“Haha.”
“So, Lady Xin Hai'an acts like an absolutely cold and unapproachable queen in front of you?”
“But she is completely different with me...”
Before the mocking voice could even fade, a figure suddenly darted out from the left side of the pile of clutter.
Sothus, true to his street-bred instincts, reacted with lightning speed. While his lackeys were still wearing expressions of utter shock from hearing such juicy gossip, he had already sensed that something was wrong.
Almost reflexively, he raised his hand, aimed, and opened fire!
Bullets flew like streaks of fire, tearing into the figure's body with dull thuds, sending blood spraying into the air.
An expression of pure joy quickly spread across Sothus's face, but the very next sight made his pupils dilate in sheer shock.
It wasn't Bai Xiaodu, Leo, or anyone else. It was a bloodless corpse!
Propelled by the force of the bullets, the corpse flipped several times in midair before crashing heavily to the ground.
“Oh no, it's a feint! He's coming out from the right!”
“Everyone watch out! He casts spells incredibly fast! Don't let him catch you off guard!”
Catching sight of a very familiar raincoat emerging from the right side, Sothus felt his scalp tingle with dread.
He couldn't afford to stand out in the open and shoot anymore, or else the best-case scenario would be mutual destruction.
He certainly wanted to avenge his brother, but Sothus wasn't ready to die yet!
Sothus's eyelids twitched violently with rage, but there was nothing he could do.
He could only shout warnings to his lackeys while spinning around to find cover.
The lackeys, who were only there to do their boss's bidding, turned pale at the sight of the raincoat. With their morale shattered, they abandoned their aim and fled.
This ghost-like, elusive behavior easily reminded them of the horrific way Xitus had died.
“A petty trick. Nothing to worry about.”
Just then, Jedoli stepped forward!
He turned his body sideways, raising his gun in his right hand and aligning his sights.
He had clearly been prepared all along, his muzzle perfectly tracking the ghost-like raincoat appearing on the right.
Seeing this, a cold sneer appeared on Jedoli's pale face.
“Did you think I wouldn't see through your provocation? That trick is cliché, Bai Xiaodu!”
“How could Lady Xin Hai'an possibly be what you described? She probably never even spared you a glance!”
“And another thing you should know—those who always treat others as fools are usually not very bright themselves!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He fired several shots in rapid succession without hesitation.
Armed with his custom-made firearm, Jedoli was confident he could gun down Bai Xiaodu on the spot.
After all, no matter how strong or talented the other party was, he was still just a magic apprentice.
The bullets did not disappoint him. They were neither deflected by spells nor did they suddenly drop to the ground at the critical moment.
Instead, they struck the raincoat worn by Bai Xiaodu dead-on!
“Ugh...”
A distinct groan of pain echoed from behind the fabric.
Watching this, Jedoli clenched his fist, so thrilled he wanted to scream with joy.
Beautiful!
Seeing his target successfully hit, Jedoli did not hesitate. He waved his arm, urging everyone to press the attack.
“Charge! He's wounded! His spellcasting speed is bound to be affected! There's nothing to fear!”
With that, he led the charge, leaping down from the second floor and rushing toward their hiding spot.
However, his gun remained raised, still locked onto the target.
Seeing their leader charge forward, the lackeys—whose morale had been shattered and were ready to flee—suddenly felt a surge of courage and quickly followed suit.
The crowd leaped down from the second floor in a chaotic rush, making the floor shake. Those with guns ran at the very front.
Their eyes gleamed with excitement.
If an ordinary person had to face a quasi-transcendent alone, their means of dealing damage would be extremely limited.
But with guns, it was a completely different story!
This was fate! They were going to get a share of the glory!
Chaotic, murderous footsteps echoed throughout the hall. Like sharks scenting blood, they scrambled toward the target, terrified they might miss out on a bite of the feast.
Amidst this frenzy of excitement, no one noticed.
In the middle of the cluttered pile of furniture, a small, ghostly, translucent hand had already slowly taken shape.
It was none other than 【Mage Hand】!
Crouched quietly behind the pile of furniture, Bai Xiaodu wore a thoroughly sinister smile.
Everything was going exactly as planned.
The corpse thrown to the left was just a distraction, and the raincoat thrown to the right was nothing but a decoy.
How could a cautious person like him ever stick his head out and risk being turned into Swiss cheese?
As for the enemies rushing in like a pack of wolves, that actually caught Bai Xiaodu a bit by surprise.
He had assumed at least three or four of them would stay up top to provide cover fire, but the moment they saw a sliver of success, they rushed over like rabid dogs fighting over scraps.
It made him look a bit overly cautious.
Oh well, it didn't matter. He had originally planned to kill only a few, but now he would just have to kill a few more.
Reaching down, he uncorked a bottle of blue potion and downed it, feeling the wild surge of magic rush straight to his brain. He then uncapped another bottle and set it beside him, ready for use.
Rubbing his hands together, he prepared to unleash something big.
【Multi-Ray】!
Activate!
The more people rushed forward, the more excited he became.
Driven by his will, his mana rapidly formed spell runes. Guided by the Heart of Iron, they coalesced in a fraction of a second.
Light instantly burst from the 【Mage Hand】!
Wild mana condensed within it as the aura of death surged violently.
The first to notice something was amiss was Jedoli, who was running at the very front and possessed the sharpest senses due to his Ranger Apprentice class.
His steps faltered as an overwhelming sense of dread washed over him.
Freezing Ray?
The moment the spell's name crossed his mind, he immediately dismissed it.
Absolutely not!
Aside from the chill in the air, Jedoli also felt a wave of intense heat.
Was it a dual-cast spell?
No, how could a mere magic apprentice cast two spells simultaneously?
Oh no, this guy has an accomplice!
Cursing Bai Xiaodu's cunning and deceit in his heart, Jedoli quickly slowed his pace.
At the same time, he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
“He's just making a final struggle! Don't worry, everyone!”
“Charge together and kill him! There will be rewards for everyone! I, Jedoli, will not treat any of you poorly!”
Boom!!!
Before he could even finish his sentence, a pale blue ray blasting with bone-chilling frost erupted outward.
Like a massive blade, it shattered the air resistance with a loud sonic boom, and then—
Cut them in half instantly!
The Freezing Ray swept across the room. In its wake, more than ten people charging at the front felt a sudden chill in their midsections, followed immediately by agonizing pain.
Before their first screams could escape their throats, their upper and lower bodies were completely severed. Their legs carried on for another two or three meters by sheer momentum.
Meanwhile, their unsupported upper torsos collapsed to the floor. Hardly any blood spilled, as even their blood vessels had been frozen solid.
Although there was barely any blood on the floor, the sight of severed torsos writhing in agonizing, twisted struggle was far more horrifying than a river of blood!
Sothus reacted just in time, barely managing to dodge the disaster.
Seeing his trusted subordinates slaughtered in an instant, his eyes turned bloodshot with rage.
These were the men he had hand-picked and trained himself.
Were they just henchmen?
They were his blood, sweat, and tears; his money, his territory, and his prestige!
And now, in their very first clash, more than half of them were gone!
With a roar of pure fury, rage consumed Sothus's mind. He threw down his pistol and drew a long saber from his waist.
Aiming for the source of the magic where the mana ripples had yet to dissipate, he charged forward.
All of his hatred was now locked onto Bai Xiaodu alone.
Sothus had no time to think. He had to kill him during the cooldown between spells.
As long as he could close the distance...
His eyes were locked onto the messy pile of furniture and the glowing, magical little hand floating above it.
Closer, closer...
Every spell had its casting time and recovery window. Sothus knew this was his only chance.
No matter what, he was giving it his absolute all. Even though he had nearly been sliced by the Freezing Ray earlier, he hadn't faltered for a single second.
His feet pounded furiously against the marble floor, leaving web-like cracks in his wake.
He reached out a hand.
Just... as long as I can reach that place...
Whoosh, whoosh.
An unbearably hot, blinding beam of light erupted into the sky!
The air rippled violently from the intense heat, forcing Sothus's footsteps to a sudden halt.
He was simply too close.
Despair and sheer terror washed over Sothus's face.
Boom!!!!!
A fiery dragon twisted and roared in midair, completely swallowing his tiny figure in a terrifying wave of heat!
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