“What’s going on?!”
At Larryan’s command, the Knights immediately went into battle readiness, prepared at any moment to face the possible enemies.
Yet no enemy appeared with the tremors; the Knights’ vigilance was met only with empty air and increasingly violent shaking.
“What exactly is happening?!”
Larryan’s urgent voice rang out, but no one present could answer her.
Colin stared at the trembling ground and the swaying ceiling, his expression extremely grave. He had even considered having Liamie and the others return to the surface first.
But that thought vanished as soon as Liamie gently tugged his hand.
Colin turned his head to look. Though Liamie’s face was tense, she stayed steadfastly by his side, not moving an inch.
Seeing this, Colin wanted to sigh but held it back. In the end, he could only offer a helpless smile.
Then, he turned away and drew the Sword of the Sanctuary, ready to lead everyone alongside the Knights to face whatever battle might come next.
Larryan had also intended to order Colin and the others to leave first, but upon seeing their determined expressions, she understood. She abandoned that idea, put her helmet back on, and drew her own sword, preparing for a grand battle.
As another tremor subsided, a large mass of shadows appeared at the entrance they had just come through.
Looking closely, there were not only the previously seen “Qingtong” armored soldiers but also some enemies Colin and his group had never encountered.
Some wore iron cages over their heads—strange humanoid figures. Judging by the several arms extending from their tattered cloaks, even if they were once human, that was long ago.
A smaller group consisted of beautiful women. Though their faces were covered by masks, the exposed parts showed undeniable beauty, something utterly out of place here.
Their strange attire and stunning appearance resembled those of some secret coven of witches, proclaiming their identity: a group of ancient female mages, and powerful ones at that.
From the moment Colin laid eyes on them, he sensed they were more than just pretty faces. To find such young and beautiful women in this labyrinth, which had existed for countless years, could only mean they were extraordinary.
Moreover, even the “Qingtong” armored soldiers and iron-caged figures moved sluggishly, while these women were agile and lively. Clearly, they were the highest priority targets that must be dealt with first.
Though Colin and most others present thought so, those ancient mages all hid at the very rear of the enemy formation, deliberately staying behind some tall “Qingtong” armored soldiers. It seemed impossible to eliminate the mages without first dealing with the “Qingtong” soldiers.
But there was a problem: many “Qingtong” armored soldiers filled this chamber alone, not counting those still outside. Judging by this, it seemed they would have to clear all other enemies before confronting the ancient mages.
No matter how grim the situation, the Knights would never back down.
As the first wave of enemies drew near, Larryan gave the order, and the Knights charged forward, instantly shredding the foes who hadn’t even begun to attack into bloody pulp.
Some enemies tried to launch ranged attacks but were pierced through the brain by speeding arrows; others were precisely struck by twin blades emerging from the shadows; some were swallowed whole by serpentine flames erupting beneath their feet.
Soon, the first wave was easily wiped out. But no one rejoiced because the second wave surged forward mere seconds later.
The freshly exhausted Paladins had no choice but to swing their blades again, cutting down enemies anew.
Colin furiously swung the Sword of the Sanctuary amidst the chaos, chopping enemy after enemy into pieces.
Yet even so, the third wave came rushing in seconds later.
Looking at the endless mass of shadows at the entrance, Liamie felt a flicker of despair. She even began to wonder if those black shadows symbolizing the enemy were infinite.
Still, she did not give in and drop her dagger; she continued her assassinations, helping share the pressure on the Knights.
No matter how much she helped, the fourth wave arrived as expected.
This time, a few ancient mages slipped into the enemy tide, occasionally casting ancient spells. Some Paladins who failed to react in time were blasted away.
Though the Paladins quickly recovered and returned to the line, the battle became even harder.
Seeing this, the ancient mages intensified their magic. Unaware, however, that a pair of daggers had emerged from the shadows behind one of them.
Before she could react, Liamie slashed her throat clean through, the force strong enough to decapitate her.
Unlike the “Qingtong” armored soldiers, these ancient mages wore no defensive gear. Liamie only needed to wait for the right moment to kill them easily.
But ever since that first successful assassination, Liamie hadn’t found another such opening.
Seeing their comrades’ fate, the ancient mages all calmed down, no longer casting revealing powerful spells but resorting to small magic harassment to maintain their position.
Liamie tried to strike several times but was either dodged or blocked by their magical barriers, causing only minor, non-lethal wounds. Killing them quickly became impossible.
Amidst this, the fifth wave arrived.
Even before the Paladins had fully dealt with the fourth wave, the fifth had appeared in full force. It included more ancient mages, stronger “Qingtong” armored soldiers, and strange iron-caged humanoids.
The already fragile frontline began to waver, and if this continued, they might be overwhelmed.
After slaying another enemy, Larryan looked at the scene before her and quickly came to a realization.
She knew this couldn’t continue. Though she carried the Bloomstone Pearl given by Sifney, a single small pearl couldn’t safely teleport everyone back to the surface. Only a few could be sent away, and Larryan had already decided on those few from the start.
Though that meant abandoning their resolve, Larryan would rather see them survive than die with her here.
Thus, Larryan wove through the enemy tide like a ghost, swiftly finding Colin in the same desperate state.
Seeing Larryan fight her way to his side, Colin immediately understood her intent.
But he refused—not for some trivial resolve, but because he would never abandon his comrades to flee alone.
It was unthinkable for him to watch the master who raised him and the brothers who had fought beside him all perish in this cold underground, while he alone lived a miserable life under the warm sunlight above!