Chapter 61: Plan B

Nolan was shocked because he understood better than anyone just how terrifying the explosive power of their combined strike had been. The instant burst of force from all three of them working together had far exceeded the output of an ordinary Gold-rank fighter. Yet they had failed to touch Yuri even while he was momentarily stunned, managing only to shatter the suddenly appearing shield. 

But Yuri’s shock far surpassed Nolan’s. The barrier he had just used, Night Veil Protection, was a magical shield granted to him by the envoy from Shiva. He had personally tested it before. It was powerful enough to withstand three full-force attacks from a Gold-rank expert. And yet this life-saving trump card had been destroyed in a single exchange by a group of “fodder” whose auras were only at Silver rank. 

Both men were veterans hardened by countless battles. After the brief moment of disbelief, Nolan was the first to react. He made his decision instantly. 

“Plan B!” 

Before the words had even finished leaving his mouth, Rehanna and Hank already understood. Without the slightest hesitation, they spun around with the other four members and charged toward the southwest corner of the courtyard. 

That was where the dungeon entrance lay. 

At the same time, Little Donnie shoved two fingers into his mouth and let out a shrill, piercing whistle. 

“They’re trying to escape?” Yuri’s expression changed immediately as he realized their objective. “The dungeon is their target! Stop them!” 

At his command, chaotic footsteps and the clash of armor erupted throughout the manor. 

Personal guards stationed across the estate surged in from every direction, forming a massive net to intercept Hank’s group. 

Hank charged at the front like a berserker. Roaring at the top of his lungs, he unleashed another crimson wave of sword energy. Blood Lion’s Fang tore open a bloody path straight through the encirclement of Silver-rank guards. 

Rehanna followed close behind, her sword flashing with lethal precision. Together, the two formed an unstoppable spearhead. 

Little Donnie moved like a deadly shadow among them. His dagger and sword struck from impossible angles, harvesting lives one after another. 

The remaining Fire Fox mercenaries were all elites personally chosen by Rehanna. Empowered by Nolan’s dual aura buffs, their combat power surged dramatically, and they fought without fear of death. For a time, the screams of the personal guards echoed nonstop. Though constantly slowed and obstructed, Hank’s group continued forcing their way steadily toward the dungeon. 

Yuri wanted to pursue them. But one man stood firmly in his path. 

Gone was Nolan’s earlier crooked, submissive posture. Now he held his sword with both hands, standing ready for battle. Since the ambush had failed, they would switch to direct assault. His task was simple: face the strongest enemy head-on. 

Between him and Yuri lay a gap of more than twenty levels, along with the seemingly insurmountable divide known as Gold rank. But Nolan had never been a normal Silver-rank fighter that could be measured by common sense. He possessed two hidden classes, wielded the holy sword Mountain’s Resonance, and carried swordsmanship at the level of a Sword Saint. 

“…So you’re the discarded pawn?”

To think he was being looked down on by this piece of trash. 

 Seeing Nolan dare remain behind alone to block his path, Yuri’s killing intent exploded violently. 

Nolan steadied his breathing. This was now a battle fought with their lives on the line. For warriors, the only language left was steel. 

Crimson saw-like waves of mana began spinning wildly around Yuri’s sword, Fleshrender, emitting a low, vicious hum. It too was a famous blade. No Fantasy-grade weapon was ever ordinary. 

“Execution time.” 

There was no need for more words. The two instantly collided. 

Their blades crashed together with a piercing screech as sparks exploded between them, illuminating both faces. 

Yuri’s swordsmanship was overwhelmingly aggressive. Every strike tore through the air with a violent howl, and the crimson serrated mana coating Fleshrender ripped away chunks of flesh whenever it grazed a target, even draining blood from the wound itself. 

But Nolan’s sword was faster. Sharper. More unpredictable. 

In Nolan’s hands, Mountain’s Resonance could become as immovable as a mountain, blocking Fleshrender’s savage blows head-on. Then, in the next instant, it flowed like water, finding the tiniest openings in Yuri’s attacks and forcing him to abandon offense to defend himself. 

They exchanged more than a dozen rounds in rapid succession. Nolan deflected another brutal horizontal slash, but Fleshrender’s strange effect still sent his blood surging backward through his veins. A metallic taste rose in his throat as he staggered back two steps, forcibly suppressing the turmoil raging through his body. 

So this is a famous veteran Gold-rank fighter. He’s hard to deal with. 

Nolan clenched his teeth and tried to recover his stamina as quickly as possible. 

Yet even Yuri, who clearly held the upper hand, grew increasingly alarmed as the fight continued. This was the first time in his life that he felt completely outclassed in pure swordsmanship. 

Every block. Every redirection of force. Every counterattack from Nolan was executed with near-perfect precision, as though he could predict every move before it happened. Had Yuri not possessed the overwhelming physical power of a Gold-rank fighter to suppress him directly, he might have died within the first ten exchanges. 

Worse still, Yuri reached a deeply unsettling conclusion: this bastard was strangely familiar with his combat habits. 

Something was wrong. He was absolutely certain he had never met this man before, much less fought him. And what frustrated him even further was the strange force field attached to Nolan’s sword. Every clash made his body feel unnaturally heavy, slowing his movements noticeably. On top of that, this Silver-rank brat occasionally unleashed absurdly powerful heavy strikes that clearly reached Gold-rank levels of destructive force. 

“Who are you?” Yuri finally demanded. 

“Just an ordinary militia man from Shire Town passing through.” 

“Bastard! You dare mock me?!” 

Enraged, Yuri charged again without holding anything back. 

Although Nolan sounded dismissive, the truth was far less comfortable. Yuri was still a genuine Gold-rank powerhouse. Only through extraordinary swordsmanship and precise control of battle rhythm could Nolan barely keep up, and even then he spent most of the fight forced onto the defensive. Whenever he wanted to inflict meaningful damage, he had to rely on the draconic strength granted by his bloodline together with the explosive burst of Assault, rapidly draining his stamina. The duration of Divine Infusion was also nearly over. His lungs burned like fire, and every breath became heavier than the last. 

After dodging one of Nolan’s counterattacks, Yuri sharply noticed it. The boy had slowed down. 

“Tired already?” 

Now that the initial shock had faded, the confidence and composure of a true Gold-rank expert returned to him. 

He drove Nolan back with another slash and finally spoke again during the battle, “I’ll admit it. Your technique is impressive. But you don’t seriously think this is enough to defeat a real Gold-rank fighter, do you? Relax. I won’t kill you immediately.” He licked his lips. “First I’ll cut off those hands you’re so proud of. Then Fleshrender will savor your flesh inch by inch before I slowly pry open your skull and dig out all your secrets. Just like I did to every other rebel.” 

Nolan did not answer. At this point, even speaking wasted precious energy. 

The two once again clashed viciously together. 

***

Meanwhile, Hank’s group was struggling more and more to advance. Nearly every personal guard in the manor had mobilized, pouring in from all directions. Two Fire Fox mercenaries had already died in battle. Rehanna’s eyes were bloodshot as she fought desperately onward. The survivors formed a tight circle back-to-back, struggling to hold the line. 

“Focus on what’s in front of you!” Hank roared as he split a guard trying to ambush Little Donnie clean in half, though his own right arm was slashed open in return. 

The pressure kept mounting. All four remaining mercenaries were now wounded. 

One elite mercenary named Sid finally exposed an opening during the fierce battle. Three swords swung toward him simultaneously, ready to hack him apart. Determination flashed across his face. If he was going to die, he would take at least one enemy with him and lessen the burden on the others. 

“Farewell, Boss!” 

“Sid! Get back here!” 

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! 

But what stopped Sid was not Rehanna’s shout. 

Three crossbow bolts burst from the darkness, piercing cleanly through the wrists of the three attacking guards. Crying out in pain, they dropped their swords instantly. 

Sid stared toward the depths of the dungeon in shock, but there was nothing there except darkness. 

Amid the chaotic sounds of clashing weapons, a voice faintly echoed from the shadows, “Ruler of the Scorched Volcano, incarnation of endless wrath, heed my call—Rontar’s Blazing Inferno!” 

BOOM! 

Dozens of blazing pillars of fire erupted violently from the ground, instantly filling every corner of the dungeon passage. 

***

Back in the courtyard, the furious battle finally paused for a moment. 

The surrounding ground had long since become a complete ruin, covered with sword scars and shattered stone. Yet Yuri still stood before the corridor leading to the lord’s bedroom like an immovable gatekeeper. 

The two men stood five paces apart, both breathing heavily. 

Several wounds of varying depth now covered Yuri’s body. The blood-red aura of Fleshrender fed energy back into him as strands of black mist writhed around the injuries, slowly stitching flesh back together. 

“Your blood…” Yuri murmured. “It’s an exquisite tonic. I almost don’t want to kill you anymore.” 

Nolan was nearly out of stamina. His health had already fallen into the dangerous red zone. His armor was shattered, and blood seeped continuously from multiple wounds. Yet he still gripped Mountain’s Resonance tightly with both hands, maintaining a flawless offensive stance. 

“You fought a weaker opponent to a draw and still aren’t ashamed? Looks like all your Gold-rank training went into thickening your skin.” 

Yuri ignored the taunt. Looking toward the dungeon, he sneered coldly. “You still have energy left to run your mouth? The noise over there has stopped. You came to rescue that mercenary girl, didn’t you? Your companions are probably all dead by now. All those lives sacrificed for one person. How foolish.” 

As he spoke, four members of the personal guard emerged one after another from the dungeon shadows, their swords still dripping blood. Two positioned themselves behind Nolan while the other two stopped beside Yuri. Four swords rose simultaneously, their tips aimed directly at Nolan, forming a perfect encirclement that cut off every possible escape route. 

Nolan’s wrist stiffened slightly. 

Yuri watched the “despair” on Nolan’s face with satisfaction. 

“I have to admit, you people are impressive. A mere handful of Silver-rank fighters managed to cripple most of the personal guard. And you…” He narrowed his eyes. “You’re a swordsmanship genius that appears only once in a century. A pity you chose the wrong side. A fallen genius is worth less than a pig or a dog.” 

Yuri waved his hand dismissively and issued the final order. 

“Capture him. Cut off his limbs, throw him into the dungeon, and make him watch every last accomplice executed before his eyes.” 

“Yes, sir!” 

The four guards moved simultaneously, charging Nolan from four directions at once!