"'Dawn' means the light of hope, the light of daybreak!"
"It marked the beginning of humanity's resistance, a blazing flame that burned a breach through the darkness of despair!"
Qin Xiaoxia's words rang out, measured and forceful, as though unleashing the strength with which humanity had finally grasped its sword all those years ago.
The cries of heroes seemed to echo in his voice, the searing blood of fallen pioneers flowing through it!
Even before Su Su had time to translate, everyone present involuntarily straightened, barely able to resist the urge to stand!
Their muscles trembled and their blood burned as their wildly pounding hearts pumped passion through every part of their bodies!
Yes, they understood-not the meaning, but the emotion, the will, the strength!
Doudou stared openmouthed at the people sitting on the ground, forgetting to take another bite of the sandwich.
They were burning! Burning!
These people were aflame, body and soul.
When Su Su finished translating the full meaning of those sentences for everyone, they finally lost control of their emotions.
A thunderous "YES!" burst from their mouths in unison.
But they immediately realized they had lost their composure and forced themselves to remain quiet.
No matter how excited everyone around him became, Qin Xiaoxia remained unaffected, recounting that tumultuous history in a slow, rhythmic voice.
"Though the rise of humanity's heroes marked the beginning of resistance for humanity and indeed our entire world, it was not enough to turn the tide."
"For the difficulty of Awakening was beyond anything ordinary people could imagine. In an age when no one knew whether they would live to see tomorrow, the population available for natural selection was limited."
At this point, Qin Xiaoxia's tone grew calm and helpless.
"Under those circumstances, the Dawn Association began conducting experiments. Countless people of conviction shed their blood not on the battlefield, but drained it dry on the experimental table."
Qin Xiaoxia gently closed his eyes, his soft voice carrying a crushing weight.
"There were no painkillers, no anesthetics, let alone anything to ease the torment and agony of the soul."
At the mention of agony of the soul, the four naked men immediately understood. That hellish experience was not merely a question of whether someone could endure it.
It was hard to imagine how powerful a will and how unwavering a conviction those predecessors had needed to volunteer for such experiments.
"Those truly were our darkest years. Because we stood out, the invading Anomalies and Demons all turned their attention toward us, while even among humanity, there were those who feared us."
Here, Qin Xiaoxia gave a faint smile and swept his gaze over everyone.
None of them dared meet that smile. It concealed a profound sorrow!
"Do you remember the stakes used for burning people in history? Yes, the ones used to burn witches and the like. You see them in plenty of films."
"Not every Association member possessed powers suited for combat, and not everyone could bring themselves to strike down their own kind. The number of us who died at the hands of fellow humans..."
"Was. No. Less. Than. The. Number. Killed. By. Demons!"
Every word landed with crushing weight!
It made breathing difficult for everyone else, and left Su Su utterly breathless.
She covered her mouth with both hands and stared at Qin Xiaoxia in disbelief. When he nodded in confirmation, her eyes brimmed with tears.
Heroes were lonely!
The thought leaped into Su Su's mind.
Pressure from two sides-even three!
As Su Su translated this passage, she could not help adding her own emotion.
The champions of Dawn had pressed forward under pressure from three directions.
From their enemies, from within humanity, and from within their own hearts.
"But they did not give up, and they could not give up! They did not break, and they could not break!"
Su Su shouted those words through her tears, though Qin Xiaoxia had never spoken them.
Yes, she firmly believed it. Even without hearing what came next, she knew that without this, humanity could never have achieved its present glory.
Some clutched their trouser legs in a death grip; others clenched their fists hard.
Their hands turned white from the force.
The four prospective Knights' strength was actually stirred by this powerful emotion, and they unknowingly tore through their covering cloths with a series of ripping sounds.
This history was painful, and even more infuriating. The ignorance of the ancients stood in stark contrast to the greatness of the sages and fallen heroes.
Qin Xiaoxia's eyes lit up. He had never expected his spiel to awaken and stir the four men's hidden strength. What a fucking unexpected bonus.
Their body temperatures were now far higher than normal. Anyone who touched them would feel the scorching heat of their skin.
Looks like I've got another reason to keep this con going~
Now was the time to push harder.
Qin Xiaoxia waited until their emotions settled slightly and their breathing became less rapid before continuing.
"As Su Su said, if we had given up, if we had failed, what right would we have had to call ourselves heroes? And so, we succeeded!"
"We discovered the relationship between Magic Power, the soul, and the body. Little by little, we mastered effective methods of developing our powers, and steadily perfected them."
"This exhilarating change brought us more than newly Awakened wielders of Magic Power. It also brought us a truly indispensable backbone!"
At this point, Qin Xiaoxia fixed a deep gaze on the four naked men sitting on the ground.
Their heartbeats, which had barely begun to settle, grew even more violent, their chests visibly heaving at a rapid pace.
They waited for Qin Xiaoxia's next words, and for Su Su's translation immediately afterward.
It was an eager anticipation, an instinct that a sense of purpose was about to descend upon them.
At last, Qin Xiaoxia spoke those words.
"The Knights!"
Creak, creak-the sound of bones stirred by excitement.
Huff, huff-the rush of air through heaving chests.
When Su Su translated this passage, her voice carried not only excitement, but a trace of good-natured envy.
"If the founding of Dawn meant humanity had grasped a sharp sword, then the Knights were Dawn's spear!"
"From that moment on, the course of the world's destiny changed forever!"
It was a magnificent, sweeping history, a counterattack that only advanced and never retreated!
Humanity, the world!
Under these circumstances, they gained the upper hand for the first time, defeating High-Rank Demons and even Demon Gods for the first time.
Until, at last, Dawn's leaders led the sages of that age in launching the 'Final Battle,' wielding Magic Power forged from blood and souls.
They put a complete end to the collisions with other worlds!
"The records of that history have long since been lost. The secrets passed down by word of mouth cannot convey even a fraction of it."
From then on, Dawn withdrew into the shadows, licking its wounds while clearing away the remaining Anomalies, and
This was one small corner of Dawn's modern history.
After ten seconds of silence, Qin Xiaoxia raised his head slightly, as though reminiscing, or perhaps reflecting.
"As the final war drums prepare to sound, here in this long night, I shall set myself ablaze!
Become the sages' torch in the night, the light of daybreak piercing the darkness, and melt the frozen earth with my searing blood!
I am the strongest spear, and the staunchest shield!
I shall cast aside hesitation and sever fear, never retreat, never surrender, and fulfill my duty until death!
I dedicate my life and soul to Dawn, today and every day, without respite!"
"This is the oath of the Silent Knight!"
Without giving Su Su time to react or translate, Qin Xiaoxia looked at the four naked men once more.
"The condition of you four closely resembles that of the Knights described in the old records."
"The long years of peace are about to end, and night will soon shroud the earth once more. Now, with our legacy broken and the Association struggling at every step-"
"Newborn Knights, as I shall tentatively call you!"
His eyes seemed to hold a blazing sun, and the Dawn Seal in his outstretched right palm flickered like a torch.
"Are you willing to fight for Dawn?"
Boom!
In an instant, a scorching surge of air erupted from the four men on the ground, blasting outward.
Everyone around them involuntarily narrowed their eyes.
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