Chapter 27: Traps and Conspiracies

Chapter 27: Traps and Conspiracies

"You are..."

"My name is Alex. I'm an apprentice Guardian Knight of the Star-Moon City Temple, and I came here with Knight Stone to assist you."

"Star-Moon City... You mean Knight Stone is here too?"

To Alex's surprise, the knight's expression didn't show relief upon hearing this. Instead, his face changed dramatically.

"This is bad, you shouldn't have come here! It's a trap! Damn it, we've all been deceived... cough cough...!"

Perhaps due to his urgency, the knight started coughing up blood before he could finish his sentence.

Seeing this, Alex stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. Examining the knight's condition closely, Alex quickly discovered a deep wound on the knight's waist.

"Alright, calm down. We're here now, and you can't send us back anyway... Let's treat your wound first."

As he spoke, Alex raised his hand and cast a Holy Flash on the knight.

A pure, warm light enveloped the knight's body, and under its glow, the once-gaping wound on his waist began to heal rapidly. In moments, it was as good as new.

"So fast?!"

Feeling the comforting warmth and seeing his wound heal so quickly, the knight was astonished.

Though he was not as powerful as someone like Knight Stone, he was experienced after fighting for the Temple for many years.

He knew that Alex's healing spell far surpassed that of the apprentice priests in the Temple. Ordinary healing spells could mend wounds but not restore strength.

However, the spell cast by this young man not only healed his injury in such a short time but also restored his strength—this was at least a bishop-level healing spell!

Who exactly is this young man?

The knight, now even more puzzled, scrutinized Alex. He noticed the insignia Alex wore, bearing the Temple's mark, which couldn't be faked.

If Alex were a specialized healing priest, it might be acceptable. But Alex had also displayed formidable combat skills in battle, which the knight found hard to believe.

A knight proficient in both combat and healing, and so young? Why had he never heard of such a person?

"It seems you're fine now."

Unaware of the knight's thoughts, Alex simply confirmed that the knight's wound had healed and then extended his hand.

"Can you stand?"

"Of course, thank you, young man."

Hearing Alex, the knight was momentarily stunned, then smiled and grasped Alex's hand to stand up.

"My name is Conan, a knight of the 13th Battalion directly under the Bishop's Orders... Uh, why are you looking at me like that?"

"No, it's nothing..."

Alex smiled and shook his head in response to Knight Conan's inquiry, then discreetly stepped back two steps.

It wasn't that Alex planned to do anything to the knight; it was just that the name Conan was intimidating.

Hearing it made Alex instinctively cautious. Although he didn't know what kind of situation this was, he felt it best to keep a bit of distance from this man.

After all, in his world, this name was quite notorious, associated with countless killings and striking fear into many...

"By the way, where are the others? Why are you alone here?"

"Sigh..."

Hearing Alex's question, Knight Conan sighed deeply before beginning to explain.

"This is what happened..."

"This started just as I expected," Alex thought. The knights were among those pursuing Conrad, whose body Alex now inhabited.

Conrad was already an enemy of the Temple, and after Alex inexplicably fought and killed several of their knights, the animosity only grew.

Seeking revenge for their comrades, the knights searched everywhere for clues about Conrad.

Since Alex had used the Lich King's power in the wilderness, the knights naturally associated the cultist with undead creatures like necromancers.

They followed a lead from an old farmer in a nearby village who reported frequent undead sightings in Shadow Canyon.

The farmer claimed a powerful and terrifying lich was abducting children, causing many to disappear.

The knights reported this to the Temple and awaited orders. Although they suspected the lich might be the one who killed their comrades, they had to follow orders.

However, as they waited for the Temple's response, the desperate old farmer returned, pleading for them to rescue his grandson.

Moved by his pleas and eager for revenge, the knights decided to investigate Shadow Canyon. They planned to gather more information, even if they didn't confront the lich directly.

But they fell into a trap from the beginning. The old farmer who provided the information was a cultist! He led them into Shadow Canyon, winding through the paths until the knights got lost.

Realizing something was wrong, the knights found the farmer had vanished, and they were surrounded by hundreds of undead.

Trapped, the knights fought desperately to break through, but the overwhelming numbers and a sealed teleportation passage made escape impossible.

Their main force was divided and surrounded by the undead. Knight Conan, who Alex now faced, had been separated in the chaos.

He fought to escape but was cornered until Alex arrived just in time to save him.

"So that's how it is."

After hearing Conan's story, Alex finally understood what had happened. He frowned in thought while Conan looked around, puzzled.

"Regardless, we should first regroup with Knight Stone… Alex, you said you came here with him, right? But how did you get here if the space is sealed?"

"We used the Star Path to teleport here. As for why we didn't arrive together... I don't know either."

Alex sighed. His teleportations since arriving in this world had been unreliable. He had been transported right in front of a boss in the dark world, and now, despite teleporting three people, they were scattered. There was no point dwelling on it.

"What are your plans now?"

Alex decided to focus on the present and looked at Knight Conan. This situation was beyond his capability to solve alone.

He hoped the others had been teleported together. Knight Stone would be fine, but as for the girl named M... he thought he'd offer a prayer for her next year.

"Well..."

Conan hesitated at Alex's question, frowning as he thought for a moment before speaking.

"Originally, I planned to escape the undead and regroup with the commander. Given that this is Shadow Canyon and the space is sealed, it's not wise to move alone. I can't leave here by myself either..."

"Do you know where they are?"

"Yes. Before we were separated, we were heading towards Blood Beach. If they broke through the undead's encirclement, we should regroup there."

"Great."

Alex nodded, sheathed his sword, and gestured to Conan.

"Let's head to Blood Beach then."

(End of chapter)

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