Chapter 141: Cardinal Lanchi's Five-Finger Mountain
Chapter 141: Cardinal Lanchi's Five-Finger Mountain
The atmosphere within the grand cathedral was fraught with the tension of a battle to the death, with the outcome hanging in the balance.
Just as the situation seemed most dire, Cardinal Lanchi played not one but two orange epic cards, as if to mock the Holy Maiden of Destruction. The executioner, the Paladin, and the male guard, who had all steeled themselves for a fight to the finish, now saw a glimmer of hope. Their eyes widened with fury and their battle intent soared as they imagined the great sun rising once more.
In front of Cardinal Lanchi,
"Ahhh..."
The Holy Maiden of Destruction's eyes widened in horror, her pupils reflecting the deadly orange light of the cards.
Even though orange epic cards were exceptionally powerful, they came with a caveat: once bound, they couldn't be removed, and the inability to swap them out for tactical reasons limited the flexibility of one's spell structure. Thus, the choice of which orange epic and pink sacred cards to use required careful consideration.
One could say that the orange epic and pink sacred magic cards in a person's possession represented the core of their magical system, especially the orange epics. Unlike the pink sacred cards, which could still be unbound, orange epic cards were bound for life.
Holy Maiden of Destruction, Adelis, couldn't fathom that Cardinal Lanchi had not one but two unused orange cards in addition to 'Great Loving Poet'. Even without knowing the effects of these new cards, Adelis could sense that each card in Lanchi's possession was a tool of extreme humiliation and torture.
At that moment,
The fear and resistance that filled Holy Maiden of Destruction's heart suddenly outweighed her feelings of humiliation and anger.
She would rather die than let Lanchi experiment on her body with his remaining magic cards, especially not with his two final epic cards!
As the rage in her heart was extinguished by overwhelming fear, all that was left was an all-consuming will to survive.
Almost instinctively, she glanced towards the cathedral's entrance.
The body of the Holy Maiden of Destruction began to sway, and she pushed herself up from the ground, her hand gripping the demon sword for support. Ignoring the lingering numbness in her legs, she started to run towards the exit.
"You cowardly scum!!!"
With a loud shout, the executioner's axe carved a silver arc in the air, while the Paladin's holy longsword shone with a mysterious light as it slashed towards the Holy Maiden of Destruction's back.
The male guard's short sword was like a ray of cold light as he burst from the shadows, striking like a venomous snake at the Holy Maiden of Destruction's feet.
However,
Because the Holy Maiden of Destruction chose to flee instead of fight, she was ultimately a step too slow.
As the red rings reappeared around her, the sword tips drew scorching arcs in the air, and circle after circle of searing scarlet flames erupted from the ground, sending the three attackers flying!
The Holy Maiden of Destruction's determination to escape was like a bolt of black lightning, and she sped across the spacious courtyard, her dark silhouette growing smaller as she rushed towards the entrance.
Even as the three valiant warriors pursued her with all their might, she maintained her lead, thanks to her restored speed. Like an evil spirit wrapped in pitch-black fire, she vanished through the cathedral's doors and into the forest beyond.
Moments later, at the cathedral's entrance,
"Damn it!"
"Stop, we can't pursue her anymore."
For a moment, the three pursuers stood at the doorway, their faces worn with fatigue and pain, their battle intent seemingly extinguished.
The male guard held back the executioner and the Paladin, who still wanted to give chase.
If they left the cathedral, the chances of them being counter-attacked and killed were high.
Or, if they left the cathedral undefended, the Holy Maiden of Destruction could turn back and slaughter everyone left inside.
Before long, night would fall, and they had no way of catching up to the Holy Maiden of Destruction.
"If we don't capture her now, we'll lose our best opportunity!"
The executioner slammed his fist against the cathedral door, his palm already bloodied, and his axe lay discarded by his side. His voice carried only anger and resentment.
The Paladin had already slumped to the cold, hard stone floor, exhausted. A bitter smile played on his face.
They were so close.
Now that the Holy Maiden of Destruction had escaped, the next four and a half days would be filled with sleepless nights as they awaited her return. And during the day, finding her in the forest would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
In the terrain around the rose window of the cathedral, the single-target combat was advantageous for the Holy Maiden. Having multiple pursuers would only play into her hands, and they could be defeated one by one.
Several people looked on with a mix of sorrow and defeat as they gazed at the now-empty cathedral entrance. Even the fearless warriors felt a sense of overwhelming weakness and dejection.
The others at the back knew they had escaped a calamity, but letting the Holy Maiden escape was like trying to stop thirst by drinking poison. Perhaps it would have been better to fight her to the death.
"What do we do if she returns tonight?"
Whether it was the priestess, the guard sister, or Shubellyan, who stood behind Lanchi, they were all extremely worried and could only turn to Lanchi for guidance.
Now, they could only hope that he had a plan to counter the midnight raid.
Everyone else was equally confused as to why Mr. Lawyer, with his two orange epics, chose not to use them.
"..."
Shubellyan's expression was complex, as if she wanted to explain something but didn't know how to begin.
She was well aware that while Lanchi's two third-stage epics were indeed powerful, they would also endanger his teammates.
In this group battle situation, they could only be used to frighten the Holy Maiden of Destruction and had little practical use.
Even if they had chosen to fight the Holy Maiden head-on and managed to capture or kill her, it was almost impossible for the executioner, the Paladin, and the male guard to survive.
In the end, Lanchi couldn't bring himself to let his beloved comrades die.
Instead, he chose to intentionally scare the Holy Maiden away.
However, even Shubellyan couldn't judge whether this move was for the best or not.
But.
Lanchi merely smiled meaningfully, stretched lazily, and walked towards the kitchen.
It was as if the day's work was done, and he was ready to enjoy his dinner.
His reaction left everyone confused and perplexed!
...
In the dense and profound forest, tall trees stood proudly, their branches reaching towards the sky. The canopy of leaves cast a dark shadow over the land, and only a faint glow remained as the sun set.
The wind whispered through the trees, rustling the leaves and carrying the sound of mist murmuring.
The Holy Maiden of Destruction moved like a badly wounded, pitiful beast through the trees. Her hair, now stained red, made a scraping sound against the bushes, and her skirt armor left a trail of blood-red drops on the black earth.
I'll kill you all...
Kill you all!!!
The Holy Maiden's face twisted in a vicious snarl as she eagerly awaited her full recovery, determined to slaughter all those who dared challenge her and hide in their castle at night!
But she was unaware.
Not far away, from behind a tree.
A tall and sturdy figure stepped out silently.
He held a heavy crossbow, a hunter who had finally caught his prey.
Shadows clung to his face, but his purple eyes shone clearly in the darkness.
(End of Chapter)
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