In the darkness beyond the light, shadows swayed and drifted, and in some secluded corners, the descending black mist was clearly visible.

In such an environment, there was always an inexplicable sense of fear and oppression.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this that they needed to tell some dirty jokes while on patrol.

Although they seemed quite vulgar, constantly commenting on Rode, joking and laughing, and teasing the green Caramon, there was a clarity in their eyes, and their tense muscles indicated they remained vigilant, with at least half of their attention on the surrounding environment.

"Rode, do you think being born is a kind of harm?"

After discussing the crystal ball, they moved on to other topics, chatting like old friends.

Rode was taken aback: "Isn't birth a blessing of the fire?"

Raisin laughed, "You sound a bit like the bishop or the war committee members; they love attributing everything to the fire and blessings."

Aeg imitated a serious tone: "May the flames purify my thoughts, may justice gather like moths to your light. Ahead lies the root of the threat. For the royal city, for the Sacred Fire, warriors! The time to test you has come!"

The three of them burst into laughter, except for Rode, who didn't laugh.

Raisin patted Rode's shoulder and laughed, "Let's not do any ideological education now; let's just talk about our feelings. Do you think being born is a kind of harm?"

"Not really?"

"If I wasn't born, I wouldn't be here to see anything, would I?"

Raisin laughed, "You're lucky; you've all ignited your souls and become Firebearers. But what if you hadn't ignited? What if you were eliminated in the first round of the Trial of Fire?"

Everyone fell silent.

Raisin continued, "Wouldn't we have to live in darkness? Living in the Outer City, unable to afford large spirit lamps, unable to use good fuel, the dim light in the house flickering like a candle in the wind, worrying every night about the fuel running out and the spirit lamp going out, fearing ghosts invading your home, fearing inexplicable infections or curses, working day after day in a factory, or crafting small things to sell, only able to stroll the streets on Tuesday, but unable to afford anything in the market, with no girl interested in you, dragging on until you're thirty without a wife, while your neighbors move to the Upper City, living in big houses, lighting big spirit lamps. One family's child has ignited eighteen sparks and become a Guardian, while you're still working in the Lower District."

"At that time, would you feel that being born is a kind of harm? Would you resent your parents for bringing you into this world without your consent?"

Imagining such a desperate life, everyone's faces turned gloomy.

"Think about it, if life were so tragic, why would I be born? Why would I come to this world? Why live a life of fear and meaninglessness? Why did my parents dare to bring me into this world without even a house in the Upper City? Others have strong souls and high spiritual vision, but I'm just a useless person who can't ignite, without spiritual vision. What right did they have to give birth to me?"

Raisin paused slightly and continued.

"Even if you've ignited the Soul Fire, how much better is it? When we leave the academy, leave the royal city, we'll find the outside world so cruel, always facing monsters far stronger than ourselves, always worrying about the erosion and infection of the black mist, medical supplies and aid never enough, the light of the fire only enough to illuminate your feet, looking up, it's layers upon layers of endless darkness. You fight day after day, battling countless monsters, never seeing an end, no hope, your teammates dying one by one, or mutating, or going mad. You can't take it anymore, your spirit gradually mutates, your soul gradually numbs, and one day, you too become a monster in the darkness."

"Do you think such a life is good?"

A deathly silence fell over the group, as if even breathing had disappeared.

But Raisin still maintained a smile, though there was something strange in his tone.

"No, I don't think so."

"Birth is a blessing. Despite the darkness of this world, there is still firelight to illuminate it. Despite my misery, there is still room to dream. This world is so beautiful, there are always bright flowers blooming for me. If not, I will bloom for myself, celebrating my birth."

Everyone was momentarily stunned, even stopping in their tracks.

Suddenly, Caramon wailed, "Waaah, what you said was so good. I've never heard anything so powerful. I won't care about Donna anymore. I want a new life!"

Aeg praised, "Your level is better than most war committee members. Have you considered changing careers? Maybe you could become a bishop."

Raisin laughed, "Don't say that. I can't handle the life of the church. I'm just expressing my feelings. You know, I was eliminated in the first round of the Trial of Fire for three consecutive years from sixteen to nineteen. It was only at twenty, the last year, that I passed. Before that, I was lost and confused, but I finally made it through."

"Maybe it really was the blessing of the fire. When I accepted it all, I passed."

Everyone applauded, and Aeg whistled, "As expected of our forward!"

Perhaps the topic wasn't cheerful enough, so it ended there, and they started chatting about lighter topics, like the top ten beauties of the royal city.

However, their level was quite low, and the conversation revolved around vulgar topics like big breasts, ample bosoms, and long legs.

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Rode couldn't stand it anymore, so he slightly modified the story of the Thirteen Beauties of Jinling and told it as a joke.

Thanks to his hard study and his exceptional language talent, he could now use the common language quite fluently, with precise and seasoned wording, and a rich sense of imagery that captivated everyone.

At the climax, Rode cleverly inserted a "to be continued," to deepen their bond, making it easier for him to continue relying on them in the future.

Caramon immediately wailed, "No, tell me what happened to Audrey after she entered the palace? Will Bvlgari make things difficult for her?"

The other two also stared at him, and Rode quickly explained, "I really can't make it up anymore. Inspiration is limited, inspiration is limited."

Only then did they let him go. Aeg asked, "Then what should we talk about? The untold secrets of the king and his lovers?"

Rode was startled and asked in a low voice, "Aren't you afraid of being taken away by the Internal Affairs Tribunal for discussing this?"

The three of them laughed.

"How could that be? The king himself said it's okay."

"Lovers can even be male."

"Why do you have such strange thoughts? Are you from twenty years ago? The king's new laws have been in place for over a decade."

Rode quickly explained, "I lost my memory and don't remember many things."

Everyone was quite surprised, "You really lost your memory?"

Rode nodded and briefly explained the situation, without mentioning the specifics, only saying he was attacked by a monster.

This was the official story given to him by the Internal Affairs Tribunal, strictly forbidding him from spreading the truth.

"So, I really don't know anything. I'm truly a newcomer."

Raisin pondered, "Then why were you assigned here?"

Aeg guessed, "Maybe it's complementary. The three of us have low spiritual vision, so we need a scout."

"Makes sense!"

Rode didn't want to continue the vulgar jokes, so he quickly said, "You can tell me about tactical positions, what I should do, so I don't hold you back later."

This suggestion received unanimous approval from the three, as the desire to teach is one of human nature.

Raisin said, "Tactical positioning is the way to maximize personnel combat effectiveness in a specific combat mode, generally divided into front, middle, and rear positions. In our squad, I'm the front-line defender, and my duty is to withstand the monster's impact at the forefront."

"Aeg is the middle control position. His White Smoke can lock down monsters, restrict their movements, assist us in attacking or protect us during retreats. This position requires high intelligence, which unfortunately he lacks."

Aeg jumped up and hit Raisin's knee, "You're talking nonsense! When haven't I saved you?"

Raisin ignored him and continued, "Caramon is the rear support, his main role is to heal us, adjust and replenish our spiritual energy. He is very fragile and needs our protection the most."

Caramon angrily said, "How am I fragile?"

"And you, Rode, are the rear scout. Your duty is to observe the entire field, provide information on monsters, and give warnings to prevent monster ambushes."

Raisin suddenly turned, the shield on his back instantly appearing in his left hand, and with a lightning-fast horizontal sweep, he shattered a large dog seemingly made of shadows.

"Like this."

Aeg and Caramon instantly changed, the vulgarity dissipating from them entirely, replaced by calmness, seriousness, and focus.

The former took out a large golden horn from his pocket, while the latter unwrapped the long whip from his waist.

"Looks like we've got some work to do."