Chapter 231: Cobweb Knot, Gradually Destroying Body

(A brief, minor update; more to follow tomorrow.)

"Click, click, click..."

Under the influence of magic, earth and stone were swiftly separated from the collapsed ruins, gathered and reshaped into new forms.

The rebuilders took the rubble that had been reduced to fragments in the wake of the battle for the Royal City, stacking them layer by layer upon streets that were not yet open to traffic, but had already been cleared by the joint efforts of knights and mages.

Soldiers who had been deployed to the front lines for long, grueling campaigns during the war were all able to return to the capital once the fighting ceased.

This meant that whether it was the Night’s Edge, the City Guard, the Royal Guards, or even the private militias of the nobility, there was now an abundance of personnel possessing extraordinary powers.

With the aid of mages and knights, the reconstruction of the Royal City proceeded with remarkable speed.

Earth magic was perfectly suited for clearing debris, reorganizing building fragments into construction materials, and handling the massive task of transport.

As for knights of the rank of apprentice and above, they required no specialized training; guided by those with experience, their physical prowess alone made the task of reassembling building materials into structures quite simple.

Of course, these reconstructions were merely superficial. In a world defined by extraordinary power, buildings—unless they incorporated magitech structures or rare materials—had never been particularly valuable; they were easy to destroy and just as easy to rebuild.

The true losses were concentrated in the lives extinguished and the goods and materials stored within the shops that had been obliterated alongside the architecture. These were the genuine scars left upon the Royal City.

Yet, on the surface at least, just three days later, the Royal City had shaken off the gloom that lingered after the shadow of the God of Fear had dissipated. It was now vibrant and thriving, mending its broken parts and displaying the vitality a kingdom ought to possess.

"Is there still no word on Captain Shuguin or Mr. Wang Yu?"

A patrol squad of the Night’s Edge walked past the street where a group of scavengers was busy clearing ruins.

They were hailed by a Night’s Edge mage, who floated in the air, using earth elements to sweep large piles of rubble to the sides to clear space for construction. He was asking about one of the questions that weighed most heavily on their minds.

To these ordinary members of the Night’s Edge, their commander-in-chief, Shuguin Smoke, had vanished following the descent of the God of Fear.

The Night’s Edge, the City Guard, and even the Royal Guards had dispatched large numbers of men to search every corner of the capital, but they had failed to find him.

In the end, they were forced to the grim conclusion that the commander they so respected and admired had, for reasons unknown, perished in the incident.

Also missing was Wang Yu, a member of the Night’s Edge special operations team. Much like Shuguin, he had abruptly disappeared without a trace once the chaos subsided.

According to the clues provided by Wang Yu’s friend, Miss Avia, when she requested the organization’s assistance in the search, the last time he was seen was when he followed the God’s Corpse as it ascended from beneath the city to the surface.

In other words, compared to Commander Shuguin, the reason for Wang Yu’s disappearance was, in a sense, more easily confirmed; it was highly probable that he had been reduced to nothing in the aftermath of the battle with the God of Fear.

The search for both Shuguin and Wang Yu continued, but few held out hope, for in truth, they were far from the only ones missing.

A vast number of ordinary Night’s Edge members, City Guards, Royal Guards, and citizens had lost all contact during the event. Everyone knew the likely outcome: they were almost certainly dead.

Wang Yu and Shuguin were only receiving more search resources due to their unique status. But, upon reflection, compared to the host of new nobles who had died so thoroughly during the ritual, was their status truly so special?

Though they mourned the loss of these two, the members of the Night’s Edge were accustomed to the constant cycle of life and death. The passing of a respected figure required only a dozen seconds of silent reflection before they moved on.

The dead deserved to be remembered, but those they fought for were always the living who remained.

"The investigation team has basically swept through all the ruins in the area once shrouded by the God of Fear’s divine kingdom, but..."

The passing patrol squad stopped, and one of them responded, outlining the situation. By the end, he shook his head and fell silent, the implication clear.

"Understood. Also, there is news I must tell you: Mr. Sieg Welsbach of the special operations team is expected to leave the capital this week. After that, our leadership, aside from Father Fang, will likely see some changes."

The mage hovering in the air nodded to show he understood, then shared the new information with the patrol squad below.

"Sieg? That clerk who was quite close with the Captain? He’s leaving? Why?"

The patrol member was surprised, asking with a hint of confusion.

In his memory, while Sieg lacked a strong presence within the Night’s Edge, he had served even longer than Commander Shuguin.

"According to what he said while bidding farewell to the members, he had a conflict with someone in the Royal Family. It made him unwilling to stay in Alastair any longer. He also warned us to maintain a certain degree of wariness toward the throne."

The mage thought for a moment before providing the answer.

"I remember him as a scholar with a very mild temper. For him to leave in such anger... what on earth did that person in the Royal Family do?"

The patrol member frowned, feeling a sense of unease and resentment toward whatever had driven someone as even-tempered as Sieg away.

"You know how the Royal Family is. We’ve seen their schemes in the light and in the shadows for a long time. This time, they must have overstepped, pushing Mr. Sieg to the breaking point."

The mage seemed less surprised, shrugging his shoulders; it was clear he had grown accustomed to the various machinations of the throne.

"Indeed, we must heed Mr. Sieg’s advice and remain wary of the Royal Family. Their actions are becoming increasingly reckless. We fight for this kingdom, but we cannot tolerate them crossing certain lines."

The patrol member looked thoughtful; the mage’s reminder had stirred something in his mind.

"I’m glad you understand. It’s highly probable that our next leader will be the hero of the Royal City. Given his status, ability, and achievements, I see no issue with him taking the lead."

The mage steered the conversation away from the Royal Family and toward the future leadership of the Night’s Edge.

"Edward Wallin? Indeed. The Duke’s son, a member of the special operations team, the earthly proxy of the God of Light, the true hero who saved the city. I can find no fault in him. I believe that with his character and ability, the Night’s Edge can go even further."

The patrol member agreed, giving high praise to Edward, who would likely become their new leader.

"I won’t keep you from your patrol. Good luck, and please, do not give up the search for Captain Shuguin and Mr. Wang Yu. Perhaps the Goddess of Luck will suddenly favor those of us who do not worship her."

With that, the mage resumed his control over the earth elements, continuing his work on the ruins.

"Rest assured, we won’t stop until every corner has been checked. Who knows if some bastard like the God of Misfortune is playing games with us, hiding them in the most unlikely of places?"

The patrol squad turned, responding with the same teasing, encouraging tone the mage had used.

"Hmm, very good..."

The mage revealed a faint, barely perceptible smile and whispered to himself.

...

Inside the Ryder family mansion, in his own room, Shael sat at his desk, writing in his notebook. Beside it lay several Star tarot cards, both upright and reversed.

"Father Fang, while communicating with you this way is the most secure method I can manage, my mana reserves and the tarot cards I’ve crafted aren’t enough to sustain this kind of dialogue."

"Though it’s reckless, perhaps you should try the Goddess of Night’s prayer communication network. The God of Light is above; I’m sure He wouldn’t mind."

Shael wrote these words—utterly blasphemous and sacrilegious toward the God of Light—on a page in his notebook.

After finishing, he tore the page out, placed an upright Star tarot card upon it, and channeled his power into the card. A ripple in space occurred, and the paper vanished.

His face turned pale. Communicating with Father Fang in such a strictly confidential manner was taking its toll; he could no longer sustain the drain on his mana and void energy.

"Though I consider myself a far from pedantic Archbishop, I have never attempted such a thing. You are right; I should give it a try."

The page returned ten seconds later, accompanied by a drained, reversed Star tarot card. The neat handwriting on the page was Father Fang’s reply.

"Shael, can you hear me?"

The next moment, Father Fang’s voice echoed in Shael’s mind. The speed of it startled Shael, who had been the one to suggest it.

"I can hear you. It seems you really can use the prayer communication network, Father."

Shael responded within his mind.

"Indeed. Although I was the one who approved the mission for that deity to preach in Alastair, I had avoided contact to prevent the troubles I’ve encountered with other sects. Now, I am certain that the Lady of Night is truly the most generous and benevolent of all the deities I have ever encountered."

Father Fang’s voice resonated in Shael’s mind, and one could detect a hint of a smile in his tone.

"Yes, yes. The Lady of Night and the God of Light are truly the two best deities I have ever known. In my heart, they hold the same status."

Shael spoke these heretical words, though the sentiment was, in essence, the same.

"Hmm. Actually, I was wondering: since the Lady of Night is such a unique deity, if she were to worship the God of Light, would she be granted the power to cast light-based miracles?"

Father Fang’s abrupt question startled even Shael, who was usually quite "irreverent." Father Fang was certainly bold; if that were to happen, wouldn't the two of them end up fighting?

"Well, let us set that aside for the moment. You are already aware of Wang Yu’s situation, Father Fang, are you not?"

Charles quickly steered the conversation back to the matter at hand, confirming the intelligence they had previously exchanged.

"Yes, I am aware of the situation there. However, due to the unique nature of the Church of Light, it is difficult for us to intervene in the internal affairs of the kingdom. History has proven that interfering in a nation's development under the banner of justice, with the intent of effectively seizing power from within, is an absolutely inadvisable path for the Church."

Father Fang spoke in a steady tone, apprising Charles of the current circumstances.

"So, you mean the Church of Light can do nothing?"

Charles asked, feeling a touch of disappointment, though he remained undeterred.

"Limited options do not mean no options at all. As I said, the Lord of Light is not so pedantic. While we cannot directly intervene in the kingdom's politics, we can exert influence in less overt ways, and I shall begin that work shortly."

"As for your plan, I have reviewed it and found no issues. You must continue to execute it as intended. Once Wang Yu is rescued, the subsequent pursuit by the royal family and the forces they may mobilize—these are things that I, that we, the Church of Light, will use every power at our disposal to assist and protect you against."

"After all, protecting the innocent and shielding one's friends is always a righteous act."

Father Fang laid out what he could do, and his final promise of support was like a shot of adrenaline for Charles. With the strength of the Night’s Edge combined with the power of the Church of Light, this was a force that no one could afford to underestimate.

"Understood!"

...

Within the dark, deathly silent cell, Wang Yu remained bound tightly by iron chains against the wall. In the profound stillness, one could clearly hear the sound of his breathing and the faint, labored thumping of his heart.

"Hah... hah..."

He gasped with great effort, feeling his body steadily wasting away, a decline driven by the special long spike driven into his abdomen.

This spike was continuously siphoning the battle qi from within Wang Yu’s body, drawing it out and dissipating it into the air, keeping his frame in a state of perpetual "battle qi vacuum."

Wang Yu’s own generation of battle qi was slower than that of an average formal knight; with this spike constantly draining the energy produced throughout his body, he was entirely unable to maintain the basic operation of his knightly secret arts.

When he had first learned the Bloody Gale knight secret art, he had fused the uniquely structured battle qi flow with his own blood.

From that moment on, the circulation of blood throughout Wang Yu’s body was no longer supported solely by his pumping heart; the battle qi integrated into his blood had become a vital source of power.

Now, as the battle qi vanished from his body, his blood once again relied solely on the heart to drive its circulation. While there was no immediate physical failure, an indescribable sense of weakness permeated his every perception.

Having gone without nourishment for so long, his body was already severely depleted from the time he had burned the flames of sorcery.

During his time in the cell, resisting the effects of the truth serum and knitting together the gruesome wound on his right eye had consumed the last of his meager energy reserves.

Coupled with the loss of the battle qi that assisted his bodily functions, this powerful physique was truly and surely crumbling toward collapse.

"The fat reserves are nearly gone. Half a day—that is the limit. If I want to hold on longer, I must resort to autophagy. I will start with the less essential parts, breaking down the muscle to maintain basic functions, buying myself more time to study this spike..."

His tightly closed eyelids lifted slightly to look at the spike embedded in his abdomen, where blood continued to seep from the wound.

The nature of this spike was bizarre; it not only devoured his battle qi but also affected the surrounding flesh, hindering his natural healing and vitality.

As a result, even after three days, the wound continued to bleed, draining his energy reserves. Soon, the energy Wang Yu could use without harming himself would be entirely exhausted.

To avoid dying of exhaustion, his only remaining option was "autophagy"—letting the biologically unique blood within him consume his own body, breaking down less critical flesh to sustain life.

It was akin to drinking poison to quench thirst, yet it was the only way to survive at this moment.

"I shall start with the intestinal tract. I have no food to ingest, and in a sense, these parts are expendable..."

Wang Yu pondered silently which parts of his body he could sacrifice first to gain energy, preparing his will to drive this decaying vessel into action.

"Tap..."

A finger suddenly rested upon the spike in his abdomen, pressing down twice and bringing a surge of pain. Wang Yu ignored the intruder, keeping his focus turned inward.

"Mm-hmm... excellent. The function of this spike is fully realized. I can no longer sense your battle qi vortex at all."

"How does it feel? The source of your battle qi has been utterly destroyed by this spike. How does it feel to know you can never again produce that battle qi, that hallmark of a knight’s transcendent power?"

Rudolf’s malicious, mocking voice echoed in Wang Yu’s ear, attempting to snap his nerves with this venomous taunting.

"Clang, clang, clang...!"

The chains rattled as Wang Yu struggled violently, seemingly provoked by Rudolf’s words, desperate to kill him at any cost.

Yet it was meaningless. Wang Yu’s weakened body could not break these special chains; all his efforts were futile, appearing both pathetic and laughable.

"Ha... your will is not as strong as you thought. Where is your composure? This is only the beginning. The collapse of the battle qi vortex is merely the prelude to a knight’s destruction. If you still won’t speak, I suppose you wish to fully experience the torture of your body withering away once the battle qi is gone."

Rudolf’s hand brushed against Wang Yu’s cheek, pressing hard enough to tear the skin, his malicious words lingering like a despairing prophecy before he slowly walked away.

Listening to the fading sound of chains and the ragged gasps in the cell, Rudolf walked into the corridor with satisfaction. Watching a transcendent being witness the slow collapse of the power they had built for so long—that was the easiest way to break their will.

The sounds of struggle gradually ceased, and Wang Yu lowered his head, as if he had lost all remaining strength.

Yet, deep within his mind, a more profound contemplation was taking place. His previous performance had merely been to buy himself more time, and something in Rudolf’s words had triggered a realization.

"Have I been heading in the wrong direction from the very beginning? I have been trying to conform to the path of the knights common to this world. The battle qi vortex—I never had one to begin with. In the beginning, I didn't even have battle qi."

"The battle qi that was born within me came because I used the power of the void to make my body 'learn' the concept of battle qi. Since then, whether it was knightly arts, techniques for using battle qi, or internal cultivation, I have always tried to walk the path they explored in this world."

"Ultimately, I have been 'mimicking.' But in essence, I am different from the people of this world. My body and theirs are fundamentally not the same. These things I 'learned' are not meaningless, but what about my own?"

His thoughts delved deeper. As the battle qi completely faded from him, he seemed to revert to that high-level knight apprentice he once was, yet something else was being unearthed by Wang Yu in this moment.

Not battle qi...

Something that was not part of the path he had learned in this world...

The ripples...

And this shell itself?