Chapter 140: Inheritance
A young man full of vigor naturally seeks validation and strives to establish his authority. Bayen merely needed to faithfully help the Wizard Apprentices validate and trust Ace, establishing Ace’s authority, and he would secure his place in this nascent academic organization.
Beyond formidable academic achievements, proficiency in dealing with people was essential.
Black cat Bayen looked at Ace, who had transformed into an eagle and was flying high. His heart swelled. My journey on the path of Magic, I, Bayen, will follow you all the way!
The perspective shifts to the south. The timeline returns to the moment before, when Dikens was riding his frost warthog in a desperate flight!
“Splash!”
With a loud sound, the Mana of the frost warthog dissipated, melting into water. Dikens was caught off guard and face-planted in the mud.
He rubbed his slightly stiff jaw, his eyes anxiously fixed on the Northern March Fortress. A light seemed to flash, but when he rubbed his eyes, it was gone.
“The frost warthog dissolved. This could be because I am too far from the ocean of frost, or it could be that Lord Moore has met with an unfortunate end! Whatever the reason, I must return to the Royal City as quickly as possible.”
“Even if I face the severest punishment upon my return—even execution—I must report the catastrophe of the descent of Darkness to the Royal Family. For the honor of my family and for the grace of the Royal Family!”
He drew his short sword and began running, alert and quick.
If one looked down from the sky, they would see the area around Dikens being slowly consumed by the dark, mottled aura. His path back to the Royal City was destined to be arduous.
“If I remember correctly, there should be a village ahead. I can stop there to rest and find some water. No need to change horses; I run faster than any horse.” Dikens licked his lips, which were almost peeling from dryness.
As Dikens slowly approached the village, his discomfort intensified. He felt nauseous. His heart pounded wildly. Something dangerous was about to happen.
“Swish! Swish! Swish!”
The former village was now covered in black blood and an ominous aura. Wailing souls and chaotic, evil Demons discovered Dikens and quickly surrounded him.
He looked at the small shadow Demons before him and gritted his teeth. It’s not too bad. The strongest of these small Demons are Pseudo-Heroes, and the weakest are equivalent to mortals.
“Gak! Gak! Gak!”
The small Demons spoke in the Abyssal Tongue, then charged in a swarm. Dikens fought the dozens of small Demons using the extraordinary martial technique he learned from Great Hero Arnold. His muscles trembled rhythmically. His entire body twisted into unimaginable forms, dodging the attacks.
He used every inch of his body as a weapon. The frost Pseudo-Authority condensed, turning into solid ice that inflicted frostbite on the small Demons.
Two fists cannot fend off dozens of hands. Dikens was slowly being overwhelmed.
“I must escape this encirclement of small Demons, or they will surely wear me down to death!” Wounds slowly accumulated on Dikens’s body. He used his frost Pseudo-Authority to barely staunch the bleeding. If he didn’t deal with the wounds immediately, they could cause irreversible damage.
If he still had the support of the ocean of frost, he would be confident in fighting an ordinary Demon, which is Hero-tier. But without the ocean of frost, he was just a Pseudo-Hero with exceptional martial skill.
Even a swarm of small Demons forced him to retreat.
Just as Dikens was fighting and retreating, he suddenly felt a chill behind him. He immediately rolled, forcefully bumping several small Demons away, narrowly avoiding the attack from behind.
A winged Demon was watching him coldly.
Seeing that Demon, the swarm of small Demons trembled. A few leaped up, preparing to flee.
The winged Demon chuckled darkly, immediately transforming into a shadow. He charged, completely ignoring the small Demons around him, even intentionally slaughtering them while attacking Dikens.
In a short period, Dikens had already faced multiple near-death experiences. He clearly sensed that the Demon was intentionally toying with him.
The Demon wanted him to feel pain, struggle, and despair, yet cling to a tiny sliver of hope. Legend says the soul of a Divine Descendant is the Demon’s favorite. They inherently try to create this kind of soul. This was their very nature.
Dikens knew the Demon’s intention but could only play along, trying to find a chance to survive.
“I cannot die. I cannot die here a humiliating, nameless death. I must report the catastrophe of the Northern March to the Royal Family. I must earn merit with my sinful body. I still have a deep, burning vengeance to claim!”
“Great Frost, grant me strength!” Dikens screamed wildly in his heart. The power from his bloodline triggered a specific frequency of fluctuation. It was amplified instantaneously. He felt something connected to his bloodline calling out!
A whistling sound pierced the air. Boom!
The Frost Blessing plummeted from the sky, piercing the Demon, who was toying with Dikens, straight through the heart.
The Demon instantly turned into an ice sculpture, then crumbled into ice shards. Dikens slowly walked forward, looking at The Frost Blessing artifact, which was embedded in the ground.
His hands trembled as he grasped the hilt of the ice crystal short sword. Soul essence resonated. The power of the frost connected with him at that moment. Dikens sensed Moore’s dying vision: the ice crystal flesh mountain, Alexius, the black shadow, and the Frost Heart trying to purify the evil.
“The frost will purify everything!”
Dikens raised The Frost Blessing from the ground with both hands. The short sword rapidly swelled into a giant ice frost blade. Dikens hoisted the ice frost blade onto his shoulder and resolutely walked toward the Royal City.
Near the cave where Daina and the others were hiding, the mirror image Ace, transformed into an eagle, circled a few times, then landed directly in front of Daina, transforming back into himself.
Daina looked at the mirror image Ace with disbelief. She had too many questions, too much longing. The two met eyes. Ace looked at Daina and, inexplicably, felt his heart speed up slightly.
He gently stepped forward, saying apologetically: “I am late. I apologize for making you wait so long.”
Strong Daina’s eyes suddenly became teary. She forcefully blinked away the tears, then abruptly charged into the mirror image Ace’s arms, trembling and speaking in a choked voice: “Teacher Ace, why did you take so long? I was so worried about you! I was afraid something happened to you too. I was so exhausted alone.”
The mirror image Ace held the trembling Daina, gently patting her shoulder to comfort her. Polina watched the person in front of her with curiosity, her eyes full of gossip.
The two met eyes again. After a long while, the mirror image Ace spoke first: “I am truly sorry for the fate of the apprentices…”
Daina interrupted him and said: “You do not need to apologize for the fate of the apprentices. We will ensure that those who are truly responsible repent with their blood!”
Daina had considered this matter. She was unwilling to place the blame on Ace.
Even if Ace was partly responsible, every apprentice had voluntarily chosen to learn Magic after signing the covenant. They could have given up learning. Since they chose this path, they could not blame the granter of the power.
If they had to blame anyone, it was their own choices and the Divine Descendants.
Iron Face Daina had led the apprentices through countless sleepless nights. They were in pain, filled with guilt, and burning with hatred for the city-state. They craved greater power and sought vengeance to ease their inner shame.
The mirror image Ace looked at Daina, understanding the turmoil in her heart as the leader of the Enchanted Wizard Apprentices. He hugged her gently and said: “The Northern March Fortress has been converted into an Abyssal Lair by the dark worshipers. The entire Northern March is undergoing Abyssal transformation. The Wizard Apprentices who evacuated the fortress will soon rendezvous with you. I need your cooperation.”
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