Chapter 389: A New Beginning
December 19th, 1452 — the third day after the Darkland Massacre.
The Bryston Parliament publicly announced the coronation of the new king. On the platform erected in Withershire Cathedral Square, Charles VII's brother, Carlos Charles Arthur Hudston, took the oath and was crowned the eighth King of Bryston:
"I, Charles VIII, by the grace of the Protector of the Bryston Kingdom and of my other realms and territories, and by the grace of the Ascetic Church, solemnly promise and swear to cherish my people, to uphold constitutional rule, and to seek peace and prosperity for all subjects of the Bryston Kingdom."
It's worth mentioning that Charles VIII was only twenty-three years old when he took the throne—the youngest of all Bryston's monarchs. In the years to come, the duty of revitalizing the kingdom would rest on his shoulders.
That same afternoon, in the newly built National Cemetery in northwestern Darkland—
Zhou Ning walked into the graveyard under an umbrella.
Today marked the day of the mass funeral for the victims of the Darkland Massacre.
All the deceased were buried together beneath a single massive mound.
Countless tombstones stretched endlessly before it—most erected by the Bryston authorities, based on the official list of the missing and the dead.
All around, the air was filled with the sound of heart-rending sobs.
At one grave, Zhou Ning saw John's parents, John's younger brother, and John's tombstone, which bore his name, his photo, and an epitaph beneath his smiling portrait:
"An entrepreneur who wasn't very successful, losing hundreds of thousands in his ventures. But he was the best brother and the best son."
"And the best friend," Zhou Ning murmured softly.
When John's father saw him, he paused, his tone heavy with grief. "You're Wayne, aren't you? I'm very glad you came today. John mentioned your name to me so many times—at family gatherings, over meals."
He went on, voice trembling but warm: "That business he did with you was the only one that ever made a profit, and it had such great promise. But he told me his proudest achievement wasn't the deal itself—it was meeting you, an extraordinary friend."
Zhou Ning closed his eyes for a moment, unsure how to respond. John's father continued:
"I'll keep running that business for him—that was his wish. Wayne, your share of the dividends will stay the same. I'll wire the money to your bank account every month. Until the day I die."
After chatting for a short while longer, John's father said his goodbyes and left.
Zhou Ning removed his hat, tilted his head upward, and let out a slow breath. With a flicker of his manifestation ability, several ethereal bouquets appeared in his hand. He laid one gently before John's grave.
Then, on the two tombstones beside it, he found the names of Mr. and Mrs. Turing.
Since they had no surviving family in this world, their graves bore neither portraits nor epitaphs.
Kneeling down, Zhou Ning used his finger as a pen and inscribed a line on Mr. Turing's tombstone:
"With her passing, he too found peace. After his wife's death, he saw through the vanity of the world and chose to rest. A tribute to a legend."
Then, on Mrs. Turing's stone, he carved another:
"The best wife, the kindest elder—she shared with her husband one of the longest loves known to humankind."
When the epitaphs were done, Zhou Ning placed the remaining bouquet before their graves. After one last lingering look at the sea of tombstones, he put his hat back on and turned away.
On his way home, he spent nearly 120 Vecktas on travel supplies—two black formal suits, a pair of glasses, a couple of wool sweaters he might need in the Kingdom of Sepharic, and a suitcase.
Since the polar regions of the Apocalypse Continent lay to the east and west, the western Sepharic Kingdom was known for its cold climate; wool sweaters and coats were essential there.
After finishing his preparations, Zhou Ning went home, bathed, changed, packed his things, and watched the second day of the Professional League qualifiers.
In the next day's matches, the biggest favorite in the solo bracket—the Bird-Bird Fruit user Big Wave of Heat—made his debut, playing two rounds in a row. A veteran pro, he didn't disappoint his fans: flying the entire match, he left his opponent, a thief, unable to even touch him. When his HP dropped to 40%, the thief simply jumped off the stage and conceded.
Another familiar face, Super Powerful Bluecat, who had been commentating on the first day, also competed. Like Zhou Ning, he was a Ranger. If Zhou Ning remembered correctly, he had once bought a Devil Fruit from him. Unfortunately, today's opponent was too weak to draw out his ability.
In one of the other highlight matches, Qingbai Wild Sake, another first-day commentator, unexpectedly lost to a random Warrior in an upset and was knocked out early. Zhou Ning wasn't surprised—after all, the man had been retired for two years. So what if he was rusty?
Meanwhile, XB, Sunken Star Beneath the Water, and Jinse all advanced with ease. Sunken Star Beneath the Water even set a record with a 27-second victory, swiftly defeating a Priest. Once transformed into a jackal, his damage output was overwhelming—combined with his high-level Armament Haki, the opponent barely managed to heal before being obliterated in a single burst. After that match, he became the fourth hottest favorite, following Big Wave of Heat, Jinse, and Alex.
Aside from the solo bracket, two rounds of team matches were also held. Well-known clubs like Deep Blue, Star-Moon, and Candy Ultra-Sweet all advanced comfortably. However, the much-hyped "Just for Fun" team—composed of XB, Qingbai Wild Sake, and Haicheng—really did live up to its name, being eliminated in the second round. At least Qingbai Wild Sake could now focus on commentary!
In terms of class win rates, the Ranger maintained the highest at 66.9%, far ahead of all others.
Zhou Ning was quite satisfied with those results—it proved his efforts had been worthwhile.
The next morning, Zhou Ning lifted a heavy suitcase and left the house where he'd lived for several months. He boarded a carriage heading toward the northern port of Darkland.
Since most players were still busy with the qualifiers in Darkland, Zhou Ning didn't plan to bring anyone along to the Sepharic Kingdom. By now, his interests were deeply tied to those of the Ranger players; once the time came to change classes to Demon Hunter and learn new skills, they would naturally follow on their own.
Before long, the carriage stopped at the gates of the northern port. Zhou Ning stepped down and spotted Richburg, wearing his trademark flamboyant merchant's coat and holding a suitcase, waving enthusiastically. Beside him stood the veiled craftsman Ignatius Woods.
Zhou Ning adjusted his hat, walked over, then paused and looked back toward Darkland City.
"Time to go."
(End of Part One)
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