Chapter 158: A Battlefield Without Corpses

Now that his major enemies had been eliminated, he could finally focus on strengthening himself without interference.

To do that, he needed to venture deeper into uncharted territories, places few dared to explore.

One of the Knight Order members opened his mouth to respond.

But before any words could leave him, all four of them noticed movement in the distance.

A group of figures was rushing toward their location at high speed.

Instantly, the atmosphere shifted.

The temperature seemed to drop even further.

Although Thoren remained silent, the three Knight Order members felt goosebumps erupt across their skin. The oppressive aura around him subtly intensified.

Their hearts nearly leapt out of their chests.

For heaven’s sake.

Why now?

Couldn’t they have waited until we parted ways?

The Knight Order members were on the verge of tears.

After two minutes, the distant figures became clear.

They were members of the Knight Order.

The three knights who had been on the brink of tears moments ago nearly collapsed in relief. They exhaled heavily, and the color gradually returned to their pale faces.

“Hahaha… they’re our people,” one of them muttered under his breath, barely containing his joy.

Leading the approaching group were Darius and Taren. As they advanced across the frozen plain, Darius frowned slightly at the strange stillness that greeted them.

The battlefield was quiet, far too quiet.

The wind howled across the tundra, but no sounds of combat followed. No clashing steel. No roars of beasts. No explosions of skills.

’Has the battle not started yet?’ Darius wondered.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips.

’Is it possible he was too scared to challenge the Slave Trade Guild?’

The thought amused him, though he did not voice it aloud. Still, a number of questions lingered in his heart as they approached.

When they were only a few feet away from Thoren, the group came to a halt.

Taren’s gaze immediately locked onto the young man’s silver hair and deep blue eyes.

The moment their eyes met, Taren felt a strange sensation, one he had not experienced in a long time.

His instincts screamed at him.

Danger.

His body tensed subtly.

’How is this possible?!’ he exclaimed inwardly.

This was the battle instinct he had honed through countless life-and-death encounters. It had saved him more times than he could count. It had never failed him.

Yet now, merely standing before this young necromancer who had not even summoned his undead servants made Taren feel a faint shudder crawl up his spine.

It made no sense.

He had expected to meet a talented awakener, perhaps even a formidable one.

But this…

This was different.

Suppressing the unease in his heart, Taren decided to tread carefully.

Unlike him, Darius showed no such apprehension.

“Thoren, my friend!” Darius called out cheerfully as he stepped forward with a bright smile.

Thoren returned the smile, his expression calm and composed.

“Darius, I didn’t expect to see you on this frozen plain,” he replied evenly.

Darius laughed heartily. “What can I say? Our leader wanted to meet the brave young man who dared to go head-to-head with the three most powerful factions in the Abyss. How could I possibly stay behind?”

He turned and gestured toward the man beside him.

“This is our leader, Taren.”

Taren stepped forward and extended his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you,” he said in a steady voice. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

Thoren accepted the handshake without hesitation.

“The pleasure is mine,” he responded. “Seeing Darius and the Knight Order stand their ground against the forces of the Beast God Sect earned my respect. Since then, I’ve been looking forward to meeting their leader.”

Taren’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Behind him, several members of the Knight Order straightened instinctively, pride swelling in their chests.

This was the honor of being part of the Knight Order.

They had chosen this path willingly, to protect humanity, to defend their world, and to stand against tyranny.

Yet even the strongest warriors needed acknowledgment. Hearing their sacrifices reassured them that their battles had not been in vain.

Darius clapped his hands lightly, breaking the moment.

“Alright, enough of the formalities,” he said with a grin. “What’s going on here? I thought you were going to attack the Slave Trade Guild.”

The three knights who had witnessed everything earlier rolled their eyes almost in unison.

’Are you blind?’

’Can’t you see the massive craters around you?’

’Isn’t that enough to tell you what happened?’

The frozen plain was littered with evidence. Deep fissures scarred the ground. Massive craters stretched in all directions.

Frozen blood stained the snow in dark patches. Shattered ice and debris lay scattered across the battlefield like silent testimony to a violent clash.

Yet the newly arrived members of the Knight Order seemed unaware of the full picture.

It wasn’t that they did not see the obvious signs on the frozen plain but did not believe it had anything to do with Thoren.

Perhaps, this had all happened before Thoren arrived.

Thus, they shifted their gazes back to Thoren, anticipation flickering in their eyes.

Many of them were still skeptical.

Rumors of his strength had spread quickly, but witnessing something firsthand was different from hearing about it.

Some believed he was exaggerating his accomplishments. Others suspected he had relied heavily on tricks or outside assistance.

They wanted confirmation.

They wanted proof.

Taren remained silent, observing both Thoren and the battlefield carefully.

His sharp eyes swept across the frozen ground, noting the depth of the craters and the lingering aura in the air.

This was not the aftermath of a minor skirmish.

This was the result of overwhelming force.

He slowly shifted his gaze back to Thoren.

Darius crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly.

“Well?” he prompted. “Don’t tell me you changed your mind.”

The wind howled between them, carrying snow across the ruined plain.

For a brief moment, silence reigned again.

All eyes were on Thoren, waiting for his answer.

****

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