There was no time to think. Carl instinctively dodged to the side.
His foot tapped the ground lightly, yet he suddenly swept several feet diagonally, like an eagle skimming the earth.
Thanks to the blessing of the Divine Domain Fragment, within just a few days, he had mastered this Martial Art enough to apply it in real combat.
The dark figure, missing its strike, turned and lunged again, evidently not planning on letting this ’eyewitness’ escape.
The sound of the dagger tearing through the air aimed straight for the throat, causing Carl’s skin to tighten and his heart to pound intensely.
The seemingly light cane in Carl’s hand was actually made of metal, heavily striking the incoming dagger.
Huh? Knight Attendant!
Although the opponent was slightly inferior in strength, they were still of Knight Attendant Level.
The next instant, several cold glimmers appeared consecutively, the rapid, relentless stabs forcing Carl to keep retreating.
By the time he stopped, he was cornered into a dark alley.
The alley, at some point, had become cluttered with cobwebs. The ground was sticky with some viscous liquid that carried a strange odor.
Two dark figures slowly crawled out from behind, their greenish eyes especially sinister in the darkness.
Carl, who frequented the Black City and was accustomed to the dark environment, took in the entire scene in an instant, a chill running up the back of his neck.
Monsters? People or spiders?
Three six-armed, spider-like humanoids slowly encircled him.
Not far away on the ground lay another of these creatures, its body severed by a sharp blade, dead beyond dead.
Besides these, there was also a figure wrapped in spider silk.
The figure was enshrouded in silk, and the parts of clothing peeking out seemed somewhat familiar, as if seen somewhere before.
Before he could think further, the dark figure attacked again.
In terms of strength, the monster was inferior to Carl, but it had six arms, meaning it could attack more frequently and its attacks were harder to defend against.
In the darkness, a piercing white light suddenly burst forth.
The sudden brightness made the three monsters instinctively close their eyes. They let out shrill hisses, and even their movements halted.
It seemed they were even more averse to light than the people of the Black City.
Carl’s thoughts raced, but his movements did not pause for a second. He dashed out of the encirclement, his left hand swinging fiercely behind him.
A ball of fire emerged out of nowhere, charging toward the three monsters.
The fire formed a shockwave, encompassing the whole alley and rolling toward the three monsters.
Instantly, a burnt smell filled the air.
The monsters, seemingly extremely vulnerable to fire, let out agonizing screams as they curled up on the ground, rolling about, unable to mount any effective counterattack.
The cobwebs filling the alley furiously caught fire.
Huh? Carl raised an eyebrow, his left hand pressing down again.
Kick them when they’re down.
Waves of fire swept through, igniting fierce flames on the bodies of the three monsters, which struggled wildly on the ground.
In just a moment, silence fell. Their bodies turned into charred remains, and the alley’s cobwebs also vanished into nothing.
Carl stopped his movements, clicking his tongue. Spells are truly more elegant and dashing, with even stronger killing power. But what exactly are these things?
Judging by the speed and strength these monsters exhibited, even a peak-Level Knight Attendant might not stand a chance against them if they couldn’t use spells.
What’s more, one could not guarantee they didn’t have other means.
For example... spitting silk?
Carl carefully stepped forward, inspecting the corpses on the ground, and finally stopped in front of the cocoon wrapped in webs.
He picked up a dagger and sliced open the silk cocoon, revealing a familiar face.
Stroking his chin and seeing Dana’s eyelids twitch as if she were on the verge of waking, Carl smoothly leaped onto the wall.
Dana struggled to her feet, her eyes dazed as she looked around. Then, she slapped her own cheeks sharply twice.
It seemed she was trying to prove to herself that she wasn’t dreaming.
Hidden in the shadows, Carl’s mouth twitched slightly. This woman is harsh. She’s willing to smack herself with such force. It even looks painful.
He shook his head and left quietly.
"All patrol members, assemble!"
With her arm in a bandage, Dana’s face was stern. Her gaze swept over the crowd, and her voice suddenly rose, "Don’t slack off. Today we are going to eradicate an Evil God’s stronghold; danger could strike at any moment."
"Really?" someone asked, his face paling. Without asking why, he first tried to find a way out, "Can we not go?"
His stance drew nods of agreement from many others.
Everyone present had been raised in luxury, so their first reaction to danger was to flee.
Dana snorted coldly. "Don’t worry. This time, the overall command is under a bishop of the Church, with the Nightwatchers’ team in the lead. We and the police will assist from the sidelines."
"The bishop?" Carey asked with surprise. "Bishop Antonio?"
"Correct," Dana nodded. "It’s him."
This was the bishop of the Sigerno City district, a man whose status was comparable to that of a City Lord, and yet he would personally intervene.
Carl also showed a look of surprise.
Today’s action was likely related to Dana’s encounter yesterday. However, he hadn’t expected it to disturb a bishop; their last raid on the Firestealer’s stronghold hadn’t been this elaborate.
Bishop Antonio’s noble status meant that the Church’s Guardian Knights would also take action.
Those were official Knights!
Hmm... According to my senior, Hibell, the strength of an official Knight can compare with that of a fairly strong Intermediate Wizard Apprentice. An Advanced Wizard Apprentice, if they mastered one powerful witchcraft spell, could easily kill an official Knight. Even a Great Knight.
As for Wizards, such an existence could be compared to the most elite beings in human society: Legendary Knights. Of course, this is just a rough classification. The strength of Wizard Apprentices varies greatly, depending on the witchcraft they master, whether they possess Demonized Items, and other factors. Even among Intermediate Wizard Apprentices, some can easily kill a Knight, while others might not even match a Knight Attendant.
I wonder if the priests and bishops in the Dawn Church have any special methods. Could it just be their special status and the divine favor they receive? If that were the case, their ability to command Knights, or even Great Knights, would seem somewhat far-fetched.
"We’ll split into three groups."
Dana pointed casually. "You, you, and you guys, follow me. Let’s move out!"
Among those she pointed at were Carl and Carey.
Soon, the patrol personnel marched out in force, while Dana beckoned Carl over to her side.
After some thought, she hesitated and asked, "Did you encounter anything after you left the theater?"
"Encounter something?" Carl looked bewildered. "I left by carriage right after the show ended. What could I have encountered? Ma’am, where were you then?"
Dana shook her head and waved her hand. "It’s nothing. You may go."
She had merely asked casually and did not really believe that Carl could be the one who had saved her last night.
After all, Carl had only been a Knight Attendant for a short time.
Everyone gathered with the Church’s Nightwatchers and, on command, charged toward a certain courtyard in the south of the city.
First, they surrounded the courtyard, then nocked arrows to their bows.
Arrows fell like rain, their shafts tied with torches. Upon landing on the houses and thatched sheds, they immediately ignited fierce fires.
Clearly, the Church’s people also knew their target was afraid of fire.
Before the Fierce Flames, a priest holding a Bible stepped forward, his gaze devoutly looking towards the sky.
He then made several gestures in front of himself and murmured in a low voice, "Great Master of Dawn, your faithful believers beseech your blessing here."
A burst of white light suddenly emerged from within him, instantly covering the entire area. Carl, standing among the crowd, felt a warmth surge through his body, filling him with strength.
This is... witchcraft? No! It’s Divine Arts!