"She has departed." Kenley exhaled a sigh of relief.

  "Mr. Kenley, your hand..."

  "Ah, I do apologize." Kenley turned around, taken aback by this unforeseen incident. Fortunately, Daina did not seem to hold it against him.

  "It's of no consequence." With her helmet on, it was impossible to discern Daina's expression.

  "We should make our departure from this place post-haste. This is not a location where we should tarry," Kenley took the initiative to lead Daina in a retreat.

  "Is it not possible to remove this cloak of light?"

  "Regrettably, not at this moment." Kenley shook his head. It remained uncertain how far Normani had traveled, and removing the cloak of light now posed a significant risk of their being detected.

  Given that Daina was already clad in cumbersome armor, it was rather cramped for two adults to be sheltered beneath a single cloak. It had been tolerable for Kenley and Daina to remain stationary before, but once they rose to their feet and attempted to move, the situation became rather precarious.

  Just then, the body of the alchemist leader, who had previously been slain and transformed into a dragonman, suddenly twitched—a post-mortem spasm.

  And it so happened that the body lunged directly towards Daina's position!

  "Ah!"

  Since both of them had their backs turned to the body, neither of them noticed it. Coupled with the unexpected nature of the post-mortem spasm, the body inadvertently knocked over the cloak of light.

  "Oh dear!" Kenley was startled. In that instant, he sensed a powerful chill. Merely by turning his head slightly, he found that Normani's frigid gaze had already fixed upon the two of them.

  "Run for your life!" Kenley gave Daina a shove, urging her to flee first.

  "You..."

  "Hurry along!" Kenley gritted his teeth and swung his sword in Normani's direction.

  It was not that Kenley was averse to fleeing; rather, Normani had already teleported to their location in an instant.

  The moment the tip of the sword made contact with Normani, a series of red messages promptly popped up on Kenley's in-game interface.

  System:"An unknown error has been detected. Warning!! Please distance yourself from the faulty program immediately!"

  System:"An unknown error has been detected. Warning!! Please distance yourself from the faulty program immediately!"

  What could this be...

  Normani's expression also betrayed a noticeable hint of surprise, and there was a distinct glimmer in her eyes as she regarded Kenley.

  Daina gritted her teeth resolutely."I shall seek assistance and return to rescue you!"

  Daina could sense the ominous aura emanating from Normani. It was a chaotic and disconcerting presence. Since assuming the role of Knight Captain, she had encountered countless formidable adversaries, yet this was the first time she had come across someone of this ilk.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  After taking just two steps, Daina furrowed her brow and abruptly turned around."How could I abandon you and flee alone! I am a knight!"

  "You..." Kenley furrowed his brow, but at that precise moment, Normani launched her attack.

  With a deafening boom! The ground trembled violently, and a powerful black shockwave, accompanied by a glow reminiscent of an information malfunction, hurtled directly towards Kenley!

  "Kenley!" Daina's heart skipped a beat.

  Kenley did not perish instantaneously like the alchemists, but the formidable impact caused his internal organs to be severely jolted, and a mouthful of strange black blood spurted from his lips.

  【Player:*******】

  【HP:*******】

  All the data on the in-game interface transformed into a jumbled mass of characters, rendering it impossible for Kenley to discern anything clearly.

  System:"*******"

  It was all garbled text; even the system prompts had devolved into indecipherable characters.

  "You must not succumb!"

  Just as Kenley was on the verge of losing consciousness, Daina's form loomed over him.

  "I..." Kenley's vision began to blur, and the pain had completely overwhelmed his mind. This was likely the most dire crisis he had ever faced.

  In the end, however, Kenley's vision was enveloped in darkness...

  ...

  "Awaken."

  A gentle feminine voice suddenly resounded within his mind, as if Kenley's soul was being drawn by an invisible force.

  "Wake up at once."

  "Kenley, you cannot afford to die just yet!"

  Kenley suddenly snapped his eyes open, and his outstretched hand inadvertently grasped something soft.

  "Mr. Kenley..." It was a woman's voice, tinged with dissatisfaction.

  As his vision gradually refocused, Kenley realized that his hand was resting on Daina's chest.

  Kenley hastily withdrew his hand."I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean to... Sss..."

  The pain surged forth, and his mind felt as though it were convulsing, as if countless steel needles were piercing his brain.

  "Hold your tongue for now and take a sip of water..." Daina produced a water skin and brought it to Kenley's lips.

  Kenley gave a soft hum of assent and opened his mouth to slowly drink the water proffered by Daina.

  Gulping down several mouthfuls, he felt a modicum of relief.

  However, not long after Kenley had finished drinking the water, his eyes seemed to freeze in place, as if he had beheld the most terrifying sight imaginable.

  Daina had yet to notice the change in Kenley's expression. As she retrieved the water skin, she remarked,"Although I am uncertain as to what transpired, that dragonkin did not pursue us. I managed to lead you to a small cave for shelter."

  As she spoke, Kenley did not respond. Daina turned to look at him and was taken aback to find that Kenley's expression was as though he had been struck by a petrification spell.

  "Mr. Kenley? Mr. Kenley?" Daina furrowed her brow in concern.

  Could he have been poisoned? Daina was immediately alarmed. She promptly pried open Kenley's eyelids and examined him closely, but his pupils appeared normal, and there were no signs of poisoning.

  She inspected his wrist and tongue, but there were no indications of discoloration, such as purple or dark hues.

  "Mr. Kenley? What ails you?" Daina's anxiety grew, and she shook Kenley's body gently.

  At long last, Kenley stirred.

  "Ah... Yes, I'm sorry."

  "There is no need for apologies. From the moment you bravely stepped forward to confront the enemy, I have regarded you as a dear friend, Mr. Kenley," Daina's tone was infinitely gentle, devoid of the coldness that had characterized her demeanor towards Kenley previously.

  "Is that so? Thank you for saving my life, Daina." Kenley's tone was distinctly distracted.

  Daina offered a gentle smile."You should rest for a while. I shall venture outside to scout the area and ensure that the dragonkin has not followed us."

  "Mm."

  After Daina had departed, Kenley raised his hands and regarded his palms. He still harbored a sense of unreality.

  For... the system had vanished...

  No matter how earnestly he called out to the system within his mind, there was no response, as if his words had vanished into the void, leaving nothing in their wake.

  Could it be related to the previous garbled text? Kenley speculated.

  The map was no longer visible, nor were his health points and mana points. Everything that had once been familiar to him seemed to have vanished without a trace.

  What on earth was going on?

  Normani... Yes, it must be related to that dragonkin. He had to find her! Kenley attempted to rise, but a sharp pang of pain shot through him.

  "Ah!" He let out a cry of pain, and the throbbing in his head persisted.

  "Are you all right?" Daina, who had returned unexpectedly, inquired with concern.