The Inheritance
-8-

Chapter 351

“…So it turns out that the young master’s body was no longer normal for a while now! No wonder!” said Welson, feeling enlightened.

‘Still… Who exactly was Richard’s first master…? This Finnley person…? I’ve never heard of him… If Richard’s body was able to transform this much in just half a year, I wonder what level of training Finnley himself has…’ Daryl thought to himself.

A scream brought Daryl’s attention back on Kort as everyone watched the old man fall from mid-air before vomiting blood.

“You… You’ve already entered the realm of legends… How… How is this even possible?!” shouted Kort, his shock evident from his tone.

As the title suggested, only legends could enter the realm of legends.

From what Kort knew, Christopher himself—who had undergone such immense training—had barely been able to enter the realm of legends. Yet here Richard was! A young man who had managed to achieve the status of great master despite Kort previously deeming him as a person who lacked common sense! Richard was now multiple times stronger than Kort’s strongest opponents!

Kort was truly unable to reconcile with the truth, and he would rather die than accept it willingly!

“Well, you’ll get to die content, Kort. If there’s anyone you’d like to blame, let it first be yourself for acting out of line that day! For barely leaving me any leeway to even save myself! I’ll finally have my revenge today!” shouted Richard as he clenched both his fists tightly.

Richard had been waiting for this day for an entire year.

After all, he had been on the run for most of that period, not even able to return home. What more, even though he knew that his family was constantly in danger, all Richard could do back then was watch helplessly and pray for their safety.

All this happened because Kort acted out of line and refused to leave any leeway. Because of that, Richard had suffered so much in the past year.

However, now all that suffering was going to be worthwhile.

Sensing how immense Richard’s murderous intent had become, Kort couldn’t help but gulp slightly.

Kort had lived his entire life dealing with powerful businesses. He was close to uniting all the powerful people across the globe as well. To think that his life was going to end at the hands of a young man…

…No! He couldn’t just die like this!

“W-wait! You can’t kill me today, Richard! I’m… I’m the second master of the Moldell family! A powerful secret society! How… How dare you even think of killing me!” shouted Kort, slowly crawling away as he covered his injured chest.

“Parker! Parker! He’s going to kill people from the Moldell family! Say something!” added Kort as he turned to look at Parker.

“…When two parties start a fight with death being the indication of who the loser is, if Richard doesn’t finish you off today, then he may as well be considered to be as good as dead!” replied Parker coldly.

If Parker wanted to be even franker, he would’ve just told Kort that he truly hoped that Richard ended his life today. With Kort’s death, Richard would’ve essentially gotten rid of one big issue.

“Haha! Even your fellow Moldells aren’t willing to help you! I guess that shows what kind of conduct you usually display before those under you! Worry not, I’ll give you a quick death!”

Hearing how cold Richard’s tone was, Kort continued walking backward as he pleaded, “N-no! You can’t kill me, Richard! You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you do! ”

Eventually, both of them arrived at a flower bed and the pale-faced Kort ended up stumbling before falling on his buttocks. Due to Richard’s punch to his chest earlier, all his strength was nearly gone.

“Regret it, you say…?”

“That’s right! I know that you’ve been investigating the Sun League due to your fiancée and second uncle’s disappearance! I even saw the projected map earlier, and I can assure you that it’s definitely related to the Sun League!” replied Kort with a gulp.

Hearing that, Richard turned to look at his grandfather. Daryl himself frowned slightly before eventually nodding at Richard.

With that, Daryl walked over to the two before saying, “If you truly know where the location on the map is, I’ll consider letting you live. Now spit it out!”

“Haha… You see, sir, Richard… I’ve seen the mountain on the map before… It’s called Warhill Mountain, and it’s an extremely mysterious location! For starters, everything within that area constantly changes formation! What more, if you don’t have a special wooden token, you’ll never be able to find the place, even if you search for it your entire life!” explained Kort, quickly.

“…A wooden token? What sort of wooden token? And how are we to locate this Warhill Mountain?” asked Richard.

If they were able to find that place without much trouble, then uncovering the secrets of the Sun League wouldn’t take much longer either.

—

With any luck, that would greatly increase his chances of finally being able to find Mila and his uncle again!

Moved by the realization that there was a higher chance that he would be able to reunite with his girlfriend, Richard then asked, “…So, about the wooden token-”

Richard’s sentence ended prematurely since he noticed that Kort was smirking instead of displaying his fearful expression just seconds ago.  However, the realization had come a second too late since the next thing Richard knew, there were already two beads in Kort’s right hand!

Before anyone could make a move, Kort tossed the two beads at Richard and Daryl’s feet, causing the beads to explode with ear-shattering loudness!

Taking advantage of the chaos, Kort then made his escape!

“That scoundrel of an old man truly is as cunning as they say! Send people in pursuit of him, Welson! Don’t let him escape!” shouted Daryl as the Soul Palace subordinates immediately obeyed.

“It’s useless to do so, sir! While he’s known for both his cunningness and strength, his greatest skill is his ability to make himself lighter! Even Christopher has praised his adeptness with that skill! No matter the situation, once he’s made his escape, it’s extremely difficult to re-capture him due to how stealthy he is,” said Parker as he took a step forward while shaking his head.

With an apologetic look on his face, Richard added, “It’s my fault, grandpa… My mind wandered for a bit the moment he mentioned Mila and uncle just know… Leave it to me, I’ll get him back!”

Though he knew that Richard regretted his lack of concentration on the enemy, Daryl simply raised his hand before replying, “No, it’s better if we don’t press a cornered enemy too far... Even if he gets away this time, we’ll catch him again sooner or later. If my guess is correct, he should be returning to the Moldell manor now. After all, I’m sure he’s well aware that only Christopher is capable of saving him now! Until we go after them again, try not to be too anxious, Richard.”

Hearing that, Richard simply clenched his fists before nodding slightly in defeat.

“Christopher… Kort…” muttered Daryl to himself at the moment.

After a brief silence, Daryl seemed to recall something, thus he added, “Come with me, Richard. You and the others should come along as well, Dylan.”

Meanwhile, Kort himself was running as swift as an arrow. As Parker had said, Kort’s ability to make himself lighter truly increased his speed tremendously.

However, Kort was still severely injured from his fight against Richard. Despite that, he continued rushing back to the Moldell manor in Yanken, refusing to stop moving his legs till he reached his destination.  

Soon enough, the next dawn came, and with loud ‘flop’ Kort knelt as he wept with grief in front of the secluded courtyard within the Moldell manor that was located near the back of a mountain.

Catching his breath, Kort then cried out, “I, Kort, am an ungrateful descendant of the Moldell family! I kneel here today to beg my third uncle to meet me! I have some urgent issues to report to you!”

With that, Kort bowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground.

Since nobody replied even after some time passed, Kort simply lifted his head before pushing his forehead deeper into the ground, making sure to make a louder sound.

Despite that, there was still no reply.

After a few more bows, Kort’s head was already bleeding. Understanding that what he was doing was futile, Kort finally got up before saying, “…I see you’re reluctant to meet me, uncle… Does that mean that I won’t ever be able to avenge my two children, even on my dying bed? With or without your help, I’m heading over to the Soul Palace to fight both Daryl and his grandson with all I have! At the very least,

I’ll die and protect the honor of our family that’s existed for over a thousand years!”

“…Hold on a minute… That name… Did you say Daryl from the Soul Palace…?” said an old voice out of the blue from within the courtyard.

Eyes-widened, Kort watched as the cobweb-covered door to the room he was bowing in front of slowly creaked open.

Out stepped a trembling old man who had snowy-white hair and a body that was all skin and bones.

—

“Regardless, the sun’s not even fully up yet, you b*stard! Crying out so loudly here… Were you planning to cry out here till I eventually died?” grumbled the old man.

Though Christopher looked like a senile old man, both his eyes seemed extremely sharp. Aside from the many cobwebs that stuck to his bony body, he didn’t seem to look all that out of the ordinary. If anything, all that simply emphasized how old Christopher was.

Even so, Kort respected him deeply. Thinking back, it had been over twenty years since he had last met his third uncle.

Gulping, Kort then pleaded, “…I apologize, but moving on, please save me, Third uncle! Both Daryl and his grandson are hunting me down with murder in mind! What more, both of them also killed two of your grandsons! Both of them met truly terrible ends!”

“I see… I’ve come across Daryl during my earlier years… To think that he’d actually return to the ordinary world! Humph! Interesting… Well, not that interesting but note-worthy… Speaking of which, I know what he’s like so I’m sure that he wouldn’t argue against a junior like you. It’s even more improbable that he’d kill both of your sons! He’s not one to go that far! Based on what you told me, could it be that your sons went looking for trouble first and, as a result, got killed because of that?” replied Christopher rather placidly.

“While I agree that my two sons are mischievous, they didn’t have to die so terribly just because of that! Just so you know, my third son, Jett, was left to die within the infamous Poisonous Mosquito Valley! Not even bones remained after the mosquitoes were done with him! As if that wasn’t enough, my other son, Yuvan, was forced to commit suicide! You can’t just sit back and continue watching all this happen so indifferently! Daryl’s probably the most powerful person in the world right now! I, for one, certainly can’t even dream of winning against him! With nobody powerful enough to defeat him, I hope that you’ll step forward to beg him not to kill me! If you refuse, then it’s better that I just die before you now in order to protect the Moldell family’s reputation!”

After saying all that, Kort eyed a large tree before rushing toward it with the intent of bludgeoning his forehead against it till he died!

Before he knew it, however, Christopher’s body had vanished from where he had initially stood, reappearing right beside Kort!

The old man then grabbed Kort’s head with a single hand before shouting, “You b*stard! While it’s true that the Moldells under me are all scared to death of Daryl, what do you mean he’s the most powerful person there is? I’m still here, aren’t I? Bold of you to say he’s undefeatable… Bolder still that you even dared to suggest for me to beg Daryl to forgive you! Ridiculous!” growled Christopher as he narrowed his eyes that reflected his sheer fury.

“…Humph. With me here, that grandson and grandfather won’t be able to lay a finger on you, so don’t worry, Kort! In fact, rather than go on the defensive, I’ll do you justice and deal with Daryl!” added Christopher in a frigid voice.

“T-thank you, third uncle!” shouted Kort as he burst into tears and leaped at Christopher to embrace him.

However, the moment both of them got into contact, Kort immediately realized that something was off. Left stupefied, Kort ended up taking a few steps backward and falling to the ground as he said, “T-third uncle! Where’s your arm?”

“…Hmm? Haha! Ah yes, I forgot that you didn’t know about me losing my right arm…” replied Christopher with a firm nod.

As the old man had said, his right arm was no longer there. Kort was caught by surprise by this since the long robes Christopher was wearing perfectly concealed the nub of his right arm.

“But… You still had it the last time we met some twenty years ago! When did this happen?”

“Haha! I broke my arm about ten years ago, so it’s no surprise that you wouldn’t know!”

“…I see... Then…”

Hearing Kort’s dispirited voice slowly trail off, Christopher immediately replied, “Hahaha! What, are you worried that I can’t defeat Daryl anymore since I’ve lost an arm?”

“I’d never doubt your strength, uncle! After all, I’m sure the way you present yourself is vastly different from what you’re truly capable of!”

Upon hearing that, Christopher simply shook his head before raising his remaining hand and gently touching the trunk of a large tree beside him.

From what Kort could estimate, the trunk was so thick that it would require at least three people hugging it in order to fully surround it.

A brief silence later, Christopher unleashed an immense force that sent a loud shockwave across the area! Immediately after, Kort’s eyes widened as he watched the large tree wither from its roots to the tips of its branches.  

After a few seconds, the entire tree split cleanly in the middle! While the tree’s surface area was mostly still intact, its innards had completely festered.

“M-my god, third uncle!”

Chapter 352

As Kort gulped loudly, clearly terrified by what he had just witnessed, Christopher let out a chuckle before saying, “So, are you still worried about those two?”

“N-not at all! You’re definitely the most powerful person in the world! With you clearly being undefeatable, we can avenge your two grandsons! I’ll escort you off the mountain!” said Kort excitedly.

“Haha! Still, you honestly didn’t have to come looking for me all the way up here. After all, I was going to leave the mountain before long anyway,” replied Christopher with a smile.

Hearing that, Kort seemed to remember something.

“…Now that I think about it, right before you went into seclusion twenty years ago, I remember you telling me that you wanted to make preparations for the pledge of the holy water… I also recall that the pledge is held once every thirty years… From what I can tell, that day is swiftly approaching! Since you seem to have gained the title of great master for at least ten years by now—judging from your strength—you can definitely represent our family to join the pledge!”

“You remember correctly. You know, my father died when he was participating in a pledge of the holy water. On the day that happened, I swore to myself that I’d one day arrive at the realm of legends and undergo the pledge of the holy water before I died,” replied Christopher as he reminisced.

“Speaking of the pledge of the holy water, I remember you showing me a picture of Warhill Mountain back before you entered seclusion. I saw it again yesterday at the Crawford family mansion. Apparently, the Crawford grandfather and grandson wish to solve the mystery behind the Sun League!” said Kort. “Haha! Do they, now? They can certainly try! After all, nobody’s been able to unravel the mysteries behind the Sun League for almost a thousand years by now! The league itself almost feels imaginary, and at this point, I think it wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that there’s some cursed law that prevents anyone from ever finding them! Despite my dad being so powerful back then and even going so far as to devote much of his life to solving the mystery behind that group, in the end, he still failed to do so! I must say that Daryl truly is overestimating his abilities now…” replied Christopher as he laughed loudly.

“However, according to a clue that great grandfather had left back then, the pledge of the holy water is closely linked with the Sun League…”

“Indeed it is. I had a chat with my father in a secret room before he passed away that year. He told me that those who gained the status of great master would be granted tokens of the holy water that would be used for the pledge. My dad himself had doubted that the Sun League was the true provider of the holy water which, according to rumors, granted one immortality! To prove his point, he headed out to solve the secrets behind the Sun League. However, when he finally returned, he was a shadow of his former self. It was as though he had lost all his wits, and he remained silent most of the time. Less than a month later, he passed away, leaving behind only a map of Warhill Mountain that he brought back with him!” replied Christopher in a melancholic tone.

“If that’s the case, then you’d better not go, uncle… After all, the Moldell family can’t lose you! I mean… You know, just in case any accidents happen to you… Once you’re gone, the Moldell family members will be sitting ducks!” said Kort, evidently worried.

“Haha! Life and death are ruled by fate! What more, I’ve already worked so hard for so many years just to participate in the pledge of the holy water… I can’t just give up now! Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of all the Moldell family’s obstacles before I leave. Regardless, the sun is barely even up yet and you look exhausted… Go get some rest first,” said Christopher as he smiled subtly.

“Thank you, uncle!”

Back in the Crawford Manor, Richard was currently meditating on the floor of his room while simultaneously practicing his breathing method.

During the previous day, Richard’s grandfather had called any relevant Crawfords over into the manor’s secret room. Once inside, he asked them to try comprehending the Crawford family’s heirloom, the picture of the sun.

After seeing that nobody was able to gather anything from the picture, Richard tried deciphering the picture’s deeper meaning as well.

While he did manage to decipher a few things, it was only a few techniques he could use to exert his power of the blessings of the dragon.

Back in the present, Lyra herself was fast asleep on her bed. Due to how exhausted she had been, she had turned in early.

Both Richard and her were in the same room since his grandfather already treated her like his granddaughter-in-law, similar to Richard’s parents and sister. Knowing that they had to share a room no matter what, Richard simply opted to remain on the floor.

Turning to look at her, Richard was surprised to see Lyra shaking her head in her sleep.

“…Hmm?”

As he went over to check on her, he could see that she was also sweating profusely.

Realizing that she must be having a bad dream, Richard smiled bitterly as he asked, “A nightmare…?”

Just as he was about to cover her with a blanket, he heard her nervously say, “…Who… who are you…?”

Surprised, Richard turned to look at her, only to find that her eyes were still shut tight. Even though she was just sleep talking, her voice seemed utterly terrified. What could she be dreaming about…?

—

Lyra found herself walking amidst a dense forest on a large mountain. The air was filled with a thick miasma and everything felt gloomy and eerie.

The fact that there didn’t seem like there was anyone else around made her feel all the more terrified.

After walking through the forest for some time, Lyra’s ears twitched as the sound of a flowing stream could be heard. Looking around, she eventually came across a lit area where the stream was. However, that wasn’t the only thing she saw there.

Standing beside the stream was a woman wearing white clothes. It was a no-brainer that anyone who saw such a long-haired woman standing in the middle of nowhere would be rightfully terrified.

“…Who… who are you…?” asked Lyra meekly as she looked at the woman’s back.

“…Save me… You’re the only one capable of leading him here to save me…!” replied the woman.

Though Lyra was terrified when she heard that, she could sense the melancholy in her voice, and it seemed that the woman was weeping as well.

“…W-who is this, ‘he’ you speak of…?”

“…Save me…! You’re the only one capable of leading him here to save me…!” repeated the woman as she wailed on.  

To Lyra’s horror, the woman then slowly began turning around. Lyra felt her eyes widen in fear as she saw the woman’s extremely pale face. That wasn’t the worst part either. The woman was shedding tears of blood!

Lyra instantly let out a blood-curdling scream and it took her a while to finally realize that Richard’s voice was present.

Opening her eyes, she saw that Richard was sitting beside her, and he currently had a concerned look on his face as he asked, “What’s wrong, Lyra?”

Throwing herself into his arms, her heart continued pounding rapidly for a while. Eventually, she managed to calm down slightly.

“Was it a nightmare…?” asked Richard.

“It… It was… It was terrifying… I dreamed that I was stuck in a dense and gloomy forest with nobody else around… However, the moment I finally bumped into someone, it was a woman who cried tears of blood! She… She told me to send someone over to save her!” replied Lyra as she explained what she had dreamed of.

Slowly shaking his head, Richard then said, “Maybe you’re just too tired due to the stress of everything that’s been happening recently… Regardless, it’ll still be a little while before dawn… Take the time to rest, and try not to worry too much about it. I’ll be by your side…”

“I… I don’t think I’ll be able to… Ever since I saw that picture of Warhill Mountain, I’ve constantly felt insecure… It’s like I can feel that something is about to happen… Also, the more I think about it, the more I feel that that woman’s back resembles someone…”

“Hmm? Do you have any idea who…?”

“…Yes. Remember that statue of a woman that I was talking about? Back when we first saw the map? That statue—that had been broken waist-down—resembled the white-clothed woman in my dream a lot! In fact, they look exceedingly similar!” replied Lyra who was so scared that her cheeks became flushed.

“I see… Regardless, everything’s fine now… It’s normal to get nightmares of unnerving images… Again, I’ll be here so do rest for a little longer…”

After some persuasion, Lyra eventually lay down on her bed again. Richard himself didn’t take the incident to heart.

Once dawn came, both of them got up separately. A little while later, a servant knocked on the door before saying, “Young master and young lady, the old master ordered everyone in the family to get themselves cleaned up at the break of dawn. After all, you’ll all be studying the picture of the sun again.”

“Very well!” replied Richard with a nod.

Even from the previous day, his grandfather had prioritized the picture of the sun above all else, telling the other Crawfords to study it.

After all, he was well aware that alone, one’s power was limited. With so many family members there, they were bound to eventually find out more about it.

Richard knew that his grandfather was simply worried about the prophesized curse of the sun picture. The curse where the Crawford family would eventually end up getting wiped out for good. It was why they had been making preparations to face the calamity from time to time.

Regardless, by the time Richard and Lyra arrived at the secret room after cleaning themselves up, they found that though it was still very early in the morning, many, if not all, of the Crawford family members were already gathered there.

The room was so silent that Richard felt that even a toddler would be pressured to study along silently if one was present.  

Deeper inside, Richard’s grandfather could be seen studying the map with many others. They seemed to have been doing so for a while now.

Seeing that, Richard pulled Lyra along to the side before sitting down beside her. He then whispered, “That picture of the sun is our family’s heirloom, Lyra. Do have a look at it too since grandpa called you over as well.”

“Will do!” replied Lyra as she nodded firmly.

The picture itself was as cryptic as ever, and nobody had been able to discern anything meaningful from it.

As Richard started studying the image as well, several other thoughts were swimming in Lyra’s head.

Essentially, she was just feeling pleased that Richard was finally starting to accept her more.

It was great news for her, and quite honestly, nothing else was more important to Lyra at the moment.  

—

However, upon seeing how seriously Richard was already studying the image of the sun, Lyra leaned toward Richard’s side and held on to her beautiful chin before observing the picture as well.

In general, once people placed their other thoughts aside, they would be able to concentrate much better. That applied to Lyra as well.

As she continued looking at it, Lyra paused for a brief moment before a frown began forming on her face.

“…Hmm?”

Squinting her eyes, Lyra’s eyes slowly widened, fear reflected in them as she sat upright before shouting, “No… No!”

Everyone instantly became terrified as they watched Lyra—who had placed her hands on the side of her head—scream hysterically.

“Lyra? Lyra, are you alright?” asked Richard.

“What’s wrong, Lyra?” asked Daryl next as he stood up and walked toward her.

With a quivering finger, Lyra then pointed at the picture of the sun. In a terrified voice, she then muttered, “I… I saw it…”

She was simply too frightened to even say anything beyond that.

After Daryl and Richard exchanged glances with each other, both of them asked in unison, “What did you see?”

Slowly turning to look at Richard, Lyra then replied, “I… I saw… I saw Richard getting murdered by others!” The moment her sentence ended, Lyra immediately burst into tears.

“…What? Richard was being murdered? Calm yourself Lyra, and tell us everything that you saw!” said Daryl.

From the moment he had first met Lyra, Daryl had sensed that his granddaughter-in-law was quite good, and not just in terms of her beauty and disposition. However, he couldn’t quite put his thumb on why he felt that way.

As it turned out, his granddaughter-in-law had such a high level of understanding that she was able to comprehend the picture of the sun!

After calming down a bit more, Lyra slowly relayed everything she had seen in the picture.

It had started when the picture of the sun suddenly began transforming the moment Lyra paid closer attention to it.

Instead of a sun, the picture now portrayed the opening of a cave and in it, was a high stone platform. As if that wasn’t strange enough already, Lyra swore that she could hear the eerie sounds of a flowing creek on the mountain as well.

Moving back to the platform, she saw a woman dressed in white climbing up its stone surface. On the platform itself was a youth that had been tied down by five large iron chains. Surrounding the platform were several people wearing hideous masks, and all of them were pulling the iron chains outward, stretching the poor youth’s limbs further and further.

Of course, the youth was none other than Richard, and Lyra watched in horror as he began screaming in pain due to his limbs slowly getting extended by the chains.

She had to stop them! However, no matter how desperately she tried to rush over, Lyra simply couldn’t budge an inch.

Eventually, the disgusting sound of something being ripped apart could be heard… That was the moment when Lyra watched as Richard’s body got torn into several pieces, fresh blood gushing wildly out of his tattered body!

Lyra ended her explanation there, choking between sobs.

“…How… How could any of this be? Are you truly sure that that was Richard, Lyra?” asked Dylan in disbelief.

As Richard’s face turned serious, Daryl himself was already portraying an extremely ugly expression.

“…I… I don’t think that these are all mere coincidences… After all, I had a nightmare of that exact same woman earlier… It can’t be just a coincidence for me to see her again so soon!” said Lyra as she began tugging her own hair.

“…Unfortunately, the picture never lies to anyone! The event Lyra saw will probably happen in the near future! Richard will also be powerless to fight back once the time comes since Lyra saw him being torn to shreds!” replied Daryl, his worry prominent in his tone.

“Why… Why would you say that, dad? Didn’t you say that Richard has already entered the realm of the legends…? Ordinary people shouldn’t be able to lay their hands on him! Shouldn’t the scenario Lyra saw be impossible?”

By then, even Yulia and Jessica were getting increasingly frightened as they saw the slight anxiousness on Daryl’s face.

Chapter 353

“Alright Lyra, listen to me. I want you to take in a deep breath and focus on the picture again. I need to know whether you see the same scene again,” said Daryl hurriedly.

Hearing that, Lyra nodded before reluctantly turning to look at the picture of the sun once more.

After furrowing her brows for a while, she eventually covered her mouth before replying with a nod, “…It’s exactly the same… Upon closer inspection, the five people were even making threatening gestures… I… I can’t bear to look at the picture anymore… Grandpa, please! You have to save Richard!”

Watching Lyra cry out to his father, Dylan himself said, “Is there a possibility that the sun picture could have prophesied wrongly, dad…? After all, Richard is much stronger than before. There’s no way such a scenario could take place, right?”

Shaking his head, Daryl then replied, “As I’ve said, the picture of the sun never lies. If it predicted that Richard would die being torn apart, it’ll surely happen sooner or later. Still, I wonder what their motive is… Or who they even are…”

As everyone fell silent, Richard turned to look at his family members.

While Richard was definitely pained to find out that the picture had predicted a horrible death for him, he didn’t want his family members to feel the same grief that he was.

Clearing his throat, Richard then flashed a slightly bitter smile before saying, “Dad, mom, grandpa, sister, and Lyra… There really isn’t a need to worry! After all, aren’t I in perfect condition now? Besides, grandpa’s already said that I’ve entered the realm of legends! Though I’m sure that there are still people who are stronger than me out there in the world, it definitely won’t be easy for them to kill me!”

Daryl, however, shook his head as he replied, “I know what you’re thinking about, Richard. While it’s true that you’ve managed to transcend the realm of champions and enter the realm of legends, you still can’t truly be considered to be a great master. From what I’ve observed, you seem to only be at half the level of a great master. A semi-great master, if you will. You still require more training before you can truly enter the realm of legends.”

“A semi-great master?”

“That’s right! As a result, if you bump into a true great master who wishes to harm you, there’s a high chance that you won’t have the sufficient power to fight back. After all, there’s still a vast difference between a semi-great master and a great master who’s completed his training,” explained Daryl. “Then what should we do, dad? We can’t just wait and watch as Richard gets mercilessly murdered by those mysterious masked people! There has to be some way to avoid that outcome, right?” asked Dylan anxiously.

“Of course we won’t! As long the tiniest chance of evading that scenario exists, we’ll definitely give it a try! Still, too many things have been happening recently… I have a gut feeling that something major will happen next… Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling that the incident will be related to the token of the holy water…” replied Daryl with a frown.

“The token of holy water?” asked Richard.

“…Dylan, tell everyone to leave first. I’ve something to tell Richard. Personally,” said Daryl.

Hearing that, the others obeyed and soon enough, only Richard and Daryl remained in the secret room.

“…So… What’s this token of the holy water, grandpa? What’s happening to it? And why haven’t I ever heard you talking about it before?” asked Richard in confusion.

“Well, I received a legendary token of the holy water not long after you headed to the Logan Province. The token itself was given to me by a force that invites great masters from all over the world to an event known as the pledge of the holy water. On that day, limited holy water will be presented to the great masters and in order to obtain it, the great masters will have to fight each other for it. The holy water itself is worth fighting over since it’s said that whoever drinks it will be granted immortality!”

After a brief pause, Daryl then continued, “While the pledge of the holy water is held once every thirty years, up till this point, nobody has actually consumed any before. After all, everyone who’s ever returned after participating in the event either ends up going missing or turns insane. For the ones who become deranged, they end up passing away soon after.”

“You should know that even Christopher’s father participated in the pledge of the holy water before. However, after returning, he only lived less than a year before passing away. While I’d like to say that it’s only a mystery for the Moldells to solve, in the end, it’s something even the rest of us—who’ve entered the realm of legends—need answers to.”

—

Daryl then added, “With great masters already existing so few and far between, you may wonder why such a powerful force would and could summon so many of them from all across the globe. Well, you see, nobody would know about the truth behind the event if they didn’t partake in the pledge of the holy water in the first place! Regardless, I told you to stay since there’s a very important clue to all this that I wanted to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I know that you’ve constantly been investigating the Sun League. There was a picture that was etched on the stone tablet that was dug up, and I find it to be quite similar to the place that was described on the token of the holy water. I want to study it together with you. Call it a gut feeling, but I feel that it’s closely linked with the pledge of the holy water.”

“From what you’ve said, it truly does seem relevant. If one manages to participate in the pledge of the holy water, there’s a chance that the secrets of the Sun League—which have remained an enigma for nearly a thousand years—may finally be solved!”

Despite knowing full well that those who participated in the pledge either went missing right off the bat or went insane before dying, Richard was still very excited to have a lead.

What sort of life did those from within the Sun League live? Who even were their members?

After suffering for over a year, would he finally be able to solve those questions?

Regardless, Richard finally understood why Finnley had claimed that it would be better to just kill himself when Richard told him that he was going to investigate the Sun League a year ago. Finnley must’ve been aware that only great masters would be able to uncover their secrets, and even if they managed to do so, no answers would ever return with them—to the ordinary world—once the event was over. After all, the participants either disappeared or went insane!

“For a while now, I’ve noticed that something seemed to be weighing on your mind. You even summoned all the family members to observe the picture of the sun! So this was what it was…” “Indeed… As you can already tell, I may not be able to return once I head out on this journey… If I don’t leave the picture of the sun with you, then I’ll truly be a great sinner to the Crawford family!” replied Daryl as he shook his head.

“…How do you feel about me representing you to participate in the pledge of the holy water, grandpa? After all, since the picture of the sun predicts that I’ll die soon anyway, I may as well participate in the pledge of the holy water in a final attempt to solve the secrets of the Sun League. Who knows, I may even succeed and find out where Mila and uncle are. If I’m able to do that, then I’ll at least be able to die content,” proposed Richard with a slightly bitter smile.

“Rejected. First of all, my name was the one that was engraved on this token of the holy water, so they’d surely be expecting me. Secondly, once they find out that you’re only a semi-great master, that’ll give them even more reasons not to allow you to participate. I know how much you love me, Richard… After all, you’re always so obedient… However…”

At this point, Daryl, one of the strongest to ever live, suddenly burst into tears!

“…I …I just can’t find a way to save you…! I’m uncertain how things will end for me as well once I go on this journey… Richard, know that you’re the future of the Crawford family… If you die, then our family will sink together with you!” cried out Daryl.

While he had claimed that he would look for a way to solve things, after being notified of the picture of the sun’s prophecy, what else could be done?

Hearing that, Richard started weeping as well. While he wasn’t afraid of death, since he was now aware of what was to come, he knew that he needed to start staying away from everyone. That alone was enough to fill him with grief.

“…Please don’t be saddened, grandpa… When that day comes along, I’ll be sure to fight them till my very last breath!” declared Richard as he clenched his fists tightly.

Looking at his grandson, Daryl then nodded firmly before replying, “…Either way, that woman in white clothes that Lyra keeps mentioning seems to have a lot to do with you! How cryptic… Regardless, I have to say that Lyra truly surprised me this time… I’ve heard from your dad that she was the only one who was able to see a broken stone statue on the map that was traced from the stone tablet! She was the sole person to be able to see through and decipher the sun picture’s prophecy as well today! What exactly are her origins? You know, I even secretly investigated her when your parents picked her up by the beach, yet I found nothing at the time. Regardless, it never occurred to me that she would have such capabilities…”

Hearing that, Richard fell silent, feeling both flustered and confused.

While some revelations seemed to have made things rather complicated, Richard could sense that he was also getting closer to the truth now.

—

As both of them continued pondering in the secret room, Dylan suddenly shouted from outside, “Dad!”

“What is it, Dylan?”

“One of the servants found an ancient-looking box in the manor earlier… Attached to it was a letter with Richard’s name on it!” said Dylan as he entered the room with the bo.

Just as Dylan had said, a letter addressed to Richard had been placed atop the square box.

“Is there any indication of the sender?” asked Daryl.

“None that I know of. According to the servant, he found it by accident. Even after enquiring Welson about it, none of his security systems were able to capture any clues!” replied Dylan, his tone slightly anxious.

He had reason to feel so. After all, his father belonged to the Soul Palace, and everyone who was part of that secret society was the best among the best! Since someone was actually able to infiltrate their manor—even after Welson and his men had taken charge of the Crawford family’s security—of course he would feel nervous!

“…How odd… I wonder why so many weird incidents are occurring recently… Could something big be about to happen…?” muttered Daryl who was also starting to get worried.

“…Regardless, take a look inside the wooden box, Richard. It’s meant for you anyway,” added Daryl after a brief pause.

“Alright!” replied Richard as he doubtfully opened the box.

Upon opening it, an ancient-looking scroll was revealed.

After inspecting it a bit closer, it seemed to be a route map in a desert. The few grains of sand that were present on the scroll confirmed their deduction.

Every point on the map was marked clearly, and Richard found himself surprised when he realized that the final destination appeared to be some underground palace. What more, there was a large sarcophagus in the middle of that palace!

Though the scroll was rather compact with rather crudely-marked details, the sarcophagus clearly stood out the most.

“…Well, it’s definitely a map of sorts…” said Richard after looking at it for quite a while, still feeling slightly baffled.

Who exactly could have sent him such an oddity?

“…Based on the coordinates, it appears that the desert in question should be the Death Desert located northwest from here. It puzzles me as to why our anonymous sender even sent Richard such a map… Also, that sarcophagus was definitely meant to stand out among the other details on the map… From the looks of it, it could be an eternal coffin…” replied Daryl.

“An eternal coffin?” asked Dylan, confused.

“Indeed. I’ve seen such coffins before in the picture of the sun… The coffin itself is a patent belonging to one of the countries in the Western Regions, and it has a history of at least a few thousand years by now. According to legends, people who are buried in such coffins will be able to keep their appearance and bodies fully intact,” replied Daryl as he took a deep breath.

“There used to be a lot of people who wanted to get their hands on the eternal coffin, but even after so long, nobody’s truly seen it before. How queer… Why could have sent you such a large gift? What even is the meaning behind all this...?” added Daryl.

“…You know, Parker said that someone aided him secretly while he was looking for leads to locate the Sun League. Now that someone’s sent us this map, I wonder if the sender is the same person who helped Parker… Could it be that the person has been helping us behind the scenes this entire time?” said Dylan as both he and Daryl turned to look at Richard.

Daryl knew for a fact that there wasn’t such a person in his life who would do something like that for him. Dylan was thinking the same thing.

As a result, Richard was the only possible person with such a connection.

“…Could it be my master, Finnley…? Though there’s little reason for him to do things behind the scenes… If he truly wished to help me, he’d definitely make himself known!” replied Richard, still feeling perplexed after giving it quite a bit of thought.

In the end, Finnley seemed to be the only one that made sense. However, there really was no reason for Finnley not to just show himself, right?

“…Regardless, that issue can wait. For now, why not open the letter first and see what it says,” said Daryl.

Upon opening the letter, Richard was greeted by only a few lines of words. However, when all three of them read the letter’s contents, they ended up feeling rather stunned.

‘When the bright sky erodes the moon,’

‘And water flows in the opposite direction,’

‘The Golden flower will wither as soon as it falls.’

Chapter 354

When the bright sky erodes the moon? Why would there even be a moon in the middle of a bright day? And why on earth would water flow in the opposite direction?

While Richard found the first two sentences to be extremely peculiar, the last one was relatively easier to grasp.

It signified that someone was going to die once the golden flower fell to the ground.

“…Could that be referring to me…?” muttered Richard to himself.

“It seems that even the sender’s level of training is difficult to pinpoint. Whoever it is, they seem to thoroughly understand everything… Could there really exist such a powerful person in the world?” added Daryl in disbelief.

“…Regardless, what about Richard, dad? Since this mysterious yet powerful person sent such a note to Richard, doesn’t that signify that the prophecy of the sun picture is most likely going to come true? What could all of this even mean?” asked Dylan anxiously.

“Hmm… Well, aside from the scroll we received, we don’t really have any other options to deal with the current situation. Since that person wants us to look for the eternal coffin, a wild guess would be that the coffin will be used to keep Richard’s body intact should something truly happen to him. However, Richard will die being torn to shreds according to the sun picture’s prophecy!” replied Daryl as he shook his head.

“Again, we have no better options at the moment… Besides, based on the previous incidents, the person who’s been secretly helping us doesn’t seem to hold any animosity against us. Whatever the case is, the person seems to want you to locate the eternal coffin for a reason only he knows. What do you think?” added Daryl.

“Heh, I won’t be living for much longer anyway so I may as well go look for it. Since I want to improve my strength to hopefully be able to truly become a great master anyway, this will be the perfect chance for me to head out and gain more experience. Should everything go smoothly, who knows, I may even be qualified to participate in the pledge of the holy water!” replied Richard.

Richard had a strong gut feeling that the pledge of the holy water was the key to unlocking the secrets of the Sun League. He simply felt that all the questions he had would finally be answered once he participated in the pledge.

Since he was already a semi-great master, he knew that he needed to train as much as he possibly could in order to attain the title of a true great master. With any luck, once that happened, he would still be able to participate in the pledge. The thought of that motivated him to try his best. After all, if he was able to uncover the Sun League’s secrets, then all this would be worthwhile, even if the prophecy of his death ended up becoming true.

“I see… Well, I guess it’s settled then. Then again, looking for the eternal coffin is the only thing we can do now,” said Daryl with a helpless sigh.

With that, all three of them chatted late into the night.

The very next day, all the members of the Crawford family gathered around a helicopter, ready to bid Richard farewell.

Richard himself was ready to depart.

Meanwhile, Welson was on the beach, busy giving orders to a few subordinates.

“Pay extra attention to everything that happens on the island! The lord said that it’s currently a critical moment for the Crawford family, so all of you have to be even more serious than you’ve ever been!”

After receiving their orders, Welson told them to leave before placing his hands against his back as he stood by the beach, looking out at the vast ocean.

Recently, he couldn’t help but constantly feel that something was wrong. Though things still appeared to be peaceful, he always felt a lingering feeling that something major would happen soon.

That feeling was particularly strong the moment he woke up today. It was so overbearing that he felt both flustered and extremely anxious, even now.

As he continued thinking about it while looking at the ocean, he suddenly heard faint footsteps walking up to him from behind.

“…Hmm? What’s the matter?” asked Welson as he tilted his head slightly, thinking that it was one of his subordinates.

“Could this place be where the Crawford family lives?” asked an unexpectedly old-sounding voice.

Feeling his heart skip a beat, Welson immediately turned around, only to be greeted by a white-haired old man who was all skin and bones.

With his face filled with wrinkles, the old man had plain white clothes on and he appeared to have lost an arm as well.

Despite how frail the old man looked, Welson couldn’t help but feel nervous.

‘How did he even get here? And when did he appear behind me?’

“…May I know who you are, sir? And why have you come to search for the Crawford family on this island?” replied Welson as he bowed slightly, understanding that this old man was no ordinary person.

“I’m the great master… Christopher Moldell!”

—

A little while later, Richard was about to board the helicopter when he saw Welson slowly limping toward him.

“…Welson?” said Richard.

It was evident that something was wrong with the old man. Even from afar, everyone present could see how dull and gloomy Welson’s eyes were, and he was also walking somewhat zombie-like. It was odd, to say the least.

While Richard frowned, he decided not to make a move for now.

Since Dylan was from the same generation as Welson, he called out, “Perfect timing, Welson… Since

Richard’s about to head on a long voyage, I’ll call him over to bid you farewell.”

However, Welson didn’t seem to have heard what Dylan said, and he simply continued limping slowly toward them.

“…Welson…?” said Dylan.

“Back off, Dylan!” shouted Daryl out of the blue, his gaze appearing extremely vigilant.

“Welson, are you alright? Did something happen?” asked Daryl, still staring at the old man.

The rest of the Crawfords began peeking at Welson as well, curious as to what was happening.

Without warning, Welson suddenly began vomiting blood! Following that, blood began gushing out from both his eyes, and nose as well!

It wasn’t long before his entire face became a dark-purplish shade and the old man finally collapsed to the ground.

Seeing that, both Daryl and Richard simultaneously shouted, “Welson!”

Repeatedly shouting Welson’s name as Richard ran over to the old man, by the time Richard got there, Welson was no longer among the living.

“…Welson has immense strength so few people in the world are able to defeat him… There’s a threat on this island!” growled Daryl coldly as his eyes turned fierce.

“…H-huh? Who’s that?” asked Dylan who instantly became nervous.

“With such high vigilance, you truly are the same Daryl from back then… It’s been thirty years since we last parted ways… Long time no see, Daryl!” shouted an old man—who looked to be in his declining days—as he walked over to them.

Despite how frail he looked, his steps were light and his voice was extraordinarily loud and clear.

Knowing how unnatural that was for someone his age, the rest of the Crawfords began growing nervous as well.

“Who are you? Are you Welson’s murderer?” asked Richard, his voice filled with hatred.

While Richard had only known Welson for half a year, after how well Welson had treated him for so long, Richard already saw the old man as his own grandfather.

Richard had also heard from Daryl that Welson’s family had been servants to the Crawford family for many generations now, and each generation of servants was extremely loyal to his family.

With all that in mind, how couldn’t Richard be furious about what had just happened?

“Retreat, Richard! That person is none other than the Moldell family’s Christopher!” said Daryl as he took a step forward, maintaining an extraordinarily calm composure.

“As expected of your grandson, Daryl… Richard truly is as talented as Kort said… Quite honestly, I didn’t believe it when Kort told me that Richard had managed to enter the realm of legends. After all, who on this planet would be able to change the laws of nature and train up a young great master? With doubt in mind, I came over to have a look myself. To think that what Kort had said was all true!” said Christopher as he nodded several times.

“Actually, I take it back a little. From what I can see, you’re only somewhat of a semi-great master… Such a pity… If things had gone a bit more smoothly, you would’ve definitely achieved the title of the second young great master in the history of legends! Pity, pity, pity…” added Christopher.

“And why exactly are you pitying him, Christopher? Surely you couldn’t have come all the way here just to congratulate my grandson, correct? Also, I couldn’t help but notice that you’ve lost your right arm. How did that happen, I wonder…” replied Daryl.

“I’d rather not talk about my missing arm. And no, of course not. I simply came over to take Richard away! Well, I won’t deny that I initially thought of killing him as soon as I got here. If I had gone with that, then after taking part in the pledge of the holy water, the Moldell family would remain and be able to take control of the dragon veins of the entire world! Haha! However, after seeing Richard, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it! Instead, I’ve now decided to take him away, just to see how he’ll even end up becoming a great master!” said Christopher.

“You’re speaking so seriously and confidently, Christopher. I don’t suppose you’ve forgotten our fight thirty years ago, have you? Do you not recall how difficult it was for you to stand against me, even with both your arms intact back then? While it’s true that both of us arrived at the realm of legends at around the same time ten years ago, you now only have your left arm left! It won’t be easy for you to take my grandson away from me, you know?” replied Daryl who had already begun channeling his inner strength into his hands.

“As they say, change is the only constant. I’d like to know as well whether I’ll be defeated again this time!” said Christopher with a faint smile.

—

Upon ending his sentence, a gust of wind blew past the old man’s body, sending his plain clothes fluttering in the breeze.

“Very well. Just so you know, I’ve long known that you’d leave your seclusion sooner or later. I’ve been looking forward to this match for a long time myself!” replied Daryl with a loud laugh.

The others then watched as the two of them slowly began approaching each other… Before leaping into the air!

Standing by the side, Richard watched as both of them displayed equal amounts of strength and skill as they exchanged blows. So this was a fight between great masters…

Powerful. Truly powerful…!

However, what surprised Richard even more was the fact that though Christopher only had one arm, he didn’t seem to be fighting at a disadvantage. In fact, even after exchanging over a hundred blows in the blink of an eye, neither of the two old men had gained any sort of advantage over each other.  

“It would appear that you’ve been suffering in silence throughout these thirty years, Christopher. To think that you still have so much power even after losing an arm!” said Daryl, a hint of fear in his voice.

“Now you’re just flattering me!” replied Christopher with a bitter smile.

“Regardless, it won’t be easy for you to capture Richard and take him away!” added Daryl.

“Oh, I’m well aware, Daryl. That’s why I’m going to be showing you a little stunt I’ve prepared. I do wonder if you’re capable enough to withstand it!” said Christopher as he smiled.

“A stunt?” asked Daryl as he frowned.

As soon as Daryl’s sentence ended, he watched wide-eyed as Christopher’s body turned somewhat translucent. Realizing that it was an after image, Daryl immediately got into a defensive position as Christopher rushed toward him with extreme speed.

Since Daryl had been expecting an immediate attack, he failed to notice in time that Christopher had a mirror in his hand. The moment the mirror was revealed, a white light shot out from it, hitting Daryl right in the chest!

The moment that happened, Daryl’s mind immediately fell into disarray, giving Christopher a chance to slam his palm into Daryl’s chest!

Too dizzy to break his fall, Daryl ended up being flung backward before crashing onto the ground!

“Grandpa!” shouted Richard as he immediately began rushing over to help his fallen grandfather up.

Christopher, however, wasn’t having any of that. With a wave of his hand, a surge of energy was launched toward Richard!

Despite using all his strength, Richard found himself unable to withstand the immense force. It was at that moment when he finally realized that though he was already a semi-great master, there was still a vast difference between his current power and the power of a full great master.  

Defeated in just a single blow, Richard could feel his blood surging wildly within his body. With the force in his body rushing all over the place, Richard ended up vomiting blood!

“Richard, retreat!” shouted Daryl as he fumbled up.

“Still, I wasn’t expecting you to be cruel enough to break your right arm just to be able to control the power of the mysterious mirror!” added Daryl as the fear in his voice continued to grow.

“How insightful! No wonder you’re the lord of the Soul Palace! As you probably already know, only a few among the Moldell family’s ancestors have been able to control the power of the mysterious mirror! Naturally, I’m included in that group! Mind you, the Christopher you defeated thirty years ago was still a young and inexperienced person. After that defeat, I was deeply ashamed. As a result, I did my best to improve my strength every day. At one point, I attempted to comprehend the mysterious mirror, hoping to master its power. Unfortunately, I soon came to the conclusion that I wasn’t able to fully control the mirror’s power. Upon finding out that sacrificing my right arm would help me gain full control over it, I did just that as my final resort. As you’ve seen, that final resort worked!” replied Christopher.

Just as the picture of the sun was the Crawford family’s magic artifact, the mysterious mirror was the Moldell family’s own version of that.

“I must say, however, that I currently don’t have much interest in defeating you, Daryl. Rather, I’m more fascinated by your grandson. After studying his secrets, who knows, I may be able to utilize them for myself so that I’ll be able to take another step further during my remaining days,” added Christopher as he shook his head.

Just as he was about to take Richard away, an infuriated Daryl shouted, “Over my dead body! I hope you know that the Crawford family’s blessings of the dragon isn’t anything ordinary either!”

Immediately after saying that, Daryl’s body began glowing. As a layer of colorful lights enveloped Daryl, his strength seemed to peak as he rushed toward Christopher!  

Chapter 355

“The blessings of the dragon?” muttered Christopher as he immediately took a few steps back, his eyelids twitching rapidly.

Seeing that the old man was momentarily stunned, Daryl shouted, “Richard! Leave now!”

The pilot himself took the cue to immediately start up the helicopter.

While Richard was extremely reluctant to leave, he was also well aware that his grandfather had used all his strength for his sake. If he remained here any longer, his grandfather’s efforts would all be for naught.

With that in mind, he rushed into the helicopter.

The moment Christopher attempted to pursue the youth, Daryl immediately clung on tightly to him, preventing the old man from proceeding any further.

“You called me cruel earlier, but aren’t you even more so? To think that you’d actually use your blessings of the dragon to take the blow of my mysterious mirror’s power! While I know that I can’t kill you, you’ll still be terribly injured! There are still three more months till the pledge of the holy water takes place. I’m afraid that you won’t be living long!” said Christopher, feeling that he was left with no further options now that Daryl had suddenly risen again.

Him, feeling cornered was warranted. After all, Christopher knew for a fact that the blessings of the dragon wasn’t something that could be looked down upon.

Adding that to the fact that he still wanted to participate in the Pledge of the Holy Water, Christopher knew that giving it his all to fight against Daryl now wasn’t going to be worth it.

What more, if Richard managed to escape, then the possibility of further improving his strength before the pledge would be completely out of the question.

With that in mind, after some struggling, he managed to break free from Daryl’s grasp.

As Christopher ran toward the helicopter—that had already lifted up by now—Daryl knelt on one knee as he began vomiting blood. Knowing that he no longer had the strength or energy to pursue Christopher, Daryl could only look at the helicopter with worried eyes.

After flying quite a distance away from the island, the pilot said, “Worry not, young master, for the helicopter is already quite high up now! I doubt that he can continue pursuing us from up here!”

“That’s good to hear… Still, I wonder how grandpa’s condition is right now… I had initially thought that he was perfectly capable of dealing with Christopher. To think that Christopher had such a powerful magic artifact with him!” replied Richard, his voice filled with worry.

“The lord is extremely powerful so you needn’t worry about him. No matter how strong Christopher’s magic artifact is, I believe that he won’t be able to do any serious damage to the lord. Just so you know, the lord was probably distracted earlier since you still hadn’t taken off. Now that we’ve escaped Christopher, the lord can fully focus on him,” said the pilot.

The moment he said that, however, the helicopter suddenly shook slightly. It felt like something weighted had just attached itself to the bottom of the airborne vehicle.

Shockingly, a second later, a head could be seen peeking through the helicopter’s window! It was Christopher!

“Where do you think you’re running off to, little boy?” asked Christopher with a cold smile.

Before Richard could even react, the old man shook his wrist slightly, sending a white light flashing into the helicopter!

Following that, the sound of an explosion could be heard, and after shaking violently, the helicopter began plummeting!

It wasn’t long before it collided with the ground, and upon impact, rocks were sent flying all over the place as a blazing fire engulfed the helicopter!

Debris was everywhere as the injured Richard slowly sat up before getting to his feet. Since he was a semi-great master now, his body could withstand more than what regular people could. The same couldn’t be said for the dead pilot, however.

“There really isn’t any reason for you to continue running, you know? Come with me. With you, I’ll obtain the possibility of further increasing my strength before the pledge of the holy water,” said Christopher—who had been standing at the side—with a faint smile on his face.

“Over my dead body!” growled Richard as he gritted his teeth before immediately using all his energy to toss his short blade at the old man!

Aimed at Christopher’s chest, the short blade whistled as it swiftly flew across the air… only for the blade to be caught by Christopher with only two of his fingers!

“I see you used a hidden weapon… While impressive, you’re still too weak to defeat me, boy!” replied Christopher, his smile broadening.

Seeing that, despair swept through Richard. He had thought that he would at least have a slim chance of survival. After all, even though he knew he was going to die based on the sun picture’s prophecy, he still wanted to participate in the pledge of the holy water before that.

To think that Christopher would end up cornering him like this.

In his mind, Richard felt that ending his own life there and then would be much better instead of getting captured and most probably tortured by Christopher.

With his mind set, Richard’s eyes became filled with murderous intent as he slowly lifted his hand, ready to commit suicide.

However, the moment his hand was raised, a whistling sound could be heard.

Looking at the source of the sound, Richard was stunned when saw that the short blade—that was still pinched between Christopher’s fingers—was now vibrating in place.

The old man himself was even more surprised. However, he quickly regained his composure and began increasing the force his fingers had on the blade.

Suddenly, the shiny black short blade emitted a red flash of light! Upon closer inspection, it now looked like it had just been taken out of a forge...

—

Evidently, however, it didn’t just appear to be hot. This was confirmed when Christopher instantly began screaming in pain as he let go of the scalding-hot short blade.

The moment he did so, the short blade instantly flew back into Richard’s hand.

“It’s… It’s a magic artifact?!” yelled Christopher, still recovering from the shock.

Shortly after, his gaze went feral as he muttered, “So the picture of the sun wasn’t the only magic artifact that the Crawford family owned… How surprising… If I get my hands on that short blade and learn how to control it, my power will easily be doubled! I’ll be invincible! Once I obtain it, I’ll surely be able to further demonstrate my great skill and talents during the pledge of the holy water!”

Seeing that the old man had started mumbling like a mad person, Richard slowly began taking a few steps back.

“The heavens have truly blessed me this time… Not only do I already have control over the mysterious mirror, but I’ll soon be able to get a hold of both Richard—who has a special body—and a new magic artifact! I’ll truly be invincible!” said Christopher aloud as he began walking toward Richard, his eyes now lit up.

However, after just a few steps, his left arm started trembling violently as the rest of his body stiffened!

Richard watched as the veins on Christopher’s arm swelled up, their sheer redness making them resemble numerous worms. The old man’s face, on the other hand, had an expression of agony as his face slowly turned purple.

“…Could it be a backfire?” muttered Richard under his breath, realizing that now was his chance to escape.

Immediately tossing his short blade at Christopher, the old man—who was in massive pain—used his mysterious mirror to deflect it.

Upon seeing that, Richard knew it was now or never. Taking advantage of Christopher’s backfire, Richard instantly began running away.

“You b*stard! No matter how far you run, I’ll definitely catch up to you! I’m determined to examine your special body and gain that magic artifact!” roared the still paralyzed Christopher as he continued glaring daggers at Richard’s back.

Richard himself didn’t stop running and eventually, he got to a forest. Running through it, he had no idea where he currently was or how far he still was from the desert.

Knowing that the desert was in the northwest, however, he gathered his bearings and began running in that direction.

It was three days later when Richard came across a stream. Feeling extremely thirsty, he decided to stop to drink some water.

“So it seems that choosing you was the right choice after all… I guess you’ve finally decided to reveal the holy spirit in you…” said Richard, a hint of happiness in his tone as he took his short blade out.

“…Hmm? What’s this?” said Richard the moment he realized that the short blade looked slightly different from before. Looking closely at it, it seemed that peculiar lines and words had appeared on both sides of the blade.

On one of the sides, the word ‘Dawnbreaker’ could be seen engraved on the blade in ancient-like handwriting.

‘Dawnbreaker… I guess that’s your name, huh. What an overbearing name!’ Richard thought to himself.

Turning to look at the other side of the short blade, Richard saw that there were many more tiny lines and pictures on this side.

As he squinted to make sense of the images, to his surprise, the pictures on the blade seemed to be able to communicate with him!

The moment his gaze fell upon a small, black figure, it instantly became animated and began repeatedly performing a few movements.

“…Could Christopher have awakened a dormant power within Dawnbreaker when he touched it earlier…? Regardless, based on the figures’ actions, it seems to be showing me the proper way to use the short blade!”

Understanding that, Richard began seriously observing the animate figure’s actions. After repeatedly watching the black figure’s movements, Richard was able to discern four different attack patterns.

The baffling thing was, only one of the four attacks felt like they were meant to be used by the Dawnbreaker. The other three felt more like attacks suited for a long sword.

While that was what he initially thought, the more Richard observed the black figure’s movements, the more he was able to imagine himself doing all four of the attacks.

Once he felt he was ready, Richard gripped the short blade’s handle tightly. His strength appeared to trigger something within the blade, causing it to start whistling. Following that, the weapon seemed to begin chanting.

Hearing that, Richard then tossed the blade with one swift movement. As it flew forward, it produced a terrifying noise that sounded like it was tearing through the air around it.

What more, the blade’s power seemed to have increased as well, slicing through any trees and destroying any large rocks that stood in its path. Eventually, the short blade began flying back to Richard.

However, instead of catching it, he used his mind to control the short blade to make a second attack.

The short blade obeyed, and since it did, Richard knew that he now had an extremely handy assistant on the battlefield that was able to fly all over the place and look for flaws on his opponents.

So this was the true way of using the Dawnbreaker…

—

Richard was so immersed in his new discovery that he ended up training for days to master all four of the techniques made by the black figure. By the time he realized it, a week had already passed.

Tossing the short blade again, an explosive sound was soon heard as a large stone crumbled to pieces.

As the blade hovered in the air, Richard used his mind to command the Dawnbreaker to return to his hand.

Once it did, Richard thought to himself, ‘The Dawnbreaker truly has immense attack potential… From what I can tell, it’s probably as strong as a great master! While I may still be a semi-great master, since I now know how to properly use this short blade, I should be able to even up the fight should I bump into Christopher again!’

Throughout that week, Richard had mastered the other three methods as well. However, since he disliked using long swords as a whole, he didn’t really bother practicing too much on the other three moves.

Regardless, he knew that he had delayed his search for the eternal coffin for a bit too long at this point. Thus, he decided it was high time to leave the forest and continue heading northwest.

Thankfully, Richard made it out of the dense forest by evening.

Stumbling across a small town close to the forest’s edge, the dry atmosphere there hinted to him that a desert could be nearby. After enquiring a few of the townsfolk, he realized that he had arrived at the border of the Death Desert.

He was pleased that the desert was extremely close to where he had initially predicted it to be while navigating through the forest. He was also thankful that the helicopter had crashed quite close to the desert, otherwise, he would’ve surely had to walk much longer.

After finding a hotel to stay the night in, Richard went off to buy some suitable clothes for himself, well aware that he needed a temporary break.  

Once he got everything he needed, he was just about to head back to his hotel when his sharp ears heard a scream coming from nearby.

“W-what do you intend to do?”

“Oh, nothing much… We saw that you two beauties came from out of town so we just want to treat you to a drink! You know, to express our admiration for you!”

“Step aside!” said one of the women as she pushed the men aside, intent on leaving.

“Hey, now! Don’t leave yet, beauty!” said another man as he—alongside a few other men—blocked her path.

It was evident that after seeing how beautiful both of them were, the men were having all sorts of cunning thoughts.

While such incidents were common, Richard found himself stopping dead in his tracks.

‘…Why did it sound so much like her…?’

The more Richard listened, the more he thought that her voice resembled that girl’s. Now intrigued, Richard followed the voice till he arrived at a corner of the street.

The moment his eyes fell on her, Richard felt his eyelids twitch slightly.

‘So it truly is her! Why did she come all the way out here?’ Richard thought to himself in surprise.

However, he quickly shook the surprise off the moment he saw the men beginning to take action. Frowning slightly, he began walking toward the harassing men.

The youths themselves were just about to forcefully drag the women away when two of them felt a hand being placed on their shoulders.

Turning around to see who it was, they were greeted by the sight of a man who was wearing a cap and mask.

“Huh? Where the hell did you come from, you b*stard? Mind your own business! If you don’t leave now, I’ll kill you!” warned the youth coldly.

Making sure to alter his voice slightly, Richard then said, “Let them go!”

“Oh? Do you truly wish to act like a hero and rescue these beauties? You’re just-”

Before the man could even say anything else, Richard grabbed him by the wrist, and a split second later, the sound of snapping bones could be heard.

Hearing their ally’s screams of pain, the rest of the youths instantly went on the attack!

However, after taking turns punching Richard’s chest, all of them ended up yelping in pain as they held onto their hurt fists. All of them were now staring at Richard, deeply afraid.

Punching him felt like they were punching a mountain rather than an actual human… Feeling that their bones would get fractured if they continued punching him, they all simultaneously wondered what kind of body he even had.

“If you don’t want to die, leave this instant!” growled Richard in a frigid tone.

Gulping, all of them then held on to their hurt hands as they ran away rather pitifully. After all, upon seeing the murderous intent in his eyes, escaping was the only logical answer! How utterly frightening!

Once the men ran off, the two women looked at their savior, feeling extremely grateful.

“Thank you for saving us, mister!” said one of the women as Richard lowered his cap even further.

Shaking his head, Richard then looked down before replying, “It’s fine. Now head back!”

Chapter 356

After saying that, Richard was about to turn around and leave when he suddenly heard one of the girls saying, “Ouch! My leg!”

Turning back to look, he saw that girl who had yelped was currently holding on to her ankle. It was most probably hurt when she was struggling to free herself earlier.

“Are you alright?” asked Richard and the other girl simultaneously as they both squatted down.

Momentarily surprised by their similar reactions, the girl then replied, “My ankle hurts pretty badly… I don’t think I can walk!”

“Hmm… Well I’ll support you then!” said the charismatic bespectacled girl.

Despite her friend’s help, the injured girl’s leg was too hurt for her to walk more than a few steps at a time.

After watching them stop to rest a few times, Richard simply said, “…This is taking far too long… Just let me have a look!”

“Of course! But… Wouldn’t it be better if you had her ankle checked back at our place? I’m afraid that those hooligans will return!” replied the bespectacled girl in a gentle tone.

“Sure thing,” said Richard as he carried the injured girl on his back. Carrying her like this again, Richard felt rather nostalgic.

“Speaking of, where are all of you headed to?”

“Ah, we’re staying in Bacht Hotel!”

“Oh? What a coincidence! I’m staying there too!”

“I see! Are you here for a trip?”

“Indeed! What about both of you? Are you reporters or something?” replied Richard with a slightly bitter smile.

Shocked, the girls then asked, “H-how did you know?”

“Well, let’s just say that your character sort of gave you away!” said Richard.

“Haha! You’re quite funny aren’t you?” replied the charismatic girl with glasses.

“If you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?” asked the injured girl.

“…Hmm? That’s not important, is it?”

“Oh no, it’s just that I find you slightly familiar with an old friend of mine… He isn’t as great or as strong as you though!” replied the girl rather nervously.

Following that, she then added in a softer tone, “…You know, I sprained my ankle once and that was the first time we got to properly get to know each other… I can still clearly remember him carrying me on his back, just like you are now!”

“You sound pretty emotional when you talk about him… Was he your boyfriend?” asked Richard, his face slightly flushed at this point.

“Hehe! I wasn’t lucky enough to be his girlfriend…”

“There’s no luck in love, you know? He probably just didn’t know how to appreciate you! Since you’re so pretty, I’m sure you can get all the guys you want!” replied Richard.

“He’s right, you know? It’s already been over a year since both of you last talked, so you should really forget about him already and move on!” said the bespectacled girl.

“He isn’t someone that I can just let go of that easily!” replied the injured girl as she shook her head.

Sighing, the bespectacled girl then replied, “It’s pointless arguing with you…”

Hearing that, Richard himself remained quiet. Soon enough, the trio arrived at the hotel.

There was a restaurant on the hotel’s first floor, and upon all three of them entering, a group of people who were eating there immediately noticed the two girls. Seemingly acquainted with them, the group of people immediately ran over to them.

“Are you alright?”

“What’s this then? What happened? How did you injure your leg?” asked what seemed to be the leader of the group in a concerned tone as he walked over.

Just as his question ended, another of the men—who looked rather charismatic and wore a suit—ran straight for the injured girl before asking, “Are you alright, Giya?”

Before she could even reply, the same guy turned to look at Richard rather jealously.

‘…Who is this guy? And why is he carrying her on his back…’

—

“This man saved us, Mr. Lockhart!” said Giya as she slowly got off Richard’s back.

“I’ve told you time and again not to call me that, Giya… Just call me Wynn… Calling me Mr. Lockhart feels so strange!” replied Wynn.

Choosing not to reply to that, she then turned to look at Richard before saying, “…Anyway, we still don’t know your name, so… Could you please share it with us?”

For some odd reason, Giya had felt extremely close to this person from the moment she first met him. She couldn’t tell why either. It almost felt unreal how close he felt to her.

Aside from him, it had been the longest time since she had last felt such a way toward any guy. If she had to put the feeling into words, it felt somewhat similar to meeting a long-lost relative again.

“She’s right, we still don’t know your name!” added the bespectacled girl with a smile on her face.

“There’s no need for that, I just helped with a small matter!” replied Richard as he further lowered his brim before heading upstairs.

Seeing that, the bespectacled girl pouted slightly.

“Who even is he, Meredith? Why’s he wearing a hat and mask in bright daylight? And more importantly, who does he think he is?” scoffed Wynn scornfully.

After hearing how Meredith had talked to Richard, he was certain that the masked man had saved the girls like some kind of superman. Wynn himself had been waiting for a chance to do such a thing. Now that someone had beat him to it, he was feeling both nervous and envious toward Richard.

“How could you talk bad about our lifesaver, Wynn?” replied Meredith, upset.

“I’m just saying the truth! I’m sure he’s just putting up an act!” replied Wynn.

“Both of you, stop fighting! The only thing that matters now is that the girls are both fine! Also, since both of you are now back, go ahead and grab some food. We’ll be heading into the desert once the Master of the Desert arrives!” said their leader.

Upon hearing that, everyone fell silent.

There were over twenty people in Giya’s group, with thirteen of them being men and the rest being women. The group itself was there to conduct research in the desert, with Meredith and Giya acting as reporters.

Wynn, on the other hand, was the son of the research’s sponsor. Being both rich and powerful, he had fallen for Giya from the moment he first saw her at an event. Since then, he had constantly been trying to win her heart over, even going so far as to come along on this research trip just to continue wooing her.

As their leader returned to his own seat, he said, “Speaking of him, I wonder why he isn’t here yet… How odd! Regardless, we won’t be able to survive in the desert for long without him. Some say that the Master of the Desert knows the desert like the back of his hand since he grew up there.”

While the other members of the group began discussing it, the sounds of bells—which were common for camels to wear around these parts—could be heard ringing away as they got closer and closer to the hotel.

Eventually, over twenty camel-pulled carts came to a halt in front of the hotel.

Standing at the entrance, a tanned old man with a contrasting white beard and a face full of wrinkles shouted, “Alright, let’s go!”

He was the one guiding all of the camels, and after hearing his shout, almost everyone in the hotel headed out.

Aside from the researchers, there were also other tourists who had hired the Master of the Desert for both his carts and his guiding service. Once everyone had mounted their bags and bottles onto the camels, the Master of the Desert would begin transporting them across the desert.

“Come on, Giya. I paid him extra since you injured your leg. We can get on the cart together with Professor Yale so that we don’t have to walk!” said Wynn as he turned to look at Giya.

However, when he noticed how hesitant she was and how she kept looking up at the second floor, he immediately became jealous and added, “…Don’t tell me you’re waiting for that dude, Giya…”

“I-I’m not! We don’t even know each other!” replied Giya.

“Good to know. Regardless, we should get going now. Here, I’ll help you up!”

“It’s fine, Meredith can do that!”

—

Once everyone was ready, the tan man began leading all of them into the desert.

It was only after they had left quite a distance when Richard walked out of the hotel.

He truly hadn’t expected to bump into Giya here of all places after an entire year. Regardless, she had started working and she had also become so much better.

While Richard had been tempted to reveal his identity to Giya, it had been over a year and he now knew that she still hadn’t truly forgotten about him back when he had tested her.

He was well aware of how bad he had treated her back then, and knowing that them being together was going to be impossible anyway, Richard decided not to delay her from moving on any longer.

Regardless, Richard had noticed that Wynn had been very nice to Giya earlier. While Richard didn’t particularly like Wynn, he trusted that Wynn only wanted the best for Giya. It was the reason why Richard hadn’t stayed back to treat her injured ankle back then. After all, he could see that there was already someone who would take good care of her.

Shaking his head, Richard then grabbed his luggage, fully prepared to leave. With the pledge of the holy water due in three months, it was impossible for him not to feel anxious about it. After all, he still needed to train enough to become a full great master and also locate the eternal coffin before then. Not a single second could be wasted.

Not long after entering the desert, Richard eventually bumped into Giya’s group. However, their route forward had been blocked by several people who were wearing clothes with red sleeves.

“Hey now, why are you preventing us from proceeding? You don’t own the desert!” scolded a few of the tourists.

“Our sincerest apologies, but a few bodies had been found in the desert a few days ago, and all of them showed signs of facing horrible deaths. We suggest that you refrain from entering the desert for the next few days. It truly isn’t worth giving your life up for a mere vacation!” explained one of the redsleeved men.

“And you think we didn’t already know about this? We’re here on an adventure and nothing’s stopping us! Don’t bother about those red-sleeved men! Let’s just proceed on!” shouted one of the female tourists as several of them broke through the cordon.

With the group of tourists being so adamant on proceeding, the red-sleeved men weren’t able to stop them. Just as the woman had said, these tourists were here for an adventure!

Immediately walking over to the red-sleeved group next, Professor Yale said, “We truly appreciate your work, young men… Regardless, while they’re here on vacation, my group is here to conduct some research. I hope you’ll allow us and our carts to pass…”

“…Well, your group seems pretty serious with the carts and all… I suppose we can’t stop you from proceeding either! Regardless, I hope all of you succeed!” replied one of the red-sleeved men as the others with him allowed Giya’s group to go through.

As Professor Yale and the other researchers proceeded, Meredith saw a few of the tourists backtracking, probably afraid after hearing what the red-sleeved men had said. To her surprise, she saw a familiar figure walking behind them as well.

Waving at him, she said, “I guess you came along too!”

Nodding in response, Richard simply continued walking on in silence.

Upon realizing that he was present, Giya kept staring at the young man. The more she looked at him, the more she felt like she knew him from somewhere. While she had a wild guess of who it could be, the person she had in mind didn’t have such a sturdy-looking figure…

“Speaking of which, I think you should join our group… As those men back there said, this desert seems to be particularly dangerous. Sticking with us should be much safer since we have so many tourists in the group. Safety in numbers, as they say. How about it?” suggested Meredith from atop the cart.

“Hah! This dude looks like he’s here on a broke trip! I mean he doesn’t even have a camel to provide him with water! With that tiny bottle of his, he’ll die of thirst first before even getting halfway through the desert!” sneered Wynn.

“Please, join us! I can pay for you!” added Meredith, now getting increasingly worried.

Shaking his head, Richard simply replied, “I appreciate your help, but I’ll have to refuse!”

“Heh! You don’t need it, you say? You have no idea of how easy it is to get lost in this desert, do you? Without my help, nine out of ten people don’t make it out alive! Mark my words, you’ll regret not joining us! Also, since you said that, even if you change your mind and someone else pays for you, I still won’t allow you to join us!” scoffed the Master of the Desert as he glared coldly at Richard before gulping on his can of beer.

Since nobody had ever told him that his help wasn’t needed, the Master of the Desert was quite egotistical.

With that, he slapped the sides of his camels which led to his carts moving faster.

Meredith and Giya could only stare worriedly at the walking young man who slowly disappeared behind them.

Chapter 357

Though the journey through the desert was both long and hot, the researchers and the tourists did just fine with the help of the Master of the Desert.

After two days of traveling, the group arrived at the center-point of the desert. As was expected, from where they currently were, not a soul could be seen within the sandy lands.

At the time, dusk was setting in soon so they decided to make a stop at a shelter that was half-broken. Thankfully, it was still nice enough for them to stay the night.