At some point, the banquet had been infiltrated by Fire-Thieves from Kolon who, while everyone’s attention was captured by a speech, suddenly launched a suicide attack.
The guards of the banquet, the Church Knights, were unable to react in time and were rushed at close quarters.
As the Fire-Thieves charged forward, they tore at their clothes, under which their normally healthy flesh bizarrely glowed red as fire. It was as if their bodies harbored a blazing flame eager to burst forth.
In the next instant, upon nearing the crowd and approaching their target, the Fire-Thieves roared loudly, and their bodies exploded violently, sending flames surging from within them in all directions.
The intense explosion tore apart the bodies of nearby guests on the spot, their burning flesh scattered everywhere.
Several meters away, a Fire-Thief mingled within the crowd grew frenzied, screaming up to the sky, "For the Father God!"
With those words acting as a fuse, a fanatic energy suddenly burst from his body, and he exploded violently.
Carl quickly retreated.
Those who couldn’t dodge in time were caught in the explosion; some died instantly, while others were blown away by the shockwave, their fates unknown.
Carl’s eyes narrowed. This power... So powerful! Even a Knight, if caught at the epicenter of the explosion, would have almost no chance of surviving. The fate of ordinary people is even more tragic.
The scattered limbs and burning flames instantly transformed the peaceful and serene venue into a hell on earth.
Cries of shock, roars of anger, and screams of agony mixed. The pampered and privileged guests, never having encountered such a situation, scrambled like headless flies.
Earl Barro on the high platform roared loudly, also disheveled by the sudden attackers.
However, being a Great Knight, he was always guarded by Knights. He quickly dodged as the situation turned sour, and though unharmed, was inevitably shaken.
Now regaining his composure, he burned with rage.
BOOM! The platform under his feet shook violently. Barro leaped up, charging like a gray lightning bolt straight at the Fire-Thief in the center of the venue.
WHOOSH! His longsword drawn from his waist, his Battle Aura howled out, killing a Fire-Thief from five or six meters away.
The Fire-Thief didn’t even have a chance to self-destruct.
Battle Aura is initially just energy, dissipating naturally once it leaves the body. Only a Great Knight can condense it into form, maintaining its lethal power over distances.
Meanwhile, after a brief confusion, others in the venue also snapped out of it and began to react.
Princess Du Na of the Sake Kingdom looked somber. Surrounded by her guards, she retreated without taking any action herself. Her status was too high to risk.
Others charged into the fray.
A priest raised his Divine Staff, lightly tapping a Church Knight, then set his gaze on an approaching Fire-Thief.
The divine light descended. The Fire-Thief stiffened, his charge suddenly slowing significantly as an extreme fatigue washed over him.
WHOOSH! A Church Knight seized the opportunity to rush out, his greatsword sweeping across, cutting the Fire-Thief in half at the waist.
The merchant area also suffered an attack by the Fire-Thieves. Robert, among the crowd, frowned slightly. Flicking his fingers lightly, an invisible force field emerged.
It was not an act of witchcraft he performed himself but rather emanated from a Demonized Item.
He wore four rings on his hands, each one a Demonized Item, each bestowed with powerful witchcraft.
The effect of Gravity Protection was to create a circle of gravitational force around him, preventing others from approaching.
Even an explosion would hardly reach him.
Thus, although the self-destruction of the Fire-Thieves heavily impacted the merchants, he himself remained completely unharmed from beginning to end, even assisting others in killing the attackers.
Carl witnessed this scene, inwardly clicking his tongue in amazement and somewhat speechlessly shook his head. Four Demonized Items? Among Intermediate Wizard Apprentices, he must be unique. So rich!
A scream came from not far away.
Carl’s eyes shifted. His body skimmed close to the ground.
Battle Skill—Eagle Strike!
As he charged forward, the thin sword concealed within his staff sprang out with a CLANG, stabbing a Fire-Thief.
PFFT! His movements were swift, and the thin sword was sharp, easily piercing from the back of the target’s head through to his forehead.
He retreated in time before the other could self-destruct.
BOOM! The splattered flesh also carried significant lethality, causing screams as it fell amongst the crowd, fortunately without major casualties.
Carl turned, looking at Jenny. "Be careful."
"Carl," Jenny’s eyes reddened, filled with a mix of excitement and terror, her body uncontrollably trembling. "You... be careful too."
"Honorable Baron," at that moment, the stern-looking woman also softened her attitude, her eyes full of fear, stammering, "We are all girls here, can you... protect us?"
"Don’t worry," Carl spoke. "Their target isn’t you. And besides... a Great Knight has taken action. They won’t be able to make much of a stir."
Not far away, Dana, holding a longsword, was weaving through the crowd, rescuing people and battling the oncoming Fire-Thieves. True to the Knight’s Code, she faced danger without flinching.
Somehow, she has already become a Knight and even mastered releasing Battle Aura.
Battle Skill—Sword Dance!
A legacy of the Great Knight level, she stood out amongst the many Knights present. Her Sword Qi danced, easily protecting an area around her.