The tower still stands, but the flame has not yet been lit.

There was something missing, Jost thought, something pure, fundamental, something that went straight to the root.

There are three conditions for the existence of the magic network.

First of all, there is the agreement between the wizard and the monster, which represents the contract and oath, the law, the order, and the foundation of everything.

The second is knowledge. The knowledge that comes from great beings, the Old Ones, and the ancient books, as well as the derived spells, are the source of everything.

Finally, there is the sacrifice.

Carrying the pollution, dedicating oneself in eternal silence, sacrificing oneself as a sacrifice.

This is the continuation of everything.

At this point, the players have signed an agreement and reached a settlement with the Demon Network, and the foundation has been laid.

Through Jost's ritual, that long-standing knowledge will also be poured into the magic web, becoming a spell that everyone can master, with a distant source.

All that’s missing is the sacrifice.

Once the three conditions are met, Jost will be able to materialize the magic network immediately. In this land of the Kingdom of Night, everyone will have the opportunity to access the magic network. In an instant, the flames of the spirit torches will burn all over the place, illuminating the dark night sky.

From now on, the Kingdom of Night will begin a history of struggle and sacrifice that will last for a thousand years. Countless people will die because of this, and countless people will be born in this struggle, open their eyes, and look at this world.

It surged like a tide, engulfing everything, destroying everything. The monsters that destroyed the world covered the sky and the sun, and even the air seemed to smell the scent of blood and fire.

Jost stood at the top of the tower, a tower that condensed the efforts of countless people just to challenge the unreasonable god.

He was able to look down on the world and witness the suffering and struggle of this foreign land.

There is a terrifying beast in front of him, and behind him is a crumbling home.

It's time.

He thought that he actually already knew the answer, but it took great courage to make this decision.

Because that is not just the sacrifice of one person, but the sacrifice of countless people from now on.

Jost can sacrifice his life at any time and in any form just to save the world he loves, but he has no right to decide the dedication of others. What Jost is going to do next is the ultimate arrogance, because he will decide the fate of thousands of wizards in the future.

And Jost himself will be bound to this tower forever, witnessing all the sacrifices and deaths that follow until the end of the world.

At this last moment of his life, he could have given up everything and passed away suddenly, not caring about the flood after his death.

But he didn't do that.

Jost stood on top of the gray tower, the empty top of the tower.

"Legend has it that powerful wizards can leave a curse on the world when they die."

"The knowledge they carry exceeds the limits of mortals. They elevate themselves, control the rules, and are even comparable to gods."

"Therefore, when they fall, their most hateful, desperate, and angry wills will become curses and remain."

"There are lakes that hold so much pollution that just seeing it is enough to drive you crazy."

"There are everlasting storms, wild and raging, obliterating all living things."

"And the towering towers twist all living things around them, causing corruption to blossom and bear fruit."

Jost's vision at this moment has transcended the present. He can see everything from the emergence of civilization in this world to the distant future.

Blood started to flow from his nose, a sign that some kind of spell was about to be cast.

"I, Jost, am the first chief wizard of the Grey Tower. Before I die, what I want to leave behind is not a curse, but a hope."

Around him, traces of electricity surged, and the swirling storm formed a huge and chaotic vortex above his head, which even monsters were afraid of.

He raised his head, staring at the crimson vortex, through the clouds, he looked into the eyes of the red moon, and into the eyes of all the people in this world, present, past, and future, who tried to fight against that god.

Then he spoke.

"Agni the Fire-Burner, you once protected thirteen principalities with your own strength. In the face of the demonic tide, your brilliance was more blazing than the sun. In the last moments of your remaining sanity, you chose to sacrifice yourself, reducing the original sixteen demonic tides to fourteen. The curse you left behind still lingers in the Far North, and it is a fire tornado that devours everything."

"Fular, the Unyielding Flower, the improved medicine you developed saved the country from collapse during the Great Plague. Those enchanting flowers were once the most feared nightmares of the monsters. When you walked on the earth, white flowers once bloomed all over the Black Forest. Even your fall was extremely sad and beautiful. The curse is the bright red thorns that continue to grow in the deepest part of the Black Forest, continuously destroying monsters, as always for a hundred years."

"Jensen, the question setter, the maze spell you created still imprisoned a lord of the demonic tide. You were the first to show humans that those monsters are not invincible. Even if they are weak, humans can still use their wisdom to fight against them. Even after your fall, your curse has become a barrier that the monsters cannot break through."

As he spoke, he traveled through time and space to speak to the great wizards who had once walked the earth.

The most desperate, extreme, and indignant curses, along with a vast amount of will-destroying knowledge, poured into his brain.

"To all the wizards in this world, I, Jost, hereby make an oath with you."

The lights intertwined to form a huge net, and right in the center of the net was him.

"I promise you that if you are willing to extend your hand, I will always answer your prayers."

In the void, countless illusory hands reached out to him, some firm, some panic, some eager, some angry, and prayers containing countless emotions flowed into his consciousness along the large net of light.

The first handshake is the last prayer in despair, the struggling murmur in pain, the roar of anger. No matter what it is, it represents a will, that is, to believe in the existence of hope and try to get closer to it.

In an instant, blood flowed from Jost's eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. His skin turned red and white smoke came out. Some kind of blazing flame was rising from under his skin.

Emotions and will are far more torturous than knowledge. Only scarlet color has been turned into his eyes. He is about to be stripped of his last bit of humanity and become a mark, an indelible existence.

So, without any hesitation, Jost reached out his hand towards those prayers.

The second handshake is a response of not betraying, not disappointing, and not ignoring anyone.

Jost bore the pollution brought by all knowledge. Those huge curses became entities and flowed into his body. Through this action, the wills of the great wizards that the Kingdom of Darkness was proud of throughout the ages were gathered through the invisible giant net.

Some people sneered, some had tears in their eyes, some were confused, and some were full of confidence, but all wills reached out to him without hesitation.

They all knew very well that choosing Jost was equivalent to putting themselves in a cage. Their will would be forever branded on the magic net. From now on, countless mages would pray to them, and the knowledge from foreign lands would also be branded in their brains through the magic net, along with the pollution.

They will bear all the pollution for the entire Kingdom of Night forever.

Even so, they chose Jost.

Just like I once chose hope.

The moment the two hands are clasped together, the spell is about to be completed.

"pray……"

He spelled out the word with his last bit of strength, and his entire body was enveloped in pale flames.

The flame was weak and flickering in the strong wind, and it looked like it would go out in the next second.

Xia quickly realized what he was going to do. She immediately closed her eyes and began to pray towards the Gray Tower, just like she prayed to the gods for the gift of magic at midnight every day.

Seeing this scene, Trist also closed his eyes.

More people began to pray.

A player who once fought monsters naked among flowers.

Players harvesting in the wheat field and looking at the golden wheat waves.

Players who fight iron lizards, build fortresses, learn magic, and truly live in this kingdom of night.

The townspeople who were dominated by fear, the mages who resisted stubbornly, and the audience from another world who were watching the live broadcast in front of their computers.

Everyone started praying.

Magic is the power of the mind.

A powerful wizard must have a strong will.

And the most powerful spell will inevitably carry the most determined prayer.

Countless, overlapping, and majestic prayers like a tsunami converged on the gray tower along the gradually dimming network.

Willing to bear such a fate, willing to turn into firewood, light yourself up, and illuminate the will of this dark world.

That is a promise, a contract, and a vow.

In this darkest, most desperate and most painful moment, they chose to believe in hope.

This is the third handshake.

Thus, the largest-scale magic in the history of the Kingdom of Night was completed.

The pale flame on top of the grey tower suddenly burned fiercely, and the light penetrated the clouds, the crowds of people, and the densely packed monsters.

Only then did Xia finally understand why this year was called the "Year of Fire" in the history of the Kingdom of Night.

From this moment on, magic is no longer a flower that is kept on the shelf, but a power that everyone can access.

From this moment on, the monsters were no longer hopeless and unbeatable, but enemies that could be fought with mortal bodies.

From this moment on, the glittering lights in the sky of the Kingdom of Night are no longer stars, but wizards one after another.

From this moment on, the Kingdom of Darkness will be plunged into a thousand years of bitter battles and struggles, but those people who have suffered so much hardship and hardship, those hardworking, brave, and self-reliant people, have never said the word surrender again.

Because from this moment on, the clarion call of resistance has been sounded, and mankind has ignited its own civilization with its own hands.

In the torch that was as hot as a heartbeat, Jost's voice penetrated space and time and reached the ears of the culprit.

He said, fuck God!