409: Chapter 409 The Black Rose of the Past

"Not being polite?"

The two men looked at each other and both laughed.

"Mo Linger, we know you awakened the SS-rank Rose Flower Dragon Bloodline, and it's indeed powerful, but right now—it seems you haven't formed a contract yet?"

"I have already become a Second-tier Beast Tamer and can contract two Spirit Beasts!"

"I'm still missing one spot. How about it, Mo Linger, consider it? Following me, I won't treat you poorly."

Mo Linger's face instantly turned ashen.

"In your dreams! Even if I undergo demonization into a magic beast, I would never contract with someone like you!"

It seemed like these two had some kind of grudge.

And these words also completely enraged the other party.

"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

The man's face darkened, "Since you're so unappreciative, don't blame us for using force! Go!"

As the words fell, the two men and their Spirit Beasts attacked simultaneously.

The battle erupted instantly.

Mo Linger was very strong, possessing the power and perception of an SS-rank Bloodline; even facing four opponents alone, she didn't fall behind.

But two fists are no match for four hands.

Gradually, she began to fall into a disadvantage.

The opponent's attacks became more and more violent; she could only barely defend, and wounds began to appear on her body.

Chen Yi watched from the side, anxious and burning with worry.

He knew he was very weak and couldn't help. But he couldn't just stand by and watch Mo Linger be bullied.

The idea of that Destined Heroine surged into his mind again.

Maybe—this was the chance to increase favorability?

Although it was dangerous, if he stepped forward to play the hero saving the beauty, maybe...

Thinking of this, Chen Yi gritted his teeth, picked up a stone from the ground, and shouted: "Stop!"

Then, he rushed forward.

The result—as one might imagine.

As an ordinary person, how could he possibly defeat a Beast Tamer and Spirit Beasts?

The man didn't even look at him properly; with just a casual wave of his hand, an invisible force sent Chen Yi flying, crashing heavily onto the ground.

"Overestimating your capabilities!"

The man sneered.

But in that split second of distraction, Mo Linger seized the opportunity.

"Rose · Bloom!"

Countless purple sword lights, like blooming roses, instantly erupted, enveloping the two men and their Spirit Beasts.

"What?"

"Not good!"

Screams of agony rang out.

When the sword light dissipated, both men and their Spirit Beasts lay in a pool of blood, on the verge of death.

Mo Linger also stumbled back, using her sword to support her body so she wouldn't fall.

On her body were several wounds deep enough to see bone, and blood stained her black clothes red.

Chen Yi struggled to crawl up and ran to her side: "Are you okay?"

Mo Linger glanced at him, blood overflowing from the corner of her mouth, but there was a hint of a smile in her eyes: "I'm fine, but you—"

Chen Yi nodded quickly: "I'm definitely fine! Your current situation—"

"I—can't make it."

Mo Linger shook her head, her voice growing weaker, "That move just now—exhausted all my power—and triggered a backlash—"

"I know some first-aid skills—"

As Chen Yi spoke, he tore his own clothes, preparing to bandage her.

"No need, this isn't something that can be cured by just stopping the bleeding!"

Mo Linger took out a dozen or so crystals she had previously scavenged from magic beasts, "These are—First-tier magic beast crystal cores—take them—sell them—it should be enough for you to live for a while—"

Her breath became fainter and fainter.

Her eyes were almost closed.

"Miss Mo! Miss Mo, don't die! I'll take you to find a doctor! There must be a doctor in the city who can cure you!"

Chen Yi was so anxious that tears came out.

But Mo Linger just shook her head gently.

"It's useless, my injuries can't be cured—"

She looked at Chen Yi and said with a gentle gaze, "You must live on well—this world—although dangerous—also has beauty—"

After saying this, her hand fell weakly.

Her eyes slowly closed.

Her breathing stopped.

Chen Yi stared blankly at the gradually cooling body in his arms, his mind a complete blank.

Dead?

That beautiful and powerful woman who saved him, the one he thought was the Destined Heroine—just died like that?

Because she saved him, because she protected him, she died?

Chen Yi knelt on the ground, holding Mo Linger's corpse, his vision blurred by tears.

No cheats, no golden fingers, no heaven-defying fate-changing.

Only the cruel reality—in this dangerous world, the weak can lose their lives at any time.

And the strong—can also pay the price of their lives because of a moment's carelessness, or to protect others.

Chen Yi dug a pit in the wilderness and buried Mo Linger.

He knelt before the grave for a long time, finally kowtowing three times.

"Thank you for saving me!"

He said softly, "Although I don't understand this world yet, don't understand what a Beast Tamer is, what a Spirit Beast is—I will live on, I definitely will!"

He stood up and walked toward Ye City in the direction Mo Linger had pointed.

His luck was quite good; he didn't encounter any more monster beasts or magic beasts on the way.

He entered Ye City and began his difficult survival in this strange world.

Until a few days later, when he was about to starve to death, he met Liu Ruyan, who gave him a meal, took him in, and taught him the basic common sense of this world—

Later, he awakened the system and began his path as a Beast Tamer—

But Mo Linger—that black-haired woman who saved him in the wilderness—remained forever in the depths of his memory.

---

The memory ended here.

The sky outside the window was completely bright, and the morning light spilled in through the window.

He turned his head and looked at Black Rose not far beside him.

That woman with long black hair and red eyes was now standing quietly by the window, her profile appearing soft and beautiful in the morning light.

So—she is Mo Linger, she is the reincarnation of Mo Linger.

No wonder Chen Yi had an inexplicable sense of familiarity when he first met Black Rose.

After all this time, that's what happened!

He always remembered that black-haired woman who saved him in the wilderness, remembered her sword light, remembered the magic beast crystal cores she stuffed into his hand before she died, remembered her saying to live on well—

Now, that person was right beside him.

In another form, with another identity, but—still the same person.

Complex emotions surged in Chen Yi's heart—the joy of reunion, the sigh at the wonders of fate, and also deep guilt.

If it weren't to save him, Mo Linger might not have died; she might have become a powerhouse of her generation and lived well.

But if not for that, he might have died in the wilderness long ago, and there would be no later story.

Fate is truly wondrous.

"But then again—"

A question arose in Chen Yi's heart, "Isn't it said that only high-tier Spirit Beasts can reincarnate as a Demon Emperor after death? Why could she, who was only Tier-1 at the time, reincarnate?"

When Mo Linger died, although her bloodline was SS-rank, her level was only Tier-1.

Logically, this level was not enough to reincarnate as a Demon Emperor.

Unless—there was some special reason.

Chen Yi thought of Hua Liuli.

That woman who controlled the Space-Time Rift might have special means to collect special souls and conduct reincarnation experiments?

But the problem was, Mo Linger only had an SS-rank Bloodline, right?

There are so many SS-rank Bloodlines, why specifically resurrect her?

But all of this was just speculation.