The twelve obelisks stretch toward the highest point of the sky, like the arms of devout believers when they pray. The towering figures stood quietly around the city, under their feet were magnificent and neat streets, fantastic buildings, and the lifelike statue of Luvis. High-level priests can be seen everywhere here, and the flags of the three major holy knight orders are flying above the city. Not only that, the movement of the entire alliance is also maintained here by invisible forces.
That is the holy capital, the center of the Luvis Alliance, headed by Mitlan, together with the five countries of Alazea, Draenor, Stogard, Terras and Sokrat.
Another name for her is "Land of the Gods".
Today's date is the 23rd of January 235 in the Luvis calendar. For the knights, this day has a special meaning—the end of the Paladin assessment. After going through a half-year mission assessment, the elites who are qualified to become paladins will be called back to the holy capital, where they will receive the protection and guidance of Luvis and become new warriors of the gods.
In the Luvis Temple in the center of the Holy City, the Pope is personally presiding over the inauguration ceremony of the Paladin. On both sides of the temple hall, high-level priests and paladins solemnly stared at the scene in front of them: prestigious high-level knights, outstanding military generals, and lords with outstanding sword skills... They bowed devoutly before the Pope and accepted Best wishes from Lewis.
Beginning with the Lightning Invasion of the Dark Eagle, the war between the Alliance and the undead has lasted for eight full years, and there is no end in sight. Even paladins sometimes fall before the tireless and fearful black tide. And the soldiers in front of them will take over the will of the victims and shoulder the great responsibility of resisting the undead. Whether or not the Death Knights can be stopped in Storgard depends on their abilities.
"The last inaugural please come forward~!" The cardinal's resounding voice spread throughout the hall. According to the usual practice, the person who accepts the ceremony last should be the first person in this assessment, and because of this, everyone's eyes gathered.
The girl with beautiful eyes walked up the steps calmly, her ear-length black short hair brushed her cheeks, and the fitted silver chain mail outlined her slim figure. The girl's snow-white skin was bathed in the sun, like a jade sculpture, calm and serene. However, even though her expression was meticulous, she still couldn't conceal the passing waves in her pupils.
Seven years passed by, and unconsciously, white hair climbed onto Julian August's temples, but this did not detract from his majesty at all. At this moment, everyone was waiting for the Pope's lecture.
"Everyone, this is an era of war. Since the undead army invaded the alliance, the flames of war have continued to spread. The people of Alazea and Storgard are in dire straits, and the entire alliance is also exhausted. But," The Pope paused, "We have not surrendered~! Even in the face of tireless and fearful monsters, the believers of Luvis will not back down~! Never compromise, never surrender, can only be Destruction, cannot be enslaved~!"
Pope Julian, dressed in a purple robe, looked around the entire hall. The paladins were full of energy, the priests were calm and calm, and the girl in front of him revealed an invisible tranquility and serenity. He nodded in satisfaction.
"Not only that, but we also have hope, and that is you, the newborn paladins, Luvis' warriors~! Even in troubled times, you can still put aside interference and fight to protect Luvis with all your heart. A model of learning." Julian turned his gaze to the last inaugural person, and put his palm on the other's shoulder, "And you are especially commendable, not only can you perfectly complete the assessment tasks given by the Holy See, but also Consolidating the strategic advantages of the alliance, such outstanding talents are very rare in recent years."
"Thanks to the Hall of the Fawang for recognizing my efforts." The girl replied calmly.
"Then, please accept Luvis' blessing and guidance~!"
The inaugural man then knelt down on one knee and took the weapon presented by the Pope with both hands.
"This is the lightning-level equipment jointly manufactured by the dwarves and the mage. The short sword 'Liu Li' and the steel shield 'Thunderbolt' are given to you here in the name of the alliance." Julian paused, and then raised the volume, " In addition, in view of your outstanding achievements, the Holy See will recognize you as the first place in this assessment, and in the name of the Hall of the King of Law, grant Katoli_Olande the title of Paladin, 'Glory of Alazea'~! "
The girl raised her head, her emerald eyes were full of firmness and confidence.
"Katori is indeed very powerful. She won the first place in this assessment and won her own title." Walking out of the temple, a person who was also qualified this year walked over. Under the brown curly hair was a full of vitality. face.
"You should know, that's nothing, Ren." Katoli's tone suddenly became complicated, "Eighteen years ago, that person also accepted the title here as the number one?" Ai The Pride of Lazia'… ”
"The Dark Eagle?" Ren murmured softly while shaking his head.
For five years, he studied and fought with Katoli, and this time he successfully completed the assessment task and became a paladin with excellent evaluation. But the girl's gaze always stays in the blurred distance, not on him.
Ryan knew why. Even though the existence known as the Eagle of Darkness had long since disappeared from the battlefield, the seeds of hatred were still buried deep in the cracks of the girl's heart. Once everything related to that person was mentioned, the haze would always linger in an instant. her brow.
It must make you get rid of all this, Ren's gaze on the girl suddenly became gentle.
"What's the matter, Ren?" Katoli was a little strange.
"Ah? Oh... I was thinking, maybe the Dark Eagle has completely disappeared?" The young paladin smiled wryly, "It is said that the death knight will disappear when the wish is fulfilled, and since that battle, a whole For seven years, he hasn't shown up, so... "
"I don't care where he is, do you think I think the same as that guy?" The girl interrupted, "Even if Roland died, everything didn't get better. Even if it's revenge... it can't be An excuse to start a war~! So many people lost their lives, all because of that guy~! If I can, I will go to the front line tomorrow~!"
"Tomorrow... Tomorrow?" Ren looked at her in disbelief.
"That's right, I don't want to wait here with a title that fits well with the Dark Eagle." Katoli clenched her fists angrily. But in the next moment, her expression suddenly became bewildered.
Julian Auguste was standing by smiling.
"My lord pope~!" The two shouted in unison.
"Young people are really energetic." Julian, who left the altar, looked very kind, "But before going to the battlefield, careful planning is the more important thing. If you want, please come with me first. "
What will it be like? Catoli guessed silently, the pope led them through the temple, and went straight into the building behind the hall of the King of France. Obviously, this was not an open meeting.
"Here we are." Julian said, pushing open the door of the room. This is the Pope's office. On one side of the large desk, Loren August is sitting on a bench with his eyes closed, and a young mage is standing beside him, holding an old tome in his hand, looking at the girl When facing each other, he smiled friendlyly. Katoli also nodded, and then turned her gaze to the other side of the room. When the familiar figure was reflected in her eyes, joy filled her whole body in an instant.
"Father, Mom~!" The girl threw herself into each other's arms.
"I haven't seen you for half a year, do you miss us?" Dilicia showed a bright smile, while Kadar just smiled and looked at his adopted daughter.
"En~! I can't imagine~!" Katoli just put her head in her adoptive mother's arms.
"Now that everyone is here, let's start explaining the mission." Julian nodded to Kadar, "We are running out of time."
"Then, let me first explain the current situation." The sage's face became serious, and seven years of wind and frost climbed up his face again after the smile faded.
"The current situation of the alliance is not optimistic. Many important towns in Storgard have been captured, while the number of paladins and high-ranking knights is gradually being consumed in the battle, and the combat effectiveness of the newly recruited soldiers is not as good as before." Dahl sighed, "On the other hand, the elves also lost contact with us two years ago."
"Is it because of the sleeping sickness?" Katoli interjected, and she had also heard a little about the crisis of the alliance allies.
"That's right, it's just like the plague..." The sage nodded, "That kind of symptom is raging all over Blaine, and groups of elves fell to the ground, just like that, they have been trapped in the maze of dreams, That is probably Ishutori's masterpiece, right? But as mortals, we have no solution, and the goddess Luvis has not given any prophecy at all."
"Even the elf chanter Aurha is gone now." The young mage on the side added, "Now the remaining elves have completely lost contact with us, so the battle situation has become more difficult."
"I thought we could win through a war of attrition, but now we have fallen into a passive position. The Dark Eagle's blitz has made the undead firmly rooted in this continent, and human time is running out... Three days ago, There are green auroras appearing everywhere, which is an ominous omen," the listener said with some melancholy, "Luvis told me through the prophecy that it is a sign that the ruler of the undead can gain the power of God~! "
Before the words fell, the whole room fell into dead silence. Silence spread to the surroundings in an instant, everyone just looked at each other, but no one spoke.
Such a thing, a new god? The young people exchanged opinions with incredible eyes.
"Such things have happened before," the Pope finally broke the silence, his tone a little emotional, "Two hundred and thirty-five years ago, the goddess Luvis became a high god in this way."
"The only way now is to destroy that power before the undead." Loren concluded, "The prophecy has pointed out the direction for us. Although it is not complete, it is the only signpost."
"What do you mean by the Hall of the King of Law?" Katori stared at the elder with white beard and hair.
"It's impossible to send people to the frontline now, not to mention that outside the territory of the alliance, the power of the Holy Light will be greatly reduced. Therefore, it is decided that the outstanding candidates in this assessment will be the paladins Katoli and Ren, and the high-ranking mage Xiuyin. This mission." The listener answered succinctly.
In the next moment, Katoli interrupted him regardless of etiquette: "Why do you have to let me go?"
"Be careful, Catoli Olande, I know you really want to go to the front line to fight, but if you think this mission is a simple treasure hunt, you are wrong," the corner of the Pope's mouth slightly raised, "In fact, since the Alliance Since its establishment, there is only one person who has reached the legendary place 'Star Capital'."
"Dark Eagle... huh..." The girl's gaze became blurred at that moment, and the scene seven years ago seemed to be in front of her eyes - the black figure covered in blood with burning eyes. She muttered to herself, but didn't notice the worried eyes from her side, "In that case, I am willing to accept this task~!"
"Very good. I have always believed that only volunteers can successfully complete the task." The Pope smiled, and then glanced at Ren and Huin. Obviously, they did not have any objections to such an important task. Those shining eyes Zhongzheng reflects the firmness and self-confidence unique to young people.
"Since Katoli is the number one in this assessment, I think it is most suitable for her to be the leader of the task." Julian said, and handed out the necklace in his hand to the girl. At the top, a crystal shining with blood-red light is bound, "This is something that comes with the prophecy, the blood of Luvis, the only thing that can destroy that power, please keep it safe."
"This is... the blood of Luvis?" The girl held the necklace tightly in her hand, and her emerald pupils showed a never-give-up look, "I guarantee by the reputation of the paladin, even if you sacrifice your life, you will definitely die." I will complete this mission~!"
The light of the teleportation circle gradually faded from the hall of Luzhi Temple. Under the influence of Shuyin's magic power, the three of them will first arrive at the city of Bozhiding, the city of Storgard. There, Josephine, the famous ranger, will be the last member of the team.
Watching Katoli gradually disappear, Dilicia's eyes became moist uncontrollably, and at the same time, a powerful and warm hand touched her shoulder.
"Don't worry, she will return to us safely." Kadar encouraged his wife with a smile.
"En~!" Delicia hugged him tightly as if responding.
"Catoli Orlande, the daughter of Wendam, was she the only survivor of the royal family in the battle of Dharamla seven years ago? It's really ironic." Julian shook his head and smiled. With a non-smiling expression, there are only two August brothers left in the office at the moment, "If she knew that she was the candidate for the task because of her blood, maybe she would tear off my beard?"
"Is this the so-called fate?" Loren just sighed, silently watching the scenery outside the window.
The other half of Luvis' prophecy—only blood from the Star Capital can open the gate to the Star Capital.
In the reception room of Berzhidin Castle, Katori leaned quietly by the window. The glass separated the cold air of early spring, and at the same time made the flickering lights in the city a blurred candlelight. Under the night, the emerald eyes There was a trace of sadness that could not be suppressed.
"Dad, Mom, this is the first long-distance trip in my life..." Katoli whispered to herself. For some reason, bits and pieces of the past seven years came to mind again: As important generals of the alliance, Kadar and Dilicia were often away, but the invisible bond warmed the girl's heart like a bonfire. Every reunion is a good memory, and every conversation benefits me endlessly.
They are the people who know me best, the girl thought so, subconsciously put her hand on her heart.
However, now I have to rely on my own strength to complete everything. I don't have a solid backup like the assessment, nor do I just think about fighting like on the battlefield. Now... I have to face a completely unknown road. Can I accomplish such an important mission? The girl took a deep breath.
The resentment of those dead must not be allowed to succeed~! No matter what, you must complete this task~!
Josephine is not only one of the most famous rangers in the alliance, but also responsible for the supply management of the entire surrounding war zone of Berzhidin - before leaving his post, he must organize everything in order to prevent the alliance from losing the advantage that is gradually being swallowed. Therefore, the last member did not report until night, and in order to pass the time, Ren and Huin chatted after maintenance of the weapon.
"As a result, just after the inauguration ceremony, we were entrusted with this task to prevent Ishutoli from apotheosis... It's unbelievable to think about it." Ren sighed, "Are you also like this?"
"It seems that I have more leeway. I have received the news before, and I chose to be the candidate for the task."
"Want to save the world?"
"Rather than wanting to save the world, it's better to say I want to inquire about the power of magic," Xiu Yin shook his head noncommittally, "About the secrets of magic..."
"That should be something that is rejected by the alliance?" The paladin frowned. "I don't think it's a good thing to pursue power too much."
"It's obvious," the mage said with a mysterious smile, "but if you've seen magic with your own eyes, you won't have that kind of prejudice. My mentor, the high-level mage Yamir, taught me seven years ago Witnessing the Elfsinger at the Battle of Yith wield the power of his magic, which he now calls a miracle..."
"how about you?"
"Have you heard of the legend of the Star City?" Xiu Yin suddenly asked the other party.
"Yes, that is a place known as the city of legends. It is said that it has incredible power and knowledge that has been passed down in this world." Ren sorted out the memories in his mind.
"It was mentioned in Roland's experience eighteen years ago...there is also a magician there, and knowledge about magic..." Xiu Yin did not hide his longing, "I think, if someone can get in touch with those , and bring the lost knowledge back to the alliance, people don't have to use things like 'talent' to explain magic~!"
"It's a good idea, but even the Dark Eagle himself didn't get any good results." A crisp voice came between the two of them, and when Roland was mentioned, Katoli's beautiful brows frowned. "I think the task should be the first priority now. The existence of the alliance is the most important thing. We are not going out to take risks."
Xiu Yin nodded: "Of course."
"In addition, I think there is an opportunity to increase your actual combat experience." The girl smiled.
"What?"
Katoli skillfully equipped the small shield on her left arm, then raised her head: "Berzhidin is in trouble."
Outside the window, the sleeping city has woken up, and there are shining torches everywhere. The erratic rays of light swayed in the streets and alleys, interweaving into a big net of restlessness and anxiety, covering the entire Beridin. Almost at the same time, the door of the reception room was suddenly opened, cold air instantly poured into the room, and the restlessness in the corridor also shattered the original tranquility.
A soldier rushed in, his face was full of anxiety: "It's the death knight~! The death knight is coming~!"
Soldiers held torches and set up roadblocks in various main roads in the city, and the knights also took action under the guidance of the mage. Although the opponent is only a lone death knight, no one dares to be negligent—otherwise the price will be paid in blood—this is a lesson learned in years of fighting against the undead.
Behind the intruder were more than 30 Storgard knights chasing them. The death knights were dressed in black, and their running movements were as silent as sliding, but the armor of the human knights made a shocking noise. The sound attracted all the defenders.
"Stop him~!" Several chasing knights shouted loudly, and the figures of colleagues holding swords appeared in front of them.
Although the invaders had already examined the route of escape, they had to face the outflanking in the end. He slowed down, but the footsteps behind him were getting closer.
"Finally caught you~! Don't make unnecessary resistance, undead~!" The leader was a young paladin, with a look of no resistance on his face. When he saw the opponent in front of him clearly, Ren was a little surprised—it was rare for a death knight to hide his face, but this one in front of him was wearing a tight mask, and only his flaming eyes showed his identity.
The death knight looked around at the knights who surrounded them from all directions, and then replied briefly: "I don't have time to entangle you here."
"So far, you are still stubborn~!?" Ren's face was flushed with anger, "All surround him~! Don't relax, the opponent is a death knight, even if there is only one person, we have to deal with it with all our strength. Cut off his head~!"
The five knights on the innermost side of the encirclement took the lead in attacking, and the five shining long swords slashed down on their heads.
In the next instant, a ray of light roared out from the tightly wrapped cloak of the death knight, like the most powerful thunder, with a dazzling blue color, piercing the cold air. Just in the blink of an eye, the sword, armor and body were split into two by that ray of light. The metal fragments stirred the bloody pieces of meat and flew around, and the ground was immediately dyed a dark red color.
The brilliant blue color gradually solidified, and the soldiers finally saw clearly that it was an epee that was a full circle larger than a two-handed sword. In terms of size, it was almost comparable to the "Fei Lian" of the Guide of Light. . The death knight swung it again, and the blood immediately spilled out along the broad blade, drawing a bright red long line in the air.
"That rascal… "
"He actually killed five people at once~!"
"Look at that sword~!"
The sight burned into their eyes made the knights retreat subconsciously.
The intruder seized this opportunity and charged at the timid enemy. The large net woven by the knight's long sword is tight and sharp, but the figure wrapped in a cloak can smoothly shuttle through it.
Most of the time, there was only a piece of paper between Jianmang and his body, but the burning pupils did not show a trace of panic, but calmly observed the loopholes in the encircling net. Only at the necessary moment, the epee in the death knight's hand will move, shooting towards the opponent's head like a hunting snake, and screaming and blood column in the next moment.
If this continues... the knights will lose their will to fight~! Looking at the torn apart formation, Rennes felt an ominous omen in his heart. We must restrain the opponent's offensive...
The young paladin immediately began to chant prayers, and under the guidance of his will, the power of life rushed towards the black undead.
However, the pillar of fire of the holy light did not hit the target—the death knight who was aware of it jumped out of the position at the last moment, adjusted his posture immediately, and rushed towards Renn.
"Don't think I will be defeated by you~!" Ren roared loudly, resisting the opponent's impact from the front. However, the death knight's first sword paralyzed his hands, and the subsequent series of stormy slashes made the paladin retreat again and again, leaving no room for counterattack. What's worse, in close combat, he found that he couldn't use Holy Light at all.
This guy is a monster~! Ren gritted his teeth. The tiger's jaws of his hands have been shattered, blood is flowing down the hilt of the sword, and the howling wind of the sword makes his eyes hurt so badly that he can barely open them. But the paladin must not be distracted, no matter what, he must hold on to the only support in his hand, otherwise he will be cut in half in the blink of an eye.
After a few rounds, Ren's situation was very unfavorable, but the young man did not have any fear or confusion. On the contrary, there was a tenacity in his eyes that melted the ice. The death knight found that his judgment was wrong—the opponent's swordsmanship was much superior than expected. Not only that, when the two confronted each other, the defenders had already regrouped and surrounded them in a tighter formation. Several priests have also arrived on the battlefield at this moment.
"You have nowhere to go~!" The arrival of reinforcements greatly boosted Ren's confidence.
"Very good swordsmanship, but not enough to stop me." Although the opponent's face was hidden behind the mask, the paladin believed that the expression of the death knight must be full of disdain at this moment.
"Don't be too rampant~!" Ren slashed down with all his strength. The death knight didn't dodge, but just raised the weapon in his hand. The two swords intersected, and the light stream of sparks immediately overflowed from the blade. Driven by the intruder's cleverness, Ren's long sword immediately deviated from the direction, and his body lost his balance. In that short second, the gray-haired black shadow had come before his eyes, and Ren only felt his upper body violently sink.
The death knight leaped onto his shoulders.
In the next moment, before the paladin could react, the intruder had jumped out of the encirclement encircled by taking advantage of its height.
"Hurry up and chase~!" Ren, who got up from the ground, roared, his eyes almost burst into flames, but the black shadow had already disappeared into the night.
It is not easy to get back after losing the target, especially when the target is the death knight. Even with the eyesight of the dwarves, they couldn't find the cold body, so the defenders had to change their strategy and adopt a trawling search. The long snake of the torch immediately scattered countless twigs, spreading towards the whole city.
But they didn't know that the intruder had already left the urban area and was sneaking above the city wall at this moment.
Except for one person.
The long gray hair fluttered under the strong wind from the high wall, the black cloak enveloped the vigorous figure, and the thick mask covered the cold expression of the intruder. Only the eyes that were burning with flames radiated a dignified breath of death. The surrounding corpses cooled down at an accelerated rate under the gloom, and the blood-condensed red carpet had already overflowed under the feet of the undead.
The death knight stopped in his tracks, staring quietly at the girl in front of him. Those emerald eyes looked extraordinarily hazy in the night, and the moonlight put a thin veil on the girl's face. The two of them maintained a confrontational posture on the narrow city wall, like statues, until the crisp sound of the glass being unsheathed dispelled the stagnant silence.
"You must think that your escape route is perfect, right?" Katoli stared coldly at the enemy in front of her, "But you can't fool me. From the rules of your actions, you can see that you will use the city wall as a breakthrough~! Don't think that you escape."
"I can see the persistence in your eyes, but this can't stop me." The death knight stared at the other party, his tone as calm as an ice-like blade under the moonlight.
"Don't come and talk to me about attachment~! I will defeat you, but I will not ignite such a war for a certain obsession like you~!" The girl said bitterly, clenched her hands The dagger pointed at the intruder, "Selfish dead, let your soul return to dust this time, and no longer endanger the world~!"