The old man writhed on the ground, his grotesque face contorting in a way that was almost comical. His swollen features, scrunched with both pain and fury, were enough to make Flavia let out a chuckle.
His knights, however, were a different matter. They just stood there, watching with unmoving silence. Even through their helts, I could tell they were in shock. If their faces were bare, I had no doubt their mouths would be hanging open.
The old man, shaking with rage, pointed a trembling, bony finger at , his forehead deeply creased with fury.
"You... you despicable mongrel!" he spat, his voice quivering with indignation. "You won’t have a painless end! I swear it!"
I widened my grin at his pathetic attempt at intimidation, causing the already stunned spectators to flinch. I must have looked downright demonic.
"Oh?" I mused, tilting my head mockingly. "I’d love to see you try."
Yeah, I was getting cocky. My bad luck was bound to catch up with later, but for now? I was going to enjoy this.
Suddenly—
"ENCHANT!"
A guttural roar erupted from the wreckage.
My grin faltered. I turned my head toward the sound, eyes narrowing.
Erging from the debris of the collapsed wall was the knight I had personally launched into oblivion.
He stood, completely unscathed.
Not a dent. Not a scratch. Nothing.
’What the actual fuck?’
I had not held back. That was a full-powered attack, with everything I had. And it didn’t even leave a mark?
The knight casually dusted himself off, his armored hand brushing away dirt and debris as if my attack had been nothing more than an inconvenience.
Then, he turned his head slightly, his helt angling toward his fellow knights.
They imdiately responded.
A collective roar of—
"ENCHANT!"
The mont the words left their lips, a thick black mist erupted from their bodies. It oozed out like smoke, most prominently pouring from the sockets of their helts, making them look like damned specters from the underworld.
The ground beneath them darkened, the energy pulsating in waves, growing heavier with every passing second.
There were ten of them.
And whatever that spell was—whether a buff, reinforcent, or an outright group enhancent—there was one clear conclusion.
We are so fucking screwed.
"Hahahahahaha!"
The old man’s laughter rang out, shrill and deranged. He practically cackled at my expression, his spit flying dangerously close to my face.
From the sidelines, Priscilla looked as if she was about to drop to her knees and beg for rcy.
’You know what, Priscilla? Go ahead. I wouldn’t even bla you at this point.’
But no.
I had made a promise.
And I don’t break my promises.
The conviction returned to in full force.
But first—
BAM!
With a sharp kick to his temple, the old man went silent.
His body hit the dirt, sprawled out like a discarded rag doll. A thin stream of blood trickled beneath his head, soaking into the earth.
’Welp. That soil’s ruined. His blood must be toxic for sure —asshole.’
But honestly? Not my problem.
With him dealt with, I turned my focus back to the knights.
I hunched slightly, adjusting my stance—
And in the next instant—
BAM!
I drove my foot straight into the torso of the closest knight.
A dull, tallic clang rang out upon impact—
But that was it.
The knight didn’t even flinch.
’...Yup. I’m fucked.’
Before I could react, his gauntleted hand snatched my arm in an iron grip.
Then—
SLAM!
My body crashed into the ground, pain exploding in my ribs.
SLAM!
Again.
And again.
The world blurred as I was rag-dolled around like a punching bag, my bones cracking under the force.
My ears buzzed with the awful crunch of breaking cartilage. My mouth filled with the bitter taste of blood.
I spit it out.
But before the knight could continue—
SWOOSH!
A spear and a sword struck simultaneously.
Ben’s spear, glowing with condensed white light, ca down like a divine strike—while Mael’s sword, wreathed in thin flickers of fla, clashed against the knight’s armor.
Sparks ignited.
The knight staggered.
But the rest of them?
They moved.
Slowly. thodically.
Like they had all the ti in the world.
’Wait a fucking minute.’
Was that it?
They were slow?
So why the hell were we fighting them head-on?
Before they could close the distance, a roaring blaze erupted between us.
A wall of fire, blistering and alive, stood between us and the knights. The scorching heat distorted the air, licking at their armor—
Yet they walked through it.
Their tal plates glowed red-hot, burning like molten lava.
But they kept moving.
Flavia gritted her teeth, sweat pouring down her face. Her complexion had paled, her breathing uneven.
She couldn’t sustain this forever.
I cursed under my breath.
"RUN!" I shouted.
Mael nodded instantly.
Without hesitation, I grabbed Priscilla in a princess carry—
And we bolted.
Ben took the lead, either guiding us through the town or just running in sheer panic. We didn’t care. We ran.
Through alleyways.
Around corners.
Past shops, pedestrians—
I even shoved a few people out of the way.
The town noticed.
Their gazes, sharp and hateful, followed us.
And then—
The infected moved.
First, deliberate and slow.
Then faster.
Their grotesque, twisted limbs reached for us, so coming close enough to graze our clothes.
"Ben! Take Priscilla!" I barked.
Without question, he grabbed her from .
And then—
I blurred.
One by one, the infected dropped.
Heads exploded.
Bodies crumpled.
Their black, pus-like blood sared the ground and covered . The putrid, rancid stench clogged my nose.
I swallowed the bile threatening to rise in my throat.
And I kept going.
By the ti I realized it, we had left the town.
I glanced up.
The black veil remained.
Still trapping us.
But if the old man was here...
That ant he lived within this veil.
A light bulb flickered in my mind.
’The castle must be inside the veil.’
But there was no ti to stop.
We kept running.
Our bodies were drenched in sweat, exhaustion gnawed at our limbs, our breaths ca out in ragged gasps—
But the townspeople had finally stopped chasing us.
Eventually, after what felt like hours, we stumbled upon sothing unexpected.
A pond.
Shaped like a crescent moon.
Its waters were still, undisturbed, transparent as crystal. Tiny ripples shimred under the dim light.
Small trees adorned the area, their delicate leaves swaying gently.
For the first ti since this shitstorm began—
We had found sothing... beautiful.
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