Battle Skill—Armored Back Defense!
At the same time, a guard who had lunged forward shone brightly. His body, like boiling magma, then erupted with a thunderous explosion.
The sound of the explosions was relentless. The splattered flesh, actually encased in magma, carried an immense force.
Every guard here was a mobile bomb, launching suicide attacks at Quincy.
Even with the warning and preparation, Quincy's defenses were on the verge of collapse under the ceaseless explosions.
Fear was evident in his eyes.
I... won't end up dying here, will I?
In the chaos of the explosions, a figure swiftly passed by.
Carl, wielding two broad swords, moved swiftly through the crowd. He swung his blades, and the light of the swords flashed, causing the guards to stiffen.
The next moment, BANG!
The bodies of the guards burst on the spot, but it wasn't fire that erupted—it was a shower of stone fragments.
The moment a broad sword struck a body, the guard began to petrify, turning into a stone statue in the blink of an eye.
BANG! With another horizontal swing of the broad sword, three guards in front were sent flying, turning into stone while still in mid-air. Upon landing, they became scattered rubble on the ground.
SWOOSH! Carl sheathed his swords, standing in the midst of the arena. The oncoming guards had all been slain by him.
"..." Quincy's expression stiffened. He twitched his mouth and let out a dry chuckle, "Nice swords!"
CLAP! CLAP! Susan clapped her hands lightly, "Carl is indeed formidable. These dungeon guards are no match for you. Great Knight Quincy isn't bad either."
Still, she couldn't resist a slight jab.
"Next up are three tough ones." Carl looked at Quincy, "Are you alright?" Latest content published on nοvelfire.net
"No problem!" Quincy stood tall, choking back the blood that was about to surge into his throat. "I'm fine!"
"You go rescue the others first. I will deal with them and join you later."
"...Alright." Carl glanced at him, gave a signal to Susan, and strode into a side passage.
They hadn't gone far when they heard roars from behind, and three Peak Knight-level auras collided with Quincy's.
Peak Knights were far inferior to Great Knights, but these three auras were almost identical, even merging into one.
They were relentlessly suppressing Quincy's aura.
However, their commotion had now alerted the dungeon guards. To prevent Conni from meeting with misfortune, they needed to find him quickly.
"This way!" Susan, who had previously investigated the dungeon and was concerned for her loved one, ran desperately at full speed.
Up ahead, the view suddenly brightened. Cages hung in mid-air came into view.
SWOOSH! Carl leapt from behind, soaring high, and struck at one of the cages with his broad sword.
CLANG... The moment the broad sword made contact with the cage, the fine iron bars petrified at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Then they shattered under the formidable impact.
BANG! The cage fell to the ground.
Rushing forward, Susan quickly helped the battered Conni out of the cage.
At this moment, Carl was already fighting the surrounding guards. His twin broad swords swung, and guard after guard fell to the ground.
"Conni!" Susan's eyes were brimming with tears, her voice choking, "Are you all right?"
"...Do I look like I'm fine to you?" Conni gasped for breath, struggling to let out a dry laugh. "Help rescue the old fellow nearby, too. He's a Holy Knight serving the Moon Goddess."
"His strength is not inferior to mine!"
HMPH! Susan snorted, "It seems you're not in too bad shape, still having the energy to worry about someone else."
But as she spoke, she still carefully set Conni down and lowered the other iron cage.
The Holy Knight inside the cage had white hair and was quite old, his legs crossed in an odd position.
Despite the severity of his wounds, his eyes were still bright and spirited.
"Thank you, young lady." His voice was hoarse. His gaze lingered on the swiftly moving Carl with a hint of surprise, "The Guardian Ring..."
"Susan," Conni struggled to raise his body. "How did you get in? What's the situation with the Island Master of Flame Island?"
"Of course, we barged in!" Susan rolled her eyes. "As for the Island Master here..."
"Don't worry. Miss Lula and Sea God Hawke have already gone over. Defeating him shouldn't be a problem."
"What?" Conni's face changed. "You're planning to use force?"
"Otherwise!" Susan shrugged. "Don't worry. Sea God Hawke is the top expert from Freedom Port, and with Miss Lula assisting, even if the Island Master's strength is formidable, he is unlikely to be a match for the two of them."
"Maybe he has already surrendered!"
"Impossible." Before Conni could speak, the Holy Knight beside him shook his head. "The Island Master's consciousness has been influenced by the power of the Evil God, twisted and altered; he cannot surrender to anyone else."
"Then he dies!" Susan's eyes darkened. "Killing the Island Master can solve the problem just as well."
"You don't understand. Even Hawke might not be a match for the Island Master now." Conni shook his head. "If that's the case..."
"The situation will only get worse!"
「Flame Island. Main Hall.」
At the entrance, two massive, fire-red stone lions stood erect, as if ready to leap out and demonstrate their majesty to the world at any moment.
Upon entering the hall, the first thing that struck the eye was the towering dome above, adorned with exquisite flame totems.
In the center of the great hall stood a large statue of flames.
The floor was covered with a red carpet. At its end, an armored figure sat before the statue.
Hawke and Lula entered the spacious hall side by side. Even for them, accustomed to grand sights, the scene before them was breathtaking.
"Respected Island Master," Lula bowed. "Lula from Freedom Port offers you the sincerest respect and wishes you good health."
"Hawke." Hawke bowed his head. "Hello, Island Master."
"No need for pleasantries. I know your purpose here." The armored Island Master slowly lifted his head, his voice deep. "Send one man and one woman to the island for sacrifice every day, and I will agree to let you pass through here to the Endless Sea Domain."
"And if you are not willing..." HMPH!
"If we are not willing, what can you do about it?" Hawke frowned.
"One man and one woman." The Island Master chuckled lowly. "You two are just right."