I was born in a small village in Deantar.
There were no high-tech industries or advanced magic technology there. People worked from sunrise to sunset. In the free evenings, I and a few other children would often go to the hills to count the stars by moonlight and starlight. Later, I studied at Houbo Academy.
Because of my excellent performance, I was recommended by Dean Matt Swift to Beowulf Academy, the highest institution of learning in Deantar. I spent ten years there.
I am still a student at Beowulf Academy, but to be more precise, I am a repeater. I failed to graduate on time, largely because I always rank last in the physical tests. In Deantar, which values force, physical skills and magic techniques are the most famous.
Physical skills played an important role in the liberation of Tal and the invasion of the Great Plains of Noel. Magic technology is a technology that has emerged in recent years. It was invented by Robert Oppenheimer of South Shatar based on the work of his predecessors. The rise of this technology is entirely because it will bring greater destructive power. However, its emergence also laid the foundation for peace among the Tal. It can be said that without it, there would be no peace today.
I chose ancient history as my major at Beowulf Academy, which is world-renowned for its physical skills and magical technology. This major was already a sunset major at Beowulf Academy. Everyone was diving into the magical technology industry where they could make a lot of money. Our academy had more than ten majors in this industry alone, including front-end magical technology, hybrid kinetic magical technology, and so on. You should know that the entire Beowulf Academy had only four departments and twenty majors. At that time, there were only three people in the entire history department. I was the only one who chose ancient history as my major, and everyone else chose modern history. There were no new people in this major ten years before I came.
Before I came, my mentor Herodotus would clock in on time every day and read books until the end of the day. He once joked that I was unprecedented and would never be surpassed. In fact, I know that it is impossible to be unprecedented, after all, these teachers are "ancients", but it is possible that there will be no successors. After I entered this major, there have been no new faces for ten years.
I stood at the door of the dean's office with my graduation application report. I was a little hesitant, not knowing whether I should knock on the door.
"What are you doing? Are you ready to be scolded again?" A gentle voice sounded behind me.
I turned around and found that it was Miss Forten, who was my junior. It was my second year at Beowulf College. In order to complete the credits required to advance to the middle school, I took the initiative to apply to be a tutor assistant for a year. I met her at the registration ceremony for new students. She was a very quiet and slightly pretty girl with long blond hair, very charming. She had won several scholarships and served as the deputy director of a department under the Student Council. She graduated on time in her sixth year. Later, she was recommended to become a trainee lecturer. After becoming a regular employee, she served as the executive assistant of the dean's office of Beowulf College. Her life was very glamorous.
"Is Dean Beowulf here?"
"Of course he is here!" Miss Fortune paused and said with a smile, "Aren't you and the dean the first ones to get up every day?"
I scratched my head in embarrassment. The only person who would tease a small person like me and a big person like Dean Beowulf together was Miss Fortun. I waved to Miss Fortun, then took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy wooden door.
After opening the door, there is a spacious office. On the silver-white walls, there are murals carefully crafted by famous painters. Each mural tells a story, telling the great history of Beowulf Academy. The solid wood floor underfoot is made of the famous blood tree in Nanshatar. In addition to having beautiful patterns, the floor made of this tree contains a lot of oil, which is moisture-proof, insect-proof, and especially corrosion-resistant. After laying, the overall stability is also very good, and stepping on it feels like stepping on solid ground.
the price of everything here is beyond my affordability. Even the floor here is waxed and maintained on time every day.
I stood carefully in front of the desk, like a chicken at the mercy of others. Dean Dicktat sat behind the huge desk. He was the great-great-grandson of Beowulf and the third dean of Beowulf Academy. Although it was difficult to tell how powerful this kind old man was, his physical skills still represented the top level of the entire Deantar. His views on the future development trend of the world were also at the forefront of the entire era. He was one of the promoters of the development of magic technology.
Now he is correcting documents. In front of him is a steaming cup. Smell the aroma in the air. It should be a cup of hot cocoa. The seemingly simple review is actually not simple. Each document determines the development of the entire college and even the entire country. For me, his signature determines my future destiny. I stepped forward and solemnly placed the graduation application report on his desk.
After a while, he finished reviewing the documents, took a sip of cocoa, and without looking up, asked, "Satu, do you still know the motto of our Beowulf Academy?"
I said without hesitation: " Strive for self-improvement and be virtuous. "
"Did you take the oath when you entered school?"
I thought about it. "I swore an oath."
"Was there a requirement to graduate on time when we took the oath?" At this point, Dicktat's tone became a little stern.
"Yes." I said helplessly.
Dektat sighed deeply and said, "Do you know that our Beowulf Academy is the most famous academy in the entire Deantar and even the entire world? Every student in our academy is an elite of society and a pillar of the country. There are very few who cannot graduate on time, let alone those who have delayed graduation for four years. You are the first person who has delayed graduation for such a long time in the more than 300 years since the establishment of Beowulf Academy. Do you know that your mentor Herodotus only delayed graduation for one year and was ridiculed for decades, but you have been nailed to the pillar of shame."
Then Dektat paused and began to talk about the excellent history of Beowulf Academy and the stories of various geniuses who graduated early from Beowulf Academy, such as William James Seeds, who enrolled at the age of eleven and graduated in just four years, becoming the youngest graduate of the entire academy. Dektat gave several more examples at once, and I lowered my head and endured it all silently.
"If you cannot graduate within the fifth year of repeating a grade, you will be the first student to drop out of Beowulf Academy since its establishment." At this point, Dektat seemed to sense that I no longer had any interest in listening to him, and he sighed, "Do you know how much of an impact dropping out will have on you?" Dektat looked at the cup of cocoa in his hand.
"I know." I stared at the pattern on Deketat's gorgeous coat. The pattern was the emblem of the famous Beowulf family. Three flaming red lines as thick as thumbs were pierced by a silver line, representing the legend of Beowulf slaying the dragon.
"Is there anything on me?"
"No, sir." My face turned red and I quickly looked away.
"Do you have any opinion about the academy?"
"No, sir."
Dektat shook his head. "You can get out."
I walked out of the dean's office, feeling as if I had taken a breath of cold air. I knew that if I couldn't finish the report on time, I would be forced to graduate after being held back again. But what could I do? I had failed the physical test many times, and this time I was at the bottom. I was criticized by the physical training teacher. However, as long as he approved my graduation application report and I completed all the theoretical research on time, I could graduate with special approval. But it seemed that he would not approve it.
Just when I thought all was lost, Miss Forten walked up to me.
"Your report." Miss Forten handed me my application report and I took it dejectedly. Just when I thought I would have to repeat a fifth year or end my study career as an undergraduate, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Dean's opinion column on the application report was filled in with "approved", but there was also a line of small print at the bottom saying "must complete research results that meet the required level."
When I applied for graduation, I filled in the research direction of paleontology. During the four years of repeating a grade, the extra credits I earned in ancient history and culture courses were basically enough to make up for the pit of failing the physical test. Only one paper on the topic of dragons has not been published yet, which means that as long as I successfully complete the ancient history topic on dragons, I can graduate smoothly. I was so excited that I felt that I was not so excited even when I entered Beowulf Academy.
"Can you please buy me a cup of tea when you graduate successfully?" Miss Fortern said to me with a smile.
My head buzzed, "Are you coming with me for tea?" I felt a little unbelievable because no girl had ever said that to me in the ten years I had been at Beowulf Academy.
"Yeah." Miss Forten looked at me with a smile, her golden hair like satin.
She was a pretty girl with light makeup, which blended together to create a kind of elegant beauty. I seemed to have an urge to get closer and smell her hair.
"Of course." I suppressed my excitement.
I passed by the cocoa shop, I smelled the aroma coming out of it, stopped for a moment, and then walked into this prestigious cocoa shop and ordered a cup of cocoa. I held the cup, sat in the shop, and savored the taste of cocoa carefully. Now I was filled with happiness from head to toe.
I looked at the cocoa in my hand and suddenly fell into deep thought. Didn't I only drink this once? Didn't I drink it with Miss Fortune when I left Deantar last time? Where is Miss Fortune?
This is my memory before I set out on this journey. Why am I still reminiscing about my past? Am I not already dead? Do I have to relive my best memories after I die?
I felt a pain in my head and everything around me started to become unreal.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself sitting on a stool, with a lit kerosene lamp and the "Dragon Dance" opened in front of me. I raised my hand, but there was nothing in it. Then I touched my chest, and I still remembered standing up to block the ice spear for Alice. Even the feeling of the ice spear piercing my chest was still echoing in my mind.
"Maybe it's just a dream within a dream." I comforted myself.
I was in no mood to read on, so I lay on the bed, I didn't hear footsteps, ticking sounds, or dragon roars. I fell asleep quickly, but after having such a big dream, it was hard to have another dream.
When the sun shone over the bed, I rubbed my eyelids and yawned. I took my toiletries and walked out of the room. The courtyard of this small hotel was very large, surrounded by a row of rooms. The decoration of the courtyard was very simple, with only a small circle of crabapple flowers and a camphor tree in the middle.
It is rumored that camphor tree leaves can make monsters unable to see them, but that is not true. Some people have confirmed that the smell of camphor trees can indeed make monsters unable to smell them, but since they can't see, it's better to find a blind monster!
After I washed and dressed, I walked along the corridor to the living room. In fact, this corridor also led directly to a door. But today I really wanted to meet the store owner. In that unrealistic dream, his tall and majestic figure had been deeply engraved in my mind.
The shopkeeper was wiping things. When he saw me, he stopped what he was doing and smiled politely, " Did you sleep well?"
I thought about what happened yesterday, "It's okay, but the dream was a bit disturbing."
"Dreams are the most unreliable things." He put down the rag in his hand, "But it depends on whether it is a nightmare or a sweet dream. If it is a nightmare, let it go far away. If it is a sweet dream, then try to relive it again!"
His smile was very hearty and had a special appeal that made people trust him unconsciously. I looked up and down at this sturdy shopkeeper, and a sentence suddenly flashed through my mind and I said it immediately.
"Are you Hercules, the great guard of the palace ? "
Hercules trembled, his face changed, and then returned to normal.
He laughed and said, " Little brother, are you kidding? How do you know I am Hercules ?" But the smile this time was a little different from the previous one.
I was startled. Although his words were ambiguous and seemed to deny that he was Hercules, he was definitely Hercules. I thought about the dream I had yesterday, but I would not tell him this mysterious story.
"First of all, it's your laughter. The legendary smiling swordsman Hercules is a trustworthy person. Secondly, you don't have any scars." I said firmly, "When a physical practitioner reaches the peak, he or she has entered another realm. You don't have a single scar on your body. I'm afraid that magic power is flowing in your body. You must be a master of both internal and external cultivation!"
"You actually know magic!" Hercules looked at me in surprise, and there seemed to be a gleam in his eyes. "Are you a student at Beowulf Academy?"
"Yes, I am studying in the History Department of Beowulf Academy, under the tutelage of Herodotus." After saying that, I performed the standard Beowulf Academy etiquette to him, which is the etiquette performed when meeting a teacher in the academy.
"Herodotus taught me history, but I was always a troublesome student in his class." At this point, Hercules scratched his head a little embarrassedly, but then he said excitedly, "This is a remote place, and there are almost no Beowulf students here. How is Dean Deketat Bor Beowulf?"
"Very good. Very good."
We talked a lot, like two friends who hadn't seen each other for years. Hercules was humorous and had seen and heard a wide range of things, many of which were very interesting, and many of which were helpful to my thesis.
"Why are you here?" This is a question I shouldn't ask, and it led me directly to another ending.
Hercules smiled mysteriously and scratched his head like a child who had done something wrong.
"Would you like something to drink?" he asked suddenly.
"Anything."
"Wait a moment." After saying that, he went to the inner room.
After waiting for a while, Hercules came back with the same bright smile on his face and two cups of hot cocoa in his hands.
"I think I should go now. I still have a paper to write." Thinking of the purpose of coming here, I wanted to write it quickly.
" Let's have a drink first! Dean Beowulf is a very open-minded person. I was only promoted to the first-level swordsman at that time, but he still exempted me from graduation homework. "
" A first-grade swordsman is already very powerful. " You know, although only special-grade swordsmen are eligible to be exempted from graduation courses, there are only a handful of people in the entire Deantar who can pass the first-grade swordsman test every year.
test during school, although there have been precedents in the history of Beowulf Academy, there have only been five people, and the most recent one was the grandson of Beowulf Dean.
I took the drink and took a sip because it was very hot.
"It's Popper Cocoa !" This is a cup of cocoa with a unique flavor. Its unique sweet and spicy taste can only be bought in one store, which is right at the entrance of Beowulf Academy. I bought my first cup of cocoa in my life there with Miss Forten.
I looked at him suspiciously, with many questions in my mind. How did he get this cup of steaming Popo cocoa in such a short time? Was it brewed? Or did he work in that cocoa shop before and know the secret formula of Popo cocoa?
Hercules snapped his fingers and said, "I'll take you to a place where you can find things that will broaden your horizons and even help you complete your thesis."
I nodded, without any doubt in my heart, and followed Hercules into the inner room. The furniture inside was very ordinary and simple, and the walls were painted with white putty. Everything made people feel that this place was very ordinary.
Hercules walked straight to the closet and knocked on the side, then opened the door and walked in. I walked there carefully and found that the closet was just a decoration. There was another door inside, which was open. I walked in and there was a narrow staircase inside. I walked down carefully.
When I got to the end, I found that the staircase led to a basement. The whole basement was dark and I couldn't see anything, but I could hear the echo of my footsteps. I thought it must be a huge basement. I was still wondering how there could be such an incredible basement under the small hotel.
Only the sound of Hercules clapping his hands was heard twice, and the basement suddenly became bright. Beams of light shone out from the corners of the wall, illuminating the entire basement like daytime.
Then, wherever I looked, there were surprises everywhere, and it seemed like a brand new world here.
What caught my eye was a set of golden armor. I walked closer to the armor in amazement. To be honest, I didn't dare to touch the armor with my hands, for fear of dirtying it. " BROV" was engraved on each piece of the top layer of the armor, which means brave. In the huge basement, the floor and walls were covered with pure white tiles, which looked particularly pure under the illumination of the magic lamp.
I looked at this basement that looked like a paradise and was amazed. I had never seen such an architectural style in Deantar.
In the center of the basement, there was an oval mirror that was more than one meter tall. The frame of the mirror was very simple. There seemed to be something spinning inside the mirror. I walked closer to it and found that there seemed to be a thick fog inside it. I stared at the mirror in surprise.
"I think you should know that it has been mentioned more than once in ancient history books." Hercules walked over and said with a smile.
My brain was working rapidly, and suddenly my eyes were filled with light, and then I exclaimed: "This is the artifact Mirrol!"
"Yes, according to legend, the mirror made from the eyes of the dragon Wind can instantly teleport people to any place they want to go."
Were those two cups of hot cocoa sent from here?
Everything seemed incredible. I carefully looked at the mirror, my blood boiling. The mirror was the only thing in my eyes. If the legendary artifact could appear in the world, then the "dragon" must have lived in this world. My thesis had strong evidence.
"Sir, can I include this mirror in my paper?"
I was so fascinated by the mirror that I completely ignored everything around me. Looking at the swirling light in the mirror, I felt that I was one step closer to the origin of the world.
It was quiet all around, and by the time I came to my senses, Hercules had disappeared.
I was a little scared, after all, I was alone in such a big place. There was a row of weapons next to the wall, and the most surprising thing was that every weapon here was forged with black crystal.
I walked over and looked at the weapons carefully. I was surprised to find that under each weapon, there was a strange pattern drawn on it. It looked like a crying face. Was it the symbol of some organization?
I didn't say anything, but I got goosebumps all over my body. Everything here seemed mysterious.
Hercules suddenly snapped his fingers, but I didn't notice his arrival at all. He walked with a cheerful pace, like a child who was rewarded with pocket money, which made people want to laugh. He smiled and took a dagger from the wall and played with it.
"It was summer when I left Beowulf Academy. "
This immediately brought back my memories, " In summer, the flowers and plants in the college are very beautiful, especially the Endless Summer. "
" Yes! But I remember that summer was more than just the Endless Summer. At that time, I had the world in my heart, and I came to the Tal United Government with my lover Susan. At first, I thought I could fight for the happiness of the Tal people. But I was wrong!
In the third mission, I was assigned to kill someone with others. When I arrived at the place, there were more than a dozen swordsmen of the same level as me, waiting for a leader. What I never expected was that the leader was the Hurricane Swordsman Typhon Lane. Just when I thought we could leave, the Blizzard Knight Blitzer Cain also came.
They are seniors with a long history. They were already top-class swordsmen before I entered Beowulf. Blizard in particular was regarded as the number one person under the dean of Beowulf and the new successor to the Sword Saint.
How honored the assassin was to be besieged by so many masters. Until the man died in battle, Taifeng and Blizard still looked solemn. Do you know why? "
I shook my head.
" That's because a total of eight people died! " His smile gradually became ferocious, but I didn't pay too much attention at this time.
" I have gradually fallen in love with fighting since my first fight when I was a child. I always like to smile during a fight, and I think it is a way to respect my opponent.
But after that mission, my heart was no longer calm, and my smile gradually became rampant. I laughed at the weak without mercy, and I smiled at the strong without giving in. From then on, I started to participate in assassinations and fights non-stop. I gradually became tired, but I still had to fight non-stop. In the last mission, I was seriously injured and retired early.
During that time, I walked around the park every day and played chess with some old people. I gradually got tired of that kind of life. The Beowulf spirit in me kept stimulating me. I needed to keep fighting. "
"Did you go back then?"
Hercules shook his head, put down the dagger in his hand, began to pace back and forth, and continued to tell his story, "I didn't go back because I found a more exciting profession - a black market businessman." Hercules paused, and a sinister look appeared in his eyes, which made people shudder.
"When I was playing chess, I met an old man. That old man was the leader of the world's largest black market. After I lost a game of chess, I followed him to join the Gilt Chamber of Commerce, where there was a lot of money and desire..."
I was shocked to hear this. I never thought that Hercules would degenerate into a black marketeer. This is a violent and bloody profession. People call them "black traders". Some people say that when black traders come to the world, from head to toe, every pore is dripping with blood and filth. They hide in places where light cannot reach, and are always ready to corrupt and invade light. I heard that some bigwigs of the Tal Union Government are also making money in it.
"Do you know what is the most valuable thing in the black market now?" I was stunned and shook my head. Hercules' eyes were full of mystery. His eyes suddenly changed and said, "It is all kinds of precious specimens, all kinds of rare creatures, and of course, the corpse specimens of heroes and their descendants. Our mission that time was not for the happiness of the people. It was for the bounty on the black market. The bounty of 50 million bought the life of Dragon Emperor Yigen! "
" What? The Dragon Emperor! " My head buzzed. Wasn't the Dragon Emperor dead? He should have died hundreds of years ago! Could he live for hundreds of years?
I suddenly felt that there was something strange in Hercules' eyes, no longer so friendly. This basement gave me a gloomy feeling. I unconsciously moved towards the door. He was just about to say something.
Suddenly, I saw an extremely gorgeous black crystal sword. Its slender sword body was like a girl's slender waist, and the hilt was inlaid with large dazzling diamonds. The white and black colors set off each other, and the fusion of art and martial arts was fully displayed in this black crystal sword.
"Would you like to touch it?" Hercules said to me.
" No, Mr. Hercules, I have to go back and revise my graduation thesis. "
He nodded politely, but took off the black crystal sword.
I stared at him carefully and slowly moved towards the door.
"Don't you know sword skills?"
I shook my head.
"Then let me teach you a trick."
Hercules took the black crystal sword and turned it coolly, and then the black crystal sword in his hand disappeared.
"This move is called 'Phantom Sword', remember it!" Hercules said to me with a serious face.
I was about to cheer, but a question suddenly popped into my mind: Where did the black crystal sword go?
I was about to look around, but I suddenly lost my strength and fell to the ground. I then felt a tearing pain. My thighs had been nailed together by the black crystal sword, and blood was all over my pants. Hercules walked over slowly, like a hound slowly approaching its prey.
"What are you doing?" I shouted desperately.
He had a ferocious smile on his face. " The name of this black crystal sword is Heteng. The blade has been tempered in a mysterious potion. The wound caused by it will be extremely painful. The gems on it are not just for appearance. They are precious recovery gems that can inhibit the effect of the potion and heal you. When it pierces you, you will not feel any pain. This was pulled out from the man carrying the sword. I can still vaguely remember his screams. "
Then, without caring about my feelings, he pulled the black crystal sword out from my thigh.
The pain hit me like a tsunami, and I understood the meaning of his last words. I screamed and rolled on the ground holding my thighs. The wound cut by the black crystal sword will never heal, but the recovery gem can stop the bleeding of this wound, and the pain will not be forgotten.
By this time, I knew why the basement of Hercules was so bright and clean. This place was obviously a slaughterhouse. After the sword was pulled out, not a drop of blood flowed out, but the pain made me scream and wail hysterically.
I began to beg him to kill me, but he waved his hand and stood there without saying a word. I hit my thigh hard until it was bloody, but I was still in pain. I struggled to crawl to the entrance of the basement, and the fresh blood on my pants dragged down my trouser legs and left a long blood mark on the ground.
When I was about to reach the entrance, Hercules had already pierced my chest with the black crystal sword, and bright red blood gushed out of my chest.
I looked at him in amazement, wondering why all this happened? What had I done wrong to allow him to torture and humiliate me like this, and to want to kill me.
He was so brave and fearless in my dream, but now he killed me with his own hands. I couldn't feel the warmth I felt when I came. The recovery gem emitted a bright light, which stopped the pain and prevented me from dying for a while. But I could feel my life slipping away quickly. I was not a swordsman, nor a warrior. I was just a nerd who had never passed the physical test.
I'm probably going to die soon.
"Why?" I asked with difficulty.
He threw a ball of paper at my face and gave me a fake smile. " It should have been a good day, but Satu Oton, do you know whose blood you have flowing in your veins?"
He suddenly looked at me with disgust again, but I no longer had the energy to answer him. "I don't know. "
"He is Hugo! And you are his last offspring!"
He burst into laughter again, and in my eyes his smile gradually became wild and distorted. This was probably the real " smile " of the " Smiling Swordsman " Hercules.