Chaos Guide [Evil Mc, No Romance]

CG Chapter 43: A Hundred Years from Now

 

At the exact moment of his breakthrough, the sound of a door knocking echoed in the background.

 

"Knock-Knock."

 

He remained oblivious to the knocking, immersed in the heavenly sensation that enveloped his body and mind—a feeling he had never experienced before. 'This is the power that I want, no, no, this is the power that I need, and I will get it no matter what,' Tom felt an extreme thirst as if a void had opened within him, a desire to devour everything and grow even bigger.

 

"Knock-Knock."

 

The knocking got louder, and this time, it was accompanied by Alfred's worried voice, "Lord, are you okay in there?"

 

Tom wrapped himself in a silk towel before opening the door. "Yeah, everything is good. I might have taken a short nap in here, though," he replied jokingly.

 

"Oh, right. Did anything happen? You seemed in a rush when you first knocked on the door." Tom smiled while comforting the old butler.

 

"I almost forgot. I just received a message for you, my lord." Alfred paused for a moment as if he was about to reveal something important. "The baron is calling for you to go to his court."

 

'It's already happening, huh? I expected him to question me but to call for me this early.' Tom displayed the look of a worried yet excited son, longing for familial love, as he nodded his head.

 

"Did you—"

 

Tom wanted to ask Alfred to prepare his attire, but before he could ask, Alfred smiled as he replied, holding a piece of embroidered black short-sleeve tunic.

 

Tom expressed his gratitude as he held the clothes, then proceeded to the bathing chamber to change into them.

 

Once Tom donned his uniform, an aura of royalty began to exude from him. The black tunic, paired with his crimson hair, gave him the appearance of a prince of hell who made his presence known.

 

"I take it that you won't come with me, right?" Tom turned his face toward Alfred before asking.

 

"Yes, I can't come with you as the baron specifically asked for you to come alone," Alfred replied with a somber tone.

 

 

'This just confirms my suspicions; he knows something.' Tom's mind raced at lightning speed, analyzing all the possible dangers that might come with this encounter.

 

Replying to Alfred, he said, "Understood. I will see you once I am out."

 

He then made his way toward the baron's court, following the scattered memories of Edward.

 

 

As he navigated through the corridors of the castle, he took this opportunity to explore his new stats.

 

His heart rate increased as he called with excitement, 'Noor.'

 

[Adjusting panel according to host new stats]

 

[Update complete]

 

 

'Interesting, my stats didn't increase by much, yet I can feel that my strength has reached a whole new level. Could this be because I entered knighthood? Does this mean that, at a certain point, every small increase in stats would make a significant difference? It seems there are many mysteries for me to explore.'

 

The enigmatic allure of this world beckoned to Tom, and he heeded its call. However, as he took the first step into the baron's court, his demeanor changed; he was ready for anything that might come his way.

 

The sight of sweat falling off the back of a shirtless man slashing at a burning training dummy captured Tom's eye. He watched in silence as he slowly understood how the man moved and how he evaded the flames that danced with him.

 

The minutes passed, and when the man seemed to have reached his limits, he opened his mouth, "You have changed since the last time I have seen you. It seems that your journey wasn't a waste."

 

The man, Baron Folek Von Flameheart, looked at Tom's body with a scrutinizing gaze. He wanted to know every little secret of his.

 

His pupils expanded as he noticed something and a rare smile appeared on his face. That smile of his emitted a warmth that would have melted any grievance the previous Edward had, "Not bad; you have finally become an Apprentice after so long."

 

"At first, I was going to punish you because of the damaged ship since the fee for its repair is quite expensive; however, that can be ignored for now."

 

"What do you plan to do from now on? Do you plan to take revenge? Or do you seek something more? You know."

 

"A hundred years from now, we will all be buried in the ground, obscured by the relentless march of time. Our names will be wiped from the memories of the people we deem important. If we are lucky, a few might remember the glory we gave our all to achieve. Our final wish at that moment would be that we should have left a trace that even time can't wipe away—a flame so strong that with every generation, it would grow bigger and bigger. But alas, it would all be too late."

 

"I am sure that you are asking yourself why I am sharing this with you. Because, Edward, within these walls lies that very flame. Our hearts are cast through a heat that turns others into ash, yet we are the ones who remain."

 

"You can reach the level of a Peak Great Knight yet be forgotten all the same. Or be the spark that ignites a rising generation's flame."

 

Tom had the look of an infatuated kid who had found his path in this world. However, the truth was that he tried his hardest not to laugh. "The will of fire? A heart forged in flames? What is even more ridiculous is 'make an entire generation rise.' Like, I give two fucks about the next generation. I have already destroyed the generations of many families, and yet he wants me to sacrifice myself for this family. In the end, he just wants a puppet that he can control to further his ideals. His speech actually reminded me of someone; however, the purpose behind their speeches is completely different."