The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 100: She is back

Chapter 100: She is back

Hex felt his mind go blank for a second. After the delay, he finally registered his master’s words.

"I have become a Knight? For real? Just like that?" Hex asked, giving the baron a look that seemed to say are you serious?

"Yes, just like that you are a Knight now."

Hearing the baron’s affirmative tone made Hex realize he reached the stage that once seemed out of reach.

"B-but how? It was so...simple?" Just a day ago he reached the Third Blessing as a Squire. People remain stuck at that stage for decennia. Some even for life. Yet, he surpassed that stage in one day?

"Was it so simple?" The baron asked, giving him a look with his deadpan face.

"I guess a fool like you would consider it simple. After all, you just had to put your life on the line each time, didn’t you? But then again, what’s the life of someone like you worth?"

"Ow. Yeah," Hex laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. But soon his embarrassment turned into joy.

"I did it. I am a Knight. A true powerhouse!" He cheered without minding the presence of the baron beside him. He felt like all the suffering so far had been worth it.

"Stop being a fool. What abilities did you get?" The baron remained as cold as always.

"Abilities?" Hex asked, confused. How was he supposed to know?

"Describe the process. I could sense the flow of energy and the movement of your heart, but I don’t know the specifics," the baron replied, seeing the clueless expression on Hex’s face.

Hex described in detail everything that occurred inside the magical space. He emphasized the various colors and auras he observed.

Once he finished describing it all, he looked expectantly toward the baron, hoping for a thorough explanation. The baron didn’t make him wait for it.

"It seems the souls of the beasts have yet to fuse completely with you. Luckily, they have surrendered. Once they fuse, your power should increase even more. It’s just a matter of time and luck.

The colors represent elements and attributes. The red color strengthens you beyond the realm of your stage. The green represents vitality. It grants you regenerative abilities. The black aura should be a berserk ability, giving you a boost in attack power for a brief moment.

The white influences your ability to purify curses and toxins. Blue should enhance your defensive and agility attributes. The existence of earth, plants, and snow indicates that you can tap into those elements and fuse them with your techniques."

Hex gaped at the baron. It took him a while to digest the information.

"It sounds like I am quite strong. Or is this normal?" Hex could guess the answer to his question but needed to hear it from the baron.

"I already told you. You are unique. In more ways than you realize," the baron said, neither coldly nor warmly.

"Hahahaha, I knew it," Hex gave a fistbump in the air, feeling extremely pleased with himself.

Suddenly, he remembered that the baron hadn’t told him everything.

"What about the monolith? You called it an artifact. What does that do?" He asked curiously.

"The same thing it would do outside. It will help you refine chaotic energy and grant you a tremendous boost to all your attributes." The baron looked at the big grin on Hex’s face and continued.

"But don’t overdo it. If you break the balance, it will shatter and explode. You will turn into dust if that happens."

Hex nearly choked on his saliva. "Tell me that sooner," he snapped, unhappily. "Then why did you make me refine it? It sounds more like a ticking disaster than a boon!"

"It’s a disaster if you act like a fool. Are you so dumb you don’t realize what being the sole owner of such an artifact like this implies? It means you can keep refining and storing energy. It means having a boost like no one else has."

’Makes sense,’ Hex thought, realizing the truth behind his master’s words. ’As long as I don’t overdo it, I will remain safe.’ But the thought didn’t comfort him much. ’In my experience, any If situation is bound to happen.’

He could only laugh wryly at that. He soon threw it to the back of his mind. Worrying about things that happened or waiting to happen wasn’t his style. When he considered everything he gained from the risks he took, he broke into another fit of giggles. He had become a Knight, unlike anyone else.

He sneaked a glance at the baron, wondering whether he was impressed or not. But like always, the stone-like face didn’t reveal anything.

"We should regroup."

That was all the baron said, after which he grabbed Hex and moved.

Everything blurred in front of Hex’s eyes. His stomach lurched and he felt as if his head was shaken greatly.

When his vision cleared, they stood at the foot of the hill, where the Knights and the silver-haired lady were waiting on them.

Before they could greet him, Hex fell on his knees and vomited.

"What’s wrong?" Adgar asked worriedly. They had somewhat recovered while waiting on Hex and the baron.

"It happens the first time someone moves at speeds surpassing the speed of sound," the Templar said with a wry smile. She just shook her head at the baron.

After coughing and spitting quite a bit, Hex stood up. "Can’t say I enjoyed that."

"You will get better at it," Silvera grinned but suddenly froze. She eyed Hex suspiciously.

"You advanced?" Her voice didn’t hide her shock. She didn’t have to. The others shared the same expression when they heard her exclaim. They all looked at him like he was a monster.

"He got lucky. If he hadn’t advanced, he would have died," the baron said before Hex could reply.

His words drew Silvera’s attention. She remembered the destabilized monolith.

"It’s destroyed, but nothing happened besides that," the baron said, guessing her thoughts.

Hex saw that she wasn’t convinced but she chose to remain silent. As did Hex. He didn’t know why the baron distorted the facts but trusted the baron’s judgment.

It was then he saw Edward. He was sitting beside the others, tending to the twins. Seeing Hex look at him, he nodded.

’They all colluded with Clannad. But we can always interrogate them later,’ Hex thought as he returned the Squire’s nod. He didn’t go for their throats yet.

"It’s finally over. Ronan is dead and I can return to the High Temple," Silvera laughed as she stretched her lean body. Her beautiful figure made the Knights gulp involuntarily. They even forgot their injuries.

Hex chuckled. Indeed. It had been quite a busy and tiresome night. Now, he only wished to return to the castle and nap. ’Okay, maybe not nap immediately. I should brief Althea about all these and then nap.’

The group was about to relax and enjoy themselves when the baron’s cold voice poured on them like cold water.

"Over?"

Hearing the baron’s cold voice, they all turned toward the baron. They noticed that he was looking at the southern sky.

At first, everything seemed normal. But soon they saw what was different about it. Large, dark clouds were coiling like an enormous snake above the other side of the hill.

The sky looked like it had turned into an endless pit of darkness. Hex and others stared at the sight, amazed and horrified simultaneously. At the darkest moment, lightning struck. It was massive. Nothing like Hex and the others had ever seen.

Hex could only describe it as a legendary lightning dragon descending the sky. It tore the darkness and made the night brighter than the day. It struck the other side of the hill.

The impact made the ground quake. The next instance they had to hold on, as the hill shuddered and started to crack open.

It was sudden. Only when they recovered did they see the terrifying result. The hill, which had stood for centuries, was split open, showing the other side. A castle made of white and grey, stood in shambles. Its southern tower was destroyed.

ROAR!

The sound of the rumbling clouds only now reached their ears, almost deafening them. The shockwaves were also delayed and hit them in the face. They all fell to the ground, holding for their dear lives. Only the baron remained on his feet. His golden cloak and hair flew wildly in the air.

"W-what the heck!" Hex screamed. He was right beside the baron.

The baron looked at the castle and opened his mouth. His whisper thundered in Hex’s ears.

"She is back."