Chapter 128 - Heretics (2/2)
However, it was as if Gawain had long expected this; even before Viscount Andrew made a sound to warn him, he was already in a position to jump back. Before the shadow had rushed out, he had grabbed Pittman and jumped away from the platform. Sir Philip followed closely.
The shadow instantly missed, and before he could reform his posture, a shadow on the ground warped once again. A leg wearing ankle-length leather boots flew out and landed a kick on the back of this figure. “And I am in your shadows!”
The figure was abruptly kicked out of shadow state and fell from the platform in a miserable state, but he disintegrated with a bang into drifting ashes, then was wrapped in a wind, and rushed to the other end of the hall before re-condensing into an entity with unknown features draped in black robes.
Meanwhile Amber completely leaped out of the shadows and swiftly scurried behind Gawain.
Gawain looked at the figure dressed in black robes with a vague smile. “A mage insisting on running out to assassinate a knight wearing full armor instead of hiding in obscure corners or throwing lightning balls from afar. Is the Oblivion Association all full of fresh styles like yours?”
The person in black robes who failed in his sneak attack was unable to control his surprise. “You actually weren’t affected by the Sound of Truth?!”
“Sound of Truth? You’re referring to the magic you left on the door? The one that would cause the first person to open the door and enter to have his head full of noise?” Gawain asked curiously. “Ah, I indeed heard something. — Pity, just as I was about to chat with it, the sound vanished. Did I make it go crazy with one sentence?”
The figure seemed to sink into immense fury upon hearing Gawain. His hood swayed and a vicious curse came from the shadow. “Violating the law that all things will ultimately die, heretic who returned to the mortal world from the kingdom of the dead, you truly shouldn’t remain in this world!”
And as his words fell, everyone present heard a series of dense breaking and shattering sounds coming from outside the hall!
The windows of the meeting chamber were smashed with a rattle; the doors here and there were also crushed or sent flying by a powerful force. Thick branches and vines broke through all windows and doors and charged into this hall.
The vegetation that had torn into the hall tossed and turned on the ground, accompanied by creaks; they became distorted and deformed and then stood up like humans. — They were treants 1 over two meters tall. Moreover, it was entirely different from the treants that druids summoned in normal circumstances. — Their branches and leaves were deformed and rotten, with countless cuts cracked open on their surfaces and poisonous sap flowing out of the cuts which emitted a pungent stench.
Just like what was known to the world: When the druids of the Oblivion Association renounced their faith in life and nature, the power of ‘life’ disappeared from their spells.
These treants began to launch a fierce attack on Gawain and company.
“Their cores are in the balls of black rotten leaves!” Pittman swiftly threw out several magic seeds while shouting loudly, “Don’t let the poisonous sap splatter into your eyes!”
The magic seeds radiated a green brilliance upon landing on the ground. Then, under the acceleration of druid magic, they rapidly took root and grew into tough vines or brambles with thorns to restrain those treants that were sweeping in from all directions.
Gawain could not help but give Pittman a deep look; then he retracted his gaze and swung his longsword to hack off a treant’s arm.
Amber and Philip were also engaged in fighting those decomposed treants.
Amidst this chaotic and intense battle, Gawain’s attention was focused on that heretic cult believer in black robes throughout.
Other than releasing treants that he’d probably prepared long in advance into play, that black figure never truly participated in the battle even till now. He only looked on from afar, appearing to be silent and dark — yet he had been willing to strike.
Gawain Cecil instantly understood what was the matter. — This heretic cult believer knew about Gawain Cecil.
He knew who he was; he knew how reputed this ‘resurrected legend’ was. Although he spoke very arrogantly at the start, he was clearly timid — and slow to strike; perhaps it was because he really didn’t dare to.
Yet, he directed the treants to fight instead of fleeing in a haste. This showed that he had most likely guessed that ‘Gawain Cecil was in a phase of weakness after resurrecting’!
He was observing, judging specifically what power this ‘legend’ had after resurrection. This was undoubtedly taking a risk — and there should absolutely be something worth him taking this risk here.
Thoughts fleeted through Gawain’s mind. In a brief extent of two or three sword slashes, he had thought of a lot. Although he still didn’t know the exact channels with which this heretic cult believer had gotten information about himself, and how much he had understood or inferred; neither did he know what exactly the heretic cult believer sought to obtain from this place. It certainly did not stop him from setting up a trap to finish him off as soon as possible.
Within seconds of consideration, he thrust his sword into the magical power core of a treant. However, when he was pulling the sword out, he intentionally made his hand tremble for a moment, appearing as if his strength had suddenly dropped.