The Princess

It was far from dawn when the moonlight filtered through the tent entrance, revealing a girl with a pale face, half emerging from her sleeping bag. The soft glow illuminated her flesh, which seemed to glisten like crystal in the dim light. Despite the urgency and anger of the moment, her delicate face retained a dreamlike, ethereal beauty. One hand covered her chest with the sleeping bag, while the other scattered various items outside.

"Damn it, even if I strip you naked... Fine, I also touched a bit. It's for your own good! While you sleep warmly in your bag, I'm out here braving the elements. That should be enough for you. Stop making a fuss!" Lucas muttered as he lowered his head, entering the tent. The small single-person tent was now crowded. Approaching the girl, Lucas's face neared hers, causing her to retreat in fear. Clearly irritated, Lucas grabbed her hand and pressed it against his own wound, saying, "Look here! Stripping you was to treat your injury! Do you think I have the appetite to do anything to you right now? Do you have any idea where we are? I've encountered some weird stuff, killed two people with my own hands! Stop yelling! I don't care about pretty girls right now, I just want to go home! Do you understand?"

Sitting inside the cramped tent, they fell silent. The girl touched her freshly stitched wound, and as she looked at Lucas – the strange guy in front of her – frozen and exhausted, understanding seemed to dawn on her, prompting her to lower her head. The two fell silent, only to simultaneously lift their heads at the faint rustling sounds from the nearby woods, now distinctly audible!

Lucas rolled out of the tent in a hurry, and as he stood up, half of his hope was already gone. Looking around, over a dozen silver-armored knights had emerged from the woods, each wielding a large sword, forming a semi-circle as they closed in! Lucas stared at a cloaked figure who seemed to be the captain, grinning and gesturing a killing motion.

Without hesitation, Lucas raised both hands and declared, "I surrender! Treat the prisoners kindly!" While saying this, he quickly threw his military knife on the ground. The group of strong men slowly closed in, and Lucas could only smile bitterly. At this point, what else could he do? He couldn't win a fight, and there was no escaping. Why was he so unlucky?

In the depths of despair, he heard a low exclamation from behind. Unable to resist, he turned to look. The girl was sitting quietly in the tent, hugging her sleeping bag, appearing calm. However, she now held a shining dagger against her own throat. Meeting Lucas's gaze, she smiled faintly, as if conveying a myriad of words in that one smile. There was a sense of resignation, melancholy, gratitude, and determination. As the silver-armored knights approached, she drove the dagger into her own throat. The girl's delicate collarbone and skin shimmered in the air, her breath slowly rising and falling. Her golden hair draped over her shoulders, accentuating her pale face with an added touch of purity.

A surge of adrenaline rushed through Lucas as he inexplicably found himself entangled in this nightmarish scenario. How could he stand by and watch the girl die? How could he surrender without putting up a fight? "I have to survive! She has to survive too!" With a heart-wrenching shout, he bent down to pick up his military knife and charged straight at the knight draped in a white cloak!

At a distance of about ten meters, Lucas's speed surpassed human imagination, leaving a lingering shadow almost in the same spot as he crashed into the silver-armored knight! The knight was instantly knocked to the ground, and his sword flew out of his hand, landing far away. Lucas raised his knife high, aiming to thrust it into the knight's neck. The knight reacted swiftly, despite being thrown off balance. He quickly reached out, grabbing Lucas's arm. With red eyes, Lucas exerted force downward, inching closer to the knight's throat!

The onlookers, the knight's subordinates, stood in shock at Lucas's counterattack. It took them a moment to react, and they rushed forward, wielding their weapons. Two of them, at the forefront, hadn't even swung their weapons when Lucas roared, standing up from the ground. Not only that, he lifted the guy he had grabbed and forcefully threw him onto the others! The three of them tumbled into a heap. Another assailant approached from the side, but Lucas had already turned and, with a swing of his hand, threw his tiger-tooth military knife. The silver armor tore apart like paper, and the assailant couldn't believe the extra handle protruding from his chest. With a grinding sound in his throat, his body hadn't even slumped down before Lucas, like a gust of wind, rushed forward, snatched the large sword from his hands, and pounced on the people beside him.

The assailant's vision blurred, and a broadsword swung horizontally. Witnessing the scene, everyone saw a silver-armored knight split in half from the waist down by Lucas! The upper torso collapsed with a thunderous crash, while the lower half remained standing, blood spraying into the air, drenching Lucas in a gruesome shower. Almost everyone present was left with weak legs, petrified by the gruesome spectacle!

The first person turned and ran, followed by two, then three, and finally even the leader got up and fled. Weapons were discarded all over the ground, each person afraid of being slower than their comrades. This guy was like a fierce god, possessing such immense strength, incredible speed, and a brutal way of killing!

Lucas dropped to his knees, watching the individuals scatter in panic. Before him were still two bloody corpses. Looking up, he saw the girl sitting in the tent, eyes wide with disbelief, as if she were staring at a monster. His head spun, "What's happening to me? How did I suddenly gain such strength, such speed? Where am I?" Only the sound of the cold wind blowing echoed in his ears.

Under the bright moonlight, a burst of silver light suddenly exploded from Lucas's pants pocket, enveloping him entirely. The silver radiance carried a faint warmth, making him feel remarkably comfortable. At this moment, Lucas had lost his normal judgment. Slowly reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the circular object he had found, and the silver glow bloomed in his hands. It grew increasingly intense until the surrounding landscape was bathed in a stark, white light. The ring seemed to come alive, no longer possessing an antique appearance. Crystal-clear hues swiftly flowed within the circle.

What the hell is this?

A more dazzling silver light suddenly burst open in Lucas's hands like an explosion. Even the girl, who had been staring in astonishment at Lucas's actions, couldn't keep her eyes open. Lucas let out a heart-wrenching scream as the silver light flashed more intensely, shooting straight into the night sky, reaching the atmosphere!

10 miles away, a silver-armored army continued its silent advance. Thousands of cavalry had been marching through the night, both riders and horses soaked in sweat. The breath of man and beast released into the cold night air hung in the formation. Apart from the rhythmic sound of marching and the occasional clash of armored weapons, not a single murmur of men or horses could be heard. Undoubtedly, this was a well-trained force. The leading general, similarly clad in silver armor, had intricate, endless patterns engraved on the armor. A large helmet deeply concealed his face in the shadows. Upon closer inspection, one could discern a flowing silver mask beneath the helmet, completely shrouding his features. Above the mask, a lifelike angry deity was sculpted!

Suddenly, a radiant light burst in the night sky, prompting everyone to raise their heads. They witnessed a silver pillar of light ascending not far ahead, like an enraged silver dragon shooting straight into the heavens! The mountains, rivers, and land were all illuminated by the sudden radiance. Even this well-trained army couldn't contain their uncontrollable shouts and confusion: "Look! Look! What is that thing?"

The leading general was momentarily stunned, observing the incredible scene before him. Under the immense silver radiance, the angry deity on his mask seemed to scowl with fierce determination, as if about to come to life. Ministers defecting, sacred artifact missing, and now the strange phenomena in the sky — Could it be that Great Persia had truly reached the end of its destiny?

The silver light suddenly vanished, and the land returned to darkness. However, the cavalry unit couldn't calm down for a long time, the clamor of people and neighing horses filling the air. A voice suddenly echoed from a distance, followed by others in succession, relayed until it reached the forefront of the commanding general.

"Sir, Princess Ariana's whereabouts have been discovered by the Ninth Squad, right in the direction where the silver light appeared!"

With a clang, a tremendously long and heavy sword was unsheathed by the General. His voice roared like thunder, "Advance! With the birth of the Silver Dragon, God bless the Great Persia! Capture Princess Ariana!"