Chapter 240: Chapter 240: Thirty years... just thirty years
Today.
They were like beasts unleashed, tearing into the Druids who had used them, who had seen them as mere tools, as lambs to the slaughter.
For thirty long years, every member of the Blackwood family had been cultivating psychic powers. It seemed like business as usual, but unknown to others, they, along with the people of Gratitude Village and all of Cloudview County, were waiting for this day. They were waiting to have enough strength to drive the Druids from their homeland!
But in this slaughter.
Every member of the Blackwood family paused, their brows furrowed, a sense of melancholic loss overwhelming them.
Soon after.
As the descendants of Blackwood fought across Cloudview County, the Forebearer's Psychic Position appeared before them all, shimmering like twinkling stars, now even more radiant than before.
It had been over thirty years. The Forebearer, like them, had been silent, and they rarely saw the Psychic Position light up. This should have been a moment of excitement, knowing the Forebearer was watching over them, but their expressions were blank.
Then, stiffly, they moved towards where Clark was.
...
In Gratitude Village, morning fog rolled in, and the elderly, women, and children who remained were cleaning up the battlefield.
Helen walked aimlessly, her eyes vacant, passing the place where she once lived with Nicholas. Without realizing it, she arrived at the open space where her family's home stood, greeted by the morning breeze.
"Squeak... Squeak..."
The swing that little Nicholas once sat on, which she had pushed as he joyfully screamed, now creaked in the wind. The ropes were frayed, and the wooden planks nailed together had lost their color, ready to fall apart at any moment. Yet, it still swayed in the morning breeze.
"Helen..."
Dennis approached, now more profound and powerful, yet his hair had turned white, and his eyes were moist. He walked up behind Helen with a complex expression, stopping short, only letting out a long sigh.
In his life, the two most important people were Helen, whom he had raised since she was a child, and Nicholas Blackwood.
But it seemed to him that both of the most important people in his life had drifted away from him.
He had inherited the methods of "The Six Divinatory Figures" and "The Oracle Chamber" from Stephen, capable of predicting many things, yet he only foresaw Nicholas's death, with no means to prevent it.
"Grandpa Dennis."
Helen still stared at the swaying swing, smiling, "Remember when you asked me if I wanted to be betrothed to Nicholas as a child bride? Do you know what I thought back then? I resisted, but for the sake of Cloudrise Oceanview Pavilion, for your kindness, I started taking care of my little husband from a young age, treating him like a child."
"Little Nicholas was immature, but when he returned from outside, he hugged me here, and everything changed. I realized he had grown up, truly becoming a man worthy of trust."
"It was still here."
"Thirty years ago, on the city walls, Nicholas pointed to this place, this little swing that holds all our memories with him. That day, he reached out his hand to me, asking if I was willing to walk all the paths with him. At that time, everyone despised him, but only I understood, like me, he had to accept things he didn't want to."
"And then it all became a burden, a responsibility."
The morning wind was cold, Dennis clenched his teeth, his shoulders trembling. Once upon a time, Helen and Nicholas were just children.
Helen turned around.
Her face showed no sorrow for her husband's death; she smiled happily.
"I did it. Over the years, I walked step by step with Nicholas. He was no coward, at least not in my eyes."
"I'm grateful, Grandpa Dennis, for letting me marry Nicholas. I'm proud, proud to be Nicholas's wife."
"I'm about to leave Gratitude Village," Helen said, turning to old Dennis. "Please tell everyone in the family that I'm sorry. When Nicholas left for the Druids to confront Luke, I didn't stop him, nor did I inform anyone. If they hold any grudges, please ask Grandpa Dennis not to make any excuses."
After her words, Helen bowed deeply to Dennis, then walked through Blackwood, retracing the steps Nicholas had once taken.
As she reached the outskirts of Gratitude Village, she looked up at the city walls. Thirty years ago, those walls weren't so tall, and Nicholas was the most handsome man around. Later, even as he grew portly, he remained the most imposing figure.
That day, she saw it coming. Nicholas reached out his hand, offering her a future filled with inevitable sorrow.
Yet, she still took his hand.
"I have no regrets," Helen whispered, caressing her belly with a tender expression. "Nicholas, I cried for you that day, but now I smile with pride for you. I will ensure our child lives an ordinary life, not burdened by the choices we were forced to make."
As the sun rose, Helen smiled and walked towards the light.
...
Clark.
Inside this great mountain, once thrown into chaos by the rebellion of Blackwood, it was now eerily quiet.
Clark's Druids were shivering.
High Priest Luke stood atop the mountain peak. The wind was cold today, tousling his hair as he stared emotionlessly out over the mountain.
"Boom!"
Thunder exploded, heralding the arrival of Nathan, bearing the Death Coffin!
Then came Lucas, carrying a sword case, emerging from the Thunderfire Demon Cave. Amelia sat atop the Primordial Blood Tree. Julian stood atop a hundred-meter-tall creature, his expression sinister. And there was Olivia, dressed in white, standing mid-air against the wind!
And other descendants of Blackwood.
No outsiders were there, only Blackwood folk!
"Thirty years... just thirty years," Luke murmured, his head bowed. He hadn't expected that in just three decades, Blackwood would grow so powerful!
At the time of the incident, he felt the formidable force of Blackwood. He thought that once Nicholas betrayed Cloudview County, no one from Cloudview would follow Blackwood, allowing him to slowly infiltrate other powers. But that didn't happen!
He thought by stripping Blackwood of resources, they would no longer advance. Yet, he underestimated the depth and cunning of the Blackwood people, and their terrifying potential.
Now...
Nathan, once his humiliator, stood boldly outside Clark's stronghold amidst a thunderstorm.
Blackwood Sword King Lucas and Luna had already broken through to Competent Force.
Two dragons soared through the clouds, one a fiery red and the other seemingly made of gold and iron, clashing sounds echoing as it moved.
Three Sky Corpses, one demon!
And the younger generation of Blackwood, their strength unknown to anyone.
Clark was nearly suffocating under the pressure of less than a hundred Blackwood members, even Luke felt as if the sky was falling.
"Whew."
Luke exhaled deeply, waving his hand. A Developing Skill chieftain, holding a spear, a blood-stained scroll, and a tattered, bloodied garment, flew into the sky.
Even though they had already heard the news from their forebearers, the sight of these items still made the Blackwood people's faces change color. Donna screamed, her expression fierce, as Edward held her tightly.
The chieftain, trembling, flew up to Nathan, his hands shaking as he handed over these items. "My lord, the High Priest sent me to return the belongings of the Blackwood family head."
At that moment.
The air around Clark's stronghold seemed to freeze, the psychic powers of the Blackwood people creating a fierce wind, with thunder raging in the sky.
Nathan's voice, heavy and somber, filled the air, "When Nicholas charged into your Clark, was he brave?"
The chieftain stammered, "I... I don't know, he... he seemed crazy as he charged in. We didn't fight back, really, we didn't. We tried to stop him, but we couldn't..."
Nathan's aura of fury nearly overwhelmed him!
In just a snap of the fingers, the chieftain could no longer speak, as thunder from the sky struck him down, turning him to ash.
Nathan's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Luke, who stood on the mountain peak in the distance. His voice boomed like thunder.
"You!"
"Now tell me, when Nicholas came to settle the score with you, was he brave?!!"