Chapter 615: Act 358 – Requiem VIII
In the lengthy chronicles of Vaunte, there are certainly several significant events destined to shine like brilliant stars in the night sky, yet the most resplendent of them all is undoubtedly the legend on The Azure Poem about the Knight of Azure wielding a spear, heralding the era of mortals.
The creation epic of the Crusian reads thus—
In the beginning, a world was born from thought.
At the dawn of all things, the world was engulfed in chaos, surrounded by water and wind, fire and lightning. Then life was born in the water, thriving on the land, protected by the wind and endowed with wisdom by fire.
Martha spoke a name from her lips—Intar. The six great elements—light, darkness, wind, water, fire, and earth—encircled this world, and from the primal rules emerged fourteen thousand deities to govern all.
Thus it came to pass.
In the first era before radiance, the divine folk built kingdoms upon the fog-enshrouded land, with towering spires connecting the realm of mortals with the realm of deities.
But then, everything was destroyed in the flames of war.
This is recorded atop The Azure Poem, and players have speculated more than once that this war was the grand conflict between the divine folk, the golden race, and the Duskgazer Dragon.
That is a history long lost to the records of Vaunte, and the opposition between all wise beings and the Duskgazer Dragon seems to have existed since before the dawn of the ages. After the first era collapsed, the first historical records of the Knight of Azure emerged.
The epic recounts:
The azure knight shouted to the mountains: Mountains, I challenge you—
The mountains responded to him. Let the ice and snow weigh on his shoulders, let the fierce wind impede his progress, let the thick fog obscure his sight, let the cold take his right hand and eye.
But the azure knight was destined to be the master of that spear.
The hero stood atop the lofty mountains, firm and unwavering; thus a year passed, and another year passed.
The mountains also murmured: Behold, this is the master of the spear—
They bowed their heads and called him king.
That spear shattered the heavens, pierced the heart of the Duskgazer Dragon, leading the stars to fall to the earth, thus commencing the second era of mortal beings.
The sacred spear, Celestial Spear.
Every person present was so familiar with this account, whether they were human or elf, knight or princess, or perhaps a witch; it was as if they had been told all of this since birth. It was a history that everyone living on this continent knew, from the farmer in the remote areas to the scholarly nobles, all were aware, all knew it well.
That history felt so distant, as remote as a legend. Yet it was also believable, with the stars in the sky bearing witness to it.
The legendary sacred spear Celestial Spear, nine feet long, its spearhead like a dart, its body akin to jade; it was also called the Azure Spear. After the fall of the Knight of Azure and the Duskgazer Dragon, the Minren retrieved this weapon from the plains east of present-day Cruz and Saint Ausoor, inscribing on the blade, ‘The spear pierces the heavens, stars fall hence—’ a motto to commemorate the hero who saved all of Vaunte.
And that spear was exactly the same as the one seen by Brendel and his companions, with no differences whatsoever.
“What… what is this?” The knights couldn’t help but stare in disbelief.
Everyone refused to believe that the legendary weapon would appear before them so unexpectedly, taking them by surprise. A widely circulated legend mentioned that when the dark dragon died, the Minren who followed him took the Azure Spear deep into the glaciers for eternal burial.
But what was happening right before their eyes?
Brendel felt a buzzing in his head. The most famous weapon in Amber Sword was undoubtedly that legendary Amber Sword, which could counter all things and fate; yet the sacred spear Celestial Spear also belonged to the Knight of Azure and had left a formidable reputation in history.
In fact, the degree to which the legend of the Azure Spear had spread far exceeded that of the Amber Sword. Even in Erluin, or Cruz, very few people knew of the existence of the Amber Sword—those who did were either noble families with deep roots or erudite scholars.
But the crucial point was.
It was actually here.
Brendel knew that there had been forgeries of the Celestial Spear in the history of Vaunte, and several large scams had revolved around this famous spear. The reason was simple: It had never appeared in history. From the fall of the Knight of Azure to the collapse of the dark reign of the dark dragon Odin, it seemed to have disappeared from history without a trace.
A weapon with such a formidable reputation yet remained so silent—it was abnormal from any perspective. For this reason, it had piqued the most interest among players in history. Brendel knew that many guilds were privately searching for the whereabouts of the Azure Spear.
But it was actually here.
“…Could it be fake?” The eldest princess of Erluin, having the highest status and broadest knowledge among the group, was the first to react, questioning with uncertainty.
This was also Brendel’s first reaction, but the overwhelming pressure in the hall made it hard to believe it was merely a forgery. The key point was that he first thought of the witch queen sleeping beneath Duke Toniger—could she have brought the Azure Spear?
But why didn’t she tell Romaine?
He quickly dismissed this speculation, as the ruins beneath Ampere Seale were clearly much older. This meant that the Azure Spear might have been resting in this place long before then.
But how could the witches’ heritage be related to this place? Brendel couldn’t help but turn back to look at Babasha, who herself wore an expression of disbelief. “Perhaps… perhaps it was the Dark Dragon Lord who hid it here?” Babasha dryly answered in a mental dialogue.
But this explanation did not convince Brendel; he felt there should be more to it. Soon, the tremendous power outside awakened Queen Saint Ausoor, who, upon gazing at the spear in the hall, couldn’t help but exclaim, “Ah, you actually found the Azure Spear!”
But she quickly recovered, reprimanding, “Brendel, what this witch says is impossible.”
“Why?” Brendel couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when he saw the elf senior sister not throwing a tantrum at this critical moment. Queen Wind snorted coldly, “The Amber Sword, the Azure Spear—Odin can have one or the other; how could we possibly win? Brendel, you underestimate the power of sacred artifacts.”
Ah, indeed. Brendel suddenly realized that his concerns stemmed from this place. Whether it was the Azure Spear or the Amber Sword, these were genuine artifacts.
The artifacts of the world of Vaunte possessed extraordinary power, far beyond the realm of mortal imagination. In a war of the scale of the Holy War, hundreds and thousands of races were involved, yet only one artifact, the Flame Blade, emerged.
The power of artifacts can often change the course of history; they only appear when a significant change is about to occur. Just as recounted in The Azure Poem:
The former king obtained the sword upon the plain and then signed a sacred covenant with the wise beings to resist the dark dragon’s domination over the land.
That is another legendary tale.
“Your Highness, I fear we must take it down to discern its authenticity.” One knight from Lantonrand proposed at this time.
Brendel turned back to see the princess frowning, asking in return, “Take it down? How do we take it down?”
This question left everyone momentarily speechless. The artifact that hung in this hall might be the most powerful holy object since the First Era; its power could change the fate of not only a kingdom but the entire continent. But the problem was—would there be no traps surrounding such a powerful artifact?
Or if not traps, the power of the artifact itself was enough to reduce ill-intentioned souls to ashes. And who dared to claim they had no selfish motives, to step forward to take the sacred spear? Or rather, who here believed themselves worthy to rival the Knight of Azure?
The knights exchanged silent glances, but soon Brendel realized all eyes were turned towards him. The witches, the knights, and even Princess Grifian looked at him with unmistakable meaning.
If fate had summoned everyone here, then the one most qualified to wield the spear was undoubtedly Brendel.
But in Brendel’s heart, he couldn’t help but curse. Claiming an artifact was not an easy task—destiny’s chosen, artifacts recognizing their master, sounded impressive, but in reality, most who believed such ended up tragically. If he truly were Brendel, perhaps he would be tempted, but half of his soul was still that of a player, and he understood what that meant.
True artifacts.
The sacred spear is eternal.
After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously asked, “Your Highness, I understand your meaning. But how long do you think it will take to take down the sacred spear?”
The princess looked at him in puzzlement, “Can’t we take it down?”
Brendel suddenly realized the princess seemed completely unaware of this matter. Yet, to be fair, how many opportunities did mortals have to learn about artifacts? Those things seemed mostly like ethereal, unattainable existences.
He had to painstakingly explain, “Roughly speaking, first, sacred artifacts have their own will. Secondly, this hall is definitely laden with traps; retrieving artifacts is an extremely dangerous and time-consuming task, unless someone can resonate with it and have it recognize them as its master.”
“Do we have that much time to waste?” Princess Grifian frowned slightly. Hearing Brendel say this, she seemed to realize the crux of the issue—they seemed not to have that much time to squander in this place.
“Perhaps not,” Brendel indeed shook his head.
The critical issue was not here; seizing an artifact was an extremely dangerous job. If they succeeded in this gamble, all problems would naturally resolve themselves. For an artifact like the Azure Spear, once wielded, driving the demons and cave-dwellers back to their homes would only be a matter of ease.
But the problem was, if they failed, then Erluin would not have a second opportunity.
The wise princess immediately recognized this, quickly thinking of another question, “Brendel, what about those cave-dwellers outside?”
Brendel understood she was asking whether those cave-dwellers were also seeking this item. He suddenly found it very possible; however, how did the demons learn about this news?
“Then is it safe here?” She bit her lip, reluctantly asking.
Brendel could only glance at Babasha.
The old witch was also uneasy; honestly, she had no confidence. That was the sacred spear Celestial Spear, a weapon capable of defeating the Duskgazer Dragon, existing in the myths of countless times ago, when the silver race could barely be considered cannon fodder, and even earlier, when the divine folk still roamed the earth.
But she steadied her resolve and nodded, “My lord, aside from us, no one can enter here.”
That was enough. Among those present, the one most capable of taking and putting down the spear was undoubtedly Brendel. As half a player, he could only view the Celestial Spear as an artifact of immense power. But an artifact is still just equipment.
Of course, saying so, Brendel still felt a tinge of apprehension. He could only turn away to avoid looking at it and replied, “In that case, everyone should temporarily forget about this matter.”
He sternly looked at everyone present, especially at the knights from Lantonrand. He wasn’t afraid of the Azure Spear falling into the hands of the cave-dwellers of Jotungrund; artifacts all have their own will, carrying destinies unique to them, and wouldn’t be easily lost. But if this news spread, the troubles for Erluin would be monumental.
The knights discerned Brendel’s meaning and all swore to keep it a secret. Brendel listened to their oaths, watching silently, for after all things settled, he would have his way of handling it all.
Players’ methods were not something these fellows could imagine.
Thus, everyone followed Brendel’s lead as they left the hall one by one, all appearing somewhat absent-minded. The shock of the Azure Spear was truly difficult to express, and even Brendel found it hard to understand the unique feelings the natives held about that history.
It was as if the mythological figures he was familiar with but did not believe suddenly appeared before him, telling him that everything about the past was indeed real.
He could only vaguely perceive this meaning from the thoughtful gaze of Princess Grifian.
However, just as they were about to leave the hall, Brendel suddenly remembered something else. As he knew, the power of artifacts often has the potential to alter history and only appears when a significant change is about to take place.
In the most recent history, the Flame King obtained Odrefice on the plains, subsequently signing a sacred covenant with the wise beings to resist the dark dragon’s rule over the land.
So, what did the appearance of the Azure Spear in Erluin signify? At the very least, he knew that the fate carried by the Azure Spear would never be to save this ancient kingdom.
Brendel felt a chill of foreboding.
…
Yet just as Lady Medusa Laisimeka was oblivious to the great upheaval brewing beneath the vast harbor, Brendel was equally unaware of the unfolding scene aboveground.
This beautiful lady lifted her head amidst a curtain of rain, noticing a golden-red glow materializing before her and the bull-headed lord, clumsy as a cow—no, indeed, a cow.
Her elegantly angular pupils reflected a magnificent red as a giant fire portal, measuring dozens of meters in diameter, cut across the rain-drenched sky.
Then, a demon with three heads, two massive fleshly wings, and a fire-red body emerged slowly from beyond the portal. Even though the portal was colossal, this demon had to bend its body awkwardly to squeeze through, and in fact, even then, its massive horns nearly couldn’t fit.
Laisimeka cautiously regarded this colossal figure and respectfully greeted, “Honorable Lord Nicland, you have finally arrived. Lord Varla has been waiting for some time.”
The formidable demon looked at her, its expression hardly qualifying as a smile, and gruffly responded, “What about those bugs’ preparations?”
“Of course, they are all ready, my lord.”
…
(1) Minren language, Vaunte
(2) This does not refer to the first and second eras of the Crusian calendar but the First Era itself, with players estimating this era to be before the Age of Chaos. The beginning of the second era is, in fact, the beginning of the Age of Chaos.
(3) The races beyond humanity refer to it as ‘Cangong’ (to be continued. If you enjoy this work, we welcome you to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com); your support is my greatest motivation.)
