Chapter 67

Gordon now relied on the shield in the crystal to play a crucial role. As for whether reinforcements from the Dawn Temple could be summoned, he didn’t hold much hope. The castle was now located in an independent sub-plane, and there were countless teleportation spells. Gordon didn’t know if the teleportation spell in the amethyst could work in this inter-plane situation.

*Bang!*

A dull explosion echoed in the room. The black knight’s corpse suddenly shattered into countless pieces, splattering blood and dark energy, which exploded outward.

The room was instantly filled with red flesh and green energy.

“Hold your breath, don’t speak, and try to curl up as much as possible,” Gordon warned Shalaya just before the explosion.

The girl nodded obediently, placing herself under her lover’s protection. She wished she could do something, but unfortunately, she had no weapons and could only watch Gordon fight.

A thread of arcane energy was injected into the amethyst, which then shattered with a metallic sound. Tiny crystals floated in the air, and the energy stored within them formed a pale white protective membrane, completely enveloping Gordon.

Then, the shockwave from the corruption bomb came roaring in.

A massive force, like the hand of an elemental giant, slammed Gordon away. He lost his balance, rolled several times on the ground, and finally crashed into the wall. Fortunately, the energy shield protected him, leaving him only slightly dizzy and disoriented.

The explosive shockwave finally dissipated, leaving the room filled with a thick, pus-like green mist.

Koyan had only been pushed back a few steps by the explosion and suffered no damage. His armor was made of special materials and enchanted to resist all negative and dark energy damage.

Behind his heavy helmet, he revealed a satisfied smile.

“Those incompetent subordinates of Amavre actually turned out to be somewhat useful. If they hadn’t weakened those two mages first, I wouldn’t have won so easily.”

Koyan spoke to himself as if announcing his victory. His face was hidden behind the helmet, and his voice was altered by a magical device, so he didn’t worry about his identity being revealed.

The explosion had temporarily severed Gordon’s connection with the blade golem, so Koyan took the opportunity to command his fourteen animated armors to bypass the silent golem and enter the room.

“Ha ha ha, before the explosion, those two chivalrous mages actually thought they could use their bodies to shield the two beautiful girls from the blast. Truly foolish,” Koyan laughed, pushing aside the dense, plague-filled green mist.

“Those two mages are definitely dead. As for the other two beauties, they might have survived under the mages’ protection. Perhaps I should show mercy and help them escape the plague mist. Of course, as a reward, the beauties would be happy to use their bodies to comfort this knight.”

Koyan’s lips curled into a lecherous smile: “Oh, the beautiful and alluring Miss Shalaya, you have finally fallen into my hands.”

However, his smile lasted only three seconds before turning into a look of shock.

The thick, unbreakable plague mist was suddenly split by a beam of white light. Koyan discovered that a portal had appeared in the room.

A silver-white figure shot out of the portal at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye. A brilliant silver light cut through the plague mist, aiming straight for Koyan’s throat.

“What’s happening?!” Koyan roared in confusion, quickly retreating, but suddenly found his feet entangled by a rope that seemed to be alive.

He shouted in panic: “Damn!” and swung his sword to cut the rope.

But this brief delay cost Koyan dearly. The silver sword light, like the most lethal lightning, struck his chest. Koyan didn’t even see the attacker’s face, only noticing a head of golden hair as bright as the rising sun.

A wave of fear surged from his heart, and Koyan twisted his body, fully utilizing his abilities as a 7th-level Guardian Knight, barely dodging the fatal blow.

“Dawn!” A heroic female voice rang out, and the sword cut cleanly through Koyan’s arm.

Blood spurted from the neat, smooth wound, and the intense pain almost made his body convulse. Koyan screamed in agony, drank a potion to endure the pain, and retreated into the protection of the animated armors.

He commanded his construct subordinates to engage the enemy and threw a black clay jar.

Under the cover of grayish-white smoke, Koyan fled in panic.

“Are you okay?” Gordon looked at Shalaya, who had survived the ordeal but still looked pale.

The half-elf girl shook her head, her eyes filled with tenderness as she gazed at Gordon: “If the reliable mage who protected me is fine, how could I not be?”

Gordon breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t expected the amethyst’s shield to be so effective, absorbing almost all the dark energy damage from the corruption bomb. Only the shockwave had left him slightly dazed, so he had only managed to cast a living rope to assist Reines in the battle.

To his surprise, the teleportation spell stored in the amethyst had worked, connecting the sub-plane where the castle was located to the Dawn Temple. The holy paladin Reines Lehnart and her sword “Dawn” arrived just in time, catching the enemy off guard.

After cutting off Koyan’s arm, Reines immediately swung her sword, splitting an animated armor in two. The blade golem, having reconnected with its master, also reactivated and joined the battle.

Soon, all the animated armors were eliminated, and the battle ended.

Gordon gained nearly 300 experience points, but unfortunately, they could only be stored in the experience pool for now.

“Cough, cough.” Dorn coughed twice and helped Miss Julian to her feet. The mayor’s daughter, unlike Shalaya, who often faced danger, was terrified and almost speechless.

“Dasson’s cool breeze.” Gordon chanted a spell, summoning a gentle wind to disperse the plague mist in the room. He and Shalaya, having consumed the golden acorns, were immune to all diseases. But Dorn and Miss Julian weren’t so lucky.

As a Lannister heir, Dorn naturally had some valuable life-saving magical items, which protected him from the corruption bomb. However, the plague cloud left by the bomb infected both him and his girlfriend.

“Do I look very green, friend?” Dorn said weakly, then hugged Miss Julian and sat down on the floor.

“I think you shouldn’t be joking right now. You should ask the holy paladin to save both your and Miss Julian’s lives.”

As they spoke, Reines, who had sheathed her sword “Dawn” after the battle, walked over. Her golden hair and silver armor shone brightly even in the dim underground room, living up to her title as a paladin of the Dawn Temple.

The holy paladin approached the four of them, nodded to Gordon as a greeting, and then focused her attention on Dorn.

“Sir, I will cleanse the corruption plague from you and your companion,” she said.

“Thank you,” Dorn managed a weak smile, “By the way, my name is Dorn, Dorn Lannister, Gordon’s good friend.”

Reines didn’t speak, only drew her sword “Dawn” and held it vertically in front of her chest with both hands.

Just as she had done before the duel, when she helped Gordon purify the stiffness toxin, the diamond on the hilt of Dawn glowed white as Reines chanted the name of Meridia.

The dark green hue on Dorn and Miss Julian’s faces was instantly dispelled.

“I feel much better,” Dorn stood up and elegantly bowed to Reines, “Your beauty and strength are equally praiseworthy.”

“No need to thank me. It’s my duty,” Reines replied, seemingly polite but actually keeping her distance.

Dorn couldn’t help but smile bitterly. It seemed that even he, who had experienced many women, couldn’t win over this cold paladin. However, from the previous duel, it seemed she had a special attitude toward Gordon. Perhaps he should let his friend tackle this fortress as formidable as the Anduin Wall.

Gordon, of course, had no idea about the Lannister heir’s chaotic thoughts. He asked, “Miss Reines, are you alone?”

What he was most concerned about was the safety of himself and Shalaya. He had hoped that the teleportation spell in the amethyst would bring a large contingent of Dawn Temple reinforcements, but only the paladin had arrived. Gordon acknowledged Reines’ strength, but more people meant more power, and no one would complain about having too many allies.

The paladin shook her head, her golden hair forming a beautiful wave: “For some reason, the portal became unstable after it opened. Only I managed to enter, and the other temple warriors waiting to pass through the portal couldn’t make it.”

Reines belonged to a department of the Dawn Temple that was on standby 24/7 to handle emergencies. Today, it was her turn to be on duty, and she happened to receive Gordon’s call for help.

Hearing the paladin’s explanation, Gordon nodded, understanding the reason: “It seems the castle’s location in a sub-plane affected the stability of the teleportation spell.”

He then recounted the entire story and the information he had learned from the followers of Lirya to Reines. Now they needed to discuss what to do next.

According to Gordon’s thinking, the priority should be to gather all their strength to ensure their survival. They should wait until the castle was freed from the sub-plane after the evil ritual of the Three Saints’ Baptism, and then escape.

However, Reines clearly didn’t think so. As a paladin of Lady Dawn, she was determined to fight evil to the end.