Azure Scepter

Page 36

Noi suddenly raised his head, and a ghostly dagger, carrying a chilling gust of wind, was already rushing towards him!

It's Trier!

"Crack!" In the next instant, the dagger pierced the invisible shield of piety in front of her. The divine protection suddenly exploded into a sky full of light, while the dagger, having lost its momentum, weakly slashed towards Noi's chest.

—That energy-absorbing spell, which went astray, still affected the paladin in the end!

"Sizzle!" The dagger sliced ​​through the plate armor, bursting into a string of hot sparks.

As the flames shot out, a fleeting look of surprise crossed Trier's face.

“Truly blessed by the radiance,” Noi thought—her left foot just happened to touch the holy emblem that had fallen to the ground.

"Light spell," she said softly.

At the right place, at the right time, and with the right spell, even a trick can turn the tide of battle!

The point of light exploded into a dazzling flash, and the paladin seemed to be relying on his memory to swing his right hand at his own face again.

Noy didn't dodge. She slammed the handle of her flail against the blade of the dagger. The iron ball, propelled by inertia, swung behind the paladin. Noy ​​then ducked down and slipped under his armpit, the chain tightening around his neck.

"Wow!"

Trier froze instantly.

At this moment, Noi listened quietly to the other's rapidly beating heartbeat and increasingly heavy breathing. The warm breath brushed against his hair, and the euphoria of defeating and controlling the life of a powerful enemy slowly spread through his mind with each heartbeat.

"You startled me," the nun chuckled. "But I still win."

"That's not necessarily true," the paladin behind him said coldly.

The next moment, something cold and smooth was draped over his shoulders—it was the cursed robe "Growing Cold"!

Noy was startled. She quickly pulled down the flail handle, trying to break Trir's spine, but the other person was faster and took the robe away.

A sudden, intense, tingling sensation shot through his heart, followed by a wave of numbness and weakness that surged up his chest and then through his limbs. Noi's body jerked abruptly, and he collapsed weakly to the ground.

"Bang! Crash!" The flail fell to the ground, scattering bandages everywhere.

dong dong!dong dong!dong dong!

At that moment, Trier felt his heart, which had just seemed to stop, start beating again, so violently it almost jumped out of his throat.

As the adrenaline slowly subsided, and with the powerful pumping of his heart, blood and oxygen returned to his brain, and lingering fear and pain surged back into his heart like a tide.

"To withstand an energy drain spell and still have such exaggerated combat power is simply outrageous." Trier touched the wound on his neck from the strangulation. "I underestimated him. Noi's strength is far greater than that high-level undead. I definitely can't take such a risk again."

"A dagger can only be used for close combat, and in such close proximity, life and death are just a matter of a few heartbeats."

Trier grabbed the dagger from the ground, walked to Noe's side, and then without hesitation plunged the dagger into her lung through her collarbone—this would ensure that she would completely lose her ability to cast spells.

After that, Trier walked over to Harlan.

At this moment, the knight's chest was still rising and falling slightly, but he was severely injured—his head could hardly be described as "shattered." To be precise, his head had been almost smashed into a pulp by Noy, and in the bloody, slippery paste, there were a few sharp fragments of the storage stone.

Trier quickly picked up the fragments of the storage stone and then cast the remaining Holy Heal on Harlan.

Warm, gentle white light flowed into Harlan's body, and amidst the sounds of flesh and blood writhing, the mass of gooey managed to regain some shape of a head.

“Trier, you saved me again,” Harlan said with difficulty. “But I probably won’t make it this time.”

Trier observed for a moment, then could only sigh helplessly: "Do you have any last words?"

“I think I fulfilled the oath I took when I swore to become a knight, and in the final moments of my life, I did not back down when facing evil.” Harlan’s voice grew increasingly hoarse.

Just as Trier was about to nod in agreement, Harlan continued, "However, I ultimately wavered and retreated when faced with evil."

"No, you've done enough. You haven't wavered at all."

“Last night, I finally wavered in the face of your and Noy’s persuasion.” Harlan’s head moved slightly. “When I was a knight-errant, I thought that good and evil were just a naive narrative framework. There was no black and white in the world, only different shades of gray. Conflicts just came from different positions.”

"Therefore, I have always believed that the chivalric code, which advocates the moderate use of violence, is the moral code that conforms to the objective world, while those standards based on good and evil are like outdated and rotten teeth... However, even so, my so-called adherence to the chivalric code is more like a child playing a rocking horse; I don't really believe in those oaths in my heart."

“Until last night, I finally realized something.” Harlan paused. “No matter what I say, good and evil exist objectively. Sending untrained militiamen to their deaths on the battlefield is, from every angle of argument, a purely evil thing.”

As Harlan narrated, the sound of rain outside seemed to lessen, and Trier suddenly felt a dry, warm sensation.

Chapter 64 Fulfillment (Part Two)

Trier listened silently to Harlan's last words, Harlan's voice growing weaker and weaker.

"The knightly oath I swore is self-contradictory. I barely slept last night. I don't know what I should believe or what I shouldn't believe—but when I looked at the crimson moon last night, I understood what I truly believed."

“What is it?” Trier asked.

“It’s strange, but it’s as if I’ve always known these words, just waiting for me to recall them.” Harlan’s voice was almost a murmur. “Honor, treat people fairly, do good.”

A warm, dry feeling instantly filled the entire room, and the damp, putrid smell vanished in an instant. Trier watched incredulously as clusters of white halos suddenly appeared out of thin air, drifting in the air like petals falling during a triumphal procession.

"Honesty, never lying, never cheating, and speaking with conviction."

A sense of peace and fullness welled up in her heart. Trier looked around and found that the dark room had been filled with light at some point. The dying Noy stared wide-eyed, his scarlet eyes reflecting the holy light spots swirling in the air.

"Courage, caution, and never back down." Harlan's almost whispered voice echoed in the room. Light suddenly merged into his body, and his mangled remains momentarily took on a sacred quality.

Trier suddenly realized that the knight lying on the ground was being mysteriously summoned!

—It is the paladin's "oath of devotion"!

Even someone as knowledgeable as him had never seen such a scene of inspiration before.

"Compassion, protecting the weak, and helping others."

A powerful force and aura emanated from Harlan's body, and the surrounding air seemed to distort and deform under the influence of the light. The groans of the undead outside seemed to disappear at this moment, and even the corpses of evil creatures and high-level undead melted away like ice and snow under the sunlight.

Trier knew that this brief, distorted performance of the rules of reality was close to the hallmarks of a legend!

In Azure Scepter, becoming a Legendary requires not only reaching a class level of 20, but also completing extremely arduous tasks to fully transform. These arduous tasks are mostly related to changing the world, and such behavior, which is almost a challenge to the existing order, usually faces great opposition from all sides. Therefore, whether in the game background or among the player community, high-level professionals are not uncommon, but Legendary players are extremely rare.

Even if a warrior has average talent, if he studies diligently and trains hard for about twenty years while not working full-time, he can generally reach the edge of becoming a mid-level professional. However, it is relatively more difficult for spellcasters and other professions.

However, legendary professionals seem more like something out of a myth to ordinary people living in peacetime.

Generally, only in times of extreme turmoil and chaos can those with grand ambitions and unwavering will achieve their goals and embark on a legendary path. This is what is meant by "chaos is a ladder to ascent."

Saving Beaver Town is undoubtedly one of the most arduous tasks.

"A legend!?" Amidst the overwhelming surge of positive energy and divine power, Noi's damaged lungs and throat were restored, but she did not take the opportunity to struggle or resist. She simply stared blankly at what was happening before her eyes.

"Duty, fulfilling responsibilities, being accountable for actions." Harlan's voice had almost disappeared.

The next moment, all the strange phenomena suddenly disappeared, except that the black rain caused by the ritual explosion outside completely dissipated, and a huge rainbow spanned the hole like a bridge.

“I have fully lived up to my oath,” the knight said, turning his bloodied head. “This time I did not back down.”

“However, I have failed in my duty as heir to the territory. Trier, please allow me to shamelessly beg you, please protect the people of the Earl's territory in the midst of the undead horde…”

“Why?” Trier asked.

“I believe in you.” Suddenly, Harlan’s voice faltered. “Your abilities, your wisdom, and… your character. Radiance above…”

Trier took a deep breath, then nodded heavily: "I promise you."

Before he finished speaking, the bloodied and mangled knight lost all life. In his dying moments, he became a paladin and a legend.

[XP+20000!]

A sarcastic line of experience tips flashed across Trier's eyes as he turned to look at the dazed Noy and the ritual array that was operating beneath her.

Under the effect of "Strengthened Soul Link", Noy killed Harlan, while Trier gained experience.

"How does it feel to solo kill a legend?" Trier picked up the longsword from the ground and walked to Noy's side.

Noi looked up blankly, her eyes filled with confusion: "Was I wrong? Why was he able to advance to Paladin?! Radiance!"

"Are these your last words?" Trier pressed the blade against Noy's neck. "No mercy for villains."

Noy's unfocused gaze gradually returned to focus, and she blinked: "Trill, you promised me you would never leave me. If you kill me, then you will break your promise."

Suddenly, Trier gave a playful smile and asked, "Noye, have you heard the story of 'White the Eloquent'?"

A look of surprise flashed across Noy's eyes. The next moment, the paladin slit Noy's neck without hesitation.

"Pfft!"

"thump!"

[XP+15000!]

Whether before or after his time travel, Trier maintained an almost pathological insistence on his promises, believing that upholding promises was a way of protecting his own will.

Therefore, Trier did not intend to break his promise to Neu; he intended to fulfill it.

He wants to turn Noi into a ghost.

This kind of spirit is not an "echo" pieced together from fragments of the soul or remains of the body, nor is it a clumsy imitation that seems plausible but is actually a masterpiece: a spirit that imprisons the immortal essence of the other and organically combines it with the fresh, decaying essence.

Now that the ritual circle and experience points are readily available, and the alignment "Lawful Good" provides Trier with ample room for maneuver—even the spine-bound spirit of the high-ranking undead White provides him with abundant inspiration.

"Maybe I've been infected by Noy's twisted ideas too," Trier said with a self-deprecating laugh. He gently swept away the blood-stained bandages on the ground and dragged Noy's still-warm body to the corresponding magic circle position.

After observing the ritual circle for a moment, Trier frowned. As a former authority on necromancy, he found that the ritual drawn by Noy was full of errors and omissions. Even the ritual magic, which was the core of the transformation, was just a crude and inferior "Calamity of Enslavement"!

He sighed, took out the spellcasting materials from his backpack, and quickly began to modify them.

"There is still plenty of time. I have ten minutes to revise the ceremony."

Trier's mutterings echoed in the empty room.

—Based on Trier’s past experiments, after death, the immortal essence existing in the soul will leave the body within five minutes and go to a place corresponding to the behavior, vows and philosophical ideas in life. If there is a ritual to strengthen the link, the immortal essence will stay for a longer time.

As a senior member of the Silent Whisperers, Noy must have signed a contract with the lich Losevie before his death. Therefore, the first thing Trier needs to do is to interrupt this process. This process will inevitably attract the lich's attention, so Trier needs an additional ritual circle to mislead the lich's attention.

Time ticked by, and Trier became increasingly immersed in his creation.

Five minutes later, Trier completed the modification of the ritual—the dense, blood-red lines were more than ten times more complex than before. The three-dimensional and intricate lines were dizzying, and if you stared at them for a long time, you could even see that the lines were staring at the living things around them like people.

“This is a true masterpiece.” Trier’s chilling voice echoed in the room. “Lossevier, it’s time to see your necromancy skills.”

Chapter 65 Angels

The dagger reflected a cold light.

The cold, sharp blade slowly sliced ​​through the palm, and fine beads of blood seeped out, wriggling along the edge. Then—

"Tick."

The blood droplets fell into Noy's lifeless eyes, slowly seeping in, the two almost merging into one.

In an instant, an invisible and chilling aura appeared out of nowhere near Trier.

[A ceremony titled "Negative Energy Vision" was held, using an XP-500.]

The familiar stench of decay dispelled the warm, dry light, and in an instant, everything in Trier's field of vision was shrouded in a layer of gray mist, which was now slowly swirling around Trier like a whirlwind.

Trier snapped his fingers lightly, and the gray, negative energy mist obediently dispersed—within the mist, a semi-transparent figure was wandering around in a daze.

At this moment, the pure white radiance had not yet completely faded. Under the holy light, fine dust stained with blood fluttered around Noi's spirit body. Her hazy outline reflected a faint light, as if shrouded in a soft veil, or like a dream under the bright silver moon.

Seemingly sensing Trier's gaze, Noy's spirit raised its head blankly.

Three minutes ago——

Exhaustion and confusion washed over Noe's will like relentless waves.

"Where am I?" She looked around blankly. "Wasn't I in Beaver Town?"

Looking around, an endless expanse of cold gray mist obscured everything, churning ceaselessly like the throbbing pain constantly churning in one's mind.

She took a deep breath, trying to sort through those turbulent, fragmented memories, but as soon as she inhaled, a knife-like cold mist pierced her chest cavity through her trachea, and she coughed instinctively.

"..."

Noi was stunned; she was shocked to find that she made no sound when she coughed.

The cold, thick fog continued to flow relentlessly, unaffected by her cough. The bizarre scene before her was completely beyond Noe's comprehension; she felt a vague sense of alienation and absurdity, as if she had become a ghost with no influence over the world.

ghost?

Noi had barely thought of the word when a sharp, cold pain suddenly exploded in her neck. She looked down and saw drops of glaring, scarlet blood falling to the ground, the putrid smell assaulting her brain like a swarm of flies.

“I’m already dead.” Noi covered the wound on his neck and sighed silently.

She closed her eyes, took a few seconds to mentally prepare herself, and then opened them again.

Two faint, warm spots of light suddenly appeared deep within the thick fog!