Auguste stared at the scene in a daze.
The Drow Elf warriors around him closed in, blades drawn.
"So I failed after all."
Auguste swept his golden spear in an arc, forcing back the Drow Elf warriors with their curved blades. Then he snapped his head up and looked toward Marco, the knight captain on the hillside.
"You're one of Dio Skalboom's knights, aren't you? Tell him he won this round!"
"But I swear on the name of Auguste Barros: the next time we meet, I'll defeat him and claim victory! Hahahaha!"
White light flashed, and Auguste Barros vanished.
Marco's palms were slick with sweat. He could tell how formidable Auguste was. If he had fought with everything he had, he might still have broken through the encirclement. Marco just didn't know why Auguste had chosen to give up.
If Bai Xiaowen had been there, he would have understood Auguste's thinking. Andre, his strategist, had already been expelled, and most of the Divine Court Awakeners under his command were gone. Auguste was now a leader without an army, left with only Ouyang Heng and Camille, two Earth natives.
There was little time left on the third-stage main quest they had triggered. Auguste could no longer carry out Andre's plan on his own and unleash turmoil across the Northland.
There was no point in Auguste fighting on.
Why hadn't he broken out and left from somewhere safe, saving himself a return item? That was simpler still. Most people treasured such items, but Auguste had plenty. He wouldn't miss one.
White Stone City.
Cecilia let out a long breath when she heard the news.
"The greatest threat to White Stone Fief's stability has been dealt with. Hardly any Awakeners from the Divine Court Training Camp remain. With their leader gone, the