From the moment I was chosen by the holy relic

In the center of town, beside a dry well, several team members were surrounding several corpses, their faces pale and their eyes filled with terror. Eric rushed forward, his gaze falling on the bodies on the ground, and for a moment, his breath caught in his throat.

The corpses were not ordinary corpses; they were eerily emaciated, their skin withered like dried sheepskin, their eyes sunken, their mouths wide open, as if they had let out a silent scream before death. Most horrifyingly, their torsos were covered with charred marks, as if some kind of black flame had burned within them, devouring all their life force.

"What...what is this?" Leah covered her mouth, her voice trembling.

Kahn's face was extremely grim. He slowly squatted down, his fingertips touching a corpse before abruptly withdrawing them, his eyes filled with vigilance: "This is not ordinary magic, it's dark magic."

"Dark magic?" Eric's heart skipped a beat, and a terrifying light flashed in his eyes.

He abruptly stood up, drew his sword, and coldly surveyed his surroundings, his voice low and firm: "Who did it? Who massacred this town?"

"Perhaps we already know the answer," Kahn slowly rose, looking up into the darkness, his eyes sharp as a blade. "But we must be careful. If this is truly dark magic, then the caster is certainly no ordinary enemy."

A surge of rage welled up in Eric's heart. He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger churning in his chest, and stared resolutely into the depths of the town.

"Whoever it is, I will make them pay the price."

Kahn said in a low voice, "Two people at a time, search the houses, see if there are any survivors!" His gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Eric and Leah. "You two go west."

Eric nodded, gripping his sword tightly. Leah followed behind him, her staff gleaming faintly in the dim light. They walked slowly, their boots creaking softly on the scorched earth and broken timbers. A heavy, acrid smell filled the air, mingled with a hint of blood, making their chests tighten. Under the cover of night, the town's ruined streets resembled a silent graveyard, save for the occasional creaking of doors in the wind, like the whispers of the dead.

"It looks like no one's here anymore," Leah said softly, a hint of unease in her voice.

Eric pursed his lips, said nothing, and continued walking towards a half-ruined house. It was a blacksmith's shop, the door charred black, the anvil still standing in the ashes inside, the embers of the flames reflecting on the broken walls, faintly glowing crimson.

He used his scabbard to push aside a collapsed beam at the doorway and slowly walked in. His gaze swept across the room; the remaining ironware lay scattered on the floor, the blackened weapon rack collapsed in a corner, and the furnace fire had long since died out. The blacksmith's body lay before the forging table, still tightly clutching an unfinished longsword in his hand, as if, in his last moments, he was unwilling to put down his work.

"They didn't even give him a decent death," Leah whispered, a flash of anger in her eyes.

Eric did not answer. He crouched down and carefully examined the wounds on the corpse. The knife wounds were clean and swift, a single sword stroke to the throat, with no signs of struggle.

He was a highly trained assassin...

His brow furrowed even deeper, alarm bells ringing in his mind. The sudden attack, with almost no resistance from the entire town, suggested a targeted massacre, unlike a typical robbery. Moreover, the bodies were almost all still on the spot, indicating that the killers weren't concerned with looting; their goal was complete destruction.

"Let's go." Eric stood up, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

The two left the blacksmith's shop and continued along the street. The cold wind whispered in their ears, and the distant ruins cast eerie shadows in the night.

"Don't you think it's too quiet?" Leah suddenly asked, her voice tinged with unease.

Eric's heart skipped a beat. He too had sensed the strangeness. The extent of the destruction in the town indicated that the massacre had occurred several days earlier, but there were no signs of wild animals gnawing on the corpses, nor were there any bloodthirsty carrion birds gathering around. This was definitely not normal.

It was as if something was driving away these foragers...

Just then, a scream pierced the night sky!

Eric's heart pounded violently, as if gripped by an invisible hand, almost suffocating him. The screams were particularly piercing in the deathly silence of the town, like a sharp blade stabbing into his eardrums. He stopped abruptly, his hands unconsciously tightening around the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Lia's face turned deathly pale instantly, her pupils trembling slightly, as if she hadn't yet recovered from the shock. The two exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing the same resolve, and then strode off towards the direction from which the screams had come.

The wind howled through the ruins, swirling up ashes and broken wood chips, like the whispers of ghosts.

Then they witnessed that horrific scene.

The dwarf Targ and the archer Roy lay in pools of blood, their bodies riddled with arrows. Crimson blood slowly spread across the ground, mingling with the scorched earth and emitting a nauseating stench. Targ's rugged face still bore the lingering rage; his eyes were wide open, as if he were still unwilling to accept his fate in death. Roy's hand remained tightly gripping his bow, his fingertips touching the quiver, as if he were trying to fire one last arrow in his final moments.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Eric's breath hitched, his throat tightened as if it were burning. His mind was buzzing, his fingertips trembled slightly, but his body was too stiff to move.

Leah gasped, covering her mouth, tears of shock and grief welling in her eyes. Her voice was so weak it was almost inaudible: "Impossible, they...they just..."

Eric slowly knelt beside Targ, reaching out with trembling fingertips to the dwarf's neck, but only touched cold skin; the pulse had long since stopped. His fists clenched tightly, his head bowed low, his chest heaving violently.

They were just getting together...

They traveled together, sharing food and telling their stories by the campfire. Targ even patted his axe with a laugh, saying that when they got back to town, he would drink ten barrels of his mother's liquor!

But now...

Eric's body trembled slightly, his nails almost digging into his palms. His lips parted slightly, but no sound came out. Anger, grief, and guilt intertwined into a raging fire within his chest.

"Who did this!" His voice was low and hoarse, tinged with disbelief and anger.

"East!" Leah suddenly cried out, her voice filled with intense fear.

Eric looked up sharply, and from the depths of the alley to the east, another scream echoed. The sound was short and shrill, then abruptly stopped.

Almost instinctively, he stood up, drew his sword, and ran off, with Leah close behind. Her hands were already gathering magical light, her fingertips shimmering with a faint silver-white glow, ready to cast a healing spell at any moment.

As Eric walked through the ruins, he suddenly stopped, his chest tightening.

Reg lay on the ground, a long arrow embedded in his back, almost completely piercing his spine, blood soaking the soil. His hands were still gripping the hilt of his sword, but he clearly no longer had the strength to pull it out.

Eric's breathing became rapid, his chest heaving violently. His gaze swept quickly around, trying to find traces of the enemy, but the surrounding ruins remained deathly silent, with only the howling wind.

Suddenly, a painful groan came from not far away.

"Kahn!"

Eric whirled around and saw Kahn kneeling not far away, an arrow wound in his leg, blood slowly seeping from the seams of his leather armor. His face was pale, his hand still gripping his sword tightly, and in front of him stood a figure—

Carrot.

The sleazy and cunning man stood smugly before Kahn, a cold smile playing on his lips. Behind him, several dark figures slowly emerged, each armed and their eyes filled with chilling killing intent. "Hand over the other half of the treasure, and I might give you a quick death."

Kahn gritted his teeth, his knees already on the ground, yet he maintained his upright posture, staring coldly at his opponent. He caught sight of Eric and Leah, his expression changed drastically, and he immediately shouted, "Go! I'll cover your retreat!"

"Shut up." Eric interrupted him, his eyes fixed on Garrot, and casually handed the healing potion that Irene had left him to Leah so that she could treat Kahn.

Carrot narrowed his eyes, his smile widening. He turned respectfully and bowed slightly to the darkness behind him: "My lord, they have arrived."

In the darkness, a deep shadow slowly emerged, and a figure stepped out of the darkness, draped in a black cloak, with sharp and cold eyes.

Eric's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly recognized the other person.

"Khadir!"

The man he had met outside the ruins of the Kingdom of Nosteria had reappeared before him. His gaze fell on Eric, and a cold, mocking smile curled at the corners of his lips.

Kadir's black cloak billowed slightly in the wind. He tilted his head slightly, like a hunter admiring the spoils of his hunt, his gaze shifting between Eric, Leah, and Kahn, who was kneeling on the ground.

"What a nostalgic reunion," Kadir chuckled, a hint of ironic pleasure in his voice. "Eric, the former knight, now working as a menial laborer in an expedition. It's quite a sad sight."

Eric's breathing grew heavier, his eyes sharp as knives, yet a dangerous wariness rose within him. Why was he here? How did he find them? Was it a coincidence, or...?

"Did you burn down this town? Kill the people here?" Eric's voice was low, suppressing his anger.

Kadir blinked, seemingly amused by the remark. He shrugged and said casually, "Oh? You sound like you consider yourself the guardian of this place. Those people died, so what? What does it have to do with you?"

"You demon!" Eric's fists clenched tighter, his knuckles turning white, his chest heaving violently, his rage almost bursting forth. These lives were like dust to Kadir; his tone was as if he were discussing a trivial rain, not a massacre!

Kadir strolled slowly, his tone as leisurely as if conversing with an old friend: "Well then, let's make a deal. Hand over the pendant, and I'll let you go, how about it?"

At this moment, Eric breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Kadir had not captured or killed Eileen, otherwise he would have known that the pendant was on Eileen.

He took a deep breath, his heart pounding, his blood seemingly burning in his chest. His hand remained tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, the blade reflecting the faint firelight, its cold gleam flickering. Gazing at Kadir's nonchalant smile, the anger within him threatened to tear his reason apart, but he could not act impulsively.

Kadir is not an easy person to deal with.

If he acts rashly, not only himself, but also Leah and Kahn will likely be doomed.

So he slowly said, "If I give you the pendant, you must let them go."

Kadir raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Oh? Sounds like you think you're in a position to negotiate with me?"

He stepped forward, his black cloak billowing slightly to reveal a long sword at his waist, its hilt gleaming faintly in the night. His gaze swept coldly over Eric, as if examining a ridiculous toy.

"Aren't you on the wrong footing, Eric?" Kadir tilted his head slightly, his smile playful. "Now your lives are in my hands, not mine begging for your charity."

Eric pursed his lips, his heart pounded, and his fingertips turned slightly white. Kadir was indeed not going to agree so easily.

"If you don't let them go," Eric said in a deep voice, his eyes like knives, "then I'd rather die than tell you where the pendant is."

The air suddenly became heavy, as if night had fallen. Kadir's expression shifted slightly, and the smile on his face faded a bit. He narrowed his eyes, seemingly assessing the truthfulness of Eric's words.

Eric continued, his tone calm yet sharp: "You should know that if I don't want to talk about it, none of you will find it. I've hidden the pendant in a place no one can find, and even if you kill me, it won't fall into your hands."

Kadir's smile finally vanished completely. He gazed silently at Eric, a thoughtful glint in his dark eyes, his fingers slowly stroking the hilt of his sword.

Time seemed to stand still; a few seconds felt like an eternity.

Finally, Kadir sighed softly, as if with some regret, and said, "You're still so stubborn."

Then, he slowly raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Carrot immediately sheathed her sword and stood back behind Kadir, her eyes still filled with resentment, but she dared not disobey his orders.

"Very well, Eric, I agree," Kadir said with a light laugh, his eyes playful. "Let your friends go."

Eric breathed a slight sigh of relief, but remained vigilant. He quickly turned to look at Leah and Kahn, his voice low and firm: "Go."

Kahn roared, "No! I won't leave!" His face was pale, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his leg wound was still bleeding, but he stared at Eric with unwavering determination in his eyes.

"Eric, are you crazy?! You can't stay here!" he gritted his teeth. "They won't let you go!"

"Are you leaving or not?" Eric's tone suddenly turned cold, carrying an unquestionable air of authority.

Kahn gritted his teeth, clenched his fists tightly, and his eyes were filled with resentment.

"Eric—"

"Take him away!" Eric interrupted sharply, his gaze shifting to Leah, his eyes unwavering. "Now!"

A flicker of pain and struggle crossed Leah's eyes, but she knew this was not the time to argue. She gave Eric a deep look, then suddenly grabbed Kahn's arm, giving him no chance to resist. She quickly chanted a spell, and silver light shimmered at her fingertips, forming a light wall of wind that pushed Kahn backward.

"Damn it! Eric!!" Kahn roared and struggled, but his injuries made him unable to resist Leah's power.

Lia whispered, "I'm sorry..." Then, with all her might, she dragged Kahn up and ran quickly out of town, disappearing into the night. Only Eric and Kadir remained, facing each other amidst the ruins. The cold wind whistled through the charred beams, making the tattered flags flutter, and the air was filled with the lingering smell of blood and ashes.

Kadir slowly stepped forward, a dangerous glint in his eyes: "Alright, Eric, they're gone. Now tell me, where is the pendant?"

Eric didn't answer, but tilted his head slightly, his tone contemptuous: "Kadir, do you really think I'm afraid of you? Don't you remember the result of our last encounter?"

Kadir's eyes flashed slightly cold, then a playful smile appeared on his face: "Last time? You mean you narrowly defeated me using that sword?"

Eric remained unmoved. He gently raised his right hand, his thumb slowly stroking the hilt of the sword. His gaze was sharp as a knife, and his tone was unhurried: "The luck you speak of has cost you a lot of trouble."

Kadir stared at him, a slight smirk playing on his lips, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes: "What a naive boy. That sword was confiscated by the King of Nosteria long ago!"

Eric's heart sank, and his expression changed slightly, but he quickly forced himself to calm down.

Kadir watched his expression change, his smile widening, his gaze sharpening like a venomous snake: "Eric, you still want to lie to me? You think I'm afraid of the sword in your hand? It's just an ordinary piece of iron."

Eric's fingertips trembled slightly. He quickly realized that there were spies of Kadir in the Nosterian palace, and he already knew about his current situation.

But he didn't let his fear show. Instead, he raised his head and sneered, "So what? You think I'll be afraid of you without that sword?"

Kadir's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his smile vanished instantly: "Where is the pendant?"

His voice was deep and dangerous, like a sharp blade about to be drawn, carrying an irresistible sense of oppression.

Eric slowly drew his sword, its cold gleam shimmering in the firelight. His gaze was resolute, his tone unwavering: "I've already thrown the pendant away. You'll never find it again."

In an instant, Kadir's rage seemed to materialize. A flash of fury crossed his eyes, and he suddenly drew his longsword. The sharp blade drew a cold arc in the night, slashing towards Eric with the force of thunder!

Eric's eyes narrowed, and he reflexively dodged to the side. Kadir's blade grazed his ear, the sharp wind slicing through the air and lifting a strand of his black hair.

when!

Eric swung his sword in retaliation without hesitation. The blades clashed, and sparks flew in the night as the metal collided.

Kadir pressed forward relentlessly, his attacks swift and fierce, each strike leaving no opening, like an enraged black panther, every attack carrying deadly intent. His swordsmanship was sharp and precise, each slash seemingly anticipating Eric's movements, forcing him to parry repeatedly.

"This time, you're dead!" Kadir whispered with a cold laugh.