Luke Thompson never imagined that there would be someone like Calvin Bailey, that kind of scoundrel from the imperial capital, who could come up with such a sinister sword technique. Although he barely managed to deflect the longsword shot by Adam Bennett thanks to his quick reflexes, he exposed a huge opening. Adam Bennett didn’t have time to use his lightsaber and hurriedly delivered a flying kick, landing squarely on Luke Thompson’s shoulder, sending the only weapon in the Royal Guard Captain’s hand flying out of his grasp.

　　Just as Adam Bennett was about to follow up with a powerful slash to finish off his nemesis who had hunted him for days, Luke Thompson, whether by a stroke of luck or the ugliness of human nature revealing itself, almost instinctively dropped to his knees in a flawless posture, shouting loudly, “Don’t kill me! I am willing to be your servant, loyal for life, and forever follow by your side…”

　　By the last sentence, Luke Thompson’s voice was trembling, clearly terrified deep down. He didn’t even dare to look up, afraid that he would see the blue-white glow of the magical lightsaber.

　　In duels between knights, if the victor is a “legendary” figure of impeccable moral character and extraordinary swordsmanship, there is a slim chance that the loser will kneel and offer to become a follower—a passionate scene.

　　But this sort of thing mostly happens among impoverished knights, who, struggling to make ends meet but possessing decent skills, deliberately challenge wealthy noble knights and then intentionally lose in the duel, thus becoming a well-fed knight’s squire.

　　Generally speaking, having a defeated opponent beg to follow you is a matter of great pride. If the victor is in a good mood, nine times out of ten he’ll agree, gaining a loyal, unquestionable follower who eats for free.

　　However, for those kneeling losers, it is a deeply humiliating affair. They will forever lose their status as knights. Unless they are truly desperate, no one would willingly do this.

　　If, after the opponent swears to follow to the death, the victor still insists on killing him, his reputation among knights will plummet to rock bottom. Therefore, some men who care less about reputation, when faced with a relentless enemy they cannot defeat, resort to this desperate tactic to beg for survival.

　　For nobles who value honor above all else, even if they loathe the other party, they can only refuse the offer of allegiance, leaving the loser utterly disgraced.

　　Not to mention that Luke Thompson, as the captain of the Royal Guard, does not even hold the title of knight, and the one he’s surrendering to, Adam Bennett, is still a long way from such an honor himself. Such a passionate scene is hardly appropriate between the two of them.

　　Even if their statuses were correct, Adam Bennett would be unlikely to accept such a surrender. He was never one to be bound by the stale etiquette of the nobility, and besides, there was no third party present at this moment. In this labyrinth, no one would be watching to see if they followed the rules of knighthood.

Chapter Twelve: One-Way Teleportation Magic Circle

　　Adam Bennett cursed inwardly: “This Royal Guard Captain actually used such a shameless last-ditch move. Is he trying to trick me into letting my guard down and then launch a sneak attack? This guy could just pray for forgiveness after a successful counterattack and clear his conscience, paying no other price—his honor as pure as moonlight. But I’d be left to sleep forever in this cold labyrinth.”

　　However, although Luke Thompson’s move failed to win Adam Bennett’s trust, it did buy him a brief chance to catch his breath. Adam Bennett, worried that his opponent might have some desperate counterattack up his sleeve, not only didn’t attack when he knelt down, but actually took a big step back. That step gave Luke Thompson at least ten more breaths of life—and within those ten breaths, something happened that even Adam Bennett hadn’t anticipated.

　　With that backward step, Adam Bennett must have triggered some mechanism. Suddenly, a faint silvery-white light shone from the ground. The intense glow allowed both Adam Bennett and Luke Thompson to see clearly that they were at the end of a rather empty corridor—their fight had already moved quite a distance.

　　At the end of this corridor, the floor was paved with bluestone, which was nothing unusual. What shocked them was the magic circle drawn on those stones—it was this very magic circle that was glowing.

　　“It’s a teleportation magic circle!”

　　Having seen something similar in a family book, Adam Bennett cried out in surprise. Luke Thompson, having just survived a close call, reacted a moment slower, but quickly understood what was happening. But neither of them had time to react further before they vanished into the teleportation magic circle.

　　In response to Adam Bennett’s summons, the number one mechanical warrior rushed to the battlefield, but as it approached the spot where the two disappeared, it lost contact with the magic contract card on Adam Bennett’s body and simply stood still.

　　The empty labyrinth returned to silence once more.

　　“Damn it… it’s actually a one-way teleportation magic circle!”

　　“How do you know?”

　　“Because… beneath our feet are ordinary stone slabs, not another magic circle!”