Green hated complex worlds.
In his view, the ideal world was one of black and white, good and evil—a world where everything was simple and clearly defined. Yet, fate rarely grants such wishes. The stage of this Life Simulation was clearly not something that could be summarized by simple notions of justice and malice.
Witches and humans, humans and other races… In this coarse and blurry world, standpoint seemed to have replaced truth. It was no longer a darkness woven purely from sin and ignorance, but an ambiguous, indistinct chaos. Truth, it seemed, did not exist.
Looking at the sharp-eyed Knight of Truth before him, Green took a deep breath. The gaze this Knight directed at him held no hatred; no, it didn’t even hold the pity usually reserved for those about to die. Green was all too familiar with that look.
Protection.
This Knight of Truth named Jessica wanted to protect him. Protect an enemy? An enemy standing on the opposing side, shielding a witch?
“Sigh, the sins of the Bewildering Witch.”
Jessica, the Knight of Truth, was in no hurry to deal with the new enemy before her. She silently pulled out the notebook she had been browsing earlier and scribbled feverishly with a quill, adding a new entry to the witches’ blood debts.
“Being seduced and corrupted by a witch is not your fault.”
Infinite brilliance erupted from Jessica’s beautiful eyes.
“Wait for me, fellow human. I, a Knight of Truth under the High Priest, shall awaken you from your confusion and free you from the seduction of the Bewildering Witch!”
BOOM!!!
An unparalleled pressure swept toward him.
Ninth Rank.
Although the power scaling system of this world differed slightly from Green’s reality, generally speaking, a Ninth Rank was equivalent to a Legendary professional above Level 90.
How terrifying.
Green looked at the girl thoughtfully. To possess such power at this age… she must have made incredible sacrifices, hadn’t she? In every aspect. While her peers sang of youth and gathered in joy, she must have spent countless hours in sweat-drenched training, treating herself with the harshness of a masochistic monk.
Green could empathize deeply. Whether it was the experiences of his first simulation or the hardships he endured in the real world trying to advance his class, he understood perfectly that the girl’s strength could not be explained by the word “talent” alone. She was a respectable opponent.
Clang.
Thus, Green followed the etiquette due to a powerhouse… and revealed his strength without reservation.
“Wha—what is this?”
The light was blinding.
The Knight of Truth stared blankly at the strange power she had never encountered before. It surged from Green’s body like an inexhaustible, boundless ocean. Even though this pure light was unfamiliar, Jessica felt no resistance to it. On the contrary, the moment she saw it, she was completely mesmerized.
What was this?
Though the power was gargantuan, it carried no sense of oppression. It was beautiful, moving, and inspiring.
“Holy Light.”
Feeling the power that was both familiar and strange, Green’s eyes filled with reminiscence as fragments of his previous life surfaced. Strangely enough, while he had inherited his professional level in the real world, the soul curse prevented him from manipulating this power with such ease. But in this simulation world, Green had fully inherited the strength of that veteran Paladin—a warrior with absolute combat talent who had not yet been drained by the Withered Leader.
Therefore…
“I will defeat you, Miss Jessica.”
Green’s tone was flat, as if defeating a Knight of Truth, a Ninth Rank powerhouse, was as simple as buying groceries.
“Is that so?”
Jessica gave a short laugh. Her lithe figure danced through the heavy snow, while the longsword in her hand pierced the air with lightning speed, sending out waves of aftershocks.
“This odd power of yours is interesting, but… you’re a long way off!”
Jessica was not shaken. It was true that she couldn’t see through Green’s power—it was beyond her cognition. However, an unknown source did not guarantee strength. After the initial shock, Jessica confirmed that Green’s aura wasn’t even at the Fifth Rank. Granted, for his age, a Fifth-Rank mage was exceptional. But compared to Jessica, the youngest genius in the history of the City of Radiance, the difference was that of a firefly to the moon.
“I will save you.”
Never giving up on a fellow human was Jessica’s heartfelt creed. She firmly believed that under the leadership of the Church of Light in the City of Radiance, humanity would surely dispel all disasters and reign over all races as the sole masters of the continent. Witches, Ancient Dragons, the Elven Court, Orc Tribes, or Dwarf Clans—all would bow before the radiance of humanity.
“For the God of Light! For humanity!” Jessica shouted the slogan she believed in with all her soul. “For a bright and pure tomorrow, I… will win!”
Facing the pure, unyielding power of the Knight of Truth, Green momentarily lost focus. Not because of the strength gap, but because… Jessica’s eyes were too familiar.
Justice.
It was the gaze of someone who believed in their own absolute justice. Powerful, yet fragile. When their conviction is unchallenged, they are invincible. But once that conviction develops a crack…
“Miss Jessica, must you drive Sophie to a dead end? Is it possible there are no ‘good people’ among witches?” Green asked.
Jessica did not answer, continuing her assault. “To sweep away all heresy for the future of humanity—that is the mission bestowed upon us Knights of Truth by the God of Light!”
“No, you’re wrong.”
Green shook his head forcefully. “A better future for humanity is right, but human prosperity and wealth… should not be built upon oppression and slaughter!”
BOOM!
Green swung his ordinary, rusted longsword—a blade that looked like it wouldn’t last a second against a Legend. In a flash, the two forces collided head-on.
Whoosh—
The explosive air pressure vaporized the surrounding snowflakes instantly, and rising steam filled the valley.
“Cough, cough.”
Green narrowed his eyes and coughed. “It seems… I am the victor.”
The battered sword in his hand was perfectly intact, without even a scratch.
Crack.
In contrast…
“No… impossible…”
Jessica blinked hard. The divine weapon in her hand, the symbol of absolute justice and the sacred honor of the Knights of Truth—forged from star-iron in the City of Radiance—had shattered.
“Justice… justice won’t lose.”
Thud.
Jessica fell to her knees, her strength completely spent. Impossible! Impossible! She snapped her head up, staring at the young man walking toward her. On that handsome face, there was no joy of victory. On the contrary, this Lord Green, who was supposed to be seduced by a witch, was… crying?
Why?
“Let’s go home.”
Green calmly picked up the unconscious witch, whispering tenderly in her ear, “Back to Falling Leaf Town. Back to your home.”
“Sophie, I promise you, one day…”
Green seemed to be talking to the witch, yet also to himself. The exhausted Jessica froze. Who was Sophie… the witch? So… they have names too? For some reason, this absurd thought surged in Jessica’s heart.
“I will build a world,” Green continued calmly, “a world where humans, witches, elves, dwarves, and orcs—all intelligent races—can coexist as equals. I promise.”
All races coexisting in peace? How could that be!
Jessica couldn’t help but speak up. “You… are you insane?”
“Since you won, just kill me. Betray your own race for that witch.” Jessica hissed at him in anger. “Do you have the courage to betray humanity, but not the courage to kill me like a man?”
Clang.
A chain locked onto her, instantly draining her remaining mana.
“No, Miss Knight of Truth.”
Green shook his head, looking at her with a complex gaze. “I won’t kill you. On the contrary, I will prove to you that witches and humans are by no means incompatible.”
Hum—
That special power flowed through the chain, firmly binding Jessica.
“This power?”
Feeling the energy that had allowed the sub-Fifth Rank Green to defeat her, Jessica couldn’t suppress her curiosity. “What exactly is this power?”
Despite being completely stripped of her freedom, Jessica couldn’t bring herself to resent this warm energy.
“Holy Light,” Green answered slowly. “As a member of the Church of Light… you actually don’t know the Holy Light?” he asked jokingly.
Jessica met him with a blank stare.
Pffft!
Just as Green was about to say more, the unconscious witch in his arms suddenly turned flush, her breathing becoming ragged. What was happening?
Green looked at Sophie immediately. Her flawless face was suddenly covered in dense, crimson runes. A power filled with the scent of blood, like a wild horse breaking its chains, was about to run rampant out of the witch’s body.
“Out of control.”
Jessica, the Knight of Truth, spoke up, her gaze turning cold as she looked at the witch.
“Mr. Green, you asked me earlier if there are no good people among witches.”
The Knight of Truth, who had personally slain countless fallen witches to save humanity, tilted her head.
“My answer is…” Staring at Sophie, whose aura was skyrocketing toward total corruption, Jessica stated decisively: “A dead witch is a good witch.“