Divine Technique

Chapter 38: Divine Technique

What was that?

No time to think, Karl instinctively dodged to the side.

He lightly tapped the ground with his foot, and his entire body suddenly darted several feet to the side, like a hawk flying close to the ground.

Eagle Step!

Thanks to the enhancement from the Divine Domain Fragment, in just a few short days, he had already mastered this Martial Skill, even to the point where he could use it in actual combat.

The shadowy figure missed its attack, turned, and swung its arm to stab again, clearly not intending to let this "witness" leave.

"Swoosh!"

The sound of a dagger cutting through the air emerged, heading straight for his throat. Karl's skin tensed, and his heart pounded wildly.

"Clang..."

A collision sound rang out.

The seemingly light cane in Karl's hand was actually made of metal, striking heavily against the incoming dagger.

Hm?

A Knight Squire!

Although the opponent's strength was slightly inferior to his, they were still at the Knight Squire level.

The next moment.

Several cold glints appeared consecutively, a continuous, rapid series of stabs, forcing Karl to retreat repeatedly.

By the time he stopped, he had been forced into a dark alley.

The alley was now covered in cobwebs, the ground sticky with some liquid, and a foul odor assaulted his nostrils.

"Hiss hiss..."

Two shadowy figures slowly crawled out from behind, their green eyes particularly cold and chilling in the darkness.

Having frequented Black City, Karl was accustomed to dark environments. In an instant, he took in the entire scene, and a chill ran down the back of his neck.

Monsters?

Humans or spiders?

Three "humanoid spiders" with six arms each slowly surrounded him.

On the ground not far away, there was another one of these creatures, but its body had been cut apart by sharp blades; it was thoroughly dead.

Besides that, There was a figure wrapped in spider silk.

The figure was encased in silk, and the exposed clothing looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

Before he could think further, the shadowy figures lunged again.

In terms of strength, the monsters were no match for Karl, but they had six arms, meaning they could attack more frequently, and their attacks were harder to block.

"Splat!"

In the darkness, a blinding white light suddenly erupted.

Light Spell!

The sudden brightness caused the three monsters to instinctively close their eyes, letting out hissing shrieks. Their movements even stopped.

Afraid of light?

They seemed to fear light even more than the people of Black City.

Karl's thoughts raced, but his actions didn't pause. He flashed out of the encirclement, simultaneously swinging his left hand backward.

Fire Seal!

"Boom!"

A ball of flame appeared out of nowhere, charging towards the three monsters.

The flames formed a shockwave, engulfing the entire dark alleyway and sweeping towards the three monsters.

Instantly.

A smell of burning flesh emerged.

"Sizzle..."

"Ah!"

The monsters seemed extremely vulnerable to fire, letting out piercing screams. They curled up on the ground, rolling around, unable to mount any effective counterattack.

The spider silk covering the alley also began to burn fiercely.

Hm?

Karl raised an eyebrow and pressed his left hand down again.

Fire Seal!

Fire Seal!

Fire Seal!!!

Strike while the iron is hot.

"Boom..."

Flames swept through, and the three monsters were engulfed in fire, struggling frantically on the ground.

In just a moment, they fell silent one after another, their bodies turning to charcoal, and the spider silk in the alley vanished with them.

"Tsk!"

Karl stopped, clicking his tongue.

"Magic really is more elegant, cooler, and more powerful. But what were those things?"

Given their speed and strength, even a peak Knight Squire might not be a match for them if they couldn't use magic.

Not to mention, no one could guarantee they didn't have other tricks up their sleeves.

Like...

Spitting silk?

Karl cautiously approached and examined the corpses on the ground, finally stopping before the cocoon wrapped in spiderwebs.

He picked up a dagger and cut open the cocoon, revealing a familiar face.

"Dina?"

He stroked his chin. Seeing Dina's eyelids twitch, on the verge of waking up, Karl leaped onto the wall.

A moment later.

Dina struggled to sit up, looking around the scene with a dazed expression. Then, she slapped herself hard on the cheeks.

It seemed she wanted to prove to herself that she wasn't dreaming.

Karl, hidden in the shadows, twitched the corner of his mouth. This woman was ruthless, willing to use such force on herself.

It looked painful.

Shaking his head, he quietly departed.

The next day.

"All patrol personnel, assemble!"

Dina, her arm wrapped in bandages, had a stern expression. Her gaze swept over the assembled crowd, and her voice suddenly sharpened.

"Don't look so lazy. Today, we're going to wipe out an evil god's stronghold. We could encounter danger at any moment."

"Really?" someone's face changed drastically. Without asking for details, they tried to shirk responsibility. "Can I not go?"

His statement drew nods of agreement from many others.

Everyone present had been pampered since birth. Their first reaction to hearing about danger was to escape.

"No!"

Dina snorted coldly.

"Don't worry. The overall commander this time is a Bishop from The Church. The Night Watchmen will be the main force, with us and the Constables providing support."

"A Bishop?" Kaili looked surprised. "Bishop Antonio?"

"That's right," Dina nodded. "It's him."

"Whoa..."

The crowd erupted.

This was the Bishop of Signo City's urban area, a position comparable to the City Lord. He was actually going to act personally.

Karl also looked surprised.

Today's operation was most likely related to Dina's encounter yesterday, but he hadn't expected it to involve a Bishop. The raid on the Fire Thief's stronghold last time hadn't been this grand.

Bishop Antonio's noble status meant that the Church's Guardian Knights would also be dispatched.

Those were Official Knights!

Ugh...

"According to Senior Apprentice Hibel, an Official Knight's strength can rival a stronger Intermediate Wizard Apprentice."

"And if a Senior Wizard Apprentice masters a powerful sorcery, they can easily kill an Official Knight."

"Even a Great Knight."

As for Wizards.

Such existences can be compared to the absolute peak of human society, a Legendary Knight.

Of course.

This is just a rough classification.

Wizard Apprentices have vastly different strengths depending on the sorcery they've mastered and whether they possess enchanted items.

Even among Intermediate Wizard Apprentices, some can easily kill a Knight, while others might not even be as good as a Knight Squire.

I wonder if those Priests and Bishops in the Church of Dawn have any special methods. Do they simply have special status and the favor of the Deities?

If that's the case, they can command Knights and even Great Knights, which doesn't seem quite right.

"We'll split into three groups."

Dina casually pointed:

"You, you, and you few, follow me, let's go!"

Among those she pointed to were Karl and Kaili.

Before long, the group of patrol personnel set off in a grand manner, while Dina beckoned Karl over to her side.

"Yesterday..."

After thinking for a moment, she hesitated and asked:

"After you left the theater, did you encounter anything?"

"Encounter anything?" Karl looked bewildered:

"I took a carriage after the show and left. What could I have encountered? Officer, where were you at the time?"

"Never mind."

Dina shook her head and waved her hand:

"It's nothing, you can go about your business."

She was just asking casually, not believing that the person who saved her last night would be Karl.

After all.

Karl had only recently become a Knight Squire.

Not long after.

Everyone gathered with the Church's Night Watchman team and, with a single command, charged towards a courtyard in the southern part of the city.

First, they surrounded the courtyard, then drew their bows and nocked their arrows.

"Fire!"

"Twang!"

Arrows rained down, their tips burning with torches, immediately igniting the houses and thatched sheds.

It was obvious.

The Church personnel also knew their target feared fire.

Before the flames, a Priest holding a Bible strode forward, his gaze devoutly fixed on the sky.

Then, he made a few gestures in front of him, murmuring:

"Great Lord of Dawn, your loyal believer humbly prays for your blessing."

"Boom!"

A ball of white light suddenly erupted from within him, instantly covering the entire area. Karl, standing among the crowd, felt his body grow warm, filled with strength.

This is...

Sorcery?

No!

It's Divine Technique!