abnabooks Chapter 218 The Meaning of the Ring, Guardian Li Ang
Chapter 218 The Meaning of the Ring, Guardian Li Ang
Chapter 218 The Meaning of the Ring, Guardian Li Ang
After the cheers subsided, Maya rose from her throne. Her gaze swept over the assembled ministers and the people below, finally settling on Li Ang, who stood at the very front of the knights.
She nodded slightly to the etiquette officer beside her, who immediately stepped forward with a velvet-covered tray on which rested the reclaimed [Grace Ring].
Maya picked up the ring, raised it high, and her voice, amplified by the magical artifact, resounded throughout the hall: "In the name of the Titans, in the name of the Maxwell bloodline, in the authority of the Dwarf King!"
"Hereinafter bestowed upon Li Angqing, my chief knight, chief advisor, chief apothecary, and dearest friend!"
"The inspiration of wisdom." The blue light on the ring shone brightly, like stars lighting up.
"The Authority of Power." A silvery-white light shot into the sky, like a Titan's low roar.
"The Radiance of Courage." A deep golden light bloomed steadily, like an immortal rock core.
Three rays of light, imbued with the blessings of the Titans, intertwined and ultimately converged into the ring.
Maya descended the steps of the throne and, under the watchful eyes of thousands, personally approached Li Ang.
She took Li Ang's hand, looked up at him, her emerald eyes filled with unwavering trust and solemnity, and personally placed the extraordinary "Grace Ring" back on his finger.
"Li Angqing, from this day forward, you will be my closest companion, the one and only guardian of Ironforge. The kingdom and I will always stand with you!"
"Long live the Queen! Long live the Guardians!"
The cheers from the crowd were like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami, reaching their peak in an instant. The sound seemed to threaten to lift the dome of the hall and lingered for a long time.
Leon only learned yesterday that, according to dwarven tradition, each king usually had three guardians under his command. They were the king's most trusted partners and would be granted the Titan's gifts of strength, courage, and wisdom, respectively.
Li Ang is the first guardian in a thousand years to possess all three blessings.
The three guardians of the previous generation were Gimli Silverhammer, the former chief knight who received the blessing of the Titan of Might; Grom Maxwell, the former regent who received the blessing of the Titan of Courage; and Elhart Stargazer, the old astrologer who received the blessing of the Titan of Wisdom.
Of course, when Maya received the royal seal, which was the ring from the old king, their status as guardians and the power of their blessings were automatically revoked.
The grand coronation ceremony came to a close as the last cheers faded beneath the dome of the throne room.
However, for Li Ang and his companions, this was not the end, but the beginning of another journey.
In the afternoon, on the highest flight platform in Ironforge, the wind picked up slightly, causing everyone's clothes to flutter.
On the platform, the "Mountain," a medium-sized military transport airship specially allocated by Maya, is ready.
Maya had changed out of her heavy ceremonial robes and into a more practical leather outfit, covered by a cloak embroidered with the royal crest.
She stood at the very front of the farewell procession, looking up at Li Ang. Her emerald eyes, usually so lively, now held a kingly composure and a deep sense of reluctance.
"Li Angqing, and everyone else." Her voice clearly reached everyone's ears.
"Even though I am now the king, I am still a member of the First Special Operations Group. You all go back first. Once the affairs of the kingdom are settled, I will return to Lelita to complete my studies."
After saying that, she stepped forward and handed a light blue crystal card to Li Ang.
"This is what you deserve, Li Angqing. Inside are 65,000 gold coins, your share of the profits from the 'Treatment Permit Vouchers' so far."
Sixty-five thousand gold coins! Even though Li Ang was somewhat prepared, his heart still skipped a beat when he heard the number.
This was an enormous fortune that would make any formal wizard envious, meaning he instantly entered the ranks of the worldly "rich".
He took a deep breath, and without any affectation, accepted the crystal card with a smile, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Well then, everyone, have a safe journey."
Maya's gaze swept over Olivia, Helena, Ludick, Captain Eric, and every member of the Eighth Squad, before she said goodbye, "Looking forward to reuniting with you all in Lelita."
"Little Bean, when you come back, let's go to the training ground and have a match. I want to see if the Titan is stronger or the Dragon is stronger," Olivia said, waving her fist with a hint of reluctance.
"Take care, Your Majesty, and we look forward to seeing you again," the others said in unison.
The farewell did not last long; dwarves dislike overly lingering partings.
Led by Li Ang, the group boarded the "Mountain" airship one by one. The cabin door of the airship slowly closed, and the engine began to emit a deep roar.
Through the porthole, one could see Maya and her royal guards standing on the platform until the airship took off and became a black dot in the sky, at which point she reluctantly left the platform.
Shortly after Li Ang left, the dwarf nobles who had hesitated and failed to get scheduled for treatment began to beat their chests in regret.
When Maya announced that participants could choose to receive a refund or wait for Li Ang to arrive again, not a single person chose to request a refund; all of them unhesitatingly chose to continue waiting.
After all, compared to the hope of regaining a healthy body, this sum of money seemed insignificant. It was just unknown when this "life titan" would next descend upon Ironforge.
The interior of the Mountain is far less comfortable than that of the Hunter, but it has the advantage of being quite spacious enough to provide a room for everyone.
The journey was tedious, and Li Ang spent most of his time in his cabin, immersing himself in meditation and spell model construction practice.
Occasionally, he would come to the open deck at the stern of the airship to practice new spells.
In his spare time, he recounted his experiences in Ironforge, from infiltration to investigation to the trials.
The entire process, from uncovering the conspiracy and the change of the throne to the final battle with the Underworld army in the Valley of Annihilation and the killing of the Underworld General, was summarized in detail in a written report.
Halfway through the voyage, with the occasional activation of the high-level experience brought by the [Grace Ring] and the diligent meditation day after day, the ninth star in Li Ang's spiritual world finally took shape.
This means that he has completed half of the path to becoming a Level 2 wizard, and is only three stars away from becoming a Level 3 wizard.
The voyage lasted for more than ten days without any major incidents. When the massive silhouette of the "Mountain" pierced through the clouds and slowly landed on the familiar flight platform in Lelita, a sense of relaxation, like returning to a familiar place, welled up inside him.
Standing at the hatch, Li Ang ordered his team members behind him: "This mission is over. Everyone, disperse and go back to get some rest. We'll discuss further arrangements later. Nelson, you go back first too."
"Yes, Captain!"
"Yes, sir."