The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 396: One Shot

Cak!

Swoosh!

When Aldrian released the bowstring, the seemingly ordinary movement created a powerful wind that swept through his surroundings. The arrow shot forward, breaking the sound barrier multiple times as it went supersonic toward the incredibly small black dot in the distance. Aldrian watched calmly, waiting for his arrow to hit the target.

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"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Duke Alikin cursed repeatedly in his mind as he fled. Right now, he couldn’t think straight—fear consumed him, and all he wanted was to escape as far as possible.

"That was the mysterious swordsman?! How is that possible? From what I saw, he was just a young man!"

When the envoy from the second prince returned from Caritas, he reported that the bastard who acted presumptuously was a young man with tremendous power. Upon hearing that he had wiped out most of the forces in the city and unleashed flames that obliterated everything, Duke Alikin thought he had a rough idea of the young man’s limits.

However, reality was cruel to him, as if fate itself were playing a joke on him. How could the legendary figure who had become the talk of the continent in recent years actually that bastard and the one opposing the second prince? Did that mean the mysterious swordsman was someone from the church?!

Impossible!

He didn’t want to think anymore—his mind was consumed by the will to survive. He flew at his utmost speed without looking back, so fast that he could no longer see his surroundings. He could travel two kilometers per second, and even faster if he pushed himself beyond his limits, though it would harm his body.

But then, a sudden chill ran down his spine as his instincts kicked in. He glanced back slightly but saw nothing at first. The city was already far beyond his sight, and all he could see was a vast forest.

Then, he finally noticed something approaching at incredible speed, tiny in the distance. He could sense the immense power radiating from it and instinctively tried to raise his defenses.

But before he could even react, the arrow Aldrian had shot was already right in front of his face.

He felt nothing. He thought nothing. The arrow instantly blew his head apart, killing Duke Alikin instantly. His headless body plummeted from the sky, crashing into the ground at high velocity before sliding several kilometers and finally coming to a stop.

Even after obliterating Duke Alikin’s head, the arrow still carried momentum. But then, it suddenly slowed down before coming to a complete stop in midair. A moment later, as if pulled by an unseen force, it flew back toward its origin.

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Aldrian looked into the distance with a satisfied smile. It had been too long since he last practiced archery, and he was glad that he still retained his sharpness. With his ever-growing cultivation, his archery had also become more powerful.

He waited for a few moments before finally spotting the Wind Slasher Arrow. As it reached him, he caught it effortlessly. Gazing at the arrow, he couldn’t help but feel amazed. As expected of a divine-grade artifact, its performance was truly satisfying. There was no way someone at the middle Emperor stage, like Duke Alikin, could have survived a direct hit.

Because of the arrow’s masterful craftsmanship, it created minimal drag, to the point that even the wind itself could not affect its speed. In fact, the wind seemed to part in its wake, carving a path for the arrow as it flew, leaving behind sharp currents in its trail.

Aldrian stored the Earth-Shattering Bow and Wind Slashing Arrow inside his storage ring before turning his gaze to the aftermath of his handiwork. A few survivors remained among the enemy troops, most of them at the Duke or Grand Duke stage. As for the others, they were simply lucky enough to have avoided the falling flying fortress.

He decided not to kill any more of them for a few reasons.

First, his main objective was complete—he had successfully stopped the second prince’s attempt to retake the city.

Second, he wanted them to continue spreading the news about him. Although the people of the city could do that, those who had experienced his power firsthand would leave a far greater impact.

But why had he done all of this?

After studying it for a few days, he finally understood something from his new power—

The power of faith.

As someone who could already gather the power of faith, he could feel it continuously flowing into him, further boosting his strength. With this power, he could keep growing stronger even outside his domain. And he had a bold idea—perhaps one day, if he amassed enough faith, he could fight with the same overwhelming strength anywhere, just as he did within his domain.

He could feel all kinds of faith towards him—adoration, worship, hope, respect, and even negative emotions like fear, which also counted as faith. The sheer intensity of it made him feel powerful, and he wondered if he might become intoxicated by this sensation as he continued to sense the growing faith directed toward him.

The strongest boost came from those who harbored positive feelings toward him, far more potent than the faith born from fear or negativity. He could only imagine that divine beings must constantly compete with one another, striving to gain the most followers in order to amass the power of faith.

Even though his name remained unknown and people only referred to him as the "mysterious person" or the "mysterious swordsman," the karma between him and those who placed their faith in him had already been established. He could feel the power continuously flowing to him from various places across the continent, especially from his own domain, where the faith directed toward him was particularly strong.

After glancing at the ruined landscape left in the wake of the fallen flying fortress, Aldrian turned his head to the side and looked Baroness Weilmar and her guardian knight. They had finally gathered the courage to approach him, believing it was now safe.

Aldrian smiled behind his mask as he sensed the strong faith they now held for him. The way they looked at him was completely different from before.

Although Baroness Weilmar had respected him since their first meeting, that was the extent of her feelings toward him. However, at this moment, she saw him as someone far above her, making her feel small in comparison. A deep sense of respect, admiration, and amazement welled up within her.

As for Dan, her guardian knight, his feelings had completely shifted, a complete 180-degree turn from earlier. There was no trace of doubt or negativity left in his heart. Instead, he felt overwhelming admiration, respect, and even worship.

Before Aldrian could say anything, Dan suddenly kowtowed, the sound of his forehead striking the ground echoing in the silence.

"I’m sorry for my impudence and ignorance! I did not recognize your greatness or your true identity. If you wish to punish me, I will gladly accept it—any punishment, even death," he said with complete sincerity.

Baroness Weilmar was stunned, but she understood what he was feeling and did not blame him. If Aldrian truly wished to punish her guardian knight, who had been by her side even before she became a baroness, there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Stand up. I am not offended by your words or your ignorance. You are a loyal knight who thinks of your master’s well-being and gets angry on her behalf. I appreciate your loyalty," Aldrian’s voice resounded.

Hearing that, Dan lifted his head and looked into Aldrian’s eyes, which were still visible behind his mask. He saw approval in those eyes. He didn’t know why, but a deep sense of pride welled up within him, and he kowtowed once more.

"Thank you."

Baroness Weilmar watched this with a sigh of relief before bowing slightly.

"I thank you, Your Eminence, for your gracious heart in overlooking my knight’s actions. I am truly grateful," she said before straightening her posture again.

Aldrian looked at Baroness Weilmar.

"Baroness Weilmar, do you know the real reason why I rejected your offer to help when you suggested coming if the second prince’s force attacked this city?"

Baroness Weilmar tilted her head in confusion.

"The real reason?"

From his question, it seemed he was implying something beyond just his own strength. Based on what they had witnessed, they could confidently say that this young man was more than capable of surviving on his own without their help—that was the obvious reason. But was there another reason besides that?

She thought about it but couldn’t find the answer, so she shook her head.

"Would you enlighten me, Your Excellency, about your real reason?" she asked.

"That is because, even if you hadn’t asked for cooperation, I would have helped you. Deep down, your true purpose was to bring me to your side in this war, wasn’t it? Or, more specifically, to align me with the opposition faction. You wanted me to help you break the second prince’s blockade on your city. Am I right?"

That was why Baroness Weilmar offered help if Caritas was attacked—because she hoped Aldrian would, in turn, assist them in reaching Weilmar to break the blockade. This was her way of asking for his help without sounding presumptuous or requesting something without offering him any benefit. If he had rejected her offer, there was nothing she could do except feel disappointed.

But right now—

Baroness Weilmar’s eyes widened.

"You mean...?"

"Yes. Even if you hadn’t come to ask for my help, I intended to involve myself in this civil war. Since the second prince chose to ignore my warning, he must now face the consequences. Besides, I have another reason to take part in this war," Aldrian replied.