"You... from the very beginning you were planning to betray me..."
Rudy couldn't believe that a person who was walking the path of night and had the symbol of the night order etched on his body was actually planning to kill him.
'Now's the time...' he remarked inwardly.
"I was, and because I cannot kill you myself, I plan to use that dreadborn," Warrior answered without hiding anything.
Each word that left his lips caused Rudy's expression to contort even further.
Stumbling backwards, he pointed at Warrior and screamed, "What about you?! Do you think that abomination would leave you alive?!"
Warrior erupted into deeply amused laughter. It was the kind of laugh one gave after realizing just how far removed their opponent was from the real game.
Rudy's grip tightened around the sword cane, and he spat, "What are you laughing for?! You risked your life for those heretics, yet they do not even care about your life or death!!"
Warrior shook his head and mumbled while letting out a chuckle, "Haha. That's where you are wrong, young lord."
'Yes! Prove me wrong! Tell me what they gave you!'
"At the moment, the army of the unified holy lands is attacking the base of the blood order."
Warrior's hands moved towards his waist cloth; he slowly unwrapped it and then untied the knot that held the dark wooden box.
He lifted the dark box in his right hand, showcased it to Rudy, and said, "And to make sure that I survive this, they offered me the treasure of the storm order... the lesser storm elixir pill."
'A lesser storm elixir pill... I don't remember seeing it within the information we have unearthed about the old realm...'
Rudy's eyes widened, and he mumbled, "How is that possible...?"
He wrapped his fingers around the box and announced with an ecstatic grin, "You know what it means, don't you? After I consume this for the next two hours, my speed and strength would increase threefold!"
The corners of Rudy's lips lifted for a second, but the next moment, Warrior shouted at the top of his lungs while using his night essence to enhance it even further.
"COME GET ME!"
Rudy's hands instantly flew towards his ears, his face contorted in agony, and he mumbled in his head, 'Ugh! Shut up!'
Warrior's shout resounded throughout the area and beyond.
A dreading roar replied from behind.
Rudy and Warrior instantly turned their heads towards the back.
'What the? How is it so close?' Both of them thought at the same time.
A tremor ran through the ground and reached them.
They froze, and Rudy mumbled under his breath, "It's coming!"
He lifted the sword, turned towards Warrior, and struck him with all of his remaining strength.
Warrior, who was surprised because of the latent demon, couldn't react to the sudden strike, and the sword struck the box.
As he was barely gripping the box, it flew out of his hand and fell near the tree at the right edge of the path.
On the other hand, Rudy collapsed on the left edge, and the sword fell out of his hand.
He took ragged breaths as he glared at Warrior with so much hate that it couldn't be described in words.
The next moment, a growl reached their ears, and both of them shifted their gaze to the demon who was just a dozen steps away from them.
Warrior took a final glance at Rudy. He instantly picked up the sword and sprinted towards the box.
Just as Warrior reached the box, the demon only needed two more steps to reach them.
Rudy halted his breath, and Warrior bent down to quickly pick up the box.
Rudy was injured, was at a brighter location, and because of that, Warrior was sure that the demon would attack him — but there were two factors that he had forgotten to put into consideration.
The demon's eyesight was bad, and it could no longer see its left because one of the guards had plunged a sword into its left eye... so for it, Warrior was the only one that it could see.
Rudy, who knew it had made sure to stay on its left while putting Warrior on its right.
A wide grin appeared on Rudy's face, and the next moment, the demon swung at the Warrior.
"Ugh!" Warrior lifted his unsheathed sword and channelled his night essence into it to block most of the impact, but even then, he was thrown off his feet.
Stumbling back, he looked at the demon in utter confusion.
The demon planted its feet onto the ground and clawed forward. Warrior once again blocked its attack. "Agh!" Pain coursed through his arms, and his body trembled in agony.
He jumped back, and before the demon could attack him, he flipped open the box and opened his mouth to consume the lesser storm elixir pill, but... much to his horror, the box was empty. "What...?"
He tore his gaze to Rudy, and before his very eyes — Rudy, who was standing on his feet as if his injury was a lie, pushed the lesser storm elixir pill down his lips.
Warrior's eyes widened as the terrifying reality dawned on him, "YOU BAST—"
The demon struck him, and he blocked with gritted teeth, and just as before, he wasn't strong enough.
Thrown off his feet, he crashed into the woods. "Ack!" A groan escaped with blood, and he looked at Rudy with a hateful gaze.
As he consumed the pill, a soothing wave spread across Rudy's body.
His fatigue went up in smoke, and power coursed through his body.
Smiling, he looked at Warrior, waved at him, and moved his lips without letting out a single sound. *Thanks for the pill.*
He turned towards the church, took a few silent steps, and then began dashing towards the church.
Because of the pill, his feet were no slower than those of a horse.
'Two hours... that's the exact time I need to reach the church.'
A wide grin split his face as he streaked through the forest.