The Skeletal Warhorse's iron hooves clattered crisply against the gravel-strewn ground, producing a rhythmic clack-clack-clack.
Yet there was something unsettling about the sound.
It didn't dissipate into the surroundings; instead, it seemed to be instantly swallowed by the mist-shrouded plain as soon as it arose.
An eerie silence blanketed the surroundings.
This squad of Death Knights, led by the stunning Elf Sis, guided Lin Qingyue and her companions out of the canyon that had witnessed their absurd battle.
Emerging from the canyon, the landscape opened up dramatically.
A thin layer of mist draped across the boundless plain.
In the distance, the undulating silhouettes of colossal forests loomed through the haze like slumbering behemoths, breathing silently.
The air carried the fresh scents of vegetation and damp earth, mingled with the piercing chill unique to death.
Lin Qingyue's group trailed behind the Death Knights, maintaining a respectful distance from the silent Apprentice Knights.
The oppressive atmosphere hung heavy in the air, stifling every breath.
Aeldara remained utterly silent, her ramrod-straight back a formidable barrier, isolating her entirely from the world.
The knights behind her were more like moving steel sculptures, performing no unnecessary movements beyond advancing.
This silence was sheer torture for Lin Xiyue's lively temperament.
She opened her mouth several times, trying to strike up a conversation, but Su Wan's warning glances repeatedly silenced her.
Poor kid, she's about to explode like a quail. Su Wan's death glare is even more effective than the legendary Death Stare.
Lin Qingyue marveled inwardly.
But she had no such reservations.
She quickened her pace, catching up to Aeldara's Skeletal Warhorse and riding alongside her, her face radiating pure curiosity.
"Commander Aeldara," she called out, her voice cutting through the deathly silence.
"I have an academic question about your order. Would you be willing to answer it?"
Aeldara stared straight ahead, her gauntlet-clad left index finger tapping lightly on the metal scrollwork adorning the saddle's front. It was as if she had anticipated this silence would be broken.
"Speak."
A single, icy word drifted through the air.
"Well, it's like this..." Lin Qingyue chose her words carefully, deciding to cut straight to the point to demonstrate her sincerity.
"Your order calls itself the Silent Watch, which sounds like an official organization of the Elf Royal Court. However, both the Death Knight class and your armor and mounts bear a striking resemblance to the Undead Scourge."
Lin Qingyue asked in a scholarly, measured tone,
"Forgive my impertinence, but what's the explanation for this? As far as I know, the Elves traditionally hold an absolute aversion to the undead."
To put it bluntly, you all look like villains, yet you're official government employees?
How do you even qualify for this job? Do you have to die first?
Lin Qingyue internally raged.
The moment the question left her lips, not only Lin Xiyue but even the usually aloof Su Wan instinctively perked up her ears.
Xia Lian nervously gripped the hem of her robe, torn between curiosity about the answer and fear that the Icy Commander would draw her sword on the spot.
This was indeed the greatest mystery in their minds.
According to everyone's common knowledge, Death Knights were powerful warriors who had died and been transformed into undead creatures by malevolent forces, right?
The Aeldara standing before them, aside from her slightly paler skin and crimson eyes, appeared undeniably alive, breathing steadily and her heart beating with a strong rhythm.
"Who told you that Death Knights must be undead?" Aeldara countered, instantly choking back Lin Qingyue's carefully prepared explanation.
She tilted her head, her scarlet eyes calmly scrutinizing Lin Qingyue without a trace of mockery, only a dispassionate declaration of fact.
"Are Paladins composed of Holy Light?" she asked.
"Uh, no," Lin Xiyue interjected from behind. As a Paladin herself, she had the most authority on the matter. "Paladins are warriors who believe in and wield the Power of Holy Light."
"Then that settles it," Aeldara said, her voice utterly devoid of emotion. "Death Knights are warriors who study, master, and wield the Power of Death."
"Life and death are merely states of existence, irrelevant to the essence of the class itself."
This explanation...
Lin Qingyue, Lin Xiyue, Su Wan, and Xia Lian exchanged stunned glances.
A door to a new world had just crashed open before them.
"B-but... isn't the Power of Death inherently evil? Doesn't it corrupt the souls and flesh of the living...?"
Su Wan blurted out, reciting the ironclad rule she had been taught since childhood:
"Power itself is neither good nor evil; it depends solely on how it is used."
"Even Paladins aren't necessarily virtuous."
Aeldara's voice remained icy, yet carried an unquestionable authority:
"Fire can cook food, but it can also burn homes to the ground. Holy Light can heal wounds, but it can also scorch heretics."
"Death is no different."
"It is the endpoint of life's cycle, one of the universe's most fundamental laws. To deem it evil is merely the collective fear of short-lived species facing the unknown and the inevitable end."
She raised her gauntleted hand, a wisp of deathly gray energy swirling around her fingertips.
The energy was cold and silent, yet utterly pure, lacking the chaotic, putrid stench of the Undead Scourge.
"We of the Silent Watch guard the balance and order of death, not its propagation."
"We study it, understand it, and ultimately master it."
Aeldara's gaze swept toward the canyon they had come from, her crimson eyes brimming with disdain.
"As for those fools who transform themselves into undead, enslaved by death—they are merely puppets of power, defiling the art of Thanatology."
"It's not the Power of Death corrupting them—their souls were inherently rotten to begin with!"
Lin Qingyue listened, stunned.
Damn, what a vision! This is what real vision looks like!
She's elevated professional understanding to a philosophical height. We're still stuck on the first floor debating good and evil, while she's already on the fifth floor discussing the laws of the universe!
So, these Death Knights are essentially warrior-scholars specializing in "Thanatology"? Academic knights?
"Then... are they all still living humans?" Lin Xiyue asked, gesturing toward the silent row of Apprentice Knights behind them.
"Of course," Aeldara replied calmly. "They are the finest young warriors of Silvermoon Forest, who have voluntarily chosen this path. They come to the border to undergo their 'apprenticeship'."
"Only by truly understanding death can one better safeguard life."
These words struck the four like a heavy hammer, shattering their preconceived notions.
Su Wan pressed a hand to her forehead. She felt the thick [ Encyclopedia of Classes ] in her mind burst into flames, instantly turning to ashes.
The "Power of Death = Evil = Must be Purified" dogma she had been taught since childhood now seemed utterly shallow and naive in the face of Aeldara's profound insights.
Xia Lian's mouth hung slightly open as she gazed at the elegant and powerful Aeldara ahead, then glanced back at the upright Apprentice Knights behind them.
Unconsciously, the fear in her eyes had transformed into awe and curiosity.
"Cool!" Lin Xiyue exclaimed simply and directly. "This class is so cool! Way more stylish than my Paladin days!"
Lin Qingyue also found the scene eye-opening.
This Dungeon's design always managed to pull out even more absurd yet self-consistent tricks just when you thought it couldn't get any weirder.
As she studied Aeldara's pitch-black, menacing armor and her impossibly beautiful face, a highly rigorous academic question popped into her mind.
"Commander Aeldara, one last question."
"Speak."
"Since the Power of Death itself is neither good nor evil, merely a pure force, theoretically, could its manifested form also be altered?" Lin Qingyue asked earnestly.
"Including the color scheme of this armor... Beyond the classic black and red, could it be adjusted to other colors?"
"For example... perhaps more gentle hues?"
Aeldara: "..."
The skeletal warhorse beneath her seemed to sense its master's agitation. The eerie blue Soul Fire in its empty eye sockets flickered violently, its iron hooves scraped against the ground with a piercing screech, nearly throwing it off balance.
Behind them, the silent ranks of Apprentice Knights rippled visibly in unison, forming a wave discernible to the naked eye.
A vein pulsed wildly at Su Wan's temple.
She yanked Lin Qingyue back, hissing through gritted teeth, "Are you insane?! You're subtly asking the Death Knight Commander if her armor can change colors?!"
"This is a serious academic inquiry!" Lin Qingyue retorted, her expression utterly innocent. "Since the Power of Death can be controlled, altering its visual manifestation should also be within our grasp, right?"
"My Healing Spells can turn from gold to pink. Why can't the Power of Death do the same? This relates to the fundamental logic of how power manifests!"
Su Wan refused to speak to her anymore. She feared she might impulsively hurl an Ice Cone Spell at this fool's head.
Xia Lian's face flushed crimson, wishing she could dig a hole in the ground and bury herself.
This is so embarrassing! How could Sister Qingyue ask such an absurd question with such a serious expression?!
Aeldara fell silent.
The silence this time stretched longer than any before.
Just as Lin Qingyue was about to give up on getting an answer, even bracing herself for a deadly embrace, the icy voice finally spoke again.
This time, the voice seemed to contain shards of ice.
"No."
"Oh, what a shame," Lin Qingyue said, genuinely feeling a pang of regret.
[Ding! Host's unparalleled imagination has successfully challenged the aesthetic sensibilities of the Silent Watch Knight Order, leaving the Icy Commander speechless. Elation Value +999!]
Hearing the System notification, Lin Qingyue couldn't suppress a grin.
So, Commander Aeldara isn't quite as "icy" as she seems, huh?
The group continued onward, but the atmosphere had grown even more bizarre than before.
Though the Apprentice Knights still showed no visible expressions, Lin Qingyue sensed they were keeping a greater distance from her now, as if they were treating her with a cautious respect.
Deep within her soul, Miss Pink Elf's Blessing quietly reignited.
Beneath the original two effect descriptions, a third line of text slowly materialized, radiating a soft pink glow:
[Effect 4: Pink Charm Unlocked ♪]
[Effect Description: Of course a pink maiden possesses pink charm! All non-hostile women now have an initial favorability rating of "Friendly" toward you.]
The mist ahead gradually dissipated.
A forward outpost constructed entirely from massive, silvery-white trees and crystalline formations came into view before the group.