Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 108 - 104 The Actor of Holy Light
Lyle was surrounded by smoke from an explosion, coughing violently when someone grabbed his feet, dragged him a distance, flipped him over, and extinguished the flames on his back.
Ralph’s unpleasant face now seemed incredibly warm.
"After we return, I’ll settle the score with you," he said, skillfully cleaning the barrel of his gun and stuffing in new bullets as he kept an eye on the dissipating fog, catching a glimpse of a body torn in two from the corner of his eye.
"Sir Lyle!" Karen, donning the phantom of Holy Light Armor, appeared beside him with her war hammer raised high, emitting a blinding light.
Verlet followed closely behind.
The sacred light, like the blazing sun, made the blood servants halt their attack. They retreated quickly, shielding their eyes with their arms, screeching as they fled.
The light wasn’t lethal; its primary role was to disperse.
"Leaving so soon? Leaving early would disappoint me," Porifan said, emerging from the clearing dust unscathed. Even though the attack had occurred near her, she managed to avoid it with agile movements and the blind, fervent protection from Ralph’s undetected assault.
Under the radiance of Holy Light, Porifan’s skin shimmered with a translucent, reflective crystalline layer, akin to diamonds.
"High-level vampire, Blood Clan."
Porifan’s lips curled upward, the crimson in her eyes less intense as she faced Karen, "A young Light Chaser, yet another youthful heart."
Ralph and Verlet shook their heads, feeling a moment of mental dizziness as the female vampire smiled, which Karen observed.
"Seduction," Karen thought, gripping her weapon tightly, aware that the battle would be tough, but a Paladin fears nothing.
Ralph thought differently. Scanning the area, he spotted nine vampires, eight male and one female, with the female as the ringleader.
It was proven that the power of Dragon’s Breath was enough to kill them, so these were merely a spend of nine Alchemical Bullets.
Indeed, Ralph had estimated the agility and speed of the blood servants, considering these monsters strong yet not significantly surpassing his capabilities, with Dragon’s Breath sufficing.
He underestimated the power of the Blood Clan, which was understandable. The unknown often harbors vast horrors, and people’s minds tend to form stereotypes until an unexpected value outside their calculations shatters their fixed thinking. Of course, this violent realization comes with a price.
Hence, Ralph assigned tasks to the four of them, as usual, "Karen, protect Lyle. I’ll lead the attack. Lyle, stay put. Verlet, cover me... Damn."
A heavy blow to the back of his neck sent a jolt to his brain; the obstinate Ralph could not resist the instinctive protection measures of the human body. A hit to a vital area induced unconsciousness. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Ralph’s human perspective was indeed limited, but among the four, there were those who were alert.
Karen understood what the Blood Clan signified.
A formidable foe.
She retracted the fist that struck Ralph, hoisted her hammer that had been planted on the ground.
Lyle and Verlet looked on in shock.
In the face of combat, Karen displayed the proper demeanor of a Paladin.
Verlet too was taken aback by Karen’s solemn expression, the girl who always trailed behind calling her "sister," who couldn’t move at the sight of pancakes, the new recruit who often got bewildered, eliciting helplessness.
Under the silver armor constructed by Holy Light, the 1.6-meter figure leapt and knocked down the much taller Ralph with one punch.
"Karen, what are you doing?" Lyle asked, looking into the eyes behind the phantasmal helmet. Could she have been seduced by the Blood Clan?
Hammer in hand, Karen, shrouded in the white radiance of her ghostly armor, resembled a can of lychee, moving close to Lyle to protect him.
"That’s a vampire, Sir Lyle. As a human male, Commander Ralph would only be a burden, and that gun of his makes for an unstable factor; better for him to leave strategically."
"If dark creatures were easy to bully, the Holy Light would have nothing to do. It’s easy for vampires to charm the opposite sex. I don’t intend to fight while being targeted by a deadly weapon."
Karen swung her hammer, striking the ground and driving away several blood servants attempting to sneak attack.
"Sister Verlet, I will go and distract the vampire. You take Sir Lyle and Commander Ralph and leave. Don’t worry about me; I’ll catch up soon."
"Karen!" How could Lyle not understand her intention?
"Purifier!" Karen was more serious than ever, "This is the only way. You must not fall into the hands of these monsters. Your safety comes first, so please go and get help."
Karen roared, "Holy Light will purify you, you filthy creatures! The heir of the Pembai Family fears nothing."
Karen charged forward, her left hand radiating a dazzling light, blinding the vampires who screamed and shut their eyes.
What met them was Karen’s Hammer of Holy Light in her hands.
The massive hammerhead rushed toward Porifan’s face, who appeared like she had just been blinded by Karen’s light, barely making an evasive move.
"Too late," Karen roared, summoning her inborn strength to speed up the hammer even more as it surged toward Porifan’s head.
With a fearsome momentum, the Hammer of Holy Light passed right through Porifan’s body.
Karen froze.
"An illusion?"
Porifan’s illusion revealed a smile, looking straight at Karen, who stood wide-eyed in front of it.
"They say Paladins have no brains, and it seems it’s not just a joke for the feast."
The hidden Porifan revealed her true form, standing less than a meter away from Verlet.
She and Karen had switched places, with Karen surrounded by blood servants, while she encircled Lyle and the others.
"Just leave this boy, and I don’t care about the lives of the others, my jackals, the tin can is yours," Porifan licked her lips, her fangs bared, the reflection of Verlet in her eyes. "It’s been a long time since I savored such exquisite virgin blood."
The moving Porifan left afterimages in the air, her elongated fingernails stabbing towards Verlet like daggers.
Karen’s roar, the blood servants’ howls, the sound of Porifan’s nails slashing the air, and the noise of Verlet’s retreating steps crushing grass sprouts.
All these sounds plummeted to the bottom of the valley along with Lyle’s heart.
Until another gentle voice appeared in Lyle’s mind, fishing out hope once again.
"Plague Doctor, raise your hand."
It was Sister Eliane’s voice.
Lyle did as told and raised his hand.
Light.
It burst forth from within Lyle, forming a shield that enveloped him and the others.
Pushing Porifan’s attack away.
Her palm ignited, she retreated five meters away, watching Lyle, whose entire body radiated light, "Another damned Light Chaser!"
"Lord Lyle?" Karen, who had just flung a blood servant away in the distance, had clearly witnessed the scene.
"Extend your palm towards Karen, Plague Doctor," Sister Eliane’s voice directed in his ear once more.
Lyle complied.
Breath of Light.
Wind of Radiance.
Slow Healing.
Dark Deterrence.
Weapon Blessing.
Holy Power.
One by one, the blessings of Holy Light spells appeared on Karen, who shouted in triumph, her aura finally matching that of Porifan from the Blood Clan.
With the Hammer of Holy Flame, Karen turned a blood servant into ash, her starry, surprised eyes fixed on Lyle.
"Lord Lyle!"
"Smile at her, Plague Doctor," continued the voice in his ear.
Lyle revealed his pearly white teeth in what he considered his coolest, most suave smile.
A smile makes one strong.
He gave Karen a thumbs-up.
Empowered by Sister Eliane’s Power of Holy Light, hidden in the shadows, Lyle was more clerical than a charlatan.
"Believe in the Holy Light!"
I am the actor of the Holy Light!
