Chapter 310: The True Secret Society, Triggering "Divine Knight"
The Black Armored Knight held a sword whose blade shimmered with a faint, ghostly yellow light.
"Rotting Sword · Crocodile."
A look of envy flashed in the Gray-robed Mage's withered eyes, and he let out a low chuckle. "After you die, I will take good care of this sword for you."
This was one of the four legendary weapons of the Black Knight, one of the Thirteen Heroes. Besides the scar-faced man before him, another of the swords was in the hands of that woman from the Kingdom's Adventurer Team, Blue Rose.
As for the other two, the "Evil Sword" and the "Death Sword," their whereabouts were unknown. This was a truly incredible collection.
What a pity!
He was not a warrior; otherwise, being able to wield and use such a weapon would be utter bliss!
The Gray-robed Mage's fervent gaze made the Black Armored Knight's eyes turn cold. "Get your filthy gaze off this sword!"
"A foul-smelling wretch like you should just stay with your bugs!"
Faced with this undisguised disgust and taunt, the Gray-robed Mage was completely unconcerned, though the greed in his eyes subsided slightly.
The Alliance Leader ignored the bickering between his two high disciples. Instead, he gazed into the distance, his thoughts unknown. After a brief silence, he spoke coolly:
"What is that fellow doing?"
The Gray-robed Mage's expression tensed. He knew the Alliance Leader was asking about the mysterious, red-robed magic caster. He had only met the man a few times, and although they had never exchanged a single word, he could sense that the mysterious caster's power might be slightly greater than his own.
"He's been appearing frequently near the demi-human gathering places lately, as if he's looking for something," the Gray-robed Mage said uncertainly, then continued, "Alliance Leader, should we call him over to participate in this operation?"
"No need."
"The two of you, plus it, will be enough," the Alliance Leader's hoarse voice rasped.
The Death Knight stepped forward. Its terrible scarlet gaze and a heart-stopping pressure spread out, and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop several degrees further.
"Heh, so they're enemies," the Black Armored Knight murmured with interest, readying the Rotting Sword in his hand.
A chill ran through the Gray-robed Mage's heart.
He had originally thought the red-robed spellcaster might become one of the high disciples, but now it seemed the Alliance Leader had no such intention... or had changed his mind!
"I have no interest in playing a game of hide-and-seek with this group."
"Since you've come, don't bother leaving. I happen to be short a few reasonably strong corpses!"
The black Negative Energy roiling around the Alliance Leader pulsed slightly, his cold words echoing in the terrifying atmosphere.
In stories like the *Hero Tales* and *Adventure Tales*, the heroes and adventurers would always gradually chip away at the enemy's strength and gather information before finally achieving victory.
But reality was not some biographical novel or a tale spun by a bard!
"Yes, Alliance Leader!"
"Yes, Alliance Leader!"
The Gray-robed Mage and the Black Armored Knight nodded respectfully in unison, then turned and departed.
Watching the two of them gradually disappear, a trace of anticipation surfaced in the Alliance Leader's pale pupils.
"Does that legendary, true secret society really exist?"
"No, it must exist!"
"After this is over, it should be enough to attract their attention."
The Alliance Leader's faint muttering echoed eerily across the open ground, where countless undead lay buried.
Meanwhile, on Tang Zheng's side.
After a short rest, the three elite units immediately set off, heading for the Hills Region to the south.
The group had to travel as fast as possible during the day to reach the water source in the Southern Region within three days and rendezvous with the remaining demi-human tribes.
This was because they only carried three days' worth of food and water; any more would affect their marching speed.
Under normal circumstances, with Gagaran leading the way, three days would have been more than enough time to arrive. In reality, however, it would take longer.
First, they had to conserve enough stamina.
Second, they had to guard against undead attacks.
These two factors alone reduced their available travel time by a third.
*Pat, pat—pat, pat—*
The Evil Spirit Hound trotted at the very back of the column. Enri sat on its neck, clutching the bone chain tightly.
"Lord Captain, I..." Enri's cheeks flushed with shame.
Everyone else was marching on foot, but she alone was riding the Evil Spirit Hound. Feeling the occasional strange glances from those around her, Enri was naturally a little embarrassed.
"Just sit tight and don't worry about it."
Tang Zheng shook his head, his eyes calmly scanning the surroundings as he spoke.
At the same time, his body moved forward with a light and brisk pace.
This was the effect of a lightness-type magic that the magic casters of the Cleric Corps had cast on everyone, which helped conserve stamina and increase their marching speed.
"But..." Enri lowered her head slightly, her fingers gripping the bone chain turning white.
"Enri."
"Lord Captain."
Tang Zheng gestured for Enri to look at the three people at the front. "Observe those three carefully. Pay attention to how they lead their troops."
"Ah, yes!" Though confused, Enri immediately nodded and turned her gaze forward.
The three individuals were Captain Remedios, Cardinal Kelart, and Captain Nigun.
"They've started to move over there, too. Faster than I expected."
Tang Zheng frowned slightly. The information transmitted from his shadow clone allowed him to instantly detect the Alliance Leader's actions.
Strange!
For the Alliance Leader to directly declare war on the Holy Kingdom and the Slane Theocracy was odd, no matter how he thought about it. There seemed to be little benefit for the Alliance Leader, win or lose.
"There's too little information, and I'm missing some key pieces. I can't deduce the Alliance Leader's true objective through speculation alone," Tang Zheng thought to himself.
"Tang," a familiar voice called out.
Tang Zheng looked at "Black" Pavel, who was following closely behind.
As a top-tier archer, Pavel was positioned at the rear of the formation. During the day, his skills weren't truly needed.
It was only in the darkness of night that his sharp eyes, capable of seeing clearly even in the dark, would truly shine.
Clementine, on the other hand, was now at the very front of the formation. With her agile body and speed, she was well-suited for a scout-like role.
"Pavel," Tang Zheng replied softly, turning his head to the side.
The two had long since become familiar with each other, so they addressed each other by their names.
"You really value this companion of yours."
"Black" Pavel's eyes flickered toward Enri, who was still sitting on the Evil Spirit Hound.
Tang Zheng's eyelids lifted. He knew Pavel must have overheard his brief conversation with Enri to have made such a comment.
"Everyone thinks she has no talent."
Tang Zheng shrugged and said with a light chuckle, "But I don't see it that way. I've always believed that everyone has their own unique talent."
"It's just that they may lack the opportunity for it to be discovered, or the effort to realize that talent."
Hearing this, "Black" Pavel's eyes widened. The man, who was usually calm and unshakable, showed a rare change in expression.
"Tang, that's a wonderful point of view!"
"You know, I have a daughter who has a very high talent for the bow and arrow. But what I don't understand is why she would choose to become a Paladin."
"Oh, I don't mean being a Paladin is bad, but that child is a bit timid. She'll cry at the sight of a caterpillar. For a girl..."
It was as if a switch had been flipped in "Black" Pavel, and he began to talk endlessly about his daughter.
A helpless look appeared on Tang Zheng's face, and he could only do his best to appear as if he were listening intently.
Speaking of which, his daughter was Neia, one of the humans Tang Zheng disliked the most. However, that was the future Neia; for now, she was just an ordinary girl.
Not far away, "Red" Orland had also latched onto Gagaran, seemingly trying to ask for advice on combat techniques and skills, much to Gagaran's annoyance.
Kelart did not stop this leisurely and relaxed attitude. In fact, she seemed to be deliberately allowing it.
It was precisely because of this that the tense atmosphere that should have filled the air, and the mortal fear of facing tens of thousands of undead, was greatly alleviated.
However, the faint, lingering stench of corpses in the air kept the minds of the elites on high alert.
The entire journey was filled with a sense of desolation. Forget about normal beasts, monsters, or even demi-human races, there wasn't even the sound of insects chirping or birds singing.
The implication was self-evident.
The place they were in felt like a complete and utter dead land. This oppressive atmosphere hung over everyone's hearts like a great mountain!
As the high sun began to set in the west, the atmosphere grew even more oppressive and tense!
As the nominal commander, Kelart immediately gave the order to make camp and rest, beginning to set up defensive and protective magical measures before nightfall.
Flashes of magical light flickered from all directions.
Although undead could move during the day, as creatures of death, they would rarely show themselves in the daytime unless controlled by someone. Night was the time when the undead were truly active.
This was why the group had marched so quickly during the day and immediately made camp before it was even dark!
The sweltering temperature filled the air with a muggy heat.
Tang Zheng's gaze swept over the men who had taken off their helmets, their faces slick with sweat as they greedily drank from their waterskins. After a moment of thought, he walked forward.
"Vice-Captain Gustav."
Tang Zheng called out to Gustav, who was in the midst of the Paladins, giving orders.
"Hmm?"
Vice-Captain Gustav turned around in surprise. When he saw it was Tang Zheng, he quickly walked over. "Leader Tang, what is it?"
"Everyone's first waterskin should be empty by now, right?"
"That's right. The climate in these hills is too abnormal. It shouldn't be this hot at this time of year."
"In that case, there's something I need to discuss with you," Tang Zheng said softly, explaining his idea.
Vice-Captain Gustav was surprised and hesitant at first, but his expression soon turned to one of delight. "Excellent, Leader Tang! I need to report this to the Captain and Lord Kelart."
"Of course," Tang Zheng nodded.
Having realized an attack was imminent through his shadow clone, Tang Zheng had no intention of sitting idly by. He planned to assist the group within the scope of the abilities he had displayed.
He wanted to see if the Alliance Leader truly intended to annihilate them!
Soon, Kelart, Remedios, and Captain Nigun walked over.
"Leader Tang, your proposal is a good one," Kelart said with a smile.
Remedios also showed a rare friendly attitude. With one hand on her holy sword, she said straightforwardly, "We'll be troubling you."
"It's no trouble at all."
Tang Zheng shook his head and replied softly.
"Thank you, Leader Tang. But won't this waste our already limited water supply? The Paladins' consumption is even higher."
Another Vice-Captain, "Pink" Isadoro, nodded to Tang Zheng first, then voiced his concern.
"Then we'll prioritize the Holy Knight Order!"
"The Sunlight Scripture and the Cleric Corps will contribute half a waterskin each. That should be enough," Captain Nigun directly proposed a solution.
"Very well."
Kelart nodded after a moment of thought.
Soon, dozens of Paladins sprang into action, collecting one waterskin from each member of the Cleric Corps and the Sunlight Scripture's forces.
They gathered all the water, pouring it into a large, temporary water pouch made from a cloak.
Enri took out ten bottles from the limited supply of Regeneration Potion she carried on the Evil Spirit Hound and poured them all into the large water pouch.
"Alchemy!"
Tang Zheng's hands glowed with magic power, causing the poured Regeneration Potion to completely dissolve into the water, creating a diluted version of the Regeneration Potion.
With his ability, he could have finished it in the blink of an eye, but to avoid suspicion, he had to drag out the process.
"Thank you. With your potion, the mental state of these men has improved greatly," Vice-Captain Gustav said, a look of gratitude on his face as he watched the members of the paladin order distribute the diluted potion.
"There's no need for thanks."
Tang Zheng said dismissively, then changed the subject. "By the way, Vice-Captain Gustav, may I see the sword in your hand?"
Under unfamiliar circumstances, rashly touching or asking for someone's weapon was both rude and an act that could easily provoke hostility.
But after what had just happened, the relationship between them had clearly grown much closer!
"This is the standard-issue weapon of our Holy Knight Order. There's nothing particularly special about it."
Vice-Captain Gustav ran a hand through his short, knuckle-length blond hair as he drew his weapon and handed it over.
He said it casually, but Tang Zheng knew that this kind of weapon was not so easily obtained. It was a silver-white sword, upon which was forged the insignia of the Holy Kingdom's Holy Knight Order.
A faint magical reaction proved it was a magic item. Beyond its intrinsic value, receiving this weapon was also part of the ritual for being appointed a Paladin.
In short, it was incredibly significant and unique to every Paladin!
*Voom—*
*Contact with Weapon · Longsword, obtained Basic Job Class information: Paladin.*
*Take this job?*
"A truly eye-opening weapon," Tang Zheng said with admiration, his expression unchanging as he observed the longsword in his hands before handing it back.
"Haha, this weapon has been with me for over ten years. In terms of value, it might not compare to some truly expensive weapons, but its significance is extraordinary."
"If Leader Tang likes it, you could ask our Captain for one. We'd just have to remove the insignia, of course," Vice-Captain Gustav said, half-joking as he took the weapon back.
"I'd better not. I'm a magic caster. It would be a waste for me to hold such a weapon."
Tang Zheng shook his head and replied with a smile, deliberately letting his fingers brush across the silver-white armor the man wore, pausing for a moment.
*Voom—*
*Contact with Armor · Paladin Armor, obtained Intermediate Job Class information: Divine Knight.*
*Take this job?*
(end of chapter)