dark witches rise

Chapter 156 Roja's Tombstone

The sky was overcast and dark.

Lightning flashed across the sky and the earth.

A storm is brewing.

Roja took Weiss away from Shanta Town and came to the place where the carriage was parked.

On the dirty ground beside the carriage, a man with empty eyes lay quietly, like a dead man.

Who else but Harder?

"Since you left, he has always looked like this." Seeing Roja who was puzzled, Weiss explained.

Roja could see that Harder was deeply hurt.

Hader will become like this, Roja can understand.

Sending the people you value to the devil's lair with your own hands, if anyone encounters this kind of thing, unless it is the kind of person who is heartless, he will become a lunatic at least, or commit suicide directly at worst.

Harder didn't go crazy on the spot, which is pretty good.

As for whether he will commit suicide in the future?

No one can predict.

Roja really wanted to comfort Harder, but he didn't know how to comfort him.

Maybe Harder didn't want to see him at all?
See him the... wizard.

After sighing, Roja looked down at Harder who was paralyzed on the ground and said:
"The plague is over."

"No more dead."

This sentence made Harder's ears move, but only moved.

Harder was still lying on the ground like a dead man.

If someone rushed over to end his life with a knife right now, he wouldn't even have a little resistance, and maybe he would thank the person who killed him after he died.

It is not an easy task to revive Harder.

Roja, who had only met Hader once, didn't need to do that, and he didn't want to waste time and energy doing that.

"I hope that before you make the extreme choice to end yourself in the future, you will think more about whether it is your own impulse."

"Think about whether you are escaping or really feel that life is unloved."

After saying this, Roja jumped on the carriage and drove Weiss towards the destination of the Forest of Steles.

grumbling-

The wheels rolled, leaving two gradual ruts on the ground.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew and the rain poured down.

slam-la-

Raindrops the size of pebbles kept falling.

Under the rain, the whole world seemed hazy.

Roja sighed slightly when he heard the wailing sound coming from behind through the rain curtain.

The reason why he pursued the path of the wizard, besides wanting to gain strength and longevity, was another important reason——

I just don't want to encounter such a tragedy like Harder's!
Not only were close relatives killed, but the people he cared about were ruthlessly slaughtered, and he himself participated in it without knowing it, becoming the sharpest knife in the hands of the executioner.

Just thinking about it is unbearable!

But there are too many similar things in this cruel and dark world of wizards!
Moreover, maybe he will become one of the people who caused such a tragedy in the future?
Roja was thinking, Weiss was silent.

The two of them didn't speak a word along the way.

……

Looking at the town in front of him known as the Knight Town, Roja showed a rare smile.

"Passing through the town of knights, you will arrive at the forest of steles of knights."

"Did you know? The Forest of Steles is the sanctuary of knights in our Shenglan Kingdom. Every year, many great knights step into the forest of steles in order to seek the realm of a holy knight."

"Because too many people came here, gradually a small town appeared next to the forest of knight steles, a small town called Knight Town."

"Do you know why the Forest of Steles of the Knights is called the Forest of Steles of the Knights?"

"Because almost none of the great knights who entered the forest of knight steles could come back alive, so many great knights stepped into the forest of knight steles with their tombstones."

"I heard that in the depths of the forest of knight steles, there are tombstones of those sad people who aspired to become paladins everywhere."

"That's why it's called the Forest of Steles of Knights."

As the Forest of Steles approached, Roja became in a good mood, often with a smile on his face.

On the contrary, Weiss had a gloomy face, as if she wanted to escape from the forest of knight steles far away.

Facing Roja's words, she just listened absent-mindedly.

When Roja just set off from Haine Port, Roja's face was gloomy, and Weiss's face was full of smiles.

Now that they are about to reach their destination, their attitudes are completely reversed. Roja is smiling, and Weiss is gloomy.

The carriage drove into the knight town.

The once bustling and prosperous town is now deathly quiet.

click -

thump—

The heavy sound of hammers hitting stones came from the depths of Knight Town.

In the dead and silent town of Knights, this sound seemed so weird.

Weiss pulled Roja's sleeve reflexively, and asked in fear, "What's that sound?"

"Just look at it and see."

"Let's leave quickly, I always feel that there is something wrong with this town."

"It's just a psychological effect."

Roja walked towards the direction of the voice with a reluctant Weiss.

bang——

The sound of the hammer hitting the stone became louder and louder.

When they came to the edge of Knight Town, looking at the scene in front of them, they finally knew where the sound came from.

They came to a house surrounded by half-finished tombstones.

Through the low bamboo railings surrounding the house, one can see a stooped old man beating on a stone.

The sound they heard after they entered Knight Town was exactly the sound the old man made when he made the tombstone.

This old man is only at the level of an ordinary old man in terms of breathing, movement and strength.

However, Weiss was even more frightened.

Facing an ordinary person, a frail old man, Weiss, the noble lady from the Earl's family, who has the strength of a great knight, who has the basics of meditation, and who has half a foot in the world of wizards, is afraid.

Because the old man's withered body was covered with large and small cracks, whenever the old man swung the hammer hard, dark red blood would seep out of the cracks.

"I always feel that something is wrong with this place, let's leave quickly." Weiss urged Roja by the corner of her clothes.

Before Roja replied, the old man had already looked towards them.

The old man stared at them with bloody eyes, and showed them a strange smile on his wrinkled and withered face.

"Are you great knights who are going to the forest of steles for knight trials?" the old man asked hoarsely.

"Probably." Roja nodded and replied.

"Haha, I didn't expect the old man to meet a guest before he died. You may have to wait for a long time, so don't mind." The old man laughed.

"We don't want your tombstone..."

Roja covered Weiss's mouth in the middle of her speech.

Regardless of Weiss' resistance, he nodded to the old man and said, "I'm sorry to trouble you."

Roja took Weiss and sat down in the yard where tombstones stood everywhere.

bang——

The sound of beating stones sounded again.

"Why don't you leave?" Weiss stared at Roja and asked.

"Why do you think people who enter the forest of knight steles have to wear tombstones?" Roja didn't answer Weiss' question, but asked another question.

"Of course it's because they think that there is a high probability that they will die. They don't want to die without a tombstone?" Weiss replied without thinking.

After finishing speaking, Weiss expression changed, as if she understood something.

"Do you want him to help build a tombstone too?" Roja asked.

"Isn't it just a tombstone? Just find a stone and carve a few words with a sword? The tombstone here always gives me an ominous feeling. I'm afraid that if I use the tombstone here, it will turn into a wraith after death. No one can die in peace!" Weiss shook her head and said.

It's normal for Weiss to think so, because each of the tombstones made by the old man has something like resentment attached to it.

But those are not resentments!

It is the strange energy formed by the old man pouring all his energy and spirit into the making of the tombstone, and the spiritual power naturally attached to the tombstone.

Normal mental power dissipates over time.

However, the old man's "obsession" attached to the tombstone will not dissipate for a long time, and it will become stronger and stronger. It does look a bit similar to resentment, but it is more like the divine will of a third-level wizard.

The old man is just a mortal, but possesses the ability similar to divine thoughts, which can be said to comprehend the divine will with a mortal body.

It is an extraordinary genius at the level of a grand master who can only be born occasionally by dedicating his whole life to a certain thing.

Generally, this kind of hero appears in the field of swords or calligraphy and painting. Every sword, calligraphy and painting with spiritual thoughts is the best of its kind, and can easily be auctioned for millions of gold coins.

As for the tombstone?

This is the first time Roja has heard of this situation.

And he was lucky enough to see the production process with his own eyes, so he must observe it.

While looking forward to his own tombstone, Roja observed the old man's skills, seeing how the old man used the divine sense that only a third-level wizard had.

Ordinary naked eyes can't see anything at all.

Not to mention second-class apprentices, even second-class wizards won't gain anything from watching it.

But Roja has the proof of twin souls!

Under the certificate of twin souls, Roja clearly saw the process of forming the divine sense.

"Is it a brand new energy formed by the perfect fusion of vitality and spiritual power?"

"Is this divine thought?"

"Is this the power only a third-level wizard can possess?"

"It's truly remarkable."

As for why an ordinary old man can perfectly integrate vitality and spiritual power into divine sense, Roja can see a little clue with the help of the certificate of twin souls.

"That trace of power that emerged out of nowhere and merged spiritual power and vitality is the power of the soul?"

Roja, who has two souls, immediately noticed the existence of soul power.

"Is the key to condensing divine thoughts actually the soul?"

Roja didn't expect it to be related to the soul. Could it be said that the third-level wizard has mastered the power of the soul?

"Didn't the Lord of the Magic Machine say that you can only interfere with the soul after the eighth level, and you can completely control the soul after the ninth level?"

"...It's just a trace of soul power."

Being able to detect and use soul power, and interfering with and controlling the soul, the difficulty between the two is [-] times greater!
While observing the old man making the tombstone, Roja used the magic technique Pure Magic Pure Body to dispel the curse from Kukashi.

Its daybreak.

A ray of warm morning light pierced the darkness and shone on the old man.

The old man gently stroked the last tombstone he forged in this life, "The one hundred and eighth piece, this is the one hundred and eighth knight tombstone that this old man made for the great knight in this life."

The old man grinned at Roja, "Master Knight, are you satisfied with this tombstone?"

Roja stared at the tombstone that reflected the bright light like the shining armor of a paladin in the morning light.

He stretched out his hand to lightly read the four characters Roya Nange on the tombstone, and he felt as if he was touching a piece of warm jade.

Although the materials used are ordinary granite that can be seen everywhere, the finished product gives people a feeling of white jade carving.

For this tombstone, there is only one word in Roja's heart——

"it is good!"

Roja praised without hesitation.

"Master Knight, as long as you like it." The old man smiled happily.

"Old man, I remember many famous paintings and books, all of which will have the signature of the creator, can you sign one of them?" Roja said.

"sign?"

"Yes."

"Can I sign it?"

"This is the best masterpiece of your life, old man. This tombstone is not inferior to those famous books and paintings. It would be a pity not to sign it."

"..." After staring at Roja for a long time, the old man suddenly laughed, "That's right, my tombstone is not bad at all compared to those famous books and paintings!"

The old man found a tool and carefully carved his name on the bottom of the tombstone - Sassoon Langlo Martin.

At the moment when the name was engraved, some inexplicable and wonderful changes took place on the entire tombstone.

And old man Martin seemed to become transparent all of a sudden, faintly visible.

After saying goodbye to old man Martin, Roja took his own tombstone and led Weiss, who had already been impatient, towards the outside of Knight Town.

call--

A gust of cold wind blows.

Looking back, the town of Knights, which existed well before, has disappeared!

Instead, there are graves and tombstones standing in front of the tombs!

"Knight Town died due to an unknown accident five years ago." Roja said in a deep voice.

"That is to say, the town of knights we stayed in for a day is an illusion? The old man we saw is a wraith?" Weiss asked in surprise.

"No, old man Martin is a real person."

"Huh? Are you joking?"

"may be."

Ignoring the puzzled Weiss, Roja looked towards one of the many tombs. With the help of the certificate of twin souls, he could see the coffin inside the tomb through the soil.

Lying in the coffin was an old man who had just died with a happy smile on his face.

What exactly is going on?

Why is Uncle Martin alive until now in a town that was destroyed five years ago?

Roja couldn't tell either.

He only knew that the old man Martin they met last night was a real living person, and that Knight Town was indeed an illusion created by the wraith.

"Maybe the Wraith is helping him." Roja said uncertainly.

"Huh? You mean the kind-hearted wraith who helps the living? Are you a naive kid who has read too many fairy tales? The wraith is the natural enemy of all life!" Weisi said speechlessly.

"Haha, I don't think it's possible either."

Roja did not continue to struggle with this matter.

He walked ahead with the tombstone, and Weiss followed him into the forest of knight steles.

(End of this chapter)