After the Desperate Situation

Although Aurelian was unsteady on his feet amidst the tremors, his face was filled with mockery; that mysterious will must surely be furious right now.

Did it really think he was made of mud, that he had no temper of his own?

But Aurelian had won; he had successfully escaped with his life.

"Blood sacrifice!"

The monster roared in unwillingness, and then streaks of black began to spread, gradually enveloping it—that was the Void, the invisible Void.

The Void had discovered it, and like a giant beast, it swallowed it whole.

Black light flickered around Aurelian as well, but it was far smaller compared to that of the deformed monster.

He closed his eyes, clearly not wanting to know what was about to happen before him.

In the past, he had read in a book that one should never peer into the Void, or the outcome would be miserable.

Therefore, he decided that since he was still weak, he should not continue to court death.

After a bout of spinning, when it finally stopped and he felt he was safe at last, Aurelian opened his eyes.

A forest of interlacing light and shadow; he could still see specks of sunlight from above.

"Phew, it's over."

Aurelian let out a sigh of relief and sat up from the muddy ground.

The chaotic, mist-like fog that had permeated this place had vanished, leaving nothing behind but a large, barren clearing.

He looked at the armor on his body; many parts were tattered, dull, and had lost their luster.

The blue cloak on his back was also riddled with large holes, its former majesty gone.

Aurelian felt as if his heart were bleeding; this armor was worth half his current net worth.

Swallowing his sorrow, Aurelian pulled himself together.

He let out a whistle, and George trotted out from behind a thicket.

Aurelian leaped onto his back and galloped toward the path he had come from.

Dark was fleeing frantically through the dense woods, having long since lost the ram-horned mask he had been wearing.

With gray-black hair, yellow beast-like pupils, and several scars on his unattractive face, he looked a sight.

Fear was plastered all over his face; as he ran, he would glance back from time to time, and only when he realized there was no one behind him did he finally stop to catch his breath.

Having escaped death, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.

"Hahahaha—"

There was a saying passed down among the tribes: those who survive a great disaster are destined for future fortune.

"It seems the Shaman was right; I, Dark, am truly a man of destiny. To survive such a desperate situation—it is a pity about Lufa, dying just like that. I still wanted him to tell me more about the Star Empire."

"Damn Star Empire people! I will remember this grudge. When I rise to power, I will turn all of you into slaves of the Frost Tribe!"

Dark gritted his teeth. He had suffered heavy losses today; his core followers were practically all dead.

But he firmly believed that none of this could stop him. He was a man of destiny, and he would surely rule over the Frozen Land.

"Just you wait!"

He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred.

Just as he was venting his rage, he caught a glimpse of a cold glint attacking from the side and instinctively dodged to the side.

He felt a violent gust of wind brush past his ear, causing his gray hair to flutter.

"Who?!" he roared instinctively.

"You missed. A pity. Again."

A black and white figure emerged from the darkness—a beautiful young girl with pale golden hair in a braid reaching her waist, and sky-blue eyes that were cold and indifferent.

She held a dazzling longsword, from which blood dripped, drop by drop.

"You are truly persistent. You don't really think I have no way to deal with you, do you?"

Dark sneered, pulling a dagger from his bosom.

"He said you must die."

Jeanne remained expressionless, holding Atonement as she slowly moved forward.

"That guy is being targeted by a Wild Giant; the gods want his life, and he can barely save himself. Why not come with me? I can make you my queen. Hehe, you look much better than those women in the tribe whose arms are thicker than buckets."

Dark grinned hideously, looking quite insane.

Jeanne did not speak; she answered Dark with action.

The sword light of Atonement was too fast to track; in an instant, it tore through the air and reached Dark!

Dark's pupils contracted, and he let out a howl. He was a man of destiny; how could he die here?

He still had a chance; the dagger in his hand had been given to him by the tribe's Shaman, and he could still put up a fight.

That dagger looked like a blade of black ice.

As Jeanne's Atonement drew near, the dagger emitted a black glow, manifesting a human figure.

It was blurry and indistinct, yet it stood firmly before Dark.

Behind it, Dark's eyes lit up; ecstasy flooded his face. He was saved; his life was not meant to end here after all.

This dagger came from a temple deep within the Abif Mountains and had been blessed by a powerful witch. There was no way this woman could break through that dark shadow.

The silver Atonement touched the dark shadow, stirring up ripples of magical power.

Failing her first strike, Jeanne retreated.

"Hahaha! This is the avatar of a witch. It seems you cannot kill me today!"

Behind the shadow, Dark was ecstatic, beginning to jeer and dance with glee.

The dark shadow flickered but remained in place, radiating a twisted power of darkness.

Jeanne frowned; she loathed this aura.

Yet she remained silent, as was her nature, and gripped Atonement with both hands.

A golden radiance bloomed across the bright silver blade of Atonement. She was preparing to unleash her magic; such an act was usually accompanied by an incantation, which resonated with the flowing mana to double its power!

"Gather, Holy Light; the gates of Heaven have opened. Let this unclean evil pass away; I pray for the judgment of Redemption."

As the incantation ended, the blade of Redemption erupted in golden light, gradually transforming into a pillar of radiance.

Angelic hymns echoed, and the dim sky actually cast down a beam of light from a celestial threshold, enveloping Jeanne as she held the sword aloft. She appeared even more divine, the pillar of light swirling with a destructive aura, ready to sanction all.

"What is this?"

Dark's eyes widened; before this golden light, he felt his own insignificance.

The dark shadow was dissipating; it had encountered its natural nemesis!

"Go to hell."

Jeanne spoke, and Redemption swung down, carrying infinite golden light to purify all sins.

"No!"

Dark roared in despair; he could not accept such an ending.

But what did that matter? This was the Wrath of the Arbiter, unavoidable and demanding to be faced head-on.

The pillar of light swept across everything, including the dark shadow; all were swallowed, then reduced to ashes!

The roaring finally ceased, the magical fluctuations died down, and everything returned to calm, leaving only a long trench carved into the ground.

Jeanne returned Redemption to its sheath, her gaze calm, as if everything that had just occurred had nothing to do with her.

"That dark shadow from before carried the scent of the Abyss. Was it a watcher of the Abyss?"

She looked toward the north, where the Abif Mountains lay, a hint of worry flickering in her eyes.

Master had already dealt with the last of the barbarians, looking out over the field of corpses—among them were his brothers, and his enemies.

"Lord Knight Commander."

Darwin approached, his knight's armor soaked through with blood, the knightly sword in his hand chipped and broken.