Chapter 377: Preparations (Part 3)

  Real life is always more bizarre than any story, more strange and unbelievable. If Ethan heard in a story that a woman like Talise, suddenly and inexplicably yet as if naturally, ended up entangled and intertwined with a man like him, while everyone else was rushing about desperately, busy with their own survival, he would surely think the tale was fabricated. But in reality, the two of them had spent these ten-plus days just like that in an inn in the royal capital.

  During these ten-plus days, they had no concept of time. It was hazy and trance-like, unlike reality, yet so clear they could recall every detail, every moment of excitement.

  They were a man and a woman, both utterly empty. One was empty because of weight. The burden on his shoulders was too heavy, reaching an extreme. Yet, from a certain perspective, he did not have enough strength or right to bear this weight. No matter how he strived or fought, in the end, he could only be like a bystander, doing nothing. Beneath the immense pressure was immense emptiness and anxiety. The other was empty because of lightness. The beliefs and faith she once carried had all turned to nothingness. She could no longer find anything to support herself. Even the few emotions she originally possessed had turned to ash and dust in the collision with her faith. It was as if suddenly there was nothing left in her life, not a single direction, not a single bit of warmth she could hold in her hands.

  Whether it was lightness or weight, the extreme emptiness had long since worn away all of their pasts without a trace. They were just a simple man and woman, doing everything a man and woman could do together. Using every possible way to communicate, they sought solace and warmth in each other.

  The seventeen days passed quickly. It was already the dawn of the seventeenth day. He could just feel the intermittent sensations coming from the Magic Academy. Ethan knew he had to leave.

  "I have to go." Ethan leaned over and patted Talise. The soft feel of her skin and her silky blonde hair intertwined, making it hard to distinguish one from the other.

  "Is it really possible you'll come back?" Talise was silent for a long while, then asked. Anyone who could see her now could no longer think she lacked femininity. Nude, she was more of a woman than any other.

  "Probably. I'll do my best." Ethan thought for a moment, then nodded.

  "I'm going with you," Talise suddenly said.

  "I will go alone," Ethan shook his head.

  The sky was already dimly lit. The entire royal capital had not yet fully awakened. But the Magic Academy was already packed with people.

  Even though there were a few pedestrians on the streets, none approached the Magic Academy. They couldn't see the situation within the high walls, but the aura that seeped out was completely at odds with the atmosphere of the royal capital in the early morning. It was not an ordinary killing intent. In the air was a solemn and heavy aura, like a red-hot iron.

  On the plaza, all members of the Paladin Order and the priests and mages of the Magic Academy had gathered. Commander Roland stood before them, watching over them. Beside them were the hundreds of mages from the Tower of Fangs, led by Adelaide and Graden.

  On the faces of the Paladin Order members, nothing unusual could be seen. These were the elite of the elite, all seasoned veterans of a hundred battles. They were not only warriors who faced death without fear, but also soldiers with wills of steel and iron discipline. But after all, they were still human. They all understood the difficulty and the near-certain death of the coming battle. The fighting spirit that naturally arises when facing death was already overflowing. The surrounding mages and priests had already been infected by this atmosphere. Their breathing was as heavy as an ox's, and many people's eyes were already bloodshot.

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  "I have long told you that the enemy we face today is unprecedented. But we must face it, not just for ourselves, but also for everything behind us." Commander Roland stood on a statue in the center of the plaza, looking down at the people below from a great height. His appearance was unusually refined, not like that of a warrior. His words were neither many nor ornate, and his voice was not robust. But within these simple words was something deeper and more moving, a simple and plain fortitude that poured directly into the heart of every listener. "Everyone will die, everyone will fail. No one is without fear, not even me. Our only way is to face it, to overcome everything before us. And then to live. Our ancestors, our predecessors, all walked this path, which is why we exist now. And we will continue to walk this path."

  No one cheered. These were not words meant to excite or agitate. What they gave people was just a concept originally hidden deep in the bottom of everyone's heart, the most fundamental one: to live.

  The dawn peeking over the horizon was faint and gentle, but as it landed on everyone, it felt as if it had been sharpened into countless needles, stinging with pain, yet also stinging one awake. Stinging one into wanting to fight, wanting to live.

  Ethan did not disturb these warriors, but quietly walked to the entrance of the grand cathedral. Here, the Pope, Lancelot, and Gru were all present.

  "You're here," Gru looked at him and nodded. He seemed completely unconcerned about where he had been these past few days.

  "I'm here," Ethan nodded to him, and also nodded to Lancelot and the Pope beside him.

  Lancelot suddenly asked: "How have these days been?"

  Ethan glanced at him, feeling a bit surprised by the greeting, yet also not so surprised. He answered honestly: "Good."

  "That's good," the Paladin answered plainly. Nothing could be read from his face.

  "Allow me to report to you, the nominal leader, that everything has been arranged. The western forces have already gathered in The Wyvern Wastes, just waiting for us here, and for Oufu, and for you," the Pope said to him, coldly.

  Ethan nodded, and couldn't help but bow to him: "Thank you for your hard work."

  While speaking, the Pope also hunched his body, coughing lightly. With each cough, he held a red-and-white handkerchief to his mouth. In these ten-plus days of not seeing him, he seemed to have aged decades. Although his face still looked like Adela's, anyone could see at a glance that the life within his body, already beginning to decay and wither, was rapidly leaving him. And as Ethan looked, what he could clearly see was that he was dying, step by step. The functions within his body were twisting in a comprehensive, irreversible, strange way, then losing balance and collapsing. In reality, this body had already begun to exist between an undead monster and a living being. It was just that this old man was desperately using his masterful white magic to maintain his body's balance.

  "Then shall we set off?" Ethan asked.

  "There are still others, but they should be here soon."

  Not long after, two elven figures came from the direction of the teleportation array. It was Luya and the elven patrol guard Kaelin.

  "Only the two of them are going from the elves?" Ethan asked.

  Lancelot shook his head: "Of course not. They don't need to go. Their bows and nature magic would be useless in that situation. They are here to deliver something."

  The two walked straight over. When they saw Ethan, Luya's eyes immediately reddened, her large eyes shimmering with unshed tears, which she held back with force. Kaelin still held the giant black longbow in her hands, but unlike before, she was no longer carrying it, but holding it reverently.

  "After the council of elders deliberated, Elder Lloyd decided to agree to give you this bow used by Queen Isabelle. As compensation for our elven race's inability to participate in the war directly. This Phantom Divine Bow is said to be a treasure used by the imperial family of the Elven Empire. It has defended the Tulalion Forest and our elven race countless times. We hope you can return it to us after you have used it. I really don't know how the elder could part with such a treasure..." Kaelin held the bow in both hands, still speaking reluctantly and sorrowfully.

  But Gru snatched the bow away in one move. "It should have been brought over long ago. At least Lloyd finally understood, sparing me the trip to Whispering Woods to get it."

  "This feeling..." Holding the black longbow, Gru's entire demeanor seemed to change. A flicker of joy and excitement actually passed through his originally emotionless eyes. His words were few, but enough to express his meaning. "Good."

  Luya looked at Ethan, her expression a mix of reluctance and sorrow, but she couldn't say anything. This elven girl had never learned, from beginning to end, how to express her own feelings.

  Ethan smiled gently, reached out and patted her head, then turned to Lancelot and said: "Well, then we can set off, can't we?"

  "Wait," the Pope suddenly spoke. He reached into his robe, took out something, and handed it to Ethan. "I cannot go, but you should take this."

  The Pope's hand trembled like that of a hundred-year-old man. Lying in his palm was a ring that looked unremarkable at first glance, with no decorative patterns or engravings, only a scratch mark in one place. Ethan recognized what it was. This ring had once been on his hand for a considerable amount of time.

  "Hasn't the power of this thing already been consumed?" Ethan asked.

  "Of course, otherwise I wouldn't give it to you," the Pope coughed twice, raising a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. "It's just that this thing should be the one to touch The Black Star. That was the reason it was created in the first place, and it also fulfills a wish of an old friend of mine. Also, in a sense, this was originally meant to be yours."

  "Hmm." Ethan put the ring back on his finger, savored the feeling for a moment, took a deep breath, and said: "Then let's set off."

  In the early morning, with a loud boom, the residents of the royal capital all saw a giant blue light curtain flash into existence within the Magic Academy. Not long after, as the light curtain vanished, all sounds and auras from within the Magic Academy disappeared.