They are all characters I control.

However, as soon as he stepped outside, he saw a rather spectacular welcoming scene.

There are many people.

At this moment, the number of people appearing outside the house at the entrance to the cellar far exceeds the number of villagers inside the cellar who have gone mad.

They were not arranged very neatly, but they were vaguely divided into several queues.

In the front row were about twenty young and middle-aged men. They were no longer wearing tattered village clothes, but instead wearing simple but relatively uniform leather armor stained with dark red dirt.

What they held in their hands were no longer farm tools or kitchen utensils, but standard longswords, battle axes, and even a few rough wooden shields, though poorly maintained but clearly sharpened.

Their eyes were different from those of the numb and fanatical old people and children in the front row; they were colder and more focused, like a pack of wolves eyeing their prey.

Just by looking at them, you can feel the oppressive aura emanating from their bodies; they have clearly been trained as knights.

Now Claire knows where the men from those villages have gone.

Standing at the very front of them was the old village chief, Ge Lei.

"It seems that my dear 'Mel,' and our distinguished knight guest..." Old Grey's voice rang out, no longer dry and hoarse as before, but unusually steady.

Do you need a little 'help'?

The old village chief had lost his previous kind and benevolent demeanor; instead, he exuded the sharp edge of a knight's sword being drawn.

His gaze lingered on Mel for a moment, noticing her wounds and the collapsed cellar behind them, before finally settling on Claire with a hint of anger.

It's like being attacked by the very ingredients you're about to cook.

It is not only a disgrace to the village, but also a personal disgrace to him, for allowing Lord Mel to have such an incident on his own turf.

"Help? What help? You did help me, but now if you slit your own throats, that would be the greatest help you could give me."

Claire shrugged and looked at the old village chief.

At this point, negotiations are out of the question, but of course he won't back down just because the other side has more people.

"Sigh..." The old village chief looked at the stubborn Claire, then at Mel in Claire's hands, and sighed. "If you release Lord Mel now, I'm willing to let you leave this village, how about that?"

"Lord Mel is far more useful to us than you are to us."

"If you release Lord Mel, I promise I will never set foot here again, and you can keep all the creatures in the cellar as a reward."

"Otherwise, Sir Eleanor, are you going to fight us with your still-healing wounds? I'm just reminding you that these aren't just ordinary, strong farmers."

Ultimately, the old village chief only cared about Mel; he didn't care if anyone else died.

The conditions offered were quite good; as long as Mel was released, Claire would be promoted and made a fortune.

It's clearly more sensible to fight so many people while dragging an injured body like this.

“But I refuse.” Unfortunately, the old village chief did not understand Claire’s identity.

He's not some church knight, why would he want to get promoted and make money?

Even if she gets promoted and becomes rich, she'll give it all to Eleanor; Claire currently controls Eleanor's body.

Claire herself had no room for improvement whatsoever.

Above the "Evil God Emperor," there is no one else whose rank can be compared to his except for the "Holy Maiden" of the Goddess Church.

For Claire, things like promotions and wealth were utterly useless.

“Is that so…” The old village chief gave Claire a deep look.

He was mentally prepared for this, after all, how could a church knight who dared to risk infiltrating his village full of heretics not have some firm faith and persistence?

They won't be so easily swayed by their own words.

In this case, there is only one option.

"If Lord Mel dies, you will die too, and in the most painful way."

"If Lord Mel is alive, I promise to spare your life."

"I don't think you'll have any objections, so let's begin."

The old village chief, Gray, slammed his cane down heavily, and the armed infidels behind him charged toward Claire.

Whether what the other person just said is true or not is no longer important.

Their current actions are demonstrating that it is impossible for Claire to threaten them into surrendering by using Mel.

Chapter 119 Siege

Compared to the infidel villagers in the cellar, these armed infidels were clearly a greater threat.

Runic magic can be easily used in the cellar to disorient and disorient them, making them no threat to you.

However, the infidels in front of them, armed and armored, were striking in their formation and the way they held their weapons.

No matter how you look at it, this is clearly a performance from someone who has received training with the Cavaliers.

Claire (Eleanor) was not alone as she watched the more than twenty armed infidels flanking her from both sides like a pack of wolves.

It's not that he has any teammates, but at least he has a tank.

Claire didn't slit Mel's throat at that moment, but she could use Mel as a human shield.

With his left hand, he gripped Mel's collar tightly like an iron clamp, holding her against him like an ill-fitting shield, while his right hand held the knight's longsword diagonally to his side, its blood-stained tip trembling slightly in the moonlight.

"kill--!"

The first few heretics roared, advancing in small wedge formations of three, blocking Claire's space to dodge left and right.

The longsword and battle axe, gleaming with a cold light, aimed straight for Claire's lower body and flanks.

Clearly, the objective was clear: bypassing Mel, who was being used as a shield, and attempting to paralyze Claire's mobility by specifically targeting her injured leg and vital organs.

"Dream on," Claire muttered, advancing instead of retreating.

With one hand dragging the screaming Mel, he deliberately rammed into the three-person group charging towards him.

Although having someone with her made Claire's movements less fluid, her imposing presence, no less than that of the three people in front of her, caused the three opposite her to pause slightly.

But they were not the villagers, and even though they were startled by Claire's actions, they still performed normally.

A glint flashed in the eyes of the heretic facing her, and his longsword stabbed like a venomous snake toward Claire's exposed right ribs, while his companions on both sides blocked the angle of attack with their weapons.

Just as the three weapons were about to strike, Claire's empty left hand swiftly swept across Mel's back, and a distorted rune phantom flashed by.

The target of [Torrent Rune - Water Pressure] is not the enemy, but a small area in front of their feet.

The dense water vapor in the air was instantly drawn in and compressed, forming a brief but powerful invisible water pressure that surged upwards!

The infidel at the forefront felt a powerful surge of energy beneath his feet, as if he had stepped into a suddenly erupting miniature spring. His lower body became unstable, his forward momentum abruptly halted, and he lost his balance.

Naturally, the longsword he thrust out at this moment also went astray to the side.

An opportunity! A fierce glint flashed in Claire's eyes, and her right hand wielded the longsword like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, without any fancy moves, only the simplest straight thrust.

His sword pierced precisely through the infidel's exposed throat, which had been exposed due to his loss of balance.

With a single blow, Claire killed her enemy without stopping. Using the momentum of her forward charge, she slammed her shoulder into the chest of the second heretic who was stunned by his companion's sudden fall, causing him to stagger backward.

At the same time, it swept across, tripping the third person's ankle.

The man instinctively blocked, shifting his weight.

Claire swung her longsword, the blade striking the side of her opponent's hastily parried weapon. With a clever twist, she opened the opponent's defenses wide, and then with a flick of her wrist, the tip of her sword had already grazed the side of her opponent's neck!

In the blink of an eye, the three-man team was reduced to two dead and one wounded.

But Claire paid a price; the forceful exertion aggravated the wounds in her ribs and legs, causing her to groan in pain and inevitably slowing her movements.

Attacks from the left, right, and rear have already landed.

The wind of blades and the shadow of axes, carrying a chilling aura, enveloped everything.

Two more heretics circled around to his side and rear, targeting his left leg, which he couldn't fully protect with Mel.

"trouble."

Claire frowned slightly, and with her left hand, she once again drew the [Rock Spike Rune].

This time, the earthquake waves were weaker and more concentrated, affecting only a three-step radius around him!

The sudden tremor made the heretics feel as if they were standing on a collapsing ice surface. All the heretics who rushed forward, including the two from the side and behind, were thrown off balance by the sudden "disorientation" from their feet, and their bodies swayed.

This instantly disrupted their attack rhythm, creating a flaw in their previously tight encirclement.

Claire wanted this moment of chaos.

Instead of trying to expand his gains, he suddenly shoved Mel in front of him into the crowd on his left!

"Ah!" Mel screamed as she stumbled into the arms of two heretics whose steps were unsteady from the earthquake.

The two men were knocked back a few steps by Mel, who used them as shields.

At the same time, Claire slid sharply to the right, where the space had become somewhat empty due to the earthquake, and parried several weapons thrusting at her from the right with her longsword.

At the same time, his left elbow slammed into the chest of a heretic whose defenses had been breached and whose defenses were now wide open.

"Ugh!" The man's eyes bulged out, and he collapsed limply.

But the enemy was too numerous, well-trained, and coordinated.

After a brief period of chaos, they quickly adjusted, no longer rushing forward, but instead using more meticulous and cautious attacks to wear down Claire's stamina and defense.

At this moment, Claire was like a deer surrounded by a pack of wolves. Although she was very strong individually, she was exhausted from dealing with so many enemies around her.

"Well? Has Lady Elinor changed her mind now?" Old Village Chief Gray stood behind the crowd, looking at Claire, who was now fighting like a trapped beast.

Claire delivered a powerful axe blow, his hand went numb, and his longsword nearly slipped from his grasp.

He staggered back two steps, carrying the bruised and swollen Mel, and leaned against the cold wooden wall of the cabin, gaining a temporary respite but also finding himself partially surrounded.

Claire scoffed as she looked at the old village chief, who now believed he had the victory in his grasp.

"Change your mind? If you all commit suicide, I might change my mind; I'd admire you for being men."

Looking at Claire, who was still putting on such a show of bravado, the old village chief had witnessed his stubbornness firsthand.

Are all church knights like this? So loyal?

The old village chief, Gray, didn't believe it. He raised his cane and struck it heavily a few times, signaling the other armed infidels to attack.

"Yes, it's time to end this." Claire took a few breaths to calm herself as she looked at the heretics who had gathered around.

Then, his gaze confirmed the presence of the wounds on each of these heretics.

All that work wasn't for nothing; at least everyone sustained some serious injuries.

It's time to use our last resort.

"Quick! Stop her!" the old village chief shouted, looking at Claire, whose hands were now radiating magic.

Although it's unknown what magic Claire will unleash next, given that it's being released at this moment, it must be a magic capable of turning the tide of battle.

The other heretics immediately pounced on Claire in unison.

However, their weapons stopped just before they were about to touch Claire.

Chapter 120 Primal Blood

The old village chief, Gray, stared in astonishment at Claire (Eleanor), who was swiftly reaping the heretics.

He didn't understand why the heretics had suddenly started wailing when they were about to kill the church knight in front of him.

Eleanor, seizing this opportunity, is slaughtering these heretics.

These armed heretics, who were originally able to fight against the church knights, have now been slaughtered, and the last armed heretic fell at 'Eleanor's' feet.

“You are no ordinary church knight. The church knights I know would not fight like you, and I have never seen you use this kind of magic.” The old village chief Gray stared at 'Eleanor' in front of him with a gloomy expression.

I've fought church knights more than once or twice, but I've never seen one as troublesome as this female knight before.

This kind of magic and fighting style is something I've never heard of before.

Moreover, as a member of the leadership, the old village chief also knew that the other heretics had ambushed Eleanor and her church knight squad, meaning that Eleanor was a defeated opponent on his side.

It's surprising that Eleanor, who should have died long ago, is still alive, but it's not impossible, since the church knights know holy magic.

Yet this defeated foe has so easily destroyed his branch.