The Trial Game of Life – Chapter 163

Table of Contents | Character Guide

Chapter 163: Sword of Judgment (10)

“Ding.”

The small harp struck the first tune.

A little girl with braids started ringing a bell.

Her head jiggled along with the music, and the circle of teenagers around her smiled at each other as they started hitting the tambourines. Together, the “dong dong, dong dong” sound of the tambourines and the sound of the acoustic guitar played by a drunk man in the corner opened the prologue of the music.

Ethereal, distant, yet full of joy and light. These were how Jin Cheng, or strictly speaking, Lancelot, thought of the continent of Sicilit. The grass here was lush and people’s lives were simple. Even the Kingdom Hidden In The Moonlight enveloped by the golden sand looked like a vivid flower of the desert. The more the flower bloomed, the more charming it became.

“Are you asking where I come from?

Dear traveller from a foreign land,

If you stop for me,

Please listen to my story.

Let me offer you a glass of wine,

I’ll tell you,

I’ll tell you,

That land has a river of honey,

That land has a sea of ​​windmills,

That land, where I dream to call it my hometown.

Are you asking where I come from?

Dear traveller from a foreign land,

If you push the weeds away,

Please clean my tombstone.

Let me tell you a story,

I’ll tell you,

I’ll tell you,

Why are the stars so bright?

Why does the land bloom with flowers?

Why can’t I return to where I come from?

……”

Amidst the euphonic melody that lingered, the sound of violin joined in. As Jin Cheng’s fluctuating voice gradually deepened, the song shifted into the second movement with a hint of sadness.

The instruments began to turn into a heavy tune, but the notes soared high above, revealing a sense of detachment, yet it also felt liberal at the same time. Everyone’s heart was jumping in the joyful atmosphere, and they couldn’t help but follow the voice that was touching their hearts.

Jin Cheng had earlier gone to the palace and, with his glib tongue, managed to borrow the court musicians, but he didn’t simply put them out on display, for they seemed a tad too grand and solemn.

He had always felt that the street performance of a wandering bard should bring a stronger sense of freedom and make the public feel relatable. As such, he placed the court musicians in the attics of various houses around this place, exactly in one full circle that surrounded the entire Spring Square. Following that, he asked the Greenvines Alliance to draw an amplification transformation for each musician. On the day of the performance, they just had to open the windows and the music would naturally flow out.

That was the sound that came floating down from above and nicely landed on top of everybody’s head. The gigantic sound field squeezed the heart of every listener, locking them firmly in the singing.

With only a week’s worth of allowance, they weren’t able to rehearse very carefully, but luckily, this was a magical world, and Jin Cheng happened to possess a second special ability — sonic powers.

He could put some magic on his own voice.

As the second movement came into place, sadness vaguely cloaked the place like thin clouds, but like an arrow that could pierce through the clouds, the movement carried an intense vigour and an unyielding will to move forward.

Right at this moment, inside the secret realm, everyone pounced at Louis XIV without the slightest hint of fear.

“Louis! Go to hell!!!” As though all his energy was on fire, the great knight who wielded the heavy sword rushed towards Louis XIV. Every step he took caused the ground to crack a little further. He roared and rumbled, taking yet another step forward, and with the sword in both hands, he spun, and struck —

“Clang!” The sound was deafening.

All of a sudden, a dark golden shield popped up from the metal armguard wrapped around Louis XIV’s right arm and blocked the sword. From where the sword and the shield collided, massive energy rippled out like a shock wave, blowing away everyone who stood within the vicinity.

At the same time, the stone slabs under their feet almost shattered, and blood dripped from the corners of their mouths. They were locked in a stalemate.

Seeing this, the leader of the rebels, the great magician, quickly waved away the second-in-command who was trying to heal his wounds. Picking up the staff once more, he uttered a complex, peculiar spell.

‘Strike Magic’.

Just as the name suggested, it was pure attack magic without any tricks up its sleeve. A faint beam of blue magic light glowed at the top of the staff and flew toward Louis XIV.

But Louis XIV simply let out a cold snort. With a twist of his wrist, he shook the knight away.

The great knight had been injured after all, and his strength wasn’t as impressive as Louis XIV’s. His strike had failed to hold back the enemy. At this moment, Tang Cuo came.

‘Fire Thorn’, a high-level magic spell.

As three flames that carried the looks of thorns and vines emerged around Tang Cuo’s sword in his hand, it turned into a fire whip. Wherever the sword pointed, the fire whip hit. The fire whip, which was seven or eight meters in length, was indestructible with its intense temperature. It blocked Louis XIV’s retreat path and forced him to step back, such that he would have to suffer the attack spell.

Louis XIV groaned and finally spit out a mouthful of blood. He raised one hand to cover his heart but didn’t look at the great magician who had wounded him. His razor-sharp eyes were fixed on Tang Cuo, as if he wanted to tear Tang Cuo into pieces.

As his feet moved ever so lightly, in the next second, a sword pierced the ground where Tang Cuo was standing just now.

Luckily, Tang Cuo was on guard and ducked just in time, causing Louis’ strike to miss its target. In the blink of an eye, Louis XIV suddenly turned around and locked Tang Cuo’s position once more, and again, he caught up.

The figures of the two men moved perfectly in tandem, so incredibly fast that it was challenging to catch their movements.

After several moves, Tang Cuo suddenly stopped and blocked Louis XIV’s sword with the ‘Holy Light Shield’. Facing each other at such a close range, Tang Cuo looked directly into his eyes through the transparent shield —

‘Soul Intimidation’.

Louis XIV was caught off guard. Subconsciously, he shut his eyes.

Tang Cuo took advantage of this moment to use the [Fidget Cube of Dooms] and ‘Earth Teleportation’ one after another. By the time the light of the fidget cube flashed, Tang Cuo had already disappeared from Louis XIV, and it happened so swiftly that Louis XIV couldn’t catch where he was going. 

Although this was a role-playing dungeon, Tang Cuo wasn’t allowed to use skills and items that were contrary to the plot settings, but skill cards and the [Fidget Cube of Dooms] were items that could be hidden. As long as they were used properly, they might play their supposed roles.

Perhaps the gods truly despised Louis XIV, so much so that he, unfortunately, triggered the back luck penalty of ‘Halved HP’.

Louis XIV felt an abrupt leak of energy from his body. As he gazed at the empty space in front, his eyes darkened slightly, but his lips were somewhat tugging upwards.

He looked around but couldn’t find Tang Cuo. However, in the next second, he suddenly thrust his sword into the ground.

A golden light surged from the tip of the sword and forced Tang Cuo to appear.

Tang Cuo wasn’t having a great time either. He was gasping hard for air, his face horrendously pale.

The effect of ‘Soul Intimidation’ depended on the gap between the two parties’ strengths. Tang Cuo’s strength was originally weaker than Louis XIV’s. Even though the strength of the enemy’s soul had started to stagger after their numerous fights, the attack just now caused a thousand injuries to the enemy at the cost of eight hundred injuries to Tang Cuo himself.

Louis XIV’s powers were immense.

But it was exactly because of this that Tang Cuo couldn’t stop. He had to take advantage of the [Fidget Cube of Dooms] and not give Louis XIV any chance to breathe. As the saying went, the best approach was to go all out in one go.

He had to move forward.

He had to keep going.

Until victory was his.

Acting like the backdrop of this great battle, the firelight in the distance put a faint golden sheen on the rose pattern along Louis XIV’s neck, making it look excessively alluring and magnificent.

Louis XIV wore a smirk at the corner of his lips that carried with it a hint of bloodthirst as he gazed at Tang Cuo. It looked as though he was an invincible demon.

Tang Cuo was used to dealing with demons, because to him and many of his comrades, instructor Jin Cheng was the demon.

“Clang —” The two of them started fighting once more, turning and moving rapidly, and the only sound was that of metal clashing endlessly. Tang Cuo knew why Louis XIV was keeping an eye on him — it must be the [Sword of Judgment].

And this was all because of Aimee.

So, as he was fighting, Jin Cheng’s image suddenly popped up, and with a hint of ridicule, he asked: “What do you think Aimee is doing now? If he wants you to die, will you die?”

“F**k off!” As predicted, Louis XIV turned furious.

Tang Cuo’s arm was cut open by his sword, and he fell back with much struggle. But he didn’t fall to the ground. His other unwounded hand propped on the ground as he did a somersault and appeared neatly behind Louis XIV.

‘Phantom Sword’.

Louis XIV was distracted by Tang Cuo’s act of mocking him. Even if it all happened in the blink of an eye, he turned back to face ‘Phantom Sword’ and still suffered.

At the same time, Jin Cheng’s melody had finally reached its climax.

The bursting sound of the drums merged into the ocean of music. It didn’t sound like the children’s tambourines, but rather, it sounded like a military drum. The sound of drums was all over the place, like thunder and heavy downpour that brought along an exhilarating rhythm, pushing everyone onto a wave that had completely gone out of control.

It felt as if every single breath was held hostage by the music. As though a pair of magical hands were gently brushing past their eyes and transporting them from the Spring Square surrounded by flowers to a battlefield engulfed in screams that were as deafening as they were drenched in killing intent.

They subconsciously clenched their fists and held their breath. The next second, the sound of a band of violins suddenly broke in with full force. The fighting spirit that awakened at that very moment, coupled with the deep sadness that had suddenly fallen back, gave everyone instant goosebumps.

Some people opened their eyes wide, their mouths slightly ajar. They were about to blurt out words of astonishment, but the words were blocked by the orchestral chants that were coming from all directions.

That wasn’t Jin Cheng’s voice, or even the voice of any single person.

Some of them were hoarse, as rough as gravel; some were low, melodious and sad; and some were powerful, even high-pitched. They were all coming together, with all notes from low to high, yet there were no lyrics or complex tunes. Repeatedly, only one sentence was sung.

Over and over again, one sentence came after another, constantly pressing on, as though they were soldiers marching forward on the battlefield and humming the last tune of their lives.

It was such a simple melody, so much so that anyone could sing along after listening to it for two or three times.

Jin Cheng truly admired Lancelot from the bottom of his heart. He was a genius and the most popular bard in the Sicilit continent. He really could catch people’s hearts with music.

Singing as they stood amidst the crowd were the other bards who had received Jin Cheng’s invitations, as well as adventurers and bounty hunters who had heard the stories of heroes inside the tavern.

A few sentences later, the singing began to spread out in circles. From the little gardener with tears in his eyes to the knights who stood outside the carriages to accompany the aristocratic gentlemen, they all couldn’t help but join in the ocean of ​​singing.

They sincerely prayed for victory in war.

If the song could break through the barriers and reach the ears of the soldiers, they would, without a doubt, go all out.

“Hold on! It’s still not there yet!”

A scout holding the rebels’ flag yelled as he stood on the tall bell tower. The magic crossbow had reached its last moments and was about to disintegrate. The rebel gritted his teeth and fired the last arrow before languidly slumping to the ground. He didn’t even have any strength left to confirm whether the arrow’s landing point was correct.

He gazed at the mesmerising patterns that were painted on the ceiling of the bell tower and tried hard to reach out to touch something, but his eyes gradually became out of focus. His mouth let out a couple of “ho, ho”, and everything turned completely silent.

“Are you okay?!” A scout hurriedly ran back and shook his companion’s body with much force but received no response. At this juncture, another loud noise came from outside, and after pulling himself through a moment of the ground shaking violently below him, he ran back to the railing.

The ground had ruptured, and a pit that was as gigantic as a scar on the surface of Earth had formed. The sight shocked him to the core.

The great knight was standing at the center of that giant pit. He leaned on his sword, his body swaying ever so lightly, but his back remained straight.

The next second, he collapsed.

“Bang!” Smoke and dust flew in all directions.

As the dust fell, loud howls rose from all corners.

A sword swung straight at the enemy without a hint of stop.

Everyone’s minds couldn’t help but be lured by that sword, as if it was their last hope. That was Nightingale — the last female knight of the Dark Ages.

But of course, it was Tang Cuo now.

Under the cold moonlight, ‘Moonlight Tide’ exerted its maximum effect and acted like a torrent that could entirely drown Louis XIV. But he was The Rose, one that was immortal. Everyone might have lifted their hearts and prayed for a miracle to happen, but Tang Cuo didn’t.

He never prayed for any miracle. He only believed in himself.

Sure enough, before the tide dissipated, a beam of dark-gold light broke through the restraints and headed towards Tang Cuo. It was a move that was almost impossible to dodge. Sharp, powerful, and as fast as lightning.

Tang Cuo’s pupils suddenly shrank, and in the blink of an eye, he clutched the Greenvines Alliance badge and triggered ‘Teleportation’.

His figure suddenly appeared a hundred meters above the sky, like a bright red dot that had emerged on the moon. Holding the [Sword of Judgment] with both hands, he smoothly summoned the engraved skill – ‘Meteor’.

“Bang!” With a decisive blow, Tang Cuo pressed on Louis XIV and drove him into the ground.

But Louis XIV still managed to catch his sword. The two sides fought with all their might, and both wrists holding the swords were shaking violently. Tang Cuo bit the tip of his tongue and forced his way down, and the sword that was holding down Louis XIV punctured his shoulder.

The armour on his shoulder cracked and blood dripped down.

Louis XIV was at the end of his strength, but at such a desperate time, this arrogant king could still go berserk with such overwhelming abilities. Bit by bit, he pushed Tang Cuo back.

Finally, the two sides split again.

Louis XIV gasped hard. He wiped the blood off the corner of his lips and said: “Do you really think you can kill me just like this?” Saying so, he pressed down the tip of his sword, and in his free left hand, a brilliant beam of magic light emerged.

Everyone’s heart sank when they saw this. They had all forgotten that Louis XIV was a wizard with massive talent.

But now that they had reached this point, what else could they do?

What else?

“Fight to death. Never step back.” The rebel leader got up from the ground for the umteenth time and picked up his dusty magic wand. His body swayed left and right, but those eyes that remained fixed on Louis XIV were full of determination.

“Never step back.” These were his last words.

The final battle began, and all those who were still standing raised their weapons and roared at Louis XIV like moths flocking towards a flame.

A flame rose bloomed at the feet of Louis XIV, and its vines grew like snakes on the ground that quickly spread out in no time.

Rose and snakes.

Like a wind, the fire made his long hair flutter, and the rose pattern on his neck turned overwhelmingly red, almost as though it was bleeding.

The rebels who rushed towards him were caught in the flames as soon as they came into contact with the rose vines. Every blooming bud of rose was like a bomb that could instantly take one life away.

Tang Cuo’s eyes narrowed slightly. If he guessed correctly, this was the predecessor of the ‘Rose Bomb’ magic of the Rose Sect.

But even if he managed to figure it out, there was nothing he could do in the face of such overbearing magic. At this moment, a figure briskly passed by him and jumped out in full force.

That was the leader of the rebels.

He was struggling so badly that he almost fell headfirst into the range of those roses. He  grasped the staff tightly with both hands and inserted the tip into the ground. Gritting his teeth, he endured the scorching flames and started chanting the spell —

[Different time and place of death it might be, but same death we shall have.]

He wanted to go down with Louis XIV.

Amidst this deadly fight, the roses exploded, and the tremors caused by this explosion were more violent than ever before. The bell tower was unable to withstand the impact and started to collapse.

“Boom —”

The bell tower crumpled and the wizard had sacrificed, but he had created an opportunity for Tang Cuo.

“I’m sorry.”

Tang Cuo stepped on the path the wizard had opened up and rushed forward at full speed, swinging his sword one last time at Louis XIV. The truth was that he was already at the end of his strength, his magic power was no longer enough to release any high-level magic, and almost all of his skills and equipment, except those that couldn’t be used in this dungeon, were in cooldown mode. What was even worse was that all his potions had been used up, and his HP was standing at only 15.

As soon as he was pushed back, he rushed forward once more.

Both Tang Cuo and Louis XIV had reached the point where they had to resort to the crudest form of combat.

Clenching his teeth, Louis XIV was frighteningly pale, but he never believed that he would be defeated by a group of so-called rebels. He had his own pride, his own conviction. He was Louis XIV; there was no way he would die here.

With one last move, Louis XIV’s magic blasted again, but he could no longer sustain the same powerful magic as he did before. A flame rose attached itself to his sword as the blade precisely slashed towards Tang Cuo.

Yet Tang Cuo’s response to him was only a small fireball.

Louis XIV was taken aback, but the tightness of the battle didn’t allow him to stop and think carefully, so he could only continue.

Tang Cuo was already severely injured. After throwing the small fireball with all his might, he had just enough time to duck to one side, but still, he couldn’t entirely avoid Louis XIV’s blow. The same thing happened to Louis XIV, but then, it was just a small fireball.

Just a small fireball.

As he was thinking exactly this, the fireball suddenly exploded in front of him. The powerful impact and scorching heat blew his chest into a bloody mess.

Both sides slumped to the ground at the same time.

The survivors stared at this scene with dumbfounded expressions, for they weren’t sure who had won either. As though nails had grown under their feet, they were unable to move, and they didn’t know what to do either.

Luckily, at this very moment, Tang Cuo suddenly coughed violently and sat up from the ground. He then took out a talisman and looked at it intently for a second.

[School Flower’s Protective Talisman] 

A luck modifier item. There was a 25% chance of triggering ‘Absolute Defense’, which might stop all attacks. Effective duration was 3 seconds, and cooldown time was 1 hour.

A small fireball plus a 25% chance of luck. He won.

But Tang Cuo didn’t put his guard down at all. Unsteadily, he stood up with the sword still in his hand, and he walked to Louis XIV’s side to find that the man was still breathing.

So Tang Cuo raised the sword and stabbed him.

Louis XIV’s eyes widened. This arrogant king had finally met his end. As his blood soaked the [Sword of Judgment], a glimmer of light suddenly appeared on the sword. But immediately, it returned to its usual calm state.

The cheers that belatedly followed took control over the entire land, and they also linked the two different dimensions.

In the Spring Square, the song had entered its final movement.

As the golden rays of the sun pierced through the thick clouds, the war had come to an end. The wounded heroes might have been buried here, but victory was still theirs in the end. Standing next to Jin Cheng, the children who had been holding onto candles since the start of the song started to hum the final melody.

“Are you asking where I come from?

Dear traveller from a foreign land,

If you cry for me,

Then please head to my hometown.

Let me dedicate a song to you,

I’ll tell you,

I’ll tell you,

My hometown is in the distant continent of Sicilit.

Over there, the grass is soft,

Over there, every inch of land is filled with gold,

……”

The clean, angelic voice might have healed their trauma, but it couldn’t stop the tears.

The emotional little girls hid in the crowd and burst into tears. Even the adventurers, who had been drinking all day long, couldn’t help but feel tears swelling in their eyes. Every drop of tears turned into varying amounts of Power of Faith, which was continuously being fed back to Jin Cheng via the sounds of “ding, ding, ding”.

As the tears clouded their eyes, petals suddenly rained from the sky.

Everyone looked up at the flying petals. The light from the magic lamp was shining on them so beautifully that the sight made everyone’s heart fall back to this mundane world. But they could never forget what they had just experienced.

“Lancelot!”

“Lancelot!”

“Lancelot!”

“……”

Cheers broke through the sky, and Lancelot, the most popular bard in the Sicilit continent, would eventually go down in history.

But soon, people discovered that the bard had slipped away at some point. Everyone was looking around for him, and an aristocratic lady sitting inside the carriage, who was blushing with embarrassment, had secretly made up her mind to invite him back to the castle to attend her spring dinner.

Before that time came, she must ask him to compose a new song for her, then she would certainly be the girl who got all the attention. 

Jin Cheng, who was being remembered by everyone, walked quietly through the crowd to reach the far corner of the square. There, a young knight was leaning against a lamppost, his expression slightly tired yet at peace.

“Clap, clap.” He clapped his hands, and as a man who was always stingy with words, he simply said: “Good performance.”

“Thank you for supporting me.” With a smile, Jin Cheng hugged the young knight into his arms and whispered into his ears: “Let me tell you this: my boyfriend is even better.”