going out like this would be tantamount to certain death. But even if he knew, he probably would have done it anyway - Alan ultimately inherited his father's blood. As long as he encountered something he didn't like, even if it meant going to heaven or earth, he had to complete what he wanted to do.

"Damn it..."

Rubbing his forehead, Alan complained in his heart: "Isn't this completely ineffective? What's the use of this Zhuzhou prayer? It just made me take a nap?"

"I originally thought that I could get some strength from some unknown god and rescue Eve... But isn't this just a waste of time?!"

Thinking of this, the boy, whose heart was already full of depression and anger, immediately gritted his teeth.

He turned his head and looked at the tranquil girl imprisoned here. Eve's golden eyes stared at the boy, unable to discern joy or sorrow.

Looking at Eve, Alan felt not only sympathy and care, but also anger towards the village he lived in.

If you want to protect the village from all kinds of evil spirits... then go learn, go practice martial arts, go become stronger!

Apart from one's own hands, nothing can protect one's life. Relying on the human pillar of the current god forged from all the evil in the world for protection is simply drinking poison to quench thirst, accumulating evil more and more until it suddenly erupts one day!

Turning an innocent girl into a tool for protection... Are the villagers who created the human pillar more evil than those wandering souls outside?

Every time he thought of these doubts, Alan couldn't help but want to draw his sword and fight those sinful villains to the death - but to be honest, the boy wasn't stupid.

In any case, for the current village, the human pillar was necessary, and it was indeed the only way. The village was on the frontier of the continent and had not been destroyed by all kinds of wild and barbaric evil creatures, nor had other messy human forces announced its occupation or taxation.

Objectively speaking, the village chief and the elders did protect most of the villagers.

But...

"What if the next one to be made into a human pillar is me?"

"What about my daughter?"

"What about someone I know, someone I've spoken to, someone familiar?"

Every time he thought of this, Alan couldn't calm down, and couldn't be objective - only an idiot would be objective and just at all times. People are creatures with biases. Acting rationally, objectively, and fairly every day like an idiot must mean they have no bias.

"What should be done, and what shouldn't be done?"

"How ugly can we become in order to survive?"

The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Evil without restraint will definitely expand more and more. The current village chief may be able to maintain stability, but the safety built on the human pillar is fundamentally unstable. Putting aside other things, what should be done if there is no one with the qualifications of a human pillar? Will the village, without any ability to protect itself, just accept its destruction?

"It can't be like this... it must be changed."

After sleeping, Alan, who was originally hot-headed, had calmed down. He sat cross-legged on the earth in the cell, frowning and thinking hard: "I can teach my father's martial arts to the other young people in the village. That way, perhaps in a few years, there will be many people who can fight against the demons."

"But even if it changes in the future, it can't affect Eve's current situation."

"The village chief and the elders all said they want to abolish Eve's status as a human pillar... What exactly does this abolition mean? Does it mean letting out the many grudges and evil souls that Eve is suppressing? Or does it mean... just killing Eve?"

This was unbearable.

"Alan." And at this moment, Eve, who had been silent all along, spoke: "You are glowing."

"Huh?"

Alan raised his head and looked at Eve with a bewildered expression.

But then, he lowered his head and looked at his hand, and then he was shocked to realize that his body was really glowing.

Flame-like纹路(wen lu, patterns) were spreading on his arm.

"This, this is?!"

Alan's memory was filled with many stories his father had told him, including curses and blessings, but in any case, this kind of纹路(wen lu, pattern) looked like it possessed great power, and a radiance that could purify everything was spreading.

Even Eve moved slightly closer - she felt that the many evils and grudges sealed in her body were gradually being purified by the warmth. Although she herself, as a human pillar, could not perceive happiness and joy, as well as pain and despair, those wandering souls did have their own喜怒哀乐(xi nu ai le, joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures).

They could sense what true warmth was.

"Could it be that Zhuzhou..."

Alan immediately thought of his seemingly unsuccessful prayer not long ago... For a moment, he was filled with surprise and uncertainty: "Did the prayer succeed? But why didn't I feel anything at the time?"

"And if the prayer was successful, shouldn't I have been charged a price?"

Whether praying to an evil god or a righteous god requires paying a corresponding price. Alan had obtained power at this moment, so he should lose something - this was the law of the Yilotal Continent.

But, in fact, after focusing his attention on the纹路(wen lu, patterns) on his arm, Alan could only hear a faint message, which he didn't know was real or fake.

【I have conducted an on-site inspection and confirmed the general situation of this world】

The message still retained a hint of calm cadence: 【In this way, I also have a general right to speak in this world】

【Alan, the one who calls me, if you are willing to change the current situation of your village, if you want to change the current situation of this world, go to Mount Orna】

【There, I will meet you】

【As Zhuzhou】

Alan didn't know if he should believe it.

Mount Orna was a small mountain located around the mountains. It was not high, but it was not low either. There were many 魔兽(mo shou, magical beasts) around the mountain. Although they were not impossible to deal with, they were quite dangerous.

But what the other party said did make him only choose to believe.

He himself had no good way. If that Zhuzhou could really give him ideas...

Alan turned his head and glanced at Eve, who was still very quiet and didn't show any expression or attitude.

He made up his mind: "I can only try it."

At the same time.

Mount Orna.

Above the sky, the Milky Way rippled, and the starry sky flowed in the sky. Silvery rays of light swayed and intertwined, weaving into a Milky Way.

And under this starry night scene, a boy wearing a divine crown and wearing a loose Greek robe rested beside the lightning-covered rock. He shook his white legs, and some of the snow on the top of the mountain melted due to the boy's body temperature.

The god of flames looked up at the starry sky, the sky, and the huge existence above the sky. The elfin gray-haired boy smiled and watched everything.

【Teacher】He murmured to himself: 【This world is really free and unrestrained, without any rules】

【There is not even an agreement between gods and humans, so how can they help each other and move towards a better future?】

The boy waited, but he was not confused.

He stretched out his hand and gently stroked the rock disc that had just been carved beside him. It had very clear local words of the Yilotal Continent. The deep stone marks engraved a solemn word in the first line.

【—Precepts—】

After that, one clear law after another was written down. It was something that had to be followed once agreed upon, and would be punished if violated. It would follow the civilization of mankind until the end of eternity, something that could be called forever.

On the mountain of precepts burning with the sacred fire, the deity who had written the agreement between gods and humans, that is, something called 'law', was waiting.

And on the desolate plain, the boy who wanted to change the world was also heading towards the sacred mountain alone.