Chapter 14: Courage of the Weak
"Now I understand why he acts so arrogantly," muttered one of the Knights of Grimreach, his voice low but carrying a hint of awe. "He’s a tough one!"
Everyone nodded in agreement, even Patrick himself, though his gaze was elsewhere.
But his eyes weren’t fixed on Dax, the towering figure of strength and valor. No, they were locked on Lian.
The boy had chosen to join the fray to protect his fellow villagers, a selfless act that earned him respect in the eyes of many.
Yet Patrick’s stare held no admiration—far from it. A flicker of disdain crossed his features, hidden quickly behind his usual charming smile. "Throwing your life on the line for strangers? To what end?" he thought, his brow furrowing for a fleeting moment before his mask of warmth returned, as if nothing had ever disturbed his composure.
Lian, meanwhile, was locked in combat, facing the two Iron 4 monsters left wounded by his earlier attack. His fireball had worked a miracle, a blazing testament to his courage. The boy had achieved his goal—stepping into the fray to save his people.
But now, he stood alone against two Iron 4 Shadow Wolves.
"Alright, when I get out of here, I need to study my system and everything else more thoroughly... for now, let’s focus on the battle at hand," Lian muttered to himself, steeling his nerves as the beasts circled him.
The two Shadow Wolves growled, their fear of the human palpable. They had witnessed—and felt—the devastating collateral damage of Lian’s attack.
Yes, collateral damage.
The beasts hadn’t even been at the center of the explosion, yet they were grievously wounded. They could have died, and now they burned with a primal desire for vengeance. Seeing that their primary target, Dax Reed, had gone to face their alpha, the two monsters turned their fury on the one responsible for their pain—Lian.