Chapter 184: Hiltina, Your Radiance Cannot Illuminate My Night
In Ingrid’s eyes, faint flames danced.
The next moment, amidst the desolate ruins of the nuclear power plant, a strand of azure light suddenly shone.
It was a fire fed by souls, ethereal and transparent, as if it had no physical form.
Ingrid, dressed in military uniform, was bathed in the azure flames, her jet-black hair changing color to a pure silver within the illusory fire.
As biological beings, humans have an instinct to survive.
Thus, normal people, no matter how they push themselves in their hearts, will not allow that instinct for survival to exceed its limits. They retain the portion necessary to maintain life functions, distinguishing it from the powers driven by human will.
For instance, after suffering excessive pain, the body will forcibly cause a person to fall into unconsciousness.
Ingrid’s Night Blade, “Shadow Iron,” functions as a self-commanding ability for the wielder, capable of ordering their body to completely forget pain and shut down the human self-protection mechanism.
Breaking free from the constraints of instinct and squeezing out a vitality that should not be used.
This is what is referred to as unsealing the “gene lock.”
It is a Night Blade classified as the most mediocre tier in the rating system of the Tower of Secrets—
It possesses no special purpose like the “Eye of Insight” or “Molecular kn*fe” for reconnaissance, research, or medical use.
As a purely combat-oriented Night Blade, “Shadow Iron’s” enhancement of combat power for the extraordinary can only be described as ordinary.
Blocking pain and unbinding survival instincts, such enhancements allowed Ingrid to strengthen her bodily functions tenfold during the duration of “Shadow Iron.”
However, this restricted Ingrid’s combat style to pure melee, requiring life and d*ath struggles, losing nearly all tactical variations.
Ingrid concentrated all her physical strength into a very short period for release—the cost being that her body would rapidly weaken after use.
Multiple uses equate to a shortening of her lifespan, and if she were to forcefully maintain it even after her strength was exhausted, as during the nuclear power plant incident, it could result in irreversible damage to her soul, leading to permanent disability.
The so-called “Shadow Iron” is a capability that harms the enemy while causing self-damage—compared to Akshia’s “d*ath’s Messenger” and Hiltina’s “Infinite Sword,” which can effortlessly unleash astounding destructive power without significant cost, it is a world of difference.
Yet, such a mediocre Night Blade with significant side effects has been pushed to the extreme by Ingrid.
It allowed her, with her mediocre self, to go against many powerful foes, step by step arriving at her current position, standing at the highest level beneath legends.
Ingrid’s foot slammed down, and in the next moment, that slender figure draped in the Black Eagle military uniform disappeared from the spot.
All that remained were cracks spreading across the desolate ground of the nuclear power plant.
Boom—
Amidst the intense sound blast, Hiltina instinctively drew her rapier.
But compared to Ingrid, who had broken the sound barrier and was bathed in azure flames, her movements were still a moment too slow.
With a fierce clang of metal, Hiltina’s right arm was suddenly pierced, creating a ghastly wound through which white bone could be seen through the blurred flesh.
“So, from start to finish—”
“It is only those like you, Hiltina, the favored ones of heaven, who can openly stand in the sunlight.”
The pale silver sword light spanned the sky, tearing through the atmosphere, raising a storm.
Countless thin silver rays intertwined like a spider web, filling the entire space of the nuclear power plant ruins. Those were the afterimages left by the sword’s razor-sharp slashes, and before the residual traces on the retina dispersed, new strikes followed one after another.
With the enhancement of “Shadow Iron,” at this moment, Ingrid’s body appeared as if driven by two hundred percent power.
The beating of her heart, the flow rate of bl**d… every organ in her body overburdened into a hyper-frequent state—allowing her physical functions to be enhanced dozens or even hundreds of times.
Such speed had already surpassed the sound barrier, and the limited eyesight of mere mortals could not capture Ingrid’s trajectory.
“So junior, and like most students at Starry University, those pampered noble offspring since childhood… of course, cannot understand someone like me.”
“You were born with the bl**d of the strong, superior aptitude, exceptional talent, and had strong mentors since you were young. Before entering Starry University, you had already laid a solid foundation.”
“Even if you refuse to accept the identity of a princess, the fact is that from the moment you were born, that identity has helped you greatly in your growth.”
“Even today, that identity as a princess continues to offer you hidden assistance, an undeniable fact engraved in your bloodline that can never be erased no matter how you deny it.”
Amidst the interwoven silver sword energies, Ingrid’s cold words mixed in.
With every clash of sword light and metal, another wound would appear on Hiltina’s body, marking her originally pure white knight attire with stains of various sizes of muddied bl**d.
Hiltina, although a battle-hardened powerful swordswoman, had less combat experience than Ingrid, who had undergone even more.
Ingrid had faced thousands of life-and-d*ath crises on her journey, for her, there were no easy tasks without the element of chance; every battle was a life-or-d*ath struggle.
Additionally, Hiltina had only just recently advanced to rank six, while Ingrid had long stepped into the pinnacle of rank six.
With the substantial boost from the Night Blade “Shadow Iron,” as the battle erupted, Hiltina fell completely at a disadvantage, quickly covered in injuries within moments.
“You will never understand that which is inherent to you, as natural as eating and drinking—”
“To me, however, it needs to be fought for at the cost of life, pursued with everything I have.”
“I gave up play, gave up all hobbies, I don’t know how many nights of torment it took to escape from that mountain and have the opportunity to study alongside you.”
Ingrid coldly withdrew her sword, the pale silver tip pulled away from Hiltina’s lower abdomen, trailing a series of splattered bl**d.
“Hiltina, I know you must look down on me now, you must despise me, thinking that I have abandoned my original intention, betrayed the vow I took when I joined the military.”
“I also know that most people in the academy do not think highly of me, even Mr. Silver the same—”
“Mr. Silver thinks I am too utilitarian, climbing to gain strength and power at any cost, almost to the point of madness.”
“His evaluation of me is that I am a ‘woman who is calculative at heart.'”
“He must prefer someone like you, junior… Mr. Silver admires your purity, your integrity, and that sparkling soul like gold.”
Bam—
Once again, there was a clash of sword and blade.
After a brief collision, Hiltina’s body was once more slashed by the blade, being violently hurled by Ingrid into the air, tracing a crimson arc before crashing heavily to the ground like a broken kite.
She coughed up bl**d, and her originally pale face was smeared with radiation dust from the nuclear power plant.
“But, what can I do? What options do I have?”
“Don’t I also wish to gain Mr. Silver’s favor, to hold that fluffy, cute, adorable little ferret in my arms as a pillow?”
“Don’t I wish to walk freely in the bright world like you, receiving the cheers of the public, bathed in flowers, applause, and glory?”
“In the countless starless nights, I recall the crimes I have committed and the bl**d on my hands, wielding the kn*fe against the innocent, even young children… no matter how many times I wash my hands, the bloody scent can never be dispelled.”
“I loathe the filthy, bl**d-soaked self more than any of you.”
Ingrid gazed at the slender swordsman in the distance who was struggling to rise, the once red-and-white knight attire now completely consumed by red: “More than anyone else, I want to go back.”
“I dream of returning to the day I was awarded the Black Eagle medal; I still remember that scene… I stood in the great hall of the imperial capital, your father, His Majesty Aaron, personally awarded me the medal, and the applause below was thunderous; in that moment I felt as though I was on cloud nine, the life I dreamed of was within reach.”
“But I know I can never go back.”
“And I will not regret my choice—”
Ingrid’s voice echoed among the ruins: “If I hadn’t done so… becoming the Gravekeeper’s black glove, becoming the best pawn, I would never have had a chance to avenge my mother.”
In the distance, Hiltina, despite being covered in numerous wounds, her clothes soaked in bl**d, still did not give an inch, her voice penetrating the barren ruins, resonating in Ingrid’s ear: “Senior, I have personally experienced the pain of losing a loved one; I understand your feelings…”
“But no matter the kind of pain and hatred, that can never justify committing such crimes.”
“No, you don’t understand!”
Ingrid’s hoarse roar erupted.
“I know you, like me, lost your mother due to a calamitous event… but it’s different.”
“You lost your mother, yet you have a father who ascended to the throne, loving you but not easily showing his paternal affection.”
“You also have a half-sister, Princess Ophelia, who appears well-behaved yet is quite scheming and often clings to you.”
“You have the professors of Starry University, your former Fran, and Mr. Silver… and Rast, who is willing to tolerate your brilliance, accept your tenacity regardless of risk, and understand your stubbornness, obstinacy, and persistence.”
“Ask yourself, without those people’s support, if you had never encountered Rast… could you really still follow your path unwaveringly?”
Her hoarse voice paused momentarily: “But I am different from you; apart from my mother and a few familiar villagers from my little hometown, I have nothing.”
“Though I have met some people in the military at Starry University… to be honest, those people have never truly entered my heart, because at the core we’ve never been one type of people; even if temporary relations arise from being classmates or colleagues, we will inevitably part ways.”
“After my mother died, I no longer had anyone to confide in; no matter how much pain I endured, I had to silently lick my wounds alone in the dark.”
She slowly raised her right hand, the metallic prosthesis shining bright silver in the air: “If you don’t want to d*e here—”
“Then use all your strength, bring forth your strongest move, Hiltina.”
“I’ve investigated your Night Blade, ‘True Name Release,’ correct?”
“Use all your strength with that move; otherwise, you’ll never see everything you cherish again, whether your father and sister, Mr. Silver, or Rast.”
Ingrid’s right arm, the pale silver light was slowly gathering, shining brighter.
“Devour my soul…”
“Then, charge.”
It was a hoarse but soulful chant.
And amidst that chant, the light gathered in the void, transforming into an illusory yet blazing hypothetical sword.
The Emblem Armor “Radiant Silver Arm.”
Ingrid’s only Emblem Armor, capable of projecting the fantasy-derived holy sword strike—at the cost of devouring a part of Ingrid’s own soul.
This was Ingrid’s strongest attack, crafted at the cost of her own soul, bearing a chilling murderous intent.
She genuinely wanted to k*ll Hiltina, to k*ll this junior with a similar background yet who tread a utterly contrasting path.
As she gazed upon the silver sword materializing from Ingrid, a flicker of flame finally ignited in Hiltina’s eyes.
“Perhaps this is what Rast often says…”
She softly spoke: “The saying of different ways, not to conspire.”
“Senior, I may never truly empathize with you, completely understand your thoughts—”
“But—”
Hiltina’s voice transitioned from soft to silent.
She retracted the slightly damaged night sky sword from their earlier clashes and drew another spare rapier.
This was also an Emblem Armor; after depleting every last resource in the previous Calamity Echo, Hiltina finally learned her lesson and painstakingly prepared a spare weapon for herself.
“No matter how the world denies and rebukes me, I will steadfastly walk my path.”
She gently stroked her chest: “And the ideal named ‘Ranger’ within my heart will not be inferior to yours in the slightest.”
The illusory silver sword converged and formed in an instant.
It was a swift sword light, a strike that seemed like a meteor falling from the sky, arriving in a blink.
However, in response to Ingrid, there was only a soft chant.
It was a Word Spirit from ancient times, similar to what Ingrid had seen in recordings when Hiltina unleashed her full power during battle with “True Name Release.”
But this time.
The term Hiltina chanted was not the “True Name” of her Emblem Armor in hand.
But “Collapse.”
“Infinite Sword: Fantasy Collapse”
Completely destroying everything within the weapon she held.
It was not merely unsealing the True Name; it was a command to self-destruct, never to be repaired again, allowing this weapon to unleash powers far surpassing “True Name Release.”
This was a capability far stronger than “True Name Release,” with an even more costly price—a power that Hiltina grasped at a higher level of “Infinite Sword” upon breaking through to rank six after “Endless Martial Refinements,” “All Things as Weapons,” and “True Name Release.”
It was an explosive use of an Emblem Armor that could only be utilized once in its lifetime, akin to becoming a meteor, blossoming the most dazzling fireworks at the moment it streaked across the night sky.
Thus, Hiltina would retract her night sky sword and switch to another, for the former was a final gift from Fran that Hiltina did not wish to see permanently ruined by activating “Fantasy Collapse.”
In the next moment.
A brilliant torrent of light surged from Hiltina’s sword tip, engulfing everything.
…
Light surged, light roared.
This was a clash of light cannons between Ingrid and Hiltina, as well as a battle between “Fantasy Collapse” and the silver arm that devours souls.
Soon enough, the arc of collision determined the victor.
The shining silver meteor quietly shattered before the turbulent torrent of light, fully consumed without a sound.
“As expected—”
“I knew that no matter how I forced you into a corner, you would always manage to break through adversity and turn everything around.”
Watching the silver meteor collapse in the light and her own silver arm prosthesis cracking with a hairline fracture, Ingrid whispered softly.
At the other end of the ruins, in the surging brilliance, Hiltina’s body, battered by Ingrid’s sword blow—sustaining wounds capable of claiming an ordinary person’s life… was visibly being repaired and healed at an alarming speed.
Seeing Hiltina’s extraordinary recovery speed, Ingrid’s bitter smile deepened.
“I see, from start to finish—that holy sword’s sheath is not in the hands of the emperor where it should be.”
“But has long been buried within your body by your father.”
“And now, that sealed sheath, hidden for hundreds of years, is awakening within you, healing your wounds… which means the holy sword of the Granwill Empire is going to awaken again, gaining a new owner?”
“Well, it makes sense.”
Ingrid’s voice was very quiet: “After all, only someone as dazzling as you, who outshines everything, is worthy of that holy sword’s acknowledgment.”
The azure flames quietly faded from Ingrid’s slender form.
“Shadow Iron” was lifted.
The swallowed silver meteor had exhausted Ingrid’s last remnants of power.
She had completely lost the strength to resist, swept away by the torrential stream of light, plunging deeper into the nuclear power plant, toward the core of the reactor.
That was a domain as sheer as a cliff, and beneath the cliff lay the molten steel water, hot as lava, slowly flowing.
Even after five years had passed, the aftershocks of the previous nuclear leakage incident continued; the high temperatures from nuclear fission had melted large quantities of metal inside the nuclear power plant, turning the entire ruins into a giant furnace, where the melted iron water flowed.
At that moment, Ingrid was helplessly swept toward the deepest part of that furnace, plunging into the molten steel water that reached thousands of degrees, akin to a crimson sea.
“Senior!”
Hiltina’s face changed; she leaped violently, using the steel rebar above to propel herself and rushed toward Ingrid, wanting to pull her back from the cliff’s edge.
However, the next moment.
Swish.
The pale silver sword light shone once more, crimson bl**d swirling.
It was the blade Ingrid struck out in mid-air.
With her last bit of effort, she severed Hiltina’s reaching hand and cut off her final glimmer of hope to survive from the furnace of steel.
“Hiltina—”
“Even if you refuse to admit it, in the eyes of most nobles and soldiers in the imperial capital, you remain the First Princess, the only heir to the throne.”
“Princess Ophelia is merely a facade who voluntarily stepped forward… you are the one expected by countless people to make the empire rise again.”
“In their eyes, you shine like the sun, brilliant and radiant, your light will illuminate the entire empire, bringing hope to the world—”
Ingrid’s transmitted voice rang directly in Hiltina’s ear.
“But what if you are the sun?”
From a height dozens of meters above the molten steel, Ingrid falling helplessly displayed a mocking smile:
“People say you are the hope of the empire, that you allow everyone to see the sunlight.”
“But those of us born in darkness… will only be scorched to cinders by your light!”
“Hiltina—”
“Your light cannot illuminate my night!”
As her words fell.
The next moment, the boiling steel water engulfed everything.
(End of Chapter)
