Edward's cause of death was a fatal blow to the head with a blunt object, inflicted by his uncle, Dukar. Just how powerful is a fourth-level regular knight? It's hard to say, as strength varies from person to person. Many knights rely not on brute force but on agile combat skills, which are also a preferred direction for knights.
However, even a fourth-level knight without Dou Qi(inner energy) can, under normal circumstances, dent an iron plate with a single punch if they don't forgo strength in favor of agility. A slightly stronger knight, if they were to strike a soldier's iron shield on the battlefield, would likely leave the soldier bedridden for half a year... Whether such a paralyzed soldier could survive on the battlefield is another question entirely.
Edward was caught off guard by Dukar, who delivered a powerful punch to the back of his head, killing him instantly. Had Edward not been a third-level knight himself, that punch would have caused an adult's skull to burst open like a watermelon struck with great force.
Normally, even the weakest third-level knight should be able to last dozens of rounds against a fourth-level knight. Unfortunately, Edward never expected that his beloved Uncle Dukar would turn on him, so he let his guard down completely.Why did Dukar kill Edward? The reason is simple: the Fleyg family's manor was extremely prosperous.
It's important to note that this manor could fully support the expenses of a mercenary group of over fifty soldiers, including the equipment and horse maintenance fees for four knights.
That's no small sum. Lin Tan estimated that the manor could produce three thousand gold coins per year for its owner. If the manor lord were more tyrannical and disregarded the lives of his subjects, levying heavy taxes, it could even generate five thousand gold coins a year! That's a considerable amount.After Old Fleyg's death, Edward was the only heir left in the Fleyg family. If he were to die...
Dukar, as a close friend of Old Fleyg and Edward's martial arts instructor (albeit for only a week), would be fully qualified to submit an application to the principality's noble council to inherit the Fleyg manor.An annual income of three to five thousand gold coins was more than enough to make Dukar, a regular knight, harbor malicious intentions. Coupled with the naive Edward's complete trust in his "uncle," it was inevitable that the young knight would meet a tragic end.The subsequent events were straightforward. Dukar framed Edward's death on the other hired knight, giving him no chance to explain. Together with Galabron, another friend of Old Fleyg and a quasi-knight filled with grief and indignation, Dukar killed the hapless hired knight and submitted an inheritance application to the noble council. Edward's body was then discarded by Dukar in a garbage dump.
Lin Tan hovered above Edward's corpse and let out a soft sigh. In his over a hundred years of wandering, he had witnessed countless such tragedies. Besides lamenting the ruthlessness of this world, he had never entertained any other thoughts. In truth, even if he had, it would have been futile. What could a soul that couldn't even stir a speck of dust accomplish?However, just as he was about to leave, an intangible force began to draw him in.
This surprised Lin Tan greatly, for since his crossing over, he had not sensed the existence of any "force."
This pull was extremely unfamiliar to him, so much so that he didn't react in time. Before he knew it, his entire soul was sucked into Edward's lifeless body.A flood of Edward's original memories began to merge with Lin Tan's soul, causing him excruciating pain. Additionally, there seemed to be fragments of Edward's original soul within the body. Although these were mere remnants, they instinctively resisted being consumed by Lin Tan. But how could this sliver of strength stand against a soul that had wandered for over a hundred years? Despite the intense pain, Lin Tan effortlessly crushed and devoured these soul fragments.This intense pain did not cause Lin Tan the slightest panic; instead, he felt an indescribable joy. Pain, a sensation he hadn't felt in over a hundred years, filled him with an inexplicable delight.Amidst the agony, he faintly heard a series of electronic synthesized voices.
"System activation..."
"Initiating fusion system, rejection response within acceptable range..."
"Fusion complete..."
"Personal interface activated..."
Soon, the pain from the soul fusion subsided. Lin Tan wiggled his fingers, stood up from the ground, and savored the long-lost sensation after over a hundred years, which made him ecstatic. He squatted down gently, feeling a hint of stiffness from his joints. With fingers that had turned from blue-tinged to somewhat ruddy, he gently caressed the ground. The cold sensation from the ground brought tears to Lin Tan's eyes.