Hoofbeats echoed urgently as the ethereal knight galloped forward.
As his warhorse reared its front hooves, he conjured a giant Luminous Bow in his hand.
"You were prepared?" Thorne turned back in astonishment at the sight.
"Somewhat, but I didn't expect them to come so quickly, and disguised as Blaidd." Ranni's delicate face was expressionless, making it hard to tell if this was good or bad. If a battle broke out inside the magic tower, it would be like catching a turtle in a jar, but fighting the Black Knives at close range carried many risks, and she would definitely get injured.
"However, thank you for buying me time." Ranni took a light step. As her toes touched the ground, the earth rapidly solidified, and pure white cold air spread outwards, freezing houses and plants into ice sculptures.
"Be careful!" The Black Knife leader growled. This kind of wide-area magic inherently countered assassins, not to mention—
Whoosh.
Four spear-like light arrows flew over. With frozen ground below and giant arrows above, one assassin, unable to dodge, was instantly blown to pieces. It was the one Thorne had ambushed earlier. The remaining ones vanished into thin air.
Bang! Bang!
Bang! The Troll raised its great hammer, scattering ice shards, and the dilapidated houses also collapsed one after another. That wasn't all; it plunged the hammer directly into the earth, then violently flipped the ground over. Mountain Tumble! It was as if a sandstorm had swept across the mountaintop. Thorne saw several blurry figures appear in the air, then a Glintstone Dragon swiftly swooped past, its mouth clutching a screaming assassin. With a tilt of its head, it chewed and swallowed the assassin whole. The tide of battle turned instantly.
Assassins should not have engaged these heavily armored monsters in open combat, especially with a demigod holding the line. Alecto moved through the dust, leaping several meters with each step. Even with deliberate minimization of contact, a thin layer of ice formed on her short boots. Looking back, her pupils suddenly constricted. Ranni seemed to break free from gravity, floating gracefully. She spun in the air, transforming into a cold Dark Moon, and that moon was rapidly smashing down.
"Retreat quickly!"
Without her telling them, all the assassins were fleeing towards the cliff, but the moon was so fast that anyone within ten meters would freeze and then be swallowed. They failed. Alecto, the fastest, dove off the cliff. In front of her was a hundreds-of-meters-high precipice; behind her was a shattering Dark Moon. Violent magic swept over, and half her body was already frozen. She struggled to turn her head, seeing her subordinates swallowed by magic, seeing the elegant puppet maiden, and also seeing the swordsman beside the maiden.
"I swear here and now, the Black Knives will surely harvest your life!"
The roar echoed in the night sky, and then everything was buried by the blooming light of the Dark Moon.
The cliff collapsed, and the howling cold wind swept away all buildings except for the three magic towers.
Thorne covered his face, feeling his whole body being lifted into the air. When gods fight, any technique seems pale and powerless.
Fortunately, a cold hand grabbed his collar and pressed Thorne to the ground. The biting cold wind finally dissipated, and the full moon's radiance once again cascaded down.
Thorne, covered in ice shards, blinked, feeling his thoughts frozen.
"She seems to hate you now." Ranni said out of nowhere, looking at the shivering Thorne, "Are you very cold?"
"Y-a little." Thorne's mouth twitched. He was sure his face must be purple, so he endured it with sheer willpower.
"Did those assassins retreat?"
"Yes, the Black Knives are good at disguise, poisoning, and encirclement. A direct confrontation is not the act of a wise person. However, you were too reckless just now; there were better ways." Ranni's eyes were filled with curiosity.
Logically speaking, Thorne didn't need to fight even if he found a problem. Seriously injuring a Black Knife was already a miracle; how could he launch a counter-charge when their strengths were so vastly different?
"I didn't know you were awake yet, nor did I know they were Black Knives." Thorne shook his head. Now that he had calmed down, he realized he didn't need to get involved at all; there were a hundred reasons to stay out of trouble. But he didn't regret it, nor did he spout loyal platitudes to gain favor. He just replied in a deep voice, "A swordsman's hands are faster than his brain."
Ranni's gaze sharpened. She truly hadn't expected this answer. Reckless people would feel regret, clever people would talk at length about their duty to protect their lord. This answer seemed unrelated, yet it subtly aligned with the way of being human.
"I don't quite understand your way of being, but please accept my respect. With this, we are even."
"Are you talking about saving my life?" Thorne blurted out.
"You are my knight; protecting you is my duty." Ranni paused, then suddenly lowered her voice, "Let's just forget about the words that shamed Witch Ranni."
At first, Thorne didn't react, but by the time Ranni went to check the battle's aftermath, his eyes widened inch by inch.
Wait, she heard my trash talk to the assassins?!
Chapter 21: Ten Thousand Years is Too Long, Seize the Day
The sun leaped out of the sea, but the frost in the inner city still hadn't melted. Thorne, wrapped in a thick blanket, stood on the magic tower and looked out, only to see the already dilapidated garden completely collapsed, with only ruins remaining of the buildings. After being eroded by time, it would indeed become the desolate scene the Tarnished would witness.
Memories of the previous night flashed through Thorne's mind, focusing on the dark moon magic. He quietly clenched his fist. The ritual hadn't taken long, nor was it complicated. But it had taught him a harsh lesson, revealing the monsters and demons that stalked The Lands Between. Mysterious assassins, impossibly strong Trolls, giant avatars of the Royal Knight — and that miraculous magic.
"As expected of The Lands Between. What I've done is just the beginning." Thorne gave a wry smile.
If he were to confront them head-on, he couldn't beat any of those beings. And they were just the tip of the iceberg in The Lands Between, far from the strongest. Having been in The Lands Between for just over a month, Thorne wasn't one to wallow in self-pity. But his eyes were opening, and he felt a growing sense of urgency.
There's no time to waste.
Thump, thump, thump… Heavy footsteps echoed, and a strange helmet appeared outside the window. Thorne immediately performed a knight's bow.
"War Counselor Iji, have you cleared the battlefield?"
"Yes, I buried all those despicable assassins." The giant's tone was familiar, as if after a night of fierce battle, Thorne had been fully accepted into their inner circle. The war with the Cuckoo was Caria's affair, and Ranni's enemies were certainly not theirs, so Thorne's involvement was significant.
"By the way, is the tachi I forged still good?" Thorne drew his long blade three inches from its scabbard, gently stroking the steel. "Divine forging skill. Without star-frost, I wouldn't be alive."
"Hahaha, it's not that exaggerated. I just have some experience with forging; there are many blacksmiths stronger than me." Iji laughed heartily, clearly in a good mood. He then pointed to the messy, empty ground behind him and asked, "Do you know who those people were?"
"Highly skilled assassins, Princess Ranni's enemies." Thorne answered without hesitation, though he already knew the truth. The Black Knife Assassins were directly under the goddess Marika. They were the ones who had committed the Night of the Black Knives, a major event in The Lands Between.
The death of Godwyn the Golden broke the concept of 'immortality' in the golden order, causing a bug in the entire system. It was the fuse for The Shattering of the elden ring. One could say that without the Night of the Black Knives, there would be no Shattering, and naturally no The Shattering of the demigods.
"They are the perpetrators of conspiracies, masterless hounds. Few in The Lands Between can escape their blades; you must be careful in the future." Iji didn't know Thorne already had the answer and was still speaking in riddles.
An entity that could kill Godwyn would certainly kill me as easily as killing a chicken. Thorne nodded gravely, giving a wry smile. "I don't know how I offended these people."
"You ruined their grand plan, and you expect a good face? But I still have to thank you for yesterday. Even with some certainty, as a strategist, I didn't want Her Highness to encounter danger, so don't worry, staying in the fortress is absolutely safe."
But I can't be a Canary. My strength would increase too slowly this way. I'm afraid by the time the Tarnished return, I'll still just be an elite soldier.
But if I don't stay in the fortress, what excuse do I have to go out and kill people? Thorne became troubled. Iji, thinking he was nervous, gently tapped the magic tower.
"Haha, you won't be bored in the fortress. If you have leisure, you can also learn forging from me; maybe you can make a living from it in the future. Oh right, Princess Ranni wants you to go see her; she probably has something to tell you."
He spoke as he turned, rubbing his back and walking into the distance, like an old man taking a morning stroll.
Thorne stood stunned for a long while before steeling himself and walking towards Ranni's magic tower. There shouldn't be any executioners or anything, right? The voice of 'your words shamed the Witch' still lingered in his mind. He didn't even notice the Glintstone Dragon greeting him.
Entering the magic tower, he stepped onto the elevator and quickly reached the second floor. Then, walking up the spiral staircase outside the tower, he inadvertently glanced to his left. The sky was clear and bright, with half of Liurnia visible.
Ranni's magic tower was at the highest point of the royal fortress, and beyond the ridge lay the Altus Plateau, the core region of the Golden Order. Thorne, visiting Ranni's magic tower for the first time, couldn't help but stop, feeling the vastness of the world, everywhere filled with opportunities. Staying in a corner of northwest Liurnia was truly stifling.
His peripheral vision caught the Raya Lucaria Academy. The enormous building appeared incredibly small. Although there should have been no connection, Thorne suddenly thought of something. Hmm, there seems to be an excellent opportunity.
With a thought, Thorne immediately quickened his pace. After climbing the last step of the staircase, there was a small room at the top of the magic tower. Its furnishings were simple, without even a bed in sight. Of course, the majestic Lady Ranni didn't need a bed. She was sitting in a high chair, her head bowed, doing something. Another familiar figure stood beside her. It was Blaidd, his cloak covered in dew, clearly having rushed back frantically.
But Thorne feigned surprise, his hand instantly on his sword hilt. "Are you real or fake?!"
The werewolf turned to look.
If not for the black wolf fur covering it, his veins would probably have bulged. He gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice:
"Of course I'm real!"
"Do you have proof?"
"You're deliberately looking for trouble, aren't you?" Blaidd wished he could pounce on Thorne and bite him to death, directly gripping his sword hilt. "Come, let's go down together, I'll give you proof."
"Hmm, looks like it's real." Thorne immediately smiled. He wasn't stupid; why would he be Blaidd's punching bag?
Looking at the sulking werewolf, he felt a little pleased. This guy was usually so arrogant; now he'd fallen into a ditch.
Their little interlude woke Ranni up. She looked up, asking somewhat confusedly, "What are you two talking about?"
"Minor matters, just some lingering effects from last night." Thorne, of course, knew his limits. His expression turned serious. "Your Highness, why have you called me?"
"Don't be nervous, it's nothing important. You experienced last night's events, so I thought some things should be told to you." Ranni sat up a little straighter, her blue eyes showing a hint of mystery. "Thorne Wright, do you know where I wish to go?"
Thorne didn't answer immediately. Of course, he knew Ranni's ideals, but from the perspective of an honorable knight, he couldn't know too much. It would be terrible if he revealed some inexplicable inside information. "Last time you said you wanted to control your own destiny, to break free from the golden order."
"I have done that, but it is far from enough."
"Indeed, the Erdtree still stands, and the shattered elden ring will eventually reassemble. Once they recover, there will be no place for you in The Lands Between."
Thorne paused, then continued logically: "Last night was clear proof; the golden order will not tolerate your existence. Before the elden ring is repaired, you need to completely break free from your shackles." His words were seamless, entirely based on current knowledge, and Ranni had nothing to doubt.
She nodded: "The shadow of the Two Fingers constantly looms over me. Until the danger is resolved, I cannot seek a new path." Thorne had already touched upon the core secret, and Ranni also acknowledged his courage and resourcefulness. There was nothing left to hide at this point.
She briefly explained what the Two Fingers were: the 'Two Fingers' were emissaries of the Greater Will, a peculiar lifeform. Every demigod would have a 'Two Fingers' accompanying them, written as'supreme blessing,' read as 'monitor.'
But Ranni did not follow the path originally set for her; she turned against them, completely breaking ties. "As long as the Two Fingers live, I cannot gain freedom. Without freedom, how can I pursue my path?"
"Then should we set a trap to lure It out and kill It?" Thorne leaned forward, asking knowingly.
"The Two Fingers cannot be killed.
"As an apostle of the Greater Will, not even Destined Death works." Ranni gently shook her head. Then she glanced at the werewolf beside her. "Blaidd is looking for a way to kill the Two Fingers for me, but there's no result yet."
Oh? So they haven't found the Eternal City, Nokron, yet? The words were on Thorne's tongue, but he swallowed them back. A magic apprentice couldn't possibly know about Nokron, nor should he know about the god-slaying weapons developed by the Nox. He couldn't very well say Marika told him in a dream last night, could he? I need to find a pretext to drop that hint.
Thorne's eyes darted around. He performed a knight's salute. "Your Highness, I too am willing to help you find a way to kill the Two Fingers." Even if his previous words were leading to this, Ranni was somewhat surprised. Thorne Wright was a native Golden Lineage citizen. "This is opposing the Erdtree; you must think carefully. The Black Knives are watching you. It's very dangerous outside."
"Your Highness, I am not merely helping you." Thorne looked up, his tone bold. "Destiny can only be controlled by oneself. What right does the Erdtree have to decide my life and death? Furthermore, is what is in my eyes a blessing or a curse?"
Setting aside loyalty, Thorne himself was competing with the Erdtree for resources. Without Ranni, he would still oppose the golden order. But how to oppose them? By shrinking in the royal city as a cheerleader? "My knight, you truly possess extraordinary courage." Ranni revealed a faint smile. Perhaps at this moment, Thorne could truly be considered 'one of her own.'
"But there's no need to rush. Once the Black Knives shift their attention, I will send you on your journey." Thorne shook his head firmly. "Ten thousand years is too long; seize the day." Ranni was somewhat surprised. Thorne leaned forward mysteriously and told her the words he had been brewing for a long time:
"The Raya Lucaria Academy is recalling sorcerers; I'm going to sneak back in!"