Regaleon: The Forgotten Knight
Chapter 113: The Seen Attacker
Regaleon wanted to rush toward the fallen Vaelorin. But ufortunately, he knew within himself that he would never make it in time.
The distance separating the two of them was simply too great and before he could reach the failed Pyromancer, the incoming throwing knife would have already pierced his chest.
However, there was another option...
Without a moment’s hesitation, Regaleon’s muscles tensed as he hurled his Halberd with every ounce of strength he possessed.
The silver Soul Essence became nothing more than a streak of light as it tore across the forest...
CLANG!
A deafening metallic explosion echoed through the woodland...
The Halberd intercepted the incoming throwing knife barely inches above Vaelorin’s chest, knocking it violently off course before continuing onward to bury itself deep within the trunk of a crimson tree.
Vaelorin’s fiery red eyes widened upon seeing this as he only just he realized that he had been less than a heartbeat away from death.
Unfortunately, saving him once didn’t necessarily mean that he was completely safe because the instant Regaleon deflected the first knife, another ripple spread through the surrounding air.
Another attack was coming, and once again... Its target was Vaelorin.
The failed Pyromancer’s pupils contracted, his thoughts spiraling in his mind.
Does this bastard intend to keep attacking until he’s dead...?
Thankfully, Regaleon had reached the exact same conclusion. His instincts had warned him that the attacker wouldn’t stop after a single failed attempt so even before the second knife had been released, he had already been sprinting toward Vaelorin.
And the moment the blade closed the final distance, Regaleon threw himself forward. He wrapped both arms around Vaelorin’s body, shielding him completely...
CLANG!
The incoming knife struck Regaleon squarely in the back...
But instead of flesh being torn apart, brilliant sparks erupted from the golden Armour covering his body.
However, the tremendous force forced a grunt from his lips as metal screeched violently against metal.
The knife ricocheted away before tumbling harmlessly across the forest floor.
Afterward, for brief instant, silence returned...
Regaleon remained crouched over Vaelorin, refusing to move.
Only after several breaths passed did he finally rise, positioning himself between his companion and the unseen enemy like an unbreakable wall...
Meanwhile, Veyrath was already sprinting toward them. However, the failed Alchemist had barely reached Vaelorin when another silver flash split the air...
"Veyrath! Jump! Now!" Regaleon’s shout rang through the forest.
Without questioning him, Veyrath threw himself sideways...
The knife whistled harmlessly over his head before disappearing into a cluster of bushes.
Regaleon immediately shifted aside, allowing Veyrath enough room to reach the wounded Pyromancer before stepping back into position...
And at that instant, another throwing knife arrived almost immediately. But without his Halberd, there was no weapon to intercept it; so he did the only thing that he could.
He took the attack head-on...
CLANG!
The blade slammed against his breastplate, showering sparks in every direction...
But just before the echoes faded, three more knives tore through the air...
Regaleon lunged forward without hesitation, using his whole body as a shield; one struck his pauldron, another slammed into the center of his chest and the third was kicked aside before it could reach the others...
The combined force knocked him off balance. He hit the ground hard before rolling across the crimson leaves, immediately pushing himself back to his feet.
Without wasting another second, he rushed toward the crimson tree where his Halberd had embedded itself.
His muscles bulged as he gripped the weapon with both hands. Then with a powerful tug, the silver blade tore free from the splintered trunk in a shower of broken wood and bark.
Meanwhile, Veyrath was already examining Vaelorin’s injury...
His hands trembled uncontrollably as he pulled aside the torn fabric around the Pyromancer’s shoulder and the moment he saw the wound, he instinctively recoiled.
His face turned pale.
Seeing his reaction, Vaelorin frowned as he asked. "...Is it that bad?"
Veyrath swallowed.
"It isn’t just bad..." He started, his voice tightening. "It’s... worse."
Hearing that, Vaelorin finally looked down at his own shoulder and only then did he understand Veyrath’s reaction.
The throwing knife had pierced deeply through the front of his shoulder, burying nearly half the blade into the muscle just below his collarbone.
Blood seeped steadily around the embedded weapon, staining his clothes a deep crimson. Every slight movement caused fresh streams of blood to trickle down his arm, while the flesh surrounding the wound had already begun swelling from the impact.
Cold sweat immediately formed across Vaelorin’s forehead. He then turned to look at Veyrath and asked with a trembling voice.
"You can fix it... Right?"
The failed Alchemist’s amber eyes darted nervously between the wound and the surrounding forest.
"I... I don’t know." He replied through clenched jaws. "I mean, I could use my Life Tree, but healing something like this requires absolute concentration."
He forced out a bitter laugh. "And trust me when I say I’m anything but calm right now."
Even as he spoke, his heart hammered wildly inside his chest and there was a lingering tensive undertone in his voice.
He was very aware that at any moment, another knife could emerge from nowhere and bury itself in his skull.
In fact, simply turning his back toward the unseen attacker was enough to make every nerve in his body scream. And if not for the absolute trust he placed in Regaleon, he would never have dared kneel here.
"...But I can at least stop the bleeding." Veyrath steadied his breathing.
"I’ll bandage the wound for now. Then if we manage to survive this, I’ll heal it properly once we’re back at the cave."
Vaelorin nodded. That was alright with him di he agreed. "Do it. And make it quick."
Veyrath returned a firm nod. Then taking a deep breath, he wrapped one trembling hand around the knife’s hilt.
"...This is going to hurt."
Without even giving Vaelorin time to prepare, he started pulling...
In the meantime, Regaleon had already resumed his position before the two of them.
His Halberd became a blur of silver, weaving through the air with astonishing precision as every incoming knife was met with an equally swift counter...
CLANG! CLANG!! CLANG!!! CLANG!!!!
Four more throwing knives streaked toward them in rapid succession and with another masterful series of parries, Regaleon redirected every single one...
The blades spun harmlessly into the surrounding trees before falling uselessly onto the forest floor.
Then suddenly, the attacks stopped. It was only nly for a moment but Regaleon didn’t waste the opportunity.
Actually, even amidst the relentless assault, he had never stopped searching for the attacker. His eyes swept across every branch, every shadow, every patch of crimson grass and every swaying bush so as to ensure that nothing escaped his attention.
Finally, after repeatedly scanning the battlefield, his instincts finally settled upon one particular cluster of crimson bushes several dozen meters away.
He couldn’t explain why but he trusted his guts. And throughout his life, his instincts had never betrayed him.
Therefore, instant the barrage ceased, Regaleon made his move...
He burst forward several steps before planting one foot firmly into the ground. Then with a powerful twist of his waist, he hurled the Halberd once more...
The Soul Essence became a bolt of silver lightning; tearing through branches, and shredded leaves as it hurtled directly toward the suspicious bushes.
For the briefest instant, nothing happened. Then... A dark blur suddenly darted sideways with an astonishing speed.
It moved so quickly that Regaleon’s eyes struggled to follow it...
The Halberd buried itself deep into the tree behind the bushes, splintering bark and sending wooden fragments flying everywhere.
But unfortunately, the attack had missed; yet it had achieved its true purpose because Regaleon had finally found the attacker.
Although he had seen little more than a shadow, it was enough.
The figure had moved like flowing wind itself; fast, silent, and deadly...
Before he could think further about that, another ripple disturbed the air. But this time, the silver-haired Knight didn’t move and he deliberately allowed the attack to strike him...
CLANG!
The knife slammed into the center of his breastplate before bouncing away...
Pain spread through his ribs from the tremendous impact, but he ignored it entirely.
Instead, his golden eyes followed the knife’s trajectory backward... And slowly, they shifted toward a cluster of crimson trees standing several dozen meters away.
Regaleon stared at them for several long moments. Then he spoke.
"I’ve found you."
His calm voice carried through the silent forest before he slowly raised a finger toward the trees and spoke once more.
"You can stop hiding now. I’ve seen you."
There was an odd silence over the forest.
Even Veyrath himself looked at him and asked befuddled.
"Uhm... Regaleon?"
However, the silver-haired knight never lowered his hand as he continued speaking. "I can see you. So there is no need to keep hiding."
The forest remained still with only the wind whispering through the crimson leaves. Several long seconds passed; then... The bushes rustled suddenly.
A lone figure slowly emerged from the shadows beneath the crimson tree and stopped just a few meters away from the trio...