Above) Prisoner of Tregenis

"Hello everyone, I am Zhou Xuesong, the hero of this otherworldly adventure legend......"

"Unfortunately, I have fallen into the clutches of the enemy! Now I am imprisoned in one of the Avengers' strongholds, the 'Living Graveyard' Tregenis!"

"As you can see, standing on my left hand side is Harden Tesla, known as the 'God Butcher'. He had a bowl of hot copper juice in his hand, and by his wicked smile, I knew that he was ready to pour this horrible bowl into my mouth inhumanely......"

"And on my right hand is Petra Pallenset, who is so handsome that even the gods would be jealous. Don't look at other people who are handsome, he has an evil devil's heart! He is ready to make the bones of my whole body deform and twist ......."

"Have you had enough?" Harden interrupted me impatiently.

I had to close the magic manual that could be recorded.

I'm not completely lying...... This is indeed the base of the "Avengers" - the "living graveyard" of Tregenis. I'm in the position of the former and rear ghost dwellings, the Yellow Narcissus Castle.

As long as you look out of the ornate floor-to-ceiling windows, you can see the ruined house looming in the light mist under the high slope of the Yellow Narcissus Castle.

The death-like silence formed an unbreakable barrier, and there was no one for a hundred miles......

Here, all the guys except me are strong - former and backward ghosts!

I had no idea what I was going to do, so I was surrounded by strong people......

I'm a captive!

Torture! Horrific ...... Well, the reality is that this group of strong people -

Playing cards......

Harden, Mr. Petra, Ryan Reese, and Mr. Gene Lonners, a handsome red-haired man who calls himself the builder and guardian of "Narcissus Castle" (I guess that's what the butler means), gathered at the table, with Ivan shuffling the cards and Selena and Téa serving tea and pouring water...... And I don't seem to be taken seriously at all!

"A pair of Qs. Ryan flicked his cards with a blank face.

“...... Ryan, Mr. Jean has already made four Qs just now, where did you get these two Qs?

“...... Oops, was discovered. Ryan had no choice but to withdraw his cards," ...... Not out. ”

"Look at me, a pair of Ks!" said Mr. Petra, triumphantly tossing the two K's on the table, and the table smacked.

"Teacher!" Harden wailed, covering his face in pain.

"Ugh......" Ryan sighed.

"What, can't you get out? Then I'll keep coming out. Mr. Petra asked contemptuously.

"I said Petra, and it is better for Ryan to use illusions to play tricks than for you to manipulate calcium to make two cards temporarily," Mr. Jean said disdainfully, "You think you're playing mahjong, are you?"

It's a stone card...... No wonder when the cards are played, there is a "boom".

"Hmph...... was discovered. Mr. Petra held out two fingers in a sloppy manner, and the two stone tablets on the table exploded into a cloud of smoke and disappeared.

"It's my turn again......" Harden sighed as he looked at the cards in his hand and then at the pile of cards on the table.

"Oh, it's Harden! Bad luck!" Ivan glanced at Harden's cards and patted him on the shoulder in admiration.

This guy who is afraid that the world will not be chaotic...... As I expected, he was beaten.

Harden glanced at the cards in his hand again, and finally couldn't help it: "How is it possible! Mr. Jean, you also use illusions to make ghosts!"

"It's a matter of strength, a matter of strength!" Gene glared at Harden with disdain.

"I don't think soever!" Ivan, are you sure this card has been shuffled!Jean, the good cards are in your hand, dare you say you didn't do anything?" Mr. Petra angrily threw a bunch of miscellaneous cards on the table.

"Guys who make cards with spells aren't in a position to question me!" shouted Mr. Jean.

"I've put up with you for a long time, and you're going to use illusions every time, is that fun?" said Mr. Petra.

"I think the worst thing is someone like me who can't change cards with spells, aren't you ashamed!" Harden seemed even more aggrieved.

"Don't make any noise," Ataya, who was helping to pour the tea on the side, shook her head helplessly at Selena, and then added fuel to the fire, "Let's solve the problem by force!"

"Stop arguing about this!" Mr. Petra glared at Mr. Jean and Harden before finally looking at me, "Komatsu, right? Welcome to the living graveyard." ”

“...... Well. "Seriously, I'm scared of his power...... However, if I am a little more obedient, I can still save my life.

"Don't be nervous, you're free here. He smiled at me gently, if I were a girl, I would be smitten.

"Oh......"

"Komatsu?" Mr. Jean raised his voice exaggeratedly and leaned over to shake my hand warmly, "I'm Jean Ronners, one of the members of the Heavenly Punisher!"

...... Huh? That's a decent person? Is this testing me? Is it a trap? Or is it playing tricks on me? I stared at his face, and I didn't dare to say anything for a moment.

"That's right, I'm a real Heavenly Punisher, my title is 'Phantom Puppet Messenger', I have time to investigate, and I am absolutely not deceitful. Mr. Jean grinned and patted me on the shoulder, "I'm going undercover here...... Mr. He is very concerned about your affairs, and he asked me to take care of you more...... If you want to prove it, this is a photo of Mr. He and me, I can trust ......"

"Wouldn't it be a little abnormal for a guy with a fiancée to make a photo of his brother and himself into a brooch and carry it with him, this little brother. Mr. Petra's words interrupted Mr. Jean's crackling remarks.

Mr. Jean stopped and glared at him.

"I haven't said anything about you, you show off how handsome you are all day long, and what is the matter with being single for more than a thousand years?

Mr. Petra snorted disdainfully: "That's because of work, I don't want to look for it." ”

"You want to be handsome again, don't you? pull it down, you're stingy and tricky, you don't have an artistic taste, no matter how handsome you are, it's useless!" said Mr. Jean disdainfully.

"It's also art! I don't know how many girls have scared away your disgusting taste, dare to say me?"

"Alarm, the enemy is entering the fortress!" they were arguing when a decorative doll by the door screamed, causing me to drop my cup.

It was too late, and Mr. Jean and Mr. Petra quickly put away their cards, and scattered countless papers on the table with a "snap"—

This speed ...... I usually practice a lot......

"The defense of the northern border of Middle-earth has been strengthened recently...... "Mr. Petra said pretending to hold a document, and it was good, but he didn't take it back.

At this moment, a little girl who was as beautiful as a doll walked in.

Virgin of Hanfu...... Ah, she's the girl I've seen dancing with dead man's skulls in my dreams, "Evil Spirit"!

"Yo, everyone is very positive," she smiled sweetly, but there was a hint of malice in her big beautiful golden eyes that sent chills down my spine, "Jean, what's the matter with this puppet?"

"I want to scare you, but it's a pity that it's slow, ......alas," explained Mr. Jean naturally, and the richly dressed lady doll shyly covered her face with a feather fan and retreated into the corner.

The "evil ghost" looked at me with big shining eyes like melted gold, obviously smiling cutely, but with the eerie eyes of a snake: "'Evil ghost' Wu Anya." Please take care of it, no color-general-army-big-people......"

Damn, the same profound tone as Xia Zhen Xia Yu, and the deliberately elongated syllables make people feel so uncomfortable...... The innocent and lovely expression seemed so fake, and I wanted to avoid her sarcastic gaze, but I saw what she was holding in her hand-

Dead man's skull!

My face must have turned white with fright, for she immediately sneered, took a step forward to me, held her skull to her small face, which was as delicate as a rose petal, and bent her golden eyes: "General...... You'll remember me for the rest of your life in nightmares, right?"

With a crisp laugh, she turned and left.

"Not cute at all, is she?" asked Mr. Jean, "be careful, she's a terrible woman." ”

"Mr. Jean, Mr. Petra just said that you and Mr. He are ......," I asked.

"Brother sworn brother," said Mr. Jean, who grinned and motioned for me to sit down on the couch, and he himself sat down, "that slacker has left all the troubles to me, and I suspect he uses me as a maid...... Forget it, don't bother to talk about him, Ivan, you go and call Meng Jin and them. ”

It seems that Mr. Jean is not very stable in character. But his smile was reassuring for no reason, so I relaxed a little: "Meng Jin, is it Miss Meng Jin, ......the 'drug king'?"

"Miss!" said both Jean and Mr. Petra, who laughed in surprise, and Mr. Jean waved his hand repeatedly, "You seem to know us a little, but he's a man!"

"Huh?" I said stupidly, and by this time Ivan had already walked in with two men.

One is a very beautiful and delicate girl, who feels like a paper lily, and combs her hair in an ancient Chinese girl's bun. The other was a delicate, thin boy covered in strips of cloth covered like mummies.

It turned out that I confused the identities of the two, and both blamed my demon boss for not making it clear to me.

"This is Meng Jin, and the other is his sister and 'contractor', Miss Meng Duli. Mr. Petra said.

"My brother and I are so glad to meet you, Cedar. Meng Duli, who looked weak, smiled slightly, making her more gentle.

"Hello. I nodded again and again, "You're from China too?"

"Hmm. Cedar, do you know 'Kuang Zhengtuan'?" Meng Duli asked me.

"You know, this is an evil monster organization that was hidden in history thousands of years ago because of the death of the Nine Demon Kings. "I truthfully said everything I understood.

"My brother and sister, as well as Jean and Petra, were all members of the 'Kuang Zheng Tuan'. Meng Jin said to me in a thin voice.

"Huh, you guys...... How can even Mr. Jean be ......"

"Cedar, don't underestimate the influence of Datang culture. There are also quite a few 'Tang Envoys' from other worlds," Mr. Petra smiled, "I am a personal disciple of one of the Nine Demon Kings, the 'Coffin Dancing Queen', and Ozu and Watari are the subordinates of Lingnan's 'Inch Broken Feather'. ”

"And I'm almost, a disciple of the elder brother of the 'Ghost God Boy'. Mr. Jean scratched his head a little shyly and looked at Harden again, "And Harden and his sister...... He is the grandson of 'Inch Broken Feather'. ”

I almost popped my eyes out, "Harden, you're a monster?"

Harden glared at me unhappily: "Only my grandfather is a demon." And my sister ...... Also mentioned earlier, one of the elites of the Heavenly Punisher, the 'Golden Wifard' Maryse Heather. ”

"I remember, that Jin Su envoy! Your sister is very powerful, isn't she? Also, what kind of demon is your grandfather? There is 'Ling' in his name, is it a bird?" I hurriedly asked.

"yes, it's a bird!" Harden replied to me fiercely, but I don't know why he was upset, "Don't ask anything irrelevant about!"

"But now, we have nothing to do with the Kuang Zheng Tuan," said Mr. Jean briskly, "we know a lot, do you have any questions?"

"There's no question I want to ask...... "I'm a little embarrassed."

"How is it possible, Komatsu, you lack the care to find the problem. "Mr. Jean was a little disappointed.

"That's right, I said little brother, I've waited so hard for you to ask me!" The demon knife "Bo Hong" that Harden was wearing made a rude uncle voice again, "Shouldn't you have shouted something like 'how can a knife talk' in surprise that night......?"

"Uh...... Don't dare to ask. "I'll be honest.

"Well, I'm going to say it without asking, because I'm one of the strongest 'synths'. My name is Dimon, and I'm a synthesizer 'Thin Red'. Demon Knife continued, "The strongest synthetic beast, simply put, is eighteen powerful monsters that have been sealed, and in order to regain their mana, they have to enter into a symbiotic contract with a magician. ”

"And I'm a synth, 'Gray Smoke'. Meng Jin said calmly, I don't think he is an evil monster, "Du Li is my contractor. ”

"Do you know La Nina Posefien 'Curse Blue', she's also one of the strongest 'synths'. There are also eighteen 'green jades' that are now in Dongzhou, like jade giant flowers," said Mr. Jean, "The Demon Kings are very concerned about the strongest synthetic beasts. The strongest synthetic beasts that were originally active on the stage of history alternately are now converging in the white world at the same time, and things are a bit troublesome. However, telling you this now won't solve any problems. ”

"Komatsu, you have noticed that the 'Passage Academy' is now working for the 'Colorless Demon Boys', so you will lead them. "Mr. Petra said what I had been waiting for a long time but couldn't believe, "However, you are far from being able to rule them in terms of strength, and they will definitely be dissatisfied, especially the 'Nine Emperors'. ”

"I understand, and I don't dare to ......" I myself was a little discouraged.

"Now Kuang Zhengtuan is surrounding the Demon King Capital, of course they can't make any threat to the Millennium Demon Capital in terms of strength, but it is still very difficult to get in. Mr. Petra looked at us, "I've already spoken to Rika that she and Duck will rush into the demon capital from the north with Paris, and we'll enter from the south. ”

"Is Mr. Petra coming in too?"

"No, Jean, Ozu, and Watari and I will secretly help you, and it is you children who are going to enter. Mr. Petra turned to look at his students, "You will no longer be former ghosts, but punishers." ”

- An hour later

The deployment meeting on entering the "Demon King Capital" is over.

Mr. Jean said that my room was on the quiet top floor, so that I wouldn't run into a monster like Wu Anya in the three days I had to wait for the right time.

Following Mr. Jean, I took a closer look at this beautiful house. The gorgeous soft gold is the main color of this house, and the spiral staircase is as beautiful as the way to heaven, I have never lived in such a luxurious house!

Around the spiral staircase there are many oil paintings, all of which depict the same girl.

What a pretty girl...... Delicate as a doll, with long golden curls, big eyes as blue as the sky, and a pure, slightly shy smile, this fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl lived beautifully in a different quiet landscape.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" said Mr. Jean with a slight smile at me.

"Did you paint these paintings?" I asked him.

With a sense of distantness, his gaze swept over the portraits full of warm love: "These are all painted by Petra. ”

"Eh, who's in that picture?"

"It's a lover. Mr. Jean looked as if he had suddenly become heavy.

"Lovers......! So what's going on with her now?"

Mr. Jean was silent for a moment.

"Dead. As he spoke, he walked straight on, and I felt a little sad about him.

Petrata...... I've been bound by my mother all my life. Mr. Jean walked ahead, "As the Doom Demon King's mother, he didn't think he was his own child at all, and he rebelled against his mother because he was disgusted with the actions of the Demon Clan. During the years of the rebellion, he lived happily – but only for a few years. In Ceperos, he had a gentle, beautiful lover who loved him deeply, and when he was sent to Tang to study art, he gained true maternal love and friendship. But overnight, Teng Ji, who was also a teacher and mother, and the 'ghost and god boy', who was like a brother and a friend, all died without a trace, and when they returned to the white world, even their lovers were lost forever ......"

"Is this the kind of bad luck that the 'Empress of the Firmament' who controls the bad luck gives to the child......" Although it was the demon king who died except for the lover, it still sounds like Mr. Petra is still miserable.

"Perhaps this is the end she deliberately arranged, allowing Petra to get everything she desired, and then losing her affection, love, and friendship all along, and finally surrendering at her feet with the faint thought of resurrecting the dead......" Monsieur Jean did not look at me, but said to himself, "He is the eternal prisoner of Tregenis......"

"Mr. Petra...... You want to resurrect the Nine Demon Kings, right?"

"Maybe, but he also knows that it can't and can't be. Mr. Jean led me to the top of the spiral staircase, and he walked to a room and pushed open the door, "All right, here it is." Rest well. ”

"Thank you...... Please take care of me in the future, Mr. Jean!"

"Just call me Jean. You're going to have to work hard to learn magic in the future, you know?" Mr. Jean smiled slightly, "You're lucky, since the Colorless Demon Boy appointed you as his general, you're destined to meet and be protected by many powerful men. It may be hard to imagine how many children like you are struggling with hopelessness and helplessness in the world. In their world, there may not be a strong person who can protect them, and even they themselves have to take responsibility for protecting others...... Cherish what you have, or at least make yourself independent. Good night. ”

I walked out. Watch him disappear into the soft gold along the spiral staircase.

Yes, I know now, I'm lucky. If it weren't for so many unimaginable entanglements of cause and effect, I would be dealing with a group of ruthless killers like Wu Anya......

Zhao Hua, Miss Alicia, Han Feng, Yueming, Xuehe, Xiaohui, Harden, Ivan, Atayal, Selina, Miss Orisaku Rika, Bi Fang and Ruan Yanshan seniors, Mr. Petra and Mr. Jean. So far, so many people have been kind to me. Moreover, after arriving at the Demon King Capital, I will definitely be safer, right?

I am happy.

In this world where the slightest carelessness can lead to an unknown death, we are probably walking like a tightrope on the web of doom controlled by the Empress of the Firmament...... If you fall, you will die. But I, a man who could not survive at all by strength, was supported by many people, and although he swayed very much, he did not die.

I know I can't rely on people like that all the time.

Zhou Xuesong, hurry up and get stronger. Even a wood mage will be able to survive on his own, right?

I lay down, and there was silence all around. I imagined that a sapling, which could be broken with just one hand, grew slowly under the care of fertile soil, fences, sunlight, rain and dew, and finally rose into the clouds, and the wind and rain did not move...... Behold, Zhou Xuesong, is that you......

I imagined the huge green in my mind, swaying and swaying in the midst of countless hardships...... And its tall body will definitely stand still in the face of thousands of death possibilities.

—

【Small Theater】

Cedar's Star Kitchen!

Cedar: Hi everyone, this is a cooking show "Cedar's Star Kitchen" hosted by Ivan and me!

Ivan (hurriedly applauding): Welcome to Mr. Petra Pallenset, the most handsome man in the world!

(The door opens, and Petra appears depressedly with an apron)

Petra (to the stove, helplessly): Why did you invite me to cook? Give me a reasonable reason.

Cedar (hurry): Eh...... Because...... Because you look like a good family man!

Petra: Yes? You're from the original world, you don't know me! I killed all the people in the town at the age of 19 and became a "post-ghost"!

Cedar (囧):......

Ivan (rushing to the rescue): The ...... Cedar thinks that you are the best tempered in the ghost, teacher.

Petra (shakes her head): There is no one in the after-ghost who has a good temper.

Cedar:......

Petra: Hey, forget it, I'm here anyway, so let's pretend to cook. So what are we going to do today?

Cedar: I asked Selena and she said that curry rice is easier to make......

Petra: Why don't you go and prepare the materials? Do you want me to do it?

(The two hosts had to hurry up and split the carrots, potatoes, and onions...... ）

Cedar: Ivan! Usually cooking shows are done by guests, but your teacher is standing there as an overseer, which is unreasonable!

Ivan: Forget it...... The materials are ready, teacher!

Petra: The knife work is really poor, look at this potato, most of the skin has been peeled off...... Forget it, I'll test you, do you know how to cook curry?

Ivan (proud): I helped my second sister and Sally do this! Stir-fry the onions, potatoes and carrots until they are half cooked, then add water, put the curry cubes in and cook until soft!

Petra (nodding): Good...... (Reluctantly, as Ivan says)

Cedar: Mr. Petra, did your mother take your name?

Petra:...... So what?

Cedar: I think it's like a female name......

Ivan:...... Cedar, are you sure you still want to get out of here alive?

Petra (expressionless): Boy, listen up, "Petra" - Petra, from the Greek word petrus, which means rock. As for saying that it is a female name...... Because I've met a woman named Petra, I'm not going to bother with you.

Cedar: Sir, the members of your Avengers are all handsome guys and beautiful women...... Is there any reason for this?

Petra: When your magic is good, you'll know how to make it beautiful.

Cedar (disappointed): It's all plastic surgery, huh?

Petra (angry): You have to take care of it! Actually, it's not called plastic surgery, it's magical beauty......

Cedar (looking forward to): Is there any secret that ordinary people can try?

Petra: That's not something ordinary people can do......

Cedar (curious): For example?

Petra: I'm not going to talk about myself...... Jean is crazy, he makes his own antioxidant potion, antioxidant like this. But you must not learn the recipe from him! Do you know how Xia Yu's "Wolfos" came about? Last time I used his potion to water the flowers, the palm-sized flowers turned into "Wolfos...... What will become of you when you drink it, I can't guarantee it.

Cedar (inspiring): Yes, the potion was poured over my Serpent's Vine...... Forget it, I'll be eaten by it...... What about the others, such as the "evil spirit" Wu Anya?

Petra (disdainful): Wu Anya relies on the side effects of the curse to stop the normal growth of the body, and a woman in her twenties can regress into a little sister, you can estimate how many people she killed.

Cedar:...... What about you? How do you keep your skin as smooth and supple as a baby?

Petra (pauses, teasingly): Then I'll tell you my secret...... You know what my essence is...... Guess it, I'm going to be covered again...... Do you still have an appetite to eat?

Cedar (逞强): Yes...... Do you have a girlfriend?(Although he is very immoral, he really wants to know about the girl in the painting)

Petra (simply): No!

Cedar (disappointed, not afraid of death): Why? Haven't you been lonely in your life for a thousand years......

Petra: I'm the Demon King's child, and my job is to kill, so even if a girl approaches me, I'll kill her!

Cedar (uninterestingly): I can't see that you're so handsome but ruthless...... That's a girl chasing you, too! How would you kill a girl? Sealed in a stone?

Petra: I knew that calling me here was obviously to cook and secretly to gossip...... (just joking, frivolously) I said first-J-then-kill...... Can you believe it?

Cedar (nodding stupidly): Believe!

Petra (freezes in shock): ...... Why do you believe me? Am I so shameless in your eyes! If even a person as pure as me is like this, isn't the world too crazy!

Cedar: But you're a demon, teacher, so you're going to do something cruel to them, right?

Petra (gloomy, the floor is starting to burst sharp stalagmites): "They......

Ivan (tears burst into laughter, hurriedly): Don't talk about Cedar! Don't be angry, teacher, keep cooking!

Petra: It's not funny at all! (Murderously pouring curry over rice) Eat!

Ivan (tasted first): ...... Wow!

Cedar (hurriedly asked): Is it delicious?

Ivan (with tears in his eyes, swallows calmly): Teacher, it reminds me of my childhood......

Cedar: If I didn't know your dark background, I really thought you were touched by the deliciousness......

Petra: It's not easy for me to cook......

Cedar: I'll eat!

Petra: Alright, it's time for me to go to a meeting. Eat it all, got it?

Ivan (tears glistening): I want to throw up...... Cedar, what a righteous thing for me to accompany you to visit the teacher, you have to remember......

Cedar: Good brother......! How to deal with it?Why is there such a ...... when the gentleman can make the food so beautiful? A taste that makes people eat and don't want to live?

Ivan: This can be used as a weapon on the battlefield......

Harden (coming in for some reason): Hey, what are you pestering the teacher for?

Ivan: It's okay, it's just chatting.

Harden: Who makes this curry rice?

Cedar (quickly speaks): This is made for us by Selena and Atayal! Would you like to try it?

Ivan (frightened): Cedar —— No!

Harden: What...... (tasted a bite) ......

—

Tya: Sally, do you hear the sound of the house collapsing......

Selena: Probably Black Eclipse, it's Cedar that provoked Harden......

Atayal: I can't stand them......

—

Preview: Cedar's luck comes from the favor of the Demon King. And what about ordinary children who have nothing in talent or identity? How do they survive this war? On the web of fate, there is the light of survival above, and the shadow of death below. Struggling and swaying, will these helpless children go to the front of a beautiful existence? At this moment, the cedars sleep peacefully, and the children in the distant land, under the same quiet night sky, do they find peace?

Next Section: Death Swing (Part II) - Traces of the Long Night.