Temple Knight and Fiancee

Darkness.

A vast, profound darkness.

Within this darkness, the boy's consciousness gradually awakened.

"Where?"

"Where is this?"

"Where am I?"

The boy's mind became clearer and clearer, and he began to ask questions.

Boundless darkness enveloped him. It was silent, and there was no response.

The hope in the boy's heart dwindled. He examined himself, yet he could not see himself.

The confusion in his heart only grew.

"Then... who am I?"

"Who am I?"

"I... why am I trapped here?"

As the boy awakened, he gradually grew impatient. The darkness was safe, but it had remained unchanged for countless years. It was like a cage, trapping him within.

Naturally, he began to struggle free. He wanted to leave this place.

"I want to leave!"

"But where should I go?"

"Is there a path for me to walk?"

"Is there a way out?"

As though answering the boy's confusion, a spot of light began to appear in the darkness.

The light was orange.

It was extremely faint.

It seemed to be there and not there, flickering in and out of sight.

Yet within the utter darkness, even such a faint orange glow was strikingly obvious.

It seized all of the boy's attention.

The boy tried his hardest to move closer to that faint light.

He did not know how much time had passed, but he seemed to have drawn closer to the orange light, and it also seemed slightly larger than before.

"Where is that?"

"Can it lead me out?"

Driven by his desire to escape the darkness, the boy hurried ever more urgently toward the orange light.

But at that very moment.

"Roar!!!"

A beast's earth-shaking roar suddenly shook the entire dark space.

Like a startled little animal, the orange light abruptly went out, and the boy woke with a start.

The instant he opened his eyes, he saw a Giant Wolf pouncing down from above, jaws wide open to devour him!

The boy was still lying on the ground.

His mind was completely blank. Before fear even had time to rise, his body reacted first.

Turn Over and side kick!

In that instant, his entire body was like a ballista, his leg the massive arrow it fired.

Bang!

The boy's foot struck the Giant Wolf's abdomen. With a single blow, he sent it flying hard.

The boy braced a hand against the ground, pushed fiercely, and rose in one fluid motion.

"Someone?" As he stood, he caught a hurried glimpse of the girl, Zi Di.

It was only a fleeting glance, leaving him no time to think.

The Giant Wolf gave him a powerful sense of threat, shaking his heart.

Fear surged through him.

"This is a Silver-level magical beast!"

The danger remained!

A sharp gleam flashed in the boy's eyes as his gaze locked onto the Giant Wolf.

Splash.

Water sprayed everywhere.

Kicked flying by the boy, the Giant Wolf had nothing to push off against in midair. It traced an arc and fell into the river.

That was not surprising. Zi Di had been by the riverbank to begin with, very close to the water.

The ferocious Giant Wolf fell into the water, yet let out an incomparably terrified howl. It thrashed desperately, trying to reach the shore as quickly as possible.

Suddenly, several green shadows burst up from the river.

The green shadows were as thick as pythons. They suddenly erupted, sending up towering waves without end.

Their aura was exposed—they were Gold River Vines!

In an instant, the green shadows tightly bound the Silver-level wolf and dragged it beneath the water.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

The river's surface was no longer calm. Turbid waves rose one after another. Then crimson blooms spread across the water like flowers—it was the wolf's blood!

Carried by the churning river, the wolf blood rapidly spread outward.

Within only a few breaths, the Giant Wolf's terrified howls vanished completely, and the river began to calm.

The wolf's blood mingled with the muddy river water and soon faded away with the current.

Before long, the surroundings returned to silence.

It was as if nothing had happened. The wolf was gone, and the mysterious, terrifying green shadows had hidden themselves once more. The desperate battle from moments ago seemed never to have existed.

Witnessing everything, the boy was even more shaken.

"Silver-level wolf, Gold River Vine... what kind of hellish place is this?!"

Filled with alarm, he began to examine his surroundings before finally turning toward Zi Di.

"Where is this?"

Zi Di stood frozen in shock, motionless as a statue.

Only after hearing the boy's question did the girl react.

"My lord!" Overcome with excitement, she threw herself into the boy's arms like a frightened kitten.

The boy looked at the girl in his arms, momentarily at a loss.

"Thank heavens, my lord, you're finally awake!" The girl clung to him tightly in excitement. "My lord, you're awake!"

The boy patted her shoulder, then gently pushed Zi Di away.

Zi Di looked up at him, unable to conceal her excitement and joy.

As the boy studied the girl in his arms, his heart suddenly seemed to skip a beat.

Her lovely face was filled with fragility. Her eyes were red, tears threatening to fall. Her violet eyes were so beautiful they resembled gemstones, dazzling yet carrying a trace of allure.

That wolf must have frightened her badly. A wave of tenderness rose in the boy's heart, and he asked, "Excuse me... who are you?"

The girl was stunned. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him without moving.

They looked at each other for several seconds.

The boy's serious, confused expression gradually gave way to shock and worry on the girl's face. She hurriedly introduced herself. "I'm Zi Di, my lord. I'm your fiancee!"

"Fiancee?" The boy frowned deeply.

He still understood what a fiancee was. He had not expected the girl before him to be so closely connected to him.

"Zi Di..." The boy rolled the name around in his mouth.

Yet to him, it was a completely unfamiliar name.

As he thought further, his brows furrowed even more deeply. "Wait. I... who am I?"

He discovered that he had forgotten his own identity!

When he tried desperately to recall the relevant memories, his mind was empty, as though it had always been that way.

"You're Zhen Jin. You're Zhen Jin Baron. Heavens, my lord, have you even forgotten who you are?" Zi Di's face was full of urgency, her unease rapidly growing.

"Zhen Jin... I am Zhen Jin? Why can't I remember anything?" The boy knitted his brows, deeply confused and troubled.

"Heavens, why did this happen!?" Zi Di was equally flustered and lost.

But soon, a thoughtful light appeared in her violet eyes. Shaking her head, she said, "Perhaps... my lord, your head suffered a violent blow, causing temporary amnesia. There have indeed been similar cases."

"My lord, we were shipwrecked several days ago. A storm swept through, the ship broke apart, and the survivors were stranded on this island... Many people went missing, including you. When I followed the clues and found you deep in the Rainforest, you had already fallen unconscious. I tried many methods, but none could wake you."

"Wait, perhaps the method I used to save you was disrupted halfway through. If that is the truth, then I am truly sorry, my lord. At the time, I had no other choice."

Zi Di pointed at Zhen Jin's chest, where many Crystal Shards still clung.

Zhen Jin lowered his head and saw the Crystal Shards attached to his chest. "So you were the one who woke me?"

Then the girl told him in detail about what had just happened, as well as why she had risked using the white crystal to treat him at the critical moment.

Her account immediately made the boy see her in a new light. He praised her, "So it was that dangerous before. I truly have you to thank. Hmm... Zi Di."

The boy softly called the girl's name.

"But perhaps this is why you lost your memory, my lord." Zi Di lowered her voice, still worried and guilty over it.

"What is this?" Zhen Jin pinched a Crystal Shard between his fingers, curious.

"Tears of Angel." According to Zi Di, it was a rather high-tier Magic Item.

"This island is very strange. Magic and battle aura cannot be used here. Using this to awaken you was also a gamble."

"This is a Magic Restriction Domain?" Zhen Jin found that he still possessed his common sense. He shook his head. "There is no absolute Magic Restriction Domain. It depends on the disparity in power."

"Yes, my lord." Zi Di looked at the shard in her hand. "A high-tier item such as Tears of Angel can still barely be used here. But my magic is only at Black Iron Rank. Suppressed by this environment, I cannot use it at all."

"Could that glow I saw in the darkness have been created by this crystal?" The boy recalled what had happened while he was unconscious and formed a guess.

"My lord, please allow me to examine your physical condition." Zi Di introduced herself, "I am a low-rank mage. Although I cannot use magic now, my knowledge remains."

Zhen Jin nodded.

Mages were usually scholars, even mages as young as her.

The girl carefully examined Zhen Jin's chest, back, ears, and other areas.

Feeling the young girl's hands exploring his body, ripples spread through Zhen Jin's heart.

Finally, Zi Di moved close to Zhen Jin's face and carefully checked his pupils for anything unusual.

They were so close that they could feel each other's breath.

The girl's breath seemed to carry a sweet fragrance. Zhen Jin's heart itched, and he turned his head slightly rather than face her directly.

While Zi Di examined him, he also assessed his own body. Zi Di had wheat-colored skin, while his own skin was pale.

Zhen Jin could vaguely sense that although his body was rather lean, it concealed a resilient strength.

He kept stretching his fingers, then clenching them into fists. Recalling how he had kicked the Giant Wolf away, he silently felt the power lying dormant within him.

That power was clearly extraordinary.

"Done." The girl stopped and took a slight step back, seemingly letting out a breath of relief. "My lord, for now, your body only has some lingering bruises. Outwardly, there does not seem to be any problem. Conditions here are too crude. Once we have the chance, I can give you a thorough examination."

Zhen Jin nodded, then continued, "Then am I a mage as well? What kind of strength do I possess?"

Zi Di shook her head. "My lord, you cultivate battle aura. You are a Temple Knight!"

"A Temple Knight?" The boy suddenly fell into a daze. Then, a memory that seemed to come from nowhere surfaced in his mind.

Within a magnificent, brightly lit white hall, sunlight streamed through towering stained-glass windows.

A group of boys had gathered together, and Zhen Jin found himself among them.

The atmosphere was lofty and solemn, yet also fervent.

Together with the other boys, Zhen Jin swore an oath—

I swear to revere the living god, the great ruler of the empire, Saint Brilliance Great Emperor!

I swear to strive to follow in my commander's footsteps and advance bravely!

I swear to protect my family without fearing hardship or danger!

I swear to treat my friends sincerely and reject falsehood!

I swear to remain devoted to the one I love until death, never abandoning them!

I swear to courageously resist tyranny and treat the weak with kindness!

I swear to uphold justice and fight against all wrongdoing!

From this day forth, I am a Temple Knight!

The scene from his memory flashed away in an instant.

"My lord, did you remember something?" Seeing Zhen Jin's unusual expression, Zi Di asked hopefully.

Zhen Jin nodded. "Yes, I remembered. The moment I solemnly swore my oath when I became a Temple Knight."

Zi Di's eyes immediately lit up. "My lord, perhaps you can try to see whether you can use battle aura?"

Zhen Jin clenched his fist and tried to remember. After a moment, his brows furrowed slightly, and he shook his head with a bitter smile. "No. I have no memories at all of cultivating battle aura. I cannot even sense the battle aura within me, much less know how to use it."

Zi Di's eyes dimmed slightly, but she quickly comforted him. "Perhaps the time has not come yet. But it does not matter, my lord. At least this proves that your memories can return! It will just... take some time."

Zhen Jin nodded. He felt that although the girl before him seemed frail, she was optimistic and strong-willed. Ever since he had awakened, she had been comforting him.

Yet clear tear tracks still remained on her cheeks.

All ten of her fingernails were damaged and still faintly bleeding. Her bare feet stood on the grass, as she had not had time to put on her boots.

Although Zi Di had only given a brief account, Zhen Jin already knew how perilous things had been. Life and death had hung by a thread.

Most precious of all, no matter how dangerous the situation had been, the girl had never abandoned him while he lay unconscious. She had truly stayed by his side, disregarding life and death!

The Temple Knight's oath still echoed in his ears.

"So I am a knight, a noble Temple Knight!" Zhen Jin felt glory envelop him. He raised his chin slightly, pride rising in his heart.

Then he looked at Zi Di, and a warm feeling gradually spread through Zhen Jin's heart as well.

"Then from now on, let me protect you. Strong girl with violet eyes, my... fiancee."