"We’re going to die anyway, might as well go down fighting!"
The once dissipated fighting spirit rose again. They set down their pickaxes and gripped their weapons tightly.
A piercing clash of metal sounded.
Carl stepped forward and cleaved with rage. His broad sword, carrying immense force, descended from above, knocking aside the curved blade to rest at Matthew’s neck.
The blade swept across.
Jacqueline burst into laughter, looking up to the sky, "Knight!"
"Carl, you actually managed to kill a Knight! No matter what happens today, I’m with you now."
Carl was completely encased in armor, including his face, so no one could see his expression. He casually flicked the blood from his blade.
He rushed forward, his sword cutting down two resisting soldiers in his path as he charged towards the upper levels.
Approaching footsteps sounded from ahead.
The silhouettes of two city guard soldiers could be faintly seen.
Carl raised his hand.
A streak of light materialized, shooting towards the charging city guard soldiers like an arrow, piercing through them.
Arcane Missiles were not as powerful as the Fire Brand, but they could be cast quickly, had a long range, and were difficult to detect, especially in this subterranean environment.
The key was, they consumed very little spiritual power.
As an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice, Carl could easily kill unarmored soldiers with Arcane Missiles.
Armored soldiers, on the other hand, would face his Fire Brands.
With witchcraft for long-range attacks and Battle Skills for close quarters, the armored Carl led the charge out of the secret passage.
Jacqueline looked surprised, "Why are there so few people?"
Carl’s strength was unexpectedly formidable, but along the way, they had not encountered any serious interception, as if the city guard had collectively resigned.
Even if the guards were negligent, it wouldn’t be to this extent.
Just as the group was bewildered, a figure fell from above, twitching for a moment before life left it upon hitting the ground.
"One of the city guard?"
Deng Pulu looked up, his ears twitching as he heard the shouts and sounds of fighting from above. Surprise showed on his face, "There are others rebelling too!"
Jacqueline’s spirit perked up, "This is our opportunity! We charge!"
"I’ve said it before: oppression will inevitably lead to resistance," Mengde said with a smile. "It seems I was right!"
More than a dozen bodies lay on the ground.
There were city guard soldiers in armor, as well as raggedly dressed miners.
Two figures collided in mid-air.
Although there were only two of them, they exuded the formidable aura of a thousand-man battlefield.
The middle-aged man wearing battered armor held a Longsword, his expression stern as he stared directly at his opponent, Barnard.
As he uttered two syllables infused with a sacred breath, a gentle white light blossomed from him, dispersing the sinister aura enveloping the surroundings.
The gloomy underground passage was suddenly bright as day.
Barnard gritted his teeth, "The goddess you protect has long since fallen!"
With a roar, the life force within him instantly boiled, like a volcano about to erupt.
This caused his body to slightly swell, as if he had grown larger, and a strange blood-red secretion appeared on the surface of his skin.
Mighty strength gushed from within his body, traveling through his sinews and muscles, and into the Longsword in his hands.
An invisible aura emerged.
To the perception of others, Barnard was like a flaming human torch, every move radiating with terrifying force.
Knights cultivate a Life Seed within their bodies. Upon reaching a certain level, they can unleash Battle Aura.
Battle Aura is formless and intangible, yet possesses astonishing destructive power.
Holy Light clashed with Battle Aura.
One, like a devout soul, radiated pure Spirit Light; its Longsword pierced the gloom, bringing hope.
The other symbolized pure destruction, its formidable presence filling the entire area, causing the ground around to tremble.
At the moment of their collision, the nearby combatants felt a chill run down their spines. They involuntarily stopped their actions, instinctively wanting to retreat.
The grating sounds of their clash echoed through the passage. For a moment, only the interweaving shadows of swords could be seen, not the figures themselves.
In a nearby corner, a child named Rein watched with concern, "Uncle Russell!"
A man grabbed Rein and pulled him back, saying, "A Holy Knight knows no fear. Mr. Russell will win. He promised to take us away, so he’ll definitely do it."
Before he could finish speaking, the two combatants in the center suddenly broke apart. The Holy Knight Russell was thrown back more than ten meters, tumbling.
"What a Holy Knight," Barnard looked down at the sword mark on his chest, a hint of fear appearing on his face as he said, "If you were at full strength, I definitely wouldn’t be your match, but it’s a pity..."
He leapt up, brandishing his sword fiercely.
Russell rolled to block, coughing up blood intermittently.
He had once been a powerful Knight. However, due to severe injuries, every action he took now consumed his life force.
He could handle ordinary opponents, but that was far from enough to deal with a fully-fledged Knight wielding Battle Aura.
Holy Sword Skill! His mind focused; pure faith allowed him to instantly suppress all distracting thoughts, guiding his body to swing the sword and defend.
A Holy Knight would not admit defeat, even in death. They were fearless, able to bravely wield their swords even when facing certain death.
Barnard roared furiously, his practiced Orca Swordsmanship wide and forceful, each strike bringing with it a whistling Battle Aura.