In the distance, the sound of heavy horse hooves grew louder. It was likely that the Royal Reinforcements were approaching, but for now, they had to fend for themselves.
Relying on 007's analysis and predictions of the enemy's positions and movements, Lance calmly considered their escape plan.
Duke Arthur had no weapons, and if he got distracted, he and Lance could both be cut down by this madmen. This was not the time to act funny.
Lance stumbled to avoid a slashing spear and glanced at the red-eyed crazy Blood Rain member to his right.
"Lancelot, stay close." Duke Arthur pulled him behind him, then found the right moment to kick the Blood Rain member.
He suddenly released his grip on Lance's waist, taking advantage of the moment when the Blood Rain member was off-balance to snatch the sword from the member's hand.
Lance's eyes lit up; having a weapon would make things much easier. But before he could fully relax, he saw the remaining members charging at them recklessly.
Duke Arthur held them off for a while, but soon he had no room to retreat except the dark greenery of the forest of death.
Lance sighed, ["I hope in my next life, I'll have some survival skills at least."]
007 spoke guiltily, ["After the Quantum Mall is unlocked, it can provide the host with products in this area."]
["Forget it, there's no use discussing it now."] Lance watched the deadly dance of swords and thought aloud.
007 nodded in agreement, ["Good point. Now, look, at 6 o'clock, one inch to the left of the chest. With your speed and strength, you have a 89% chance of success."]
Without hesitation, Lance moved. He shifted towards the left, moving out of Duke Arthur's protective shadow, clenched his right hand with the fallen short knife he had picked up and prepared to strike.
Suddenly, a hand pulled Lance's waist from behind, causing the Blood Rain member's sword to barely graze his arm.
Lance didn't have time to process it; he was pulled back and hit his head against a strong chest.
Duke Arthur, still holding the sword, stared at him with a look of questioning.
Lance's eyes showed a faint anger, indicating that if Duke Arthur hadn't pulled him back just now, he might have stabbed the member.
Duke Arthur seemed to ask with a raised eyebrow, "What were you thinking?"
Duke Arthur was momentarily speechless. He had assumed that Lance believed he was a liability and wanted to sacrifice himself.
After all, anyone witnessing a seemingly vulnerable man charging ahead wouldn't immediately think he intended to take on the enemy.
Their eyes locked for a brief moment before Duke Arthur swiftly shifted his stance, evading an incoming attack.
Suddenly, a rush of wind swept by, and the surroundings began to blur, hundreds of leaves tickling his body.
007 chimed in with a weak comment, ["Host..You and Duke Arthur entered the Forest of Death..This Forest is filled with poisoness flora! You both might as well die painlessly at the hands of Blood Rain!"]
Lance couldn't help but chuckle at the dramatic assessment. ["Don't worry, can't you see none of the leaves touched me yet."]
He observed as Duke Arthur skillfully slashed away the incoming sharp edged leaves.
Lance promptly found a suitable position by wrapping his hands and legs around Duke Arthur's body, commenting cheekily to 007, ["I bet he won't let me die."]
The Royal Reinforcements arrived at the edge of Forest of Death just as Duke Arthur and Lance entered it.
The battle had shifted dramatically in their favor, with the remaining Blood Rain members either captured or slain.
King Alexander stood at the precipice, his voice as cold as ice, "Search inside for them, you must find Consort Lancelot and Duke Arthur. Whether you see them alive or as corpses, bring them to me."
The Commander the Royal Reinforcements exchanged glances with his soldiers, realizing that going inside to search would likely cost lives.
But orders from the King had to be obeyed, so they began their slashing into the treacherous terrain.
First Consort Jace stood beside King Alexander, his brows furrowed in concern. He voiced his worry, "The sun is about to set, I'm afraid..."
King Alexander turned to First Consort Jace, his tone remained cold, "Duke Arthur is one of the best swordsman; nothing should happen to Lancelot."
The Forbidden Army began their entrance, facing the challenges of the daunting flora of poison.
While Consort Jace didn't express his concerns further, his expression revealed his unease.
------
As the sun slowly disappeared, the dense forest plunged into darkness. The distant howling of animals intensified, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere in the forest.
In stark contrast to the outside world, the small waterfall cave where Duke Arthur and Lance had taken refuge was warm and welcoming, lit by a crackling fire.
Lance sat by the entrance of the cave, half-dreaming, and listened to the haunting howls. The night seemed to grow even darker, with only the dim light of the fire to fend off the encroaching darkness.
Footsteps approached from behind, and he turned to see Duke Arthur standing there, gazing into the flames as if lost in thought as well.
With the cave's interior warmed by the fire, Lance couldn't help but contrast it with the cold and darkness outside.
She wondered how Duke Arthur had managed to not kill his brother with such skill.
He was a young man in his early twenties, which led her to wonder about the sword methods in this world. Regardless, Duke Arthur was clearly no ordinary individual.
Breaking the silence, Lance spoke, "How long have you been practicing the sword?"
Duke Arthur glanced at hi., "I started learning swordsmanship from when I was 5 years old."
Although he didn't have high expectations of winning Duke Arthur over, it was strange to him that Duke Arthur's favorability towards him had only increased by ten percentage despite sharing life-threatening situations.
[Duke Arthur's favorability +10%, his current favorability is 20%.]
Today's events had created a sense of camaraderie between them, yet Duke Arthur's favorability rating remained unchanged.
Lance hadn't thought about seducing Duke Arthur, unlike King Alexander who was gay, Duke Arthur was mostly seen with women.
Lance briefly contemplated whether he was particularly annoying.
As the night deepened, Duke Arthur finally spoke, "You should get some rest. I'll keep watch."
Lance shook his head and suggested, "We can take turns. You watch first, then I will."
Duke Arthur seemed to want to say something else, but Lance interjected with a smile, "I can be of some help during the watch. The Duke wouldn't deny me this opportunity, would he?"
Although he was aware of Duke Arthur's hesitation, Lance was determined to share the responsibility of keeping watch.
The idea of Duke Arthur escaping alone crossed his mind earlier, but he had decided to trust him.
After all, Lance was the one who held him back by being a pig teammate.
Duke Arthur couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, as if questioning his motives.
Lance's gaze held a hint of understanding, and he added, "I don't intend to be a burden. I understand that you might have wanted to escape without me, but you still helped me."
Duke Arthur's eyes met his, and Lance expression revealed dependance on him.