Reign of the Hunters

Chapter 276 What Makes a Warlock? (Part 1) 

 

Ye Ci stared at Rabbi. Despite his apparent youth, she could sense the wisdom of age from him, especially from his eyes. It was the wisdom of a being who had lived through countless years and witnessed the passing of many seasons. It was a wisdom that could not be masked by the man’s demeanor. She was nothing but a child compared to him. 

 

Such was the difference between the NPCs in a normal game and the NPCs in a virtual reality game. Every NPC in a virtual reality game has a story of their own, but they retain endless possibilities in the future of their lives. 

 

Such cases were especially true for NPCs in possession of high levels of intelligence. The story behind their character was merely a guideline given to them by the system. The NPCs themselves, however, were masters of their own future. 

 

Rabbi was apparently one of the intelligent NPCs. Ye Ci did not know what the man had seen during his life, but she was impressed by the NPCs' aura of wisdom. This was probably one of the best advantages of playing a virtual reality game. It gave the experience of great immersion to the players, as if they were living out a second life in the game. 

 

Rabbi smiled at Ye Ci’s response, “Really?” 

 

His smile was beautiful, but was also bitter. 

 

“Can you answer Moore’s question, Mr.Rabbi?” asked Ye Ci after waiting for the answer that did not come. 

 

Her entire journey here was to seek for the answer to Moore’s question. The information she gained from gossipping with NPC was not as important as the task at hand. 

 

“I would’ve died a long time ago if I know how. Why would I still be in a place like this?” Rabbi snorted at Ye Ci. it was apparent that his temperament was bad despite his age. 

 

Ye Ci was dumbstruck by Rabbi’s response, So he doesn’t have an idea as well. Just then, a sudden wave of realisation washed over her. Wait, what was it that he said just now?

 

“I would’ve died a long time ago if I know how.” Rabbi’s response gave Ye Ci a huge clue. He has made the same pact with the Darkness just like Moore!

    

The revelation came as a shock to Ye Ci. she stared at Rabbi, who was clad in white robes. It was the robe that was worn by the clergy in a temple. So he’s not a Priest, but a Sorceress instead? 

 

“A-are you a sorcerer?” Asked Ye Ci cautiously. 

 

“A sorcerer?” Rabbi raised an eyebrow, and a chuckle left his mouth, “So that’s what Moore told you? That he is a sorcerer?” 

 

Ye Ci was once again stunned into silence. Is that not the case? Of course, the question did not leave her mouth. She continued staring at Rabbi with  a smile on her face. The man had no intention of waiting for an answer from Ye Ci, “It seems that he’s still a coward. He hasn’t found the courage to tell people what he truly is.” he snorted. 

 

At this point, Ye Ci’s curiosity was fully aroused. She held back her questions, but her eyes had betrayed how she truly felt. Come on, come on! Tell me! She was already screaming internally for an answer, Tell me now! What the heck is going on! Do you really have to be beat around the bush like that? 

 

“Do you know a Warlock is?” 

 

Of course I’d know that! Ye Ci nodded, “I do.” She was confused by the sudden question. Why would Moore hide his identity as a Warlock? Aren’t there hundreds of thousands of Warlocks in the Jiama Continent? 

 

Rabbi chuckled at Ye Ci, as if he was able to read her mind, “Do you think I’m talking about that rabble in the current Jiama Continent?” there was a hint of disdain in his voice. 

 

Ye Ci did not utter a response, but a question had indeed formed in her mind. Are they not the same?

 

“Do you know what sort of person the first Warlock is?” continued Rabbi. 

 

How would I know? Ye Ci shook her head, it’s not recorded in the National Library, and it’s not like I know what the developers were thinking!

 

“The first Warlock to ever walk on the face of this world is a woman. We call her Eliana. Of course, that was her name in Dragonian. It means ‘Precursor’ in the Common Tongue.” a smile appeared on Rabbi’s face. 

 

“Dragonian? Why would she be named in Dragonian?” confusion was written all over Ye Ci’s face. Is he telling me that the first Warlock is a Dragon? An image began forming in Ye Ci’s mind: a mighty Dragon flapping its wings and spewing fire from its mouth as it clutched a staff in its claw with minions scurrying on the ground below it. What the hell? 

 

“That was because of her father. He was the prince of the Dragonia.” Rabbi stared into the horizon as his mind wandered to the deepest part of his memories. 

 

Ye Ci almost choked on her own saliva. What?? Eliana’s father is a Dragonian prince? So what is her mother then? A Human? Or maybe an Elf?” 

 

“Her mother was a kind-hearted Human. Oh what a weak existence she was compared to the mighty Dragonia.” it was as if Rabbi had read Ye Ci’s mind once again. 

 

A strange thought not suitable for children wormed its way into Ye Ci’s mind. So how do a Dragon and a Human mate? Did he do it with the form of a Dragon? Or did he transform into a Human first? So what does their baby look like? Does it look like a Human? Or will the Human woman lay an egg... 

 

Of course, it was not the main focus of the story. 

 

Even if Rabbi was indeed in possession of the ability to read minds, it was limited only to what a player might think about the quest. He had no way of knowing what sort of naughty thoughts Ye Ci was having at that very moment. He made the assumption that Ye Ci was listening attentively to his story when he noticed the expression on her face. 

 

“Humans are the most pitiful race in the continent. Their strength came only in their numbers.” Rabbi’s voice was full of disdain. Ye Ci sighed internally at that remark. Wow, the developers really hate their own race! What’s so bad about having strength in numbers? It’s a good thing! Chairman Mao once said: More population means more power! Besides, it’s not as if the other races are nobler or more beautiful than the human race!

 

“While the Dragonia are at the ultimate life form in the Jiama Continent. They were strong, intelligent, and powerful. Their might was second only to that of the Gods and the Demons themselves. Eliana’s father was born as the prince of all Dragonia during their golden age. He was the strongest, and most handsome of all the Dragonia. His body was covered by scales of gold, and his eyes were as beautiful as the azure sky. Eliana’s father held the highest authority in his race. It’s only natural for the prince to marry a female of his own race so that an even stronger bloodline could be born, but alas, life is full of uncertainties. The prince was injured during a hunt, and his savior... Was a human woman.” Rabbi then shifted his glance towards Ye Ci, “I’m sure you’ve already figured out who that woman was by now...” 

 

Ye Ci responded with a nod. No shit! Of course I can figure something like this out! Isn’t this their favourite method of storytelling? 

 

“He fell in love with the human, and married her despite the protests of his kin, giving birth to the greatest shame in Dragonian history... A fetus.” Rabbi sighed. One could tell that he was speaking with great sorrow as he narrated the story, “To the Dragonia, the shell of a Dragonian egg was the best supplement for the young, but the fetus was born naked. It was a girl as beautiful as her father, but in possession of the body of a Human. And like I’ve said, Humans are a very frail race. The woman died shortly after giving birth to the little girl. And that girl was Eliana, the first Warlock. Of course, she was still a child back then.” 

 

“Eliana’s father was forced to marry a female of his race for the sake of his race. The female was cruel, and treated Eliana poorly. The only reason the girl was able to grow into maturity with her frail body was the protection of her father. It was very strange that the girl had a great mastery of magic despite her status as a halfblood and the shame of the Dragonian race. Her ability to control the flow of magic far surpassed any single member of the Dragonia. Her stepmother was terrified of her powers. She began plotting against the girl, and was able to force her away when she was 15 years old. Even when Eliana’s father knew that his wife’s trickery was in place, he could not protect his daughter. The only thing he could do was to send Eliana to the Humans where she could learn the ways of magic from the Great Sorcerer Zerubbabel.” 

 

Ye Ci listened to Rabbi in silence. She was no longer ridiculing the story, and was instead trying to capture every single word said by the man. She had a feeling that the story plays a crucial role in many of the quests in Fate. The fact that records of such an event could not be found in the National Library meant that the rulers of the world during that time did not wish for the truth to be found. The truth, however, was something that was crucial to the universe of Fate. 

 

“Zerubbabel could tell that there was a great power hidden within Eliana during his time as the girl’s mentor. It was power not known to Dragonia, nor known to mankind. It was the power of curse that belonged to the World of Darkness.” 

 

“The power of curse?” Ye Ci was momentarily stunned. Warlocks were a class focused on reducing the stats of their opponents through the use of curses. 

 

“Yes. She was the offspring of the strongest and weakest life form on the face of this world, hence she was cursed by the Gods the moment she was born. It was a curse that she would have to carry into her grave. The condition of Eliana’s body is closely related to this curse...” Rabbi sighed, “Zerubbabel took a pity on Eliana, and tried his best to hide the secret. But unbeknownst to the great sorcerer, it was something that had long since been discovered by Eliana. She was a halfblood with the strength of the Dragonia and the wisdom of Humans.She was not afraid of death, but her great interest in magic became the pillar that anchored her to the world of the living even as her body degraded.” 

 

“So how did she end up as a Warlock?” Ye Ci finally lost her patience. 

 

But Rabbi silenced her with a wave of his hand, an indication that Ye Ci should continue listening to his story. 

 

“Do you still remember the stepmother of Eliana? She was a noble blue dragon. But her noble blood did not mean that her heart was as pure and noble. She was the opposite of the upright and straightforward nature of the Dragonia. She was the candidate chosen to marry the prince before Eliana’s father met her mother. She did not expect her plans to be foiled by the sudden appearance of a Human woman that was brought back by Eliana’s father after his hunt. The prince ended up marrying the Human despite the protest of all his kin. Jealousy was like a poison, and this poison ultimately drove the blue dragon to kill Eliana’s mother with poison. Of course, she covered her tracks well.” continued Rabbi.

 

 “She married Eliana’s father, but soon developed jealousy towards Eliana herself, who robbed her of her husband’s love. Even after she  drove Eliana away, it was not enough. She wanted Eliana gone, forever. Unfortunately for her, Zerubbabel was a very skillful mage. That was why she bode her time until the chance finally arrived and she took care of Zerubbabel with one fell swoop.” 

 

Ye Ci rubbed her chin. Love is crazy. The only thing that the blue dragon wanted was her husband’s love. In a sense, she was not wrong. I understand why she did it, but it was not the right way. 

 

“It was Zerubbabel’s death that finally shattered Eliana’s sanity. The Darkness and the power of the curse that were locked deep in her heart exploded into a vortex that devoured all the kindness in her.” 

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