It felt so good to be close to the witch!

The sudden burst of light caused a stir among the knights, but soon the powerful guardians sensed the fluctuations of the "Breathing of Flames" technique and, knowing that the newcomer was one of their own, stopped the knights from making their move.

Fuma landed on the most imposing knight in the crowd, a man standing three meters tall, and her eyes lit up. She immediately ran over to him.

"Mr. Andrew, what happened? How could the Wall of Solid Stone be like this?"

"Father, and brother, how are you now? Are you alright?"

Upon sensing the presence, Andrew recognized the owner of the Flowing Light. Seeing Fuma return, a look of relief appeared on his face.

Although they had only been separated for less than half a day, he was still full of worry. Although he didn't know why the young lady had suddenly returned, he was relieved to see that she was alright.

At this moment, Andrew's armor showed some new damage. The shape of these damages was completely different from the common sword cuts. They were regular damages with a central depression and radial patterns around the edges.

Faced with Fuma's anxious question, Andrew reassured her in as gentle a tone as possible, "Don't worry, His Excellency the Duke and the young master are fine."

"In this war before winter, the Kolei Empire used a terrifying magical weapon that we had never seen before. Caught off guard, the extraordinary knights had no time to intercept it and were smashed into the solid stone wall by this thing. And you have seen the consequences."

"The horrific explosion not only destroyed the stone wall but also caused enormous casualties. A rough estimate suggests that one Gold Knight, three Silver Knights, sixteen Bronze Knights, and hundreds of other knights perished in the explosion."

"The Kolei Empire originally planned to use this weapon again, but the Duke reacted quickly and thwarted it, causing it to explode in the enemy camp and resulting in heavy casualties."

"Currently, the Kolei Empire has temporarily withdrawn its troops, and the two sides are in a stalemate."

By the end, a bitter look appeared on Andrew's face.

Hearing that her father and brother were alright, Fuma breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at the unprecedented damage on the burly knight's armor and asked, "Mr. Andrew, what happened to your armor?"

“This…” Andrew shook his head: “The things the Cole Empire calls ‘magic technology’ have developed too fast. This was left by a golden knight wielding a long-tube weapon, who ambushed me from a distance of a thousand meters while I was fighting on the battlefield.”

"This thing has terrifying penetrating power. Just one weapon like this, plus a Gold Knight, could pierce my battle aura shield. If it were a Legendary Knight, I'm afraid..."

Andrew's tone was heavy.

He has been on the solid wall for decades, witnessing firsthand the terrifying progress of the Kolei Empire, which used to be suppressed by the Radiant Empire.

The so-called "magic technology" of the Kolei Empire was being updated and iterated at an alarming rate.

Now, in the war between the two great empires, the Radiant Empire is at a disadvantage.

This is especially evident in the legendary and regular knights.

Among knights of the same rank, the knights of the Kolei Empire are far inferior to the knights of the Radiant Empire in close combat, but with their "magic weapons," their lethality far exceeds that of their peers, posing a great threat from a distance.

Fortunately, the power of these "magic weapons" had an upper limit in the past, and they were of little use in battles in the legendary realm. As a result, the legendary knights of the Radiant Empire were able to overpower the legendary knights of the Cole Empire, otherwise the battle would have collapsed long ago.

But now, the emergence of new high-powered explosives and a new generation of magical firearms has subtly changed the situation.

Shaking his head to suppress the jumble of thoughts in his mind, Andrew looked at the girl in crimson scales in front of him and said, "Miss, the Duke and the young master should be in the manor. You can go and find them directly. I will guard this place."

"Thank you for your hard work." Nodding to Andrew, Fuma transformed into a streak of light once more and headed towards the Duke's mansion.

Watching the girl's departing figure, Andrew sighed softly.

He knew that the young lady's time was running out...

Before long, Fuma arrived at the entrance of the Duke's mansion on the solid stone wall.

Although it is called a ducal mansion, it is actually a war fortress built on solid stone walls.

The Soros family's ancestral homeland is not here, but in another location within the province of Lafa.

However, because the border duke lived here for many years, this place gradually replaced the clan's territory and became the ducal mansion of the Soros family in the eyes of outsiders.

Ignoring the knights bowing on either side of the gate, Fuma rushed inside and soon arrived at the hall where her father usually sat.

Only when she saw the majestic figure sitting on a massive, rugged stone chair deep in the hall did Fuma finally feel relieved.

"Father."

"It's you, little Fuma, you're back..." The majestic figure on the stone chair seemed to be taking a nap, and only woke up when Fuma spoke, speaking in a gentle voice.

In the center of the hall, a bonfire was burning fiercely, its flickering flames illuminating the slightly pale face of the imposing figure sitting on the stone chair.

Upon seeing this, Fuma's heart skipped a beat.

Father, are you injured?!

This discovery plunged Fuma into indescribable shock and panic.

From the time she was old enough to understand things until now, her father has been an invincible figure in her eyes. No enemy can defeat him, and she has never seen him get hurt.

But now...

“Father, you…” Fuma anxiously stepped forward, wanting to say something.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, little Fuma." The border duke on the stone chair shook his head. "I just need to rest for a while. But you, did you find any clues about the lost ice coffin on this trip?"

When faced with this question, Fuma remained silent.

-

(During the double monthly pass period, please vote with your monthly passes!)

My daily book recommendation: "Crushing Through American Horror Story: Starting from the Deadly Bend"

[Recommendation]: This novel, whose selling point is the monster-fighting and leveling-up story of killers and monsters from European and American movies, stitches together some D&D settings and is packed with references. Recommended reading.

Chapter 110 Starfall

In the hall.

Under the watchful eye of the border duke, Fuma remained silent for a moment before gently shaking her head: "Not found."

“I’m sorry…” A deep voice came from the stone chair deep in the hall: “Little Fuma, I am not a good father.”

"Why would you say such a thing?" A very faint smile appeared on Fuma's expressionless face: "Father, from childhood to adulthood, you have always been my pride."

“My family, you, and my brother have given me so much. On the contrary, I have always been a burden to you.”

"Sigh..." A deep sigh came from the depths of the hall.

"By the way, Father, what weapon did the Kolei Empire use to destroy the Solid Stone Wall?" Not wanting to continue this topic, Fuma changed the subject.

The border duke, seated on the stone chair, remained silent for a moment before speaking in a grave voice: "I don't know. It's an extremely dangerous explosive that we've never seen before."

"It was like a meteorite falling from the sky. A few seconds after landing, it rapidly expanded and exploded, like a giant mushroom cloud rising from the ground. The power of its core explosion zone was so terrifying that even I could not withstand it head-on."

"I named it 'Meteor'."

"Fortunately, the 'Meteorite' isn't flying very fast. If intercepted in advance, and with enough force, it could even be sent flying back. I suspect that the 'Magic Energy Mechanical Research Institute' in the Kolei Empire has only just developed the 'Meteorite,' and many details are still not perfect. Testing the 'Meteorite' is one of their main objectives in this long-planned war before winter."

"In addition to the meteorite, a new type of firearm has appeared with penetrating power sufficient to pierce through the legendary battle aura shield. This new weapon has caused varying degrees of injury to the legendary figures."

"The development of the Kolei Empire is too fast."

"Magic-powered mechanical knights... Is the traditional path truly wrong...?"

Towards the end, the border duke's voice carried a hint of doubt about the traditional path of chivalry, but he quickly shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Let's not talk about this anymore, little Fuma, you..."

Before the border duke could finish speaking, the girl in crimson scale armor spoke softly, "Father, I'm relieved to see that you are all alright. Next, I plan to go to Star Lake again."

"Although we didn't find any direct clues about the lost ice coffin at Xinghu Lake on this trip, we did discover some useful signs. I think if we follow the trail, we might be able to find the lost ice coffin."

The girl's tone was flat, but the border duke, who knew his daughter well, could hear the unwavering determination in it, which filled him with mixed feelings.

He knew very well that Fuma's time was running out.

In these final moments, he didn't want his daughter to toil and struggle for that uncertain possibility anymore. He wanted her to stay by his side so that he and his family could spend more time with her.

But the border duke knew all too well how cruel and tragic it would be for Fuma, as a knight, to wait for death at home.

"...Go ahead, but I hope you'll come back on your last day."

"Bring Andrew with you. When the 'Meteorite' attacked, our defenses were breached, and we had no choice but to recall him. Now that we are prepared, it is virtually impossible for the 'Meteorite' to fall again."

"Taking him along will make many things safer and more convenient."

Fuma nodded, pursed her lips, bowed deeply, and then turned and left.

Watching Fuma's figure gradually swallowed by the darkness, the border duke, sitting on the stone chair, clenched his fist tightly on the armrest, the veins on the back of his fist bulging like dragons.

If he had been present when the Star Lake Incident occurred, even with the legendary knight of Fangfeng and the great witch of moonlight, Cecilia, present, he was confident he could defeat them and obtain the A-grade forbidden item—the Lost Ice Coffin. This was his confidence as the empire's strongest legend.

Although the Great Witch is powerful, Cecil is only a beginner in the Great Witch realm. Coupled with the century-long seal, her strength cannot improve, and she has already reached the end of her legendary status.

However, he did not do so at the time.

He was the patriarch of the Soros family, the Grand Lord of the Rafa province, and the border Duke Breton Soros, and behind these identities was Fura's father.

Therefore, he cannot leave.

The surging emotions caused the border duke's face to turn deathly pale.

He channeled his fighting spirit, forcefully suppressing his injuries.

This is a hidden injury he sustained when he tried to suppress it head-on after the first "meteor" fell.

As the girl's presence faded into the distance, the border duke lowered his head, gazing at the empty hall: "I'm sorry, Fuma, I haven't been a good father..."

……

After leaving the Duke's mansion, Fuma transformed into a crimson streak of light and returned to the vicinity of the solid stone wall destroyed by the "Starfall." Andrew, the legendary knight of the Flame Sword who had been waiting for a while, stepped forward and flew to Fuma's side: "Miss, I have received a message from His Excellency the Duke. I will accompany you to continue searching for clues."

“Thank you for your help, Mr. Andrew.” Fuma nodded. “And here?”

"His Excellency the Duke has already assigned that brat Doug to guard the area," Andrew replied with a disdainful snort.

His disdain was naturally directed at the "Doug Kid" he was referring to.

“Mr. Doug.” Hearing this name, Fuma felt relieved.

This is another legendary one-star knight of the Soros family, known as "Flame Lance". He was a knight of the same generation as Andrew, and the two were close in age and good friends since their youth.

Fuma had no say in the love-hate relationship between the two legendary knights. After learning about the situation, she prepared to return to Blackrock Territory and begin making arrangements for her plan.

Looking in the direction of the Duke's mansion, Fuma remained expressionless, but the turmoil in her heart was far more intense than outsiders could imagine.

Although her father concealed it well, the "revelation" told Fuma that her father's injuries were far more serious than they appeared.

Even under these circumstances, Fuma believed that if she asked for the person herself, her father would definitely make arrangements, but she was unwilling to do so.

Although the army of the Kolei Empire has retreated, winter has not yet arrived and they could launch another attack at any time. Under such circumstances, no one can predict what the consequences will be of drawing away the few legendary knights who are already by Father's side.

Over the years, her family, her father, and her elder brother have sacrificed so much for her.

Outsiders only know that her strength has improved rapidly, but they don't know that behind this rapid improvement in strength are mountains and seas of precious resources to replenish her life force.