【 BLADE OF ATONEMENT 】

The duel was over.

A significant amount of experience points had been added to Jasmine’s account.

However, the exhilaration she had felt from the intense duel slowly faded, giving way to a growing sense of melancholy.

Looking back at it, she couldn’t quite decipher the meaning behind the final smile that Old Orc had shown her.

Had he understood her words?

Was it a look of relief?

Or was it regret?

She didn’t know.

The NPCs were far more complex than she had ever imagined. Initially, once you first played the game, Elven Kingdom seemed like nothing more than a hyper-realistic MMORPG—a stunningly immersive world, sure, but in the end, it was still just that—a game.

But once you progressed further into it, you would start to realize that this otherworldly world wasn’t simple at all. The NPCs weren’t just scripted characters; they felt real, reacted unpredictably, and even seemed to grow and change.

She too had treated it as just another game at the beginning. A thrilling escape from reality, something to satiate her combat cravings while completely ignoring the NPCs. But now that she had spent time among them, had spoken to them, fought beside them, and even exchanged swords with them, she wasn’t so sure what to think anymore…

Where did the line between game and reality truly lie?

If someone had managed to create a world that was so lifelike, with NPCs living within it that thought, felt, and reacted as if they had minds of their own, seemingly so real that it was almost indistinguishable from reality itself…

Would it still be a game?

Or would it, in some way, also become another reality?

She wasn’t sure when this thought had taken root within herself.

Perhaps it was back when she had followed Caesar in his task of proselytizing the elven faith in the demi-realm of Ouros, surrounded by the cheerful, eager native children.

Perhaps it was when, after being encouraged by Caesar, she too had begun interacting with the NPCs and slowly formed friendships with some of them.

Or perhaps it was when war broke out, and she had witnessed, time and time again, the orcs fighting to the bitter death to protect their home and families.

“…Sigh.”

She let out a long breath.

It was just a game—so why did it leave her so conflicted?

Just then, a brilliant light coalesced around the items the old orc had dropped, drawing astonished cries from the surrounding players.

Jasmine hesitated for a moment.

Looking down, she saw a silver radiance seep into the fallen orc’s longsword. The patches of rust along its blade slowly peeled away, revealing the weapon’s true, imposing form.

Her eyes narrowed.

Bending down, she picked up Iron Thunder’s weapon and activated her [Appraisal] skill.

A surge of magical energy swept over the massive 1.5-meter-long blade, and its details surfaced in her mind:

[Blade of Atonement]

This extraordinary weapon was created in the final moments of Iron Thunder’s life. After offering his very soul as a means of atonement, he infused the remaining power of his faith and spiritual essence into this blade. It possesses the skills [Purification], [Unyielding], and [Absolute Damage]. This item is a Golden Legendary-class weapon for the upper Silver rank.

Only those acknowledged by its creator can wield its true power.

After reading its description, Jasmine was left stunned.

The blade was cool and heavy in her grasp.

Its weathered appearance exuded an air of timeworn resilience, yet its keen edge betrayed the fact that it was a masterpiece among weapons.

From what was written, she understood that this was the old orc’s final gift. It was a parting bequest left to her, passing on his last hope in the form of this weapon.

“That crafty old fox…”

She muttered under her breath.

And yet, despite her words, her gaze was filled with a myriad of complex emotion.

He had offered up his soul upon death, leaving everything to her. In a way, he had entrusted those young orcs to her care.

Although this old orc, who had lived for who knows how many years, had perished in their duel, in some sense… he had won. He had found a way to secure the future of those he cared for, even in death.

A cunning old fox indeed.

But… Jasmine found herself understanding him.

With a soft sigh, she stowed the longblade away.

In doing so, she had, in some way, accepted his final request.

“Okay, I’ll look after them… At the very least, I’ll give those kids a chance to prove themselves.”

She murmured.

At that moment, excited voices erupted around her:

“Holy crap! A Legendary Gold-class weapon?!”

“And it’s for Upper Silver-ranks too!”

“This is insane! It’s only the second Legendary Gold-class weapon for Silver-rankers in the entire server after the Lionheart Sword!”

The onlooking players gawked in awe, their gazes brimming with envy as they looked at Jasmine.

Since she could cast Appraisal on the weapon, of course, the others too could do the same.

The details of the Blade of Atonement quickly spread among the surrounding players.

However, everyone understood that this Legendary Gold-class weapon solely belonged to Moon Jasmine.

“Congrats, Senior Sister!”

“You’re incredible!”

The players in the vicinity showered her with congratulations.

Jasmine, however, only responded with a faint smile.

Whilst sweeping her gaze across the main tent, she turned to the nearby players and asked,

“I’ll be taking these orc children. Any objections?”

The players were momentarily stunned before exchanging glances and shaking their heads.

“No objections.”

In truth, young orcs were the most troublesome captives to deal with.

Their efficiency was far lower than that of adult orcs when it came to mining or other labor-intensive tasks. As they were still growing, they required more food and care, which only added to the burden. Their strength and stamina were nowhere near enough to make them suitable for the heavy work that most players needed.

With more capable laborers readily available, whether it be from experienced orcs or other, more efficient workers, the players had little interest in keeping these little ones around.

Honestly speaking, they were a logistical headache with little return on investment.

Initially, some players had tried selling young orcs to the Dark Dwarves, claiming they could be trained for long-term labor.

But after a while, even the Dark Dwarves realized they had been tricked by the elves and stopped buying them.

The reason was simple.

In the already resource-scarce underground, these young orcs consumed far too much food.

As a result, in recent times, most juvenile orcs the players encountered had simply been turned into experience points.

That being said, since they were weak, killing them didn’t yield much EXP either.

So now, with Moon Jasmine speaking up, most players were happy to let her deal with these orc children.

“Senior Jasmine, you’re really taking these young orcs in? But you don’t even have a mine, right? And these kids aren’t exactly good miners, you know…”

A player who knew her well asked curiously.

Jasmine also felt a little conflicted.

She couldn’t deny the truth in his words as she indeed had no suitable place to house any of them.

But… she was someone who kept her promises.

Even if Iron Thunder was an enemy, she had her own principles.

Besides, the Old Orc had entrusted these children to her care in exchange for receiving his Legendary Gold-class weapon.

At that moment, a smug voice suddenly rang out from behind her.

“Hehehe…Jasmine, if you don’t know what to do with them, why not leave them to me?”

Jasmine frowned slightly and turned around.

Standing there was Demacia, clad in heavy armor, while resting a massive greatsword upon his shoulder.

He was grinning as he eyed the orc children in the tent.

“Why are you speaking so casually, since when are we so close?” she asked flatly.

Demacia: “…”

“A-Ahem… well, haven’t we been fighting side by side for days now? That makes us friends, right? Hahaha… ha… ha.”

He let out a forced laugh.

But the more he tried to laugh it off, the more awkward the air between them became, as Jasmine didn’t react at all and gave him a narrowed look of suspicion.

“…Uh,”

Scratching his head in embarrassment, Demacia cleared his throat.

“What do you want to do? Sell these kids to the Dark Dwarves?” Jasmine asked, eyeing him with an accusatory gaze.

While most players might struggle to find a buyer for these young orcs, Demacia was different. His deep connections and extensive dealings across various businesses meant he could likely offload them with ease.

Whether it was the Dark Dwarves or someone else, he had the network to make it happen. Still, Jasmine wasn’t sure what to make of this guy suddenly approaching her.

Sure, selling them to the Dark Dwarves would at least spare the lives of these orc children… but she still hesitated.

Sometimes, being a slave was a fate far worse than death.

Especially in the Underground.

If it had been before, she might not have thought twice. But now, after getting Iron Thunder’s sword in exchange for her word, she found herself unable to ignore her conscience.

Noticing her wary expression, Demacia suddenly let out a hearty laugh.

His expression turned serious as he said,

“I’ve been here observing your duel with that orc this whole time, so I know what you’re worried about. Don’t worry—I don’t plan on selling them.”

Jasmine’s eyes flickered.

She studied him carefully before asking,

“You’ve already got plenty of laborers. So what exactly are you planning to do?”

“Hehehe… I just want to run an experiment.”

Demacia rubbed his hands together as he spoke.

“…An experiment?”

Moonlit Jasmine grew even more cautious.

“Uh… don’t look at me like I’m some kind of trash. I know what you’re thinking… Do I look like the kind of guy who enjoys being cruel to my captives?”

Seeing the wary and disdainful look in her eyes, Demacia let out an awkward cough and forced a bitter smile.

“Yeah. I think you do.”

Jasmine replied bluntly.

Demacia: “…”

“Ahem… oh, come on, don’t be like that Sister Jasmine… Let’s talk properly, alright? I just want to see if I can convert these captive orcs into our true vassals, that’s all…”

He sighed, looking a little exasperated as he quickly explained.

“…True vassals?”

Jasmine glanced at him, slightly surprised.

After a brief hesitation, she asked,

“You… want to change their faith?”

Demacia chuckled, his grin widening.

“Hehehe! Sister Jas, you really get me!”

He gave her a thumbs-up, his usual playful demeanor shining through. But just as quickly, his smile faded, and his expression grew serious. He leaned in slightly, his tone shifting.

“Sister, what do you think is the right way to deal with the orcs?” He paused, his gaze intense. “Should we exterminate them?”

Jasmine gave him a sideways glance.

“You’ve already turned plenty of orcs into laborers, and now you’re asking me this? Do you take me for a fool?”

“Cough cough cough…”

Demacia let out another round of forced coughs, clearly uncomfortable with the weight of the conversation. He shifted on his feet, running a hand through his hair as if trying to gather his thoughts.

After a moment of silence, he sighed deeply and spoke again, his tone more serious than before.

“To be honest, I’ve been thinking about this issue for a while now,” he confessed, his voice carrying a hint of weariness. “You see, our main overarching goal is to revitalize the elven race and help the Goddess reclaim her power and ascend to the highest level, right?”

Jasmine nodded, her gaze steady, waiting for him to continue.

“We have many enemies, and the crimes they committed against the elves are beyond redemption…” He paused, looking distant, as if lost in thought. “So, from that perspective, wiping them out and exterminating all who once sought to destroy the elves seems like the best solution, no?”

He looked at her, seeking some form of agreement, but Jasmine’s expression remained neutral.

“That’s what I believed at first,” he continued, his voice growing quieter. “It seemed so clear-cut way to protect our faction, to ensure the elves will never have to face the same destruction again.”

“But over time,” he added with a shake of his head, “I realized that things aren’t that simple.” He glanced at Jasmine, his eyes filled with a mix of uncertainty and conviction.

“Heh, I know, I always stir up trouble, and my reputation among the NPCs really isn’t that great, but I genuinely love this game,” Demacia said with a chuckle, though his voice carried a sense of sincerity beneath the teasing.

“Sometimes, I even think that… what if this game was actually real? What if everything, the people and the world itself weren’t just pixels and code?”

His tone softened, almost nostalgic, as if the thought weighed heavily on him.

Jasmine, however, raised an eyebrow, her expression tight.

“Stop beating around the bush. What are you actually trying to say?”

Demacia paused, clearing his throat before looking at her with mock defensiveness. “Cough… Give me a second to get into the mood!” he protested, giving her a wounded look, though there was no real bite to his words.

But Jasmine’s sharp and impatient eyes bore into him, and he quickly let out a resigned sigh, his usual lightheartedness vanishing as he grew serious once more.

“What I mean is, aside from Brother Li Mu, I’ve also been exploring Elven Kingdom in-depth,” Demacia continued, his gaze now intense as he locked eyes with her. “I’ve been looking at the bigger picture, understanding this world not just on the perspective of a player, but as someone who’s truly part of this world.”

He paused, letting his words sink in.

“And I’ve come to realize… this is actually a world where multiple races coexist, and real gods rule over all living beings within it.”

“Based on the official lore that’s slowly being revealed to us and those ancient texts we’ve discovered in some ruins, I’ve pieced together a bit of the game’s history from a thousand years ago.”

“In the distant past, it was likely the Goddess who introduced the path to Godhood through the accumulation of faith from the mortal races. But at the same time, she didn’t follow this path—or rather, she simply didn’t care to spread her own faith.”

“As a result, as more beings became gods and grew in power through the path of faith, they eventually turned against her for unknown reasons… and in the end, by ganging up on her, they ultimately defeated the Goddess.”

“And now, these Gods of Faith have become the true rulers and have begun to control everything, acting as the patron deities of various mortal races while also shaping their beliefs and ideologies to conform to their way of thinking.”

“It was after I’ve learned of this that I suddenly realized a problem.”

Demacia turned to look at Jasmine, his expression growing grave.

“Sister Jasmine… what do you think will really happen if we exterminate all the other races? What impact will it have here in Elven Kingdom?”

“What was the true reason the elves were targeted in the first place?”

“And… are our enemies really just the other hostile races?”

— 523 —

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