The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 181: Behind the Disaster

Chapter 181: Behind the Disaster

’The Warlords?’

The mention of one of the three greatest factions in the world surprised Hex, but after some thought, it made sense.

’No wonder his strength seemed comparable to the Templar and the Paladin. And he didn’t bother us for the Disaster crystal.’

Hex and Esmeralda killed one of the Disasters while Gronke dealt with two others. After they finished, Hex brazed himself to have a fallout with the boar-like man over their hard-won crystal. But Gronke didn’t even spare a glance at them. He harvested his crystals and resumed munching on his snacks.

The soft murmurs around him centered around the sudden revelation by the Stellar Shield. The Warlords weren’t as popular as the Paladins and the Templars but their status as their equal evoked a similar awe from the crowd.

From the bits Hex picked up, the Knights referred to the Warlords as crazy barbarians. It seemed no one knew much about them but it was clear that their presence often preluded to destruction and mayhem.

"Can you at least remain civil till we gain control over this district?"

Once again, Marzo spoke, looking at all three sternly. He wasn’t near their level in strength but the Hawk didn’t cower under their powerful presence. A soldier like him, who stood near the top of the command chain, possessed excellent mental fortitude.

After a while, all three nodded, albeit frigidly. But even then, their willingness to cooperate relieved everyone and excited many. After all, it was rare for the three factions to work as a team.

"There is no point in delaying the inevitable," Marzo took the lead and stood at the front. "Our brethren are being slaughtered there but not without reason. They are using their blood to reduce the number of Disasters at the gate. Be prepared. There are still more than fifty of those vile beings alive. We won’t have any help. We kill or get killed. There is no other option. Anyone willing to leave may do so now."

Marzo’s warm smile assured the crowd that the option to leave existed. To those paying attention, not everyone in the group of Refined Knights seemed pleased to hear it. Hex didn’t miss the subtle warning Marzo gave the female Refined Knight who welcomed Hex at the governor’s office before she could protest.

At first, it seemed no one would withdraw. But just as Hex thought they would start to march, a group of five exited and bowed. To Hex’s surprise, Paula was among them. He didn’t know her well, so he didn’t judge her but just a short while earlier, she invited him to join her. So it surprised him to see her give up so easily.

"I am sorry but we aren’t as brave as you guys. We won’t leave the ruins and will assist the infirmary. But fighting fifty or more Disasters isn’t our cup of tea."

Paula bowed again and gestured for her group to depart with her. There was no lack of scorn and hate they received but their faces remained calm. Marzo stayed true to his words and didn’t stop them.

"Okay. We leave now."

Hex stood at the front with the Star Sword beside him. As a close combat Knight who killed a Disaster he got the position. He wasn’t sure whether it was because they valued his strength to kill or his resistance to death.

Soon, he saw the smoke and dust cover him, cutting him off from his surroundings. He only heard the muffled steps and the distant screeches. Those screeches gradually turned louder and louder.

...

"Paula, why did we leave?" One of the four girls behind Paula asked after they left the others. She seemed genuinely confused by their sudden departure.

"Arise, you wished to march to your death?" Paula asked with a soft chuckle. She continued to walk without turning her face.

"No, but how can we be sure we are the ones going to die? We are certainly stronger than the average Knight. We also have many team Techniques," Arise replied.

Paula sighed and turned. She knew Arise wouldn’t stop asking questions till her confusion wasn’t dispersed.

"Our little team treats each other like sisters. I don’t wish to risk our sisterhood for something vain like honor or fame. And it’s not like we are fleeing. The infirmary is heavily understaffed and we have the Techniques and experience to help them. Saving lives is also a noble deed, isn’t it?"

"Y-Yes," Arise replied. In moments of disagreement, Paula liked to talk face to face, looking deep into their eyes. Arise always felt flustered when she looked into her bright eyes. But she couldn’t look away from Paula’s eyes. They sparkled in the sunlight, making it seem like she had rainbows in them.

...

Sulphuric acid and dust clogged his nose. The gray smoke obstructed his vision. And the dirt and dryness itched his skin. Hex wondered how others would resist these if even he had trouble.

His cloak could block a lot but it didn’t filter everything. Hex continued in tandem with the group. Despite the obstructions, they managed to remain in position. But Hex knew their formation would be a mess as soon as they were attacked.

Suddenly, he sensed an energy fluctuation closing in. It was headed straight at him. There were more coming at him.

"INCOMING!"

There was no time to warn everyone. He shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping the people nearby would be alerted.

Hex poured a lot of energy into his cloak and brandished his sword.

Clang.

His sword clashed against the black blur.

Crack.

The impact of the clash broke his sword. The creature’s talons moved forward, about to rip his throat. Hex poured all the energy into his cloak, retracting it to cover only his upper body.

Flex Step.

At the same time, he kicked against the ground, pushing himself back. The talon cut into his cloak but he escaped at the last second. He landed a few meters behind, nearly crashing into the Knight behind him.

The Knight was a young man, surprised by the sudden appearance of Hex. But his eyes shot wide open when he heard a screech. The smoke parted, revealing the Disaster. The Knight trembled in fear.

The creature turned blurry once again. Hex groaned and grabbed the Knight’s sword. Ice covered his entire body, followed by the energy cloak.

Bang!

Hex intuitively sensed the attack and lifted the sword. The hit broke the sword, shattered his cloak, and left a deep imprint in his ice armor.

The Frost Armor’s ability to stop the attack proved its upper-tier status but didn’t negate the impact. Hex spat blood out. The power in the hit nearly caved his chest in.

’Damn. My body is still suffering from the berserk state I put it through.’

Although the nature element reduced the induced weakness and lack of energy control, it wasn’t enough to reset it entirely. Despite his best efforts, his physical attributes such as agility, regeneration, and defense regressed considerably for a limited time.

Screech!

The Disaster didn’t like failing twice. An ear-deafening screech erupted from it and moved instantly to attack once more.

Hex knew his Frost Armor wouldn’t hold. But he refused to let the creature continue unharmed. At the last moment, just before the creature’s talons reached him, he focused on the ice shards making up the armor. Each shard trembled and rotated its sharp edges.

SCREECH!

The creature shrieked again but not out of fury. It was injured. The ice shards cut deep into its limbs. Hex wasn’t unhurt. The powerful hit also caused a few shards to embed into his chest. But after the first layer, the second layer melted on his side, under his exceptional control.

The injury wasn’t fatal to the creature but before it shook the pain off, Hex saw starlight appear in the smoke around it. The light whizzed and danced around them. The mesmerizing light attracted the creature’s attention. It moved its injured limb to snatch the light but it suddenly twinkled and shot at the limb, cutting it from the shoulders. The creature reeled in shock but the light buzzed once more and hit it once more, cutting one of its legs. More and more light appeared, whizzing and hitting the creature, cutting a part of it with each hit. After tens of hits, after the creature was cut up into tens of pieces, the last light hit its eyes, entered its skull, and exited from the other side. Only then did Hex sense its energy disappear.

Hex grabbed the petrified with fear Knight and pulled himself onto his feet. He didn’t see the person who helped but had an idea who it might be.

"Pick the crystal for me."

Sure enough, the voice from the other side belonged to the Star Sword. He hurried to harvest the crystal and followed the voice. He didn’t bother with the Knight who sat on the ground.

After wading through the thick smoke, he sensed the smoke clearing up. After a while, he regained some visibility. The first thing he saw was the horde of Disasters blocking their path to the closed gate. A lone figure, draped in torn robes, stood at the gate.

It looked more humanoid than any other Heartless Hex had ever seen. He knew at once what creature it was. Behind the Disasters, stood the Calamity.

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