"Ah!" Number One let out a piercing scream and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
I clearly saw a gruesome gash on his chest, as if it had been cut open by a blade.
"Be careful, don't stray too far from me!" I said in a low voice.
Number One nodded. He was well aware of the situation they were in; there was no time to lie on the ground and wail when more time could be spent fighting back.
Those things could surround him at any moment, and he wouldn't even know how he died.
Number One quickly got up and rushed to my side, his face pale with lingering fear.
"That thing is too powerful... its speed is incredible, and its strength is immense. I was careless just now..."
I frowned, gesturing for him to stay silent, and my gaze swept across our surroundings.
At that moment, the mounds of earth on the ground began to stir wildly.
I couldn't afford to hesitate any longer: "Rather than being passively beaten, it's better to take the initiative!"
As I spoke, I charged forward first, the short sword that materialized in my hand slashing fiercely at a moving earth mound.
The short sword, imbued with the power of the Shepherd God, struck the ground with a dull thud.
At the point of impact, a deep pit about two meters in diameter was created by the immense force.
Number One stared at me, dumbfounded, as if he were looking at a monster.
Ignoring him, I continued my assault on the other mounds.
Attack after attack rained down, and within the vast expanse, my speed had increased severalfold.
It felt like a game of whack-a-mole, with me launching attack after attack, eliminating mound after mound.
Under these circumstances, at least a dozen mounds were completely destroyed by me.
Deep craters were left scattered across the ground.
Number One also watched the surroundings vigilantly. Suddenly, a mound not far from him began to move frantically, lashing out with a branch.
Without hesitation, I charged forward and unleashed a sword strike.
The branch was sliced into fragments mid-air by my blade. Number One looked at me, a hint of disbelief in his eyes.
"Focus your attention. You've been enhanced; your combat power shouldn't be too far off. If you can only be a burden, I might not be able to help you!" I said.
We were facing a very dangerous situation. In such circumstances, if one possessed combat power but couldn't utilize it, they would become a liability.
If I had to risk my life to protect Number One while fending off attacks, what was the point of him being here?
Number One nodded, his expression solemn. He understood the gravity of their predicament and continued to swing his short sword.
After all, he had undergone enhancements and possessed a faint trace of the Shepherd God's power within him. Number One's combat prowess was indeed extraordinary.
In fact, in my estimation, in terms of pure potential, Number One was the most suitable candidate to cultivate the Shepherd God Art.
He already contained a faint trace of the Shepherd God's power, meaning he wouldn't need to spend an excessive amount of time sensing its presence.
He would only need to adapt to the Shepherd God Art, and his path forward would undoubtedly be smooth.
The most challenging part had already been overcome.
However, I hadn't sought him out as my test subject for a simple reason: I didn't have enough trust in him.
Number One brandished his short sword, furiously hacking at the branches.
I sensed something was amiss; the current situation was not unlike our previous encounter with the vines.
While this method of exhausting our stamina could achieve a certain degree of effectiveness, the critical issue was that this attrition had no end in sight.
Once both of us were completely depleted, death would inevitably follow.
Glancing back at Number One, who was still engaged in combat, I retreated a couple of steps. My senses indicated that the densest concentration of energy was not within this hall but behind the wall opposite us.
"Continuing like this is not a solution!" Number One exclaimed.
"I'm more aware of that than you are!" I replied. "However, I stand by my previous statement: we must give our all. If we can't succeed, I might even abandon you!"
Number One nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
"Provide cover for me. I need some time!" I said with a cold gaze.
Then, I took a few steps back, and the Shepherd God's power began to converge wildly around my body.
Sensing this immense power, Number One pursed his lips and charged forward, short sword in hand.
With him drawing their attention, no other branches attacked me.
I furiously condensed my power. Time passed, minute after minute. Number One had already sustained several injuries. Despite his desperate dodges, he couldn't withstand the sheer number of attacks, and the enemy's recovery was not as effective as imagined.