Along the shattered road, Lewan supported Fangsheng as they walked. Halfway there, she glanced at a ruined house nearby, stopped, and then decisively helped Fangsheng inside.
Ten minutes or so later, Lewan emerged supporting Fangsheng, her face flushed red. At that moment, she was clad in armor and gripped a long sword, looking every bit like a dashing, heroic valkyrie.
As for her original robe, it was now draped over Fangsheng, making him look utterly comical and ill-fitting.
"This way, I won't have to worry about Brother Fang getting hurt later," Lewan muttered to herself. After all, Lord Administrator had said there were still more than a dozen enemies waiting for them, and she certainly couldn't leave Brother Fang cast aside when that happened.
***
The surviving townspeople, upon discovering that the commotion to the west had quieted down, emerged from their homes one after another and gazed westward.
Though they had no idea what had happened, they were certain that Transcendent beings had been fighting over there, and judging by the towering flames, it was definitely not a Tier 1 Warlock!
"Someone's coming! Someone's coming out!" shouted someone with sharp eyes, catching sight of two indistinct figures approaching.
The crowd hurried to look, their eyes gleaming with greed. They were rapacious creatures; they dared to step forward and tear at even a Transcendent. Of course, that was on the condition that the Transcendent appeared weak—after all, they still had some brains.
Squinting, the crowd saw that the figures were moving very slowly. While still at a distance, they could make out a frail figure supporting someone as they crept along! This was news that set everyone's blood boiling.
As the figures drew closer, the crowd finally saw them clearly: a fragile female clad in armor, her face bearing injuries and an eye patch, and a male wearing an ill-fitting robe who was clearly unconscious.
Upon getting this news, quite a few people began to grow restless. With this combination, anyone with eyes could tell the man was heavily injured. Yet they did not make a move, because they feared death!
Lewan slowly supported Fangsheng past the people ahead, a cold glint flashing in her eyes as she tightened her grip on her long sword, ready to strike at any moment.
Finally, someone could not hold back, raising a blade to hack straight down at Lewan!
Blocking the strike with one-handed ease, Lewan decisively delivered a vicious kick to the man's groin, and then ended his life amidst his agonizing shrieks!
Drawing her sword, she shook off the glaring crimson blood, faced the crowd ahead, and feeling their emotions calm down, she said in a cold voice, "Those who don't want to die, get lost!"
With a sharp *shwack*, the surrounding people moved aside with tacit understanding, clearing a path and watching in silence as Lewan supported Fangsheng away!
Once Lewan had gone, the people scrambled frantically toward the west, their greedy gazes now fixed on the dead man.
A massive surge of emotions flooded into Lewan's mind. She instinctively looked back and beheld that spectacular spectacle!
They were like a pack of rabid scavengers!
With that conclusion, Lewan turned and walked out of the town.
***
"Captain, there seems to be some commotion over there. Should we go take a look?" a freckled youth asked the tall figure ahead of him, gazing toward the distant disturbance.
The figure turned around, his hawk-sharp eyes staring fixedly at the freckled youth as he asked in a deep voice, "What were our orders?"
The man's solemn voice made the youth start. Instinctively snapping to attention and straightening his posture, the youth loudly replied, "Our orders are to hold the town's east gate and absolutely not allow the Nameless and the Witch to leave the town! If we see Lord Administrator fire the signal flare, we are to immediately go and provide reinforcement!" A long string of words tumbled out of the youth like a string of firecrackers.
The man nodded in satisfaction, then abruptly changed his tone and said solemnly, "Our duty is to obey orders!"
Hearing the man's words, the freckled youth looked as though he wanted to say something, but ultimately kept silent.
The man gently patted the youth's shoulder with his gauntleted hand and said with utmost confidence, "Trust Lord Administrator! He is a Transcendent, after all. Even if he can't win, he'll certainly have time to fire the signal flare!"
At that moment, figures suddenly appeared in the distance. The man looked over and immediately shouted in a stern voice, "On guard! The Witch and the Nameless have appeared!"
Hearing the command, the youth immediately copied the others and took up a defensive stance, though his heart was far from calm.
What about Lord Administrator? He couldn't have... No! It couldn't be! Lord Administrator is so powerful, how could he possibly lose?
Clutching his long sword tightly, the youth stared at Lewan, who was clad in armor and supporting Fangsheng, lying to himself over and over again.
Gazing at the enemies before her, Lewan said coldly, "Don't stand in our way, or you'll all die."
The youth finally cracked. Pointing his sharp sword directly at Lewan, he broke down and cried out, "Witch, did you kill Lord Administrator?"
Lewan felt a pang of confusion. Wasn't that obvious? If she hadn't killed him, how could she have gotten past? Still, she didn't deny it, stating bluntly, "I killed him, so you...?"
*Clang!*
The sound of clashing metal rang out. Lewan effortlessly parried the youth's strike, then ended his life with a single thrust of her sword. Sensing the surging emotions of the enemies, she let out a faint sigh and tightened her grip on her long sword.
Before long, all the enemies had fallen. Lewan approached the enemy who looked like the leader and dispatched him as well.
Supporting Fangsheng, she continued walking. Having killed a dozen people in the blink of an eye, it would be a lie to say she wasn't panicked. But Lewan could only comfort herself by thinking that they had brought this upon themselves.
"Cough, cough." Suddenly, Lewan coughed violently, hacking up a mouthful of blood. Facing an assault from more than a dozen people, her half-baked martial skills meant she had inevitably gotten hurt, though fortunately the injuries weren't severe.
Subconsciously wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, Lewan kept supporting Fangsheng as she walked. Seeing the town gate so close—just a dozen or so steps away—she couldn't help but reveal a smile.
*Splat!*
A dagger drove into flesh. Lewan turned her head in disbelief and saw a cat-eared girl.
Rosa? She couldn't believe that the person before her—wearing only scraps of cloth, her exposed skin covered in scars, her beautiful golden hair drained of luster, and one of her cat ears actually severed—was actually Rosa from that day!
Lewan instinctively swung her long sword, but Rosa grabbed it with a firm grip. Raising her lowered head, Rosa revealed eyes filled with intense hatred as she glared at Lewan and roared, "Why did you have to kill Master! Master was so good to you."
Hearing those words, Lewan suddenly felt a twinge of grievance, but she offered no explanation, kicking Rosa away. Releasing Fangsheng, she took a step forward and thrust her sharp blade straight toward Rosa's heart.
Ending Rosa with a single strike, with a dagger still planted in her abdomen, Lewan propped up the unconscious Fangsheng and walked toward the town exit.
Ten steps.
Nine steps.
Eight steps.
Lewan suddenly felt dizzy, and the path before her began to blur with illusions!
Poisoned!
Realizing this, a trace of despair surfaced on Lewan's face. But when she felt the weight of Fangsheng against her, the despair vanished. She propped Fangsheng up and continued trudging toward the exit.
She had to make it out of the town at least. She couldn't stay inside, or Brother Fang wouldn't survive either!
Five steps!
Four steps!
The toxins were spreading rapidly. Under their influence, Lewan staggered and nearly collapsed.
At that moment, if an outsider had witnessed this scene, they would have seen purple veins crawling all over Lewan's pale face, and her rosy lips turning a dark, bruised violet!
Yet Lewan remained expressionless, pushing forward without hesitation, letting the poison erode her body.
Finally, at that very last step, Lewan's expressionless face finally shifted, but along with it came an unbearable, agonizing pain deep within her internal organs!
Has it spread to my organs?
Lewan thought, offering a bitter smile. Can't I hold on any longer?
Making the arduous final step, Lewan collapsed from exhaustion, the two of them falling right at the town gate.
Then!
A cold prompt sounded: "Congratulations to the two Guardians for successfully completing the mission. Now initiating extraction... Detection: Guardian's vital frequency is extremely low. Initiating healing immediately!"