Chapter 6, Accident

A chill rapidly rose from the soles of his feet, spreading throughout his body, and Lucien's breathing became slightly labored

When the radiant sword, which had begun to lose its power while cutting through the wall with magical traps, finally exhausted all its strength, it could no longer be sustained

The Sword of Radiance struck against the knight's longsword, yet there was no crisp sound of metal clashing.

It was only its gaping mouth, along with that row of fearsome teeth, that bit down on Koreya's sword, which he had timely positioned horizontally.

Lucien gripped Gary's five fingers tightly with his right hand, but as a high-ranking knight squire, even though Gary had endured such a long battle, his physical strength and energy were severely depleted. In the face of someone like Lucien, an ordinary person, he still held a significant advantage in strength.

Lucien curiously touched the cross, which suddenly became furious, as if it had been violated. One of the peculiar patterns around it suddenly lit up, the brilliance coalescing, immense and terrifying

Breathing became increasingly difficult, and there was an unusual pain in the neck. Lucien experienced bouts of darkness before his eyes, while his left hand, which held the holy emblem, was firmly pinned to his chest by Gary's other hand, effectively immobilizing Lucien's entire body.

Indeed, it is Gary, the composed and reserved Gary

At this moment, Gary's right hand, which was gripping Lucien's neck, suddenly lost much of its strength, much like the exhausted Koreas and the humanoid giant rats over there, who were beating, biting, and hacking at each other, giving Lucien a precious opportunity to breathe

In the silence, the knight's longsword snapped in two like a piece of wood; however, at that moment, Gary had already brought the round shield back in front of him

Fortunately, the humanoid giant rat entangled with him seems to have lost its strength and is no longer as ferocious as before

Gripping the radiant sword tightly, Lucian quickly turned his head to look behind him

After being struck repeatedly, Lucien realized that he had not sustained any injuries. His initial panic gradually subsided as he remembered that he possessed a Holy Light Shield. Why then did he still need to seek balance and engage in hand-to-hand combat?

Although the shield strike did not break the Holy Light Shield, the resulting tremors and impacts caused Lucian to feel a tightness in his chest, making it difficult for him to breathe, and the incantation he half-formed got stuck in his throat

Indeed, whether it is a priest, a mage, or any other spellcaster, seeing Lucien in such a state would elicit a shake of the head and a sigh. Only someone who has not even learned the most basic focus of spellcasting would be interrupted in their casting by a knight's attendant. If any apprentice priest or mage were present, equipped with a first-tier Holy Emblem and an activated Holy Shield, Gary would have long since perished.

S... cough cough

However, in the face of this sun-like longsword, Gary did not behave like a beast that had lost its reason; instead, he hurriedly raised his knight's sword to block it.

A gigantic mouse, as large as a human, has knocked Koreya to the ground, its sharp claws piercing his shoulder and breaking through the hard chainmail. Blood flows out, staining the silvery-gray armor red. Its pair of crimson eyes seem to contain a hint of mockery amidst their eerie allure

The soul drifts aimlessly, evoking a marvelous sense of detachment. Lucien's desire to survive erupts, as his spirit seems to break through a certain boundary, spreading like the sea.

The pale glow of the Holy Light Shield flickered violently, dimming significantly in an instant. At the same time, the immense force of impact caused Lucien to lose his balance, staggering forward several steps unsteadily.

The fear that has already manifested is far less than that of the unknown. At least for Lucien, a red-eyed giant rat of ordinary human size, moving silently, is much easier to accept than the "mysterious disappearance"

The attack came from the knight's longsword, striking from behind. If it were not for Gary, then there would only be one possibility - the map - and Gary is already dead

Their knightly swords were thrust into each other's bodies

Gary lay on the ground, his eyes half-open, nearly lifeless, yet the twisted expression on his face and the red light emanating from his eyes had vanished

But the muscles on his face had already contorted, his eyes gleaming with a red light, and a raw, unrestrained ferocity.

The round shield wrapped in iron was swung fiercely, striking against the Holy Light shield, causing it to tremble unsteadily

At this moment, Lucien finally saw clearly who it was that had attacked him

As a high-ranking knight squire, Korea saved his life at the most perilous moment by executing the most standard swordsmanship movements, while his left hand wielded a shield that struck fiercely against the abdomen of the enormous rat

Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, and Lucien, who had just turned his head and was on high alert, instinctively looked over.

"Is it possible to activate divine magic without incantations or gestures?" This was the first thought that flashed through Lucien's mind, and then he hurriedly rolled aside, fearing that Gary might still have combat capability after such a blow

At that moment, a low, beast-like growl emanated from behind Lucien

Lucien's incantation was interrupted as Gary's other hand swiftly moved in, gripping Lucien's neck tightly and pulling it in forcefully

In the dimly lit room, the strange, humanoid plant unfurled its branches and leaves amidst the pale red mist, appearing quite content

Around, the pools of eerie red blood left behind after the red-eyed mice were killed had, at some unknown time, evaporated into a faint red mist, permeating the entire secret chamber and the nearby sewer.

The knight's longsword came in pursuit, striking continuously, causing Lucien to lose his balance in a moment of haste. He could hardly wield the Radiant Sword, let alone concentrate his mind, caress the holy emblem, and invoke divine magic with incantations.

On the other side of the sewer wall, the green moss flickered and emitted a faint glow, but the absence of Haosen made them appear very eerie

Did Gary also get into trouble? As Lucien recalled Gary standing behind him, a sharp knight's longsword struck fiercely into Lucien's back

When facing opponents of the same rank, the spellcaster always holds an absolute advantage

Lucien had no time to ponder this confusion and strangeness; he concentrated his mind, took the cross from the holy emblem with his left hand, and was about to recite the incantation.

"Is it possible that the toxicity contained in that red-eyed mouse has not been completely eliminated, and that it can still cause a person to lose their rationality and turn into a bloodthirsty beast?" As soon as Lucien saw Gary's appearance, he thought of this aspect, "But why am I fine? I don't feel anything unusual!"

Under the heavy strike of Gary's shield, Lucian's sword seemed to be swung haphazardly, unable to maintain stability and failing to target Gary's vital points

On the other side of the battle, unimaginable changes occurred; it was not a giant rat that fought for life and death with Korea, but Haosen, the taciturn Haosen

A deep scratch has appeared on the round shield, almost splitting it in half

This is? ! '' Lucien exclaimed in surprise, as the scene before him was completely beyond his expectations

Lucien was momentarily taken aback, while Gary seized the opportunity to swing his round shield fiercely, striking heavily against the now thin and dim Holy Light shield. Fragments of the shield flew through the air, and after flickering and swaying for a moment, the Holy Light shield vanished completely

Neither Lucien nor Gary or Correa heard the sounds of fighting, the cries of anguish, or the sounds of hurried departure

After the beam of light was emitted, it drew power from the surroundings, growing larger and larger. Gary seemed to sense an immense danger and hurriedly tried to dodge to the side. However, at such a close distance, no matter how quickly he reacted, he could not escape. The pure white beam completely vaporized his right hand and part of his shoulder, leaving the wound charred black, with not a drop of blood flowing out.

It was strange that Gary suddenly felt weak, and his strength was diminishing increasingly. However, Lucien, having learned valuable lessons from the past, did not linger in confusion, astonishment, or doubt. Instead, he concentrated his mind, directing it towards the touch of the Holy Emblem of Truth.

Lucien's greatest reliance, the Holy Light Shield, was completely shattered after enduring relentless attacks

Lucien dodged in a panic, his heart filled with both fear and confusion: "Why is Gary attacking me?!"

Taking a breath, Lucien did not hesitate, swinging the lightsaber he held towards the red-eyed giant rat to rescue Korea

Startled, Lucien quickly withdrew his mental perception, but he was still a fraction too late. A pure white beam of light shot out from the holy emblem, grazing the edges of Lucien's mind, causing him to feel nauseous and a splitting headache, as if his head were about to crack open. Two streams of cool, metallic-smelling liquid suddenly flowed from his nostrils, filled with the scent of blood and rust.

Upon careful reflection, Lucien discovered that the cross emanated a scent reminiscent of Benjamin, an indescribable aroma

As he rolled, Lucien realized that his own strange limbs were also weak and lacking strength, and he glanced at Gary while continuing to roll.

The tall, strong, and taciturn high-ranking knight attendant, Housen, has unexpectedly vanished without a trace

Unable to recite the incantation, Lucien simply swung the Radiant Sword he held in his right hand upward, no longer entangled in the activation of divine arts.

With no time to reflect on the various mistakes made due to insufficient combat experience or lack of composure, Lucien rubbed the cross on the holy emblem, desperately concentrating his mind to recite the incantation

The short syllable barely emitted a sound, as Gary's well-prepared punch landed heavily on Lucien's abdomen, causing Lucien to curl up like a shrimp, with a strong acidity rising in his throat and esophagus

As soon as he made contact, Lucien's spirit was suddenly shaken, as if he had entered an ocean of holy light. Unique patterns composed of lines, circles, triangles, squares, and crosses magnified countless times appeared in Lucien's senses, seemingly imbued with profound mysteries

The knight's longsword was wielded with exceptional rhythm, leaving Lucian no opportunity to stabilize his footing, forcing him to stumble into the inner chamber.

Lucien was troubled by his inability to concentrate and invoke his divine powers, while over there, Korea was becoming increasingly perilous, seemingly starting to feel powerless. His right hand, gripping the longsword, was pressed tightly against his chest, with barely perceptible tremors appearing in his wrist

The repeated heavy strikes of the shield disrupted Lucian's breathing rhythm, making it impossible for him to concentrate.

As a squire aspiring to become a true knight, Gary has received commendable and formal training in interrupting spellcasting

An idea flashed by, and as the knight's longsword swung down again, Lucien instinctively fell to the ground, rolling over, with his prepared left hand grasping the holy emblem

He seems reluctant to evade; once he distances himself from Lucien, facing a first-ring divine technique becomes extremely perilous, even for a formal knight who has activated their bloodline power. A moment of carelessness could lead to severe injury or even death

Lucien was about to launch a counterattack, but the Sword of Radiance, which had already dimmed significantly, suddenly shattered at that moment, scattering shards of light in all directions

After battling the red-eyed rat swarm, Lucien has gained a certain understanding of the sharpness of this summoned lightsaber, which far surpasses the knight's longsword held by Gary

The beast's heavy breathing echoed in Lucien's ear, and the cold touch of the iron glove transmitted from his skin to Lucien's mind, causing his increasingly blurred consciousness to awaken slightly.