Chapter 22: The Struggling Holy Knight Princess

Because no one could figure out the situation, in the end, the United Kingdom’s official orders sealed off the city, no longer allowing anyone to live there.

Of course, if you really wanted to sneak in and meet your doom, the military wouldn’t stop you.

Soon after, strange occurrences happened again.

Skeletons, zombies, and countless other undead beings poured out endlessly from the remains of the Glorious City, with the first victims being those greedy robbers and thieves who dared to raid the city for treasure; almost all of them were killed inside.

Since then, the Glorious City became a forgotten land filled with the dead, and no one dared to venture deep inside again.

Some say it was a mysterious summoner controlling them, using the Glorious City as a sacrifice to cast a terrifying undead spell, while others suspect it was the work of demons from another world.

But in any case, after three hundred years, this disaster has long been buried in the dust of history under the careful control of the kingdom’s officials; now most people have forgotten the name “Glorious City” and its glorious past.

Just like its current name.

The Forgotten Land.

“It seems I must pay a visit; finally, I can encounter something of real substance, hehe.”

With no more valuable clues left in Bawo Town, it was time to set off and explore the Tomb of the Dead.

“Wings of the Gods.”

As the white wings flapped lightly, the priestess girl soared into the air like a bird, accompanied by her pet, heading toward the distant, towering shadows of the dead city.

…

Edwina Cecelia is the second daughter of the Cecelia family, one of the three divine bloodline families of the Holy Empire; her mother, Jacqueline Cecelia, is the current head of the Cecelia family.

The so-called divine bloodline family does not mean they actually possess blood from a god, but rather that their ancestors were once blessed by a god in ancient times.

The blessing of the gods is a special ritual; the granted individual does not receive direct power, but their aptitude and training speed will far exceed ordinary humans, giving them the potential to transcend the realm of “transcendence.”

This blessing is passed down through the bloodline, granting them equal opportunities for transcendence.

Transcending one’s own limits, transcending human limits, rising above the legendary level of 【Transcendence】.

This is a terrifying level that humans can hardly reach through conventional means, unimaginable and even “transcending” the boundaries of life itself.

Those who reach the level of transcendence will have their lifespans significantly extended beyond their original basis. The exact amount added depends on the original race; typically, the shorter the lifespan, the more it increases.

In practice, there are very few transcendents in history who truly died of old age; most died in the midst of their prolonged life due to natural disasters or battles with equally strong foes.

Edwina’s older sister, Fleidetrika Cecelia, the eldest daughter of the Cecelia family, now 27 years old, is the new generation Judging Saintess among the three saintesses of the Holy Kingdom, able to wield godlike powers comparable to those of transcendents with the artifact 【Arbiter’s Holy Sword】.

The young holy knight Edwina was fortunate enough to witness this power once; it can truly be called world-destroying and unmatched, far beyond what is implied by legendary status.

But Fleidetrika herself is still at a legendary level; even with the blessing of the gods and an artifact, attaining the level of transcendence through sheer physical form remains a daunting challenge.

Edwina’s goal is to one day break through her limits through her own strength and reach the supreme realm of transcendence.

That’s why, after reaching the Earth Realm in her training, she accepted her mentor’s request to go out and experience the world alone.

The reason the holy knight princess traveled thousands of miles to the United Kingdom was primarily to explore the legendary city of the undead, the remains of the Glorious City.

For the priesthood of the temple, whether they are priests, arbiters, holy knights, or other branches, there are only two paths to becoming stronger.

One, to temper one’s will and spirit and offer a more devout belief in the gods, and in return, the gods will grant feedback.

Two, to preach, do good, punish evil, and purify the evil, making one’s holy light power more pure and vast. The last method, in particular, has the fastest improvement rate and is the most dangerous.

And speaking of where corruption is especially prevalent…

“Holy Radiance Slash!”

With a dazzling long sword, Edwina struck down, cleaving the approaching zombie in half; the intense holy light turned the wandering elite undead into ashes.

The light on her sword gradually faded as the skill ended, and Edwina wiped the sweat from her forehead, letting out a breath.

The sheer number of undead here is truly staggering; no matter how many she kills, new enemies continuously arise. Thanks to this, Edwina felt her power increase in just two or three days to be comparable to months of hard training.

If she could train continuously in this Forgotten Land for another month or two, she should be able to break through to the Sky Level, as for legendary…

That chasm, perhaps, can’t be easily filled just by slaughtering small fry; she must take down truly powerful undead. A wrong move could cost her life.

So powerful…

Edwina thought again of the black-haired priestess she met by chance in Dragonfall Valley. She and her companions were undoubtedly true powerhouses, far stronger than her.

Even now, Edwina cannot comprehend how that priestess, Miss Vilyric, effortlessly withstood attacks and even wiped out three high-level adventurers with a single kick.

Are they really transcendents?

Perhaps, as Mr. Francis said, they are not even human, but what does it matter? Edwina from the Holy Kingdom doesn’t care about such things.

They are steadfast and possess a genuine code of conduct; this left the holy knight girl, who had only known training and following the elders’ guidance since childhood, feeling extremely envious, even admiring.

Looking back on the entire situation, Edwina also realized how arrogant and self-righteous her previous statements were.

The gods say, do not impose on others what you do not want. Miss Vilyric saved her, and killing Mr. Francis was only because he struck first and aimed for her life; plus, he wasn’t a believer. How could she impose the rules of the Holy Kingdom on her?

Edwina felt that statement was very accurate; she was too weak and had no right to criticize others. If only she had reacted earlier before Mr. Francis attacked, and intercepted them first, would the outcome have been different?

Every time she thinks of this, the holy knight princess is filled with determination and a desire to grow stronger.

She must work hard, and keep working hard.

“Ugh!”

Just as Edwina found a corner to rest and regain her strength, an invisible wave of chaotic energy swept through the air.

It seemed to have no effect on the undead wandering in the ruins of the Forgotten Land, but for Edwina, a living being, it sent her head spinning, nearly causing her to faint.

A strong pulling force tugged at the holy knight maiden’s body but was offset by the faint golden light emanating from her.

However, Edwina, due to the severe headache, did not notice these circumstances.

The girl buried her head in her knees, painfully covering her ears. After a while, the meaningless noise gradually faded away.

This wasn’t Edwina’s first time encountering such a situation. During these short three days in the Forgotten Land, such invisible fluctuations repeated every hour or two.

She didn’t know what it was, but given the dangers of the Forgotten Land, strange occurrences were not unusual; anyway, each time it only caused her a bad headache for a short time, leaving no lasting harm to her body.

Gradually, Edwina got used to it.

To grow strong, taking a bit of risk is worth it.

As the pain in her head gradually dissipated, the holy knight girl took a bit more rest before picking up her sword and heading toward the next lone undead.

   

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