It was four in the morning, and the morning light outside was still dim .

Allen had woken up half an hour earlier . He had been sleeping on a wide bed with the other Warriors . He looked around him and saw that the others had woken up as well .

With a mission and the pressure of a face-to-face meeting with the lord himself hanging over them, no one managed to sleep at all .

The door slammed open . It was Marshal Jacker standing in the threshold . He barked, "Everyone up, we'll be heading off soon!"

As soon as he finished, there was an instant commotion in the room . Everyone got out of the bed at the same time . All of them were all dressed up and ready for their orders, including Allen .

"Good!" Jacker looked at his soldiers with a satisfied air . "Now, go out on the courtyard and stand in four groups!"

In no more than five seconds, all one hundred of them arrived at the courtyard and stood in four neat rows . Other than the sound of their footsteps, the Warriors made not a sound as they stood in place .

When Jacker got to the courtyard, he waved a hand at them . "Let's go!"

The dawn sky was still dark, and they could barely see signs of human life on the streets . With soft, hurried steps, the troop of Warriors headed towards the looming Mage Tower in the distance .

Even after having undergone expansion, the Scorched Ridge was still no more than 500 square feet . The procession of Warriors managed to reach one of the doorways on the side of the Mage Tower .

Jacker knocked on the door, which evaporated into points of light .

"Follow me . " Jacker beckoned at his troop, who all obeyed his command .

Behind the door was a wide pathway . On both sides of the pathway stood two rows of magic lights, which illuminated their surroundings . The walls around the pathway were arranged neatly, its material soothing to the eye and beautiful like jade . The Warriors looked around them in awe and reverence as they walked along the pathway .

Allen too had the same reaction as the others . He also sensed that the pathway would turn once after walking a certain distance . When they had turned a third time on the pathway, Allen calculated the total distance they had traveled and came to a conclusion . We've been going up a slope on a square pathway .

When they had walked for a few more minutes, Allen grew more confused . The Mage Tower should only be ten or so acres wide and a hundred feet tall, he thought . But we've been walking on this road for more than a few thousand feet, and there's still no end in sight .

The other Warriors were also visibly perplexed by this, as they began to feel that something odd was going on .

However, not a word came from Jacker . He remained unfazed by the seemingly endless journey . The Warriors had no choice but to keep their confusion to themselves and obediently march on behind Jacker .

Just like that, the group of Warriors marched on upslope for 20 miles along the illuminated pathway . Some of the Warriors were already sweating profusely and gasping for air .

Allen sensed that he could not take much of the exertion any longer . For some reason, he felt that his body was somewhat heavier than usual . His feet sank heavy on the ground with each step he took as if they were made out of lead . Allen would have been fine walking for 20 miles through the mountains without feeling any strain on his lungs . However, the path they were on at the moment did not seem like an ordinary mountain trek .

A few Warriors had already collapsed to the ground, continuing the rest of their journey on all fours . This was really tiring .

"Marshal, are we there yet?" one of the Warriors blurted out .

Marshal Jacker still seemed undaunted . His answer was the same as before . "We're almost there . Just hold on for a bit . "

The Warriors were left with no other option than to gnash their teeth and soldier on .

They continued on for ten more miles . The pathway seemed almost endless . Completely spent at this point, most of the Warriors had simply given up walking on two legs and now crawled on all fours .

If it were not for the fact that they had been given good food and sufficient training every day, these Warriors would have been lying motionless on the ground a long time ago .

Sweat dripped from Allen like rain . He was the youngest in his group . Though the others were around 20 years of age, he had reached Level-4 power, making him one of the more powerful Warriors in his squadron . He was also considerably strong . There were few among his peers who could rival him in terms of strength . He was especially gifted in the art of combat . How else was he able to slay more than 20 Undead Warriors in Girvent Forest without a scratch on him?

At this point, out of the hundred Warriors in his squadron, he was the only one left standing . However, he was now gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth as he took each step with apparent difficulty .

I need to keep on standing . I'm the strongest one here, I need to keep on going! screamed Allen's mind .

As they continued on up the pathway, some of the Warriors had already lagged behind Allen . These Warriors now lay on the ground motionless, taking in huge gulps of air like fish out of water . Their bodies had all but failed them completely, and their minds were already floating in and out of consciousness .

White light enveloped their bodies . The next moment, they had completely vanished .

The other Warriors were oblivious to their compatriots' vanis.h.i.+ng act . They were all too focused on marching forward to worry about anyone else .

There still seemed to be no end to the path ahead of them . One by one, the Warriors began dropping out of the group, their number steadily declining .

Sweat flowed from Allen's forehead, blurring his vision . However, he did not wipe it out of his eyes . His hands dangled heavily beside him, and he was too tired to raise them up to his face . Allen could only blink away the sweat that had dripped down his face as he resolutely continued his journey .

HIs lungs were now on fire . His heart beat like tambourines, which sent shockwaves through every blood vessel in his body . His legs had gone numb from the climb for some time now . They ground torturously against their hip joints with each step he made .

Still, he pressed on . Instead of crawling on the ground or leaning against the walls on both sides of the pathway, he resolutely kept pace with Marshal Jacker's gait in front of him .

After what seemed like an eternity, Marshal Jacker finally stopped . Sweat had now glistened on his forehead, and he was also slightly panting for breath . He turned around at Allen with a weary smile . "You're quite the st.u.r.dy one, aren't you?"

After trudging on for so long, the young man was already close to fainting . Still, his legs persevered on instinctively, and he would probably have walked himself to death if Jacker had let him do so . This was indeed a Warrior of unwavering resolve .

Allen smiled weakly back at him . He then hunched over to prop himself against his knees, as he took in huge gulps of air .

At that moment, their surroundings s.h.i.+fted . They now found themselves in a s.p.a.cious hall, where the other Warriors were lying on square platforms .

After regaining a bit of his strength, he lifted an arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead . He then saw a black-haired Magician on the far side of the great hall . Though he could not clearly see his face, the figure exuded an indescribably oppressive air, as if he was the center of the universe himself .

That must be the Lord of Ferde . Allen's heart shook with excitement . Without warning, he felt his body being lifted up into the air, and then he landed on one of the stone platforms .

A clear voice resounded in the great hall . "Warriors, do you see the vial beside your platform?"

Allen turned and saw a trough beside his platform . A crystal vial with a cork on it was placed in the trough .

The voice spoke again . "This is the Seed of Sunlight . It will restructure and strengthen your body once you drink it . You will all be endowed with Sunlight Power . "

Allen's eyes widened with amazement upon hearing this . Some of the more impatient Warriors had already uncorked their vials and drank its contents in one gulp .

Allen was a bit more cautious than the rest . He hesitated for a moment . His limbs still sore from his journey, he feared that his grip would not be firm enough and that he might accidentally spill the Seed of Sunlight from its vial .

After hesitating for half a minute, Allen finally decided to take the crystal vial . He uncorked it and poured the fragrant, light blue liquid into his mouth .

Once the liquid slid down his throat, Allen felt an inferno raging down his throat and into his stomach . From there, the heat spread out rapidly to all parts of his body .

At first, Allen only felt his body temperature rising . Soon after, he could feel a sharp pain cutting through flesh, bone, and blood vessels like a knife .

There were now shrieks of pain around him . Some of the Warriors roared out in excruciating agony . Someone had fallen from their stone platforms onto the ground, where he rolled around as if trying to put out an invisible fire around him . Suspecting that they were all given poison, a few others angrily mumbled curses into the air .

Though he could still withstand the pain, Allen too felt a sense of suspicion rising in him . Could it really be poison?

At that moment, the voice resonated once more in the great hall .

"Warriors, power does not come out of thin air . The strong do not simply descend from the heavens . Only through fire can steel be forged; only through countless battles and bloodshed can a Warrior's spirit be nurtured . "

An epiphany came over Allen . That's right, one must experience great pain to become strong . How will any of us be able to attain greater power if we all fall under the weight of this ordeal right now?

Resolve filled his heart once more . He gritted his teeth and lay on the platform, letting the invisible knife carve through his body .

Only one thought surfaced in his mind . Our lord would not lie to us . I will make this power mine . . . I will succeed, I must succeed . . .

Time pa.s.sed . After what seemed like an age, Allen felt that the pain in his body had subsided altogether . He now felt lighter and more at ease .

A mysterious power now lay within the depths of his body . This power was as fiery, domineering and pa.s.sionate as the afternoon sun . When Allen first felt its presence, he also sensed that all the pain in his body had fled from him . This new power rapidly spread out in him, at the same time rejuvenating his weary body .

"Is this Sunlight Power? It's really powerful!" Excitement sprang from Allen's heart . Around him, he could hear shouts of joy and surprise from the other Warriors . They too had received this great power .

The power within their bodies grew from their chests and then to all four limbs . At last, a power circulation network had taken form inside their bodies .

The power in them continued expanding as it circulated through their bodies . Half an hour later, Allen could feel that the power's rate of growth had started to slow down and stabilize itself .

Still, Allen felt that he was now a few times more powerful than before . He could also feel that his new power seemed inexhaustible and that he did not need to worry about using it up .

The clear voice spoke up again in the great hall . "Congratulations! Most of you were able to endure the experience and received Sunlight Power as a reward . From now on, you are now the Sunlight Warriors of Ferde . "

In the air, runes shaped like a golden sun appeared and drifted down slowly to the wrists of every Warrior who had successfully attained Sunlight Power .

There was a sizzling sound, and Allen felt a sharp pain from his wrist . Panicking, he lifted his sleeve and saw that a golden rune was branded on his wrist . The rune's design was complicated, but he was able to make out the shape of a sword on it . The sword was in turn surrounded by a number of golden stars .

Allen counted six stars on the rune . He turned to the Warrior beside him and saw that the rune on his wrist bore four stars on it . Out of the Warriors in the great hall, only Allen had six stars around his rune .

Just then, Allen noticed that his sight had improved tremendously . He was able to see the little points of light on the wrist of a Warrior standing ten feet away .

The voice spoke again . "Allen, you possess incredible willpower and have endured the most pain out of anyone else . As your reward, I have bestowed upon you the strongest Sunlight Power among your squadron . "

A pale golden sword floated in the air towards him . Under the envious gaze of the other Warriors, Allen accepted the sword with both hands .

He saw that the light glinting off the sword was as clear as a stream, the runes on it elegant like a master painting . He grasped the sword's handle, and the sword instantly resonated with the Sunlight Power in his body . Golden light shone out from the sword . On it appeared a row of golden words which read, "May sunlight illuminate the world . "

Allen's chest swelled with pride . He rose up and held his sword up high .

Everyone looked at him with admiration and envy . With the sword in his hand, Allen had nothing to fear . He could sense that the Lord of Ferde was also looking at him, his eyes filled with encouragement .

I, Allen, will become the strongest Warrior in Ferde! Allen swore adamantly to himself .

Chapter 518 Birth of the Sunlight WarriorsTranslator Nyoi Bo Studio Editor Nyoi Bo StudioIt was four in the morning, and the morning light outside was still dim . Allen had woken up half an hour earlier . He had been sleeping on a wide bed with the other Warriors . He looked around him and saw that the others had woken up as well . With a mission and the pressure of a face to face meeting with the lord himself hanging over them, no one managed to sleep at all . The door slammed open . It was Marshal Jacker standing in the threshold . He barked, Everyone up, we ll be heading off soon As soon as he finished, there was an instant commotion in the room . Everyone got out of the bed at the same time . All of them were all dressed up and ready for their orders, including Allen . Good Jacker looked at his soldiers with a satisfied air . Now, go out on the courtyard and stand in four groups In no more than five seconds, all one hundred of them arrived at the courtyard and stood in four neat rows . Other than the sound of their footsteps, the Warriors made not a sound as they stood in place . When Jacker got to the courtyard, he waved a hand at them . Let s go The dawn sky was still dark, and they could barely see signs of human life on the streets . With soft, hurried steps, the troop of Warriors headed towards the looming Mage Tower in the distance . Even after having undergone expansion, the Scorched Ridge was still no more than 500 square feet . The procession of Warriors managed to reach one of the doorways on the side of the Mage Tower . Jacker knocked on the door, which evaporated into points of light . Follow me . Jacker beckoned at his troop, who all obeyed his command . Behind the door was a wide pathway . On both sides of the pathway stood two rows of magic lights, which illuminated their surroundings . The walls around the pathway were arranged neatly, its material soothing to the eye and beautiful like jade . The Warriors looked around them in awe and reverence as they walked along the pathway . Allen too had the same reaction as the others . He also sensed that the pathway would turn once after walking a certain distance . When they had turned a third time on the pathway, Allen calculated the total distance they had traveled and came to a conclusion . We ve been going up a slope on a square pathway . When they had walked for a few more minutes, Allen grew more confused . The Mage Tower should only be ten or so acres wide and a hundred feet tall, he thought . But we ve been walking on this road for more than a few thousand feet, and there s still no end in sight . The other Warriors were also visibly perplexed by this, as they began to feel that something odd was going on . However, not a word came from Jacker . He remained unfazed by the seemingly endless journey . The Warriors had no choice but to keep their confusion to themselves and obediently march on behind Jacker . Just like that, the group of Warriors marched on upslope for 20 miles along the illuminated pathway . Some of the Warriors were already sweating profusely and gasping for air . Allen sensed that he could not take much of the exertion any longer . For some reason, he felt that his body was somewhat heavier than usual . His feet sank heavy on the ground with each step he took as if they were made out of lead . Allen would have been fine walking for 20 miles through the mountains without feeling any strain on his lungs . However, the path they were on at the moment did not seem like an ordinary mountain trek . A few Warriors had already collapsed to the ground, continuing the rest of their journey on all fours . This was really tiring . Marshal, are we there yet one of the Warriors blurted out . Marshal Jacker still seemed undaunted . His answer was the same as before . We re almost there . Just hold on for a bit . The Warriors were left with no other option than to gnash their teeth and soldier on . They continued on for ten more miles . The pathway seemed almost endless . Completely spent at this point, most of the Warriors had simply given up walking on two legs and now crawled on all fours . If it were not for the fact that they had been given good food and sufficient training every day, these Warriors would have been lying motionless on the ground a long time ago . Sweat dripped from Allen like rain . He was the youngest in his group . Though the others were around 20 years of age, he had reached Level 4 power, making him one of the more powerful Warriors in his squadron . He was also considerably strong . There were few among his peers who could rival him in terms of strength . He was especially gifted in the art of combat . How else was he able to slay more than 20 Undead Warriors in Girvent Forest without a scratch on him At this point, out of the hundred Warriors in his squadron, he was the only one left standing . However, he was now gnas.h.i.+ng his teeth as he took each step with apparent difficulty . I need to keep on standing . I m the strongest one here, I need to keep on going screamed Allen s mind . As they continued on up the pathway, some of the Warriors had already lagged behind Allen . These Warriors now lay on the ground motionless, taking in huge gulps of air like fish out of water . Their bodies had all but failed them completely, and their minds were already floating in and out of consciousness . White light enveloped their bodies . The next moment, they had completely vanished . The other Warriors were oblivious to their compatriots vanis.h.i.+ng act . They were all too focused on marching forward to worry about anyone else . There still seemed to be no end to the path ahead of them . One by one, the Warriors began dropping out of the group, their number steadily declining . Sweat flowed from Allen s forehead, blurring his vision . However, he did not wipe it out of his eyes . His hands dangled heavily beside him, and he was too tired to raise them up to his face . Allen could only blink away the sweat that had dripped down his face as he resolutely continued his journey . HIs lungs were now on fire . His heart beat like tambourines, which sent shockwaves through every blood vessel in his body . His legs had gone numb from the climb for some time now . They ground torturously against their hip joints with each step he made . Still, he pressed on . Instead of crawling on the ground or leaning against the walls on both sides of the pathway, he resolutely kept pace with Marshal Jacker s gait in front of him . After what seemed like an eternity, Marshal Jacker finally stopped . Sweat had now glistened on his forehead, and he was also slightly panting for breath . He turned around at Allen with a weary smile . You re quite the st.u.r.dy one, aren t you After trudging on for so long, the young man was already close to fainting . Still, his legs persevered on instinctively, and he would probably have walked himself to death if Jacker had let him do so . This was indeed a Warrior of unwavering resolve . Allen smiled weakly back at him . He then hunched over to prop himself against his knees, as he took in huge gulps of air . At that moment, their surroundings s.h.i.+fted . They now found themselves in a s.p.a.cious hall, where the other Warriors were lying on square platforms . After regaining a bit of his strength, he lifted an arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead . He then saw a black haired Magician on the far side of the great hall . Though he could not clearly see his face, the figure exuded an indescribably oppressive air, as if he was the center of the universe himself . That must be the Lord of Ferde . Allen s heart shook with excitement . Without warning, he felt his body being lifted up into the air, and then he landed on one of the stone platforms . A clear voice resounded in the great hall . Warriors, do you see the vial beside your platform Allen turned and saw a trough beside his platform . A crystal vial with a cork on it was placed in the trough . The voice spoke again . This is the Seed of Sunlight . It will restructure and strengthen your body once you drink it . You will all be endowed with Sunlight Power . Allen s eyes widened with amazement upon hearing this . Some of the more impatient Warriors had already uncorked their vials and drank its contents in one gulp . Allen was a bit more cautious than the rest . He hesitated for a moment . His limbs still sore from his journey, he feared that his grip would not be firm enough and that he might accidentally spill the Seed of Sunlight from its vial . After hesitating for half a minute, Allen finally decided to take the crystal vial . He uncorked it and poured the fragrant, light blue liquid into his mouth . Once the liquid slid down his throat, Allen felt an inferno raging down his throat and into his stomach . From there, the heat spread out rapidly to all parts of his body . At first, Allen only felt his body temperature rising . Soon after, he could feel a sharp pain cutting through flesh, bone, and blood vessels like a knife . There were now shrieks of pain around him . Some of the Warriors roared out in excruciating agony . Someone had fallen from their stone platforms onto the ground, where he rolled around as if trying to put out an invisible fire around him . Suspecting that they were all given poison, a few others angrily mumbled curses into the air . Though he could still withstand the pain, Allen too felt a sense of suspicion rising in him . Could it really be poison At that moment, the voice resonated once more in the great hall . Warriors, power does not come out of thin air . The strong do not simply descend from the heavens . Only through fire can steel be forged only through countless battles and bloodshed can a Warrior s spirit be nurtured . An epiphany came over Allen . That s right, one must experience great pain to become strong . How will any of us be able to attain greater power if we all fall under the weight of this ordeal right now Resolve filled his heart once more . He gritted his teeth and lay on the platform, letting the invisible knife carve through his body . Only one thought surfaced in his mind . Our lord would not lie to us . I will make this power mine . . . I will succeed, I must succeed . . . Time pa.s.sed . After what seemed like an age, Allen felt that the pain in his body had subsided altogether . He now felt lighter and more at ease . A mysterious power now lay within the depths of his body . This power was as fiery, domineering and pa.s.sionate as the afternoon sun . When Allen first felt its presence, he also sensed that all the pain in his body had fled from him . This new power rapidly spread out in him, at the same time rejuvenating his weary body . Is this Sunlight Power It s really powerful Excitement sprang from Allen s heart . Around him, he could hear shouts of joy and surprise from the other Warriors . They too had received this great power . The power within their bodies grew from their chests and then to all four limbs . At last, a power circulation network had taken form inside their bodies . The power in them continued expanding as it circulated through their bodies . Half an hour later, Allen could feel that the power s rate of growth had started to slow down and stabilize itself . Still, Allen felt that he was now a few times more powerful than before . He could also feel that his new power seemed inexhaustible and that he did not need to worry about using it up . The clear voice spoke up again in the great hall . Congratulations Most of you were able to endure the experience and received Sunlight Power as a reward . From now on, you are now the Sunlight Warriors of Ferde . In the air, runes shaped like a golden sun appeared and drifted down slowly to the wrists of every Warrior who had successfully attained Sunlight Power . There was a sizzling sound, and Allen felt a sharp pain from his wrist . Panicking, he lifted his sleeve and saw that a golden rune was branded on his wrist . The rune s design was complicated, but he was able to make out the shape of a sword on it . The sword was in turn surrounded by a number of golden stars . Allen counted six stars on the rune . He turned to the Warrior beside him and saw that the rune on his wrist bore four stars on it . Out of the Warriors in the great hall, only Allen had six stars around his rune . Just then, Allen noticed that his sight had improved tremendously . He was able to see the little points of light on the wrist of a Warrior standing ten feet away . The voice spoke again . Allen, you possess incredible willpower and have endured the most pain out of anyone else . As your reward, I have bestowed upon you the strongest Sunlight Power among your squadron . A pale golden sword floated in the air towards him . Under the envious gaze of the other Warriors, Allen accepted the sword with both hands . He saw that the light glinting off the sword was as clear as a stream, the runes on it elegant like a master painting . He grasped the sword s handle, and the sword instantly resonated with the Sunlight Power in his body . Golden light shone out from the sword . On it appeared a row of golden words which read, May sunlight illuminate the world . Allen s chest swelled with pride . He rose up and held his sword up high . Everyone looked at him with admiration and envy . With the sword in his hand, Allen had nothing to fear . He could sense that the Lord of Ferde was also looking at him, his eyes filled with encouragement . I, Allen, will become the strongest Warrior in Ferde Allen swore adamantly to himself .