章 82: Chapter 82: Reinforcements
Chapter 82: Reinforcements
"Ikaros still hasn't returned," Fina said, her voice filled with worry as she hid in the shadow of the ruins, glancing at the distant sky. Under the dark, gloomy heavens, faint insect-like figures were circling above the ruins—those were the imps hovering in the air. Although Fina and Alex couldn't clearly see them from this distance, it was obvious that danger filled the area.
"Mr. Alex, are you sure Ikaros is going to be alright?"
"She should be fine."
Alex could only offer that much reassurance. Earlier, Ikaros had told him she was going to scout, then vanished from sight. This had left Alex feeling a bit uneasy. However, he could still sense the transparent chain connecting them, and the soul stone embedded in the Dimensional Codex showed no signs of disturbance, which helped him feel somewhat relieved.
"I don't think she would intentionally take any risks. We just need to wait a little… huh?"
At that moment, Alex suddenly felt something vibrating in his pocket. He quickly reached in and pulled out a badge—the very emblem of the Sacred Temple. Right now, it was faintly glowing and shaking, much like a phone set on vibrate. Seeing this, Alex's face lit up with joy.
"Reinforcements have arrived!"
During his time with the Sacred Temple, Alex had learned some of the temple's communication methods. One of them was the resonance between these badges. Due to space restrictions and spell-based communication blocks in this world, people had developed various alternatives.
The resonance of the badges Alex held was one such method. The Sacred Temple's emblems were blessed by the Order, and within a certain range, if infused with power, they would automatically resonate and vibrate. The frequency and brightness of the glow would also change depending on the direction and distance, much like a glowing metal detector.
Gripping the badge tightly, Alex infused a bit of his power into it. Almost immediately, the badge grew hotter, and the light began to flash even more brightly. Moments later, Alex heard the distinct flapping of wings, and then several shadows descended from the sky, heading in his direction.
It was the knights on their flying steeds.
"Wow, that's impressive," Alex muttered to himself, watching the knights clad in white armor with their capes fluttering in the wind. The Sacred Temple really had the grandeur of a royal army, and if nothing else, they certainly looked the part—majestic!
And with those flying horses, they looked even cooler.
Alex didn't wave at them like an excited kid. He wasn't that impulsive anymore, and besides, they were still in a dangerous area. He only hoped the knights wouldn't attract the attention of the imps flying above, or things could take a turn for the worse.
Luckily, the pegasus knights from the Sacred Temple weren't foolish enough to let themselves be seen by the enemy. They circled down gracefully and landed in front of Alex and Fina. As the first knight dismounted, Alex saw him rush over with a big grin. Before Alex could say anything, the knight slapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey, kid! I knew you wouldn't go down so easily!"
"Master?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Alex was taken aback. The knight in front of him removed his helmet, revealing the rugged face of Stone, his mentor. Stone was grinning ear to ear, clearly happy to see Alex again.
"To be honest, when I got the news, I thought someone was pulling my leg. But here you are, alive and well! You didn't even give me a heads-up that you were back! Where've you been hiding all this time? I haven't heard a peep from you for half a year, but I have to say, you've changed quite a bit. You look tougher now! Looks like you've been doing alright!"
As he spoke, Stone patted Alex repeatedly. In the past, such a hearty slap would have knocked Alex off balance, but thanks to his Zerg transformation, he could easily withstand it now.
"Hold on a moment, Sir Stone."
Just then, a cold voice interrupted, coming from behind Stone. His expression changed slightly, and he glanced at Alex apologetically before stepping aside. Alex saw an elderly man in a white robe walk toward him.
At first glance, the old man didn't seem too different from any other elder. He was tall and slender, with white hair and a beard, but his every movement carried a sense of elegance. His face was stern as he scrutinized Alex, and after a moment, he spoke softly.
"You are Alex? From the Silver Nation, currently an apprentice Guardian Knight at the Sacred Temple in Star Moon City?"
"Yes, sir."
Although the elder's tone wasn't particularly polite, Alex shot a glance at Stone and obediently nodded. He was no longer a young, hotheaded boy. Even though the elder's attitude wasn't great, Alex wasn't foolish enough to cause trouble for someone who had even his mentor standing at attention.
"Show me your credentials. Your badge and star sigil."
"Of course."
Upon hearing the old man's command, Alex retrieved his badge and star sigil from his pocket. The old man approached, carefully examining the Sacred Temple knight's badge in Alex's hand before turning his attention to the star sigil. He then produced a scroll and muttered a few words of blessing. As the old man chanted the incantation, the scroll transformed into a beam of golden light that shot into Alex's star sigil. Immediately, Alex felt a soft, white glow emanating from his body, while his star sigil began to flicker.
After a few moments, the light faded, and for the first time, a faint smile appeared on the old man's otherwise stern face.
"Welcome back to the Sacred Temple, Sir Alex."
"Wait… Sir?"
Alex was taken aback by the title and looked toward Stone in confusion. As far as he remembered, only great knights and above were referred to as "Sir" in the Sacred Temple. But wasn't he just an apprentice Guardian Knight? How had he earned this title?
Noticing Alex's bewilderment, the old man spoke slowly.
"Your brave actions in Shadow Canyon have been reported to the council by Grand Knight Malt and Grand Knight Stone. Your willingness to sacrifice yourself for order and justice, as well as your courage in facing the Children of Chaos, were truly commendable. After careful deliberation, the council has decided to bestow upon you the title of Grand Knight. Thus, you now hold the same rank as Sir Stone."
"Huh?"
Alex was utterly stunned. He knew that the title of Grand Knight was not just a mark of strength but also of honor, experience, and accomplishments. For instance, despite being more powerful than Connie, Alex still had to start as an apprentice.
But now, they were suddenly promoting him from an apprentice Guardian Knight to Grand Knight? Wait… Alex's face darkened as he recalled something.
If he remembered correctly, being promoted two ranks in one go was usually reserved for… martyrs.
"Hahaha!"
Stone couldn't help but burst out laughing at Alex's dismayed expression.
"You finally caught on! Haha, I can't believe it! Those old fools—no matter how many times I told them you weren't dead, they insisted on giving you a posthumous promotion. Now look at this! Hahaha, kid, you should've seen their faces when your 'death' was reported to the Sacred Temple. Just thinking about it cracks me up!"
"Uh…"
Watching his mentor's gleeful demeanor, Alex didn't know what to say. He never expected something like this to happen. Even returning to the Sacred Temple was bound to be a headache now. No wonder that elder had been so serious earlier, thoroughly checking his badge and star sigil… So, he was a Grand Knight now?
"Alright, stop looking so down," Stone said, laughing even harder at Alex's face.
"No matter how you look at it, this is a good thing, right? A Grand Knight title—do you know how many people dream of that their entire lives? Besides, you've earned it. Don't forget, you were the one who took down that Child of Chaos, not me or Malt. You've proven yourself more than capable of being a Grand Knight, and you also brought back valuable information. Speaking of which, what's the situation now?"
"Please hold on, Master."
At that moment, Alex finally received word from Ikaros, who was returning safely from her reconnaissance mission. Feeling relieved, he turned back to Stone.
"My companion has just finished scouting. We'll have the full details once she reports back—ah, here she is."
"She?"
Just then, Stone noticed a blue-haired girl descending gracefully from the sky like a fairy, landing beside Alex.
"Reporting, Master. I've returned… Who are these people?"
Noticing the sudden presence of strangers, Ikaros appeared slightly uneasy. She eyed the pegasus knights warily while subtly shifting to hide behind Alex.
"...…"
Stone and the pegasus knights behind him were dumbfounded, staring in shock at the shimmering, rainbow-colored wings extending from the blue-haired girl's back.
"An angel?!"
(End of Chapter)
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