Over Huntington City, large patches of dark clouds unexpectedly covered the sky. The surging dark clouds made Huntington City, in the afternoon, seem to suddenly enter night. Violent thunder leaped within the clouds, and the Ring術士 living in this City all felt a deeply profound power erupting around the City, which then drew forth these sky-obscuring dark clouds.
Armand Bernhardt also looked out from the White King Club window, worriedly gazing at the suddenly discolored sky. He did not understand why this situation had occurred, only feeling that it might be related to Xia De.
The people of this world cannot comprehend the magnificent scenery an Outsider has witnessed in their homeland. That is not merely the vast Knowledge from a systematic education in another world, nor is it only the information transmitted through a convenient Knowledge exchange system; it is countless illusions and myriad phenomena interwoven by imagination, everything an Outsider still cannot forget to this day.
That is a power deeper and more robust than the system constructed by knowledge and wisdom.
The sky above Lake Cherub was also covered by inexplicable dark clouds. The sky above Lake Heart Island became pitch black, and the cherubs with wings on their backs resonated with the golden wheel-rings behind them.
But the most dazzling sight here was not them, but the dark golden light illuminating the entire water surface.
The Divine Radiance on Xia De's skin fully manifested, and in the strong wind, golden light spots trailed behind him. Amidst the dense runes, the water bow in his hand completely turned golden, and the arrow itself transformed into a dark golden streak, bearing increasingly powerful energy.
"Is this your Knowledge, or is it your wisdom?"
The cherub in the air did not speak, her voice echoing throughout the entire lake area.
Xia De gritted his teeth, controlling the bow and arrow in his hand. This power was not something he could easily manipulate; the arrow, imbued with power, was far heavier than he had imagined. His own knowledge and wisdom were more terrifying than he had thought:
"It is Knowledge, and it is wisdom."
His voice jumped out from between his teeth. The wildly surging runes made the bow and arrow in his hand incredibly heavy. Xia De, still drawing the bow, truly felt like he was about to lose control of the direction; the arrowhead was shaking wildly up and down, left and right.
"Consider your own wisdom."
"She" gently reminded him.
Memories from both lives surged into his mind: gazing at the myriad lights of homes in his homeland at night, watching gas lamps flicker one by one on Silver Cross Avenue, a homeland he could not return to with its materialist Knowledge system, and his second homeland, Tobesk, with its idealist steam and mystery.
"But it's not just knowledge and wisdom."
He raised the arrow and bow again. With his voice, Xia De's position completely transformed into a golden sun falling in the night:
"That is also technology, skill, scholarship, culture, morality, faith, and..."
He heard a bell-like giggle. That most familiar smile since he had arrived in this world brought the Outsider's heart to its peak of throbbing.
The cherub, emitting a soft light, quietly watched from the air as a touch of silvery white appeared within the dark golden light.
A pair of holy silver, translucent, bare arms passed beneath Xia De's left and right shoulders. Those illusory arms grasped Xia De's hands, as if a gentle female embraced Xia De from behind, stabilizing the bow and arrow with him.
Dark clouds pressed down. The pure white cherub and the Outsider embraced by the silver moon faced each other, holding a fully drawn dark golden water bow. The strong wind dragged the pure white, dark golden, and silver moon lights on the lake surface simultaneously in the same direction. This scene resembled the most somber oil painting in a grand cathedral, depicting the lost ancient myths.
Holding his breath, Xia De, in this light, contemplated his wisdom and Knowledge, vaguely feeling as if he understood something:
"What kind of power is this?"
"She" gently asked in Xia De's ear, her voice soft and soothing.
"What kind of power is this?"
The cherub asked from high above, her voice sacred and solemn.
"This is the power of civilization!"
The mortal gave the answer on the water, his voice serious and firm.
The brass wheel-ring rotating behind him once again, just like when he first pushed open the Death Door, seemed to be flaking paint, with golden light flashing in the metal cracks. The dense runes emerging from the arrow surged towards the wheel-ring. The most deeply ingrained memories of civilization and Knowledge of the Outsider transformed wisdom into the power of 【Aiken Ola Knowledge Arrow】, and the arrow's power in turn nourished the mortal who brought the power of civilization.
Xia De originally pursued "Dragon" to obtain the last rune of the Four Ring Sublimation Words, but at this moment, he finally understood that the power he should truly seek, his strongest power, was civilization.
"Knowledge is power; the light of civilization illuminates you. May the world bless you, Outsider. I am with you."
"relic - Aiken Ola's Arrow of Knowledge, grants you new power."
The rapidly spinning Destiny Ring resonated with the sage-level relic, but whether it was the relic or the Destiny Ring, the power at this moment came from the traveler from a foreign land. Civilization forged power. Xia De had not truly touched civilization, but he had at least touched power.
"Outsider, you have inscribed the Black Iron whisper element - Power."
The core 【Time-Space】, Miracle 【Echo】, blasphemy 【Vibration】, inspiration 【sleeping princess】, whisper 【Power】. At the moment when the whisper element of 【Power】 was finally engraved on the Destiny Ring amidst water vapor and steam, they vibrated together.
The low Four Ring Sublimation Words were constructed. The Four Ring lacked Miracle and inspiration, and Xia De would then embark on the path to the Middle-Ring.
Dark clouds pressed down on Lake Cherub. In the sky above the center of the lake, the holy white cherub spread her arms. Above the lake surface, a brilliant dark golden light converged into a single point, aimed at the cherub's chest.
The strongest power condensed in his hand. The touch of knowledge and wisdom brought by the relic not only brought Xia De the third Ling Rune of the Four Ring but also made him think of more things.
On the stone tablet at the peak of the mountains, the story of the Water of Wisdom was recorded. And in the trials of God, the trials of the cherub, and the trials of the Chosen One, he had stepped onto different Lake Heart Islands to experience the test of wisdom.
That subtle touch was like a drop of water falling into his heart. After the "whisper," Xia De, in a trance, actually grasped "inspiration," the inspiration representing his wisdom.
Some blurry phantoms flashed in the steam mist behind Xia De, but they also somewhat resembled illusions within the dissipating mist. Even though 【Aiken Ola's Arrow of Knowledge】 had not yet left his hand, that flickering dark golden light had almost reached the cherub's chest in the air.
"Yes, this is the story."
Xia De thought silently in his heart.
"Yes, this is wisdom and Knowledge."
He looked at the silvery-white arms holding his hands.
Xia De suddenly understood that if he could truly shoot this arrow in Lake Cherub and defeat the Lake Goddess, then the Mystic Lock of the Four Ring might be born.
He closed his eyes, wanting to release his bow-drawing hand. But then he was suddenly startled, because those silvery-white, warm, delicate hands actually held his hands, preventing him from shooting the arrow.
"Hmm? Aren't you here to help me? Why are you stopping me? Oh, I forgot to tell you, shoot the arrow now."
"She" chuckled:
"Okay."
But the arrow was not shot in the end. As "her" words fell into Xia De's ear, the solemn voice of the White-robed Lady with wings on her back came from the air:
"Registrar's favored one, you have won. The third trial is complete."
The cherub with pure white wings landed defenselessly in front of Xia De, her feet touching the water surface, causing ripples to spread across the lake illuminated by the dark golden light.
She was close, directly facing the ultimate arrow that Xia De was about to release from his hand.
Xia De, under the dark clouds, was extremely stifled at this moment:
"Um... can I shoot this arrow before you concede? I promise I'll only shoot one arrow. It will be over once this arrow is shot."
He asked very sincerely. The White-robed Lady looked at the arrow in his hand, still at full draw, and shook her head regretfully:
"This arrow, if I maintain the same power level as you, I have no chance of taking it, or even dodging it. You found the best attack opportunity and used the most suitable method. Although your swordsmanship is not top-notch, it is enough to rival me; although your spell Miracles are not extraordinary enough, you have already touched the threshold of a master; although your weapons are not sharp enough, you know how to use them correctly.
Registrar's favored one, you have won. You have defeated me. This is a fair duel, and I acknowledge your victory."
The Lake Goddess, radiating a soft white light all over her body, slightly bowed her head to concede to Xia De.
Xia De looked at her very seriously, then endured the feeling as if a mouthful of blood was about to be spat out but had to be held back in his throat, and forcibly released the bowstring and arrow.
As the light of the sage-level relic 【Aiken Ola Knowledge Arrow】 receded, the Divine Radiance on Xia De's body surface disappeared, and the dark clouds also dispersed. Huntington City once again welcomed the afternoon sunlight. All the Ring術士 in the City breathed a sigh of relief. The feeling that a great disaster was about to strike at any moment disappeared, and everyone was very happy.
Of course, after statistics, the fact that all areas within 50 miles centered on Huntington City were covered by dark clouds made the Church very unhappy.
Of course, Xia De, who failed to shoot that perfect arrow at this moment, although he gained the whisper 【Power】 and completed the third trial, was even more unhappy.
"It's okay, it's okay. After this arrow, the distance to the fourth Ling Rune of the Four Ring is thinner than a piece of paper. Continue to challenge these wisdom trials; the next Ling Rune is not far away."
He comforted himself this way, and the Destiny Ring behind him gradually disappeared into the water mist. But that feeling of wanting to shoot the arrow and face a strong enemy still made him very uncomfortable, like being gently scratched by Mia.
Xia De even felt that this irritating sensation was no longer being scratched by one Mia, but by several hundred Mias scratching him at once, and he simply could not retaliate against any of the cats.
"You have completed the third trial. Now I will inform you of the content of the final trial."
---End of Side Note---
PS: I've just finished this plot segment, no cliffhanger. Please vote! Vote at the end of the month.
