estimated to be 3 meters and 44 centimeters away.
The giant, over two meters tall, swung his arms and charged out of the enemy's encirclement in the darkness.
His entire body was covered in silver-white armor, which reflected the precious light of the eternal night, leaving a blurry, pale trail.
At this speed, it only takes a second to insert the sword into the enemy's wound that has already been breached.
The flames, accompanied by a putrid stench, hung like a curtain in the unattached air, burning silently. This illusory and intangible thing, lacking substance, felt to Colin Iliad no less solid than a mountain wall.
A horizontal thrust is rarely effective, while slashing and swinging will get entangled in flames, and the tip will blow away the dawn clinging to the blade...
The monster hiding behind the flames was also struggling with how to retaliate. This monster, which was not very intelligent, realized with its amazing beastly instincts that its best weapon, fire, could not catch the fast-moving giant. It could only fix its only intact eye on the silvery white figure rushing in the darkness and wait for the moment when the giant's shadow overlapped in its eye.
Silently timing it in his mind, Colin Iliad suddenly released his grip on the blade, the heavy weapon slamming onto the dry, cracked earth, kicking up a cloud of brownish-black dust.
The light of dawn expanded to its maximum, then exploded into flames. Hot winds ripped through the taut halo, and flying fragments swirled and collided with the putrid black flames in mid-air.
The two high temperatures of different natures were instantly broken apart by the energy they contained. The small portion of the leaked spiritual contact escaped the dawn storm and remained hanging alone in mid-air, the teetering black fire suddenly transforming into a huge, dark brown fireball that blotted out the sky, with orange-red flashes within.
Like hard metal fragments, the immense heat blocked all means of detection.
The monster's spirit screamed; it couldn't bother aiming, its eyes, capable of igniting flames in the form of curses, darted wildly, its gaze sweeping over every possible location where the giant might appear, utterly helpless.
As it turns out, even with significant trauma, even with the loss of half a limb limiting many abilities, a demigod-level monster that is already out of control and no longer subject to mad torment cannot be underestimated.
Aside from the sulfurous flames that are standard for "demons," the hard, scar-like shells on the monster's back suddenly cracked, and a deep blue-purple aura gathered at the gaps in the monster's body.
Each "demon" has a different strength, but its specialty is creating lightning.
The plasma was hot enough to evaporate the flame itself. In the instant the monster struggled for its life, the fireball that was about to disintegrate in the air was pierced with countless wounds as if it were a physical object.
Deep purple met silver-white, a twisted humanoid figure that tore the flames apart. His body, seemingly made of molten metal, still bore the unburnt flames. The dazzling silver-white transcended ordinary spirituality, unaffected by the black fire that was actually a curse. The tranquil black could only futilely cling to his shoulders, drawing a long line behind him.
The problem is that he deliberately abandoned his weapon. The Silver Knight himself is the sharpest sword. As long as the dawn has not yet ended, he can create any kind of weapon for his own use at any time.
Colin Iliad wielded a double-edged sword that was solidified into a dazzling golden color. His "mercury-like" body solidified the moment he approached the enemy, and he swung his long, muscular arm with a sudden, powerful swing.
With a single sword stroke, the "Silver Knight" severed one of the monster's wings, then stepped over the monster's severed, purplish-black limbs and lunged forward, preparing for the next attack.
The two sides have reached the point of close combat, and any slight flaw could determine the course of their fates.
The seasoned "Silver Knight," drawing upon the hunting wisdom honed from countless battles and the corpses of his enemies, quickly made a judgment.
Without the right angle, a fatal blow was impossible. "Silver Knight" Colin immediately twisted his body, released the hilt of his sword with his left hand, and instinctively reached behind him.
He grabbed the head of a monster that was trying to launch a sneak attack, and with a burst of strength from his five fingers, he crushed the beast's skull.
And the missed opportunity due to being on guard seems to have to end with casually swinging the sword and regrouping to deal with the enemy's next possible attack.
Silently, the most powerful enemy at present, bearing obvious "demon" characteristics, stopped moving.
Its hideous face cracked open, from which burst forth a dazzling silvery-white light. The purplish-black moving mountain of flesh shattered into countless chunks, and corrosive, warm blood splattered onto the surface of Colin's armor, emitting a hissing sound.
The Silver Knight picked up the longsword that had lost its glow from the ground, threw away the temporarily solidified weapon, and looked around.
"It has no extraordinary characteristics," he concluded.
Not far away, another round of gladiatorial combat continued. The "Mentor of Justice" of the Mountain Gate City wielded his axe and mace with unstoppable force, each wrist strike accompanied by a desecrated end.
"Black Knight" Lovia also chose a suitable opponent. Her rapier moved like a sudden rain, and the knightly phantom behind her was as majestic as a mountain. Under her protection, the remaining warriors of Mountain Gate City and Silver City worked in small groups, also efficiently accelerating the end of the battle.
The roars of the surrounding monsters became even more piercing. Colin withdrew his gaze, glancing over the few Sequence 5 monsters among the "demons," but he couldn't muster any interest.
He held the sword in one hand and waved it forward.
"Come on, let's continue."
...
As the artillery fire gradually subsided, large groups of troops bearing Intis's distinctive features were gathering on the plain in loose formation; Klein estimated there to be about five hundred men.
This contradicts the intelligence obtained by Jerry Zarathustra when he volunteered to infiltrate Caesars Harbor, and is far less than the manpower that Caesars Harbor can spare after excluding its defense needs.
Since Klein and his group arrived in Entreles, the total number of people Intis has sent over the past two days is only about seven hundred.
Could it be that the angel who previously governed Caesar's Port has returned, and the one he sent was merely a military policeman to maintain order after taking over Caesar's Port? Klein abandoned the puppet he was using as a telescope and pondered deeply.
"Shall we go?"
"Let's go back; we can't see anything more."
Klein pulled his wind-blown trench coat up, the air he exhaled tinged with a faint milky white.
He turned his head to look at his companion and noticed that Miss Sharon was wearing a fluffy shawl in addition to her signature black, elaborate palace dress.
After the argument that night, the group was regrouped, and Klein and Sharon have been going back and forth together for the past few days.
"If Intis still doesn't make a move, I plan to go to Caesar Port myself."
The two stood on a small hill, nearly a kilometer away from the plain where Intis had gathered, making them difficult to spot, and thus they did not use their extraordinary abilities.
Klein walked a little ahead, while Sharon floated like a ghost as they walked down the hillside together, along a slope lacking bush cover.
"Most of Intis's 'hunters' have gone to the front lines, and the garrison stationed at Caesar Harbor is mainly composed of people from the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery."
"If we're careful, we shouldn't be discovered."
"The artisans were very skilled at using sealing artifacts."
Sharon suddenly spoke, a reminder that came out of nowhere and was very much in Sharon's style.
Indeed, in the territory of the God of Steam and Machinery, apart from their priests, there are far more alchemical golems than ordinary people. Unless one impersonates a priest, it is difficult to get close enough to uncover the core secrets by approaching with an ordinary face... Klein stroked his chin with his right hand, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turning up.
"Back then, Roselle allied with the God of Steam and Machines to overthrow the Sauron family."
Upon hearing her companion suddenly bring up an old tune, Sharon paused for a moment before slowly nodding.
"yes."
"Right when he had just overthrown the Solon royal family and turned the Intis Empire into a republic, and was serving as consul, Roselle and the Church of the God of Steam and Machines had not yet broken ties. Given his character, it is indeed possible that he took the lead in seizing the characteristics that the Solon family had lost in the coup."
"Perhaps the Church of Steam and Machinery does indeed possess quite a few sealed artifacts of the 'Hunter' pathway."
This speculation comes from two aspects: first, the aforementioned deduction by Klein, and second, the speculation about the true attitude of the God of Steam and Machinery, which has been delayed in being determined.
In any case, from any perspective, the "craftsmen" have a good chance of becoming familiar with and making good use of the "hunters'" abilities.
Jerry Zarathustra was wary of the mental link between the "Hunter" demigod and his subordinates, which is why he hastily returned to Ontres after a brief investigation.
"Most of the higher-ups in the 'Craftsmen' Church prefer to use puppets."
They believed that their own creations were safer than the servants they hired.
When the topic turned to something they were already familiar with, Sharon couldn't help but talk a little more.
"Really?" Klein deliberately feigned surprise. "But puppets are indeed better at keeping secrets and can handle more unexpected situations than ordinary people."
"No."
Sharon firmly denied it without giving him any face, her head slightly lowered, failing to notice the fleeting look of melancholy on Klein's face.
However, after waiting for a while and seeing that there was still no follow-up, Sharon seemed to realize something and began to explain why she had denied it.
"My grandfather had an old friend in Intis who didn't know my grandfather's identity. At a banquet, he told me that in the early years, servants were often injured by the blast waves caused by experiments. This was the main reason why he later chose puppets instead of hiring servants."
I don't know the identity of the "Archive of the Lamp"... Judging from Jerry's words, the Zarathustra family must own a sizable estate in Trier, where the "Sect's" second headquarters is also located...
Could the "craftsman" whom Friedrich Zarathustra regarded as an old friend really not know who he was befriending?
Although he doubted Sharon's judgment, Klein didn't want to be a fool who lacked emotional intelligence and pry into such a trivial matter.
He was more interested in the Zarathustra family's estate in Trier and what identity Friedrich Zarathustra actually presented himself in Trier.
So he did ask those two questions.
"Zarathustra in Intis is Zarathustra."
Faced with Sharon's ambiguous answer, Klein was momentarily bewildered.
"Is there no attempt to cover it up?"
Sharon shook her head.
"Since Intis transformed from an empire into a republic, Roselle declared that the 'Secret Order' had replaced the intelligence agency established by the Soren royal family as the republic's legitimate external security department, known as the 'Eighth Bureau'."
"In the early Imperial era, the Eighth Bureau was the most sought-after government department. Although Russell was somewhat sidelined in his later years, it still held an important position."
"Although the empire later perished, the 'Eighth Bureau' remained for various reasons."
"Just as the new republic inherited Roselle's legacy, it is almost identical to the original republic except that it no longer has the position of consul, which has dictatorial characteristics."
"The 'Eighth Bureau' was only required to relinquish some positions to the government for direct control, while the others remained under the control of the 'Secret Society'."
Perhaps because her time in Trier was relatively pleasant, Sharon once again revisited Klein's record for "Miss Sharon's highest word count in a single speech."
"So the Zarathustra family, as the core of the 'Secret Order,' simply abandoned their pretense?"
"Do they also act directly in the name of Zarathustra in Trier's social circles?"
This truly surprised Klein.
"Zarathustra also holds a title in Trier that is still legally recognized." Sharon didn't realize that a smile had crept onto her lips.
"Is it the one Rosell bestowed the title upon?"
"Yes."
It's really hard to judge. The Church of the Eternal Sun actually tolerated the angels from the true creator's side swaggering around the capital as nobles... Klein rubbed his temples, feeling his understanding had been shocked.
He recalled that, apart from the "Aurora Society," the followers of the Eternal Sun were the most fanatical, known for their irrational and unconditional devotion, and often committed acts that shocked normal people and could be described as terrorist attacks.
The harmonious atmosphere made time pass faster, and before they knew it, the two had descended the not-so-high earthen hill. The shadow of the town of Entres fell on the horizon, hidden behind the outline of the mountain and the flying dust, appearing and disappearing.
The conversation we just had was ultimately just a diversion during a rare moment of leisure.
As Entres came closer, Klein adjusted his expression and became serious again.A new group of miners recently went missing from the mine and were taken to the basement of that house. Jerry and A confirmed this last night."
He reached out his hand, and Sharon expertly grasped the tip of his wrist. Instantly, the tiny spark expanded, engulfing the two figures. A mysterious orange-red filled their vision. When reality returned, they were in the small garden behind the safe house.
"Both sides are preparing; the conflict you suspect is coming soon."
Upon arriving at the location, Sharon leisurely released Klein's wrist, tucking both arms under her fluffy black shawl.
"Yes, we don't know what will happen. It could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, or it could drag us into risks."
As he spoke, Klein looked around, his nostrils flaring.
He paused for a moment, deciding not to bring up this serious topic for now.
"Let's go, A is cooking today, I wonder what it will be."