Chapter 94

Chapter 93: Annie Verroca's Resolve

Darian opened his eyes. First published on 9v.com

The dark sky and the pale earth formed the landscape before him. The Death Knight silently gazed at the scene, then reached out to stroke the mane of the mount beneath him. Feeling its master's touch, the mount shook its head and snorted.

Legend has it that the world seen by the undead has no color. It seems that when they chose to abandon life and opt for a false eternity, they also chose to forsake the opportunity to possess this beautiful world. No matter how beautiful or colorful the scene, what the undead see is only black and white, the two most monotonous colors since the beginning of the world. This is why the undead are always incredibly cold-blooded and cruel, for to them, this world has nothing worth cherishing or remembering. Only death and destruction can bring them the supreme feeling.

Darian was once a knight in the border army of the Night Kingdom. Later, due to a violation of military regulations, he had to flee the land of night and struggle in this chaotic border region. He had been here for two hundred years. For ordinary people, two hundred years is an unimaginably long time, but Darian was very clear that in the eyes of those "undying" undead, two hundred years was but a moment. If he returned to the Night Kingdom, his crimes would not be erased by the passage of time; on the contrary, he might be executed for new offenses of defiance.

Should I stay in this hellhole forever?

Darian had asked himself this question before, but he didn't take it too seriously. After becoming an undead, human desires almost completely disappeared, and concepts of time, loneliness, and such emotions were no longer present. In a sense, the undead were like puppets with their own will, but they were still puppets. However, Darian was clearly an exception. He seemed to retain some of his human emotions, which was why he had defied orders and fled.

Darian moved.

He sensed that the aura of his subordinate, the bone giant, seemed to have weakened, which was very unusual. Since he entered the Silent Highlands, this had never happened. These bone giants were not the personal guards Darian had brought from the Night Kingdom but "native species" he had subdued after arriving in the Silent Highlands. Although their abilities were far inferior to the "Bone Guard" of the Night Kingdom, in this remote place, Darian believed no one would dare to challenge him.

But it seemed that the reality was quite different.

A ripple of magical energy spread through the air.

Darian turned his head, and at that moment, he saw the massive thundercloud descending from the sky.

Someone is attacking!

As a defected Death Knight, Darian immediately raised his guard. He picked up the knight's lance and the large shield by his horse's side, pulled down the heavy armor on his face, and slowly turned the mount. As a high-level undead with autonomous consciousness, he could feel the surging and chaotic magical energy in the air, like the waves of the sea, even suppressing his already dead and motionless heart.

Is it a mage? A mid-level mage? Could it be that the Night Kingdom has sent someone to hunt me down?

This thought flashed through Darian's mind and quickly disappeared. He was just a squad leader and had not obtained any military secrets. The Night Kingdom would not send assassins for someone like him. Moreover, although there were a few necromancers in the entire Silent Highlands, they absolutely could not possess such power.

This is the power of the living...

Could it be an adventurer?

Thinking of this, Darian tightened his grip on the knight's lance, and at the same time, a hint of anticipation arose in his heart. For the undead, the only joy they could obtain was to personally bring death to those vibrant lives, watching the flames of life that once burned and leaped gradually fade away. This would bring them a pleasure as intoxicating as the creation of life among the living, which was precisely why the undead desired to take life, as it was the only joy they could enjoy in this world...

Darian was no exception.

He turned around, whistled softly, and the mount beneath him began to gallop, rushing towards the valley.

They're coming!

Annie stood at the entrance of the valley, gazing into the distance. When she saw the small figure emerging from the darkness, the usually carefree smile on the young girl's face froze. This was not because she was afraid, but because the death aura of the undead cast a shadow on any living being.

She could not avoid it.

Annie gripped her shield and stood there, quietly watching the front.

As Marin had guessed, Annie had no interest in interpersonal relationships. She relied entirely on her instincts to determine friends and enemies. After the old leader's death, the gloomy mercenary group made Annie very unhappy. What others did not know was that Annie did not mind the others vying for the leader's position; she had no interest in such things. She only wanted to stay in a place that made her happy, which was the most important thing for her. When the old leader was alive, everyone in the Mark White Mercenary Group liked her, cared for her, and tolerated her flaws and shortcomings. Annie was willing to protect this warm and happy home, and in every battle, she did her best, always standing bravely at the front to protect her teammates, earning their praise and gratitude. Those were very simple, happy, and blissful days for Annie.

But after the old leader's death, the mercenary group changed. The happy days were gone, and those who used to chat with her now kept their distance. The old mercenaries held her hand, repeatedly urging her to inherit the old leader's will. But Annie could not understand what this "will" was, as the old leader had passed away very peacefully.

What these people wanted, Annie did not know. She only knew that the once lively, warm, and comfortable home had now become a dilapidated, cold place, which she did not like. She did not feel that the old leader had anything for her to do, so Annie decided to leave. Eventually, she joined Rod's Starlight Mercenary Group.

Here, Annie quickly found the atmosphere of the Mark White Mercenary Group. Although Rod always had a cold face and never smiled, and his words were not gentle, Annie could feel the warmth behind it. The old leader of the Mark White Mercenary Group was also like this, often frowning and scolding Annie, but she was never angry because she knew the old leader did not really dislike her.

Marin and Liss also made her feel comfortable. Although they were older, they did not have the strange aura of the people in the Mark White Mercenary Group. Many female mercenaries liked to put on strange and pretentious acts that Annie did not understand, which made her feel uncomfortable. But there was no such thing here. She was happy, no one excluded her, no one avoided her, and there were no messy things. She just needed to focus on completing tasks, and this easy life was something Annie cherished.

She did not want to lose it again.

So when Rod found her and asked her to take on an important task, Annie did not hesitate and quickly agreed.

This was not just because she wanted to maintain her current life and protect everyone, but also because she was confident in her ability.

She did not understand what "manipulation level" meant, but now, the sound coming from afar brought Annie a very dangerous feeling, as if a fierce beast was standing before her!

Incredibly, Annie did not feel afraid. She felt the blood in her body begin to flow in reverse, burning like a flame!

She raised her shield, clenched her left hand into a fist, and then struck the shield with force.

"Thud... thud thud... thud!!"

A war drum?

Hearing this sound, Darian was taken aback. At the same time, he saw the soul fire burning ahead.

The blazing fire even made the Death Knight feel a bit dazzled, and he heard the rhythmic beating coming from there!

Challenging me, interesting!

Thinking of this, the Death Knight could not help but sneer. He raised the knight's lance in his hand, pointing it straight ahead, and then shouted loudly!

"Hisss—!!"

The mount beneath him, hearing its master's voice, immediately quickened its pace. Flames burst forth from the mount's hooves, leaving four long trails on the ground, shining brightly in the darkness! Darian leaned forward, gripping the lance, his eyes fixed on the burning soul fire before him. He could not help but imagine the alluring sight of the owner of this flame being impaled on his lance, writhing in pain.

Seeing the sudden acceleration of the opponent, Annie immediately reacted. The impact shield in her hand flipped and expanded, and long metal spikes shot out. Countless sharp spines emerged from the patterns on the shield, but this time, she did not defend in place as before. Instead, Annie pulled hard, and the hidden lever behind the shield extended. She raised the shield with both hands and charged forward to meet the attack!

Come on!

Seeing this, Darian's excitement grew. He roared, gripping the lance that was already poised to strike, and thrust it forward with all his might!