Chapter 274 : 274: Slaying the Hunting Knights
"The hero from afar has already assisted us in slaying one of the hunting knights, we must provide support to our heroes. Let us no longer cower in fear, let us unite our strength and eliminate the other two hunting knights!"
Under the chief\'s rallying cry, the villagers surged forth from their hiding places.
With only two hunting knights remaining, their situation became increasingly precarious in the face of the collective onslaught.
The captain of the hunting knights fixed his gaze fiercely upon Jeremy.
He understood that the current crisis was entirely instigated by Jeremy\'s actions.
Thus, he resolved to eliminate Jeremy directly.
If he could succeed in vanquishing Jeremy, he would be able to intimidate the other villagers into submission.
With this determination forged in his mind, the captain gripped his massive sword tightly and charged swiftly toward Jeremy.
Any villager who dared to stand in the way of the captain of the hunting knights would be violently shoved aside.
The captain had no intention of slaughtering these villagers.
He understood that killing these villagers would only serve to squander his precious time.
He had already regarded Jeremy as an opponent of equal caliber, in a confrontation of such parity, any action that wasted time was tantamount to suicide.
The captain\'s approach reinvigorated the confidence of another hunting knight.
That hunting knight, unscathed by any attack, urged his demonic steed forward, galloping swiftly towards Jeremy and Ritchie.
All the villagers turned their gazes toward Jeremy.
Though they wished to assist him, they found themselves utterly powerless.
In the face of the full-force assault from the two hunting knights, Jeremy and Ritchie had long since prepared themselves.
Moreover, Jeremy hoped that this battle would demonstrate to all the villagers that his strength far surpassed that of the hunting knights.
Gripping the Longsword of the Undying, Jeremy fixed his determined gaze upon the charging captain of the hunting knights.
As their weapons collided, a sharp and thunderous explosion echoed throughout the area.
Everyone present was affected by the reverberating blast.
The villagers, who possessed almost no formidable combat abilities, crouched down and covered their ears with their hands.
Meanwhile, the village chief and the two young men in the village with some combat prowess were only mildly affected. Though they experienced a degree of headache, they were still able to continue fighting, albeit with difficulty.
Ritchie, positioned behind Jeremy, also felt a slight headache, however, he did not believe that this discomfort would hinder his forthcoming actions.
Seizing the opportunity created by the clash of weapons between Jeremy and the captain of the hunting knights, Ritchie swiftly began to utilize his shadow manipulation skill.
He aimed to directly control the shadow of the captain of the hunting knights.
Yet, before Ritchie could complete his preparations for the shadow manipulation skill, another hunting knight riding the demonic steed charged directly in front of him.
The hunting knight raised his machete high and swung it forcefully in Ritchie\'s direction.
In order to avoid suffering a potentially crippling injury, Ritchie had no choice but to temporarily retreat into the shadows.
"I cannot provide you with direct assistance any longer! The combat prowess of the hunting knight on the demonic steed is simply too formidable! I must evade his attacks for the time being!"
As Ritchie slipped into the shadows, he also shouted a warning to Jeremy.
Jeremy nodded in acknowledgment.
Although he lacked the energy to turn around and engage the hunting knight on the demonic steed, he was not overly concerned.
He had already gained the upper hand in his battle against the captain of the hunting knights.
The clash between Jeremy and the captain was a complete contest of inner strength.
Using his significant level advantage and the unique talent of The King of Time and Space, Jeremy successfully overpowered the captain.
The Longsword of the Undying gradually pressed down the captain\'s massive sword.
The blade of the Longsword of the Undying was now less than a hand\'s breadth away from the captain\'s neck.
"What are you still dawdling for?! Hurry up and assist me, do you want to watch him chop me to death?!"
The captain of the hunting knights shouted at his companion in a chilling tone.
The hunting knight on the demonic steed reacted swiftly to this call.
"Captain, I\'m coming to your aid right now!"
The hunting knight violently urged the demonic steed forward, which then charged at full speed towards Jeremy and the captain of the hunting knights.
Seeing this unfold, a triumphant smile spread across the captain\'s face.
"Although I do not know where you hail from, it is indeed true that your strength surpasses mine. But what of it? I can still collaborate with my comrades to eliminate you."
In response to such arrogant words, Jeremy merely replied with a hint of indifference.
"Do you truly believe that you can defeat me using such tactics? My power is beyond your comprehension!"
Jeremy\'s declaration instilled a degree of apprehension within the captain of the hunting knights.
However, the captain remained convinced that Jeremy was merely bluffing.
After all, no one had ever survived the onslaught of two hunting knights working in tandem.
Moreover, the one currently attacking Jeremy was the hunting knight mounted on the demonic steed.
The hunting knight on the demonic steed charged towards Jeremy with astonishing speed.
Just as he was about to bring his machete down upon Jeremy, a brilliant flash of white light erupted behind Jeremy. In an instant, Jeremy vanished from sight.
The sudden disappearance of Jeremy left both the hunting knight and the captain of the hunting knights momentarily stunned.
The hunting knight on the demonic steed was unable to halt his momentum, so he careened towards the captain.
At that moment, the captain was exerting all his strength to hold his massive sword against Jeremy\'s attack.
With Jeremy\'s abrupt vanishing act, the captain suddenly lost his balance.
Consequently, the hunting knight on the demonic steed collided directly with the captain of the hunting knights.
The demonic steed was cleaved in half by the massive sword wielded by the captain of the hunting knights, while the captain himself suffered severe injuries from the machete held by the hunting knight.
After the collision between the two, Ritchie immediately seized the opportunity to launch an attack from the shadows.
Ritchie swiftly manipulated the shadow of the hunting knights\' captain, and then used that very shadow to eliminate the hunting knight who was barely able to continue fighting.
The already gravely injured captain of the hunting knights, upon witnessing the death of his last subordinate, promptly chose to retrieve a scroll from his pocket.
Ritchie was unaware of the scroll\'s purpose or potential effects.
However, regardless of its significance, Ritchie was determined to prevent the captain from utilizing it.
With great speed, Ritchie controlled the captain\'s shadow to restrict his movements.
At that moment, a flash of white light surged forth, and Jeremy reappeared directly in front of the hunting knights\' captain.
"I told you before that you could never easily defeat me. After all your subordinates have perished, you still dare to attempt to escape using a teleportation scroll. Do you genuinely believe you can succeed in fleeing?"
Jeremy said with a smile directed at the captain of the hunting knights.
Jeremy possessed the talent of The King of Time and Space, which enabled him to ascertain that the scroll being wielded by his adversary was indeed a teleportation scroll.
The captain of the hunting knights glared at Jeremy with a fierce and menacing expression.
"Even if you manage to defeat us, you shall inevitably face retribution. The great Fool will never allow you to escape unscathed."
Upon hearing these words, Jeremy erupted into loud laughter.
"Do you genuinely believe that you serve the Fool? You have absolutely no idea whom you are truly serving!"
In truth, Jeremy felt a twinge of pity for the hunting knights.
These knights would die without ever comprehending that they were not fighting for the Fool at all, they had been unwittingly serving the White Tower.
At this juncture, the White Tower had yet to reveal its true identity, fully aware that its current power was not sufficiently formidable.
"What on earth are you talking about? You have no comprehension of the immense powers possessed by the Fool! You are blissfully ignorant of the consequences of crossing him!"
The captain of the hunting knights certainly did not believe Jeremy\'s claims.
Thus, he clung to his convictions and began to threaten Jeremy.
Jeremy simply smiled and shook his head.
"I have no further words to exchange with you. My sole objective is to eradicate you. Once you are eliminated, I have my own methods by which I can gather more intelligence."
With that, Jeremy raised the Longsword of the Undying and swiftly dispatched the captain of the hunting knights.
After eliminating three hunting knights in quick succession, the village was once again restored to safety.
The village chief, accompanied by the villagers, gathered around Jeremy and Ritchie.
"We are immensely grateful to you both, without your assistance, we would certainly have perished. On behalf of all the villagers, I must apologize to you. I should not have doubted you from the very beginning."
The chief spoke with heartfelt sincerity.
Jeremy shook his head and replied with a smile,
"Truthfully, there is no need for you to apologize, your initial caution was entirely justified. However, this is not the time for such discussions. I wish to conduct a séance immediately. Only then can I extract more information from these hunting knights."
The village chief nodded in understanding. "I understand, and I will instruct the villagers to return swiftly to their homes!"