"Is this a miracle?"
Penelope gazed at the vanishing spectacle in awe, unable to restrain her curiosity.
"A miracle? Maybe," Zhao Lun replied.
"I think it is a miracle," Anna asserted, and Nicole nodded in agreement.
"Divine power!" Mulan remarked, having seen something deeper through the gate of heaven, realizing that it was not as beautiful as it appeared on the surface.
Crash! The castle trembled, and sand and stones began to fall from its structure.
"Not good! The castle is about to collapse!" Zhao Lun noticed many fragments tumbling down from the castle's crevices. His mind quickly scanned and analyzed the structure, concluding that the castle was on the verge of collapse.
"What?!" The ladies couldn't believe it. The castle looked fine; how could it be collapsing?
"Stop wasting time! Quickly search the castle and get out of here!" Zhao Lun didn't explain further and immediately led the group into action.
"Right! And we need to find the thing to save my brother!" Looking around, Anna could no longer remain calm. The castle was too large, and it seemed that many places could hide things, leaving her unsure of where to search.
"Follow me!" Zhao Lun activated his mind's assistance and quickly ran to investigate, with the others trailing behind him until they reached the depths of the castle, where they discovered a pedestal holding a vial of potion. Without hesitation, he waved his hand and stored the pedestal along with the vial.
"Found it! Run!" Zhao Lun called out, leading the way.
As they sprinted towards the exit, the tremors of the castle intensified. Everyone could feel that the castle was no longer stable. At this point, without needing Zhao Lun's reminder, they all picked up their pace and fled outside.
Boom! Large stones began to fall from behind, and the pace quickened. The group, who had been casual, now rushed even faster. Despite this, they had just barely escaped danger.
Bright light shone ahead—the exit was in sight—everyone quickened their speed. As they dashed out of the castle, it finally collapsed entirely, and they managed to escape the crumbling structure unscathed.
"That was thrilling! Just like in the movies!"
"The action-adventure movie rule: the protagonist always escapes at the last moment!"
"…"
The classic trope of protagonists escaping at the last second had played out here.
Nicole made the rare joke to relieve the tense atmosphere, but unfortunately, not everyone present had seen movies, and some didn't quite get the reference.
"It seems like the place has been restored," Zhao Lun observed.
Everyone looked up at the sky, which was now bright and clear, shining like a freshly washed window, comforting to behold.
"The evil aura has diminished," Anna closed her eyes, sensing the gentle white light surrounding her, imbued with an indescribable essence that everyone immediately noticed.
"You?" Her companions were stunned by her transformation. Could it be that the blessing of the gods had taken effect?
"Knight! The blessing of the angels, the power of the knight!" Anna briefly explained, then turned to Zhao Lun. Earlier, he had collected the item that could save her brother, and she wanted to see if he had brought it with him.
"Don't worry, it's right here. But I must keep it safe; otherwise, it will spoil over time," Zhao Lun reassured her.
Anna felt relieved and turned back to look at the castle behind her. The fortress that had stood in this place for centuries was now nothing but ruins, with only large exposed rocks remaining.
"It's a shame about such a grand castle," Nicole lamented.
The castle was vast and had some history; it was built by her family. Unfortunately, a traitor had emerged from her family, betraying the master and occupying the castle for evil for nearly four centuries.
After centuries of malevolent corruption, the castle was filled with evil energy. Following the baptism of holy light, the clash of the two forces left the entire structure riddled with damage.
The castle had not been repaired for centuries, and their previous battles had caused further destruction. With external forces triggering latent dangers, everything erupted, ultimately leading to the castle's collapse.
Clearly, someone among them had acted too recklessly, provoking the castle and causing it to crumble.
This castle, with its architectural significance and historical value, would be worth a fortune in Britain. If sold, it could fetch enough to last several lifetimes. Now, this priceless castle was destroyed, which was truly a pity.
"Yes, it is a bit regrettable that the castle has been destroyed," Zhao Lun agreed.
Now, sunlight shone upon the earth, the world appeared to have returned to normal, and they could tell the time by the sun in the sky—it was already afternoon.
"Let's go." Anna was eager to return home to save her brother.
The others understood and followed her toward the town.
This area had been greatly affected, but it didn't deter the group. Everyone quickened their pace back, and along the way, they clearly sensed that the surroundings were returning to normal, feeling that the world was bursting with new vitality.
When they arrived in the small town, they saw many people coming out to greet them, filled with reverence and offering warm blessings.
Zhao Lun could see the unabashed fervor in their gazes directed at Anna. He believed that at this moment, Anna's reputation in the town had reached its peak.
However, Anna did not pay attention to them and hurried home, with the crowd quickly parting to let them through.
Upon returning to Anna's castle, Zhao Lun felt that it was significantly different now. The magical aura he had sensed before had diminished greatly, and the castle had lost much of its former essence.
The paintings appeared lifeless, lacking any soul, looking no different from ordinary artwork. As for the other magical items, Zhao Lun only detected faint traces of magical energy; there was no longer any strong magical presence.
Everyone made their way to the basement. The dimly lit room was quiet upon their arrival.
Boom! The stone door opened, and a torch was brought in, igniting the surrounding torches, revealing a person crouching against one wall.
"Viken!"
"Anna!"
Seeing her brother, Anna rushed forward excitedly. The man on the ground lifted his head and couldn't help but call out upon seeing her.
Clang! His movements caused the iron chains binding him to rattle.
In the light, one could see that the man was pale, handsome, and strong—an undeniably charismatic figure.
"No! Anna! Don't open it!"
"The werewolf transformation! I won't be able to control myself! Don't open it!"
Seeing her brother locked up, Anna reached for the key to unlock his chains. However, the man before her refused.
He yearned to be freed from the chains but feared that once released, he would lose control and transform into a werewolf, harming his own family.
"It's okay, we have the antidote. It can help you with your troubles."
"No antidote…"
But Zhao Lun had already stepped away, moving up to the higher hall near the window, basking in the sunlight, feeling quite content.
Nearby, Penelope and Nicole sat side by side, enjoying the sun and polishing their weapons. As long as Mulan didn't appear, she had gone to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
"The afternoon sun is abundant, with not a single cloud in sight," Nicole remarked, her hammer reflecting light as she gazed at it.
"Perhaps the evil has been cleared. The things affecting the weather are gone now," Penelope said, lifting a cup of tea from the side.
"It seems so, but how's your injury? Does it still hurt?"
"Injury? If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten all about being injured."
During the battle in the castle, everyone had sustained injuries. Afterward, they had all focused on the fight and hadn't paid attention to their wounds. Then the gate of angels descended, and the mysterious angelic presence had healed everyone's injuries.
While searching the castle, they had to flee as it began to collapse. Upon returning, their feelings were mixed; their injuries had suddenly healed without them even noticing until they relaxed at Anna's home and saw the bloodstains, which reminded them of their previous wounds.
"I feel like I'm not hurt at all now."
"This feels a bit like magic. Hmm, I think if there were such a magic, we wouldn't have to worry about injuries in the future."
"Magic? Isn't it the blessing of the angels?"
The two exchanged thoughts on their understanding of magic, remaining quite calm.
When the food was served, everyone except Frankenstein had gathered. They all raised their glasses, whether filled with wine or other drinks, to celebrate their victory.
"Cheers!"
Without clouds to obscure it, today's daylight seemed longer, and the night would be livelier. The small town lit countless torches and set up bonfires, celebrating their escape from the clutches of the demon, praising their lord and their leader.
As night fell, the starry sky shone brilliantly. Gazing at the long-awaited starlit sky, the townspeople felt even happier.
Food and drink filled the table, and the entire village held a wild celebration.
The demon on the mountain had oppressed them for too long, lingering as a nightmare in their hearts. Through this celebration, everyone let loose, and while the food remained largely untouched, they drank fervently, getting intoxicated. Some young people engaged in wild, uninhibited games that couldn't be described in detail.
"Wow! This is really exciting!" Zhao Lun exclaimed at their openness.
"Hey, boy, wanna join?" One girl, dressed provocatively, revealing her curves, threw a flirtatious glance at Zhao Lun.
Zhao Lun looked on, feeling a bit thirsty, his speech becoming slightly slurred. "Uh, you all really know how to have fun, I… uh!" He gasped as he felt a pinch at his waist—one from Penelope, who had been quite discreet, and another from Nicole, who was even more subtle.
"Go away! You little harlots!" Nicole shooed the girl away. The girl glanced at Zhao Lun, wedged between the two, and said, "What a shame. I won't interrupt your fun." With a flirtatious smile, she left them alone.
"Boss, kids shouldn't be watching these inappropriate games."
"...Nicole, is it really okay for you to talk to your boss like that?"
"That's a fact, boss."
Zhao Lun felt a bit wounded, while the ladies smiled at his awkwardness. (To be continued.)