Chapter 85: Courage (Part 1)

If anyone could see Ancestar now, they would surely find him frozen atop his horse, surrounded by a strange magical rhythm, muttering incessantly to himself.

In Ancestar’s eyes, however, the scene was entirely different.

A golden giant sat on the other end of a Covenant Scale , speaking to him: “I am the Torch-bearer , and you are the Tinder. On the future path of magic, we shall walk together.”

Following these words, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood within the vision, his head feeling as if it had been struck by a heavy blow.

In the world outside the vision, he also spat out blood. A portion of his mental power was forcibly pulled out, mixing with the blood and merging into a Hexagram pattern imprint.

“Keep secrets, watch over and aid one another, observe Equivalent Exchange, respect knowledge, and seek the truth.”

As these words were repeated over and over, the golden giant gradually faded away.

Ancestar woke as if from a dream, slumped over his horse. The animal, sensing its master’s abnormality, appeared very unsettled.

He opened his eyes while still on the horse and patted its flank. His Hammer of Oblivion had vanished without a trace. Just as he was looking around, various mysterious patterns flashed before his eyes. The Hexagram pattern transformed into a stream of water, reshaping itself into a Grimoire that fell into his hands.

The mirrored Ace watched the shocked Ancestar with a satisfied smile. Now that the Covenant ritual was complete, the secrets of the fallen knight, Ancestar, were known to him.

Through illusory suggestion, Ace had easily uncovered Ancestar’s secrets and given him a strike with a long-range Hammer of Oblivion; this was why Ancestar had been slumped on his horse for half the day.

“The fallen knight Ancestar, the last successor of the Heart-Will Flow knight training method, actually achieved Mental Overdrive through his own cultivation. How truly interesting!”

“If I were the only one holding the torch in this long night, how dull it would be. These occasional sparks struck from the masses of mortals are the most captivating moments of the journey.”

The mirrored Ace muttered to himself with a hint of joy.

---

The next day, the fallen knight wobbled on his horse as he reached the Fortress. Fully armed as he was, it was no surprise when he was stopped for questioning. Relying on a crumpled piece of parchment as proof, the fallen knight was allowed entry into the Fortress after his battered lance was forcibly confiscated.

Inside the Fortress, at the Relief center:

Ollie was secretly meditating and practicing magic.

She had already completed the “Newbie Guide” step-by-step. If one looked closely at her brow, a mysterious silver pattern would flash. Regarding Spell Models , she had already learned Minimal Meditation , Lesser Magic Missile, and Lesser Wind Blade.

If it were said that Arno could take on three of her a few days ago, she could now handle ten Arnos without any issue.

Of course, Ollie certainly didn’t think that way herself.

“I have to work hard to save up Points to exchange for a Grimoire for Arno. We have to stay together, always.”

Ollie constantly encouraged herself.

Because she was too weak, she didn’t dare leave the city. She relied entirely on the examination function on the sixth page to earn Points. As long as she ranked in the top three of the weekly study list, she could obtain Points—the first-place winner received thirty each time!

Although Ollie studied very diligently, her results always put her in second place. Earning only ten Points a week made her feel quite frustrated.

“Ollie, Ollie! Look what I managed to get!”

Arno’s lips were somewhat red and swollen. Though he tried his best to hide it, Ollie noticed immediately.

“What happened to your face? Who did this!”

Ollie touched it worriedly, questioning him.

“It’s nothing, I just took a tumble. Quick, look, I got something good!”

Arno spoke to Ollie with total nonchalance.

Ollie watched as Arno pulled two pieces of white bread from his robe, pressed tightly together and carrying the faint scent of meat.

“Eat it quickly, eat it while it’s hot. It won’t be good once it’s cold!”

Arno pushed the bread toward Ollie, speaking happily.

“Brother Arno, let’s eat together, okay?”

Ollie looked at Arno with heartache; she didn’t ask where the food had come from.

“I already finished mine; I ate such a big piece!”

Just as Arno was boasting, his stomach let out a loud rumble in vocal protest.

Ollie burst into a small laugh, then tore the white bread open to reveal the tightly packed chunks of smoked meat inside.

Her eyes glistened as she closed them, giving Arno a wide, bright smile.

“We eat together!” she said firmly, word by word.

---

The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, Arno climbed up quietly and slipped out of the Relief center.

The moment Arno got up, Ollie’s eyes snapped open. She released her Sense of Perception and followed him stealthily.

She followed Arno through several streets until they reached an open clearing where several sturdy-looking boys were waiting.

“Not bad, we thought you wouldn’t show up.”

A sturdy boy in the lead spoke to Arno with excitement in his eyes.

“I am Arno. I am a person with Hero qualities; I do what I say!” Arno stated with determination.

“Quit with the empty talk, you’re just a sandbag,” another boy said disdainfully.

“Let’s start, I want to try out the moves I learned yesterday,” a tall, thin boy said, excitedly warming up his limbs.

“Wait!” Arno suddenly raised a hand and said.

“You want to back out?” The leading sturdy boy looked at Arno with an unfriendly expression.

“A fair trade—show me the food first!”

“I thought it was something serious. It’s all ready. We each brought breakfast from home. Since I introduced you to so many customers, shouldn’t you give me a discount and let me hit you a bit longer?” the leading boy said with a crooked grin.

“Small business—twenty minutes per person. You hit, I only dodge and don’t fight back. Breakfast must include meat, no credit allowed!” Arno said with a serious face.

“Stop talking, I’m first.” The tall, thin boy stepped forward immediately.

Arno dodged and rolled, but he still couldn’t avoid taking several punches and kicks.

“Again!”

Bang!

“Come on, again!”

Bang!

Following behind him, Ollie watched as Arno fell and stood up repeatedly. She covered her mouth in agony, tears dripping down. She wanted to stop it, yet she feared that exposing the truth would embarrass Arno. She could only lean weakly against a tree trunk, covering her mouth and weeping silently.

Just then, the fallen knight Ancestar—with his golden wavy hair, melancholy eyes, and knight’s longsword on his back—happened to walk by. He watched the youths quietly. Just as Arno was gathering the food into a bundle to carry back and Ancestar was about to move forward, he discovered Ollie hiding behind the tree, weeping.

Both of their Grimoires became scalding hot and flipped open uncontrollably, the first page—the Covenant page—displaying text:

[Encountered another Covenant contractor!]

[Rule: In principle, Covenant contractors are not permitted to harm one another; mutual cooperation is advised. You are both Tinder chosen by the Torch-bearer, tasked with jointly exploring the future of the magical path in the pitch-black night.]

[Penalty: Maliciously harming or killing other Covenant contractors will result in penalties ranging from a minimum deduction of Points to a maximum penalty of death. Please act with caution.]

[Tip: All Covenant contractors are Fellow Travelers on the path of magic. Establishing a good relationship is beneficial for advancing further. To learn more, please consult the Fellow Traveler function.]