Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 360 Collapse
Rebaton paced back and forth in front of the throne, his breathing rapid and his chest heaving, clearly furious at the inaction of his ministers.

His angry gaze swept over every minister, as if waiting for someone to bravely step forward and take responsibility, but no one did.

After a long while, Rebaton sighed and helplessly sat back on his throne, his eyes revealing deep disappointment and exhaustion.

The ministers remained silent, unsure how to break the awkward and tense situation.

This cold reality was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing all hope and illusion.

Even a high-ranking second-circle wizard like Chandler chose to remain silent; this silent retreat itself was the loudest warning and commentary.

The air was as solid as lead.

Beneath the shadow of the black-robed man's signature hooded hood, it seemed as if a venomous snake was lurking, coldly surveying the entire scene.

That silent pressure came not only from their terrifying, rumored strength, but also from an absolute control built on bloody rules—those who defied them would have their entire families exterminated!

This cruel method precisely struck at the weak point of everyone present.

Whether they are high-ranking noblemen or powerful wizards with unpredictable methods, who dares to say that their hands are completely clean?

Who dares to say that no one has lost a life when their selfish desires have gone out of control?

Who can guarantee that there aren't secrets that require "thorough cleanup" to keep?

The Black Robe Organization is well-versed in this.

They likely possess far more information than anyone present imagined.

The threat of "wiping out the whole family" is enough to silence anyone who dares to show their face.

Chandler's choice perfectly represents the most common fear: it's not worth getting burned for the sake of outsiders.

Self-preservation is an instinct ingrained in the bones of people living in chaotic times.

Emperor Rebaton's gaze turned cold. After letting out a snort, he adjourned the meeting and headed towards the forbidden area deep within the palace.

Deep within the palace, past layers of restrictions and the silent magical guards, Emperor Rebaton entered an area shrouded in ancient silence.

There are no glittering decorations here, only cold black rocks forming huge passageways and empty halls.

The air was so thick it was almost tangible, carrying a bone-deep silence and the oppressive, leaden pressure characteristic of ancient magical energy.

This is a forbidden place for royalty, and the last bastion of royal power.

"After more than three hundred years, the kingdom has finally reached the brink of destruction!"

The gatekeeper's voice, tinged with undisguised mockery and a hint of weariness, rang out before Rebaton could even speak.

The voice echoed directly in Rebaton's mind, like icy spring water flowing into his blood, dispelling the imperial majesty that the emperor had forcibly maintained all along, and making him feel a chill from the depths of his soul.

Rebaton stopped in his tracks, not angry, but gripping the heavy, ornate imperial scepter in his hand tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force. He looked at the magnificent stone platform shrouded in shadow ahead.

On the stone platform, a figure appeared and disappeared, as if it were the embodiment of darkness itself.

That was the Gatekeeper—a non-human being who had existed since the founding of the kingdom, revered as a guardian deity by the royal family, but in reality, a witness to the sword of Damocles hanging over the head of royal power. "You know, Your Excellency?" Rebaton's voice was low, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

The black-robed man's threat still echoed in their ears, and Chandler and the others' retreat felt like a thorn in their side.

The figure in the shadows seemed to move slightly, and the shadow of the hood deepened. "All those with blood are watched. Their eyes are everywhere."

The gatekeeper's withered fingers tapped on the cold stone, producing a hollow sound. "What they want is not just some lost item. They want to completely erase all traces, to reduce something to nothingness."

Rebaton's heart sank.

Completely reduced to nothingness?

This is even more terrifying than wiping out an entire family!
Even the extermination of an entire family leaves traces; returning to nothingness means erasing existence itself!

"Who are they targeting? What do they want?" Rebaton pressed, his voice carrying an urgency he himself was unaware of.

The gatekeeper is the only one who might know the deeper goals of the other party.

A short, cold chuckle came from the shadows.

"Class, Rebaton. A stubborn and rigid class that has imprisoned the development of everyone in the kingdom. Each and every one of you is too deeply involved with it and is on the list to be eliminated." The gatekeeper's gaze seemed to pierce through the heavy shadows and land on Rebaton. "As for what you want... it's an end. A complete death. Not just physical annihilation, but the uprooting of existence itself, a complete eradication from the roots of history."

Emperor Rebaton felt a chill instantly spread from his tailbone throughout his body, and even the scepter he was gripping tightly could not provide any warmth.

The eradication of existence itself!
This is no longer targeting any particular nobleman or wizard; it is about completely destroying one of the very foundations upon which the entire kingdom depends for its survival!

“How dare they…” Rebaton’s voice trembled with anger and fear, but he immediately realized that such a question was meaningless in front of the gatekeeper who possessed greater power.

The gatekeeper seemed to sense his thoughts, and his mockery intensified.

“Anger? Fear? Useless. The reliance of the royal family?” He slowly raised his hand, pointing to a darker place deep in the stone hall, where murky, dark starlight seemed to slowly flow, forming a huge and eerie vortex.

"Your reliance can no longer serve as a beacon to dispel the darkness. Even its own light is being gradually swallowed up by that invisible spider web."

Rebaton followed his finger and his pupils suddenly contracted.

That's a projection of the Wang Family Magic Energy Well!

A source of power for the kingdom's operation, the maintenance of high-level witchcraft, and even part of the legend of the divine right of kings!

In the past, he had sensed a powerful and stable energy of order. But now, in his eyes, the depths of that enormous energy vortex were entwined with wisps of cold, dark energy, like living creatures, slowly and steadily eroding the core of light, like sickly vines.

The starlight was no longer dazzling; instead, it carried a morbid turbidity and a deathly heaviness.

It is like the manifestation of the kingdom's lifeline, being covered and corrupted by a shadowy plague called the "Black Robe Man"!

Rebaton was struck hard, staggering back half a step. A metallic, sweet taste rose in his throat, which he forced down.

It turns out that the biggest crisis did not come from the covetousness of some external force, but from the silent collapse of the very foundation upon which they depended for survival!
The infiltration of the black-robed men has reached such a terrifying level!

He raised his head, looking at the cold, unyielding figure on the stone platform, his voice hoarse: "Your Excellency... you are our gatekeeper! The protector of the kingdom! Are we just going to watch everything fall apart? To watch them do as they please?"

(End of this chapter)