LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 154: Seven Swords
It was a golden sword, its deliberately antique design giving it a regal air. The red gem at its center added an indescribable solemnity to its grandeur.
It looked like the Xuanyuan Sword, but only in appearance. Previously, it had gleamed, a testament to Li Sushang's care. The blade had been sharp, its engravings vibrant.
Now, at a glance, Shu almost mistook it for a dust-covered relic. He wiped his eyes, clearing away the tears he hadn't realized he was shedding. There was nothing physically wrong, yet the sword felt like it was trembling in his hand.
Inside the car, Kallen and Fu Hua, who had been about to comfort Li Sushang, simultaneously turned to the fragmented blade resting beside Fu Hua. Both felt a strange sensation—the sorrow of a weapon.
[From Li Sushang: Mama…]
A new wish appeared among Shu's Expectations. He glanced at it, then quickly looked away.
Unknown. Unknown. Unknown!!
Everything about it was unknown—the cost, the method, the desired outcome, even a simple description. It wasn't an impossibly high number; it was a literal "unknown."
"What is this?" he muttered, then realized his voice was still thick with tears. Fresh tears welled up, and he wiped them away, forcing his gaze upwards.
The problem wasn't the change in his sword; it was how to take down Lava Emperor.
How…
His gaze drifted back down to the sword, drawn by an irresistible premonition. He had to fulfill Li Sushang's wish. Regardless of the cost, he had to.
No, wait. How many times have I been burned by this kind of thinking?! I'm not doing this again!
But the sword in his hand urged him on… it was actually urging him on…
"Otto!" Overwhelmed by the insistent feeling, Shu finally buckled, passing the buck. "There's a wish in front of me. Unknown effect, unknown goal, unknown cost. Should I do it?!"
Otto's eyes flashed. "No information at all?"
"None. But I know it's from Li Sushang!" Shu wiped his face again, the sadness intensifying. He didn't know what his expression looked like; he just knew he couldn't stop crying.
"From Li Sushang…" Otto looked at the curled-up child and sighed again.
What could a child wish for?
To see her mother again?
Or… to avenge her?
This was his gamble. He hoped it was the latter.
"Shu, do it," Otto said, turning back with a sigh.
"You said it!" Relief flooded Shu. His Hope surged, converging on Li Sushang's wish.
At that moment, the fragmented blade beside Fu Hua, watched warily by both her and Kallen, pulsed with white light. The light pierced the car roof, flowing into Shu.
Nothing dramatic happened. Shu's vision went white for an instant, then, like an old film reel, fragmented images began to play…
["What…what happened out there? Why did all those people suddenly change like that?" The speaker was a burly man with a jagged scar across his face. Despite the scar, his handsome features were still evident.
"It's a disaster, without a doubt," said a woman with long purple hair in a side ponytail, dressed in traditional clothing, standing next to the point-of-view character.
"A disaster we don't understand," the point-of-view character said, her voice similar to the woman beside her.
"These people…they've been stripped of their consciousness. They're no longer human…" A woman in plain white robes stood before a fallen zombie, her face etched with sorrow.
"Alright. We'll slay these demons as we travel, but don't forget our objective," said the oldest woman, at the front of the group, flicking her flexible sword. Her stern face was lined with wrinkles. "Don't let Master return and laugh at our incompetence." Despite her words, her frown deepened the wrinkles.
"That demon…is troublesome," the coldest of the group said quietly, her eyes downcast.
"Troublesome? That's obvious to anyone," said the most striking woman, her presence commanding attention. She cast a flirtatious glance at the leader. "So, Senior Sister, what's the plan?"
The Senior Sister remained silent, tightening her grip on her sword.
"No plan? That's not like you…" the glamorous woman sighed, shaking her head.]
"What is this…?" Shu blinked, trying to shift his perspective, but he was completely immersed in the scene, forced to watch the fragmented "history" unfold before him.
["Go! Run! We'll handle this!" the scarred man roared, his voice booming, towards a group standing motionless in the lower level of the building. He hefted his crimson greatsword, leaping towards the still-normal Imperator.
Among the frozen group were Yun Feng and Chen Shicheng. Hearing the scarred man's shout, Yun Feng gritted his teeth, leading the others away, glancing back repeatedly.
The scarred man's attack, however, failed to penetrate Imperator's defenses. Instead, like a dull blade striking steel, the force of the impact nearly ripped the sword from his grasp. The blow didn't even faze Imperator.
In the next instant, a piece of floating armor shot towards the man. He didn't react. The glamorous woman darted forward, deflecting the attack with her own sword. Both were thrown back, their fates uncertain.
"Senior Sister!" the woman in white cried, her black iron sword broken. She looked at the Senior Sister, still fighting.
"…I understand…Seven Swords!!"
Her sharp cry summoned six responses, including the two who had been thrown back.
"Assemble!!"]