Martyr of the Old Era

Flint City was a city carved out against a massive mountain. From afar, it resembled the skeleton of a giant beast sprawled across the ground.

During the Dark Age, the government had ceased to exist. Most people gradually formed large settlements under the protection of powerful Ability Users.

Powerful Ability Users were like the Lords of the Old Era, possessing the power of life and death over ordinary people.

Flint City's entrance was a colossal twenty-meter-tall gate, forged from heavy metal mixed with powdered bones of dark creatures. Rubies that reflected the firelight within were embedded across its surface, like the eyes of a giant beast.

Zhang Rui stood outside the gate, undergoing an inspection by the guards.

The guards were two burly Ability Users. Though they were only E-Rank, they were already mountains impossible for countless ordinary people to overcome.

To them, money, status, and women—things only the wealthy and powerful of the Old Era could enjoy—were easily obtained even by the lowest-ranking Ability Users.

Their role as city guards was merely an assignment from the Lord.

In the Dark Age, city guards were far more than simple gatekeepers.

Zhang Rui revealed his identity as a messenger and took several gold beans from his coat, respectfully offering them to the two guards.

The guards accepted the gold beans, weighed them in their hands, and cast Zhang Rui a disdainful glance.

"Get in. Once you're inside, you'd better not cause trouble."

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Rui bent at the waist, his face full of ingratiating smiles.

He seemed long accustomed to the attitude of people like them.

No matter the era, class systems existed. They were simply more obvious now.

The Dark Erosion had long since cut off electricity and communications, so messengers were practically the only means of contact between cities.

Thus, among the cities, there were always people unable to make a living who willingly became messengers, earning bounties for delivering information.

But high rewards meant high risks. Every year, many people died in the darkness, becoming skeletons by the roadside.

If not for his wife's serious illness, Zhang Rui would never have taken the path of a messenger.

In truth, he had only been a messenger for a few months. Otherwise, he would not have taken the wrong route and detoured into Longwind Fortress, which was shrouded in darkness.

After entering Flint City, Zhang Rui headed for the Letter Bureau within the city.

The Letter Bureau had been specially established by each city to make it easier for messengers to deliver letters. So long as a messenger brought a letter to the Letter Bureau, dedicated staff would deliver it to its recipient.

Zhang Rui queued at the Letter Bureau for a while longer. When his turn came, he handed the letters from his huge backpack to a staff member.

"You'll need to stay in the city for three days. Once the letters are delivered, there may be replies. They'll be given to you along with the reward."

The staff member handed Zhang Rui a jade token marked with the characters "Three Seven." Only with this token could he collect the reward for this delivery.

"Thank you!"

Zhang Rui accepted the jade token and, familiar with the route, made his way to an inn where messengers often gathered.

Here, messengers from different cities exchanged information, and some even sold little trinkets from their hometowns.

"Have you heard? Shangmai City was breached by the Black Tide some time ago. A lot of people died. Only the Lord escaped with some Ability Users."

"Shangmai was only a small city. Its Lord was just a C-Class Ability User, so it was normal that he couldn't withstand the Black Tide. Still, those people inside were pitiful."

"In the Dark Age, ordinary people are like roadside weeds. Who knows when they'll die?"

"Tch. Who told them not to seek shelter in a major city guarded by a B-Class Ability User? They were so stupid that they deserved to die."

"Sigh, people often have no choice!"

Zhang Rui sat in a chair, holding a cup of murky yellow wine. He savored it slowly as he listened intently.

Wine was exceedingly expensive in this era. Even messengers like them could only order a cup to unwind after a long journey.

And even one cup cost a gold bean.

"Zhang Rui, I didn't expect to see you here." Suddenly, a delighted voice came from beside him.

Zhang Rui looked up and discovered that it was a messenger he had once encountered on the road.

The two had traveled together for part of the way, so they knew each other. Neither had expected to meet again here.

Messengers died all the time, so whenever they parted, no one knew when they would meet again.

Li Sheng was one of Zhang Rui's few friends during his time as a messenger. The moment they met, they began chatting.

Such scenes were commonplace at the inn, but a sudden cry of surprise drew everyone's attention.

"What? There are actually still people inside Longwind Fortress!"

At the mention of Longwind Fortress, most of the people in the inn could not help stopping their conversations and pricking up their ears to listen.

There was no other reason. Longwind Fortress was simply too famous.

As the nation's former outpost against the dark invasion, many people had received recruitment messages before the Old Era ended, calling on the younger generation to head to Longwind Fortress and resist the Black Tide together.

Yet by then, the national government was already on the verge of collapse. Not long after that message was sent, the country split apart.

Unable to stand alone, Longwind Fortress was eventually swallowed by the Black Tide.

And now, someone was saying there were still people inside Longwind Fortress.

Zhang Rui looked around awkwardly and gestured for Li Sheng to lower his voice.

"I took the wrong route and accidentally entered the forbidden zone of darkness. I saw someone still alive inside.

"I wanted to bring him out, but he refused. He insisted on continuing to guard that place."

Li Sheng could not help being moved. Excitedly, he asked, "The country is gone. The Black Tide is eroding the whole world from every direction. Longwind Fortress alone couldn't possibly hold out, so why does he still want to stay there?"

Zhang Rui shook his head. "I don't know either. Maybe... because of an obsession!"

As soon as he said that, everyone listening could not help sighing inwardly.

Even the messengers of vile character silently lowered their heads at that moment.

Some tipped their heads back and drained the murky wine in their cups. Some instinctively touched faded photographs of their families tucked against their chests. Some quietly cursed him for being foolish...

Humans were emotional creatures. Some were kind, some wicked, but when someone appeared who carried his faith through to the end and shone with light, all that remained in their hearts was a tangled mix of emotions.

The inn fell into an eerie silence as a soundless torrent surged through everyone's hearts.

It was an emotion long absent, one that had nearly been forgotten.

Compared to this, Shangmai City's earlier fall to the Black Tide suddenly seemed hardly worth mentioning.

In this era where strength was revered and human lives were as cheap as grass, profit and survival were the only rules.

These messengers traveled through the darkness, accustomed to betrayal and plunder. They had long grown used to living numb lives.

Yet in that corner everyone had deemed a grave, a place completely consumed by darkness, there was still someone who, for an intangible belief and for a country that no longer existed, swung his weapon alone and lit a faint lamp.

He was like a beam of light in the darkness, preserving something people had gradually cast aside in this era.

News from the inn quickly spread.

Lord's Manor.

Behind an exquisite, elegant desk, a composed middle-aged man dressed in noble and luxurious clothing lightly tapped his knuckles against the tabletop.

A servant resembling a butler stood before him.

"Is the news true?"

"I've already arranged for people to verify it. Based on the route shown on the map produced by that messenger, there should be results soon."

"I don't want this sort of matter spreading. It would be very unfavorable to our rule."

Ye Yuan said blandly, "If the news is true, arrange for people to dispose of that fellow."

"Yes!"

The butler answered and turned to leave the study.

Ye Yuan slowly spun his smooth, soft leather chair, his eyes fixed on the view beyond the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.

"A martyr of the Old Era should die with those who came before him, not stand in the way of the New Era."