The acrid smell of burning flesh churned Vera’s stomach, but the confident and composed figure of Rowan Kai in front of her stirred a complex mix of emotions she couldn’t quite put into words.
“This is my custom-designed array, the Prismatic Array,” Rowan began, his tone enthusiastic as he explained his creation to Vera and Keltis. “It compresses holy light into beams, which are then refracted continuously within the array, creating an impenetrable web of concentrated firepower.”
He gestured proudly at the glowing network of light that encircled the hill. No matter how many plague ratmen charged at it, the array held firm, unyielding.
“When the enemies hit it, their flesh is instantly shredded into tiny pieces, and the intense heat of the light vaporizes the remains.
So, there’s no risk of a corpse pile-up overwhelming the array.
Pretty thorough design, wouldn’t you say?”
The air was thick with the nauseating stench of charred flesh. Vera pinched her nose, her expression full of disdain.
“Do you spend all your free time thinking up stuff like this?”
Keltis, however, focused on a practical concern. “Your Highness, the array must consume an enormous amount of holy light. Can it be sustained?”
“Not to worry! Tonight’s energy bill is on the Goddess of Light!” Rowan declared with a grin.
Keltis immediately began praying for forgiveness for such irreverence. Still, he couldn’t deny the fact that this level of magic was beyond the reach of most in the Church.
It was a pity—if the array could be optimized for efficiency, it could revolutionize the defenses of the Black Iron Prison’s perimeter.
---
The relentless assault of plague ratmen continued, filling the air with an unbearable stench that clung to the hill like an oppressive fog. Vera clenched her teeth, raised her staff, and took a deep breath before chanting softly.
“Shield of the Gale!”
With her incantation, a transparent barrier of wind sprang up around the holy light array, acting as an additional shield that deflected the toxic fumes. The swirling winds roared softly, dispersing the nauseating air and kicking up dust, obscuring the vision of the ratmen as they advanced.
Rowan glanced at her, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. “Well, well, Miss Vera, your wind’s got some bite. Looks like you’ve got more than just ‘big ambitions’—this time, your ‘high hopes’ are paying off too.”
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“Shut up with the smooth talk!” Vera snapped, her cheeks flushing as she focused on maintaining the wind shield. Her hands trembled slightly, but she held firm. “Don’t think for a second I’ll just hide behind you—I won’t let you look down on me!”
The plague ratmen screeched and tried to force their way through the gale barrier, but as soon as they touched it, their bodies were torn apart by invisible blades, sending their remains flying backward with agonized cries.
Sweat dripped from Vera’s brow as she struggled to keep the shield intact. Her breath came in heavy gasps, but she stood tall, gripping her staff tightly and pouring her magic into the swirling winds.
“Impressive stamina,” Rowan remarked, standing beside her. He casually waved a hand, sending a holy light slash toward a werewolf attempting to leap over the barrier, cutting it cleanly in half. “But if your wind were just a bit more precise, it’d be perfect.”
“Stop nagging! I’m doing my best—why don’t you try it yourself?” Vera shot him an irritated glare.
Before she could continue, Rowan placed a hand on her shoulder. A warm wave of holy light flowed from his touch, instantly replenishing some of her drained magic.
Vera froze in surprise and turned to look at him, her eyes wide.
“Don’t get the wrong idea,” Rowan said, winking playfully. “I just don’t want you passing out on me. After all, you’re my ‘hired assistant.’ Can’t leave all the work to me, can I?”
Flustered and angry, Vera glared at him but said nothing. Instead, she raised her staff higher, and within the wind barrier, blades of wind began to coalesce. With a flick of her wrist, they shot forward, slicing through an approaching group of ratmen with deadly precision.
“How’s that? Precise enough for you?” Vera turned to Rowan, her lips curving into a small, triumphant smile.
“Not bad. Looks like you’ve got potential after all,” Rowan replied with a chuckle. He unleashed a few more holy light strikes, seamlessly coordinating with Vera’s wind blades to push the enemy line back.
“Don’t celebrate just yet,” he said, glancing at the growing horde in the distance. His grin widened. “The real fun is just getting started.”
---
The assault from the dark creatures intensified. The plague ratmen’s shrieks and the relentless sound of their attacks filled the air. Vera gritted her teeth, maintaining the wind shield even as exhaustion weighed on her.
“Your Highness! There are too many of them! We can’t hold them off like this!” Keltis shouted, his tone urgent as he tightened his grip on his weapon.
But Rowan’s response was as casual as ever.
“Can’t hold them off? Relax, these ‘textbook examples of what not to do’ won’t cause too much trouble.”
He gently brushed his hand over the Silver Radiance Emblem on his chest, his expression unreadable.
“Besides… do you really think the Goddess of Light would let her ‘chosen one’ fall to a pack of rats?” His tone was light, almost mocking, yet beneath it lay a cryptic edge, as if hinting at some deeper truth.
Vera frowned at his words. “The Goddess of Light would protect you? But just a moment ago, you were making jokes about her footing the bill. That doesn’t sound very respectful for someone of faith.”
Rowan arched an eyebrow, his smile teasing. “Ah, but faith and business are two different things.
The Goddess? She’s compassionate. She wouldn’t let her ‘investment’ go to waste, now would she?”
His nonchalant tone sent a shiver through Vera. “Investment”? The word struck her as odd, even sacrilegious within the context of the Church.
Yet Rowan spoke it so naturally, as if there were a hidden story behind it all.