I'm really not a Sanctuary Warlock.

"Whatever your purpose, there are many challenges waiting for you there."

The female knight's voice turned serious.

"If you absolutely must go, then take it with you."

She pointed to the cloth bag in Lynn's hand.

"It is called the Spear of the Oathkeeper."

"If you encounter any intractable trouble in the royal city, take it to the Knights."

Someone will help you.

After saying this, the female knight did not linger. She rode her warhorse toward the distant horizon.

Lynn only breathed a sigh of relief after the female knight's figure disappeared from sight.

He looked down at the cloth bundle in his hand, and finally couldn't resist, so he untied the cloth strips that were wrapped around it.

Beneath the strip of cloth was a broken spear shaft.

Only a small section remained that could be held, the break was jagged, as if it had been forcibly snapped off by some enormous force.

The spear shaft has a dark gold color and is engraved with ancient patterns. When held in the hand, it has a warm and smooth texture.

Although it is broken, you can still see its former glory and extraordinary nature.

"Meow! I'm rich, meow!"

The cat let out a shriek and pounced, clutching the broken spear tightly with its two little paws, drool practically dripping from its mouth.

"This is Star Mithril, cat. You couldn't even get a small piece of Star Mithril with all the gold in the entire Dwarf Kingdom, and someone actually gave you such a big piece."

"Let me pet you, let me pet you, meow."

Lynn was annoyed by her nagging and raised the broken spear high in frustration.

"What are you touching? If you touch me again, I'll have to pay."

Chapter 55 Shadow

Lynn wrapped the broken spear back in the cloth and stuffed it into his bag.

The cat stared longingly, its eyes looking as if someone had stolen its treasured dried fish.

"Alright, stop looking. It's not yours anyway." Lynn patted her head in an annoyed tone.

"Meow..." The cat shrank its neck in grievance, but quickly cheered up and took out a yellowed sheepskin map from its canvas backpack.

"Since we're going to the royal city, I'll have to replan our route." She spread the map out on the ground and pointed at it with her little paws.

"From Chaos City eastward, we need to cross this Ash Wasteland, which will take about two days."

"Then there is the Silverleaf Forest, which is the territory of the elves."

"After passing through the forest, you'll reach the Broken Bridge Canyon. Finally, after passing through the Judgment Gate, you'll enter the directly administered territory of the royal city. If everything goes smoothly, it should take about seven to eight days."

Cat Bai Bai planned everything meticulously, looking every bit like a professional guide.

Lynn listened to her plan and nodded. It did sound much more reliable than blindly rushing around on her own.

……

As the sun sets, the world is bathed in a golden twilight.

As its name suggests, Ash Wasteland is nothing but scorched gray earth and jagged, wind-eroded rocks, with not a single patch of green to be seen, creating a depressing and unsettling atmosphere.

The two found a sheltered spot under a huge rock and set up camp.

The unicorn lay quietly to one side, its snow-white fur standing out starkly against the gray world.

Lynn sat cross-legged and quickly entered a meditative state.

This was the first time he had time to calm down and cultivate since leaving Nikolay Mountain.

After an unknown amount of time, a warm current surged into his spiritual sea, and his entire perception seemed to be elevated.

He opened his eyes and glanced at the control panel.

[Level: 11]

It's finally been upgraded.

He could clearly feel that his affinity for the elements of wind and fire had reached a new level.

Previously, it required deliberate guidance, but now it's almost like breathing, becoming a bodily instinct.

Lynn had an idea and tried to mobilize both elements at the same time.

A wisp of blue breeze and a cluster of orange flames appeared simultaneously at his fingertips.

He carefully controlled them, trying to blend them together.

"puff."

The moment the two elements came into contact, they emitted a soft sound, canceled each other out, and vanished into nothingness.

Failed.

Lynn was not discouraged and tried again.

This time, he slowed down, wrapping the wind element around the fire element bit by bit.

Successful.

A tiny flame, no bigger than a fingernail, danced on Lynn's fingertip, surrounded by a layer of blue-green air currents.

Although the form was extremely unstable, it was indeed a success.

Just as he was about to continue trying, a rich aroma of meat forcefully entered his nostrils.

Lynn turned around and saw that Cat White had somehow taken out a whole set of pots and pans from her backpack and was squatting by a small fire, stirring the soup in the pot.

"Traveling merchants are always on the go, so of course they need to know how to cook, meow." White Cat seemed to have noticed his confusion and explained in advance.

Soon, a pot of steaming meat soup and several golden-brown toasted breads were placed in front of Lynn.

I must say, this catgirl's cooking skills are surprisingly good.

As Lynn drank the meat soup, she felt much of her fatigue from the past few days dissipate.

"Are you familiar with the capital?" Lynn asked while eating a wheat cake.

"It's alright, meow." The cat picked up a piece of stewed meat that was cooked until tender with chopsticks and put it in its mouth. "I shouldn't be fooled."

"Oh right, meow, I haven't asked you yet, what are you going to the royal city for?"

Lynn paused for a moment, not expecting the little cat girl to suddenly ask about him.

He shook his head and mumbled, "Looking for someone."

Cat Bai Bai didn't ask any further questions. After swallowing the meat in her mouth, she suddenly spoke in a very soft tone.

"The people in the royal city are more terrifying than those in the chaotic city, meow."

"Because they can kill people with just words and smiles."

……

In the dead of night, all was quiet.

Lynn was awakened from a light sleep by a slight vibration.

He suddenly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings warily.

The cat was curled up by the campfire, fast asleep, its tail swaying back and forth. The unicorn was also lying quietly, showing no signs of distress.

The vibration did not originate from the outside.

Lynn lowered her head and looked at the cloth bag beside her.

The source of the tremor was the broken piece of the Oathkeeper's Spear.

Through the cloth covering it, he could see that the dark gold spear shaft was emitting a faint golden light, which flickered on and off like a human heartbeat, rhythmic and steady.

He held his breath, slowly reached out, and grasped the cold spear shaft.

The instant his fingers touched the spear shaft.

A fleeting image suddenly flashed into his mind.

He was a knight dressed in a full set of magnificent silver-white armor. He stood alone, holding a spear that shone with golden light, on the wall of a majestic city.

Behind him was the boundless night sky and countless dazzling stars.

The scene flashed by so quickly that Lynn couldn't even make out the knight's face.

The handle of the spear in his hand returned to its original dark color, as if everything just now was an illusion.

Lynn held the broken spear and remained silent for a long time.

There are probably other secrets hidden in this broken spear.

……

The next morning, the person and the cat set off again.

The unicorn was very fast, and the gray-black scorched earth rushed past it.

However, less than an hour after setting off, the unicorn beneath him suddenly let out an uneasy neigh, abruptly stopped, and pawed the ground restlessly with its front hooves.

It turned its head back in the direction it had come from, and emitted low, warning growls from its throat.

"What's wrong?" Cat Bai Bai was startled by the sudden stop and almost fell off the unicorn's back.

Lynn did not answer; he quickly scanned the wilderness behind him.

As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but wind-eroded rocks and gray-black earth.

But the feeling of being spied on grew stronger and stronger.

Someone was following them, and had been following them for quite some time.

"Hurry up."

Lynn whispered something to the cat behind him, then squeezed his legs together, urging the unicorn to accelerate again.

However, half an hour later, the feeling of being watched, like a thorn in one's back, not only did not diminish, but became closer and clearer.

The opponent's speed was even faster than that of a unicorn.

Lynn's heart sank.

He yanked the reins sharply, bringing the galloping unicorn to a screeching halt.

He dismounted, turned around, and calmly looked at the empty wilderness behind him.

Cat Bai Bai, not understanding why, also jumped down and looked at him nervously.

"Aren't you tired after following me for so long?"

Lynn's voice echoed across the deserted wilderness.

The wind howled, stirring up the dust on the ground.

Lynn's gaze slowly moved downwards.

He noticed that, under the midday sun, his and the unicorn's shadows were clearly projected onto the ground.

Beside the unicorn's shadow, a very thin, dark shadow had appeared out of nowhere.

Chapter Fifty-Six: The Curse of the Evil God

The wind howled, stirring up the dust on the ground.

Lynn's gaze slowly moved downwards.

Under the midday sun, his and the unicorn's shadows were clearly cast on the ground.

Beside the unicorn's shadow, a very thin, dark shadow had appeared out of nowhere.

The shadow had no origin; it simply appeared there abruptly, blending into the ground yet appearing out of place.

It began to wriggle, twist, and slowly stand up, like a drowning person emerging from the black water.