Bai Shi picked up the pair of curved swords dropped by the Hornsent Warrior. Their name materialized before him. ‘Hornsent Warrior’s Curved Sword’ Bai Shi tried infusing the blades with magic to activate their unique weapon skill. As his power flowed into them, a dense cluster of Omen horns sprouted from the curved swords in his hands. This was one of the blades’ skills, an enchantment unique to the Hornsent Warriors. It used these Omen horns to shred an enemy’s body, causing severe blood loss. Bai Shi held them, feeling the power they contained. The curved swords held a fairly pure form of the Crucible’s power, yet it felt somewhat different from that of the Crucible Knights. The power of the Crucible Knights was red-gold, mixed with the life force of the primordial Crucible. But the Omen horns that had just manifested were made of pure gold, closely resembling the power of incantations from the ancient Erdtree. Done trying to puzzle out the inscrutable, Bai Shi reversed his grip on the curved swords and plunged them fiercely into the ground. The blades, driven into the earth, spread their illusory Omen horns, releasing a surge of magic. A multitude of thick, sharp Omen horns erupted violently from the ground before him, utterly pulverizing a collapsed house. Satisfied with the result, Bai Shi put the swords away. In his view, it wasn’t a very practical skill. A simple stomp or gravity sorcery could achieve a more powerful effect with greater ease. However, the power contained within this weapon was worth analyzing with his Great Rune. Bai Shi now had an idea for a new technique. The Great Rune at his core could analyze all forms of power, allowing him to use them without restriction. So, conversely, could it identify a method of deconstruction after an analysis was complete? Currently, Bai Shi’s greatest power was that of the sun, followed by storm and gravity. Thanks to the blessing of an Outer God, Bai Shi had gained some traits of a celestial being. His gravity sorcery had progressed by leaps and bounds, nearly catching up to the storm arts he had mastered first. If he could deconstruct other powers, perhaps he could use the principles of a collapsing wave to unleash something like a Lifeform Disintegration Ray. While Bai Shi took care of the Hornsent Warrior, the pressure on Leda and Freya vanished completely. Freya clutched her wound, but crimson blood still gushed incessantly from between her fingers. The blow had torn through her armor, inflicting a severe injury near her shoulder. Her left arm hung limp and useless at her side. Freya’s wound was serious. The jagged gash had caused massive blood loss, and it would be difficult to heal. Leda hurried forward, taking out a small vial that shimmered with a golden light, preparing to give it to Freya. It was the same medicine she had given to Dann, a precious remedy used by the knights of the Haligtree. Even at the bountiful Haligtree, such medicine could not be produced and used freely. At any given time, each Haligtree knight was allotted a quota of just one vial. Even Leda couldn't bring much; providing one for each member of their party was already her limit. Yet Freya paid her injury no mind. She was staring intently at Bai Shi and the Hornsent Warrior, her eyes burning with a fiery passion. “Lord Bai Shi is as strong as ever... If only I could be a little stronger.” “If I were stronger, would I have the chance to cross swords with him?” “It may be an absurd fantasy, but no matter how many times I watch him fight, I can’t help but think it.” Seeing Freya still focused on the battle over there, Leda shook her head in resignation. You still have the energy to watch that fight? I guess you didn’t get hit hard enough. But it was a good sign. It meant Freya’s condition wasn’t critical. Leda ripped a strip from her tattered cape and pressed it against Freya’s wound. Then, Leda placed the flask in Freya’s hand. “You’re far too focused on battle. I don’t even know what to say to you anymore.” “You should at least pay more attention to your own well-being.” Freya took the flask and laughed heartily. “Haha, can’t be helped. It’s what being a Redmane is all about.” “Only endless battle can sate my warrior’s spirit. It is my purpose in this world.” Leda smiled as well and said: “Heal your wounds first. Then you can dive back into the combat you so desire.” Freya shook her head and didn’t drink the potion. “Leda, have you been on edge lately?” “There’s a Site of Grace right behind us, you know.” Leda froze for a moment, then found it somewhat amusing that she had forgotten such a thing. “Then you should keep it with you.” It was a rookie mistake she would never normally make. It seemed she really hadn’t been herself lately... Perhaps the pressure of being by Bai Shi’s side was simply too immense. Freya only needed to think about fighting, but she had to consider so much more. She couldn't so casually accept someone of such immense power suddenly joining their party. Especially not after the strength Bai Shi had just demonstrated. Even suppressed by the Land of Shadow, he was in a completely different league from the rest of them. Even if they all attacked him at once, it was doubtful they’d even stand a chance... Leda helped Freya toward the room with the Site of Grace, glancing back one more time at Bai Shi, who was testing the Hornsent Warrior's skill. Perhaps she should let go of this worry? After all, Lord Miquella himself had intervened; the mark on Bai Shi was the clearest proof of that. And she was supposed to trust Lord Miquella completely. Bai Shi found a random spot among the ruins to sit and wait. Only when Leda and Freya re-emerged from the Site of Grace did he nod to them, stand up, and prepare to continue exploring the tower settlement. Although the settlement before them was almost entirely in ruins, they could still make out a few paths. Before the three of them, the path once again split. One way was relatively intact and seemed to climb ever upward, toward the higher levels of the settlement. The other path led horizontally, for exploring the level they were currently on. The very structure of the settlement was similar to the spiral that the Hornsent people worshipped. It spiraled upward, layer by layer, dividing the massive town into several distinct vertical spaces. Faced with a choice, Bai Shi was the one to offer a suggestion this time. “I want to explore this level for a while.” “If you want to continue upward, we can split up for a bit. I’ll meet up with you after I’m done here.” Leda thought for a moment and decided to head directly to the upper level. “Then I will continue onward.” “I want to search ahead for any trace of Lord Miquella.” Freya glanced at the enormous structure at the settlement’s peak and also chose to go with Leda. “There might be a strong enemy up ahead.” “Although having my strength suppressed is a hassle, I’m still eager to face them.” Bai Shi nodded. So be it. He decided to look around the vicinity first to avoid missing any precious items. However, he didn’t want to miss a boss fight either, so he made sure to add a warning: “If you encounter a powerful enemy, don’t rush in to fight.” “You might not be able to handle it right now. Wait for me.” Leda agreed, then led Freya forward to continue their exploration. Bai Shi headed in the other direction, walking along the path that wound through the ruins. After passing through the wreckage of many buildings, Bai Shi finally came upon a structure that was relatively intact. Passing through the tall archway at its base, he entered a wide-open plaza where an abnormally large tree grew. The tree resembled the other twisted trees seen everywhere in the Land of Shadow, but it was far larger than any of the ones outside. Its trunk split into two branches on the left and right, spiraling upward before finally drooping back down on either side, its branches hung with gray, willow-like leaves. Looking at the tree, Bai Shi inexplicably connected it with the Two Fingers. Whether it was the texture of the bark, the way it bent downward like knuckles, or the hanging gray branches, everything about it carried the shadow of the Two Fingers. A few shadowy Hornsent were in the plaza. Wielding small daggers, they rushed toward Bai Shi. With a casual wave of his hand, Bai Shi swept them all away. He walked toward the circular pool built around the strange giant tree and found the corpse of a Hornsent behind it. The corpse clutched a shattered dagger, which glowed with a gray, crystalline light. Bai Shi picked up the dagger and absorbed the crystalline Ash of War from it. ‘Scream of Sorrow.’ That was the name of the Ash of War he obtained from the weapon. The name was rather abstract; Bai Shi couldn’t deduce the ash’s effect from it at all. He could only guess it was another type of roar, one that likely boosted his own damage. He just didn’t know if the “sorrow” part had any special effects, or if it was related to taking damage. Bai Shi scanned the surroundings but found nothing else. Just as he was turning to leave, a fire suddenly blazed to life in an empty spot nearby. Bai Shi stared at the flame, sensing that there was something unusual about it. The flame was a mix of red and black, and it contained a terrifying power. Judging by its color, it seemed similar to the black fire butterflies with red-and-black wings that fluttered among the fiery ruins. If one were to follow the symbolism of butterflies in the Lands Between corresponding to demigods, perhaps the black fire butterfly corresponded to Messmer? Bai Shi couldn’t help but wonder. Was Messmer the one who was coming? Bai Shi fixed his gaze on the black-and-red flames, waiting to see who would emerge. However, after the flames flared up, the figure that appeared from within was not the powerful demigod Bai Shi had imagined. It was a middle-aged man with a yellow bowl cut, his hairstyle somewhat resembling Dora the Explorer’s. Though his haircut was... youthful, his weathered, stubbled face was jarringly out of place. The man wielded a peculiar greatsword shaped like a long spear and wore full-body armor draped in layers of red cloth. Upon appearing, he immediately looked straight at Bai Shi. “Death to those without the Golden Grace!” “Be consumed by the flame of Messmer!” After delivering his lines, he noticed that Bai Shi bore no Hornsent features and paused for a moment. However, he quickly saw Bai Shi’s dim, graceless eyes, and a strange expression appeared on his face. “A Sunless, are you? That gives me a reason to purge you all the same.” “Remember this. The one who kills you is Kunlan, the Fire Knight.” Hearing this term, Bai Shi was momentarily confused. What does that mean? Is he talking about me? Bai Shi quickly understood. This was likely the term used for the Tarnished in the Land of Shadow. Kunlan, the Fire Knight, brandished his greatsword, and a black-and-red fireball materialized, floating beside him. The moment the flame took shape, he charged. His greatsword had an unusual design; its tip was especially sharp, like a spear meant to pierce an enemy through. As such, his techniques were primarily thrusts, and he leaped forward to skewer Bai Shi. Bai Shi tapped the ground lightly with his toe and dodged Kunlan’s attack by a hair’s breadth. At that moment, the floating fireball shot toward Bai Shi. Yet, facing the fireball, Bai Shi simply raised a hand to meet it. Seeing Bai Shi attempt to block the flame with his bare hand, Kunlan laughed at his foolish overconfidence. At the same time, his greatsword was relentless, thrusting at Bai Shi once more. “To so brazenly underestimate the flame of Messmer... then you will learn to remember this pain with your very flesh!” But contrary to Kunlan’s expectations, the ever-unbeatable flame of Messmer was indeed effortlessly blocked by Bai Shi’s palm. In Kunlan’s mind, the violently erupting flames should have incinerated Bai Shi’s arm instantly. But now, only a tiny lick of fire sputtered between Bai Shi’s fingers. Kunlan stared, dumbfounded. When he came to his senses, his greatsword lunged again and again. Bai Shi saw the shocked expression on the face of the ‘Fire Knight’ named Kunlan and the corner of his mouth curved up slightly. Have you ever heard of ridiculously high fire resistance? To put it bluntly, even if he just stood here and let himself be burned, the Fire Knight could exhaust his entire mana pool and still might not be able to inflict much damage. Bai Shi hadn’t fought back yet, merely dodging Kunlan’s attacks. After all, the man kept mentioning Messmer, so he was surely one of his brother-in-law's subordinates. And judging from his strength, the Fire Knights were probably not mere foot soldiers. Bai Shi figured the Fire Knights were likely his brother-in-law’s elite troops, so he held back. He wanted to avoid accidentally killing or maiming the man, which would make things a little awkward when they eventually met. However, just playing with him empty-handed wasn’t a solution either. It was a bit too disrespectful. Mainly, just dodging was getting a little boring. After some thought, Bai Shi retrieved a weapon he had never used before from his dimensional inventory. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥 A red-gold longsword appeared in Bai Shi’s hand. It was none other than the Regalia of Eochaid he had picked up from the corpse on the cliff’s edge. Bai Shi infused magic into it, activating the sword’s skill and converting the magic into the so-called ‘qi.’ Now, even though Bai Shi had never practiced the technique known as ‘qi,’ he could wield this weapon. Seeing the Regalia of Eochaid successfully levitate, Bai Shi smiled. He had always wanted to try this. Bai Shi extended two fingers, deliberately mimicking the posture of a sword-controlling immortal as he guided the Regalia of Eochaid. The Regalia of Eochaid danced at his command, impossibly nimble and very close to how Bai Shi had imagined controlling a flying sword would be. Kunlan had never seen such a technique before, and a sliver of caution rose in his heart. The next moment, the Regalia of Eochaid shot out without warning, flying toward Kunlan. Kunlan immediately raised his greatsword vertically, his left hand bracing the middle of the blade in an attempt to block. However, just as the Regalia of Eochaid was about to reach Kunlan, it suddenly whipped its 'tail,' carving an arc through the air and changing direction. In an instant, the sword bypassed his defense and arrived at Kunlan’s side. Kunlan’s expression changed. Releasing a massive amount of magic, he unleashed an explosion of fire around himself. The immense energy from the flames blasted the Regalia of Eochaid several meters away, deflecting the attack. Kunlan looked at the Regalia of Eochaid as it continued to weave through the air, his heart filled with shock. This thing was far too agile. He took a deep breath, refocusing his entire being on the fight. Who knew how many years had passed since that Holy War. It had been a long, long time since they had faced a true enemy. Symptoms of soul-rot had even begun to appear within the army. The endless war had numbed so many, and even the glory they once took pride in had faded. But Kunlan had always remained true to his mission and still held that Holy War in high honor. Now, let him once again eliminate a source of trouble for Lady Marika! Kunlan raised his spear-like greatsword and charged toward Bai Shi at a run. If he could engage in close combat, the space to maneuver that flying sword would be much smaller. Or perhaps, could he run Bai Shi through before the sword could reach them? With that thought, Kunlan lunged forward and thrust his sword. Flames spread across the blade, flashing in a brilliant burst of light as he lunged, instantly closing the distance to Bai Shi. To be fair, the move was quite spectacular. The swift thrust contained a powerful will and force, earning even Bai Shi’s admiration. Unfortunately, it seemed there were distracting thoughts in his heart, preventing the attack from reaching perfection. Bai Shi timed it perfectly. With a slight step back, he caused Kunlan's lunging greatsword to halt just before his chest. That tiny gap was now like an impassable chasm. No matter how hard Kunlan strained, he could not cross it. But just after the thrust, the flames on the sword gathered into a beam and shot out from the tip. Kunlan saw the attack strike Bai Shi’s chest and was overjoyed. However, when the flames dissipated, his expression instantly turned to one of disbelief and doubt. The ‘Flame Spear’ that erupted from his greatsword had pierced through Bai Shi’s chestplate and successfully hit his flesh. But Bai Shi’s chest was merely a little scorched; there was no other result. Why? This was my full-power ‘Flame Spear’ skill. Why did it only leave this minuscule mark on him, something that couldn't even be called an injury? Is fire really this useless against him?! Bai Shi looked down at the spot where he had been hit, then raised his head and nodded earnestly at Kunlan. It was a brand-new skill that Bai Shi had never seen before. Hearing Bai Shi’s sincere praise, Kunlan felt only that he was being mocked. He advanced with a series of lunging thrusts, pressing in on Bai Shi. However, after dodging a few strikes, Bai Shi suddenly surged forward, slipping inside the spear-like greatsword’s attack range and closing the distance to Kunlan. Now, the greatsword had no room to be swung. Bai Shi’s two fingers, which had been guiding the flying sword, tapped forward, landing on Kunlan’s forehead. A burst of intense flame erupted from his fingertips, charring Kunlan’s face black. The explosive force of the fire sent Kunlan reeling backward, stumbling several steps. Bai Shi had deliberately held back, not even unleashing the flames of the sun. It was just a small, ordinary fire incantation. As such, the force wasn’t even enough to disfigure him. Kunlan wiped his face, now thoroughly enraged by Bai Shi. “Aaaargh! You graceless Sunless!” The Regalia of Eochaid under Bai Shi’s control swung around again, striking at Kunlan’s back. He was forced to raise his sword behind him to block the incoming thrust. Throughout the fight, Kunlan had constantly berated Bai Shi’s status as a Tarnished. Although Bai Shi didn’t feel much of an attachment to that identity himself, hearing it so many times was finally starting to grate on him. While Kunlan was busy dealing with the Regalia of Eochaid, Bai Shi walked up and casually knocked him to the ground with a single punch. With just one blow, Kunlan felt as if all his internal organs had been displaced. He collapsed to the ground, powerless to fight on. Bai Shi crouched in front of Kunlan and spoke softly: “A graceless Sunless, am I?” “I don’t know why you loathe the Sunless so much, but being graced might not be as noble as you think.” After speaking, Bai Shi used the now fully unsealed function of his Great Rune to bestow grace upon himself. Because Bai Shi had always strengthened himself with runes, the faint power of grace offered him no real enhancement. So, Bai Shi simply spent a few thousand runes to apply the special effect of grace to his eyes. Soon, Bai Shi’s eyes began to radiate a bright, golden light. Lying on the ground, Kunlan saw Bai Shi receive grace right before him. His pupils trembled with disbelief. Kunlan’s whole body shivered. It was unimaginable. This Sunless had just... received grace. And he... he had fought valiantly in the Holy War, and in the long years since, he had always been diligent and dedicated, giving his all. But the light of grace in his own eyes had gradually faded away. What the hell kind of justice was this?! If this was how things were, then what was the point of everything he had endured? Why... why was this happening?! “Please, please don’t abandon me...” Kunlan clutched his head and let out a wretched cry, then vanished in a burst of flames. Bai Shi didn’t stop him. Instead, he looked with great interest at the spot where he had disappeared. This Fire Knight named Kunlan could actually transform into fire to move around. And unlike a short-range teleport, he seemed to have teleported directly from a very distant place. He’d never seen a move before. It was almost like a player invasion in a game. Sigh, speaking of which, if Melina had been here, this fight might have been avoided. But it didn’t matter. He hadn't planned on taking his life, and the man couldn’t kill—or even hurt—him. Bai Shi stood up and looked at the ground beside him. Something had been knocked off Kunlan and had fallen there. Bai Shi picked it up and saw it was an item called the ‘Holy War Medallion.’ The Fire Knight named Kunlan seemed to have been wearing it pinned directly to his chest. Perhaps it was another object that could produce an effect without needing a talisman pouch. Bai Shi tentatively equipped it, but for the moment, he couldn’t feel any difference. He would keep it on for now and test it later. Just then, a sound came from the distance—the sound of some kind of mechanism turning. It was immediately followed by a heavy grinding noise. Bai Shi glanced in the direction of the sound. It seemed to be coming from the area where they had first arrived in the settlement. Bai Shi stroked his chin. It appeared Leda and Freya had found the mechanism to open the main gate. After looking around one last time and confirming there was nothing else worth collecting, Bai Shi quickly left the area. Kunlan returned to the Cathedral of the Holy War and collapsed to the floor. Earlier, he had felt the seal he had left in Belurat, Tower Settlement, being triggered. So he had immediately transformed into flame and rushed over. He had thought that another Hornsent who had not turned into an aberrant shade had appeared, but it turned out to be a graceless Sunless. Though not a Hornsent, anyone without the Golden Grace was an enemy. But he never expected to encounter such a difficult opponent. The man’s strength was simply absurd, far beyond what he could handle. And what he did at the end was even more outrageous... Another Fire Knight nearby walked over and offered him a hand. But Kunlan refused his help. The other Fire Knight didn’t press the issue and walked away. Kunlan lay on the ground alone for a while before finally pushing himself to his feet. He suddenly realized something was missing and quickly felt around his body. Upon discovering that his precious Holy War Medallion was gone, Kunlan’s already reeling heart found it even harder to accept. “It must have fallen off there...” Kunlan lowered his head, unable to stop himself from replaying the scene he had just witnessed. He calmed his emotions, bowed his head, and prayed devoutly. “...Lady Marika, our mother.” “I beg you, have mercy and grant me your grace.” “I have eliminated those who stood against you, those who caused you trouble.” “As I have done before, I swear I will do so hereafter.” “So please, have mercy, and grant me your grace.” Please, please don’t take away that light...