Extraordinary Pedigree.

Chapter 992 Does the Night Howl?

Monford stared intently at the colossal creature gradually dissipating before him, his heart heavy as if weighed down by a stone. When he opened his mouth to ask, his voice trembled slightly:

"So... how should we deal with this monster?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that his mind was gradually going blank.

The outline of that enormous spider-like monster was blurring in his memory; the image that had twisted and swelled to a height of thirty meters was now like a nightmare he had just experienced. Even more terrifying was that Boyar's face, his ever-present shrewish smile, was being erased from his mind, as if it had never existed.

Monford gasped for breath, his fingertips growing cold. He frantically gripped the hilt of his sword, but his eyes, filled with a pleading look, fell on the blond youth.

Xia Xiu simply smiled faintly, as if he had already anticipated this scene.

He pulled a silvery pill from his pocket, its surface engraved with several strange letters—【W——】.

He tossed it casually, and the pill traced a cold, bright arc before landing in Monford's palm.

"This is a weakened version of the panacea." Xia Xiu's tone was calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

"Take it, and you will be able to identify and remember these Reverse Mother entities. But remember—the effects only last for five hours."

"If you face them again five hours later, what you should forget will still be forgotten."

Monford's heart skipped a beat.

Without thinking twice, he immediately put the pill in his mouth and chewed it. The bitter taste of the medicine slid down his throat and instantly dissolved in his body.

He felt a sudden "boom" in his mind, as if a closed iron door had been forcibly pushed open, and a flood of memories rushed back.

He saw it...

Boyar saw a black-haired tentacle emerge from his eyes; he saw his throat pierced by a spider leg, blood splattering on the ground; he saw the room being torn apart, bookshelves and bricks flying everywhere in chaos; he remembered the moment he trembled with fear... everything was so real it was suffocating.

Montfort's Adam's apple bobbed, and he stood frozen in place for a long while before finally uttering a low voice:
"So... I almost forgot all of this..."

Beside him, Xia Xiu remained engrossed, his golden eyes gleaming, seemingly more interested in the experiment on drugs and memories than in the enormous monster.

As Monford regained his memory, his chest was still heaving, and the bitter aftertaste of the medicine he had just swallowed still lingered on the back of his tongue.

But as his memories returned, a strange calmness arose within him. His intuition told him that if he were to confront that skyscraper-like monster again, even if he were to be scratched by its spider legs, he would only suffer physical injuries, and would not be dragged into the terrifying oblivion and erasure of his memories as before.

But the monster clearly had no intention of letting them go.

Its enormous form writhed through the streets of Far East City. The people around it ignored the terrifying monster, but it finally noticed the two people on the roof. Like a wild beast smelling blood, it roared excitedly and pounced.

The sense of oppression washed over me like a tidal wave.

Monford's palms were sweaty. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, but subconsciously turned his head to look at the blond youth beside him.

Having experienced everything that had just happened, he gradually realized that the person in front of him was not simply a traveler from out of town.

He knew the truth about the Fifth Church, he could recognize the attributes of the Reverse Mother, and he could even calmly pull himself back from the brink of death.

That calm and composed demeanor was like an iron beam supporting people's hearts.

Monford had never realized so clearly that he had to follow this man—only by following him could he have a chance to survive on this twisted land.

He suppressed his panic and asked urgently:

"These monsters... they possess that reverse-Mem nature, making simple swords and spears completely ineffective against them. How are we supposed to deal with them?"

Xia Xiu didn't answer immediately, but instead glanced at him briefly and nodded, as if confirming his judgment. Then, he raised his hand, gently tapping his temple with his index finger, his tone calm yet carrying a touch of academic rigor:

"The potion in your body has taken effect. The panacea has triggered a structural rearrangement in your information layer. Simply put, from an information science perspective, your existence has been temporarily transformed into a Philosopher's Stone."

He paused, then began to speak in a detailed and engaging manner, as if giving a lecture:
"The essence of the Philosopher's Stone in mysticism is to transform the finite body and soul into a near-'immortal' substance—a vessel that can resist corruption, distortion, and oblivion. The potion temporarily stabilizes your information structure, like petrified metal, which will no longer be easily corroded by the Reverse Mother. In other words, you can now face these entities directly without being erased by them in the blink of an eye."

His golden eyes gleamed in the night, his voice steady yet carrying a hidden flame:
"This doesn't mean you're truly invincible, but it does mean—your sword can finally touch them now."

"I will fight this monster with the sword in my hand..."

Monford stared at the colossal figure ahead, his throat tightening. The thirty-meter-tall spider monster was like a walking mountain, its legs tearing through the street, crushing and swirling stones, wooden beams, and corpses. His hand gripping the sword began to tremble, his knuckles turning white, the hilt feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds in his palm.

He felt like a sacrifice being dragged onto an altar, waiting for some unknown being to bend down and reap it.

"How is that possible... I'm just a warrior, an ordinary human being. What can I use to fight against something like this?"

The voice in his heart kept screaming, almost crushing him.

His gaze couldn't help but drift to the man beside him—in his mind, Xia Xiu was now an omnipotent savior.

An impulse rose within Montfort; he wanted to speak, he wanted to shout: "Help me, help us!"

At that moment, he even saw a vision of the future.

The man would attack as soon as he opened his mouth.

He believed that the savior before him could defeat the monster and bring peace to the world.

Humanity can be saved by relying on the Savior, and he can continue to live as before.

This is the most natural thought of mortals—when faced with miracles, mortals will always bow their heads and pray for salvation.

"Please..." Monford opened his mouth, wanting to beg the savior in front of him.

At that moment, Xia Xiu's gaze fell on Monford like a golden flame, his golden pupils igniting the darkness like fire.

He suddenly called out Monford's name:
"Henry de Montfort!"

The full name was called out in the night wind, like a page of some ancient scripture being turned, carrying an irresistible solemnity.

Monford's heart skipped a beat. He looked up sharply and stared into those golden pupils, feeling as if an invisible light had pierced his chest.

"If you truly want to save this twisted land, then—prove yourself to me."

"You must stand here and prove to the monsters, and to fate, whether you are worthy to exist as the sword of humanity."

"Take this as a test, and prove your courage to me."

Montfort's heart raced, his chest pounding as if it were about to explode.

I'm going to face this monster all by myself!?
He stared intently at the spider monster ahead, its thirty-meter-tall body writhing through the streets, crushing houses with its limbs and scattering bricks and tiles everywhere.

His subconscious thought was still to ask Xia Xiu for help. He knew that as long as he asked for help, the savior in front of him would definitely take action.

That person's eyes were too calm and too confident, as if everything was under control.

Monford could even imagine that if Xia Xiu simply raised his hand, the monster would be wiped away like ashes.

but……

If that's the case, he will forever lose something that belongs to "himself".

It was a power that could not be named.

A sword that should rightfully belong to humankind to wield.

His chest felt like it was being torn apart, and he was caught in a frantic struggle.

But the next moment, he heard a sentence from his own mind, trembling yet becoming clearer.

This is a trial.

"Trial."

Monford clenched his teeth, his Adam's apple bobbing, and repeated in a low voice:
"This is a trial..."

He followed his heart and made the choice.

The next moment, he pushed off the roof with his legs, his feet shattering tiles and sending stone chips flying, his cloak billowing in the night wind.

The short sword was raised high, its cold light drawing a sharp arc in the darkness.

At the same time, the spider monster let out a deafening shriek, and its three spear-like spider legs stabbed down, tearing the air apart and creating a violent shockwave.

The tiny figure of a mortal collided head-on with the monster that blotted out the sky in that instant.

Monford's pupils contracted to their maximum, he could feel sweat sliding down his cheeks, his chest heaving, and his ears filled with the pounding of his own heart.

He gripped the sword hilt tightly and roared as he slashed down.

"This is a trial!"

Xia Xiu stood on the rooftop, his golden eyes reflecting the leaping figure. Monford knew he was merely a mortal, yet he still raised his short sword and lunged from the rooftop at the towering monster. In that moment, he had no armor for protection, no divine blessing, only a heart full of blood and a sword.

This is humanity's hymn.

This is the greatness of humankind.

The hymn to humanity is a hymn to courage.

The greatness of humankind lies in the greatness of courage.

Xia Xiu smiled and chuckled softly.

Since Monfort made the leap of faith, it was his responsibility to respond to that courage.

The next instant, whoosh—flames burst forth from the hilt of Monford's sword, as if ignited by the sun itself.

Golden flames roared upwards, burning along the sword's blade to its tip. Those flames contained two completely different powers.
First, the sun's intense heat illuminates all things;

One is the final annihilation, the obliteration of everything.

The two intertwine to represent Xia Xiu's projection in the ether—the blazing sun of the end.

At this moment, the short sword was no longer a weapon of mortals, but a sun crown hanging high in the sky, shining and destroying in an irreversible manner.

"Roar——!"

The monster let out a piercing shriek, the sound like countless jagged teeth scraping against a sheet of iron. Its massive body began to convulse, the black fur covering it being scorched by the flames and peeling away layer by layer to reveal a pale spider shell.

Golden flames spread, climbing along the spider's legs and scorching through its flesh. A deafening roar exploded in the night, like a mountain collapsing.

The next moment, the monster's entire body shuddered violently.

Its spider legs snapped off, its body twisted, and the massive black shadow was pulverized in the flames. It let out a final, piercing scream, as if some soul that shouldn't exist had been forcibly torn apart, before completely disintegrating in golden light, turning into countless fragments that vanished with the wind.

The night was deep in the easternmost city.

The moment the monster shattered in the flames, a bone-chilling cold suddenly swept through the entire city.

Without warning, without reason.

Humans halted in their tracks, their hearts clenching as if gripped by an icy hand; patrolling loyal spirits froze in place, the spirit fire within their armor trembling as if about to go out; heroic warriors lowered their weapons, cold sweat glistening on their foreheads.

Even the priests and paladins of St. Cuthbert shuddered at the same time, gripping their rods and swords tightly at their waists, their expressions bewildered.

That chill didn't rely on the wind, nor did it come from the night.

It seemed to emanate from the very marrow, as if it were welling up from the depths of the soul.

It was as if some invisible eye was watching them, as if the night itself had opened its mouth to swallow them all.

However, in the next moment.

A gentle warmth suddenly descended.

The sun's breath seeped into my flesh like the morning light.

It dispelled the cold, soothed the shivering, and brought a sense of peace to everyone's heart.

People instinctively looked up, their gazes all falling in the direction where the monster had been standing.

but--

There was nothing there—no enormous spider shadows, no collapsed ruins, no trace of fire; all the streets were intact.

Night still shrouded the Far East City.

The lights flickered, orderly and neat, as if nothing had happened.

Does the night howl?

Do not!
There was no howling in the night.

Everything is business as usual.

Only the chill, gently dispelled by the sun, lingered in people's hearts like the echo of a dream.

Monford's breathing quickened, and the ringing in his ears persisted.

He lowered his head, staring blankly at the short sword in his hand. The blade was still burning, golden flames flickering like the embers of the sun fallen to earth. The flames didn't burn; instead, they seemed to be singing.

That sound was not an illusion.

It was like poetry, like ancient hymns of praise whispering in the wind, and Montfort murmured them as if inspired:
Light rises from darkness, flames tear the night sky; whoever grasps it will no longer walk in shadow, but in the light—

The short sword was heavy in his hand, yet it carried warmth.

The temperature felt like it was beating in his heart, coinciding with his pulse.

He raised his head, his gaze fixed ahead.

The once arrogant Boyar now cowered on the ground, his limbs twisted, like a discarded dead dog. His mouth was still twitching slightly, but no sound came out. Blood and saliva clung to his chin, utterly reducing this "missionary" to humiliation.

Just as Monford held his breath, a familiar presence suddenly enveloped him.

“You did a great job, Monford.”

The voice was calm, yet it sent a shiver down his spine.

Xia Xiu had appeared beside him without him noticing. His blond hair swayed gently in the night breeze, and his golden eyes, like still water reflecting flames, were both gentle and calm.

Monford instinctively straightened his back; he didn't even dare to look directly into the other's golden eyes.

The feeling was like standing in front of your father as a child, being asked to sit up straight; or like a student in front of a teacher, afraid of answering a question wrong.

Restrained, tense, and at a loss.

Xia Xiu looked at him, his tone slow but firm.

"Monford, would you like to follow me?"

"Are you willing to use the sword in your hand to straighten this distorted land?"

Monford was breathing heavily, the short sword in his hand still burning. Golden flames flickered, but he didn't have the courage to look up.

Images pierced my mind like nails.

Elwin's silent gaze on the stake, the bloodstains on the streets of Far East City, the indifferent patrols of loyal souls, the church's judges raising their spears... these things were tearing at his heart.

"Follow him? Set the earth right? I..."

Monford's throat tightened, and his knuckles gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

Upon seeing the monster Nimi-mu and the gloom of this twisted land, his first reaction, of course, was fear, having lived in the normal world before.

He wanted to say no, he wanted to refuse.

But in his mind, the image of Erwin's final gaze before his death echoed, those eyes seeming to ask him:
"what can you do?"

He gritted his teeth, his teeth almost breaking. Far East City was rotting; he could no longer be that cowardly coward cowering in the shadows.

Xia Xiu's voice came again, calm yet heavy:
"Monford, are you willing?"

Monford looked up abruptly, the flames reflected in his eyes. He finally uttered the words that seemed to drain all his strength:
"...I do."

“Very good.” Xia Xiu’s voice was deep, as if it came from behind the flames, pressing down into Monford’s heart.

"Since you've chosen to follow me, remember my name..."

He paused for a moment, his blond hair swaying gently in the night breeze, his golden eyes fixed on Monford.

"—Hugh Abraham."

“You will follow me, along the horizon of this land, to straighten the distorted world and restore all things to their original order.”

“Remember the truth of the horizon—if things are as they are, so they will be.”

……

……