Heading to the Ruins

"I'm so sorry...!"

Following behind Duanmu Huai, Elisa wore an embarrassed expression.

"I really didn't mean to do that. I was just overly exhausted, and then I got frightened..."

"Mm."

"Ah, no, that's not what I meant. I wasn't saying you were ugly, Sir Knight, it's just... just..."

Elisa stammered over "just" for a long while before finally speaking in a low voice.

"It's just... a little scary."

"It's fine. I'm used to it."

Duanmu Huai remained quite calm. As Elisa had said, he was not actually ugly, but rather... extremely intimidating.

He had the vicious aura of a serial killer in a Hollywood Movie.

To put it another way, he had furrowed brows, glaring eyes, and a leopard-like face. He could play Zhang Fei or Li Kui without makeup, and just looking at him made people feel as if they might die by his hand in the next moment.

After all these years, Duanmu Huai had long grown accustomed to it.

He was tired. He gave up. Let Destruction take it all.

After all, he was the kind of person whom even cosmetic surgeons said could only be made to look like Hulk. What else could he do?

Just then, Duanmu Huai suddenly saw dust billowing up ahead. He stopped and looked forward, and several heat signatures quickly appeared before his eyes.

Hm? What's this...?

Seeing the heat signatures, Duanmu Huai raised an eyebrow. Then he stood there and gestured to Elisa.

"Get behind me."

"Ah, yes."

Hearing Duanmu Huai's command, Elisa obediently nodded and hid behind him—people in the real world were far more obedient than NPCs. During NPC protection missions, those idiots acted as if they had left their brains behind, charging straight into enemies. Some even triggered alarms and forced the mission into pursuit mode... Could those idiots have been doing it on purpose?

As these pointless thoughts spun through Duanmu Huai's mind, a group of Evil God Believers on horseback galloped out of the dust ahead and arrived before him. Seeing the Power Armor standing there with blade in hand, looking utterly ferocious, the Evil God Believers were startled. But when they spotted Elisa behind Duanmu Huai, the riders immediately changed their plans.

"Kill him! Seize the sacrifice!!"

The leading Evil God Believer abruptly drew his weapon and gave the order. The other Evil God Believers raised their weapons as well, spurred their horses on, and charged toward them!

"Hmph!"

Facing the enemies charging at him, Duanmu Huai snorted coldly. Then he strode forward, raised the Warhammer high in his hand, and swung it down with all his strength.

"Bang—!!!"

The lightning-wreathed Warhammer smashed directly into the head of the oncoming horse, knocking it straight to the ground. The Evil God Believer on its back screamed as he was flung away, only to be utterly blasted aside by Duanmu Huai's backhand strike.

"Haaah!!!"

At that moment, another Evil God Believer galloped in from the side. With a battle cry, he slashed down with his sword, striking Duanmu Huai's armor. Yet the attack could not even leave a scratch on the Power Armor before it was deflected. Before the Evil God Believer could do anything else, the massive Iron Warrior before him suddenly slammed into him, instantly sending both rider and horse flying.

To Duanmu Huai, these mere Evil God Believers posed no threat whatsoever. Compared with Chaos Demons, their attacks were practically harmless. He did not even need to dodge. Simply standing there like a steel fortress, he withstood the cavalry's assault and smashed them all to the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the squad of Evil God Believers had been beaten into disarray by Duanmu Huai, nearly wiped out.

What the hell was this thing?

Watching his cavalrymen get knocked down one by one by Duanmu Huai, the Captain's face turned deathly pale. This fellow had looked troublesome enough from the outside, but he had not expected him to be so powerful. Even his subordinates were no match for him, and their attacks could not leave the slightest mark on that sturdy armor!!

Could this thing be the monster summoned by the ritual? But why did it not obey their orders? And why was it with the sacrifice? It was even protecting her? Had something gone wrong?

He had to return and inform his lord at once!!

With that thought, the Captain turned and fled without hesitation. Yet he had barely turned around when the world before him went dark. As he instinctively raised his head to look toward the sky, he saw a huge black shadow descending from above and smashing toward him.

"Boom!!!!"

The earth trembled, and dust rose into the air.

When Duanmu Huai emerged from the dust, only the corpse of the squad leader and his horse remained behind him.

"I didn't expect those guys to catch up so quickly."

Duanmu Huai tossed aside the corpse and looked silently at the pale-faced Elisa beside him. This development did not surprise him. After all, the Core Cabin could detect information related to the main quest and teleport him nearby. That indicated this girl must have some connection to the planet's main quest, and perhaps even to a Holy Relic.

Well, protagonists... They were basically always given great responsibility by heaven only after their families were destroyed, their bodies crippled, and maybe after a broken engagement or their entire clan being wiped out...

"We have to leave this place."

Duanmu Huai spoke, but Elisa shook her head.

"That will be very difficult. The nearest city is nearly ten days away. There's no way we can evade the Evil God Believers' search..."

"That is indeed a problem."

Duanmu Huai nodded, then an idea came to him.

"By the way, are there any places like Ruined Remains nearby?"

"...Ruins??"