Two Kindred of Rot burst out of the darkness at once, while another remained in place, secreting vast amounts of silk from its back and spraying it forward.
The threads released by the mature insects carried terrifying force. When they struck shields, they boomed with heavy, dull impacts. And if those sharp Pest's Glaives were involved, the result was even worse. Even if the shield itself held firm, the person behind it would struggle to endure the sheer shock.
As the two Kindred of Rot closed to within twenty meters, Nolan drew his Claymore from his back without the slightest hesitation and roared,
"I'll deal with those two insects! Fall back and cover me!"
The sword-and-shield fighters obeyed immediately, retreating without pause.
Gripping the Claymore, Nolan charged forward, swinging with full force to cut through the incoming threads.
At that moment, a crescent-shaped blade suddenly swept toward him, crossing more than ten meters in the blink of an eye.
The Pest's Glaive tore through the air, forming an invisible blade wind that stung the skin, as though a sharp edge were skimming across one's cheek.
Perhaps this insect was weaker than the one they had faced before, making its strike slower.
Or perhaps the relentless fighting and slaughter had tempered Nolan's body far beyond that of an ordinary soldier.
Either way, he saw the attack clearly.
The instant the creature swung, Nolan's eyes hardened. He tightened his grip on the Claymore and unleashed a powerful horizontal slash.
Bang!
The greatsword struck the halberd's shaft dead-on. The violent impact blew open the Kindred of Rot's guard, nearly knocking the weapon from its grasp.
Nolan didn't pause. His feet exploded with force, his body dipping slightly as he slipped sideways at astonishing speed.
Slide!
The Pest's Glaive skimmed past his hair, missing him by a razor-thin margin.
The other Kindred of Rot stared wide-eyed. If it could show expression, it would have been pure disbelief, as if screaming, "How is this possible!?"
In the dim light, it hadn't even seen how Nolan had avoided the strike. Only when Nolan's palm surged forward, wrapped in a rushing pressure, did it realize the danger.
Thud! Boom!!
Nolan pushed the Dryleaf combat style to its absolute limit. His raw strength was still lacking, but technique had never failed him.
The Golden Needle Knight drove his inner force through his entire body and released it through his palm. The air itself seemed to burst apart.
The small hand embedded in the Kindred of Rot's chest shattered into broken remnants. The force penetrated from outside to within, surging through its limbs and frame, leaving its body swaying unsteadily.
Before Nolan could press the attack, a dense mass of silk suddenly lashed toward him, forcing him to dodge at once.
"Sssshhh!"
A shrill, agonized scream pierced the air.
The Kindred of Rot larvae that had just rushed forward were blasted away by the shockwave, smashing into those behind them before tumbling in clusters into the sea below.
"Damn it…"
The Kindred of Rot that had nearly lost its weapon staggered upright, clenched its Corrupted Glaive, and hacked downward with all its strength.
What answered it was a crisp clash of metal. The onrushing Claymore sent it skidding back several meters.
I had thought Gowry, that monster wrapped in human skin, was a singular exception. I never expected that this Kindred of Rot could speak human words as well.
Nolan paused for a split second, then swiftly cut down the silk threads surging toward him once more. The three insects were working in perfect coordination, and it was genuinely starting to give him trouble.
"You're really fond of using silk. Can your mana bar actually handle that kind of drain?"
Whether it was magical power or faith, both were ultimately forms of mental exertion.
Overusing them could cause light symptoms like dizziness or disorientation. Push it too far, and one might collapse outright.
Falling unconscious on a battlefield was obviously a death sentence.
Nolan raised his staff high. The arcane sigil carved along its shaft unfurled in an instant, flaring with brilliant light.
Glintstone Pebbles!
With a sharp motion of his hand, the staff swung from side to side. One pebble after another shot out from the tip, dragging glowing trails of magic behind them. Like falling stars, they slammed into the two Kindred of Rot ahead, forcing them back step by step.
At the same time, the Kindred of Rot above had just finished releasing another wave of Pest Threads. Its movements slowed, its spirit clearly strained.
It had planned to rest briefly once its companions caught their breath, but the sudden sight of azure magic hurtling straight at it threw it into a panic.
Its body reacted faster than its thoughts. It slammed itself flat against the ground and scuttled away at astonishing speed, crawling like a feral beast. The sight was awkward and undignified, but it managed to cling to its life.
Boom!!
Magic erupted like fireworks. The violent shockwave blew apart the head of a larva hiding behind one of the Kindred of Rot. Nearby larvae were caught in the blast as well, red and white fluids spraying everywhere and splattering across bodies.
The small creatures were shredded by the overwhelming magic. At the same time, the grease coating the Golden Needle Knight Sword finally burned away, and the flames along its edge began to fade.
One Kindred of Rot stood still with its halberd in hand. It first glanced at the panicking larvae behind it, then turned its gaze to the large insect lying on the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
"This idiot wasted too much Faith. It would've been better if it came down with us."
If they had human features, they would have been scowling.
Of course, if they were truly intelligent, they would not have been forced to hide in this lightless underground world to begin with.
Ignoring the companions behind them, they looked toward the base of the tree roots, where corpses littered the ground. Some had been pierced clean through by arrows. A rough count showed that out of the original sixteen pilgrims, fewer than a third remained. Their grip on the halberd tightened.
"We must pay homage to the goddess!"
"But your goddess," Nolan replied calmly, "doesn't seem very eager to see you."
He bared his teeth in a grin. Several larvae suddenly crawled down from above, trying to pounce on him. Nolan swung his Claymore, and blood burst into the air again and again, blooming like vivid flowers against the night sky.
"Bastard! Die!"
The Kindred of Rot instantly flew into a rage, humiliation burning through them. They knew the human knight was speaking the truth, and that was exactly why it hurt so deeply.
The Valkyrie's rejection was one thing. But even the great Goddess of Rot had abandoned them. That was why pilgrims came in endless waves, defying death itself, all to beg for the goddess to return to their side.
"You're the ones who should die."
Nolan tightened his grip on the Claymore. By moonlight, he saw three Kindred of Rot advancing through the darkness, dodging arrows as they closed in.
The one that spewed Pest Threads sprinted along the tree roots and leapt overhead, passing straight above Nolan. The two in front charged directly at him. There was no need to guess their intent.
"Be careful. Delay them as much as you can. I'll be back soon."
The female archer hesitated for a moment. She had been prepared to fight to the death, but she nodded and said,
"Please be careful as well."
Nolan nodded firmly in return.
No further words were needed. There was no room for hesitation on the battlefield. Ella and Thorin drew their bows, while several sword-and-shield fighters instinctively moved into position to guard them.