Chapter 180: Shades – Five
The night wind howled, brushing through the forest.
In the foothills east of Deer Town, less than a kilometer away from the waterfall stream, over two hundred knights galloped on their mounts. The iron hooves thundered across the grassland, stirring up dust and debris. The leading knight captain was clad in heavy armor, with a cloak draped over his back. His stern face flickered in the torchlight.
He belonged to the First Knight Order, leading the Ninth Squad of the Fist of Judgment. This time, he had been dispatched by Lord Isaac and the Papal Order’s secret mandate from the Holy City to Silgaya. Initially, they thought they would be facing the stench of bugs from the East Continent and engaging in bloody battles against the cruel demons to protect the children of God. Both he and the warriors behind him believed this. Some were so excited that they stayed awake all night. However, upon arrival, they discovered that the battle situation was not as expected.
The knight captain and his squad did not accompany Lord Isaac southward for battle. Instead, they were ordered to remain in the Northern Border, setting up camp at the outskirts of Woodworth Forest. Using the obviously hastily constructed watchtowers, they worked with the Faith Corps priests who were also left behind to search for and guard against the so-called “heretics” that he believed would never appear.
In the knight captain’s heart, the rats of the Gate of Truth had crossed the Ipsus Sea, defeated the Third Knight Order’s defenses at Mossy Coast, and attempted to challenge the authority of the Holy Church after twenty years of silence. They burned, killed, and plundered. According to the battle reports, the situation was extremely severe. The Third Knight Order must pay the price for these consequences. The Williams family was incompetent; despite having support from the Sixth Knight Order and two Papal Knights, they still lost to a group of desperate pests.
He looked down on Commander Nick, whose defeat brought shame to the Holy Church and plunged the once-peaceful Republic’s citizens back into war. The sudden flood only exacerbated the situation. Many innocent people in the Southern Border must have perished. As a fellow knight of honor, he was enraged by Commander Nick Williams’ incompetence at the Mossy Coast battle and felt ashamed that matters had reached such a point.
But at the same time, the knight captain realized something. Although the heretics were despicable and their methods cruel, the South must have already fallen into a state of dire distress. If the rats could defeat over ten thousand knights and two Papal Knights in open combat, then those coming this time were certainly not the usual small fry he had previously eradicated. This was a perfect opportunity to achieve glory.
The knight captain yearned to go into battle, to earn fame and honor for his family and himself. However, fate did not favor him. He was left behind, even though he had pleaded for permission. Neither Lord Isaac nor the Papal Order gave him the chance.
He lost this golden opportunity.
Now, both of those great men were on the battlefield, along with that pitiable young Papal Knight. Regardless of her actual strength or whether she lived up to the rumors, the knight captain genuinely believed that even if the little girl did nothing but wear the Papal Knight’s cloak and stand at the front of the army, it would be enough to make the seasoned wolves of the First Knight Order’ hearts race and their morale soar.
Who wouldn’t want such a pitiable lady to see their most heroic side?
The battle situation would undoubtedly be one-sided.
It wasn’t because he had enough faith in the young Papal Knight’s charm. In fact, her presence or absence didn’t matter; it wouldn’t affect the outcome of the battle. For the Papal Order and Lord Isaac were leading the charge personally. Even the most terrifying heretics would be lucky to survive encountering them on the battlefield.
The knight captain felt that the outcome was predetermined from the moment the fifteen hundred knights decided to set out. Whether they saved the Third Knight Order or not, the heretics were destined to lose.
And those who remained here, ordered to stay, would miss the fervent battle in the South, the honor of fighting alongside the Papal Order, and the shining merit of saving the people from calamity. They would be deprived of all these.
Thus, he grew increasingly resentful, wanting to take to the field to slay the enemy but finding no opportunity. Guarding this impoverished land, his daily task was endless patrols, searching villages and forests for elusive dragons, tedious and monotonous tasks.
No wonder the knight captain harbored resentment. In truth, none of the knights who did not go to battle had any less resentment. They simply did not believe that heretics could reach this far, let alone understand why they needed to risk insect and snake bites in the forest to find a white-haired dragon, which was an impossible myth concocted by ignorant peasants.
Despite this, the knight captain remained diligent. While completing his assigned patrol routes each day, he also tried to inspire the troops with encouraging words and do what he could to keep their spirits high. But he knew deep down that until the two great men returned victorious with their soldiers, they might not see a single heretic.
Even tonight, he vaguely sensed some activity from the Faith Corps, suggesting something unusual was happening in Deer Town. There was a performance there, and some people had rushed over, but it was probably just minor affairs. Nothing major would happen in the North of the Republic. Such calm would likely persist until they returned to the Holy City.
Standing atop the tower, the knight captain felt listless, contemplating how he would explain this to his family and his wife when they returned. He had come with high hopes and bold declarations, but now…
He couldn’t help but wonder if Captain Isaac had some prejudice against him, why hadn’t he been dispatched south with his squad for battle? Was it because he hadn’t performed well enough?
The Knight Commander was lost in these thoughts when he saw distant flames.
It was in the direction of Deer Town.
The place where the Knight Commander was stationed was the closest to Deer Town. At the moment the flames rose, he heard a loud rumble from that direction. Not only he, but almost half of the knights in the camp also noticed it. After a brief shock, they realized there was a fight going on over there.
The flames were as red as blood, undoubtedly those pests from the Eastern Continent.
The heretics have truly come…
His subordinates began to get restless. The Knight Commander climbed down from the high tower and started organizing and mobilizing actively, preparing to meet the enemy at any time. However, without orders from above, no one dared to act rashly. As the flames in Deer Town grew more intense, thick black smoke rose, and the commotion of battle seemed to be growing larger. The Knight Commander became anxious and ordered someone to request permission to move forward. But before he could receive a reply, golden light suddenly appeared.
That golden light was a distress signal from the Faith Order. Judging by its intensity, it was the highest level Mafa Light—released by at least a senior bishop. Such a signal indicated that the situation had become so severe that it was beyond anyone’s estimation.
So, the Knight Commander made a decisive decision. After leaving less than a hundred people to continue guarding the camp, he led over two hundred of his most elite knights and some members of the Faith Order, rushing along the edge of the mountain forest. Fortunately, there were enough antelope beasts; even in the dark, they moved swiftly with the help of torches. But just as they approached the town, he suddenly saw two meteors streaking across the night sky—one red and one black.
In that instant, the Knight Commander’s pupils constricted, his mind went blank, and his heart sank.
What…
Is it the abyss?!
An overwhelming sense of unease suddenly surged through him. The burning passion he felt earlier was instantly extinguished, and an instinctive urge to retreat emerged. He recognized the black mist as the abyss, without a doubt. The situation was far worse than he had imagined. But the team had already advanced this far, and the townspeople of Deer Town might be in grave danger. His pride as a knight told him not to retreat, even if he needed to seek help from other squads later, he should first understand the situation.
So, the Knight Commander ordered the release of Mafa Light and continued forward.
The red and black meteors streaked across the night sky and landed on the eastern slope outside the town. From a distance, they could still hear muffled sounds coming from there, but after a few moments, there was no further noise. The Knight Commander speculated that the battle had ended, but he was full of doubts about the current situation. He couldn’t understand why the abyss suddenly appeared and why it seemed to be fighting the heretics. Both forces were unprecedentedly powerful, and he could feel their气势, even though the battle seemed to have concluded.
Meanwhile, the golden light that had risen from Deer Town earlier remained silent. The Knight Commander’s heart grew heavier. He realized that the people of the church here might already be dead.
“Stop!”
Ahead was a stream crossing the hillside. Under the moonlight, the stream shimmered with silver ripples. The two meteors must have fallen nearby. The Knight Commander hesitated and raised his hand to stop the advance. He furrowed his brows, and soon, a beast came beside him—it was his most trusted deputy. They exchanged glances, both seeing hesitation and caution in each other’s eyes.
“What do we do?”
The deputy rubbed his face and said in a low voice. The Knight Commander thought for a moment, “Slow down, don’t split up, stay alert. We should be the first ones here. If it really is the abyss, rashly engaging with just these two hundred knights would be no different from suicide. Let’s gather more information first… You go call the people from the Faith Order.”
“Yes.”
The deputy left. Soon, two priests from the Faith Order arrived at the front of the team and discussed briefly with the Knight Commander. The team continued moving forward, albeit much slower. The torches flickered, casting tense faces on everyone.
Then, not far ahead, a hunched figure blocked their path.
It seemed like an old man.
The beasts halted. The Knight Commander squinted and asked, “Who are you?”
The old man didn’t speak. Even in the darkness, his face couldn’t be seen. But in the next moment, he suddenly attacked.
Without any warning.
At that moment, none of the seasoned warriors of the First Knight Order or the elite members of the Faith Order could react.
He was just an elderly man. When the Knight Commander asked “Who are you,” his mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of the abyss. He wondered if, in a direct confrontation, these two hundred men could hold out until reinforcements arrived. How exactly should they hold out, and how could they avoid involving more villages? The old man might be a townsman of Deer Town; he might know something. Should he ask…
He was still thinking about these things when a cold gleam flashed before his eyes. The scene in front of him suddenly shrank.
The distant stream flashed by, followed by weeds and the ground. He saw the old man’s feet crushing the grass as he landed, while the giant beast under him spurted blood from its neck. The Knight Commander was puzzled; he hadn’t looked down, yet he could see these things. What happened to the antelope beast? The old man was clearly so far away, how did he get here? Then he heard his deputy shout, “Walker—”
And then his consciousness blurred amidst the shout.
In the next moment, the clash of blades and the flash of swords erupted within the ranks!