Chapter 283 World Vision

She gazed at me with a look of understanding, and it was as if she could see into my soul. I had just killed an enemy soldier, and it weighed heavily on my conscience. I wanted to save him, but in that moment, I had no other choice.

As I stood there, grappling with the weight of my decision, she stood up and walked away. I felt a pang of regret as she left me alone with my thoughts. However, her words lingered in my mind.

"Look," she had said, "you will have to make hard decisions. You are a king, not an ordinary man. A king must do his duty, or else the whole kingdom will suffer. This is not the normal world; this is a game, and you will have to play by its rules."

As I tried to process her words, a message appeared on the advanced control menu. I eagerly opened it, hoping for good news. To my surprise, I had been promoted to the next level. I had been working towards this promotion for months, but now that I had achieved it, I felt conflicted.

I opened the message to see what rewards came with the promotion. My eyes widened in amazement as I read the list of rewards. I had been awarded all types of resources, including gold, silver, iron, wood, diamonds, and much more. I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of wealth I had gained.

As I continued to read, I saw that I had received five new horses. They were magnificent beasts, with gleaming coats and muscular bodies. Their speed was unmatched, and they had double the power of my previous horses.

I couldn't believe my luck. It was as if the universe was rewarding me for my hard work and dedication. I couldn't wait to explore the new opportunities that lay ahead of me.

Despite my excitement, however, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Was this truly what I wanted? Was I willing to make sacrifices to maintain my position as king?

As I pondered these questions, I couldn't help but think back to the enemy soldier I had killed. In that moment, I had made a difficult decision, but it was one that I knew I had to make. The weight of responsibility was heavy on my shoulders, but I knew that I couldn't back down.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, allowing the feeling of power and responsibility to wash over me. I was a king, and I had to do what was necessary to protect my kingdom. The game was just beginning, and I was ready to play by its rules.

As I sat on the rock, my mind was in turmoil. The addition of the Rioters to my minion army had unsettled me deeply. I had never been a person who enjoyed violence, but the game was forcing me to use these brutal minions to win battles. The thought of burning houses, molesting women, and killing in the most savage ways made me feel sick to my stomach.

I looked around and saw my minions cleaning themselves, their clothes and weapons stained with blood. The screams of the dying still echoed in my ears, and I knew that I couldn't continue like this. I needed to find a way to win battles without resorting to such brutality.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. When I opened my eyes, I saw Chloe standing in front of me. She had been my friend since childhood, and I was glad to see her.

However, her words were not what I wanted to hear. She told me that I was a king and that kings had to make sacrifices. She said that if I hadn't attacked here, my city would have been attacked and my people killed. While her words were true, I couldn't help but feel like I was losing my humanity in the process.

I stood up and started walking aimlessly. I didn't know where I was going, but I needed to clear my head. The forest was quiet, and I welcomed the peacefulness. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, and the sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating a beautiful mosaic of light and shadow.

I found a spot and sat down, leaning against a tree. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest. The chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, and the distant roar of a waterfall all blended together into a soothing melody.

I felt a sense of calm wash over me, and I realized that I needed to find a way to win battles without losing myself in the process. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to find a way.

As I opened my eyes, Chloe was still there, watching me. I looked at her, and I knew that she could see the determination in my eyes. I was going to find a way to win battles, but I was going to do it on my terms, without sacrificing my humanity.

"I am feeling good now, though it's hard to ignore the sadness that comes with the realization of how vicious I have become," I explained to her, my voice heavy with emotion. "You see, today I had to kill people I admired. It's a complicated feeling, but I felt a twinge of guilt when I did it. However, when they began to kill our warriors in the gap, something inside of me changed. I began to feel an excitement rising within me that I couldn't control. The smell of death became intoxicating, and I became almost addicted to it."

I watched as she looked into my eyes, searching for the truth of my words. Her eyes widened as she realized the darkness within me. "I know I have been telling you that I'm afraid of myself, and it's because I enjoy it now," I continued, the words flowing out of me before I could even think to stop them.

She stood there, her mouth open in shock. This was not the man she thought she knew. The man she had fallen in love with was kind and gentle, always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. But this man was a stranger to her.

"I don't want to become like King Howard," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "That's why I'm scared of myself. The new minions' rioters are exactly what I wanted. They will spread terror among our enemies and make them fear us. Fear is a powerful tool, and I plan to use it to my advantage."

I stood up from the rock, my eyes never leaving hers. She still stood there, unsure of what to say or do. I could tell that she was struggling to understand what had happened to me. "I know this is hard to understand," I said, my voice softer now. "But I hope that you can see that I'm doing what I have to do to protect us all. I don't want to hurt anyone, but sometimes it's necessary."

She finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can be with someone who enjoys killing," she said, tears streaming down her face.

"I understand," I said, my heart heavy with regret. "I hope that someday you can forgive me." And with that, I turned and walked away, knowing that I had lost the love of my life to the darkness inside of me.