- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 183
The dark clouds spread across the sky, and an ominous aura continued to spread throughout the land. Eyes from all directions began to converge on the same point.
After a brief moment, a hoarse voice broke the silence.
“Don’t worry.”
“This time, there will be no surprises.”
“And Leppur, do you think the royal one hasn’t been watching?”
The voice came from the elderly figure at the center, and his words immediately silenced the old woman who had been about to speak.
The others were similarly stirred by his words.
“Kerenina, are you saying that he has personally arrived?” one of them couldn’t help but ask, their voice trembling slightly.
That figure’s reputation was so widespread that even those from other kingdoms had heard of him.
Confronting him made everyone feel a sense of tension.
“Of course!” the elderly figure replied with a soft laugh.
“Otherwise, do you really think he hasn’t been worried about this situation?”
“According to the Pact of the Gods, should anything go wrong, the royal family could lose its status.”
The old man chuckled lightly, and hearing his words, the others began to appear thoughtful, a sense of relief slowly washing over them.
After all, they were dealing with divine beings.
Had it just been their group, without the old woman’s warning, many of them would have been anxious, but with that figure involved, the situation was different. This was someone who, according to rumors, had even defeated true gods in the past. A mere lower-tier god would be no challenge for him. Even if something went wrong, he could easily resolve it.
Seeing the others relax, the elderly figure also sighed in relief.
Though he wasn’t sure if he had truly arrived, one thing was certain—if he wanted to proceed with the plan, he needed to steady everyone’s nerves. At least, there shouldn’t be any major deviations before the unexpected happened.
“Prepare well. Tomorrow, we’ll move out,” the elderly figure said, his tone firm.
At his words, the others exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
With the arrival of that figure, all their worries were laid to rest.
Of course, Thor and the others had no knowledge of any of this at this moment.
—-
As time passed, the battles raged on, stretching from the afternoon into the night.
With the relentless efforts of Brian, Thor, and Isabelle’s forces, coupled with the continuous roars of the magic crystal cannons, the orcs before them were being steadily wiped out at an observable pace.
Though the cost was heavy—two of the knight orders stationed at Brian’s original defensive point had been completely annihilated. The remaining forces were severely depleted, and few remained unscathed.
Even Brian’s elite knight order had taken considerable losses, now reduced to less than a third of its original strength.
Isabelle, Joz, Anubis, and Asha’s knight orders had all suffered similar losses, with more than half wiped out.
Thor’s twenty formal knights had been reduced to just seven, and with Carter joining them, there were only eight in total. This included the injured knights. Steve had lost an arm, while Pelos had suffered a massive wound to the chest.
Despite the high casualties, the continued intense combat had not been without rewards.
Brian’s strength had now stabilized at the early stage of Earth Knight, Isabelle had broken through to the mid-level of Earth Knight, and Joz’s strength had reached the peak of Great Knight. Even Asha had reached the mid-level of Great Knight.
Thor’s progress was even more pronounced.
Thor had reached the late stage of Great Knight, with Lain also at the same level. Steve and Pelos were at the mid-stage of Great Knight, and even Carter’s knight training had reached the peak of an apprentice knight. At this pace, it wouldn’t be long before he achieved full knight status.
If one were to train normally, reaching such a level would take at least half a year, if not longer.
Moreover, the breakthroughs under such extreme pressure made their foundations even sturdier, with a significant boost to combat power.
At this point, even Carter, if faced with a regular knight, would not be at a disadvantage.
The others’ improvements were even more apparent.
—-
“Whoosh!”
The long spear soared like a comet, and in the next moment, a peak second-tier orc was pierced through by Thor’s spear. The powerful life energy in the spear froze its body the moment it was struck, a layer of ice rapidly spreading across its form.
“Huff”
Thor flicked the spear lightly, then exhaled a long breath.
At that moment, the battlefield before him was finally cleared.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, the combat was gradually coming to a close.
Figures began to converge toward Thor.
“Lord!”
Lain was the first to approach.
Following him were Steve, Pelos, and other formal knights, including Carter.
“Rest for a moment.”
“Once we clean up, we can head back to the camp.”
Thor spoke softly.
“Understood!”
They nodded and immediately began to recover and rest on the spot.
On this battlefield, other knight squads were doing the same.
Thor glanced around, then began focusing on recovering the life force that had been exhausted during the battle. After a short while, his energy began to replenish, even seeing a slight improvement.
Once he had regained enough strength, he opened his eyes.
His gaze shifted toward the distant sky.
“It’s starting soon.”
His voice was low, and his expression was serious.
Based on the daily reports, it was highly likely that the Divine Ruins would appear tomorrow.
If all went as expected, the awakening of the gods would begin today.
This was the primary reason for his solemnity.
The first batch of people to enter the Divine Ruins would undoubtedly gain the greatest rewards.
However, to be among the first, one had to reach the area near the Divine Ruins the moment it opened.
This would be a dangerous venture.
Thor knew that a terrifying battle would soon erupt at the site of the Divine Ruins.
It would be a battle between Holy Knights, warriors above the Sky Knights, and if he ventured too close, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t be caught in an accident.
But if he waited until the battle was over, he would miss the first opportunity.
Though even without being in the first batch, with his current talent, he would still reap significant rewards from the Divine Ruins.
But who wouldn’t want to gain more?
His gaze grew more intense as thoughts raced through his mind, weighing the risks and benefits.
Just as he was deep in thought, Isabelle, Joz, and Asha approached.
“Miss Isabelle?”
Thor hesitated as he spoke, turning his gaze toward them.
“Lord Thor, you must have noticed the situation ahead?” Isabelle smiled as she gestured toward the distant sky, where dark mists spread and the ominous aura grew stronger.
“Noticed?”
Thor’s heart skipped a beat. He nodded, but his confusion was evident.
“What is that?”
Isabelle paused for a moment before speaking, her voice low.
“If nothing unexpected happens, that should be the site of the Divine Awakening. It is likely that the awakening is happening now.”
Thor frowned slightly at Isabelle’s words.
“Divine Awakening?”
Thor feigned surprise.
“You must know about the Divine Ruins, Lord Thor?” Isabelle’s smile widened as she spoke, ignoring whether Thor’s surprise was genuine or not.
“I know a little. It is said that if the gods cannot descend, the Divine Ruins will appear on the continent. Within it is a portion of the divine laws, which is highly beneficial for knights in their cultivation.”
Thor nodded slowly and spoke with a serious tone.
This wasn’t just modesty on his part.
The Dresrosa family was merely a count-level family, and their knowledge of the Divine Ruins was, naturally, limited.
“Indeed, the Divine Ruins are the result of the gods not being able to descend, leaving behind fragments of their power. These fragments contain parts of the divine laws, which can greatly accelerate the training of knights.”
Isabelle continued, her tone calm and measured.
“There is also another important point: when a knight reaches the Saint Domain stage, if they wish to advance further, they must comprehend the laws of the divine, gather their own divinity, and break through the divine laws. If they can grasp even a little of it, not only will advancing beyond Saint Domain be possible, but even becoming a Saint Domain Knight would be relatively easy. Moreover, a Saint Domain Knight who comprehends divine laws would be far stronger than an ordinary one.”
Isabelle explained, providing Thor with a deeper understanding of the Divine Ruins.
Thor listened intently, his expression focused.
“I see. Thank you for the explanation, Miss Isabelle.”
He took a deep breath, grateful for her detailed insight.
Knowledge, no matter which world one was in, was extremely valuable. Even though Thor had acquired some understanding of the Divine Ruins through daily reports and his family’s information, he had never grasped the full picture until now.
Thanks to Isabelle’s detailed account, he had gained a much clearer understanding.
“No need to thank me. This is common knowledge for the highest nobles of most kingdoms,” Isabelle said with a gentle smile. “However, I didn’t come to speak of that today. I wanted to ask, Lord Thor, are you interested in the Divine Ruins?”
Isabelle shook her head and then spoke with a more serious tone.
“Of course!”
Thor’s eyes lit up, and after a moment of hesitation, he nodded. “Miss Isabelle, what should I do?”
Isabelle smiled but then added, “Ah, Lord Thor, you misunderstand. We came here to ask if you would be willing to join us in heading to the Divine Ruins.”
Joz’s voice sounded, and he spoke with a friendly tone.
“Oh?” Thor raised an eyebrow, surprised. He had expected something else, but it seemed they were here just to inform him.
“Indeed. We would appreciate it if you could continue looking after my brother,” Isabelle said with a smile.
“Thank you.”
Thor nodded in acknowledgment but then added, “Miss Isabelle, would it be possible to invite my brother as well?”
His expression was serious, and his voice hinted at a moment of hesitation.
“Of course.” Isabelle nodded, her smile unwavering.
“Thank you.” Thor said again, his expression filled with gratitude.
He didn’t worry about any potential issues. The daily reports had not raised any warnings, which meant there was no immediate danger.
Experience from past situations had repeatedly confirmed that if no warnings were given, then there was no immediate threat. This time would likely be the same.
Furthermore, his earlier concerns seemed to be answered.
If the first group would undoubtedly gain the greatest rewards, then those powerful nobles had probably already made their preparations. By following them, Thor and his companions would avoid any surprises and the potential aftermath of battles.
A smile touched his lips as he began to feel a sense of excitement.
Thor turned to Steve, giving him a quick instruction.
Steve immediately rose and made his way toward Brian’s location.
Meanwhile, Thor and the others continued their conversation.
Isabelle had developed quite an interest in Thor. Even Asha, who was typically proud and reserved, had shown curiosity.
After all, despite only being a Great Knight, Thor’s combat power was already comparable to that of many Earth Knights.
“Lord Thor, you don’t seem surprised about the arrival of the Divine Ruins,” Asha remarked, her gaze assessing Thor curiously.
“Miss Asha, you must be joking. I am quite surprised. The Divine Ruins… I’ve only read about them in the texts,” Thor replied with a warm smile.
“Really?” Asha asked, her brow furrowing with skepticism as she instinctively questioned him.
“Asha!” Isabelle quickly intervened, prompting Asha to fall silent and look sheepish.
“Lord Thor, my younger sister was being impolite. Please forgive her,” Isabelle said, her tone apologetic.
“It’s no trouble, Miss Isabelle,” Thor replied with a light smile, shaking his head to show that he wasn’t offended.
In truth, he wasn’t bothered by the interaction. His demeanor and actions, though slightly unusual, were hardly cause for concern. Even if others noticed something odd, it was merely that—an anomaly that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
After all, the existence of the Divine Ruins and the Awakening of the Gods was not something secret. It was common knowledge among the upper echelons of society.
The relationships between the kingdom’s nobles were complex and intertwined.
After all, how else could it be explained that noble families, some of which were merely marquis families, already knew about the awakening, even though originally only the three great dukes and the royal family were supposed to be aware?
Thor was, after all, just a count, but who could be certain that the Dresrosa family didn’t have similar connections?
Clearly, Isabelle was well aware of this, which was why she never asked him about it directly.
As the conversation continued, Steve soon returned, bringing Brian with him.
“Thor!”
“Miss Isabelle!”
Brian’s voice broke through the group’s chatter, and as he looked at everyone, his thoughts inevitably drifted back to what Thor had mentioned earlier.
(End of Chapter)