Dick could not see his current condition, so he had no idea how he looked to Erigor and the Paladins who had escaped death.
It was the Holy Light! The Holy Light made manifest!
Dancing radiance from the Holy Light wreathed Dick's body. Even the air around him seemed to burn with its flames. Those pale golden flames surrounded him, and as he moved, the curved holy area beneath his feet moved with him, constantly scorching Ramstein's body.
This was the knight skill-Consecration, which infused the ground with Holy Light energy to burn every nearby enemy.
But the Judgment of Order he had just hurled through the Silver Hand had inflicted a rare stun effect on Ramstein.
Judgment skills were one way Paladins used the Holy Light in the game. There were seven ways to cast Judgment, depending on the effect produced, and Judgment of Order was one of them. But after Dick absorbed Tyr's order power, his Judgment spells developed a special effect.
For now, it seemed to stun creatures outside of order. He did not know how long it lasted, but he absolutely refused to waste this opportunity!
After the Holy Light blessed him directly, Dick's Holy Power had surged to 100 points, fully six times what it had been before. Now he could afford to splurge a little. Holy Power poured into the Fire of Justice, turning the warhammer's azure crystal head golden yellow. Each blow left a horrific burn on Ramstein's body.
And the Fire of Justice's special effect ensured that these wounds were anything but superficial. It was burning the undead fire within Ramstein. It was killing it!
Under these circumstances, Ramstein only recovered from its stun after Dick had hammered it a full six times. But the look it gave him was no longer as vicious and venomous as before. This time, it was finally afraid. It wanted to turn and flee, but Dick reached out with his left hand again, bringing another Holy Light Flail crashing down on its head.
"Feel the power of order!"
Dick roared and leaped with the last of his strength, drawing the Holy Fire behind him with both hands. As his body's kinetic energy and frenzy reached their peak, he smashed his hammer into Ramstein's badly damaged skull.
The blow struck like wind and thunder. A dazzling golden arc swept across the sky and landed on Ramstein's body. Dick poured pure Holy Light and all his Holy Power into the Holy Hammer with this strike. At the point where the warhammer met Ramstein, flames of Holy Light surged like a blazing torch, engulfing the Greater Abomination's body.
Under the pressure of a power that countered it completely, Ramstein could not recover, no matter how many undead it ate.
"Thud!"
The Abomination's enormous body crashed to the ground, and the roaring flames of Holy Light soon swallowed it completely. In this clash of energies, plague, poison gas, corpse worms, and every evil had no hope of escaping the omnipresent purifying radiance.
"Huh...!"
Watching Ramstein's body, its skeleton, and everything else turn to ashes in the Holy Light, Dick suddenly widened his eyes. There was something that, though its shape had changed in the searing Holy Light, had suffered no damage at all.
Dick bent down with difficulty and picked it up.
It felt heavy, but Dick could still tell that this dull gray chain was precisely Ramstein's trump card. Yet the barbs on the surface of this black chain had been completely destroyed by the searing golden light, and even the sharp iron hook at its end had vanished. Dick looked at it again, and the item's information sprang into view.
"Dragon Hook (damaged)" "Blue" "Strength +15, sturdiness +40, accuracy +25" "Description: A chain weapon Kel'Thuzad made specifically for Ramstein. The searing Holy Light removed its dark aura, but also compromised the weapon's integrity. However, if you encounter a master of Engineering, it can shine anew. An essential piece of equipment for hunting large creatures."
"Hmm... it really was a Rare Elite!"
Having acquired a new piece of equipment, Dick happily prepared to turn and leave.
In the game, Rare Elites were elite monsters that carried treasures. They were rare and powerful, but every one had its own special value, like Ramstein, and like the Dragon Hook it carried.
Dick had discovered another way to acquire equipment. But the moment he turned around, he saw the five knights who had died bravely to buy him time. Sorrow welled up in his heart, and the body that had held out through the fighting until now finally groaned under its unbearable burden. Dick's legs buckled, his vision went black, and he collapsed completely onto the ground shrouded in Holy Light.
"Dick! Heavens! What happened?!"
The surviving knights had witnessed Dick's feat of fighting Ramstein from beginning to end. If asked whom they admired most now, the answer was undoubtedly Dick. Though the pain of losing their comrades still left the Paladins grieving, the instant Dick fell, everyone turned their attention to him.
Erigor ran to Dick and crouched beside him. He, too, thought something had happened to Dick and was about to use a healing spell to keep him alive. But as he struggled to lift Dick's head, he heard a low snore, leaving the old knight unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"He's fine, he's fine. He's just... he's just exhausted."
The old knight lowered Dick's head to the ground. He glanced at the anxious knights around him and said solemnly,
"Dick and Darion have done everything they possibly could. We must keep this lifeline for the civilians open, without the slightest lapse. Dave, go find Lord Uther and Lord Alexandros again. We've cleared this area. Tell them to send the civilians over as soon as possible!"
"Yes, Captain!"
A knight covered in blood pressed his fist to his chest and thumped it hard, then turned and limped away at a run. With even Ramstein killed, no undead with any awareness would choose to enter King's Square. The slow-moving ordinary undead alone could not stop a Paladin.
As the other Paladins dispersed to gather the remains of their fallen comrades, Erigor used his one hand to drag the unconscious Darion over with difficulty as well. As an experienced old knight, he could not help sighing softly when his gaze passed over Dick's and Darion's young faces.
The fighting was over, but the turmoil that followed had only just begun.
When Dick woke up, three days had already passed. He opened his eyes and groggily moved his nearly recovered body, then stretched and sat up in bed. That movement made him stagger. The hand gripping the edge of the wooden bed actually broke off a piece of the hard plank.
Huh... why did my strength feel so much greater?
Dick brought up his quest log, and a glance revealed something amiss.
Amid the crisis, he had exceeded this quest's requirements. The final count displayed was 3054/1000, a full three times the expected amount. The rewards were generous too: Strength +10, Agility +10. Apart from killing Kel'Thuzad, this was the richest payout yet.
What surprised Dick was that, although he had already received his reward after Ramstein died, the Cut Off His Arm quest had actually given him another reward. Though this reward was, well, how should he put it, rather odd-looking.
"Dungeon Key-Stratholme" "Blue" "Use: Enter Stratholme in another timeline, 20/20" "Description: It is said that this object was one of the countless inspirations Norgannon gained after a conversation with a mysterious creature named 'Boliza,' whom he happened upon while roaming the cosmos."
"Uh..."
Somewhat speechless, Dick looked at the blue-glowing key in his hand, shook his head, and slipped it into his pocket. Then, forcing his still slightly painful left leg to move, he walked out of the room.
"Ah, you're awake! Knight Dick!"
"Good day, Knight Dick!"
"My respects, Champion!"
"Champion, come try some dwarven liquor! No charge!"
The moment he stepped outside, the residents of the little town of Light's Hope Chapel crowded around him. After word of the tragedy in Stratholme arrived, everyone had been shocked by Arthas's madness. Likewise, what stood out amid this tragedy was the valor of Dick, Darion, and their band of knights.
Through their efforts, they had saved more than three thousand people. Although the Priests had already sent these refugees in groups to the currently peaceful Hillsbrad Foothills, their accounts had made Knight Dick known to almost everyone.
Dick had not expected this treatment, but he could feel these simple civilians' heartfelt respect, which left him a little embarrassed. Just as the crowd around him grew larger, however, Erigor appeared in time.
The enthusiastic fellow came up and hugged Dick, ignoring the injured arm still hanging in a sling around his neck, then shouted to the surrounding civilians,
"Sir Uther and Lord Alexandros wish to speak with Knight Dick. Everyone, please let us through!"
At his words, the civilians immediately opened a path. It was not that they feared Uther, but that, in the eyes of these believers in the Holy Light, this Lightbringer was practically its incarnation. Hearing that Sir Uther wished to see Knight Dick, the well-meaning crowd gradually dispersed.
"Hey, you rascal!"
Erigor gave Dick's shoulder a hard pat.
"How does it feel to be a Hero?"
"Not bad!"
Dick shrugged and pursed his lips, smiling. He walked beside Erigor toward the main hall of Light's Hope Chapel. After they had gone a little way, Dick suddenly asked,
"The knights who fell..."
"..."
Erigor, who had been talking nonstop, fell silent, and his expression grew sorrowful.
"Their funeral will be held this afternoon, in the Tomb of the Holy Light behind the chapel. Remember to come."
"Mm."
Dick nodded and was about to turn toward the chapel when Erigor suddenly slapped his forehead and called him back.
"Dick, wait. I have something for you!"
As he spoke, the old knight pulled a dull gray length of something from the Storage Backpack behind his belt and handed it to Dick.
"This is your spoils. I took it to Omarion for repairs, then asked the quartermaster to search the warehouse. We only just managed to fix it for you. It's good stuff. If you run into something like an Abomination again, you can use it against it!"
Dick took the length of metal in his hands. It was heavy, and at its tip was an intricately designed Three-Pronged Lock. He glanced at the odd-looking thing, and its information appeared before his eyes.
"Dragon Hook" "Blue" "Strength +15, sturdiness +40, accuracy +25" "Description: A chain weapon Kel'Thuzad made specifically for Ramstein. After repairing it, master craftsman Omarion added a multifunctional Engineering Lock. An essential piece of equipment for hunting large creatures."
"Thanks, Erigor!"
Dick put the Dragon Hook into his Storage Backpack and called out to the old knight, who was already walking away without looking back and merely waved a hand behind him.
Dick smiled, turned, and entered the main hall of Light's Hope Chapel. He knew that Uther seeking him out at this time was certainly not just to praise him.