Knight Tamik did not seize the opportunity to attack. His voice remained as cold and detached as ever, like pieces of wood being knocked together, but a faint ripple of emotion crossed his otherwise expressionless face. It might have been a small smile, but it had been so long since he had smiled or shown any expression that he seemed to have forgotten how to do it properly. The result was a strange, almost grotesque expression. Although he hadn't managed to trap both of them in the magic trap, the current situation was still one he was pleased with.
"That's because sometimes you have to let go," Asa replied calmly.
He had initially grabbed Ruya, but when he realized the trap had been triggered, he immediately let go and took advantage of the brief moment before the ice fully formed to break free. There was no way both of them could have escaped in time. Once trapped in the center of such thick magical ice, even with his own combat aura, he would have had no way to break free.
What he had let go of wasn't just Ruya—he had also been forced to release the bag filled with magic scrolls. He needed both hands to wield his blade and cut through the rapidly forming ice. Now that small bag was frozen alongside Ruya.
"How did you notice something was wrong? I don't believe you saw through the magic trap itself, but you must have sensed something," Tamik still wasn't in a hurry to attack. He seemed quite willing to talk to his opponent.
"There were many things that felt off. For example, I know you're not the type to do pointless things."
"What pointless things?"
"Pointless things like killing over a hundred elves, neatly stacking their bodies, and spreading their blood all over the ground."
"That's not pointless," Tamik replied indifferently, shaking his head.
Asa smiled faintly. "Right, it's not pointless. The congealed blood can mask the faint fluctuations and scent of the magic trap, and the piled-up bodies add to the intimidation. Even if it didn't fool me, it would at least fool her. Then, by killing a few more in front of her, she would naturally lose control. It's a pity I realized it too late."
Tamik nodded slightly, a strange glint flashing in his eyes. "Generally, I don't like talking to people. But now I find listening to you quite interesting. You're really quite remarkable—not just skilled in combat, but also sharp-minded. The key is that even in a situation like this, you can maintain enough judgment. Before you die, I'll take the time to appreciate these excellent qualities of yours. It will make killing you more satisfying." His voice, usually as monotonous as knocking wood, now carried a hint of emotion, as if tinged with emotion. "You know, it's been a long time since I've felt such a strong urge to kill."
He spoke these words naturally and candidly, and indeed, a faint aura of killing intent and fighting spirit began to emanate from him. Before this, cutting the throats of over a hundred elves hadn't felt like killing to him—it was as natural as breathing or a heartbeat.
"Then come and kill me," Asa said, deliberately or otherwise glancing at the ground. The thick, half-congealed blood seemed to have glued his feet in place. Since breaking free from the ice, he hadn't moved an inch. He continued to look at Tamik and asked, "Since you're so eager to kill me, why haven't you made your move yet? You're not a man who likes to talk, nor are you someone who would miss an opportunity to attack. I know everything you've done is just to ensure my death. Are you waiting for me to step on another trap? I told you, I know you're not the type to waste time on pointless chatter."
Tamik laughed. This time, it was a genuine laugh. But on his usually expressionless face, which seemed utterly disconnected from the concept of laughter, the smile looked more terrifying than a behemoth devouring its prey.
"It's rare to meet someone who understands me so well. I like you," Tamik's voice changed. It was no longer the wooden tone from before but instead resembled the sound of a beast chewing its prey—gloppy, filled with bloodlust and the desire to devour. The intensity of the killing intent and desire in his voice made it clear that this was a murderous impulse that had been brewing for over a decade.
The area covered in congealed blood was vast, and there were likely more traps than just the ice trap. Seeing Tamik standing still, Asa knew he wasn't hesitating out of reluctance to act. It was because around him, perhaps less than an inch from his feet, there were several—or even dozens—of magic traps.
Understanding between friends could never compare to the direct, thorough understanding between enemies. It was in a state of opposition that one could most clearly see the true nature of a person.
However, recognizing the situation didn't mean there was an easy way to resolve it. Especially since he didn't fully understand it yet.
Asa didn't dare to jump recklessly. Without a running start, jumping high and far enough to clear the bloodstained area would require a great deal of force, leaving him wide open. Tamik would never miss such an opportunity, and Asa knew he would struggle to defend against a full-force attack from his opponent in that situation. This was a trap specifically designed to deal with him, perhaps set by the most professional and ruthless killing machine on the continent. Every move he made had likely already been anticipated.
Tamik still wasn't in a hurry to attack. Instead, he asked, "I've questioned a few elves. That thing that emitted the strange aura—it belongs to you, doesn't it? Where is it now? Is it on you?"
Asa smiled. "Why do you think I'd tell you?"
Tamik lightly kicked a piece of thorn debris, sending it flying toward a group of elves. Just like before, a pillar of fire erupted, instantly engulfing the unconscious elves.
After the flames subsided, dozens of elves were reduced to charred corpses, leaving behind a heavy stench of burnt flesh. But Asa didn't even blink, nor did he glance at the scene, as if it were nothing more than a child burning a pile of dry wood. The one who blinked was Tamik. He nodded and said, "I knew these threats wouldn't work on you... but this might be better." He raised his voice and called out, "Bring her out."
At Tamik's command, three figures emerged from behind a tree in the distance.
Seeing these three, Asa was slightly taken aback. To be precise, it was two people dragging a third—a Holy Warrior and Yabin, each holding one side of Talice as they brought her forward.
The golden-haired female knight was tightly bound, her mouth stuffed with leaves and weeds, completely gagged. She had deep wounds on her shoulder and arm, and half of her body was soaked in blood. Her phoenix-like eyes weren't just blazing with anger—they seemed ready to spit blood as she glared at Tamik and Yabin.
"Hand over that thing, or tell me where to find it," Tamik raised his black longsword.
"You're using your own comrade to threaten me? Do you think that will work? I just find it amusing," Asa smiled, still not blinking.
"No. It's not amusing," Tamik's voice returned to its wooden monotony as he swung his blade toward Talice's head.
After the strange aura erupted and then vanished in the forest, the Holy Warrior who had been half-dead from the shock struggled to recover. He cautiously used the Magic Eye again and found that the two figures and the World Tree Leaf had disappeared.
Unable to determine whether their disappearance was related to the strange aura, Tamik didn't hesitate. He immediately decided to infiltrate the Whispering Forest. With his opponent temporarily gone, there was no one in the vast forest who could pose even the slightest obstacle to him.
When it came to infiltration, kidnapping, and assassination, Tamik was a master among masters. No matter how large the prey, he could always use the most precise and effective methods to dismantle, cut apart, and turn it into a feast for himself. From the moment he entered the Whispering Forest to the point where he had complete control over the situation, subduing tens of thousands of elves, Tamik took less than an hour. It was a seamless, flawless operation.
The Deadwood Guardians had been heavily depleted during the day's battle, and the elves, exhausted from the fighting, had little energy left for vigilance. The Holy Warrior's Magic Eye easily discerned the layout of the Whispering Forest. Tamik, along with Talice and the others, moved through the forest as if it were empty. The Magic Eye could distinguish the elven elders from the ordinary elves, and it didn't take long for all the elders to fall under the control of the Temple Knights.
The elves weren't helpless lambs waiting to be slaughtered. If it came to a direct confrontation, even someone as powerful as Tamik couldn't possibly defeat tens of thousands of elves alone. But with all the elven elders under his control, the elves had no choice. Their inherently peaceful and kind nature made them as defenseless as rabbits in front of Tamik.
The elves weren't incapable of resistance, but Tamik had made sure to demonstrate the consequences of defiance. A magic trap erupted in flames, turning dozens of elves into charred corpses.
Tamik didn't speak much, but his negotiation methods were brutally effective. He didn't just use words—he made the elves feel they had no room for negotiation. In addition to the elders, there were many other elf captives, giving him plenty of leverage to showcase his unique negotiation skills. He simply stated his demands in the most straightforward terms, and whenever the elves hesitated, resisted, or even attempted to negotiate, he would silently grab an elf and kill them. Each time, he used the same method: cutting their throats and severing the tendons in their limbs, leaving the surrounding elves to watch as their companions twitched and died like skinned frogs.