Please be my partner.

After a passionate speech, the young knights began to recite the oath.

Among them, only Mellen and Spike seemed out of place because they didn't recite at all.

The Great Knight glanced at them but said nothing more.

Just as Spike was about to swear his blood oath to the Demon Hunt Order, a young knight jumped out, pointed at Mellen and Spike, and shouted, "Why don't you take the oath? This is destroying the tradition of our Order of Dusk. You are not qualified to be a member of our Order of Dusk!"

Mellen glanced at him and said, "It's useless to just say an oath. You have to keep it in your heart and put it into action."

The little knight sneered, "If you don't even say it, how can anyone believe you'd take it to heart?!"

Melen pointed at himself, spread his hands, and said, "Me? It's not like I joined the Knights of Dusk."

The Knight paused for a moment, then looked at Spike and said contemptuously, "What about it?"

Mellen said with a smile: "Dog, I feel that the oath is useless if I keep it in my heart, so why don't you recite it once."

Spike glanced at the Knight slowly, yawned lazily, and then... "Woof~"

There was a moment of silence, followed by a lot of suppressed laughter.

The knight's face flushed red and he shouted, "Are you kidding me?!"

Mellen said calmly, "Do you understand dog language?"

The knight's anger faltered, and he hesitantly said, "No...I don't understand."

Mellen said seriously, "That's it. Dog language is actually quite simple. It may seem like just one sound, but it contains a variety of overlapping tones that can express quite complex meanings."

"Although my dog only barked once just now, it has already expressed its oath."

Hearing Mellen's earnest explanation, the little knight almost believed it and asked in a daze, "Really...really?"

Looking at the dull, clear-eyed and stupid little knight, Mellen even felt guilty.

Mellen sighed, "Of course... I lied to you."

Ignoring the little knight who had become furious again, Mellen looked at the two people watching.

Melen was convinced that it was because of those two people that the little knight had been so reckless in coming up to provoke him.

So Melen just teased the young knight a little bit. As for the two instigators, he had already written them down in his little notebook. If he encountered a suitable opportunity in the future and he had not forgotten this little thing, he would always return them.

At Mellen's signal, Spike drew a drop of thick blood and dripped it onto the Demon Hunting Order. The word "Demon Hunting" on the Demon Hunting Order emitted a bright red color, which meant that the Demon Hunting Order had been activated and bound to Spike.

From now on, as long as Spike kills demons within a certain range of the Demon Hunting Order, he will automatically receive corresponding contributions.

After doing all this, Mellen was about to take Spike away.

Seeing that he was being ignored, the young knight became even more angry and was about to step forward to stop it.

Spike suddenly turned around and looked at the Knight, his powerful aura released and then retracted.

The young knight froze in place. At that moment, he felt countless crazy battles and brutal fights, as if there was an almighty god of war who was fighting a life-and-death battle with one powerful enemy after another, and countless blood and bones were scattered all over the world.

In the end, only this god of war was left standing alone on the endless battlefield, stepping on the corpses of countless enemies, quietly waiting for a new opponent.

It was a long time before the little knight came back to his senses after hearing the calls of others. He felt an unprecedented weakness, and his whole body was soaked with cold sweat.

Chapter 196 Demon Hunting

After the episode of taking the oath, Spike successfully joined the Order of Dusk and became a reserve knight.

On the way back, Mellen looked at Spike and said with a smile, "Not bad, you can actually do that?"

What Mellen was talking about was, of course, the method Spike had used to intimidate the Knight before. That was not the oppression of momentum or spirit, but a blow to the will level formed by the condensed fighting spirit and certain images in Spike's evolutionary heritage.

This kind of method will greatly affect opponents who are weaker than Spike, not to mention those who are stronger than Gouzi, as long as they do not have the fighting spirit of steel or the tenacious will.

Lance said with a serious expression: "Merlen, you have to be careful. The man who provoked you just now is called Yasen. He is a genius trained by the Lava School. This matter will not end so easily."

Mellen smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, I know my limits."

Lance then nodded with a relaxed expression. Although he had not been in contact with Mellen for a long time, he vaguely felt that the owner of this dog knight seemed to be no simple person.

Gad asked, "Merlen, what are your plans next? Are you going to conquer the Space-Time Rift? Lance and I haven't finished our duty yet. If you want to go hunt demons in the Space-Time Rift, would you like me to introduce you to some reliable teammates?"

Mellen thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "I do want to go to the space-time rift and take a look, but as for my teammates, let's forget about it for now. I'm more used to being alone."

Gad nodded and said nothing more.

After returning to the Earth School's headquarters, Melen didn't have much to prepare. After all, he had originally planned to go to the space-time rift after completing the oath, so he had already made preparations in advance.

He came to the mission hall, intending to see if there were any tasks he could do along the way.

There is no mission in hunting demons in the space-time rift. The Demon Hunting Order automatically records the merits after killing the demon. However, the special environment of the space-time rift itself will breed some relatively precious resources, plus the precious materials left behind by some demons after their death. These can all be rewarded in the form of missions using resources including merits.

Of course, whether it is a fixed mission offered by the Dusk Knights or a personal bounty mission, the merits obtained in this way can only be used to exchange for resources or inheritance, and will not be recorded in one's total merits.

Melen first took a look at the fixed tasks announced by the Knights of Dusk. Basically, they were all about collecting rare resources from the rifts in time and space. It didn't matter whether you accepted these tasks or not, as long as you found the corresponding resources in the rifts in time and space, you could bring them back and exchange them.

Then Mellen looked at the personal quests, which were quite varied. Some involved obtaining fixed materials from rare demons to create extraordinary items; some involved searching for specific resources; some involved recruiting powerful teammates to clear out demon camps...

These personal tasks may change at any time. If you do not accept them, even if you get the corresponding task items in the time and space rift, if the task disappears after you come back, you will not get the corresponding reward.

Moreover, there is no limit on the number of people who can accept personal tasks. It is based on a first-come, first-served basis. If you accept a task and find that many people have already accepted it, then you need to think about it.

After taking a quick look, Mellen casually accepted a few tasks that could be completed outside the space-time rift, then turned and left.

Soon, Mellen and Spike came to a roadblock, which was the only way to the space-time rift. Not only were there checkpoints, but there was also a team of a hundred Branded Knights stationed there.

After showing the demon hunting warrant, Mellen and Spike were released.

Just as the man and the dog were about to move on, a pleasant female voice suddenly rang out: "You are the Beastmaster and Dog Knight who recently joined the Knights, right?"

Melen turned his head and saw a female knight wearing aqua blue armor, with a soft appearance and gentle temperament, like a close older sister.

He nodded and said, "Hello, my name is Meren and this is Spike."

The female knight said gently, "You can call me Dana. You look like you're planning to enter the space-time rift alone."

Mellen said, "Yes, what's the problem?"

Dana shook her head and said, "When a newcomer enters a space-time rift for the first time, it's best to team up with a veteran. The environment inside the space-time rift is harsh and ever-changing. Even with the guidance of veterans, a novice entering for the first time could still be caught off guard and miss opportunities if they encounter unexpected situations."

Melen smiled and said, "Don't worry, we will be careful."

Dana hesitated for a moment and said, "If you can't find your teammates, you can wait a moment. A trial team from our Raging Waves school will be here soon. I can introduce you to them."

Mellen was stunned for a moment, feeling the worry in Dana's eyes, and realized that the latter was indeed worried about his safety, and he couldn't help but feel a little amused.

At the same time, it once again confirmed the simplicity of these knights.

Mellen waved his hand again, saying no. Suddenly, something occurred to him, so he asked, "Is Knight Dana from the Raging Waves School? Do you know Jeroen?"

"Jeroen?" Dana said in astonishment. "He's a talented knight from our Raging Waves sect, but he was severely injured in a battle in a space-time rift a few years ago. So, he temporarily left the Knights Order to recuperate."

Melen showed a look of surprise. He didn't expect that the teacher Jeroen from the Kingdom's Mysterious Academy had such a background.

Speaking of which, the mentor Heb who taught them was not from the Earth School, but from the Qingshan School.

Schools like the Qingshan School and the Lava School are all branches of the Earth School and do not have special test paths. Outsiders who have learned a lot and want to join the Dusk Knights need to take the entry test of the Earth School.

This is also the fundamental reason why the Dusk Knights allow members to unconditionally switch schools.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Dana, Mellen said goodbye and left.

Dana looked at Mellen's departing back, still a little worried.

Someone nearby sneered, "Dana, stop being so kind. Can't you see that they don't appreciate it at all?"

Dana just shook her head slightly and said nothing.

…………

When Melen went to the space-time rift, in a white building at the center of the Knights of Dusk.

A black-armored knight reported, "Captain, based on the intelligence we've gathered, we've basically confirmed that the individual is the legendary warrior who once made a stunning appearance in the Kingdom of Crow. Because he displayed the uncanny ability to pluck stars with one hand, he was also known as the 'Star-Plucking King.'"

Seeing the figure standing before the window, seemingly bathed in eternal holy light, show no reaction, the black-armored knight hesitated and asked, "Master, although this 'Star-Picking King' has been acting neutrally and lawfully so far, isn't it too risky to allow him into the space-time rift?"

The current leader of the Dusk Knights, the Dawn Knight Dal Strong, said calmly, "That's fine. We, the Dusk Knights, guard the rifts in time and space, and we need allies. If he always follows our rules and stands on the side of humanity, then he will always be our friend."

"In the future, we will accept more powerful individuals like you, even those from other races. You must learn to adapt."

The black-armored knight immediately lowered his head in response.

…………

After passing the obstacle course, Mellen and Spike set out on the road to glory.

That's right, this road leading to the rift in time and space is called the Road of Glory by the Knights of Dusk.

As they continued to move forward, Melen could clearly feel that the surrounding environment was becoming hot and the space seemed to be becoming chaotic and disordered.

After walking for about ten kilometers, Melen felt as if he had crossed a layer of rippling waves, and the view in front of him suddenly became clear.

What you see is a vast plain. The ground is charred black and looks extremely depressing. In the distance, there is a river formed by lava flowing slowly.

According to the information provided by the Knights of Dusk, the area affected by the space-time rift has a distorted internal space that is actually dozens of times larger than what is seen from the outside world. It is also extremely chaotic, and space division and reorganization will occur from time to time. If you cannot respond in time, you may be accidentally teleported to the depths of the space-time rift.

Generally speaking, the area affected by the space-time rift is separated from the outside world. As long as you guard a few fixed nodes, you don't have to worry about demons coming out.

Of course, due to the disorder of space, this cannot be completely confirmed. Occasionally, demons and some areas will escape from the space-time rift area, just like when Mellen and others were conducting the path test before.

This requires the on-duty knight to clean up in time.

Mellen pinched his nose, somewhat disgusted by the smell of sulfur in the air. In addition, there were trace amounts of toxins. If an ordinary person were in such an environment, his body would begin to become weak in just a few minutes, and he might be poisoned to death in an hour or two.

Melen glanced at a watchtower on a high slope not far away, and there were also eyes directed towards him from there.

The watchtower was naturally built by the Knights of Dusk, and a team of knights was stationed inside. Their purpose was to monitor the movements of demons in the nearby area and to regularly clear out the demons at the entrance of the Road of Glory, so as to prevent any knights from entering the space-time rift and being ambushed before they could figure out the situation.

Withdrawing his gaze, Melen moved towards the deeper part of the space-time rift.

There are countless demons in the entire space-time rift area. The closer you get to the inside, the more concentrated the demons are, the greater the density, and the stronger their strength.

In the marginal area where Mellen is now, only occasionally can one encounter some wandering demons.

As he walked, Melen suddenly stopped and looked at a lava stream not far away. After observing it for a while, he used his mental power to push aside the sticky lava and fished out an irregular fiery red stone the size of two palms.

This is a specialty of the space-time rift... Fire rock, which is considered a relatively basic extraordinary material. It is one of the fixed tasks of the Knights of Dusk and can be exchanged for a small amount of merit based on its weight.

Fire rock is not actually suitable for creating extraordinary items, but if you collect enough of it, you can use it to build watchtowers or small fortresses. In addition to its own strength, its strong resistance to fire makes it a powerful weapon against demons.

After all, most demons are proficient in, and only proficient in, fire elemental spells.

Putting away the fire rock, Melen continued to move forward.

In fact, there are still many igneous rocks in this lava stream, but the one that Mellen just fished out is already the largest one. The rest are basically small pieces, and it is not easy to fish them out. In addition, the merits that can be exchanged are pitifully small, so he is too lazy to waste time and energy.

It had to be said that the Spacetime Rift was truly a treasure trove. It hadn't been long before Melen discovered red iron grass, which could slightly strengthen the body and enhance physique; firethorn vines, which were extremely tough and flame-resistant and could be used to make soft armor; and fire crystals, which were much rarer than fire rocks...

Of course, they are only sporadic discoveries and the number is not large.

Just as Melen was pulling a pyracantha vine out of the ground, a noise came from the distance.

Turning his head, he saw a group of little demons rushing towards him, with quarrels and fights breaking out from time to time.

Fortunately, there was a little devil among them who was taller than his peers and held a stick in his hand that looked more like a wooden stick than a staff. Thanks to his occasional shouts and threats, this group of little devils did not fight among themselves.

When Melen looked at them, the little devil holding the staff also saw Melen. Its eyes suddenly lit up, and it pointed at Melen and made a chattering sound, which seemed to be the devil's language.

The little demons looked at Mellen and immediately rushed towards him with excited shouts.

Spike stepped forward, his face expressionless, clearly these demons couldn't pique his interest at all.

What followed was a one-sided massacre. Even the little devil holding the staff released a powerful fireball, but it was shattered by Spike's claw.

The entire battle lasted about three minutes, mainly because after Spike killed a few imps, the remaining imps immediately fled in fear, which took a little longer.

After the battle, Melen looked thoughtfully at the Demon Hunting Order in his hand, and he found something interesting.

After the demons died, the Demon Hunting Order forcibly plundered part of their essence from them and transmitted it in the direction of the Knights of Dusk. It seemed that there was some extraordinary item there that was connected to the Demon Hunting Order and received this part of the essence.

This kind of extraction is different from the wolf-shaped pendant. The wolf-shaped pendant converts the spirituality, soul and other extraordinary parts into pure spiritual energy without any side effects. The Demon Hunting Order forcibly tears part of the essence from the demon without any processing.

With a slight mental touch, a number '5' appeared on the Demon Hunting Order. This was the merit obtained after killing the group of little demons just now.

Melen guessed that the merit should correspond to the amount of demonic essence plundered.

Chapter 197 Demon Camp

After a little thought, Melen withdrew his thoughts.