Chapter 100 Chapter 99 Engagement
George, startled, instinctively activated “Charge of Light” to catch up with the figure that quickly disappeared into the white mist.
But it had no effect; the other party harbored no hostility towards him and was not part of an evil faction. They were just a soldier following orders.
A warning copper whistle echoed through the white mist.
Behind the mist, the army halted together. In front of the army, a flame blossomed, and a figure shot towards George like a cannonball.
Without a word, George immediately turned and fled, casually inserting his key into his belt. He ran fast, the wind whipping past his cheeks, and the white mist slammed against his nose. The key on his belt was still moving, but with decreasing force.
Behind him, the sound of heavy objects hitting the ground reached his ears, not too close. Just as George was about to turn a corner to shake off Chamberlain.
At the corner, several vines suddenly shot out from the grass, wrapping around his limbs and neck. George reacted quickly, stepping firmly on the ground, and as he turned, he saw the resilient vines coming at him, entangling his wrist and waist.
A massive vine creature rose from the ground, nearly twice George’s height, pressing down on him. George was momentarily trapped; he gripped his sword’s midsection and sliced through the vines, but the vine creature lunged at him, tightly embracing him, rendering him immobile for a moment.
It felt as if he were ensnared by a dozen pythons.
In the humid air, a wave of heat pierced through his helmet, stinging George’s face. Instinctively, he distorted the light, catching a glimpse from the side. A rolling fireball engulfed his entire field of vision, fire tongues creeping into the gaps of his armor. He quickly shut his eyes, feeling a burn on his cheek. The sound of the explosion echoed through the steel, crashing into his ears, leaving the world filled with a buzzing sound.
George was momentarily dazed, but he had prepared mentally beforehand. In less than a second, he felt the grip of the vines weaken, and he forcefully broke free from the vine creature’s hold, thrusting forward with his sword, piercing deeply into the creature’s body.
He didn’t withdraw the sword; gripping it with one hand, he used the other to grasp a protrusion on the vine creature’s body, pushing against it with his legs, using it as a shield to block the incoming fireball.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
The entire world was consumed by the sounds of explosions, with sparks the size of fists splattering on the nearby damp grass, igniting as they landed.
The vines swung down, drooping motionless. George abandoned the charred, smoking corpse of the vine creature, extending his hand toward his giant sword. Incomplete combustion produced a bluish smoke that permeated the surroundings, mixing with the white mist, causing visibility to drop a level.
The enemy’s attacks would surely be concealed within the mist.
While drawing his sword, George stayed vigilant, distorting the light before him, conjuring several mirror-like “light mirrors” to observe his surroundings.
Since Chamberlain’s sword was the Crimson Flame Sword, there must be flames when he attacked.
Just as he focused extra attention on the flames, they appeared. But the flames surrounded him; it was an explosion! Chamberlain used the sound and fire of the explosion to conceal his lethal strike!
George did not panic. He calmly analyzed the flames, his mastery over light far exceeding that of others at the same level. Keenly, amidst the raging fire, he detected a beam of light that was too bright. Without hesitation, he twisted his waist and swung his sword with force, sweeping through almost 180 degrees of space.
His sword met with a sudden resistance, producing a pleasant sound of metal clashing. Based on the vibrations from the blade, George instinctively judged the approximate position of his opponent. He quickly flipped his wrist, stepped forward, and transformed his slash into a thrust.
Suddenly, his shoulder was hit hard, and at the same time, he sensed he had struck his opponent. The two brushed past each other, and George dashed through the mist, adjusting his “light mirror” to see a new dent on his shoulder armor.
His armor exuded heat, and his knitted garment was emitting bluish smoke.
“Impressive.”
Chamberlain emerged from the smoke, having lost a piece of armor from under his left armpit. This armor piece was originally meant to protect the gap where the shoulder armor met the chest plate.
Chamberlain’s single eye glinted sharply as he scanned George, saying, “You truly are the legendary hero who once killed a demon king with a single sword. Ha, it turns out the true purpose of the sanctuary is also a treasure trove—liberating succubi and granting them redemption, what a grand illusion.”
George did not respond. He could see a squad of soldiers approaching from behind him.
Fight or flee?
In his original plan, he should have followed Chamberlain until the other found the door, then joined. But now, even if he won a fight, he might not find the door’s location. It would be better to escape and explore at his own pace.
He resolutely made up his mind. With a thought, a blinding white light suddenly appeared, flashing in Chamberlain’s single eye. In an instant, a giant sword forged from radiant light surged towards Chamberlain.
Holy Slash!
Despicable, hypocrite!
Chamberlain cursed under his breath; no matter how tough or thick his armor was, facing a powerhouse like George, it might not hold. Even if it didn’t get pierced, the force would be unbearable. He quickly withdrew his shield to guard.
George swung his sword with full force, striking the edge of the shield, leaving a deep sword mark. Chamberlain’s hand was knocked aside, creating an opening. He wielded the Crimson Flame Sword to summon flames, pouring them towards George—not seeking to kill, but to obscure his line of sight.
George was well prepared; he closed in and forcefully charged his shoulder against Chamberlain’s chest. Due to the short distance combined with the flames blocking both their views, Chamberlain’s defensive sword strikes lost their value; the hilt of his sword collided with George’s body, and the feeble blade merely grazed his armor, leaving only a shallow mark.
However, Chamberlain was staggered, and George followed up with a horizontal slash towards his neck. Even fully armed, the connection between the helmet and chest plate was a weak point. For ease of movement, it usually had worse defense but was protected by a more flexible chainmail. Even if the chainmail was indestructible, the force could still break a neck.
Fortunately, the protruding shoulder armor saved Chamberlain’s life. The sword blade scraped past the shoulder armor, sparking a shower of fire—the heavy golden sword struck Chamberlain’s substantial helmet forcefully. The helmet immediately dented and deformed, and the movable faceplate fell off, revealing Chamberlain’s contorted face.
He lost his balance and staggered sideways.
Not dead, but certainly not unscathed.
However, George hadn’t intended to kill Chamberlain; he did not pursue but turned and ran directly.
Chamberlain thought George intended to kill him. He dropped to one knee, shrinking down and using his shield to cover his face. Imagined deadly strikes never came, and cautiously rolling to the side to evade a nonexistent blow, he finally saw George’s figure quickly disappearing into the mist.
“More despicable than a goblin.”
Chamberlain muttered under his breath but did not pursue. Instead, he stood up, facing the direction in which George fled, slowly retreating, intending to reunite with his soldiers.
With a strong taste of iron in his mouth, he spat out a bloodied tooth. His guards finally arrived, calling,
“Sir, are you alright?”
Chamberlain reassured, “I’m fine.”
“Then I’m here!”
A shadow suddenly appeared from his left, a sword darting towards his face like a venomous snake. Chamberlain was startled, regaining his composure just in time to raise his shield to protect his face, while his hand with the Crimson Flame Sword was unhesitatingly thrusting backward.
The Shadow King Arcanis appeared just behind him, leaping into the air and dodging a strike, extending his hand as the pitch-black shadow blade slashed powerfully across Chamberlain’s throat.
Needless to say, Chamberlain’s sword weakened Arcanis’s offensive, and because he was too short, he had to jump.
The Shadow King disappeared with the shadows and reappeared ten meters away.
The arriving soldiers shielded Chamberlain.
“Tsk, tsk, impressive.” The Shadow King, wearing a black cloth mask, gripped his sword backward and landed like a black cat. He said, “Our own people have arrived, focusing on their own, still not letting their guard down.”
He enjoyed launching ambushes from the shadows and dealing finishing blows. Few people reacted to it, and even if they did, they would go all out to defend against shadow attacks. Human instinct worked that way; very few could overcome it. Thus, casualties due to the Shadow King’s combo were minimal.
“You despicable, cunning rogue. We’ve investigated you; you like to attack from behind, so I aimed for the back.”
“But you still got your throat cut.” The Shadow King held the shadow blade at eye level, a drop of blood tracing down its sharp edge. “Even mythril chainmail can’t withstand this blade; it’s also poisoned. Typically, those I cut tend to utter a hundred words. Think carefully about your last words.”
Chamberlain said nothing, holding a vial of medicine. He removed his deformed helmet, exposing a chainmail that was cut open at the neck, with a ring of iron around it. He took off the iron ring, showing a neck that had only suffered minor flesh wounds, slightly swollen, but the cut was so shallow that even without medicine, it wouldn’t be serious.
He still applied the medicine.
The Shadow King Arcanis stared at the iron ring on the ground, saying, “You really can survive anything. Why not become an iron tortoise?”
A soldier grew angry, cursing, “Little thief! Looking for death!”
He pretended to charge forward.
Chamberlain stopped him with one hand, “Follow my orders, don’t die for nothing.”
He then asked, “To be able to sneak into the labyrinth, besides the so-called boss, no one else can do it. So you really are a group.”
“Congratulations on guessing correctly. He’s my little brother, lurking in Shalin City, silently documenting the physiques of noble beauties and young girls. When I return in glory, driving away the great benefactor, I’ll open a ‘Forgiveness Brothel’ dedicated to serving slaves, beggars, and poor sailors. Your cousin’s pretty good, E cup, likely to become a star attraction.”
The soldiers glared at the Shadow King Arcanis, while Chamberlain remained unfazed, asking again:
“Are you here to steal the treasure?”
“It seems that’s what the original plan was.” The Shadow King revealed a bloodthirsty smile, “I want to slaughter you one by one.”
“Hmph, without finding the way to the main door, I’ll retreat and leave you to die in the labyrinth.” Chamberlain roared to the sky: “All units, prepare to retreat!”
George, behind a wall of trees, heard it all clearly.
He thought for a moment; it seemed that the illustrious boss hadn’t mentioned how to get out.
At this time, a small, slender figure ran toward him from afar. Due to the white mist, this unexpected guest lacked George’s ability to distort light and was hindered by visibility, not realizing George was there.
While running, the unexpected guest muttered angrily to herself:
“Teammate, actually leaving me behind. Ouch! Who is it?”
George caught her with one hand.
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Progress Update 4/15
