Bear School Astartes

Chapter 958: Chapter 940: Desolation and Decay

You’Er Xia had experienced Shalivan’s coercion and instinctively felt that once she recounted the events to her brother, he would surely see through the deceit.

However, she was too inexperienced to realize that in her brother’s eyes, she might not be as reliable as Shalivan.

The Half-Dragon Girl was slightly at a loss upon being refuted.

It was still Lann who stepped forward to stand alongside You’Er Xia.

”What Princess You’Er Xia says is true, Dark Moon God.”

Lann spoke with respect but rapidly.

”Shalivan has deceived you. He has now dismantled and cleaned out the forces of the Cold Valley and then welcomed the awakening of the ember lord, the Profound Saint, Elderidge, intending to devour you!”

”Nonsense! Devour divine beings? You dare...!”

The words of the Demon Hunter seemed to enrage Gwendolin, who struggled to support himself and rebuked him furiously.

But before the rebuke was finished, Lann immediately continued.

”When Elderidge awoke from the coffin in the Profound Church, he intended to devour divine beings. At that time, a hidden divine being resided in the church, secretly known as ’Mother of Rebirth,’ Rosalie.”

The Demon Hunter persisted, staring intently into the eyes of the Shadow Sun as he spoke.

”But her true identity is the Queen of Losric. Before marrying and bearing children, she was the Sun King Gwyn’s eldest daughter, your sister, Sunshine Princess Gwen Aveya.”

With each name revealed by Lann, Gwendolin’s eyes contracted sharply.

”Sister... Sister?”

He murmured uncertainly, almost in disbelief, the anger fading as he gestured for Lann to approach.

Lann walked to the bedside, where Gwendolin’s hand reached toward the same face marked by silver hair, exceptionally handsome.

It was the spot where Rosalie had gently kissed Lann’s cheek.

Rosalie had poured a blessing into that kiss.

This was why Gwendolin had felt a sense of familiar warmth upon first meeting Lann.

”This indeed is my sister’s power!”

Gwendolin murmured, with an almost tender gaze fixed upon Lann’s face.

Gwendolin’s character was not strong, not even resilient. He merely bore the responsibilities of the Divine Race’s heir, supporting the Fire Age his father had established.

He was the youngest of the Sun King, accustomed to relying on his father and sister from a young age.

And now, after millennia, he lingered in this declining Fire Apocalypse, his body and mind long exhausted.

The Demon Hunter felt he was on the verge of tears.

But this was not the time for lamentation.

With a ’snap,’ Lann grabbed Gwendolin’s wrist.

”Elderidge is approaching, Dark Moon God.”

The Demon Hunter’s voice brought the tense urgency back into the atmosphere.

”It’s simple to prove Shalivan’s betrayal because that foul tar couldn’t be stopped by your defensive line for even a second.”

”If you just look outside now, you will certainly sense...that profound power is approaching! It’s even begun to corrupt the surrounding environment!”

Gwendolin paused for a moment and retrieved his wrist from Lann’s grip.

His lower serpentine legs struggled to prop up his body, looking out through the opened chamber doors.

There was no longer any room for doubt.

The divine race’s power was born of fire; while not immune to darkness, their sensitivity to it was extremely high.

With just one glance outside, Gwendolin felt the same ominous sensation as Lann, who harbored darkness within him.

Elderidge’s overwhelming darkness was indeed spreading!

”Damn it...”

Gwendolin’s grip on the rail was so tight it turned white, anger wringing more strength from his frail, sick body.

”Shalivan! Treacherous betrayer of the divine! Base and foul!”

The Sect Leader of the Divine Race’s limited repertoire of curses did not astonish Lann.

”My lord, it’s more crucial to prepare for battle now. Venting anger and cursing is meaningless. Only blades and swords can mete out justice.”

Gwendolin thumped a fist onto the railing, yet as a divine being, he couldn’t even break this mere arm-thick pillar now.

Instead, his hair fell onto his shoulders, blowing softly around his face as he breathed weakly.

”Knights... Yes! Summon the knights!”

”Silver Knight Order!”

”Silver Knight Order!”

”Where are the guards!”

The voice of the Dark Moon God, Master of Ilyushil, echoed across the vast, empty palace.

But the reply came from only three footsteps of clattering war boots. These were the nearby Silver Knights.

And they were the only three Silver Knights in the area.

Accompanied by a ’thud-thud’ of heavier footsteps, slowly catching up.

It was the giant slave blacksmith, silently hammering away in the corner of the side door.

Chains of slavery draped over him, an iron mask on his head, wielding a forging hammer as he arrived.

This was all there was.

This is the Shadow Sun Gwendolin, in his former home, the ancient Divine Capital Anorlondo, gathering all the strength he could.

”How could this be?”

Gwendolin lowered his head, his shoulders trembling as he leaned on the railing.

”How could... this be?”

The once glorious and honored Fire Gods, now as the Sect Leader of the Divine Race in his hometown, are left with only this power.

Only desolation and decay remain.

”If help is needed, I can call in another batch of people.”

Lann took out a white sign soapstone from his bag and said.

”They are all excellent warriors and will be useful.”

But Gwendolin, who lowered his head heavily, did not show any joy.

”Knight, do your friends gathered together equal a legion? Though Elderidge was once a Cinder Lord set ablaze, his dark power is growing stronger due to the fading First Flame.”

”Last time, when pressing him to kindle the fire, Losric dispatched five centuria, and the Dark Moon Sword also sent out three centuria. All were quite renowned knights.”

The implication was that Gwendolin did not believe a few knights, unorganized and unknown, could stop the current Elderidge.

”Then please forgive my boldness.” Lann’s brows furrowed as he looked at the Dark Moon God before him.

”Are you confident in defeating Elderidge? If not, we should leave immediately.”

Even in his current tar-like state, Elderidge was already powerful enough.

And this was far from his most potent state.

Back then, in the Profound Church, he devoured a giant, took over its body, and could immediately unleash destruction far surpassing that of the original giant!

The iron gate that the giant could not bend with its fists was directly torn apart after Elderidge took over its body!

In any case, Gwendolin, the body and power of the Dark Moon God, cannot be handed over to Elderidge.

Moreover, even though Lann had only exchanged a few words with this Shadow Sun.

His stance, though frail, in steadfastly fulfilling his duty in times of crisis... he should not be consumed by someone like Elderidge, treated as mere sustenance!

Gwendolin lifted one of his hands that were originally supporting the railing, looking steadily at it with his head lowered.

The shape of the hand made Lann feel familiar, resembling that of Ausloes or Othello.

It presented a slender claw-like form, unlike a human hand.

This was also a symptom of Gwendolin’s ’serious illness.’

”My strength has already... greatly diminished.”

Gwendolin softly and slowly spoke, in reality, he couldn’t have spoken with strength.

”Absolutely not a match for that human-eating monster Elderidge.”

”But to ask me to abandon the Divine Race’s capital and flee, to betray my father and sister’s expectations, losing the last hope... absolutely impossible!”

He turned arduously, returning to the side of the bed, lifting his Dark Moon Crown, placing it on his head.

The half-mask on the crown shielded his beautiful upper face.

”To trust a villain like Shalivan was the failure of me as a God King. If under the encroachment of villains, I fled like a stray dog, it would be to disregard the last dignity of the Divine Race. I absolutely cannot do it.”

”At this point, all is due to my incompetence. To the knights who came to aid, I have only one last request...”

Donning the Dark Moon Crown, Gwendolin no longer exposed those gentle eyes, yet he still turned to face Lann.

”Please take You’Er Xia away. She is our younger sister, and if you serve our elder sister, you must also care for her.”

”Do not argue with me, You’Er Xia.”

Ultimately, Gwendolin halted his sister’s words.

He appeared heavy, but within it, there was a trace of... release.

”I am already utterly exhausted, You’Er Xia. Truly... too tired.”

The Half-Dragon Maiden parted her lips, but in the end, she couldn’t say anything.

She only silently, with a cold expression as usual, knelt in salute to her brother.

The farewell to death among the Divine Race was just as simple.

However, Gwendolin let his sister accept his death, yet there was a human present who opposed this.

”I didn’t come here to watch Elderidge succeed in hunting, Dark Moon God!”

”Damn it!” Lann couldn’t help but smack his forehead at this point.

”One after another... do none of you treat your lives or those of others as important? Fine! Even if you don’t care about your lives, I do! I still hope to slay that sludge! Before that, I absolutely don’t want him full! Do you understand?!”

In Lann’s uproarious shout, he couldn’t adhere to polite speech anymore.

The Demon Hunter’s rude outburst seemed to stun both You’Er Xia and Gwendolin.

After quite a while, the Dark Moon God pursed his lips, speaking once more.

”Your kind intentions... I understand. In that case.”

Gwendolin gazed toward the window on the side wall of the chamber, somewhat lost in thought.

”Please proceed to the Ancient Dragon Peak.”

”Ancient Dragon Peak? A mountaintop?”

Lann asked, puzzled.

”You are an outstanding warrior, how could you not comprehend the Ancient Dragon Peak? Every swordsman in this world should harbor this belief in their hearts... admiring the power and immortality of dragons, thus embarking on the Path of the Ancient Dragon.”