The Devil’s Cage

Kieran’s heart beat like a battle drum.

A firm and indomitable aura filled Kieran’s chest.

The warm energy stream from his heart instantly became a raging tide, flooding into Kieran’s limbs and bones with the force of toppling mountains and overturning seas.

The pain in his right leg and the wounded waist were instantly recovered together with his breath. It didn’t even leave a scar behind.

Not only that but the bigger changes were just getting started.

Spots of white glow shone under Kieran’s skin.

The spots then connected itself and gathered on Kieran’s hands.

As though his mind was enlightened and lit up in the nick of time, he thought of Guntherson’s “Dawn”.

That blastwave of “Dawn”!

Kieran too looked at Mayer, placing his palms together and pushed forward almost instinctively.

“DAWN!”

His voice exploded.

BOOOOM!

A dazzling light pillar thrust out like a sword.

This sword would pierce the despair in the deepest darkness.

This sword could perforate the night sky like paper.

Also, it allowed Kieran to claim his victory from Mayer.

The moment Mayer sensed the change of aura on Kieran, his face turned heavier than ever.

When the Dawn Force lit up completely, Mayer’s face turned completely and looked inconceivable.

The moment the sword named Dawn was thrust out, Mayer’s body and movements suffered delays.

He needed to back off! He couldn’t take the thrusting light sword head on!

Thoughts bloomed in his heart and his iron-will began to quiver before the light sword.

Mayer clenched his teeth, straightened his neck, and forbid himself from stepping back.

Edland City strongest fighter too dished out his own hand blade.

CHANG!

On top of the materialized long blade, ripple-like brandings dazzled along the blade edge and gushed forward like a raging tide from the sea.

However, against the Dawn Sword that could perforate the night sky, the raging tide seemed to be helpless before its power.

It shattered and was defeated! The long blade from Mayer was instantly broken upon contact with the thrust from Dawn Sword. It returned to its mirage form and vanished into thin air.

For Mayer, it was like being struck by lightning. A mouthful of blood gushed out from his mouth and he staggered back to a fall.

Dawn Sword grazed Mayer’s body after he fell to the ground and it went on forward, cutting a huge trench throughout Augen Manor’s garden.

The trench was straight and neatly cut as though the ground was tofu sliced by a sharp knife.

The others who came to the scene because of the loud sounds were awestruck.

At the source of the trench though…

Huuhaaa, Huuhaaa!

Vigorous panting came out from Kieran’s mouth, his chest was collapsing and expanding rapidly. The exhaustion he felt was nothing like before, he couldn’t even muster enough strength to continue standing and fell to the ground.

The stars that twinkled before his eyes told Kieran that he needed to rest but his eyes automatically went on staring at the notification that popped up on his vision.

[Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art, authenticating special activation…]

[Special activation unable to limit break, -1 Skill Debuff maintained…]

“Special activation? Unable to limit break?”

The sudden notifications made Kieran squint his eyes and more guesses formed in his mind.

However, before he could think in details, a sudden pain came from his head. He knew his remaining energy couldn’t allow him to continue thinking.

He started to regulate his breaths with [Knights of Dawn Body Tempering Art].

Ten seconds later, the pain softened slowly and Kieran opened his eyes again, looking at Mayer who was struggling to climb up.

Mayer’s body was filled with small cuts and a big stain of blood was all over his chest.

Although Dawn Sword didn’t really hit Mayer, grazing his body still made him suffer serious chaff damage.

Kieran knew if Mayer wasn’t a fighter who trained his body to certain limits, he couldn’t have survived that Dawn Sword even if it only grazed off him.

But Mayer’s recovering speed was obviously very surprising for Kieran.

“Some kind of secret technique?”

Kieran guessed as he witnessed the small cuts rapidly regenerate and stop further bleeding.

Kieran also recalled how Mayer dodged the Dawn Sword with his staggered steps, it might look like he was hurt and unable to stand straight but in fact, there was much more than meets the eyes. No doubt it was also a secret technique that he possessed.

“You are the Saint Relic Association Knight?”

After giving his best effort in standing straight, Mayer looked at Kieran in shock and surprise.

For a fighter like Mayer, the mystical realm that was off limits to common folks was no longer the unknown but also because of that, Mayer was so astonished.

From what he knew, the list of knights of the Saint Relic Association definitely didn’t have Kieran’s name, despite his aura was full of “hope”.

“I… You know I am suffering a memory loss. Other than my name, 2567, I don’t know anything else and even my name was told to me by someone else.”

Kieran wanted to deny out of instinct but when the words came to his tongue, he altered it.

It wasn’t an intentional lie but he chose the way that benefited him the most.

Seemed like the title of Sant Relic Association Knight had quite the value. Whether it was the title itself or the sub-mission that followed, similar to the completion of Mayer’s sub-mission.

[Sub-mission: Friendly Spar (Complete)]

[Acquired extra time: 3 Days!]

It lifted Kieran mood a lot when he saw the time period was extended again.

Even more so when he found bits of traces from the system notification, his mood became even more delighted.

“Is that so?” Mayer didn’t doubt Kieran’s words because the memory loss had been verified at the doctors. Even the fake Gannett could verify that.

Especially the latter, the way the fake Gannett deceived Kieran as though he was toying him could not have baited a common person.

As for a possible disguise?

When Mayer recalled the Dawn Sword that was filled with hope, he subconsciously shook his head.

He didn’t believe the person who can utilize such power would disguise himself.

A person’s expression and face were disguisable but when a person was forced to a desperate spot, the displayed of the aura from the last resort was certainly not disguisable.

Mayer then spoke again, “Thank you for fighting with me! I’ve really gained a lot from it!”

Mayer tried his best in straightening his body and thanked Kieran meticulously.

The gratitude from the fighter’s face was very sincere.

“Me too!” Kieran thanked him as well. It wasn’t any courtesy talk, because, without Mayer’s friendly spar invitation, he wouldn’t have noticed that in the current dungeon world exist a possibility to limit break the -1 debuff limit.

Although it might be really hard to truly limit break the restrictions, at least it was better than knowing nothing at all, at least Kieran had gotten a direction.

His fondness of Mayer increased and the sharp intuition from the fighter made him realized Kieran’s kindness as well.

His rigid face softened once more and both of them couldn’t hold back their smile as they looked at each other.

“Since when did you boys became such good friends? Or did you two teamed up to tear Augen Manor apart?”

A suppressed angry scolding sounded.

A mini crowd somehow gathered around the scene and the crowd opened up a path for Anne Aldrich Augen who had changed into a bodysuit of a knight.

She stood there with her icy face, glaring at them both and had a document file in her hand.