Chapter 69: Heal The Dragon (Part 3)

The Temple Knights did not move. Neither did Hilika. The mental command Asa had given him was simple: prevent the knights from disturbing him, not to attack proactively. And so, he stood there, his vacant eyes fixed upon them. His pupils were dull, devoid of any killing intent or imposing aura, yet the three Temple Knights felt a suffocating pressure—as if they were frogs frozen before a serpent.

The cavern was deathly silent, except the grotesque sound of chewing. Rodhart was devouring the corpse of the fallen Temple Knight. Though the body had been charred black by the fire elemental, the internal organs remained untouched. Rodhart pried open the knight's Glory Armor, reached inside, and pulled out the steaming entrails, shoving them into his mouth with frenzied hunger.

As he fed, the scorched flesh on his body peeled away, revealing the gray sinew beneath. The newly exposed muscles writhed and pulsed, seemingly absorbing energy from the consumed organs, slowly regenerating.

The Temple Knights' eyes were bloodshot with rage, veins bulging as they fought to contain their fury. Yet they did not move. No matter how much their emotions burned, they were elite warriors—seasoned veterans who always knew when to act and when not to.

The gravity field had all but faded. The magical glow over Moriel's body finally dissipated. A low groan rumbled from the dragon's maw as her massive, human-head-sized eyes slowly opened.

Asa exhaled deeply. He released his hand from the dragon's body, turned around, and coldly met the gazes of the Temple Knights.

The tunnel beneath Shante's bedchamber led directly here—Moriel's cavern. Asa's purpose in coming had been simple: to deliver the hilt of Black Star into Moriel's care, entrusting the continent's strongest being with its protection. Yet never in his wildest thoughts had he expected to be dragged into this battlefield by an unseen force of gravity, only to witness such a grim scene upon arrival.

He didn't fully understand why Lancelote had brought the Temple Knights into Nigen, nor how they had managed to penetrate this far into its depths to slay a dragon. But there was one truth he knew beyond doubt—he could not let Moriel die.

Asa's sharp gaze swept over the Temple Knights, their faces growing paler by the second. The realization was clear in their eyes—these three before them were stronger than their battered, exhausted squad.

And then there was Moriel. Though her massive, lantern-like golden eyes were dull and weary, the sheer, boundless killing intent swirling within them was enough to make their hairs stand on end.

A sudden, thunderous voice shattered the standoff.

"Retreat!"

Lancelote's command rang through the cavern like a war horn.

Trapped at the very heart of the gravity field, he had been immobilized when it first activated. But as the field gradually weakened, he remained still—even when Asa had turned his back to him. Because Lancelote understood one thing with absolute clarity: If he moved, it had to mean something.

And after witnessing Asa's explosive burst of fight spirit, the inhuman monsters beside him, and the overwhelming odds stacked against them, he knew that any attack he launched now would be utterly meaningless. This was no longer a battle they could win.

If fighting was futile, then there was only one option left. Escape.

Lancelote's command was clear, but for a brief moment, the Temple Knights hesitated. Where could they flee? The outer passage had already collapsed—courtesy of the Minotaur Priest's magic scroll. Faint echoes of shouting dark elves could be heard beyond the rubble as they attempted to clear the debris. Yet, from how muffled their voices sounded, it was clear—that path wouldn't be opened anytime soon.

"The upper tunnel!" Lancelote bellowed. From the moment Asa had plummeted into this cavern, Lancelote had known—these three had not been waiting in ambush. That meant they had fallen from somewhere above.

His gaze snapped upward, locking onto an opening in the cave ceiling. That was their way out. The remaining Temple Knights only hesitated for a fraction of a second before launching themselves toward the rocky walls. Agile as mountain beasts, they scrambled up the jagged stone, their movements even swifter than wild apes. In mere moments, they were already nearing the tunnel's edge.

Asa's eyes flickered—just the smallest movement of his thoughts was enough.

Move.

Immediately, Hilika responded. His massive form crouched low, limbs spreading wide like a beast preparing to pounce.

Then—

Boom!

The ground beneath his hands and feet shattered into a spiderweb of cracks. With an earth-shaking force, the hulking figure exploded upward—soaring through the air like a giant locust, straight toward the fleeing knights.

At the same time, Lancelote moved as well.

Although he had ordered the temple knights to retreat, he himself had remained still—until the moment Hilika leaped. Only then did he spring into action.

Unlike Hilika's thunderous momentum, Lancelote's speed was even faster. A brilliant white radiance erupted from his body, the fight spirit and strength he had been accumulating within the gravity field finally bursting forth all at once. Like a white arrow of light, he shot through the air, intercepting Hilika mid-flight. He had anticipated that the enemy would never allow them to escape easily—there would inevitably be pursuit.

As soon as Lancelote moved, Asa reacted as well. He leaped up, slashing through the air to intercept Lancelote.

A sharp whistling sound tore through the air as the blade cut forward, just as swift and deadly as ever. However, upon seeing this airborne strike, Lancelote was momentarily surprised—more intrigued than wary or cautious.

With a crisp metallic clang, Lancelote's longsword met Asa's blade. Yet, the impact was so light that it barely made a sound—so faint that even the air's resistance as their weapons sliced through it had been louder.

In that instant, the two figures crossed paths in midair. Lancelote's momentum remained completely unaffected as he continued his thrust toward Hilika, while Asa, having failed to halt him, fell back to the ground in frustration.

Asa landed without a scratch, but he was filled with surprise and hesitation. His previous strike had done nothing to hinder Lancelote. He realized this was his own mistake—not because Lancelote was overwhelmingly stronger than him, but because of the difference in their mental composure and battle experience.

Although Asa himself bore no deep-seated hostility or intent to kill Lancelote and the temple knights, rationally, he knew it was best not to let them escape. The temple knights and Lancelote might not be evil, but they were still enemies—or at the very least, opponents.

Lancelote's reputation as a temple knight on the continent was beyond question. From what Asa had heard from Grandma Ail, as well as his brief interactions with the man, he found it difficult to summon any true killing intent toward him. So even though he had attacked, even though his strength and speed remained, his strike lacked both killing intent and momentum.

Killing intent and momentum were the soul of an attack. Without them, an attack was like a lifeless, unresponsive corpse. And worse yet, his strike had been hesitant. Against most opponents, Asa's attack might have still been effective—but Lancelote was not "most opponents." That was why his strike had no impact. Devoid of the variations and force that came with true killing intent, his blade was effortlessly neutralized. With just a slight twist of Lancelote's sword, all the power and speed behind Asa's strike were dissolved and redirected. Meanwhile, the aura of fight spirit emanating from Lancelote's blade remained as steady as a mountain and as vast as the sea.

Asa was stunned. He hadn't expected that his half-hearted attack would lead to such an outcome. The advantage had been overwhelmingly in his favor, so he had let his guard down. But the consequences of that momentary lapse were completely beyond his expectations and control. Only now did he truly understand that, despite his growth in strength, he was still far too lacking in technique and experience compared to an opponent like Lancelote.

On the battlefield, whether it was complacency or a misjudgment, even a single mistake was enough to seal one's fate. His strength had been neutralized, his momentum completely lost. Even if he could now summon an overwhelming killing intent, it would be meaningless—especially when his opponent was a top-tier warrior whose natural abilities already surpassed his own.

The sword that had effortlessly deflected his attack was now only half a foot from his body. A mere flick of Lancelote's wrist would leave him with no chance at survival. In that instant, Asa's mind wavered, and his awareness grew hazy.

But that sword, still radiating immense power, merely grazed past his waist instead of cutting him in two.

Perhaps Lancelote's true target had always been Hilika. Perhaps he didn't consider Asa's life to be more important than those of his three subordinates. Or perhaps there was some other reason. But after effortlessly deflecting Asa's strike, Lancelote's sword did not finish him off—instead, he passed by him.

A sound like a swollen airbag bursting filled the air. Black fluid and small fragments sprayed in all directions. And then, Hilika's massive body came crashing heavily to the ground.

Lancelote let out a muffled groan in midair, accompanied by a crisp series of bone-cracking sounds. Yet, using the momentum from the clash, he propelled himself upward and, astonishingly, reached the cave exit even before the other three temple knights.

Hilika struggled to his feet. His right arm had been severed, and a massive hole had been torn through his abdomen—large enough for a person to crawl through, offering a clear view of the space behind him. Even his spine had been partially shattered, causing him to stand unsteadily.

Although Lancelote could no longer unleash the Holy Light Cross Sword due to his depleted energy and strength, his concentrated strike was still far superior to anything the other temple knights could muster. Hilika had not originally targeted Lancelote, nor did he possess any instinct for self-preservation, which was why he had been struck down by a single blow. However, even Lancelote could not fully absorb the force of Hilika's punch. Despite his Glory Armor, the impact had shattered the arm holding his sword, leaving it in utter ruin.

The three temple knights swiftly disappeared into the cave entrance. Asa knew that, at this point, there was no way to stop them. The passage above was narrow—too confined for a proper chase.

He let out a quiet sigh. His goal had almost been achieved, and he was nearly free from this vast entanglement of conflicts. Let them be… Whether they lived or died, whether they stayed or left, it no longer had anything to do with him.