Chapter 243: A Party Fractured
Under the subtle influence of Cressida, the group turned their backs on Thoren as they solely focused on their own battle.
Ahhh!
Suddenly, a sharp cry escaped from their captain’s lips as he failed to react to one of the Siltbound Penitent’s claw strikes. His expression turned solemn while he looked at the ghastly injury on his shoulder.
If he had not shifted his body at the last moment, the attack would have hit his neck instead. Just the thought of dying in this ruin sent a cold shiver down his spine.
Looking at the slow Siltbound Penitent that was trying to finish him, his heart burned with fury and his eyes turned bloodshot.
Without any hesitation, he used his ace skill.
"Sweeping Arc Slash," he growled under his breath.
Bang! Bang!
Instantly, a sword light flashed in a wide horizontal arc, cutting the Siltbound Penitent before him into two pieces. The strike did not stop there. It flashed quickly, cutting everything before it into two halves.
Without looking back, he shouted, "I know you are still holding back. Now is not the time to play games."
Listening to his words, the hunter was surprised and turned to look at Neville and Cressida.
’Is this true?’ he wondered silently.
Looking at their faces, he realized their captain was not telling lies. The two had been holding back right from the very beginning.
How could they do this to their own team?
He was furious, feeling completely betrayed by his companions.
He and the Tank had discovered this ruin by accident and had informed their entire party. But instead of them working together, each person held back their true power.
They could have helped the Tank from dying a terrible death, yet they abandoned him without a second thought. The more he thought about it, the more his hatred for Cressida and Neville increased inside his heart.
Sensing his deadly glare, Cressida could not help but sneer at his reaction.
This was the unwritten rule on the Bleeding Desert. No one went all out without a very good reason.
The desert was far too dangerous without having an ace hidden away to defend oneself in a difficult situation. They might be a team on paper, but they never trusted each other from the beginning.
This was why they never bothered to wait for each other in the Bloodstone Mine.
Bang! Bang!
With their captain finally taking the lead, Neville and Cressida could no longer keep on pretending to be weak.
"Relentless Finishing Cut," Neville whispered, and then he vanished from his spot in an instant.
Bang! Bang!
His sword flashed at breathtaking speed, impossible for normal eyes to follow. Anywhere the sword appeared, a Siltbound Penitent was cut asunder without mercy.
Some were cut cleanly through the neck, while others were sliced down from the torso.
Seeing this display of power, Cressida clicked her tongue and began to chant a much more powerful spell. Compared to before, this incantation was completely different in both tone and intensity.
When she finally finished casting the spell, a powerful lightning storm erupted before the Siltbound Penitents.
Booom!
The powerful Lightning Storm sent dozens of the creatures flying through the air. Their bodies were charged from head to toe with crackling energy. Those who fell into the crimson sand were devoured completely by the hungry sand below.
Huh!
The Healer and the Hunter had their jaws dropped wide open when they saw the devastating scene before them.
So they were hiding such powerful attacks all this time?
But why would they do such a thing?
The two looked at each other and saw the confusion on each other’s faces. So they had been the clowns from the very beginning. While they were trying desperately to keep the team alive, the stronger members were holding back.
Their previous struggle and helplessness had been nothing but a clever facade.
Thoren was not surprised by their actions at all. He had already known they were holding back from the start. Without caring about the stunned Healer or the ignorant Hunter, he urged his undead servant to increase its killing speed even further.
With three of them now going all out, the number of the Siltbound Penitents was gradually reduced over time. They were not infinite after all. Moreover, it was as if the group stood in one spot. With each kill, they progressed forward, pushing the battle further and further into the slanted hall.
Ten minutes later, they finally arrived at the other side of the hall. The shifting crimson sand was gone, and below them was a solid, stable ground.
Without any hesitation, the group jumped down from the wall one by one.
Landing on solid ground, each person took a seat on the floor, trying to recover their lost breath. The atmosphere inside the hall was strange and tense.
The party seemed to have fractured into different factions. In one corner, Thoren sat casually without any change in his expression. The Captain took another position by himself.
Cressida and Neville sat together in their own small group, while the Healer and the Hunter stayed close to each other.
After resting for a moment, the Captain rose to his feet and said in a deep voice, "We cannot relax here. We need to move and explore the rest of the hall."
No one spoke in response, but each person rose to their feet and began to search for treasure. This time, they did not move together as a single unit.
Everyone moved separately according to their own plans.
The Captain moved alone, and likewise Cressida and Neville stayed together. But the injured Hunter and the weaker Healer stuck close to each other for protection.
As for Thoren, he also moved alone into the unknown darkness.
Each person picked a room to search.
Entering one room, Thoren found nothing but old cobwebs and thick dust on the ground. But this did not dishearten him at all. He looked at the adjacent door and walked inside without any fear.
Inside the small room, Thoren saw something gleaming at the far corner. Curious about the object, he walked forward cautiously and picked up the item.
[Sandgrip Greaves]
[Grade: Peak Iron Grade]
[Description: Prevent slipping on unstable terrain]
****
[AN: Please support this book with your golden ticket and power stones.]
Message Chair +1 Chapter.
Dragon +2 Chapters.
Magic Castle +5 Chapters]]