Chapter 106: Struggling (2)

Chapter 106: Struggling (2) With Excalibur out of commission and his armor completely unequipped—leaving him in only his trousers—the unprotected Arthur charged ahead. "Come at me, you beasts...!" With a fiery growl, he rushed the closest monster and launched his fist. RAAAGH! Of course, since the monster before him had roughly the same attributes, it also launched a punch of its own upon seeing Arthur’s attack. Both fists flew forward, barely missing each other, and landed on each other’s cheeks with a resounding crack. BOOM! Arthur’s head twisted from the impact, but his eyes never left the enemy. After taking a step back to regain his balance, he sent another punch from the other side! BAM! The monster was hit squarely in the face, its entire head popping off and flying backward—right into the portal it came from. From its now headless body, black blood sprayed like a fountain, marking Arthur’s body. "Next!" Instead of stepping back to heal his injury, he took another step forward, drawing the attention of all nearby monsters to himself. With every punch he gave, he received one too. It was almost an equivalent exchange—until he got surrounded. Excalibur stirred in its sheath, as if ready to join the fight—only to recall how Arthur locked the clasp beforehand, trapping it inside. "RAAAAGH!" But even when surrounded by monsters on par with him, Arthur didn’t back down. Even if every punch he gave was answered by dozens, he made sure every strike counted. One hit, one kill! While about a hundred monsters gathered around him, almost as if planning to claim his life first... a dozen monsters slipped past his one-man barricade. "Fuck...!" Arthur groaned. His hands were full, and he was left unable to do anything with all the monsters around him. He could only watch as a few headed toward the wall. "Brace yourselves! Incoming!" Thankfully, the guard troops were alert. Without delay, they adjusted their formation on top of the wall, pointing the long spears they got from Xu Tao and poking the approaching monsters, pushing them back down the way they came. Of course, being low level, their strength was negligible, making it easy for the monsters to scale the wall’s face anyway. Upon reaching the top, where the defense troops stood— GRAAAAAH! The monsters let out a growl before moving forward, bypassing the defenses and heading for the buildings. SHING! ...Or at least, they tried to. In the next instant, pitch-black shadow-like spears flew, piercing the monsters’ legs accurately and nailing them in place. Trapped in place, the monsters roared—only to be silenced by a combined strike from multiple entities. ???????????? Several figures arrived in the nick of time, jumping over the wall at once. "The third squad’s here now!" the smallest figure among the group—but conversely the strongest—announced their arrival. "Defense squad, focus on poking those I caught! Don’t approach them too close!" The person, Yifa, commanded with precision. ’Thankfully, we made it in time...’ When they spotted the fight earlier, they rushed to provide backup—even though Excalibur had already wiped out the wave. Instead of turning back, Yifa decided to continue on their way and ensure the guards’ safety before returning. And thankfully, her actions immediately turned into a blessing. Another batch of monsters came over the wall just as they arrived! "Shadow Stakes!" As she raised her voice, the shadow beneath her feet began to squirm—as if alive. Then, like water droplets rising in reverse, blobs of darkness rose and morphed into narrow, sharp objects. With a wave of her hand, the Shadow Stakes flew forward at bullet speed, piercing the heads of three monsters at once. "Power Sword Style: Mountain Cleaver!" "Water Sword Style: Flowing Slash!" "Azure Dragon Spear Technique: One Push!" At the same time, the five disciples of the Azure Dragon Sect launched their attacks, killing three more monsters in a single coordinated strike. Not only them, but Jehanne’s soldiers also downed another three, while the locals managed to take out the final three. The monsters fell, then turned into Loot Boxes, dropping at the base of the wall. Within a single breath, all twelve invading monsters were cleaned up! "That..." But they didn’t return to their post right away. Instead, they turned toward the battlefield—where Arthur was still being pummeled, exchanging blow after blow like a champ. "Think we need to provide backup?" the dark elf of the third squad asked. Yifa, their acting leader, pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "No. Doesn’t seem like he needs help. Let’s just wait and see for now." Although that’s what she said, the two elves added in, almost as if trying to pressure her into changing her mind. "Look at poor Arthur, he’s beaten up! We should help!" "We can just trim those on the outer perimeter!" But despite their pleas, Yifa remained firm.novelhall.c(o)(m) "No." She stomped her foot. "If we go now, there’s a high chance the monsters will surround us too. If that happens, then we’re doomed." They might be strong enough to handle a dozen monsters at once. But several dozen? That wasn’t just dangerous—it was a death sentence. Yifa had to trust in Arthur, Xu Tao’s trusted ally, and avoid leading her squad to ruin. "Oh? So the third squad already handled it." "...!" All of a sudden, a voice came from behind them. Shocked, everyone turned around, ready to attack—everyone except Yifa and the five disciples, who bowed respectfully. "Master Tao!" "Greetings, Great Elder!" The five locals remained cautious despite hearing Yifa and the disciples. They held their weapons at the ready while scanning the newcomer’s face—only to realize he truly was the one they saw during the morning assembly. The very person who had outfitted them with gear and weapons! "Huh? What’s with Arthur?" But Xu Tao didn’t even bother with them. Whether they pointed spears, swords, or bows at him, none of it even registered as a threat. Instead, his gaze locked onto Arthur, who was currently in the middle of a monster horde. "What the hell is he doing...? A new exercise?" Xu Tao muttered, narrowing his eyes. He had not a clue why that idiot would strip down and charge barehanded. "T-That..." Hearing his confusion, one of the guards raised his hand to explain. "It seems his sword was damaged, so he’s forced to fight barehanded. As for the armor... We’re not sure. He just took it off before rushing at the monsters..." "Huh...?" Xu Tao stared wide-eyed at the guard, then returned his gaze to Arthur. "Is he... an idiot?" he muttered, unable to help himself. Shaking his head, Xu Tao took a single step forward—and disappeared in a flash. The next moment, he was already standing beside Arthur, one hand on his shoulder, the other flipping the Celestial Fan open and waving lightly to create a barrier around them. "Arthur," Xu Tao said, "we still have a long fight ahead. What are you doing?" "Sir Tao...!" Arthur returned to his senses. Before he could speak, Xu Tao cut him off, eyes sharp as blades. "Do you want to die early?" The smile on his face never reached his cold eyes.