Rocot: Reborn

Time was twisted into a lightning-like crack, and endless darkness rushed in. I seemed to be wandering on the edge of consciousness, not knowing whether I was alive or dead. Everything around me was swallowed up, until I suddenly appeared in a strange world, and the ground was stained with blood.

I struggled to stand up and looked around. All around me was a desolate ruin, with only the night and the sound of the wind as my companions. However, I felt a faint excitement in my heart as I was in the ruins. This time I was reborn, I would not make the same mistakes as before.

At this moment, a fire in the distance caught my attention. By the light of the fire, I saw a group of warriors wearing strange armor besieging a young man in a black robe. He was holding a staff-like weapon, and when he swung it, flames flew everywhere, but he obviously couldn't hold on for long.

I walked straight forward, and when their attention was all on the young man in black robe, I raised my hand, and a sudden storm swept out, knocking the soldiers to the ground. The young man in black robe was stunned for a moment, showing a surprised expression.

"Who are you?" His voice was filled with an uncontrollable weakness.

"A temporary rescuer, Rocot," I answered coolly. "You are in bad shape, my friend."

But by this time, the soldiers had reacted and were trying to reorganize. I would not give them this opportunity. I knew that being tolerant in this situation would only dig my own grave. I used the wind element I controlled to quickly roll up the metal tiles on the ground and rushed towards the soldiers. Howling and blood intertwined in the night sky, and those soldiers fell to the ground.

"Thanks to you, otherwise my life would be in danger." He seemed somewhat grateful.

"I have many questions." I stared at him, my tone unyielding. "What on earth is this place? Why would the people here attack you?"

His face was still pale, but his eyes were gleaming with determination. "I am Hill, a wizard who studies ancient forbidden arts. This is the city of Narval, and its former prosperity is now a thing of the past. Those who attacked me were ordered by the current dictator, Grayer, who coveted a secret art that I mastered."

I nodded and began to make plans in my mind. Grayer's ambition showed that he should be a worthy target. And Hill... maybe he could be a chess piece of mine.

"Listen, Ciel," I leaned in closer and whispered, "I need a guide, and I need allies. This world is full of unknowns and dangers, but if we work together, we will be more terrifying than any opponent."

Hill hesitated for a moment, his eyes became firm, and he finally stretched out his hand. "Okay, Rokod, may our alliance become the most powerful force in Naval."

Rocot decided to take Hill to the underground shelter in the city of Naval to find more resources and comrades to support their power. On the way, they met a group of civilians oppressed by Grayer, who begged the two to help them overthrow the dictator. Rocot observed that these civilians had potential resistance and decided to use them to further attack Grayer's power. Among these civilians was a woman named Arya, whose leadership and bravery deeply attracted Rocot's attention and quickly became his right-hand man.

The environment in the underground shelter was worse than he had imagined. Under the flickering torch, he could see cracks on the walls caused by years of erosion. The air was filled with the smell of damp soil, and the gaps between the stones on the ground continued to seep out cold air. However, there were people here who were willing to listen to Rocot's words, making him feel that all the hard work was worth it.

"You will create a new era," said Rocot, standing at the leading position. His bright eyes penetrated everyone's faces, and everyone was inspired. "The oppression and inequality you have suffered will soon become a thing of the past. In the future, no one of us will be oppressed anymore!"

The people responded in unison, with momentum reaching an all-time high. The hardships they had experienced before resonated with everyone present, and now they were ready to fight for this common vision.

Grayer is mastering a secret technique to control people's hearts. In fact, when Rokod was reborn, he was already interested in the secret techniques known by the ancient civilization of this world during his conversation with Noqier. However, he did not find any traces of that secret technique in the formations recorded in ancient books, but he knew that others would try to explore it. In addition, in the sandbox where Bazo was killed, the secret technique of bewitching fell directly into his hands because of the discovery of ancient books from later generations. The only problem now is that this method does not work in the reshaped world.

But Rocot would not give up. His sharp eyes wandered over the group of people in front of him. At this moment, they were his pawns, but he also wanted to see them become independent fighters.

"Then I ask you," Rocot said solemnly, "not only to fight, but also to seek new knowledge. Here, we will set up a library, and no matter what your past knowledge may be, now each of you will have the opportunity to realize your potential. Pay attention to the books that interest you and explore the power behind them, or return to the classics with new insights. Remember, mastering knowledge is our secret way to defeat our enemies."

The group paused for a moment, then burst into heated shouts and noisy discussions, and everyone widely agreed on the idea that knowledge could empower them.

"Arya," Rocot said, pulling Arya closer to him from the huddle of people, "I appoint you as head of the library. I trust your leadership and energy to keep things running smoothly. Others may find strength here, but you have proven that you have the foresight to outdo all others."

Arya stood before him, neither humble nor arrogant. She admired this man, both in appearance and inner strength. "If you have made your choice, then I am ready to lead them."

Rocot smiled and held out his hand. Arya also put her hands together. The two stood side by side, as if they were close friends. "Our partner, our team will rush out of the suffering under your leadership and revitalize our energy until our starlight leads the tide of the times."

Frustration and anger surged in his heart, and every time Rocco thought about the base he had carefully built day after day turning into nothing, he could not suppress the fire burning in his body.

Noqier was always full of sympathy for this: "Yzaks and the others just want a little comfort and peace, and all the people involved in the case have not yet decided on their final position. Why don't you give them a chance to show their loyalty and obedience?"

"They let me down," Roccod said, sitting on a stone bench, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "They feel that the old order will return to their lives and take away their freedom. They don't want to break that kind of life."

Noqier hovered around Rocot's neck with concern. Suddenly, her nostrils moved and caught an unusual smell in the air. "Wait, what's that smell?" she asked in confusion.

Roccod raised his head sharply. Behind the smoke of chaos and fighting, he could still smell a scent of perfume that could not be ignored.

"It's almost time." Noqier smiled and walked towards a specific corner of the dim tunnel. "I promised that you would witness their choice."

Under Roccod's gaze, Noqier placed her palms on the surface of an inconspicuous rock. She closed her eyes, as if communicating with an energy abyss that only she could perceive. Soon, the huge rock began to tremble and split strangely, revealing a narrow but glowing passage, and a soft light began to glow faintly in the depths.

A figure walked out of the stone gate, like a saint in silver clothes. After seeing the face of the person, Rokod's tense nerves relaxed a lot.

"It's Y'zaks." He whispered, smiling. "How interesting... That guy's face is as thick as his armor."

Y'zaks was wearing a light silver armor, his face was full of confidence and politeness, with an impeccable smile on his lips. In his hand, he was holding a bunch of beautiful flowers similar to roses.

“I saw that everyone had reunited,” Y’zaks glanced around, “so I decided to help you.” He paused, silently looked at everyone present for a long time, and then continued, “I hope that we will not quarrel again in the future. I will help them build a more just world.”

He spoke in a gentle but decisive tone, and Rocot couldn't help asking, "What do you mean by 'help them'?"

Y'zaks obviously didn't want the process of his defeat to be talked about by everyone. "As you can see, I have established some cooperation with the townspeople of this city. We hope to achieve our goals in a peaceful way."

"So what kind of help do you need?" Rocot asked.

Y'zaks handed him the bouquet in his hand. "This is beauty and power, and it is also the capital for ruling the world. At the same time, it is also the most difficult factor for outsiders to conquer. With this, we don't need to use the wavering blade to cut off our lives."

Rocot didn't respond for a moment, then he held the bouquet in both hands, tightly and firmly. He stood side by side with Y'zaks. "Our partnership will continue for a long time."

Y'zaks and I stood side by side, holding the bunch of gorgeous flowers tightly in our hands. The air was filled with a faint fragrance, as if it was a symbol of power and conspiracy.

"Do you really think that these flowers can replace everything we once built with our swords?" I asked with a sneer, looking straight into Yzaks' eyes.

Y'zaks smiled calmly, looking calm. "Lokold, the violence of the old era is over, and now is the beginning of a new era. We need to conquer with wisdom and beauty, not blood and fear."

His tone was gentle but decisive, which made me think deeply. Perhaps what Y'zaks said was not entirely unreasonable, but I still couldn't trust him completely. After all, he was the one who betrayed me.

"Your plan sounds good, but you and I both know that reality is far more cruel than ideal." I said slowly, my eyes full of doubt.

“I’m not a naive person,” Y’zaks’ voice was low and firm, “but we must try new methods. Otherwise, we will eventually be eliminated by the times.”

In his eyes, I seemed to see the like-minded partner I once was, but now, our relationship is no longer a pure partnership. Deep in my heart, a sense of uneasiness is growing.

"So, what do you need from me?" I finally asked.

Y'zaks smiled and handed me a letter. "This letter will take you to a key person who can help us achieve our goals. Remember, our success depends on whether you can win his trust."

I took the letter with many doubts in my heart. However, I decided to trust him temporarily. After all, in this world full of unknowns and dangers, I had no choice.

After leaving Shimen, I headed alone to the place described in the letter. Along the way, my mind was in a state of flux. I could not forget my past failures, nor could I ignore the new opportunities before me. Every step seemed to lead me to an unknown destiny.

Finally, I came to a magnificent palace. It was a symbol of power, symbolizing the ambitions and desires of countless people. I took a deep breath, pushed open the heavy door, and walked into the palace.

The decoration in the hall was luxurious and elegant, and every detail exuded aristocratic atmosphere. I stood in the middle, waiting for the key person mentioned in the letter to appear.

Suddenly, a figure walked out from the shadows. He was wearing a gorgeous robe, with a stern face and eyes that revealed wisdom and deep power.

"Lockold, welcome." His voice was deep and powerful, as if it could penetrate people's hearts.

I nodded slightly, my heart full of vigilance. "Are you the person I want to see?"

He smiled and nodded. "I'm Declan. I'm here to help you."

Declan's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and I could sense his power and danger. But it was such a strong man who could help me rise again in this new world.

"Well, Declan, let's start negotiating." I took a deep breath and prepared to face the new challenge.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense. Several dark shadows suddenly appeared, holding weapons, and surrounded Declan and me. The situation became critical in an instant, and I could only pray in my heart that this was just the beginning.

I looked around nervously, preparing for possible attacks. However, at this moment, the shadows suddenly knelt down and surrendered to me. Their posture and expression were extremely humble, which confused and surprised me.

"Lord Rocot, we are here to protect you under orders." One of the shadows said respectfully.

Their attitudes changed 180 degrees, and my heart sank inexplicably. This change reminded me of my former subordinates, whose betrayal put me in deep trouble. Could it be that these shadows were also hiding some unknown conspiracy?

"How do I know you don't have ulterior motives?" I tried to remain calm, but the vigilance in my heart could not be dispelled.

"You can verify our loyalty with this token." One of the shadows handed me an exquisite device with intricate patterns carved on its surface, as if it contained some strange power.

I took the device, looked at it carefully, and then put it into the envelope. Suddenly, the device emitted a soft light, echoing the letter in my hand. This wonderful interaction surprised me and made me start to think about how to use this device to verify loyalty.

"What is the name of this device?" I said slowly, holding the flashing device in my hand.

The shadow replied respectfully: "Sir, it is called the 'Loyalty Verification Stone', and it is a tool specifically used to verify loyalty."

I fell into deep thought, and a crazy plan began to come up in my mind. "What if I use this 'loyalty stone' in the Shadow Realm?"

This thought made my heart race. With this device, I might be able to expose the traitor in the Shadowlands, and even re-establish my personal authority. But I knew that this plan was fraught with danger and uncertainty.

But the more dangerous it is, the more tempting it is to me now. After experiencing failure and setbacks in my previous life, this plan seems to be the only way for me to return to the top.

Just as I was thinking, Declan's voice suddenly broke the silence. "Lockold, you seem to have some concerns. We can do a test first to see the power of this 'loyalty stone'."

I looked up in shock and looked at Declan in disbelief. "Are you willing to cooperate with me?"

Declan nodded, with a meaningful glint in his eyes. "Of course, after all, we all hope to see the collapse of the Shadow Kingdom. This test can not only verify the power of the 'Loyalty Stone', but also help us find the hidden spies."

I had mixed feelings, but at least now I had a chance to turn the tables. I began to mobilize the forces of the entire Shadow Kingdom and prepared to start a major test.

This time, I will not only rebuild my position, but also lure those betrayers into traps one by one. The Shadow Kingdom is about to usher in a day of cleansing, and I will be the manipulator who dominates everything!