Chapter 531 Morgaroth (Part 1)
"Oh, you're probably talking about my friend SÃculo. He's a little eccentric, but certainly very powerful." Said the voice that suddenly appeared behind Andrew's back.
Andrew turned around in surprise upon hearing the voice and spotted a man dressed in fancy, colorful clothes, with a hat adorned with exotic feathers and a sparkling suit. The man approached with a friendly smile.
"Sorry for the interruption, but it looks like you are having an interesting meeting here," said the newcomer. "I'm glad young Andrew brought me exactly where I wanted to come. As I figured when I saw you at the palace, you are clever."
Without hesitation, Andrew raised his sword in a defensive position. His eyes were fixed on the mysterious man. "You followed me... Who are you? What do you want with the princesses?"
The man in fancy clothes smiled mischievously and took another step forward. "Ah, my dear, you are quick to notice. Don't worry, I have no particular interest in the princesses. My goal is another, but it won't be easy for you to accept that, I believe."
King Steveren and the guards immediately went on alert, ready to act at any sign of danger. Lidia and Ravastine stepped back a little, seeking the protection of their guards.
"Identify yourself immediately and explain your intentions!" Demanded King Steveren with his voice full of authority that could make anyone's legs tremble.
Nevertheless, the man laughed softly, enjoying the tense moment. "Very well, since curiosity seems to be running high, let me introduce myself. I am known as Morgaroth, and let's just say that I am a collector of powerful artifacts. Your beloved daughters, Steveren Spelloyal, well, they are just a means to my true goal."
Andrew clenched the hilt of her sword, feeling anger and determination grow within her. She would not allow this Morgaroth to cause harm to the princesses or the kingdom, not after Kaizen had entrusted him with this duty.
However, Andrew was not the first to act. Without hesitation, Arthas, the Captain of the Royal Guard, charged toward the Morgaroth, and a gunshot-like sound resounded through the chamber as he advanced at breakneck speed, brandishing his sword.
Arthas' instincts warned him that he should be the first to make a move, or they would have no chance of victory.
Morgaroth, however, was agile and deftly dodged the attack, leaping backwards.
The captain of the guard did not give up and continued to attack, wielding his sword without hesitation. Each swing of his great sword caused a wave of wind.
Morgaroth, although he seemed unconcerned about Arthas' onslaught, did not underestimate the skill of the captain of the royal guard. He dodged his blows with ease, demonstrating an almost supernatural dexterity. While Arthas faced Morgaroth, the rest of the guards stayed in position, ready to act if necessary. King Steveren remained alert, analyzing all the enemy's movements and with his hand on the scabbard of his sword, protecting his daughters.
Andrew was in shock, watching Morgaroth and Arthas' every move. He felt torn between helping Arthas and protecting the princesses, but he knew that the captain of the royal guard should be more than capable of facing this challenger.
Arthas' blows gradually became more intense, and he pressed Morgaroth with a series of fast attacks.
Morgaroth, for his part, continued with his wicked smile still on his face all the while. And then, in a moment of Arthas' faltering, Morgaroth launched a surprise attack, disarming Arthas with his left hand and touching Morgaroth's chest with his right, throwing him away with a powerful blow with seemingly no difficulty.
Andrew's eyes widened and he didn't think twice. He rushed to help Arthas as the other guards advanced to confront Morgaroth.
Realizing how powerful the enemy was, King Steveren drew his sword from its sheath to protect his daughters at all costs, even though he was very thin.
Arthas stood up quickly, leaning on Andrew's shoulders.
"How the hell did he do that?" Arthas inquired, still feeling the pain from the blow to his chest, which literally tore through his armor with ease.
"He used an aura blow." Andrew replied, watching Morgaroth play with the other guards.
The guards advanced in a cohesive formation, surrounding Morgaroth and launching coordinated attacks. But the artifact collector was a cunning and resilient opponent. He dodged their blows with agility, but he also counterattacked with quick and efficient movements.
Arthas looked at the player with doubt. "Aura strike? What the hell is that?"
"It's a skill unique to monks and some even more specific classes, but it's basically gathering spirit energy, shaping it and will release it." Andrew explained, and then looked at the Captain of the Kingsguard. "You trust me?"
Arthas, still recovering from Morgaroth's blow, looked into Andrew's eyes, seeing the determination and confidence in his gaze. He nodded firmly.
"I can learn to trust you, young man. What do we need to do?" he replied, clenching the hilt of the sword in his hand.
Andrew smiled briefly, feeling encouraged by Arthas' confidence. He knew that the moment called for a bold strategy.
"Arthas, we need to use a combined strategy. While the other guards keep Morgaroth busy, the two of us will attack him simultaneously. I believe that together we can overcome his defenses with a joint attack, or at least that way we will force him to reveal another one of his tricks." he said with determination.
The captain of the royal guard nodded.
Andrew and Arthas quickly formulated their strategy, knowing that facing Morgaroth would be an arduous challenge. With the other guards keeping the artifact collector busy, they needed to take the opportunity to wait for an opening in his defense. That being the case, Andrew approached Arthas and whispered a quick plan to him, while keeping their eyes fixed on Morgaroth.
Carefully, they waited for the right moment for a few seconds, watching their opponent's attack patterns.
As soon as Morgaroth dodged an attack from the guards, Arthas and Andrew moved forward, one from the left and one from the right, in perfect synchrony.