Perhaps the smart thing to do might have been to release the unknown man they saved. After all, she did not know him. All she had to do was let go and concentrate on saving Benedict instead. It was so easy, yet she bit her lip. Just because it was easy did not mean it was right. Yes, it was foolish. She understood that. However, to sacrifice someone just because they were unfortunate enough to not know her… felt wrong. It violated her principles, and that was something unforgivable. Her mind was made up in a split-second. She would save them both! Martial Energy flowed along her muscles in an attempt to save them. Her hands tried to grab them tightly, yet they continued to slip out of her grasp. Even with her remaining trickle of Martial Energy, it was not enough. Therefore, she had no choice, but to use her World Energy.
Using World Energy meant burning her life force and although she was blessed with greater vitality than her peers, it was still a finite, precious resource. She immediately felt her body weaken, like she aged many years. If people saw her now, they would see that she gained wrinkles on her face, and white hairs on her head. This loss in vitality was permanent. And this was when she tried using as little World Energy as possible. The difference between this and losing her life was incredibly close. Still, this gave Shirley the chance she needed. The World Energy granted her the brief surge in strength to latch onto Benedict and the other person just in time. Her face twisted as blood spurted from her arm joints. Lady Mel and Sir Welkis pulled her one way, while Benedict and the other person dragged her another way. Since she was stuck in the middle, she had to endure incredible forces, and when World Energy was added on top… The result was obvious. Her arms were nearly torn from her shoulders!
"I can't hold on! Help me!"
Water rushed into her mouth, garbled her words, and almost drowned her. She figured nobody would understand her. Thankfully, Perception Realms were astute. The moment she muttered those noises, they knew she needed help.
"Lady Mel, anchor yourself!" Sir Welkis yelled.
"Do it!"
He yanked his sword out and the water current quickly took him but since he was connected to Shirley, that momentum turned into a wide swing. Lady Mel stabbed her sword deeper into the rocks and planted her feet as she held onto four people at once. The combined weight was enormous, yet she withstood it. Sir Welkis swung towards the wall and stabbed his sword in. They released Shirley and caught Benedict and the other person at the same time, thus forming a line of five people that hugged the wall. It was a huge improvement over facing the currents head-on. The relief at being saved and the cost of her vitality left her drained. As the water splashed about, the sounds were oddly hypnotic. She felt herself being lulled away into a dream. Finally, she fell unconscious.
The knights had no time to worry about her, as they endured the endless waves. Eventually, after what felt like a long time, the current began to subside. Lady Mel and Sir Welkis had shaky breaths. They were worried that the volume of water might be too much and it would flood the entire cavern. Then, they would be trapped and forced to drown. What a terrible way to die. Once the water level dropped enough, they yanked their swords free from the wall. Benedict, Shirley, and the third person fell to the ground, still unconscious. Benedict's legs were basically broken, and Shirley's arms were torn. Neither could move for the time being. Regardless, they were alive, and that was more than what they could ask for.
Lady Mel squeezed the water from her hair, while Sir Welkis emptied his boots. They were drenched from head to toe all the way to their underwear. This did more than discomfort them, since the water lowered the temperature in the caves. It was close to freezing now. If they stayed wet, it could make them sick, and they needed to maximize every chance they could to survive. Their armor came off, then their clothes. As for feeling shy? Nonsense. Only a fool would worry about that here. Naturally, they helped undress the unconscious people too. Sir Welkis conjured a fireball to keep them warm. There was nothing to burn, so he was forced to maintain his spell the entire time. It was a huge waste of Magic Energy. Fortunately, the water scared the insects away. Nothing bothered them.
Benedict woke up choking as water spilled from his mouth and nose. He thought he was dying. His first instinct was to stand up, except the moment he tried, a scorching pain radiated from his legs. He hissed and fell on his butt. What happened?
"Stop moving around. I barely managed to patch you up," Lady Mel said. She finished tying scrap cloth around Shirley's arm.
He turned around, only to see the woman was butt naked. No, actually… he was naked too! A trace of embarrassment made its way onto his cheeks, but when he saw Shirley unconscious, he threw those thoughts away. He asked, "Shirley… is she okay?"
"She'll be fine, but you… It's nothing. After Sir Welkis used his earth spell to help us escape, water flooded the cavern. Since both of you were too injured, we've been resting here for the time being."
"How long was I unconscious for?"
"That…"
"We've been here for roughly two hours," Sir Welkis answered. He walked over with his wand raised and a small fireball floating there.
"Huh? How do you know?" Benedict was stunned.
"I know the rate my spell consumes Magic Energy, and I can measure how much Magic Energy I have in my Core, so I can calculate how much time has passed."
"Two hours…" He coughed. Clenching his fists, he tried to summon any Martial Energy, except it was a lost cause. Despite 'resting' for two hours, it was not enough for even one technique.
Lady Mel studied his expression before saying, "Moving will be too dangerous if we have to carry three people, meaning we'll wait until someone else wakes up."
"I see," he replied offhandedly. An awkward silence ensued, before he worked up the courage to ask, "…You aren't going to complain about what I did?"
"What good does complaining do? We have bigger things to worry about," she stated. "We can complain about everything if we survive."
Benedict offered a weak smile. "Makes sense."
"We'll need to decide soon. I've been casting simple spells, but I can't cast them forever," Sir Welkis interrupted. "At this rate, I won't last another hour."
"Save your strength. Our clothes should be dry by now and I'm done tending to Lady Shirley." Lady Mel picked up her clothes and started dressing herself. "After that, we'll-"
That was when a supreme, all-encompassing aura enveloped the entire cavern. Lady Mel and Sir Welkis paled upon sensing it, because they knew it was something they had no chance in beating! It was far, far above their current power! Benedict was shocked for a different reason, since he could tell this aura came from Protector Avin's True Perception. Why was he here? Elizabeth did give some instructions to Lord Fredrick, in the event of their absence. Did he do this? Either way, this was their lucky break. Someone on par with his master could easily overturn the situation and save them! Most of his stress vanished.
"You don't need to worry. It's Protector Avin. He must be here to save us," he explained happily.
"The Arcellius Family's Protector is here?" Lady Mel was taken aback, while Sir Welkis frowned.
"That's right. We should wait here for him."
"Pardon my skepticism, but… what can Lord Avin do?" Sir Welkis asked. Benedict looked at him confused. "Don't misunderstand. I know how well-regarded a Blue Depth Arcanist is; however, we're deep below the mountains and everyone is split up. To make matters worse, there are thousands of insects swarming these caves, along with more powerful monsters. Can one person really solve all that?"
"That…" Benedict struggled to refute his words. Although his master, the Sword King, was certainly strong, he was not omnipotent. There were many areas he was lacking in. He could not help, but feel his hopes diminish. And like Sir Welkis predicted, when Elder Argo's technique arrived with a light trail behind it, they understood this was the only help they would receive. It was up to them to escape.