Chapter 169: Leaving (Part 2)

  Ethan did not move, watching the two Templars as he quietly listened to the sounds outside the window and in the corridor. Compared to rashly bursting out, it seemed better to catch a slight breath. He gently touched the bracer on his hand, and his body was immediately enveloped in a green light.

  The bracer was something he had picked up from the remains of a group of adventurers when he was in the Sanderfirth Mountains. At that time, he had only judged from the magical fluctuations on it that this item was of extraordinary value, but it wasn't until after asking Sedros that he knew this was surprisingly a top-tier magic item. On the bracer, an extremely intricate magic array was arranged using high-level magic items, including Magical Jade, which could store two spells and release them instantly when needed. Although, due to the difficulty of control, it generally couldn't store offensive spells, supportive or healing spells were still possible.

  However, Ethan had never used this item before. First, because he was not accustomed to using such magic items, and second, because he really didn't know what spells to infuse. In all of Oufu, only he and Sedros could use magic, and neither of them was deeply accomplished in healing and support. So, this time in the Tulalion Forest, he had conveniently asked Elder Lloyd to store two Healing Spells from nature magic.

  Now, this decision seemed exceptionally wise. The effect of nature magic in healing physical trauma was even greater than that of white magic, especially since these two spells were cast by Elder Lloyd while holding the Leaves of the World Tree. The endlessly life-giving magic power emitted from the bracer spread to his entire body in an instant. The broken bones in his chest slowly healed, and although the arm he had nearly broken with his own punch could not fully recover, the heart-wrenching, stabbing pain had greatly eased. At least it would no longer hinder his body's movements.

  Ethan still did not move. These two old Templars were certainly not his opponents, but this did not mean he could easily break through their encirclement. These veterans who had rolled on the battlefield for a lifetime, even if their combat power was a bit lacking, the gap made up for by experience and judgment made them absolutely the most troublesome opponents. He was not in a panic. The magic thorns in the room were still growing continuously. Based on the positions of the three people and the growth trend of the thorns, in another two or three seconds, the two Templars would be the first to be touched by these thorns. Whether these two retreated or hacked at them with their swords, that would be his chance.

  But just at this moment, the cluster of thorns, which had been about to fill the entire room, quickly withered. Disappearing at a speed almost as fast as they had appeared, it revealed the doorway they had originally blocked. At some unknown time, the doorway was already full of priests. The Purification spell, cast jointly by more than ten priests, had forcibly dispelled these magic thorns.

  The commotion outside the window grew louder and louder. The orderly sound of formations being assembled could already be heard, mixed with the wind, rain, and thunder. The experience and judgment of these two old Templars were indeed profoundly seasoned, and the quality of these church guards was truly extraordinary. They had already set up their formations outside the window so quickly. The space between the room and the hallway was too small, and those gathered here were all experts. The guards gathered below the window outside, though not first-class in skill, could be told from the sound alone to number no less than a hundred. If he dared to jump directly down, it would be no different from throwing himself onto blades and swords.

  Talise was right in front of these priests at the doorway, a fine steel longsword already in her hand. Her Radiant Battleplate was already enveloped in the white light of the Divine Aegis of the Heavens. Those originally heroic phoenix eyes looking at Ethan were now filled with bloodshot threads, and the twisting of the muscles on her face actually made her look somewhat ferocious. Undoubtedly, she had already blamed Ethan for everything that had happened here. And it wasn't just her; the gaze of everyone present seemed to wish they could bite a piece of flesh off Ethan's body with their eyes alone.

  But such gazes were not frightening. What was frightening was having such a gaze while still maintaining, at least in action, calmness and coordination, without the slightest impulse, doing everything in the most reasonable way to shrink the encirclement step by step.

  All of this was undoubtedly the arrangement and command of the two old Templars. There was not the slightest expression on their faces, they didn't even glance at Eschol's corpse on the ground again. All their spirit was already focused on Ethan. Because they all understood what kind of opponent they were facing.

  Ethan sighed inwardly. He somewhat regretted not wearing a mask. But with his face, which was already all too familiar to everyone, every person who saw him was undoubtedly shocked and afraid, and thus also extremely wary, not daring to have the slightest slackening.

  Ethan felt a headache just looking at the more than ten priests outside the door. Even if only half of them could use attack spells like Light Arrow, or even if just one of them could use Paralysis Spell, even if it required half a day of chanting prayers and half a day of gestures to cast one, it would be enough for the two old Templars to capture him without any suspense. Moreover, his own not-so-profound Necromancy, no matter how it was used, the purification and anti-magic spells of these priests, who were already on high alert, would immediately pour over him like ice water on his head.

  Since they could hold clerical positions in Erathia's largest St. Peter's Basilica, the standard of these priests would certainly not be low. And the combat experience of Erathia's priests was said to be the best among the religious nations. These were all white magic mages who had rolled on battlefields, and their overall combat strength might even be greater than that of the Cardinal they encountered in the Tulalion Forest. Without Sedros's superb casting art, Ethan himself knew there was no hope in a direct magical confrontation with so many priests.

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  Not to mention Talise. Ethan had to admit that even she alone, with him currently injured and empty-handed, would be quite difficult for him to handle. The dagger was not far away, on Eschol's corpse, but he did not dare to retrieve it. The people around him would never give him this opportunity or free time.

  The priests' chanting began. The light of supportive white magic continuously lit up on the bodies of the two Templars and Talise.

  Ethan knew he could not wait any longer. If he let these priests finish casting all their prepared spells, what would follow would absolutely be a perfectly coordinated, overwhelming attack.

  He had to move now. But how to move? Where to move? Would these people, watching him like tigers, let him move? But if he didn't move again, and waited for the other side to move first, it would be too late for him to move then.

  At the same time, another deafening thunderclap exploded outside the window. Everyone present felt their eardrums twitching, their skin vibrating, and even their spirits were shaken unsteadily by this one sound. But it was not the sound of thunder, but Ethan's roar, which rose along with the thunder.

  "Fine, you forced me into this. Go to hell."

  The white glow of Battle Qi and the black ripples of magic power surged wildly from Ethan's body like an angry tide, instantly filling every inch of the room.

  Talise, the two Templars, the priests outside the door. Everyone's eyes constricted. Whether it was the visible Battle Qi or the magic power that could actually overflow from the body, both were realms that only one in a hundred thousand top-tier warriors or great mages could achieve. And now this young man, who looked to be only in his early twenties, was actually able to unleash such a display.

  It wasn't just the display, more importantly, there was the aura. The exposed skin of everyone present unconsciously broke out in goosebumps. This was killing intent, and it was a beast-like killing intent, a violent killing intent that killed for the sake of killing, and used killing to stop killing.

  Most importantly, everyone had been stunned from the first moment they saw this person. Lord Eschol was already decapitated. In this terrible news that should have driven them mad, they had not panicked. Some were because of their spiritual cultivation and combat discipline, but the most important reason was that their spirits had already been seized by the person before them. This was the continent's most wanted fugitive, who had assassinated Bishop Ronis and Duke Mrak. The most infamous assassin, the most venomous killer, the demonic legend from the darkness.

  So when they saw this immense aura and display again, their spirits instantly tensed to the limit, like facing a volcano about to erupt, a hurricane and tsunami about to strike them in the face.

  "Everyone, be careful, this guy is going all out," Talise shouted, the Divine Aegis shield in her hand already activated. For a Temple Knight to activate this final life-saving measure before even making a move against an enemy was absolutely unprecedented.

  The two Templars bent their bodies slightly back, their swords held horizontally in front. The chanting continued unabated. Various protective spells from the priests instantly lit up on each person's body, and two or three priests were jointly preparing a dispel magic spell. From the fact that these priests were not at all panicked at this time and still acted with measure, one could see their extraordinary combat experience and psychological quality.

  Ethan raised his fist, the light of Battle Qi shining on it. Everyone's gaze converged on this fist. He suddenly threw a punch.

  The fist did not strike anyone, but struck the ground beneath his feet, or rather, the floor. With an extremely muffled sound, the floor beneath Ethan's feet shattered. He too fell down.

  The floor was made of the finest, solid nanmu wood, specially treated. Apart from its weight, its hardness and toughness were no different from rock. But with this punch, this floor shattered like a brittle biscuit, and only the small patch under Ethan's feet shattered, with no cracks in other places. The other people in the room didn't even feel a tremor.

  Talise and the priests outside the door were stunned. For a moment, they could not comprehend why this earth-shattering counterattack would have such a result. It wasn't until the next moment that they realized what was happening.

  The two Templars were the first to react. They were dazed for only a brief instant, and almost at the same time, they both pounced towards the broken hole. But just as they pounced, a dark green fireball suddenly shot up from the hole. A thick stench of corpses instantly filled everyone's nostrils.

  "Be careful!" Talise's voice, under the terror, turned into a scream like that of an ordinary woman. She remembered very clearly how such a fireball in the Tulalion Forest had nearly wiped them all out.

  The fireball was not extremely fast. The reactions and agility of the two old Templars were still as sharp as a young man's, and they did not collide with this strange fireball. And it seemed they didn't even need the reminder from the Temple Knight. The moment they saw this strange fireball, they darted out the window like two frightened rabbits.

  This fireball was clearly much smaller than the one in Tulalion, and the magic power within it was far less dense and viscous. The fireball continued to fly upwards, hit the ceiling, and exploded. The explosion was not violent, but the highly toxic, corrosive flames still spread towards every corner of the room, overwhelming everything.

  The dispel magic spell that a few priests had just prepared was also cast at the same time as the fireball exploded. The white holy light, like hot water on snow and ice, eliminated more than half of the newly exploded blue-green flames. Although the remaining flames were still incredibly lethal, Talise happened to be standing at the doorway, holding up the divine shield in her hand to block herself and the priests behind her.

  The remaining blue-green flames burned in other parts of the room, making a 'sizzling' sound and producing blue-green vapor, just like molten iron poured onto ice. Even the corpse of Archbishop Eschol on the ground was melted into a shapeless slag in the flames.

  The priests' Purification spells were continuously cast into the room, which had almost rotted in the blink of an eye. Talise put away her Divine Aegis shield and jumped down into the broken hole in the floor, but there was no one below.

  The bells of the cathedral's bell tower began to toll. The loud and hurried sound of the bells spread throughout the entire royal city in the wind and rain. And at this very moment, a figure staggered out of the cathedral's entrance, tripped and fell into the rainy ground, then immediately struggled to his feet, and ran out crookedly but swiftly in the wind and rain.

  The bells rang behind him. Ethan vaguely knew that he had indeed run out of the cathedral. He could only run in the estimated direction, away from the cathedral. He had no time to think about the route or how to escape. All his thoughts could do was barely maintain his ability to not run into a wall. He now felt he was not much better than a blind fly.

  Using meditation techniques, he had forced out all the originally not-so-abundant Battle Qi and magic power in one go. The display was certainly astonishing, but at the same time, his body could not take it. He had barely managed to punch through the floor with one blow, and then supplemented it with a fireball upwards. This had already consumed almost all of his Battle Qi and magic power.

  Directly below Eschol's room happened to be a side hall of the cathedral. Almost everyone in the church had already gathered upstairs and under the windows behind the church. The front was, conversely, completely empty. After throwing the fireball, Ethan immediately turned and ran towards the cathedral's entrance.

  Just as he ran out of the cathedral's entrance, he suddenly felt something explode in his brain, and all his consciousness was shaken into a daze by this explosion. His last bit of clear consciousness knew that this was the magic power Eschol had left in his brain.