Chapter 142: Headmaster Lances Palm of Suppression

Chapter 142: Headmaster Lance's Palm of Suppression

The entire sanctuary was thick with the atmosphere of a final stand. At the critical moment, Lance produced two more Epic cards, taunting the Saintess of Destruction. The executioner, the paladin, and the male bodyguard had already resigned themselves to death, but they now felt as though they were witnessing the glorious sun rise once more. They roared in unison as their spirits surged.

"Ah... ah..."

Right before Lance, the Saintess' eyes widened in terror. All she could see was that lethal orange glow.

Epic cards were immensely powerful, yet they came with a catch. Once bound, they could not be unequipped. Furthermore, the inability to swap them out based on tactical needs limited the flexibility of a person's card repertoire. Consequently, the choice of using any Epic or Divine card required careful deliberation.

In essence, the Epic and Divine cards a person wielded defined the core of their combat system. This was especially true for Epics. Unlike Divine cards, which still allowed for the possibility of unbinding, Epics were truly permanently bound for life.

Adelise could scarcely fathom it. Beyond the Poet of Boundless Love, Lance possessed two more unused Orange cards! Even without knowing the specific effects of these two Epic cards, she felt it in her very bones. Every one of his cards was bound to be an instrument of ultimate humiliation and torment.

In an instant, the fear and terror flooding the Saintess’s heart eclipsed her humiliation and rage. She would rather die than let herself be the testing ground for Lance's remaining cards, especially two climactic Epic ones!

With the fires of her rage extinguished by overwhelming horror, nothing remained in the Saintess but an intense, desperate will to survive. Acting on instinct, she glanced toward the sanctuary's great doors.

As she swayed, she used her magic sword as a crutch to haul herself up from the ground, then forced her legs, still numb and sluggish, to carry her in a desperate dash toward the exit.

"You despicable coward!!!"

With a thunderous shout, the executioner's axe carved a silver arc through the air, while the paladin's holy sword, shimmering with a mysterious radiance, slashed viciously toward her lower back. The male bodyguard's shortsword flashed like a streak of cold light. He lunged from the shadows, striking at the Saintess's feet with the speed of a viper.

However, because Adelise had chosen flight over combat, her pursuers fell just a step short. As a ring of crimson fire erupted outward from her, the sword tip traced a searing arc through the air. Waves of scorching, deep-red flames burst from the ground, blasting her three attackers backward.

She was determined to retreat, so she moved like a bolt of black lightning, racing with ever-increasing speed across the open atrium toward the main gate. Even as the three warriors gave chase, she utilized her terrifying, fully restored speed to widen the gap. Like a demon wreathed in pitch-black flames, she burst through the sanctuary gates and vanished into the forest beyond.

"Damn it!"

"Stop. We can't keep chasing her."

Moments later, at the sanctuary entrance, the three who had pursued the enemy to the entrance looked weary and pained. Their fighting spirit had burned out.

The male bodyguard stepped in to restrain the executioner and the paladin, who were still intent on rushing out to hunt down the Saintess. If they left the sanctuary to continue the chase, there was a high probability they would be killed instead.

Moreover, leaving the sanctuary unguarded created a vulnerability. If the Saintess doubled back, she could slaughter everyone remaining inside, particularly the support members in the rear. On top of that, night was falling soon, making it impossible to catch her.

"If we don't catch her now, we'll lose our best chance!"

The executioner slammed his fist heavily against the sanctuary gates. His clenched hand was slick with blood, and his axe lay discarded nearby. His voice was thick with rage and bitter frustration.

Meanwhile, the paladin had collapsed onto the hard, cold stone floor, utterly exhausted. A wry, bitter smile was on his lips.

They had come so close. Now that the Saintess had escaped, they faced four and a half more days of sleepless nightmares as she launched her nightly raids. As for trying to catch her in the forest during the day, in terrain suited for one-on-one combat, their group might actually be picked off by her one by one.

Beneath the sanctuary's rose window, the group gazed with sorrow and defeat at the now-empty doorway. Even the mightiest, most fearless heroes felt an overwhelming sense of weakness and despondency in that moment.

Although the support members knew they had survived a close call, letting the Saintess escape was merely a stopgap measure, like quenching thirst with poisoned wine. Perhaps a fight to the death would have been better after all.

Someone asked, "What do we do if she comes back to attack tonight?"

Whether it was the priest, the female bodyguard, or Hyperion standing behind Lance, everyone was deeply worried and turned to Lance for guidance. Now, their only hope lay in him having a strategy to counter a surprise midnight raid. Everyone else was also utterly baffled as to why Mr. Lawyer, despite clearly holding two Orange Epic cards, refused to use them!

Hyperion wore a complex expression. She wanted to explain something to the others but didn't know quite how to broach the subject. She knew full well that while those two Tier 3 Epic cards were immensely powerful, they would inevitably endanger them as well.

In the context of a team battle like this, they served little practical purpose beyond merely intimidating the Saintess. Even if they had engaged the enemy in a head-on clash and even if they had managed to capture or kill her, there was virtually no chance that the executioner, the paladin, and the male bodyguard would all survive.

In the end, Lance simply couldn't bring himself to send his comrades, with whom he shared such deep bonds, to their deaths. Instead, he chose to bluff the Saintess into retreating. Unfortunately, even Hyperion couldn't say for certain whether that move was the right one or not.

However, Lance merely smiled meaningfully, then stretched his arms and strolled toward the kitchen. It was as if he had finished his work and was ready to enjoy his dinner. His reaction left everyone utterly bewildered.

***

Deep within the dense, brooding forest, colossal trees rose from the earth, stretching toward the sky. Their interlocking canopies and foliage blotted out the setting sun, leaving behind only a dim, shadowy gloom. A gust of wind swept through, causing the leaves to rustle, creating a sound like the whispering of mist.

Adelise moved through the trees like a grievously wounded, ferocious beast. The tips of her hair were stained crimson, and her armored skirt scraped noisily against the underbrush, leaving a trail of bright red blood droplets on the dark soil in her wake.

Kill them all...

Kill them all!!!

She whimpered. However, her expression was twisted in a savage snarl, as if she could barely wait to recover her strength and slaughter every one of those challengers who dared to hide within the castle walls by night.

Yet, she remained unaware. From behind a tree not far away, a tall, powerfully built figure stepped out in utter silence. He held a heavy hand-crossbow, poised like a hunter who had finally cornered his prey. Shadows clung to his face, leaving only his violet eyes, gleaming in the darkness, distinctly visible.