"Ah! Guest, now isn't the time for leisurely conversation."
Tribbie suddenly pointed ahead.
"Mr. Noduss is in danger!"
Not far ahead, a group of infiltrating Heavenly Punishment Soldiers were closing in on the old man from before and the other stubborn holdouts.
"Then please, go ahead." Yan Huan took a step back, putting on a shy expression. "We can wait until you're done fighting before we talk."
"Oh dear! I just summoned a miracle, so I'm not suited for battle. We'll have to rely on you two heroes."
Tribbie retreated to the side and said cutely:
"Please help Mr. Noduss. They're innocent."
"Got it." Seeing that the group was about to be endangered, Dan Heng immediately rushed toward the monsters, fighting the statues barehanded.
Listening to those grating impacts, Yan Huan grew even more distressed.
"Oh no, punching stone bodies with your hands... Who knows how much that hurts."
"Ah, sorry..." Tribbie remembered how Phainon had broken Dan Heng's spear.
"We'll just have to make do with something else." Yan Huan pulled a golden spear from somewhere and hurled it fiercely. Like skewering meat, it pierced through three Heavenly Punishment Soldiers in succession before lodging straight into a stone pillar.
Dan Heng immediately rushed to the stone pillar, pulled out the spear, and used it as a lance as he fought the Heavenly Punishment Soldiers once more.
After roughly two minutes of fighting, the last statue finally toppled over.
"Whew... Thank you, all three of you, for saving our lives." Only after all the enemies had been defeated did the old man hiding nearby finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Mr. Noduss." Tribbie hurried forward and persuaded him:
"Virtus was right. It's dangerous for you here. You should come back to Okhema with us."
The old man was still unwilling.