Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1587: Chapter 314: Trading Sin for Glory

I never knew when it all began, but gradually more people started surrounding me, and the gazes fixed on me increased as well.

At first, he was just an inconspicuous little clerk, even though he worked in a special department like the Shen Zhou Administration Bureau—he was really just a small clerk responsible for miscellaneous tasks, purely clerical.

He had no great ambitions, nor intended to aspire for something more; he just wanted to live this life peacefully and steadily.

Although just a small clerk in the bureau, the benefits were very good. Although the job required secrecy and often he couldn’t return home, the benefits were great… great benefits meant his family could live well.

But due to the confidentiality clause, he could only tell his family that he worked out of town and could return home only once a year… Fortunately, his parents and older brother looked after each other, and he only needed to send money home every month.

The clerical odd jobs in the bureau were very dull, and even during holidays, if not approved, he couldn’t go out, which seemed no different from being in prison… Besides, the benefits were really good.

He originally thought perhaps he would live his whole life like this, as for things like starting a family and having children, he never thought about it.

Ordinary… ordinary and tedious days.

After all, he had no special talents… No talents, but able to find such a high-paying job, it was already a blessing, what more could he want?

There actually were things he wanted.

People are such contradictions.

Countless times he envied those with abilities, envied them for accessing transcendent powers, envied them for going on missions, dealing with those mythical Taoists, and those demons from the demon world.

Just once, he wanted to experience that life that boils one’s blood just by hearing about it.

Just once.

[Yes/NO].

Yes.

Without any hesitation, the moment the opportunity came, he chose Yes.

Therefore, he became the first person in the entire bureau to enter the world of [Jade Fantasy]… For the first time, for the first time, so many gazes gathered on him.

For the first time, he was anticipated with such expectation—those high and unreachable figures he once admired, those geniuses he envied day and night—that was an intoxicating gaze.

It turns out there was such a day, where he could stand on such a stage and become the protagonist of that stage… He realized he didn’t have to remain insignificant, he could achieve something meaningful.

“Please name yourself… oh Chosen One.”

“King Serpent… That’s my name, King Serpent.”

He had a small wish, to become the dragon in his parents’ hearts… King Serpent, King Serpent, a serpent that meets the winds and clouds can transform into a dragon!

…

“I can do it! I’ll keep them alive!”

King Serpent pressed his resolve… Others thought he no longer had any death counts left, so they guessed he must be apprehensive, but others never understood him, not knowing he didn’t care about death counts at all.

What he cared about was how to ensure the safety of all the [The Chosen Ones] of the Divine Land Battle Group.

For what?

For… something he himself didn’t know, he just purely wanted to do it like this.

Just…

As the Divine Land Battle Group developed to this point, it wasn’t merely his effort, the whole bureau was supporting from behind, which allowed the Divine Land Battle Group to gain a high status in the Human Alliance. If they were annihilated by the [Endless Tree Demon] this time, all the efforts would be in vain.

He and several others with death counts would directly disappear and die, the Divine Land Battle Group’s strength would be significantly reduced, and the hard-won territories from the Natives would be surrendered to those battle groups that had been eyeing them hungrily.

King Serpent… even the higher-ups in the bureau had long discredited the idea that the world of [Jade Fantasy] was a virtual ghost incident—it was more likely a completely unfamiliar Another World, and the game was merely an entrance.

The secret of this big world must lie within its upper echelon… To reach the upper echelon, simple ordinary exploration would obviously not be enough, only supporting resources can achieve it… the territories of the battle group are the root of these resources.

“Captain You, can you come over for a moment?”

King Serpent, this time unexpectedly used the private chat channel to call a Mage who was fighting at the frontline against the [Endless Tree Demon] to his side.

Captain You was not this Mage’s name as a [The Chosen One], it was his title before entering the game world—as a matter of fact, Captain You was indeed a squad leader in a department under the bureau before entering the game world.

He was among the latest batch to successfully enter the game, a full half year later than King Serpent… But due to the particularity of the Divine Land Battle Group, he immediately became one of several deputy legion commanders of the Divine Land Battle Group after successfully entering the game.

King Serpent highly respected Captain You and never crossed any lines.

“Commander, what’s the matter?” Captain You asked with a frown, now was the critical moment to conquer the layer’s master, why did King Serpent suddenly call him back?

As a rule, King Serpent had always been calm—since he was the first to enter the game world, King Serpent’s actions had always been observed by this group from the bureau, there were countless evaluations over this half year.

Even as a captain, Captain You never thought of usurping King Serpent’s position… This fellow, though an ordinary clerk, his performances over these months had earned unanimous affirmation.

“Captain You, even though [Blue Sky Holy Maiden] suddenly appeared…” King Serpent said rapidly, “I still have a bad feeling, perhaps this promotion of the layer’s master is not that simple.”

Captain You opened his mouth, his heart stirred, seemingly understanding what King Serpent wanted to say.

King Serpent said solemnly: “I just sent you an email, and in it, you’ll find my account password for the Holy Light City Bank, where the funds and most precious items of the battle group are stored. If anything happens to me, please pass my equipment on to Tian Ji, Ah Lai, and Cannons. They share the same profession with me… Of course, you could choose one to inherit everything. I believe the organization will make the best decision.”

“Since [Blue Sky Holy Maiden] appeared, we can defeat this layer’s master, and as legion commander, you shouldn’t lose heart!” Captain You couldn’t help but get angry.

Yet King Serpent quietly said, “But, I have no death counts left, and Life-Substitute Dolls are forbidden in the layer’s master’s combat circle… So, if something unexpected happens to me, the battle group is in your hands, Captain You!”

“King Serpent…”

King Serpent smiled faintly, “Don’t worry, I’m only preparing for the worst… But judging by the current situation, it seems apparent I’ll be fine, and those brothers without death counts will also be fine, won’t they?”

Captain You gave King Serpent’s head a exasperated tap, “Don’t talk nonsense. If something happens, I’ll step in before you. I haven’t died once… It’s just that Life-Substitute Dolls can’t be used in the battle circle of the layer’s master. Once we explore deeper regions, I’ll get you a doll that can grant immunity to any death! Darn it, we’re just playing the game, not letting the game play us… Now, I have to return to my position, the Third Squad is under a lot of pressure! You play it safe here! Don’t rush in rashly!”

Watching Captain You instantly apply a speed skill and return to his original attack position, King Serpent’s gaze warmed, and he softly said thank you.

Yes, a complete safe conclusion to this layer’s master’s raid… King Serpent thought to himself.

At this very moment.

An arrow like a shooting star… A cold arrow shot from the jungle, accurately piercing through his back and through his heart!

—— You were ambushed by a mysterious upper-echelon noble

—— You have already been corroded, please remove the toxin as soon as possible

—— Purification Elixir usage failed, please use a more advanced Purification Elixir promptly.

This… This is already the most advanced Purification Elixir available now… The King Serpent collapsed to the ground, his vision gradually blurring.

At this final moment, feeling the arrival of despair, the King Serpent did not cry out for help but exercised the authority of the battle group leader, activating the group’s broadcast.

With the loudest and most furious voice of his life, he shouted: “Beware! There’s an upper-echelon noble ambush!!!!!!!”

The terrifying toxin was now coursing through his entire body along with the heartbeat’s blood flow… The King Serpent forcibly gripped the location of his heart… ultimately losing all consciousness.

—— Please name your name… oh chosen one.

—— King Serpent… my name, King Serpent.

He had a small wish, which was to become the dragon in his parents’ hearts…

The King Serpent’s body, in an instant, turned into a faint glow… splitting, splitting into specks of light, drifting away as if it would disperse with a breath.

Just then, a figure slowly approached, causing the light particles that were about to scatter to gather once more… Ultimately, the King Serpent’s body completely stabilized, returning to its original form, but a Light of Soul shot out from the King Serpent’s body, lodging into the approaching figure’s hand.

Luo Qiu.

He looked at the faint light cluster in his palm, softly saying, “Rest assured, someone will inherit your will.”

…

…

“Beware! There’s an upper-echelon noble ambush!!!!!!!”

The King Serpent’s voice blasted in the ears of all the Divine Land Battle Group’s Chosen Ones — in an instant, the professionals within the battle group who had scouting skills all expanded their search range within the combat circle, eventually locking onto a mysterious figure under a part of the Tree Sea!

Qian Yu Xian Rou also sensed the existence of this mysterious shadow and directly commanded her mount, the Heavenly Horse, to dash over!

Trees were instantly pushed over by the Heavenly Horse, the wind blowing fiercely. The mysterious figure hidden in the woods was fully exposed in no time… Identify!

“Upper-echelon noble!” Qian Yu Xian Rou was slightly startled, “Be careful, this upper-echelon noble is King-level, his strength might not be weak!”

There was no need for this Blue Sky Holy Maiden of the Great Alliance to remind them; the moment this upper-echelon noble appeared, the members of the three battle groups had already joined forces in attack at the first opportunity.

Because the upper-echelon nobility can gain the power of evolution by killing Chosen Ones, the relationship between upper-echelon nobility and Chosen Ones has always been an irreconcilable opposition from the beginning!

Facing the fact of his exposure now, although this upper-echelon noble was shocked, he did not panic overly — he had successfully killed the leader of the Divine Land Battle Group, the King Serpent; he only had to retreat intact, and he would be a hero upon his return.

He had no interest in a protracted battle and just planned to exit the combat circle as quickly as possible… these Chosen Ones could not leave the combat circle independently, but their upper-echelon nobility could — precisely because they could, they were more noble than the Chosen Ones, being the upper echelon’s nobility!

But just before those pursuing Chosen Ones reached him, a bright sword light suddenly appeared in front of this upper-echelon noble.

The incoming sword light drew a striking sword mark across his forehead… His eyes widened at that moment, his gaze filled with disbelief.

“You… how are you… still alive…”

After the shock, the upper-echelon noble was filled with deep anger — that guy named Tian Ji had promised confidently that the King Serpent could not be resurrected anymore…

He clearly used such a poisonous arrow to pierce the other’s heart… But why was the opponent still able to stand up and even deliver a critical blow to him?!

Thud—!

The ambushing upper-echelon noble finally fell to the ground… His body began to melt, like sludge, eventually merging into the earth — the unique manner of death for upper-echelon nobles.

The battle group members, who arrived just in time to witness this scene, immediately applauded and praised, “Good job, leader! Taking down an upper-echelon noble so easily!”

“Leader! Are you hurt?!”

In response to the concerned queries from the battle group, the figure standing quietly with a Longsword flashed a trace of complexity in his eyes.

He shook his head, his voice hoarse as he said, “I’m fine… you… don’t worry about me, go fight, bring down the layer’s lord as soon as possible.”

“Got it!”

Watching as they rushed once more towards the new layer’s lord, the Endless Tree Demon, he lowered his head, looking at his hands, touching his face, “How can it be like this… how can it be like this? How can it… be like this!!”

In the end, his voice turned into a roar!!

He… truly replaced the King Serpent — no, he had directly become the King Serpent!

After that devilish transaction!

—— This of course allows for more things.

—— For instance, enabling you to replace the King Serpent… even become the new King Serpent, you will be able to gain everything of the King Serpent, even the Life-Substitute item he holds.

—— Furthermore… you will earn the respect of the Divine Land Battle Group’s members as if they were respecting the King Serpent.

He… had actually become the King Serpent!

But this was not the result he desired… substitution, substitution! Such a kind of substitution!!

“No——!!!”

He roared again, and simultaneously, memories came flooding into his brain crazily… they were the entire life of the King Serpent.

From a young age, through childhood… to growing up, the King Serpent’s developmental experiences fully became his entirety.

Even, the words eventually spoken by the King Serpent with Captain You slowly echoed in his mind at this moment…

“King Serpent…”