Above The Sky
Chapter 471 - 471 441 Those Who Want to Achieve Great Things

471: Chapter 441: Those Who Want to Achieve Great Things 471: Chapter 441: Those Who Want to Achieve Great Things The evenings in the Golden Prairie were even noisier than during the day, especially after a brief rain at dusk that accelerated the flow of rivers along the way, rendering the roads on both sides muddy.

But now, the rain had stopped, and many creatures that were active at night began to crawl out of their caves, drawing water from the puddles and rivers and commencing their hunt for food.

Located in the middle of the Golden Prairie, close to the Nine Spirals Abyss, the Ancient Tower Basin’s geological landscape is vastly different from other areas of the prairie.

Its soil layer is quite thin, and deep grey rocks can be seen jutting out of the soil layer from time to time, while layers of lithophytic plants grow from the cracks of these rocks, forming forests of stone trees erected upon the rock layers.

Knight Chris of Magnetic Light did not like this environment.

He excelled at manipulating metal, interfering with the operation of precision instruments, and was fearless even in unarmed combat against those clad in armor clothing.

His forte was in the battle formations and urban combat—enemy swords would become his, and the surrounding buildings and equipment would turn into his ammunition.

“He is indeed involved with the Dragon Worship Cult, and very familiar with them… At least you didn’t lie to me about that,”

On the other side, the Purple Maple Knight narrowed his eyes, gazing at the distant firelight amongst the stone forest: “One of those two mountain people, I recognize him.

He is a prominent member of the Southern Ridge Worship Dragon Sect, often seen with Man Cliff.”

“He looks very much like Anfa, I thought it was some sort of illusion at first, but now it seems their connection is tighter than I imagined, otherwise, they wouldn’t have allowed Anfa to come alone with the essential object.”

Magnetic Light did not care about the entanglements between Canaan Moore and the Dragon Worship Cult; his focus was solely on that young knight by the bonfire.

A person very likely to know the true cause of Night Snake’s death.

His acquaintance with Night Snake dated back twenty years.

Back then, Magnetic Light was not yet Magnetic Light, but a newly promoted Sublimator of the Defend Knights Order, a rising star sent to the Imperial Capital for professional training.

There, he met Night Snake, who was three years his junior.

A genius biological alchemist.

Back then, the two had not formed a deep bond until thirteen years later.

Thirteen years later, Magnetic Light had become a Second Energy Level, the Captain of the Defend Knights Order, one of the strongest Sublimator forces under the Marquis’ command.

But compared to the confident young knight full of anticipation for the future, he had now lost most of his passion to strive.

Whether it was becoming stronger or advancing further in rank, he saw no hope… but actually, this was not important.

After all, the Third Energy Level was incredibly rare, dependent not only on talent but also on one’s spiritual transformation.

And working for Marquis Barton, repaying the kindness he was shown, was something he was willing to do.

He just doubted, doubted whether his life would only amount to this.

His life, whether it could only be spent circling Southern Ridge, suppressing some rebellious mountain people and natives, eradicating some frenzied Magical Beast Alien Forms, and matching wits with spies and cults from around the world.

Magnetic Light was not satisfied.

He wanted to become a hero, a legend sung about by later generations, not merely a captain of the knights under Marquis Barton, like a firefighter, an ordinary knight.

He felt he was special; if he had the talent and opportunity to become a Sublimator, then why couldn’t he do…

Do something ‘grand’?

He wanted to achieve greatness.

No matter what it was.

He wanted to become someone who would go down in history; someone like the First Knight of the Black King, who, even after disappearing for several decades, still excited everyone at the mention of his name and was spoken of in hushed, reverent tones.

But he never found such an opportunity.

Until one day, also in this Golden Prairie, he met two people.

One of them was Night Snake.

The other… was the person who changed his life from then on.

[Chris… your desires are not grand, but they are very pure—wanting to gain fame, to be admired and envied by others.

Everyone thinks like this, there’s no need to feel ashamed.]

[It’s just that you don’t have the opportunity… under Barton’s command, you don’t get to become a better person… to show your true potential.]

[Look, Chris.

There’s always endless evil on this land, nobles live in peace and joy, people lack clothes and food, external enemies covet us fiercely, and internally, each faction has its own scheming… Ever since grandfather died, the once prosperous Empire has decayed into what it is today while father barely holds the borders, and is also gradually descending into madness.]

[This is the evil.

The inability of people to understand each other, the nobles who don’t understand the commoners’ pain, the commoners who don’t understand the Sublimators’ unease, everyone only thinking of their interests, which is why there are conflicts, wars, humiliation, oppression, and exploitation.]

[The wills of the people are chaotic, countless purposes crisscross, painting this world full of pain, only by organizing these thoughts and conflicting interests, simplifying the entangled lines into unity, pointing in one direction,]

[True happiness can arrive.]

[I want to change this kingdom, change this land… and before that, Chris,]

[I need your power.]

A magic power.

A bewitching magic power.

It could be a kind of Spirit Energy, or perhaps it was merely rhetorical skill?

That night, they talked about a great many things.

They shared their dissatisfaction with the existing system, their bewilderment at the suffering unfolding upon this land, and their boredom and loathing towards a world that had remained unchanging, day in and day out, for decades.

They were all the same.

Whether it was Magnetic Light himself, Night Snake, or even His Highness, they all felt this way.

Merely after a night of long conversation, the Magnetic Light Knight made up his mind to truly pledge his loyalty to His Highness.

Uniting all things and hearts?

Mutual understanding among all beings?

No, no, no, that wasn’t his purpose, that wasn’t his desire.

He simply understood that His Highness’s ideals and goals were far grander and more meaningful than anything he was currently doing, or all of it put together.

In the midst of these great possibilities, Magnetic Light felt excited, shuddering, his entire body trembling.

Amidst the fear, he also felt an unprecedented longing.

If he could become a part of His Highness’s strength, a member of His Highness’s ‘grand undertaking.’

Perhaps…

In the future, he could become the legend he desired to be, lauded by everyone.

To become a part of a future legend.

[Night Snake was a member of the Spirit Wisdom Institute and possessed considerable talent, yet he had been oppressed by the Grand Scholars within the Institute, with no change for many years.]

[He will be your colleague in South Ridge in the future—It seems you two knew each other from years ago?

Remember to get along well, the synergy between you two will unleash a force far stronger than if you were fighting alone.]

[We all share the same dream, the same conviction, and that is the source of our strength.]

Magnetic Light gradually retracted his memories.

He closed his eyes, then opened them again, gazing in Ian’s direction.

The death of Night Snake didn’t just represent the loss of one arm of the organization in South Ridge, it also affected His Highness’s plans—the Spirit Wisdom Institute’s South Ridge branch that Night Snake managed contained many technologies crucial to the organization, though these technologies originated from blood-soaked human experiments.

However, such sacrifices were necessary for a grand cause.

Besides, it wasn’t their doing.

It was the Institute itself that insisted on these acts; they were merely spectators.

“Wait.”

All of a sudden, the Purple Maple Knight furrowed her brow, raised her hand, and issued a warning, “It seems there is no longer any sign of life in the stone forest ahead!?”

“Is the Guide Knight gone?”

Magnetic Light awoke with a start.

He suddenly realized that his state of mind just moments earlier had been very off.

He had been distracted by some external force to the extent of falling into memories, wasting too much time.

“We’ve been exposed!”

Standing up, the Magnetic Light Knight looked around—at once, he saw that surrounding the stone forest, there were many scattered fragments of ‘Worry Stone’!

These natural Spirit Energy stones could induce a person to fall into the deepest, most impactful memories in their heart, sinking into worry and anxiety, hence the name—and right at the edge of the Golden Prairie, there was a Worry Stone mine!

As an alchemist, how could the Guide Knight resist purchasing them?

It was these very stones that had inadvertently caused Magnetic Light, who had planned a direct assault, to fall into memories, missing an excellent opportunity to attack!

Was it possible that at that time, the Guide Knight already knew someone was tracking him from behind, so he bought these minerals as a trap?

Without time to ponder further, the Magnetic Light Knight raised his hand, countless pitch-black magnetic sands on his armor spinning rapidly amidst flashes of electrical discharges, stirring the surrounding air, creating an iron sand whirlwind centered on his arm.

In the next instant, accompanied by the flickering of lightning, the tiny magnetic grains were stimulated by the high-speed electrical discharges, shooting out at great speed and wrapped in a multitude of sparks erupting mid-air, racing toward the previously known position of the Guide Knight, towards the stone forest engulfed in light!

Hundreds and thousands of electric arcs and sparks interweaved, turning into a destructive force surpassing Alchemical Cannons, with a fierce howl that ripped through the air, striking towards the campfire’s location.

Boom!

In an instant, a violent explosion occurred in the stone forest, countless magnetic grains blasted everywhere, carrying fine magnetism crisscrossing in all directions; even if someone were hidden in the stone forest’s nooks, it would have been impossible to escape.

But his attack was entirely in vain.

Because just then, from above the sky, came a sound that was both unfamiliar to them and instinctively alarming.

Zzz—crash!