Chapter 113
This is somewhat different from simulating entering a dream; it offers greater autonomy, much like choosing a branch in a word game.
"Two of these three options are normal," Hebe concluded. "Then I'll choose the abnormal one first."
Normal students know when guessing on a test that if there are three short and one long answer, choose the longest; if there are three long and one short answer, choose the shortest. The options "Pure Water Spirit" and "Musician" clearly represent the right path, while "Pirate" stands out like a crane among chickens.
[You have chosen to descend upon the High Seas as a pirate. At this time, the Philosopher King has been playing his Grand Symphony for four hundred years, and the entirety of Atlantis is governed by three Grand Harmonizer: Nero Claudius; Elizabeth Bathory; and Mozart.]
Over the past four hundred years, the three Tuners have grown weary. Several large-scale rebellions and dozens of uprisings have forced them to cede the North. Now, it is inhabited by "barbarian tribes."
[Your mother dreamt during her pregnancy of golden bees coming to her and a white whale entering her womb. On a stormy night, you were born on a ship near the northern shore. Immediately after birth, you took seven steps in each of the four directions, proclaiming, "I am destined to be the Pirate King!"]
Hebe's eyes twitched uncontrollably as she watched.
[When you were a month old, two legions of Atlantis launched their thirty-first sweep of the northern frontier. The experienced barbarian tribes scattered and fled to the islands. Unable to return empty-handed, the legions wiped out the civilians living around the northern frontier. Your mother stuffed you into a wooden barrel, and you narrowly escaped death.]
You drifted with the currents at sea, eventually reaching the Burgundy Islands. There, you were adopted by a fisherman, and at the age of five, you went out to sea with your adoptive father, always catching a bountiful catch.
At the age of twelve, you caught a fruit with strange patterns on its surface. It tasted terrible, like gnawing on a thorny fence. After eating it, you found yourself uncontrollably releasing nerve-damaging radiation. That very night, your adoptive father died from nerve-damaging radiation.
[Under severe stimulation, you managed to control the intensity and extent of the radiation-induced nerve damage, laboriously rowing your adoptive father's fishing boat out to sea, narrowly escaping once again the army that had failed in its attempt to sweep through the enemy's stronghold. You witnessed the flames and smoke engulfing the entire Burgundy Islands, and without looking back—]
[1. Sailing towards the seas; 2. Sailing towards the north; 3. Sailing towards Ys.]
This means that Hebe has to make the choice herself again.
I definitely can't go to Ys.
Don't you see that pirates were only eligible for amnesty after they accomplished great things?
As for the Seas and the North... Hebe hesitated slightly before choosing the second option.
The reason is simple: she has nothing now, and she needs to at least go to the North to find some sailors to make up for it.
[You sail without looking back towards the many islands of the North. During your voyage, you discover that the fruit you ate allows you to breathe and live in the water as freely as a fish, and you can even feel the call of the Swarm schools of the deep sea.]
After the North was removed from the area covered by the symphony, the Water and Soil became increasingly barren, and the freshwater resources for drinking water rapidly depleted. Upon arriving in the North, you used your power of harvest to create fertile land on the islands, conjure freshwater, and, through your connection with the Swarm, nurtured schools of fish in the deep sea.
The northern barbarians flocked to your side, and you, adhering to the principles of building high walls, stockpiling grain, and delaying the declaration of kingship, constructed permanent Fortifications across the archipelago. These prehistoric carpenters received no salary, their daily meals consisting only of unlimited white porridge, braised eggs, braised pork, and pork trotter rice.
[You have successfully established your own territory in the North. Simultaneously, utilizing your extraordinary wisdom and superhuman strength, you have united various races to establish the city-state confederation of Mycenae. You serve as the chief governor of Mycenae and have successfully sensed the lost "Northern Territory's Movement." Mastering the "Northern Territory's Movement" will make you comparable to the Three Grand Harmonizers.]
However, no matter how hard you try, you cannot master this piece. Because you have half-barbarian blood flowing through your veins, you are not a complete musician. When you learn the melody, what shines in your eyes is not inspiration, but the light of innocence.
[You did not give up, continuing your plundering of the seas while seeking a way to master the "Northern Territory's Movement." At the same time, you established the "Pirate Code" to govern all pirates, and were crowned Northern Pirate Emperor from Northern Pirate King.]
[Later, during a raid, you kidnapped a promising young musician who was about to travel to Issu for further studies. She turned out to be your adoptive father's biological daughter, your former elder sister, Jeanne. Knowing that the murder of your father was an irreconcilable hatred, you had someone impersonate you, while you yourself, carrying the manuscript of "Northern Territory's Movement," disguised yourself as a servant.]
[But Jeanne revealed upon meeting you that the man holding the manuscript was actually the Pirate Emperor of the North. Your suspicions were heightened, and you forcibly took Jeanne as your own.]
Hebe frowned as she looked at him. What did "forced possession" mean?
It couldn't be the kind of "possession" she's thinking of, could it?!
[Jeanne initially struggled fiercely, resisting desperately. But because of your overwhelming strength, astonishing skill, and astonishing fighting spirit and patience, coupled with your profound knowledge of Jeanne's body, you were able to successfully penetrate her defenses each time, delivering a series of critical hits and triggering follow-up attacks.]
After a year, Jeanne's body had succumbed, and her spirit was on the verge of collapse. Although she knew nothing of your past, she felt a gentle familiarity. She even began to proactively help you with many affairs in Mycenae.
[You initially remained vigilant, even deliberately placing the manuscript containing "Northern Territory's Movement" on the table as a covert test. Jeanne remained unmoved, and even tried to teach you how to master it.]
[You let your guard down completely, and during a rehearsal where all the pistils were in full bloom, you inadvertently revealed your past. Jeanne, utterly desperate, put a lethal dose of sleeping pills in your tea, rendering you unconscious, and then played "The Northern Territory's Movement" with all her might, causing the Mycenae city-state confederation to crumble and sink into the deep sea.]
[You awoke during the destruction of Mycenae, Jeanne beheaded you. For this achievement, you were crowned the fourth Grand Harmonizer in Ys City.]
The Prophetess Sibyl still waits under the Golden Tree.
The journey of the second-born has come to an end.
Hebe frowned as she looked at the result of the birth.
What kind of magic does Jeanne have?
"Wasn't I an ambitious pirate emperor? How did I suddenly become a tyrannical ruler obsessed with women?" Hebe was completely baffled. "This corruption and depravity happened way too fast!"
Damn it, it must be Eris at work!
174. A hard kick to the lame man's good leg.
Besides that, there are many other points that Hebe has plenty to complain about.
But she temporarily suppressed her urge to analyze and focused her attention on the results of this simulated birth.
"You have obtained the Daylight Mark [Pirate Code]."
Hebe's eyes lit up. This was another composite mark of royal authority, belonging to the Authority Path under the Blade Principle.
This marking can not only establish temporary rules within a certain range through a standard action, thus benefiting one's own side and weakening the enemy; it can also enhance one's grasp of ocean currents, wind direction, and cloud systems, ensuring that one will never get lost at sea.
When Hebe is at sea, she can also master some spells that allow her to manipulate water and ships.
In addition, when Hebe faces other pirates, she possesses an extremely powerful and intimidating presence.
Thinking of this, Hebe continued to open the Secret History Simulator and pulled up the simulation interface.
The Bell of Ys awaits the newcomer, Prophetess Sibyl waits eternally beneath the Golden Tree.
[O second-born being, please choose the beginning of your destiny: 1. Pure Water Spirit; 2. Knight; 3. Musician.]
"The pirate option is gone?" Hebe was taken aback. "The knight..."
Although she was eager to try out the knighthood, she continued the simulation according to the steps she had planned beforehand.
[You chose to be born in the High Seas as a musician, a time when the Philosopher King has been playing his Grand Symphony for over four hundred years. This time, you are born on the Orleans Islands near the Ys City.]
You live with your parents and your sister Jeanne. Your mother would always tell you stories of the past by your bedside. One night, you inexplicably mastered melodies capable of influencing the emotions of others. Your mother became your first listener and your first victim.
Your mother rekindled her dream of becoming a writer and going to war. She abandoned her family to follow the army to the North, where she was killed in the crossfire of an ensemble performance. Your father, overwhelmed by the burden, played a piece for him, leading him to choose to end his own fame.
[You decide to play a final song for your parents, and at their funeral you begin. All the guests are swept up in a senseless frenzy, indulging their basest desires and inflicting a devastating blow on this once-renowned family.]
Your sister Jeanne witnessed it all, and she doesn't understand why you did it. But your talent attracted the attention of Tuners, and the Ys City extended an offer to you, which you declined. You believe that a melody born of the heart should not be embellished or bound by any artifice, just as destiny should not be confined by any form.
You left Orleans and toured Atlantis, each performance bringing listeners a sense of profound freedom and a unity with other minds. These performances ranged from dozens to thousands. As a result, you were wanted by the Ys City and became known to the world as "Echoes."
Jeanne is hunting you down, vowing to kill you completely.
[You once traveled to the North, playing your cello on the battlefield, causing the army, now without its Tuners, to spiral out of control. They began a massive massacre of barbarians, subsequently descending into bloody fratricide. Jeanne witnessed the death of her friend, the eldest daughter of a barbarian tribe, in the chaos of war.]
You once traveled to the seas, playing your harp in the cities, and the melodies you inspired numerous cults to worship you. They attempted to replicate your melodies using humans as raw materials, and their pernicious influence spread to dozens of city-states.
You once played your flute, luring the youths of the entire city to follow you into the sea.
[You once visited a secluded seaside monastery, indirectly contributing to several tragedies, including arson and ethnic conflict, through your music. Jeanne was always one step behind you; you left clues for her to help her find herself.]
Outside the Ys City, Jeanne finally caught up with you. Or perhaps, you deliberately let her catch up with you.
"Either stop me, or become me," you said to Jeanne. Jeanne threw her sword, pinning your hand to the gates of Ys.
[You confessed everything you had done at the city gate, pointing out that the Grand Symphony played by the Philosopher King was the source of your own melody, and that the Philosopher King and the Tuners's ultimate goal was to unite all of Atlantis into one, thus escaping the fate of civilization's destruction.]
[When you revealed this secret, the golden bee representing the Philosopher King descended from the sky, announcing that you had become the fourth Grand Harmonizer.]
You signaled to Jeanne to pledge allegiance to you, but she refused and, in full view of everyone, had you executed and nailed to the ground outside the Ys City.
[The fourth Grand Harmonizer of Atlantis died shortly after his birth.]
The Grand Symphony of the Philosopher King continues to play quietly. The Prophetess Sibyl still waits beneath the Golden Tree.
[The journey of the second-born has come to an end.]
Hebe fell silent, an inexplicable chill rising from the depths of her bones.
"Eris, it's Eris!"
Whether it's her concept of being a "musician" in the simulation, or her pursuit of absolute freedom and the ultimate achievement of a melody that unites everyone, both embody the ideals of the Eris school.
In other words, if Hebe had been born as a musician in Atlantis, she would have been a disciple of Eris from the very beginning.
There's no need for this Power Struggle anymore; Eris can simply declare himself the victor.
This is very bad, very bad news. It proves that the "musicians" group can be considered Eris's core base.
"This also proves that during my first simulation, Jeanne was indeed an apprentice of the Eris faction. She's the one who ruined my ambition to become the Pirate King." Hebe frowned. "But why is it that this time, when I became an apprentice of Eris, she turned around and tried to kill me?"
Logically speaking, shouldn't she work together with him?
What caused this shift in role positioning? Hebe couldn't figure it out yet.
She turned her attention to the simulation results.
"You have acquired the Daylight Mark [Tuners (Silence)]."
This was surprisingly a mark of Tuners, but unlike Hebe's imagination, it also had the suffix "silence," belonging to a subordinate path of the Winter's Tenets.
What it bestows upon Hebe is all the knowledge related to musicians, including playing techniques, melodic knowledge, and vocal knowledge... but these are not for Hebe to use to play, but rather for her to dismantle and destroy the performances of other musicians.
She is indeed Tuners, but Tuners who specializes in controlling other musicians!
When other musicians were playing, Hebe was able to forcefully interrupt them and create widespread and prolonged silence.
A realization dawned on Hebe's mind.
This mark should have been created under the influence of the Duke of Sighs, but of course, the biggest influencing factor should be herself.
With this mark, one of Eris's trump cards in the Lostbelt is essentially useless.
Hebe took a deep breath and opened the simulated birth for the third time.
As expected, this time, the musician option dimmed out and was replaced by the philosopher.
Hebe sneered; this was yet another important part of the Eris faction.
She also remembered the citizens of Ys City, who were either musicians, philosophers, or both.
"Fine, very well." Hebe sneered. "Let me give you a proper Critique!."
Today we absolutely must break the last leg of the Eris faction!
175 Do you consider yourself a philosopher?
The Bell of Ys awaits the newcomer, Prophetess Sibyl waits eternally beneath the Golden Tree.
[O second-born being, please choose the beginning of your destiny: 1. Pure Water Spirit; 2. Knight; 3. Philosopher.]
"Choose a philosopher." Hebe very calmly.
You chose to descend upon the high seas as a philosopher, a time when the Philosopher King had already been composing his Grand Symphony for over four hundred years.
Your father was a philosopher of high status, while your mother was merely a free citizen who had submitted to the state. Because of the vast difference in their social standing, your mother was unable to enter the Ys City, and their trysts could only take place on an unnamed island outside the city. On the eve of your birth, your mother dreamed of a divine beast with a single horn on its head and flames around its body.
You were born on a nameless island.
Great, everything is proceeding according to plan.
When you were three years old, your father was attacked by Echoes on the battlefield in the North. To cover his men's escape, he used his hands to prop up the tall city gate, dying from exhaustion. Your mother and you then lived a simple, impoverished life in seclusion on an unnamed island.
Why is there something about the last simulation? Hebe had a vague feeling that something was wrong.
By the time you were fifteen, you had mastered all the knowledge available to you. However, you still felt your knowledge was insufficient and resolved to study harder.
When you were seventeen, your mother passed away. You traveled to Ys City to bury your parents together, causing quite a stir. You met your cousin Jeanne and married her when you were nineteen.
[At this time, your father's family had declined, and you joined your cousin's family. When you were twenty-two, the main branch of the family gave birth to a legitimate son, who was said to have been born with a sparkling diamond in his mouth and seven red birthmarks on the soles of his feet.]
At the age of twenty, you audited classes in the Academy of Philosophy while simultaneously holding an official position managing farmland. Through your secret use of your harvest authority to fertilize the land, your fields yielded a great harvest.
You began your career as a philosopher, establishing your own academy and promoting your "New Learning." Three thousand Philosopher's Kid were willing to follow you; seventy-two philosophers possessed reputations and special talents; and among them were twelve great philosophers. Under your leadership, they launched a massive study tour.
The philosopher Plato believed you had seriously violated the rules and challenged you. During the debate, you displayed Superhuman Strength, causing Plato to explode and scatter. This is known as "The Master did not speak of strange phenomena, Superhuman Strength, or spirits" and "The Master executed Plato."
The North once again surrendered to the Legion's attack, offering eighty beautiful women to Ys, attracting crowds of onlookers. Your Philosopher's Kid followers also went to watch the female entertainers every week. You were furious and questioned them, "Are these female entertainers really that beautiful, and do they teach you anything?"
To demonstrate that knowledge is more important, you set an example by attending a performance by female entertainers.
[Watching female musicians.]
[Watching female musicians.]
You feel extremely guilty. Philosophers should prioritize scholarship; how could you waste your time on female entertainers?
[Watching female musicians.]
[You've been watching female entertainers for three months straight, you don't even know what meat tastes like anymore.]
[Your student, wife, and cousin Jeanne have a lot of complaints about you. You suddenly realize your mistake and lead the Philosopher's Kid away from the Ys City to embark on an even grander educational pilgrimage to Atlantis.]