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Yuren and Helia were the first to discover a heart.
Using her dragon senses, Yuren quickly located it. Her fist smashed through the wall, pulling the heart out.
The pulsating organ was far from a human heart. It resembled a twisted, thorny vine.
As Yuren prepared to destroy it, Helia suddenly darted forward.
Yuren was startled by the unexpected move.
Helia swung her sword, slashing the ground.
Helia Style Single Sword Advance Slash.
Wherever her blade landed, there was flesh.
The quivering flesh, reacting to Heliaâs attack, quickly retreated.
Then, it reformed.
The flesh vanished, replaced by a suit of black armor. While similar to the kingdomâs armor, it was much larger and heavier than anything she had seen in the palace.
âTheyâve already found a heart.â
âThis thing ...!â
âIt must be a guardian protecting the heart.â
âSo, theyâre not going to make it easy for us.â
âYuren, go find the next heart.â
Helia stopped Yuren, who had been about to attack the armored guardian.
While she didnât want to admit it, Yuren was far better at locating the hearts, likely due to her dragon senses.
It was more efficient for Yuren to search.
Yuren, understanding, nodded her head and moved on.
The guardian, now facing Helia alone, scoffed.
He found it laughable that a small child would dare to challenge him.
âYou intend to face me alone?â
âThereâs no need to say anything.â
âWhat ...?!â
Heliaâs crimson eyes flashed menacingly, devoid of mercy. Then, the guardian saw it.
His own head, severed, rolled on the ground.
For Helia, this wasnât even a challenge. Her age was irrelevant. She had to become stronger to stand beside her teacher.
She couldnât be held back here. This was a mere obstacle to overcome.
As Helia dispatched the guardian, the others also located hearts.
[Can you hear me?]
âYeah! Loud and clear!â
[Thatâs good.]
They had anticipated the need to communicate while separated and had prepared accordingly.
Cluna had provided artifacts that allowed them to communicate with each other, like walkie-talkies.
[It would be great if we could communicate while separated.]
It had been Hansâs idea.
In a world where messenger birds and signal fires were the norm, his suggestion had been a welcome innovation.
Ruby and Cluna had collaborated to create the communication devices.
Just then, the courtyard where Yuren had landed with the unit members began to writhe, taking shape.
Hans, startled, turned to look.
[Youâve found me. As expected of the Commander of the Royal Knights.]
It resembled a giant toad, its brown skin oozing mud. It was undoubtedly the Mud Guardian.
Hans clicked his tongue.
âAre you the Mud Guardian?â
[Indeed. A glorious title bestowed upon me by my lord.]
âBy âlord,â you mean the Blood Demon?â
[How dare you utter that name so casually!!!]
The Mud Guardianâs rage shook the fortress.
Hans, feeling the tremors, realized that this was indeed the true Mud Guardian.
âBut why did it appear now?â
He quickly deduced the reason.
The Mud Guardian had been hiding in the courtyard. This meant a heart was hidden there as well.
It had been hidden in plain sight, making it difficult to find. But Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, had been lingering nearby.
The Mud Guardian must have perceived him as a threat.
âShit, Iâm screwed.â
???? Important Notice ????
); }
[The Commander has encountered the Mud Guardian!]
[He needs backup!]
[No! Hold your positions!]
[Donât get in his way.]
As if to add insult to injury, Cluna announced his encounter with the Mud Guardian. And any hope of assistance was swiftly shut down by Helia.
Helia had reasoned that staying put and guarding their positions was more helpful to the Commander than intervening.
She was right.
The problem was that Hans was terrified.
âShit! Help me!!!â
Ignoring his pleas, the Mud Guardian attacked, gathering the surrounding flesh and engulfing Hans.
He could only stare in horror, his body unable to keep up with his mind.
He had assumed Time Stop would activate automatically if his life was in danger. But then...
Vwoom!
The holy sword at his hip reacted. A pure white light erupted from the blade, filling the area.
Hans, bewildered, could only blink his eyes.
When he regained his senses...
[Gah...!!!]
The Mud Guardian was collapsing before him.
âââââââ
[Translator Notes]