Chapter 5

Facing this bizarre and terrifying scene, Lu Xien truly felt his limbs trembling and his head swelling, his thoughts of what to do and what not to do becoming a chaotic mess. On the surface, Lu Xien was so frightened that he stood there, completely unresponsive.

"Divine Emblem, wait, I still have the Divine Emblem of Truth!"

In a panic, Lu Xien thought of his greatest reliance and subconsciously focused his mind, wanting to recite the incantation to activate the first-level divine spell "Holy Light Shield." No matter what, protecting himself was the most important thing.

"Ha!" At this moment, a thunderous roar sounded in Lu Xien's ear, making his back tighten and his hair stand on end. His panicked and chaotic thoughts suddenly paused.

"Light." Gary's steady voice reached Lu Xien's ear. The person who had roared and awakened Lu Xien, Correa, and Hausen from their confusion was Gary.

Gary's calm and composed attitude infected Lu Xien, allowing him to quickly recover his basic reactions. Without much thought, he rubbed the divine emblem and softly uttered strange syllables: "Gaye."

A spherical white light appeared in front of Lu Xien and the others, dispelling the deep darkness.

Then, Lu Xien saw a swarm of black rats. They were of normal size, but their eyes were blood-red. They were densely packed on the floor, walls, and strange human-shaped plants of a secret room, making Lu Xien's scalp tingle.

As soon as the white light appeared, these rats, as if they had seen their natural enemies, squealed and surged towards Lu Xien, Gary, and the others like a tide.

As the red-eyed rats dispersed, the appearance of the secret room was revealed to Lu Xien and the others. In a corner was a desk with three books that emitted a strange faint light. In the center was a flat, wide, strange table, on which were drawn many strange patterns, some red, some blue, some green, similar to the patterns around the "Divine Emblem of Truth" cross. On these patterns were placed small furnaces, small pots, glass bottles, and other items.

Neither Lu Xien nor Gary had time to observe in detail because the frenzied rats, carrying a stench and a strange aura, had already surged to their front.

The silent Hausen and the sharp-tongued Correa, awakened by Gary's roar, skillfully held their long swords and shields, standing on either side of Gary, forming a simple battle formation.

Facing rats rather than other strangely shaped monsters, Lu Xien, influenced by Gary's steadiness, gradually calmed down. However, the sheer number and strangeness of the rats still made Lu Xien's heart race.

A red-eyed rat leaped up, pouncing towards Lu Xien, its mouth open, revealing two long, sharp teeth.

Lu Xien, holding the Sword of Light in one hand, hurriedly swung the light blade at the red-eyed rat. The divine spell-summoned light sword was far sharper than a regular knight's long sword, but Lu Xien's hasty swing misjudged the rat's speed and strangeness, and the light sword only grazed past it.

The black fur where the light sword touched the red-eyed rat quickly charred and spread into the flesh. However, at that moment, the rat had already pounced in front of Lu Xien, its cold, red eyes clearly visible, and the rotten, foul smell from its mouth faintly perceptible.

With his sword swing missing, the red-eyed rat right in front of him, Lu Xien immediately panicked, wanting to swing his sword back and also to block with his left hand. In this conflict, he almost dropped the Sword of Light.

Seeing the red-eyed rat about to bite his chest, Lu Xien was at a loss, with no way to react.

Suddenly, a long sword gleaming with a cold light extended from the side, precisely cutting the red-eyed rat's neck, splitting it into two.

"Don't panic. If you can't block in time, avoid the vital points; we have healing divine spells." Gary's deep voice came.

At the same time, Correa's sharp voice rang out: "Fall back and stay close to us. Are you a rookie trying to stand alone in front and find your own death?"

In this situation, regardless of any negative impressions Gary, Correa, and Hausen had of Lu Xien, they all understood that he, holding the divine emblem, was a formidable force that could not be underestimated. He might even be the key to turning the tide if other changes occurred. No one knew what other monsters or magical traps might follow the red-eyed rats.

After dodging the red-eyed rat's bite, Lu Xien, who had become panicked again, quietly breathed a sigh of relief and calmed down. Compared to Gary, a high-level knight squire who had been trained and had rich combat experience, he was too inexperienced, too green, and too helpless in the face of danger and sudden changes. Not everyone was a natural-born fighter or had the talent to remain calm in the face of danger.

Having Gary, an experienced veteran, by his side to guide and help him in his first real battle was a great fortune and a valuable experience for future battles and dangers.

This time, Lu Xien did not panic. While swinging the light sword forward, he slowly moved backward, retreating to Gary and the others.

The red-eyed rats pouncing forward were not just one or two but dozens, with more continuously surging from behind.

The light sword was bright and sharp, leaving a faint trail of light as it moved. Lu Xien's swing, following Gary's guidance, focused on defense, fully utilizing the Sword of Light's characteristics while avoiding the disadvantage of his lack of swordsmanship.

The light from this swing seemed to form a pale white barrier in front of Lu Xien. The rats that directly collided with the light sword were split into two halves like soil, their insides and skin charred black, falling heavily to the ground without a drop of blood.

The rats that were not hit by the light sword, passing through the residual light, began to dry and char, slowing down, either falling in front of Lu Xien or being cut by Gary and Correa on either side.

"Hey, kid, not bad at all. That one swing killed over ten monster rats." Correa whistled, unsure if he was praising or mocking.

Lu Xien himself was not proud. Being able to kill so many red-eyed rats with one swing was entirely due to the Sword of Light's power and Gary's guidance. At this moment: "I feel the power of the Sword of Light starting to wane."

After this experience of killing the red-eyed rats, Lu Xien felt he had adapted to the situation somewhat.

Gary, coordinating with Lu Xien's swings of the Sword of Light, continuously slashed and thrust his long sword, repelling the rats that slipped through: "Don't be nervous. The remaining power is enough to kill these monsters."

After repelling a batch, the red-eyed rats pounced again, this time in a dense black mass, seemingly numbering over a hundred.

Lu Xien's swings became more proficient, though he was slightly afraid and worried about not being able to block all the rats. However, he fully trusted Gary and Correa, believing they could help him block the rats on either side.

The Sword of Light, swinging from top to bottom, drew a beautiful arc in the air. With a series of thuds, countless red-eyed rats collided with the sword, increasing the pressure on Lu Xien's hands. As an ordinary person who had not undergone knight training, he almost lost his grip on the Sword of Light.

The rats were too numerous. Even though many half-dead bodies fell like rain in front of the Sword of Light, dozens still broke through Lu Xien's defense, passing through the wall of light.

"So many rats. Gary and Correa would need to swing their swords five or six times a second to intercept them all!" Lu Xien, unable to swing the Sword of Light in time, could only worry: "Perhaps the high-level knight squires trained by the Church have some divine spell-like powers."

Just as Lu Xien was thinking, what came from the sides to intercept were not two sharp knight long swords but two small, round shields wrapped in silver-gray metal.

The two small shields, swung with fierce momentum, produced a series of collision sounds, sending the red-eyed rats flying and landing on the ground, twitching and soon dying.

Correa laughed: "A good knight is not just about the long sword; he must also be skilled with the shield."

Lu Xien, relieved, continued to swing the Sword of Light, blocking the attacks of the red-eyed rats.

After several failed pounces, the red-eyed rats seemed to realize something was wrong. Some no longer pounced but ran directly on the ground, while others climbed the walls, preparing to attack from above.

The situation became precarious.

"The ones above, I'll handle them." The tall, muscular Hausen, who had been silent, suddenly said.

Lu Xien, while swinging the Sword of Light from top to bottom to block the rats in the air and on the ground, asked: "Should I use the 'Holy Light Shield'?"

Gary shook his head: "Wait a bit longer."

The four of them, like a small boat in a storm, swayed amidst the red-eyed rats falling from the sky, pouncing from the air, and surging from the ground, seemingly about to be overwhelmed at any moment.

Suddenly, Hausen's defense had a gap, and a red-eyed rat landed on Correa's shoulder. Correa's long sword and shield were blocking the front, leaving him unprepared. The rat bit his neck, causing him to grunt in pain, and he shook his shoulder, dislodging the rat.

Correa said resentfully: "The wound feels numb; they seem to have some toxicity."

"Alright, I'll activate the healing divine spell." Lu Xien, while speaking, rubbed the divine emblem with his free left hand.

Gary stopped him: "Not yet. Correa can still hold on. It looks like we can't completely block them. Wait until they bite a few more times before activating the healing divine spell." The rats were too numerous, and the healing divine spell needed to be used sparingly.

Before he finished speaking, he also grunted, bitten by a red-eyed rat between his boot and knee guard.

After this experience, Gary, Correa, and Hausen changed their fighting style. Although the rats could bite, their teeth were not sharp enough to penetrate armor. Therefore, they relaxed slightly in areas protected by chainmail and knee guards, focusing their efforts on defending other areas, which improved the situation.

Only Lu Xien, wearing a linen short tunic and matching long pants with no protection, was immediately bitten on the ankle by a red-eyed rat.

A numb, itchy sensation rose from his ankle, quickly spreading up, almost making him lose his balance. His mouth became dry, and he felt a strong thirst.

"You have a much weaker constitution than us. Use the Holy Light Shield first, then the healing divine spell." Gary assessed the situation; by this time, the red-eyed rats were almost half dead.

Concerned for himself, Lu Xien did not delay, focusing his mind and rubbing the divine emblem:

"Smen."

A strange, mysterious incantation sounded, and a pale white light shield appeared on Lu Xien's body.

After activating the divine spell, Lu Xien could not concentrate, so he took a step forward, relying on the Holy Light Shield and the Sword of Light to block all the red-eyed rats from the front.

The rats that dodged the Sword of Light attacked the Holy Light Shield one after another, but the shield, shimmering with light, did not waver, giving Gary and Correa the opportunity to calmly slash and repel the rats.

After two or three seconds, Lu Xien's spirit recovered, and he rubbed the divine emblem again, reciting the difficult incantation: "Gurthi."

A beam of white light shot from the cross of the divine emblem, landing on Lu Xien's foot, and the numb, itchy sensation immediately disappeared.

With Lu Xien standing in front, protected by the Holy Light Shield, although Correa and Gary occasionally got bitten, the situation gradually turned in their favor. As the number of red-eyed rats decreased, the danger slowly subsided.

Lu Xien took the opportunity to activate the divine emblem, healing the wounds on Correa and Gary.

After a while, Correa, after killing a red-eyed rat and splattering its blood, breathed a sigh of relief: "Finally, they're all dead."

The ground was covered with the bodies of red-eyed rats and pools of dark red blood.

Lu Xien, somewhat dazed, looked at this, unable to believe he had accomplished it. Gary nodded: "Lu Xien, you did well."

Lu Xien came to his senses and prepared to thank Gary.

Gary, catching his breath, instructed: "Hausen, you and Lu Xien go into the secret room and check it out."

Lu Xien had the Holy Light Shield, and Hausen, who had been standing at the back, had not been bitten by the rats. At this moment, Gary naturally wanted to utilize everyone's strengths.

But the back was silent, and the usually taciturn Hausen did not respond.

Correa, puzzled, turned back and said with shock and fear: "Hausen, Hausen is gone."

Hausen, who had just repelled the red-eyed rats from above and steadily guarded the three of them, was actually gone?!

Lu Xien felt a chill run down his spine.