Chapter 438: You're Not Loyal Enough!
“Huff… huff…”
“Man, that Non-Player Character was terrifying! First time I’ve ever seen such insane Fire damage.”
“Looks like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl, but she nearly wiped out every Elite Player who passed the Trial!”
“Still, good thing…”
The player from the 【Royal Power】Guild pulled out the ring clutched tightly in his palm, exhaled on it, then wiped it with his sleeve. His eyes, glowing crimson, burned with excitement and euphoria.
“I’ve got my treasure.”
“Heh heh, the first Purple Equipment in the entire server—now I’m gonna get rich!”
“Just imagine how much the OverlordGuild Leader will pay when he waves his hand! Maybe I’ll never have to worry about money again!”
He was already lost in a dream of wealth and freedom.
Because 【Royal Power】Guild had precedent.
During the Internal Test phase, The Overlord had once dropped a cool hundred thousand yuan to buy an entire set of Rare Equipment from a member.
Whoosh—
Suddenly, a scorching heat surged from behind him. His clothes burst into flames.
“No… no way…” A chill crept through his bones.
Trembling, he turned around—and his face drained of color.
Before him hovered a crimson-haired, golden-eyed girl, suspended midair as if she’d just stepped through space itself. Her overwhelming presence fixed him in place with a gaze like molten fire. Her flame-like hair whipped wildly in the air, wreathed in fire and ash.
The message in her eyes was clear:
“King Kai Xiusu said—
No theft is allowed within the Empire’s borders.”
The player stammered, disbelief etched across his face: “How… how can this NPC’s range be so massive?”
“She’s the boss of the Tower of Conflagration! How can she be here now?!”
But greed overpowered reason.
Clutching the ring with white-knuckled desperation, eyes bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, he shouted defiantly:
“Y-you stay back!”
“This isn’t stealing—I didn’t steal it!”
“What kind of crime is this? You’re a Player! This is your system! Where’s your admin? I’m reporting you for scamming customers!”
Misha looked down at him coldly. The fire around her flared violently, spiraling into a roaring vortex.
Her lips barely moved.
“Guilty beyond redemption.”
Boom!
A monstrous flame tongue lashed out—like a ravenous serpent—engulfing the player whole.
When the fire cleared, only a small pile of ash remained on the ground, scattered by a gentle breeze.
And there, gleaming in the air, was a single golden ring—
the 【Ring of the Fire Titan Noble】.
“Hmph. Foolish.”
“Such greed and ignorance… just like those Northern Nobles. Dreaming of becoming a Dragon Oath Mage? Delusional.”
With a flick of her hand, the ring rose into the air, wrapped in fire, and floated into her palm.
Then she extended her hand again, summoning fire to tear open space—this time, pulling her back into the Tower of Conflagration.
Holding the ring gently, Misha whispered:
“The sinner has been punished.”
“Let this be your warning.”
“Also… I am Misha.”
“The Pact Sorcerer of the Great King Kai Xiusu, and His Representative within the Tower of Conflagration.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“We shall obey your orders without fail!”
Seeing the fate of the thieves, the remaining players quickly responded, relief washing over them.
“Told you—no such thing as a free meal. That was a trap all along!”
“Yeah, lucky we didn’t try to seize gear.”
“You couldn’t have seized it anyway.”
“Dude, Dragon Oath Mage is insane—the damage is off the charts!”
“Heh, I knew something was fishy. Glad I didn’t lose my head. Now I’m about to advance!”
“Right? With a class this strong, we’ll be able to take off straight away!”
The players began fantasizing about their bright futures—this power could carry them straight to the top.
Under the collective, awestruck glances, Misha surveyed the crowd, then spoke again.
“You’ve all seen it—Dragon Oath Mage wields tremendous strength. But that strength… comes only from The Supreme King Kai Xiusu.”
She raised a slender finger, flame dancing at its tip.
“Every Dragon Oath Mage is the King’s Representative. His Servant. A blessed soul, granted the Great Gift of the Red Dragon.”
Her voice grew firmer.
“For us… the most important thing is Absolute Loyalty.”
Among the players, Xia Ye Qiu Yu’s eyes lit up.
She’d been right!
Of course—being a Contractee meant Loyalty. That was the core trait of the Empire of Ashen’s class system.
For instance, data compiled by fans of Dragon-Bound Holy Knight had proven that players within the Kai Xiusu Fan Club dealt significantly higher damage than average.
Misha continued, raising her hand as if to point at them all.
“So…”
The players leaned forward, breathless.
“You’ve all been eliminated. Except for these three.”
Silence.
Then shock.
They stared at each other, eyes wide. Only three names glowed with golden flame in their Kill Credit: Xia Ye Qiu Yu, Art Is Explosion, and Ai Long Ru Feng.
Chaos erupted.
“Why?! What’s the deal?!”
“This is unfair! Restart!”
“I didn’t steal anything! I passed the Trial!”
“Yeah, why exclude us? We did nothing wrong!”
“What privilege do they have?!”
The remaining dozen players erupted in outrage. After all their struggle to pass the Trial, they’d thought they were on the verge of success—only to be crushed by this cruel verdict.
Misha remained expressionless.
“Are you sure you did nothing wrong?”
Her voice was calm.
“Not being loyal enough to King Kai Xiusu… that is your mistake.”
“What?!”
The players froze.
But Misha pressed on, her tone unwavering:
“In that moment of chaos, only these three remained untouched by distraction. They stood before the King’s statue and bowed in reverence.”
“While you… did nothing. You watched. You did nothing.”
“You even refused to kneel before the King’s statue.”
“…What kind of nonsense is that?!”
Her Soul Inquisition left them speechless.
The eliminated players seethed. They’d been kicked out over not being loyal enough?
Others clutched their chests, pain flaring—grief and regret.
Just moments ago, they’d seen Xia Ye Qiu Yu and the others kneel before Kai Xiusu’s statue. They’d dismissed it as fanboy obsession.
If only they’d followed… they could’ve advanced too.
But… maybe there’s still a chance?
Driven by desperation, they made a move.
“King Kai Xiusu!”
One after another, they dropped to their knees, sliding across the ground toward the statue, wailing like damned souls—comically dramatic.
“Please don’t eliminate me! I’m loyal!”
“Long live Emperor Kai Xiusu!”
“The Emperor is our eternal sun!”
Others scrambled to join, afraid they’d be left behind.
“For the Great Red Dragon’s vision!”
“The Emperor’s gratitude… we’ll never repay it in a thousand lifetimes!”
“Emperor of the Ashen Flame, hear us!”
But their cries fell on deaf ears.
Misha shook her head, disgusted.
These weren’t devotion—they were desperation. A mockery of true loyalty.
“Leave.”
Her hand flared with fire.
“From your eyes, I see no loyalty. Only greed. Only hunger for power. You do not deserve to be Dragon Oath Mages.”
“Go.”
Under the burning glare of fire, the players wept, reluctantly stepping back—heartbroken, but forced to retreat.
“And you… come with me.”
She turned to the three remaining players.
“Your loyalty passed my test. I will take you to Audience with the Emperor.”
Their faces lit up with euphoria.
Not only had they advanced—
but they’d been granted Audience with Kai Xiusu.
In the current Empire of Ashen, this was an honor beyond price.
During the Internal Test, players could simply spend a few gold coins on a 【Mysterious Invitation】 to meet Kai Xiusu—then a mysterious merchant, hidden in the shadows.
But now?
The Emperor, ever more majestic, resided in the Iron Dragon Wing Palace. Even with mountains of gold, no one could gain entry.
(End of Chapter)
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