The moonlight was like foam, rippling and scattering across the dark curtain of night, painting a dreamlike scene before the Spirit Tree Pavilion.
The skeleton knight sat quietly on his dark horse, gazing at the sky. He did not enter the house.
Flora rarely stood and went out. "Come, let's greet him."
Nidhogg naturally rose as well.
Schierke quickly and gently supported Flora, who was already quite frail, and escorted her from the house onto the open ground outside.
The little witch timidly looked at the skeleton knight, took a deep breath, but bravely stood beside her teacher.
Ivalera was even braver.
She flew over the skeleton knight and his dark horse, circling and observing him just as she had done when she first met Nidhogg and Torrent this morning.
"Hmm, elf power—this time, you definitely have elf power." Ivalera bit her little finger thoughtfully. "Is it Flora's charm? Hmm... Seems like there's more to it."
Flora looked at the skeleton knight, then took a few steps forward.
Seeing this, the skeleton knight dismounted. His armor clinked as he landed. He stood before Flora and said solemnly, "It's been a long time, Flora. You must still take care of your health."
Flora was momentarily stunned, then laughed. "I never expected that you, who used to annoy me, would now say that to me yourself. Is this also causality?"
"Do you have another apprentice who needs your help?" The skeleton knight's ghostly eyes looked at Schierke, who was following Flora. Schierke startled him. "She seems like a good seedling."
Flora also turned and looked at Schierke. "I think highly of her. I believe she will not only inherit my mantle but also surpass me. She has that potential."
Schierke rarely heard her teacher praise her so directly. Her eyes widened in surprise. After reacting, she blushed slightly.
Ivalera also flew to Schierke's shoulder, leaned against her head, and smiled a little smugly. "Right, our Schierke is that strong."
Now Schierke's face was like a burning cloud, even redder. She was speechless.
The skeleton knight gazed at Schierke for a while and said, "Then let me wait and see. Time is long, yet short."
Then he turned his head and looked at Nidhogg, who was standing to the side. "You truly followed our agreement and came. It's clear you haven't relaxed in the month since we parted."
"Since you've already met Flora, you should be well acquainted, right? Pure magic is not my forte. Now that you've spoken of it, what do you think?"
Nidhogg replied, "I have befriended Lady Flora."
Flora also nodded and said, "He is an enemy of the Apostles. He delivered the Beherits into your hands. The vision of the world that the Golden Order seeks to achieve opposes the law of causality. I believe he will become our friend."
"Gaiseric, it's been a long time since we've had a friend who could fight by our side. Many have given up and retreated into corners. Nidhogg's existence is rare."
"I understand." The skeleton knight said heavily, looking at Nidhogg. "The power of the divine will soon descend upon this world. It is the reincarnation of 216 years. Perhaps we can do something together."
Nidhogg nodded and said, "That's what I thought. At the very least, I want to save some people. By the way, I have something to add regarding this eclipse."
He told them about Griffith, the Crimson Beherit, and the Hawk Company. This surprised Flora and her apprentice, as well as Ivalera.
The skeleton knight listened calmly, showing no surprise at all.
"Thus, combined with the Book of Revelation, the time, place, people, and causality are all assembled. It truly has reached the point where the arrow is already on the string and must be loosed."
"When human thoughts create a massive force field, the God Hand can exist in that moment. But if the physical force field of thoughts is too strong, they cannot exist in the flesh. At that time, a 'festival' is needed."
"The eye of the tornado within that force field is undoubtedly this Griffith. The wind he stirs will sweep away everything around and finally summon the God Hand."
"And the festivals and rituals that exist and come to them cannot be changed by human hands. I have tried this many times and confirmed it."
The skeleton knight pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Enough talk. Nidhogg, you can come with me to the astral world."
"The Path to the Yellow Springs of the Astral World?"
Nidhogg was a little puzzled. What was that?
At this moment, Flora beside him stood up in surprise, half explaining, half persuading: "You want to take him deep into the astral world? His current strength is not enough. Isn't that too risky?"
The skeleton knight shook his head, expressing a different opinion.
"The Sword of Water Calling is still a half-finished product. The number of Beherits is completely insufficient. This idea cannot be confirmed at the moment of the Eclipse."
"Our chances this time are still slim. But since Nidhogg wants to save some people at the moment of the Eclipse—that is, from being sacrificed to monsters—such hope is always much greater than stopping the Eclipse itself."
"Like you, I also believe that Nidhogg's strength is currently insufficient. But to increase this hope, he needs to become stronger in a short time. For that, the Path to the Yellow Springs is the most suitable place."
Flora was momentarily stunned, unable to refute.
Nidhogg understood. So that was the meaning. He thought for a while and immediately said, "In that case, I choose to go with the skeleton knight."
Seeing that Nidhogg himself was not backing down, Flora had no choice but to nod. Then she said, "Later, I will give you talismans. In the depths of the astral world, they will be able to help you."
Then she thought of something and hesitated.
The skeleton knight and Flora had known each other for an unknown number of years. He saw her thoughts at a glance and said, "If you want him to wear that 'Berserker Armor,' better forget it."
"He has the power of his own unique system. The Berserker Armor is not suitable for him. Wearing it might bind his power. There's no need."
Flora, disappointed, sighed and smiled helplessly. "You're right. That enchantment is indeed not suitable for him. But you must accept the talismans."
"That goes without saying," the skeleton knight replied.
A quarter of an hour later, everything was ready. Flora handed the selected talismans to the skeleton knight and Nidhogg, not only to facilitate their entry into the astral world but also to bless them against partial intrusion for a short time.
Only then did Nidhogg ask the skeleton knight, "How do we reach the path to the astral world you spoke of?"
The skeleton knight slowly raised his hand. His sharp, iron-clad phalanges pointed deep into the forest behind the Spirit Tree Pavilion.
"This is a crack between the real world and the astral world—the 'Narrow Room.' It is the preferred dwelling place for mages like Flora. If you go deeper, you will reach the first level of the astral world, the 'Narrow Valley.'"
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