Chapter 24: Arrival, Guardian of Heaven!

Not that it wasn’t possible.

The Cecelia Family is an ancient lineage that has survived since the age of gods, and Edwina, as a direct descendant of the family, has access to an abundance of information, including knowledge of the name “Glorious City.”

As an ancient city that has been destroyed for over three hundred years, aside from the sturdy city walls that still remain, most of the buildings have decayed and collapsed under the wear of time.

In such a place of ruins, there weren’t any prominent landmarks, so even if the direction of one’s walk suddenly reversed or one was transported to another similar location, it wouldn’t be strange to not notice the change.

The signs of battle on the ground still linger, indicating that I had left the Forgotten Land much earlier… wait.

The key point lies in the excruciating headache I had during the last anomalous fluctuation.

Yes, I remember now.

Before and after the fluctuation, there was a clear difference in both the number and strength of the undead attacking me. It was just that at that time, due to the headache and body injuries, my consciousness was a bit hazy, and the surrounding environment showed no significant changes, so I felt as if I were still in the same spot.

If that’s the case, everything makes sense now!

That intermittent fluctuation actually served to pull living beings into another space by some special means, and the headache was merely a rejection response from the body resisting this process.

But where exactly was I teleported to? And why does this place look so much like the Forgotten Land…

“Whoa!”

The sound of slicing wind rushed past my ears, and Edwina quickly raised her shield to block the attack.

The Phantom Knight isn’t going to just stand there as a backdrop; regardless of what Edwina was thinking, it charged towards her on horseback, swinging its ghostly flame spear downwards.

“Damn it, don’t chase me!”

I can’t afford to fight it here.

If this place is truly no longer the Forgotten Land, stronger undead than the Blue Flame Phantom Knight could appear at any moment, and it would definitely be more than a ground-level Holy Knight could handle, especially since I’m still injured.

Moreover, that unknown entity that executed the teleportation with such strange means has been a looming weight on Edwina’s mind.

“Prism Blessing!”

After blocking another vertical slash from the undead knight’s armor, Edwina immediately closed her eyes, a glaringly bright sphere of light rising like the noon sun behind her, causing the nearby undead to emit hoarse wails and billow black smoke. Even that ground-level Phantom Knight couldn’t help but cover its empty eye sockets with its hand.

Seizing the opportunity, the Holy Knight didn’t hesitate, bearing the pain in her body as she sprinted away. By the time the light dissipated, the undead had already lost sight of her.

…

Meanwhile, a certain Priestess Miss and her pet, having finished investigating the anomalies in Bawo Town, arrived in the Forgotten Land, the ruins of what was once the Glorious City.

Easily leaping over the tall, crumbling city walls, what came into Vilyric’s view were dilapidated walls reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic survival film.

A cold, deathly aura lingered in the air, the ground was a dark gray, and most wooden houses had been thoroughly eroded by time. Only a few stone buildings could still barely be distinguished, but they too had collapsed and were damaged.

Though it was only close to evening, the sky had turned dark and gloomy, contrasting sharply with the bright world just a few kilometers away, with mindless undead and skeletons wandering everywhere.

The arrival of the two living beings seemed to alarm the locals; as soon as Vilyric and Xiao Guang landed, a scattered dozen skeletons immediately turned their heads, the soul fire in their hollow skulls flickering violently.

Then they staggered toward them!

“So enthusiastic?”

Without Vilyric needing to lift a finger, Little Dragon Daughter merely waved her claw, and those rushing bones shattered to the ground as if crushed by an invisible giant.

Even the ground beneath them instantly sank by several inches.

From an aerial view, one would find that those broken bones were situated right in the center of a massive claw print.

“Unaware of their demise.”

Miss Giant Dragon dusted off her delicate palms, revealing a look of disdain.

They were already dead, of course they wouldn’t know their demise.

Vilyric silently ridiculed in her heart, though she didn’t show it.

“This should be the so-called outer city, huh? Well, Xiao Guang, you are also a pureblood giant dragon; using 【Sky Shattering Claw】 to strike at the skeletons feels like a bit much. It’s annoying having waves of small fries coming at us; let’s call a helper.”

After a moment of thought, the Priestess lifted the red staff, named 【Purifying Radiance】, which she received from Nastaia, and activated the skill.

“Summon, Guardian of Heaven!”

The light flowing from the tip of the staff traced complex and colorful golden patterns on the ground, and a figure seemingly forged from gold slowly rose from within, spreading iron-like golden wings behind it, then turned to insert its massive sword into the ground and knelt on one knee.

“Almighty Lord, I respond to your summon. Guardian of Heaven Lucas is at your service.”

A neutral voice, deep and resonant yet reassuring, emanated from the completely golden armor that covered its face.

“Hmm? Oh… Lucas, right? I want to investigate deeper into this area. If any undead attacks during this time, I’ll leave it to you to handle.”

“Yes, I humbly obey your command.”

Standing nearly three meters tall, the imposing golden-armored warrior bowed deeply, offering a reverent salute before standing up, silently positioning himself behind Vilyric with his formidable sword in hand.

Though the Priestess appeared calm on the surface, she was still somewhat incredulous inside.

While she had vaguely anticipated this, she hadn’t expected that this guy would really come to life.

【Summon, Guardian of Heaven】 is an 8th-tier Holy Light magic that summons a Guardian whose level corresponds to that of the user, with a maximum of lv80.

The actual summoned unit and abilities vary based on the summoner’s level.

For example, a lv70 Guardian of Heaven would stand about 1.8 meters tall, wielding a bow. Upon reaching lv75, it would switch to a one-handed sword and increase in height.

The highest lv80 Guardian of Heaven would switch its weapon to a sword and shield, with a height exceeding 2.5 meters—this is the maximum capability of the skill.

However, Vilyric is a bit different. After her race ascended to the Divine race, thanks to a unique equipment called 【Divine Spark: Light】, many Holy Light skills have evolved, including this 【Summon, Guardian of Heaven】.

The skill that originally reached its limit received another enhancement. While the Guardian’s level remains lv80, its physique has grown to nearly three meters, its weapon has transformed into a two-handed sword, and it has sprouted golden steel wings, also acquiring a name.

Thus, the full name of this skill should now be 【Summon, Guardian of Heaven Lucas】.

Even though Lucas is only lv80, its defense is quite impressive, even compared to a lv100 NPC, and its healing capabilities are strong, making it a suitable meat shield for Vilyric’s character, highly efficient for mowing down weaker monsters.

She quite likes using this skill.

However, having Xiao Guang as a precedent, along with Lucas being a special summoned entity with only a name, Vilyric decided to test it.

Hearing the fluid response and witnessing the previously unseen gesture of bowing, the Priestess confirmed her suspicions.

However, this guy isn’t a contract creature; it only appears when summoned and seems to not die in the true sense when defeated, so Vilyric is really curious about where Lucas actually popped out from and where it resides normally.

Wait a minute, Guardian of Heaven… could it really have come from some heaven?

   

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