Chapter 87.3 - Protagonist: This will be great, let’s do it (1/2)

Chapter 87.3 Protagonist: This will be great, let’s do it

As they prepared for departure, the angel guards came to tell Xiu and Du Ze: Since the Second Layer is closer to them than the Third Layer, they are going to the Second Layer first.

Du Ze didn’t feel much at first but when they crossed the white wall to enter the capital city, he realized that there was a huge difference between the Fourth and Second Layers.

If the Fourth Layer looked like it was dawn during noontime, the Second Layer looked like it was the darkest night before dawn. Dark elements covered heaven and earth. The sun in the sky was like the moon; wherever it went it gave off light and heat, but it only illuminated a small area near it. His field of vision was full of darkness that gave a person a very depressing feeling. He occasionally saw dead trees from his carriage window. Seeing such a scene, Du Ze’s breathing became heavy with dread – can people really live in such a place?

In order to see the road, the carriage guards cast a light spell to disperse the darkness. Du Ze, who had been looking out of the window, suddenly saw several shadows flashing by, and he leaned out to see more clearly. In the darkness there came a soft shuffling sound, like soles rubbing against stone and a rustling sound like robes brushing against something.

In the darkness, a multitude of shadows approached the sides of the carriages. When the carriages’ light momentarily overcame the darkness that surrounded it, Du Ze opened his eyes wide, trying to adjust his vision to see into that darkness. After a while he saw the shadows more clearly and forgot to breathe because of the shock.

Those large and small shadows were wearing cloaks. People? Du Ze wasn’t sure if what he saw were really living things. Those figures were wearing tattered cloaks and their hands were as thin as broken twigs. They stumbled as they followed the carriages and the wind blew open their cloaks, revealing dry, emaciated bodies that were so thin that you could count their ribs – the people who chased the carriages were like skeletons covered by rotten, dead skin.

Du Ze was quickly pulled back by Xiu who unhappily stroked the black-haired youth’s slightly reddened skin – the dark elements outside were strong enough to erode a person’s skin if he stayed outside too long.

Du Ze stared blankly at Xiu. His thoughts were still on that scene: More and more people gathered around the carriages and a man’s hood accidentally slipped down, exposing a putrefying face. The man looked at the carriages as though he was Kuafu chasing the sun;1 his cloudy eyes were filled with an endless desire for light.

“Do you think …” When Du Ze opened his mouth, he found it difficult to speak. “What are those?”

Xiu spread a potion on Du Ze’s reddened skin. “The common people here.”

Without light, surrounded by corrosive dark elements… Du Ze could not imagine how the Second Layer’s people lived. Although he had known what the collection of the light elements did to the environment, seeing with his own eyes how the light and vitality of the earth had been drained and how these pitiful creatures came stumbling after every little bit of light that they saw made Du Ze feel extremely bitter.

The carriages jolted to a stop. The people who had been following them stood quivering at a distance from the convoy, watching them very carefully

The capital city wasn’t any better than the rest of the area. It was also covered with a thick shroud of dark elements. Du Ze saw that there was a group of cloaked people who were waiting for them. Compared to the people behind the carriages, the cloaks of the people in front were not so shabby though they also showed signs of being eroded by the dark elements.

Everyone got out of their carriages and the governor made no secret of his dislike for the Second Layer. When the Archon came forward to kneel to the governor, he said disdainfully: “You will take out the light elements and present them to me now. I don’t want to spend another day in this hell hole.”

The Archon, who was still kneeling on the ground, trembled then looked up, revealing an emaciated face.

“Your Excellency, you can see for yourself that we really have no light elements to give. If you take more of the light elements, the darkness will cover the Second Layer completely and it will become a land of death like the First Layer.” Tears fell from the Archon’s eyes. “Will you please show us a bit of mercy?”

The governor was totally indifferent to the Archon’s humble plea. This scene was too much for the virtuous son of god to watch in silence any longer. Eric walked towards the governor, his young and handsome face full of anger.

“Why are you doing this?” Eric’s eyes moved from the white carriage to the people in the distance. His clenched fists involuntarily tightened. “We have so many light elements, why not give them a little instead of exploiting them like this?!”

Amidst the light emitted by the feathers, the governor seemed to have a slight, scornful smile on his lips.

“It’s very simple.” The governor spoke very slowly, each word stabbing Eric straight through the heart. “Only we who are chosen by2 the god of light can enjoy the light; all other creatures are unworthy.”

This answer was too bizarre and beyond Eric’s capacity to understand. Eric lost some of his composure and his extreme fury made his voice distort: “They’re all going to die!”

“So what?” replied the governor, without a hint of emotion. “What does it matter to us if all of these lowly creatures die?”

As spoke of “these lowly creatures,” the proud and lofty eyes of the angel showed his contempt.

The other’s tone was too natural and unforced, as if he had the absolute sense of superiority and rightness on his side. Eric stood still for a long time and said nothing as the governor spoke those mocking words then said to the Archon: “I will leave tonight so before that, turn over the light elements.”

The Archon was silent for a moment then he slowly rose and raised his left hand. An invisible force came out from a void and carved a symbol of a broken wing on it. The angel’s symbol is normally a wing and a broken wing seemed like an ominous sign. Seeing the Archon’s gesture, the soldiers behind him and the people in the distance raised their left hands which were also marked with the broken wing symbol.

The angel guards took out their weapons. The governor, protected by the guards, said in an arrogant way: “You have all become fallen?”

“… We don’t want to die, that’s all,” said the Archon, his eyes kindling with a deep-seated hatred.