Today, they too are going to their deaths.

The familiar darkness, the familiar mirror in the pupil, and the familiar... red wild animals that appeared out of nowhere.

As Cui Xun sank into his inner chamber, he watched the frolicking red dragon, unwilling to admit that it was a manifestation of his own mind, but this could not stop its actions.

It stood up, its hind paws stomping on the ground, and strode around in the mirror with an arrogant and unrestrained gait, swaying and swinging wildly, completely outrageous, while constantly making strange noises.

"Goo goo ga ga! Wai bi bab!"

After circling around a few times, its wings suddenly crossed, forming a shield-like shape, and then it used this wing shield to clap and provide sound effects for itself.

"Gug! Bang! Hajime! Bang! Wakka! Bang!"

Cui Xun turned his head away blankly, refusing to look at it, but the chaotic sounds still kept penetrating his ears.

Cui Xun was somewhat reluctant, but he could still guess why this situation had occurred.

On the one hand, his mind was temporarily offline, and the rational part of his brain had some problems. On the other hand, he had previously exhausted his own power, almost draining himself, and then rashly drew on external forces in the final blow, resulting in a certain degree of imbalance in his humanity.

That sudden burst of spirituality is somewhat like the "power of faith" in novels; even after a process, it still contains a lot of impurities.

Fortunately, whether it's the willpower to distort reality or the power originating from the monster, under normal circumstances, with some time, that kind of spirituality should be harmlessly neutralized.

The new traits gained after this great war may be aimed at this aspect.

[Update] The required [Time of Rebirth] is not strict; the previous death battle should be enough. However, Cui Xun really doesn't want to look the Mad Dragon in the eye.

"So be it, it's still a part of me after all."

Only by facing all aspects of oneself can one continue to move forward.

Deep down, besides his pursuit of romance, he was probably also somewhat eccentric and unconventional; otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a mistake when he first wrote the original text.

Cui Xun turned around.

As usual, the red dragon sat coiled in the center of the mirror, silently gazing at him, as if what had just happened was merely an illusion.

It has stabilized.

In reality, Cui Xun's body also completed the initial regeneration of his brain, successfully clearing away the residual spiritual toxins.

Cui Xun couldn't help but think: In a way, this could be considered another way to examine his own mental state? If he could sink into his heart chamber and find that the red dragon was acting crazy, he could be sure that he was in an abnormal state.

It would be even better if its behavior weren't so strange, but rather if a mental status chart were displayed.

Cui Xun put aside his distracting thoughts, met the dragon's gaze, and silently recited in his heart.

Update.

Name: Cui Xun

[Growth Stage: Unborn (Deficit)]

[Mental state: Poor (mildly out of control)]

【Attribute: To be defined】

[Talents: Reality Distortion, Fear's Origins - Adaptation (Adaptation Progress 2%)]

[Traits: Chosen King - Red Dragon (Incomplete), Gift of the Wisdom Serpent (Incomplete)]

The deficit during his growth phase was probably caused by his previous self-destructive behavior; he'll need to take a good rest afterward.

His mental state was probably slightly improved as the panel responded to his earlier thoughts.

He has already made progress in adapting to the source of fear, and the results seem promising. Unfortunately, Cui Xun has not found a way to speed up the process.

Regarding traits, the total number did not increase, but the enhancement of both traits was significant.

[Trait: Chosen King - Red Dragon (Incomplete)]

[Effect 1: You will be able to distinguish between good and evil, and receive blessings from your possessions and supporters; people will have greater reverence for their protector.]

[Effect Two: Your words can forcefully command the weak, and other beings will naturally regard you as a superior.]

[Effect 3: Your command abilities are greatly enhanced, and your soldiers will grow stronger at a much faster pace.]

[Result 4: Incomplete]

In Effect 1, the prerequisite for distinguishing between good and evil completely disappears, and the objects of support are expanded to include all possessions and supporters, which further improves versatility and indirectly enhances the strength of the ability.

For example, although he had just obtained the Melia Duke, with this effect he already had a considerable ability to manipulate magic flames, and even faintly touched the level of the Immaculate Knight's Eclipse Mark.

In another great battle, if he were in good condition and wielding the Demon Sword, he should be able to overpower the Flawless Knight in close combat.

In the second effect, the deterrent power is elevated to a mandatory command, which can be said to be the prototype of "word power".

Besides its obvious effects, it seems to enhance the effects of special languages ​​like the Ancient Serpent's Word.

Furthermore, that so-called other existence seems to also be effective against elemental spirits and nature spirits? If he were to travel to another world again, he might be able to become an elemental archmage simply by virtue of his divine power.

The newly added effect three left Cui Xun somewhat bewildered. He hadn't given any commands during the battle except for sending Alice to fetch reinforcements; he couldn't understand how his leadership had been enhanced.

Is this the secret to taking credit? As long as you're listed as someone in a task, all the work done by others is attributed to you?

Of course, the best thing is that the prefix "war-related" has disappeared. On the other hand, this may also confirm that he had some problems in the past and needs to reflect on himself more often in the future.

The serpent of lies that bestows wisdom has also become the serpent that gives wisdom.

[Trait: Gift of the Wisdom Serpent (Incomplete)]

[Effect 1: Your deception skills will be greatly enhanced, allowing you to simultaneously assume multiple identities.]

[Benefit 2: You will be better able to discover the potential in others.]

[Effect 3: The wisdom you share is more easily understood by others.]

[Result 4: Incomplete]

Effect 1: The first half of the sentence also improves versatility. Now, even if Cui Xun reveals a flaw in battle, he will receive a trait bonus. The second half of the sentence is even more powerful. He feels that he can create physical clones and use himself separately by distributing his power.

Hunters and mentors, or even more roles, can all be on the field at the same time.

Unfortunately, this splitting up leads to a decrease in individual strength, making it impossible to directly drive multiple cores and double combat power. Instead, it requires sophisticated tactical coordination to achieve better results.

The second effect, at the cost of his ability to incite, further enhanced his ability to unleash potential, which may create more wild superhumans like Menoff in the future.

As for the third effect, it is extremely powerful.

Using games as an example, this means that the requirements for learning skills are reduced, while the learning speed is increased.

A completely illiterate person with zero education level can become self-taught as long as they meet the requirement of being an intelligent being.

These two traits combined are practically a god-tier ability to mass-produce troops. Whether it's raising the average level of education, increasing productivity, or taking the extraordinary route to mass-produce extraordinary individuals, it's all done with ease.

By combining the method of accumulating the power of others with blood money, Cui Xun can already see a future where his power reserves will skyrocket.

Having witnessed his own growth, it was time for him to wake up.

In the center of the battlefield, the man leaning on his sword suddenly opened his eyes.

The agents who were about to approach Cui Xun and take him back to recuperate were startled, but Alice had a subtle feeling of "I knew it".

At first, when they saw Cui Xun suddenly stop headless, they thought he had completely exhausted his strength and life force and finally died in battle. They only breathed a sigh of relief when Cui Xun's head grew back.

At that very moment, Alice, who had been in contact with Cui Xun for a long time, had a premonition that Cui Xun would wake up soon.

How could such a powerful and arrogant man allow himself to collapse so weakly? He will surely open his eyes again and walk back on his own.

But what happened next was beyond Alice's expectations.

Cui Xun waved to the people around him, his expression softening, and sincerely thanked them, saying, "Thank you all for your help. The honor and prize money will be plentiful!"

Before fighting alongside these people, Cui Xun looked down on them from the bottom of his heart. He only used them as tools. But when he actually fought alongside them and was even helped by them, Cui Xun realized that they could also become his comrades.

The crowd was flattered. They had witnessed the clash of powers earlier, and Cui Xun was already far beyond their reach in their eyes. Even if they didn't know Cui Xun's true identity, based on that power alone, they believed that Cui Xun deserved the highest power in the kingdom.

Their superiors might praise their efficiency, but they would never use such a considerate and easygoing attitude, let alone condescend to help them directly.

Cui Xun brandished his demonic sword, withdrawing the demonic flames that had swept across the land. Then, he looked at the wrecked steam behemoth and asked loudly, "Is there anything I can help you with? I'm quite strong."

Neither the agents nor the special forces dared to speak, but the engineer inside the steam behemoth transmitted a message: "Could you help stabilize the behemoth's posture and weld a few more parts? Outdoor repairs are too troublesome. We want the steam behemoth to carry the broken parts and run directly back to the base for repairs."

The steam behemoth was so large that even Cui Chang wouldn't normally be able to move it, but if it could move on its own, he could still offer some assistance.

Cui Xun readily agreed, "No problem."

Alice didn't know whether she should feel helpless or relieved.

Given Cui Xun's previous display of strength and vitality, it could be said that he already held half of the new king's power. Logically, a king shouldn't do such hard work himself, but from the perspective of the beneficiaries, having a king who is so considerate of his subordinates is truly wonderful.

It would take some time for the steam behemoth to restart, so Alice took this opportunity to report the situation in the city to Cui Xun.

"The situation inside the city is currently relatively good; apart from a few injuries, no one has died. Guided by a wild superhuman, the people are fighting against the attackers' power through a strange ritual."

"The ritual is similar to the Dionysian Festival of the Hutt Empire, which transforms the madness that drives people to madness into a sober intoxication, and then spreads its reach through a procession, eventually bringing together the wandering spirituality of everyone within its range."

"Some of these spiritual gifts were used to heal the protesters, while others were sent to distant places, possibly the same spiritual gifts you received earlier."

Cui Xun asked in surprise, "There's actually such a master hiding in the city? Then, what's his current situation?"

Alice said uncertainly, "According to my subordinates, he may be dead, or he may have left in disguise. In his last moments, besides sending away his spirit, he also cast a crude spell to alter the memories of those involved in the parade."

"The superhumans have better resistance, but even they struggled against such a torrent of spiritual energy and couldn't clearly remember that wild superhuman..."

As she was speaking, Alice suddenly stopped and focused on receiving the new information from her subordinates.

"More news! Someone is seeking help at one of the Royal Agents' outposts, claiming to want to hand over supernatural knowledge, and specifically stating that he must give it to the mysterious friend who helped the workers."

Cui Xun guessed, "Was the name of the person who submitted it Mennov?"

Alice frowned slightly and denied it, saying, "The person who submitted it was named Blake Gibson. He worked in clerical work, and the extraordinary knowledge he submitted, according to him, was recorded in a book called 'Menoff's Thoughts'."

"You suspect that Mennov handed in this book..."

Alice paused, skipping over her speculation about how Cui Xun cultivated his team, and directly gave her idea: "Perhaps it was that Menov who, after performing such a large-scale ritual, lost control of his spirit and ultimately became the original text."

"This phenomenon of spiritual loss of control is quite common in some systems that focus on the human being. However, in most cases, it gives rise to something more dangerous."

Cui Xun remained silent for a long time.

He had done everything in his power to protect everyone and keep the enemy out of the city, but in the end, some people still died as a result.

Cui Xun understood that in the face of such a crisis, death was the norm, and he had done enough; Menov had died a worthy death.

He died to save others, and with his last strength, he made people forget him, thus preventing his death from causing further loss.

After giving everything, they chose to remain unknown...

Cui Xun didn't care what others would think of him after his death, but he couldn't accept that other heroes remained nameless.

However, given the current situation, it is indeed inconvenient to tell others about this.

Then let's wait a while, until everything settles down, before we formally send him off.

Or, when the art of forging has flourished and more people have benefited from it, let the extraordinary individuals of this lineage participate in the funeral of their founder.

If Menov saw that kind of thing, he would probably be very pleased.

"There's still a lot to do," Cui Xun sighed deeply.

Alice nodded in agreement.

Things are relatively easy to resolve here, but things are likely to change drastically over in Tun Ling.

The incident involving super-strong individuals like Andrew and the Flawless Knight was already enough to shake the kingdom's upper echelons. Add to that the identity of the remnants of the Hutt Empire, and the existence of the victor Cui Xun, and even the issues of layoffs and the Ice Age will likely have to be postponed.