The rotting giant claw was right before her eyes. Semiaya didn't hesitate, tearing open a piece of blessed leaf.
Hum!
A pale golden halo, solid as bedrock, instantly enveloped her entire body.
"BANG!!!"
The rotting lizardfolk's claw, carrying a foul stench and immense force, slammed hard onto the halo! The halo fluctuated violently, emitting a dull impact sound, yet it steadily blocked this fatal strike. The massive recoil force made it stagger backward.
Semiaya's dark golden vertical pupils contracted sharply, flashing with a mix of disbelief, astonishment, and relief.
The blessing from Putu's envoy had taken effect.
Old Priest Zulok's murky eyes revealed a gloomy expression.
"Roar!" The rotting lizardfolk charged again.
"Bang! Bang!"
The sound of the halo vibrating echoed repeatedly. Piece after piece of blessed leaves were torn open, transforming into protection that made the rotting lizardfolk despair.
Semiaya's bone blade swung so fast it left afterimages. Each attack could draw forth a spray of foul-smelling blood.
Stimulated by the blood, the rotting lizardfolk eventually exposed an opening.
Semiaya's figure moved like a ghost, slipping into its attack blind spot. Her bone blade, infused with all her body's strength, precisely stabbed into its heart, which was exposed due to its attacking motion.
"Pfft—!"
Dark green, foul-smelling blood gushed out wildly. The rotting lizardfolk's massive body collapsed with a loud crash, stirring up large splashes of mud.
What fell along with it was the fighting will of the Corrupted believers.
"Hahaha! Well done!"
The adventurer group, which had been struggling hard, immediately saw their morale surge. Led by Yano, they broke through a path leading outside.
"Let's get out of here first!"
The Scale Claw Tribe lizardfolk were completely wiped out. The mission was accomplished, and they had no reason to continue entangling with these gnolls.
However, Semiaya's cold gaze still remained fixed on Zulok, who was preparing to retreat. She threw a wooden spear, pinning him to a tree, then reversed her grip on the bone blade, preparing to completely end his life.
But at this very moment, something unexpected happened!
Several ghostly figures, as if merged with the shadows, abruptly emerged without warning from the mud and dead wood behind and to the side of Semiaya.
Their movements were fast as lightning. The poisoned short blades in their hands gleamed with a deadly cold light, their targets aimed directly at Semiaya's unguarded back and neck.
The timing was grasped with utterly vicious precision!
"Clang!"
The Rock Shelter blocked the deadly sneak attack.
"Thieves?!"
Semiaya still wanted to counterattack, but the ghostly figures quickly retreated, as if the sneak attack just now was merely a probe.
"Why would thieves appear here?"
Yano, who was covering the rear, couldn't help but feel his heart tighten. In an instant, countless possibilities flashed through his mind, until he finally recalled a name—Rusty Key.
A thieves' guild that frequented illegal areas, making a living specifically by plundering adventurers and taking on gray missions.
And these thieves were like venomous snakes lurking in the kingdom's shadowy sewers. They recognized money, not people, possessing no honor or bottom line.
Being targeted by them was like being attached by leeches in the swamp—impossible to shake off until you were drained of your last drop of blood or paid your last gold coin.
The Scale Claw Tribe actually managed to contact these hyenas...
Just as Yano was frowning, the little slime on his chest actively crawled out, revealing its small head and a pair of blinking eyes.
"Boss, why did you come out?"
"Their target is you. Swing your sword now."
"Huh? Oh!"
Yano was startled internally and subconsciously gathered his strength to deliver a heavy swing.
[Slash]
"Clang!"
A thief's dagger had just emerged from the shadows when it was knocked away by the warrior's formidable strength, sending the figure cloaked in black leather armor flying out.
The thief landed awkwardly in the mud, clutching his chest where his qi and blood were churning, his eyes still filled with disbelief.
How was this possible?
He actually saw through his stealth? Or was it a preemptive prediction?
Since when did warriors have such terrifying perception?
"Yano, left side."
Yano "predicted" another thief's attack. His old knight sword sparked, pushing back the black shadow.
He still wanted to press the advantage and pursue, but the Boss's voice sounded again.
"Yano, swing your sword, shout 'Secret Art: Torrent', loudly, scare them to death."
"Oh... Okay!"
Although he didn't know what a Secret Art was, Yano still assumed a solemn and serious expression, swung his sword, and coldly shouted.
"Secret Art: Torrent!"
Sparks flew from the sword blade again, but this time, the third thief could feel a terrifying power seemingly erupting from this man's chest.
As if the fury of his heart had transformed into a surging torrent, instantly overwhelming him.
[Little Arrow Technique]
"Bang!"
That thief flew far away. By the time he landed, he was already motionless.
The remaining thieves still hiding in the shadows shuddered violently.
"What skill is that?!"
"The intel is wrong! 'Miracle' Yano might have the strength of a formal knight."
"Retreat!"
The "Rusty Key" thieves didn't dare linger any longer and quickly withdrew from the swamp.
Even Yano looked down in astonishment at the small lump of slime on his chest.
Just an insignificant split entity from the Boss possessed such terrifying power.
Truly worthy of being his Boss.
"'Miracle' Yano! As expected of our leader!"
The scene of Yano single-handedly fighting three thieves was witnessed by the retreating adventurers. This unparalleled strength made their eyes burn even more fervently.
"Ahem... It was just basic skills."
"Let's retreat first, get out of here."
Semiaya stabbed her blade through Zulok's head. The coldness in her gaze softened. Dragging her exhausted body, she rejoined the hunting party. Then, led by Sekashi, the adventurer group left the swamp.
The threat from the Scale Claw Tribe had been eliminated, and the gnolls had retreated. Everyone couldn't help but relax.
The classic scene of Yano fighting three alone was still being enthusiastically discussed by the adventurers.
"Truly our leader."
"Does anyone know what that Secret Art the leader shouted was?"
"If I knew, I'd be 'Miracle' Yano."
"I heard the leader is still just a knight squire. How powerful must the knights of the Border Garrison be then?"
"The Knight Training Camp eliminated our leader. Could it be they went to challenge dragons..."
The adventurers' chatter gradually faded into the distance. The training content of the Knight Training Camp became more and more unbelievable in their accounts.
Even challenging demons and slaying dragons came up.
Who knows how the garrison knights would react if they heard this.
...
In the dense forest, Chen Yu withdrew his peeking gaze.
Split entities could inherit 5% of the main body's attributes, which naturally included Qi Training cultivation within that.
Using 5% of his Spiritual Energy to play around with the Little Arrow Technique was enough to deal with thieves who had little protection.
However, these guys hadn't completely given up. They were still lurking around, seemingly having set their sights on him.
Chen Yu and Little Ka submerged underwater, blowing bubbles, blinking as they watched the crocodile decoy tied up with tree roots ahead.
"Swish! Pfft!"
That swamp crocodile let out a mournful cry and died instantly.
A stealthy figure holding a dagger materialized nearby, letting out a scornful laugh.
"This is the swamp master the old lizard spoke of? Hah, just a not-too-smart magical creature."
"Be careful, what if the real swamp master is still hiding?" Another figure emerged from stealth.
"Hawk, do you think you're funny? There's nothing here but crocodiles and slimes."
"Could the master of the swamp possibly be a slime?"
Chen Yu blinked underwater.
Couldn't it be?