Chapter 221 Chapter219-The Retreat of the Monsters
With the demise of the Golden Gryphon, a profound silence descended upon the entire battlefield.
The once frenzied monsters started to withdraw hesitantly, no longer daring to advance; some even began to harbor thoughts of fear, fleeing towards the edges of the battlefield.
Ethan would naturally not allow this to transpire without intervention.
In the next instant, he moved like a bolt of lightning, surging ceaselessly across the land.
Every monster in his path was thoroughly exterminated, their corpses piled up to form mountains, emitting a burnt stench.
Soldiers who were originally in the battlefield were now standing dumbfounded, their eyes wide in disbelief at the sight unfolding before them.
Particularly on the right side of the central battlefield, where Dark Lord Rock was strenuously fending off the monsters' assault.
Yet in a blink of an eye, a lightning struck and all those monsters were cleanly wiped out.
"He... he's incredibly strong!"
Dark Lord Rock recognized Ethan, his heart brimming with shock.
However, Ethan had no intention of exchanging pleasantries; he darted towards other monsters without a pause.
Half an hour later, almost no standing monster could be found on the entire battlefield.
Ethan returned to where Eileen was, reuniting with Lehman and others.
"Black Dragon, we owe you greatly this time," Eileen expressed, brimming with gratitude.
Ethan nodded, stating, "Let's head back first. I made some discoveries on the battlefield."
Upon hearing this, Eileen did not inquire further.
Assisted by the soldiers, she, along with Ethan and others, made their way back to the underground command center.
In the command center, Rhine had already received the news.
She was waiting at the exit of the command center, and upon seeing Ethan and the others return safely, she breathed a sigh of relief at once.
Subsequently, everyone proceeded into the conference hall of the command center.
"Was there a reason behind this monster outbreak?" Rhine asked Lehman.
Lehman nodded, and immediately reported, "According to the soldiers, it seemed to have been instigated by a Golden Gryphon. However, judging from past incidents, while the Golden Gryphon is strong, it isn't capable of causing such a revolt amongst the monsters."
"Lehman is right; the Golden Gryphon wasn't the cause of the monster riot," Eileen chimed in.
She looked somewhat pale as she pointed to the map spread out on the long table, saying, "That Golden Gryphon emerged from here."
Ethan followed her indication. On the map, the positions of the underground command center and the battlefield were marked.
The spot Eileen was pointing to was a location forward of the battlefield, a place marked as a series of mountains enveloped in thick fog.
Seeing this place, Ethan added, "Earlier when I was slaying those monsters, I planned to pursue in the direction they were fleeing to and then I saw those mountains. However, those mountains were not enveloped in fog, and even while fleeing, the monsters dared not venture into those mountains."
"It's very strange and quite abnormal."
"There's another thing; those mountains gave me a sense of sanctity."
It was because he sensed something was amiss that Ethan chose not to continue deeper.
Having listened to everyone's reports, Rhine furrowed her brows; the accumulated information did not clarify the situation, but rather, it made it more complex and chaotic.
She rubbed her forehead, addressing everyone, "Let it stand for now; I need to think it over. Also, Mr. Black Dragon, could you please tend to Eileen's injuries?"
"No problem." Ethan nodded, then left the conference room with Eileen.
They crossed the main artery to enter the specialized medical room within the underground command center.
"Lie down," Ethan instructed Eileen.
Although holy light could heal wounds, it worked by accelerating the wound's healing process.
If it were just a surface injury on the skin, it would be quite easy to treat.
However, this time Eileen had sustained internal injuries, and using the holy light directly could potentially leave lingering issues.
Understanding this, Eileen lay down without hesitation and removed her armor.
"Does it hurt?" Ethan asked as he released holy light from his palm, gently caressing Eileen's abdominal wound.
Grimacing with intense pain, Eileen nonetheless shook her head.
Seeing this, Ethan smiled and then began to sense the extent of the internal injuries within Eileen's body.
He finely controlled the power of the holy light, directing it to adhere to the internal wounds.
The process was lengthy, and the tingling sensation brought about by the holy light's healing was somewhat unbearable.
However, Eileen remained silent throughout the treatment.
"It's done."
Half an hour later, the treatment was completed, and Ethan felt a wave of fatigue washing over him.
Eileen sat up, reaching down to touch her abdomen.
Then, she looked up at Ethan with gratitude in her eyes, and said, "Black Dragon, thank you."
Ethan smiled, replying, "You don't have to be formal, we are friends—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Eileen lunged towards him, her lips sealing off the words Ethan intended to say, and then began awkwardly sucking.
"Hu~ Hu~"
A moment later, Eileen released Ethan, breathing heavily.
Ethan, still a bit startled and unable to respond immediately, just stared at her.
Feeling embarrassed, Eileen hurriedly said, "I heard from others that this makes people feel good; consider it my way of repaying you."
Eileen's answer left Ethan unsure how to respond.
Unlike Eileen's proficient martial skills and deep knowledge about warfare, her understanding of intimate relationships seemed quite limited, even non-existent.
Noticing the confusion in Ethan's eyes, she explained, "I've grown up in a military camp for most of my life."
"My father was a soldier in Maya City and my mother was a physician. However, they both sacrificed their lives in a battle against the monsters."
"Since then, I resolved to join the army to avenge my father and mother."
"But I couldn't."
Noticing Eileen's sense of loss, Ethan consoled, "You have already done exceptionally well."
"No, it's not the same."
Eileen stood up abruptly, shaking her head vigorously.
"After becoming a knight, I made a vow to eradicate all the monsters. But, when I faced those monsters, at the moment I felt I was nearing death, I found myself lost in confusion," she confided, a distant look in her eyes. "Can those monsters truly be eradicated?"
"I once asked Lady Rhine, and she said she saw a future with a prosperous city, a place graced with the presence of Dragons and bustling with countless races interacting and mingling. It would be the most flourishing city in the world. However, it wasn't Maya City she saw, but a mysterious city of wonders."
"I don't know what Lady Rhine's prophecy means exactly, but one thing is certain — it isn't about Maya City."
"Perhaps Maya City will be destroyed."
Eileen murmured, her expression becoming more and more vacant.
In the thin line between life and death, some find clarity, while others plunge deeper into confusion.
Eileen clearly belonged to the latter category, appearing somewhat off since returning from the battlefield.
But Ethan was inexperienced in offering consolation in such situations.
Although Eileen was acting somewhat out of character, she was not overly radical in her behavior.
Thus, after ensuring she reached her accommodation safely, Ethan returned to his own place, discussing the matter en route with old John.
"Let her have some time alone," was the advice offered by old John.
Following this, old John brought up another topic. "Have you tried activating the Eye of Alchemy in battle?" he inquired.
"What do you mean?" Ethan felt puzzled by the question.
To him, utilizing the Eye of Alchemy in the chaos of battle seemed a considerable burden, inundating him with a deluge of deciphered information.
Shaking his head, old John explained, "The Eye of Alchemy is the fundamental ability of an alchemist. It is not just for unraveling the essence of all things; it possesses other functionalities that you have to discover gradually on your own. Moreover, you need to learn to control it."
Old John's words, derived from personal experience, resonated deeply with Ethan.
Yet, mastering the Eye of Alchemy in a short period appeared implausible.
Beyond mastering it, the path of alchemy involved the assimilation of myriad other knowledge and hands-on manipulation, all of which were tremendously time-consuming.
Now, time was undeniably pressing for Ethan.
In the meantime, after Ethan's eradication of numerous monsters on the battlefield, an unusual calm descended upon the area.
Two days later, a visibly drained and pallid Rhine convened another meeting.
Her weakness was evident, invoking worry in both Lehman and Eileen.
"Lord Rhine…" Their concern echoed in unison.
Rhine shaked her head weakly, responded, "I am fine, just feeling a bit weak. Let us not delve into why the monsters are rioting now; it's not our place to meddle."
She continued, "There is another matter I need to announce."
She paused before dropping the bombshell, "It is time to subjugate the Angry Dragon Haviss!"
Her declaration startled everyone, prompting them to rise to their feet.
A grave look overcame Lehman as he voiced his reservations, "Lady Rhine, are you certain this is the right decision?"
Undeterred, Rhine asserted, "Lehman, the time is ripe!"
She then turned towards Ethan, her gaze filled with sincere plea, "Black Dragon, I am counting on you."
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦