Super Righteous Player
Chapter 999 - 57: The Legacy of Fire

Chapter 999: Chapter 57: The Legacy of Fire

Annan looked complexly at Hugo—viewing this boy, who shone like the sun, through his human eyes from the material world.

Even without peering into his soul, Annan already knew it harbored a soul that burned incessantly.

"...Do you now know the Curse Binding passed down through generations at the Heath Tower of Black?"

Annan couldn’t help asking the young Hugo.

Hugo seemed surprised, "Did the future me tell you that too?"

He couldn’t help but reveal a radiant smile, "Then, it seems you are a good person too.

"There is nothing bad to say, it’s just the ’fire that does not burn for oneself.’ There’s nothing difficult about it, rather... I came precisely for this."

Hugo’s eyes sparkled like stars.

He looked up at "Bernadino," his pupils so clear they seemed to emit light, "I believe in passing the torch. The mission of our Heath Tower of Black, passed down to this day, is to make life easier for as many people as possible...

"One day, people might escape plagues and diseases, even escaping death. Their lives will become increasingly convenient... People will no longer die from sickness, poverty, or accidents, they will no longer need to waste time on meaningless journeys. There will no longer be people freezing to death, nor starving to death..."

Hugo spoke with absolute certainty, "Even if I cannot accomplish this, as long as the Heath Tower of Black continues from generation to generation, one day it will be possible.

"I believe, the majority of suffering in this world is due to poverty and backwardness. The rich live better than the poor, isn’t it because they have access to more?

"So, if we could significantly reduce all costs, greatly increase efficiency...then everyone could live a rich and happy life like the wealthiest people. Those sufferings that can be alleviated by money, those misfortunes born from poverty, would completely disappear.

"And we just happen to have the capability—the Heath Tower of Black always teaches its students how to enhance the efficiency of transformation products, how to reduce the costs of these products; it’s about how to use our technology and knowledge to minimize suffering for the most people, to solve difficulties.

"As long as we exist here, this world will gradually become better.

"Even if this ’individual’ of myself cannot achieve it temporarily, my successors will someday be able to—because the ’fire that does not burn for oneself’ keeps burning, because the ’Flame Pilferer’ is still burning."

The young Hugo said words that also shocked Annan profoundly.

From the beginning, he had never considered "himself."

He lived for others, for the world... for those ordinary people who were powerless against fate.

Annan suddenly understood.

Why... Bernadino felt envy towards Hugo.

Because no Bernadino could understand Hugo’s inherently altruistic motive that propelled him forward.

Because of the lack of understanding, there was estrangement. Because of the estrangement, there were conflicts.

Just like the envy Julius had for Bernadino back in the day.

Julius had no hope of advancing to Gold, so for him... Bernadino’s natural-born talents were something unreachable in his lifetime.

He indeed had a better and more joyful path he could follow.

However, the fiery jealousy blinded him, making him rather completely give up the possibility of advancement, choosing to bring Bernadino down to earth like a shooting star.

When Bernadino repaired his memories during the experiment of Spiritual Body resonance crucible... his heart was flooded with tidal waves of hatred.

He finally killed those he hated.

But the tide of hatred did not recede, instead, it grew more turbulent and fierce. Bernadino realized that his hatred was drowning his spirit, he was gradually losing control.

—And it was at this time, Bernadino met Hugo.

A seventeen-year-old silver-tier Wizard, the Tower’s Child of the Heath Tower of Black. A genius who would succeed and become the Tower Master within a few years.

He was moved by Hugo’s personality, as radiant as the sun... and perhaps even more so by the beauty of Hugo’s resplendent soul.

Bernadino would rather erase the memories that allowed him to regain his abilities himself in order to quell the tide of hatred in his heart. He did not want to hurt anyone else.

But this was not a case of Bernadino seeing the light; instead, it was an impulsive act made after being shocked by Hugo, under circumstances similar to those of the Sage’s time.

This was because Bernadino desperately wished to walk fearlessly under Hugo’s "sunlight."

This was also reasonable.

The radiance of Hugo during his youth surpassed anyone else Annan had ever seen.

Therefore, Bernadino replaced his prosthetic eyes, restored his human vision, sealed off his spirit vision; he chose to forget the nightmare that once awakened him and reverted to his oblivious "weaker" self.

He discarded everything he had gained from the experiments with the spiritual body resonance furnace.

After all, his enemies had already been killed. Thus, that once awakened, unquenchable hate, ferocious as a rabid dog, was no longer needed.

Bernadino trusted Hugo immensely, believing that Hugo could help him return to the sunlight, to a world of brightness.

Then, he conspired with Hugo and killed that "hateful self."

Just like the old black Annan... he chose to end himself.

Bernadino’s thinking was correct.

Hugo indeed deserved trust.

But he overlooked one thing...

That was, the person who was not to be trusted—was himself.

When Bernadino, having forgotten everything and become useless once again, met Hugo... he, just like Julius, became insecure.

When Bernadino, who had reached the ceiling of his potential, saw the dazzling Hugo, jealousy fierce enough to burn away his reason lit up in his heart.

—Just like the Julius of yesteryears.

At that time, Bernadino actually had a bright future ahead, just as Julius had the chance to change his fate.

If Bernadino followed Hugo’s guidance and broke completely with his past crimes, he could completely transform, living a life under the sunlight that, though much dimmer than Hugo’s, would still shine brightly.

He had, after all, the essence of spirit.

Fully awakened, this essence of spirit could make him the best doctor in the world—even if someone had died and even if their body had already cooled, as long as not much time had passed, he could forcibly bring them back to life.

What an esteemed future that was.

This was also the future Hugo had painstakingly planned for him.

By saving countless lives that should not have ended, he would make amends for his own unknown sins of murder.

... But Bernadino’s fiery jealousy made it unbearable for him to stay under the sun, with his fate entirely orchestrated by Hugo.

This was probably related to his fate being altered by others since his childhood.

Even though Hugo’s intentions this time were to save him, he still chose to refuse.

—Or rather, for once, he had the courage to resist the person controlling his fate.

Only because... Hugo was a good man.

A good man who would not hurt him.