Chapter 238

“Beware of the wicked witch!”

First off, don’t come into contact with the witch. You’ll end up exploding like a balloon!

Secondly, don’t let the witch blend in among the living. She’ll hide within the crowd and conceal her identity.

Third, don’t be fooled by the notion that her true form is weak just because she uses special techniques that are downright cheating. The ability to change her body means she can manifest the ideal physique anytime!

Fourth, consider your opponent’s defenses to be practically limitless. No matter how hard you hit, her body won’t take a scratch!

Fifth, don’t expect that the witch will fight fair. She’s not some noble knight; she’s a cunning witch who will always leap away from you to target your allies from behind. The moment you let your guard down, your companions will get hurt, leading to the worst possible outcome.

And how do you win against such a foe? Isn’t it unreasonable? Don’t worry.

Because he’s the Tin Knight!

[They say a ‘Tin Knight’ with an invincible pattern is not an uncommon boss!]

[There are ‘Tin Knights’ who charge right into danger, uselessly perish, while there are those who know how to dodge and handle their business properly—those are the true gems among companions!]

Luckily or unfortunately, the North Witch did not question what this nonsense meant; she didn’t hear it.

In fact, the words spoken by the Tin Knight were never meant for the enemy. He was a man who communicated with his foes through steel.

The North Witch swung her right arm, cleaving the earth, while the writhing tentacles sprouting from her back targeted the Tin Knight.

The Tin Knight slashed at the tentacles with his sword, but they were protected by magic runes, simply being pushed back without sustaining even a minor wound.

But the Tin Knight didn’t mind.

If direct physical interference was out of the question, there were always ways to deal with it if he could still impact her body.

He dodged the tentacles one after another, waiting for his chance. When his furious opponent launched an aggressive attack, he performed a sweet counter.

At the moment she tried to lift her upper body, he would jab her forehead with his sword tip to knock her back. If she attempted to steal a glance at him, he would chin-check her to force her perspective away, baiting her enough to divert her attention completely. And then—bam!—the White Knight struck.

Kwahhhaaaang!

The firepower of the White Knight was absolutely savage.

The Tin Knight understood this well, having met the blade himself.

Though Mombi, shielded by a magical barrier, was not pierced by the spear, each hit sent her rocketing back.

“How long do you think such pathetic tricks will work?!!”

The form Mombi had taken on shrieked in irritation.

With her main abilities of instant kill touch and sneak attack both sealed off, she was forced into a mundane brawl, and understandably felt her frustrations rising.

Her body transformed into an even heavier and bulkier form.

Without hesitation, she started charging straight towards Dorothea and Gale.

The Tin Knight and the White Knight swung their weapons to halt her, but it was as if her weight had increased thanks to that just-activated spell—their swords and spear merely bounced off.

Dorothea and Gale retreated, trying to create distance, but Mombi’s speed outmatched theirs.

With no other choice, the White Knight threw himself in front of Mombi to block her path.

Spears and claws clashed, and while the spear succeeded in finally halting Mombi’s charge, it came at the expense of his left arm.

The next up, the Tin Knight tried to hold her at bay with dazzling swordsmanship and combat skills, but the vast difference in their levels meant he was running low on magical power.

Worried about running out of fuel, he eased back on the output, just as a tentacle transformed into a dagger and sunk into his side.

Afterward, Mombi continued to repeat the most annoying patterns to the group.

She boosted her weight to prevent being pushed back from attacks and charged headlong with reckless abandon, ignoring all defenses.

It was simple yet made it impossible to counter her tactics.

This was the witch’s territory.

As long as the land itself supported Mombi, they could only be forced into a disadvantageous battle.

So, they waited.

For the upcoming opportunity, for their companion’s performance.

And then.

***

After experiencing immense pain, the girl vowed not to live solely for revenge.

Because she knew there were those who lived with pride till their very last breath.

Realizing that her remaining duty wasn’t just a reckless bloodthirsty revenge act but was to reclaim their honor.

Because she had companions who didn’t hesitate to confront one of the most powerful forces on the continent to prevent her from completely falling into depravity.

That is why she understood restraint and acted as rationally as possible during the fight with the tower, instead of just rampaging.

However, one thing should not be misunderstood.

Just because she wasn’t swayed by rage, it didn’t mean the rage was weak.

A young lion, no, a young lioness, was overflowing with fury.

Kwahwahwahhah!

With a great sounding crash, Adelheid and Rotbart’s bodies fell from the 9th floor.

Voices filled with confusion echoed from somewhere, but Adelheid ignored them and gripped her right hand even tighter.

“You…!”

With all her might, she slammed the back of her opponent’s head against the ground, who seemed poised to utter another word.

With a tremendous shock that shook the tower, countless spiderweb-like cracks appeared.

However, unlike the previously weakened 10th floor, it didn’t break all at once.

But that was of no concern.

She just had to keep swinging until it shattered.

BAM!

Kwahhhaang!

Another plunge.

A large hole tore through the 9th floor, causing both their bodies to plummet once more.

Rotbart attempted to cast a spell to attack Adelheid, but each time, she smashed his head into the ground, forcing him to cut his magic short.

The 8th floor shattered.

Rotbart realized he had no luxury left for any fancy magic and attempted to resist with brute force. When he struck Adelheid’s head hard with the royal scepter, her skin tore, and the flowing blood froze in the cold.

Adelheid didn’t even change her expression as she moved her arm again.

The 7th floor crumbled.

“What the…?”

“Someone fell from above!”

“It’s the blond knight! It’s Lenart! One of those bastards!”

As the entrance blocked by the pirate crew broke open, those who seemed to be reinforcements from the Control Sector ascended the tower, discovering Adelheid and unleashed their attacks.

Rotbart hoped Adelheid’s attention would be diverted and attempted to escape, but she simply braced herself against the incoming assaults while continuing to thrash Rotbart down.

The 6th floor breached, and they fell again.

“…ghh.”

The only reason Rotbart managed to maintain some semblance of his shape was due to the massive magical power contained within him and the transformation his body underwent.

However, it was as if the accumulated damage was becoming too much for even that to handle, as his limbs began to convulse.

Adelheid was equally in a bad state.

No, if anything, she was in worse condition than Rotbart.

From the appearance alone, it was hard to distinguish if what remained attached to her wrist was a person’s hand or a crushed hunk of meat.

In this situation, she couldn’t grasp or swing anything anymore.

So, she mounted on top of Rotbart.

With their fists raised, they pounded down like hammers.

PUH!

Both her stamina and body had reached their limits.

And yet, the blows kept coming.

PUH!

Amaryllis’ belt glowed fiercely as if to declare, ‘This is what my master requires!’ while the purple lightning blazed brighter, demanding her to unleash even more fury.

The ground shook, and cracks formed.

Kuwung!

There were those watching this unfold, but even while bleeding profusely, no one dared to move in the face of Adelheid’s fierce countenance as she relentlessly pummeled down.

In those final moments, Rotbart seemed to attempt to say something.

Perhaps a plea for her to stop, or maybe he wished to leave a last testament as a king.

Adelheid disregarded him.

After her smashing his head mixed with crystals, a small gap opened just enough for two people to barely fall through to the floor below.

The body of the old man who dreamt of kingship fell to the 1st floor, shattering and scattering into pieces upon impact.

After calmly observing that scene, the brightness in Adelheid’s eyes dimmed rapidly like a candle extinguished.

After catching her last glimpse of Sophia, who fearlessly flung herself down the hole Adelheid had created, the lioness lost consciousness.

***

The technique of the Tin Knight, the charge of the White Knight, pierced through Mombi’s body simultaneously.

And with Mombi’s retaliation, somewhere on the bodies of both knights, pieces were carved away.

At first glance, nothing seemed changed.

But the magical runes surrounding Mombi’s body no longer flowed anew.

The connection linking her to the ley lines had already severed.

Understanding this, the witch’s face stiffened, and the Tin Knight shouted.

[‘The Tin Knight’ celebrates that my disciple indeed!]