The Hilfa Empire longsword pointed diagonally to the ground, the tip of the sword trembled slightly, and drops of bright red blood flowed down the blade of the sword, landing on the marble floor with a black and white check. The abandoned old conference hall seemed to have been emptied, with only a few curtains tightly drawn, and three chairs neatly arranged in the center of the hall.

In front of the bloodied sword, there was a corpse, slumped crookedly in the chair on the far left.

The living man who was still begging for mercy just now quieted down with just one sword.

The owner of the sword came to another person.

The man, like the corpse next to him, had his hands and feet tied to a chair, and his eyes were covered with strips of cloth.

But he still "watched" the sword and its owner with fear.

"Don't blame me, don't blame me, I'm helpless. The owner of the sword said without hesitation, and then stabbed the sword into the heart of the man in front of him without hesitation.

"Hmm-hmm-" The man in the third chair also had strips of cloth in his mouth and couldn't make a sound.

The distance between the chairs was only a few steps away, and he had clearly guessed what was going on, terrified.

"I must give an account of this. You've all been with me for so many years, of course!" he stopped halfway through his words, and the last two words were said with great heaviness, and he stabbed his sword into the heart of the third man.

"Of course, I'm going to feel sorry too. But you are proud of the fact that you have dedicated your lives to the cause of the revival of the Empire!"

Silently, all three of them collapsed on the blood-soaked chairs, blood running down the legs of the chairs and down to the ground.

"When the sword owner's hand loosened, the long sword fell to the marble floor, and the sound was particularly harsh in the empty and quiet hall.

The owner of the sword, dressed in the royal aristocratic attire, stood in front of the corpse with his hands in his hands. He wears a white skullcap with a yellow and blue stripe in the center, and a small eagle emblem on his right. On both sides of the neckline of the aristocratic dress, a chameleon is embroidered with gold thread.

The sound of footsteps behind him sounded, from far to near, and finally stopped seven or eight paces away.

"Dr. Samler!" the man cried, his voice tinged with anger.

The sword master turned around slowly, his thin face was covered with old age spots and deep wrinkles, and there was no look in his bulging and dry eyes, like the eyes of a dead fish.

He replied slowly, "Ah, Grand Archon Mason. What is the wind that is blowing you here?"

Mason looked at him being splattered with blood, frowned, and asked coldly, "Don't pretend, what's going on?"

"Alas. Samler sighed, "So you knew so quickly. The old man disciplined his subordinates and connived at them to carry out indiscriminate experiments on the living of their psychic powers, resulting in the death of two children, one mutation, and the disappearance of another...... Although the subordinates only discovered that there were children in the experimental area at the last moment, they still insisted on the experiment because of their curiosity, and crossed the bottom line, leading to the tragedy......"

Samler said bitterly, and pointed behind him with his hand: "In view of this, I have executed them on the spot as an example." I hope that their deaths will serve as a wake-up call to other scholars and researchers that they will not take half a step beyond the thunder pond in the future. ”

"......" Grand Consul Mason glanced at several corpses behind Samler with a blank face, "The missing one, what's going on?"

Samler's expression suddenly became active, but his eyes remained like dead fish: "Ah......! If he hadn't died, we might have succeeded, and our long-cherished wish would have finally been fulfilled!, my lord!" Samler waved his thin arms excitedly, "My lord, the revival of the empire is just around the corner!"

Grand Archon Mason's brows furrowed slightly, still expressionless. He glanced at the frenzied Samler and turned to leave.

"Please, find him! Live!" exclaimed Samler, who took a few steps behind him, "that is the only living subject that succeeded!"

"Miro," the archon walked to the door and whispered, "arrange it as soon as possible." ”

An Imperial soldier leaned against the wall outside the door, his military hat obliquely covering half of his face. When he heard this, he got up, straightened his hat, and followed.

"Yes. ”

________________________________

Late autumn.

The afternoon sun fell weakly on the streets of Huxin Town, barely bringing some warmth to this town that was about to face a cold winter.

There are few pedestrians on the empty streets, and two- and three-story houses are neatly lined up on both sides.

The black windows were like eyes, wordlessly staring at each other on both sides of the street, silent.

The occasional child's cry wafted through the air, and the echo made the town even more deserted.

"Ahh

"Don't shout, let him try again. A little girl persuaded her.

"That's it, I can't concentrate when you shout!" Standing in the center of the group of children was a sloppy short boy.

He wiped the beads of sweat from his head with his sleeve, blushed, and pouted dissatisfiedly.

"You're so stupid, I told you all, just concentrate on imagining what the fire spirit looks like. ”

"You say it simply, but the fire spirit ...... I've never seen anything alive...... I've only seen the paintings painted on the altar!"

“...... The painting on the altar looks so much like the real thing, it should be okay......" The tall boy's tone became uncertain.

"What, you're not sure after a long time, I've wasted half my effort!" the short man complained.

"Hey, we're happy in vain. ”

"That's it!" the children around them scolded the tall boy.

"I didn't say it wouldn't work, but Aaron's psychic power wasn't enough!" argued the tall boy angrily.

"Alright, okay, stop arguing, let Aaron try again!" the girl said, and the boys fell silent.

The short boy named Aaron spread his palms again, staring at his palms with big eyes blazing, and he was full of energy to imagine the fire spirit. He knew the fire spirit pattern on the altar by heart, and he could dream of it in his dreams. Wait, does the fire spirit have a temperature......? It must be a little warm, right?Aaron took the liberty of adding some elements of his own uncertainty to the association of the fire spirit.

The little girl nervously grabbed the corner of the boy next to her, who pursed her lips tightly.

A slight but careful uproar erupted among the children: "Wow......"

Like fairy tale magic, faint points of orange-red and bright yellow were gathering on Aaron's palm. It was the first time that all the children present had seen the psychic power with their own eyes, and they couldn't help but cry out, but they were afraid of disturbing Aaron and making him fall short.

Unfortunately, their movements were still too great. An angry middle-aged peasant woman suddenly turned out from the corner of the wall, holding a hay fork in her hand, and shouted:

"Hey, you little thugs, do you want to set fire to my yard!?"

The scattered points of light that Aaron had managed to gather immediately dissipated without a trace.

"Oh, run!" the children scattered in fright, and disappeared in an instant.

"These little boys......" the peasant woman crossed her waist and spat angrily, "there really should be a psychic teacher to discipline them!"

After saying this, he was stunned for a moment, and then sighed. Look at the dilapidated appearance of this town, how can there be money to build a school, let alone psychic education, since the last teacher in charge of cultural education left Huxin Town six years ago, basic education has had to be solved by the parents themselves.

The town in the middle of the lake is named because there is a lake in the center of the town, "a town with the lake as the heart", but the name always makes people think that the town is in the center of the lake, and I don't know what the person who named it thought at the beginning. The lake is formed by a branch of the Green River, and the town is built around the lake, with two or three storey wooden coarse tiled houses sitting on the shore of the lake, and a few weeping poplar trees watch over the lake.

The red tiles and green silk are reflected in the lake, and the scenery is also chic, but now there are few residents and the population is withering.

The town had prospered, but that was a story from generations ago. Now that the world is peaceful, the monsters are hidden, the population of mercenaries, blacksmiths, and pharmacists has plummeted, and even the business of taverns and inns is not as good as before. Young people are flocking to the big towns to study and find jobs, and the town of Huxin is gradually declining.

The peasant woman raised her hand and held her breath as she tried to think of the concept of "water". She can be regarded as a spiritual user of the shaping system...... Rain? no, spring water. It has a damp smell, transparent color, and sweet taste...... Although it is something that I see in daily life, I always feel vague when I want to use my spiritual power to manifest it......

After a long time, some faint blue dots of light finally appeared on her fingertips, and the dots of light immediately converged into a small blue transparent droplet. She raised her finger to her eyes and carefully studied the water droplets for a long time before reluctantly lowering her hand and letting it dissipate.

She sighed, relieved that her little bit of spiritual power had not disappeared, but also felt helpless about the smallness of her spiritual power.

Psychic power, which once represented a powerful class and social status, has been declining or even disappearing for unknown reasons, and in recent decades, more and more newborns have been congenitally unable to use psychic power. Now, even official or semi-official organizations such as the Psychic Research Association and the Psychic Appraisal Agency are slowly losing popularity.

The peasant woman still remembers the wonderful stories and legends that the old man told her about her psychic power when she was a child.

It is rumored that ancient people were able to use their psionic powers to increase their strength to defeat demonic beasts that were physically stronger than humans, and that nations could strengthen their military power to deal with threats from other countries. It is precisely because of this "spiritual power" talent that can materialize imagination that the ancients were so powerful.

Children have heard legends of people who can manifest demons and make them fight for themselves, people who can create illusions that no one can tell the truth from fake, and people who can forge artifacts that help heroes break new ground. But this can almost be called the power of the gods, but in the end, it led to the "War of the Fallen Gods", which brought humanity and subhumans to near extinction.

Of course, these may also be just myths propagated by the Holy See.

After all, scholars at least know that the history of the continental countries was interrupted for more than 200 years at the same time, and no one can say exactly what happened during that time. However, the people who live on the continent of Tivak do have their own psychic powers.

Although it is far less powerful than the legendary ancients, it can at least bring various conveniences to life. For example, the "embodied fire spirit" that the naughty children wanted to try was once a convenient way for people to make a fire for heating and lighting, but most people could not manifest spirits that they had never seen with their own eyes.

As psychic power declines and disappears, it is only natural that fewer and fewer people are able to pursue the profession of psychic teacher. A dilapidated town like Huxin Town doesn't have to expect to be able to hire them.

The peasant woman came back to her senses and sighed softly, "Hey, Psychic Sensei......" She muttered and was about to get up and go back to the house, when she suddenly heard someone shout, "Psychic Sensei!" startled her.

Turning around, it turned out to be Joey, the old servant of the Lord of Wales's family, who was running in a panic, shouting something "Psychic Teacher" as she ran.

The peasant woman took another sip: Bah, what day is today, I can't get by with my spiritual power.

"Hey, Joey, what are you shouting?"

"Spirit, Spiritual Teacher...... It's coming!"

When the word "coming" swayed and drifted into the peasant woman's ears, Joey had already run away.

"What?!"

The peasant woman came to her senses, hurriedly took off her apron, hung it on the fence in front of her house, and ran to the square in the center of the town with her neighbors.

A lot of people had already gathered in the square, bustling in a circle, and an unkempt young man stood in the center of the circle.

"Are you really a psychic teacher?" someone in the crowd asked.

"Yes," replied the young man playfully, rolling his eyes, "you say yes, you can be." ”

"What is this called, you really have the ability to think?"

"Of course," the young man replied slowly, not at all angry at the face of questioning, "but I haven't taught anyone else—ouch, there are a few people who have that psychic teacher certificate now." ”

"That's what I said......"

"Hey, how many years have you not seen a psychic teacher?"

"But...... If you don't have a certificate, maybe you're a liar?" the townspeople discussed.

The young man bowed respectfully and made an imperial social salute: "I'm here to travel, who of you is the richest here? Is anyone willing to hire me as a teacher or something?"

Seeing that everyone was talking, he patted the dust on his body, squinted his eyes and swept around the people around him, and continued to raise his voice and said: "I have been penniless when I walk to Huxin Town, and I am almost starving to death, so it is very cost-effective to hire me now!"

As soon as these words came out, the townspeople in the surrounding circle, you look at me, I look at you, they are silent, and even the surrounding circle seems to have spread out a little-no matter how cheap it is, ordinary townspeople in poor towns do not dare to ask the price casually.

"Please give way. An old voice came from the crowd, and in response came an old man with a white beard, dressed plainly, but very neatly and decently. The simple style of the aristocratic robe shows his status, and a brown-red shawl is added to protect him from the cold.

He walked up to the young man and took a closer look at the man in front of him.

This young man is actually very clear-looking, with blond hair, clear blue eyes, and although the clothes on his body are simple in style, the materials used are exquisite.

It's just that at this time, the golden hair is covered with dust, looking unkempt and loose, and the clothes on the body are also full of dusty atmosphere, and the hems of the trousers and shoes are full of muddy marks. Only the blue eyes are hidden in the narrow and narrow eyes, revealing the light of cunning and wisdom.

......Before the old man could speak, the young man's stomach cried.

"Looks like you're hungry. The old man said with a smile. Turning back slightly, the servant behind him, Joey, took a few steps forward and handed the young man a paper bag full of bread.

"I'm a Welsh baron, and although everyone calls me a lord, I'm just a declining nobleman who doesn't enter the stream, and you don't have to care who I am. Eat some bread and let's talk while we eat. ”

"Thank you, Your Excellency. The young man took the paper bag, thanked him, and devoured it. Although the people wondered if their lord would hire this homeless man as a psychic teacher, they saw that the lord wanted to take him away, and it was not easy to follow him all the time, so they dispersed in twos and threes.

"Although you say that it is very cost-effective to hire you now, I don't know the price or what your ability is," said the old man as he walked, "after all, this is the era." When we get to my house, let's talk about the details and decide whether we want to hire or not, okay?"

When the young man heard this, he did not put the bread in his hand into his mouth.

"Oh, even if I don't hire you in the end, you don't have to pay for this bread, even if I invite you to eat, don't worry. Hehehe. The Lord laughed.

"Oh, then I'm relieved - although I said Bao Jiao Bao Hui, but that's teaching children and young people, you're so old, I can't guarantee ......"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" cried out Joey, the servant behind the old lord, angrily, "of course to teach our little master!"

"Oh...... Scared me. ”

"Sir, this guy is unknown and rude, do you really want to take him back?" Joey complained to the old lord dissatisfiedly.

"Hehehe, it's okay, it's okay. The old man didn't care.

The trio walked north along the town's road, and after passing a large wheat field, they came across a three-story garden house on a hillside not far away. The villa looks like it's been a few years old, half of the walls are green and ivy, and it looks like no one has taken care of the gardening of the exterior walls for many days. The villa is surrounded by a low stone wall, and the rose-patterned iron gates are in the standard old imperial style, facing the main road leading to the town in the middle of the lake.

The Lord of Wales straightened up slightly and stopped. The left hand gently thumped the rickety waist, and the right hand pointed far away:

"That's my house, it's almost there. ”