Chapter 306

Chapter 92 You Are Going to Die

As I neared the ground, black flames ignited once more around my body, causing my descent to slow instantly. I stretched out my arms horizontally in mid-air, swaying slightly to maintain balance. The black flames supported my body as it slowly descended. When I was less than ten meters from the ground, I extinguished the flames and allowed my body to fall freely, landing with a dull thud.

“Phew—”

Finally, no more flying…

I felt a sense of relief similar to finishing a twenty-kilometer run, with my tightly strung nerves finally relaxing.

The feeling of solid ground was truly wonderful…

Shouldn’t anyone have noticed me?

After stretching my limbs and straightening up, I immediately looked up towards the distant plains.

The Church Knights’ formation was just there. It was about… four or five hundred meters away. From here, all I could see were the bright torches and indistinct figures; everything else was blurry. Even with my ears perked up, I could only hear faint commotion.

But they were still walking southeast. The formation wasn’t disorganized, so no one should have noticed me…

With the cover of night and my pitch-black armor, even on such an open terrain like the plains, it wouldn’t be easy for them to spot me unless they were very close.

No matter what, I need to get over there first…

I stepped onto the soft soil, crouching down and rushing quickly toward the light. As I ran, I undid the straps and pulled out Captain Gray from my back, gripping the scythe handle tightly and swinging it to the side.

Click, clang—

Just as the weapon took shape, I adjusted my running pace. My left toe suddenly pushed off the ground, sending dirt and grass flying beneath me, while a gust of wind roared past my ears.

Moon Step!

Whoosh—

In an instant, I had moved forward nearly thirty meters. Taking a deep breath, I pushed off with my right toe, gaining momentum once more.

Keep going!

Whoosh—

I sprinted with all my might. My speed was faster than a horse from my previous life and comparable to the cheetah beasts of this world. Watching the distance to the firelight rapidly decrease, within a minute, I was already less than a hundred meters behind their formation.

Then I slowed down.

Getting any closer might make me visible… If I am seen, then…

Hmm…

Actually…

Now, whether they notice me or not seems irrelevant…

Less than a hundred meters away, I can reach them with just a few steps. By the time the entire formation reacts, I might have already dashed through several times… Or perhaps I’ll throw a few fireballs first; they won’t have time to organize a counterattack and will suffer heavy casualties… No, they’ll turn into ashes. It’s possible I might hit a few old men, including Bishop Nero, preventing them from releasing any divine miracles… The formation ahead looks like it has fewer than a thousand people, and I’m not afraid of them.

Should I do this?

These people… might know who I am.

Whoosh!

A flame quietly gathered in the palm of my left hand. My right hand gripped the icy handle of Captain Gray, my fingers gently rubbing against it before loosening slightly.

Should I start now?

Suddenly, I thought of that middle-aged knight captain who admired me somewhat.

I recalled his pained and bewildered expression when he tried to stop Margaret. After Margaret teleported through the encirclement, he didn’t immediately turn to chase her but slowly lowered his sword.

Is he part of the formation too…

Thinking this, my tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

Sigh…

The black flames flickered in my palm, and I abruptly clenched my left fist, extinguishing them.

What am I hesitating for…

They haven’t done anything to me… These knights follow orders and are steadfast in their faith… Perhaps some of them have killed their former comrades. But even if that’s true, I don’t have the right to take these lives arbitrarily; otherwise, I would be no different from those monsters…

The ones I’m looking for are only those who attacked me.

After clarifying this, I began to sneak around the formation from the side.

Where are those old guys…

Flying for so long, my stomach is a bit hungry.

This place is vast, making it hard to find any rocks or hills to hide behind. But it doesn’t matter; I’m small enough to hide in thick grass.

The vegetation on the plains is diverse, with some plants growing over half a meter tall. Once I squat down, no one can see me.

Hehe~

I kept running and hiding, ducking behind tall grass, my dark eyes darting around in the night, searching for the next patch of grass closer to the formation. Then, I’d dash over, squat down, and keep an eye out for others while turning my head to look for the next spot… Suddenly, I found myself enjoying this game, experiencing a peculiar thrill akin to hunting.

It’s quite fun…

Unconsciously, I had circled around to the front side of the formation.

I squatted behind a strange plant in a fan-shaped arrangement, pushing aside some branches slightly, peeking out from behind.

One Church Knight after another passed by in front of me, less than twenty meters away. Some held torches, others carried helmets. Perhaps due to the overnight journey, or maybe because the events in the valley still lingered in their minds, they all looked weary and dispirited. The formation was somewhat loose, with some individuals bandaged from injuries, resembling the defeated soldiers seen on TV. Some even appeared lost and confused.

Unable to hold back, I shrank back further, then heard low murmurs coming from that direction.

“Are we going to Vandom again… not to the capital?”

“This is Deputy Commander Laplace’s order…”

“I heard we’re going to join forces…”

“What are we even doing here…”

“Don’t ask so much. We are Church Knights, fulfill your duties.”

“…My duty?”

“Wilson, we joined this operation with a determination to die, hoping to become heroes… If we unfortunately perish at the hands of monsters, I have no complaints; it’s not only my duty but also my highest honor…”

“But what about now…”

“Hush!”

“Shut your mouth…”

“…Why can’t we talk? Aren’t we here to eliminate the abyss? Where is the abyss? They killed the Pope’s knights who came to support, and they called her a monster…

“Shut up! Things are not as simple as you think.”

“Wilson, did you see Miss Silvija too… She’s still so young… so beautiful… looks so innocent… They threw her into the Abyss… Wilson, can you imagine… What abyssal monster, do people really believe such nonsense…”

“We must believe in Cardinal Nero. He is one of the closest to the divine, and he is someone the Grandmaster trusts.”

“But what Alexander shouted before he died, we all heard clearly, right? Don’t you trust him…”

“As a knight, you cannot doubt your faith.”

“The Holy Maiden is also close to the divine, why don’t we believe her…”

“Damn it…”

“The bishops almost killed her… Could she be from the Abyss too…”

“I said, shut up!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll shut up… Do you really understand what we’re doing…”

The whispered argument gradually faded away as the speakers left.

I couldn’t help but clench my fists.

…Nero.

I was right.

After I fell into the Abyss, he and Margaret had a disagreement. It seems that the fat man wanted to kill me, and now he even wants to kill the Holy Maiden! How could things get this far… The Abyss doesn’t care… What is the Church doing?

Forget it, I don’t care what you’re doing…

Exhausted knights kept passing by in front of me. I quietly hid in the grass, motionless, my eyes fixed ahead.

Waiting is annoying.

Gradually, half of the procession had passed. But I still hadn’t seen any bishops, not even those riding the horned beasts.

Strange…

Could it be that Nero isn’t in this group?

No way…

Where would he go if he wasn’t here… Wait.

I remember those knights saying they were going to some town to regroup… Regroup with whom… Could it be that Nero has already gone there?

!

Three horned carriages waiting outside the canyon, only one left. Margaret might be in that carriage! These departing knights took the horned beasts, but I haven’t seen any… Someone must have caught up earlier! With insufficient horned beasts, how could they wait for these slow-moving knights… I should have—

Creak… creak…

Suddenly, a horned carriage surrounded by knights slowly passed by. The white carriage, adorned with intricate gold patterns, glimmered under the firelight.

That’s…

Margaret?

No, it’s not… Though it looks similar, the design is different… This isn’t the carriage we used when going to the canyon; it’s another model from the Church… Knights are protecting that carriage, the curtains are tightly drawn, who’s inside… I don’t care who… It seems to be the only horned carriage in the group… Maybe it’s just an old man who can wield holy spears… Margaret is still somewhere else. Don’t hesitate, act first!

In less than a second, I made my decision.

In the next moment, the earth beneath my feet exploded, and the plants in front were torn apart by the fierce wind.

Moonwalk!

Whoosh—

Gale roared.

A petite figure moved like teleportation, with unparalleled speed and power, slamming into the horned carriage protected by the knights before anyone could react.

Bang!!

Crash—

The wooden carriage instantly disintegrated. Dust and wood chips flew everywhere, the curtains flapped high, the yoke twisted, a massive horned beast toppled to the ground, screaming in panic, and the broken carriage flew off the road, shaking as someone fell out.

I hit the carriage with my shoulder, feeling no impact or pain… This armor is too good, just like the armor I wore in my “monster” form, ordinary weapons can’t hurt me.

“Attack—”

Someone nearby screamed desperately.

“Protect the cardinal!”

It’s a cardinal!

Then…

The carriage flew farther and farther, landing five or six meters away, sliding forward another meter or two, scattering into a pile of rags and wood. The person who fell rolled twice on the ground, and I saw the robe they were wearing… It’s a cardinal!

I immediately rushed forward, not waiting for their rolling to stop, I kicked their waist, lifting them up, grabbing their collar, pulling them close to look at their face—familiar!

It’s the old man who let me use the holy spear.

After confirming this, I ignored several knights rushing towards me with swords drawn, black flames ignited beneath my feet, and my figure shot up into the sky.

The knights below immediately fell into chaos.

“Cough, cough…”

The old man was coughing, sounding weak.

I deliberately held him higher, controlling the black flames so they didn’t touch his body, just flickering around him. As soon as I flew about twenty to thirty meters high, I dodged a glowing arrow from below, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the old man clutching his chest, emitting a faint golden glow.

He’s trying to use a miracle…

Next moment, Captain Gray’s blade slashed upward, slicing through his forearm, and the old man’s hand flew out of sight. His face contorted in pain, his complexion drained of color, yet he dared not even scream—the sharp blade of Captain Gray was already against his wrinkled neck.

“Die if you resist,” I said coldly.

“Have your throat slit, or be thrown down.”

Black flames surged.

Wild tongues of flame danced beneath my feet, carrying me swiftly higher into the sky.

“You… You are… Who are you!”

Strong winds filled the old man’s mouth, making it hard for him to speak. His aged face trembled violently from the wind, his eyes half-closed.

“You… you bullied me before. Made me fall into the Abyss…”

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, carried away by the wind. His clouded eyes filled with fear, his painful and terrified expression making my lips curl.

“Forget it?”

The old man suddenly froze.

Next moment, he actually opened his eyes, his face full of shock: “You… you didn’t die?!”

“I didn’t die,” the smile in my eyes deepened, “but, you will.”