Chapter 566: Node Key

Chapter 566: Node Key

Facing the multitude of Vile Demon tentacles, Lagrelle quickly changed her direction to avoid them.

She raised her massive shield above her head and, with a powerful thrust of her tanned, long legs, leaped high into the air. She not only moved ninety degrees to the side but also landed on the roof of a nearby house.

Immediately, Lagrelle continued to carry Jenniffer, swiftly moving along the uneven rooftops toward the Third Ring.

Don’t assume the rooftops are safer.

On the contrary, since the first to respond to the Vile Demon incident were the Imperial Capital Griffin Riders, and many high-ranking nobles in the Inner Ring kept birds or flying mounts, the sky was now filled with a large number of birds corrupted by Vile Qi.

These infected birds had not only grown in size but also seen a significant increase in their attack power and flight speed.

Although these infected birds were engaged in battle with the imperial guardians, even a few infected griffins diving down could pose a significant threat to Lagrelle. This is why she had never chosen to travel on the rooftops.

“Whoosh!”

A dark shadow swiftly swept low through the sky!

“Bang!!”

Lagrelle's massive shield suddenly sank, and she stumbled, nearly falling off the roof.

Clearly, something had just attacked her.

Before she could regain her balance, a strong gust of wind came from her right rear. Lagrelle's eyes widened, and she thought, 'Oh no,' immediately moving her shield to block. 'Bang!' This time, she and Jenniffer were both knocked off the roof and fell heavily to the ground.

The attacker was a griffin rider infected by the Vile Demon.

As Lagrelle fell, she noticed two seven- to eight-meter-long Vile Demon tentacles emerging from the street below.

Her heart sank once again!

Retheron Canyon.

When Rayne reappeared, he was already above the canyon.

In quick succession, he traversed the distance to Zetaya, one of the major cities of the Federation.

Now, Rayne could see the vast Summer Sea to the west, and beyond it lay the Dragon Empire. However, his psi energy was nearly depleted.

It wasn't that the Full Moon Wizard was not powerful enough; if he had not ascended, Rayne would not have been capable of such feats.

Even a fifth of the distance would have been impossible.

Hovering in mid-air, Rayne glanced at the boundless, azure sea, as if sensing his position.

In the next instant, he added a bit more psi energy, took a deep breath, and vanished again!

Nearby, a Federation Dirigible Spotter in the sky, puzzled, lowered and raised his brass monocular telescope several times, muttering:

"Strange, did I stay up too late with Lilithe last night? Am I hallucinating?"

"But I clearly saw someone standing in mid-air."

The lookout thought for a few seconds, shook his head, and said, "Forget it, I won't report it to the captain; it must have been a hallucination."

Imperial Capital Temeril.

As Lagrelle was about to be struck by the two Vile Demon tentacles on the street below, in a flash of lightning!

Suddenly!

“Swoosh!”

A silver sword light flashed, and the two Vile Demon tentacles were instantly severed, turning into black smoke.

“Miss Lagrange, it’s me, Lambert.”

A muscular man wielding a large sword appeared on the street below.

Before he finished speaking, another cold flash of light appeared!

“Swoosh!”

The griffin rider infected by Malevolent Qi, which had been pursuing Lagrelle, was cleanly bisected, and the two halves of the body fell heavily to the sides of the street.

“Thank you, Lord Lambert!”

Lagrelle nodded deeply. She recognized Lambert, the newly ascended Sword Saint of the Dragon Empire and one of Rayne’s friends.

With Jenniffer on her back, she didn’t hesitate and immediately rushed toward the outer perimeter.

Lambert, however, looked up at the sky with a serious expression.

Unlike Luther and Hallowen, he had always followed his mentor, Sword Saint Leon, in the Tidal Bay of Rhein Province and was alone in the Imperial Capital.

After the incident, he didn’t need to settle anyone before he could focus on finding Lagrelle.

“Swoosh! Swoosh!”

Suddenly, seven or eight infected griffins dove from the sky.

If Rayne had been present, he would have immediately warned that Vile Demon avatars and infected beings share a certain degree of mutual resonance due to Malevolent Qi.

So, when Lambert quickly killed several infected beings, it naturally drew the attention of nearby Vile Demon avatars.

“Sword Shadow Avatar Slash!”

In an instant, Lambert moved at super-high speed, and several figures appeared, swinging and slashing their large swords from various angles!

“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!”

The sky was instantly drenched in a foul-smelling rain of blood, and the griffins were cut into dozens of pieces.

Lagrelle, looking back at this scene, couldn’t help but admire Lambert’s strength, and her heart was greatly relieved.

But the next second, the ground beneath her feet suddenly shook.

“Crack!”

A crack stretching dozens of meters appeared on the cobblestone street, and a giant black tentacle shot up from the ground, instantly striking Lambert.

Lambert, though he blocked with his sword, was still hurled like a cannonball into the wall of a nearby house. With a loud “Boom,” the two-story noble residence collapsed.

Lagrelle’s face drained of color!

She had thought that with the help of the newly ascended Sword Saint Lambert, she and Jenniffer were finally out of danger. They were at the edge of the Malevolent Qi-infested area, less than two hundred meters away from safety.

But the situation had rapidly deteriorated!

The Malevolent Qi emanating from the giant black tentacle was so intense that even from a distance, Lagrelle knew it was far beyond her ability to resist.

So, she could only do her best to escape!

“Don’t worry about me,” Jenniffer’s weak voice sounded in her ear.

But Lagrelle didn’t have the energy to respond or comfort Jenniffer. She gritted her teeth and charged to the right.

However, the giant Vile Demon tentacle was faster.

“Bang!!”

A long, whip-like black shadow flashed, shattering the shield!

Lagrelle and Jenniffer were both knocked into the air by the force.

Meanwhile.

Federation Parliament Building.

The debate over the ownership of Sky City continued to rage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we should be more forceful. Although the young Lord Rayne is very powerful, he is only one person. The significance of Sky City, I think, needs no further explanation.”

“Sometimes, a firm hand is necessary,” said an elderly man in a Federation Marshal’s uniform, his voice resolute.

“Agreed.”

“Indeed.”

As the head of the Federation Military Department, his words naturally gained the support of many hawkish parliamentarians.

At this moment, the male usher burst into the meeting room and quickly approached Lawson, passing him a note and whispering:

“Speaker, the second urgent message from Sword Saint Tirion.”

This action once again disrupted the discussion, and all the parliamentarians turned their attention to the head of the table, curious about what new important news had arrived.

Lawson took the note, glanced at it casually, but the next second, his face changed dramatically.

“Clank!”

Even his expensive pipe fell from his mouth, shattering on the floor!

“Iron Throne! Full Moon Wizard!” Lawson murmured.

The room erupted in chaos!

While some might be confused by the term “Iron Throne,” the words “Full Moon Wizard” were a wake-up call!

“Iron Throne?”

“Did I hear that right? Does this mean Lord Rayne has ascended?”

“You heard correctly. The term ‘Iron Throne’ was indeed used only for those who had ascended to Full Moon Wizard in ancient times.”

The second message from Sword Saint Tirion contained only one sentence: “Lord Rayne of the Empire has ascended to Iron Throne, becoming the first new Full Moon Wizard in a thousand years.”

“Cough, well, Trina, I’m afraid we’ll need you to make a trip to the Sky City Ruins,” Lawson said with a gentle smile to the female parliamentarian Trina.

"Ah? Okay." Trina, equally shocked by the news of Rayne's promotion to Full Moon Wizard, quickly nodded.

However, the thought of having to take the initiative made her cheeks flush even more. She felt both shy and excited, but also a bit worried.

"A Full Moon Wizard, comparable to a demigod. Would such an existence still be interested in women?"

At this moment, the head of the Military Department couldn't help but cough to cover his awkwardness. "Yes, Councilor Trina, Lord Iron Throne, Rayne, needs your good communication to maintain a positive relationship."

"If Lord Iron Throne can join the federation, that would be ideal. Even if not, we hope he can form a deep cooperation with the federation, including but not limited to the restoration of Sky City."

"Yes! Yes! This concerns the welfare of millions of ordinary people in the federation", the hawkish councilors chimed in.

Imperial Capital Temeril.

Just as Lagrelle was losing hope!

Suddenly, a massive fiery red figure caught her and Jenniffer, and a mature and regal voice echoed in her ears.

"Don't be afraid, you're safe now."

Lagrelle recognized this voice.

She looked up and saw that she and Jenniffer were on the back of a giant Red Dragon, with a beautiful and noble woman beside them.

"Princess Menya!"

Lagrelle was seeing the current ruler of the empire, the 'Red Queen' Menya, for the first time at such close range.

"Yes, you're Lagrelle, right?"

"And this is Jenniffer?"

"Rayne has mentioned you both." Menya smiled.

"He mentioned us?" This made Lagrelle feel much less nervous.

"Watch out!"

Suddenly, Menya's smile vanished.

Lagrelle was startled and followed Menya's gaze. She saw that several tendrils of Malevolent Qi were already wriggling up Jenniffer's pale, slender legs, quickly invading her body.

Clearly, the close contact with the giant Vile Demon's tentacles had caused the ordinary Jenniffer to be infected by the highly concentrated Malevolent Qi.

"Lord Strasz, please land as soon as possible", Menya said sternly.

At that moment, Rayne appeared above the misty Summer Sea. He added a point, and his figure vanished again.

After adding seven points, Rayne reappeared above Imperial Capital Temeril.

Seeing the vast, dark Malevolent Qi field covering most of the capital, Rayne's heart sank.

Thanks to the connection with his Lynx War Dog Quiche and Blood Feathers, Rayne instantly reappeared beside his sister Mint.

"Brother?!"

Mint, riding on the back of a Greyhound War Hound, widened her eyes in excitement and shouted.

"Mint, I'm glad you're safe!" Rayne ruffled Mint's hair, comforting her.

At the same time, he saw Blood Feathers in the sky, with Claire, his mother Emma, and his father on top, but he didn't see Lagrelle or Jenniffer.

Before Rayne could ask, Mint suddenly remembered something. "Right, brother, you need to find Sister Lagrelle quickly."

"She went to find Aunt Jenniffer, and I'm worried—"

"Yes, don't worry, they'll be fine."

With a surge of psi radiation, a powerful radar-like wave quickly covered most of the capital. In the next instant, Rayne vanished and appeared at a temporary military camp.

There, he immediately saw the familiar and graceful figure being treated.

In the center of the temporary camp.

"Your Highness Menya, the infection from the Vile Demon's power can't be cured. All you can do is suppress it."

"Your Majesty, please take care of yourself!"

"Your Majesty, be careful of Malevolent Qi contamination."

Even an Epic-Level Warrior could be easily infected by Malevolent Qi if they came into direct contact with it.

"Yes, Your Highness, you bear the safety of the empire. You should focus on—"

Many people were trying to persuade 'Red Queen' Menya, who was performing a fire-based secret technique on Jenniffer.

"Lord Rayne!"

"Lord Rayne, how did you return?!"

Seeing Rayne's sudden appearance, everyone present looked surprised.

Since the last battle in the Imperial Capital, Rayne was already recognized as one of the top few strongest warriors in the Dragon Empire.

"Rayne, I'm sorry, I couldn't protect Jenniffer!" Lagrelle, under immense pressure and filled with guilt, threw herself into Rayne's arms.

"No, you did your best", Rayne patted Lagrelle's back, comforting her.

"Rayne, I... I found out too late", Menya, seeing Rayne, first smiled, then her face darkened as she slowly stood up.

Rayne nodded and quickly approached Jenniffer, who was infected by the Vile Demon's power.

"Rayne, it's good to see you again..."

Jenniffer's face was pale and surrounded by dark clouds. If not for the fire-based secret technique Menya was using to combat the Malevolent Qi, Jenniffer would have—

"Don't worry, you'll be fine", Rayne grabbed Jenniffer's blackened and shriveled hand.

Rayne's words left the surrounding empire's strongest warriors in shock. They didn't know if he was offering comfort or if he could really do it.

Although they instinctively felt it was impossible, since it was Rayne, the youngest guardian in the empire's history who had performed many miracles, the camp fell silent.

Then, Rayne slowly raised his hand, and a nearly meter-long, colorful Chrono Key Shard appeared before everyone's eyes.

He gently held it and began to infuse it with psi energy.

As Rayne infused psi energy, the circular base of the key began to form tiny, translucent grains of sand.

Then, several colorful, delicate mists, like morning fog or cooking smoke, quickly emerged from the key and entered Jenniffer's body.

To everyone's amazement, the Malevolent Qi on Jenniffer's body began to retreat visibly, from her head to her chest, her thighs, and finally her calves, until it vanished completely.

Jenniffer's blackened face became white and rosy again, and her transformed body returned to its plump and graceful form.

"This... This is impossible!"

"Doesn't that mean Lord Rayne can save everyone?"

"No, look closely at Lord Rayne", Lambert said sternly. As a swordsaint, his keen senses had noticed a subtle change in Rayne.

Hmm?

Many imperial guardians looked at Rayne's face and were shocked. They immediately understood why Lambert said this.

Rayne's young face now had a hint of age, though his hair hadn't turned white, he seemed to have aged from his early twenties to his mid-thirties.

While he was still the youngest person present, he had lost his youthful appearance!

The knowledgeable people in the room immediately realized that the cost of performing this near-miracle was the user's lifespan!

This meant that saving the people of the Imperial Capital was still an impossible task.

First, no one would be willing to sacrifice their life to save strangers.

Second, with so many people, even if Lord Rayne were brave enough to sacrifice himself, he couldn't save them all.

Even as the youngest guardian in the empire, Rayne would likely exhaust his lifespan saving dozens or, at most, a few hundred people.

"This reminds me, isn't this the Node Key, the artifact held by the goddess in the mural beneath Cologne Cathedral?" an elderly man in a sky-blue robe, dressed as an archbishop, pointed at the Chrono Key Shard in Rayne's hand and exclaimed.

The old man, named Mills, was one of the few high-ranking clergy who had escaped the catastrophe at Cologne Cathedral.

"A goddess's artifact?"

"Node Key?"

Everyone's eyes shifted from Archbishop Mills to the Chrono Key Shard in Rayne's hand.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end