Chapter 132: Kalosia’s Holy Land (2)

Of course, both the holy knight and the dark mage ignored Ketal’s words completely.

The dark mage recoiled, startled, and the holy knight also stepped back warily. The fight abruptly paused.

Such a pity,

Ketal thought, clicking his tongue in disappointment. A Transcendent holy knight clashing against a dark mage was truly a spectacle worth watching. He had intended to remain hidden, but now his presence was discovered.

I should’ve stayed further away,

he thought. His excitement got the better of him, leading to a careless mistake.

The dark mage narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Who in the world is this guy?

Their earlier fight had been ferocious, causing shockwaves even at a distance, powerful enough to unsettle Naflas and Hayes who stood far off. Normally, it would have been impossible to approach unless one was extraordinarily strong. Yet, Ketal had boldly stepped into their midst undetected, only noticed when directly seen.

This meant only one of two possibilities: either he was powerful enough to hide his presence entirely or fast enough to appear unnoticed.

Yet the amount of Myst he emits is insignificant,

the dark mage thought.

Ketal’s Myst was negligible at best—a mere Novice level compared to theirs. He was undoubtedly inferior.

Is he hiding some trick up his sleeves?

The Dark mage quickly weighed the situation.

The holy knight also appeared unsettled, visibly confused by Ketal’s unexpected arrival.

“Who exactly are you?” the dark mage asked Ketal coldly.

“I’m a helper,” Ketal responded calmly. “But as you can guess, I’m not here to help you.”

“I see.” The dark mage laughed mockingly. “So, they’ve hired a mercenary. And judging from your appearance, you are probably equipped with some powerful artifact.”

“I’ve been told that a lot lately. Do I really look that way?” Ketal asked him.

“You think you can fool me with such transparent lies?” The dark mage sneered. With that pitiful amount of Myst, surviving amidst their battle was impossible, unless protected by artifacts. He quickly concluded the Church of Kalosia had simply hired external help.

“No matter. You’re nothing but an insect buzzing around our fight,” the dark mage said.

Judging by his confident stance amidst the chaos, this barbarian likely possessed a powerful artifact. However, to a Transcendent dark mage, mere artifacts posed no threat.

With swift movements, the mage swung his staff, tearing open the darkness as a serpent emerged, surging forward aggressively.

“

Hmph!

” The holy knight’s expression drastically changed. He dashed forward, slamming his sword into the ground, conjuring a shield of pure light.

The serpent slammed into it and was repelled.

“Oh!” Ketal exclaimed, genuinely impressed. Even an amateur could sense the difference—the shield far surpassed even Aquaz’s divine protection. The distinction in class was apparent. “Marvelous!”

“Did you come here to aid us?” the holy knight asked cautiously.

“Indeed. Naflas brought me here,” Ketal answered indifferently.

“Is that so...”

Despite knowing Ketal came to help, the holy knight’s expression remained troubled. Ketal’s low-level Myst was concerning. Even if aided by an artifact, there was an obvious limit to his usefulness.

Realistically, Ketal was more of a liability.

“I appreciate your intentions, but this place is dangerous,” the holy knight warned hastily. “Please retreat to the sanctuary—”

“As if I will allow that.” The dark mage slammed his staff into the ground, splitting the shadows open. From within, grotesque dwarves rushed out, crackling hysterically. Their bodies inflated rapidly as they approached, preparing for self-destruction.

Normally, the holy knight would have evaded them. But behind him stood Ketal. If he dodged, Ketal would be caught in the explosion. Thus, his only choice was to stand firm and block the attack.

Boom!

Explosions erupted, violently shaking the shield of light. The holy knight staggered from the impact.

“You think I’d let you escape that easily?” the dark mage mocked him, summoning wave after wave of monsters.

The shield trembled with each strike.

Damn it,

the holy knight said internally. Ketal was truly a hindrance, forcing him onto the defensive. He had intended to quickly get Ketal out of harm’s way, but the dark mage had already anticipated that move.

“The noble holy knight wouldn’t possibly abandon someone who came to aid him, would he?” the dark mage mocked viciously, intensifying his attacks.

The holy knight found himself constantly defending, all because of Ketal’s presence.

“Hm? Summoning monsters? Are all dark mages like this?” Ketal muttered. Even in this dire situation, he seemed oddly relaxed and curious. His calmness nearly made the holy knight curse aloud.

Boom!

The shield shook again, nearly shattering. The holy knight gritted his teeth. Continuing like this meant he was definitely going to lose the battle. He had to make a decisive choice.

“What’s your name?” the holy knight asked Ketal quickly.

“It’s Ketal.”

“Ketal, you must withdraw to the sanctuary immediately,” he urged, gripping his sword tighter. “I will clear a path. The moment you see an opening, run.”

It would require extreme effort, but it was better than waiting defensively for defeat. Resolving himself, the holy knight infused his sword with concentrated divine energy.

“For Kalosia!” the holy knight shouted as he swung his sword. A surge of pure light swept the battlefield, instantly purifying the corrupted plains. Monsters vanished beneath its brilliance, creating a clear escape path.

There was enough time for Ketal to escape. The holy knight was sure Ketal would run, however, when he quickly regained his stance, he was shocked and speechless.

Ketal remained motionless, exactly where he’d stood earlier.

“What... what are you doing?!” the holy knight shouted. After exhausting himself to secure Ketal’s escape, the idiot barbarian didn’t even move an inch.

The dark mage chuckled darkly. “Seems he’s paralyzed by fear. Seize him.”

The darkness parted again, revealing a monstrous spider-like creature rushing straight at Ketal. Panicked, the holy knight sprinted forward to protect him, but the gap was already too large to close in time.

The spider lunged forward, reaching Ketal’s very feet. Both the holy knight and dark mage were certain Ketal would soon be captured.

However, in the very next moment, the spider exploded violently before it could touch him.

***

“Huh...?”

“What just happened?”

Both the holy knight and the dark mage halted abruptly, utterly bewildered.

On the other hand, Ketal casually swung his arm with a relaxed expression. “Physical attacks seem to work fine on the monsters. That’s fortunate.”

“You... bastard!” the dark mage exclaimed, flustered, frantically waving his staff again.

Most monsters surged from the shadows—massive one-eyed giants that had once terrified Hayes on the dark plains. Five of them thundered forward, reaching to capture Ketal. Without a trace of urgency, Ketal calmly lifted his foot.

Crunch.

One giant’s chest caved in deeply from the kick. Its heavy body soared like a ball hit by a bat, disappearing into the distance.

Immediately afterward, Ketal stretched his arm, effortlessly catching another giant’s enormous fist mid-swing. With minimal force, he twisted, ripping off its heavy arm as easily as snapping a twig.

“

Graaaah!

” the giant shrieked in agony.

Ketal promptly grabbed its head, smashing it violently downward. The giant crashed head-first into the earth, never to move again.

With a casual step forward, Ketal advanced. Each simple movement sent shockwaves rippling through the monsters, effortlessly breaking them apart. Within mere seconds, all five giants were annihilated as if they were mere toys.

The dark mage stared in horror, completely dumbfounded. “What in the world... are you?!”

Once again, shadows split open, pouring forth a diverse variety of monsters. Ketal’s eyes sparkled, clearly enjoying himself.

“Oh, this is wonderful,” he murmured cheerfully. “It’s nice to see such diversity.”

Smiling broadly, Ketal calmly approached the advancing horde. He extended a hand, grasping a drill-shaped creature, and squeezed it lightly. Its body burst like fruit under pressure.

Another, a spectral entity, swifty tried to confuse his mind by grabbing his head. Ketal simply shook his head, as if swatting away a minor annoyance. Instantly, the ghostly creature vanished entirely without leaving a trace.

Monster after monster, each unique and formidable, tore apart effortlessly under Ketal’s casual gestures.

“This is madness!” the dark mage shouted, disbelief coloring his voice. His magic specialized in controlling enhanced monsters—creatures strong enough even to withstand divine power. Indeed, even the formidable holy knight had struggled against these summoned monstrosities.

Yet, here they were, ripped apart like flimsy sheets of paper in front of this barbarian.

“Who exactly are you?!” the dark mage roared in panic and desperation.

Even the holy knight was staring blankly, utterly astonished and unable to understand what was going on.

To the holy knight’s understanding, Ketal should have been a mere weakling dependent on artifacts, someone whose presence made no real impact on their battle. Yet, this man was slaughtering summoned monsters effortlessly. The powerful holy knight struggled to process this shocking sight.

Crunch!

The monsters continued to burst and shatter violently. Without hesitation, Ketal slowly advanced toward the dark mage.

Forced to acknowledge reality, the dark mage gritted his teeth. He couldn’t deny it anymore: despite appearances, this barbarian was exceptionally strong.

“Come forth! Knight corrupted by darkness!” he shouted frantically. An ominous surge of shadows rapidly condensed, forming a dark passageway. “Death Knight!”

The darkness burst apart, and a black knight emerged, completely shrouded in pitch-black armor.

Ketal’s eyes brightened noticeably. “A Death Knight, you say?”

Death Knights ranked among the most powerful monsters, especially one strengthened directly by a powerful dark mage. Even mighty Transcendents had trouble defeating such a formidable enemy.

“Kill him!” the dark mage screamed harshly.

With a metallic clang, the Death Knight unsheathed its greatsword and lunged aggressively toward Ketal. He responded by gracefully dodging, bending backward effortlessly as the heavy blade swung past.

The dark mage laughed triumphantly, convinced Ketal was finally threatened by his creation. “Rip him limb from limb!”

The Death Knight’s strikes intensified, whipping up a frenzied storm of steel. Ketal simply continued evading smoothly, stepping aside from every blow. Taking advantage of this seemingly precarious situation, the dark mage planned to coordinate his own attacks to finally overwhelm Ketal.

Just as the holy knight finally snapped out of his shock and prepared to assist Ketal, he froze again, struck by a sudden realization.

Despite the frenzied storm of the Death Knight’s blade, Ketal’s clothing hadn’t even been grazed—not even slightly.

Ketal shook his head gently, shifted his arms casually, raised his legs lightly, twisted his torso slightly, and stepped elegantly aside. Rather than retreating, Ketal was actually closing in on the Death Knight, entirely untouched.

Disappointment crept onto Ketal’s face.

“I expected more from a Death Knight. Is swinging a sword all you can do?” Ketal sighed slightly, thinking to himself,

Even Maximus was far superior.

With a regretful expression, Ketal raised a single fist. The Death Knight immediately attempted to defend itself, raising its massive sword desperately.

Crack!

In an instant, its armored body tore apart neatly down the middle despite its hasty defense. The defeated Death Knight collapsed, dissolving back into shadows and vanishing.

“N-no... Impossible...!” the dark mage muttered.

Ketal turned his calm gaze toward him. Instantly, the mage’s instincts screamed desperately that danger had arrived.

In a frantic panic, he gathered shadows into a defensive barrier. Dark energy surged and condensed around him, quickly shaping into his ultimate defense shield. This was the dark mage’s full might.

Yet, Ketal merely stepped forward once more. Instantly, he appeared right before the mage’s eyes. He carelessly swung his fist.

Terrified, the dark mage poured every ounce of his strength, condensing shadows to the absolute limit.

And then, Ketal’s fist fell.

A violent explosion of shadowy darkness erupted, scattering instantly as if it were nothing. Ketal’s fist struck directly into the dark mage’s chest, brutally hammering him deep into the ground.

The earth shook violently as the mage was embedded into the soil.