NOVPUBIn a corner of the central square of Dandron City, sunlight dappled through the leaves, pedestrians hurried past on the street, oblivious to the figure of a man brushing past them.
The sound of the wind arose from the silence, human movements calm and orderly.
The dusky light evenly spilled onto the bluestone slabs of the street. The dense green leaves rustled in the slight breeze. With the wind slowly picking up, this harmonious tranquility was suddenly disrupted.
The glass window reflected the people on the street, the figure walked slowly through the crowd, yet in the blink of an eye, it vanished.
The rhythm of the wind became faster, more urgent. Newspapers fluttered on the roadside, a dog suddenly began to bark, birds perched on distant treetops took flight.
Until the figure reappeared clearly, standing at the entrance of an inn. The deep bass of the air deepened, the sky grew dimmer. The man slowly took out an exquisite pocket watch from his coat and checked the time.
As the sky began to darken, the man pushed open the door of the inn.
Whenever the door was opened, the flame of the fireplace wavered, obscured by an indescribable cold. The hue of the hall shifted to a dimmer shade.
He wore a gray suit tailored to fit perfectly. His shirt collar neatly on display, revealing a silver tie clip. His slender figure seemed slightly lean. His nose was straight, lips tightly closed. His short silvery-gray hair contrasted harmoniously with his dark gray suit.
The man walked up to the counter, eyeing the receptionist.
"Good afternoon, sir. Would you like to check in?"
The receptionist bowed slightly, asking the customer in front of her.
However, the man remained unfazed.
"Has a man and a woman checked out from your inn today?"
Gently, the man took out a leather envelope from his pocket, slowly retrieving two portrait sketches from within.
The sketches were rough, seemingly repeatedly altered based on other people’s descriptions, yet the distinguishing features of the two young faces could still be recognized.
"I’m sorry, sir..."
A look of trouble crossed the young receptionist’s simple makeup. They weren’t allowed to disclose other customers’ information. But her words were interrupted midway.
"The answer is, yes or no."
The man did not get angry because of her words. He lifted his imperial military investigation order.
Those deep eyes stared coldly through the lashes at the receptionist. It felt as if his gaze could see through her soul, giving her the feeling that she had nowhere to hide.
The receptionist swallowed hard. It wasn’t just his identity. She could feel a calm and dangerous aura radiating from the young man. He was like a predator ready to hunt at any moment.
Her hand subconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes, her heart raced, striving to maintain her exterior calm. She seriously doubted that this dangerous man was part of the imperial army but instinctively didn’t dare to question.
"Indeed a young man and woman checked out today, but they do not match the ones in the portrait."
"When did they leave?"
"About three hours ago."
At her words, the man nodded, seemingly having obtained the information he needed.
Seeing this, the receptionist finally let out a sigh of relief.
But before she could notice, the man had slowly extended his hand, placing his palm on her head.
As if to comfort her not to be afraid.
But his broad palm was as cold and heavy as lead.
Until the next second, the receptionist’s bewildered face suddenly twisted in pain. Her body was first compressed by a force from within. Her fair skin was covered with pain, her bones gradually deformed, like a victim trapped in an inescapable nightmare. After an increasingly indescribable process, she transformed into a fleshly and hideous sphere.
Immediately, all the customers in the hall were horrified at the sight of the transformation.
Soon, the meaty sphere emitting raspy pleas for mercy began to tremble violently, unusual creases appearing on its surface, it quickly swelled until it was like a balloon stretched to its limit, in that moment, the only sound in the inn’s hall was the impending explosion.
The sound of the explosion startled every person in the hall, blood and flesh smeared the walls, a thick bloody smell instantly spread, suffocating and nauseating.
The man seemed to be protected by an invisible shield, untouched by any blood or flesh.
He caught a glimpse behind him. The inn guests transfixed by fear trembled at his gaze, frozen in place.
He turned and made his way towards the exit of the inn. Outside the door, several Grand Priests in imperial uniforms immediately walked in, taking in the situation inside. Their indifferent expressions barely altered.
Even without instructions, the Grand Priests clearly knew what to do.
After the man left the inn, the first floor fell eerily silent.
There was another Grand Priest who acted as an attendant, following the man.
"Lord Anello, wouldn’t killing all the informants along our journey stir up unnecessary trouble?"
This should be the last group of imperial civilians they casually killed today. They should soon find the Bishop of Hegemony and the Saint of Hegemony.
Even when they were previously in Xi Bei Province, they never brutally killed imperial people this blatantly.
But none of them dared to defy the commands of this man with a sharp sense like a Killing Spirit Fox and is ruthlessly cruel.
"After committing atrocities in the north, the great sinner of the Protoss Empire, Bishop of Hegemony, Sigrid, has sought refuge with the Demon Race, taking her saint with her and fleeing south. What does it matter if we kill a few more civilians on the way?"
The Saint of Nirvana, Anello, glanced at the Grand Priest behind him and asked indifferently.
"Yes."
The Grand Priest bows respectfully, not daring to utter another word.
They have long known that an excess focus on studying the Sealing Skill will inevitably erode human nature.
The Bishop of Hegemony is severely wounded, and judging by the weather these days, they shouldn’t be spending the night in the blizzard. According to the conjecture of the Saint of Nirvana, their traces could be found in the towns along the path from the Northern Continent to Xue Yuan Province.
Sure enough, led by the Saint of Nirvana, the elite squad followed their trail and successfully determined their escape route in the snowy field.
The sun sets.
Its glow is swallowed up by the horizon, and the afternoon in the snowy field is coming to an end. The streets are gradually consumed by darkness, and the bustle of pedestrians seems to retreat into the background, creating a silence.
The wind slips between the figures at the entrance of the inn.
"It’s time to send the Bishop of Hegemony and Saint of Hegemony to reunite with the Saintess of Hegemony."
Anello gazes to the south.
His eyes reveal an unusual indifference and detachment, and the deep purple twilight casts a half-shadow on his face.
...
In the depth of night, when even the moonlight was about to disappear, every second seemed extraordinarily long.
A hundred kilometers outside Dandron City, on the boundless snowy field under the vast, dark night, snowflakes whirl in the air, like icy crystals scattered on the earth by an invisible giant hand. Every flake brings a longstanding chill, spinning and dancing in the wind before landing on the snow, piling up with countless other snowflakes to create a deep gray world.
On this mysterious snowy ground, a deep crack suddenly appeared.
It’s the trace left by the intense impact after the battle.
A body thunders down on the snow, stark against the landscape.
It’s the figure of a HUGE imperial warrior, clad in heavy iron armor, now enveloped by the cold snow.
When his body impacts the snow, snowflakes splash into the air, signalling the end of this battle.
Blood oozes from his wounds, slowly spreading in the snow to form a blooming blood rose.
Sikder’s fist clenches, the cold wind fluttering her hair. Her breathing is short due to the battle and her own injuries, with every exhalation forming a tiny cloud that merges into the snowflakes.
Lanci stands beside her, in much better shape.
Even after the end of a battle, their eyes show no sign of slackening. In this snowy field, danger lurks everywhere.
Every gust seems to carry an ominous sign, and at any moment a new enemy might emerge with the falling of each snowflake.
"It’s so difficult for the two of us to work together to kill a Grand Priest of Nirvana."
Sikder looks weary, looking at the sky, obviously the recent battle has aggravated her unrecoverable injuries.
However, she is indeed much stronger at night, coupled with her Saint Heir’s weird control spells, they were finally able to team up and kill a pursuing Grand Priest of Nirvana.
Their whereabouts have already been detected, and more and more grand priests from the Nirvana Branch are finding them on the snowy field. Although they’re not far from Xue Yuan Province, the real struggle is likely to start at dawn.
"What the hell are these sealing magic of yours, one chorus mutes hearing, the other sun blinds vision."
After catching her breath, Sikder finally complains.
She has now seen her Saint Heir’s other sealing skills besides the explosion.
That chorus, she found it hard to take. If she were at her peak, she might be almost unaffected, but in her current state, the call from the underworld was unbearable.
If it weren’t for the specially prepared earplugs and sunglasses in advance, these two indiscriminate spells could drive their own people crazy.
"Powerful forces always come with risks. That’s the law of conservation."
Lanci sighs, his trump card now laid bare.
Although his [Shining Virtue] card is somewhat famous in Ichrite, the North and South Continents have isolated news. Lanci Welfort, who was just starting to make a name for himself in the south, was hardly known. It was normal for Sigrid, a big figure in the north, to have never heard of this new Sealer.
It has been over ten hours since they left Dandron City and crossed the mountains, trekking southwards on the snowy field.
The distant horizon seems to finally feel the passage of time and gradually shows a faint dawn.
That slight light shines on the snow, giving a sense of warmth.
"A few dozen kilometers to the south, and we should reach Xue Yuan Province. You see, my navigation is quite accurate."
Lanci looks at the ambiguous sunrise and the terrain in the east, roughly estimating their location.
"Just say what you want to say. In consideration of your care for me along the way, I won’t deduct your favorability for a limited time."
Sikder laughs out of annoyance. This guy really stopped pretending and started doing daily tasks in front of her.
However.
Just as they were lightheartedly making their way southward.
The sky, which previously had a slight warmth of dawn, suddenly became oppressing. The dawn seemed to be tightly gripped by a pair of giant hands, losing its original bright colors.
The surrounding space seemed to solidify, the air was filled with a heavy and cold magic power as if an invisible wall surrounded them, making them feel like they had fallen into an ice cave.
