"Ah!"
Shadow Knight One had originally meant to stay close and protect Cai'er. He never expected to be met with such a poetic scene the moment he arrived. It was an eyesore!
"You two youngsters, show some restraint!"
As he spoke, the fellow wisely covered his eyes with his hands. In truth, Shadow Knight One had known for nearly two years that this young mistress of the Assassin Temple possessed a stubborn, singular nature, and that Ilyx was the final ray of light to appear in her life—perhaps even more important to her than her own parents.
Though a third wheel sat nearby, the two young lovers were oblivious, kissing with deep affection.
"Cai'er, that was so sweet!"
After pulling away slightly, Ilyx was still savoring the feeling. Perhaps due to his soul merging with a modern person, a background track began playing in his mind:
*Kissing you, kissing you, the kiss felt so real,*
*Making me mistake this hollow pretense for a heartfelt embrace.*
*...*
*Yet you say in this vanity fair, there is no need to take things to heart.*
*How cruel, to make me fall for those cold, heartless lips.*
"Since you like it so much, then stay!"
Cai'er was incredibly happy today. It was a rare day during her Samsara trials when she could regain all her senses, and as fate would have it, the boyfriend she yearned for had come to see her that very evening. Was this destiny? Once this girl’s "lovestruck" brain took over, even the Goddess of Light probably couldn't pull her back.
"Of course I want to stay by your side forever, but I’m too weak right now. I’m afraid I won’t be worthy of the Saintess of Samsara in the future, so I’ve come here to train!"
Ilyx was truly talented at saying the right things. He instantly made the young beauty before him blush to the tips of her ears, her eyes shimmering with stars.
"You—are you coming to such a dangerous place to train just because you want to be a match for me?"
Thanks to its natural defenses, Exorcist Pass had always been easy to defend and hard to attack. But for that very reason, large numbers of Demon Clan soldiers were always hoarded outside, harassing the walls every few days. Once one stepped outside those walls, it was a place filled with peril.
"Kid, as far as I know, you only hold a Second Tier Knight certification. Going out there to train is a death sentence!"
Shadow Knight One had known about Ilyx’s request from the beginning. He possessed the pass required to exit the city, but giving it to this boy was the same as letting him commit suicide.
"Give it to him!"
The next moment, Cai'er reached out, demanding the token with a domineering tone.
"All right, alright..."
For some reason, faced with this future Saintess of Samsara, the super-expert offered no resistance. He simply sighed and handed over the city-exit token. Did he have to be so obedient?
"I believe in him. His strength is definitely more than Second Tier!"
Don't be fooled by Cai'er’s young age; her insight was already formidable. Even though Ilyx hid his strength well, he couldn't escape the intuition of his woman.
"Thanks, Cai'er!"
"Mm. Can you stay with me until dawn? I have to go back to my Samsara trials, and then you can go out to train, okay?"
"No problem. Shall we wait for the sunrise here, or go to your room?"
"Watch the sunrise with me. I want to see the sun come up!"
It was an undeniably romantic night. The two sat atop the great hall, leaning into each other as they waited for the dawn. There were no further advances, yet they were both enveloped in the happiness within their hearts. Cai'er was still undergoing her Samsara trials and had to maintain a body of perfection. Only when all of this was finished could she truly give herself completely to this man. But sometimes, a single kiss says everything.
"Sigh, what kind of love potion did you feed our young mistress, kid?"
Watching the pair of young sweethearts on the roof in the distance, Shadow Knight One was completely speechless. How did the young mistress of the Assassin Temple end up with a little knight like this?
Soon, the morning light touched them both.
"Cai'er, it’s time to go back!"
The attendants who had been lurking nearby all night jumped out. Cai'er slowly lifted her head from her beloved’s shoulder and gave him one last lingering kiss.
"Wait for me. Next time we meet, I will give you everything!"
As she spoke, the young beauty’s face turned bright red. The final kiss lasted quite a while, leaving much to be savored.
"Mm. I will grow rapidly and become the knight who can protect you!"
Watching his young girlfriend depart, Ilyx took the token and walked slowly out of Exorcist Pass. Ignoring the astonishment in the guards' eyes, he quickly vanished from everyone’s sight.
"Is that young man crazy? That’s the heartland of the Demon Clan!"
"Don't joke around. The last Seventh Tier knight who ran out there was wiped out in less than a few hundred meters. Does this kid not want to live?"
"I heard he was dumped by the young mistress and has lost all hope!"
*Well, interesting humans!*
Ilyx didn't want to go very far; he just wanted to find a place with plenty of corpses—human or Demon Clan, it didn't matter, as long as they could provide him with Spiritual Power.
Ilyx’s current Spiritual Power was less than 60,000. Following the human training model, it would take several years to reach 100,000. Ilyx could not wait that long, nor was there any need to. As a Necromancy Saint Mage, he could extract energy from the corpse of any living creature.
"Hoo!"
Choosing a small ridge, Ilyx sat down slowly, and then his mouth opened wide. The incredible happened!
"Zzzzzzt!"
"Whoosh!"
One after another, small, dark green orbs of light, carrying a hint of dark aura, rose slowly from the earth beneath his feet. From all directions, they converged toward Ilyx. The process looked complicated, but in reality, it took no longer than a single breath. Simple and clear.
In the next moment, all these energy orbs of varying sizes were swallowed by Ilyx. Had any normal person been there, they would have been stunned by the sight. Not even the Demon Clan possessed the ability to absorb the power of lingering souls and resentful spirits like this!
But to Ilyx, it was like eating candy. Keep in mind that buried beneath this ground were human soldiers who had been dead for who knows how long, along with Demon Clan monsters and even incredible, ferocious beasts. Yet, all of these beings had now become Ilyx’s Spiritual Power.
"Not bad. This mouthful added about 8,500 points of Spiritual Power. Passable."
Smacking his lips, Ilyx wore the expression of someone who had just tasted a delicacy. Did you think a Necromancy Saint Mage was a fake? If it weren't for his desire to keep living in the human world, he might have already started a massacre. Because the taste of fresh souls—including those of low-level demons—was even better. As long as they were alive, Ilyx could swallow them directly...
It was the difference between eating processed food and fresh, live catches! Those who have tasted it know.