Super Righteous Player
Chapter 725 - 266 The Deceased_1

Chapter 725: Chapter 266 The Deceased_1

"I know you’re impressive..."

Zoya sighed and reached out to hold down Annan’s scroll, "But you really shouldn’t read on the subway. Not only is the lighting here bad, but it’s also a bit shaky.

"We’re not too far from Flannel Province now. If Your Majesty is bored, I can chat with you, or we could discuss some less secret matters. Otherwise, you could lean on me and take a nap like the others."

...It’s fine, I wasn’t really reading.

It’s like I opened my textbook and then played with my phone on top of it... At a time like this, playing with the phone feels especially delightful.

While muttering in his heart, Annan obediently closed his eyes and leaned against Aunt Zoya, curling up in her arms like a white kitten.

The first-class carriage had been cleared out, leaving only the six of them in this car. With no outsiders to see them, Annan had nothing to be shy about.

Seeing this, Xitan Pulan decisively opened his eyes and without a second thought, took a screenshot.

He caught Annan with his eyes slightly squinted, curled up in a ball.

Heh... This is the snapshot skill I honed back in "Poké○n Snap"!

Proud of his accomplishment, Xitan Pulan posted the picture on the forum.

There was a caption below.

Peaceful.jpg

Annan, who had been browsing the forum with his eyes closed, just so happened to see the post go up.

So he opened his eyes in confusion and looked up at Xitan Pulan.

In that instant, Xitan Pulan didn’t hesitate to take another screenshot and posted it to the forum again.

Baffled face.jpg

This is endless, huh!

I can’t believe I’d still become a meme without Lin Yiyi, the photo maniac here... And Xitan Pulan’s snapshots are even better than AGang’s!

"Go ahead and sleep..."

Zoya murmured softly and gently stroked Annan’s head, cradling it in her embrace.

This Winter’s Hand, who is already in her forties, still looks incredibly young, appearing to be a woman in her early twenties—this is the longevity mechanism unique to silver-rank Transcendents.

Once one reaches the silver rank, a body that hasn’t fully developed will continue to do so, but a body that has developed will no longer age easily. This is because the "congealed" soul can now nurture the body in reverse... Even if they fall ill or get injured, recovery speed would increase significantly.

That’s why Annan still doesn’t quite understand, why Ivan didn’t become a Transcendent. Since he isn’t interested in the path of Transcendence, then with the "Inept Ruler’s" blessing, he would face fewer roadblocks.

And he wouldn’t really die; he would turn into a dragon... In that case, there’s no need to worry about becoming a nightmare and leaking secrets.

If he could become a silver-rank Transcendent, Ivan wouldn’t have died so young or lived such a difficult life. Even if his curse became stronger as he progressed on the path of sublimation, his body would also get stronger... Besides, even just advancing to silver for the increased abilities would be nice.

Annan still doesn’t quite comprehend this point.

As a result, Ivan, who was forty-nine this year, had snow-white hair and deep wrinkles before his dragon transformation. His body had aged severely.

Whereas Zoya, who was almost the same age as him, looked like a young female teacher who had just graduated. Her dark blue wavy hair added an intellectual charm to her appearance... If she put on a wizard’s robe, anyone would think she was a grand wizard.

As for Zorgen—when Ivan was still very young, he was already the Ring Finger. He became the Ring Finger at least during Annan’s grandfather’s generation.

It was said that when Ivan was seven or eight years old, Zorgen looked only like a man in his thirties or forties... Now, after more than forty years, he finally became an old man.

This tall, thin old man, resembling a stretched shadow, always liked standing silently in corners, and even with Annan’s perception, he could hardly detect his presence. If it weren’t for his loyalty to the Winter family that made it impossible for him to abandon the profession of "Winter’s Hand"... and the requirement to advance all professions together, Zorgen would have become a gold-rank infiltrator by now.

If other silver-rank Transcendents are stuck at silver because they lack desire, talent, or fail to meet the requirements for a higher profession.

Then Zorgen is someone who must multitask other professions to dilute his power, suppressing his own sudden advancement.

He now holds additional professions like the infiltrator’s "Master of Murder," the warrior and priest hybrid "Winter Chant," and the hunter’s "Shadow Hunter," all nearing the silver rank limit.

Zorgen might be the strongest silver-rank Transcendent in all of Winter, if not the whole world... at least among the strongest.

Two nights ago, after Annan ascended to become the grand duke.

The first task he undertook, under Zoya’s guidance, was to memorize the Curse Binding of "Ten Fingers."

That’s why Annan also knew just how many curses were entwined around Zorgen—he was bound by eighteen Curse Bindings. This was the result of his youthful recklessness, exchanging curses for power... He had already tasted the consequences long ago.

Zorgen’s first words to Annan that were not related to the mission were a warning... do not resort to the power of Curse Binding to exchange for strength unless necessary.

Because "debts owed must always be repaid."

It was precisely because Zorgen was by his side, and had also gathered the Frost Beast troops, that Zoya, who was in fact the chief steward of the court, would allow Annan to venture deep into the territory of the Brotherhood of the Extreme North.

It was because of her complete trust in Zorgen’s abilities as a scout.

As long as Zorgen was present, it was absolutely impossible for anyone to successfully assassinate Annan. If he burned his life, he could even take Annan into the Shadow Realm, fleeing swiftly through the shadows.

Although Zoya was just a physically weak woman, being able to become one of the "Ten Fingers" and wield the highest authority of Winter... she naturally could not just be an ordinary Winter’s Hand.

Keep in mind... that even a formal member of the Winter’s Hand was at least at the silver rank. The Winter’s Hand is in charge of capturing, pursuing, and interrogating wizards—apart from intelligence work—which is why Michelangelo was so rude to that member of the Winter’s Hand in the White Tower nightmare.

Generally, the Winter’s Hand masters techniques of "counterspelling."

But Zoya was an exception.

Because Zoya’s teacher...

was the Michelangelo of Frigid Wight Tower, who is now the Man in the Mirror.

She was once a Tower’s Child of the Frigid Wight Tower.

Yet, she betrayed the White Tower and joined the Winter’s Hand—instead capturing black wizards originating from Frigid Wight Tower.

According to the customs of the wizards, even if a wizard has a problem or commits a crime, the matter should ultimately be handed over to the Wizard’s Tower for discipline... or at least notified. For example, in Noah, the Holy Nation, and Dennisiowa, this is the case.

But the people of Winter don’t abide by this.

The laws of Winter surpass everything.

Even if a wizard or priest commits a crime, they must be punished by the Grand Duke of Winter... or rather, by the Winter’s Hand. Not sent back to the Frigid Wight Tower or to the Frost Speech Church.

Her ability to become the "Ring Finger" of the Left Hand was precisely because of this talent.

Apart from the Spell of Disabling, Zoya was also adept at Idol, Prophet, and Decree spells. She could not only prevent curse assassinations but also foresee stabbings, directly use decrees to bind the actions of assassins, or help the duke escape.

Add to that the two silver-rank Dream World travelers... and the half-undead girl whose mastery of the Divine Arts was approaching the level of a cardinal.

It seemed like they were only six people. An old man, a child, two young men, two women... one could say they were feeble beyond measure.

But their squad was not assembled for negotiations—

Before the subway stopped.

The players had already come to their senses.

As previously agreed, the Four Concealed Tiles approached.

"Come on, three cards for each person here, three for that one too... and this one, this one is heavy, just one per person, Your Majesty shouldn’t take any... here, let grandpa give you one."

Just like a croupier dealing cards...

The Four Concealed Tiles took out two stacks of cards, skillfully dealing three cards to everyone. Then he distributed a set of black, white, and red small balls, the size of walnuts, to everyone except Annan.

"I think, when you have time, you could turn these cards into the style of poker cards,"

Annan couldn’t help but say, "Or you could directly use poker cards to make them. White cards and red cards seem more likely to put people on alert."

"Oh! That’s a good suggestion!"

The Four Concealed Tiles lit up, "I’ll remember that!"

As the subway arrived at the station, they quickly disembarked.

And naturally, there would be someone to receive them at the surface... No one dared to let the Grand Duke of Winter make his way to their house on his own.

The one who came to meet them...

was a former officer of the Frost Beast troops.

He wore a cold frost-colored military uniform, his chest adorned with badges, his face sporting a vertical scar over his left eye, and his face was full of a warm, kind smile.

Annan knew his name.

It was... Osthoff Dolgorouki.

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