The Blessing of the Supreme Shepherd
Alarm bells screamed in Ian's mind. His Valyrian steel sword was with Case; his arming sword was lost in the chaos. He had no choice but to snatch a fallen war hammer from the corpse of a Gold Cloak. Staggering to his feet, he aimed the weapon at the knight who was approaching him step by step.
The knight in the gold cloak ignored Ian's weapon, simply raising his own hammer and charging forward.
Seeing the man wasn't even trying to dodge, Ian decided to strike first. He swung the heavy war hammer in an arc at the knight's head.
But the knight simply stretched out his left hand and caught the wooden shaft mid-swing, his grip like iron. He forcefully arrested the hammerhead, which had been falling with the combined force of Ian's arms and gravity. In the same motion, his right hand swung his own hammer toward Ian's head.
Ian was not strong enough to win a contest of raw strength. He instantly let go of his weapon and tried to scramble back.
But his head injury had made him too slow. His evasive movements felt like they were underwater as the knight's page hammer closed in. The flanged ribs of the weapon quickly filled Ian's entire field of vision through the eye-slits of his helm.
Suddenly, a flash of light green shot across his vision, blocking the hammer.
Rohr, rushing from the side, had thrown himself in front of Ian. Gripping his sword with his right hand on the hilt and his left on the unsharpened blade thirty centimeters from the tip, he drove the point upwards, aiming for the armored joint beneath the knight's armpit.
The knight had no time to dodge. The two men exchanged blows. Rohr's sword punched through the gap in the knight's armor, pierced his mail, and sank deep into his shoulder. At the same instant, the knight's hammer slammed into Rohr's breastplate, the impact collapsing the entire curved surface of the steel.
A second later, a powerful force struck Ian's chest. He felt as if he'd been hit by a battering ram, and he was thrown to the ground, landing less than half a meter from the basement entrance.
Opening his eyes again, Ian saw through his blurry vision that the 'heavy object' pressing down on him was wearing light green plate armor. He realized it was Rohr who had taken the blow for him.
Suddenly, Ian felt a warmth on his face. He saw that it was Rohr's blood, seeping from the gap beneath his visor and dripping down onto him.
Ian didn't know where the strength came from, but he grabbed Rohr and pulled, dragging him desperately backward.
Soon, the two of them tumbled together into the basement entrance.
The knight in the gold cloak hesitated, debating whether to pursue, but Bronn, having escaped the surrounding Gold Cloaks, suddenly appeared behind him, his sword flashing.
Unfortunately, Bronn's upward thrust clanged uselessly against the tassets of the knight's armor skirt. Most plate armor Bronn had seen lacked this protection, so he had aimed for the weak point at the groin. To his surprise, this Gold Cloak leader was cautious, armed to the very teeth.
The knight tried to turn and kill Bronn, but a sharp, searing pain shot through his shoulder as he put pressure on it. In desperation, he simply kicked out, aiming for Bronn's head.
Bronn immediately abandoned his stuck sword, leaping back to avoid the kick and skillfully drawing the twin daggers from his waist.
The knight didn't press the attack. He took the opportunity to turn and run toward the other Gold Cloaks. Seeing their leader withdraw, the rest of the City Watch lost their nerve, their attack slowing as they became unwilling to face Case and Bronn alone.
Case, Bronn, and Dorian all seized the chance to disengage, evacuating the few remaining mercenaries and sailors down into the basement. The knight in the gold cloak did not stop them. He knew the basement was a dead end. He didn't need to storm it; he only had to guard the exit to trap them.
As soon as Ian reached the stairs, he saw several mercenaries and sailors who had fled the battle long ago, hiding below. But he knew this was no time for recriminations. In a situation like this, accusations would only lead to a mutiny.
"You, come here and carry them! Help us get down!" Ian ordered, ignoring their desertion.
The deserters looked at each other, then stepped forward and helped lift Ian and Rohr, carrying them down the stairs. So long as no one punished them for their cowardice, they were still Ian's men and had no reason to refuse an order.
Soon, they were back in the Stranger's underground chapel. Under the light of a torch held by a Black Falcon mercenary, Ian laid Rohr flat on the ground and lifted his blood-stained visor. "Rohr? How are you? Is the injury bad?"
"Can't die," Rohr grinned, then his face contorted. "He didn't… cough… hit me properly… cough, cough!" He coughed violently, spitting up a great mouthful of blood. Rohr opened his mouth again, as if he still wanted to speak, but no more sounds came out.
Ian looked at Rohr's face, which had lost all color, and he knew the man's life was guttering like a cheap candle.
"He's dead," Bronn's voice came from behind Ian. "He needs milk of the poppy and a maester now, but we're trapped here. He'll die for certain. Of course, we're not much better off. The enemy might attack at any moment, and even if they just besiege us, we won't last three days in here."
Ian didn't hear Bronn's words. The two words 'He's dead' echoed in his mind.
"Can he still be saved?" Ian looked at Case, his voice pleading for a different answer.
But Case just shook his head slightly.
Ian felt his heart clench. A huge, overwhelming wave of sadness, guilt, and rage washed over him. Though Rohr's fighting skill was nothing compared to Case's, he was the person Ian had spoken with the most since arriving in this world. He was Ian's first companion, his only true friend, his greatest support and source of security.
And now, Rohr was dying to save him.
*Wait… the 'Blessing of the Supreme Shepherd'!* Ian suddenly remembered the item from the secondary mall. It was a magic potion that could rapidly heal the injuries of the dying. Because he had purchased 15 points' worth of clues, he had unlocked the secondary mall.
Suppressing the violent trembling in his body, Ian closed his eyes and logged into the system.
A new email seemed to be waiting in his inbox, but he ignored it. He clicked directly into the points shop and quickly found his target.
[Blessing of the Supreme Shepherd (An external magic potion created through secret methods by the high priests of the Temple of the Supreme Shepherd. It has powerful life force and can quickly heal the injury of a dying person. Each person can only use it once): 20 points]
This time, Ian didn't care if it was a life-saving medicine or a cruel prank by the system.
He wanted to save Rohr. He had to gamble. And even if the final result was not what he wanted, he would accept it.
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