Bear School Astartes

Chapter 917: Chapter 899: A World Without Light

’Today, when getting paid at the training ground, no wearing of armor’?

Lann thought silently, sighing softly.

An old-fashioned scheme, but undeniably straightforward and effective.

After all, the Losric Knight Order was completely loyal to Losric, and one of the conspirators, the Eldest Prince Lorrian, had personally led knights into battle.

The knights revered this noble and courageous Divine Race prince.

But precisely because of this loyalty and reverence, when the Prince himself ordered them to gather at the Chapel, who would suspect anything?

Lann discreetly massaged his temples on each side, looking as if he had just woken up and was still a bit dazed.

But in truth, he was alleviating the pain in his head, as if being gnawed by carnivorous worms.

The dark erosion was becoming more apparent as the initial fire waned.

”Mind if I check out the Dragon Knight coming down from the Inner City?”

”That’s why I came to you.” Lorenzo nodded nonchalantly, watching Lann stand up from the ground. ”I need a lot of advice now, any advice.”

The Losric Knights who had just come off their patrol duties rested against the walls in the church hall, while some clerics clumsily used restorative ’miracles’ to heal their patrol injuries.

And as Lann and Lorenzo pushed open the thick chapel doors, the Demon Hunter’s brows furrowed tightly.

It’s... too dark.

The world’s sun had turned into a ’bleeding eclipse’ a while ago, the light intensity akin to the tail of twilight on ordinary days.

And now...

Losric Knights and the lucky civilians who survived and fled to the church for refuge dismantled building materials and furniture, making simple bonfires and holding up torches.

Only with these did a bit of light emerge under the terrible visibility.

The light from the sky now was merely equivalent to a moonlit night.

But according to Mentos’ biological clock, it should clearly be daylight!

No wonder, the darkness within was stirring.

Because the world was one step closer to extinguishment.

”Are you okay?”

Lorenzo asked beside Lann.

”Since you woke up, you seem a bit uncomfortable.”

”No, it’s nothing.” Lann subtly dismissed the topic.

Then headed towards the dragon corpse outside the chapel.

On this dragon’s corpse, there were many traces of being ravaged by lightning.

That’s the dragon hunting gear of the Losric Knights.

Lightning crossbow arrows and thunder jars similar to flame jars.

Though the Losric Knights now accompanied dragons, their dragon-hunting skills were still the foundation of their combat system.

Originally, the steps in front of the chapel were spacious enough for ten people to walk side by side.

But when a dragon fell here, its wing claws and membranes were so large they had to hang diagonally against the side wall of the steps.

A Dragon Knight’s corpse was pinned beneath the dragon’s head, his chest nailed to the ground by a Knight Captain’s spear.

It seems this was the pursuing Dragon Cavalryman.

As Lann approached, the knights stepped aside. He noticed Priestess Emma was also present.

They nodded to each other first, greeting each other, then Lann squatted beside the Prince School Dragon Knight’s corpse, examining him.

Nothing complicated, just an ordinary Dragon Cavalryman wearing the usual full set of Losric Knight Armor. Nonetheless, Lann deliberately inspected the lantern at his waist, shattered during the fall.

”How did it come to this?”

Priestess Emma murmured, a bit disheartened.

But her gaze was on the darkness beyond the firelight, not the Dragon Knight before them.

Clearly, the environmental changes caused by the initial fire were her words’ subject.

”The bells have rung, even excluding the escaped Elderidge, there should still be three remaining Lords!”

”The Falan Undead Team, Giant King of the City of Sin—Yum, Courland’s Exile—Rudus... how could all have encountered trouble?”

”Until today, not one has reached the Fire Transmission Altar, sat upon the Craving Throne to sustain the initial fire!?”

The [Craving Throne] is a fire transmission device specifically prepared for those four Lords linking the world during the interim phase.

This object holds a high and sacred status, being part of the fire transmission ceremony sustaining the world’s operation.

Therefore, Lann had also seen bits and pieces about it in the Profound Church’s library.

This technology was absorbed into Losric along with refugees after Doran Gureg was annihilated by Casas.

Normally, the Lords’ fire transmission requires traveling to a place called the ’Initial Furnace’, contacting the initial fire, burning their soul as fuel.

But the special Lords supporting world operation during the interim fire transmission ceremony possess their exclusive thrones at the Fire Transmission Altar.

Atop those, they need not journey to the Initial Furnace to contact the initial fire, to avoid being burned away entirely.

And can transmit one’s own power remotely through the throne into the First Flame, maintaining it in a weak yet continuous state, barely keeping the flame from extinguishing.

This allows Losric to complete the Fire Transmission Ceremony during this brief stable period, restoring stability to the world.

During the over ten thousand years that Losric has managed the Fire Transmission Ceremony, even such situations are exceedingly rare.

But now... is there not even a single Lord of Cinder who desires the throne?

Undoubtedly, even for Losric, this is an unprecedentedly severe situation.

”Precisely because the situation is dire to an extreme, we must act!”

Lorenzo spoke with a tone of determined resolve.

His gauntleted hand rested on the side of a dragon’s corpse’s head, then formed a fist and struck it.

”Boom.”

”No matter what, we must seek an audience with King Ausloes now! This is not the time to follow royal orders, Priestess Emma!”

Lorenzo turned to look at the aging Holy Leader, with a tone almost accusatory.

”Losric was founded for the purpose of transmitting the fire! Even His Majesty said that preserving himself was solely for overseeing the grand scheme, and if the time comes when there’s no turning back, as the oldest and most powerful of the Divine Race, he should also commit himself to the First Flame, extending the Fire Age to its last moment.”

”His Majesty’s secluded courtyard is just above this church, not far along the path into the Inner City.”

”I don’t understand, it has come to this! The First Flame is on the verge of going out! What is there to hesitate about? Can’t we even see His Majesty and seek his counsel?!”

The surrounding Losric Knights, hearing this, couldn’t help but stir restlessly.

They are all of the Fire Transmission faction, which is why they surround Lorenzo at this moment.

In this already divided country, they regard ’transmitting the fire’ as more important than the ’royal family.’

Lorenzo’s words reflect their current inclination.

After lowering her head in silence for a long time, Priestess Emma looked up at the lightless sky once more and finally sighed.

”Indeed... nothing is more important than transmitting the flame.”

”Let’s go, select a few skilled individuals, and I’ll guide you to His Majesty’s courtyard.”

Only after Priestess Emma sighed and said these words did Lorenzo’s expression ease, and the surrounding Losric Knights seemed to somewhat regain their morale.

Wearing their helmets, they nodded to one another, celebrating the good news they heard amidst these worsening times.

Yet it was at this moment that Lann voiced a different opinion.

”I suggest it’s better not to send too many people, everyone.”

Suddenly, everyone around turned to look at the Demon Hunter.

Yet the Demon Hunter seemed oblivious to these gazes, and nonchalantly nudged the small lantern at the waist of the Dragon Knight’s corpse with the tip of his boot.

”This lantern is simply hanging on his waist, but shows no sign of ever being lit, everyone.”

The Demon Hunter looked up, his cat-like eyes sweeping across them.

”I do not underestimate your fighting spirit, but... can you maintain your combat effectiveness in the darkness?”

This world’s darkness is not merely a simple matter of light and shadow, but something with a tangible influence.

Thus, all present Losric Knights either had a small lit glass lantern at their waist or held a torch to illuminate their path.

”But this guy could do it.”

Lann nudged the unlit small lantern again until it shattered.

”They serve the Prince, and even reached this point without altering their loyalty. Thus, fighting in the dark is inconsequential.”

”With darkness prevailing... if they seize the chance to attack now, who has the advantage? If elite knights are dispatched, can we still manage here?”

Even the zealous Lorenzo could only keep his mouth shut, clenching his teeth, with cheeks puffed up, unable to retort to Lann’s calm and composed questions.

It truly is a realistic dilemma.

To transmit the fire, they should take action. Yet in this city, this could very well be the only remaining Fire Transmission faction stronghold.

If this place is breached, then the Sacred City of Fire, Losric, would virtually be completely conquered.

”What’s your view, then?”

After making a decision, Priestess Emma wasted no time in asking the questioner Lann if he had a plan.

”Indeed, I have a plan... just let me go alone.”

Lann spoke with an expression of indifference.

”I am not a member of the Knight Order, so there’s no synergy in fighting with you. My leaving doesn’t significantly impact the combat effectiveness here.”

”And to be honest... your mobility is indeed too limited. I would rather find it more convenient to go alone.”

Lorenzo’s expression froze.

Others might doubt these words, but Lorenzo had personally seen Lann lightly vault several meters onto rooftops!

Although he didn’t understand how this man could move so agilely, it was indisputable he spoke the truth.

”It seems there are no objections?”

Priestess Emma looked at Lorenzo’s expression, nodded.

”Very well, let it be decided. Come here, Lann. I’ll show you the way.”