Memphis struggled to get up.
But then, the black-energy spider on his chest suddenly let out a shrill shriek.
Memphis went pale, collapsed back down, and sheets of cold sweat poured off him.
Rustle, rustle...
A very faint, yet rhythmic vibration suddenly reached Wilin's ears.
"It's coming from the direction of the small town — could it be survivors?" A look of joy crossed Wilin's face.
But Memphis's expression changed wildly: "That's the sound of Frostcave Spiders! They've caught up!"
After a few seconds, five agile silhouettes of Frostcave Spider Knights appeared within Wilin's field of vision.
"Memphis! You really are here!"
"How wonderful — we actually found him!"
"His head will absolutely be worth first-class military merit!"
The knights all burst out laughing, speaking in the Dark Elf language. Janey could barely make out a few words, but Wilin couldn't understand a thing, his face blank with confusion.
Then, the confusion on his face turned to horror.
On the backs of these Frostcave Spiders, beyond the knights themselves, he saw a large number of severed heads, piled one on top of another, with blood still dripping down.
Among those heads, he even recognized several familiar faces.
"Un... Uncle Viya! Wh... what did you do to them?" Wilin's veins bulged across his face as he drew the Cross Sword from his back.
"Ha ha ha..." Faced with Wilin's accusation, the Frostcave Spider Knights naturally couldn't understand him, but the intent was clear enough.
One dark knight used his long spear to lift a head, taunting and mocking them without cease.
The other knights leveled their spears and charged.
"Aaaah... I'll kill you all!"
Wilin's eyes were bloodshot as he charged straight ahead.
"Secret Art! Cross Star!"
As he roared, the Life Energy within Wilin's body erupted violently, forming a somewhat ethereal suit of armor around him.
"Kill!"
The Cross Sword clashed with the long spear, and both Wilin and the Frostcave Spider Knight were forced back several steps.
Frostcave Spider Knights were the Dark Elves' elite forces — even their ordinary soldiers possessed strength on par with human Great Knights. Coupled with their Frostcave Spider mounts and the enhancements of various runes, they far surpassed that level.
But Wilin was no ordinary Great Knight either, so the battle remained evenly matched.
Unfortunately, Wilin was alone, while the enemy had a full five of them!
After seeing Life Energy erupt from Wilin's body, the five Frostcave Spider Knights exchanged glances, shouted a few phrases Wilin couldn't understand, and charged straight in.
Swoosh!
A streak of black light split the air and struck one Frostcave Spider Knight's shoulder, laboriously piercing through.
From atop the carriage, Janey held her bow steady with an expression of calm, firing arrow after arrow in rapid succession.
She could read the situation perfectly clearly — under these circumstances, their only chance of survival was to take out every knight in this squad as quickly as possible.
But the enemy had five warriors with Great Knight-level strength. How could that be easy? Janey laughed bitterly to herself.
Sure enough, as time wore on, Wilin found himself surrounded by the knights and began to falter. The ethereal armor on his body looked as though it might shatter at any moment.
Squeak!
At the command of one knight, his Frostcave Spider suddenly leaped forward, breaking past Wilin's defenses and reaching the front of the carriage.
A black long spear thrust forward viciously! The foul wind it trailed made Janey's expression shift again and again!
"Nngh!" From not far away, Wilin let out a muffled grunt as the luminous armor on his body shattered and blood sprayed from several wounds.
Hummm!
In an instant, Janey suddenly felt a powerful wave of energy erupt beside her.
She spun her head around to see Memphis struggling, tearing open a scroll in his hand.
A ring of grey ripples immediately spread outward, and the grey light seemed almost sentient — it avoided both Janey and Wilin, traveling directly to the Frostcave Spider Knights.
The grey light enveloped the knights and their Frostcave Spiders like a halo.
The ensnared knights immediately felt the tremendous power they had prided themselves on begin to drain away. Even their mounts trembled, as though unable to bear the burden of their riders.
"Weakening Mark!! Fall back!!!" one of the Frostcave Spider Knights immediately screamed.
"Kill!!!"
But at this moment, Wilin erupted with a final burst of strength.
"Cross Slash!" He forcefully channeled his last reserves of Life Energy, unleashing the killing move of his Cross Sword technique.
A cross-shaped blade of light cut mercilessly through the four knights who had him surrounded.
The Frostcave Spider Knights' expressions went blank, and in the next instant, both their bodies and mounts were torn to pieces.
Swoosh! Janey seized the opportunity, sending an arrow straight into the neck of the last fleeing knight.
A smile appeared on Memphis's face. He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood and passed out once more.