Above The Sky
Chapter 619 - 619 588 Our Deceased Monarch 33

619: Chapter 588 Our Deceased Monarch (3/3) 619: Chapter 588 Our Deceased Monarch (3/3) Many voices arose.

— Is it you?

— Excuse me, is it you?

— The one who killed those demons at the Spirit Wisdom Institute…

our avenging hero…

is it you?

“It’s not exactly about taking revenge for you…”

In his dream, Ian quickly realized that he wasn’t simply dreaming, but in the special environment of Subspace, he had resonated with those resentful Lost Souls that comprised the foundation of this Subspace.

The reason for the resonance was simple—he had killed the researchers of the Spirit Wisdom Institute, the beasts who had tormented countless test subjects to death, allowing great vengeance to be taken and releasing controlled Phantasms of Lost Souls to find relief.

But to be honest, he didn’t want to take credit for it, so Ian’s brows furrowed slightly as he earnestly explained to the voice, “I had a bit of a…

well, personal vendetta with the Spirit Wisdom Institute and the Fiery Flame Land.

I was definitely going to kill them because they pissed me off.”

“It wasn’t for your revenge, let’s be clear on that.”

— We know, we know, you never act for self-interest, only for the fervent desire in your heart.

— But nonetheless, whatever the purpose, we, who have already died, have all made a vow.

— You are our savior…

— Our Deceased Monarch…

The resonance grew stronger.

It was also odd how, fundamentally, the Domain of Void was a place that souls could only enter when they fell deeper than sleep or even instinct, and Subspace was precisely the region warped and distorted where the Domain of Void and reality intertwined.

Dreaming in such a place was almost like dreaming within a dream…

yet it felt more real than reality itself.

At this moment, Ian smelled a very strange scent, one that seemed like face powder, but also like blood, with the biting smell of alcohol mixed in.

Then, he heard a woman’s soft self-narration.

[As a child, my father and mother loved me very much, and they would often lift me onto their shoulders.

My father’s shoulders were wide and strong, and as my mother held his other hand, we’d walk together down the street toward home.

I held a wooden doll my father made for me in my arms, laughing happily.]

[I was also a well-behaved child, learning my father’s carpentry from an early age.

I was good at carving wood, and the children in the street all liked the little animals I made.

I was happy and would give some to them.]

[Our home wasn’t wealthy, but my father and mother were willing to pay for me to learn from the local woodworking master…

At that time, my parents together earned fifteen Talle a month, and the master’s tuition fee was a hundred Talle a year, which was about the sum of many years’ savings.]

[I was anxious but also looking forward to it, and I studied hard.

Although I wasn’t the most talented one, I was among the top Apprentices, even earning a tuition waiver from the master.

My parents were very happy, and they even had twins, a brother and a sister.

Everything seemed to be getting better.]

[Watching the cute sleeping faces of the little ones, I felt even more motivated in my studies.]

[The master was a kind man; unlike other masters who would force female Apprentices to serve them in their beds, he taught us earnestly, although he kept many secrets, yet everyone knew we were already given great kindness.]

[So…

I don’t understand why such a good person like the master had to die.]

At first, Ian wanted to interrupt the female voice to ask who she was and why she was telling him all this.

But soon, he listened intently, frowning.

Seekers were exceptionally good listeners, and he could tell that this woman possessed Spirit Energy, her soul was very clear and powerful, making her the most lucid among the many Lost Souls resonating with him, thus chosen to represent them.

But she was still a Lost Soul—she was already dead, acting only according to obsessive attachment, communicating with him by the same.

So he listened.

To the story of a person’s entire life.

[The master died on a business trip to Rust Rose City in the east.

He accepted a commission from a wealthy merchant to create a complete set of villa furniture.

It was a big job, and the master excitedly told us that this top-level deal would propel his reputation throughout The Grand Duchy.

By then, as his disciples, we would have work— and it would be time to talk about sharing the profits.]

[At that time, we were full of hope…

Sharing profits was normal, and teachers took one-tenth before we officially graduated and set up on our own, which was quite a generous offer.]

[But the teacher died, killed by a Magical Beast attack—we later learned that it was a biological warfare creature from Fiery Flame Land, an enraged Magical Beast attack on the teacher’s caravan that should never have appeared on the West Frontier Plains.

Many of our fellow Apprentices died along with the teacher.]

[The teacher’s death, the breach of contract penalty from the rich merchant had to be paid, the master’s children fought over the little that was left of the inheritance, and the workshop totally collapsed.

No one would support us, the Apprentices who had lost our teacher and fellow Apprentices, nor would anyone offer work to those who had not yet officially graduated—even if there was work, it wasn’t for much money.]

[There was no shortage of carpenters in the Western Territory, who would want us Apprentices who weren’t trained from a young age?]

[I still can’t understand why life would change so drastically in an instant…

I was already beginning to earn money, to start helping my father and mother with the household expenses!]

Her words became agitated at this point, but then they returned to a bland tone: [And then my father fell ill again.

He died quickly, too quickly to be normal.]

[What could I do?

We had no money for treatment, and my father wasn’t willing to seek it—it was a bottomless pit…

My mother’s work alone could barely keep my brother and sister alive, but what kind of future was there to live for?]

[I…

tried many, many things.

Lots and lots, truly many…]

[I really worked hard doing many things, serving at bars, selling wood carvings on the streets, even trying to help with farming…

I even tried to smuggle some things for Fiery Flame Land, risking being a merchant’s assistant…

I didn’t give up, I didn’t just accept defeat.]

“But in the end, I still became a prostitute.”

Ian listened silently.

The disease her father suffered from sounded very much like the plague that had occurred in South Ridge…

But South Ridge had the Bishop of White Mist patrolling the area, promptly slaying the spreaders of the plague, thus it never turned into a disaster.

However, if it were in the Western Territory, where the influence of the Fiery Flame Land was even greater, the death of ordinary people from strange sicknesses could only be seen as an inevitable misfortune.

“At first, it was just for a service fee to accompany drinkers, and then it naturally progressed to selling my body for more money…

Once I started, there was no turning back.”

“After becoming a prostitute, it wasn’t so bad actually…

At least I could afford a better gravesite for my father, and my younger brothers and sisters could grow up healthy…

Although my mother was very sad, she still loved me very much, I could see her crying at night, lamenting to my father that she was sorry, that she hadn’t taken good care of me.”

“She did not owe me an apology.

She should have been smiling instead.”

“Some clients were rather rough, others were kinder, and some didn’t even plan to pay…

I gradually became the kind of brazen person I once looked down upon.”

“I didn’t have any complaints about this kind of life.

When I would get old and my beauty faded, my younger siblings would have grown up, they would have their own lives, and it would be time for me to rest…

whatever kind of rest that might be.”

“But one day, a client who was still flirting after we finished suddenly told me he had to leave quickly, as his daughter was waiting for him at home.”

“I didn’t understand—why would he have a family and a daughter and still come to me, he was simply scum…

My father was much better than him, my father…”

“…Dad…”

“…”

“I don’t understand.”

“As a child, I heard adults say that many people are unhappy in this world; at first, I didn’t understand why.

I had such great parents, such adorable younger siblings, such a kind master, friends, fellow apprentices, and those friendly neighbors…

I should have been happy.”

“But why?

Why can a single accident ruin the lives of so many people?”

“Then a lot of things happened.

For my family, and because I had contracted a disease that was beyond cure, I chose to participate in a dubious human experiment.

The Spirit Wisdom Institute said they would pay my family some money…

Not much, after all, the price for an infected test subject wouldn’t be high, but it was better than dying meaninglessly.”

“At least they were going to pay, and for that alone I was thankful.”

“It was only after I became a test subject that I realized they were collaborating with Fiery Flame Land and The Grand Duchy on various biological and plague research; that’s when I truly understood.”

“It was them…”

“It was them.

They had ruined so many lives.”

“My life wasn’t meant to be this way, nor was anyone else’s.”

“So I wanted revenge—but I was powerless.

Even though I awakened Spirit Energy during the cruel experiments at the Spirit Wisdom Institute…

I still couldn’t exact revenge, as it wasn’t combat-oriented Spirit Energy.”

“Maybe because, more than revenge, I wished for a happy life…

Someone to accompany me, to understand me.”

“Someone…

to save me.”

At this moment.

The voices of many people rose together.

“Can you save us?”

“You have already avenged us…

You are our Monarch…”

“But perhaps…

You can also be our savior?”

At this moment, in the world within.

Ian finally saw those who were speaking to him.

He stood upon a dark expanse of land, looking around, and amid the shadows, hundreds, thousands of pale-white souls gazed at him, like a forest of flickering spirits.

They surrounded him, watching him, eyes filled with longing and expectation.

Waiting for Ian’s response.

Ian was silent for a long time, he tried to speak several times but no sound came out.

But eventually, he answered.

He said, “I think I understand how the Deceased Monarch came to be…

And I finally know what it means to be a savior.”

“So it is, so it is…

But I’m sorry, everyone.”

With eyes closed, Ian spoke the truth: “I’m not a hero, nor am I some kind of savior.”

“I can’t save you all.”