Chapter 234 7: Crossing Paths!



Vincent's body instantly burned into a brilliant dark flame, its billowing embers wrapping around it like clothing, his eyes fixated on the battle below, with Zarina's giant sword tearing the now mindless undead.

As limbs, dark coagulated blood and organs began to spray and fly around the vast cavern; his flames burned the blood beneath his feet as he stepped forward.

The flames around him were a powerful anima flare; rather than firing it like a blast, he found it could now be easily controlled since he transformed into that strange form.

Some of the undead corpses were beginning to recover their senses and attack again, but they failed to penetrate this new form of his flame.

Their bodies began to burn and melt into ashes as their hands approached, while his eyes only watched the movements of his women.

Titania was a much less graceful fighter than Zarina, whose greatsword twirled and swayed like a powerful and beautiful dance as she wrapped her body in a sharp, ragged armour as fought with a shield and spear, lunging her body like a fierce snake, tearing apart the larger more hulking undead and skeletons, while her body was safe.

'These girls have improved significantly over the past weeks... especially Zarina.' 

Vincent remembers that when she first came, although powerful, her attacks were a little stiff, readable and didn't flow; now, as his golden eyes narrowed, she was like a beautiful dancer locked in a waltz as she used both blood and sword to eradicate the undead.

'Well... most of them are dead; let's have the other girls come out and get some experience.' 

"Vera, Zarina, P'ella!" His voice was deep and booming; the carriage almost resonated and shuddered while the merchants were still cowering like pathetic insects, not even moving. While the Lazarus knights desperately fought to protect them, even when those greedy pigs ran away, abandoning them.

A moment later, the brisk Zarina jumped out, fully armed as if she was waiting for this from the start, her eyes shining with a desperate gleam.

"Zerana, take those two and help the other knights; if you do well, I will take you on a date in the capital." 

"Nyaau!! A date.... date...! date means yummy food!"

"Ah... Zera, don't push me...." Vera complained as she looked pleadingly towards Vincent, her green eyes shimmering before darting off.

"That goes for you, as well, P'ella. You are still young and need to stay focused on your training, be good, and I'll visit you at night," he growled, his voice dark and threatening because the girl was a little airheaded sometimes.

But P'ella only smiled and nodded, her wings twitching happily behind her.

Taking his spear tightly, he stepped away from the girls and stood near the most significant door, where the undead was pouring through; his body was small compared to the opening, yet the moment his body appeared.

The undead stopped their reckless approach as if they were terrified of what was standing before them, the billowing purple flames and his black spear; they awoke from their mindless state as if fearing for their own lives.

He didn't care, grasping his spear tightly as he watched them with narrow eyes...

The undead was still trying to move but was too weak to resist the flame. They began to scream and whimper as their flesh melted and burned, causing the cavern to crackle with thunderous cracking sounds as it spread.

Vincent ignored the cries of the dying as he kept thrusting his spear into their soft skulls, crushing and tearing their brains into a grey mush, his body leaving only a trail of burnt corpses and ashes in its wake.

His eyes observed the girls behind him, making sure they could handle their current fight; while Vincent stepped forward, he wished for them to slowly gain experience, not in the meaning.

Although levelling up was necessary, he wanted their skills to improve, even if they were low-level trash; if they trained a skill to the highest levels, their life would be far safer than a high level with no skill.

'Let's make more training menus for all the girls... P'ella needs to train in basics and her physical body... Zerana needs endurance and discipline... Vera needs both..'

Tama was not his woman, but her movements were agile yet lacked grace and skill as she sometimes slipped and missed her attacks due to her rushing.

'Tama needs to work on the same as Vera and her accuracy...'

-

Verda and Amira rushed into the dungeon; however, due to the complexity of the caves, they were forced to split up, battling the sporadic undead; something was strange to her. These corpses were very responsive, like trained warriors who never lost their abilities when living. Yet now they were much weaker, without any form of organisation, as her sword cleaved them into minced flesh with each mighty swing; the knights behind her were breathing heavily as they tried to keep pace with her.

"Come on; it seems the necromancer is either preoccupied or dead. Let's not count on it being the latter; hurry; those merchants are who we promised to protect!"

She didn't want to give the crown prince and the other commanders in the Lazarus knight order, and the opposing Vlarion knight order, which was a male-only group that tried to insinuate the Lazarus order was merely a group of high-class prostitutes for the nobles and royalty, thus causing long strife and feud between the two.

'Well, it can't be helped when two of the commanders of this knight order are sleeping with other princes...'

Amira and Verda soon met up as the caves connected several hundred metres, fighting side by side again.

Their swords flashed in the dimly lit caves as Amira used a sword and shield. In contrast, Verda used her mighty black sword, they were only friends for a month or so, yet the number of battles and their feelings towards the girls in the knight group caused them to bond sincerely, almost like sisters. She knew that she should trust her friend, but there were so many things she couldn't tell anyone else about.

For example, how Verda is the princess of the southern principality and rightful queen, or that her rank is beyond that of the dungeon lord, and she answers directly to the queen of Ulkan.

'Well, those things don't matter... Melinda and I go back a long way, meeting at a training academy for royalty... Haha, nostalgic.' Verda thought to herself as she cleaved the last bulking horror that stood in her way; her black hair was slightly wet with sweat as Amira's group was finished a moment later.

"Verda... I think we are near the main site, look!" Amira spoke as the walls and floor were filled with strange bloody runes, those of a language neither of them had seen before.

"Shit... Girls, are you still good to go? Anyone that is too tired, rest here and only join when you recover!" Verda shouted; her body couldn't use magic or mana because her tribesman usually absorbed mana and magic into their bodies, from their bones to the flesh, muscles and skin, which allowed them to live exceptionally long lives, become more powerful than the most grotesque monsters and took less damage from magic.

So those of the knight group with her were soaked with sweat, breathing heavily and struggling to move their heavy, lead-like legs; Amira was doing better as a demoness. However, still felt pride and respect for her fellow warrior who rushed inside the room.

"Verda, don't be too reckless; I will enter when these girls are read... haa... Sorry... I'm holding you back." Amira said with a wry smile, but her eyes burning to become stronger; since she began to have sex with that young man, her body improved despite stagnating for decades, slowly feeling the gap between her and Verda closing.

'I need to find out his real name... finish things with my husband... and ask V to help me... I want to be stronger, for myself.... for Odette...!'

"Haha, don't worry, Amira; those girls are still inside Valka and Muna, right? We cannot leave our girls to fight these monsters alone. I will save them first, then the mercenaries." 

"Don't push yourself; remember your handsome son and genius daughter..." Amira said, hoping that she wouldn't push herself.

The group of knights resting behind seemed to nod in sync; none of them hadn't heard about her excellent son Vincent and how cute, hardworking and pretty he was; they saw Milla daily as she was now more powerful than most knights who practised over a year. 

Taking her sisters' words in battle, the empowered Verda dashed into the doorway, her ears still keenly listening to clashing blades and a fierce flame that seemed to make her feel hot from this distance.

'I have to hurry...!' She thought, grasping the black sword's handle tightly, preparing herself for what might await inside the dark and eerie room.