[Year 42 of the Catastrophe]
After the return of human hero Yasa Acto, Doomsday City prepared a grand banquet in his honor.
Factions belonging to Doomsday City, neutral gathering places, and the free small cities each sent representatives to attend the banquet, signaling their stance.
The banquet was set up in the Great Hall outside Doomsday City, where murmurs filled the hall, and the scent of pre-dinner desserts lingered in the air.
Well-dressed individuals held wine glasses as they conversed, with the pristine white tablecloths cascading down like cream, occasionally brushed by attendants carrying trays.
The scene could only be described as "upper class."
People conversed in hushed tones, the topics superficial and restrained; no one wanted to cause a scene on such an important day—they all wanted to et Acto, who had been almost worshipped as a deity for the past 10 years.
The materials left by Acto allowed the technology of Doomsday City to advance at a visibly astounding rate. Such an existence, leading them in terms of both technological resources and thought, had almost beco a brand-new manufactured deity.
Anjie served as the hostess of the banquet. She stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, welcoming each guest as they arrived.
From the Freedom Alliance ca the Alliance Leader Andeveis, Bairde from the Tribunal, Anita of the Yaoguang rcenary Corps, Yalin the City Lord of Hope City, Bogue the Deputy City Lord of Antofa City, and many others like Doris and Rexiao from the battle groups...
The Dawn War had been raging for 10 years, and the battlefields were in utter chaos, with small powers sprouting up like mushrooms after a rain. Even within the sa faction, there were constant splits and reunifications, and not all those aligned were of one mind, therefore it was natural for so guests to harbor ulterior motives.
"The way Su Ming’an is doing this... is impressive, all the lords seem to be attending his banquet as if it were a pilgrimage," said Windsor, dressed in white and hailing from the remote-controlled army of Angel Clan players, her skin so pure and pale it was almost translucent.
"He truly deserves all this glory," Rimu Sheng comnted.
He leaned his sheathed sword against the wall and adjusted the suit he was not accustod to wearing.
Their remote-control army squad had infiltrated the battle group early on, and now they moved as one within Caius Tower. Among the attendees of the banquet, two out of ten were players, mingling around the dessert area, indulging in sweets.
"That being said, Doomsday City has had its fair share of chaos over the last ten years," said player Rui Ying. "Acto hasn’t been seen for ten years, and many people have been uncooperative with Tretiya and the others’ leadership during this ti."
"But now Acto has returned," Rimu Sheng observed, looking at the bustling banquet hall, "so even if forr leaders had been wrong, Acto is inherently ’right’. His re presence is enough to instantly clear out any covert threats to the city-states."
Rimu Sheng noticed that behind the white curtains not far away stood an inconspicuous figure—
—That was Sen Kylstia.
Sen Kylstia was the Deputy City Lord of Doomsday City, one of the initial leaders who rose to power with Acto. Even Tretiya couldn’t match his prestige.
But Sen’s high reputation and position were limited to a decade ago.
Humans can’t be without desires and self-interest; given enough ti at the top, without sufficient oversight, one is bound to make mistakes. Sen served as a pri example.
He made a fatal mistake—in the sixth year of the Dawn War, in a desperate bid to save his dying son, he redirected dical resources intended for a reconnaissance team, which led to the team’s demise due to delayed treatnt.
This incident shocked Doomsday City. Although it was common for teams to die in the field, they weren’t supposed to die because of a fellow human’s selfish desires.
People began questioning the integrity of the leadership of Doomsday City—had Acto not shown himself for several years because Tretiya and other leaders had imprisoned him, claiming his na to maintain their authority?
Sen was a founding hero of the city, deserving of high praises. For six years, he worked diligently, with almost all the small leaders of the military groups in Doomsday City erging from Beacon. The interests of Doomsday City were united from top to bottom, and the top tier was reluctant to punish Sen to quell public anger.
Thus, a series of public opinion storms erged, with the families of the reconnaissance team causing an uproar.
Sen regretted his mistake and was in agony. He had guarded these residents for so many years and was willing to sacrifice himself for the city-state. Knowing that he caused the death of the reconnaissance team and not wanting to cause difficulty for Tretiya and the others, he voluntarily stripped himself of all his military ranks and honors, locking his red cloak away in a cabinet.
The once proud leader of Beacon had beco no more than a mouse crossing the street, scorned by all.
Sen now stood beside the curtains, his body blending into the shadows, his face no longer showing the spirited determination it did ten years ago. Though only in his forties, he seed like a decrepit old man.
"...He’s here."
Suddenly, at that mont, soone whispered, and the whole hall fell silent.
A distinguished and stunningly handso young man entered through the door, instantly recognizable. His face had frequently appeared on LED screens across various cities over the years.
In the center of Doomsday City, there was even a bronze statue of him, surrounded by fountains and gardens for people to rest and admire.
The hall quieted instantly, as people could scarcely believe their eyes. Acto didn’t appear as the powerful warrior described in reports, one who could halt the disaster of the exotic beasts on his own. Instead, he seed more like a scholar without a hint of power or aggressiveness.
He looked more like... a fine gentleman well-suited for the banquet hall.
Su Ming’an didn’t speak. Neither the Missionary Halo nor the Faith Passive were in effect, and in the eyes of those present, he didn’t possess the dignity he showed when telling Lighthouse stories in recordings.
Surveying the room, Su Ming’an saw many unfamiliar faces. It was then that he began to grasp what ten years ant for humanity.
Babies could grow into children; children could turn into teenagers; middle-aged people could go gray. So very old people might have passed on entirely.
Cheng Luohe, the kid who used to carry the crimson sniper rifle, had grown up and turned into a young man in his early twenties. Yao Wen had beco the leader of an elite reconnaissance unit, scowling in a corner.
Xia Sheng hadn’t changed much, still carrying his stern and sober deanor. Sita Xi, Joslin, and others had matured quite a bit, even wearing wedding rings now.
Su Ming’an recalled the news of the past decade that AI Yeah had gathered...
...People do change.
If these individuals had remained small-ti leaders in the Sanctuary, only responsible for a few hundred lives, they wouldn’t have beco greedy. They would only have thought about surviving together. But as their horizons broadened and the number of people under their care expanded, growing to millions reliant on Doomsday City... people would completely change.
They couldn’t help but think... Since they had already beco the founding heroes of the city, possessing such great power and such high prestige, why couldn’t they go a little further?
They also had families, and so had children; in this uncertain world... they longed to consider the next generation, unwilling to let go of the resources and status they clenched tightly in their hands.
Within the upper echelons of Doomsday City, there had been plenty of scheming and power struggles over the past decade. Rong Yuan even got married and established a family, roping in friends from the Century Catastrophe era to produce a bunch of illegitimate children, busily engaging in the scramble for power and interests, aiming to turn the Second Legion into his family’s private army.
To check him, Tretiya aligned with neighboring Hope City, Antofa City, and Beartlis City, rolling out a bunch of puppet figures from the Alliance, and set them against his relatives who were military officers. Even Xia Sheng, who never bothered with power, got dragged into the fray, forced to help their Alliance gain a voice.
The forr core mber of the Beacon, Maxia, unwilling to be left out, took the initiative to join the Tribunal. Utilizing Sen’s protection, she drove out rivals under the pretext of judging deity heresy, and pruned a bunch of allies from the Great Commander Jocelyn.
Once Yasa Acto disappeared, these people were like headless chickens, no one able to suppress the others, leading Doomsdays City to subsequently form organizations such as the Federal Assembly, Central Committee, Alliance, and Tribunal. With no less than thirteen Great Commanders, forty-seven lesser Leaders, three Marshals, and three major legions, power beca intricately divided and an utter ss.
These people hadn’t committed any major principled errors, but minor power troubles kept erging endlessly, even grooming their own direct lineages.
Gazing upon the seemingly calm banquet hall that buzzed with undercurrents, Su Ming’an sighed.
"Welco back, Lord of Acto City."
"Lord, where have you been these past ten years? We’ve all missed you..."
"Full-scale warfare has begun, my Lord. Are you interested in visiting the Third Legion? The legion’s Captain Kalant always regards you as a teacher in the field of chanics, and he has a gift for you."
People around him greeted him with sheepish smiles, overly ingratiating. Even Anjie, who had taken the initiative to co over, had a face full of awe and detachnt. She no longer dared to chat and laugh with him shoulder to shoulder as she had done ten years ago.
This elegant, luxurious banquet full of whispered conversations didn’t even compare to the Beacon mbers huddling together around the fire, drinking sweet potato porridge to stay warm in the freezing cold of winter ten years prior, their bodies shivering in the cold night.
For the first ti, he felt ti was such a mysterious thing,
[It can turn one person into another and wreak havoc on a city.]
...
In the remote tea room, Rong Yuan finished straightening out the last wrinkle of the hanfu for a young man with white hair.
"Peg, rember, you must try your best to ingratiate yourself with the City Lord," Rong Yuan said.
"I know," the young man replied.
"Yasa Acto used to be so close to Lin Guang. Who knows whether he’s retained his original intentions after ten years... but that’s not what matters. Whether he holds onto his original intentions or not, he’s still the City Lord. At his word, we could have all the glory, only by clinging to his coattails can we continue to prosper." Rong Yuan patted the young man’s shoulder:
"I’ve asked many people, and they say that Acto really likes young people with white hair. If you can endear yourself to him, maybe he can give you an official position to play around with."
This white-haired young man was Peg, his nephew, who could beco his leverage in courting the City Lord.
Peg straightened the suit on his body and stepped out of the tea room, walking towards the City Lord who was surrounded by stars.
His snow-like shallow eyes and slightly long, tousled hair hanging by the sides of his ears made his black and white hanfu particularly conspicuous in the banquet hall.
The Deputy City Lord of Antofa City, who was discussing military affairs with Su Ming’an, noticed a shift in Su Ming’an’s gaze.
The Deputy City Lord of Antofa City turned his head, looking at the approaching white-haired young man—realizing an additional path to getting closer to the City Lord.
...Right, why hadn’t he thought of offering white hair to the City Lord?
"Huh?" In a corner, the blue-haired Player Yuna saw the white-haired young man walking by and blurted out in surprise, "Is that Lv Shu?"
Beside her, her teammate Jin Chendong narrowed his eyes:
"No, it’s just an NPC dressed up to look like him. It’s probably so Leader’s attempt to curry favor with Su Ming’an."
Jin Chendong shook his head, "At this rate, soone’s going to impersonate Yuanyuan, or Noel, or even Cici Nailuo... These people will do anything in their fight for power and profit."
"Why do I feel like Su Ming’an is like a new Emperor, with these corrupt officials crazily stuffing his harem with concubines..." Player Mirala comnted sharply.
They exchanged glances, speechless.
"I just listened to Su Ming’an’s reply to the Deputy City Lord of Antofa City about sending troops. Su Ming’an is very clear about the situation, speaking so thodically," Jin Chendong mused, "It seems that his Third Domain technology and his personal AI have given him considerable help—Number One Player now knows how to play the ga of power."
Upon hearing Jin Chendong’s words, their expressions changed subtly.
Number One Player could actually play the ga of power...
"They say that anyone who achieves a Perfect Pass can make a wish..." Yuna lowered her head, twirling her blue hair with her finger.
"Our squad has so strength; it’s ti to consider which side to take. If we pick the right side, maybe we could end up like those from the Beacon Shelter, getting to be a Great Commander or sothing when the world ga ends." Jin Chendong said, "Edward is definitely going to lose, Mizushima is in bad shape... probably won’t last long. If we could help Su Ming’an..."
They spoke in low whispers.
In another corner, Yuanyuan in a red rose evening gown sighed softly.
"What’s wrong?" Lu asked her quietly.
"Look at him..." Yuanyuan glanced at the center of the banquet hall, at the young man standing in the dazzling light, effortlessly dealing with all the attendees: "Compared to when I first saw him in the Fifth World, he’s changed so much."
She bit her lip:
"Is he becoming... more like Ming’an?"
Moreover, the situation he faced... seed to be becoming more like that of Acto himself.
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