Free Web NovelSoft white snow covered the slopes, forests, and rocks layer upon layer, painting the world in a pristine silver.
The thick snow underfoot was soft, and the horses' hooves sank into it, leaving behind a trail of prints.
Lord Louis and his party advanced slowly. On the surface, they appeared to be casually traversing the snowy plains, like a leisurely stroll after a hunt.
But the direction of the group had been quietly guided by Lord Louis.
Their path led directly north, where the Archmage indicated by the Daily Intelligence System was located.
Suddenly, a vanguard knight galloped back from the front,
“Lord, we found the corpse of an old man ahead. He looks withered, and his wounds are somewhat strange.”
“A corpse?” Lord Louis frowned, his heart sinking. “Let’s go take a look.”
This wasn’t right. The Daily Intelligence System clearly showed that the old man was only “unconscious,” not dead.
After riding for only a moment, they saw the strange corpse the vanguard knight had mentioned.
It was a scrawny old man, wrapped in a tattered cloak, sitting cross-legged half-buried in the snow, like an ascetic monk.
He bore no resemblance whatsoever to the “Loken Grand Mage” Lord Louis had seen in historical illustrations, full of vigor with his robes fluttering.
Most striking was his chest, at the heart.
There was a fist-sized, dark glowing crack, a crack,
The crack was still slowly expanding, the surrounding skin continuously disintegrating, and black patterns spread outwards.
“This isn’t unconscious...” Lord Louis couldn’t help but mutter to the system, “He looks as good as dead.”
Just as he was pondering if the system had made a mistake, the “corpse’s” mouth twitched slightly.
“Hmm...”
A knight exclaimed, “He’s actually still alive!”
Everyone exchanged glances, their expressions freezing instantly. How could he still be alive in this state?
Lord Louis stood five meters away, shielding everyone in front of him, and waved his hand, signaling, “You go listen to what he’s saying.”
A knight stepped forward upon hearing this, pressing his ear close to the dry lips.
His voice trembled slightly as he repeated, “He said to tell Saint John that someone violated the Primordial Oath.”
Lord Louis was silent for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: “Saint John? That name, I seem to have heard it somewhere—”
He frowned slightly, his mind deep in thought.
The surrounding knights also exchanged glances, having never heard the name before, and they too were trying to comprehend this sudden information.
But the next moment, a sudden change occurred!
The dying figure suddenly opened his eyes wide!
“Gurgle—”
Before anyone could react, a deeply suppressed groan rumbled from the depths of the old man’s throat, as if something was churning within his chest.
Suddenly!
“Whoosh—!!!”
A burst of dark purple energy wave violently spewed from his mouth, accompanied by a piercing sonic boom, shooting towards Lord Louis five meters away!
“Watch out!!”
Lambert roared, his figure rushing out like lightning, his aura surging, and the snow beneath his feet directly exploded!
But it was too late!
The breath came too fast, almost without any warning!
“Pffft—!” frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
The energy wave struck Lord Louis directly in the forehead, emitting a muffled sound.
His body trembled violently, as if struck by lightning, and he fell backward, crashing heavily into the snow.
“Lord Louis!” Lambert’s roar cut through the snowy landscape, carrying uncontrollable shock and anger.
And after that burst of energy was expelled, the last light in the old man’s eyes also faded.
At his chest, the ominous glowing crack, which was ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) already like a curse, suddenly began to expand violently!
“Sizzle—Crackling!!”
The crack spread wildly like a spiderweb, and a dark purple light diffused along his flesh and blood, as if some ancient and eerie power was tearing him apart from within!
The next second, his entire body was instantly swallowed!
There was no explosion, no scream. freewebnøvel.coɱ
He just silently vanished before everyone’s eyes.
Only a tattered Archmage’s robe remained, floating forlornly in the snow, slowly collapsing.
As if this person, from the very beginning, did not belong to this world.
“Lord Louis!!”
On the other side, all the knights’ faces changed dramatically when they saw Lord Louis struck, and they all rushed over.
Lambert was the first to kneel, cradling his body.
“How are you?!”
Others quickly gathered, guarding the surroundings, the atmosphere tense as if facing a formidable enemy.
His consciousness sank into darkness, Lord Louis’s brain felt as if it was suddenly torn open by some force.
Countless images surged like a tide.
He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe; he could only be forcibly injected with these unfamiliar memories, images, and emotions!
But this information only rushed through, not lingering, and he could only capture a few fragmented images—a black-haired youth, sitting still on a stone platform.
Around him, dozens of figures sat cross-legged, listening to his lecture.
He spoke of a strange breathing technique, which seemed and yet did not seem like any imperial cultivation system, as if resonating with heaven and earth with each breath.
The scene shifted.
A middle-aged man, smiling in the firelight.
He held a baby in his arms, his eyes lined with wrinkles.
Another scene.
Eight blurry figures surrounded an old man nailed to a stone slab.
Their faces were indistinct, muttering incantations, continuously performing some terrifying ritualistic dismemberment with their hands.
The old man kept his eyes open, seemingly looking at Lord Louis?
The scene collapsed, and the consciousness space shattered like a mirror with a “crack.”
Lord Louis’s consciousness was violently thrown out of the chaos by an irresistible force.
He opened his eyes.
Before him was a familiar grey-white ceiling with intersecting wooden beams.
He was lying in his room in his own territory, the soft mattress beneath him slightly sunken, and the air carried a faint scent of herbs.
The first thing that caught his eye was a fair face.
It was Sif, looking down at him, her white hair slightly disheveled, her eyes filled with surprise and unease.
“Louis—you’re awake!” Her voice trembled slightly as she called out softly.
The sound of footsteps around also followed.
Bradley, Lambert, and others all gathered around, their faces etched with worry and concern.
Lord Louis slowly blinked, the lingering fragments of memory still echoing in his mind.
He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly his expression became stern; the memories before he fainted gradually came back to him.
Loken Grand Mage, the purple energy wave, and that phrase, “Someone violated the Primordial Oath”—
His voice was slightly hoarse, yet calm: “Lambert, stay. Everyone else, please leave for now.”
His tone wasn’t heavy, but everyone understood it was a signal for a private conversation.
Sif paused, and though her face was full of worry, she bit her lip and nodded, then got up and left.
Bradley looked at Lambert, silently patted his shoulder, and then also retreated.
Only Lord Louis and Lambert remained in the room.
