39: Chapter 39 Clad in Silver Armor! The First Holy Knight of the Torchwood Sets Off in Armor

The ancient tree let out a low rumble.

It wasn't a sound—it was a vibration. Traveling from the roots to the trunk, and from the trunk to the branches, the entire dark golden ancient tree throbbed like a beating heart.

Golden light burst forth from the surface of the trunk.

Three pillars of light shot out from between the branches, slamming into the open space directly in front of the altar's stone steps.

The light pillars dissipated.

Three objects hovered quietly in mid-air, supported by the lingering golden glow, rotating slowly.

A sword.

The silvery-white blade shimmered with a holy luster amidst the golden glow. It was three feet six inches long, two fingers wide, and the blade surface was etched with dense, intricate holy runes.

The crossguard was shaped like wings in flight, and the pommel was inlaid with a thumb-sized transparent gemstone.

Light shone from within the gem, resembling a miniature sun.

A shield.

A tower shield reaching shoulder height, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom.

In the center of the shield face was an embossed cross, with complex holy light patterns extending from the four ends of the cross, covering the entire surface.

The silvery-white shield body was thick and sturdy, its edges polished into blunt angles, serving as both a defensive tool and a blunt weapon when necessary.

A set of armor.

At first glance, it didn't look heavy.

It was a silvery-white light armor with lines that fit the human body perfectly; it was hard enough in the right places to deflect blades, yet left ample room for movement where flexibility was needed.

The pauldrons curved slightly upward, with wing-shaped decorative patterns along the edges.

From the vambraces and greaves to the waist guard, thin threads of pale golden holy light flowed through the seams of every piece of armor.

In the center of the breastplate was the totem of spark.

A flame cradled the stars, and a hexagram shimmered faintly within the golden light.

The three pieces of equipment hovered in front of the altar.

The golden light of the ancient tree fell upon the silvery-white surfaces, breaking into countless fine, shimmering spots—flickering between light and shadow—so holy that one dared not even breathe too loudly.

Lin Xiaoman's lollipop dropped.

The plastic stick hit the stone tiles, bounced twice, and rolled to her feet.

She didn't go to pick it up.

Her eyes were wide round, her mouth agape in an "O" shape, and the reflection of the three silvery-white pieces of equipment danced in her pupils.

"Put them on."

Su Chen's voice came from beside the ancient tree.

Liu Yuyan stepped forward.

She reached out her hand.

The moment her fingertips touched the breastplate—the armor moved.

The silvery-white plates seemed to come alive, flying from their hovering position to precisely fit onto her body.

The breastplate latched onto her torso, the pauldrons locked onto her shoulder lines, the vambraces clicked shut, and the greaves extended from her knees to her boots.

The moment each piece of armor clicked into place, the thin threads of holy light at the seams lit up simultaneously.

Golden light flowed along the patterns of the armor, spreading from her feet to her neckline, finally converging on the totem of spark in the center of the breastplate.

The totem lit up.

The flame cradled the stars, bursting into a warm and solemn golden radiance upon the silvery-white armor.

Liu Yuyan grasped the hilt with her right hand.

The blade hummed.

It wasn't the resonance of metal, but the sound of holy light being awakened.

Pale golden light swept across the blade, casting her face in flickering light and shadow.

She lifted the tower shield with her left hand.

The cross pattern on the shield face lit up, resonating in sync with the holy light of the armor.

Liu Yuyan stood in front of the altar.

The silvery-white light armor hugged her form, neither bulky nor clumsy.

The shoulder lines were held straight by the armor, and the waistline was outlined by the plates in a sharp, clean curve.

Holy light seeped from every pattern, falling upon her face.

Her jet-black low ponytail hung over the back plate, the tips of her hair brushing against the surface like a stroke of black ink on snow.

The holy light reflected off her face.

Her features remained the same, but the shadows cast by her brow bone were deeper, the light in her eyes colder, and her jawline, framed by the silvery-white gorget, was sharp enough to cut.

Holding sword and shield, she was surrounded by the holy light of the silver armor.

Liu Yuyan looked down at her hand holding the sword.

Beneath the silvery-white vambrace, her knuckles were clenched tight.

She could feel power flowing between the armor and her body—the passive effect of Holy Light Protection had activated, a layer of invisible light film clinging to her skin, warm and resilient.

And that skill.

Cross Slash.

The information had been poured directly into her brain, as clear as muscle memory.

How to raise the sword, how to channel the force, which nodes to gather the holy light from to the blade—every step was etched into her instincts.

Su Chen walked down the stone steps and stood before her.

The eyes behind the mask scanned her from top to bottom.

Sword, shield, armor.

The frequency of the holy light's circulation was perfectly synchronized with her heartbeat; the compatibility was higher than expected.

"The equipment has been bound to your Extraordinary Sequence."

Su Chen's voice returned to that steady, emotionless rhythm.

"The sword and shield carry the Holy Light attribute, which has a natural suppression effect on anomalous entities. The armor can reduce damage from anomalous erosion by thirty percent."

He reached out and tapped the middle section of the blade in her hand with his fingertip.

The holy runes on the blade flashed.

"Cross Slash. Condense the holy light to release a slashing wave with an effective range of fifteen meters. Cooldown is thirty seconds. Don't rush to use it; save it for critical moments."

Liu Yuyan nodded.

Every piece of information was etched into her brain.

"The Ancient Observatory ruins in Qin Province."

Su Chen withdrew his hand.

"The Anomaly will break its seal within forty-eight hours. There is an official archaeological team currently excavating there. If they are still on-site when the Anomaly descends—"

There was no need to finish.

Liu Yuyan continued.

"I will handle the Anomaly and protect the personnel on-site at the same time."

Su Chen nodded.

"An E-Rank Anomaly is naturally countered by the Paladin sequence. With your current combat strength, it will be no problem."

He paused for a beat.

"But do not underestimate the enemy. This is your first real combat; it is better to be overly cautious."

"Understood."

Liu Yuyan sheathed the sword on her back and held the shield in her left hand.

The holy light of the silvery-white armor dimmed to its lowest level, flowing along the surface without projecting outward.

She turned and stepped down the stone steps.

As she passed by Lin Xiaoman, she paused for half a step.

She looked down at the one-meter-fifty-two girl.

Lin Xiaoman tilted her head up.

Her expression was complex; she didn't say anything, but what was in her eyes couldn't be hidden.

Envy.

Naked, undisguised envy.

Mixed with a little resentment, a little anticipation, and a bit of stubbornness that asked, "Why wasn't it me?"

Liu Yuyan understood.

Because she had once had the same look in her eyes.

"Waiting for you."

Liu Yuyan dropped the two words without any extra expression.

Lin Xiaoman bit her lip.

"...Hurry back."

Her voice was soft.

The corners of Liu Yuyan's mouth twitched.

She turned and walked into the stone corridor.

The holy light of the silvery-white armor flickered and flowed amidst the light and shadows of the murals, her footsteps growing firmer with each step.

When she reached the end of the corridor, she didn't look back.

The old wooden door opened and closed.

The sound of it closing was very soft.

The altar fell quiet once again.

The golden glow of the ancient tree continued to pulse.

Su Chen stood under the tree, retracting his gaze from the direction of the old wooden door.

The system panel hung quietly in the corner of his vision.

"Current Points: 1050"

"Current Reality: 615"

Just over a thousand.

Su Chen calculated in his heart.

Although it was another all-in, the return this time—was very likely to allow the system to reach Level 2.

Dealing with an E-Rank Anomaly.

Extraordinary Tier 1 strength combined with this set of equipment was enough.

Su Chen opened his notebook and quickly wrote a few lines on a blank page.

"Qin Province Ancient Observatory · Ruin Manifestation Plan"

"Budget: 800-1000 Points"

"Content: Broken Stone Tablets × 3 (engraved with totem of spark + ancient seal script), Mural Fragments × 2 (Taoist subduing demon theme), a section of underground corridor (approx. 10 meters long, 2 meters wide), residual energy traces of the array eye"

"Trigger Condition: When the Anomaly breaks the seal, the shockwave from the seal's collapse shatters the surface, naturally exposing the ruins"

"Key Design: The degree of damage to the ruins must completely match the traces of anomalous erosion—it must be chewed up from the inside by what was suppressed, not weathered, not man-made. Archaeological experts will be able to draw the conclusion at a glance."

The pen tip moved down two lines.

The previously designed Act 5 · Origin, was finally about to open.

"Then the stage is set, the curtain rises, the show begins."