“Ha!” At that moment, a thunderous roar rang out by Logan Bennett’s ear, making Logan Bennett’s back tense up, his hair stand on end, and his panicked, chaotic thoughts suddenly freeze.

“Light.” Gary Miller’s steady voice entered Logan Bennett’s ear. The one who had just roared, waking Logan Bennett, Corey Allen, and Hudson Grant from their dazed confusion, was Gary Miller.

Gary Miller’s calm and composed demeanor influenced Logan Bennett, allowing him to quickly regain at least some reaction. Without thinking further, he rubbed the holy symbol and softly uttered a strange syllable: “Gaye.”

A ball of white light appeared before Logan Bennett and the others, dispelling the deep darkness.

Then, Logan Bennett saw a swarm of black rats. They were normal in size, but their eyes glowed red. They crowded the floor, walls, and the humanoid strange plants in the chamber, densely packed, making Logan Bennett’s scalp tingle involuntarily.

As soon as the white light appeared, these rats seemed to see their natural enemy. Squeaking, they surged toward Logan Bennett, Gary Miller, and the others like a tide.

As the red-eyed rats scattered, the appearance of the chamber was revealed to Logan Bennett and the others. In the corner stood a desk with three books emitting a strange, faint glow. In the center was a flat, wide, peculiar table, covered with many strange patterns—red, blue, green—bearing an uncanny resemblance to the designs around the “Holy Emblem of Truth” cross. On these patterns sat small furnaces, pots, glass bottles, and other items.

Neither Logan Bennett nor Gary Miller had time to observe carefully, as the frenzied rats, reeking and bizarre, had already surged up to them.

The silent Hudson Grant and the sharp-tongued Corey Allen, awakened by Gary Miller’s shout, skillfully gripped their longswords and shields, flanking Gary Miller on the left and right, forming a simple battle formation.

Facing rats rather than other grotesque monsters, Logan Bennett, influenced by Gary Miller’s steadiness, felt his tension ease even more. Yet the sheer number and strangeness of the rats still made Logan Bennett’s heart race uncontrollably.

The leading red-eyed rat leapt up, pouncing at Logan Bennett, its mouth open to reveal two long, sharp teeth.

Gripping the Sword of Radiance with one hand, Logan Bennett hurriedly swung the blade of gathered light at the red-eyed rat.

The divine sword summoned by holy magic was far sharper than an ordinary knight’s longsword, but Logan Bennett’s hasty swing misjudged the speed and oddity of the red-eyed rat’s leap, and the sword of light only grazed past it.

Where the red-eyed rat brushed against the sword of light, its black fur quickly charred, the burn spreading into the flesh. But by then, the red-eyed rat had already lunged right in front of Logan Bennett, its cold, indifferent red pupils glaring, the stench of rot faintly detectable from its mouth.

Missing with his sword, the red-eyed rat now right before him, Logan Bennett panicked, wanting both to swing back and to raise his left hand to block. Torn between the two, he nearly dropped the Sword of Radiance.

Seeing the red-eyed rat about to bite into his chest, Logan Bennett was at a loss, unable to do anything.

Suddenly, a longsword gleaming with cold light swept in from the side, slicing right at the red-eyed rat’s neck and cutting it in two.

“Don’t panic. If you can’t block in time, just avoid the vital spots. We have healing miracles.” Gary Miller’s deep voice came.

At the same time, Corey Allen’s sharp voice rang out: “Fall back and stick with us! Are you trying to get yourself killed, standing alone in front like a rookie?”

In this situation, regardless of any negative impressions Gary Miller, Corey Allen, Hudson Grant, and the others had of Logan Bennett, they all understood that, holding the holy symbol, he was a force not to be underestimated. In fact, if anything else happened, he would be the key to turning the tide. No one knew what other monsters or magical traps might appear after the red-eyed rats.

Having dodged the red-eyed rat’s attack, the once-again flustered Logan Bennett quietly let out a sigh of relief and regained his composure. Compared to someone like Gary Miller, a high-ranking knight’s squire with training and rich combat experience, he was far too inexperienced, too green, too helpless when facing danger or sudden changes. Not everyone is a natural-born fighter or has the extraordinary talent to remain calm in the face of peril.

In his first real battle, having an old hand like Gary Miller nearby to guide and help him was a great stroke of luck—a valuable experience for facing future battles and dangers.

This time, Logan Bennett did not panic. While swinging the sword of light forward, he slowly stepped back, retreating to Gary Miller and the others.

The red-eyed rats pouncing at them were no longer just one or two, but dozens, with more and more rats surging from behind.

The sword of light was bright and sharp, leaving a faint trail of light wherever it passed. The swing Logan Bennett made this time, following Gary Miller’s guidance, focused on defense, fully utilizing the Sword of Radiance’s strengths and compensating for Logan Bennett’s complete lack of swordsmanship.

The radiance from this swing seemed to form a pale white barrier in front of Logan Bennett. The rats that crashed directly into the sword of light were effortlessly sliced in two, their innards and severed skin charred black, falling heavily to the ground without a drop of blood spilled.