The southern shore of the broad lake district east of Tower Settlement had always been the roaming ground of wild Hornsent Ones.
Because of the Messmer army's constant expansion and pressure, the Hornsent Ones' living space had been squeezed down to almost nothing.
Even so, some stubborn Hornsent Ones still ventured out to temper themselves, wandering through this danger-ridden land.
No one knew exactly what time it was. Heavy dark clouds hung across the sky like a black curtain, blocking the sunlight completely and plunging the land into a hazy gloom.
Then, all at once, more than a hundred white figures appeared. They looked as though they had just been reborn, watching everything around them with sharp caution.
The massive procession stood exposed in the wilderness, marching in grand fashion toward Ailing Village. At the very front, Nolan casually smashed a Hornsent's body apart.
As far as the eye could see, there was only ruin and desolation. The land seemed to have lost all life long ago, leaving behind nothing but endless bleakness and solitude.
Every so often, some blind Hornsent would come forward to throw their life away, and Nolan would always greet them with a smile, thoughtfully offering them a welcome gift called "death."
As the group continued onward, life grew even scarcer in this already sparsely inhabited wilderness.
At times, Nolan would glance back at the Numen following behind him.
He noticed an indescribably fervent light in their eyes, as if they were waiting for something...
It was a thirst for power.
Nolan was deeply pleased that these women had finally understood. Relying on outside strength could never last.
Just as he was about to deliver an impassioned speech on the importance of power, a deafening crash suddenly erupted from the calm lake without the slightest warning.
Muddy water poured down from the sky like a rainstorm, scattering and splashing across the ground ahead of them.
From the nameless lake to the left of the procession, something enormous came crashing down with a thunderous impact, sending great waves surging outward.
A figure shot out of the lake like a cannonball streaking across the sky, then landed beside Nolan with a heavy smack, striking the ground dead center.
The earth jolted violently, as if it had been struck by a powerful earthquake.
The solid ground could not withstand such a tremendous impact. Dust exploded into the air at once, forming a rolling cloud that rapidly spread in every direction.
It seemed the ground still was not hard enough, but that had also given the person who fell a tremendous cushion.
Melina instantly threw herself in front of Nolan in a protective stance. Nolan, however, stood motionless where he was, his bearing calm as he looked at the figure standing on the shattered ground.
Trina immediately poked her head out from his back to look. Ranni, seated on his left shoulder, rubbed her dust-stung eyes with an irritated expression.
"A Carian Knight!?" Trina froze the moment she saw the young woman standing inside the crater.
Nolan's gaze also settled on the culprit who had wrecked the surroundings. Judging by such a dramatic entrance, he had even thought at first that this person had come purely to provoke them.
But in the next instant, he realized she actually had her back to him.
Arrogant!
Of course, Nolan's little inner drama lasted less than a second.
"You got into a fight with a Flying Dragon? No, a Flying Dragon among Those Who Live in Death. This must be a Ghostflame Dragon, right?"
At the sound of that unhurried voice, the valiant female knight in the crater turned her head with sharp vigilance.
The instant her gaze met Nolan's, clear surprise flashed across her face.
This was Hornsent territory. How had a young man with no horns suddenly appeared here?
And not only that, he was leading a group of women who also had no horns, openly roaming around as if they owned the place.
But her surprise vanished almost as soon as it appeared.
The female knight quickly gathered herself again. Her face turned cold once more as she looked back toward the massive creature that had cost her a precious warhorse.
Above the stagnant lake, a rotting Flying Dragon hovered high in the air, its cold eyes fixed firmly on the female knight below.
"You're Numen, aren't you? I didn't expect there to be Numen like you in Shadowland, all pale and delicate. I really don't understand how the Hornsent let you slip by."
The valiant woman, none other than Moonrithyll, did not even have time to glance back and see whether the man behind her had any light in his eyes. She simply lifted the Claymore inlaid with Glintstones and rested it on her shoulder.
"Don't be afraid. I can handle that dragon. Honestly, Messmer will be thrilled when he sees you. If he's happy enough, maybe he'll even marry my lady."
"Hey!" Nolan called to the female knight as he looked at the Flying Dragon.
A Flying Dragon by itself held no great value worth Nolan making a special effort to hunt it down, but since it had delivered itself to his door, would it not be a waste to leave it alive?
Moonrithyll did not turn back. Perhaps, in her view, Nolan had called out only because he belonged to a kindhearted race and was worried for her safety.
But at this critical moment, Moonrithyll had no time for such trivial matters. The giant over the lake would not wait for them to finish talking.
Seeing that she had completely ignored him, Nolan slowly turned his head toward Melina, raised a hand, and pointed behind him. "Protect them."
Melina lifted the Dagger in her hand without hesitation, wearing an expression that said she would cut down even a Demigod if one came.
Nolan gave Ranni and Trina a look, signaling for them to hold on tight. Then he took one step with Bloodhound's Step and appeared beside Moonrithyll, patting her on the shoulder.
Moonrithyll felt someone touch her and frowned, turning her head, only to find no one there.
A powerful sense of danger surged through her. In that instant, she felt as if something terrifying had swept past her side. Her vision blurred, and then she saw an unmistakable figure.
If the man before her had been hostile just now, she would already be dead.
The sound of that pat still echoed by her ear. Her steps stopped, and Moonrithyll stood there in a daze, unable to process what had happened. Then a sentence drifted into her ear.
"This lady knight looks rather tired. Why not rest for a while first?"
What the hell? I only just finished warming up!
Moonrithyll thought indignantly. She was a Carian Knight who had lived through the Full Moon Conquest War, not one of those half-baked rookies from later generations.
A mere Flying Dragon was supposed to give her trouble? Who was he looking down on?
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