"Halt your rash actions, Beck, and please come back!" Aubrey bellowed fiercely.

Ignoring Aubrey's pleas, Beck charged forward, his face twisted in malice.

"Lizan Eira - [Divine Blast of Holy Radiance]!" Anthruk intoned slowly, unleashing a second-tier divine spell with a single gesture.

A dazzling blast of white light illuminated the area once more, the air around seemed to ripple and distort, as if the very fabric of reality was being strained, reducing the corpse that served as a shield to a spray of blood and knocking Beck away with ease.

Raising his staff, a glowing aura emanating from its ancient, ornate surface. Anthruk prepared to continue his deadly incantations, but at that crucial moment, Dove spoke again.

The young girl's sharp, ear-piercing shriek sounded from the depths of hell, as if no sound can be heard other than this death knell, causing Anthruk to hesitate for a fleeting instant before proceeding with [Decadence Soultap].

[Fireball- Phosphorous Burn]!

[Fireball]!

Lynn and Aubrey, who had covered their ears in anticipation against Dove's scream, seized the opportunity to intervene and unleash their most powerful magic. Two scorching flames concurrently assailed Anthruk, causing the Archbishop to abandon his assault and instead turn to a defensive spell.

Third-ring divinity - [Sanctum Shield]!

The holy shield is a large, circular shield made of pure white marble. It is intricately carved with scenes of angels and cherubs, their wings outstretched as if to protect the wielder of the shield. At the center of the shield is a golden sunburst, surrounded by a halo of shimmering diamonds. The edges of the shield are gilded with gold, and the handle is wrapped in soft, white leather. When held up to defend, the holy shield seems to glow with an inner light, as if it is being powered by a divine force. As Anthruk effortlessly repelling the incendiary assault. However, the phosphorous flames adhered to it, steadily eating away at the barrier's surface.

"RARRGH!!"

Beck, recently felled by a serious wound, rose once more. His eyes were awash with blood and his animalistic traits more pronounced than ever.

At this moment, Beck resembled a standing giant bear, charging headlong into the conflagration. His hair and garments were quickly tainted by phosphorous flames.

The agony of being burned by thousands of degrees of high heat would be sufficient to make one break, but Beck was indifferent. From the moment he utilized the magic [Transformation] spell with the aptitude of a wizard apprentice, the process of animalization had become irrevocable. And if he wished to shatter Anthruk's protective divinity, he could not rely solely on his own strength!

"Aubrey, Karl, flee while you can! I'll stay behind to seek revenge for Batun!!" Beck growled as he bellowed and rushed towards the Archbishop, striking the [Sanctum Barrier] before him with a resounding blow.

Ripples appeared across the invisible shield as Anthruk effortlessly sent Beck flying with a divine blast.

"We must go!" Lynn said firmly, casting a glance at the phosphorous flames consuming Beck. There was no saving him.

With the exit blocked by Anthruk, who had already suffered heavy losses, Lynn and the others knew they wouldn't be allowed to leave easily.

"Repent, you incanations of the devil!" Anthruk boomed, holding aloft his staff as Archbishop.

"Lizan Eira - [Light of the Holy Spirit]!"

A radiant wave of light radiated outwards from the staff, a semi-circular wall of energy that could not be evaded or withstood, enveloping most of the side hall.

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But Lynn was no fool, and he had planned for such an eventuality. Before entering the side hall, he had prepared for the possibility of needing to make a hasty retreat.

Lynn, Dove, and Aubrey all placed their hands upon the ground, almost in unison.

Zero-ring magic - [Elementary Matter Deconstruction]!

The solid floor cracked instantaneously, three delicate fractures extending like a spider's web and eventually converging. By the time the terrifying white light arrived, the floor beneath the group had already crumbled first...

The errant [Light of the Holy Spirit] swept over the collapsed void, colliding with the rear wall and causing a series of explosions that soon echoed throughout the castle.

After the settling smoke and rubble, Anthruk's expression grew sour as he gazed upon the collapsed void in the side hall.

"ROAR!!"

A hoarse bellow reached his ears.

Due to being previously knocked out, BEck was not within the range of the [Light of the Holy Spirit]. However, at this point, he had already lost all semblance of humanity, having transformed into a massive, burly bear. His skin was covered in phosphorous flames and the burnt flesh and blood barely concealed the white bones beneath.

Even so, Beck charged forward driven by his desire for revenge.

Anthruk furrowed his brow. He had no time to waste on a dying wizard apprentice and reached out his hand. The collapsed sand and stone rapidly piled up, coalescing with the shattered armor on the ground to form two three-meter-tall giant stone statues.

This is the third-ring divinity spell - [Summoning of the Spirit World Guardians].

The first holy stone was a dazzling, crystalline sphere, radiating an otherworldly glow that seemed to pulsate with a divine energy. Its surface was smooth and flawless, as if it had been crafted by the hands of a higher being. As one gazed into its depths, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and reverence wash over them.

The second holy stone was a jagged, rough-hewn rock, imbued with a sense of raw, primal power. Its surface was scarred and pockmarked, as if it had been through countless trials and tribulations. Despite its rough exterior, there was a sense of majesty emanating from it, as if it held within it the secrets of the ages. As one looked upon it, they couldn't help but feel a sense of primal fear and respect.

After the two stone statues had been combined, they separated, with second holy stone knocking the giant bear Beck over with a fist, while the other jumped directly into the hole in the ground that had collapsed.

.....

"Fortunately, this place isn't too high!"

Lynn then broke through the ground with the combined [Elementary Matter Deconstruction], aided by the falling stones as a buffer, and arrived in the basement of the castle.

Lynn surveyed his surroundings and saw that it was an armory filled with rows of rusted metal shelves and racks. The floor is cluttered with piles of broken weapons and armor, and cobwebs hang from the ceiling like ghostly tapestries. The air is thick with the musty smell of disuse and decay. Sunlight filters in through grimy windows, casting shadows across the room. The once-proud banners hanging from the walls are tattered and faded, their colors barely visible. Dust and dirt cover every surface, and the overall impression is one of neglect and abandonment. In addition to this, there were several empty boxes that had probably been used to store treasure, but it was clear that they had been taken by the castle's owner when they fled.

After assessing the situation, Lynn immediately turned his attention to his two companions.

Aubrey was in relatively good condition, but had suffered from severe magical depletion, while the Dove was struggling to stand after using [Soul Scream] twice in a row. Despite being an extremely rare spiritual power, she was barely able to remain upright.

"Aubrey, how far is it from this location to that underground canal?" Lynn queried.

"If we take this path and continue on foot, we should reach it within three minutes at most," Aubrey replied, supporting the Dove as she hesitated before coming to a decision. "Going forward, we can split up and pursue separate courses of action; you can take the Dove with you while I attempt to distract Anthruk..."

Aubrey was well aware that they could not outrun Anthruk, and if they persisted in this manner they would eventually be captured.

Though she had expended a significant amount of magic power during the previous battle, the [Magic Hand] still enabled her to utilize two higher-level first-ring magic spells, which might at least buy them some time...

The silver-gray haired witch hung her head, her rosy lips bitten until they were tinged with blood. She had promised Kelu, her mentor, that she would safely bring everyone back to the land of the wizards.

But now Kent is dead, Will is also dead, and Bucek and Batun lie before her, powerless to act...

"I fear it may already be too late for what you propose," Lynn remarked, glancing upward.

In this brief moment, the explosive sound from above boomed and a three-meter tall, stone statue tumbled from the hole above and crashed to the ground.

"Run!" Lynn grasped Aubrey and Dove's arms, dragging them out of the falling stones and shouted.

Earlier, in an attempt to rescue Beck, Lynn had been forced to use phosphorous fire and his magic power was now more than half spent.

If he were to face the Archbishop again, he had no hope of victory.