Chapter 1113: Chapter 1100: Protagonist-style Life Chapter 1113: Chapter 1100: Protagonist-style Life “Your power and mine stem from the same source, but unfortunately, the power you now wield is one I have never controlled; hence, I need your power to become even stronger, even more perfect,”
whispered Muria, while the young military officer, Eric, knelt before him, listening intently. Eric somewhat understood the unusualness of facing his king, but understanding the reason made him even more confused.

Because he didn’t know how to respond, his king had clearly told him to seize his power and, because he was too weak, to diligently refine his skills for now.

Even though he was exceptionally loyal and revered the king, there was still something unsettling in his heart. He wasn’t a blind follower; he didn’t want to lose his power. In these chaotic times, he knew all too well what losing power meant.

“I won’t ask if you are willing to give your power to me because such a question is meaningless. Whether you wish to or not, I will take your power, you have no choice.”

Muria walked up to Eric, patted him on the shoulder, “However, you are not my enemy, you are a soldier who fights for me, and I will not mistreat you. I will take your power but give you even more in return. So, what do you desire?”

“I want to be ennobled!” Eric responded without much thought, immediately stating his wish.

“You certainly don’t hold back.” Muria laughed upon hearing the officer’s request, though not surprised, as a normal male raised under the Military Merit Conferment System would have such aspirations.

“Granted.” Muria agreed breezily, “Once you complete nine awakenings, give me your power, and I will personally grant you a noble title.”

“Nine awakenings?” Eric, puzzled, looked up at Muria, encountering a new facet of the king he revered crazily, the shamelessness.

Offering the power of nine awakenings and then being ennobled was a joke. With the power of nine awakenings, even a brainless pig could become a noble.

“Is the challenge too great? Eight awakenings will suffice; that’s the absolute minimum I can accept.”

Seeing the bewildered expression on the young officer’s face, Muria thought for a moment, then lowered his demand. Each awakening directly doubled the difficulty from the previous one.

“Eight?” Eric’s countenance grew even stranger. If the power of nine awakenings allowed one to achieve nobility without needing brains, with eight awakenings, one could do so with closed eyes.

“Still find it too challenging? I can’t go any lower, but don’t worry about your cultivation; I will provide all the resources you need, as much as you can use.”

“No, my liege, with the power of eight awakenings, I wouldn’t need to plead for you to grant me a title; I could carve out my own on the battlefield, so, that’s…”

Understanding a particular aspect of his king’s character, Eric relaxed a bit, his mind becoming more agile.

“You want a different favor?” Muria asked with a smug smile, having tried to maneuver this young chap, not expecting him to catch on so quickly.

“Exactly,” Eric nodded vehemently, trading the power of eight awakenings for a noble title was simply foolish. With that power, he could easily carve out a noble title for himself on the battlefield.

“Fine, what do you want?”

“I want to…” Eric plunged into confusion after the highest pursuit of his life, becoming a noble, was stripped away from his list of desires. He didn’t know what he wanted anymore.

In his understanding, possessing power meant having everything, the pursuit of nobility by countless soldiers of the Blazing Sky Kingdom, when power reached a certain level, was easily achievable, not to mention anything else.

“…” Eric gradually sank into silence, pondering deeply, but still couldn’t think of anything else he might want.

“Nothing else you desire besides being ennobled?” Muria asked, unable to suppress a chuckle seeing the officer’s predicament.

At the same time, Muria inwardly exclaimed at the terror of the Military Merit Conferment System, which raised individuals all ardently fond of bloodshed.

“No… nothing else,” Eric really couldn’t think of anything else he could ask of Muria.

“Really? Since that’s the case, let me suggest something.” Muria strolled leisurely around Eric’s modest single-room quarters, then turned and stared at the officer still kneeling on the floor, “Power, what do you think?”

“What?” Eric was somewhat stunned.

“The power you possess is what I need, and I must have it. After you complete eight awakenings, I will strip you of all your power, but then I could grant you a different kind of power; how does that sound?”

“Is that even possible?” A look of surprise spread across Eric’s face.

“Of course, no problem.”

“That’s great!” exclaimed the young officer, excitedly swinging his fist in the air.

“It seems you are satisfied. In that case, train well. I will arrange for someone to get in touch with you. You can ask him for all the training resources you need, and he will provide them for you.”

Muria patted the young man’s shoulder again, very satisfied with the attitude he had shown.

As a king, actions must be grand and dignified. Although taking power from his subordinates could sound controversial if spoken aloud, Muria still felt the need to clarify and compensate him accordingly.

With his current identity, there was simply no need for underhand tactics; that would be undignified.

“Phew—” Eric collapsed onto the ground, sitting down with relief, his body limp, after seeing Muria vanish before his eyes.

“What even was that?” Eric bitterly smiled, overwhelmed by the recent events. He had never imagined that one day his king would stand before him and say, “I need your power.”

The sudden change left Eric’s emotions in turmoil. He could no longer foresee what his future would hold, yet he was filled with anticipation for what was to come.

After all, the king had said he needed the power Eric would have after eight awakenings. Eric had no confidence in achieving the awakenings on his own, but he had faith in his king, in his country. He believed that, if the king wanted to cultivate him, he surely could complete the eight awakenings.

A few days later, indeed, a mysterious figure, covered in a black robe, with an ominous aura, visited his dormitory in the late hours of a quiet night and inquired about his training resources needs.

After he voiced his desires for training resources, this deeply uncomfortable presence brought them to him at a mind-boggling speed.

Beyond communicating with this enigmatic figure covered in a black robe and receiving unrestricted training resources, Eric found that his life had not changed much.

Because the figure in the black robe had issued a gag order, strictly forbidding him from discussing anything related to his dealings with the king with third parties, claiming it was for his protection.

So, the dreams of sudden riches and fame did not materialize, and his life seemed similar to before at a glance. However, a diligent observation revealed its differences.

For instance, whatever he now wanted to accomplish, though he faced some setbacks, he would always succeed. His luck seemed remarkably good, like the protagonist in folktales.

But Eric was acutely aware that this protagonist’s aura had been forcefully thrust upon him. Therefore, he attributed all these subtle changes in his life to Muria, and indeed that was the case.

Giving him a life as splendid and perfect as that of a story’s protagonist also accounted for an unconventional form of compensation.

…

War spread, the world was in disarray, with war, chaos, slaughter, death, and plundering… This was the theme of a world once witness to the fall of epics, but with the passage of time, this theme gradually changed, becoming distinct from before.

Peace, stability, tranquility, birdsong, the scent of flowers, laughter… This scene, typical of a golden age, was also present in this chaotic world, or more accurately, within the most powerful nation in this world.

The air of peace was unmistakably present in the nation known as the Blazing Sky Kingdom, but the scent of war had not left.

For the Blazing Sky Kingdom was the greatest instigator of war in this chaotic world, almost all the nations of the Seven Calamities World had united against it. It was an unprecedented sight.

In this war, where the Blazing Sky Kingdom faced the entire world alone, countless heroes emerged, like carps crossing the river.

Among them, an individual named Eric shone the brightest, like the sun in the sky, overshadowing the light of other talents.

And now, this individual, already hailed as the world’s greatest genius and soon to be ennobled, walked into the heart of power of the Blazing Sky Kingdom, the Imperial Palace, a place many yearned to enter.

“Your Majesty!” the imposing general kneeled on one knee on the ground, paying homage to the inscrutable figure seated above.

“Five years not seen, your progress is not small at all! Fater than I had anticipated.”

Muria stood up from the throne, hands behind his back, looking down at the steady and now fully matured general, he remarked.

“You flatter me, Your Majesty. All my achievements are the result of your cultivation. Without you, I would still be just a junior officer today.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read