The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 101: Severing Steel Sacred Blade

Vol 2 Chapter 101: Severing Steel Sacred Blade

Ironwall Precipice Garrison

The once strictly disciplined garrison was now in complete disarray. Every watchtower was short-handed, some were simply empty, while the garrison's infirmary points were packed full of people lying down.

The originally elite soldiers and apprentices now seemed to have aged many years. Their bodies were weak, they feared the cold, curling up under their blankets. Some were still coughing, others were shivering under their covers.

They constantly cried out that they were hungry, yet after eating anything, this hunger still could not be relieved. They could only keep going to the toilet, then continue eating.

This situation was everywhere within the garrison, though the severity differed for each person. Generally, First and Second Tier individuals were particularly severe, Third Tier had some resistance but were also exceptionally exhausted, Fourth Tier had lighter symptoms, and only Fifth Tier could barely resist.

Inside the garrison hall, the Commander clad in black battle armor paced back and forth. Looking at the figures lying in the hall, he was extremely anxious in his heart, yet powerless.

The curtain force field deployed by the 'Castle' Aspect could slow the progression of the illness, but it only reduced it by about 10%. It was far from decisive.

If facing a powerful and terrifying Monster, he could still fight desperately alongside his comrades. But faced with this intangible illness, he felt exceptionally powerless and distressed.

"How much longer until support from the association headquarters arrives!" He stopped again, asking the knight beside him."We have dispatched three rescue request teams, heading to the nearest garrison with a teleportation point via three different routes. We also released over twenty messenger Birds. They will all deliver the information to the outside world."

"But..." He fell silent for a moment before continuing.

"But, our act of sending for help also brings great danger to others, potentially causing this strange 'Gray Sludge' plague to spread. And once it spreads throughout the entire Hidden Grove outposts, it would be an extremely terrifying calamity."

Hearing this, the Commander also fell silent, saying nothing more.

"Alright, I understand." He waved his hand, dismissing his subordinate.

"I will go back to my room to rest for a while. Notify me immediately if anything happens."

"Yes."

He turned and left the area, heading to a side stone chamber to rest. This Commander hadn't slept for several days.

Urgent footsteps hurried through the fortress corridors. An armored warrior carried letters and medicinal powder in his hands towards the garrison center, searching for the Commander.

Several minutes later, he practically stumbled into the hall.

"Where is the Commander? Urgent intelligence report! Extremely urgent! Extremely urgent!" He repeated it several times, emphasizing the severity to those around.

"He's in the resting room inside. What exactly happened?" A guarding knight nearby helped him up and led him inward.

"Lantern Town... dispatched... a rescue team. They brought... Revealing Powder... that can detect... the 'Gray Sludge'... plague." He answered, gasping for breath.

"Really?" The supporting knight was extremely surprised, but there was no time for him to react. A door in the corridor suddenly opened, and the Commander rushed out urgently.

"Is what you said true? Where is the medicinal powder? Let me see." He grabbed the reporting soldier, lifting him up like a chick.

"In my hands, the ones I'm holding." The soldier, knowing the urgency, hurriedly handed it over.

"Good." After taking it, the Commander hastily opened the medicine packet, took a small portion, and sprinkled it around the environment.

A hazy mist spread. The walls, ceiling, and floor began to show some small silver-blue gradient dots and traces.

"Here, and here... To think the infection is already everywhere?" He looked at the surroundings in surprise, then calmed his emotions and flipped through the letter that came with the medicine packet.

"It's Zaria's letter." Thinking of that famously brave and martial knight under his command, the Commander's heart settled considerably.

He almost scanned the letter ten lines at a glance, quickly understanding the entire process and situation.

"I never expected... never expected... truly never expected." He couldn't contain the emotions in his heart, feeling a need to suppress wild joy to avoid losing his composure.

"You all immediately... No, I'll go personally. And all accompanying members must be Fourth Tier or above." He now realized that only high-tier knights could resist the erosion of the 'Gray Sludge' plague.

"We'll go receive that batch of Revealing Powder. Now, you all prepare immediately. Separate the personnel within the garrison into 20 mutually unconnected sections. Afterwards, use high-temperature flames to treat the connecting areas, eliminating the hidden 'Gray Sludge'. Then we'll use the Revealing Powder to check."

"After separation, we can handle the situation step by step, reversing the current predicament."

"Understood? Act immediately!"

"Yes!"

Subsequently, this Commander led six elite Fourth Tier knights and set off, heading straight for the guard point on the plank road outside the fortress.

That very night, just as Sylutia and her companions had settled in that abandoned campsite, preparing to get some sleep, they heard a line of iron cavalry rushing through the wind and snow towards their campsite at extreme speed.

It seemed sleep was not in the cards tonight. She stood up from the tent, draped on a thick coat, put on light and soft furry deerskin boots, and stood up.

Sure enough, shortly after she lifted the tent's door curtain, that line of knights carrying wind and snow charged up the slope before the campsite, arriving before her.

The imposing knight at the lead dismounted. Even before reaching Sylutia, the immense and heavy 'Castle' Aspect phase and tier pressed down like a massive boulder, making the young girl somewhat breathless.

The other party was definitely above Fifth Tier, and a particularly strong individual within the same tier. Sylutia immediately sensed this situation.

When the Aspect phase and tier gap exceeded three, it brought a crushing effect. Even she found it difficult to overcome.

"You are Sylutia, correct?" Seeing this young girl standing before the tent's lamplight, the other party spoke and retracted the diffusing 'Castle' Aspect force field around him.

"Yes, I just came from Lantern Town." The girl lightly folded her hands before her, then bowed in greeting.

"No need for such formalities. It is I who should thank you." He shook his head, his gaze looking at this girl as if to memorize her appearance.

"Right now, the situation within the garrison is critical. We don't have much time for idle chat. Please, Sylutia, hand over the supplies to me as soon as possible."

"No problem." Sylutia nodded, then gave some instructions to the apprentice who emerged behind her. Soon, several crates were unloaded from the carriage.

"This is one batch. There are still three-quarters left on the carriage. I think if you are in urgent need, you can take part of it back first, and bring the rest back with the carriage." Sylutia thoughtfully suggested.

"You are right." The other party nodded, having four knights immediately take some crates, load them onto horses, and leave.

His gaze continued to look at the carriage within the campsite, noticing there were still some supplies.

"Those are?"

"These are food crops produced by our campsite. Since I thought the 'Gray Sludge' would Devour energy and nutrition, you would definitely need to replenish food. So I also brought part of our food reserves."

"Rachel, you and a few others bring some over for the lord to see."

"Yes, Tia." Rachel called over two Knight Squire apprentices, who unloaded two bags of flour and one bag of Vegetables, placing them before this Commander.

Using her finger to lightly poke and take out a little flour, placing it on her palm, Sylutia displayed it for this Commander to see.

"This is the 'Perfect' quality wheat flour I cultivated. I think it should be able to meet the supply needs of the members within Ironwall Precipice."

For those high-tier knights and professionals, ordinary food's efficiency in replenishing nutrition was very low. It had to be high-quality food.

Seeing these things, the Commander took a deep breath, then slowly nodded. His profound gaze looked at Sylutia, like a bright candle in the dark night.

"You have considered very thoroughly. Good, very good."

"Gord, Morang, you two come with me to transport these supplies back to the garrison." He called to the two remaining Fourth Tier knights beside him.

"I need some helpers from you to help me pull the carriage to the plank road guard point. Afterwards, we can handle the rest ourselves."

"No problem." The girl nodded, helping to arrange personnel.

During the time the knights and apprentices were pulling the carriage, this silver-gray-haired Commander unbuckled the wide-bladed longsword at his waist.

"To express my gratitude, this sword shall be entrusted to your care for now." His fingers gripped the hilt. As he channeled Aspect power with a strange frequency, the scabbard flashed slightly, then opened. He drew out a snow-silver, cold, and sharp blade.

"Now you can draw it."

"This sword has several combat techniques inscribed within it. If your talent and ability are sufficient, you should be able to comprehend them."

"You take it for now. Later, when I have prepared a thank-you gift, I will come to retrieve this treasured sword from you."

[Severing Steel Sword] (Fifth Tier · Perfect)

An heirloom treasured sword of the knight organization 'Ironwall Crown Furnace'. It is said to have been forged by the Fairies of the celestial gardens and bestowed upon 'Ironwall Crown Furnace's' founder, Emersand. He wore an iron crown and led the 'Steel Furnace Knight Order', famous in the early Ninth Epoch. He once vowed to guard the boundaries of civilization, fighting against Monsters from the dusk. The 'Iron Knight' progression path he established, while not powerful, is currently the most widely spread knight progression path.

- Effect 1: Can bestow the user with the three abilities [Steel Body], [Sharp Blade], and [Horse and Rider as One]. (These three abilities are all essential for the 'Iron Knight' progression path.)

- Effect 2: Cast [Ironwall Curtain], which can shield against the erosion of other Aspect powers and block attacks.

- Effect 3: Cast [Severing Steel Sacred Blade], manifesting the legend, sanctifying the weapon, briefly elevating its tier. (Must make a vow to cast.)

- Effect 4: Cast [Amos's Sword], a powerful slashing sword strike, releasable once every three days. (Amos was the sister of founder Emersand. She died young from an attack by a Dusk Beast. Later, Emersand specifically named it so in memory of his sister.)

Holding this incomparably heavy treasured sword in both hands, the young girl's eyes were stunned and astonished.

Such a precious sacred artifact, just handed over to her for safekeeping so generously?