Night World Players

Chapter 273 This scene is just like that moment (8k)

The inner city, a cluster of palaces, is located in another sub-dimension, isolated from the main world.

Under the boundless darkness of night, Hiltina, covered in blood, gently closed her eyes.

Despite being covered in wounds and having his breath extremely weak... beneath that faint aura, something quite solid was slowly accumulating and brewing.

Like a seemingly barren volcano about to erupt, heavy and bright red, yet dazzlingly bright.

When the things that have been suppressed and accumulated in the volcano finally erupt, that will be the moment when Hiltina truly ascends to the angelic realm.

It was not an advancement that was barely achieved through external forces such as the Holy Sword or the enhancement of imperial power... Rather, it was an angel who truly forged a path that belonged only to himself.

Looking down at Hiltina, Tucker's chanting of the prayer suddenly quickened.

three minutes.

This was the final deadline Hiltina set for herself to ascend to the angelic realm.

At this very moment, the short three-minute countdown seemed to be a death knell tolling in Tucker's ears.

Although the power of the "Sword of the Night Sky" will completely dissipate after three minutes... the tomb guardian angels sealed and imprisoned in the eternal night will also be unsealed. Even if Hiltina breaks through to become an angel, Tak's side still has an absolute advantage in numbers.

But for some reason, Tucker had a strange premonition.

Three minutes later, even if the tomb guardian angels break free of the seal, he will surely die, without exception.

Although it was a premonition that had no rational or logical basis, as a legendary strongman, Tucker unconditionally trusted his intuition.

Following this inexplicable premonition, he suddenly uttered the last syllable of the divine descent prayer.

boom--

In an instant, an aura far more powerful than the previous tomb guardian angel tore through the dimensional gap and descended into the boundless night.

……

In a subspace, the patriarch of the Iron Cross sect slowly raised his head.

Beside him were mountains of lean meat sauce, fatty meat sauce, cartilage sauce... and a large group of chefs busily chopping the sauce.

This time, the Twilight Lord's divine descent ritual is unprecedented in scale, status, and the complexity of the preparation process... It even far surpasses the divine descent that the Twilight Lord launched in Deep Blue Harbor in the previous era.

In preparation for this divine descent ceremony, the patriarch and his followers of the Iron Cross have been gathered in the subspace provided by the Keepers of the Graveyard for the past few days, overseeing a large group of cooks summoned from all over the Western Continent as they prepare various kinds of meat sauces...

All this was to fulfill the incredibly complex yet somewhat bizarre requirements of the divine descent ritual performed by the Lord of Twilight, whom they worshipped.

These days, as the lean meat, fatty meat, and cartilage toppings are being sliced... whether it's the butchers and cooks responsible for slicing the toppings, or the cult members who are supervising and assisting, everyone is exhausted, yet they still dare not be careless in the slightest.

He was afraid that his slightest negligence might cause the ingredients for the divine descent ritual to fail because they did not meet the required standards.

And at this moment, all that hard work and waiting... has finally paid off.

"I've finally... waited for this day."

The Iron Cross Patriarch gazed at the bronze statue of the evil god, which shone with dazzling brilliance, not far away, and tears welled up in his eyes.

How many years has it been...

How many years have passed!
In recent years, since the Lord of Twilight ceased to answer the prayers of his followers, the Iron Cross Order has been forced to live like rats in the sewers, hiding and surviving under the oppression of the Empire and other cults.

Countless devout believers have wavered in their faith due to the Lord's long-term lack of response, and eventually left the sect... leaving only him, the lone wolf who has persevered, and a few cats and dogs.

However, all of this will cease to exist after this day.

My unwavering dedication over the years has finally paid off.

Not only did the Lord respond to his prayers again, but He also took the initiative to send God down... to once again display the majesty that had shaken the world during the Sixth Age on the Western Continent.

Once the Lord has completed His divine descent in the Western Continent, He will sweep across the entire capital with thunderous force, proclaiming the triumphant return of the Iron Cross to the whole Western Continent.

When the new Empress Hiltina and other core members of the royal family are killed in battle, the long-scheming Tucker will be able to take over the entire country with lightning speed...

At that time, the Iron Cross sect will be completely freed from the embarrassing situation of being oppressed, hunted down, and suppressed within the empire, and will be able to take root and flourish again.

Furthermore, once Tucker and his confidants take over the empire, they may even support the Iron Cross as the state religion.

At that time, the Iron Cross Order will be able to step onto the historical stage of the Western Continent with dignity, no longer a rat hiding in the shadows, living a life of ignominy, but one of the true pinnacles of world domination.

Under the fanatical delusion and gaze of the Patriarch of the Iron Cross.

In the sub-latitudes, under the boundless night sky.

That overwhelming aura finally pierced through the dimensional gap, transforming into a phantom and hazy figure.

Feeling the immense power and majestic aura of the divine projection behind him, Tucker's lingering unease finally vanished, and he felt completely at ease, regaining his confidence.

As expected of the Crimson Sky Threshold, it is a projection of an ancient god descending into the present world.

Although Tucker couldn't see through the power of an angel, the oppressive feeling brought to him by this divine demigod was even greater than that of the previous tomb guardian angel.

It seems that the Lord of Twilight is aware of the threat posed by Hiltina as the Holy Sword Wielder. This time, it is not a projection that descends randomly, but a half-body that truly bears the power of a god.

"Hiltina, can you sense the aura of the Twilight Lord's half-body?"

"You are indeed outstanding, with a strong will, exceptional and persevering... Even among the stars of human history spanning seven epochs, you are one of the most shining stars."

"If you are given enough time, you may really be able to cross the barrier of angels and accomplish an unprecedented feat that no one in the past has ever achieved."

"Unfortunately, it is precisely because of this talent and ability that your personality is too proud, too arrogant, and too self-centered."

"When faced with difficulties or foreseeable dangers, you never actively avoid them, but always try to overcome them head-on."

"In the past, you may have indeed overcome many difficulties and dangers, which is why you have been able to achieve what you have today."

Tucker looked down at Hiltina, whose eyes remained closed and whose aura was building up before erupting. His words became calm again, conveying a sense of complete control.

With the backing of an ancient god who had descended from the heavens, he was no longer flustered.

"However, before the lord of twilight who descends from the gods, you will have no chance of survival."

The next moment, the projection behind Tucker also completely descended.

It pierced through the gap between the mortal world and the threshold of the blazing heavens, and also through the curtain of eternal night, truly completing the divine descent.

The originally illusory and hazy enormous phantom has transformed into a solid and clearly defined figure.

however.

Feel the magnificent and powerful projection of the Lord of Twilight.

Under the cover of night, Hiltina, covered in blood, only slightly opened her eyes.

Looking up at the divine projection behind Tucker in the distant sky, the girl's pretty face showed no sign of panic.

On the contrary, a slight smile was clearly visible at the corners of her mouth.

Why is Hiltina laughing?
The evil god has already descended, and after she is killed, the entire capital will be plunged into chaos and devastation... How could she still be laughing?

Tucker was taken aback.

Thinking this, he couldn't help but turn around and look in the direction of Hiltina's gaze.

Under the pitch-black night sky, the figure of the descending deity was so clear.

Black hair, black eyes.

He has a handsome face with a deep and distinct profile.

Tucker recognized the dark-haired boy's name, or rather... every cultist and gravedigger who had attended that meeting knew him.

The last guardian of the shore.

The last heir to the "Library of Fools".

Similarly, he was also Hiltina's fiancé, whom she had once publicly announced to the entire Western Continent.

Rast.

……

It is a sub-latitude that contains an entire palace complex, comparable in size to a small city.

But at this moment, only a silent void remained in this vast expanse of heaven and earth.

The howling wind swept through the deathly silent palace, making even the sound of a pin dropping audible.

Looking behind him at the boy who stood quietly in the distant sky, even stretching lazily with a hint of boredom, Tucker felt his brain freeze for a moment.

Rast.

The last shorekeeper after the Sixth Age.

The owner of "The Fool's Library" and Hiltina's fiancé.

Tucker knew everything about the other party, from his origins and background to his entire resume during his short few years on the Western Continent, and his relationships with other students and professors at Star University. He could even recite it by heart.

However, none of this information could explain why Rust was here at this moment.

Wasn't he already physically and mentally exhausted from the battle with the quasi-angel two years ago... and now he's lying in a ward at the United Hospital, a vegetative state, neither alive nor dead?
Has Rust actually already woken up?

But even if we take a step back and assume that Rast has really woken up, didn't he already... self-destruct his Sequence Rank and Nightblade "The Fool's Library" in that battle two years ago?

Having lost his sequence leader and the "Library of Fools," Rast... even if he were to truly awaken, he would be nothing more than a helpless cripple.

Besides, wasn't what I summoned a demigod descended from the Lord of Twilight?

At this very moment, Rast, who was sleeping in the mortal world, should have already been killed by the powerful tomb guardians who rushed over, and the remaining fragments of "The Fool's Library" in his body should have been removed.

The sheer volume of thoughts intertwined caused Tucker's brain to shut down, his CPU practically burning out.

However, a legend is a legend after all, possessing a spiritual power as vast as the sea.

After a brief period of lag, Tucker quickly found the answer to the problem from the legendary, photographic memory and countless conflicting thoughts.

After eliminating all impossible options, whatever remains, however absurd or unbelievable, is the only truth.

"That's it, that's it."

"It turns out that the last guardian of the shore, Rast, was actually an incarnation of the Lord of Twilight from beginning to end."

“No wonder. I’ve always wondered how to explain the thousands or tens of thousands of years that the previous generation of shore guardians lived in the Sixth Epoch, and how to explain the gap between them and the current generation of shore guardians, Rast. Ordinary humans can’t live for tens of thousands of years.”

"So, all of this was the work of the Lord of Twilight."

Tucker felt he had finally found the key.

"The true guardians of the shore were actually wiped out at the end of the Sixth Era... and the 'Library of Fools' fell into the hands of the Lord of Twilight during that great war at the end of the era."

"Therefore, the Lord of Twilight was able to artificially create a false guardian like 'Rast'."

"After all, tens of thousands of years have passed since the Sixth Era, and no one knows what has happened in between. Whoever possesses the 'Library of Fools' is the guardian of the shore, and no one will delve into the details."

"This elaborate deception, this substitution of one thing for another, not only fooled other cults..."

"They even fooled the tomb keeper!"

As if his CPU had been overclocked, Tucker's brain began to think at high speed.

The pieces of information that he had previously overlooked were now being rearranged and recombined, corroborating each other and leading to new conclusions.

The more he thought about it, the more alarmed he became, feeling as if he had inadvertently stumbled upon a shocking conspiracy that had spanned tens of thousands of years, from the first era of the gods to the present day.

"The remaining question is why the Lord of Twilight would manually create a fake Coast Guardian like 'Rast,' even at the cost of attracting the hostility of the Tomb Keepers, a large and secretive organization, and also having a close relationship with Hiltina..."

"The only explanation for this problem is that the Lord of Twilight may be playing a truly grand game."

“What He is after is not just the power of the believers’ faith… but that ancient organization of tomb keepers.”

"And even the whole world."

The moment the conclusion was reached, Tucker gasped.

At this moment, the various cults of the Western Continent and the Tomb Keepers are united in their attempt to hunt down the Holy Sword Wielder, Hiltina…

However, this does not mean that the gods on the Throne of the Seraphs and the tomb keepers are a united front; they are merely using each other. There are no eternal friends in this world, only eternal interests.

For countless eons, the Tomb Keepers have been investigating the Cage of the Blazing Sky, seeking to hunt down the gods residing within.

The evil gods have always been quite wary of the tomb guardians.

At its core, the Tomb Keepers were founded by the nameless fool who led humanity to rise from among many mythical races in the First Age of Gods.

The evil gods atop the Seraphim are merely some deities who fled to the Seraphim to eke out a living after the decline of the Age of Gods.

The guardians of the tomb and the gods have never been friends, but mortal enemies. However, as tens of thousands of years have passed, they have been able to cooperate when necessary for common interests.

Against this backdrop, the purpose of the Twilight Lord's scheme, which has been planned for tens of thousands of years, has become clear.

He intended to use the moment when the Holy Sword Envoy Hiltina ascended the throne as bait to capture all the tomb guardians who were usually hidden in the river of time.

If Hiltina were to die in battle along with the other core members of the royal family, then the awakened Prince Rast would be the only candidate for regent of the empire.

At that time, both the entire Tomb Keeper organization and the largest human empire on the Western Continent will fall into the control of the Twilight Lord.

What a profound scheme, what a terrifying plan.

The Lord of Twilight caused a tragedy like the Iron Cross Plague in Deep Blue Harbor during the Sixth Age, leading people, including the Keepers of the Graveyard, to believe that He was already half-mad and out of control, and therefore not a threat.

But in reality, the Lord of Twilight had already secretly laid his hand on the matter, and it took tens of thousands of years of subtle clues to trigger it.

“I know that His Majesty the Great Lord of Twilight has already planned everything.”

"Whether it's Hiltina or those tomb-guarding angels, they are all just pawns in your plan... When you fully descend, you will be able to control everything."

"However, I think even someone as great as you would need some time to control such a vast country as the Granville Empire, to turn all its people into believers who offer you the power of faith, and to make the empire your divine kingdom."

"Therefore, I think that having served as the guardian of the empire for a hundred years, I still have some insignificant value to you."

"I am willing to become your believer, to have a mark of anti-betrayal implanted in my soul, and to govern this human kingdom on your behalf."

"I only ask that after you have completely annihilated the tomb guardians, you allow me to leave a tiny mark on the Eternal Night Stele."

Tucker bowed slightly to the black-haired, black-eyed boy and spoke with utmost respect, his words extremely courteous.

His only goal was to prolong his life and achieve immortality.

Compared to the tomb guardian that Tucker had previously chosen as his backer, the Lord of Twilight, represented by Rust, was undoubtedly much more powerful, far surpassing the former in both planning and subtle, intricate arrangements.

Therefore, for Tucker, betraying the Gravekeeper and becoming a follower of the Twilight Lord was a decision that carried no psychological burden whatsoever.

However, upon hearing Tucker's respectful words...

The black-haired, black-eyed boy merely glanced at him indifferently before gently opening his mouth.

The next moment, Tucker felt a moment of disorientation.

In the orange-red light, he seemed to see a fluffy little dog barking lightly in the distance, wagging its tail and running towards him.

Tucker's gaze paused slightly.

He recognized the puppy; it was his pet from his youth, a hunting dog with a slight wolf bloodline.

In his youth, Tucker had listened to the stories of knights told by bards, dreaming of one day traveling the continent with his hounds and becoming a wandering knight who would punish evil and uphold justice.

Later, Tucker truly became a legend... becoming the Imperial Watcher who silently maintained order and guarded the entire nation from behind the scenes.

However, despite possessing a small amount of the extraordinary bloodline of the Dire Wolf, the hound was ultimately just a hound, and it died of old age after only a few decades. Tucker buried the hound on an unnamed hillside in his hometown.

Tucker was left alone, drifting further and further away on the path of guarding the Empire...

In the end, over the long course of time, he lost sight of his original aspiration to become a guardian, leaving only the longing for immortality and the obsession with eternity that had lasted for five hundred years.

Looking back now, that was almost five hundred years ago.

and many more……

Five hundred years ago?

"Immortality, and eternity?"

"You too, and those gravediggers too..."

"Are these things really that important, worth betraying your past lives and hundreds of years of perseverance... even if it means denying everything from your past, to pursue them at all costs?"

From a distant direction, the soft whispers of a black-haired boy seemed to drift over.

Looking at the little dog wagging its tail excitedly at him, Tucker suddenly had a realization.

"So... this is a revolving lantern."

……

Under the pitch-black night sky, Tucker's figure slowly dissipated into the darkness.

It's like a drawing on a blank sheet of paper being erased by an eraser, never to exist again.

Not far away, Last did not look at Tak, who had been erased by the Word of Power, but instead let his figure slowly descend from the distant sky, landing in the palace complex where Hiltina was.

Swah——

The pale sword light soared into the sky once more, the pure and dense magic power transforming into a pure silver-white radiance, standing out conspicuously against the dark sky.

Along with the sword light soaring into the sky, there was also Hiltina's vast and boundless aura, powerful enough to transcend time and space.

Before the three minutes were up, Hiltina had already taken the final step.

Angel.

A true angel.

It is neither a vassal of the Holy Sword nor a rank-level entity attached to the imperial power associated with the Holy Sword.

Rather, it originates from Hiltina herself, from the "Chariot" sequence of angels.

On the ground, Hiltina opened her eyes again and walked step by step toward Rust.

Her chestnut-brown hair, which had been styled into a princess braid, was scattered during the battle and now cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, fluttering gently in the evening breeze.

Despite her slender figure, Hiltina possessed an aura as powerful as a divine chariot...

Everything that stands in its way, whether legend, angel, or god, has only one fate: to be crushed into dust.

However, as she walked step by step up to Rust and the two faced each other at extremely close range, Hiltina deliberately suppressed her aura, which was as powerful as a divine chariot.

In the blink of an eye, she transformed from the reigning empress of the empire back into the young swordswoman that Rust was quite familiar with.

Hiltina blinked, a slight smile playing on her lips:

"How was it... to make a last-minute appearance and save the damsel in distress? Wasn't it awesome and satisfying?"

"I can only say that this feels really good."

Last smiled and said, "Congratulations, Hiltina."

"An angel who achieved this not with the aid of the Holy Sword, nor with the aid of the imperial lineage, but solely through his own power."

"You should now be able to rival those true gods on the Throne of the Blazing Sky."

"The same congratulations should be extended to you as well."

Hiltina twirled a strand of hair that had fallen beside her ear with her fingers, unconsciously playing with it: "Little Ai was originally an angel of the Judgment Sequence, and if I'm not mistaken, now that you've rebuilt that tower called 'The Library of Fools' in your heart, you should have already crossed that boundary."

"So, it's more accurate to say that I've finally caught up with you and that Amys."

Hearing Hiltina's words, Last couldn't help but smile again.

He was about to say something more.

The next moment, in the distant sky, within the curtain of eternal night, a booming sound once again echoed.

As the night gradually thinned, it seemed as if something was about to break the seal of the eternal night and burst forth completely.

Three minutes have passed, and the tomb guardian angels, who were previously sealed in the eternal night by the Sword of Night, are about to break through the veil and return to the secondary dimension.

Looking at the night sky drifting and thinning in the distance, Hiltina smiled.

"How about it?"

"You coming or me?"

Among the tomb guardians who are about to break free from their seal, there are also angels of the same rank as Hiltina and Rust after their breakthrough.

However, there was not a trace of tension in her conversation with Rust; instead, it was filled with the same relaxed banter they used to share when exploring the night world together.

"I'll do it."

"Hiltina, you just had a great time fighting in a desperate situation, but Ai just went on a killing spree in the real world."

Last shook his head somewhat helplessly.

He was initially worried that Xiao Ai might be unaccustomed to fighting between angels due to her lack of combat experience... but he didn't expect that this girl's fighting style would be even more brutal than he had imagined.

He directly tore apart a quasi-angelic tomb guardian who had stormed into the hospital, intending to kill Rast's sleeping true form.

"So, it's my turn now."

"Just crushing a nobody who isn't even an angel... that's not quite enough for our reunion after so many years."

As soon as he finished speaking, his figure rose up again, heading towards the distant sky.

The black-haired, black-eyed boy gazed at the several tomb guardian angels who were slowly breaking free from the seal of the "Sword of the Night Sky" and returning to reality in the night sky, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"What was that line from my past life again?"

"Oh, right……"

He stretched out his right hand and made a loose clenching motion in the empty night sky.

"Here comes the sword."

Below, as if sensing something, Hiltina's light brown eyes flickered slightly, and a smile reappeared on her pretty face.

next moment.

Intense yet clear starlight appeared in the night sky.

The golden sword materialized amidst a roaring storm, with countless rays of light converging on its dazzling blade, illuminating the surrounding dim night sky.

Holy sword.

The weapon, forged from the planet, is also a sacred relic passed down through generations of the Granville Empire's royal family. Countless members of the royal family have tried to make it recognize them as their master, but all have failed.

After being dormant for countless years, it was once again taken over by Hiltina.

This holy sword, which originally belonged only to Hiltina, now lay quietly in Rust's hand, pointed directly at the direction in which the gravedigger angels appeared in the shattered night sky.

"Real name, Liberation."

A clear voice echoed across the ruins of the entire palace complex.

These were words that Hiltina knew all too well, but now they were being recited by a black-haired, black-eyed boy who spoke in an ancient language in a metallic voice.

That word carries the same meaning as Hiltina's first weapon, "Shining Morning Star".

That means "stars".

The next moment.

The morning star's brilliance illuminated the night sky and also brightened Hiltina's eyes.

This situation is just like that moment.

……

P.S.: I'm almost done with my work, and I can resume regular updates soon.

(End of this chapter)