Chapter 58: Split Up and Act

Inside the cave, the enemies moved swiftly, searching for something.

“They’ve discovered that we’ve escaped, move faster.”

Leo moved around with Michelle, but the cave was too large; his sword’s clear vision couldn’t cover the entire area. Even if he could see the nearby structures, he didn’t know how to leave.

However, one thing was certain: they needed to stay away from the enemy’s main base and look for a way out while moving.

“Two S-class powerhouses, this is troublesome.”

Aside from the woman they encountered at the beginning, Leo sensed another black-robed mage holding a staff.

In front of the mage was a crystal ball reflecting the situation in the cave.

Leo concentrated all his mental energy in that direction, temporarily giving up on exploring other areas. His visual range extended, and the image became clearer, allowing him to see the cave’s layout and imprint the entire map in his mind.

But the problem was, they had been exposed; their location was revealed on the crystal ball.

The enemies scattered throughout the cave all moved in the same direction, with the black-robed mage leading a large group toward them.

However, there was no sign of that S-class woman; she was likely hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Leo looked at Michelle and saw her frowning, appearing somewhat troubled.

“Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s nothing.” Michelle shook her head.

“Unlike my things, your staff should be very important; go look for it.”

Leo likely guessed the reason for Michelle’s distraction.

“No need, the situation is urgent; no matter how important the staff is, it’s not more important than safety. Let’s escape first.”

Michelle hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“How about this: you look for the staff, and I’ll look for the exit. We’ll split up.”

Leo’s expression was somewhat cold.

Michelle was slightly surprised; this was different from the Leo she knew, but she still agreed, “Okay.”

For some reason, she suddenly felt a sense of loss deep inside.

“My skill can see the internal structure of the cave; I have a rough idea of where your staff is and will guide you. While we are separated, we can maintain mental communication.”

“I understand.”

Michelle turned to leave.

“Wait.”

Leo called out to her.

Michelle stopped, feeling a hint of anticipation in her heart.

“Can you use auxiliary magic to enhance my abilities, especially my mental strength?”

Michelle was taken aback for a moment but quickly agreed, “Okay, but the effect can only last for half an hour. You must be careful when I’m not around.”

After they separated, Michelle moved through the cave alone, the dim surroundings making her feel a bit lonely.

The staff was a legendary item and a symbol of her identity as a candidate saint, so it couldn’t be lost. She regretted not resisting from the start.

No, fighting against S-class enemies was dangerous; this was originally her own issue. If Leo encountered such a strong enemy because of her, she would blame herself for a lifetime if anything happened.

But… she couldn’t hide the feeling of wanting to rely on someone.

Leo took off his gauntlets and wrist guards, freeing his body. The sudden surge of power made his blood boil, and he gripped his sword tightly, actively confronting the enemy’s main force.

“Little brat, you’ve got some guts to dare approach us, candidate saint.”

The leading black-robed mage let out a sinister laugh, his face painted like a clown, with nearly all his teeth missing.

“Naturally, we’ve escaped. Where’s that woman? Why hasn’t she come out? Does she need to rely on ambushing a little brat like me?”

While dealing with the black-robed mage, Leo bought time for Michelle and communicated with her in his mind.

Hearing Leo’s voice, Michelle quickly moved according to his guidance, feeling a sudden sense of reassurance.

“I understand.”

Michelle replied, quickening her pace to reunite with Leo as soon as possible.

“Want a hero to save the beauty? Unfortunately, you don’t have that strength; die!”

The black-robed mage reached out his hand and squeezed the air, causing the surrounding rock walls to immediately close in on Leo. The entire process took less than 0.01 seconds, and Leo was completely covered by the rocks.

“Poor little brat, you’ll merge with the rocks here. Let’s go, we’ll chase the candidate saint.”

The black-robed mage immediately led the others into action.

“Hey! Who do you think you’re looking down on?”

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning shot out from the space covered by rocks, and large boulders were shattered into fragments, revealing Leo’s unharmed figure.

He held his sword in one hand, lightning coursing over it.

Lightning sword magic; he had spent a lot of effort learning magic sword techniques these days, achieving progress in both fire and lightning magic. Now was the time to use it.

“Then I’ll play with you for a while; you others go chase.”

The black-robed mage was somewhat excited, holding his staff and preparing for battle.

“With me here, you won’t get past.”

Leo blocked the passage behind him, a single man standing firm against a thousand.

“Then let’s deal with you first; everyone, attack together and kill him.”

A large number of people surged out from behind the black-robed mage, rushing toward Leo with cruel expressions like beasts.

Leo’s gaze was icy; if these people were beasts, then he was the strongest predator at the top of the food chain, and a hunt was about to unfold.

…

“Go through the middle; there are enemies at the next right intersection. Hide in the left intersection first, and wait for them to pass before going right.”

Michelle followed Leo’s instructions, hiding herself in the darkness behind the rocks, waiting for those people to pass.

Then she entered the right cave.

The deeper she went, the more humid it became. Stepping on the muddy ground, Michelle’s clothes became stained with dirt.

“Keep going straight; at the end, there are three stone doors. Your staff is hidden behind the middle door, guarded by two sentinels. Deal with them; the key should be on them, so look for it.”

While killing with his sword, Leo guided Michelle.

A group of cultists fell around him, blood pooling at his feet, filling the air with a pungent smell of blood. The rock walls were stained red, and Leo was also covered in blood, most of it from the enemies.

“They don’t have the key.”

Michelle’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Then there should be a mechanism; look for it. Wait, two more people are approaching; don’t kill them, ask them how to open the stone door.”

Leo slowly exhaled. He had to focus on two things at once while remaining vigilant against the hidden woman. The mental strain made him slightly fatigued, but his gaze was exceptionally firm, filled with killing intent.

“Are you a monster?”

The black-robed mage looked at the large number of people lying on the ground, unable to contain his surprise.

“Interesting! You must be the guardian knight of the candidate saint, a genius of the church. Even if you don’t capture the candidate saint, killing you will be enough to make the church grieve for a while, hahaha!”

The black-robed mage laughed heartily, and the cave suddenly shook as stone men in pitch-black armor emerged from the ground and rock walls.

“These black rock warriors are all A-class; let’s see how you deal with them.”

The front and back were filled with a large number of black rock warriors, surrounding Leo.

“Flame Slash!”

Raging flames swept through, scorching the bodies of the black rock warriors.

“My black rock warriors have high fire resistance; you can’t do anything to them.”

“Who said that? Lightning Sword!”

Leo unleashed the power of thunder, and lightning shot out like a laser from the tip of his sword, piercing through the chest of a black rock warrior, turning it to stone as it fell.

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