Chapter 80: The Moonlight Knights
Abyss’s plan was successful. Although the Lord of Submergence’s power hadn’t fully transferred to Leona yet, he had sworn his allegiance. As long as this gluttonous creature had enough food, he wouldn’t betray them. With this step complete, the Lord of Submergence’s power was essentially in Abyss’s grasp.
Abyss didn’t know the full extent of the Creator God’s power, but based on all the evidence so far, the Creator God had absolute control over everything in this world. Simply possessing immense power might not be enough to challenge him—as the world’s supreme ruler, he could potentially revoke their powers or even erase Abyss from existence.
Abyss knew he had only one chance to challenge the Creator God. Therefore, he would gather as much power as possible, divine, mixed, and otherworldly, to have more options at his disposal. He didn’t know when the Creator God would return from his travels, so he had to seize every opportunity to acquire the power he desired.
“Flora should be the first to wake up, and Leona will probably wake up in the morning,” Abyss said, relieved, as the Lord of Submergence’s form completely vanished, becoming part of Leona’s power. “As for me, I probably won’t wake up for a few days. I’ll be sleeping to recover my damaged soul. I’ll leave it to you two to carry me around during that time.”
The missing portion of his soul hadn’t regenerated yet, and occasional flickers of soul flame escaped from the wound.
“Dear Mr. Belator, I have a question! Can’t we just stay here and wait for you to wake up?” Leona asked, raising her hand.
“Of course not,” Abyss said, spreading his hands. “I’m broke.”
“Ugh! You penniless fool!” Leona rolled her eyes.
Abyss ruffled her hair, ignoring her protest. “We have two options now. We can either go to the Elven Kingdoms and search for the legendary druid, or we can go to the Eastern Empire and search for the legendary alchemist. As for the genius dark elf assassin, her burial location is still unclear, so we’ll leave her for now. What do you two think?”
Flora, content as long as she could travel with Abyss, shook her head.
Leona pondered for a while, then looked up. “ABC, I want to go to the Eastern Empire!”
“Hmm, sure. Is there something you need to do there?”
“You promised to fulfill our wishes from our previous lives, right?” Leona said, a longing expression on her face. “I want you to help me obtain something I yearned for but could never have. It’s in the Eastern Empire.”
“What is it?” Abyss asked, curious. “Something that an Imperial Princess, who could have anything she wanted, couldn’t obtain? I’m intrigued.”
“The ‘Moonlight Insignia,’” Leona said seriously. “It’s a special magical tattoo that proves the bearer’s identity—a member of the Moonlight Knights. Have you heard of them?”
Abyss, having traveled extensively and learned about various customs and legends, knew the story of the Moonlight Knights.
Thirteen hundred years ago, the Mynian Empire’s territory of Caladi, now known as the Shadowblight, was overrun by Shadow Demons, creatures from another world, within a week. The surviving inhabitants fled to the Haitville continent. After a joint investigation by the Empire and the Church failed, scholars theorized that these monsters might use the Shadowblight as a base to launch attacks on Haitville.
Magic wasn’t as advanced back then. They couldn’t effectively use magic barriers for long-term defense against the Shadow Demons, nor could they afford to constantly monitor the Shadowblight. Although Divine Arts were effective, their high cost limited their use. To protect the continent, the Mynian Empire and several kingdoms in the east formed a Continental Defense Force, always prepared for battle.
But the Shadow Demons were powerful. Ordinary soldiers couldn’t hold them back. So, several powerful Dou Warriors in the Empire formed a volunteer knight order, the Moonlight Knights, to fight without pay.
The Moonlight Knights were unprecedented—an all-female knight order. It consisted of only seven members, but each one was a peak ninth-tier Dou Warrior, and all were among the rare female knights officially recognized by the Empire.
Initially, the Moonlight Knights were ridiculed. An all-female knight order sounded like a publicity stunt. Even though the seven members were genuinely powerful, they didn’t receive much respect. After all, the Shadow Demons hadn’t attacked yet, and they hadn’t done anything.
Then, just as people began to believe that the Shadow Demons were content to stay in the Shadowblight, the worst happened.
A report arrived from the Continental Defense Force stationed in the northeast corner of the continent—a Shadow Demon had been spotted swimming across the sea, heading towards Haitville!
This lone demon was quickly eliminated by warships, but the news sent shockwaves through the continent.
If one monster could swim, others could too. What if they launched a large-scale invasion? Warships alone wouldn’t be enough to stop them! Although the Empire immediately dispatched their most elite fleet to investigate the Shadowblight, anxiety remained high.
And then, the Moonlight Knights stepped forward.
These seven powerful female knights volunteered to join the expeditionary force, venturing into the Shadowblight to find a way to stop the monsters from spreading across the world.
The rest of their story was passed down through the veterans who returned from that expedition—they fought bravely, dying in the Shadowblight, but they managed to send back a crucial report. The Shadow Demons weren’t a disorganized horde. They had a strict hierarchy based on power, and all obeyed a single leader, whom the knights called the “Shadow Queen.”
They discovered that the Shadow Queen was preparing a large-scale migration, targeting the vast Haitville continent. The seven Moonlight Knights decided to assassinate her. After six of them perished, the Shadow Queen was slain. Without her leadership, the remaining demons, acting purely on instinct, scattered, and the invasion plan was thwarted. The knights had saved the world. However, the last surviving knight, after writing the report, also succumbed to her injuries. According to the veterans’ accounts, her heart had already ruptured while she was writing, but her immense vitality, fueled by her strength, allowed her to finish her final task.
Only after their deaths did the people of the continent truly appreciate their sacrifice. Bards, inspired by the veterans’ tales, composed epic poems and songs, spreading their legend throughout the land. Their ashes were brought back, and the Empire, with the highest honors, built tombs for them in their hometowns. The Emperor and the Pope personally presided over their memorial services and posthumously awarded them medals. But all of this happened after they were gone.
It was said that the Moonlight Knights had been recruiting members before their departure. Any woman who passed their trials could join their ranks, becoming the eighth member. But no one had met their requirements.
And after the seven knights died, joining the order became impossible. How could one seek them out and pass their trials when they were dead? Unless someone resurrected their souls from their tombs, asking them to be examiners again and magically tattooing the insignia on those who succeeded. But what necromancer would be so bold? Unless they were insane, who would dare desecrate the tombs of the continent’s heroes?
Leona couldn’t help but look at Abyss.
Here was a necromancer, readily available, one who was both insane and incredibly bold. Her wish, once a childish fantasy, now seemed attainable.
Abyss nodded casually. “Sure, then you can carry my sleeping body towards the Eastern Empire. When I wake up, we’ll search for the third person’s grave and help you fulfill your wish. Leave it to me, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed,” he said, grinning at Leona, flashing his white teeth, as if to reassure her.
“Really? It’s a deal then!” Leona said, her face lighting up. “Once I become a Moonlight Knight, you’ll be showered with praise!”
“Absolutely!” Abyss nodded solemnly. “I, Abyss Belator, will do my utmost to fulfill your dream, because you’re one of my most trusted followers!”
“Stop with the sweet talk! You think I’ll be moved by that? Do you say that to all your followers?!” Leona said, blushing.
Abyss chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head. “Because I truly trust you.”
Leona sighed softly, a happy smile on her face.
“Oh, right, Leona, I have a small question.”
“What?”
“Where are you planning to get the Moonlight Insignia tattooed? You’re not thinking of getting it on…”
“You pervert! You want me to get it tattooed on a private area to satisfy your indecent desires?!”
“…On your face, maybe… Eh? Why are you so angry?! Wait, let’s talk this over. Put down the Dou Qi lance!”
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