The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 265: Volume three: Prologue

Chapter 265: Volume three: Prologue

’These bands sure are sturdy.’

Hex marveled at the durability and sturdiness of the black bands wrapped around his injuries.

He couldn’t tell the materials used in producing such an ink. They lacked properties to heal or even assist with the healing. But they made up for it by their ability to keep his body together. What made them a piece of wonder was their flexibility and self-adjusting properties.

As he lay in bed, the boat rocked amidst the turbulent winds. According to the boat captain, the winds have been unpredictable since the Sky struck the earth. One experienced Knight with an affinity for wind explained that it would take a few days, if not weeks, for the wind to settle down.

Thanks to the bandages his injuries didn’t aggravate further. His body adapted to the pain to a certain degree.

Laying in bed, Hex operated the nature element to heal his wounds. A small heap of crystals sat beside him. The refined pure nature element in these Fiend crystals helped him accelerate his recovery. He expected to be recovered by the time he was done with the heap. It would take about two days more.

He prioritized recovery above refining the incredible amount of energy in his inner space. The energy he gained after blowing the monolith to smithereens.

He estimated it to grant him more than a hundred thousand drops of energy once refined. He needed but a fraction to fulfill the requirement to ascend.

If not for the way things ended, he would be shouting in joy. Heck, despite everything he still smiled as he glanced at the back of his hand.

Two concentric circles were engraved on his skin. The extinguished light of both didn’t diminish their significance. Having two circles was an achievement in itself. From what Hex learned from his scroll and others it took most people about ten years to gain even a single circle. And those were the talented ones.

Though Hex was certain the second circle would be the one pushing him onto the higher rank. After all, his understanding of Space was shallow at best. The Ice elemental circle, on the other hand, appeared as he inherited the Frost Dragon Queen’s understanding.

It would take a little time but once he reviewed and consolidated all the knowledge he gained, he was certain to reach the next rank.

It was difficult to believe that he had gone from a regular human to almost a Refined Knight. And that too in less than a year.

Despite his astronomical growth, Hex wondered if he was climbing fast enough. His burden and dreams didn’t diminish. If anything, they increased.

He missed Grindeston. He missed his master. And he missed his friends. In the same period he grew, he also lost pieces of his heart. Piece after piece. Not literally. But it hurt.

’There is no point in worrying about things that have happened or waiting to happen. I should keep working on myself. Things will worsen from now on.’

Although he never stopped training and refined without much pause during the ruin exploration, he still failed to be prepared. He lacked Techniques and information at the critical moments. He believed he filled the gaps but reality slapped him in the face.

He had to dig deeper. To work harder. To improve beyond the possible. It didn’t matter if he could kill a being at a rank higher. His opponents were multiple ranks higher. And they knew more. They knew darker secrets. And forgotten history.

Researching some local powerhouse or a single location remained important. But he shouldn’t lose focus. He shouldn’t forget who his real opponents were – Heaven and the Divine Lord.

And what did he know about them? Hex almost blushed as he replied to his question. He knew nothing. Everything he knew was based on what he saw, what he was told, what he believed. But not what lay underneath the dust-covered history of the world.

’How was Heaven created? And the Divine Lord? Who is He? And why are they fighting? What is this struggle? Did the disappearance of the Gods have anything to do with either? Or both?

These are the questions I need to seek answers for.’

These were but a few questions he could think of. But it was a start. He didn’t know where he would find answers. But he was with Sterling. The merchants loved information above everything. It was their tool to gather more resources. It was their best weapon and shield. Sterling was the heir to one of the oldest merchant families. He would start with him.

But that was one part of the preparation. He still needed to work hard on his personal growth. Harder perhaps.

’I should spend more time browsing this. And this might have some clues too.’

Hex eyed the back of his hand. He used the scroll given by the baron as a reference. In hindsight, that seemed stupid of him. He needed to study it. To make it his own. This was something the baron prepared. He knew he wouldn’t be around to guide him. Hex realized he might have underestimated the true value it held.

Now, he also had another book to browse. The Witch’s Diary. He realized it was a diary as he opened it. At first, he felt a bit disappointed. He had hoped to see some forbidden Techniques and advice.

It was only when he had rested and evaluated the past few months that he understood the value of the booklet. It contained the daily life of a person who defied Heaven and served the Divine Lord.

The insights it could provide would certainly be priceless. He was eager to read it. But he couldn’t. Not until he was healed. After all, the ink wasn’t on the pages anymore. It was wrapped around him. He believed the words would flow back on the blank pages once he didn’t need them anymore as bandages.

’And I need to use my advantages, well more to my advantage.’

Hex believed he performed well as he executed his tasks and fought his battles. When he was evaluating, however, he noted one point he needed to improve on – diversity.

Most experienced Knights and higher could adapt to changing situations and circumstances. The three members of the three greatest factions proved that.

Yet, all these people were limited in their affinities and sensory abilities. Hex had the ability to use any and every element. That meant, any and every Technique. And he had his stone heart. A treasure believed to invoke Heaven’s envy. But he used them in a basic way. He needed to incorporate all the information, all his advantages, and his heart, in a way they enforced each other.

That would be his path ahead.

Volume 3: The Knight’s Path