Chapter 34: Not enough, continue taking off

“Take it… take it off?”

Murphyana’s lips parted in disbelief, trembling slightly.

What she saw was only Ves’s unmistakable gaze.

This was truly the experience of a survivor.

The Soul-Eater’s mist was more than just a simple corruption.

What remained, if not handled carefully, could easily become a deadly ambush.

The first time they encountered it, they had assumed the battle was over and let their guard down—Ves’s chest wound that appeared out of nowhere was a bloody lesson.

So having Murphyana strip off her gear was the safest and most prudent course of action.

Besides trying to rid herself of the mist, lightening her load would also aid in retreat.

Discarding armor might not be a good phrase, but the action certainly made sense.

Of course, Ves didn’t have time to explain all this to her.

“If you want to survive, listen to me! Take off all the equipment touched by the mist, or you won’t get away carrying the Curse of Breath!”

One after another, misty arms reached out from the darkness, tearing the air with a dull howl.

He had no choice but to focus his attention on fending them off.

Murphyana gritted her teeth in anger.

A knight does not die unarmed.

Even in defeat, one should face death proudly, clad in armor.

What kind of cowardice was it to shed armor and run?

A noble second daughter of the renowned Heinetheonshu family, a Saint巡 Knight with glorious battle honors, how could she do something so dishonorable,

Especially in front of a mere mercenary…

From a prideful standpoint, she might as well die here.

But—

The moment she thought about the family’s hopes resting on her,

Having just succeeded her sister’s title and become a Saint巡 Knight,

Stepping onto the battlefield was never to seek martyrdom or heroic sacrifice.

Only by surviving and climbing upward step by step could she restore the former glory of the Heinetheonshu family.

The temporary shame to her personal dignity was indeed humiliating,

But compared to her family’s mission, what did it even matter?

Steeling her heart, she reached for the buckle of her gleaming white armor.

The metal clasp clicked sharply.

The armor left behind by her sister was abandoned by her own hands.

The heavy plate crashed onto the damp earth with a muffled thud, sending up a few specks of mud.

Just as she prepared to take a step forward, Ves’s voice came again, urgent and firm.

“Boots. Take those off too!”

Her silver-white battle boots, scuffed from the dark mist creeping along the ground, were already mottled and tainted.

Since she’d already discarded her armor, this small hesitation was unnecessary.

Murphyana exhaled and kicked off the heavy boots.

But Ves only glanced back briefly before continuing his command:

“Not enough! Keep taking off your gear!”

Murphyana’s cheeks immediately flushed a deep crimson, the heat spreading down her neck to her collarbones.

“Take off more?”

“The mist seeps through the gaps in the armor. Take off whatever’s underneath as well—anything you can remove, get it off!”

Being cautious, Ves didn’t want to repeat past mistakes. Facing the Soul-Eater left no room for carelessness.

If this lady knight were caught by the Soul-Eater’s Curse here, he wouldn’t have the ability of someone like Lortisa to lead her safely away.

Suppressing the sting of humiliation and unwilling tears, Murphyana clumsily stripped off the chainmail beneath.

The cold metal rings clattered as they hit the ground.

Next came the thick cloth robe.

As Ves said, anything that had been exposed to the mist couldn’t remain.

She had no time for proper changing, her movements rough and desperate.

For speed’s sake, she even tore off the stockings on her legs, tossing them along with the other clothes.

Now she was left with only the thin underlining and shorts that barely covered her hips.

The pride of a noble knight lay shattered on the ground along with the discarded armor.

She bore this deep humiliation only to cling to a chance of survival.

Biting down hard on her lower lip, swallowing all her grievances, she ran barefoot without looking back toward the forest’s edge.

Seeing that bedraggled yet resolute figure retreat successfully, Ves allowed himself a slight breath of relief.

At last, he could set aside some worries and focus fully on contending with the Soul-Eater before him.

Just buying a little more time would be enough.

However, at this moment, the Soul-Eater seemed to have lost interest in Ves.

Countless misty arms churned still but did not assault him fiercely; instead, they seemed to be casually sweeping aside.

The black mist flowing from the side bypassed Ves, gathering into a dark current that headed straight for the direction Murphyana had fled.

“Damn it, it’s chasing the one running away. This thing likes picking on soft targets?”

Without wasting time pondering, Ves immediately abandoned his plan to hold the front line.

He spun sharply, planted his feet firmly, and charged toward Murphyana’s direction to cover her retreat.

If she could just break out of the forest, it would count as success.

The distance wasn’t far; Lortisa’s reinforcements wouldn’t take long to arrive, so Ves still had some hope—not like that hopeless time back in Quiet Day Town.

“『『『—Haibardura』』』”

Seemingly bored at last, as if humans were nothing but annoying flies, the Soul-Eater groaned softly.

Several undead faces turned toward Ves.

“Ah, that’s more like it. Let’s settle things between you and me first before we deal with the others!”

Ves gripped his longsword tightly, his chest tightening, heart pounding wildly.

But for some reason, a cruel smirk involuntarily curled at the corner of his mouth.

“Let me pay you back first!”

The “Eye of Meromero” in his hand glowed, sweeping light over the ground.

He targeted a fist-sized stone, lifted his leg, and kicked with all his strength.

The pebble tore through the air, plunging into the Soul-Eater’s mist.

Physical force had little effect on such a spectral entity, but the stone was merely a medium; it was the holy light that truly mattered.

Even if the impact was slight and couldn’t cause real harm, the discomfort caused by the elemental opposition forced the Soul-Eater to take notice.

Finally, it shifted its primary attention away from the fleeing prey to this obstructive mercenary before it.

“『『『—Haibardura!!!』』』”

After a wail, the scattered mist began to condense, closing in to surround Ves.

Meanwhile, after running a fair distance and seeing no mist in pursuit, Murphyana relaxed slightly.

Yet she could still hear the low, ominous tone of the curse.

Though not loud, it whispered like a curse, raising goosebumps all over her skin.

Even though her feet were pierced by shards of stone, her calves scratched by thorns, and her soles soaked with a mix of mud and blood, she ignored the pain.

Driven by the sheer will to escape her fear, she kept running forward.

Fortunately, the valley bathed in bright light lay just ahead—she could see the edge of the forest.

But just as she stepped over the last thicket and onto the grass, barely able to catch her breath,

Suddenly, a voice sounded:

“Thank you for your efforts, Murphyana.”

“K-Knight Commander?!”

She looked up and saw Knight Commander Norsen.

He and his adjutant had apparently been waiting here early, smiling calmly as if they had expected this.