The Lord Of Blood Hill

Compared to the arrows from the bridge, here every shot comes from heavy crossbows, firing massive bolts.

These bolts are especially dangerous, the tips are coated with poison and made entirely from extraordinary alloy.

It’s not just that everyone is wearing ordinary armor now; even with their original gear, they can’t withstand the relentless barrage from these crossbows.

The triangular-shaped tips are specifically designed to pierce armor, and if you’re not careful, even a Grand Knight can get seriously injured.

Henwell isn’t spared either. A bolt over a meter long rips through his armor, tearing a gash across his chest.

The sheer force knocks him back several steps, leaving deep impressions in the ground where he lands.

In no time, the hall is soaked in blood, at least thirty knights fall in this sudden ambush.

After the first volley, the firing windows fall silent, but the familiar sound of crossbows cocking soon follows.

That means another round is coming.

Henwell tosses a knight with a shredded thigh toward the tunnel entrance and shouts to the surrounding soldiers, “Get the wounded out of here! Zoffern, Kimir, Sosie, you three stay with me to cover the rear and protect the others as they retreat. Five seconds until the next volley, get ready!”

At that moment, mechanisms activate inside the tunnel, blocking their escape route.

The burning oil continues to pour down, and Henwell suspects the ignition trap will trigger after this attack.

Sweat drips down his face as he tears off the shattered upper half of his armor, revealing a red mark on the left side of his chest.

If Henwell were just any Grand Knight without secondary law protections, this wound would have been fatal, not just a scar.

Learning that their path is blocked, Henwell commands, “McComb, clear the way ahead! Leician, come cover him!”

McComb immediately charges into the tunnel, pushing past comrades to reach the front and dismantle the obstacle.

Meanwhile, the second volley of crossbow bolts begins.

With fewer people in the hall, the Grand Knights have more room to maneuver and dodge.

Their fighting spirit ignites, allowing them to shatter many incoming bolts.

Still, casualties mount. The sudden attack and blocked retreat leave many knights outside the tunnel.

Two Battle Knights and seven regular knights die, with numerous others wounded.

Even Sosie suffers a deep gash on his thigh from a bolt.

Leician’s left arm twists unnaturally, bone exposed where he blocked a bolt with his arm, unable to dodge in time.

Even for Grand Knights, these extraordinary metal-piercing bolts are a serious threat.

Thankfully, the volley ends, buying precious time for the knights to drag the wounded back into the tunnel.

Hearing the cocking of the crossbows for the third volley, Henwell knows he can’t keep holding back, it’s time to show his true strength.

If the casualties keep mounting here, as the main leader of the operation, he’ll bear the full weight of responsibility.

He might even be ordered back to the church for punishment, and that’s something Henwell absolutely can’t accept.

Just as Henwell reaches to unlock the Will Lock binding his power, two figures suddenly burst out from the tunnel.

He recognizes them as subordinates of Paladin Zoffern.

Henwell wonders why they’re returning, he suspects something’s wrong in the tunnel.

But then, the two strip off their armor and tear away a rune stuck to their bodies.

Simultaneously, they raise their longswords and chant a prayer.

A milky white light bursts from their blades, instantly enveloping their entire bodies.

Damn it!

These two are Iron Knights, the only rank in the church able to wield the Holy Armor Sanctuary.

Then, together, they drive their swords into the ground.

A fierce Fighting Spirit surges outward, crashing into the walls of the hall.

Even through the thick stone, Henwell hears the sound of crossbows shattering.

With a single combined ultimate move, the two destroy most of the mechanical crossbows.

This creates many blind spots in the hall’s firing range.

Even with some crossbows still active, they no longer pose a serious threat to the group.

Henwell pretends to stare blankly at the two Iron Knights from the church, clearly still trying to make sense of what’s happening.

One of them, a burly Iron Knight with a thick beard, apologizes, “Sorry, Henwell! We didn’t mean to keep this from you. Apart from Zoffern, no one knew our identities. We’re here to support this operation, mainly to provide backup for you. Your intelligence is crucial, since the enemy has deployed so many to control King Ulysses.”

He continues, “I’m sure from the moment you arrived in Yinxin City, they noticed you. Capturing Veil members and taking King Ulysses is important, but you’re the church’s future. Your safety is even more important to us.”

The knights nearby wear expressions of deep gratitude, clearly impressed by his words.

Henwell puts on a moved expression himself, though inside he feels a surge of caution.

Speaking as if admitting fault in his command, Henwell says, “Thanks to you two stepping in at the right moment, we avoided disaster. It was my recklessness that led my brothers into a trap, leaving them in dire straits. If we’d lost them all here, I don’t know how I could explain it.”

The other Iron Knight responds, “Henwell, don’t blame yourself. This is your first mission, and it’s a complicated, thorny situation. It’s thanks to your investigation that we even discovered such a large Veil operation here. Whether the mission succeeds or fails, you’ve done great work. If Veil had controlled Billie any longer, it might have sparked a continental war.”

Henwell looks at the bodies scattered on the ground and sighs, “But my arrogance still cost so many brothers their lives.”

The bearded Iron Knight replies, “Henwell, we are the church’s sharp sword, tasked with driving out evil and protecting humanity. From the moment they join the Paladins, these men are ready to sacrifice themselves! Not just them, but all of us. Protecting humanity and glorifying our Lord’s light is our mission.”

Henwell lets out a deep breath and changes the subject, “Sirs, are only the two of you here to support us?”

As he speaks, he senses several more strong extraordinary auras nearby.

They must be like these two Iron Knights, using extraordinary runes to conceal their presence.

The Iron Knight answers, “There are three from the church, three from the empire, six high-level warriors in total supporting you.”

Henwell thinks to himself, these guys are really something else!

He can’t help but feel like he’s been made the fool in all this.