Chapter 1453 - 1450: Hope (Part 2)

The changes in Romanvis came swiftly, like a wildfire ravaging across the grasslands; in no time, the entire prairie had turned to ash.

The old beggar's narration was very calm, as if he were telling his own story.

But Igor and the others could hear that, at the beginning, these changes had nothing to do with those people busy just trying to survive.

Because the Soul Devourers only came to occupy that group of Adventurers with Class; what they wanted to plunder was also that group of Adventurers with Class. Non-Adventurers had little use to them, dispensable.

However, the reason these Non-Adventurers were also dragged into this catastrophe was the greed of the Soul Devourers. They wanted everything; their demand for resources kept growing.

To Igor, this in itself was something new, because before this, the Soul Devourers had never coveted the resources of this world.

It was certain that, during this period, the ranks of the Soul Devourers had undergone great changes, and such changes had altered their attitude toward resources.

The old beggar also spoke of the other changes here. The arrival of the Soul Devourers made Romanvis's transformation starkly obvious. Ordinarily, the shifts among those in power would not stir any change in them, for they were people who always bowed to fate, never complaining about anything; if truly pressed too hard, they would simply head into the jungle, where there were resources, where they would not starve.

But the arrival of these Soul Devourers altered all of this; everything became extremely thorny. They had nowhere to go, and no use to anyone, and gradually sank into beggary…

"They said we are without value." The old beggar, recalling it, always felt those events had come far too suddenly.

"Value? What is value, really?" Igor gazed at the distant sky and spoke softly. He was talking to himself; in his heart he had long since found an answer, he simply could not understand why some people insist that to live in this world one must possess 'value.'

"Those without value need not exist in this world—that's what they said. They wanted us all dead, wanted us to keep this skin intact." The old beggar continued.

"Because you're too old, they couldn't even be bothered to spare you a glance, could they?" Igor asked. He had already anticipated such a thing.

The old beggar looked at Igor and nodded in relief. He suddenly discovered that this youth seemed to foresee everything in advance.

Such a thing was rather astounding to the old beggar, for this youth felt different from others.

Now he felt that the counterattack this youth had just delivered brought not only shock, but also hope.

Hope—that is how it descends, not silent and unseen, but with a resounding boom.

Igor's arrival brought new blood to this Romanvis; whether he wished it or not, that is how things had unfolded.

Originally they had wanted to slip quietly into Romanvis, but now all of that was meaningless, because the stir Igor had caused was simply too great.

Leaving aside that Soul Devourer officer behind them who had been terrified, at this moment every person in Romanvis still capable of thought felt the tremor.

After all, an entire Soul Devourer squad had been completely wiped out, and in an instant at that. This invader was far too uncanny; whether foe or ally, he would draw extraordinary attention from all hidden factions, for this was a power that could not be ignored!

Even Douglas and Simon at Igor's side felt a measure of shock. They still hadn't recovered their senses, for Igor's single move had injured an entire Soul Devourer force—was this ability not a bit too exaggerated!

There were many powers hidden within Romanvis. They had all fled here from other parts of the Vero Realm. The upheaval in the Vero Realm had been far too abrupt; even the royal house had failed to withstand such a rebellion. The strength of the enemy had driven them all to take refuge in Romanvis, a city they had once abandoned.

They had retreated to resist; they would not simply sit and watch the rights that had once been theirs turn into someone else's favor granted from above.

They fled the Soul Devourers' pursuit, and in the course of that flight they never managed to grasp what methods the enemy truly wielded. All they could see was that the enemy was different from them—completely different.

At times they even felt that these enemies were Undead.

During their escape, they gradually learned of the changes beyond, and such news left them deeply shocked. Only then did they realize that this force came from the unknown. This unknown power was even more fearsome than Tree Spirits and Water Spirits; it was beyond their understanding.

They endured in silence, scheming how to defeat this opponent, but to little effect. The elite who had retreated were gradually devoured. The enemy's pursuit was far swifter than they had imagined; even in this forsaken Romanvis, the enemy's reach had spread.

In their eyes, the enemy's underlings were endless. Any who held Spirit Power could be corrupted by this enemy; they could be captured, used, and then turned into the enemy's own hands.

How many times had they faced foes with familiar faces…

It was a sorrowful thing, yet of necessity they had to accept it.

The enemy's strength manifested in all aspects; it could only be described as unsolvable.

And yet such an 'unsolvable' enemy had, at this moment, actually been struck a blow—enough to shake the entire world!

Igor walked behind the old beggar, unaware that this single disturbance of his had already brought earth-shaking impact to the Vero Realm.

His strike made those fugitives of the Vero Realm suddenly realize that these arrogant enemies could in fact be defeated.

Though this news had only just reached their ears, it was far from too late. All the fugitives of the Vero Realm would be thrilled by it.

Hope spreads in just this way: even the slightest chance can stir great waves. These are people who cling to hope; they want to overthrow the lofty Soul Devourers. Though their goals may differ from Igor's, the outcome they seek is the same!

They hope to topple these invaders and restore the former rule.

Thus they hope to obtain this power of Igor's.

The hope Igor brought was like a blazing fire, roaring to life. All the fugitives of the Vero Realm would grow fervent because of this disturbance; hope does not only offer a possibility, it also brings a formidable strength.

Such strength may alter the current state, allowing those who had sunk into despair to gradually recover.