Chapter 351: Courage
In his daze, Ancestar seemed to see Donna smiling, just like the first time they met—pure and beautiful. She seemed to be saying, “So rugged, so handsome… I’m in love.”
Ancestar was blasted back hundreds of meters by the torrent of black shadows from the halberd. The Donna in his arms transformed into the Holy Light of Sacrifice. Like starlight surrounding him, she repaired his shattered chest bit by bit.
Ace, who had not yet reached the range of the High Tower Territory, watched the fleeting red light in the south. The runes within his Eye of Truth (Pseudo) spiraled endlessly, layering upon one another in a dazzling display.
“It seems… similar to the Holy Light of Knights? Is it Ancestar, or the combined power of all the Knights?”
Ace murmured, his hands moving without pause. A Portal appeared before him. He stepped through it, instantly appearing 1 km away.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sun had set, and darkness quietly descended. Alex’s power grew stronger.
The heartbeat grew more intense. Even Alex couldn’t help but look sideways. Arno, carried on Xavier’s back, was glowing with multicolored lights, his face flushing red then turning white.
In his inner world, blurring the line between reality and illusion, a young Arno stood coldly at the village entrance, looking at his father’s wind-dried corpse. He whispered, “Father, what exactly is a hero?”
Suddenly, the corpse seemed to come alive. Its eyes looked unyieldingly at Arno, and a voice like a great bell rang in Arno’s ears: “Heroism is a quality, not a status. Even a lifelong mortal, as long as they possess fearless courage, can be called a Great Hero!”
The Heart Power of various colors and levels on Arno’s body began to unify. A beam of fearless orange-yellow light erupted from his thumping heart, instantly illuminating the night over Mt. Baal.
Arno jumped down from Xavier’s back and walked step by step toward Alex. With every step, the orange-yellow light on his body grew brighter.
Alex laughed maniacally with a hint of amusement. “One died, one injured, and now another rises. What exactly are you things? How can you so easily obtain power that even Divine Descendants haven’t achieved?”
As he spoke, Alex’s face twisted. The four bat wings on his back spread open, lifting him into mid-air. Under the bright moon, he looked like a true Demon God descending, or perhaps the judge of doomsday.
Terrifying shadow power gathered around him. Empowered by the night, shadows ran rampant. Countless shadow humanoids emerged from them, devouring all the demons on the ground.
Ominousness spread. Mt. Baal seemed to whisper. The decaying scent of sulfur rose from the southern Abyssal Projection, enveloping Alex.
“Great existence of Mt. Baal, I have no intention of disturbing your slumber. I merely borrow your land to unleash my Abyssal Projection and destroy the sprout that threatens the Abyss.”
Alex looked solemn, appearing to communicate with the whispers, or perhaps being observed by some great entity.
The whispers gradually faded. Shadows spread, covering and replacing the environment around Mt. Baal. Pitch darkness, chaos, cruelty, sulfur—this place had become a projection of the Abyssal Shadow Plane!
If Ace saw this, he would definitely be excited to capture Alex for research. This form bore certain similarities to his own Manifestation.
The difference was that Manifestation covered a higher dimension from a lower one, while Projection used a higher or equal dimension to overwrite reality. The common point was that both altered reality!
Arno naturally didn’t understand this. Radiating orange-yellow light, his heart continued to beat violently, becoming the only light in the darkness.
The golden Courage Heart Power had transformed into orange-yellow Courage Holy Light. The Courage Rune structure in Arno’s heart became increasingly complex, growing stronger with every breath.
“The reason we obtained power that Divine Descendants haven’t is that heroism isn’t monopolized by bloodlines. It is a quality. As long as one possesses this quality, anyone can become a Great Hero!”
Boom!
Accompanying Arno’s words, powerful Courage Holy Light erupted. His strength climbed rapidly to the peak. In just a few breaths, he broke through the Formal Knight level, becoming the only Grand Knight in the Prime Material Plane.
Alex sneered and charged at Arno, but halfway through, he suddenly changed direction, flying straight toward where Ancestar had fallen.
Bam!
A giant golden hand arrived first, grabbing the four bat wings on Alex’s back. Sizzle! The purifying effect unique to Holy Light burned against the evil. Alex cried out in pain and turned into a cloud of shadow smoke, escaping the giant golden hand.
“To possess such power… have you advanced to a level equivalent to a Great Hero?”
Alex roared in disbelief. He watched warily as Arno radiated orange light. That terrifying burning sensation was practically created to target the Abyss.
He even suspected there was a deity manipulating things behind the scenes, specifically creating this power to counter the Abyss and Hell.
Arno didn’t answer. He seemed unaccustomed to such powerful strength. Every step left a deep pit. In a few steps, he reached Ancestar’s side.
Ancestar’s heart had been repaired by the Holy Light of Sacrifice. His chest bore spots of blood, looking like the kiss marks of a parting lover.
Arno poured warm Courage Holy Light into Ancestar’s body, transmitting some information to him through Heart Power resonance.
Enveloped by the Courage Holy Light, Ancestar was gradually protected by a shell-like barrier of light, his breathing steadying.
Arno continued to gather the other Advanced Knight Squires, creating protective shells of Courage Holy Light to shield them.
Alex manipulated the shadow humanoids, attempting to interfere with Arno. These humanoids, like snowmen made of ice, melted naturally as soon as they approached the sun-like Arno.
“What exactly are you? And who is behind you?”
Alex asked warily. Hesitation had appeared in his heart. Arno’s power countered him too strongly. Even with peak Level 2 strength, he still had no certainty of victory.
Perhaps I should lure this damn light-man into the range of the Abyssal Projection and show him what a Pseudo-Rank High Demon is!
Arno looked up at Alex flying in the sky and said scornfully, “You, who have bound your soul to the Abyss and are dominated by evil for eternity, are not worthy to question me. However, in the spirit of chivalry, I pity you, so I will answer your question.
“I am a Knight. The Grand Knight of Courage, Arno. Behind me is the boundless Courage Holy Light!
“Holy Light! This enemy is worth fighting!”
With that, Arno formed wings with the Courage Holy Light. Like a rebellious God of War, he charged straight at Alex. The Courage brilliance in his hand burned hot, transforming into a longsword, carrying an unstoppable momentum.
Alex continued to mobilize the power of the Abyss. He stopped testing Arno with shadow humanoids. Instead, he condensed the blessings and Abyssal favor gained from devouring tens of thousands of demons, drawing out a giant shadow greataxe and swinging it at Arno.
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