*BOOM!*

The resounding sound of multiple swords being slashed at a rock-hard barrier rang in the forest as the glowing barrier made of metal elemental particles shook violently but soon retained stillness as if it was made of rubber.

The knights beyond the barrier were not discouraged as it wasn't the time for sulking. They needed to act fast and decisively.

The knights knew that Alier was very strong and fully capable of protecting himself. However, no matter how mighty he was, he was outnumbered. And unfortunately, Ethan was a liability that he needed to protect.

So the barrier needed to be removed as soon as possible before it was too late.

The Moon was playing games of hide and seek with the clouds as its brilliance was fickle, and the atmosphere had grown eerie. One moment the forest glowed with a silvery luminous glow and the next moment the lunar brilliance disappeared completely, leaving only darkness everywhere.

The knight's outside the barrier couldn't hear or see what was happening inside and vice versa. The air was thick with visible ferocity, tacit sharp tension, and an unnerving sentiment of uncertainty.

As the knights were using everything they had to destroy the barrier using their topmost Martial Techniques and Sword Arte, inside the barrier, the atmosphere was even more intense.

Ethan was hiding behind Alier with utmost vigilance, their back at the pathway going towards the Ancestral Shrine. Six knights who were fast enough to enter the barrier in each direction closely surrounding Ethan and Alier in a defensive formation.

The intruders wore black garbs hiding their faces wielding their swords, daggers, and other fatal weapons as they surrounded the group from all sides.

Although their faces were hidden due to the darkness and the hood over their heads, Ethan could sense that a lot of them seemed hesitant and even startled as they covertly made eye contact with each other.

Strangely, the situation did not immediately escalate as one might expect. If the intruders were lying in wait to ambush, then why weren't they attacking right away instead of wasting time?

Alier and the six knights also made no provoking moves because the more time they would manage to stall, the more advantage they would have.

"Ethan! Stay behind me and don't be afraid. They won't be able to do anything!" Alier muttered while holding his sword tightly.

"H-hmm.." Ethan nodded an anxious expression appeared on his face. He too unsheathed the small sword that he regularly used in training.

Needless to say, his posture was horrendous, his hands were shaking and it seems as if the weight of the sword would topple his legs at any time. But despite that, he held the sword tightly in his small hands as a precaution.

Ethan secretly activated his appraisal ability as he looked at the intruders. Upon close inspection, almost none of them were awakened like himself and Alier. He could only see one man who was awakened with the fire attribute.

The man was tall, his stance was firm and accurate as he held his sword ferociously looking at Alier with gritted teeth.

From the way the other intruders often snuck glances at the man, Ethan judged that he was most probably the leader of the bunch.

"Boss! How come the 'Frigid White' is here?! He wasn't supposed to be here!" One of the men got closer to the leader and faintly whispered in his ear.

"Shit! I know that! We only got the tip that only the brat would be here with knight escorts! The barrier would be activated timely isolating him and then we could snatch the little bastard!" The leader muttered back in frustration.

"Chief! We got no time! He's alone with just those six funky knights. We can still do this! This is an opportunity! Give the order boss!" Another man bellowed with a nasty smile on his face as he looked at Ethan like he was a treasure trove.

Ethan analyzed the intruders keenly as the standoff continued. His eyes soon narrowed as an understanding look flashed between his brows.

'How curious, these people are certainly not professionals. And neither they're amateurs. If they were professionals, they wouldn't have hesitated to attack. But if they were complete newbies, then they would never have enough courage to even trespass in here. Now, why are they hesitating? Either something unexpected happened or it's part of their plan. The second possibility is unlikely as the barrier doesn't look like it will hold for long. The first possibility is most likely but it's difficult to say what was it that startled them.' Ethan thought calmly.

At this moment, the invaders seemed to have made their choice. The leader's eyes glinted with a ruthless, ambitious glint as he saw his allies surrounding the group. As a result, confidence welled up in him, and thinking of the rewards he would get after the task is done, the confidence changed into blatant audacity. The man snickered cockedishly as he gestured forward, hinting his men to attack.

With his permission, all thirty men went wild with ferocity as they roared and shot forward all at once.

In response, the six knights moved closer to Ethan and Alier, wearing solemn expressions as they stood their ground creating an unbreakable net.

Alier did not make any move as he simply watched the intruder's leader keenly while hiding Ethan behind him. His whole focus seemed to be on protecting Ethan. It was something that would otherwise warm anyone's heart. But Ethan simply smiled wryly.

The constant noise of metal clashing and men roaring filled the barrier as the intruders and mere six knights clashed with over thirty rogues.

"Ahhh!" A man screeched as Ethan saw the man's arm falling off of his body severed with a clean cut.

The man had charged forward confidently thinking that he could easily overpower the knight assuming that the knight's morale must have been low as the knights were greatly outnumbered. But the knights stood strong unflinchingly, bringing out their peak potential at the time of crisis.

The knight had, in a quick moment, severed the man's arm not even looking at him, proceeding to take on five incoming swords at once.

These knights were seasoned warriors who had gone to the nook and cranny of the battlefield together with the Duke himself. They knew well to cover each other's backs leaving no blind spots as they fought not as individuals but as one body and mind.

Even Ethan was shocked to witness this kind of implacable coordination that needed no words.

Screams and painful cries filled the shrine premises as the knights swung their swords non-stop in an elegant way. Five of them focused on blocking and parrying the incoming strikes covering the sixth one to strike.

The impressive thing was that the attacker was never the same knight. The one who was on the offensive changed every three seconds to a completely random knight but miraculously enough, the other knights changed their posture accordingly to assist the new slayer.

This way, they were able to defend and stall for time while dealing significant damage to the enemy at the same time.

Although the intruders had experience and almost the same strength as the knights, they had no coordination between them. On top of that, they were extremely cocky. Their style was raw and unrefined without any pronounced martial techniques. They looked like savages charging straight forward with simply bestial and instinctive judgment.

While the knights were faring surprisingly well, they were not completely immune. They were not Gods or Masters and so as time passed, small, shallow wounds began accumulating on their bodies despite the high-quality armor that they wore.historical

The stench of blood permeated the air as blood splattered everywhere. While the knights had no casualties, they looked bloody like demons from hell. While on the other hand, the corpses of the intruders lay on the sacred ground, some intact while some completely disfigured with limbs and body parts missing, scattered all over the floor.

The intruder's chief's eyes widened with surprise as a hint of anxiety showed on his face. With resolution, he activated the powers of his acquired blessing. Only to meet Alier's frigid cold eyes.

Shivers went through the man's spine as he saw Alier's murderous gaze. He truly regretted acting on the temptation of great reward.

'Damnit! That cloaked piece of shit! He never said the Duke's brother would be here too! He is not someone I can fight alone dammit!' The man lamented inwardly.

He had gotten the tip that Ethan would be at the shrine with some knight escorts. This alone of course wouldn't have convinced the man to take on the task. His confidence and greed had truly sored into the high heavens when the man pulled out an artifact that could create a large and strong isolation barrier that would give them the chance to abduct Ethan swiftly without even revealing their identities. But the presence of Alier had complicated everything as he alone could take on at least half of them at once and kill some on top of that.

The man in the end chickened out as he drew back the fire elements that were on the verge of activation. 'Hmph! Those knights will soon fall! How will you handle all of us and protect the brat then?' The chief thought haughtily still divulging in his fantasies.