Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 117 The Dying Legendary Mage

Soft, white snow covered the hillsides, forests, and rocks in layers, creating a silvery-white landscape between heaven and earth.

The thick, soft snow beneath their feet left hoofprints as the horses trod into it.

Louis and his group moved slowly forward. On the surface, they appeared to be simply strolling casually across the snowfield, like a relaxing walk after a hunt.

But Louis had already secretly guided the team's direction.

Their route was to the north, where the high mage, as indicated by the intelligence system, was located.

Suddenly, a vanguard knight galloped back from the front.

"My lord, an old man's corpse has been found ahead. He is emaciated... and his wounds are rather strange."

"A corpse?" Louis frowned, his heart sinking. "Let's go take a look."

This is not right. The daily intelligence system clearly shows that the old guy is only "in a coma," not dead.

After riding for only a short while, they saw the strange corpse that the vanguard knight had mentioned.

A gaunt old man, wearing a tattered cloak, sat cross-legged in the snow, half-buried, like an ascetic monk.

He bore absolutely no resemblance to the dashing, flowing-sleeves "Archmage Loken" that Louis had seen in historical illustrations.

The most noticeable feature is his heart on his chest.

It was a crack the size of a fist, emitting a dim light.

The crack was still slowly widening, the surrounding skin was constantly disintegrating, and black lines were spreading outwards.

“This isn’t a coma…” Louis couldn’t help but mutter to himself, “This looks like he’s completely dead.”

Just as he was pondering whether the system was malfunctioning, the mouth of the "corpse" moved slightly.

"Well... uh..."

A knight exclaimed in surprise, "He's still alive!"

The crowd looked at each other, their expressions freezing for a moment. How could someone in such a terrible state still be alive?
Louis stood five meters away, shielding everyone in front of him, and waved, "Go over and listen to what he has to say."

Upon hearing this, a knight stepped forward and put his ear close to the withered lips.

His voice trembled slightly as he repeated, "He said... tell St. John that someone has broken the original oath."

Louis paused for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "St. John? That name...it sounds familiar..."

He frowned slightly, lost in thought.

The knights around them looked at each other, completely unfamiliar with the name, and were also trying to comprehend this sudden information.

But the next moment, something unexpected happened!

The figure, barely clinging to life, suddenly opened its eyes!
"Gu..."

Before anyone could react, a suppressed low moan emanated from deep within the old man's throat, as if something was churning in his chest.

suddenly!

"call out--!!!"

A dark purple energy wave suddenly shot out from his mouth with a piercing sonic boom, hurtling towards Louis five meters away!

"Be careful!!"

Lambert roared and charged out like lightning, his aura surging, and the snow beneath his feet shattered!
But it's too late!
That breath came so fast, almost without any warning!
"puff--!"

The energy wave struck Louis squarely between the eyebrows, producing a dull thud.

His body jolted violently, as if struck by lightning, and he fell backward, crashing heavily onto the snow.

"Lord Louis!" Lambert's roar pierced the snow, filled with uncontrollable shock and rage.

After that energy wave was unleashed, the old man's eyes lost their last sparkle.

The eerie crack on his chest, which had been like a curse, suddenly began to expand violently!
"Sizzle!!"

Cracks spread wildly like a spider web, and a dark purple light spread along the flesh, as if some ancient and eerie power was tearing everything apart from the inside!
The next second, his entire body was instantly swallowed up!

There was no explosion, no screams.

He vanished silently before everyone's eyes. Only a tattered mage's robe remained, lying forlornly in the snow, slowly collapsing.

It's as if this person never belonged to this world from the very beginning.

"Lord Louis!!"

On the other side, all the knights' expressions changed drastically when they saw Louis being hit, and they all rushed over.

Lambert was the first to kneel down and lift him up.

How are you?

The others quickly gathered around, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings, creating an atmosphere of heightened tension.

As his consciousness sank into darkness, Louis's brain seemed to be suddenly torn apart by some force.

Countless images flooded in like a tide.

He couldn't think, couldn't breathe, and could only be forcibly injected with these unfamiliar memories, images, and emotions!

But this information rushed by without lingering, and he could only capture a very few fragmented images—

A young man with black hair sat quietly on a stone platform.

Dozens of people sat cross-legged around him, listening to his lecture.

He spoke of some strange breathing technique, which resembled yet did not resemble any imperial cultivation system, and his breathing seemed to resonate with the heavens and earth.

The scene changed.

A middle-aged man smiles in the firelight.

He was holding a baby in his arms, and his eyes were full of wrinkles.

Another scene.

Eight indistinct figures surrounded an old man who was nailed to a stone slab.

Their faces were blurred, they chanted incantations, and their hands were constantly performing some kind of horrific ritualistic dismemberment.

The old man kept his eyes open, seemingly... looking at Louis?
…………

The scene collapsed, and the space of consciousness shattered like a mirror with a "crack".

Louis's consciousness was suddenly thrown out of chaos by an irresistible force.

He opened his eyes.

Before me was a familiar gray-white ceiling with intersecting wooden beams.

He was lying in his room on his own property, the cushion beneath him slightly sunken, the air filled with a faint scent of herbs.

The first thing that catches the eye is a fair-skinned face.

Sif was looking down at him, her white hair slightly disheveled, her eyes filled with surprise and unease.

“Louis…you’re awake!” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Footsteps echoed around them.

Bradley, Lambert, and others gathered around, their faces filled with worry and concern.

Louis blinked slowly, the fragments of memories still echoing in his mind.

He remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly his expression hardened as he began to recall his memories from before he lost consciousness.

Archmage Loken, the purple energy wave, and that phrase, "Someone has broken the primordial oath"...

His voice was slightly hoarse, yet calm: "Lambert, stay. The rest of you, go out first."

The tone wasn't harsh, but everyone could tell it was a signal that a private conversation was needed.

Sif paused for a moment, and although her face was full of worry, she bit her lip, nodded, and got up to leave.

Bradley glanced at Lambert, silently patted him on the shoulder, and then left as well.

Only Louis and Lambert remained in the room.

(End of this chapter)