The Embers of King's Teyvat Journey

The vast dandelion fields, the lifeless ice plains... none of the magnificent scenery could hinder Black Knife's advance.

They now live for only one purpose—to find the two people in their minds, cut off their hands, and offer them to the embers.

……

Winterfell is always shrouded in snow and wind. Endless snow and wind descend upon the city, only to be swept away by its inhabitants, in an endless cycle.

The Black Knives arrived in the snow-covered city late at night. This was their favorite time.

But for the people of this city, night is the most unpleasant time. At this time, the biting winter winds transform into razor-sharp blades, testing every house in Winterhold.

"It feels so familiar, it reminds me of the days I was imprisoned." Er looked at the wind and snow in front of her and remembered the days when she was locked in the sealed prison of the Holy Snow Plains.

Wu and Shi had the same experience; the cold there was even worse than winter!

"Is this your reason for executing the king so many times?" Eleven retorted, looking at Two's wistful expression.

She watched as Er, Wu, and Shi stabbed Yu Jin in the kidneys more than a dozen times.

The two of them scratched their heads awkwardly after hearing this. They were almost going crazy from being cooped up in the sealed prison, and they were naturally a little more "enthusiastic" when they finally saw someone run in.

Of course, they later received a good beating from Ember.

"Alright, let's stop talking." Aleto gazed into the distance, taking in the general layout of Winterhold, and already had a route in mind.

"Cresemble the runes. Prepare for battle!"

As soon as Aleto finished speaking, he took out a round, arc-shaped fragment and held it above his head.

Runic Arc – A fragment of the Elden Ring that touched all things after its metamorphosis. When used, it grants blessings to the major runes on your equipment.

Using it without equipping the Great Rune can slightly increase the maximum health.

The lower half of the Elden Ring features a curved section at its base, symbolizing the vessel that receives the ring's blessings. Now, these blessings are boundless, and the curved section continues to extend. It is said that it has reached everyone.

As the runic arc shattered into fragments, the long-accumulated blessing was fully unleashed. Eleven complete Elden Rings suddenly appeared and then vanished.

The Great Runes of the Embers—Gods do not need blessings, but their power can only be barely manifested through Great Runes. Through the power of grace, one can obtain a higher level of power that transcends the essence of life.

This great rune is a complete and fired Elden ring.

The god of love burned himself, so the Elden Ring descended upon everyone.

As the magic ring disappeared, a change occurred to the eleven black-clad figures, making them incredibly vast and elusive.

But soon, this aura disappeared into their bodies. The fragments of divine power could not ultimately support the might of a god.

"Hoo—, the former king, truly terrifying." San was utterly shocked as he felt the unknown source, form, and everything else within him that was completely unknown.

“No, the current king is still terrifying.” Dixi interrupted San. She had spent the most time with Yu Jin and knew him better.

The current state of Yu Jin is one that she can't quite explain.

"Really...is that so? Even a king at that level still has room for advancement?" San asked incredulously.

"Upward? Not necessarily." Di Xi looked into the distance, shook his head slightly, and muttered to himself.

"Alright, this is none of your concern." After adjusting to the new power within his body, Aleto set off towards Winterhold.

Seeing this, the other black-clad warriors understood. They remained silent and began to communicate in their minds.

Moreover, through the blessing, the eleven black knives also entered a special state most suitable for them.

They now share a common vision, a common memory, and a common way of thinking; they are eleven individuals, yet also the same person.

Previously, Black Knife was trained to be like a machine, largely in order to approach this state.

Eleven knives put together are still just knives, but eleven people cannot possibly be put together.

Marika once turned them into eleven knives, and then used Lani to kill her own son.

Then it took Ember a long time to twist them back from the blades. Now it seems that eleven people forming a blade are far more powerful than eleven blades alone.

Winterhold was still as dark as night, but if one paid close attention, they would notice that the darkness tonight was deeper than usual.

Chapter 115 Night of the Black Knife

20

2023-08-28

2.0

Winterhold's prosperity cannot compare to that of Liyue. Therefore, like Mondstadt, most of Winterhold is shrouded in darkness at night, with only a few scattered spots showing signs of light.

However, the area surrounding the Queen's Palace in the heart of Winterhold is clearly different—because this is the headquarters of the Fatui, the heart of Teyvat's largest military organization.

No matter what happens in Winter, this place will continue to function. In addition to the large number of soldiers stationed here, most of the executives who remain in Winter also have their own residences here.

The lights illuminated every corner of the area, and the numerous watchtowers and ubiquitous patrolling soldiers surveyed the entire city.

From a distance, the somber atmosphere alone is enough to deter anyone from approaching.

However, none of this could stop the Black Knife's infiltration. Without special methods, finding their traces was simply a pipe dream.

Despite the dense array of Fools' camps surrounding the Queen's Palace, there are still many distinctive buildings that stand in stark contrast to the unremarkable barracks.

A large portion of these are public buildings, while a smaller portion are residences of powerful and influential figures among the fools.

As the eleven strongest and most powerful members of the Fools, the Executives naturally have their own mansions at headquarters.

Black Blade weaved through the maze-like encampment, as if the strange buildings guided them, or perhaps they already had their own routes in mind.

Soon, after passing through numerous checkpoints and patrolling soldiers, the Black Knives arrived at a magnificent villa.

It's hard to imagine that such a heavily fortified garrison could contain such a building that is so different from the grim atmosphere.

However, no one objected. This was one of the residences of Pantalone, the ninth seat of the Fools, and the "Rich Man." His status and position were sufficient to justify his extraordinary actions.

Of course, executives all have some peculiar behaviors to varying degrees. Compared to that, the quirks of the wealthy are not surprising.

[Target spotted!] Eleven figures hidden in the shadows surrounded the entire mansion. They could already see the wealthy man still working in one of the bedrooms.

……

"This is troublesome." In the brightly lit bedroom, the rich man looked at the intelligence report in front of him and began to feel uneasy.

He had this feeling only before he became an executive, but now it had returned to him.

The pawns he planted in Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma—these three countries—have not informed him of anything for a long time.

Moreover, according to reports from various outposts, they are currently experiencing shortages of many supplies, both normal and abnormal.

All these clues pointed to an outcome he never imagined—all his trade routes had been destroyed by someone else.

Whether it's a legitimate trade route or a clandestine one lurking in the shadows transporting illicit goods, without exception, anything bearing the name "Pantalogne" is erased by some force.

"The Northern Continent's underground intelligence network?" The rich man's first thought was of that organization hidden in the shadows, constantly opposing the Fools.

But he quickly dismissed his own speculation, "No, it couldn't be them."

The rich man frowned. Although the underground intelligence network of the Northern Continent was constantly opposing the Fools, it was impossible for them to destroy all his trade routes on their own.

Moreover, even if they truly possessed such strength, there would be absolutely no need for them to destroy all their trade routes—there are legitimate trade routes among them.

Destroying them will only leave weaknesses and bring nothing else. At best, it will only delay the flow of supplies for the Fools.

"Did you offend someone?" The rich man frowned. Who had such power to destroy everything he had worked so hard to build?

Even other executives can't do this!

Suddenly, a figure flashed through the rich man's mind: a quirky and unpredictable fellow who had caused him great harm.

"You guessed right, but there's no reward." A woman's voice suddenly rang in the rich man's ears, making his heart skip a beat.

"Who?!" The rich man's aura instantly rose a notch. The moment he heard the woman's voice, he activated his Evil Eye with all his might.

A biting frost instantly enveloped the entire villa. The severe cold descended upon this vast building, and the fireplace that had been burning continuously in the center of the living room now seemed so faint; it could no longer dispel the chill.

However, none of this made the rich man feel at ease, as he found nothing where his power touched!

“We can talk,” the rich man said calmly, suppressing his shock. As he spoke, he moved closer to the window.

He doesn't even know where the enemy is now. If he wants to have a chance of survival, he probably has no choice but to escape outside.

This is the headquarters of the Fools, where the organization's entire secrets are hidden. Once this massive machine is running, the rich man is confident he can keep those lurking in the shadows here forever!

However, it's clear that Black Knife isn't as easy to talk to as Ember.

Two black knives suddenly appeared behind the rich man, twisting his arms tightly behind his back.

"Crack! Crack! Crack!" A chilling sound of bones breaking rang out. Black Knife's attack was extremely ruthless, instantly crippling the rich man's arms.

"Ugh!" The rich man groaned, enduring such intense pain, yet his face remained calm.

Only the cold sweat beading on his forehead and the involuntary twitching of his eyes proved that the pain of having his arms twisted off was truly upon him.

"Actually... I still admire people like you who can't be traded. It's a pity... you can't be used by me."

The rich man, panting heavily, looked at the black-clad figure behind him, dressed in silver armor, with a large, almost inhuman build.

Just as strange as that guy.

“Then…I hope you can survive the siege.” The rich man’s face turned deathly pale, and then his body suddenly shattered.

A bone-chilling cold instantly filled the entire bedroom.

"Crack! Crack!" A crisp breaking sound rang out, and in the icy air, everything was subjected to extreme cold.

The walls cracked, the flowers froze. Everything became incredibly fragile in this bitter cold; the slightest touch would shatter them into pieces.

"Hehe, you have quite the taste. This kind of flower can only bloom in the south." Ba walked to the table and took out a flower covered in frost from the vase.

She then crushed it into pieces.

“They can’t escape.” Ba looked into the darkness and saw the rich people who could never escape.

……

"Hoo—, hoo—" Large puffs of white frost came out of the rich man's mouth, and his face was as pale as the white breath he exhaled.

As the only Executor without the Eye of God, the Evil Eye he wears is the most powerful among the Fools.

Even so, the cost of fully activating the Evil Eye would be enough to give this ordinary person a hard time.

At this moment, a few strands of white had appeared at the rich man's temples. He felt that his body had aged considerably and couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.