Triumph and Despair (Part 1)

Chapter 86: Triumph and Despair (Part 1)

The Treim Forest! As always, it remained calm and serene. It was a rather small forest... of course, compared to those massive forests spanning thousands of miles, Treim's mere few hundred miles were indeed small. There were no particularly high-tier magical beasts here. The Frost Wolf Rack was just passing through, and back when Baron Milo of Red River Valley accompanied Celine to this place in search of the Green Arrow Squirrel, the level-seven Furious Ice Bear they encountered was already the undisputed ruler of Treim Forest.

On that very mountain where Baroque and the Frost Wolf Rack were being chased by the Furious Ice Bear and unexpectedly encountered the Heberaton Wolf family, a figure suddenly appeared one day.

This figure seemed to flicker in and out of existence, hidden within the air itself, visible only when direct sunlight cast a faint, transparent shimmer over him. Behind him, a pair of exquisitely transparent wings, seemingly made of ice crystals, spread out, gently flapping. In the next moment, his body moved like a phantom, leaping several hundred feet in an instant. Within a few bounds, he had already climbed halfway up the mountain.

Only then did the figure ripple like water, the transparent shroud dissipating, the wings retracting, revealing a clear image of his appearance.

He was an exceptionally handsome man, dressed in the formal robes of a cleric, white with red borders, bearing the insignia of a Light Mountain on the chest and back. At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but anyone familiar with the temples of the gods would be astonished by the unique distinctions.

His build was slender, even frail, with long golden hair cascading to his shoulders, piercing blue eyes, and snow-white skin. If not for the slight golden beard around his lips, he could easily be mistaken for a woman. His age was indeterminate; he could be young, middle-aged, or even old, as the profound and weathered look in his eyes could convince anyone of his advanced years.

The golden-haired man gazed silently from the tranquil mountain, standing with his eyes closed for a while. Then, he began to wander aimlessly, almost reaching the summit before abruptly opening his eyes, smiling, and heading directly for the cave where Baroque had once encountered the Heberaton Wolves.

The cave was empty except for a pile of dusty hay. Yet, from this hay, the man sensed an extremely faint trace... indeed, it was the scent of the old wolf!

Excitement and joy lit up the golden-haired man's face... For decades, few things could stir his emotions, but finding the trail of the old Heberaton Wolf was undoubtedly one of them. The [Church of Revelation]'s [Wind Whisper Scouts], spread across the entire continent of Solon, had searched for countless years, but only he had managed to track down the Heberaton Wolf. Just bringing this news back to the headquarters at Light Mountain would be enough to elevate his rank, possibly even earning him a higher-tier crystal armor, becoming a [Sky Patrol Warrior] wasn't out of the question!

But human nature made the golden-haired man unsatisfied with this discovery alone; he craved more. The old wolf was gravely injured and near death, with only a few cubs by its side. The man was confident that even if the old wolf detected him, he could escape using the [Wind Chime Bird Crystal Armor]'s abilities. Moreover, if he could find the precise location of the old Heberaton Wolf... and if he were lucky, if the old wolf had already died, not only would he obtain its crystal but also its four surviving cubs. The crystal of the ancient and powerful Heberaton Wolf! Even the ten elders of the Church of Revelation would go mad for it. In that case, becoming a Sky Patrol Warrior would be a certainty, perhaps even a place in the council of elders, the core of the church, was possible.

The golden-haired man calmed himself, suppressing his excitement. His dreams were within reach, but patience was still required. The Wind Whisper Scouts had unique abilities, and with the special crystal armor forged from the [Wind Chime Bird], they could trace even the faintest of trails, making them the perfect trackers, surpassing even the powerful Sky Patrol Warriors in some aspects.

Perhaps due to the endless escape and evasion, the Heberaton Wolf had let down its guard, leaving a trace of its scent on the hay. This oversight allowed the golden-haired man to finally catch its trail.

As he exited the cave, confidence radiated from his face. He looked around, determining a direction. A ripple spread over his body, gradually covered by a thin, faintly green crystal armor with a metallic sheen. The transparent wings reappeared behind him, spanning over ten feet when fully extended. With a powerful downward stroke, almost silent, he soared into the sky, heading north...!

---

Paddington Kingdom had completely lost its former peace and tranquility. The death of the Adria Prince had brought great disaster. Towns in the northeast were falling one after another. The Adria Golden Horn Corps and their accomplices, soldiers of the Hansa Duchy, showed no mercy to the Paddington people, committing arson, murder, and looting. People had to abandon their homes, fleeing to the capital, Paddington. Along the way, there were scattered refugees everywhere.

Since General Suarez's defeat, leading the remaining troops to defend the capital, the northeastern territory had been practically handed over. The Adria Empire did not border Paddington and had no interest in this impoverished kingdom. However, the vast fertile lands were irresistibly tempting to the cold northern Hansa Duchy. Once consumed, they would never give them up. At this point, many perceptive individuals realized that even if Paddington Kingdom survived Adria's wrath, its strength would be greatly diminished, reduced from the strongest among the four countries surrounding the Gravel Wilderness to the weakest.

King Correct had fallen ill and completely lost his will.

Originally, he had hope, despite his deep worries. This was because Duke Jean and Academy Dean Barthes had left the kingdom on an extremely important mission. When they returned to the capital hurriedly and excitedly, King Correct was also thrilled... The two elderly men had mostly succeeded. Based on a piece of overheard information, they deduced that a certain place might have traces of a magical beast. Despite the dangers of travel and attacks by magical beasts, they ventured to that location. Astonishingly, they discovered a pair of deceased [Fire Lizard] magical beasts and obtained two crystals and a nest of unhatched Fire Lizard eggs.

Dean Barthes of Padia Academy, one of the top ten magical academies on the continent, though merely a great magician, had another hidden identity unknown to all... a [Magic Creator].

Magic Creators existed solely to construct and forge crystal armors. Thus, it was a strategic profession strictly controlled by the powerful and mysterious Church of Revelation, to which even the Magic Association had to bow. Consequently, many magicians researching crystal armors did so in secret.

Barthes had secretly studied the construction and forging of crystal armors for many years. Although he had never actually handled a crystal or built an armor, he was confident that crafting a low-tier crystal armor was within his capabilities. With the two low-tier magical beast [Fire Lizard] crystals in hand, he could finally showcase his skills. --- Later, he would realize that this was merely a product of his isolated theorizing. Without practical experience with real crystal armors, even the most accurate speculations were uncertain. Tragically, he paid with his life and never had the chance to reflect on his mistakes!

Therefore, when he and his old friend Duke Jean hurried back to Padia, even upon learning of the impending disaster for Paddington, they were unconcerned. As long as the crystal armor was successfully forged, even the powerful Adria Empire would have to reconsider their actions. Although the Adria royal family and top nobles possessed numerous crystal warriors, they could not disregard the strength of a small kingdom with two crystal armors. If pushed too hard, Paddington's desperate resistance would be a significant headache.

King Correct understood the importance of this endeavor. Thus, he initially entrusted the defense of the borders entirely to General Suarez, while he mobilized all the kingdom's resources and deployed all royal contract merchants to procure everything Dean Barthes needed, hoping for the swift completion of the crystal armor!

The ideal was beautiful, and the forging process went smoothly for Dean Barthes... First, the magical metal was melted to forge the carrier belt, which was then imbued with storage space. Using various rare materials, he constructed the conduits for the formation arrays inside, then engraved and linked the complex magical arrays... A series of intricate procedures completed, the final step was embedding the crystal and infusing it with magical spirit power or battle energy to activate it, marking true success. It was at this final step that disaster struck!

Dean Barthes made a critical mistake in a crucial area, or rather, his isolated theorizing led him to overlook this issue entirely! The magical arrays on the carrier belt could only channel the crystal's power and form the armor, ignoring the fact that the magical beast's power was not peaceful but even violent, regardless of its low tier.

When Barthes donned the belt and infused it with magical spirit power, fiery red currents seemed to flow over his body, covering all vital areas, then solidified with a metallic sheen. A unique and powerful energy pulsed, truly forming a crimson armor.

In the Dean's magical tower, the key figures of Paddington witnessed this moment, all overwhelmed with excitement. Tragically, joy turned to sorrow as disaster struck immediately...!