OBS Chapter 669 Past events
Chapter 669 Past events
At this moment, Flora's pale complexion was visibly fading, her previously faint breathing was gradually becoming steady, and even the chaotic magic surrounding her was becoming docile.
John stared intently at the scene, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally began to settle.
Previously, he had doubted whether the divine grace within Xiao Guang's body would have any effect on wizards, but now that he had witnessed the remarkable healing effect firsthand, he immediately made a decision.
"Ms. Flora, why don't we use its energy for treatment every day from now on?"
John's tone was filled with undisguised joy.
"By proceeding step by step, your condition will surely recover as soon as possible."
Flora nodded gently, her eyes filled with gratitude, and her previously drooping shoulders straightened slightly.
"If I continue to recover like this, I will be able to travel to Heldland in a year."
Her voice still sounded weak.
"I will certainly not let you down at that time."
Before she finished speaking, she waved her hand gently.
The cabinet not far away opened on its own without warning, and without any external force, a palm-sized silver mirror and five wooden boards carved with intricate patterns slowly floated over and came to a steady stop in front of John.
"Keep this mirror safe."
Flora's gaze fell on the mirror, its surface as smooth as glass, faintly shimmering with tiny sparkles.
"It has a built-in resonance array, so it can contact me at any time, even if we are thousands of miles apart."
Her gaze then shifted to the wooden planks, their grain appearing and disappearing in the light, like some kind of living organism breathing slowly.
"These planks are no ordinary objects; they are made from the core of a spirit tree in the border region."
She paused, then explained the usage in detail, afraid that John might miss a crucial step.
"When using it, you need to let your own magic flow along the lines of the wood, merge with the magic hidden in the wood by the spirit tree, and then inject the fused power into the carved runes."
She emphasized her words.
"These runes can form a double barrier, which can not only resist the attacks of the apostles, but also isolate various kinds of spiritual erosion. You may be able to use them when dealing with crises in the future."
John carefully took the mirror and the wooden board. The mirror was slightly cool to the touch, while the wooden board had a warm, smooth feel, as if it still retained the vitality of the spirit tree.
He carefully put the items away, then looked up at Flora and said sincerely:
"This gift is too precious, thank you very much."
Just as he was putting the items into his bag, a question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time suddenly popped up.
He hesitated for a moment, but decided to ask anyway.
"May I ask how you met Mr. Garcelek? And why did he end up like this?"
Upon hearing this, Flora raised her hand and gently smoothed the white hair that fell over her shoulder.
"This matter dates back hundreds of years."
Her gaze drifted into the distance, carrying a hint of melancholy.
"If you hadn't brought it up today, these long-forgotten memories would probably still be buried deep in my heart."
The skeleton knight stood silently to the side, the faint soul fire occasionally leaking from the gaps in his armor flickering on and off.
Upon hearing this question, he fell into a long silence, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment.
After a long while, a dull metallic clanging sound came from inside the armor, as if something was vibrating slightly.
"It's not something that can't be talked about."
The soulfire flickered slightly inside the helmet, and the skeleton knight spoke:
"Thousands of years ago, when I was born, I was the only son of the monarch of a small border country."
"At that time, the country I lived in had a small territory and was often invaded by neighboring countries, and the people lived a very difficult life. From a young age, I followed the generals in the army to learn martial arts and study military strategy, hoping that I could protect this land in the future."
“I met Boyd when I was seven years old, at a blessing ceremony held during a religious ceremony.”
"He is the only son of the chief priest of the country. He has been well-versed in ancient books and sacrificial rituals since childhood. He is calm and reserved. Although his personality and preferences are completely different from mine, we are surprisingly very compatible."
"We grew up together and were inseparable. This friendship has deepened over the years and has long surpassed the relationship of ordinary friends."
“When I was twenty years old, my father fell seriously ill and passed away. Before his death, he entrusted the country to me.”
"At that time, powerful neighboring countries frequently exerted pressure, and there was also a rebellion by former officials at home, making the situation unstable. I had just ascended the throne, and my foundation was not yet stable, which was the most difficult moment."
"Just when I was at my wit's end, Boyd stepped forward and said that I should take charge of foreign wars while he would take charge of domestic governance."
"He was indeed a man of great talent in governing the country. The series of measures he introduced appeased the people and rectified official corruption. In just three years, the domestic economy gradually recovered and the granaries slowly became full."
"With my worries resolved, I was able to confidently lead my army on the road to war. Boyd would study the terrain and customs of each country in advance and formulate detailed battle plans for me; while I was fighting abroad, Boyd would stay in the capital and continuously supply him with provisions and troops. We cooperated seamlessly, like two sides of the same coin."
"We first recovered the lost territory that had been occupied by neighboring countries, and then successively subdued several weak tribes in the surrounding area."
“In those years, I almost never lost a battle. I led my troops into battle and conquered one city after another; Boyd, on the other hand, consolidated the newly occupied territories in the rear, pacified the local people, and implemented appropriate policies.”
"In ten years, my army has covered hundreds of miles around. The once precarious little country has expanded its territory like a snowball, and the surrounding tribes and city-states have voluntarily submitted to it. No one dares to provoke it easily anymore. The soldiers in the army have great respect for him, and the people of the country praise him and Boyd, calling them twin stars sent by God to protect the country."
"The turning point occurred in the twelfth year after I ascended the throne."
The skeleton knight's voice suddenly lowered, and the soul fire within his armor dimmed slightly.
"At that time, there was a hidden country in the mountains of the eastern part of the continent. They controlled unique mineral resources and had a very strong military. We planned to bring them into our territory, so I personally led 30,000 soldiers to fight against them."
"I thought this battle would go smoothly as before, but I didn't expect that the enemy had already set up a trap."
"As the army penetrated deep into the valleys of the mountains, countless boulders suddenly rolled down from the cliffs on both sides, followed by a rain of arrows. At the same time, enemy troops who had been lying in ambush all around swarmed out and cut their army into several sections."
"The battle was extremely fierce. My army was trapped in the canyon, unable to advance or retreat. The soldiers fought desperately, but they could not withstand the enemy's offensive. In the chaos, a spear pierced my warhorse, and I was thrown to the ground. Then, I was pushed off the cliff by a huge impact."
"I thought I was going to die, but when I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a wooden bed covered with dry grass."
"My savior was a witch who was gathering herbs at the foot of the mountain."
"She dragged me back from the bushes below the cliff and brought me back to her home. Under her care, my broken bones gradually healed, and my wounds slowly scabbed over."
"During my recovery, I learned that this witch's name was Dana, a witch from Fairy Island, known to all as the Sakura Witch, who possessed extremely exquisite healing magic. And the girl who stayed by Dana's side at that time, helping to change her medicine and brew herbs from time to time, was Flora in her youth."
"It was at that time that I first learned of the existence of magic."
"Danna can condense pale pink light at her fingertips and gently brush it over the wound, instantly dispelling the burning pain; she can also summon vines to automatically gather scattered herbs. These are miracles I have never seen before."
"In return, he often told Dana and Flora about the outside world. Dana always listened intently, her clear eyes filled with longing."
"She said that she ran away from Fairy Island when she was a child and has lived at the foot of this mountain ever since. She has never left the area within a ten-mile radius for decades. After I told her those stories, she said she wanted to go out with me to see the sights that only exist in legends."
"Soon after, I recovered from my injuries and prepared to return to the army. Dana volunteered to go with me, and Flora followed behind with a simple bag. After returning to the camp, Dana used her healing magic to save many wounded soldiers. Those soldiers who were originally on the verge of death due to their severe injuries were able to get out of bed and walk again in just a few days under her magical nourishment."
At the same time, the skeleton knight slowed down considerably, as if he were reminiscing.
"That period was the happiest time of my life."
"With Dana's addition, the army's combat effectiveness was greatly enhanced. The soldiers no longer had to worry about losing their fighting ability due to severe injuries, and they were more courageous in every battle. In the following ten years, he led the army to fight in the north and south, and was invincible."
"The once small country has risen to become the most powerful country on the entire continent. Those powerful countries that once coveted them now send envoys to sue for peace and are willing to submit. The centuries-long war on the continent has come to an end, and I have thus earned the title of 'Overlord'."
The skeleton knight's tone contained no pride, only a faint sigh.
"At that time, I thought that these peaceful days would continue forever, and that Boyd, Dana, Flora, and I could always stay together like this."
But he never expected that this peace would eventually be shattered by the person he trusted most.
"The incident occurred in the fifth year after I became the overlord. During a mission to a neighboring country, Boyd accidentally discovered an ancient book written in ancient script in the library of the other country's palace. There was also a red stone the size of a fist in the book."
"That book records the method of summoning gods, and that red stone is said to be able to serve as a medium for summoning gods, at which point one can become an existence on the same level as the gods."
“Since then, Boyd has become a different person. He no longer attends to court affairs and spends his days locked in his study, immersing himself in the study of that ancient book.”
"At first, he simply set up some simple magic circles in the room and chanted some obscure incantations. But gradually, his behavior became more and more mysterious."
The Skeleton Knight's voice deepened once more, and his soulfire pulsed violently.
"He began to travel frequently to various places, collecting all kinds of rare materials. The servants in the palace said that they could always hear strange chanting coming from the study late at night, and sometimes an eerie red light would shine through the cracks in the window. I tried to talk to him many times, but he always gave vague answers, saying that he was researching a power that could make the country stronger."
"Although I had my doubts, I did not interfere too much because of our years of friendship. Until that day, when I went to Boyd’s residence late at night to deal with urgent military affairs, I unexpectedly witnessed a scene that I will never forget."
"In the courtyard of the mansion, a huge crimson magic circle was carved into the ground, with the red stone placed at its core. A dozen innocent civilians were bound to various corners of the circle, their faces filled with fear, tears mingling with sweat. Boyd, dressed in a long black robe and holding the ancient book, stood in the center of the circle, chanting eerie incantations. As he chanted, the red stone emitted an eerie light, and the civilians in the circle grew paler and paler, their life force being slowly drained away."
"At that moment, I felt a chill run through my body."
“Those people were all law-abiding ordinary citizens, yet Boyd used them as sacrifices for his so-called research!”
"I could no longer remain calm and immediately ordered Boyd to be taken into custody. In order to prevent the news of the human sacrifice from spreading and causing public panic, I did not publicly execute Boyd, but secretly imprisoned him in the Tower of Judgment in the western part of the continent. That tower was built in a desolate place, and ordinary people would never come near it."
"During his imprisonment, he personally visited Boyd at the Tower of Judgment and questioned him about why he had committed such a cruel act."
"But he looked completely insane."
"He laughed loudly through the iron gate, saying that God is real and that as long as enough sacrifices are made, one can establish a connection with God, obtain the power of immortality, and become a higher level of being."
"Looking into Boyd's bloodshot, crazed eyes, I was filled with despair. I couldn't believe that my once gentle and steady companion had become like this. After much thought, I remembered Dana's healing magic. Perhaps Dana could dispel the evil power on Boyd and restore his sanity."
“I immediately sent someone to fetch Dana, but before Dana could reach the Tower of Judgment, news came that Boyd had escaped. No one knew how he escaped, nor where he went. A strong sense of unease gripped my heart, and I immediately ordered the entire nation to be on high alert and search for Boyd’s whereabouts.”
"But I was still too late. When I led the army back to the capital, the entire city had been completely transformed. The sky was shrouded in a dark red mist, the air was thick with the stench of blood, all the flowers and plants on the streets had withered, and even ordinary birds and beasts had fallen to the ground."
Upon hearing this, John couldn't help but lean forward and ask:
Is it the Eclipse Hour?
The skeleton knight nodded silently, his helmet swaying slightly with a dull thud.
"That's right, it's the Eclipse Hour."
"And it's not the ordinary eclipse that turns people into apostles, but the eclipse that can turn people into the Hand of God."
"After Boyd escaped back, he activated a massive sacrificial array in the central square of the capital. The entire population of the capital was drawn together by an invisible force and gathered in the square. By the time he and Dana arrived, it was too late to stop it. Boyd held a red stone in his hand, and dark red light burst forth from the array, enveloping the entire capital."
"I, Dana, and all the inhabitants of the capital became his offerings to the gods."
"I still can't forget that feeling of my soul being torn apart. We struggled desperately, but we couldn't break free from the magic array's restraints. We could only watch helplessly as our life force was slowly drained away, and our souls gradually became transparent in the bright light."
"Just as my soul was about to completely dissipate, a dazzling white light suddenly broke through the dark red mist."
"Flora was not trapped by the magic circle. She was gathering herbs in the valley outside the city when she noticed the anomaly in the direction of the capital and immediately rushed back. Seeing the besieged capital, she did not hesitate at all and immediately began chanting the forbidden incantation."
"She used all her magic to forcefully pull my and Dana's souls, which were about to dissipate, out of the magic circle." The skeleton knight's tone was full of gratitude when he mentioned Flora. "But at that time, our physical bodies had been completely destroyed in the sacrificial ritual, and our souls could not stay in the world for long."
"To preserve my soul, Flora had no choice but to seal it within a specially made suit of armor. As for Dana, Flora used an even more dangerous forbidden magic. She used her own magic as a catalyst to reshape Dana's soul, allowing her to be reborn as a fairy."
"After Dana was reborn, Flora sent her back to Fairy Island."
The skeleton knight spoke slowly.
"The area is rich in magic and protected by a natural barrier, making it suitable for her to rest and recover."
"But Flora herself paid a terrible price for using forbidden magic. Wizards have strict rules that forbid the use of forbidden magic that would disrupt the order of the human world. Flora's actions undoubtedly violated this ironclad rule, and even if she did it to save people, she cannot be forgiven."
"They revoked her wizarding status and banished her from Fairy Island. From then on, she was left to wander alone, struggling to survive on her remaining magic."