The unknown Ceramic Shard moved as fast as lightning. Before Zhou Heng could react, it turned into a streak of light, shot toward the Holy Sword's hilt, and slotted precisely into place.
[You have recovered a Holy Sword fragment.] [Sakast Imperial Sword restoration progress: 1/10000]
"The Holy Sword is actually the Sakast Imperial Sword?"
"Now that's unexpected news."
Watching the changes before him, Zhou Heng murmured thoughtfully.
Just then, a light, gentle voice came from beside him.
"The Sakast Imperial Sword is a Killing Sword forged by the Sakast Emperor, Naren Sakaste, through the blood sacrifice of 900 billion humans."
"If things had followed their original course, this Killing Sword would have needed only another 100 billion humans as blood sacrifices to reach completion, cleave open the ancient years, and lead the Sakaste Empire into the distance."
"Unfortunately, I... didn't know, and made a terrible mistake."
Zhou Heng's gaze sharpened, and he turned toward the voice on his left.
It was a spectral figure so insubstantial that her form was almost indiscernible. He could barely make out that she was a woman.
"Boy, what's your name?"
Seeing Zhou Heng look her way, the spectral figure asked with a soft laugh.
"Zhou Heng. Zhou as in 'thorough,' and Heng as in 'eternal.'"
"A fine name. Allow me to introduce myself: Hero King Karenna."
Though Zhou Heng had already had a vague suspicion, hearing that title still startled him. "Greetings, Hero King."
[You have witnessed a hero of the ages within the Sacred Sword Starsea: Karenna.] [Attack permanently +50] [Health permanently +500] [MP permanently +500]
Looking at his suddenly soaring stats, Zhou Heng could not help drawing in a sharp breath.
No wonder the textbooks said to seek out ancient epics and figures whenever possible.
So just meeting one could permanently increase his stats?
"There's no need to be surprised. A few hundred stat points are nothing remarkable to those Longevity Families that control vast quantities of resources."
"Unfortunately, this is all the power I have left now. If I regained my former glory, meeting me would grant you at least a hundred thousand stat points."
Hero King Karenna seemed to be speaking to Zhou Heng, but she was really lamenting her own circumstances.
As she spoke, she looked toward the Holy Sword at the far end of the Sacred Sword Starsea.
"Zhou Heng, I entrust these two things to you!"
"Your destiny and your future are entirely in your hands."
"Whether you carve a path to survival out of this despair or are ultimately swallowed whole by the Longevity Families, becoming a stepping stone on their road to success, is up to you."
After Hero King Karenna finished speaking, her spectral form dispersed, turning into streams of light that poured into Zhou Heng's brow.
[You have received Hero King Karenna's gifts.] [You have unlocked "The True Years," the hidden chapter of the first expansion, "The Ancient Years."] [The True Years: 35%] [10%: Hero King Karenna severed the Sakaste Empire's destiny, destroying this ancient empire with ten thousand years of history, and used her own light to suppress the Killing Sword, "Sakast Imperial Sword" (Holy Sword).] [20%: The world was set right, and justice was restored. But through an unexpected incident, Hero King Karenna discovered that the truth was not as simple as what she had seen. The 900 billion humans slain by the Killing Sword, "Sakast Imperial Sword" (Holy Sword), had all belonged to the powerful families of the empire's world.] [30%: It turned out that the Sakast Emperor, "Naren Sakaste," was not a tyrant, but a ruler who had revitalized the empire. Hero King Karenna rose up and fought the powerful families of the Sakaste world. The expansion "The Ancient Years" entered its fourth chapter, "Neutrino Submergence Cannon," and fifth chapter, "Ballad of Returning to Silence Together."] [35%: Hero King Karenna entrusted the Killing Sword, "Sakast Imperial Sword" (Holy Sword), to the Boundless Starsea, creating the Sacred Sword Starsea to await its true Sword-Bearer.] [You have obtained the Killing Sword, "Sakast Imperial Sword" (Holy Sword).] Sakast Imperial Sword (Sacred Sword) Level: 1 Quality: Ancient Life-taking: 0/1000 (Attack +1 for every creature of the same level killed) Life-protecting: 0/10000 (HP +10 for every creature of the same level killed) Attack speed +1.0/s Movement speed +2.0 m/s Durability: ???/??? Upgrade: 1/10000
Looking at the Sakast Imperial Sword (Sacred Sword), which had vanished from the far end of the Boundless Starsea and appeared in his hand, Zhou Heng truly had not caught up with what had happened.
He had merely made a choice of destiny, yet he had reaped such staggering rewards.
Not only had he uncovered the real truth about the Sakaste Empire in the Boundless Endless World, but he had also obtained Hero King Karenna's Holy Sword.
If he still could not take off after this, he would feel he had let down such an opening.
"Life-taking and Protection?"
Recalling what was recorded in the hidden chapter, "The True Years," Zhou Heng felt that all the history lessons he had taken at school in this life had been for nothing.
Who could have imagined that this was the inside story behind the official history of The Ancient Years written in the textbooks?
As the Sakast Imperial Sword (Sacred Sword) fully solidified in his hand, a scabbard abruptly appeared at his waist.
Zhou Heng sheathed the Sakast Imperial Sword (Sacred Sword) and quickly left this mysterious space.
He did not want other members of the Sword of Light to come in later, discover that their Holy Sword was missing, and question him when he had no explanation to offer.
As for why he did not reveal his identity and use the Sakast Imperial Sword (Sacred Sword) to take command of the Sword of Light, Zhou Heng's reasoning was simple: he could not be sure whether the current Sword of Light truly held hope in its hands.
For all he knew, the Sword of Light might also have been kept in the dark.
Taking an even more conspiratorial view, the Sword of Light might already have been controlled by the Longevity Families and the former aristocratic and powerful families of the Sakaste Empire.
Zhou Heng's suspicions were not unfounded. Otherwise, why had Hero King Karenna not appeared while the old woman was there, instead waiting until she had left?
Given Hero King Karenna's standing in the Sword of Light's eyes, if she had appeared in front of the old woman, there would have been at least a 90% chance that the old woman would swear allegiance to him on the spot.
Then, with that mysterious old woman's help, he could certainly have built up his initial resources from nothing at tremendous speed.
Clearly, Hero King Karenna must have had some concern that kept her from appearing.
When he left the Boundless Starsea and returned to the alley in Little Bird Town, the sky was already growing faintly light.
Zhou Heng did not dare linger. Taking advantage of the early morning light, he left Little Bird Town early and headed for Wind Grassland.
He definitely could not keep killing Wind Sheep. Although they gave experience, they could not trigger the Sakast Imperial Sword's (Sacred Sword) effects.
In other words, he had to find level 10 wild monsters to kill.
And the only area outside Little Bird Town with level 10 monsters was Deepwater Cave.
Although going there meant a very high chance of encountering Black Bear Guild players, there was still a day before the Black Bear Guild made its move, leaving him enough time to grind some attack and Health.
As long as he raised his attack and Health, he would at least have some means of dealing with the Black Bear Guild's manhunt.
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