Chapter 15: Let’s Not Contact Each Other Anymore
With a familiar sense of dizziness, Yonglan quickly opened his eyes.
He found himself in a Sanctuary bathed in soft candlelight, a sight he had grown accustomed to. Stretching languidly in the warm glow, a prompt for attribute enhancement appeared before him.
However, it wasn’t Dominance or Destiny that had increased, but Love, which brought a subtle shift to Yonglan’s expression.
[You have inspired trust and affection in a companion, showing progress on the path of Love.]
[Love: 2 → 3]
…Enesyin, what are you up to?!
It was one thing to have developed some affection before; he had indeed spoken some flattering words. But how did the Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden’s affection increase again in the span of a single day apart? What were you thinking?!
“Ah well, any attribute increase is good. I just don’t know what Love is useful for, though. Feels less useful than Dominance…”
Yonglan mused inwardly as he summoned his companion in the Sanctuary.
Soon, with a gathering of light particles, his companion from a distant time and space appeared before him.
Compared to last night, Enesyin was clearly more energetic, the lingering melancholy in her brows significantly faded.
She had changed into a new outfit. Beneath a pure white hood, her golden-sand-like long hair cascaded down. Two obsidian-textured horns protruded from the openings of the hood.
Silver light armor covered her arms and knees. The front of her black double-breasted knight’s lining was stretched taut and bulging from her ample chest, leaving not a single wrinkle. Faint golden inscription patterns intertwined on the silver armor, visible yet ethereal.
A pale blue belt cinched her slender waist, while her perfectly rounded and impossibly straight legs were encased in tight trousers.
Enesyin looked at Yonglan, her lovely and stern face unable to conceal her excitement, her dragon tail swaying behind her.
The Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden placed a hand on her chest, took a few deep breaths, and then nodded solemnly at Yonglan.
“Good evening… Yonglan.”
“Mm, good evening.”
Yonglan returned the greeting and carefully examined Enesyin. “Did you get new equipment?”
Enesyin quickly replied, “This is armor passed down from my family. This Echo can use equipment from reality, so I thought ancient runes might help.”
Yonglan asked, puzzled, “Ancient runes?”
“I am a descendant of a Knight Family…”
“A Knight Family…”
Yonglan certainly knew what a Knight Family was. It wasn’t a mere martial class of a certain Kingdom, nor a title of low nobility.
In the Boundless Land, the term Knight had a very specific meaning; only Royal Knights were worthy of the title.
These Royal Knights were warriors who followed the Primal King in ancient times.
After the Primal King reshaped the mortal world, their descendants received further blessings. They adopted the battle achievements and great deeds of their ancestors as their family names and established Knight Families.
Royal Knights took pride in their inherited heroic bloodline, valuing honor above life. They saw themselves as protectors of the mortal world, often stationed in regions rampant with Fiends, fighting as guardians against the great enemies of the mortal realm.
Respect and courtesy towards Royal Knights were universal, regardless of Kingdom or Race.
“A Dragonborn Knight Family? That’s impressive.”
He had thought the Dragonborn were already noble enough, but to be a Dragonborn Knight—that was next-level nobility. He might have underestimated Enesyin’s background.
Enesyin seemed pleased by the man’s compliment, but her eyes soon dimmed. She clutched her arm and said, “However, my family… is no different from being extinct. I am no longer a Knight, nor am I worthy of being called one.”
Enesyin’s words hinted at a story, but Yonglan wasn’t interested in other people’s private affairs. In the game, it was best to just talk about game matters.
“Come on, we’ll be busy today,” Yonglan said, gripping his Cinder Knight’s Straight Sword and addressing Enesyin.
Departing from the new Sanctuary Point, Yonglan didn’t head directly deeper but circled around, clearing out the Zombies in the vicinity while slowly advancing inward.
Based on their progress last night, the enemies they would face were getting stronger. The Ash Ring Knight’s counter-attack was barely sufficient, and occasionally, he encountered nasty monsters that made his vision go black, nullifying his suppression attacks.
From their current position, they could already see the dark forest on the horizon.
[You have seen the hunting grounds left by Mad Hunt Heaven, the core of the curse cast by the Fiends. The most ferocious and deadly hunters contend and slaughter within this jungle.]
Alright, alright, a hunting ground, huh?
He could foresee that venturing deeper would lead to encountering unbeatable monstrosities. Rather than struggling with all his might and failing then, it was better to level up first.
Moreover, monsters in Sams do not respawn. Each one killed is one less. It was natural to tackle the easier ones first.
Whether it was to complete the quest or out of a compulsive need for order, Yonglan had always followed a single strategy.
What to do? Only kill!
He explained his plan to Enesyin. The Platinum-haired Dragon Maiden had no objections. From her demeanor, she seemed willing to agree to whatever Yonglan said, ready to go through fire and water for him.
Thus, the two returned to the riverside at the edge of the battlefield, intending to sweep inward in concentric circles for extermination. Yonglan relished such a large-scale, satisfying slaughter.
Although Enesyin’s mental fortitude wasn’t as robust as Yonglan’s, she showed no mercy towards the enemies in the Echo Trial. While this might be an echo of history, it was merely an echo.
Familiar with the Zombies’ movement patterns, coupled with their overwhelming Stats advantage, the clearing process was remarkably smooth.
No need to think, no need to hesitate. They simply repeated the same actions—slaying, dismembering, and piercing every Zombie monster they saw!
He smashed the stitched-together abominations made of corpse parts with his great axe; impaled the rampaging Centaurs with his spear; and slew the well-equipped and elite Knights with his longsword… Yonglan even put away his Cinder Knight’s Straight Sword, improvising by snatching enemy weapons to perform counter-executions.
He had certainly enjoyed the killing spree, but despite clearing so many minor enemies, Yonglan still hadn’t leveled up.
This was normal. Yonglan guessed that as his Stats increased, the difficulty of leveling up would also significantly rise. Each attribute had a specific method of enhancement.
The path of Dominance required demonstrating passion for combat, the path of Destiny needed the pursuit of knowledge, and the path of Love required affection for companions…
He wondered if he could gain two attribute points after clearing all the minor enemies. Surely, he could get at least one.
Just as Yonglan was contemplating this, a prompt suddenly popped up before him:
[Your companion has made progress on the path of Dominance. You will share a portion of the gains through the Love attribute.]
[Therefore, you have made progress in Dominance.]
[Dominance: 5 → 6]
“Huh? What’s going on?”
Yonglan blinked in surprise, but his confusion didn’t last long. Soon, a narrative voice sounded in his ears:
[You feel an extraordinary growth within yourself. After consideration, you understand the reason—after signing the contract, your fates are intertwined with your companion’s. The sublimation of one will also promote the sublimation of the other.]
[Continue to demonstrate the path of Love to add more companion slots. Deeper bonds will also strengthen the degree of sharing.]
The Love attribute could actually share companion experience points? This was interesting.
From now on, I retract all my defamation and doubt of Love!
Dominance? Destiny? Never heard of them. Let’s not contact each other anymore; I’m afraid Love might misunderstand!
