The black shadow flew out from the forest towards the two knights who were standing back to back.
The knight who was facing the black shadow was fully focused and did not let his guard down. The shadow was fast, but at least he had enough time to react, even if it was just a few seconds.
The knight held a short spear in his hand, the handle of the spear was placed in front of him and the tip of the spear was pointed towards the ground.
In a narrow forest like this, using a spear would only make his movements restricted and might even hurt his companions. A short spear, on the other hand, would allow a knight who was good with spears to use his best weapon in a place where a long weapon was not suitable.
Another key point was that guns had always been the best choice for hunting beasts.
No matter if it was a wild beast or a magical beast, as long as they were good at killing their prey, they wouldn't realize what kind of sharp weapon it was when faced with a sharp spearhead until the sharp weapon pierced through their stomachs.
When the spear wielding knight saw the shadow flying towards him, he immediately raised his short spear with both hands, the tip of the spear facing forward while his body leaned back slightly, his head touching the neck of his companion behind him.
The tip of the iron spear was aimed right at the shadow.
He did not have time to speak, he could only shout to gather his strength.
His shout caught the attention of his companion behind him and the knights around him. They all turned around and looked towards the direction of the sound.
His companion who was standing back to back with him also turned around and raised his sword like the short spear, the tip of the sword slanted upwards towards the incoming shadow.
This was a defensive stance against unintelligent beasts. There was no need for any extra tricks, all the knight needed to do was to stabilize his body and hold the weapon with both hands, waiting for the beasts to collide with the sharp weapon and be pierced through by the tip of the spear or sword.
Some beasts might have their heads pierced through, which was quite unlucky. But for the person who killed them, it was a good thing. Some beasts would struggle for a while after being pierced through, and the larger ones would even continue to charge forward, not giving up until they had smashed the person in front of them into smithereens.
These paladins were indeed the best of the best. They were not unfamiliar with killing, and at the same time, had plenty of experience in hunting wild beasts.
In the few seconds since the black shadow appeared, it had already prepared for defense, hunting and reminding its companions. It seemed that the panic of the black shadow was just a momentary loss of composure. The unfortunate knight who was beheaded seemed to be the first knight to die here because of his carelessness and bad luck.
These knights were well-trained and had better qualities than the mercenaries.
They were stronger and more disciplined than the mercenaries, which was why they were able to kill all the mercenaries so quickly.
But they overlooked one thing.
Why was the cut on the dead knight's neck so flat?
This was not a trivial matter, but a fatal detail.
The black shadow crashed into the spearhead.
However, the knight did not feel the spearhead piercing into his body. Instead, he felt that the short spear had become very heavy.
Before he could react, the black shadow had already filled his vision.
At such a close distance, he could barely see the true face of the black shadow, but he did not have the chance to speak.
His and his companions' heads fell to the ground. Flowers of blood bloomed on their necks and formed two bright red fountains.
After the black shadow took off the heads of the two knights, it jumped back into the bushes without any hesitation and did not make any more movements.
It all happened very quickly.
From the appearance of the black shadow to the death of the two knights and its disappearance into the dense forest, it only took a few seconds. It was so fast that the knights only saw the black shadow appear and then disappear, leaving behind two headless corpses and a head that rolled to the side.
One of the knight's head rolled and rolled right next to Gris' head.
Like two pearls colliding, the knight's rolling head caused Gris' head to roll a few times as well. Gris' head was facing the sky.
The smile on his face even before he died seemed to be mocking the paladins.
The paladins who were still alive did not see clearly what happened. They only saw the black shadow flash and then two more of their companions died, just like the first knight who died.
They became even more nervous.
Fear came from the unknown. This kind of thing that they had not seen clearly until now was undoubtedly the best way to stimulate their fear, even if they were warriors who did not fear death.
Sometimes, death and fear were not completely the same. Not fearing death did not mean that there was no fear.
"What the hell is that!"
One of the knights shouted. The strange death of his companions seemed to be a huge blow to him.
Everyone's face darkened. They stuck close to the people behind them and looked around.
They could not see the true face of the black shadow, nor could they find where it was now.
After the black shadow sneaked back into the forest, it became silent again.
The horses grew more restless, and the riders strained at the reins to calm them, while the horses, which had been tied to one side and had not been ridden, had broken free, and were running down the road.
The paladins' fear was visible to the naked eye. Even Romuona and Julius could feel it.
The two of them hid behind a tree, but in fact, they were also within the shadow's range of activity.
Julius' heart was beating like a drum. He wanted to walk out of the forest, but he was afraid that the shadow would pass by under his feet. Just thinking about it made his legs tremble.
Romuona did not seem to care at all. She only stared at Lulunaka.
Lulunaka sat on the roof of the carriage with a smile on her face. "If you think that it's a beast, then you are very wrong.
Hmm … .It's not wrong to say that it's a beast, but it's not entirely correct.
I think there are at least one or two of you who saw what it was. "
No one answered her.
That was only natural, but there were indeed people who clearly saw what the black shadow was.
Two Silver-ranked warriors, Padding and Olga.
Although the two of them did not make a move, they kept each other in check. No one dared to make the first move because of Lulunaka's sudden appearance.
Lulunaka's identity was unknown. She did not seem to be able to differentiate between friend and foe.
Her words just now had already made Olga give up on the idea that she would help Romuona. If he made a move on Padding, Lulunaka would definitely not do anything. She would just continue to watch the show like she was doing now.
As for Padding, he had all kinds of concerns.
He was not sure if Lulunaka was here to help Romuona, but the arrows that the paladins shot at her just now had undoubtedly pushed her to the opposite side.
Looking at Lulunaka, it seemed like she did not care whether more people would die. Or rather, she was happy to see the paladins die. The rolling heads were the best proof.
Because of Lulunaka's appearance, Padding's great advantage turned into a dilemma.
If he made the first move, then Olga would definitely make the first move. No matter if it was to escape or to attack, he would have the upper hand. No matter what Lulunaka said, her appearance had indeed helped Olga and the others out of their predicament.
And Lulunaka seemed to be aware of Padding's concerns.
"Mister Edgar, are you hesitating about what to do?" She said, swinging her legs. She seemed to be in a good mood.
"How many more people will die before you lose your patience?
Or, to you, these people can also be used up? "
Her voice was loud and clear. Not only was she speaking to Padding, but also to the paladins who were still alive.
After she said this, the knights of the Church were even more shaken.
Some of the paladins glanced at Padding from time to time. Their eyes were no longer filled with unreserved trust and respect. Instead, they were filled with suspicion and fear.
"Focus, don't let her disturb your mind!" Padding shouted again. "She's distracting you!"
This time, his shouting was no longer effective, and it came too late.
When the paladins realized that Lulunaka's words were intentional, as Padding said, the number of dead increased.
The black figure flew out and rushed towards the paladins who were still on their horses.
The paladin pulled the reins and shouted, trying to calm the horse down. But the horse under him could not calm down and shook the paladin on its back.
It wanted to run away, but its master pulled the reins so that it could only run in circles.
The black figure flew through the air, passed through the paladin who was holding the reins in one hand and the sword in the other, and landed on the other side of the forest, disappearing again.
The paladin's body froze, and his head fell off. Then, his body tilted to one side and fell to the ground.
Without its master and control, the horse galloped away, ignoring its dead master.
Before the horse could run far, the black figure rushed out from the other side, sprinting on the ground towards another paladin.
When it was only a few meters away from the paladin, it leapt and knocked the paladin off his horse.
The paladin did not even have time to scream. When he landed on the ground, his head rolled to the side.
After killing another paladin, the black figure did not run into the forest. Instead, it went straight for the last paladin.
The last paladin finally realized that it was not because he was slow, but because the black figure killed too quickly.
When he noticed the black figure, it was already rushing towards him. When he swung the warhammer in his hand, the black figure had already filled his vision.
The black figure flashed again.
The paladin was panicking. He swung his weapon in front of him, but he did not hit anything.
His head was no longer on his neck, but his body was still in the last position before he died. Then, the headless body fell straight onto the horse's back.
The horse carried its master's body and ran away from here.
Before the horse could run a few steps, the black figure appeared again and knocked the body off the horse's back. Then, it dashed into the forest on the other side of the road.
Without the burden on its back, the horse galloped quickly and soon disappeared from everyone's sight.
`How long can you bear it, Mr. Edgar? '
Lulunaka said, "Do you really want to die until you're the only one left to prove that I'm right?
As you wish. "
Lulunaka raised her cane high, "A human head is like an ear of wheat. It's so easy to cut it off. What a pity …"
She waved her cane and pointed it at Leon, who was not far away.
"Then continue to cut it off."
The black figure rushed out from a place that no one expected.
Under the chassis of another carriage, the black figure slid close to the ground and rushed to the nearest paladin. It jumped at his feet and cut off his head in an instant.
Before the blood could splatter, the black figure rushed to the next paladin.
The sound of wheat being harvested could be heard, one batch after another, continuous and uninterrupted.
When the eighth paladin died, the black figure rushed to Leon.
The paladin who was back to back with Leon had already fallen to the ground, his head flying to the other side.
Leon dodged the black figure, but he was knocked to the side and rolled a few times on the ground.
By the time Leon got up, the black shadow had already rushed towards Leon.
When the black figure rushed to Leon, Padding finally moved.
He rushed to Leon's side and swung his cross sword from bottom to top. He cut the black figure in the middle and sent it flying.
The black figure was fast, but Padding was not inferior. He intercepted the black figure in time and repelled it with a single strike.
Padding's strike was not only fast, but also heavy. It was obvious how much strength Padding used to send the black figure flying.
However, Padding did not show any joy at repelling the black figure, even though the paladins who were still alive were relieved.
There were not many paladins left. Other than Padding and Leon, there were only three paladins left.
After the paladins who were still alive breathed a sigh of relief, they looked at Padding with complicated expressions and doubts.
Of course, Padding knew what they were thinking.
Thanks to Lulunaka's words, there was a faint crack between him and the paladins, but he could not do anything about it.
In order to save Leon, he gave up on restraining Olga and rushed to repel the black figure.
His action came too late. He could no longer boost the paladins' morale or increase their trust in him.
The paladins could face death with equanimity, but they would still feel uncomfortable if they were left in the lurch.
Padding did not know how to express his bitterness. There were too many things to consider, and Lulunaka's unclear attitude put him in a difficult position. He did not dare to let go of restraining Olga.
In this situation, he could not say something like, "For the sake of the mission, please accept your death."
If he said something like that, he would be following Lulunaka's rhythm and become passive.
The paladins did not treat this trip as a hunting trip. They came here with the awareness of the possibility of death, and committed a shameless murder that was not worth publicizing.
Even if Padin really said that, they wouldn't riot because of it. However, before they died, they would definitely complain about Padin.
Perhaps this was the development that Lulunaka wanted to see.
Padding felt a chill in his heart. He felt that the girl in the carriage was more vicious than the noblewomen in the palace.
If Padding wanted to change this situation, he had to get rid of the shadow that killed several paladins.
Padin didn't hold back much in this attack. He was aiming to cut the shadow in half, but he realized that something wasn't right with his attack.
He felt as if his sword had struck a hard piece of iron, and the recoil from the impact stunned him for a moment. This was not the sound of his sword striking flesh, but more like he had struck a shield.
The shadow was sent flying by Padding's swift and fierce sword. It fell from the air to the ground.
This time, the shadow did not hide in the shadows of the forest. It stayed where it was.
Everyone saw the real body of the shadow.
It was a yellow-haired dog with a double-ended sword in its mouth. It shook its body on the ground, and its fur continued to fall.
Romuona was not so forgetful. Of course, she remembered that this was Lulunaka's dog. Its name was Ward.
But just like its owner, it looked very unfamiliar. Romuona did not think that a normal dog could kill so many paladins so easily.
"That's Lulunaka's dog …" Romuona said in a low voice.
Julius pulled Romuona to his side and half-squatted behind the bushes. He nervously looked at the changing situation in front of him.
Those seemingly powerful paladins died easily in front of him. Their heads fell to the ground, and they could not be more dead.
"I knew it. When that dog stared at me, I was scared … It must be the witch's demon pet. Its real body may be a three-headed demon dog!" Julius said.
But when he was stared at by this listless dog, he could not help but jump out of the bushes to meet Lulunaka. He just thought that this dog was useless and a lazy dog that wasted food. Now he only thought that this dog was a bloodthirsty magical beast that could bite a human head like a fruit.
Compared with Julius's nonsense, Olga saw more details.
The double-ended sword in its mouth was much thinner than ordinary swords. It looked like a precious glass product that would shatter with the slightest touch.
However, if such a light and thin sword was used well, it could become a sharp weapon that could drink blood.
Olga had dealt with some strange people from the East. Their swords were not curved like the scimitars of the Yilan Continent, but their swords were light and thin. As long as they were fast enough, they could cut a person's body like a piece of white paper.
What frightened Olga was that this dog used the double-ended sword in its mouth to decapitate the paladins who were generally of the Iron rank.
He believed that he could do the same, but now it was a dog, not a human, who had done it. This was very surprising, even frightening.
This was not a beast, nor was it a magical beast's way of killing people.
This dog named Ward, was it really a dog?
Padding, who was confronting Ward, could see more.
He was very sure that this was definitely not a dog, and it might not even be any kind of creature.
His sword had left a mark on Ward's abdomen. On the smooth abdomen where Ward's fur had fallen off, there was a wound that was so long that it reached its back.
Ward, whose fur had been split open, did not look like it was in pain. It did not howl — it had the double-ended sword in its mouth, so it probably could not make a sound — but it kept shaking its body and scratching at the fur on its abdomen with its claws. What little fur was left was almost all scratched out by it.
Padding's sword did not split it in half, nor did it cut open its flesh and make it bleed.
There was no flesh in the wound, only a smooth silver-white surface.
Padding believed that this was why the sword felt so hard when it cut down.
This was not a dog, and it was not even a living thing.
It was a magical product.
"Ward, making you a dog skin that doesn't look so bad is not an easy task."
Lulunaka sighed, and it sounded like she was reprimanding a child. "I know you feel very uncomfortable, but I worked hard to make it for you … Forget it, it's broken anyway, I'll make you another one."
Ward must have heard it, but it pretended not to hear it and continued to scratch at the fur on its body, looking quite happy.
"My trump card has been exposed, now I'm at my wits' end … What should I do?"
Lulunaka turned to look at the crowd with a smile on her face. She did not look as panicked as she said, "Or I can ask you all, what do you plan to do?"