Chapter 152: The Sacred Defender
Endless holy light enveloped Lin Lei. Lady White led the other paladins to surround him, infusing him with the power of the holy light.
The Supreme King's brave actions earned the respect of all, even the dwarf warriors who had just met him. Witnessing Lin Lei's self-sacrifice, they now looked upon him with deep reverence.
“Can His Majesty the Supreme King recover?” Reinhardt asked anxiously.
“No problem,” Brook approached, his face filled with admiration as he looked at Lin Lei lying on the ground. “The prophet’s injuries are not severe. Once his holy light is activated, he can awaken by relying on his own strength.”
Lady White was not healing Lin Lei in the conventional sense; rather, she was awakening the holy light within him.
While examining his wounds, she noticed changes occurring in Lin Lei’s inner holy light. If she could awaken it fully, perhaps his power would ascend to an even higher level.
In the center of the city, Philip stood pale-faced. Beside him lay Grove, his body mangled and bloodied. Grove had lost consciousness in the explosion. If not for Philip's protection at the last moment, this werewolf swordsman might have already returned to the embrace of the Mother Goddess.
The mecha’s explosion was devastating; nearby houses turned to dust, and hundreds of werewolves were instantly vaporized.
Within a radius of four hundred meters, the earth was shattered, with debris and ruined walls everywhere. Thousands of werewolves lay fallen, blood flooding the ground, corpses strewn about, and agonized screams echoed from all directions.
All of this was his fault!
Philip’s hands trembled. The tragedy that befell the werewolves was entirely his doing. Though he had mastered the elemental power and had safer ways to win, his arrogance grew with his strength.
His pride and negligence had cost thousands of werewolves their lives!
“Your Highness...” the werewolves behind him hurried forward.
“Carry the swordsman back,” Philip said, gripping his longsword tightly as he looked toward the alliance camp. “This war must end here!”
The werewolves exchanged glances before lifting Grove and retreating.
Philip strode alone toward the alliance camp.
“Enemy approaching!”
The alliance quickly noticed his arrival.
A group of dwarves raised their hammers and shields to block Philip’s path. Without a blink, Philip swung his sword casually. A series of sharp sounds followed as countless dwarves’ bodies were cleaved in two, their intact shields dropping to the ground.
Time seemed to freeze. The scene was so surreal that no one could believe it.
“Stop him at once!” Bell shouted, returning to the camp. “His elemental power is penetration—no defense can stop him!”
Elemental power—the royal mages gasped. Why penetration?
If it had been any other element, they might have resisted Philip. But penetration pierced shields and armor alike, and was unaffected by any defensive spells or barriers.
What now?
The mages felt a wave of helplessness.
Philip neared the camp and saw the gravely wounded Lin Lei—the young elf had finally fallen.
No, not yet...
Philip noticed the power within Lin Lei was not extinguished; there was still a chance for revival. Though Philip was curious about what Lin Lei would become once restored, he refused to make the same mistake twice. He intended to be the first to kill Lin Lei.
Without mercy, he swung his sword at Lin Lei.
“Little Prince!”
The mages stepped in front of Lin Lei.
But just as the crimson sword energy neared, another figure appeared ahead.
“Divine Defense!”
Lady White radiated golden light. She plunged her longsword into the ground, and a golden flame instantly erupted, rapidly spreading to enshroud the entire camp.
“A barrier unlike any I’ve seen before,” Philip’s eyes flickered with surprise. This woman’s barrier was incredibly powerful; under normal circumstances, it would take him a long time to break through.
Yet it could not stop him now.
The crimson sword light flashed past, unhindered by the barrier, and struck Lady White immediately.
“Ugh...”
The holy light surrounding Lady White trembled violently. Blood welled up in her throat, but she swallowed it back.
“Divine Defender!”
She cried out as the golden flames surged back from around the camp, converging onto her body through the longsword.
A golden, winged silhouette materialized over Lady White’s form. It was not a barrier, but granted her unprecedented physical strength.
The damage from the sword strike vanished in an instant.
“Divine Defender!”
The paladins stared at Lady White in astonishment. The Divine Defender was the pinnacle technique of the paladins, granting immense physical strength and regenerative ability for a short time—but at a price: it cost their lives.
The winged silhouette was a holy light conjuration summoned by sacrificing the paladin’s own life force.
Moreover, the summon continuously drained vast amounts of life energy from the paladin, enough to cause death within hours.
“A peculiar summon,” Philip observed for the first time the holy light summon. Yet he could see Lady White’s life force rapidly ebbing. “Your loyalty is commendable.”
Lady White’s loyalty earned Philip’s grudging respect.
She maintained the Divine Defender stance, refusing to let Philip harm Lin Lei as long as she stood.
“Perhaps you won’t believe it, but he was once the child of the person I despised most,” the Holy Light Lord said. She had never imagined the day would come when she would protect the child of a demon.
Yet Lin Lei was Lin Lei, and Winnie was Winnie—Lady White had once seen them as one, but now she was absolutely certain: Lin Lei was the prince of all forest elves to be proud of.
“Divine Defender!”
Another Divine Defender appeared.
Brook, glowing with golden light, stood beside Lady White. “I hope you don’t mind if I lend a hand?”
“...Of course not.”
Lady White smiled over her shoulder and together they faced Philip.
Philip clenched his longsword, and in the next moment, his eyes widened in disbelief.
“Divine Defender!”
“Divine Defender!”
“Divine Defender!”
Golden silhouettes appeared one after another around the alliance camp. Every paladin capable of fighting invoked Divine Defender, surrounding Lin Lei with an impenetrable shield.
“Lord Prophet, we will protect you!”
Brilliant holy light illuminated the Goblin City.
The steadfast determination in the paladins’ eyes shook Philip deeply. In that instant, it felt as though he had traveled through time and space, recalling the unwavering eyes of his little sister.
“If Brother Wang is unwilling, then I will protect the World Tree!”
Those eyes were just as resolute.
The fire of rage in Philip’s chest blazed uncontrollably. “If you wish to die, then I shall grant it!”
He pointed his sword downward, and then saw the paladins’ holy light begin to dissipate—they were abandoning Divine Defender!
No, not abandoning.
Their holy light was being drained.
Philip’s gaze followed the source.