Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Echer possessed all the virtues of a great king, including the foresight to distinguish right from wrong... and the ruthlessness of a ruler.

“I will always stand behind you, my dear, watching you grow into a new pillar, watching you be relied upon and worshipped by your people, erasing my shadow in their hearts.”

"This is the kind of growth you have to go through."

"It also belongs to Levis. This country needs to wake up from the dream of its founder, Echer."

Chapter 335 Night Owl Squad, Spotted Dove

Echer's words made the atmosphere a little stiff. Lyle and Reid stopped eating, and a cold wind blew the cloth bag with the firefly lights.

Then there's Nia, who completely disregards the atmosphere. "Lyle, if you're not eating, can I take some from your leaves?"

Nia has grown up; she can now notify me when she's grabbing food. Lyle felt a pang of emotion as he listened to the new chewing sounds.

This, too, is part of growing up.

Nia's voice was like the ticking of a clock hand, making the still image come alive again.

Kayla gently wiped the corner of her eye with her finger, and her usual calm smile returned.

"Thank you, Grandpa. I feel much better after talking about it."

"...I'm always ready to hold your arms, my love."

"Although I know it's almost impossible for you to rule the country again, Grandpa, I still have that impulsive thought in my heart. Those trivial matters are really making me feel a little suffocated." Kayla smiled, with a sincerity like a rainbow after the rain.

Echel stroked her head. "You did a great job, Kayla."

Kayla closed her eyes, enjoying the comfort of her family.

"Grandpa, do you remember what day tomorrow is?"

Echer squinted.

"It's the day of return."

Kayla then explained to Lyle and the others.

"The people of Lewes have their own understanding of death and burial. Our people have a tradition of the soul and body returning to the wilderness."

"On the day of return, we will place the bodies of the dead deep in the forest, so that they can become nourishment for nature and the soil."

"Life is a cycle, and we are inextricably linked to the cycle of nature."

“Return Day is a very important holiday for the Lewesse people,” Kayla said, looking at the three of them. “Tomorrow, I will give a speech to comfort the dead.”

"Can you come? Even if you can't show up, I hope my speech can be seen by my grandfather if you stand in the corner."

"After all, this was originally meant to tell Grandpa Echer what he wanted to say."

Echer readily agreed to Kayla's request, and that night, the three of them were taken to a room reserved for guests.

As night deepened, Lyle was already fast asleep. Echel fell from the hammock, the sound of her feet hitting the ground barely audible compared to the gentle breeze rustling the leaves.

The moonlight shone on the wooden planks and on Rhett's iron armor.

Echer casually sat down next to him.

"I seem to have put too much pressure on my lovely granddaughter. The role of our older generation in setting an example is more profound than I imagined."

"..."

"Kayla was a wonderful girl. Even though I maintained a close relationship with her after my death, I didn't notice the pressure she was hiding."

"..."

“You saw how she vented. That’s the burden we leave to our descendants after we die.”

"..."

"...You know what I'm trying to say. We've been rivals our whole lives, Reid Derek, and even in death, we still can't stand each other. We're enemies, we're friends, and we know each other's thoughts. Since my Kayla is under so much pressure..."

“My granddaughter, Queen Lena Deria, must be a strong person.”

Even the strongest person needs their parents sometimes, especially her stubborn grandfather who has never returned to his former kingdom because of some ridiculous separation of life and death.

"..."

"You idiot, do you still think this homecoming event is unimportant?"

“Drea has her own will.”

"Tch, after the return day ends, I'll take the Night Owl squad to Drea to scout out the enemy. In any case, I'll definitely take a good look at what my neighbor is all about."

“...I will monitor your behavior and ensure order in Derya.”

"Your skin is as thick as armor."

The dense forest at night is terrifying.

Its darkness is not only terrifying in itself, but also in the monsters lurking in the shadows.

The breath of the wind goddess stirred the wildly growing grass blades, which, after being trampled by humans during the day, were sickly and could be blown over with the slightest breeze.

It seems reasonable that he fell over.

A sharp arrow, carrying the shriek of death, pierced the void that caused the grass to bend.

The invisible enemy has been exposed.

The golden metal armor shimmered with a water-like light, flashing like a spark for a moment before disappearing into the shadows.

A cold sound came from the surrounding dense forest, making the evening breeze even colder.

"Your concealment is futile; in my eyes, your life force is truly an eyesore."

A sharp arrow shot out from behind the hidden man, as vicious as a venomous snake.

The blade of light pierced the darkness, incinerating the flying arrows into ashes. Deep-set eyes, hidden behind a mask, scanned the surrounding shadows, searching for the attacker.

“Holy Light…” A gaunt figure appeared on a tree branch, its twisted and deformed body and moss-covered bones making the pale flames of its soul appear even more malevolent. “So, even the false Holy Light can disguise itself as a hiding rat.”

The stirred emotions caused psychic energy to ripple across Lofdi's skin, and the Holy Energy Blade bloomed on his arm, pointing directly at the cold, dead.

“You are far weaker than your words, you immortal one.”

The raven, Death Hunter Grell, let out a chilling laugh.

"Hehehe, humans don't hunt by brute force, you ugly monster. I will bury you in the soil of Lifese as the price for threatening my homeland."

Draw the bow and nock the arrow.

"The hunt begins."

The whistling of arrows, the sound of light blades slicing through them. Two users of the Shadow began their battle in the darkness.

Grell's arrows always managed to find a concealed angle to aim at the Protoss's eyes. And those twin, gleaming blades of light always managed to deflect attacks in a way that defied human perception.

Lofdi's figure drew closer, and both sides knew that the scales of victory were tipping; a single strike would send the Death Hunter back to his death.

Greer was forced into close combat, using his withered longbow to parry the Protoss attacks while dodging deadly light blades. The Death Hunter was dancing on the edge of death.

“You could have hidden in the shadows; your stealth skills are so advanced that I couldn’t find you. Fighting me head-on was a foolish decision, archer.” Lofdi seized his weakness, his light blade sweeping across, severing that fragile spine in the next instant.

“When facing a clever prey, the hunter always has to throw out enough bait.” Greer’s spine snapped automatically just before the high temperature of the light blade touched him, and to Lofdi’s astonishment, the sound of ropes tightening came from the ground beneath their feet.

How could an archer possibly choose melee combat unless he has prepared a trap?

Guided by the Death Hunter, they arrived at their target location. To avoid alerting the Protoss, Grell even personally set a trap.

"Hey buddy, I'm a ghost."

The mechanism was triggered, and a rain of arrows shot at the two from three sides.

Greer was an undead, and although he was quickly riddled with holes, his mockery continued.

A cold-gleaming arrow appeared in Lofdi's eyes, and the sense of crisis made the Protoss's light shine even brighter.

"Light, ignite my fighting spirit!" The Dark Knight's light blade danced wildly in the air, sparks from the arrows ignited by the broken rings illuminating his soaring fighting will. A series of clanging metal sounds, the Protoss's battle dance, miraculously protected his vitals.

Only a few minor scratches remained on the armor.

Click.

When the Protoss finished his dance and stood on the ground, it was yet another danger signal he heard.

"The second wave."

The sound of a bear trap being activated.

With his agile body and momentum, Lofdi flew backward just before the iron teeth closed.

"The third wave."

A mechanism that shot out from the grass slammed into Lofdi's back like a racket. On the wooden planks that were firmly bound by ropes, sharp wooden stakes awaited the arrival of the visitor.

Lofdi was propelled forward by the tremendous impact, and in mid-air, a spread-out rope net bound him to a tree trunk.

"Fourth wave, call it a day!" A figure got up on the grass, his clothes camouflaged with grass leaves, clearly having been lying in wait until Lofdi was caught.

“Well done, Greer! You’re a good bait, but of course, my trap is even better!” The fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy approached the bound Lofdi, looking at the strange creature.

"Oh, sir, you're much uglier than a bear. Could you tell me about your master? I'm curious who has the willpower to tolerate your strange appearance, or is his aesthetic sense simply flawed?"

The boy kept talking, even pulling out a dagger and brandishing it in front of Lofdi. "I might need to poke some holes in you. Pain is a necessary part of interrogation, and I personally enjoy it. Bullying people is a very fun thing."

"But you're such an idiot. Lifesee is always covered in vegetation, and you can't move in trees like a ranger, so why did you try to become invisible? Those blades of grass completely gave you away."

Despite being bound, Lofdi showed no anger at his defeat. He looked at Greer, who was standing not far away, pulling arrows from his body, his bright eyes fixed on the boy.

"When faced with clever prey, the hunter always has to throw out enough bait."

In an instant, Lofdi broke free from the net. The Protoss are half-energy beings, and physical restraints are useless against them.

The gleaming blade pressed against his neck, and the boy immediately raised his hands, accepting the switch of roles.

“Good ability, sir. Greer, you’ve got me killed.”

“I surrender, handsome sir. I’m Dove from the Night Owl Squad, a master trap maker and logistics personnel. Please don’t hurt me. I’m good with words! I’ll answer whatever you ask! Just spare my life and I’ll betray my country!” Dove’s teeth were chattering, and he looked terrified.

Lofdi's nerves hadn't caught up yet.

A small creature was spat out of the dove's beak, tapped on Lofdi's neck with a tinkling sound, and fell to the ground.