Thousand-Faced Dragon

Chapter 228 The Truth About the Empire
The birth of the empire was stained with sin and bloodshed from every pore.

"Is it really a good thing for beasts to gain humanity? At least if beasts are well-fed, they won't hunt indiscriminately, nor will they wantonly kill their own kind for empty glory, money, or righteousness, committing atrocities that beasts would never do—Solomon Tyrol."

In the name of righteousness or the so-called collective interest, the bottom line of "humanity" often becomes frighteningly low.

“I stayed in the Beast Realm for a while. I suddenly felt that humanity is still pretty good, at least most of the time. As a human, it’s good that they’re not interested in me most of the time—Solomon Tyrol, covered in teeth marks.”

Putting aside this somewhat comical interdimensional traveler, under the guise of "noble interests," a human being with humanity often does the most inhuman things.

"The Loyal Succession Fertility Center is a reproductive assistance facility rented out by the Kingdom, and it has a miscarriage rate far exceeding the normal level. Its direct superior is the Kingdom's Ministry of Steam Industry."

In just a few decades, the kingdom surpassed the accumulation of other countries over hundreds of years, expanding wildly, and the source of its technology was such a bizarre institution.

The most important thing about seeking knowledge from "whisperers" is not even the cost, but the "devout supplicant".

The "whispering" ritual can be distorted by the master of ceremonies. In those days, the kingdom had a large number of "truth servants" who were masters of manipulating the rules.

However, some key rules cannot be distorted: the content that the "prayer" requests to know must be what they most sincerely want to know.

So, how do we specifically acquire a large number of loyal warriors in exchange?

It turns out that even the most loyal soldier may have his most tender spot not in the country he is loyal to, but in his relatives and family, and his wishes will naturally get out of control.

Moreover, even if a wish is granted by chance, the resulting "gains" are still extremely unstable.

“Every ‘Imperial Mother’ who can pray steadily is precious; they are loyal and dedicated, willing to give everything for the birth of the Empire.”

Inside the dilapidated birthing center, cries and wails filled the air, with only a radio playing satirical propaganda on repeat.

A large number of "mothers" were holding their bellies and studying the so-called imperial bible. Their gentle, maternal smiles were actually quite unsettling.

Lex, being tongue-tied, simply played a memory—his past, which was gradually being unearthed and shocked by the darkness of the Empire.

Those eligible girls who were "brainwashed" became high-quality candidates for prayer. They took the needs of the empire as their own dreams and, with the help of the "Imperial Librarians," repeatedly made prayers to acquire valuable knowledge.

Generally speaking, if you're lucky, a high-quality "Imperial Mother" can be used up four or five times until she can no longer get pregnant.

As for who the father is? Does that matter? The number of candidates for "Imperial Mother" in the Empire is usually over a thousand, and at its peak, it can even exceed ten thousand.

Even though the success rate is still less than 10%, the return rate is already incredibly high.

"Rosalind's mother was an imperial mother. By the way, that name was given by Griffin II, who dreamed of turning the kingdom into an empire. I highly suspect that his other children were also consumed."

The memory was played for a while before being stopped again; too many nauseating scenes were not suitable for showing to Rean, this "young man."

This knowledge may be very effective. But it comes from the "outside" and is completely unscrupulous. The Soul Furnace, which melts souls, is only one of the milder ones. A large number of biological, viral, and human experiments are just "the norm of the Empire." The Empire's most famous war puppet legion is made of flesh and blood.

In less than a few decades, the kingdom transformed from an obscure little country into one of the few potential empires on the continent. Whether the rise of other empires involved countless tears and bloodshed may be unknown, but the rise of this empire was certainly marked by too many tears and sins.

This evil is not only against ourselves, but also against other countries and other ethnic groups.

Why do the nations it conquered now hate it so much? Too much blood debt and hatred have not completely disappeared with the decline of the kingdom.

Even though the Great Red Dragon burned most of the "knowledge" and "memory," it could not completely erase the hatred and anger between people.

"Rosalind's mother prayed at least thirty times, and the information and knowledge she exchanged filled an archive room. In return, she exchanged only a fetus. Ah, in the measure of the Outer Gods, the fetus of a beast is more durable than the fetus of a man."

Rean was stunned.

A beast can be used like this?

The strongest aspect of beasts has always been their incredibly powerful vitality and regenerative abilities, especially since beast kings are almost immortal.

So, when it is still a fetus, it can naturally be repeatedly exploited.

In this sordid story, it's hard to say whether "humans" or "beasts" are more evil.

"I don't know how much of Rosalind's 'human' essence remained after her birth, or if she was merely tea dregs that had been extracted and filtered."

Lex spoke words he himself could not trust, words spoken by the woman he loved most in his life, or perhaps, the one he loved most wrongly.

"But one thing was later proven true: she hated the kingdom, hated humanity, and hated all life."

"I don't know if she really loves me, I really don't know. I don't know if the sweetness of the past was real or a lie, I don't even know if she can still love. If you can, please help me find out."

As history repeats itself, Lex never felt he deserved the title of hero.

I am just a fool, a complete fool.

Perhaps I should really stay in the countryside and marry a country girl who isn't very pretty but is full of energy.

They were blinded by the dream of a prosperous metropolis and a kingdom, believing that everything they did was just. But were their wars against foreign powers and their internal repressions truly just?
When he vaguely sensed something was wrong and prepared to leave completely, he was misled and bound by love and family. Lex still doesn't know whether it was Griffin II or Rosalind herself who "set up the trap".

As he said, he didn't even know which one was more evil. These two were the players in this game, scheming against each other in every way, while he was the most foolish yet powerful piece.

"I did a lot of stupid things, and when I wanted to turn back, I couldn't even control my own body anymore."

Who did it? Who could implant an evil spell into the body of an invincible hero? Lex knew the only answer that caused such agony.

In the past, it was blind obedience and foolishness; after waking up and trying to turn back, I have completely become a killing machine and a tool.

"Victory Day celebration? I almost laugh. Guess who broke the seal on the neighboring country's 'elephant'? Without this foolish yet strongest sword, who could easily break through the underground labyrinth of the seal and sever that still-intact beast seal?"

It was a memory, a doll-like "Lex," who followed the legion into the underground labyrinth of the neighboring country.

These are still among the acts of the "empire" that are not considered too inhumane.

The knowledge from those extraterrestrial demons has created countless tragedies, not only for their own people but also for the conquered nations.

In this process, everyone benefited. The empire's soldiers were the grim reapers and masters of other countries, and many new weapons and technologies were developed in other countries.

Small fishing villages like Glorious City are alright, but back then, in the major cities of the empire, even commoners had several war and debt slaves.

Lex is recounting his story, but it is also a form of self-repentance without seeking forgiveness.

Or perhaps it's simply a hope that this history won't be forgotten by the world; of course, it could also be the release of epic quests.
"The Great Red Dragon destroyed everything, sterilized it at its source, and should have destroyed most of the 'knowledge' and 'knowledge holders'. But there should still be some things left out. If you have the chance, destroy them! This is our mistake and our sin."

The Red Dragon Warriors smiled as they rushed to each disaster site, rescuing all the residents in sight.

Lex kept smiling, but his heart was in unbearable pain. He couldn't even be sure if these mortals in front of him really deserved to be saved.
He didn't even consider himself clean. His absurd upbringing involved the help of external knowledge and countless "victims."

"So, the whole thing about defeating the Demon King Elephant back then was just a farce?"

"No, that's not it. According to Griffin's plan, he expected the 'elephant' to cause a ruckus and make the kingdom the savior, thus becoming an empire. But in the end, the elephant charged straight toward the old capital. It seems like Rosalind was behind it all."

That era, that country, became the chessboard for the power struggle between the father and daughter.

The father owns most of the kingdoms, while the daughter possesses the most powerful pawn—the foolish Lex Thorne.

"What role did Mariana, Dania's mother, play in all of this? Was she helping Griffin?" "No, she knew nothing. She was probably the only normal person in the royal family. In Griffin's script, if he couldn't become the true Griffin King, then the second emperor had better be clean. She was well protected and deliberately isolated from the darkness."

Lex sighed; his feelings for Marianne were also quite complicated.

The marriage was purely political, and their relationship had been quite bad before.
"Before the war against the 'elephants,' with Marianne's help, I broke free of my bonds. So, as atonement, I took the initiative to organize the campaign against the 'elephants,' and later I returned to the capital with the intention of revenge. But by then, Rosalind was already pregnant."

The bewildered hero walked into the street, where crowds of people were celebrating their victory and shouting their own names.

Before him lay his weeping, repentant wife and the innocent child in her womb.

Should he draw his sword and start the slaughter? Marianna had helped him too; she was innocent, and most ordinary people in the empire were probably innocent as well.

Ultimately, Rosalind was imprisoned, and under Griffin's arrangement, the bloody wedding took place.

"Marianna at the wedding was Rosalind in disguise. I died at that wedding because I didn't want to be controlled anymore. I don't even know when they switched sisters again. Maybe Rosalind was shrewd, or maybe Marianna was soft-hearted. Oh well, it doesn't matter at all."

No one could kill the invincible hero except himself, whose heart was pierced by the reversed grip of the hero's sword.

"You're such a disgrace."

"Yes, indeed."

Lex had no idea what happened during or after the wedding, because he was already dead.

However, based on current intelligence, darkness and beasts descended that night.

Rosalind and Griffin had a complete falling out, and both sides used all their pieces. The beast hordes and the Imperial Legion engaged in a devastating battle and slaughter in the capital.

Rean learns of Lex's death from a dream, which activates certain verification systems, leading to the arrival of the Great Red Dragon.

In a sense, this hellish scene was also caused by the Thousand-Faced Dragon Lex. Thus, the Great Red Dragon had the authority to intervene and directly took a devastating deep breath.

Rean was also completely bewildered; things were just too chaotic.

Does Rosalind have no feelings for Lex? Rean thinks it's unlikely; her crazed demeanor doesn't seem like an act at all.

Perhaps it was just like Rosalind had shouted in the side room earlier.

If Marianne hadn't stopped the two from eloping for the first time and allowed them to live in the countryside, none of the subsequent events would have happened.

"You seem to have forgotten the key point. What about Dania? What exactly happened to her?!"

"She," Lex sighed, "of all the bastard things I've ever done, this is one of the worst."

“My marriage to Marianne was actually a compromise between me and Griffin, and also a warning from Griffin to Rosalind. No one expected that she would turn on me completely.”

Okay, Rean suddenly realized, you still love Rosalind in the end, and your marriage to Marianne was just for revenge.

But at that moment, Lex Luthor had no real choice. Could he rebel against the Empire and destroy the hard-won peace and stability?

Both Griffin and Rosalind saw through him.

They knew that as long as they bowed their heads and admitted their mistakes, Lex would not cut down that invincible sword. Even now, Lex deeply regretted his past foolishness and hesitation.

Ultimately, he was just a sword; even if he was invincible, he was still just a sword held in the hands of those in power.

His rationality, his restraint, and his benevolence, ironically, became the shackles he could not break free from back then.
"The political situation at the time required my marriage to the royal family, and Marianna was the only option. Although Marianna was furious, she gritted her teeth and accepted it. She was willing to marry someone she hated for the sake of the empire's stability. Then, three days before the wedding, we used a secret method to conceive Dania, preparing to announce it at the wedding to reassure the people."

If Rean had any sense of shame, he would definitely be covering his face right now. What kind of situation is this?

If all goes well, the kingdom will become an empire, Griffin II will become the true Griffin the Great, and Lex will remain, at most, a sword in the other's hand, just with a different swordsman.

He might be able to use his power to make the empire a little more respectable, but an empire that has developed should have entered a period of redemption anyway. What would be the point of saving it at that time? Besides, could he change the course of that chariot by himself?

"You are truly a disgrace," Rean confirmed the snake's assessment. This hero was utterly shameful! He was a disgrace to the Thousand-Faced Dragon!
Lex sighed. He knew he was utterly useless, but some things still lingered in the shadows.

He was just a sword, an invincible sword in the front, with too many things hidden inside that he did not know. The conditions for the Great Red Dragon to launch an attack on the ground were extremely harsh, and the Empire must have had many secrets back then.

Only when an empire is deemed an enemy of another plane, an enemy of another civilization, or a destroyer of the world, and only when the cost of its destruction is less than its survival, will the dragon's breath possibly fall.

"Look at the progress of the truth investigation. It's still only 54%. Go and find out why the Great Red Dragon wanted to destroy everything, what else happened that day, and what world-destroying calamity still lingers in the shadows of the Empire's past."

After some thought, he dug a huge pit for Rean.

"For some reason, I always felt that with Griffin's abilities, he shouldn't have died so easily. His continued existence is always a hidden danger, for the whole world."

Rean fell silent. He wondered if he had entered the wrong timeline. Why were all the missions so deadly? Was he even capable of handling them?

"By the way, you can save the kingdom if you want, I won't force you. It's actually deserved to be destroyed. But if you can, please help me take care of Dania and her daughter. They are the most innocent, especially little Dania. Although 'Owl' has been criticized to the point of near death, there is no need to worry about its recovery in the short term. But only if Dania is strong enough can this hidden danger be completely avoided."

Rean was speechless. Did I look like I had the ability to save the country? And the "owl" you mentioned, was it Rosalind, or the "beast" sealed away?
Thinking about it this way, even the prophecy is true; Dania is indeed the second princess of this generation.

"Both are true. For now, Dania's bloodline seems stable, but we still need to be careful."

Lex's words sounded like he was making his final arrangements. Rean guessed that he was already preparing to run away, planning to leave the city for a night in the wilderness and dump this mess on Rean when he returned to the city the next day!
"Why are you being so formal? We're the same person. What's mine is yours, and what's my pot is your pot."

"I%%&*……!"

Li En also enjoyed the pleasure of cursing at himself. He finally understood why those heroic spirits hated Li Ensu so much.

You've dug your own grave; that's really something.

However, Lex didn't say what he most wanted to entrust to them because it was too embarrassing!

"Turtle, you don't still want to know if Rosalind is sincere towards you, do you? Did she ever truly love you?" But this desire was too strong, and Rean still found out.

Lex's silence is perhaps the most embarrassing answer.

At this moment, Rean made up his mind that he would rather be a scumbag in the future than be such a shameful innocent fool.

Unbeknownst to him, Lex had reached the edge of the city, and it seemed he was about to "disappear" for a day.

But the two figures blocking the city gate seemed to indicate that his simple-minded bravery had long been seen through.

"Hey, Mary, little Dania, what a nice day, did we bump into each other?" Lex forced a smile and greeted them.

"Father, is it really as Mother said, that you're planning to abandon us and run away again?" Faced with his "daughter's" tearful eyes, Lex was instantly overwhelmed.

"How could this be? How could this be? Little Dania, do you want to fly high? I'll take you up to the clouds, do you want to see?"

"No, I want you to make up with your mother." It seemed that Dania also realized that something was wrong.

Instantly, Lex, the "Shameful Hero," was covered in sweat.

(End of this chapter)