Chapter 234
I emerged from the shadows, thrusting my dagger forearm deep into the gaping hole of an errant knight's armor, feeling resistance as the blade slowed, then release as something severed. I should have been terrified, scared shitless, but there was no fear, no hesitation.
Gawain radiated rage. He seemed to understand what had happenedthe betrayal of his menbut despite their poor judgment, Gawain himself walked the talk. As soon he realized they were targeting Nick, he dropped the duel to defend my friend, mowing down all who interfered. Judging from the carnage, the shorn through armor that freely leaked smoke from fallen knights, limiting magic usage for the duel might have saved Nicks life.
A knight wound up to swing his war hammer, more behind him turning by the moment.
I tried to influence him directly and nearly died for it, hammer smashing into the ground inches from my feet.
Intelligence is too high. Need to unbalance him.
Talia bit at the knights boot, momentarily stopping his advance. Sir Kay broke from Gawain and Nick, bowing forward at the waist like a bull. He bowled into the war hammer knight, knocking him a few steps forward. Probability Cascade fired, sending the knight careening across the ground, the floor itself unnaturally slick.
If there was more breathing room, I might have taken a second to appreciate what just happened. had responded to my subconscious intentions, casting on the marble ground the moment the thought had entered my mind. Id need to watch the mana usageeven with the reduction, itd be incredibly easy to tap myself out that waybut other than that, it was a hell of an upgrade.
I pirouetted out of the way of an errant blade, quick-drawing my crossbow and letting my abilities take over. I pulled the trigger and the pain-bolt rocketed forward, threading the needle of the stumbling knights visor slit.
It wouldnt do much beyond pissing him off and obscuring his vision, but that was fine. As far as I could tell, the knights only had two weaknesses. One was in the upper left quadrant of their chests, the same location as a human heart. The second was the armor itself. When Pot and Kettle intentionally broke the contract, it had whisked their armor into my inventory, and the smoke that had filled the armor was violently pulled into the circling black ring that still enveloped us.
So far at least, they hadnt reformed.
Unfortunately, a large contingent of the knights didnt seem to be in on it. Rather, theyd witnessed the duel turn into a melee, two of their own die, and taken it all rather personally. It was an unstated rule of the contract Id been unaware of. As long as the terms werent being knowingly violated, the knights armor remained their own.
Which meant I needed to get creative.
The war hammer knight roared, bolt shaft and fletching still sticking out from his visor. He charged, pulling the hammer back, his run a half-stagger. I wedged the toe of my boot beneath a fallen spear and lobbed it towards him. He paid it no mind until the last second, when the spear-tip continued its rotation, lining up perfectly with his throat. He flinched and ducked his head.
The spear-tip bounced harmlessly off his helmet, spinning off to the side. By the time he looked up, Id already repositioned. He swung the hammer at me, fully committing even as his footing betrayed him. Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)
The hammer itself was on target. He was fast. Even a few days ago it might have been enough to hit me. Bruisers were supposed to be slow, manageable so long as you didnt get hit. But thered been a line of exceptions to that rule. Thankfully, I had the experience of fighting Buzzcut to fall back on, and because the situation had forced my hand, my Agility was reaching absurd levels.
Sir Kay pointed to two separate knights. One wielded a halberd, and seemed to champ at the bit, ready to charge us. The other was stiff, almost robotic, wielding a mace and shield.
I subjugated them one after another, nearly swooning as the mana drained away, leaving me with a fifth, if that.
Both Knights stiffened.
As with Sir Kay, prying into their minds after subjugating them was almost too easy.
You serve the round.
There was resistance. Gray tendrils that grasped their minds and pushed back. But it felt too lazy to be an organized defense. If the source of the resistance was the Wizard Gawain mentioned, managing every knight on the battlefield had spread him too thin.
I slipped through the cracks, maneuvering until I reached the minds within.
Report to Sir Gawain, defend your guest. Do your duty.
My invisible enemy made a mistake. He seemed to find my command amusing, and I felt him laughing, somewhere behind us. When the time came, I had a place to look.
With a shudder, the knights obeyed, pushing through the crowd and taking a defensive position next to Nick and Gawain. I was ready for Gawain to comment, but he said nothing, just shifted to the side, giving the newcomers space to position.
Nick gave me a worried glance, but said nothing. Probably thinking about what we talked about earlier. Instead, he offered caution. Remember. Tap me in if you need me. No hero shit.
I smirked. Despite the gravity of the situation, Nick of all people warning me not to be a hero was too much. The hero shits your job.
Whatever time Gawain had bought us dwindled, and the knights charged. Gawain readied himself with his men, Sir Kay, and Nick doing the same a moment later. With Talia sprinting ahead of me, purification magic emitting from her in a translucent sphere, I plunged back into the wreathe.
Not long after the shadows closed in behind us, a snarling voice emanated from the gloom.
So the Ordinator himself seeks an audience.
A lance of gray energy cut through Talias shield and curved away from her directly towards my eye, too quick to track as anything other than a blur. sounded a warning that was entirely too late.
