Chapter 52: The Holy Knight
Chapter 52: The Holy Knight
The closer they got to the surface near Pit Two, the more undead creatures they encountered, especially near the former miners' outpost, which was teeming with undead beings. The scene was like a living hell.
"Holy Law!" exclaimed a middle-aged man in armor, holding a long sword and looking sternly at the chaotic crowd ahead.
As he uttered the two words imbued with a sacred aura, a gentle white light radiated from his body, dispersing the surrounding shadow energy.
"The dead should rest in peace," he said, slightly bowing his head. With a flash, he charged forward, swinging his sword, and one by one, the undead fell to the ground.
His sword was covered in rust and didn't appear sharp, but when it sliced through the undead bodies, it cut through like hot knife through butter.
Nothing could stop the path of his sword.
The white light on his body was even more effective against the shadow energy.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten undead creatures completely lost their ability to move.
The man slowly sheathed his sword, turned around, and looked at the few people he had saved. He placed one hand on his chest and bowed deeply, "May the gods bless you."
The people stared in shock, and one of them stammered, "Th-thank you!"
In Black City, no one would help a stranger except for trusted family and friends.
Stronger individuals would never show kindness to the weak.
So...
Who was this aberration?
"I'm looking for someone," the man said, taking out a crumpled scroll from his body. He unfurled it, revealing the features of a young man, "His name is Ren, who was sold here last year."
"Ren?"
The group shook their heads in confusion.
"Really?" The man looked disappointed.
"Sorry to bother you."
"Wait!" A little girl in the crowd spoke up, her voice crisp, "I remember someone named Ren in Pit Three, but it's close to Pit Two, and it's underground..."
"He might already be dead."
"Oh!" The man's eyes lit up.
"Thank you." He turned and walked towards the direction of Pit Three.
"Wait!"
The little girl stood up and called out anxiously, "It's very dangerous down there. Are you sure you want to go?"
"Yes," the man nodded. "I promised my friend that I would protect his son. Keeping our promises is our code."
"But... but..." The little girl stammered, and as she saw the man walking away, she shouted, "What's your name?"
"Russell," the man's voice carried on the wind.
"Let's go," someone in the crowd whispered.
"He must be a Holy Knight."
"A Holy Knight?" someone exclaimed in surprise.
"Hasn't the Moon Goddess already fallen? Are there still Holy Knights?"
As the knights who guarded the Goddess, when she fell, the Holy Knights followed her into the afterlife.
"Yes," a voice responded.
"Some believe that the Moon Goddess didn't truly perish. They travel the land, searching for traces of the Goddess and ways to resurrect her."
"Forget it!"
"This has nothing to do with us."
---
Aya took Xiaonan away, and the team lost two fighters, but it wasn't a big problem for Karl.
He only required the others to lure out the prey, and then he would personally hunt them down, mainly to guard against hidden threats.
When it came to the real fight, even Xiaonan, a Knight Attendant, couldn't be of much help.
If the target was too strong for him, having one or two more people wouldn't make a difference.
Aya understood this, which was why she took Xiaonan with her; it wasn't a big deal anyway.
However, when they started to act, Karl noticed something amiss and frowned subconsciously.
Without Aya, although Dana and the others still followed his commands, there seemed to be an invisible barrier between them.
It was hard to deny that Aya, despite her lack of strength, possessed a compelling leadership quality that made people believe in her.
No wonder she could quickly gather a force, and others willingly followed her, a capability that Karl clearly lacked.
"Swoosh!"
"Thud!"
Arrows imbued with holy water pierced the half-dead bodies.
White smoke immediately rose from the half-dead creatures, and the shadow energy within them dissipated, causing their movements to become sluggish and stiff.
"Kill!"
Dana and the others charged forward, shouting.
They were already familiar with this routine, and with the aid of holy water, harvesting these half-dead creatures was a breeze.
What others avoided, these creatures were their favorite targets.
"Thud!"
Karl swung his broadsword, decapitating an undead's head.
"Who's there?"
Before he could collect the soul dust on the ground, Housman suddenly roared from the front, prompting them to look up.
At the end of the street, a man with disheveled golden hair walked slowly towards them.
The man had a strange longsword hanging at his waist and stood on the corpse of a half-dead creature, gazing at the group. His loose, long hair covered his face, concealing his features.
"These are my prey."
"Yours?"
Housman scoffed at his words:
"Just because you say they're yours, does that make it so?"
"Housman," Dana paused her actions and spoke, "Be careful!"
There were five on their side, yet this man, clearly alone, dared to brazenly demand their spoils.
He was either a madman or extremely confident.
"Look."
The man flipped over the corpse on the ground and pointed at its back:
"This wound was made by me."
Indeed, there was a thin, long sword mark on the corpse's back, slashing diagonally from top to bottom, but it wasn't fatal.
"So what if it was you?"
Housman showed disdain:
"We killed it, and all it proves is your lack of skill. Next time, remember to be more decisive!"
"Enough."
Karl frowned and said,
"Give him the corpse."
Since the golden-haired man's appearance, the Poison Wolf Breath Technique had been signaling a warning, albeit faint. Nonetheless, he was undoubtedly a skilled opponent.
It was better to avoid trouble.
After all, it was just a corpse.
"You're right."
Before Housman could yield, the golden-haired man nodded and said,
"Thank you for the reminder. I'll indeed be more decisive next time. I won't make the same mistake again."
Karl's heart skipped a beat.
"Careful!"
Before he could cast a spell, his wrist trembled, and three arrows were already flying towards the golden-haired man.
"Ding..."
The three arrows clattered to the ground in unison.
A sharp sword, resembling a spike, appeared in the golden-haired man's hand. The sword blade swiftly slashed through the incoming arrows and, with astonishing speed, pierced Housman's chest.
"Thud!"
With a gentle push, the sword penetrated his chest and emerged from his back.
"This time..."
As he gazed at Housman's face, filled with shock, and his life force rapidly fading, the man grinned, his smile radiant:
"Is this decisive enough for you?"
"Housman!"
"Ah!"
"..."
Dana and the other two's faces paled. Their anger at their companion's death peaked, and they charged forward, roaring.
"Heh..."
Seeing this, the golden-haired man shook his head lightly. With a flick of his wrist, Housman's body flew away.
He followed closely behind, his thin sword trembling in his hand, creating afterimages that enveloped the group.
'Here it comes!'
'My favorite scene is about to unfold!'
'Splattering blood! Scattered limbs! Despair and fear...'
"Ding..."
"Cling-clang..."
The sound of rapid collisions filled the air as metal clashed, sparks flying, but the imagined scene did not unfold. Instead, the golden-haired man retreated repeatedly, his sword lightly tapping the ground.
"Huh?"
He looked at Karl, his expression filled with surprise:
"I didn't expect there to be another expert here."
"What a pity!"
Before he finished speaking, he charged forward again, his speed significantly faster than before, and his sword's shadow even more formidable.
(End of Chapter)
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