Uncle Fang didn't chat with Huai Shi for too long. After briefly updating the young man on the situation, he assured him there was no need to worry about the house; the Young Master could participate in the competition with peace of mind.

Then, the old man hurriedly left through that door to prepare for this year's floor waxing, leaving Huai Shi marveling at the door.

This thing is freaking amazing.

Being able to summon someone to provide live BGM support anytime, anywhere—it's a total Divine Artifact! If I could pry it off and install it at my place...

Huai Shi began to let his imagination run wild, then reluctantly gave up the idea under the subtle pressure from the Paradise.

This was probably also part of the mechanism of Paradise, relying on Hell to exist. Even moving the entire Little Cat Paradise to the Current Circumstances would likely be futile.

After Uncle Fang left, Huai Shi sat in the musician's seat, scrutinizing the only legacy left to him by the Prince: that broken Longsword.

Having left its former master, it had lost its captivating brilliance, and the dark gold emblems and decorations on the sword's spine had gradually faded. Holding it, he found it to be a broken blade far heavier than he had imagined.

The edge was still sharp.

It felt ice-cold to the touch, and his whole being seemed to calm down.

Forever composed and unruffled.

But no matter how much Source Substance was infused, it could not recapture the divine might and radiance the sword had possessed in the Prince's hands. This puzzled him greatly.

Not until Huai Shi finally remembered the Raven's Identification Encyclopedia.

He summoned the Book of Fate and placed it next to the broken blade. After a minute exchange of Source Substance, the pages of the Book of Fate began to turn on their own, without any wind, flipping rapidly.

As a former catalog of the Heavenly Kingdom, a record of countless prototype miracles, it naturally possessed the experience to compare and identify them. In an instant, the result was displayed on the page.

Huai Shi was stunned.

[Border Artifact·Sword of Virtue]

—The straight blade displays the courage and virtue of its wielder, also conveying a warning from a nameless Prince to his successors: My heart is like my sword; I'd rather break than bend.

Remembering the Prince's last words before his death, Huai Shi stroked the sword's spine and sighed deeply.

"'Do not go gentle into that good night,' right?"

Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light... Rage, rage against the dying of the light...

Recalling the verses he had once vaguely read, Huai Shi realized that this might be the final warning the Prince left for him, a cautionary tale for those who are lost.

Even if fate is harsh and the world indifferent, do not yield to the call of the Abyss and fall into darkness, even when death is inescapable.

Even if it seems there is a place to belong here...

A bit too serious, isn't it...

Huai Shi lowered his eyes and murmured softly, How afraid you must have been that I would walk the same old path as you all.

This was the Prince's gift to his successor.

In his final moments, he had poured all his strength into forging the Sword of Virtue for Huai Shi.

Although it appeared incomplete, it was exceedingly sturdy.

Even when Huai Shi used the Alchemy Fire to continuously convert Source Substance in an attempt to repair it, the foreign material could not meld with the stubborn and proud sword body. As soon as Huai Shi's hand moved away, the patched-on steel peeled off.

Beyond its inherent sharpness and firmness, a miracle akin to a Stigma had naturally formed within it, revealed as a Skill under the appraisal of the Book of Fate.

Engraving·Pact of the White Horse: The contract between the Prince and the White Horse; the righteous shall ride the White Horse, and not even the night can hide the lofty color of morality.

Sword of Dawn: The Light of Dawn shines over the earth, and the eternal night breaks at this dawn. It can be used only after absorbing sufficient positive Source Substance.

The Treasure Sword, the White Horse, and the terrifying, seemingly invincible sword techniques from memory—the Prince had preserved all his most treasured belongings, bequeathing them to his successor.

"Why were you so kind, my friend?" Huai Shi sighed. "It puts a lot of pressure on a person."

He twisted a latch to attach the Sword Blade to the belt at his waist, cherishing it greatly.

Before leaving, he couldn't help but look back once more.

On the dilapidated stage, it seemed as if a Prince with a dazzling smile was still gazing at him, watching him depart.

Be a good person, right?

Huai Shi thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. "I'll try my best."

He turned and left.

The door closed with a boom, burying everything in darkness.

Much later, a sneaky-looking Raven's head emerged from the darkness, looked around, and sighed in resignation. "Fool, are you that excited over a Great Treasure Sword?"

"Isn't that a bit too naive?"

In the darkness, the Raven's outline seemed to melt into the pitch black. Its vague form transformed, slowly rising.

Ultimately, a seductive silhouette emerged from the depths of darkness. Her skirt, adorned with complex crimson patterns, dragged through the ruins and debris, yet remained unsullied by dust.

It's not like I completely forgot the most precious thing...

She stood on the stage, surveying the scene. Her gaze finally settled on the relics left by the Princes. She slowly shook her head. "Young people are just so unreliable," she muttered, then raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

In an instant, a faint light descended from the sky, converging in her hand and transforming into a projection of the Book of Fate. As her fingers flicked, a drop of phantom blood flew out, and the silver feather pen—the Event Branch—dipped in the blood and began to write rapidly across the pages.

Although its essence is tainted by Hell and it's no longer in its original form, these are still prime fragments of the Source. And they perfectly match a branch from the Heavenly Kingdom. It just needs a bit of sorting...

After a mere few seconds, the Event Branch no longer needed to write; the densely packed characters on the page seemed to come to life, growing rapidly. Countless characters emerged from within, chaotically intertwining at first, but they soon became neatly ordered under the organization of the Heavenly Kingdom.

As the Book of Fate continued to write, the crystallized relics left by all the Princes on the surrounding thrones chimed. They turned into a vague halo of light that converged, falling between her slender, fair fingers.

A storm arrived.

It was a phenomenon formed by the surge of a massive amount of Source Substance. Countless units of Source Substance crazily infused into the light. In the end, the dome overhead opened a gap, from which the distant glow of the Sea of Silver descended.

It was as if something had been awakened—a sonorous whale song could be heard coming from the Endless Sea, the repository of all human wisdom and knowledge.

Soon, the colossal restriction was disturbed. The framework created by dozens of Creators began to operate on its own, scanning for abnormalities and searching for the source of the anomaly.

The rift, however, had already closed before that, leaving no trace.

Only the faint glow in the Raven's hand had already solidified into substance. It formed a crystal contour like that of a Teenage Girl, dazzling as a diamond, reflecting brilliant light.

That was actually a complete Stigma!

Ah, what an unexpected surprise. Those folks from the Golden Dawn actually didn't take this? Ah, that's right. After all, they're just a bunch of hopeless nerds with no romantic soul... This is a huge win!

She raised her eyebrows thoughtfully, and soon, a delighted smile appeared on her face. She casually tossed the Stigma in her hand. The Stigma flew into the air, circling as if sensing something, and began to tremble with excitement.

After a clear chime, it turned into a vague light and shot away, breaking through space.

In the dark, the Raven quietly gazed into the distance, as if foreseeing the unfortunate look on a certain fool's face in the future. Her smile turned into one of schadenfreude.

I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder what his expression will be like then?

Humming smugly, the alluring woman turned and disappeared into the darkness.

"What kind of expression is that, young man?"

In the dingy office, Little Cat raised her arms, cheering up a tired Huai Shi. "You've completed the task and are about to win the reward! Come on, get HIGH with me! Get HIGH!"

"Moreover, you're the newly appointed Prince. What will people think of our Paradise if they see you looking so sullen?"

"Does this crappy amusement park even have an image?" Huai Shi sighed and pointed at the Crown of Light on his head. "Also, can you turn this light off? It's hurting my eyes."

"It's manual; you'll have to adjust it yourself." Little Cat handed over a remote control, then poured him a cup of tea with enthusiasm, placing it warmly before him.

Unfortunately, the cup hadn't been washed for who knows how many years. It even contained ash, and the offensive smell completely extinguished any desire to drink.

"You knew all along, didn't you?" Huai Shi asked.

Little Cat smiled. "I guessed some of it, but I believe the difficulty was still within your capabilities, right, Legendary Investigator? Your achievements and abilities are indeed well-deserved."

"Stop with all the fancy talk. I'm still feeling a bit sad right now."

Although he knew full well that the White Horse Prince's life lasted only one night and that he would have vanished at dawn even without Huai Shi's intervention, killing a rival who could have become a friend still weighed heavily on Huai Shi's heart.

"Relax, you also helped him find release. In this Hell, some thrive and relish it. But for others, every extra moment of existence is torment. They, like him, aren't suited for such an environment. Isn't it good to help them retire? He was grateful to you right up to the end."

Huai Shi didn't want to deal with him anymore and just reached out, indicating for him to quickly hand over the reward.

Little Cat shrugged, and two items were placed on the desk.

A Ring and an envelope.

"They're yours now."

Huai Shi was silent for a long time, shaking off the heavy feeling in his heart, and reached out for the Ring first. Sensing his Source Substance, the dull color on the Ring instantly faded, revealing a magnificent, awe-inspiring golden hue.

Once the Ring was placed on a finger of his left hand, it began to rapidly draw upon Huai Shi's Source Substance, like a powerful pump connected to a bottomless pit.

It nearly depleted what could be considered Huai Shi's considerable reserve of Source Substance in an instant.

Following that, the Mountain Ghost Stigma, bridging Soul and flesh, began to rapidly evolve. It formed new structures Huai Shi had never imagined possible, flowing smoothly and naturally into the Ring.

It was as if a computer had been upgraded with new hardware. Before Huai Shi could even react—no driver installation needed—it perfectly integrated.

Wait a minute, is this thing originating from the same source as my own Stigma?

In an instant, the Ring had lost its physical form. It turned into a band of gold-gilded characters, melding onto Huai Shi's index finger and appearing like a tattoo.

Soon after, he could feel that after drawing so much Source Substance, the Ring seemed to have opened a hidden pathway leading to a narrow, dark space.

[Ring of Nibelungen]

A name suddenly sprang into Huai Shi's mind.

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