Chapter 18 Hymn to Ella — [Holy Spirit Light]
"Don't be impulsive, come back, Buck!" Johnny shouted loudly.
Buck ignored him, his face twisted as he charged forward.
"Praise Ella—'Holy Light Shock'!" Anluoke spoke slowly, his action releasing a second-tier divine art.
Blinding white light erupted once more, striking first despite being released later. The corpse used as a shield in front of him was instantly turned into a cloud of blood mist, and the terrifying impact of the aftershock sent Buck flying effortlessly.
Anluoke raised his staff, ready to cast another spell to finish him off, but at that critical moment, Bai Ge intervened once again.
A sharp, piercing scream sounded like the death knell from hell. Anluoke's actions paused for a moment, but only briefly.
'Flame Touch'
'White Phosphorus—Fireball Technique'
Lynn and Johnny, who had covered their ears in advance, seized the opportunity to attack simultaneously with their most powerful spells. Two streams of searing flames surged toward Anluoke, forcing the Archbishop to switch to defensive magic instead of continuing his assault.
Third-tier divine art—'Holy Barrier'!
An invisible barrier materialized in front of Anluoke, easily blocking the torrent of fire. However, the white phosphorus flames adhered to it, corroding the surface slowly but steadily.
Roar!
Having just been severely injured and knocked down, Buck stood up again, his eyes bloodshot, and his body showing more signs of beastly transformation.
At this moment, Buck looked like a giant bear standing upright, charging straight into the burning sea of fire. His fur and robe quickly caught the white phosphorus flames.
The agony of being burned by thousands of degrees was enough to drive anyone insane, but Buck paid it no mind. From the moment he used a wizard apprentice's spell to undergo magical transformation, the process of turning into a beast was irreversible. And to break through Anluoke's divine barriers, relying on his own strength alone was absolutely impossible!
"Johnny, Carl, you go first. I have to stay and avenge Barton!" Buck roared, slamming his palm against the 'Holy Barrier' in front of him.
Waves rippled across the invisible barrier. Anluoke, with a casual divine art, blasted Buck away again.
"We're leaving!" Lynn glanced deeply at Buck and said without hesitation. Covered in white phosphorus fire, Buck was beyond saving.
After tossing Buck aside, Anluoke directly blocked the only exit. Having lost so many men, he naturally wouldn't let Lynn and the others escape easily.
"Repent to the great Lord, believers of the devil..." Anluoke raised his bishop's staff and chanted loudly.
"Praise Ella—'Holy Spirit Light'!"
Dazzling light waves spread semicircularly from the staff. They were unstoppable and inescapable, as the divine art's range covered most of the side hall!
However, Lynn wasn't someone who left no escape route!
In fact, before entering the side hall, he had already prepared an escape plan for a crisis!
Lynn, Bai Ge, and Johnny almost simultaneously placed their hands on the ground.
Zero-tier magic—'Basic Material Decompilation Skill'!
The solid floor cracked instantly, three fine lines spreading like a spider web, finally connecting. Before the terrifying white light arrived, the ground beneath them had already collapsed...
The 'Holy Spirit Light' swept over the collapsed floor, hitting the wall behind with successive explosion sounds that echoed through the castle.
After the dust and debris settled, Anluoke's expression became grim as he stared at the gaping hole in the side hall.
Roar!
A hoarse roar came from the side.
Having been knocked away earlier, Buck was out of the 'Holy Spirit Light's' range, but he had already lost his human form, transforming into a massive bear. His skin still burned with white phosphorus fire, and beneath the scorched flesh, white bones were faintly visible.
Even so, driven by his thirst for vengeance, Buck rushed forward.
Anluoke frowned. He didn't have time to waste on a dying wizard apprentice. He extended his hand, summoning quick-assembling rubble and pieces of broken armor into two huge stone figures standing three meters tall.
This was the second-tier divine art—'Summoning Spirit Realm Guardian.'
Once the two stone figures were formed, they separated. One swung its fist, knocking the giant bear Buck down, while the other jumped into the collapsed floor hole...
...
"Luckily, this place isn't too high!"
Using falling debris as a buffer, Lynn had smoothly penetrated the floor with the combined effort of the three using the 'Basic Material Decompilation Skill,' landing directly in the castle's basement.
Scanning his surroundings, Lynn saw what looked like an armory. Weapons and swords piled up on racks. There were also many empty boxes that likely once held treasures, which the castle owner had evidently taken when fleeing.
After confirming the environment, Lynn immediately focused on his two companions.
Johnny was in relatively good shape, although he had expended a lot of magic power. Bai Ge, however, was a different story; after using 'Soul Scream' twice, she could barely stand despite being a rare spiritualist.
"Johnny, how far are we from the underground waterway?" Lynn asked.
"Follow this path, it's no more than three minutes away," Johnny replied, helping Bai Ge up. She hesitated, then quickly made up her mind. "We can split up. You take Bai Ge while I lead Anluoke away."
Johnny knew they couldn't outrun Anluoke. If they kept on as they were, they'd be caught eventually.
Despite having consumed a lot of magic power in the earlier fight, relying on her 'Magic Hand,' she could still cast two more first-tier spells, buying them some time...
The silver-gray-haired witch lowered her head, her rosy lips bitten to the point of bleeding. She had promised Mentor Kro to bring everyone safely back to Wizard Land.
But now Kent was dead, Will was dead, and Buck and Barton lay before her. She felt utterly helpless...
"What you're suggesting is probably too late!" Lynn looked up.
In just that brief moment, the sound of violent explosions erupted from above. Then, a three-meter-tall armored stone figure crashed down through the hole.
"Go!" Lynn grabbed Johnny and Bai Ge by the arms, pulling them out of the falling debris and shouting.
He had used the white phosphorus fire originally meant for their retreat to rescue Buck, and with over half of his magic power already spent, he had no chance against the Archbishop.
The massive, heavy spirit guardian landed, causing the ground to shake. It then stretched out its stone arms and charged towards the three.
Lynn's face tightened, ready to evade when a prompt sounded in his mind.
"Warning... detected serious illegal activity by the target of the pact, involving the use of chemical weapons for mass slaughter. The nature is extremely vile! The criminal acts have been recorded. Before the federal police arrive, you will have an opportunity for an online statement..."