Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Tearing Through the Illusion’s Bubble
“Mmm.”
When Hien opened his eyes again, the scene before him left him momentarily dazed.
He found himself standing on a towering ceremonial platform, dressed in magnificent formal wear with gleaming medals adorning his chest.
Sunlight bathed him, as if coating him in a golden glow.
Below the platform were countless people looking up at him with eyes full of worship and admiration.
Hien turned around to see the magnificent Hall of Light behind him, its sacred white tower piercing the clouds, symbolizing supreme authority and faith.
The Cardinal Archbishop, holding a staff, walked solemnly before him and placed a medal symbolizing supreme honor on his chest.
“Hien, you have brought new change to the magical world. Your contributions will be remembered forever.”
The Cardinal’s voice was loud and majestic, echoing across the entire plaza.
Hien’s gaze swept behind the platform, where he saw the twelve Saints standing in a line, dressed in pure white sacred robes with gentle smiles on their faces, all offering him congratulations.
Standing at the front was the Crimson Flame Saint Cynthia, holding Rufia’s hand as they slowly approached him.
Rufia’s complexion was rosy, her eyes sparkling with happiness – her illness had been completely cured, and she no longer had to endure the torment of pain.
Cynthia looked at Hien with eyes full of undisguised love and admiration.
“Hien, congratulations.”
Cynthia’s voice was gentle yet firm.
“You accomplished what none of us could do. You changed this world.”
Hien’s mind was in chaos. He tried to remember and found that he seemed to have truly achieved something great.
He had found a complete solution to the mental power drain from magic, allowing mages to never worry about negative effects again. The magical era had thus entered a new chapter.
And he, as the contributor to this great achievement, had been awarded supreme honor and status.
Yet despite how beautiful the scene before him was, Hien’s heart was always haunted by a sense of unreality and discord.
He felt everything was too perfect – so perfect it was unsettling.
Just then, Cynthia took out an exquisite small box from her bosom. Opening it revealed a priceless ring.
The ring was set with a brilliant gem that sparkled with captivating light.
“Hien.”
Cynthia’s voice carried a hint of anticipation.
“Now you are our hero, you have the qualifications to walk alongside me. Put this ring on me, propose to me, and let us reach the future we both hope for.”
Hien looked down at the ring, and the sense of discord reached its peak at this moment.
He reached out, and the moment his fingertip touched the ring, a strong feeling of resistance surged in his heart.
“No… this isn’t what I want…”
Hien muttered quietly, his voice carrying a trace of pain.
“Hien, isn’t this what you wanted? Honor, status, love, and your sister’s happiness… isn’t this everything you’ve been pursuing?”
Cynthia’s expression changed slightly, but she maintained her gentle smile.
Hien looked up, his gaze cold and sharp.
Without warning, he suddenly drew the long sword from his waist and thrust it directly into her body.
Cynthia’s face instantly flushed red, her eyes filled with shock and confusion. Blood slowly flowed from the corner of her mouth as she asked with difficulty.
“Hien… what… are you doing?”
“Do you Saints have to maintain your high and mighty attitude even at times like this?”
Hien’s voice was low and angry. He pulled out the sword, and Cynthia’s body collapsed limply to the ground.
“Hien, isn’t this what you wanted?”
Hien’s gaze swept over the eleven Saints behind him. They spoke in unison, their voices solemn and grave.
“Brother, what are you doing? We can live happily together from now on…”
Rufia also stood nearby, tears in her eyes, reaching out to tug at Hien’s sleeve.
“Because all of this is a false facade.”
Hien’s heart was filled with anger and disgust as he coldly shook off Rufia’s hand.
What he wanted wasn’t just these false honors and status.
He hated this world’s class oppression, hated those high and mighty nobles and Saints who could trample ordinary people’s lives at will, treating them like ants.
“Becoming this world’s hero for their sake? What a joke. These upper-class people only discovered my usefulness, so they put me on a pedestal.”
Hien’s voice was full of sarcasm.
“All of this is fake. The people are still living in misery, and the worthless lower classes are still treated like ants.”
His gaze swept over the crowd below. Their faces still showed worship and admiration, as if completely oblivious to everything.
A deep sense of powerlessness welled up in Hien’s heart.
He knew clearly that this world was fundamentally sick.
This kind of false success wasn’t the ideal realm he wanted at all.
In such a world, Rufia still couldn’t be truly happy.
“The other world I lived in, though also imperfect and with bad people, at least had more people working hard to make the world better and more equal.”
Hien shook his head and continued.
“In this world… the upper classes only trample the lower classes, and this old system is destined to be eliminated.”
“Is that so, brother?”
Rufia suddenly smiled, stepping back with her hands behind her back.
“Then I’m very much looking forward to the ideal realm you envision, brother.”
After speaking, Rufia’s form dissolved into bubbles and disappeared.
Hien’s vision suddenly went black, and the surrounding scenery began to twist and shatter.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a pure white space with nothing around him but endless white.
Hien looked up to see a lofty figure in the distance.
It was a deity whose face couldn’t be clearly seen, shrouded in light as if merged with the entire world.
This was the deity who had shown him mercy.
“It seems thou hast seen through the illusion.”
The deity’s voice rang in Hien’s ears, carrying an irresistible majesty.
“I won’t immerse myself in a false utopia again.”
Hien looked at the deity, his eyes revealing unshakeable determination.
“I originally thought thou returned here to find inner peace. It seems I underestimated thy resolution.”
The deity’s voice had no emotion, indistinguishable as male or female, like an existence transcendent of the world.
“If that is so, then go and try.”
Before Hien could respond, he felt a strong dizziness wash over him.
His consciousness gradually blurred and finally fell completely into darkness.
After Hien disappeared, the deity’s murmur echoed again in the white space.
“Perhaps this time, it truly can be done…”