Chapter 295: A Moment's Hesitation

  The Temple Knights did not move, and neither did Sylka. The command Ethan had left him mentally was simply to prevent the Temple Knights from disturbing him, not to attack proactively. He just stared at the Temple Knights with lifeless eyes. In his vacant pupils, there was not a trace of killing intent or aura, yet it made the three Temple Knights feel like frogs before a snake.

  A strange silence fell over the cavern, broken only by the sound of Rodhart chewing. He was gnawing on the corpse of the Temple Knight. Although its exterior had been charred black by the fire elemental, the internal organs were still intact. Rodhart pried open the Radiant Battleplate and pulled out the still-steaming internal organs from inside, swallowing them in large mouthfuls. The charred muscle and skin on his body were shedding, and the gray muscles beneath, as if receiving energy from this food, writhed and slowly began to grow.

  The eyes of every Temple Knight were almost bulging with bloodshot veins, but they still did not move. Although the anger and agitation in their hearts were overwhelming, they were the most elite and seasoned of warriors, always knowing when to move and when not to.

  The effect of the Gravity Field had almost completely disappeared. The magical light on Moriel's body finally dissipated, and a groan came from her maw as a pair of dragon eyes, each the size of a human head, slowly opened.

  Ethan let out a long breath, released his hand, and turned around, looking coldly at the Temple Knights before him.

  The purpose of the passage under Valthor's bed was this place, Moriel's cavern. And Ethan's purpose in coming here this time was to give the hilt of The Black Star to Moriel, to have the strongest being on the continent protect it. But he had never imagined that he would see such a scene when he was suddenly pulled here by gravity.

  Although he didn't quite understand why Lancelot would lead the Temple Knights into Nighon, or how they had the ability to penetrate this deep to slay a dragon, he was certain that he could not, under any circumstances, let Moriel die.

  Looking at Ethan and the two inhuman beings, the faces of the Temple Knights turned cold. The strength of these three was indeed superior to their own, in their current wounded and exhausted state. And behind them, a pair of lantern-like yellow dragon eyes, though full of fatigue and lacking luster, held a boundless killing intent that made their hair stand on end.

  "Go!" A loud roar suddenly erupted from Lancelot's mouth.

  When the Gravity Field was active, Lancelot, at its center, could not move. But as the Gravity Field slowly weakened, he still did not move, even watching Ethan's back without making a move. Because he knew that once he moved, it had to be meaningful.

  But from the Battle Qi that had erupted when Ethan shattered the fire elemental, and from these two monsters exuding strange wisps of aura, he already knew that even if he attacked, it would be meaningless. This was no longer something they could handle, with their Battle Qi and strength mostly spent.

  Since he could not attack, he could only flee.

  But where to flee? The Temple Knights were all stunned. The passage outside had been collapsed by the Minotaur priest's magic scroll. Faintly, the noise and digging of the Drow could be heard from outside, but from the weakness of the sound, it was clear that the collapsed rocks could not be cleared away in a short time.

  "Go, to the upper cavern!" Lancelot roared. He had known the moment he saw Ethan fall that the three of them could not possibly have been ambushed here in advance, so his first action was to look up at the cavern wall, where he saw a passage. It was the place the three of them had fallen from. And now, it was their only way out.

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  The three Temple Knights hesitated for only a moment before immediately leaping onto the surrounding rock walls. With speed and agility far greater than apes, they climbed towards the opening in the ceiling. In the blink of an eye, they had reached the cavern.

  Ethan was stunned. With a thought, Sylka immediately crouched, dropping to all fours like an animal, and then sprang into the air.

  With a loud crash, the rocky ground shattered beneath his hands and feet. His massive body actually shot into the sky like a grasshopper, heading straight for the Temple Knights above.

  Lancelot moved at the same time. Although he was the one who ordered the Temple Knights to leave, he himself had not moved until Sylka jumped. Only then did he leap up.

  Without the heavy momentum of Sylka. But he was faster. A white light flared on his body again. The fighting spirit and power he had been accumulating during the Gravity Field now erupted all at once. Like a white arrow of light, he intercepted Sylka in mid-air. He knew the other party would never let them escape easily; there would surely be an interception.

  The moment Lancelot moved, Ethan moved as well. He also leaped, intercepting Lancelot in mid-air with a single slash of his blade.

  A sharp whistle came from the air parted by the blade, still as fierce as ever. But Lancelot, seeing the blade coming at him in mid-air, was stunned, more surprised than on guard, cautious, or vigilant.

  With a light clang, the long sword in Lancelot's hand met Ethan's blade, but the sound of their collision was not even as loud as the sound of the blades themselves cutting through the air. The figures of the two crossed in mid-air. Lancelot's figure was not hindered in the slightest and continued to thrust towards Sylka, while Ethan fell dejectedly to the ground.

  He landed without any injury, but he was somewhat surprised and hesitant. That sword strike had failed to hinder Lancelot at all. He knew it was his own mistake. It wasn't that Lancelot's strength was so much greater than his own now, but the difference in their level of mental experience.

  Although he himself held no hostility or killing intent towards Lancelot and the Temple Knights, from a rational standpoint, he knew it was best not to let them leave. The Temple Knights and Lancelot could certainly not be considered evil, but they could be considered enemies, or at the very least, opponents.

  Paladin Lancelot's reputation on the continent was beyond anyone's doubt or need for proof. And whether it was from Aunt El's words or his own brief interactions with him, Ethan truly found it difficult to generate any killing intent towards such a person. So, even when he struck, even though his power and speed were still present, there was no killing intent or aura.

  Killing intent and aura are the soul of an attack. An attack without killing intent and momentum is like a zombie without a soul or flexible reflexes. And his own strike was even hesitant. If it were any other opponent, Ethan's strike might have been equally effective, but Lancelot was absolutely not one of these "others." Therefore, Ethan's strike had no effect on him. With the changes brought by the loss of killing intent and aura, the long sword simply twisted lightly, and all the force and speed on the blade were neutralized and deflected. Meanwhile, the Battle Qi and aura on the sword were as steady as a mountain and as vast as the sea.

  Ethan was shocked. He had not expected that his own absent-minded strike would have such a result. The advantage had been obvious, which was why he had let his guard down, but the result of this laxity was completely beyond his expectation and control. Only now did he understand that although his strength had increased, his technique and experience were still far behind an opponent like Lancelot.

  On the battlefield, whether it is laxity or a misjudgment, a single instance is more than enough. His force was gone, his momentum spent. Even if he now had boundless killing intent, it was useless, let alone against a supreme expert whose own strength was already higher than his.

  The sword that had deflected him with pure technique was only half a foot from his body. If the Paladin's wrist just twitched, he would have absolutely no chance. For a moment, his consciousness grew hazy.

  But that sword, still full of momentum, only swept past his waist. It did not cut him in two.

  Perhaps Lancelot's target was still Sylka, and he felt that Ethan's life alone was not more important than those of his three subordinates. Or perhaps it was for some other reason. After neutralizing Ethan's strike, Lancelot's next sword only brushed past him.

  A sound like a sack full of air being burst, and black fluid and other small fragments scattered across the sky. Then Sylka's massive body fell heavily to the ground.

  Lancelot, who was in mid-air, let out a muffled groan. At the same time, a series of crisp sounds of bones breaking could be heard. He then used the momentum to surge upward, actually reaching the exit at the top of the cavern a step before the other three Temple Knights.

  Sylka climbed up from the ground. His right hand was broken, and a hole large enough for a person to crawl through was opened in his abdomen, giving a clear view of the scene behind him. Even a small portion of his spine was shattered, so he now seemed somewhat unsteady as he stood.

  Although with his current Battle Qi and strength, Lancelot could not unleash a Holy Light Cross Sword, his concentrated strike was still not comparable to those of the other Temple Knights. Sylka's original target was not him, and his consciousness had no concept of self-preservation, which was why he was struck down in a single blow. However, Lancelot also could not completely neutralize or deflect the force of Sylka's punch. Even through the Radiant Battleplate, that casual punch had shattered the arm holding his sword.

  The three Temple Knights leaped into the opening. Ethan knew that at this point, he could no longer stop them. Above was only a narrow passage.

  Ethan sighed softly. His objective this time was almost achieved, and he was almost completely free from this massive vortex of trouble. Let them be... Whether they live or die, stay or go, it has nothing to do with him anymore...