Chapter 171: The World's Secret
Chapter 171: The World's Secret
Matthew stared at Karl in disbelief, his eyes widening as he watched the formidable golden-armored knight rummage through the bodies in the arena.
It took a while for Matthew to snap out of his astonishment.
The invincible knight, who had left him in despair, now lay silently on the ground?
Had he almost broken through his defenses?
Or was it that his defenses hadn't been broken at all?
"Young man," Karl said, strolling over to Matthew and pausing briefly at several spots on his body.
"You're quite lucky."
"Uh..." Matthew forced a laugh, "Thank you, Mr. Karl. I'd be dead without you. This is the second time you've saved me."
"That's why I said you're lucky," Karl smiled. "Let's go!"
He noticed a few valuable items on Matthew's body, likely from the Twelve Star Palace, but they weren't worth taking by force.
Besides, he had already gained quite a haul from the bodies on the ground.
"Yes, sir," Matthew quickly propped himself up and jogged ahead to lead the way, or rather, to scout. "Mr. Karl, this should be the inner city core, where the lord of the city resides."
"Hmm?"
As soon as they stepped through the light gate, the scene before them shifted.
Instead of the expected inner city core, they found themselves in a desolate and chilling landscape.
Ruined ruins, rat-sized pigs, bat-winged monsters, and wandering mummies roamed the area.
A shattered blood moon hung in the sky, and the cold wind howled, causing tattered clothes to flutter noisily.
It was a scene of desolation and apocalypse.
"Wow..."
Suddenly, the cry of an infant pierced the air.
Matthew's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed towards the source of the cries.
Although he didn't know where he was, an infant in such an environment had little chance of survival.
With a single step, the distant cries seemed to come from right in front of him. A withered baby, half-buried in the dirt, caught his eye.
The infant was likely just born, its skin wrinkled, and its eyes half-open.
"Shh!"
"Don't cry."
At that moment, a knight in armor appeared beside the baby, carefully picking it up.
To prevent the hard armor from hurting the infant, the knight removed his breastplate and held the baby close to his scorching chest.
At the same time, he drew his longsword with his right hand and faced the various mummies and monsters drawn by the cries.
"Careful!"
Matthew called out, instinctively swinging his bone staff, which effortlessly passed through a mummy.
Hmm?
"It's an illusion," Karl said softly. "A very realistic one."
Although he didn't know why the other party had trapped him in an illusion, it seemed harmless for now.
As they spoke, the illusion continued to unfold.
The knight carried the baby and fought his way out, stumbling to a place where he entrusted the infant to an elderly man.
And this place...
The Holy Sanctuary!
"God loves the world!"
"The will of the demon god is scattered across the land, and it could revive at any moment. The sanctuary must remember its responsibility..."
"Awaken the goddess and suppress the evil..."
A five or six-year-old boy sat cross-legged in the sanctuary, listening intently to his teacher's teachings.
In the next instant, the boy grew into a young man, practicing sword techniques with a wooden sword, his eyes wide open.
At the age of sixteen, the boy received a set of armor and a knight's sword and left the sanctuary to explore the outside world.
"Mr. Karl," Matthew whispered, "It seems to be the baby's growth process."
"Hmm," Karl nodded.
After leaving the sanctuary, the boy followed its teachings, upholding justice and kindness as he traveled across the dangerous continent.
He had witnessed countless people displaced by droughts, cities ravaged by beasts, and many homeless children like himself.
He made friends, experienced betrayal, and witnessed the wickedness of human nature, yet he never wavered from his initial intentions.
However, facing a world growing more perilous, he felt increasingly powerless.
The innocence of his infancy and the vigor of his youth eventually turned into desolation.
"In this world, monsters roam, evil prevails, and all beings struggle in misery, finding salvation seems impossible."
In the ruins, the now-grown knight knelt on both knees, his eyes dry of tears, witnessing a pair of infants taking their last breaths before him.
In his vision, countless bodies lay on the ground, stretching to the horizon, an endless tragedy.
"How can I save all these people?"
The knight questioned himself, unable to find an answer. He could only hold his longsword and continue his arduous journey through the mortal world.
One year! Two years! ... A hundred years!
The knight, now with a head of white hair, felt increasingly helpless. The desolate city, the scattered corpses, and the helpless masses—all confirmed the answer in the knight's heart.
"Only God can save this world."
A white-robed old man appeared before the two, his wrinkled face filled with sorrow and pity. He knelt on one knee, bowing before Karl, and spoke solemnly, "Honored Guardian, please come with me to the Holy Temple. Only you, only the Goddess, can save everything."
Matthew's heart stirred.
The white-robed old man kneeling before them was the baby from the illusion, his first. Unconsciously, he became immersed in the story created by the illusion, a deep sense of melancholy enveloping his heart.
This world...
How can it be saved?
"I've said it before."
Gazing at the other, Karl spoke softly, "I will go to the Holy Temple, but not now."
"And..."
"Do you really think God can save this world?"
"?" The old man raised his head, "Does the Guardian have another way?"
"No." Karl shook his head and snapped his fingers, and the scene in the field suddenly changed.
An infinite world appeared beneath their feet, with a shattered crescent moon hanging in the sky.
Unlike the realistic illusion created by the old man, Karl's illusion was vast and boundless, like a dream.
Outside.
Beneath the masked knight's mask, sweat trickled down his forehead, his teeth clenched. His eyes revealed a look of terror.
How could this be?
The super-artifact he possessed, named Dream Maker, could create illusions based on his thoughts. He also had a mirror artifact that projected dreams, and the sacred techniques he practiced were related to this.
Therefore...
When combined, he became a master of illusion, capable of silently killing people.
He could also assist the Second Elder in creating illusions.
But now, the illusion he created was forcibly taken by Karl, who altered its content.
Regardless of how the other party achieved this, they must have a means to restrain him.
Within the illusion.
Karl gazed at the shattered red moon in the sky and spoke softly, "For hundreds of years, this world has gradually become desolate and inhospitable. Have you ever wondered why?"
"Because of Her!"
Pointing to the sky, he continued, "The Moon Goddess uses her shattered divine domain as a barrier, blocking the foreign evil deity. But the barrier requires energy to operate, so..."
"The land of this world becomes barren, the water sources begin to dry up, and the first-rank and above beings are suppressed and devoured."
"The barrier consumes the world's origin power to resist the foreign evil deity until the world is completely destroyed."
"Guardian." The Second Elder spoke in a low voice, "This is to protect the world from the evil deity's intrusion. If the evil deity invades, everything will be destroyed."
"The Goddess is also forced to do this."
Matthew nodded repeatedly.
"Is that so?"
Karl's expression remained unchanged.
"The path of the knight, the legend, is not the end, but rather the beginning. Who blocked this path?"
"The deities you speak of!"
"If it's to protect the masses from the foreign evil deity, why not let the people become stronger?"
"The reason is simple!"
He looked at the other, emphasizing each word, "The deities treat the people as livestock, and they don't want their livestock to become food for others. Nor do they want the strengthened livestock to turn on them..."
"Gods!"
"Can't save the people!"
"If they return, they will only cage the people again!"
The field suddenly fell silent.
Matthew opened his mouth, his eyes wide.
"Blasphemy!"
The Second Elder's face showed regret as he slowly drew his longsword, pointing it at Karl, and sacred energy emanated from his body, "I didn't believe the Guardian would blaspheme the deity, but the message from the Seventh Elder was correct."
"The Guardian's will has been corrupted by the evil deity."
"You fantasize about corrupting me. Either come to the Holy Temple or die. Guardian, you have only these two choices."
Karl shook his head lightly.
The legendary knight, who had endured over a hundred years of mental interrogation, had an unwavering mind.
His brief words couldn't change the other's mind; they would only be seen as a means of deception.
"Then there's no other way."
Karl shrugged and drew his rapier, "Come!"
(End of Chapter)
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