One of the king's authorities was the power to banish evildoers from the territory of the Kingdom of Sturitt. Anyone who was banished would die immediately.
That was the power belonging to the king.
The gray, overcast sky hung low, and a fine drizzle veiled the surroundings. The smell of blood mingled with the rain in the air. Standing atop the raised platform, the new king pronounced the old king's death, word by word.
"No—!!"
An invisible, overwhelming force took effect immediately. The air around Charles compressed and was forcibly sucked away, tearing him apart by sheer force. No matter how desperately Charles resisted and wailed, even begging for mercy, the power didn't diminish in the slightest.
[Baby, you're seriously so amazing and cool!!]
[Raoo, Raoo! Our little king! Baby, you're the best, Raoo!]
[I recorded the part where my wife banished the old king… My wife is so cool. I want to be Deng Deng's dog!]
The banishment order remained in effect. Yu Deng could feel a certain force disintegrating Charles. The man's banishment was a miserable sight, but Yu Deng didn't stop it. He merely lowered his eyelashes and no longer looked at the old king's desperate struggles.
"You're very brave."
Yu Deng's personal knight steadied him by the shoulders. His voice was cool yet gentle. "Only by getting rid of Charles can we restore this continent to what it once was."
"Mm… I know." Yu Deng blinked and raised his head again. "I-I'm not scared."
The merfolk and dragon behind Yu Deng pushed past the knight and stood beside him, earnestly offering their comfort.
"It's only natural for Your Majesty to punish a scoundrel. You don't need to feel guilty at all. No matter what you do, we will support you."
In midair, Charles continued to wail after losing the king's authority, but it was all in vain. Several minutes later, he and the dark forces within his body were banished together, disappearing from everyone's sight.
Charles, who had accumulated an immense amount of mutation energy, was truly dead.
Yu Deng didn't yet know that the instant Charles died, his two older sisters, who had been imprisoned in the stone tower of the castle palace, were finally able to free their bodies from the walls.
After Charles's death, the residents of the continent of Eralzea suddenly regained some clarity from their agonizing, out-of-control state. However, they still hadn't completely escaped the influence of the dark force.
Faint wisps of black mist continued to linger around everyone, and no one knew when they might lose control again.
After killing the old king, Yu Deng let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes briefly. Obtaining the king's authority had brought several fragments of memories and inherited knowledge into his mind. He had been too focused on what was happening earlier to examine them, and only now had he found the time.
The first thing Yu Deng saw was a conversation between the deceased old king and a fortune-teller.
"The true king of Sturitt is about to be born. The Princess possesses the most delicate skin, the most beautiful appearance, and the most melodious singing voice. Everyone will praise his existence." The elderly fortune-teller stood atop the castle. "Bathed in holy light, he was born with the ability to inspire awe and submission in his people."
The fortune-teller spoke very bluntly, with a carefree attitude that seemed to disregard the old king's feelings entirely.
Charles concealed the jealousy in his eyes. "The true king…? Then, if I raise him properly, can he bring glory back to the kingdom?"
"Yes, that's right. He can bring unparalleled glory to the kingdom. However, please remember this: if his life is threatened, the kingdom will be utterly destroyed. Even Eralzea itself will meet its end."
The fortune-teller, who carried an otherworldly air, turned to look at the old king.
"Although you are somewhat… unlikely to have any offspring of your own, raising him will be enough."
Charles gritted his teeth. "…I understand."
On the surface, Charles agreed with the fortune-teller's words. But after returning to the palace, his expression immediately darkened. He muttered to himself, "Impossible to kill… So, can I only use this so-called king to make my people even more devoted to me?"
The brief scene came to an end.
Yu Deng shook his head. Hmm? So the Princess the fortune-teller had mentioned was him?
After thinking it over, Yu Deng felt that had to be the case. He hadn't seen any other princess in the scene, and the fortune-teller's description matched the identity the instance had assigned him.
Yu Deng finally understood why the old king had wanted him to restore the kingdom's glory and patrol the city. It turned out that these were things only he could do!
After this memory, several more fragments of inherited knowledge awaited Yu Deng. However, using the king's authority had left his head feeling terribly dizzy, so he decided to rest for a while before receiving the rest of the inheritance.
Just then, the players heard an announcement from the instance system.
[Beep—beep—An important character within the instance has died… An error has occurred in instance operation… Checking instance data… Instance data check complete.]
[Ding. The instance is at risk of collapse. Emergency repairs will begin shortly.]
Yu Deng couldn't quite understand. Why was the instance about to collapse?
Was it because Charles, the embodiment of darkness, had been an important figure sustaining the ongoing mutations across the continent? Was his death the reason the instance was now collapsing?
But wasn't dispelling the darkness supposed to make the continent a better place? How contradictory… Or was the increasingly hellish state of Eralzea actually the outcome the instance wanted to see?
Yu Deng felt there was some merit to this guess. After all, the king was already dead, yet the darkness continued to spread across the continent without end.
In that case, could the source of these mutations actually be the instance itself?
Just like in those previous instances.
If that was true, Yu Deng thought, he would be more than happy to destroy the source of the mutations.
The instance announcement crackled with static for a while before finally revealing the information the players cared about most.
[Ding. All players, please take note. This instance will end in one day. Please complete your missions as soon as possible.]
The players: "!!!" They could finally leave!
Everyone's spirits lifted. Then they remembered a very important question.
Wait, King Charles was already dead. What about the players who had triggered the human kingdom's side quest?
Yu Deng thought of the same problem.
He hurriedly opened his quest log to check. He had triggered so many side quests, including several belonging to the human kingdom… and their status still showed In Progress.
Phew. They hadn't been marked as failed, so they could still be completed.
But now that he had become the king of the human kingdom, could he influence the quests a little?
Yu Deng's head was already spinning, and now he had even more questions. He simply turned around and tugged at Song Shiyu's sleeve.
"Song Shiyu, we should still be able to complete our quests, right?"
Song Shiyu gently brushed the corner of Yu Deng's eye. "Based on the current situation, there shouldn't be a problem. Your Majesty only needs to do whatever you want."
Reassured by a top-tier player's guarantee, Yu Deng felt a little better.
"But the system's warning just now said the instance might collapse. What will happen to the NPCs in this instance…?"
"Actually, we've analyzed this before. The collapse of an instance and the collapse of the world within it are two different things. An instance collapsing might simply mean that it can no longer operate as an instance." Song Shiyu lowered his voice. "Do you remember our last meeting? An instance needs a core to sustain its operation."
Yu Deng's eyes suddenly widened.
So, if they destroyed the force sustaining the mutations and restored the continent of Eralzea to its former beauty, would the continent no longer be able to appear as an instance?
Then… he wanted to help everyone return to normal even more!
Yu Deng rested for a little while among the several fantasy-race leaders before beginning to receive the inheritance bestowed by the king's authority.
"The Dreamheart was born on the continent of Eralzea. It is the most beautiful existence. It is never confined to any particular form or body. It always exists within the purest of hearts."
"The Heart of Eralzea will dispel the suffering and darkness of all people, bringing beauty and happiness. May glory forever shine upon this land."
"Our most extraordinary Majesty, please guide the continent of Eralzea toward a brighter future."
"…"
Ancient, ethereal chants echoed in Yu Deng's mind. They didn't sound like an ordinary inheritance. Instead, they seemed more like a plea directed specifically at him.
Yu Deng's eyes widened as he slowly tried to understand the meaning of these words.
The Dreamheart had no fixed form… The most extraordinary…
He thought he might have figured it out!
"Little Princess? No, I should say, Your Majesty." A smile appeared in Song Shiyu's eyes. "You've been thinking for a long time. Have you run into a problem?"
Yu Deng raised his head and looked at the three leaders, his expression serious.
"I know how to resolve the crisis facing the continent of Eralzea now."
Their expressions immediately turned solemn.
"I can become the Heart of Eralzea," Yu Deng said earnestly. "But the inheritance tells me that to become the Heart of Eralzea, I need the unconditional support of the other authorities."
The leaders fell silent for a few seconds.
The merfolk leader spoke first. "Of course, I can give it to you. The authority of the ocean is concentrated in my heart. I can give it to you right now."
As he spoke, his sharp nails instantly cut into his own skin. Without the slightest hesitation, he prepared to offer Yu Deng his heart.
Bright red blood flowed down Ulysses's chest. Yu Deng's eyelids twitched at the sight, and he hurriedly grabbed the merfolk to stop him.
"Y-you shouldn't need to do that… Ulysses, don't rush…"
If he offered up his heart, the merfolk would die!
The dragon spoke up as well. "Little Majesty, the dragon race's authority is also concentrated in our hearts."
Yu Deng stared blankly at them, knitting his brows in distress. He didn't want his quest targets to die…
[Host.] System 01's voice rang out, offering a hint. [You have established contracts with them. You can transfer their authorities to yourself through those contracts.]
Yu Deng's eyes lit up. He turned to the fantasy-race leaders.
"You don't have to give me your hearts! Didn't you already make contracts with me? You can just transfer your authorities to me through the contracts!"
The dragon and merfolk paused, then cast sour glances at their romantic rival.
So other males had bonds with Little Majesty, too?!
After a brief silence, Song Shiyu took Yu Deng's hand.
"A contract? As the leader of the beastman race, I probably need to transfer my authority to you in the same way, right?"
"Probably." Yu Deng scratched his cheek. "Song Shiyu, are you willing to make a contract with me? After the contract, you'll have to submit to me and obey what I say, okay?"
A thoughtful look flickered through Song Shiyu's eyes when he heard Yu Deng's explanation, but he still chose to make the contract with him.
"Of course I'm willing."
Golden lines appeared, connecting the two of them.
The magic mirror loudly announced its presence, eagerly volunteering for a contract of its own.
"Little Majesty! Don't forget me! I want to make a contract with you, too! I'm an omniscient and omnipotent magic mirror. I'm very useful!"
"Okay! I was going to make a contract with you anyway." Yu Deng patted the magic mirror at his waist.
Another golden line connected to Yu Deng. The merfolk and dragon were extremely displeased by the sight, but ultimately managed to restrain themselves from interfering.
[Ding. Congratulations to Player Yu Deng for completing the special quest: Player Song Shiyu.]
[Ding. Congratulations to Player Yu Deng for completing the special quest: Magic Mirror.]
At this point, Yu Deng had completed every special quest in the instance and was ready to become the Dreamheart.
…
In the brief time that had passed, the residents, who had only just regained some clarity, had once again lost control. The air was thick with the overwhelming smell of blood.
The surviving players were struggling with a difficult decision. They didn't know whether they should find somewhere to hide and wait until the instance ended before leaving.
In previous instances, they would have chosen that option without hesitation. But this time…
The players looked at the NPCs, who were suffering and consumed by violent madness, then at the Princess, who was still standing atop the altar and showed no intention of leaving.
Oh, he should be called His Majesty now. Everyone was just so used to calling him the Princess that they couldn't change the habit all at once.
They looked at the little king wearing his crown, their feelings complicated.
Ke Qi whispered, "Is His Majesty… going to keep saving this continent?"
"I think so. If he didn't want to deal with this anymore, the Princess could just leave, couldn't he? After all, he's also…" Little Pang didn't finish his sentence, but Ke Qi understood what he meant.
As players, did they really need to go this far for these NPCs?
At that thought, Ke Qi and Little Pang suddenly remembered the previous instances they had been matched into with Yu Deng. Miss Lin, who had been imprisoned in an instance and unable to take revenge, had finally been freed. The vampire castle trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation had turned to ashes…
The Little Majesty had always been like this.
The four players other than Yu Deng and Song Shiyu struggled with their thoughts for a while. In the end, they all made the same decision: they would grit their teeth and help the Little Majesty.
They moved through the square, restraining the frenzied NPCs. Song Shiyu wasn't idle either. He used the authority of the beastman leader to suppress the beastmen who had lost control.
Meanwhile, Yu Deng had finished resting.
The main system finally understood what Yu Deng intended to do and hurriedly popped up.
[Player Yu Deng, what are you trying to do?! If you purify the source of mutation on this continent, this place will no longer qualify to exist as an instance!]
"But I'm completing my mission." Yu Deng defended himself, thoroughly confused. "The additional mission is to fulfill the role of the Dreamheart. Isn't destroying these mutated things exactly what I'm supposed to do?"
[Additional mission? Beep… Program conflict… Data error…]
The main system fell into confusion for a while, but Yu Deng couldn't care less about it.
The dragon bent down, allowing Yu Deng to climb onto his back, then soared into the sky. The residents of the continent of Eralzea instinctively looked up at the little king in the air.
Supported unconditionally by all the leaders, the Little Majesty stood atop the dragon's head, receiving the gazes of everyone below.
Eh, wait. Didn't he need to give a speech to inspire everyone at a time like this? But this time, nobody had written one for him!
Yu Deng looked at the growing crowd in the town and tugged at his skirt.
Ugh, whatever. He would just improvise…
Yu Deng lowered his eyes and spoke softly.
"I am willing to become the Heart of Eralzea."
"Follow me, and heed my words."
At some point, the fine rain had stopped. Dim sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting a pale golden glow around Yu Deng.
Yu Deng felt his heart grow warm. Its rhythm gradually quickened, and an indescribable, mysterious power slowly emerged within it.
He was becoming the legendary Dreamheart.
Relying on his instincts, Yu Deng stumbled over his words as he continued, "I will dispel the painful darkness and suffering… and grant everyone the right to let darkness and beauty coexist."
Yu Deng had never believed that intelligent beings had to be purely good. Whether human or nonhuman, everyone had a full range of emotions and desires. Wasn't it unreasonable to demand that they suppress all their darker feelings?
Even the most beautiful fairy tale couldn't work that way.
It wasn't as though only those without darkness or flaws deserved to live and be loved. After all, Yu Deng wasn't particularly clever himself, yet there were still so many people who liked him.
Countless NPCs stood below, gazing up at the little king and listening in a daze.
The black mist originating from within them trembled and swayed, just like their hearts, which were constantly quivering.
Yu Deng gripped the pale golden scepter tightly and lowered his eyes to look at the NPCs whose names he didn't even know.
These residents seemed to be yearning to escape the quagmire of suffering and return to normal lives. What he saw in their eyes was… a wish.
A wish…?
Yu Deng froze for a few seconds, his thick, curled eyelashes fluttering rapidly. He remembered that the item description for his scepter had mentioned that it was condensed from powerful wishes.
Eh? Come to think of it, the few times he had successfully used the scepter in this instance, he had been holding on to the hope of healing them.
Yu Deng's head was still spinning, and he pondered in a daze. But he felt that he was beginning to understand how to use the scepter.
Under everyone's watchful gaze, Yu Deng slowly and carefully chose his words, speaking to everyone on the continent of Eralzea.
"May you face the darkness, move forward through it, and find the beauty within your hearts."
As soon as Yu Deng finished speaking, the gemstone at the tip of his scepter suddenly lit up. This time, however, its radiance was far brighter and more dazzling than ever before.
Pale golden light, infused with beautiful blessings and wishes, spread rapidly outward from Yu Deng, gently yet firmly covering the entire land.
Yu Deng had now become the legendary Heart of Eralzea. This was also the first time he had used the scepter's power on such an enormous scale.
Yu Deng did feel a little tired.
But that feeling soon disappeared, because his several quest targets were silently offering him all their strength, supporting him without a word.
Meanwhile, the countless NPCs in the instance gradually broke free from their suffering. They gazed reverently at the Little Majesty, continuously returning their feelings of admiration and gratitude to him.
The dragon gently carried Yu Deng back down to the towering altar.
A gentle breeze swept in from the horizon. The distant ocean returned to tranquility, while the fiery heart hidden in the Abyss of the Deep Sea beat merrily. Sea creatures leaped out of the water, singing alongside the ocean in celebration of the treasure of this continent.
The once-ferocious fantasy races bowed before Yu Deng in submission, scrambling to kiss his fingertips.
Yu Deng spoke earnestly. "May glory and happiness forever shine upon the continent of Eralzea."
The little king's crown glittered, his skirt billowed in magnificent layers, and the gemstone at the tip of his scepter shone with dazzling brilliance.
Yet none of these things could overshadow the beauty that came from Yu Deng himself.
That beautiful little face was gentle, with raven-black hair, red lips, and bright eyes. He merely stood there quietly, yet he was already the most dazzling presence of all.
On this land that had been consumed by dark emotions, whether to the players or to the NPCs within the instance… Yu Deng was the most special existence of all.
Compassionate. Pure.
He embodied everything beautiful. He was the undisputed king.