PATH OF THE STAR HUNTER

373 Chapter 373 The Doubts Of A Saint

In boxing, there were few things as dangerous as getting hit in the chin continuously, not because a boxer’s body couldn’t take the punishment; but because their brains could not tolerate the consequences of such attacks.

Those blows shook the skull with such force that they sent the brain bouncing viciously inside the boxer’s head, which could not only directly knock out a fighter but also severely damage brain tissue.

In Tae Kwon Do, a reasonably advanced kicking technique consisted of striking the opponent’s skull with terrifying precision and coordination on three separate occasions on opposite sides of the head, looking precisely for this weakness.

In fact, what Desmond had done just now was essentially an unorthodox adaptation of said technique. Needless to say that only a bloody monster like Desmond could pull off a move like that using an improvised weapon while using staff techniques.

Whatever the case, it had worked, not to mention distinguishing east from west; Erigard probably didn’t even know his own name at the moment.

And, of course, a hunter wouldn’t pass up an opportunity like that. Threads of metallic blue mana quickly wrapped around Desmond’s left arm, hundreds of mana threads rapidly intertwined, like snakes entwining one another, and soon a beautiful azurite gauntlet took shape.

The oceanic themes were evident, and it was not difficult to notice the hidden leviathan in the design of the gauntlet. Just the level of condensation and detail showed in the mana construct was enough to speak to the solid concepts, and imagery Desmond’s ability was built on.

The emanated mana fluctuations were terrifying, not inferior in any way to the radiant blade displayed by Erigard. The problem with the current situation is that, unlike Desmond, Erigard didn’t even seem to be able to defend himself right now.

A long trail of steam hissed out of Desmond’s lips due to the use of and like the decree of hades; only a couple of words were spoken.

.....

“.”

With a roar, the leviathan inside the gauntlet soared through the ocean, circling Desmond’s arm several times in an instant, and with a jerk, directed its fangs at Desmond’s knuckles.

Unlike which relied on soft waves of destruction, this other skill was a spiraling maelstrom of oceanic destruction turned into a fang whose sole purpose was to pierce everything in its path.

Desmond’s left fist shot out like a cannonball causing a second roar as it ripped through the wind, threatening to suck every ounce of life out of Erigard.

But who was Erigard? He was, after all, a holy knight, one of the ultimate weapons of the church and one of their biggest cards up their sleeve; it was to be expected that a person like him would have a treasure or two to save his own life.

Desmond nearly spit out blood in anger as he saw various jewelry pieces around Erigard gleam, erecting around the holy knight multiple energy barriers.

was, after all, a skill that focused on penetrating power, so all the barriers were eventually knocked down, but by the time Desmond’s punch hit Erigard’s chest, the attack had already lost nearly seventy percent of its strength.

Still, Erigard went flying into the distance like a rag doll, stopping only when he hit the stone wall of a building in the distance, although this result could already be considered lucky. After all, were it not for the ridiculous defensive power of his armor and the use of protective treasures, it is likely that Erigard now had a new watermelon-sized hole in his chest.

On the other hand, Cecilia couldn’t believe what she had just seen, and it wasn’t about the violence itself but rather the fact that Desmond was able to defeat a holy knight.

One had to know that the holy knights were the trump cards of the church, actual walking weapons that carried with them the will and power of the church; they were not something that was easily defeated.

As the surprise finished processing through Cecilia’s mind, Desmond had been steadily striding toward the now defeated Erigard to finish the job.

Needless to say, as soon as Cecilia understood Desmond’s intentions, she decided to intervene, arguing that despite all the mistakes made, Erigard did not deserve death, an argument that was instantly won over by her scorn from Desmond.

Looking straight into Cecilia’s golden eyes, Desmond was quite helpless at the girl’s attitude as he wearily commented. “Even your kindness and naivety must have their limits; Do you really think he came here on his own account?”

As soon as those words left his lips, two huge mana currents surged quickly, covering Desmond’s two arms with blue gauntlets, thus showing the precursor of his skill .

Cecilia looked both confused and surprised by Desmond’s sudden move, but the question marks in her pupils only intensified when she saw two other holy knights arrive at the scene.

Although saying that the holy knights arrived at the scene might not be entirely correct since it seemed that both men had been on the scene a long time ago, just watching how everything unfolded.

Only then did Cecilia understand what Desmond meant. Erigard had not appeared at the scene by coincidence, and the appearance of two other holy knights proved that at least two other high-ranking members of the church had backed everything that had happened.

Of course, that didn’t include the part where Erigard was brutally defeated, as no one could have expected that Desmond would actually be capable of defeating a holy knight.

“That was enough”

One of the holy knights spoke loudly, taking a step forward in Desmond and Cecilia’s direction while his companion was in charge of checking Erigard’s condition on the ground.

But just from the posture, the general demeanor, and the way he gripped the hilt of his sword, it is evident that this other holy knight was more than ready to start another fight at the slightest provocation.

However, Desmond wouldn’t back down either, not only because this was contrary to his personality but also because Desmond knew that backing down would only make him look weak and vulnerable, something that an enemy would not let pass.

Slamming the air to his sides with both fists, a shock wave ruffled Desmond’s and Cecilia’s hair, while the mana fluctuations in Desmond’s gauntlets only increased.

“I don’t think it was enough,” Desmond added.

The holy knight almost wanted to be able to swear out loud. This was different from what he expected; at least Desmond didn’t seem to have weakened. Similar to what Desmond was thinking, the two holy knights that came to light after Erigard’s defeat were here as a backup measure if Desmond managed to defeat Erigard for some reason.

Their job was to take advantage of a probably weakened and injured Desmond, eliminating the threat as soon as it showed any signs of weakness. They never expected Desmond to appear as fierce or fiercer as he faced off with Erigard.

At the end of the day, the holy knights were human beings, and we’re not invincible; this idea in the minds of both knights now present was reinforced with the image of the now defeated Erigard. Those blue gauntlets in Desmond’s hands caused some apprehension in the minds of both knights.

Seeing the apprehension deeply hidden behind the knights’ disciplined demeanor, Desmond took the opportunity to press on while the iron was hot. With savage momentum, he took a couple of steps forward, trying to reach Erigard.

This immediately set off alarm bells in the minds of the two knights, who did not hesitate to take Erigard and proceed to retreat, leaving a few words of cordiality behind to keep up appearances.

Listening to the sophistry that came out of the mouths of both knights, a note of contempt could not help but be born within Desmond’s heart for these so-called holy knights; to him, these were nothing more than cowards in shining armor.

Still, Desmond was pleased to see both men walk away; this was what he had been looking for from the beginning. At first glance, it may seem that Desmond was still in perfect condition and had abundant mana; but this was nothing more than a bluff.

Not to mention Desmond’s heavily injured right arm, in terms of mana alone, Desmond had used almost twenty percent of his reserves in his last attack against Erigard; he was in no condition to continue fighting.

Desmond was not so arrogant as to believe himself invincible after defeating a holy knight. Quite the contrary, his experience led him to better understand the true strength of said knights. Desmond now knew these people were enough of a threat to take his life.

“Are you going to let them go?”

Seeing that Desmond did not chase after his opponents and withdrew all the mana he had gathered, Cecilia found herself unable to follow his train of thought, which led her to ask aloud.

Desmond sighed. It seemed that Cecilia was more naive than he had thought in the first place, although it wasn’t the girl’s fault either; Desmond had learned enough about Cecilia’s past and background to know that the girl could not be blamed for her incompetence.

“I never wanted to stop them. The only reason I made it look like I wanted to keep attacking was so I wouldn’t appear vulnerable enough that both knights decided to gang up on me. Remember Cecilia, violence can be a great tool even when you don’t wield it against anyone.”