the dark king

by Call me Ryder-0001

this book does not belong to me. i am only posting this here to use the app's text to speech feature.

1. Chapter 1

Frozen for three hundred years

I would like to thank lncendairy for doing an awesome job by editing the first chapter!

Rainy season…

In an instant, gloomy black clouds enveloped the sunny sky. The slum dwellers doing their daily activities immediately went back to their houses in fear as rain started pouring down heavily.

Rainwater began to accumulate and spread rapidly in the streets of the slums, immersing the poor houses to their limit. The drainage system that had been unrepaired for ages was not doing its job as the entire outer wall of the slums became a vast expanse of rainwater.

In the Meishan orphanage.

Near the door, a woman in her thirties led a dozen children ranging from seven to eleven years old to carry sandbags that had been prepared, stacking them on top of the threshold in hope of blocking the raging floods.

"Dean, come over to help!"

"It's useless to call him, he's a fool."

"Really!"

A few sweating boys, exhausted from holding sandbags saw a little boy standing quietly not far from the window. Even though they were angry, they knew it was useless. They could only bite their tongues and continue handing sandbags to be sent to the door.

The little boy looked seven or eight years old. His thin, but tall frame made him look more similar to an eleven-year-old. The most conspicuous detail was his color. He was very white, maybe even a bit morbidly pale. His skin color caused the other children to envy him, as everyone else was dark due to exposure to the bright sunlight.

Dudian sighed in his heart. Although he had left the cold storage for more than three months, his body had yet to recover enough to lift anything.

It was exceedingly difficult for him to stand, let alone carry sandbags to block the rain.

However, such a situation could be regarded as fortunate. After all, the Institute had just made the very first freezer when the disaster spread to China. As there was nowhere enough time for an experimental change, nobody knew about this type of failure. It was already a miracle that he was able to sleep in the freezer for three hundred years.

Nevertheless, he did not feel happy.

He survived, but his parents and sister stayed down and had to face the terrible disaster. Even if they had been miraculously lucky and survived, they would have long been buried in the dust after three hundred years.

In this vast, new world, he no longer had loved ones. He would have to face this new world alone.

Although he grieved, he did not despair because he knew his parents had given him a second chance at life. He would not allow himself to go down easily. He would not just live well and get by, but also do what it takes to make his deceased family proud.

Fortunately, God finally sheltered the human race. When Dudian had just climbed out from cold storage, the first thought that came to mind was that he was the only person alive on the earth. Only when he walked out of the garbage dump of the cold storage warehouse did he find that humans were not yet extinct. Only a few people seemed to have survived the disaster, but the human population had grown to a decent size after three hundred years of development.

Unfortunately, technology and civilization had long been destroyed by the disaster. Dudian could not find a trace of any symbol of the old era of science and technology. The loss of knowledge about the electric power added difficulties to basic life.

The storm outside the window gradually came to a stop as Dudian was lost in his thoughts.

All the people in the house felt relief as they watched the water level behind the sandbags dropping. Exhaustion seeped into them as if they had just experienced an everlasting battle. The middle-aged woman raised her head to observe the dark clouds gradually scatter to reveal a sunny sky and said: "Get ready to go to the cafeteria for dinner."

The children's eyes lit up as soon as they heard the word "eat". Their previous fatigue was instantly swept away as they scurried back to the room, put on their wax-grass shoes, and lined up in an orderly manner.

"Dean, get ready to eat." At this time, a voice called out to Dudian. The voice came to him from a seven-year-old boy. He patted Dudian shoulder and pointed in the direction of the canteen.

Dudian remembered this boy named Barton. Barton was one of the few children in the orphanage that was well-intentioned. As the language had changed in the past three hundred years, Dudian did not understand it and stood silent from the time that he entered the orphanage, causing everyone to think that he was retarded or had brain problems.

So naturally, he was placed into the group of the deformed children with Barton.

The children at the orphanage were generally divided into two factions. The first were those abandoned by their parents. The second were those who were abandoned by their parents due to physical deformities.

Dudian nodded and followed Barton to the lines by the column. Just as Barton was about to tell Dudian to first put on the grass sandals, he inadvertently looked down. Seeing that Dudian had long been wearing a light green pair of sandals, he could not help but feel stupid.

Plastic had yet to be invented in this world. Wax-grass shoes and clothes became the most common form of rain gear. This natural variation of grass that could been found everywhere had a fine convex layer of wax that effectively blocked radiation rain and thus became an essential household item.

Everyone carefully walked alongside the threshold before the narrow half meter high stone paved trail. Although the rainwater only came up to their ankles, even the strongest of them would inevitably become seriously ill if they feel into the water.

Because of the limited seating available, the best seats in the cafeteria were immediately seized by those healthy children. Dudian, Barton, and the rest of the deformed kids had long ago become accustomed to their tables in the back corner made from several stacked stoner.

"I heard that a doctor and construction worker have come this time for the adoptions"

"Aunt Dai said to seize this opportunity and put on a good performance"

"It would be awesome if you could be adopted by a doctor."

"I would rather be adopted by the construction worker. There might be a chance to climb the giant wall of Silvia and see the outside world."

Barton and several other children whispered and chatted. None of these children looked normal. Some were missing an ear while others had scarring on half of their faces.

Dudian's eyes flashed as he heard their words, but he kept silent.

"Unfortunately, Dean's brain is no good. Otherwise he would definitely be selected by those people with that kind of appearance and body." Barton sighed suddenly as he looked at Dudian with regret in his eyes.

The other children looked at the unresponsive Dudian, all shaking their head.

Other children also looked at the unresponsive Dudian but just shook their heads.

Long ago they agreed that no matter who got adopted, they would do their best to come back and help the rest of the children. On the surface, Dudian was no double the most promising candidate to be adopted, but his chances were very low with that type of brain problem. His situation was even worse than the deformed kids, such as the one with a face full of lumps. Although they might look scary, they were at least physically and mentally able enough to find a job in the future.

At this time, Leng Heng, a thin child seated close by, heard Barton's words and contemptuously said, "They are a bunch of mutilated things, yet they still want the opportunity to be adopted."

His words immediately attracted the attention of others. Disdain and disgust filled their eyes as they fell on Dudian, Barton, and the others.

Relative to the deformed children, they are physically sound but abandoned people.

Dudian did not say anything as he quietly glanced at these people. Although he is still a child, his heart was much harder than most adults.

Mo Yang's eyes gazed at Dudian.

"Look at this fool. He won't understand even if you call him."

"No wonder he was abandoned. A fool!"

"You wanted to be adopted? Why don't you just obediently wait until you turn thirteen years old and they throw you into the mine as manual labor!"

These children did not attempt to hide their contempt and disgust. Instead, it was a form of pleasure for them.

As the food was given out, the middle-aged woman lightly shouted, "Quiet down! Do you not want to eat?"

Hearing this, the arrogance on their faces quickly took on looks of innocence as if nothing happened.

…

The next day.

Silver-gray clouds gradually stretched out to let the sun spill down onto the slums.

In the rainy season, this type of good weather was rare.

Today was also the long-awaited big day for the children of Meishan Orphanage – Adoption day!

All of the families booked in advance for the chance to come to the orphanage on this day and pick a child.

Although it was early in the morning, Dudian still got up on time. This world may no longer have alarm clocks, but his biological clock had never been wrong. After getting up, he quickly cleaned up his bedding and washed his face with simple filtered well water. As he picked up his clothes by the pillow to get dressed, he suddenly found a purple handkerchief within the cloth.

Dudian was startled and could not help but think of that cold night when he was led to the orphanage by a little girl. Unfortunately, the sky was too dark to see each other's appearances. In the past three months, he learned that only those in the upper reach of the outer wall were able to afford this type of fine cloth.

The handkerchief was left to wipe the dirt off his face.

Dudian put the handkerchief away and left for the open space outside the orphanage.

Although the only parents in his mind were his biological ones, he wanted to get adopted as soon as possible. If he reached the age of thirteen without getting adopted, the orphanage would give up on taking care of him and send him to the Meishan Chamber of Commerce to be used as permanent free labor. Meishan Chamber of Commers is the controlling body of the mine. As free labor, he would be forced to work until he died of exhaustion or old age. He would never again have the opportunity to see the light of day.

On the same day, all the children of the orphanage washed themselves, dressed in their nicest clothes, and were neatly put in a line.

Nobody would bear to be near you if you were covered in a bad odor.

This is what the aunt controlling the orphanage told them.

As all the children stood in line, the adults walked up and observed the children who they might potentially adopt as their own under the care of Diana and the other orphanage workers.

Under the guidance of Aunt Diana, the children and workers knew not to speak of the deformities. Wu Yuliu's eyes were full of innocence, desire, and hope as they welcomed the grown-ups. Her eyes were so teary that some of the adults could not help but feel sad or bear to not choose her.

Soon, the thin and tall Dudian became the focus of all the adults' attention. His skin, as pale as snow, was too eye-catching. His temperament differed vastly from the surrounding children. This child had a very calm and extravagant aura surrounding him.

The adults were surprised as they did not expect an orphanage in the slums to have such a good seedling.

For a time, many of their hearts were wavering.

Manor

I would like to thank lncendairy for doing an awesome job by editing the second chapter!

The other children were sensitive to this change. An eight or nine-year-old petite little girl immediately said, "He is Dean. His brain is always in a daze and he cannot speak. Please do not take offense."

She was young, but the brutal living environment forced her to quickly mature into a clever and crafty individual. She did not show a hint of jealousy, only pointing out Dudian's defect as if helping. In a sense, it was the smartest move for her.

"Yeah, yeah!"

"Uncle and Aunts, he really can't talk!"

The other children quickly echoed her response.

Barton and the several deformed children living with Dudian were shocked upon hearing the little girl's words. No one expected her to say such a thing. An ugly look flashed across Barton's face upon hearing the other normal children point out Dudian's defect. Nonetheless, he would not dare speak up for Dudian for fear of leaving a bad impression on the Aunts and Uncles.

Dudian also glanced at the little girl. He was slightly surprised in his heart. She left a very positive impressing on him during his past three months in the orphanage. She was one of the few in the normal children faction that seemed to possess a good character and a kind heart. Out of all of them, this girl in particular was very gentle. Even Barton and the other deformed children showered her with mouthfuls of praise in private.

Because Dudian originally had a good impression of her, he remembered that her name seemed to be…. Lisa?

Sure enough, he understood that he was still too naïve.

At this time, as if enlightened by Lisa's words, the eyes of the adults revealed a trace of 'understanding'. With such a figure and skin so clean and delicate, who could bear to abandon such a child? Many of them looked at Durian with pity.

Lisa and the rest of the children were relieved upon seeing the adult's reactions.

"Aunts and Uncles."

Without any warning, a tender voice sounded from the crowd. The voice caused both the children and the grown-ups to be surprised. Suddenly, all the children's' mouths gaped as if they had just seen a ghost. Those words were spoken by Dudian!

These three months in the orphanage, Dudian stayed silent every day in order to listen and observe, learning simple words and pronunciations. Pronunciation and language class was mandatory even in this old and rusty orphanage due to the many children who were not even one year old. Although he did not join in their conversations, he learned much by eavesdropping.

The people around him assumed he was just dumb. They would even attempt to communicate with him using hand signals and gestures. Nobody took the initiative to find him for a chat so he simply did not bother to speak to anyone; happily silent.

"I do not have any problems," Durian said quietly in an immature voice.

He did not directly accuse Lisa of lying in order to get revenge. There was no need to be so superfluous.

The adults who were a little surprised seemed to understand something as they pointed wistful gazes to Lisa. Unexpectedly, they found similarly surprised looks on the faces of the children and staff.

For a time, many of the adults frowned.

One of the sturdy, middle-aged men said, "Look at their faces. It seems none of them knew you could speak. Can you tell me why you would want to hide that?"

One of the taboos of adoption was a lack of sense of security with a child. Nobody would want to adopt a child whose mind was filled with crafty thoughts and unwilling cleverness.

Dudian knew that he finally had the attention of these people and calmly said, "I did not deliberately hide anything, but my character is naturally introverted. I did not speak so they labeled me as dumb."

Hearing his words, the coldness in their eyes gradually melted. They understood that most orphans in such circumstances would develop an introverted personality.

"Even if you are introverted, your voice is not quiet. Nobody ever heard you say a word?" A woman in the crowd questioned with a suspicious look on her face.

Aunt Dai interrupted without giving Dudian a chance to respond. "In this child's case, he loves to clean. We specifically assigned him to a separate room. There was no chance for him to communicate with the other children."

Hearing these words, Barton and the other children were all slightly confused. They could not figure out why Aunt Dai would lie. There was no orphanage where a child enjoyed a room to himself.

Dudian immediately understood. In this point, today's orphanages and the orphanages of his past were similar. They would cover up the flaws of the children as much as possible in order to increase their chances of being adopted. If these adults knew that Dudian was admitted only three months ago, no one would be willing to adopt him even if he was in perfect condition.

Every seven-year-old child would have memories and would certainly remember their biological parents. Nobody could guarantee that he would not leave to find his real parents once he became an adult.

Understanding things to this point, Dudian's mind slightly sank as he noticed Lisa and the other children of the normal faction seemingly ready to speak out at any time. Aunt Dai also noticed this and severely glared at Lisa and the few children that were ready to speak, terrifying them into silence.

In this orphanage, Aunt Dai controlled their life and death. As long as she got involved, their chances of being adopted could turn to zero.

Dudian knew he had no special charisma. The reason Aunt Dai helped him was so that he would be adopted and be one less expense for the orphanage.

"So that's the way it is…" The fat woman looked at Dudians pale, snow white skin with a sympathetic and puzzled face. "Son, I will pick you up and you will be my child."

At her words, Barton and several other children were pleasantly surprised. They looked so happy as if it was them that were getting adopted.

As Dudian heard this, he looked at the fat woman's face and hands. He noticed her rough fingers and could not help but frown slightly. Just as he was about to refuse, another person suddenly laughed. "I find this child quite pleasing to the eye. I think, with my status, I would be more suitable to be this child's parent."

Everyone looked at this mediocre middle-aged man and the faint smile on his face.

The fat faced woman frowned and spoke in a cold voice. "I'd like to hear who you are, big man!?"

The middle-aged man smiled faintly and said, "I am just a small family gardener for the Mel family."

The children did not show much of a reaction, but the surrounding people could not help but change color as they whispered. "Mel family? Is it that Mel family?"

"Aside from the Mel family, which other Mel needs a gardener?"

For a time, all eyes were focused on the middle-aged man with a tinge of awe.

The fat woman immediately paled, bowing her head in silence.

"How about it, boy?" The middle-aged man was very satisfied with the response and smiled at Dudian as he asked.

With this, Lisa and the other children started to pick up on the clues. One by one, intense gazes of jealousy and envy were directed at Dudian. To be adopted with such good conditions, how could they not be jealous?

Dudian frowned slightly. After thinking a little, he shook his head and responded. "I am sorry, Uncle. Thank you for considering me, but I hope that my parents could be doctors so that there is sense of security.

He was refused!

The middle-aged man was immediately stunned. He did not think Dudian would refuse! He visited a lot of orphanages looking for children. Those children would become excited as soon as it was mentioned that they were being adopted by the Mel family gardener. None were able to stay as calm as Dudian or speak in such an orderly manner.

Soon, the man woke up from his trance.

Dudian, of course, also picked up on the clues and was able to discern the status of this gardener from the expression of the other adults. He knew that the "Mel family" must be an influential force.

Dudian, on the other hand, did not want to be stuck in a manor.

The New Beginning

I would like to thank lncendairy for doing an awesome job by editing the third chapter!

"Doctor?" Suddenly, a young woman dressed in a gray gown asked Dudian: "Child, I am a doctor. Are you willing to be my son?"

Dudian noted this woman in his mind once he heard her take the initiative to speak. Originally. he held an adventurous attitude by refusing the gardener. The other were afraid of offending the gardener of the Mel family so they did not dare to choose Durian. This doctor's identity seemed to hold some weight.

What Dudian did not know was how are rare doctors were in this world. Although it was still a civilian occupation, it was an exceedingly rare one.

In a manner of speaking, it could be classified as a senior occupation. With the Mel family's gardener present, those with basic civilian occupations would not dare to choose this child, but compared to a doctor, a mere gardener was only at the level of ordinary civilian jobs such as minors and tailors.

Dudian had a good impression of this young woman. Her cheeks were framed by soft lines. Shallow dimples appeared on her face as she vividly smiled. The way she looked at Dudian was as if a mother was looking at her son. His cold heart began melting under her gentle gaze as he nodded. "I am willing."

The middle-aged gardener's face turned unsightly, but as he looked at the young woman, he held back and did not say a thing. He secretly felt sorry for Dudian. After all, Dudian was very young and sort-sighted. Doctors are good, but not every child of a doctor had the ability to learn their parent's trade. The occupation itself had a very difficult entry barrier and required a lot of energy and dedication. If Dudian could not succeed, he would be left as a low-level nobody.

Gardening, on the other hand, was different. You would be able to start as long as you had a good memory. As a gardener for the Mel family, Dudian would be living far away from the slums. In the future, he would be able to inherit the gardener's place. Working for the Mel family and staying at their home is the dream of many commoners.

'Ah, how unfortunate, how unfortunate!'

The middle-aged gardener shook his head.

The normal children's expressions turned ugly as they saw the doctor choose Dudian. Barton and the other deformed kids were much better, albeit a little jealous. Nonetheless, Dudian stole a valuable opportunity, causing the rest of the children to hold resentment and envy in their hearts.

Dudian held an auspicious smile on his face. He was one of the few in the orphanage that caught the doctor's eyes. Moreover, his calm attitude and the look of his clean white skin cause made people feel more comfortable around him.

Aunt Dai turned to the young doctor and said, "Dudian has always been very well behaved here. We hope that you take good care of him and wish the two of you lead a happy life.

"I will", said the young woman as she smiled. "It fills my heart with joy."

Aunt Dai instructed the woman next to her. "Mina, take them to apply for the household registration procedures."

The woman called 'Mina' waved at Dudian and the young woman with a laugh. "Come with me please."

"Go on Dean!"

"Dean, do not forget us!"

"Remember to come back and see us!"

Barton and the rest of the deformed children cried out reluctantly.

"I will be back, but do not be discouraged," said Dudian as he remembered how he was taken care of by then for three months. "Maybe you will all be adopted by the time I return."

Although they knew in their hearts what the results would be, they still laughed.

As he was getting ready to leave, Dudian suddenly heard the middle-aged gardener's voice. "I will choose you." Dudian could not help be look, only to see him pointing at Lisa. He smiled and spoke. "Little girl, you have quite the clever mind. How about being my daughter?"

Lisa stared at him with a look of disbelief painted on her face.

She looked around at the other healthy children around her.

After a glance, Dudian withdrew his gaze from Lisa and faced Aunt Mina. He left with Mina and his soon-to-be mother shortly after.

He and the other children of the orphanage will soon live in their own respective homes. Perhaps they would never meet again.

…

…

The household registration procedures for the orphanage were very timple.

First, verify the identity of the adopting parent. Second, verify the occupation of the adopter to prover their capability to support the child.

The purpose of these verifications was to determine whether the adoptive parent met the requirements set by the law.

If you did not work or if your wages were too low, you would not meet the specifications for adoption.

Third, a contract would have to be signed to confirm the adoptive relationship.

Finally, and of course most importantly, the money had to exchange hands!

In this world, adoptions were an orphanages main source of income. In the past, the registration procedures would be finished with the signing of the contract. No money was involved. But in this new day and age, it was different. Adoption was the same as selling a 'product'. The only difference being that it was now legal for orphanages to 'sell' children.

Dudian had never seen the new world's money. As his 'mother' took out a thick stack of green notes, the only noticeable difference he could discern was the picture of the giant wall of Silvia printed above. It seems as if the city of Silvia was covered by this giant wall.

As Dudian watched his 'mother' handing the stack of bills to Aunt Mina, things became clear. Why else would children be accepted into the orphanage so easily? The orphanage selflessly provided food and shelter for the children, knowing that they would be adopted in a few months and bring in a large sum of money.

Dudian sighed. He felt as if he finally understood the difference between the new era and the old one: Survival of the fittest. Either adapt to this world or be crushed under it.

Once the payment procedure and signing of the contract was finalized and put away, the young doctor bent over to caress Dudian's hair.

As he looked at her pale brown eyes, he knew that this woman would be the only person he would be able to rely on in the future. He was silent for a moment before speaking, "May I call you Aunt Ju?"

Jura was slightly confused.

Mina spoke as she heard Dudian's words. "Do not bend the rules. She is you mother now and you must be good to her. Do not disappoint the reputation of our orphanage.

Jura smiled as she stroked Durian's hair in a gentle manner. "You can call me Aunt Ju until you are able to get used it.

A trance of warmth flowed to Dudian's face as he softly said, "Thank you."

He was grateful for her gentle temperament because he knew that once adopted, his life and death would be entirely up to his adopted parents. He had already heard from the other children that in this world it would be legal even if the parents decided to kill their child!

Jura smiled. "Let's go back and take you to your new home.

…

…

Jura's home in the neighborhood…

All of the inhabitants of this neighborhood had ordinary jobs, but the environment here was totally different from the slums he was used to. The air was much fresher and he could no longer sense the rotten odor of the slums.

Even in this huge residential area, Jura's living conditions belonged to the more upscale lifestyle. The price of land here was twice as high as the slums due to its distance from the slums in the north and closeness to the commercial area in the south.

Anyone living in the commercial or military area was one with either a large amount of wealth or influence. The cost of housing in these areas amounted to an astronomical figure that most people could not earn in a lifetime.

Each area had a high wall barrier. The gates that divided Silva only opened once a day. The gates of the residential area in the south did not face the gates of the slums in the north.

This meant that people in the residential area were free to go to the slums, business people were free to go to the residential area, but residents of the slums could not. The status of the dwellers of the slums was nowhere near enough for them to access the upper scale areas.

The dark night

I would like to thank lncendairy for doing an awesome job by editing the first chapter!

Jura pulled out a ring of keys and unlocked the door.

Dudian started taking note of the room, knowing that this is where he would be living here for some time in the future.

"Dean, come in." Said Jura from behind a small closet door. She appeared suddenly swinging a pair of adult cotton shoes in her hands as if to tease him.

Dudian was startled, but also relieved. This was another one of the conditions for adoption; Marriage.

"Come, I'll bring you over to wash up." Jura warmly said.

Dudian expected to be able to soak in a bath, but we quickly disappointed. The result was Jura soaking a towel in warm water and using it to help wipe his face and arms. This way of bathing was exactly the same in the orphanage.

Nonetheless, the color of this water was much purer.

What Dudian did not know was that even the nobility of the world used this 'dry cleaning' method for bathing. People generally believed that the water would weaken their bodies and harm their immune system. Even members of the aristocracy that were plagued by hypochondria would only bathe once or twice a year.

After washing, Dudian was given new clothes to replace his rags as Jura made him more familiar with his new home.

Things were as expected as Dudian looked around the house. There were no scientific or technological items found, not even a simple alarm clock. The only trace of the former era he could find was a fairy tale only seen in the books. The story itself seemed to originate from the European medieval period where not even the steam engine was created yet.

As he thought of all he had seen these past three months, Dudian became more and more convinced in his heart that this post-disaster world's civilization should have just developed into the bronze age. They barely knew how to use metal.

This discovery caused some ideas to emerge within his mind….

The evening sky once again darkened. The chilling air seeming as if it was inviting the rain to come again.

Jura was worried Dudian might be afraid of darkness so she lit an oil lap early on. She was filled with an amazing feeling every time she saw his face lit up by the flickering flame.

"It's going to rain again. What about Uncle?" Dudian said as he glanced out the window.

Jura smiled at this boy's worries and said, "Uncle has a lot of work to do these days so he will not be coming back tonight. Are you hungry?"

"What's for dinner?"

"Good boy. I'm going to let you taste this craft of mine. I guarantee you will love it." Jura said with confidence.

…

…

In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.

Dudian met his new father, Gray. He was a tall, thin middle-aged man. His looks were quite ordinary, but he had a gentle character. Gray was a tailor by profession. The sewing machine in the house was used by him. 'Black Snow' season was coming so he brought his sewing machine from the factory to the house, as there was no heating at the factory.

They had apparently discussed the adoption of a child beforehand. However, Gray was surprised at Dudians good extraordinary looks when they first met. Aside from the introverted personality, Gray greatly approved of him.

As another common storm of the rainy season was pouring down, Dudian had the sudden urge to use the restroom. He got out of bed, put on his shoes, and gently opened the door to leave. He was passing by his 'parents' when he heard their voices. "So late, why have they not gone to sleep yet?"

Suddenly Dudian's heart jumped.

Apparently, this world did not consider noise when building houses. He heard subtle voices from the room.

"Do you really want to do this?" Dudian heard Jura's hesitant voice sounding from inside.

"I know you are quite taken with this child. To tell the truth, I am as well. I can't bear to part with him. However, this is a rare opportunity. If the Avril house has a good impression of him, we can move to the business area to find better jobs. If you still feel lonely, we can adopt another child. It's quite the good deal."

"It's not the money I'm worried about. If he goes to Avril house and refuses to speak, they will bully him. There are two types of people in this world… I once saw a doctor get into a large family and only became a servant and… and…"

"A deathly silence struck the room before Gray continued. "Jura, you know that he was just an orphan in the slums. Even if we didn't adopt him, he would be adopted into another family as a serf. Also, a servant's life in the Avril house is an enviable position to many people."

"But—"

"This is decided. There is no more room for further discussion."

Silence fell upon the room once again.

The small figure in front of the room had his head down. He lightly clenched his hands into a fist and then slowly loosened them. He dragged his body back to his room as if he were a corpse. Even his previous intention of a restroom break was forgotten.

Dudian was listening to the rhythmic sounds of the rain splattering outside as he sat on his bed. His heart felt pained. Although he had only been with the couple for a month, Jura had always meticulously cared for him. It touched him the bottom of his heart. He never expected those feelings to be shattered in a matter of seconds. It was as if the world was mocking him and throwing his heart back into disarray.

He suddenly felt very lonely.

He began to miss his harsh and gentle mother and father, as he reminisced about he would always pinch his sister's ear.

"Why…?" He wanted to cry for a moment.

He clenched his fists while an idea slowly began to surface in his mind. "Since he was never going to see his parents or sister again… then… then let this strange new world…

Nobody knew that on this one rainy night, a small figure slowly made up his mind to alter the gears of history forever.

The Dark King – Chapter 5

The world of darkness

I would like to thank lncendairy for doing an awesome job by editing the first chapter!

The next morning.

Gray sat on a stool near the table. He was holding the residential area newspaper mailed in the morning. There were information about recent news about various parts of the neighborhood, as well as number of recruitment advertisements into various factories. Jura was busy in the kitchen making breakfast. She brought up meals to the table, everything was the same as usual.

Dudian's biological clock sounded, waking him up from sleep. He folded his bed, washed his face and went over to kitchen. He greeted Jura couple with simple "good morning" and took a sit near the table to began to eat the breakfast.

At this time, Jura carried Dudian's share and put it opposite to him. As Dudian tasted the meal, Jura asked with a slight smile on her face: "how's the taste?"

"A bit spicy," replied Dudian, "I like spicy food."

"That's good." Jura smiled.

Gray then put down the newspaper, looked over the table towards Dudian. "Dean, your aunt and I have chosen a marriage for you. You have to be prepared today. So dress up well and because we are going to meet some people."

Due to the requirements of Dudian, Gray and Jura have temporarily accepted to be addressed as "Uncle and aunt".

After last night's situation, Dudian's mind has calmed down. Pretending to be an innocent kid without any awareness he blankly asked: "What is the affair?

Jura looked at Dudian and whispered to Gray: "You see, I said Dean is still small. We could wait for a few years more."

"Age of thirteen, is the legal age of marriage." Gray looked back at her. There was a bit coldness in his eyes and said: "Let's just get him engaged for now. Being a few years ahead won't harm no one."

Jura saw her husband mind firmly decided on marriage no longer said anything.

"We'll take you to a nice big sister," Gray said to Dudian. "It's a great opportunity for you and do all you can to get her approval. So that you can eat a lot of good food every day , wear good clothes and never go hungry. Do you know what I mean? "

"Really? I will!" Dudian replied with calm mind. Moreover he had a surprised look on his face which made it look like more realistic.

Gray's face turned in a big wide smile, said: "Really good. Dean is a good boy. Alright decided, eat first."

Soon, all of them finished their meals.

Dudian made a great "eager" performance. As a result Gray had a relieved look.

"Come over Dean. First put on new clothes." Jura took Dudian to the cabinet where a brand new black suit, bright red tie, and shiny shoes were placed. She let Dudian change. After he was dressed, eyes of Jura and Gray could not help but lit up. Dudian's pale snow-like skin and black eyes were giving him an aristocratic feeling.

"What a beauty!" Jura laughed heartily.

Gray's heart was overjoyed: "Excellent, let's go!

"Ah!" Dudian tried to look very excited and astonished.

After locking up the door, Jura came over to hold Dudian's hand and asked Gray: "It's a bit early. Can we find carriages?"

Gray smiled and said: "Here, in vain. But I was told in Avril house that they will send a carriage to pick us up". At the same time "da da da" and hoof sounds came up from corner of the street. A carriage with golden ornaments turned over and came up to stop just before them. On the roof of the carriage was a silver-white flag with a white flower engraved on it which was flag banner of Avril house.

The driver was wearing a black high-heeled hat and a black suit. He jumped out of the carriage smiled and said: "Gray and Jura, the lady has been waiting for you." He leaned his chest sideway, to invite them into carriage, demonstrating noble aristocratic manner.

Gray heart jumped and began to flatter: "how can we make Miss Ivy wait. It would be very rude, on to the carriage!" He quickly held Dudian's hand and in a forced manner got them into carriage.

At this time, the coachman seemed to have noticed Dudian. His eyes flashed with a trace of the color of surprise, but immediately resumed his polite smile.

Da da da … …

After Dudian's family sit in the carriage, the driver shake off the rope, the carriage began to ride.

Dudian was silently watching at the buildings passing by, as well as the pedestrians who were passing by the roadside. Most of them had surprised and awe-inspiring look at the carriage. At this time Gray and Jura did not speak, and no longer asked Dudian anything, worried about falling into the ears of the driver and later spread to Avril home.

Carriage reached south side of the giant wall in a smooth drive. The young guard at the gate made a 'fist against chest' salute as soon as his eyes detected the flag on top of carriage's roof. He made way for them to pass instantly. Later on he calmed down and restored his work, continuing to check those who want to enter the business district.

This is the business district?

Dudian looked at the clean street outside the carriage. The road was clean and pedestrians had beautiful clothes. Immediately, the difference with the residential area could be felt. As in comparison with the slums, it was like the difference between heaven and hell, without any exaggeration.

Soon, the coachman parked the carriage in the street at the end of an exquisite elegant building. Dudian saw that on the building hung a cardboard piano sign, painting was very realistic. He couldn't but wonder how the piano was retained in this poor and incomplete world.

The carriage stopped at the main entrance. Then a black suited young man walked quickly out of the mansion, looking down the carriage to Gray and Jura. He smiled and said: "Miss has waited for a long time, please come with me." Leading the way.

Gray had an inexplicable tension in his heart as it was absolutely impossible to see the magnificent buildings at the residential area. Straightening his back a bit and holding Dudian's hand Gray walked in front.

As soon as Gray couple went into the hall, their eyes were attracted by agate jewel-like brilliant oil lamp light. Jura performance was better, as she was invited to cure people in the business district several times. She was slightly calm. For Gray, it was the first time to come to such a place. Dudian through holding his hand, felt the man was slightly nervous. As his body was slightly trembling. He could not help but shook his head in mind.

Sound of music was echoed in the hall. Dudian, at first glance, saw the hall is extremely spacious. Many people sat there to eat snacks, listen to music, whisper to chat. They had very gorgeous dresses. Fabric of clothing, dress lines and materials seemed much better than the ones used in residential area. Especially the color contrast was much more visible.

Black suit Young man gently made a gesture toward the inside of a separate room.

Dudian looked to see two figures sitting there. A middle-aged beauty woman, about 30 years old. She had a tailored delicate skirt and very mild look on her face. Next to her was sitting an 11-year-old girl, fair complexion, a brown hair, oval face, although not yet mature, but definitely a beauty.

The little girl also noticed the face of the Gray family, eyes swept over the two adults and fell on the body of Dudian, eyes flashed a trace of surprise.

At this time, that middle-aged woman stood up to greet Jura with smiles: "Dr. Jura the last time my family master's illness was cured thanks to you. Today he has a business to deal with so he won't be here."

Gray said, "Mr. Avril is busy man"

Middle-aged women replied with a smile: "First sit."

"Yes, yes." Gray immediately opened the chair and sat down. Perhaps he was too tight to begin with so the chair's foot knocked on the ground a bit forcefully. People who were sitting close by immediately raised their eyebrows and began to softly chat.

Jura sat down too. The middle-aged woman's eyes fell on Dudian body, her eyes also passing a trace of surprised color. As if relieved looked over to Gray, smiled and said: "This is your adopted child, really white."

Gray replied to praise Avril house's daughter: "Your house lady is too beautiful. So small, delicate and beautiful. She looks very smart. She has inherited your beauty."

Middle-aged beauty woman smiled, suddenly said: "on to the marriage … …"

Gray body tightened, Jura looked a little nervous.

"If Annia doesn't have reprisal, it would be so." Middle-aged woman was unexpectedly straightforward.

Gray and Jura glanced towards each other in surprise.

At this time, the little girl looked at Dudian and suddenly spoke:"I want to go out with him."

Middle-aged beauty woman seems to have expected her words, smiled and looked to Gray and Jura.

Gray responded, even said: "Dean, accompany Miss Annia to go out. Remember to take care of Miss Annia". He patted Dudian's shoulder, to give him encouragement.

At this time, Annia got off the seat, turned and walked toward the outside, did not look at Dudian, did not stop waiting for him.

Dudian looked at Gray and Jura whose eyes were filled with encouragement and hope. His heart was very quiet. He said "hello" to middle-aged beauty and turned around to keep up with Annia, leaving the hall.

"The child is quite sensible." Middle-aged woman looked at the back of Dudian, smiled and said one.

"Fortunately… …" Gray whispered in low tone.

…

…

To the outside of the street. Annia looked at the black suit servant and waved her small delicate hand: "Do not have to follow, I will walk in the vicinity"

"Yes, Miss." Black suit young servant replied.

When he left, Annia continued to walk in front, did not look back, and did not speak with Dudian, as if she was alone. Dudian had learned to endure loneliness, quietly followed behind her. By observing the buildings on both sides of the street, from these local customs, he could infer the world's approximate standard of living and technological level.

After a long walk.

Annia suddenly stopped. Dudian was looking around and walking so he almost hit her back. Only to smell the fragrance of fragrant flowers, floated from her clothes, quickly took a step back to get distance between them.

At this time, Annia turned her body. Because of the age advantage she was slightly higher than Dudian by half head. Her beautiful white oval face, without the slightest expression, quietly overlooked Dudian.

There was a feeling of indifferent aura from Annia. Dudian had a faint so quietly looked up at her.

Seeing Dudian's calmness, Annia's eyes flashed a trace of surprise, but soon returned to the cold expression, said: "Have you ever heard of opera?

Dudian suddenly was surprised for a moment. He did not think she would suddenly come up with irrelevant topic. Subconsciously answer no by moving his head. Annia did not give him the opportunity to speak, continued: "You heard about music styles? "

No. Dudian was about to say.

"Do you know ballroom dance?" Annia tone of indifference, did not give him the opportunity to answer.

Dudian had come to understand that this is not a polite question but filled with undisguised contempt. He silently watched the girl.

"Do you know how to ride the horse?"

"Do you know swordsmanship?"

"Do you have ideals and pursuits?"

Annia asked six questions in one breath, then looked at Dudian calmly, and said: "If you are a clever child, you should already understand that you and I are not the people of the same world".

Dudian quietly looked at her beautiful face, did not expect such a sharp or even mean words to come up from mouth of a child who is three or four years older than him.

The Dark King – Chapter 6

Perfect

I would like to thank lncendairy for doing an awesome job by editing the first chapter!

"There is no common language between us." Annia indifferent eyes swept over Dudian's face and continued: "If your mother didn't help to cure my father's disease, we would have never met. Do not try to think that by virtue of this kindness, you can climb over the social barriers and join our family. I, Annia, will not marry an incompetent husband and lose face."

"Although you desperately imitate elegance and noblesse while pretending to be an aristocratic gentleman, you cannot hide away your roots in from of real aristocracy! Civilians are not nurtured from birth and lack noble blood. Practicing for a day or two cannot cover up your natural stature."

Annie looked at Dudian coldly. "You may look clean, different from those smelly neighborhood workers, but it is not anything surprising. The ideas that I would ever fancy you, let you into our Avril house, or help your parents join the commercial district are nothing but a joke! It is only wishful thinking on your part."

"My father's kindness to your family is out of politeness. It does not mean they should act shamelessly and throw away their self-respect! You cannot even grasp the severity of the consequences!"

Dudian quietly watched and waited for her to finish.

After saying so much in a single breath, she could not help but frown seeing that Dudian's calm expression did not change at all. Again, with a cold face, she continued. "I said all of this so that you may understand that you are not good enough for me, and I would never allow you to be my husband. Stop fantasizing about unrealistic dreams!"

Dudian still quietly looked at her and spoke. "Finished…?"

Annia sneered. "Finished. If you have anything to say, go ahead."

Dudian laughed and looked in to her eyes, softly speaking. "First of all, I must thank you."

Annia expression turned to one of confusion and disbelief.

Dudian ignored her reaction and continued. "First, thank you for rejecting me! This way I can avoid being in conflict with my parents."

Annia had a doubt in her heart. Was his father not trying to stuff him into their house?

"Second, thank you again. Thank you for letting me know that even a little girl like you cannot be ignored."

Annia's brows pricked up. She matured early in comparison to the other kids who were still playing around. She already had her future planned by the time she was eight years old. Nevertheless, this child in front of her spoke in an old-fashioned tone, as if he had experience a lot in life.

When she was ready to speak again, Dudian turned his body to leave. He didn't pause or look back. "Maybe I am not competent with a sword, nor am I a fine equestrian, but I do have my own ideals and ambitions!"

She was not able to react until his shadow had disappeared from sight. Never would she have expected such actions from this small child. He even dared to leave first! Her red face displayed the anger in her heart. However, her excellent childhood education and training allowed her to quickly control her emotions. She grit her teeth and stamped her heels. She moved to keep up with her fastest speed while maintaining a lady's composure.

As Dudian return to the hall, he slowed his pace down so that Annia could catch up. He paused and did not look back. Soon, Annie reached his back with her aristocratic lady-like grace. "Wait a minute! If the adults ask, tell them that you have someone else that you like."

Restarting his pace, Dudian replied, "Why would I do that?"

"If I have not guessed wrongly, your father should have already agreed to the marriage," he said indifferently. "But you did not. That is to say that, if I agree we are getting married, aren't we?"

Annia's aggressive expression suddenly paled. If Dudian chooses to agree, her father would go on with the marriage. Today, she and her mother planned on deliberately put pressure on the Gray couple so that they would not ask for her hand in marriage.

"How did you know?!"

"You pretty much told me." Dudian said lightly."If you have the option to decline then you can simply reject the marriage with a 'no'. Moreover, you would not have to say so much or even threaten me. Your mother, on the other hand, is a bit tricky though. I think she will be able to get a direct refusal from my adoptive parents."

Annia was shocked. Dudian had repeated the plan she and her mother had come up with almost word for word. For a moment, she felt as if she was completely seen through by this little boy who was still as calm as the moment she met him. However, she did not regret her choice. After a moment of silence, she continued, "If I decline, I am worried that your parents will go to my father."

Dudian shook his head slightly. "No, as long as your refuse this 'marriage', things will pass. Everything would have been very simple, but instead you made it more complex.

"How would you know?" Annia frowned. She was irritated by Dudian's confident tone.

"You overestimated their guts and underestimated their self-awareness," explained Dudian. She was not convinced and did not expect too much, but had to have the patience to try.

Annia frowned, thinking for a bit. "Why do you not just say there is another girl who you like?"

"Are you not a noblewoman? Do you not understand the fact that you can refuse, but I cannot?" said Dudian as he looked directly at her.

Annia looked at him and smiled in realization. "By my refusal, you want them to assume that you were just not good enough for me so that they are not angry with you."

Dudian knew his plan was seen through, but he felt no embarrassment. "Anyway, I have already told you what you should do. I am in no position to decline, so think of the consequences on your own!" Finished speaking, Dudian went towards the entrance without waiting for Annia.

"You…!" Annia only stared at his back. She angrily stamped her feet and followed into the mansion.

"Welcome back, Miss." The black suit servant was relieved when he saw Dudian and Annia appear. His face sported a huge smile.

Annia was indeed of noble birth. After a few steps, her anger was replaced by calmness.

…

…

A carriage bearing the banner of a white flower drove through the commercial area to the residential area. Dudian's family alighted from the carriage and proceeded to their home as soon as the carriage stopped.

Jura looked at her husband's gloomy face. Holding Dudian's hand, she opened the door.

"What a lame excuse!"

"Clearly they despise our identities! Aristocrats… haa…. group of hypocrites!"

At home, Gray vented the anger in hear heart.

"Hush!" Jura said. "You have to whisper; don't let anyone else hear you!"

Gray stifled up, sitting quietly in bitterness. Speaking ill of the aristocracy was a massive crime.

"Dean, go back to your room and rest. You must be tired. I'll call you out for dinner." Jura said to Dudian.

Gray looked at the child. His lips slightly moved, but he did not speak. Although his heart was heavy, with these months together, he knew that Dudian was a good kid that would never day anything impolite. He could only blame himself and his wife for setting their sights too high. Dudian nodded and went up to his room.

…

After four long months, the rainy season had finally ended and revealed the sunny skies.

Gray looked at Dudian who had woken up early. He smiled and said, "Dean, various schools will be starting soon. Would you like to go to school to learn reading and writing?"

The Dark King – Chapter 7

Radiation values

I would like to thank lncendairy for doing an awesome job by editing this chapter!

Dudian nodded slightly. Before mentioning school, Gray had expressed his hope that Dudian would inherit his sewing skills and become a good tailor. Dudian had a goal so he directly had refused Gray.

Gray and his wife were not angry. It is a good thing for children to have their own opinions. They were not serfs. So, it is plausible for them to have a child with an assertive personality.

"Unfortunately, the medical field is just too difficult to get started in," Jura said with some regret. Dudian was a clever child, but unfortunately, it was too late to begin studies to become a doctor.

"Well, what do you want to study?" Gray smiled.

Dudian looked up at them and spoke, "The law!"

"Law?" Gray hesitated a bit. "Dean, do you know what sort of career that is?" Jura asked.

"I know it is one of the three major civilian occupations. Lawyers also have more prestige than doctors." Actually, Gray had brought a career table to Dudian. It had information regarding job descriptions and qualifications needed to work in each field. This table had helped Dudian gain a better understanding of possible career paths and their respective benefits.

"I just want to be a bit clear. The law school is the hardest to graduate from. It's even more difficult than studying medicine. You need very flexible thinking and logical ability. Although you are a smart boy, keep in mind the difference between law school's level of difficulty compared to what you had in orphanage. It is very difficult to graduate from law school and become a qualified official."

Dudian looked straight at him insisting, "I want to study law no matter what."

Gray frowned slightly. This was the first time Dudian was so persistent in front of them so he didn't know how to refuse. Ever since Avril house refused the marriage proposal, Gray and Jura had begun to accept Dudian as their 'own' child. Thus, they didn't want to hurt his feelings.

"If the kid wants to study then let him do it. Even if he can't enter the court in the future, being an ordinary lawyer is acceptable too. At least he will be familiar with the law. He won't knowingly break the rules and can lead a peaceful life.

Dudian looked at her while silently thinking, "I want to study the law not to comply, but to break it!"

Gray sighed and said, "Alright."

Dudian's heart flushed with relief. He looked at them sounded a bright, "Thank you!"

When he heard Dudian, Gray's face broke into a smile again as he spoke, "If this is your choice then stick to it. If you want to give up sometime in the future, then you are going to come back to learn sewing with me. A textile worker's wage is good enough to at least feed yourself."

Dudian nodded slightly.

…

…

After the rainy season ended, the temperatures also picked up a lot.

Three days before school assessment was a special festival called "Prayer day".

Each household in groups goes to the central neighborhood to Cathedral of Vía.

They pray to 'Father the God' to let them safely pass through the next season and help them to avoid plagues and diseases.

It was a grand ceremony.

Gray and his wife went to pray with Dudian. Dudian also first met the world's leader in faith, Holy Church. There was a bright cathedral built in a residential sub-area. A huge sculpture of the four-winged angel sculpture was built in the middle of the square, with both hands embracing all the believers; full of kindness and harmony.

Three days after the 'prayer day', various schools began their enrollments.

Dudian was led by the Gray couple to law school. They walked for about ten kilometers to reach their destination. Parents and children were bustling in front of the entrance; dressed mostly in simple clothing. Most of them had clear skin color with few others with yellowish skin. There were almost no people with rough skin, which meant that those of lower social statuses didn't even bother to bring their children for the enrollment examination. After all, the law school was a notorious one in Silva, and tuition fees were expensive. Citizens of low status couldn't afford the fees.

"I heard that you not only want to enter the law school, but you want to do so through the assessment."

"Yeah, but if it does not go through I'm thinking about Sewing Institute or maybe Geological Institute…"

"I do not know either. The assessment should be quite hard."

Some parents talked quietly.

"Have the Law School's assessment begun yet?"

"It should be similar to our medical school assessment," Jura blinked, bowed to Dudian said, "I remember the test usually asks a few simple things. Our medical college examination was about memory. It should be almost the same here."

Gray drew over and smiled, "It is up to you now. It depends on your own performance. In case you fail there is nothing to worry about as we can go to Sewing Institute for registration."

Dudian mind turned with disdain. He would be more than happy if the examination was a simple memory examination. In the old era, children with an IQ range of 120 to 140 were labeled as geniuses. His daredevil sister had 142 IQ. However, his result from IQ test was 168. He would never forget the day that he was accepted to Harvard University at the tender age of twelve.

The siblings IQ was high because of inherited gene from their parents. Both were internationally renowned scientists. If the disaster didn't break out, they should have gained an international science award with their invention of the "Cold Storage" technology

Now, it was Dudian's turn to enter as the children before him had gone into to assessment room in succession.

"Parents should stay here. Child, go into the assessment room." A middle-aged scholar-like person blocked the Gray couple.

"Dean, good luck!" Jura tried to inspire Dudian. Dudian saw the happiness reflect in her eyes.

In the spacious room, Dudian saw a man and a woman. Two middle-aged examiners dressed in black robes lined with complex gold silk embroidery patterns. They looked simple and gorgeous. They saw Dudian, smiled and said, "Child, come over".

Dudian stepped forward.

"I will ask you a question. You have a frying pan and it can fry only two fish at the same time. To fry one side takes a minute. If I would like to fry three fish, what is the shortest amount of time it would take?" Middle-aged woman smiled.

"Three minutes," said Dudian without thinking.

The question was not difficult, but both examiners got surprised. Even the cleverest children would need some time to think before answering the question. To answer correctly directly without any time to consider… They had quite a positive impression on him.

"You pass child. You are very smart." The right middle-aged man smiled, said. "Take this and go next to the physical examination. If there are no problems in physical examination, you can officially begin your studies in law school. He handed a small note to Dudian which had few words written on it.

"There is a physical examination?" Dudian eyebrows wrinkled as he turned turned and left the room.

"So hard!"

"I answered four minutes and I was told that it was wrong. How come it is not four minutes!? If both sides must be fried, certainly four minutes ah!

"This question… why fish, ah! I do not like to eat fish, and fried fish and the law have nothing in common ah!

"Well, my father is a chef. He could cook three fish in a minute! They did not believe it."

Dudian went out and heard a few children coming out from next rooms. They were dissatisfied with the examination question. His mouth twitched a little. He turned back to wait in front of the Gray couple as if he had not heard their words

"How did it go?" Gray smiled. He heard the words of the children. Although it is not clear what the specific test was, it seems it was not so easy to pass.

Dudian lightly glanced at him and said, "Passed. Now I need go to the physical examination."

Gray smiled, but was discouraged as he wanted Dudian to go to Sewing Institute. Nevertheless, the thought of Dudian being smarter than other children enraptured him.

"The physical examination is to detect the value of your body's radiation. Dean's skin color is too white so the radiation value is certainly not high. He should pass this one easily." Jura seems to know something about the physical exam so she spoke with confidence.

after the global nuclear explosion, the world was full of nuclear radiation. The silver-gray clouds in the sky were the result of gathering of large number of nuclear radiation debris. That's why there is was long rainy season in this world. An extremely dangerous, and even fatal rainy season, that brought illness and death in its wake.

However, Dudian had come out from the cold storage. He had only been here for a few months, so the body radiation value should not be high.

But he was curious… How these people detect the radiation value?

'What kind of instrument do they use? They haven't even stepped into industrial era, nor do they even know what electricity is?'

At this time, Jura took him to a room next to a 'Physical Examination' sign. There was no line. After all, the people who passed the first assessment were too few. In the room sat a middle-aged woman. She checked the note in Dudian's hand and spoke. "Alright, let's go with the test"

Dudian approached the woman. He looked over but did not see any extraordinary instrument. Only a row of glass tubes similar to thermometers.

Middle-aged women checked the note again to confirm, then from the side picked up a clean glass tube. The sharp end of the tube was position near Dudian pinky finger. She smiled and said, "Child, do not be afraid. It won't hurt."

Dudian did not expect that a glass tube as small as that was used to detect the radiation value.

Soon, Dudian's red blood began to penetrate the glass tube. Dudian noted that the glass tube had scales with a hair-width silky red line.

Middle-aged women checked again to confirm there is no mistakes. She could not help but be stunned at Dudian's result. His skin color was too white, even the same age girls were not so white.

Her eyes revealed a trace of confusion and she spoke to Gray couple with emotion, "The value of such a low radiation level… It's the first time I've seen it. Too incredible! A healthy body such as his would normally only appear in the Commercial District!"

Jura clearly understood the radiometer. Her face was filled shock and then relief. She turned to her 'lost' husband, "This is a radiometer, a special apparatus used to test human radiation value. Dean's radiation value… is very low. It is comparable with those aristocratic children."

Gray knew the importance of human radiation value, but did not care a bit. But when Jura said 'comparable with those aristocratic children', his pride suddenly went over the horizon. He touched Dudian's hair.

Dudian glanced at the red line on the radiometer, suddenly feeling this line twisting slightly. It seems that it was a living thing!

…

…

In the evening of the day when Dudian registered to law school, In a castle in the commercial district.

A luxury room was covered in diamond mosaics. A shadow-like silhouette in the room was silently looking at the information in front of his desk. "Test results released. There are 27 qualified candidates!"

The Dark King – Chapter 8

Giant wall of Silva

The person near the desk did not rise. The shadow kneeling on the ground who brought the message, respectfully clenched his chest. In the next moment he disappeared leaving only the white letter on the desk.

The stalwart figure's eyes fell on the white paper. Blade-like dense eyebrows were picked a little. Opening his eyes, he briefly glanced at the new document. Suddenly his eyes were focused on detection value in the bottom corner of the paper.

Staring at this figure, he looked for a while. Later on he got up, put the coat on and opened the door.

In the hall, middle-aged housekeeper looked at the master, surprised: "Master, so late, do you have to go out?

"Ah," said the stalwart figure, "Prepare the carriage."

…

…

"Three hundred years ago, very big scourge came to Earth. Our ancestors fought hard, survived the adversity by strength and built the gigantic Silvian wall to isolate the disaster and keep it outside the giant wall. The giant wall can not be desecrated by the vile creatures, did you know? "Said a white bearded old man in a solemn voice.

Although his beard was white, in fact he was in his early sixties. But in here it has been regarded as a longevity.

Dudian listened attentively. Three days have passed after the registration. This is his first official class today. This old man did not come up to explain the knowledge of the law. But a brief introduction from some well-known things. It seems that the purpose is only to talk about things which children are familiar with so to consolidate their hearts under the faith. The story of Silva's giant wall is know to almost every child. They have listened their parents talking about it once in a while. Only the orphan's didn't know about the Silva's history.

Other children hearing the story are bored. But due to the first time to seeing this white beard elderly, most of them are afraid and avoiding rash decisions.

Dudian was relished hearing white-bearded man talk. These are the information what he most wanted to know at the moment. Seeing the old man to not go into in-depth explanation he could not but raise his hands to ask a question: "Teacher, can you say what is the natural disaster?"

White beard old man and other children were surprised a moment. Nobody expected Dudian to be so bold. To dare to take the initiative to ask question and moreover so well-known thing. Actually some of them were puzzled and couldn't understand why to ask such a question.

Old man saw Dudian's serious and hopefull look. He did not bear to fight the child's enthusiasm, however a thought passed in his mind "Is this child's parents did not tell him?"

"There are a lot of natural disasters. Volcanic eruptions, flooding, earthquake splitting and so on," he replied with a smile on his lips.

Dudian did not give up and continued to ask: "Just these?"

The old man was silent for a moment but continued nevertheless: "These disasters are terrible. Haven't you listened to your parents talk? The volcanic eruption alone is enough to kill countless people. The dark clouds in the sky are caused by these volcanic eruptions. "

Dudian frowned slightly. Did not say anything. Though his heart was pensive. Because he knew about the details of the disaster that happened three hundred years ago. It is not simply a natural disaster. Although the old man said that the various disasters have occurred, but all of them were caused by nuclear explosions. Obviously these children did not know the real cause of the disaster and someone blocked the information from inside.

Perhaps to block the information that insider is so influential that maybe even they rule over this post-disaster era.

"Teacher, my mother said it was very dangerous outside the giant wall. If we go out we will die, is it really true?" A little fat kid who saw Dudian asking questions, made up his courage and raised his hand.

The old man looked at children and spoke with a serious tone: "Yes, outside the giant wall devils dwell and plague overhelms. Once out, nobody comes back.

It is thanks to giant wall that we can leasurly sit here to study, eat rice and vegetables. We have to acknowledge and respect the giant wall!"

The "abbot" refers to the person who studies the law. Like Dudian these children are beginning to learn the law. They are referred as trainee of discipline. If you graduate, through the assessment of the trial, will be able to become a priest or abbot. It is a very sacred position. Same in status as nobility. Not only able to freely access to commercial and residential districts, but also to enter into the wall area!

"The devil and the plague … …" All children are scared pale. Even if they are small they also know how terrible these two are.

There is a hint of curiosity in Dudian's heart. He naturally does not believe in existence of so called "devils".

Nuclear bomd explosions has 'baptised' the world. Most probably some of the biological variations have gone extinct or evolved. This explanation is only made up to intimidate the children. Of course, the object of intimidation is not just children but adults too.

This makes him more curious. How is the world outside the giant wall? What is the appearance after the nuclear bomb explosions? Has it become just a virgin forest because there is no one to develop?

"Time to finish the class." White beard old man looked at hourglass and said.

The other children cheered at once.

At this time, the door opened and suddenly two young people clothed in black leather armor walked into the classroom. White beard old man was about to question them but as soon as he noticed the black medal on shoulders of those two his face suddenly piled up into a smile, "are you here to take children?"

Dudian was confused as he hear the white-beard man talk. He was vigilant and doubtful at these two peoples appearance.

One of the slim young people nodded. He looked indifferently and spoke: "Now I will say names. Those who I mentioned, stand up. Do you all understand?" His eyes swept the audience.

All the children were instantly tensed up. White beard old man spoke up to comfort the children: "Do not worry. These two adults are guards. Those mentioned by them will have a hope to join the public service. This is an enormous event."

Public office? Dudian heard Jura talking about it. In short, it is the equivalent of the civil servants of the old era. For a lifetime need not worry about their livelihood. In this world it is the dream of many civilians occupation.

However, Dudian noted the medal on shoulders of two men. After he entered the neighborhood from the slums, he had yet to meet a guard with such medals. The standard leather armor is also different. As he saw teaching staff to be in awe of the officers, a trace of doubt emerged in his heart.

"Locke!" Young officer said out loud.

A weak child sitting on table in front of Dudia said in a weak tone: "Here … …"

"Stand up!" Officer shouted.

The frail child jumped up at once.

"Marta!"

"Yes!" A girl quickly stood up.

"Lamyr!"

"Carly!"

Carly who was named stood up. Officer shouted: "Dudian!

Dudian eyes squinted, slowly stand up.

Up to this point including him there were eight children selected.

…

…

The Dark King – Chapter 9

Hunters and Scavengers

Translator notes: Now, let me remind you guys that I'm still forcing myself to not read future chapters before translating them so I've few speculations as of this chapter. I'm going to write the most important that I think I should write about. So let's begin.

In previous chapter, the teacher told them that the giant wall of Silva was constructed to protect them from outside(it doesn't matter devils, plague or radiation). So I assume that even though the world inside the giant wall is stuck in pre-industrial era, the giant wall which covers the small world of Silva should be high-tech. Like an invisible dome which covers everything.

P.S: What I like about The Dark King is that it does not have direct story line. In short, you can read first 5 chapters and on 6th one you will still be like "oh my god, I couldn't have predicted this"

Anyway, less about my ramblings without further ado…

"You eight, come with us." Young officer looked at little Dudian eyes, said coldly, turned away with the companion and left the classroom.

White-bearded old man saw Dudian and other eight did not move, quickly said: "This is your lucky chance. Other people would love to have that chance." Hearing his words, a tall child who stood out because of his height, with courageous steps took the lead of the eight and left the classroom.

Dudian walked at the end. He was quietly watching the selected children. Trying to contrast and compare the selected ones with the ones left in the classroom. But soon he came to an understanding that there is no common ground at least from color, appearance or any other external feature to distinguish the selected ones from the rest of the students.

No external feature, then the only option left is inner qualification.

He suddenly thought of pre-school physical examination. It was the most suspicious event.

As he was dazzled in his thoughts, the other children had come to the great playground outside the law school. As they arrived here, Dudian saw a black carriage parked in front of the college. The iron bars and a huge rivet were embedded on the carriage giving it an extra strong look. The horses that were pulling the carriage looked much more magnificent. They were nearly three meters tall and had their bodies covered by helmet and armor. It was as if an amazing beast stood there but not a horse.

It's was not only Dudian that was surprised. Other children were stunned at sight too.

"Come on, get into the carriage" said the young officer.

All the children hesitated for a moment. The tall child who was going in front of the kids seemingly shouldering the leaders identity asked: " May I ask, where are we going? "

Fit officer stared at him coldly and said: "Just get into the carriage!"

At the sharp looks of the officer, the tall childs hairs inverted up and his face turned pale because of fear. He did not dare to ask another question. Carefully avoiding the giant horse, he began to climb up the carriage.

Other children who saw this, silently, followed Locke (the tall child) into the carriage.

The carriage was extremely spacious and more than enough to accommodate the eight children. Dudian sat in the corner. The two children who were sitting next to him had tension on their faces. He quietly looked to the front of the carriage where driver jumped up.

The world was more dangerous than he imagined. Although there was law, it is clear that certain beings are able to ignore the law!

As for human rights.

In the feudal society in which serfs and aristocrats existed, "equality" and "freedom" were never part of human rights. So being delusional enough to believe in rule of law was an outrageous idea.

The carriage galloped away from the College of the Law in an extremely fast speed. The buildings on both sides of the road swiftly retreated out of sight. It was not long before Dudian saw a high wall. The wall was inscribed with a large word. Dudian had learned a lot of words from Jura couple in the past few months. So he knew the exact meaning of the word.

Dudian recognized that this is the residential area leading to the wall of the commercial district. Is this carriage going to take them to the business district?

Other children clearly recognize this point too and then thought of the old white beard teacher. Afterwards the tension in their heart was suddenly replaced by surprise and their faces were full of excited expression.

Every child in the carriage was eager to enter the aristocracy and the rich life of the commercial district.

Dudian was not surprised. To be able to bring out children directly from the law school was an indication that there is a great force behind these people. What was important at this point, is their purpose good or bad for them?

Soon, the carriage flew past the concert hall building where Dudian had traveled previously. See this building, Dudian could not help but think of the little girl's sharp questioning discourse. Suddenly feel a little funny, although he thought he would sooner or later enter the civilian area of the business district, but did not expect just in a month to come back .

Before long, the black carriage came to stop in front of a castle, the black uniformed officer sitting at the front of the carriage jumped down, opened the door and shouted at the crowd: "Get off."

All children obediently got off the carriage.

Dudian was the last one, but when he was just going to get off, the man suddenly said: "finished here" he looked back to the front of the driver position: "shake off the whip, drove the carriage away"

Leaving only the original seven children get off, Dudian felt lost.

Dudian face slightly changed. His heart-beat slightly raised. He opened the carriage curtain to look at the figure of seven children until the disappeared out of his sight.

After a carriage turned over a corner, his line of sight was totally blocked. Dudian turned his face to see the officer sitting in the empty carriage. Many thoughts turned up in his mind.

Escape?

Resistance?

Obviously, he was up to the mercy of the opposite party.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of a manor. This one was a very vast manor. It was covered by a white lacquer wood fence. An extremely smooth green grass was pruning all over the place. At the moment there were several gardeners who were waterin the lawn.

The door opened and young officer looked Dudian. His cold face turned into a smile: "Little guy, you are quite calm."

Dudian saw his smile. Dudian was slightly startled and his heart tensed a bit. But he calmed down and directly asked: "Is it because of the radiation values?"

Officer seemed to change to another individual as he previous tone and appearance were nowhere to be seen. Wide smile on his face, he said: "Pretty clever. Yes, its because of the radiation values. They are barely qualified, even through a rough training they could only become "Scavengers". But you, well, there is a hope for you to join "Hunters"."

"The scavengers and the hunters?" as Dudian heard these two words, he was a bit perplexed. Dudian asked: "Who are the scavengers?"

"Come over first." The man reached out to hold Dudian as he got off the carriage. They began to walk towards the manor: "The scavengers are responsible for the giant wall to develop out of the security zone. They are mainly looking for available resources. "

"Out of the giant wall?" Dudian was surprised as it was no small matter. It turned out to be working outside the giant wall. That white-bearded old man obviously knew this. Even though white-bearded man told them that there is plague and devils outside the giant wall and nobody could survive there.

Although Dudian did not believe in devils, but there is no doubt that the giant wall is extremely dangerous. At least the air radiation is much higher outside the giant wall. Ah, radiation? Suddenly Dudian, as if sobering up from hangover, come to understand. No wonder the radiation value will be used to distinguish between scavengers and hunters, most of the environment outside the giant wall is extremely bad, very high radiation. If the body itself has too high radiation, outside the wall it will be easy to reach saturation. Only the people with low radiation values could survive out there.

Understanding this point, his heart could not help but suck down the cold lump. People behind the so-called medical examination are responsible for the secret assessment of civilians?

The Dark King – Chapter 10

Light physique

I would like to thank Green Tea for doing an awesome job by editing this chapter!

"What do hunters do?" Dudian couldn't help but ask: "Is it dangerous outside the giant wall? What is the danger lurking outside the giant wall?" Lots of terrifying things came into his mind. His face became pale, but fortunately his skin color was white, so his fear was not too prominent.

"You're smart." The slim officer smiled and said: "Outside the giant wall is… …"

The man next to him frowned and said:"Fernando, we have not confirmed his identity yet, do not talk too much."

Surprised for a moment, Fernando shrugged: "Does not matter. His measured radiation value is 0.8. It's lower than 1 so he probably has the "light physique".

"We have to do the test. Do not come to an early conclusion!" the second man frowned.

Fernando paused to think for a moment, before he bowed to Dudian and said: "You can only wait until the test finishes so that I can tell you. Nevertheless at that time someone will explain everything to you."

Dudian heard their conversation and was slightly confused "Light physique? What does that mean? "

"Wait a few minutes and you will know." Fernando mysteriously laughed.

All three of them walked into the manor. Several gardeners who were sprinkling the lawn respectfully nodded their heads in salute as the three of them passed by. They walked on the white stone path paved in the middle of the lawn. A giant door, more than 10 meters high, was opened for them to enter. Fernando led Dudian into one of the steeple towers within the mansion. Walking up the steps Fernando led Dudian into a dark room on the top floor.

On their way, all the servants who saw them stood still and respectfully nodded as they passed by.

Dudian looked into the dark room. There were no windows, but instead a small hole just enough to ventilate the room. It was also covered with a black curtain, so it must have been a while since sunshine had infiltrated the room. The air in the room was cold, like the temperature of the early rainy season.

In the center of the room there was a metal table covered on top with a black cloth. Fernando walked towards the metal table. He took off the black cloth to reveal a smooth crystal ball. White chilly air was released from the crystal ball. The crystal ball was actually a sphere of ice.

"Come on, little guy," Fernando pulled out a sharp knife hidden inside his black leather arm bracer and looked back at Dudian: "Come over."

Suddenly, Dudian could see that there were very small white insects inside this almost transparent crystal ball. If you did not look carefully, it was impossible to detect.

"These are "light worms". They can only survive in a cold environment." Fernando smiled and said: "If you have the light physique, they will not drink your blood." As soon as he finished speaking, Fernando grabbed Dudian's little hand and moved it to the top of the crystal. On top of the crystal ball there was a small hole, as if it were a container.

After a stroke of the blade, Dudian felt pain in his finger. A drop of blood dripped from his finger and fell into the hole, slipping inside the crystal.

At this time, the "light worms" that were lying dormant, sleeping at the bottom of the crystal ball, seemed to wake up as if disturbed from their dreams. As if sniffing for the location of blood, they began to slightly move towards the drop of blood.

Fernando's face changed, while the second man frowned upon seeing this scene.

Dudian thought of Fernando's words and his heart sank.

They saw the "light worms" quickly climb towards the blood. As soon as they reached the drop of blood, they began absorbing it as if their bodies were sponges. Their small white bodies became tinged with red, but soon after the color quickly dissipated and was restored to white.

"Impossible ah … …" Fernando frowned as he murmured: "Has it been long since they ate something? Are they hungry?

His cut his finger, and dripped blood into the hole.

However, the worms did not even glance at it and moved back to the bottom of the crystal ball to curl up.

Fernando's face was gloomy. Without a word, he quickly grabbed Dudian's hand and made a cut. Blood fell into the crystal ball, and the worms began to climb to the top to swiftly absorb it.

"Really, he ain't!" Fernando seemed to be somewhat discouraged. He loosened his grip on Dudian's little hand, and also put away his knife.

Dudian frowned slightly. By now he probably already knew the reason. His body was immune to radiation more than the average person. So his body's radiation content was lower than ordinary people. These people were looking for "hunting" partners, but in his case he had been out of the cold storage for less than half a year. His contact with the world was too short, so the body radiation content was low.

Another young man looked at Dudian indifferently: "It seems your previous family was quite good."

When Dudian heard his cold voice his mind became uncomfortable because he understood the meaning behind his words. It seemed these people had already thoroughly investigated Dudian's background. They knew that he was adopted by Jura and Gray. Moreover they knew that he had not been in Meishan orphanage for long. So as to say, they thought that he was the kind abandoned by an aristocratic or rich family. Only these types of families ate and drank things which were filtered and had low radiation.

"I did not expect him to be an abandoned rich kid" Fernando sighed with a disappointed face.

Dudian was quiet and avoided speaking. But his heart was not discouraged. Once you became a hunter, it was necessary to go to those dangerous areas, although he didn't know what dangers laid outside. But he figured it was best to not take those kinds of risks.

The second officer looked at Dudian and spoke in a cold voice: "Little guy. Everything that you saw and heard in here have to be kept confidential. It absolutely must not be exposed, including what you heard about "Hunters", "Scavengers" and everything else. Whatever you heard or saw should disappear from your mind. Just forget everything. Do you get me? "

"These must be the legal restrictions?" thought Dudian. He nodded and said: "I will keep my lips sealed."

The second officer, upon seeing Dudian be so obedient, turned with a slight chill in his eyes as he looked at Fernando and said:"Fortunately, you did not talk to much nonsense in front of him or the only option would be left to 'deal' with the little guy"

Hearing this, Dudian0 who had been calm till then, suddenly felt as if cold water was poured over his head. His life was almost ruined by accident? He now knew for sure that the law couldn't guarantee his life. Even if you observed the law word by word to be safe and sound, there were some powers that could end your life as simply as dusting their sleeves.

As if it was their privilege to do so!

This situation made him feel a chilling fear, but he also felt a surge of strong anger!

This anger was caused by his life being threatened and the rules of this world which could be bent according to powerful's will!

Since the law is unreliable, I have to develop my own rules!

Aristocratic privilege? Hunter privilege?

Someday, I will tear all these into pieces!

Dudian's small hands tightly clenched into fists. The two officers did not pay attention to him. Perhaps after they determined that Dudian didn't have the "light physique", they lost interest in communicating or even observing him.

All of a sudden, coldness emerged from deep within Dudian's eyes. His mind became more mature, more ruthless, and he secretly decided in his heart that he would change his situation and get ahold of an indirect life insurance as soon as possible. Otherwise, if he were to encounter another such scenario, it wasn't certain that he could survive. If he died in such a manner, how was he going to face his parents who granted him a "second life"?

"I'm not able to use guns, but gunpowder seems to be… " Certain thoughts flashed in his heart.

"Hey!" Fernando said with regret: "Go, little guy." His attitude was not as warm and friendly as before.

"By the way, if you are found leaking information about us to anyone, including your parents, then you can't blame anyone but yourself! "

Translator note: This is what I'm talking about! By the end of the last chapter everyone would think that Dudian(Dean) would have "light physique" and beat the shit out of everything and be the The Dark King! It's a usual plot for many chinese novels, BUT NOT IN HERE. This is what I love about The Dark King.