Link

With a hum, the air-rending dagger let out a tremor as it carved a horrific wound across the Tauren's back, deep enough to expose bone.

Wearing a cruel grin, Azresok drove the blade into flesh and sliced sideways along the bloodstained white bone, avoiding the tendons and bones with the practiced skill of a master butcher.

He held his twin daggers in a reverse cross grip—the Rogue's powerful finishing move: Eviscerate!

A tiny green glimmer flashed across Carl's body, then quietly faded.

The Eredar assassin did not notice it at all. His eyes were bloodshot with excitement at the bloody scene about to unfold. He gently twisted the dagger, eagerly listening to the desperate cracking of bones within that body.

Yet at that moment, Carl miraculously broke free from the stun!

Enduring the agonizing pain of Eviscerate, he clenched his teeth and exerted all his strength, determined to clamp down on the dagger lodged in his body at any cost.

Whether a master assassin could truly miscalculate the duration of a stun aside, that sheer madness alone left Azresok briefly stunned.

What kind of insane act was this?

Was he not afraid of dying on the spot? Did this beast, mad as a bull, possess a will stronger than steel?

For a fraction of a second—for that fraction of a second—he even forgot that he still held the dagger that controlled life and death.

Azresok paid a terrible price for that fleeting mistake.

Ignoring the dagger buried in his back, Carl roared in fury. He raised his powerful arm, bent his elbow, and smashed it into the assassin's jaw. The blow sent the assassin flying under the raging fury of a bull, shattered teeth scattering through the air as the so-called "master assassin" writhed on the ground in agony.

It all happened too quickly. Before Sandresa could even react, she saw her companion's body spinning through the air.

Damn it, that bastard really was a useless idiot!

The Destroyer demon cursed wildly inwardly, but her hands never stopped moving. Her spell was not complete yet—she still had a chance to turn this around!

What Sandresa had prepared was not some devastating grand incantation, but a simple, common, and exceptionally practical spell—Polymorph.

As long as she could complete this spell! As long as she could complete it!

She would definitely turn defeat into victory!

Everything had happened in the blink of an eye. The Shaman's paralysis was on the verge of being lifted; if that damned mad bull had not awakened early, this would have been the perfect chain of control.

But it did not matter anymore. That lowly cow was still standing between her and the bull. Outside his Charge range, there was no way he could interrupt her casting!

Yes, with her advantage in long-range spellcasting, she would absolutely wear down that mad bull who could only rely on brute force!

She smugly mapped out the steps to victory. Queen Sandresa would conquer everything in the end, wearing the smile of a victor!

Immersed in her fantasy of triumph, she completed the casting of Polymorph.

Invisible magic flew toward the Shaman. Sandresa noticed Carl preparing to Charge again and immediately revealed a contemptuous smile.

What a foolish creature. Did he really think I had never fought those savage Eredruin before? I had long since figured out the range of your Charge. Did he think that ridiculous stance could fool me?

However, born in her land of sin, she knew nothing of the fact that Charge did not have to target an enemy.

When a warrior Charged at an enemy, he advanced with a fearless heart. With that supreme courage, no matter how perilous the road ahead, he would fight with his back to the wall!

And when a warrior Charged toward a companion, that fearless heart would summon unwavering resolve, turning his body into an endless shield. Even if it meant exhausting his life, even if it meant sacrificing everything,

he would protect his companion until the very last moment! That kind of Charge was called Intervene.

That kind of conviction was called protection.

Advance, glorious warrior. Nothing could stop you now!

Carl's towering body became an arrow released from its bow. When he landed, Tally was already behind him. He would protect the one he loved, like a majestic mountain—unyielding and immovable.

Tally felt a wondrous calm. She silently watched that broad back, recalling the days and nights that had passed. At last, she remembered: as long as this honest bull remained by her side, every worry would drift away with the wind.

Under the Destroyer demon's baffled gaze, Carl's raised left arm bore a small buckler.

Spell Reflection—raise your shield to block magic cast upon you.

A maxim from a weapon master of an ancient kingdom: Remember, an excellent weapon master could even control the angle of a shield, allowing enemies to savor the consequences of their thoughtless spellcasting!

This inconspicuous trick produced a marvelous effect at the most crucial moment. Carl deftly reflected the Destroyer demon's spell back at herself. When the smoke cleared, a demon rat common across Eredath stood there, looking around in confusion.

She probably did not know why the world had suddenly become so large.

The axe blade fell. The assassin who had tried to flee stopped struggling, and his headless corpse swiftly stiffened and weathered away. Perhaps he would return someday, but for now, he was truly dead.

Three blazing magma fireballs blasted the demon rat and the surrounding sand into scraps, clean and decisive.

A gentle stream of water crept over Carl's blood-soaked back.

Tally stood behind Carl with her head lowered, her voice trembling as though she were suppressing her emotions.

"Why? Why did you have to play the hero all by yourself again? If that dagger had gone in just a little deeper, then..."

"Haha, my dear, don't underestimate your husband's ability to take a beating. An old bull with thick hide and tough flesh can take another ten stabs without a problem!"

Carl laughed heartily and even struck a dashing pose to make his beloved smile, but then he suddenly felt something wet against his arm.

Tally was crying. She threw herself into Carl's arms, sobbing quietly like a lost little girl.

"When Soul Link broke, I was so scared... so scared that when I opened my eyes again, I would see you lying in a pool of blood..."

"I wanted to share even a little of it with you... even just a little..."

Carl froze for a moment. Then warmth rose within him, softening the scent of iron and blood.

"When my consciousness was fading, I think I saw darkness."

He drew Tally into his embrace, gently stroking her mane as he comforted her softly:

"It was a terrifying darkness—lonely, desolate, devouring every last shred of hope. I struggled in that darkness, roaring and throwing punches, but there was no way to escape."

"Just when I was about to despair, I heard... your voice."

"It was as if it had always been there, shining with beautiful light inside my heart. Then the world became bright as well."

"And so I knew that someone had saved me."

"Thank you, my Tally. You saved me by giving it everything you had. You did so, so well. I believe that because we loved each other, that trust could become such will."

Carl's smile turned sorrowful again. He gazed at his wife's face and spoke softly:

"But... my love, I am afraid too. Afraid of what it feels like to lose someone again..."

Carl extended a thick finger and gently wiped away his beloved's tears. That tear drifted away on the wind, turning into crimson mist and silently fading.

"It's not the same!" Tally shook her head repeatedly through her tears. "I'm only living in the shadow of the past. I'm not worth trading the time of the living for!"

Carl shook his head, his voice gentle yet resolute as he said:

"I have lost the one I loved before. I will never let the same thing happen again!"