Chapter 29: You Are My Faith (X)

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Chapter 29: You Are My Faith (X)

Shang Ke hadn’t originally intended to play anything, but when he noticed Youri restlessly fiddling with his harp, he went over to take a look. He had unlocked the Musical Instruments skill through the System, and each time he advanced it, he could choose a different instrument to study. The System contained an enormous variety of instruments. In theory, as long as he had enough energy, he could eventually learn nearly all of them.

So far, he had chosen the piano, flute, and violin—the violin having been selected after the second world. He had yet to try an instrument unique to another world. This world’s harp was different from the ones he remembered. It curved like a silver crescent moon, with three delicate Magic Crystals embedded in its frame like glittering stars, while seven golden strings stretched between them.

Embedding precious Magic Crystals into a musical instrument was probably something only a noble-born wastrel like Youri would do.

Shang Ke experimentally plucked a few notes. The barrier formed by the Magic Crystals immediately began to resonate, almost as though it had an amplifying effect, carrying the sound far into the distance.

His interest was piqued. Sequences of notes rapidly assembled in his mind, and his fingers began moving as inspiration struck, launching into an improvisation.

A clear, beautiful melody poured forth like running water, gradually becoming a river of stars flowing slowly beneath the night sky.

What Shang Ke didn’t realize was that as he played, the demonic energy clinging to everyone around him was being drawn little by little into his own body. That was why they had suddenly begun to feel so much lighter.

One by one, people emerged from their tents and quietly watched the young man absorbed in his playing. As they listened intently, their restlessness gradually eased until only tranquility remained.

An enormous amount of demonic energy gathered around Shang Ke, converging above him into a vast vortex, while the music itself carried immense power of faith that intertwined with the darkness. The place where Shang Ke sat became both the darkest and the brightest point in the entire camp.

Only light could cause darkness to gather.

And only against darkness could light truly shine.

“Shang Ke!” Tylor was the first to notice something was wrong.

Shang Ke’s eyes were half closed, his face nearly translucent with pallor, while his lips were as vividly red as blood. Wisps of demonic energy curled around his fingertips like ribbons, while notes condensed from the power of faith glittered through the darkness like scattered stars.

The demonic energy gradually spread into Shang Ke’s eyes, churning like black flames. A single black tear slid from the corner of his eye, leaving a dark trail across his jade-pale cheek before dissolving into a wisp of black mist and vanishing into the air.

He drew the darkness into himself and left the light for everyone else.

“Shang Ke, stop!” Kaiser shouted as well.

Shang Ke’s body was nearly engulfed in demonic energy.

Only then did the others realize something was wrong. At the sight of demonic energy surging around Shang Ke, they all instinctively took a step backward.

“Demonic invasion!” someone cried softly, disgust and fear flashing through their eyes.

“Restrain him and see whether he can still be saved!” someone else shouted.

Several people quickly moved toward Shang Ke, only for Tylor and Kaiser to step in front of him at the same time.

“No one touches him!” Tylor ordered coldly.

“Your Highness Tylor, he’s already been invaded by demonic energy! If we don’t treat him immediately, he’ll definitely become an apostle!”

Kaiser snapped furiously, “Even if every last one of you became apostles, he never would!”

These bastards didn’t even realize that they were the ones who had been invaded by demonic energy, and now they wanted to hurt the person who had just saved them.

“Kaiser, we know he’s your friend, but once someone has been invaded by demonic energy, we can’t simply ignore it,” another person said. “Please move aside. He may still be savable.”

“That’s right. You can’t endanger everyone else just because he’s your friend,” several others agreed.

“Endanger everyone else?” Kaiser was beside himself with rage. “Did none of you notice that you were the ones being invaded by demonic energy just now? If it weren’t for Shang Ke, you would be the ones needing treatment!”

“What do you mean?” Everyone looked confused.

“Shang Ke used the music to draw the demonic energy out of your bodies and into his own.”

“Ha! Are you joking?” Most of them refused to believe it. “Who would deliberately absorb demonic energy for someone else? That’s basically suicide!”

“Kaiser, why invent such an absurd lie just to defend him? Look at how concentrated the demonic energy around him is. Obviously his will was too weak, or his faith too unstable, and this is the consequence.”

“His will is weak? His faith is unstable?” Kaiser actually laughed from sheer anger. “Do you honestly think someone weak-willed and lacking in faith could play music filled with the power of faith?”

Everyone froze. The harp’s melody was still drifting through the night, pure and melodious, and just as Kaiser said, it unmistakably contained an immense power of faith.

Then… what exactly was happening?

Tylor ignored the commotion around them. He crouched beside Shang Ke and said softly, “Shang Ke, that’s enough. Stop.”

He placed a hand on Shang Ke’s back. A bone-deep chill immediately surged into him through his fingertips, almost numbing his entire arm.

Only then did Tylor understand just how much demonic energy Shang Ke had absorbed. Merely touching him was enough for that energy to lash outward with almost tangible force.

He could hardly imagine how Shang Ke was enduring such an enormous concentration of demonic energy. Just what was the source of his faith?

“Daddy.” At that moment, a childish voice interrupted Tylor’s thoughts.

Tylor looked up just in time to see Pupu reaching toward Shang Ke.

“Wait—” Before Tylor could finish, Pupu had already grabbed Shang Ke’s sleeve. The instant her small hand made contact, the demonic energy around that spot abruptly dispersed, then rapidly retreated outward. Within moments, the demonic energy covering Shang Ke vanished completely, and the harp fell silent at the same time.

Tylor stared at Pupu in astonishment. He had known the girl possessed exceptionally pure faith, but he hadn’t expected that power to be strong enough to contend with the demonic energy surrounding Shang Ke. He looked back at Shang Ke. This father-and-daughter pair truly was… extraordinary.

As the music stopped, the radiance of faith gradually faded and demonic energy once again began spreading through the surroundings. The people who had been arguing only moments before suddenly felt their bodies turn cold as thin strands of demonic energy passed through them. It was as though they had fallen in an instant from a sunlit field of flowers into a frozen glacier.

The difference was so dramatic that they nearly coughed up blood.

When they looked at Shang Ke again, the earlier disgust was gone. Only shock and disbelief remained.

Had this man really been absorbing the demonic energy for them just now?

“Shang Ke, how are you?” Tylor supported him, his gaze fixed intently on his face.

“I’m fine.” Shang Ke gave Tylor a tired smile, then looked at Pupu and stroked her head. “Thank you, Pupu.”

Pupu had absolutely no idea what he was thanking her for, but being praised made her very happy. She immediately threw herself into his arms, hugged him tightly, and happily clung to him.

In truth, Shang Ke hadn’t intended to absorb everyone’s demonic energy at all. The moment the music began, he felt enormous quantities of demonic energy surge toward him and rapidly merge into his body. The only thing easing the invasion was the sound of the harp, so he had no choice but to keep playing. If he stopped, there was a good chance the demonic energy would completely overwhelm him.

Fortunately, Pupu cut off the flow of demonic energy in time, giving him a chance to breathe and allowing him to escape disaster.

So his demonic-energy-absorbing constitution could apparently become an area-of-effect skill when channeled through an object! Seriously, this ridiculous world was dangerous at every turn. He had merely played a little music and nearly played himself to death. Enough already!

Shang Ke looked down at the harp in his hands and decided that until he left this world, he was never touching another musical instrument again.

He handed the harp back to Youri, who was staring at him with equal parts amazement and worship. “Shang Ke—no, Senior Osari, please accept my kneeling tribute!”

Shang Ke: “…”

Shang Ke looked around and discovered that everyone else was staring at him in much the same way.

Just as the crowd prepared to surround him with questions, Shang Ke turned toward Tylor. “Tylor, lend me your shoulder for a moment.”

The words had barely left his mouth before he collapsed into Tylor’s arms.

Tylor gently held the weakened Shang Ke, his gaze filled with tenderness and pain.

“How is he?” Kaiser hurried over and asked anxiously.

“He’ll probably be weak for quite a while again.” Tylor’s expression was grave.

Kaiser’s nose stung. “Idiot,” he muttered hoarsely.

“I’ll take him to rest. I’ll leave everything else to you.” Tylor picked up both Shang Ke and Pupu and headed straight for the tent.

Kaiser watched his retreating figure, his expression complicated.

After being “baptized” by Shang Ke’s music, everyone still felt some discomfort, but the suffocating oppression from before had largely disappeared.

Only now did they begin to truly understand just how great a burden absorbing demonic energy placed on Shang Ke. An ordinary person could barely endure even a small amount invading their body, yet Shang Ke had taken on the demonic energy of so many people all by himself. That level of endurance and courage was impossible not to admire.

Earlier, they had self-righteously accused him of having a weak will and unstable faith. Now that they thought about it, the truly fragile ones were themselves. They feared demonic energy and did everything possible to conceal their own weaknesses. Shang Ke, however, had shown them an entirely different way to fight—to turn one’s own body into the battlefield, one’s will into the weapon, and charge forward without hesitation against the darkness.

They knew only how to guard their hearts and had never considered confronting the darkness head-on.

But how many people in this world could truly defeat the demons within their own hearts through sheer will? Perhaps only someone with an open heart and unwavering faith could do it.

Everyone unconsciously turned toward the tent where Shang Ke was resting, emotions surging through them so strongly that they could hardly contain themselves…

After this incident, Shang Ke practically became the expedition’s highest-priority protected person. Their journey through the Abyssal Marsh also became much easier because of him. At the very least, they no longer had to constantly fear being driven mad by demonic invasion.

But as they drew closer to the depths of the abyss, the demonic energy became increasingly intense. They encountered large numbers of corpses along the way, and before long, they suffered another stroke of bad luck—they became lost.

After wandering through the depths of the marsh for four or five days, they finally encountered another expedition group.

This group was in terrible condition. There were a little over thirty people, all exhausted-looking and injured. The moment they saw Shang Ke’s group, they nearly attacked on sight.

Compared with them, Tylor’s group was in a completely different mental state. They were tired, certainly, but there was little fear or nervous tension among them.

Shang Ke examined them one by one. Most of the people in the other group had already been invaded by demonic energy, and several had even become lower-ranking apostles.

While Shang Ke was observing them, someone suddenly shouted in terror, “A King-level Apostle! There’s a King-level Apostle among them!”

Shang Ke followed the direction of the man’s finger and discovered that he was pointing straight at him.

Uh… did they find me out?

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