Chapter 207: The Hero Descends (4K Thanks to Xiaobao's Alliance Master)

On the gloomy, oppressive mud-swamp battlefield, the sky was shrouded in thick fog.

Just as the sun here was gradually dimming, a blinding blood-red light tore through this suffocating darkness.

An angel with blood-red wings descended from the sky like a burning meteor.

Swoosh—

The blood-red wings, sharp as blades, whipped up a howling gale as they plummeted at high speed, savagely slicing through the fog.

Although the Mud-Swamp Boar had crashed heavily to the ground, its thick, tough hide meant it had suffered no real damage.

It shook its head hard, quickly came to its senses, and let out a furious roar.

"Roar!"

But before it could figure out who had hurt it, that blood-red meteor had already crashed down right above its head!

Swoosh—

In the nick of time, the Mud-Swamp Boar instinctively wrenched its head aside, so the razor-sharp blade didn't pierce straight into its skull but instead stabbed askew into its neck.

The thick hide it took such pride in was utterly useless against that supremely sharp longsword.

The blade easily pierced the monster's tough outer hide, drove straight into its vital spot, and finally wedged between the bone joints.

"Roar!!?"

Under the searing pain, the Mud-Swamp Boar instantly went berserk, its muscles clenching tight, somehow clamping the blade firmly inside its own body.

Its already massive frame swelled another size larger!

Berserk!

This was a special individual capable of entering a berserk state when on the brink of death!

And compared to ordinary berserk abilities, this one's side effects were extremely severe.

The wounds on its skin had been constricted by the tightened muscles, but now the swelling tore them open directly, with blood gushing from multiple wounds.

The muscles on its body trembled violently; the pain of the wounds seemed to further stoke its ferocity, and the aura around it rose once more!

Anyone who saw this scene would know it couldn't hold on much longer.

But in the time before it died, it would become the most terrifying berserk war machine.

And that blood-red figure didn't try to pull the blade straight out; instead, releasing the hilt, it lightly leapt as the monster savagely shook its head, and floated up into midair.

The monster raised its head and let out an earth-shaking roar, as if it would split the very sky apart.

Its eyes, stained with blood, turned crimson, like burning flames, fixed intently on the enemy hovering in midair ahead.

Its hooves frantically pawed the ground, kicking up great swathes of mud, and it charged violently, each hooffall seeming to crack the mud-swamp apart.

Its eyes held nothing but the enemy; it barreled straight ahead, smashing through the trees in the mud-swamp.

But unfortunately, every charge was dodged with ease at the last moment by that figure.

Between the beast that could only run on the ground and the figure soaring in the sky, there yawned a vast chasm.

"Heh heh."

The angel's soft laugh drifted into the ears of Lord Fa Ao, who was already stunned.

"Th-that's..."

The holy knight, who had already prepared himself for sacrifice, stood rooted to the spot, staring blankly at that lithe figure weaving rapidly through the sky and engaging the monster.

"Is it my Lord's war angel...?"

The blood-red wings, and the fierce, razor-sharp killing intent emanating from the figure, made Lord Fa Ao unconsciously recall a passage he had once seen in the church's scriptures:

"They are tall and majestic in stature, with great wings spread behind them, every feather forged from starlight."

"Their faces are stern as a god's, their eyes burning with fierce war-fire, a blaze bright enough to illuminate the dark abyss."

"From above the clouds they dive down, plunging into the darkness like meteors."

"Wherever the angel passes, darkness retreats; the radiance of righteousness spreads across the land, and the blazing sun endures forever."

Is it that the Lord of the Blazing Sun heard my prayer and sent His messenger to save me...? No.

That's not right!

A Holy War Angel wouldn't be this weak; even the weakest should have legendary-level strength.

And upon seeing that white hair stained red, he suddenly came to his senses.

The person before him was not an angel.

But rather...

"Lord Herbert?" Lord Fa Ao's mouth uttered a murmur almost like sleep-talking.

Could this person be that Lord Herbert?

The moment this thought arose, he couldn't believe his own thoughts at all.

What on earth am I thinking... how could it possibly be Herbert?

He's just a child.

Although he possesses extraordinary talent and quickly revealed high-tier strength, he simply can't compare to the figure before him.

White hair is rare, but it's not as if no one else in this world shares such a feature.

Besides, there's no way to explain the pair of wings on his back... surely they can't be a materialized holy mark?

No, impossible, that would be far too absurd!

Just as Lord Fa Ao was lost in confusion, that figure seemed to sense his gaze; amid the dodging and weaving, it even found a moment to turn its head and flash him a smile.

!!!

And upon seeing that young face stained with fresh blood, Lord Fa Ao stood completely dumbfounded on the spot.

He might not dare to believe his own thoughts, but he wasn't blind!

Herbert.

That really is Herbert!!!

Three months ago he was just a weak noble son, but now he had already become a powerhouse capable of fighting a raging magical beast to a standstill.

"Hey!"

"Are you alright?"

Herbert glanced back at the holy knight who was prepared to sacrifice himself to save others while dodging, sized him up, and laughed:

"Looks like I arrived not too late."

In the past, Herbert had actually never understood why the protagonists in all kinds of stories would always show up late at the critical moment.

Heroes only appear at the most crucial moment?

Can't you come a little earlier?

Is the road that jammed?

Do you have to wait until the most critical moment to make a grand entrance?

But when he finally got the chance to become such a character himself, Herbert discovered that this feeling really is…

Absolutely exhilarating!

Because in stories, those who arrive late cannot become heroes — they only become tragic protagonists.

And those who arrive early also cannot become heroes.

They can be reliable reinforcements, but they cannot become the heroes who turn the tide.

Adding flowers to brocade is never as good as delivering charcoal in the snow.

Only by truly arriving at just the right moment, and turning the battle through one's own strength… only such a person can be called a hero.

And although Herbert's original intention was not so, by a fortunate coincidence, he still got to experience firsthand this feeling of becoming a "hero."

Not long ago, he was still following the "luckily escaped" ghost wolves to hunt down the next wave of wolves.

Let one go, follow it, let another go, follow it, let another go…

After repeating this three times, Herbert's magic resistance had increased by another twenty percent on top of its original base.

And just as he was searching for the fourth wave of wolves, he happened to run into the holy knights who were fleeing.

There was no time to explain further; after figuring out the situation, he immediately flew toward here.

If he had been another ten seconds later, Fa'ao would have already been ground into meat paste by the mire boar.

Good thing I wasn't late.

A martyr with noble will should not meet such an end.

"Roar!!!"

And while Herbert was distracted with emotion, the mire boar seized this chance.

It suddenly raised its head, and its sharp tusks grazed past his body, nearly piercing into Herbert.

"Tch! Why won't you just die?"

Herbert clicked his tongue, deeply impressed by the magical beast's tenacious vitality.

He had originally thought that such a severe wound would not last long at all, but judging by how lively the other looked now, it could hold out for at least another three minutes.

Sometimes, three minutes is too short.

It would make countless men shed tears and women fly into a rage.

But sometimes, three minutes is too long.

Although Fa'ao's condition could still hold for a period, the longer he dragged on in such a near-death state, the greater the harm to him.

Herbert narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment, then suddenly shot upward, rushing swiftly toward Fa'ao.

The mire boar shook violently and charged furiously after Herbert.

Don't you dare run!!!

But it was wrong — Herbert's goal was not to simply flee with Fa'ao.

After coming this far, how could I let you off so easily.

In the instant he crossed paths with Fa'ao, Herbert snatched the longsword he was holding high.

"Let me borrow your sword."

!!?

Fa'ao had also originally thought Herbert was going to flee with him, but he never expected it was actually to borrow his sword.

After a brief stunned moment, he hurriedly called out.

"Wait! My sword isn't enough…"

His own sword's grade wasn't high enough, the blade wasn't sharp enough — there was simply no way to break through the mire boar's defense.

If Herbert wanted to fight the mire boar with such a weapon, he would inevitably be weighed down by it.

"Don't worry!"

Herbert laughed lightly, sword in hand, twirled a sword flourish, and wheeled around to charge at the mire boar.

"It's already enough."

And in the instant he gripped the hilt, the blade, which had been gradually dimming, suddenly erupted with brilliant radiance.

Flames flared up!

The ultimate solar flames transformed the blade into a crimson fire-edge.

Hum!!!

The brilliance was so dazzling it even surpassed the limit Fa'ao had been able to reach before!

"This…"

Such exaggerated divine grace!!?

The holy knight, who had believed in the God of the Sun his whole life, felt lost at this moment.

Am I truly my Lord's servant, or is he mine?

Why does he receive my Lord's grace more than I do!!?

Herbert, however, paid no attention to these things.

He gathered his spirit once more and launched his final attack against the boar monster!

His wings beat, his body tracing a graceful arc through the air, the sword in his hand stabbing viciously toward the monster.

"Roar!!!"

And the boar, in the final moments of its life, roused its most savage ferocity, abandoning all defense, charging its tusks at the enemy that flashed toward it in an instant.

Even if I die, I will pierce you clean through!

But at the final moment, the despicable human did not face it in a fair bayonet charge as the code of the jianghu demanded.

Instead, he instantly slid to its side, turned the blade horizontal, shifted from thrust to slash, and drove it viciously into the monster from the corner of its eye.

"Feel the kinetic energy."

At that moment Herbert tensed the muscles of his palm and arm, gripping the sword hilt tight, and rode both their speeds to cut forward in one continuous slash.

Sliiick—

The strike looked deceptively casual, yet boosted by the speed of both combatants it contained boundless force; the blade, burning with raging fire, easily pierced the monster's tough hide.

It sliced the beast's flesh open for the most part in a single cut!

"Rooar—"

The monster, in agony, let out a defiant wail; its massive body, cut nearly in two, could hold out no longer and crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom, kicking up a spray of mud.

BOOM!!!

Herbert floated quietly beside the monster's corpse, his blood-red wings trembling faintly, as if recounting the ferocity of the battle.

That mingled scent of sanctity and blood hung over the battlefield, making him look exactly like an invincible war-angel.

Herbert landed on top of the boar's head and raised his hand to pull his longsword straight out.

Hiss!

Scalding blood instantly spurted from the great artery, geysering high into the air, heralding the death of a powerful monster.

This time Herbert did not bathe in the blood; instead, gripping his two swords, he turned and charged toward Fu'ao, who had long since been stunned speechless.

But what reached Fu'ao's side faster than Herbert was a column of water.

The current washed over Fu'ao's body, carrying the grime away and leaving him completely drenched, looking even more bedraggled.

Yet the sudden look of pleasant surprise on Fu'ao's face proved the change that had come over him.

!!?

At that moment he felt his own vitality surge enormously; aside from heavy injuries like fractures, he was essentially healed by more than half in an instant.

Has a legendary priest arrived on the scene!!?

He turned his head gratefully, only to spot a woman he had never seen before in the distance.

Seeing a woman in a formal dress in this ancient, mud-choked dense forest was an extremely strange sight.

But Fu'ao did not lose his manners; he respectfully lowered his head.

"Thank you for your aid."

This manner… is she a legendary mage?

Just which esteemed person might this be?

Fu Leimei paid him no heed; her gaze fell entirely on Herbert, and only after confirming that the blood on him was solely the monster's did she relax and smile with a nod.

"Fu Leimei, have the others already been healed?"

Fu Leimei had been about to answer, but after a glance at the critically wounded, near-death Fu'ao, she finally gave a small nod.

After meeting those people, Herbert had rushed over at top speed, while she had stayed by their side to cast healing spells on them.

Worried that Herbert might run into danger, Fu Leimei had, after a perfunctory round of healing, simply abandoned those people and hurried over.

Fu Leimei gazed at Herbert with shining eyes, feeling more and more that her decision had been the right one.

In this outing with Herbert, although it had lasted less than half a day, Fu Leimei's impression of him had already changed several times.

In the past, though she had thought well of Herbert's talent, she had felt that the present him still needed a long time to grow, and that she could shelter him for a long while yet.

But now, after seeing the scene of Herbert finally slaying that mud-boar, she realized she had been wrong.

He did indeed need time to grow, but that time would absolutely not be long.

And just as Fu Leimei contentedly gazed at the hero she had chosen, Herbert also arrived before Fu'ao.

He placed the blade—already half melted by the blazing sun's power—into Fu'ao's hand and said softly:

"Thank you for your sword…"

"Hero."

Thanks to Patron Cxxx for the Alliance Leader! Bonus chapters +4!

Thanks to l599xl for the tip!



(End of chapter)