Sun & Moon Continent, a fantastical world with a long history. Here, there is a miraculous energy that can grant humans extraordinary power.
Humans can summon everything within heaven and earth, from ordinary things like tree branches, grass blades, hoes… to extraordinary things like treasures, monsters…
Once a contract is successfully formed with these things, they are called Contractors. The maximum level is ninety-nine. Those who reach level ninety possess immense power and are revered by the world as gods among mortals.
…
Ancient Forest, an ancient region that existed before humanity appeared. It is the dwelling place of countless energy monsters, a death zone for weak humans but an endless treasure trove for the strong.
A man and a woman were desperately running deep into the forest, the man holding a baby wrapped in a blanket in his arms.
Both of them were covered in injuries, their expressions exhausted as if they had just endured a fierce battle without any rest.
"Surrender and be bound!"
A proud and resonant voice rang out, and immediately the sky blazed brightly. A giant fireball, like a miniature sun, flew toward the two.
The woman formed hand seals, energy surging from her body. A giant magic circle appeared beneath their feet, flashing with a brilliant cyan light. The moment the fireball approached, their figures instantly vanished.
The attack did not stop because they disappeared. It fell straight into the forest, exploding violently with terrifying shockwaves and heat.
Thousands of meters in radius were flattened; all living beings near the ground turned to ashes.
In the sky, the figures of three people became clearer now. In the middle was a handsome man with cold eyes and golden hair. His battle armor, made of precious fabric and pure gold, seemed to represent the status of an emperor.
Beside him were two middle-aged men: one whose clothing, beard, and hair were entirely white, and the other whose clothing, beard, and hair were entirely fiery red. The man on the left exuded chilling energy; water vapor in the air would freeze instantly if it brushed past him. The man on the right was like a furnace, flames rising from his body causing any nearby water to evaporate.
But the three of them were also in a sorry state, their faces bruised, and their armor pierced in several places. It was clear the other two, though at a disadvantage, were not ordinary people.
Their expressions were grim, especially the one in the middle. His face was now dark, his eyes and facial muscles trembling with rage.
"Pursue! They have sinned beyond death!"
Following the residual energy traces, the three of them continued flying deeper into the forest.
In a distant place, the group of three suddenly appeared, frightening the nearby weak energy monsters.
The woman suddenly knelt down, coughing uncontrollably; fresh blood could be seen flowing from her mouth. The energy on her body scattered wildly before completely dissipating; her expression was vague, eyes half-closed as if about to faint.
"Astrid!" The man quickly rushed to hold her, his face full of worry.
He looked disheveled, his clothes tattered and torn, stained red with fresh blood. Compared to her, he looked even worse, only his energy wasn't as chaotic as hers yet.
"Raphael, I'm fine. It's just overuse of energy; resting a bit will help." Astrid smiled to reassure him, but he couldn't feel at ease at all. Did the two of them really have time to rest?
Her gaze fell on the child wrapped in the cloth; it was her and his newborn baby, who had just come into the world not long ago.
Staring deeply at the baby for a moment, her eyes radiated infinite love and also a determination, as if deciding to gamble one last time.
"Continuing like this... everyone will die."
Her honest words were like a knife stabbing into Raphael's bleeding heart. His gaze fell, his whole body utterly weary.
He was originally a noble youth, born destined to stand above tens of thousands. His life before had been smooth sailing; whatever he did, he received maximum support.
From the day he became a Contractor, he progressed smoothly until reaching level ninety, receiving the title of Angel Sword God. He was the youngest person, at least publicly known, to break through to level ninety in history.
During his youthful travels across the continent, he accidentally met Astrid. The two were kindred spirits, gradually developing feelings for each other and even awakened a fusion skill.
Although a genius, he had no desire to conquer the continent or stand at the world's peak; he only wanted a happy life. After his wife became pregnant, he constantly dreamed of a happy future with his wife and child.
Yet disaster suddenly struck. His father—Gabriel Dawn—one of the top-level fighters at level ninety-nine, for some unknown reason, betrayed them, stole a divine artifact, and declared himself a revolutionary.
His clan, knowing nothing, was suddenly implicated. The situation was beyond saving, so they were forced to follow and oppose the Great Sun Temple.
He himself went from a carefree young master to a fugitive, constantly hunted and hiding. Moreover, he had implicated his wife and his unborn child.
"It's all that damned old man's fault... everything is because of him!" Raphael roared, as if trying to vent some of the current feeling of helplessness in his heart.
"Don't curse him... I feel what he did wasn't wrong. The Great Sun Temple and the two empires are clearly oppressing the common people." Astrid spoke gently; until now, she had never resented Gabriel half a word.
She wasn't like Raphael, who came from nobility; she was just a commoner with high talent. Naturally, she understood the suffering of the people when oppressed by officials and nobles.
"So what? We were clearly living very well already. Why should we care about them? If not for them, for that old man..." Raphael questioned, but the words reached his mouth yet couldn't be spoken.
The common people... Wasn't this essentially berating her?
He didn't care about her background, only cared about his feelings for her. Wholehearted, unwavering for a lifetime.
"Enough, let's not argue about irrelevant matters anymore. In a moment, I will sacrifice myself; you use all your strength to hold them back. I want the little boy to be named Leo... Do you think that's alright?" Astrid smiled, gently uttering her final wishes.
Raphael's pupils trembled; he was... afraid!
He was afraid of losing her, losing the most wonderful thing that had come into his life. If he could say it, he would rather choose to sacrifice the baby and keep her.
"No, let me be the sacrifice. You can still use that move as before. My injuries are even more severe than yours." Raphael hurriedly tried to dissuade her; he didn't want to see her die before his eyes; conversely, it would be a bit more bearable.
Sacrifice the baby? That was simply impossible. To use this move, one must at least be level ninety, otherwise, it won't work.
"No, I'm only a support type. In the future, I won't have the ability to protect Leo alone. My mind is made up; you don't need to stop me. Moreover, if we don't act decisively, all three of us will die." Astrid glared at him, no longer gentle and kind, leaving only absolute determination.
"I... I..."
Raphael wanted to speak but couldn't utter a single word. In the end, he could only reluctantly nod. Tears streamed down the cheeks of this great man who feared neither heaven nor earth, like a child.
"Raphael... Promise me you must live. If possible, I want our child not to be implicated in this matter."
Even though Astrid didn't blame Gabriel, it didn't mean she wanted Leo involved in this grudge. Not everyone in the world is a hero; forcing an ordinary person to bear a hero's responsibility is a form of torture.
Raphael said nothing, only looking at the baby less than a few months old in his embrace. He shared the same thought as her; he absolutely did not want his child involved in the trouble caused by his detestable father.
"He will not carry the surname Dawn. I will not let him know about his origins." He solemnly promised, as if certain he could safely escape.
Partly to bolster his own courage, partly to reassure her. Because his own strength was considerably weaker than those three; now, seriously injured, he couldn't possibly fight back.
"Two little bastards, you run quite fast. Are you prepared to receive judgment from the god?"